Ganesh Puja Recipe: Shalaka's Vaal Alu Sabzi

Shalaka, Bhavesh and Haresh Thakur live in the village of Zirad, near Mandwa in Raigad, with Haresh's mother Lata Thakur and a few cats, who come and go. The family brings Ganeshji home every year. Their Bappa stands about a foot tall; actually he sits and has a colourful backdrop of paper peacock feathers and roses.

After worshipping, feting and feeding him, they lovingly carry him in their arms or on their heads to the pond nearby and perform visarjan.

Feeding Ganpatiji is an essential part of the festivities. Modaks, Rava-Suji-Chana-Dal Laddoos and fruit are always at hand for the adored god to feast on. So are other bhojan items like Vaal Alu Sabzi.

Shalaka offers her recipe for this sabzi, which is often made during these few days in these parts. It's a little teekha, a tiny bit sweet and the alu balances out the nuttiness of the sprouted field beans. The vaal needs two days to soak and sprout and the sabzi can be then made on the third day.

Shalaka came to Zirad after her marriage 19 years ago from Uran, a coastal town northwest of Zirad. Her husband Haresh hails from this picturesque area. Their son Bhavesh grew up in the village, but now goes to college in the Mangaon-Lonere belt, about 100 km away, as there are very few colleges around Alibag, and comes home on some weekends and for festival holidays.

Vaal Alu Sabzi

Serves: 2 to 3

Ingredients

• 1 cup soaked, sprouted vaal or field beans
• 1 medium-sized potato, peeled, cubed
• 1 tsp rai or mustard seeds
• ½ tsp jeera or cumin seeds
• Pinch hing or asafoetida
• 1 sprig curry pattas or curry leaves
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• ½ tsp haldi or turmeric powder
• 1 tsp lal mirch or chilly powder
• 1 tomato, finely chopped or grated
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1-2 tsp jaggery powder
• 1-2 tsp dhaniya or coriander powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Salt, about a 1 tsp
• 1-2 tbsp grated fresh coconut
• Handful green dhaniya or coriander or cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Method

• Heat the oil in a kadhai or large saucepan, over medium heat, and add the rai, jeera and hing.
  Let the spices crackle for about a minute and add the haldi, curry leaves and then the chopped onion and the chopped tomato.
  Fry for 5-7 minutes till the onion becomes translucent and the tomato softens and reduces (gal jaata hai).
  Add the alu, cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, till tender.
• Then add the vaal, dhaniya powder, lal mirch powder, salt, garam masala and cook, covered, for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring several times in between, till the vaal is cooked but still slightly crunchy.
  Add the jaggery and the grated coconut and fry for 2 to 3 minutes more.
• Take off heat and garnish with the green coriander and serve with hot rotis or steamed rice.

Shalaka, a homemaker, lives in the village of Zirad, Alibag, Maharashtra.

• Ganesh Utsav, 2024