Ginger burfi ( आल्याची वडी) –

This is a Maharashtrian winter special burfi.

Ingredients –

Small pieces of ginger – 1 bowl

Sugar – 3 bowls

Full fat milk/cream – 1 bowl or khoya 100 grams

Spoonful of milk

Ghee/clarified butter – 1 tb-spoon

Powdered sugar – 2 t-spoons

Cashew nuts powder – ½ bowl (optional)

Procedure –

1. Add chopped ginger and 1 spoon milk in a mixer grinder and grind ginger into a very fine paste.

2. Pour ginger paste, sugar, milk/cream/khoya, cashew nut powder (if you are adding) in a pan and start cooking the mixture. Stir occasionally. Let the mixture start boiling, then stir continuously and keep an eye on the mixture. When the mixture started leaving the pan add ghee/clarified butter and turn off the heat immediately. Transfer the pan from stove to the kitchen platform to avoid further cooking.

3. Add powdered sugar and stir continuously. Take one tray or cake pan, grease the pan with little ghee and pour the mixture into tray before it starts drying. Pat well and cut into small squares. Ginger burfi should be of small size than any other burfi.

Note :

1. Cashew nut powder reduces spicy taste or hotness of ginger making the bufi milder. But it is optional.

2. Ginger roots should be very fresh and juicy. Peel off the skin of ginger.

Carrot Halwa –

Ingredients -

Shredded carrot – 3 cups

Sugar – 2 and ½ cup

Khoya/mawa – 100 grams

Ghee/clarified butter – 2 tb-spoons

Green cardamom powder – 1 tb-spoon

Almonds/pistachio/golden resins for garnishing

Procedure –

1. Heat ghee in a pan. Add shredded carrot and sauté for 3-4 minutes.

2. Crumble khoya and add into the sautéed carrots. Mix well and sauté for 5 minutes, stir continuously.

3. Add sugar and sauté for another 5 minutes.

4. Add cardamom powder, mix well and turn off the heat.

5. Garnish with resins/pistachio or almond and serve at room temperature.

Note :

If you don’t have khoya, you can use condensed milk. Add condensed milk and keep on stirring until it loses all its moisture and become dry. If you use sweetened condensed milk adjust sugar accordingly.

Methi-kelu na gota/bhaji (methi-banana pakoda) –

This is the first Gujarati recipe I prepared with the help of my mother-in-law and one of my husband’s favorite.

Methi leaves – 1 bunch

Ripe babana – 1

Besan/chickpea flour – 1 bowl (as needed)

Black pepper – 6-7, coarsely ground

Coriander seeds – 1 t-spoon, coarsely ground

Cumin seeds powder – ½ t-spoon

Red chili powder – 1 t-spoon

Turmeric powder – ½ t-spoon

Asafetida – 1/4^th t-spoon

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

1 tb-spoon hot oil for gota

Procedure –

1. Knead methi, separate methi leaves and wash well. Roughly chop the leaves.

2. Mash banana. Add methi leaves, all powdered spices, coarsely ground black peppercorns and coriander seeds and salt. Mix all the ingredients and keep aside for 15-20 minutes.

3. Heat oil in pan. Add hot oil to the batter and mix well.

4. Deep fry small pakodas/gota on a medium heat. This gota will take more time to cook than other pakodas.

5. Serve hot with green chutney or tomato ketchup.

Note:

You can add more black pepper if you like the flavor and hotness. Methi and banana is a unique combination and tastes delicious. Because of ripe banana, soda-bi- carbonate or fruit salt is not at all needed. Black pepper has to be roughly grounded, do not powder the black peppercorns.

Dahi butti/ Dahi bhaat/ Curd rice –

Ingredients -

Rice – 2 bowls

Thick curd – 2 bowls

Cream/saay – ½ bowl

Milk – 1 bowl

Oil – 2 tb-spoons

Dried Red chilies – 5-6

Curry leaves – 5-6

Green chili – 1 finely chopped (optional)

Mustard seeds – 1/8^th t-spoon

Asafetida – 1/4^th t-spoon

Salt to taste

Chopped green coriander for serving

Procedure –

1. Cook rice soft with 6 cups of water. Spread in a plate and let it cool down completely.

2. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, asafetida, curry leaves and red chilies and let them splutter. Turn off the heat and let the tadaka cool down.

