Usal means a preparation made using a pulse or a sprout.
Kaju usal is made using tender cashews. These tender kaju’s have their skins or kernels intact. It is very rare to procure these since they are available for a limited time of the year. Plus they have a very short shelf life and tase best when consumed fresh.
This usal is very simple and uses my favourite formula. तिखट + मीठ +गूळ + गोडा मसाला. This formula never goes wrong!
My tadka formula is also constant . Oil + mustard seeds +hing + haldi
Start by soaking the cashew nuts in hot water. The hot water helps to remove the kernels easily. Remove their skins, rinse and keep aside.
Make tadka, add the cashews and sauté for a bit.
Add some water and bring to boil. Add the cooked and mashed potatoes to the gravy to thicken it slightly. Adjust the water content as per your preference.
When the mixture starts boiling, add some jaggery, red chilly powder, some Goda masala and salt to taste. Put some grated fresh coconut in it too.
The usal is done when the cashews are cooked.
Garnish liberally with fresh grated coconut and chopped coriander!
Sometimes I skip the potatoes. I grind some grated dry coconut and jeera and add this mixture to to thicken the gravy.
This formula can be used for most usals, be it matki, moong or chawli!
Enjoy with hot polis or even poories, with samras on the side !
From textile designer, to fashion designer, to entrepreneur, to image consultant, to internationally certified ‘Heal your life coach’, to a lover of yoga, my journey had been that of discovery and learning.
Somewhere along this journey, I also became a wife, a companion, a mother, a daughter in law to being a mother in law myself!!! I’ve come a long way!
I enjoy interacting with people and sharing all that I have learnt along this journey.
There have been lots of failures but the lessons learnt from these experiences are priceless.
I believe that clothes , grooming , body language and appearance have a tremendous impact on not only how we feel but also how others react towards us.
However, the most stylish clothes and the best grooming habits are of no use unless we are healthy from within.
The key lies in balancing this Image that we project to the world, with the real YOU that the world sometimes fails to see.
The image that we project to the world, has to be Authentic, Appropriate, attractive and affordable.
Unless we work on this image from Inside out, no matter how much we work on it from outside, it will be inadequate.
I help people find their true self, to embrace themselves and accept themselves with all their flaws.
Thanks to the teachings of Louise Hays, I believe in the powers of affirmations and positivity.
Thanks to yoga, I am more aware of how strong our bodies can be. Yoga taught me awareness and staying in the moment.
My only regret is that I wish I had discovered yoga earlier in my life. It’s never to late to start yoga practices and the best time is NOW, no matter how old you are.
Through my blog, I am trying to make my readers aware of how easy and exciting this journey of self discovery can be.
So, this is how I would like to describe myself.
I am an artist, a poet, a fashion designer, a foodie, a mother, a wife, a daughter, a friend, a companion, a caretaker, a dreamer, a realist.
I want everything, and want to live to the fullest. I have an opinion about everything and am ever ready to give my advice and opinion , but only when it is asked for and is valued.
I am always ready to learn new things and also willing to share whatever knowledge I have gained in the last 5 decades of my life .
This is my platform, where I share my thoughts.
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