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Recipe: Simple Ekādaśī Meal for Those with No Time

By Pratyatoṣa Dāsa (ACBSP), March 27, 2005

(pratyatosa.com)

Are any of the following true of you?

1. No time to cook.

2. No time to wash dishes.

3. No time to eat in restaurants.

If so, then this delicious, nutritious Ekādaśī recipe may be for you!

Don’t let the simplicity (only 4 non-optional ingredients) of this recipe mislead you. It’s delicious, and very nutritious! This recipe uses a paper bowl¹ and a plastic spoon¹ as the only eating utensils. It also uses the paper bowl as the microwave container.

I like to prepare this recipe whenever it’s Ekādaśī and I run out of other ingredients. It does not require any perishable ingredients such as fresh vegetables or dairy products. (Butter will keep for months in the freezer.)

I also like to prepare this recipe when I have a headache. When I have a headache I’m not in the mood for preparing something which is even slightly complicated. Another nice feature of this recipe is that eating it cures my headache! If I have a headache, I make sure that it’s not only hot spice wise (by adding more hot spices than I usually do), but hot temperature wise also. After eating it very slowly, and with as few distractions as possible, my headache is gone! It might have something to do with the hot spices making my blood vessels less restricted, thus lowering my blood pressure, but I’m not sure. In any case, it works very well!

1. Into a 20 oz. microwavable, disposable paper bowl¹, put ½ cup of powdered milk.

2. Add a 15 ounce can of sweet diced tomatoes† (Do not drain).

3. Mix using a plastic spoon¹ until all of the powdered milk is thoroughly wet.

4. Add a few roasted almonds. (optional)

5. Add a handful of cashew halves/pieces. (optional)

6. Rinse off the plastic spoon and add (mix later) a heaping plastic spoonful of Patak’s Hot Mango Relish³ or Patak’s Hot Chile Relish³. (Available at health food stores and East Indian grocery stores.)

7. Microwave on high for 2 minutes.

8. Add 2 tablespoons (¼ stick) of melted butter‡.

9. Mix thoroughly.

10. Serve while still warm.

¹ At Wal-Mart®, I’ve purchased Dixie® brand 20 oz. microwavable paper bowls in packages of 30 for US$2.97 and Diamond® brand plastic spoons in packages of 48 for US$.96.

² The purpose of the “powdered milk,” in addition to providing good nutrition, is to soak up the excess liquid.

³ The mango/chile relish not only makes the preparation more tasty, but the hot spices are an aid to digestion. The relish also improves the appearance of the preparation, which is an additional aid to digestion. If you don’t like hot, spicy preparations, then use only ½ of a plastic spoonful, or, substitute other spices.

† A 15 ounce can of some other non-pea/bean/grain vegetable could be substituted.

‡ One obvious disadvantage of the above recipe is that it creates “dirty dishes.” A knife is required to cut the butter, and a container is required to melt the butter. I manage to minimize this problem as follows:

• I keep a wide mouth (5 ½") “coffee cup” in the freezer for melting the butter. Inside the cup, I keep a paring knife for cutting the butter. I also keep the butter in the freezer. The purpose for using a wide mouthed cup is that it minimizes the possibility of the butter “boiling over,” but as an added precaution I keep the cup inside of a Ziploc® brand plastic microwavable bowl.
• I microwave the frozen butter on high for 55 seconds in an older microwave oven which is less powerful and less efficient than the newer ones, so there is less chance that the butter will get “scorched.”
• There’s no need to wash the cup, the bowl, or the knife every time that you use them. Simply put them back into the freezer.

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