Showing posts with label Maharastrian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maharastrian. Show all posts

Aam Panna [Without Boiling] | Sweet and Spicy Raw Mango Cooler

During these hot summer months in Bangalore, I catch myself day dreaming about summers in Goa. Summer vacations, back then was our right, now just a dream. Off to play by 9am and back home only by 8.30pm managing to squeeze in a lunch only cause my friend was called in for lunch and I would be alone in the sun. It was bliss! Hot & sweaty, all tanned up, we would play everything from lagori to chor police. When the heat got to us, we would take juice breaks. Rasna was an all time favorite among kids back then. Come summer, and all the moms would make a bottle of Rasna and keep it in the fridge for these breaks of ours. It was in times like these, my best friend N introduced me to a more natural homemade drink - Aam Panna. I loved it so much, that she had to bring me some every summer when her mom made it.


Aam Panna is a raw mango cooler. So easy to make and oh so tasty. These days we catch it staring at us from the pages of restaurant menus, but that bright green concoction tastes nothing like the real thing. Firstly, the real thing isn't even bright green :) The recipe I have below is N's mom's. The extra additions I have made to it are all the optional ingredients. You can make it without all the optional ingredients and it will still taste equally good.




Aam Panna | Sweet and Spicy Raw Mango Cooler


Aam PannaA sweet and spicy beverage made using raw mangoes

Recipe Type:  Beverage
Cuisine:          Indian / Maharastrian /Goan
Prep Time:     3 Hours (Includes soaking time)
Cook time:     10 minutes
Yield:              4-5 Glasses / 750 ml

Ingredients:

3 or 500 gms Raw Mangoes
500-750 ml Water
8-10 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Pepper powder
A pinch Salt (Optional)
1/4 tsp Black salt / Kala Namak (Optional)
1/2 tsp Cumin powder / Jeera powder (Optional)

Method:


  • Wash and peel the raw mangoes
  • Take 500ml of water in a large container
  • Grate the mangoes and add them to the water
  • Cover and leave aside for 2-3 hours
  • Drain out the water into another container. Squeeze the pulp to remove any more juice available.
  • Add sugar, pepper powder, salt, black salt and cumin powder and mix well until sugar dissolves.
  • If it is concentrated, add more water and serve it on a hot summer day.


Notes:

1) The above recipe made 750ml of diluted juice for me. If the mangoes are very sour, you can store this as a concentrate and dilute it while serving.
2) The amount of sugar, salt and spices, all depends on the sourness of the mangoes being used. I suggest starting with half the quantity of sugar/salt/spices mentioned above and adding more as required.
3) N suggested this is usually served at room temperature, however I generally serve is slightly cooler.
4) This may not be suitable if you are suffering from throat infections, it may aggravate it. There is a slightly different version you can make if you are suffering from throat troubles, boil the mangoes until then are half cooked and then peel and grate. Follow the rest of the recipe as is. This version apparently does not aggravate throat infections.
5) This stores well in the fridge for 18-20 days. However, I doubt you will ever get the chance to test this :). Mine barely lasted 3.


Read more ...

Bombay Pav Bhaji

The reason I call this the Bombay Pav Bhaji is because I eat and make 2 kinds of Pav bhajis and it gets confusing about which one I'm talking about. The other one being the Goan Pav bhaji ( recipe will be posted soon). The Bombay pav bhaji is the red coloured pav bhaji most commonly eaten across India in restaurants or small chaat carts / gaadis . As a kid, eating out meant small snacks in the evenings, as restaurant culture had not yet caught on as it has today. We would go on my dad's Bajaj scooter to our favorite chaat cart/ gaadi in the market to eat Pav bhaji. With very low tolerance for spices, I was generally stuck eating just butter pav. But as I grew up, the spice tolerance also grew and I was able to enjoy this spicy red bhaji with the greasy yet amazingly tasty butter pav. I'm sure a lot of us have similar memories of the 1990s. Till date, whenever I go home, I make it a point to go to the same gaadi and eat the same pav bhaji. I don't know his secret recipe that makes it so yummy, but I do make it my way at home... The recipe that follows is the way I make it at home...









Bombay Pav Bhaji


A popular Bombay street food consisting of spicy mix vegetable mash and bread rolls/pav.

