Varyache Tandul Danyachi Aamti

(cooked samo seeds with a spicy-sweet peanut curry)

Another favorite from the apawas (fasting) menu. My aji's patent recipe! The good thing about this dish is its one of the healthier 'fasting' dishes. I satisfy my hunger for sabudanyachi khichadi with this :P Samo seeds (varaiche tandul) are healthy and the curry has yogurt and peanuts! not bad, eh?!

You will need: (serves 2)

for the rice:
samo seeds, washed 1/2 cup
hot water 1.5 cups
1/2 tsp ghee
salt

For the aamti (curry):
1/2 cup peanut powder (roasted and crushed, without skin)
yogurt 1/2 (mixed with a cup of water) cup OR buttermilk 1 cup
1 tsp ghee/ oil
2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
cumin seeds
2-3 dried amsul (dried garcinia indica/ kokum) or tamarind
salt, sugar

1. in a large saucepan, sauté the samo seeds on ghee and add hot water and salt.
2. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes on low flame, check every once in a while

3. In another pan, heat the ghee and add cumin seeds and green chillies.
4. To this add the amsul (If using tamarind instead of amsul, add it later)
5. add peanut powder to this and fry for a minute, till the peanut powder takes a nice golden hue and gives off the perfect aroma!
6. Once this happens, add the yogurt-water mixture
7. Add more water as required, the peanut powder will thicken the curry as it boils.
8. Add samt and sugar according to taste (this is supped to be sweet and spicy!) (If adding tamarind, add iot at this point)
9. Let the curry boil thoroughly
10. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro