In season of satvik food
Pushpesh Pant
The vegetarian season is here again. The pitripaksha aka shraaddha precedes Navaratri and most Hindus prefer to eschew flesh of fowl and fish. Now, while some would call this boring daily diet, for us it is a welcome interlude that detoxifies the system. And as far as the adjective ‘boring’ is concerned, it does great injustice to the richness and variety of shakahari cuisines of India. Even the prescribed fasting fare can make you drool! And that brings us to the recipe we share with our readers this week. Phalahari food indicates absence of cereals, with fruits providing the nourishment. With time, the usage has expanded to fruits and vegetables. The phalahari tikiya is an excellent example of what a creative cook can do with kanda, mool, phal.
Phalahari Tikiya
Ingredients
- Zimikand 200g (peeled and boiled)
- Sweet potatoes 200g (boiled and then peeled)
- Dried figs 1/4 cup (chopped)
- Dried apricots 1/4 cup (chopped)
- Raisins 2-3 tbsp
- A pinch of rock salt
- A pinch of black pepper powder
- A pinch of clove powder
- A pinch of cardamom powder
- A pinch of dried ginger powder
- A pinch of dried pomegranate seeds (powdered)
- A pinch of royal cumin seeds
- Salt to taste
- A tsp of oil to smear a non-stick pan
Method
Mash the boiled yam and sweet potatoes together in a bowl. Add salt and powdered spices. Mash again to blend well. Divide the batter into equal portions. Roll it between moist palms to shape into small balls. Prepare a filling by mixing the dried fruits and raisins in another bowl. Press the mini balls to make a patty and create a shallow hollow in the middle. Pack it with a portion of filling. After filling the mash, roll it back into small balls and flatten to shape patties. Spread a thin film of ghee or refined oil on a non-stick pan and grill the tikiya in batches till the outer layer is crisp and rich brown in colour. Turn delicately to ensure even grilling on both sides. Dig in and bet you can’t stop at one.