Recipe Type:  Snacks
Cuisine:          Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:              2-3 Servings

Ingredients:

3 medium Potato
1 cup chopped Tomato
3/4 cup chopped Onion
1/2 cup chopped Capsicum
1/4 cup chopped Carrot
1/2 cup Cauliflower (broken into small florets or chopped)
1/4 cup Green peas
3-4 cloves or 1 Tbsp paste of Garlic
1" piece or 1 Tbsp paste of Ginger
2 Tbsp Pav bhaji masala (In case you don't have this available, use Garam masala - 1/2 tsp, Coriander powder - 1 tsp, Amchur/ Dry mango powder - 1/4 tsp, Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp)
A pinch of Garam masala
2 Tbsp Butter
Red chilli powder - To taste
Salt - To taste
A handful of Coriander leaves
Lemon wedges

Method:

  • Boil and peel the potatoes
  • Boil the carrot, cauliflower, peas and capsicum.
  • Grind the ginger-garlic into a fine paste.
  • Heat 1 tbsp of butter in a kadhai or pan
  • Add the onions and fry until golden brown.
  • Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry until fragrant.
  • Add the tomatoes and fry until soft and cooked.
  • Add all the remaining vegetables and mash them.
  • Add all the spices and salt.
  • Add a little water to achieve the desired consistency
  • Boil for 5-6 mins
  • Add 1 tbsp of butter on top
  • Garnish with chopped coriander leaves
  • Serve hot with some lemon wedges, chopped onion and buttered Pav





Read more ...

Matki Usal

Matki or Moth beans are look very similar to moong beans but are brown in colour and are slightly smaller in size. They are a high source of protein and as most beans, very low in calories. I usually use these to make Misal, but on days I have less time, I am content with just the usal. You can make the same recipe with sprouted moong beans too...



Matki Usal


spicy curry made with moth beans and fresh coconutMaharastrian curry made with sprouted moth beans and fresh coconut.

Recipe Type:  Main Course
Cuisine:          Indian / Maharastrian
Prep Time:     15 minutes (Does not include sprouting time)
Cook time:     45 minutes
Yield:              3-4 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup dried or 2 cups sprouted Matki beans / Moth beans
1 Onion
1 Tomato
2-3 Green chillies
5-6 Curry leaves
A handful of Coriander leaves
3 tbsp desiccated Coconut
3 tsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
Salt
Water
Method:

  • To sprout the beans yourself, soak in matki beans in 2 cups of water overnight
  • Next morning, drain out the water from the container and cover the container with a steel plate and allow to rest in a warm place for 2 days or until the beans sprout.
  • Alternatively, you can also tie the beans in a muslin cloth and allow them to sprout.
  • Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
  • Once they splutter, add the curry leaves, slit green chillies and chopped onions
  • Fry until the onions are done
  • Add chopped tomatoes and cook until they are done
  • Add the sprouts and enough water to cover them
  • Add salt and cover and cook until the beans are done.
  • Keep checking the beans, if it feels dry and the beans aren't done, then add more water and cover and cook longer. If the beans are done, and there is excess water, then remove the lid and cook on high flame until the water evaporates. This can take anywhere between 20-30 mins to cook.
  • Once the beans are done, garnish with desiccated coconut and finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with chapati
Read more ...

Steamed Modaks | Ukadiche Modak | Sihi Kadabu


How to make Ukadiche Modak Recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

Lord Ganesha's birthday aka Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with fervor and grandeur in Goa. People take a nice vacation from their hectic lives and move into their ancestral houses for a week usually. The entire family gets together to welcome Ganesha into their house and hearts. You can see colorful idols of Ganesha everywhere you turn. His throne is decorated with flowers and banana leaf. Everyone is dressed in their festive best.

And when everything is at its best, so is the Food. In India, every festival revolves around Food. Ganesh Chaturthi is no exception. While one may not make as many variety of sweets and snacks as one does for Diwali, there are a few that are made especially for beloved Ganesha only.

How to make Ukadiche Modak Recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

Modaks are considered to be Lord Ganesha's favorite sweet and a must on Ganesh Chaturthi.
Modaks are made in myriad different ways. Some deep fry it while some steam it. Sometimes the filling is of fresh coconut and jaggery, while sometimes it is dry coconut and sugar. I have also seen a recipe where it is filled with chocolate. Sometimes all this is skipped and modaks are just modak shaped pedas.

In our culture, we do not deep fry modaks. My grand mother was totally against deep frying anything on Ganesh chaturthi so we always made the steamed version stuffed with fresh coconut and jaggery. And this is the version I absolutely LOVE.
Steamed Modaks or Ukadiche Modak or Sihi Kadabu have the outer layer made of a rice flour dough and a stuffing of fresh coconut, jaggery (unrefined sugar) and cardamom powder.

