Cashew curry

ओल्या काजूची आमटी

The heat is on and the season for 'KokaNcha mewa' is started.ओले काजू,कोकमाची फळ,करवंदे,फणसाचे गरे आणि सगळ्यांचा राजा 'हापूसचा आम्बा '. 
These are tender cashew nuts and are unsalted. You can substitute the dried unsalted ones and soak them in water (preferably warm) for 2-3 hours and use. ( But the taste of the original is THE BEST )

The curry is spicy and the ingredients used and the method of preparation is same as of 'Chanyachya DaLichi aamTi'

Ingredients

1/2 cup ओले काजू 

salt and jaggery to taste

To be roasted in 1/2 -1 tsp of oil

1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp black cumin seeds( shahajire)
2-3 cloves
1/2 inch cinnamon
3-4 peppercorns
2 dry red chilies
1/4 cup dry/fresh coconut (grated)
1/2 cup chopped onion

To be ground
All roasted masala
1-2 tsp tamarind paste



Tempering
1-2 tsp oil
1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Method

• Wash and soak unpeeled tender cashew nuts in lukewarm water for 10 minutes. Peel off the skin.
• Roast all the ingredients of masala in oil.
• Grind all roasted masala with tamarind and to a fine paste.
• Heat oil in a pan add chopped onion. As it becomes soft and slightly changes color, add cashew nuts and little water. Let them cook for five minutes.
• Add ground masala paste and water to adjust the consistency.
• Bring it to boil.
• Add jaggery and salt to taste.
• Serve with steamed rice.
  

Healthy Upma

Lapshi rawa or broken wheat/daliya is more nutritious than normal semolina/rawa as it contains more fiber. Broken wheat is harder hence takes more time to cook. Better to cook it in pressure cooker before using it for any recipe. I always roast it slightly on little ghee/toop and cook it in a pressure cooker with double the quantity of water or mixture of water and curd ( for using in salty dishes) or water and milk ( for using in sweet dishes). This comes very handy and your dish becomes ready in just 10-15 minutes.

Today I made तिरंगी उपमा or tricolor healthy broken wheat pulao to celebrate India's win over Pakistan in World cup 2011.
All the best for Dhoni and the Indian team!!!

Ingredients
1-1/2  cup Pressure cooked broken wheat( preferably cook in advance and let it cool completely)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped capsicum( green peas if available)
1/4 cup chopped carrot
salt and sugar to taste

Tempering
2 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp udid daL
1/2 tsp asafoetida
3-4 curry leaves
1/2 inch chopped ginger
2 chopped green chilies
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Garnishing
grated coconut
chopped coriander leaves
a lemon wedge
1 tsp sajook toop

Method

• Heat oil in a kadhai
• Add tempering ingredients one by one.
• Add onion. Fry in the oil for a while and add little salt. Add chopped vegetables. Stir fry with onion. Cover with lid for a minute or two.
• Add cooked broken wheat and mix well. Add salt and sugar to taste.Cover with lid to blend it well with other ingredients.
• Turn off the gas.
• Garnish with coconut.coriander and a dash of lemon juice. A teaspoon of ghee/sajook toop will surely be 'a cherry on the cake'.

Mix flour ghawan/poLe/pancakes

The multi cereal flour or saat (seven) dhaan pith can be used to make these ghawan or you can call it as spicy pancakes. Though the ingredients used are same as in thalipith, the consistency differs. It is semisolid or just like dosa batter. One can make variations as using chilies instead of chili powder, adding or avoiding fennel seeds,  chopped garlic, chopped onion , chopped curry leaves, chopped coriander leaves etc. Many permutations and combination can be made for the change in taste.

I did it today for the break-fast...but forgot to take the snap so will upload the photo some time later...


Ingredients
1 cup saat dhaan flour
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander seeds powder
1 tsp cumin seeds powder
2-3 chopped garlic cloves
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp fennel seeds
salt to taste
1/2 tsp hot oil
water to mix all the ingredients to get the required consistency.

Method

• Mix the batter well and spread it in a circular shape on a hot non-stick pan or beedacha tawa on medium flame.
• Cover with lid. Turn to the other side when one side is done. Put few drops of oil if necessary.
• Serve hot with tomato ketchup or green chutney.

