Ekadashi Dinner
Serves 4–6
Rice Kanji
Ingredients:
1 cup rice
¼ cup whole mung beans (green gram)
6 cups water
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
Salt to taste
Instructions:
- In a vessel, bring 6 cups of water to a boil.
- Add rice and mung beans; simmer.
- Add cumin seeds and salt halfway through cooking.
- Simmer until the grains are soft and broken down (approximately 45–60 minutes). Add more water if you need a lighter consistency.
- Keep warm until serving.
Kala Chana Sundal
Ingredients:
4 cups kala chana (black chickpeas), soaked for 8 hours or overnight, drained
Water to boil chana
2 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
2 teaspoons split black gram (dhuli urad dal)
2 dried red chilies, broken
8–10 curry leaves
4 tablespoons coconut, grated
4 teaspoons lemon juice
Salt to taste
Optional roasted spice mix:
2 teaspoons Bengal gram (dhuli chana dal)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
¼ cup grated and dried coconut
2–3 dried red chilies
Instructions:
- Place soaked kala chana in a pot with enough water to cover. Bring to boil, then simmer until soft (about 25–30 minutes).
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and split black gram; stir until mustard seeds splutter and dal is lightly browned.
- Add broken red chilies and curry leaves; stir well for 20–30 seconds.
- Add boiled kala chana and salt; stir to combine.
- Remove from heat. Mix in grated coconut and lemon juice.
- (Optional) Grind Bengal gram, coriander seeds, dried coconut, and dried red chilies to a coarse mix and stir into the sundal before serving.
Poriyal (Cooked Vegetable)
Ingredients:
3 cups carrots, chopped
2 cups cabbage, finely shredded
1 cup green beans, cut into ½‑inch pieces
2 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
2 teaspoons split black gram (dhuli urad dal)
2 dried red chilies, broken
8–10 curry leaves
4 tablespoons coconut, grated
4 teaspoons lemon juice
Salt to taste
Instructions:
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Add mustard seeds and split black gram; stir until mustard seeds splutter and dal is lightly browned.
- Add chopped carrots, cabbage, and beans; stir well.
- Add broken red chilies and curry leaves; cook until vegetables are tender.
- Remove from heat. Add grated coconut, lemon juice, and salt; mix well.
- Keep warm.
Toor Dal Chutney
Ingredients:
1 cup toor dal (pigeon peas)
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
3 teaspoons tamarind paste
4 dried red chilies
1‑inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
¼ cup groundnut oil (peanut oil)
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions:
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Add toor dal; roast for 2–3 minutes.
- Add mustard seeds and dried red chilies; roast for a further 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Remove from heat and let cool.
- Transfer roasted ingredients to a blender.
- Add tamarind paste, ginger, and salt.
- Blend until smooth, adding a little water if needed for consistency.
Papaya
Ingredients:
1 ripe papaya, peeled and seeded
Instructions:
- Slice or dice papaya just before serving.
