Vastu Rules for the Kitchen: Why You Should Not Count Rotis

During the month of Sawan, people typically abstain from onion, garlic, and meat, opting for simple food. However, even simple food can be made delicious. Since light food is customary during Sawan, pumpkin tikki can be prepared, which turns out to be very appetizing and easy to make.

In the holy month of Sawan, devotees observe a fast in honor of Lord Shiva. But eating the same dish every day can become boring. Although boiled potatoes are often eaten, during these days, you can try simple and tasty pumpkin tikki. Pumpkin is a light food, and adding cottage cheese (paneer) enriches it with protein. This dish will help keep you full for a long time while having a wonderful taste. It is important to note that this dish requires not much oil to prepare, and it is easy to make during the fast.

Here is a simple way to prepare pumpkin tikki that will be useful during the month of Sawan. First, the pumpkin should be thoroughly washed, peeled, and then grated. If there is too much water in the pumpkin, it needs to be lightly squeezed to remove excess moisture. This ensures better binding of the tikki and prevents them from falling apart when frying.

Next, the grated pumpkin and cottage cheese are mixed in a large bowl. To them, coriander seed powder (jeera powder), Sendha salt, grated ginger, and finely chopped green chili are added. Then, rajgira flour and singhada flour are incorporated into the mixture, stirring all ingredients thoroughly. The mass needs to be slightly pressed; if it holds its shape easily, it is ready for shaping the tikki. A little extra flour can be added if necessary.

After this, small balls are formed, and then they are shaped into tikki by hand. All the tikki are prepared this way. Then, a pan is heated and lightly greased with ghee. The ready tikki are placed on the pan and fried over medium heat on both sides until golden and crispy. When flipping the tikki, care must be taken to ensure they do not fall apart.

When the pumpkin tikki become nicely golden and crispy on both sides, they are placed on a plate. They can be served hot with green fasting chutney, yogurt, or any other favorite vegetarian chutney. These tikki, made from pumpkin, cottage cheese, rajgira flour, and singhada flour, are not only tasty but also quite filling. If you want something unusual and delicious during the Sawan fast, this recipe can be an excellent choice.