Satvik Thali is the food of Gods. It is the food we cook to celebrate, we eat it to rejoice, we share to bond, and we sit down to fill our hearts, mind, and soul. It is a simple homecooked meal consisting of rase wale aloo tamatar, khatta meetha kaddu, boondi raita, bedmi poori or kachori, and chawal ki kheer. Cooked simply with no onion, and no garlic, pure vegetarian fare nourishes our roots.
We cook this meal on most of our festive occasions including Holi, Diwali, Hariyali Teej, Karvachauth, and Ahoi Ashtami. If you looking for easy, Saatvik thali for a festival, for a get-together or just like that, then look no further.
Jain food is mostly simple, healthy, and quick to make. It is also full of flavor and hits just the right note.
How to Make Satvik Thali (No Ginger, No Garlic)?
Aloo Tamatar Subzi
Aloo tamatar subzi is a staple in most Jain households. It is a simple and quick gravy recipe, perfect for dinner or for festive occasions.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 2 potatoes medium sized
- 2 tomatoes chopped
- 1 tbsp clarified butter ghee
- 2-3 green chilies chopped
- ½ inch ginger chopped
- ½ tsp cumin seeds jeers
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder haldi
- 1 tsp coriander powder dhania powder
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- a pinch asafetida
- to taste salt
- ¼ tsp all spice powder garam masala
- fresh cilantro coriander leaves for garnishing
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash potatoes and boil them till tender. Remove from hot water and allow to cool.
- Peel them and coarsely chop them into bite-size pieces. For better thickness of the gravy, it is best to break the boiled potatoes using hands into coarse bite sized pieces.
- Coarsely grind chopped tomatoes into a paste. Set aside.
- Heat ghee in a pressure cooker. Firstly add asafoetida, then allow cumin seeds to pop.
- Now add remaining spices like turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chili powder. Add chopped green chili, ginger and tomato paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes till tomato paste starts leaving ghee/ oil.
- Now add boiled potatoes pieces to the prepared masala. Add 1/4 cup water and salt as per taste.
- Pressure cook for 2 whistles on low flame till potatoes and gravy nicely thickens.
- Garnish as desired. Serve hot with chapatis, paranthas or pooris.
Notes
- This gravy tastes very well with paranthas.
- You can use coarsely chopped tomatoes instead of paste if you want.
Khatta Meetha Kaddu
A delicious side of khatta meetha kaddu which is a speciality of North Indian cuisine. It is usually served with pooris and aloo ki subzi. The tadka includes panch phoron spices in mustard oil.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 250 gram green pumpkin kaddu
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
- ¼ tsp cumin seeds jeera
- ¼ tsp nigella seeds onion seeds, kalonji
- ¼ tsp mustard seeds rai
- ¼ tsp fennel seeds saunf
- ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds methi
- ¼ inch ginger
- 2 green chilies chopped
- 1 tsp coriander powder dhania powder
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder haldi
- 2 tsp crushed jaggery gud
- 2 tsp tamarind soaked in ¼ cup water
- ¼ tsp all spice powder garam masala
- a pinch asafetida
- to taste salt
Instructions
- Using green pumpkin which is less sweet and yellow green from inside is better for this recipe.
- Chop it into bite-sized pieces. Do not peel it.
- bring mustard oil to a smoking-hot temperature. Now add asafetida, cumin seeds, nigella seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds and fenugreek seeds. This mix of spice is also known as panch phoron.
- Once the seeds splutter, add green chili and ginger. Mix in spices: corainder powder, red chili powder, and turmeric powder. Mix well till the spices are roasted and leave aroma.
- Now add chopped pumpkin and salt. Mix well.
- Cover the pan and allow the pumpkin to cook for 5-10 minutes still slightly tender.
- In the meanwhile, strain the soaked tamarind pulp. Set aside.
- Remove the lid, and add strained tamarind and crushed jaggery. If you wish to retain the shape of the pumpkin pieces, mix gently otherwise the kaddu will mash up.
- Allow the pumpkin to cook for another 3-4 minutes without covering till the jaggery dissolves.
- Add garam masala and garnish with fresh coriander.
- Serve hot with pooris or chapati.
Boondi Raita
Boondi ka Raita is the all time favorite yogurt dip, made with curd, few spices and salt. An Indian meal with raita helps to balance the spiciness of the gravy as well help clear palate while eating various flavors in it.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 cup yogurt homemade curd
- ¼ cup water
- 1-2 tbsp boondi
- ⅛ red chili powder
- ¼ roasted cumin seeds
- ¼ homemade dried mint
- to taste salt & black salt
Instructions
- Place curd in a small bowl. Using a whisk completely smooth out the curd.