Moogachi UsaL

हिरवे मूग or green pulses sprout very easily. The sprouted moog are healthier and also very easy to digest.If soaked for 3-4 hours and drained and kept covered overnight in a warm place, get sprouted easily next morning. Otherwise you can just dry roast moog in a kadhai and cook them directly.

Ingredients
1cup whole moog(green pulses)
1 tsp kala masala(optional)
salt and jaggery to taste

To be ground
3-4garlic cloves
2tsp grated coconut
2 green chili
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp chopped coriander leaves

Tempering
2 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida
3-4 curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Method

• Either pressure cook the sprouts with very little/ no water ( Sprouts should be moist and not dry)or you can directly cook in the kadhai after tempering ( takes more time than the pressure cooked method)
• Grind the masala ingredients in a grinder.
• Heat the oil in the kadhai and add tempering ingredients. Add pre-cooked sprouts and stir well. If adding raw sprouts then cook with lid (with water) on the kadhai.
• Add ground masala and mix well. Add kaLa masala (optional)
• Add salt and  jaggery.
• Serve with chapati.

Wheat flour pancakes

Sunday morning break-fast was of pancakes...wheat flour pancakes. So easy and so delicious!!!

Ingredients
1/2 cup wheat flour
1 cup milk
2 tsp sugar
a pinch of salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

Topping
maple syrup

Method

• Take wheat flour in a bowl.
• Mix in all powders (sugar,salt,baking powder)
• Make a pit in between and pour milk in it.
• Stir the milk slowly with spoon in one direction( clockwise or anticlockwise)so as to mix the  flour with milk without forming any lumps.
• Once the smooth batter is ready you can heat the griddle/non-stick pan and spread a ladle of a batter on it to form a pancake with few drops of butter from side of the pancake. Cover it with lid. Turn to the other side with few drops of butter if needed.
• Serve with maple syrup on the top.

Note
If maple syrup is not available try this:
Mix honey with little warm water and add few drops of vanilla essence. Mix well and use as a topping on pancakes.

Khatkhate

As per the Hindu calender Holi is celebrated on Falgun pornima ( full moon day of the last month of the year). The next day of Holi is called as 'Dhulivandan' or 'DhuLwad'. The fifth day followed by Holi is the 'Rangpanchmi' ...the festival of colors. As there is no holiday on this day in India, we celebrate the same on 'Dhulivandan' as it is declared as chutti.

I cooked this 'khatkhate' खतखते to mark this occasion. We make this during Ganapati festival. It is a combination of various tubers(carbohydrates) with toor dal(proteins) and coconut (fats) with some spices. The consistency is semisolid and can be combined with rice or chapati or consumed all by
itself.

Ingredients
100 gmssuran(elephant foot yam)
1 batata(potato)
1 RataLe (sweet potato)
1 Shirale(ridge gourd)
2-3 aLuchya mundlya (colocasia corms)
100 gms Lal bhopLa (red pumpkin)
1 kachche keLe(raw banana)
3-4 beans farasabi (french beans)
All these vegetables in very small proportion so altogether it comes out to 300-350 gms.




1/2 cup toordal ( cooked in 1 cup of water in pressure cooker)
2 tsp jaggery


Masala to be ground in a grinder
1/4 cup freshly grated coconut
1 tbl sp coriander seeds
2 tsp tamarind paste
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp red chili powder
4-5 triphaLe/tirphaLe/teppal( to be soaked in 1/4 cup water )

Garnishing
2 tsp coconut oil

Method

• Pressure cook toor dal in a cooker.
• Wash clean the vegetables. Peel off the skin of suran ,banana and aluchya mundlya. Take off the ridges of the ridge gourd. I use potato,sweet potato, pumpkin by washing thoroughly. Chop the vegetables into medium size pieces.
• If chopped vegetables comes out to one bowl then boil 2 and a half bowls of water in a kadhai.
• Add all the vegetables in the kadhai and cover with lid. Let it cook on low flame.
• Grind the masala.
• Add it to the cooked vegetables.Mix well.Let the masala blend with the vegetables for few minutes.
• Add jaggery and salt to taste.
• Pour coconut oil with spoon over the vegetable.
• Serve hot with rice.

Note
While grinding the masala, first grind coconut,coriander seeds,tamarind,turmeric,chili powder to a finepaste and add tirphale at the end and run the mixer once.