3. Take the rice in a mixing bowl. Add curd, cream, milk and salt. Mix well.

4. Add chopped green chilies and tadka and mix well. Add chopped coriander and Serve cold.

Note:

1. You can add sandgi mirchi instead of red chilies. Fry sandi mirchi separately and crush and mix in the rice.

2. You can try one more variation. Instead of this tadaka, heat ghee (clarified butter) in a pan, add cumin seeds and asafetida. Sauté cumin seeds till they become dark brown. This tadaka goes with the curd rice very well. Add lots of cumin seeds here.

3. One more variation – Prepare curd rice and at the time of serving add chopped cucumber, shredded carrot and chopped onion in the curd rice.

4. Adding cream and milk gives wonderful taste to the curd rice. If you are calories conscious, skip the cream part and add low fat milk.

Varhadi Khichadi (वऱ्हाडी खिचडी)

Ingredients -

Rice – 2 bowls

Toor dal – 1 bowl

Garlic cloves – 5-6

Oil – 1 bowl

Garlic cloves – 6-7 finely chopped or crushed

Mustard seeds – 1/4^th t-spoon

Asafetida – 1/8^th t-spoon

Turmeric powder – 1/4^th t-spoon

Fried Sandgi Mirchi (stuffed dried chilies) – 5-6

Fried urad papad – 4-5

Procedure –

1. Wash rice and toor dal. Add boiling 6 cups of water, crushed garlic, salt and turmeric powder and cook the khichadi in pressure cooker.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Let them splutter. Then add asafetida and garlic cloves. Sauté till garlic become brown in color. Turn off the heat and keep tadka aside.

3. While serving, take khichadi in a bowl, crumble and mix fried mirchi and papad. Then add spoonful of tadka, mix well and eat hot.

Note :

In this particular khichadi, spicy taste is because of Sandgi mirchi. You can easily get this Mirchi in any Indian Grocery store.

Ragada Patties/pattice –

Ingredients –

For ragada you need -

Dried white peas/white vatana – 1 cup

Chopped coriander – 1/4^th bowl

Tamarind pulp – 1 t-spoon

Jaggery – 1 tb-spoon or to taste

Goda masala/kaala masala – 1 t-spoon

Red chili powder – 2 t-spoons or to state

Turmeric powder – 1/4^th t-spoon

Ginger paste – 1 t-spoon

Garlic paste – 1 t-spoon

Garam masala – ½ t-spoon

Oil – 1 tb-spoon

Mustard seeds – 1/8^th t-spoon

Asafetida – a pinch

Salt to taste

For aloo tikkies/patties –

Boiled potatoes – 4 medium size

Ginger paste – ½ tspoon

Garlic paste – 1 t-spoon

Green chili paste – 1 and ½ t-spoon

Salt to taste

Oil for shallow frying

For serving –

Onion – 2, finely chopped

Chopped coriander – ½ bowl

Lime/lemon juice – 2 tb-spoons

Fine sev – 1/4^th bowl

Tamarind chutney

Pudina/mint chutney

Procedure –

Ragda -

1. Wash vatana and soak in lukewarm water for 6-8 hours.

2. After 8 hours add turmeric powder, asafetida and salt and cook vatana for 15 minutes in a pressure cooker.

3. Heat oil in pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 5 minutes.

4. Add cooked ragada, kaala masala/goda masala, red chili powder, garam masala, tamarind pulp and jaggery. Boil for 5 minutes, add chopped coriander, mix well and turn off the heat. Ragada is ready.

Patties/pattice –

Mash boiled potatoes. Mix in ginger, garlic, green chili paste, salt and lime/lemon juice. Form patties and shallow fry on hot tava from both the sides.

Serving -

Place 2 patties in a plate. Pour hot ragada on it. Spread finely chopped onion, chopped coriander, sev, tamarind chutney and little mint chutney.

