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Kuttu aur Lauki ka Chilla

There is a wonderful shloka in the Bhagawat Geeta. Chpt 4, verse 33:

śreyān dravya-mayād yajñāj
jñāna-yajñaḥ paran-tapa
sarvaḿ karmākhilaḿ pārtha
jñāne parisamāpyate

it translates to:

Greater than the nonpermanent material possessions which are sacrificed is the knowledge gained off the act of sacrifice oh chastiser of enemies
For all activities in totality culminate to knowledge in the end.

What it simply states is that knowledge is the apogee (or ultimate aim?) of all activities - sarvaḿ karmākhilaḿ jñāne parisamāpyate. In other words, all that you gain or lose on the material platform is nothing compared to what you learn because of your actions.

This one sentence sums up everything I ever try to tell you in all that I do, talk, say, write when I talk about fasting.

So, Prabhodhini Ekadashi or Devuttana Ekadashi is here and this Ekadashi preceeds Dev Diwali the way Rama Ekadashi preceeds the other Diwali.

I am fasting today but rather than talking about the vrat katha and its various metaphors, the story behind tulsi vivah (all of which you can find out yourself), I am going to share with you a wonderful recipe I tried last Ekadashi.


Here's what you need for Kuttu Lauki ka Chilla:

1/2 cup Kuttu ka Atta
2 Tbsp of Mashed Sweet Potato
1/2 cup grated bottle gourd (wash, peel and grate)
2 Tablespoons of Yogurt
Water as needed to get the right consistency

Sendha Namak

And here's what you do:

In a bowl, mix the Kuttu ka atta, sweet potato mash and yogurt with some water and mix well to make a batter that is slightly on the thicker side but not as firm as roti dough.

After resting for atleast 2 hours, grate and add bottlegourd n sendha namak and let rest again for 15-20 min. The batter should be of a dosa/pancake like pourable consistency, if not, add some more water.

Now heat a flat nonstick tawa till medium hot.
Pour and spread on it the batter like we do for dosa.

Now here's a little talking about the recipe:

Kuttu or buckwheat is a very warm pseudo grain and many advice against consuming it on Ekadashi. But as the weather cools, it becomes an important grain to include in your diet when fasting with falahaar. It is heating and drying so it pacifies Kapha while Lauki is cooling and pacifies Vata Pitta. Both balance each other out. I served it with Jeera Aloo and some yogurt.


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