Kadhi-Patrawade

Mixed pulses' tikkis with coconut curry

This recipe is from BeLgaon. The 'Patrawade' are small  flat tikkis or wada made out of mixed pulses so the dish is high in protein. Actually these are deep fried and then put in a kadhi at the time of serving. Usually this is served for lunch or dinner with steamed rice.
I did it for the breakfast today. I made them flat and slightly thin so that it becomes easy to shallow fry. I served them with green chutney.

Ingredients

To be soaked in water (enough to submerge) and to be ground
1 cup  split bengal gram
1/2  cup toor dal
1/4 cup moog dal
4 tsp part udid dal
2 tsp rice

To be added in ground batter
1 inch piece of ginger
5-6 garlic cloves
2 green chilies
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
2 tsp coriander seeds powder
2 tsp cumin seeds powder
1 tsp goDa/kaLa masala
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder
salt to taste
1 cup finely chopped onion

Method

• Coarsely grind the soaked lentils in a grinder.
• Add chopped chili,ginger,garlic,coriander leaves.
• Add coriander seeds powder and cumin seeds powder.
• Add kaLa masala, turmeric powder,red chili powder and salt.
• Mix in the finely chopped onion.
• Mix the batter.
• Take a portion of the size of a lemon and pat it on the banana leaf or a plastic sheet .( apply water to the palm while pressing the tikki so that the batter doesn't stick )
• Shallow fry on a non-stick pan. Cover with lid to cook one side and then turn the sides

Kadhi

Ingredients

To be roasted in a tsp of ghee and ground in a fine paste
1 tbl sp grated coconut
1/4 cup chopped onion
4-5 cashew nuts


1 cup coconut milk
2 tsp red chili powder
1tbl sp tamarind paste
1 tbl sp jaggery

Tempering
1 tbl sp ghee
1/4  cup finely chopped onion


Method

• Roast onion,coconut  and cashew nuts and grind in a fine paste. Mix this paste with coconut milk.
• Mix tamarind and jaggery  in water to make a juice. Strain and add it to the coconut milk.
• Heat  ghee in a pan and fry finely chopped onion. Add coconut milk mixture.
• Bring it to boil. Simmer the gas and add salt to taste. Turn off the gas.
• Mix patrawade in it while serving.
  

Note
You can also eat patrawade without kadhi. Serve with green chutney or tomato ketchup.
Addition of chopped spinach/methi or any vegetable would enrich the nutritional value as well as the taste of the recipe.

Upwasachya wadya/sweet tikkis

वरीच्या  तांदळाची   खानतोळी . 

My aajji used to make this tasty sweet dish out of normal rice semolina. As it was a fasting day(Angaraki chaturthi) today, I made it out of waricha tandul/bhagar. My daughter could not resist eating a piece before I could capture a snap.

Ingredients
1/2 cup bhagar/wari tandul/samo seeds
2 tsp ghee
1 cup water
1/4-1/2 cup jaggery-(as required )
1/2 tsp cardamom powder(optional)
salt to taste

Garnishing
freshly grated coconut
sajook toop

Method

• Mix water and jaggery in a pan and bring it to boil.
• Roast bhagar using ghee till it changes its color to light brown.
• Strain the water jaggery mixture with cardamom powder and add it to the roasted bhagar. Stir well. Cover with lid.
• Once the water gets absorbed and bhagar/waricha tandul gets fluffy, sprinkle a pinch of salt over it.
• Mix well. Transfer the contents onto a greased plate and flatten(pat) the mixture with a  greased spatula or stainless steel katori(wati)
• Mark the squares or diamonds with a knife. Let it cool. Cut the pieces.
• Garnish with freshly grated coconut.
• Serve with sajook toop.

Raw tomato chaTNi

Ingredients
1 raw/green tomato
1/4 cup freshly grated coconut
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
1 green chili
2 garlic cloves
salt and sugar to taste

Method

• Grind all the ingredients together with little water (if required) to a fine paste.
• Tempering of mustard seeds and asafoetida will enhance the taste.
• Raw tomato is used as a souring agent gives a different taste to the chutney.
• Serve with steamed idli or hot Dosa.

