Garlic leaves/LasooNichi paat

Garlic is very easy to grow.I plant individual cloves in the pot in my kitchen balcony. It needs a mild climate.I cut the leaves frequently still it continues to grow. It doesn't require much care or attention. The leaves are specifically used in Oondhiu( a famous Gujrati dish of mixed vegetables)

Maayboli website has a forum where they discuss about plants.  A good source of information to update the knowledge.

Greenpeas veggie/WataNa UsaL

As winter starts moving in, green peas also start sneaking in almost of all homes  in India. Here we get two varieties,delhi watana (peas) and gavathi watana -a local variety. Latter is smaller in size and has a sweet taste..
I am sharing here a simple recipe, yet very very tasty. It's a veggie,which can be eaten at lunch with roti/chapati. DaLichi AamTi, steamed rice, green peas veggie and roasted papad is a fantastic combination.

Ingredients
2 cups of fresh peas
1/4 cup fresh grated coconut
salt to taste

Tempering
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida( slightly more than usual)
4-5 curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Garnishing
chopped coriander leaves


Method

• Peel off the peas from the shell and soak them in water with a tsp of salt.
• Heat oil in a kadai and add tempering ingredients one by one.
• Add peas and grated coconut.Cover with water on the lid.( Don't put water inside)
• Reduce the flame. Cook till soft.
• Add salt. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Note
Tastes best with fresh green peas. (Frozen peas are not made for this recipe.)

Cucumber salad/KakDichi koshimbir

Cucumber salad/Khamang kakDi
In hot summer, eating cucumber sprinkling salt and chili powder is an experience. It cools your hunger as well as thirst.

Cucumber salad/khamang kakdi
.
Ingredients
2 cucumbers
1/2 cup roasted peanuts(crush or grind coarsely )
1/2 cup curd/dahi
salt and sugar to taste

Tempering
1/2 tsp ghee/butter
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida(optional)
1 green chili(chopped)

Garnishing
1-2 sticks of coriander leaves(chopped)(optional)


Method

• Wash cucumber. Peeling off the skin depends on your choice. I don't.
• Chop the cucumber in small pieces.
• Apply a tsp of ghee/butter to the chopped cucumber.
• Mix crushed peanuts,salt, sugar and curd. Mix well.
• Heat ghee in an iron spoon/ladle or paLi.
• Add cumin seeds, asafoetida(optional) and chili.
• Pour it on the cucumber mixture. Cover for a while.
• Garnish with chopped coriander(optional).

Note
Applying ghee on the chopped cucumber prevents the salad becoming watery.

This dish can be eaten for upwas(fasting) by omitting asafoetida and coriander leaves

Beetroot salad

 Beetroot Salad

For many years I was under the impression that beet root could not be eaten raw. I used to pressure cook it but somehow I didn't like the taste & smell after that. Because of the vitamin contents and varieties of benefits of it on the human body I used to include beetroot in our diet as a salad once a while.
When my friend Sudha shared her recipe of beet salad. I loved it so much that I fell in love with the salad & it was included as a regular recipe.



Method

• Wash the beetroots. Cut the ends and scrape the skin. Grate the beetroot.
• Beat curd with a spoon to make it smooth.
• Add black salt  and cumin seeds powder as per taste.
• Mix in  the beaten curd.

Note
Make it just  before you eat to get the benefits of the anti-oxidants.

Spicy Rice/Masale Bhaat

Masale Bhaat
          Spicy Rice
My Mom used to make this dish from a recipe book 'Ruchira', by Kamalabai Ogale. The first edition was out in March 1970. It was very popular at that time. I remember my Mom gifting the book to a newly wed girl once. A typical  rice preparation in Maharashtrian Weddings. Though the name says 'spicy',it's not that spicy or hot. A perfect blend of coriander and cumin seeds gives a typical flavor.

  Addition of tondli/tendli(Ivy gourd), potato,brinjal (egg plant)makes it delicious and nutritious as well.

           
Ingredients
1 cup rice
2 cups water
4-5  tondli/tendli/Ivy gourd OR 2 brinjals/egg plant OR 1potato
4-5 cashew nuts
1/2 tsp kaLa masala/goDa masala
1/2 cup curd
salt and jaggery/sugar to taste

To be roasted (dry)
1 table sp coriander seeds
1 table sp cumin seeds
1 table sp dry grated coconut

 Tempering
1-2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida
5-6 curry leaves
1-2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
Garnishing
freshly grated coconut
chopped coriander leaves
a slice of lemon

Method

• Wash rice. Drain water and keep aside. ( Do not drain water completely )
• Heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds, as they sputter add asafoetida, curry leaves, bay leaves.
• Add rice & fry and mix well. Mix in the vegetable and fry as well.. Add turmeric and chili powder as per taste.
• Boil  water. Pour in the hot water in the kadai..
• Roast coriander seeds,cumin seeds, dry red chilies & dry grated coconut. Crush all roasted ingredients in khul-batta to a coarse powder.
• Once rice is half cooked ( water reduces to half),add this powder, salt, jaggery in it.
• Add cashew nuts. Add kaLa masala. Cover with lid and let it cook. Lower the flame.
• At the end add cream or  sweet curd ( without sugar but not sour). Mix well & cover for a minute.
• Garnish with freshly grated coconut,chopped coriander and sajuk toop,roasted papad.

 

Risotto in my (indianised) way

Ingredients
1 cup rice ( preferably flavored-Basmati or aambemohor)
1 bunch spinach
1/2 cup sweet corn
2-3 garlic cloves(chopped)
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 table sp butter
2 table spoon cream
oregano,pepper powder & salt as per taste
grated cow cheese


Method

• Wash rice with warm water and soak in little water for 10-15 minutes.
• Wash spinach leaves in salty water for 10 minutes, drain and pat dry. Cut spinach.
• Saute onion in butter till transparent. Add garlic with leaves,corns and saute well.
• Add rice and spinach. Saute for 2 minutes.
• Sprinkle salt,pepper powder and oregano. Add half of the grated cheese.
• Add 2 cups of warm water. Cook on high flame till water gets absorbed. Lower the flame.
• Cover with lid and let it cook.
• When done add cream. Mix well.
• Transfer the contents in a serving bowl.
• Garnish with remaining grated cheese and oregano.

Chanyachya DaLichi AamTi

Masalyachi AamTi
(ChaNaDaL/bengal gram)

Ingredients
1/2 cup chNa DaL
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)

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


Tempering
1-2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida
4-5 curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Method

• Wash and cook DaL with double the quantity of water in a pressure cooker.
• Roast all the ingredients of masala in oil.
• Grind all roasted masala with tamarind and a tsp of cooked dal to a fine paste.
• Heat oil in a pan add the tempering ingredients one by one. As they sizzle add cooked dal and little water.
• Add ground masala paste and water to adjust the consistency.
• Bring it to boil.
• Add jaggery and salt to taste.
• Serve with steamed rice.
  
  
  Note
  Instead of chana DaL, same curry is prepared using kaLa waTaNa/black peas. Soak the black peas/kaLa waTana in sufficient water the previous day.