Marathi Manoos

I met Vandana on the Ides of March. Nobody said, Beware the Ides of March, to anybody as the first greeting. Because Vandu, as she soon became, hadn't met Julius Caesar & I was sweating it out on the treadmill.                                                                                                                                                                                                 
Ajay, our gym instructor, had gone out for a while & Vandana entered the gym looking for him. It was her first day. I took it upon myself to show the newcomer the weights & machines and the order in which to do them. Something about Vandana made me feel that she must be a Maths teacher & came from a region where they do not speak Hindi. So we started our gym tips in English & the girl was happy on being shown around by a 80kg woman of substance till Ajay returned & told me to concentrate on my own weight loss & not waste time teaching others.                                                                                                                                                                               As it turned out, Vandu was actually a Maths teacher. She & her husband, Vineet, had recently moved to U.P. from Maharashtra. Aha, marathi manoos! It was only many months later she revealed that she also taught Hindi & that she wasn't too good at English! And that Vineet laughed at her when he heard her holding forth with me in the Queen's language! Nonsense, you speak perfect, Vandu! I can vouch for it. So what if you never made Sabudana Khichdi for me & I had to make it myself. Also, we are still waiting for your  Puran Poli, and will not give up till you have made it for us.

Popular as a Navratra dish when one is fasting, Sago/Sabudana/Tapioca Khichdi is a convenient breakfast/snack item too. The traditional Maharashtrian way of making this dish is here for you. 
                                                                                                       Ingredients:
1. 1 cup sago
2. 1 large boiled potato-cubed
3. 3/4 cup coarsely ground peanuts
4. 1/4 cup dessicated coconut
5. 1/4 cup green peas(optional)
6. 1/5 tsp mustard seeds
7. 1/5tsp cumin seeds
8. 1-2 chopped green chillies
9. 1tsp curry leaves
10. 1tsp sugar
11. Salt to taste
12. Refined oil to cook
                                                                                                                                      Method:
1. Soak sago in water for atleast 3 hours till it is tender.Do not put excess water or it will become sticky. 
2. Dry roast peanuts; take them in a cloth & rub vigorously to remove peel. 


 3. Coarsely grind into powder. Add the dessicated coconut, sugar & salt, mix together.
4. Add this mixture to the soaked sago, mix well & keep aside.  

5. Allow curry leaves, mustard seeds & cumin seeds to splutter in hot oil.

6. Add the cubed potatoes, green peas & chillies & fry till potatoes are slightly brown. 
7. Add the sago mixture in the fried potatoes & gently mix till the ingredients fry well. Keep on medium heat.

                                                                                                  Remove from flame when sago looks translucent & yum. Serve hot with yogurt or chutney. Eat plain if you like.

If you are 80 kgs or therabouts, you may want to stick to dalia. And no peanuts, please! 
                                                                                               Vandu, puran poli...