Thandai

ठंडाई

Ingredients (for two)

1 cup Milk

1 and 1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp rose water

a pinch of saffron

To be soaked in 1 and 1/2 cup water for at least 2 hours

1/2 tbl sp Poppy seeds/खसखस khuskhus

1 tbl sp almonds
1/2 tbl sp fennel seeds
1 tbl sp kharbooja seeds/watermelon seeds/magaj

1-2 cardamoms
1 tsp peppercorns
1/4 cup rose petals

 Method

• Soak the ingredients in water. Grind in a grinder to make a smooth paste.
• Mix the paste with 1/2 the milk. Strain through a muslin cloth. Repeat the procedure with the remaining milk.
• Mix rose water. Warm the spoon and put saffron strands on it. Crush them lightly and add a tsp of milk.
• Add it to the Thandai.
• Serve chilled  

Happy Holee......PuraNpoLee

होळी रे होळी पुरणाची पोळी .....

पुरण पोळी  /stuffed sweet flat bread

Ingredients

For the stuffing
To be cooked in pressure cooker
1 cup split  bengal gram/chana dal
2 cups water

To be ground in mixer
cooked chana dal
1/2 cup jaggery
1/2 cup sugar
1-2 cardamom

For the dough
3/4 cup wheat flour
1 tbl sp chickpea flour/besan
1 tsp oil
2 tsp water
1/2 tsp salt

Method

• Cook chana dal in pressure cooker. Let it cool completely.(Preferably cook on previous day).
• Grind along with jaggery and sugar in a mixer.
• Transfer the contents into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 3-2-2-1 minutes with 3 intervals, stirring at every interval. Add cardamom powder. Let it cool.
• Knead a tough dough of wheat flour and chickpea flour while adding little water at a time.
• Mix water,salt and oil in a bowl. Make the dough soft with the help of the oil mixture.
• Make 10 parts of the stuff and 10 parts of the dough.
• Roll each part of the dough in a small circle and try to accommodate the stuffing in it. Make a ball and press slightly in palms to flatten it.
• Roll and spread this flat ball with the help of rice flour in a circle.
• Roast it on a hot griddle on medium flame from both sides.
• Apply sajook toop/clarified butter
• Serve with fresh milk.

Kokum sarbat

Kokum, the fruit when dried is used for its sourness in most of the Maharashtrian recipes, especially from Konkan side or west coast of India. The ripe fruits are sour in taste. These are cut into pieces ( seeds are removed) and are cooked in sugar and water solution to make a concentrated syrup.Cumin seeds powder and black salt is added for the taste. Then strained and stored in an airtight bottle.

Raw mango pickle

कैरीचे लोणचे

This is a quick n fast pickle. Quick because it is easy to make and it has to be consumed fast because it cannot be stored for long.
1 raw mango (washed and chopped in small pieces)

1/2 cup mustard seeds split(मोहरीची डाळ )
2 tbl sp red chili powder( or as per taste)
1 tbl sp salt

Tempering

1/2 cup oil
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp turmeric powder

To be roasted in a tsp of oil
1/2 tsp fenugreek  seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida

Method
Roast fenugreek seeds and asafoetida in a tsp of oil till golden brown. Grind it and keep aside.
In the same kadhai add remaining oil and add tempering  ingredients. Let it cool completely.
Mix half of the cooled oil and ground powder of fenugreek and asafoetida with the chopped raw mango pieces.
To the remaining cooled oil, add red chili powder, split mustard seeds and salt.
Apply this paste to the pieces.
Mix well and store in a  glass container or bowl.

Cucumbar salad

काकडीची कोशिंबीर (दही घालून)
Eating raw cucumber is good to make your inner system cool.as it's high in its water content. It is also rich in potassium and vitamin C. Salads made without peeling the skin provide the folic acid.

