Ekadashi - its preparation and significance (The Universal Medicine for cleansing one of all bad karma and the gaining of good karma)
Fasting on Ekadashi (comes twice a month). One should not consume any grains or meat on this day. Lord Krishna says that if a person fasts on Ekadashi, “I will burn up all his sins. Indeed this day is the most meritorious day for destroying all kinds of sins.” In the three worlds, there is no kind of fasting, which is even comparable to the Ekadasi fast. Even if one performs this fast without a proper attitude, he achieves the Lords Supreme Abode. Anyone who fasts on Ekadasi, with full devotion, the merit one receives cannot be compared to anything else in the three worlds.
According to the Vedic scriptures we take on sins (and even more obstacles) on this day if we consume grains since Sin Personified resides only in grains on this day. Also grains eaten on this day becomes harmful, remains undigested and turns toxic in the body, giving rise to various diseases, further more your Chakra (Energy) points in your body becomes imbalanced thus causing various sicknesses.
Brahma-Vaivarta Purana: "Ekadasi destroys all a person's sin, bestows limitless piety, and causes them to remember Govinda." Thus, there are three aspects mentioned here about following Ekadasi (1) removal of bad karma, (2) gain of good karma, and (3) remembrance of Govinda (The master of the senses).
Padma Purana: - “All of the sins from the three worlds reside in grains in the form of a sinful person. Whatever sins are available in this world, they all together reside in grains on Ekadasi day by the order of Lord Narayana.
Lord Krsna to Sri Garuda – Garuda Purana: “ There are five boats for the people who are drowning in the ocean of worldly existence: Lord Vishnu, the Bhagavad-Gita, Srimati Tulasi Devi, the cow, and Ekadashi”
Padma Purana: “Of all plants, the sacred Tulasi is most dear to Me, of all months, Kartik is most dear to Me, of all places of pilgrimages, My beloved Dvaraka is most dear to Me, and of all days, Ekadashi is most dear to Me. Ekadasi preparations.
Abstain from: - grains (cereals, breads, wheat, flour, beans, rice, dhals, green beans, roti, coffee, etc) meat.
Do not cook with: - Jeera, mustard seeds, hing, soomph, methi seeds, shop turmeric (you can use whole turmeric).
You can cook with the following: - Whole turmeric, clean salt, cinnamon sticks, clean oil, butter, ghee, ginger, chilli, curry leaves, maas (yogurt), cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, clean sugar, rooibos tea, spinach, dhania, thyme, peppers, ground pepper, mint, green bananas, fresh cream, sour cream, bay leaves. Potatoes, tomatoes, peanuts, cabbage, pumpkin, butternut, gem squash, carrots, lettuce, all kinds of fruits, paneer.
1) Make tomato chutney and then add scrambled paneer and dhania. You can also add a little maas (yogurt) or fresh cream to it.
2) Cut eggplant into thin slices and deep fry. Keep aside. Prepare potato mash and keep aside. Now in a casserole dish and lay the eggplant on the bottom and then cover the eggplant with mash, thereafter sprinkle cheese on the mash, then place thin slices of tomato on the cheese. Place strips of peppers on tomato slices. Bake for a few minutes and serve.
3) Potato soup (add salt, thyme and black or white pepper)
4) Mixed vegetable stew example: (cabbage, carrots, peppers, zucchini, and potatoes). Add black pepper, thyme and little butter and fresh cream. Use liquid from the baked vegetables below.
5) Bake the following: Cut potato in large pieces, cut butternut in big pieces, carrots in thin strips, cauliflower into florets, cut sweet potato in rounds. Boil veg. for 15 minutes then drain the vegetables and save the liquid. Mix butter, black pepper, salt, origanum and lots of thyme – rub well into boiled vegetables, bake in oven till crispy on outside.
6) Vaikuntha curry: (use curry leaves and ginger). Cabbage sliced finely, green peppers in strips, carrots in strips; add fried paneer cubes, thyme and dhania.
7) Cut potato into rounds, deep fry and then drain to remove excess oil/ghee/butter. Now place flat in baking tray and grate cheese and bake till cheese melts.
8) Cut potato into rounds and deep fry and then drain excess oil. Place in baking tray (spaces between each) mix scramble curds, tiny cubed tomatoes, green peppers, salt, grated cheese, black pepper, thyme and then place on the potato – add more cheese on top and bake till cheese melts.
9) Bake whole potato with jacket in microwave till soft and make a cross in the top press open, dot butter and add tablespoon of sour cream, top with cheese and bake till cheese melts.
10) Cook cabbage and potato with tomatoes.
11) Cook mixed vegetables. For example, potato, cauliflower and zucchini in butter ghee or oil. When cooked add sour cream or fresh cream. Cook till it thickens.
12) Fry peanuts, fry green bananas
13) Make salads and fruit salads.
14) Chevda: Fry nuts, fry grated potatoes (coloured with red/green/yellow food colour). Also you can fry thin slices of green bananas.
15) Saigo milk Add 4 cups of water in a pot. Then add one cup of saigo and then bring to boil stirring continuously. Add sugar to taste (approx. 1 cup) and then add a few drops of vanilla essence. Cook on med heat for about 20 minutes until the saigo becomes clear. Add 2 cups of milk, and then boil until slightly thick.
16) Saigo patties. Soak I cup of saigo in cold water for 20 minutes and then remove the excess water. Boil three medium size potatoes, and thereafter mash while mash is hot and add saigo. Cut 2 chillies finely, chop up some dhania and add salt to taste. You can add grated cheese. Make into patties, deep fry until golden brown, serve with tomatoe chutney.
Compiled (for the upliftment of Sanatan Dharma- the Eternal
Religion)
Narottam Das 031 4020 449 or 082 714 1504
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