Shabudana Thalipeeth

Shabudana or sogo is an integral part of Maharashtrian upavas or fasting food. This shabudana is cooked in a few different ways to give variety to the once who really fast and to satisfy the taste buds of the rest. It has always happened that anything made with shabudana is enjoyed by the people who are not fasting rather than the people who are actually fasting and have to eat nothing other than that. This is what used to happen in our house when my mother used to fast. My father, brother and I used to enjoy the khichadi or thalipeeth which was meant for my mother. And so a fasting meal was made for everybody at home on days like Sankashti, Ekadashi etc. The few varieties in which the shabudana is cooked is shabudana khichadi, thalipeeth and vada. The sweeter version being shabudana kheer. Shabudana thalipeeth is a slightly substantial meal and has a crispy twist to it. The thalipeeth with a groundnut chutney, and some tak (buttermilk) and something sweet, like a fruit or shrikhand etc. can keep you going the full day.
Getting on with the thalipeeth now:

Ingredients

Shabudana (Sogo) - 2 cups
Potatoes - 2 medium
Groundnuts - 1/2 cup, Coarsely ground
Green chillies (peppers) - 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Salt - 1 tsp
sugar - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Oil or ghee - 2-3 tbsp

Method

1. Wash and soak the shabudana in warm water for 2-3 hours. Leave around 1-2 cm of water on top of the shabudana. Let it become soft. Drain out any excess water after the sogo has become soft.

2. Once the shabudana is ready, peel and grate the potatoes. Add these to the soaked shabudana.

3. Add the groundnut powder, green chillies, cumin seeds, salt and sugar, and mix it well. It will form a soft mass, not necessarily like a dough.

4. In a frying pan, add some oil or ghee. Take a handful of the mixture, and spread it on the pan with your hand. Make it thin and round in shape. It can be made about 1/4 of an inch thick. Make some 3-4 holes in the thalipeeth to let the vapor out.

5. Start frying the thalipeeth on medium heat and cover it till the top looks translucent. It means that the shabudana and the potato has got cooked.

6. Once the lower side is sufficiently browned (golden brown), flip the thalipeeth and let the reverse side be browned. Once done from both the sides, remove from heat.

Serve with coconut or groundnut chutney or just plain yogurt.

I want to enter this recipe for Nupur's RCI: Maharashtrian cuisine.
For details of the event see this page on Nupur's blog.