Ingredients
2 cucumbers
1 tsp sajook toop/clarified butter
1/2 cup curd
roasted and crushed peanuts(optional)
salt and sugar to taste

Tempering (optional)
1 tsp ghee
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida

To be ground in paste(optional)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 green chili
salt

Garnishing
chopped coriander leaves

Method

• Wash and chop the cucumber. (Taste the cucumber for bitterness before chopping)
• Apply ghee all over the chopped cucumber. ( applying ghee prevents cucumber from becoming watery)
• Grind mustard seeds,green chili and salt together in a fine paste and mix in the salad.( If you don't like the taste of mustard seeds, avoid this step)
• Add curd and sugar to taste. Mix the crushed peanuts if you like.
• Heat toop/clarified butter in an iron ladle or paLi and add tempering ingredients. Pour this on the salad.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Masala Chaas

Spicy buttermilk
It's very hot in Mumbai. Yesterday's high was 41.9 degrees Celsius...so we need to hydrate our body to keep it cool by drinking a lot of liquid . Kokum sarbat, lassi( sweetened buttermilk),  limboo-paani(lemon water), barley water ...many options are  there. Eating  juicy fruits like watermelon, citrus fruits or adding cucumber,tomatoes to your diet can provide adequate amount of liquid and keep the body hydrated. 

Here's the recipe for masala chaas

Ingredients
1 cup curd
2-3 cups water
1 tsp saindhav/black salt
1/2 tsp cumin seeds powder
1/4 tsp pepper powder
1/2 tsp ginger paste( or pieces)
4-5 fresh mint leaves( torn)/dried mint leaves powder
2-3 fresh curry leaves(torn)/ dried curry leaves powder


Method
Mix Curd with all the other ingredients. Beat with spoon. Add cold water. Shake well.
Drink immediately and beat the heat.

Note
I mix curd with all the ingredients in an airtight glass ( Tupperware/Lock-n-Lock) so that they( husband,daughter) can add water in it before drinking.

Metheechi peeth peroon bhajee

Any leafy vegetable can be prepared by this method. Spring onion cooked by this way is shown in my earlier post. You have to keep in mind that preparing this way, shrinks the quantity of the vegetable. Always adjust the amount of the chickpea flour according to the quantity of vegetable. Adding the flour in excess will make the veggie dry.

Ingredients
1bunch of fenugreek leaves

approx.1/2 cup besan/chickpea flour
salt and sugar(optional) to taste

Tempering
2 tsp oil
1tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp  asafoetida
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chili powder

Method

• Sort ( take leaves along with tender stems and avoid single leaf near the root as its bitter) and wash the leaves clean. Chop the leaves.
• Heat oil in a kadhai. Add tempering ingredients.As the mustard seeds sizzle add chopped leaves.Cover with lid to steam the vegetable ( for a minute)
• Add salt and sugar if you like. Stir well.
• Sprinkle chickpea flour with spoon and mix it well every time, judging for the requirement ('practice makes the man perfect'.)
• Cover with lid for another minute.Turn off  the gas.
• Serve with chapati.

Dadape pohe-3

As I mentioned in my earlier post,there are many variations one can make in the beaten rice/poha dishes. This is another variety of 'daDape pohe. A traditional dish from Karwar (Southern part of India)

Ingredients
 2 cups thin poha
 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
 1/2 cup freshly grated coconut
1 tsp tamarind paste mixed with 1/4 cup of water
2 tsp  jaggery
(the combination of tamarind and jaggery should be such that to give sweet-n-sour taste to the dish.)

To be dry roasted and powdered
2 tsp fennel seeds/badishep
2-3 cloves

Tempering
1-2 tsp coconut oil/oil
1/2 mustard seeds
1/2 tsp asaoetida
1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Method

• Spread poha in a shallow bottomed pan or paraat.
• Add onion,coconut and tamarind-jaggery mixture. Mix well with hand.
• Sprinkle roasted powder of cloves and fennel seeds
• Heat oil in an iron ladle/PaLi. Add tempering ingredients.
• Mix the tempering with the poha mixture.
• Garnish with chopped coriander( optional).
  

Note
Tastes amazing with coconut oil ( if you are familiar with the taste)

Pohyachi UsaL

A healthy break-fast is a good start for a hectic day. Variety in the break fast is always preferred ... so here's another one of beaten rice...tasty and healthy too!!

Ingredients
2 cups Thick poha(beaten rice)-approx.1 fistful for one person
salt to taste
2 tbl sp powdered sugar or pithisakhar
2 green chilies (finely chopped)

Tempering
2 tsp ghee/clarified butter
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp udid DaL
2 dry red chilies

Garnishing
1/4 cup freshly grated coconut

Method

• Wash and drain poha. Spread it on a plate. Sprinkle salt and sugar over it. Mix evenly with delicate hands or use a spoon .
• Heat ghee in a kadhai. Add mustard seeds and udid dal at the same time. As the seeds splutter and dal becomes light brown add dry red chilies.
• Mix in the poha in it. Stir in lightly and cover with lid. for half a minute.
• Turn off the gas.
• Garnish with freshly grated coconut and serve hot.

whole wheat bread uppit

You just have to replace poha(beaten rice) in kande-pohe with crumbled bread pieces and you are ready to eat this 'uppit'. I used whole wheat bread to make little nutritious.