Note :

1. At the time of serving patties and ragada should be hot.

2. If you don’t like mint flavor, you can use coriander chutney instead.

3. If kaala masala/goda masala is not ready, replace it with garam masala and make a powder of seasame seeds and dry grated coconut and add into ragada. This will also taste good.

Maharashtrian Chicken curry –

Ingredients –

Chicken ½ kg/ approx. 1 pound

Onions – 3 medium, sliced

Tomato -2 medium, finely chopped

Garlic cloves – 5-6

Ginger – ½“

Red chili powder – 1 t-spoon

Turmeric powder – 1/4^th t-spoon

Green chilies – 1-2

Oil – 3 tb-spoons

Salt to taste

Chopped coriander leaves

Masala to be grind –

Dry grated coconut – 1/4^th bowl

Red chilies – 3

Coriander seeds – 1 t-spoon

Cumin seeds – ½ t-spoon

Cinnamon stick - 1

Cloves – 2-3

Black cardamom – 1

Funnel seeds (saunf) – ½ t-spoon

Poppy seeds – 1 t-spoon

Dagadphool – 2 (optional use if you have it in your pantry)

Procedure –

1. Heat 2 tb-spoons of oil in a pan. Add cloves, black cardamom, poppy seeds, funnel seeds, coriander and cumin seeds and cinnamon and sauté till the spices leave nice aroma. Take out and keep aside.

2. Add red chilies and grated coconut in the same pan and roast for a while. Take out and keep aside.

3. Add sliced onions into the pan and sauté till they become brown. Mix onions with remaining masala mixture and add ginger, garlic and green chili and grind into fine paste.

4. Heat remaining oil in a pan. Add masala paste and sauté for 2 minutes. Then add chicken pieces and sauté for 5 minutes.

5. Add chopped tomato, red chili powder, two bowls of water and salt to taste. Let the gravy boil for 2 minutes. Then reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan with lid and cook chicken for 15-20 minutes.

6. Add chopped coriander and serve hot with roti, Jwarichi Bhakri or plain rice along with lemon/lime pieces and sliced onion.

Raw Mango Chutney(कैरीची चटणी)

Kairichi chutney (raw mango chutney) –

Ingredients –

Raw mango/kairi – 1 big

Jaggery – ½ bowl

Roasted crushed peanuts (danyache koot) – ½ bowl

Handful of chopped coriander

Red chili powder – 2 tb-spoons

Oil – 2 t-spoons

Mustard seeds – 1/8^th t-spoon

Asafetida – 1/8^th t-spoon

Salt to taste

Procedure –

1. Grate raw mango. Add jaggery, red chili powder, salt, roasted and crushed peanuts and grind in a mixer. Add chopped coriander.

2. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and asafetida and let it splutter. Turn off the heat. Add tadaka in chutney and mix well.

Note:

Taste the chutney and add sugar if needed. This chutney will last for 2-3 days.

Chana Dal Kofta Curry (गोळ्याचे सांबार/आमटी)

Gole (koftas) -

Chickpeas flour/besan – ½ bowl or as required

Onion – 1, finely chopped

Coriander seeds powder – 1 t-spoon

Cumin seeds powder – ½ t-spoon

Salt to taste

Red chili powder – 1 ½ t-spoon

Turmeric powder – 1/8^th t-spoon

Amati (curry) –

Oil – 1 tb-spoon

Mustard seeds – 1/4^th t-spoon

Asafetida – 1/8^th T-spoon

Turmeric Powder – 1/8^th T-spoon

Red chili powder – 1 t-spoon

Tamarind pulp – ½ T-spoon

Jaggery to taste

Besan/chickpea flour – 1 tb-spoon

Chopped coriander leaves – 1/4^th bowl for garnishing

Serving –

Oil – 2 tb-spoons

Mustard seeds – 1/4^th t-spoon

Asafetida – 1/4^th t-spoon

Procedure –

1. Mix chopped onion, coriander seeds powder, cumin seeds powder, salt, red chili powder and Turmeric powder in a mixing bowl. Wait for 2-3 minutes. Add chickpea flour as required for making hard balls.

2. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, asafetida and let them splutter. Then add turmeric powder, red chili powder and besan. Roast besan for a minute and add 4 cups of water. Add jaggery and salt to taste.

3. Drop gole/koftas in the curry one by one. Boil the curry along with all the dumpings for 5 minutes. Add chopped coriander and turn off the heat.

4. Heat oil in a separate small pan. Add mustard seeds and asafetida, let them splutter and turn off the heat. While serving the amati/curry, serve this tadaka along with it. At the time of eating, take out one gola/kofta from your curry bowl into your plate, mash the gola, pour little tadaka on each gola and eat with plain rice or roti.

Note :

Amati or curry has to be watery. It will get thickened afterwards.

Chana Dal Chutney(डाळीचा चटका) –

Ingredients –

Chana Dal – ½ cup

Cumin seeds – ½ t-spoon

Green chili – 5-6

Garlic cloves – 4-5

Curd – ½ bowl

Chopped coriander – 1/4^th bowl

Salt to taste

Tadka –

Oil – 1 t-spoon

Mustard seeds – 1/4^th t-spoon

Asafetida – 1/8^th t-spoon

Turmeric powder – 1/4^th t-spoon

Salt

Procedure –

1. Soak chana dal for 4-5 hours. Drain soaked dal and add green chili, chopped coriander, garlic, cumin seeds and curd and grind in a mixer grinder. Add salt to taste.

2. Heat oil in pan, add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add asafetida and turmeric powder and turn off the heat. Add tadka in a chuntey and serve.

Note:

You can add 1 mooli(radish) instead of garlic which is called ‘Mulyacha chatka’.

Garlic Chutney (लसूण चटणी) –

Ingredients -

Shredded dry coconut – 1 bowl

Garlic cloves – 7-8

Cumin seeds – 1 t-spoon

Red chili powder – 2 tb-spoons

Oil – 2 t-spoon

Salt to taste

Procedure –

1. Mix garlic, cumin seeds, red chili powder and salt and grind in a mix grinder.

2. Mix this paste with shredded coconut very well. Heat oil in a pan and roast this coconut-garlic mixture on a low-medium flame for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.

3. Keep chutney in a air tight container. This chutney will last for atleast for a month outside refrigerator.

Note :

Don’t let the chutney burn while roasting. Use iron kadai for this chutney, if possible. Chutney will taste better.

Aamasoolachi chutney (kokam chutney) –

Ingredients -

Aamasool (kokam) – ½ bowl

sugar – ½ bowl

Ginger – 1/2”

Salt to taste

Procedure –

If kokams are too dry, soak in little water for an hour. Grind kokam along with sugar, salt and ginger. Chutney should not be very watery and should have sweet and sour taste.

Store in a air tight container and refrigerate. This chutney will go with pakode or any kind of wada.

Note :

You can use jaggery instead of sugar, but sugar will taste better.  

Dal Fry -

Dal Fry –

Pigeon peas/toor dal – 1 bowl

Chana dal – 1/4^th bowl

Onions – 2, sliced

Tomato – 1 large, finely chopped

Garlic paste – ½ t-spoon

Ginger paste – ½ t-spoon

Green chilies – 2, finely chopped

Garam masala powder – ½ t-spoon

Red chili powder – 1 t-spoon

Cumin seeds – ½ t-spoon for dal + ½ t-spoon for tadka

Oil – 1 and ½ tb-spoon

Handful of chopped coriander leaves

Ghee/clarified butter – 1 t-spoon

Red chilies – 2

Garlic cloves – 5-6, sliced

Procedure –

 1. Cook toor dal and chana dal in a pressure cooker.

2. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add onions and sauté till brown. Add ginger-garlic paste, chopped green chilies and turmeric powder and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Then add chopped tomatoes and cook then for 5 minutes.

4. Add cooked dals and water and mix well. Boil dal for 5 minutes on medium flame. Meanwhile keep adding remaining ingredients red chili powder and garam masala powder. Turn off the heat and add chopped coriander leaves. Keep dal aside.