To make the outer layer of rice flour, the rice flour is added to boiling water and mixed until it forms a stiff dough. Getting the consistency of the dough right is probably the toughest part of making the Modak. If the dough isn't made properly, there are chances that the modaks will split while steaming, which, believe me isn't really as disastrous as it sounds. They still taste great and means just some more modaks for the Cook. Hurray!!

How to make Ukadiche Modak Recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

The filling is made by cooking together grated fresh coconut and jaggery. In this recipe, the jaggery cannot be replaced with refined sugar, as it just will not live up to the taste and texture of the modak. The mixture is cooked until it the water almost evaporates. Cooking it beyond that will cause the jaggery to crystallize and the filling will become one big hard lump.

These days there are moulds available to shape the modaks after filling them. Unfortunately, as you can see in the pictures, I wasn't aware of it until I'd finished making them, hence very amateurish looking modaks in my house this year. But who is worried about the looks when they tasted SO delicious.

If you are making this for Naivedyam for Lord Ganesha, please do not taste anything and follow the recipe and your instincts and it will turn out great.

How to make Ukadiche Modak Recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

If you liked this, you may also like:
  • Khova Peda - Simple peda made from milk solids and sugar.
  • Kaju Katli - Fudge or Barfi made from cashewnuts and sugar. A favorite in every household.
  • Coconut Laddoo - A simple laddoo made from coconut powder and condensed milk in under 1 hour.
  • Kadle Bele Payasa - Kheer made with rice, chana dal and coconut
How to make Ukadiche Modak Recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com


Steamed Modaks | Kadabu | Sweet Dumplings


How to make Ukadiche Modak Recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.comModaks are traditional steamed Indian dumpling made from rice flour, coconut and jaggery. Served as an offering to Lord Ganesha in West and South India. 

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:          Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     60 minutes
Yield:              9

Ingredients:


0.75 cup Coconut
0.5 cup Jaggery
1 tsp Cardamom
0.75 cup Rice flour
1.5 cups Water
1 tsp Ghee or Oil
0.25 tsp Salt

Method:


In a kadhai, mix the coconut and jaggery and cook on low flame. Keep stirring the mixture to avoid burning. Cook until the mixture is almost dry. Do not overcook as then the jaggery will harden. Add the cardamom powder and keep aside to cool.
In another pan, bring 1 cup of water to a  rolling boil. Add the salt and the ghee and remove it from the heat.
Add rice flour by the spoonful and keep stirring to avoid forming lumps.
Add more water if needed. The dough should be slightly stiff yet malleable.
Keep the pan back on the stove and keep the flame low.
Keep stirring until the whole dough becomes one mass. It will start sticking to the spoon/ spatula. It took me around 5 mins. Take a small marble sized piece of dough and press it using  your thumb and index finger, it should not break into pieces. Nor should it stick to your hand. If the consistency or the texture is not correct, the modaks may split while cooking. If it is your first time, do not fret over a few split ones.
Allow this to cool for some time.
While it is still warm, take a small ball of flour and flatten it. Place a small ball of the filling inside it and use your hands and stretch the flour to cover the filling.
Shape the modaks accordingly.
Steam the modaks in a steamer for around 8-10 mins. I used an idli steamer, you can use a cooker without the whistle.
Read more ...

Jhunka

Jhunka Bhakri is a simple but thoroughly enjoyed meal in North Karnataka. Jhunka takes hardly 10 mins to prepare and is a welcome substitute to the regular sabzi once in a while. So on Friday night, tired of cooking ,once again, and bored of eating out. once again. This was the quickest fix for dinner.




Jhunka


curry made with chickpea flour and tomatoesQuick Maharastrian curry made from chickpea flour/ besan and tomatoes.

Recipe Type:  Side
Cuisine:          Indian / Maharastrian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     20 minutes
Yield:              2-3 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Besan / Gram Flour
1 cup Water
1 Tomato
4-5 Curry Leaves
2 Green Chillies
1 tsp Cumin Seeds / Jeera
2 tsp Oil
1 tsp Turmeric Powder / Haldi
Salt

Method:

Heat oil in a kadhai and add the cumin seeds
Once they brown slightly, add the curry leaves, chopped tomatoes and chopped chillies and fry for 2 mins
Add 1/2 a cup of water and cook until the tomatoes are soft
Add the turmeric powder
Mix the besan in the remaining water until it is a smooth paste
Add this to the kadhai and add salt
Heat on low flame until the raw taste of the besan disappears. Keep stirring to prevent the jhunka from burning
Add more water if desired
Eat with jowar rotti or phulka


Read more ...