Ingredients

6-8 slices of whole wheat bread
1/4 cup roasted ground nuts
salt and sugar to taste

Tempering
2-3 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida
3-4 curry leaves
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Garnishing
Chopped coriander leaves
freshly grated coconut
lemon juice

Method

• Crumble bread slices or you can even cut cubes with kitchen scissors if the bread is fresh.
• Heat oil in the kadhai and add tempering  ingredients one by one. Saute onion till golden brown.
• Add bread pieces. Mix well and sprinkle little water all over. Cover with lid.
• After a minute, take off the lid and add salt and sugar to taste.
• Garnish with coriander and grated coconut.

NachaNi sattva/kheer/porridge

Finger millet/Ragi or nachni is very nutritious. Rich in calcium,minerals and fiber, Ragi is a major source of carbohydrates. Finger millet is soaked in water overnight , then dried in shade, then dry roasted and finally ground to a powder which can be cooked in water/milk/buttermilk with or without sugar to make the health drink. The powder  called 'sattva' thus prepared can  be stored in a dry container to be used from time to time.
The process of preparation of 'sattva' is shown here.

karela fry

Ingredients
2 karela/bitter gourd
 1tbl sp salt
1 tbl sp chili powder as per taste
approx. 1-1&1/2  tbl sp rice  flour
oil for frying

Method

• Wash the bitter gourd and cut thin slices out of it.
• Sprinkle some salt over it and keep aside for 10 minutes.
• Drain the salty water completely by pressing the slices between the palms.
• Transfer the contents in a dry plate.
• Sprinkle red chili powder and rice flour over it to get a thin coat on the slices.
• Deep fry till golden brown in hot oil on medium flame.
• Serve with waran-bhat or dahi-butti

Dal PanchavaTi

This DaL is a combination of five types of pulses. Toor dal( split pigeon peas), chana dal (split chick peas), Moog dal (yellow split peas), Masoor dal( split red lentil) and urad/udid dal(black gram-split), each one having its own characteristics such as flavor, color,consistency and last but not the least is the nutrients.

Ingredients
To be cooked in pressure cooker with 2 cups water
1/2 cup toor dal
1/4 cup masoordal
2 tbl sp moog dal
1 tbl sp chana dal
1 tsp urad/udid dal
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/ 4 cup tomato chopped
1 bay leaf
3-4 peppercorns
2-3 cloves
1/2 inch cinnamon
1 tsp turmeric powder

To be added in cooked dal mixture
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp coriander seeds powder
1 tsp cumin seeds powder
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
1/4 cup  kasoori methi (roasted and crushed)

Tempering
2 tsp ghee
1 tsp asafoetida
3-4 garlic cloves (crushed with skin)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2-3 bor mirchi (round chilies/ dry red chilies)

Method

• Wash all dals and cook in pressure cooker and all the other ingredients with twice the quantity of water.
• Transfer the contents into a pan.Add water if required to adjust the consistency. Heat the contents.
• Add chili powder,coriander seeds powder, cumin seeds powder. Add chopped coriander leaves.
• Roast kasoori methi leaves lightly on the griddle  and crush them using fingers. Sprinkle it over the dal.
• Add salt to taste.
• Heat  ghee in the iron ladle. Add asafoetida. crushed garlic cloves. As the cloves become light brown, add bor mirchi ,add chopped onion. Saute onion till light brown.
• Pour the contents in the dal mixture. Cover the pan and turn off the gas.
• Serve with jeera rice.

Note
You can add few drops of fresh lemon juice while serving.

Pithale-Bhakree

Pithale is the authentic Maharashtrian dish which is regularly prepared in rural areas. It's best tasted when eaten hot and fresh with bhakree or steamed rice. Recently we went to Raigad fort by rope way and enjoyed this dish.