5. Heat ghee in a small pan. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.

6. Add red chilies and garlic and roast them for 2 minutes and turn off the heat.

7. Pour the tadka on cooked dal at the time of serving. Serve dal hot with jeera rice or roti.

Dal Dhokali –

In Gujarati homes ‘Dal Dhokali’ is a very popular snack or a one dish meal. I am Maharashtrian and married in a Gujrati family. In Maharashtra we have similar form of Dal Dhokali, which is called ‘Varan Phala’. Little different in taste but very similar to this recipe. I will post Marathi version of Dal Dhokali sometime soon.

Ingredients –

Split pigeon pea (toor dal/arhar dal) – 3/4^th cup

Whole wheat flour (atta) – 3/4^th cup

Bengal gram flour (besan) – 2 tb-spoons

Garlic – 3-4 cloves, crushed

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder – 1/2 t-spoon for dal + 1/4^th t-spoon for dough

Red chili powder – 1 t-spoon for dal + 1 t-spoon dough

Asafetida – 1/4^th t-spoon

Oil – 1 tb-spoon for tadaka + 1 tb-spoon for dough

Mustard seeds – 1/8^th t-spoon

Khada masala – 1 bay leaf, 3 cloves, 1” cinnamon

Cumin seeds powder – ½ t-spoon

Coriander seeds powder – 1 t-spoon

Jaggery to taste

Kokam petals – 3-4

Serving –

Chopped coriander leaves

Ghee for serving

Finely chopped onion

Procedure –

1. Soak toor dal in two cups of water for half an hour. Mix wheat flour, gram flour, red chili powder, turmeric powder, crushed garlic, oil and water to knead into a hard dough.

2. Boil dal in 1 ½ cup of water with turmeric powder in a pressure cooker.

3. Roll out thick rotis of the dough and cut into diamonds. Set aside.

4. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, asafetida and khada masala, sauté for a minute. Add cooked toor dal, red chili powder, coriander-cumin seeds powder, jaggery, salt and kokam petals. Add water and start boiling dal.

5. When jaggery has dissolved, add dough diamonds and allow to cook on medium flame. Stir occasionally so that dough diamonds do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Cook till dough diamonds are fully cooked.

6. Garnish dal dhokli with coriander leaves, ghee and if you like, chopped onion and serve hot.

Note:

Dal should be little watery because dough and toor dal tends to absorb more and more water. Add salt accordingly.

Moong Dal Khichdi –

Rice – 1 bowl

Moong Dal – ½ bowl

Goda Masala – 1 tb-spoon

Dry grated coconut – 1 tb-spoon

Cumin seeds – ½ t-spoon

Jaggery – 1 t-spoon

Salt to taste

Oil – 1 tb-spoon

Mustard seeds – 1/4^th t-spoon

Asafetida – 1/8^th t-spoon

Turmeric Powder – 1/4^th t-spoon

Curry leaves – 4-5

Green chili – 1

Fresh grated coconut – ½ bowl

Handful of chopped coriander leaves

Procedure –

1. Wash rice and moong dal and keep aside. Boil 3 cups of water. Roast grated coconut and cumin seeds. Grind cumin seeds into powder.

3. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, asafetida let them splutter. Add curry leaves, green chili and turmeric powder. Sauté for a minute.

4. Add soaked rice and dal, sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add boiling water, goda masala, jaggery, salt. Add dry coconut and cumin seeds powder. When water starts boiling reduce the heat to medium flame and cover the pan with lid and cook khichadi for 15 minutes.

5. Garnish with fresh coconut and chopped coriander and serve hot with spoonful of ghee and roasted papad.

Note :

1. You can use split green gram with skin (Chhilakewali moong dal) or sprouted moong, it will increase nutritional value of Khichadi.

