Ekadashi/Upvas Thalipeeth

mayurisjikoni

8 years ago

EVENT: MEGA BLOGGING MARATHON#92

THEME: A-Z FLATBREADS AND MORE – INDIAN FLATBREADS

What is Mega Blogging Marathon?

Well, its a group of bloggers who get together to post a dish for 26 days according to the chosen theme. For more details check out the initiator Srivalli’s page here. For this theme we had a choice of 3:

1. A-Z Indian Flatbreads that are not made using batter e.g. like rotis

2. A-Z Indian Flatbreads using batters e.g. dosa

3. A-Z International Flatbreads.

I decided to opt for option number 1. India has such a huge variety of flatbreads to offer that are made on the stove top, in the tandoor, in the oven, under the grill or fried. Its going to be a challenge to look for flatbreads beginning with all the letters of the alphabet as for this group cannot use batter based flatbreads. However, am up for this challenge.

Letter E has not been easy. I was searching for parathas or flatbreads with E and kept on coming up with egg parathas . Realised that I’d have to come back to that letter and proceeded to look for ideas for F and G. A glance at the calendar and I realized that the day we have to post our flatbread beginning with E its Ekadashi. Therefore wouldn’t have felt comfortable posting an egg recipe. I already have Ekadashi or Farali Roti and Thepla recipes on the blog. So now what? Then I came across the recipe for an Ekadashi or Upvas thalipeeth, again by Tarla Dalal. Letter E was sorted out with E for Ekadashi Thalipeeth.

What is thalipeeth? Its usually made with a mixture of flours, pulses, grains and spices called bhajanee. Chopped onion, coriander etc are added. Its a famous Maharashtrian flatbread usually enjoyed for breakfast.

Before we go into the recipe, let me explain to you what is Ekadashi? Also known as Agheeyaras. Ekadashi in Sanskrit is 11. Every 11th day of the lunar calendar, meaning that in a month there would be two 11th days. On the first 11th the moon is waxing or growing and the second half the moon is waning or shrinking. These two days are considered spiritually important by the Hindus and is observed by full or partial fasting. By this I mean whereby no grains, pulses, beans are consumed. Root vegetables, fruits, pumpkins, dairy products like milk, paneer and yogurt, herbs etc can be consumed. Its best to fast the whole day consuming only water. However, if that is not possible then the above mentioned foods can be eaten. When my kids were young my mother in law would encourage us to make Ekadashi fun by making different kinds of food. That way the kids felt they were getting a special treat and loved fasting. While grains and pulses are not allowed, one is allowed to use samo,(Shama millet, not a true millet), buckwheat, tapioca balls (sabudana), amaranth (rajgira)and water chest nut (singhada) flours.

Read more about Ekadashi here.

Making a thalipeeth has been on my ‘to do list’ for a long time. Making an Ekadashi Thalipeeth presented that opportunity to me. Tarla Dalal’s recipe uses rajgira flour but I decided to use a fasting flour mixture which I had bought from India. Its usually a mixture of rajgira,singhada and sama flours. Thalipeeth is usually patted directly onto the hot pan or tawa. I can’t do that so opted to use a wet cloth to pat the thalipeeth on and then flipped it into the pan. I tried using parchment paper but the thalipeeth was getting stuck even though I had oiled it.

EKADASHI THALIPEETH

Makes 5-6

¾ cup falari (fasting) flour

1 raw plantain, peeled and grated

2 tbsp sabudana (tapioca pearls)

2 tbsp lightly roasted peanuts

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander

2 tbsp fresh grated coconut

1-2 fresh green chilis finely sliced

1 tsp ginger paste

2 tbsp yogurt

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp rock salt (sendha namak)

1 tsp lemon juice

½ tsp cumin seeds

2- 3 tbsp water

oil/ghee for roasting

a clean handkerchief or a piece of cotton cloth

Soak sabudana in ¼ cup water for 30-40 minutes.
Drain out the water.
Lightly crush the roasted peanuts.
Put the flour in a big bowl.
Add all the ingredients except water and oil.
Mix well.
Add water little by little till you get a very soft dough. It should be softer than roti dough but a manageable dough.
Heat a frying pan or tawa over medium heat.
Take a small piece of cloth and wet it completely.
Lay it flat on the rolling board or work top.
Wet your hands and take a lemon sized piece of the dough.
Shape it into a ball. Place it on the wet cloth.
Dip your fingers in water and pat the dough into a circle about 5 – 6 inches in diameter.
Lightly grease the pan with some oil or ghee.
Lift the cloth at the two corners away from you and flip it over onto the hot tawa or pan. At this stage the thalipeeth should be facing the pan.
Peel the cloth away.
Let it cook or roast for 1-2 minutes.
Flip it over and let it cook or roast.
Apply about a tsp of oil or ghee and roast the thalipeeth, flipping it over till you have light brown spots on both sides.
Serve hot thalipeeth with some yogurt and a mango coriander chutney or any green chutney.