Ingredients
1 cup chickpea flour
1 tsp cumin seeds (crushed)
salt to taste
2-3 kokum(optional)

Tempering
2 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 green chilies(chopped)
3-4 garlic cloves (crushed)
1/2  tsp turmeric powder

Garnishing
chopped coriander leaves

Method

• Heat oil in a kadhai. Add tempering ingredients one by one. Saute onion till it becomes soft.
• Add 2-3 cups of water. Add salt and crushed cumin seeds. Bring it to boil.
• Simmer the flame and add chickpea flour with spoon and stirring continuously to avoid the formation of lumps.
• Cover with lid for a minute till the flour gets cooked. Turn off the gas.
• Garnish with chopped coriander  leaves.

Note
If making it first time, make a thick paste of chickpea flour in water and  slowly mix with the tempering. Add more water to adjust the consistency.
You can also make it without onion and garlic.
It tastes best if prepared in bidachi kadhai.

Varichya tandalachi khichdee

Vari also known as bhagar is used for fasting as a replacement for rice. It goes well with shendaNyachi aamTi. So even though my daughters are not fasting,are always ready to eat this food as both of them enjoy it.

Ingredients
1 cup vari/bhagar/samo seeds
1/2 cup potato cubes
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
salt to taste

Tempering
2 tsp ghee/clarified butter
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chilies

Method

• Wash vari and soak in a pan with 1/2 cup water for 10-15 minutes by slightly tilting the pan ( so that the excess water gets separated )
• Heat ghee in another pan add tempering ingredients. Add potato pieces and fry them slightly.
• Add vari and saute it well but on low flame till all water is evaporated and vari looks separated.
• Add 2 and a half cup of hot water over it. Stir well.Let it get cooked on medium flame.
• Add roasted peanuts and salt to taste.
• Cover with lid as  most of the water gets soaked. Lower the flame.
• Turn off the gas when all the water is soaked.
• Serve with shengdaNyachi aamTi and batata bhajee.

Note
You can always make plain vari rice as usual. To make the rice fluffy and to make each grain separate you have to dry roast the vari before washing or soak and then roast it.
Always use hot water on roasted rice (dry or with ghee/oil andwhen not using pressure cooker for cooking rice.)

ShengdaNyachi aamTi

Peanut curry

This aamti and varicha bhat or khichdi is the best combination meal for those who fast. My Mom used to make this for Aashadhi Ekadashi, Kartiki Ekadashi , Mahashivratri..and we loved it so much...

Ingredients to be ground in fine paste
1 cup roasted peanuts
1/4 cup freshly grated coconut.
2 green chilies
1/2 inch piece of ginger
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp tamarind paste

To be added in a curry
2 tsp jaggery
salt to taste

Tempering
1 tsp ghee
1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Method

• Roast the peanuts and remove the skin.
• Grind all the ingredients with little water to make a fine paste.
• Heat ghee in apan. add cumin seeds. As they sizzle add the ground paste. Add 1/2 cup water in a grinder and blend it again and add it in the curry.
• Let it boil. Adjust the consistency by adding warm water if necessary.
• Add jaggery and salt. Stir well to blend.
• Serve with varichabhat/khichdi.

Upwasachi batata bhajee

It's 'MAHASHIVARATRI' today and everything from breakfast through dinner is vegetarian...no onion,no garlic..all tapioca, potato,sweet potato,peanuts ...So it was a banana in the morning, and sabudaNa khichdi for breakfast. Varichya tandLachi khichdi and shengdaNyachi aamTi(ground nut curry )for lunch. Potato bhajee for in between meal.

Ingredients
2 boiled potatoes(peel off the skin and cut into cubes)
2-3 tbl sp roasted peanuts(crushed)
salt to taste

Tempering
2 tsp ghee/clarified butter
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chilies (chopped)

Method

• Boil potatoes. Let them cool. peel off the skin and cut them into cubes.
• Heat ghee in the pan add cumin seeds. as they sizzle add chilies. Add potato pieces. Mix well.
• Sprinkle salt over it and cover with lid for a minute or two on a low flame.
• Add crushed roasted peanuts and stir well to mix evenly.
• Turn off the gas.
• Serve with Varicha bhaat aani shendaNyachi aamTi.

Note
You can apply dry ground coarse paste of green chili,roasted peanuts,salt and little grated coconut to boiled potato pieces. Add this to the tempering when cumin seeds sizzle.