2. If you use masoor dal add garlic in a tadaka instead curry leaves.

Patwadya (पाटवड्या)

Ingredients:

Bengal gram/chana dal flour/besan - 1 cup

Sour butter milk – 3/4^th bowl

Water – 1 bowl

Oil – 1/4^th bowl

Dry grated coconut – 2 tb-spoons

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder – 1/4^th t-spoon

Red chili powder – 3 t-spoons

Chopped coriander leaves – 1/4^th bowl

Method :

1. Mix flour, salt, red chili powder, buttermilk and water together by hand. Heat oil in a

pan. Add mustard seeds, asafetida and turmeric powder and add prepared mixture to it.

Cook on a low-medium flame stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes.

2. Cover the pan with lid and cook on low-medium flame for 5 minutes more. Grease a

deep thali/tray and pour the batter in it. (The depth should be about 1 1/2 cms max).

3. Spread dry grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves on top and let the mixture

cool down completely.

4. Cut squares by using knife and serve as a tea time snack.

Note :

If you don’t have buttermilk, you can use water instead. But buttermilk will give a nice

taste.

This a traditional tea time snack. In Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, these patwadis are

used for making curry or subzi also. I will post the recipe of patwadi curry soon.

millet flour pancakes (ज्वारीचे थालीपीठ)

Ingredients:
Jowar Flour (millet flour) – 2 cups

Wheat Flour – 1/4^th cup

Gram Flour/besan – 1 tb-spoon

Garlic – 3-4 cloves, grated

Onion – 1 medium, finely chopped

Handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped

Cumin seeds powder – ½ t-spoon

Coriander seeds powder -1 t-spoon

Red Chilli Powder – 1 tb-spoon

Turmeric Powder – 1/4^th t-spoon

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

For serving –

Dollop of homemade unsalted white butter(Loni) or salted butter or curd.

Procedure –

1. Mix all the ingredients except oil and knead it into stiff dough using water. The dough should be more smooth than chapatti dough. Keep this dough aside for 10-15 minutes covered with plate. Again knead the dough and make tennis ball sized balls.
2. Take a clean plastic sheet and grease its one side with some oil.
Flatten one ball in the palm of your hand and place it in the center of the sheet. Pat the ball with palm and the fingers. If the dough is too sticky, dip fingers in water to make the patting easier. Keep flattening in circular motion to make a round flat disc but make sure that the thalipeeth has even thickness. Make five holes with your finger, one in the center and four around which will help to cook the thalipeeth evenly.

3. Heat the tava, add little oil in the center and gently remove thalipeeth from plastic sheet and place it on tava. Apply little oil in the five holes and cover the tava with lid. Let the thalipeeth cook for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Open the lid let the thalipeeth release the steam and afterwards cook the other side until it turns crisp.

4. Serve thalipeeth hot with homemade butter, curd or pickle.

Variations -

You can add methi (fenugreek leaves) or spinach leaves or any vegetable along with onions or without onions. It will increase the nutrition value and taste. If you want more crispy and crunchy thalipeeth with authentic flavor add more oil and roast thalipeeth on a iron griddle/tava. Let me tell you, Thalipeeth on iron tava tastes awesome, non-stick pan can never beat that taste.

Flatten rice in coconut milk (कोळाचे पोहे)

Ingredients –

Thick poha (jad pohe) – 2 bowls

Thick coconut milk – 2 bowls

Jaggery – 1 bowl

Tamarind pulp – 3 tb-spoon

Green chilies – 5-6, finely chopped

Salt

Chopped coriander leaves

Cumin seeds – 1 t-spoon

Asafetida – 1/4^th t-spoon

Oil – 1 tb-spoon

Procedure –

1. Mix coconut milk, tamarind pulp, jaggery and salt together. Taste the mixture, if required adjust jaggery, tamarind according to your taste. It has to be sweet and sour to taste.

2. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, asafetida and green chilies. Let them splutter and add the tadaka in our prepared mixture.

3. While serving ‘pohe’, take pohe in a bowl, add out coconut-jaggery mixture as required. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and serve.

Note :

Coconut milk has to be thick. Even while extracting the pulp from tamarind, don’t use too much water. Add green chili sparingly, because together with Pohe, it's going to reduce the hotness.