During the nine-day Navratri fast, one craves something light, tasty, and nutritious for lunch that will satisfy the body. Constant consumption of fried snacks from kuttu or simply boiled potatoes often dulls the taste buds. In such a situation, an ideal combination is a juicy, spicy vegetable soup with yogurt and potatoes, and hot, fluffy flatbreads made from starch dough.
This juicy soup is prepared without onion, garlic, or turmeric and has a very bright flavor, which is multiplied when served with crispy starch flatbreads. People often encounter problems: the yogurt curdles during preparation, or the starch dough for the flatbreads cannot be rolled out properly. Below is a simple instruction and secret tips to achieve the perfect result!
For the juicy vegetable soup with yogurt:
4 boiled potatoes (mashed by hand)
1 cup of fresh yogurt (well whisked)
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 inch of ginger (finely grated)
2 green peppers (finely chopped)
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of rock salt (to taste)
1 tablespoon of clarified butter (desi ghee)
Finely chopped fresh cilantro
For the starch flatbreads:
1 cup of starch dough (singada)
2 medium boiled and grated potatoes (for binding)
1/2 teaspoon of rock salt
1/2 teaspoon of cumin and chopped green pepper
Peanut oil or pure clarified butter for frying
Secret to prevent yogurt from curdling: Heat 1 tablespoon of clarified butter in a saucepan. Sauté the cumin, grated ginger, and green pepper. Then add the boiled potato and fry for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to minimum or remove the saucepan from the stove. Add the whisked yogurt and rock salt. Stir constantly until it comes to a first boil over medium heat (constant stirring ensures the yogurt does not curdle). After boiling, add 1 cup of water and black pepper. Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes so the potato absorbs the juice. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro.
In a bowl, mix the starch dough, grated potato, cumin, and rock salt. First, mash the dough with the potato without adding water. (Since starch dough lacks gluten, adding boiled potato prevents the flatbread from breaking). If necessary, add only 1-2 tablespoons of water to obtain a firm dough.
Lightly grease your hands with a little oil. Take a small ball of dough and carefully roll it between two paper towels or plastic sheets using a rolling pin (or simply press it into a round shape with your palm). Heat the oil/clarified butter in a saucepan to a high temperature. Place the flatbread and fry using a ladle, pressing slightly, until golden and fluffy on both sides.
Your special juicy vegetable soup with yogurt and potatoes and hot starch flatbreads for Navratri is ready.