- Add water. You can use more or less water depending on what consistency you enjoy. We like it a medium consistency. Also boondi will absorb lot of water so we keep little extra.
- Add spices. Taste & adjust them as you require.
- Add boondi just before serving. Mix and serve.
Kachori or Bedmi Poori
Kachori or Bedmi Poori is a delicious type of Indian bread that is commonly made in most parts of northern India. They are crisp, and spicy and taste great with most curries.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
for the dough
- 1½ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ tsp carom seeds ajwain
- to taste salt
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- water for kneading
for the dal stuffing
- ¼ cup split black gram urad dal
- a pinch asafetida
- ¼ tsp red chili powder
- ½ tsp coriander powder dhania powder
- ¼ tsp fennel seeds saunf
- to taste salt
Instructions
for the dough:
- Take flour in a flat dish (parant or thali with high side edge). Add carom seeds, salt & oil into it. Mix evenly using your fingers.
- Knead the ingredients into a semi-hard dough using sufficient water. To check, push a finger into the dough, if the dough springs back slowly, it is ready. Cover with a lightly wet muslin and keep aside for 20-30 minutes.
for the dal stuffing:
- Soak the urad dal overnight or for 4-5 hours.
- Wash and drain the completely.
- Wash a flat grinding stone.
- Transfer the dal to the stone and using the stone rolling pin, roll over the dal in a repeated motion allowing it to grind dal coarsely. You will need to apply pressure to grind as well as ensure that dal doesn’t slip off the stone.
- Do not use any water in this step. Otherwise the stuffing will become moist and the kachoris or bedmi pooris will not come out nice.
- Mix the coarsely ground dal with ¼ tsp red chili powder, ½ tsp coriander powder, ¼ tsp fennel seeds, and salt thoroughly. Set aside.
how to make bedmi pooris:
- Make small balls from the dough and roll them into flat discs of approx 3-inch diameter.
- Scoop 1 tsp of dal stuffing and place it in the center of the disc.
- Bring the edge of the disc close to the centre, concealing the stuffing inside and joining to close it.
- Using few drops of oil, roll out the stuffed dough ball gently. Ensure that you do not press it harshly or else the dough covering will tear.
- Heat oil in a wok. To check if the oil is sufficiently hot, take a tiny pinch of dough and drop in the oil. If it floats up immediately, then the oil is hot and you can start frying bedmi pooris.
- Deep fry the pooris and serve hot with curries.
Notes
- The dough needs to be semi-hard. If it is too hard, it will become too hard like mathri. If it too soft, it will become limp and oily and will not taste good.
- Do not rest for longer than 20-30 minutes, or else the dough will soften and pooris or kachoris will come out oily and brittle.
- Do not add water while grinding the dal on the stone grinder, or else it will become moist and the pooris will tear when rolling.
- They are crispier and deeper golden brown than usual pooris.
- Also, the stuffing needs more time to cook from the inside. So be careful not to over-brown them but should be deeper brown than regular pooris.
- You can grind the dal in a mixer grinder too but it usually leads to moist filling. If you need to grind it in a mixer grinder, then I suggest partially drying your dal by dry roasting, or sun drying> excess moisture will evaporate and you will get a dry filling.
Rice Kheer
Rice Kheer is a delicious dessert made on many festivals and occasions. It is made with slow cooking rice and full cream milk together for about an hour.
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
- 2 litre full cream milk
- ½ cup rice
- 2 tbsp lotus seed makhane, chopped
- ¾ cup sugar granulated
- 2 tbsp raisin kismis
- cardamom powder, pistachio & almond slivers elaichi powder, pista, badam, for garnishing
Instructions
- Soak rice for 15 minutes and wash it thoroughly. Set aside. Soak raisins in 2 teaspoons of water.
- In a thick bottom pan or wok, add chopped makhane and dry roast them for 2-3 minutes. Then add washed rice and milk. Allow them to cook on slow flame, with continuous stirring. Stirring is important so that rice doesn’t get stuck to the base of the pan. It will take about 35-40 minutes for rice to cook as well as milk to reduce.
- When rice is tender and blended well with milk, add sugar and raisins in it. Mix well. Add cardamom powder and turn off the flame. Allow the kheer to cool completely. Serve chilled and garnish with chopped almonds and pista.
Notes
Stirring is important so that kheer doesn’t get stuck to the base of the pan.
Very nice