Danyachi Amti

I don't keep regular fasts; it's impossible for me to spend entire days eating nothing. More importantly, you have to continuously watch yourself before popping anything in your mouth. That's so difficult. Open the cabinet, see the pack of chips, stuff some in your mouth. There goes your fast down the drain. Last year, I did something very bad. I was fasting for Mahashivratri and had spent the entire day on fruits. I met my to-be-hubby in the evening and enjoyed a plate of bhel with him:((. I had completely forgotten that I was fasting. Oh God, forgive me! So, it's more from the fear of breaking fasts that I don't do many.

However, there are a couple of fasts that I keep and abide by. There have been a couple of additions to the list since I got married. Last Saturday was Vata Pournima. Maharashtrian ladies pray for their husband's long life and request God that they get the same husband for 7 more life times. Of course, you put this request only if your husband behaves the way you want him to:) The pooja is done by walking around a banyan tree and tying a thread around it. Banyan trees are not available in the US. So, I did my own kind of pooja by taking a print-out of a banyan tree and praying to it. This day also calls for a full-day fast. Now, I consider fasts as an excellent oppurtunity to eat my favorite items such as sabudana khichadi. Last Saturday, I made sabudana khichadi and my favorite curry - Danyachi Amti. The curry is a Maharashtrain upvaas special.

Danyachi Amti/Peanut curry

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
For the curry
1. 1 cup ground, roasted peanut powder
2. 1 cup water
3. Salt to taste
4. 1/8 tsp tamarind pulp
5. 3 green chillies chopped fine
6. 1/2 tsp sugar
Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth. Heat a pan on medium flame. Transfer the curry to the pan and boil for 5-6 minutes. Stir frequently.

For the tempering:
Heat another pan and add 1 tsp ghee to it. Next, add 1 tsp cumin seeds and a pinch of asafetida. When the cumin seeds splutter, add this tempering to the above curry and mix well.
Serve hot with sabudana khichadi or varichi khichadi.