Master Chef Pankaj Bhadauria shares a recipe for soft sabudana paratha without soaking for Shivaratri fast.

During fasting periods, such as Savan and Navratri, people often prefer dishes made from special fasting flours. Although such flour is easily available in stores, it can be prepared at home to avoid impurities. Preparing flour from kuttu, sabudana, sweet potato, rajgira, and singhada is quite simple, but several important rules must be followed.

Fasting Flour (Homemade Falahari Atta)

With these flours, various fasting dishes can be prepared, including puri, paratha, chila, pakoras, and many other snacks.

Making Kuttu Flour

To make kuttu flour, you will need 1 cup of whole kuttu grains. First, the grains must be thoroughly cleaned of any stones or other contaminants. If necessary, they should be washed with water and completely dried, as there should be no moisture left in the grains.

Next, the kuttu grains are lightly roasted in a dry pan over medium heat for 3–5 minutes; excessive roasting can make the taste bitter. This step can be skipped if you want raw flour. After the grains cool down, they must be ground in a blender and then sifted through a fine sieve. If a coarse part remains, it should be ground again and sifted. The finished flour should be stored in an airtight container. It can be used to make rotis, puris, parathas, and pakoras for fasting.

Making Sabudana Flour

Half a cup of sabudana is required for this flour. To prepare it, heat a pan over medium heat and add the sabudana, roasting it for 5–10 minutes while stirring constantly so that it does not burn. When the sabudana becomes light golden and well-dried, turn off the heat and let it cool completely. Then, grind it in a blender and sift it through a sieve. The finished sabudana powder should be stored in an airtight container, using it to make chila, halwa, or other fasting recipes during the fast.

Making Sweet Potato Flour

The required amount of sweet potato is needed for sweet potato flour. First, the sweet potato should be thoroughly washed and peeled, then cut into thin and small pieces. These pieces should be spread on a plate or baking sheet and dried in bright sunlight. If there is no sunlight, they can be dried in an oven at a low temperature. It is important to ensure that there is absolutely no moisture left in the sweet potato. After drying completely, the pieces are cooled, ground in a blender, and sifted through a sieve. The resulting powder is placed in an airtight container. This flour is suitable for making chila, rotis, or other fasting dishes.

Making Rajgira Flour

First, the rajgira grains must be cleaned of stones and other impurities. Then, a pan is heated, the rajgira grains are added, and they are lightly roasted over medium heat for 3–5 minutes; the grains must not be overroasted. After this, they are placed on a plate and allowed to cool completely. The cooled grains are ground in a blender in small batches. Next, the flour is sifted through a fine sieve, and any remaining coarse part is ground and sifted again. The finished flour is stored in an airtight container. Rajgira flour can be used to make rotis, parathas, chila, and puris for fasting.

Making Singhada Flour

Fresh raw singhada in the required quantity is needed for singhada flour. If fresh raw singhada is used, the skin must first be removed and the seeds thoroughly washed. Then, they are cut into small pieces. These pieces are spread on a clean cloth or plate and dried in the sun. The pieces must become completely dry and hard; if moisture remains, the flour may spoil quickly. When the singhada is completely dry, it is ground in a blender intermittently. The finished powder is sifted through a fine sieve, and any remaining coarse part is ground and sifted again. If dry singhada granules are purchased, they can be ground directly to obtain flour. The finished singhada flour should be stored in a clean and airtight container. It can be used to make puris, halwa, parathas, and chila for fasting.

If you enjoy eating something spicy and crunchy with tea during the monsoon season, homemade samusas and pakoras are often prepared. Although samusas and pakoras are pleasant to eat with tea, sometimes people get tired of the monotonous taste. If you are tired of samusas and pakoras, you can make sabudana vadas. It is worth noting that sabudana is suitable not only for fasting but also for making delicious and crispy vadas on regular days.

Today, we present a recipe for sabudana vada that adds a cheesy delight to this snack. The renowned chef Sanjeev Kapoor has shared his special recipe for chili-cheese sabudana vada, which boasts excellent taste and texture. This recipe is suitable for any occasion: whether preparing something special for evening tea, making a tasty snack for children, or serving the dish in a restaurant style to guests.

Ingredients and method for making chili-cheese sabudana vada

To begin, thoroughly mix soaked sabudana, peanuts, green coriander, rock salt, sugar, lime juice, and mashed boiled banana in a large bowl.

In a second bowl, prepare the filling by mixing green bell pepper, green chili, Szechuan sauce, cheese (paneer), processed cheeses, and a little rock salt.

Next, small balls are formed from the prepared sabudana mixture. The cheese filling is placed in the center of each ball, then it is tightly closed and shaped into a round vada.

Ghee or oil is heated in a pan and the vadas are fried over medium heat until golden and crispy. The finished chili-cheese vadas are served with green chutney and tomato ketchup, and can also be enjoyed with tea.