Sabudana Khichdi or Sabakki Khichdi

The moment I mention I'm making Sabudana Khichdi, I see lit up eyes at home. Sabudana Khichdi is a famous Mahashtrian Upvas (fasting) meal. It is basically a stir fry of fluffed up Sabudana or Sago Pearls with boiled potato and crushed peanuts.



For a long long time (read 18 years), I assumed Sabudana was a whole grain. The name is misleading. "Dana" means grain in Hindi, so I assumed it is a grain. Much later the internet opened my eyes to reality. It is a man made grain.

I don't know what to classify the Sabudana Khichdi as - slow food or fast food? It is super quick to make once you have fluffed up sabudana. But to get fluffed up sabudana requires some advance planning. I know the prep isn't as much, but you still need to soak the sabudana.


Everyone loves it when it is well made. There are so many ways to mess up this otherwise simple khichdi, go through the "Quick Tips" list below:

Quick Tips:

1) To get fluffy Sabudana or Sago, soak it in water for around 15-20 minutes. Then drain out the water completely. Cover and leave it to fluff for 2-3 hours.
2) If you plan to make it for breakfast, you can follow step (1) and then after draining out the water, cover and leave it in the fridge overnight.
3) If you do not remove the water completely, it tends to get sticky and becomes one big lump, so drain the water completely.
4) Do not soak for more than half hour to one hour depending on the variety of Sago / Sabudana you have, they tend to dissolve in water.
5) Don't add any water while cooking. If you need to loosen it, add oil. Water will make it sticky and gluggy.


Sabudana Khichdi or Sabakki Khichdi


Sabudana Khichdi
A famous Maharastrian Upvas snack made with sabudana or sago pearls and peanuts.

Recipe Type:  Breakfast / Snacks
Cuisine:           Maharastrian
Prep Time:     2 hours
Cook time:     15 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 cup Sago Pearls or Sabudana
1 Potato(boiled, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes)
8-10 Curry leaves
1-2 Green Chilli (chopped)
3-4 Tbsp Peanuts
1/2 tsp Lime juice
4 tsp Oil
1 tsp Cumin seeds
Salt to taste
A handful of fresh Coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

Wash the sabudana and leave it aside for 2-3 hours until the sabudanas are soft. In case you don't have enough time to leave it aside in the morning, wash them the previous night, drain the water and store in a box in the fridge. You can use it in the morning. Refer to the Quick Tips above for more info.
Roast the peanuts and grind them to a powder in a mixer. This can also be done the previous night and kept ready for morning. You can replace this with flax seed powder as well or roasted pumpkin seed powder.
Heat oil in a kadhai and add the cumin seeds. Once the seeds splutter, green chillis,curry leaves and potato.
Cook for around 1-2 mins. Add the sabudana and salt.
Stir on stove for around 2-3 minutes, then add the peanut powder. Mix well.
Remove from heat and add coriander and lime juice and serve hot.
Read more ...

Batata Poha | Avalakki Uppit

Diwali mandated this dish in our house. Apparently when Rama was returning to Ayodhya after killing Ravana, he was served avalakki on the way by villagers. Hence, we make this every diwali. At least from what I know people in North Karnataka, Goa and Maharastra make this on diwali. I've heard the same story but with different dishes. People in mangalore claim Rama was given dosa, so they make dosa. People around Bangalore claim he was served akki rotti with pumpkin palya and they make that. But in my heart I will always believe he was served avalakki :) It isn't that this is made only on diwali, it is a very common breakfast dish anyway and very easy to make.
The type of avalakki or poha or flattened rice used differs between people. Nobody uses the paper variety for this dish though. Preferably medium or thick.

How to make Avalakki Uppit or Soosla recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

How to make Avalakki Uppit or Soosla recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

How to make Avalakki Uppit or Soosla recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com




Batata Poha | Avalakki Uppit


Batata Poha or Avalakki Uppit is a popular breakfast in South and West India. It is made by stirfrying soaked poha or avalakki or flattened rice with potatoes. 
How to make Avalakki Uppit or Soosla recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com


Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     15 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:


3 cups medium Poha (Avalakki/Flattened Rice)
1 small Onion, sliced
1 green Chilli, chopped
1 Potato, boiled and diced
3-4 tsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
2 Tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped
1 Tbsp grated Coconut
1 Tbsp Lime juice
6-8 Curry leaves
Salt to taste

Method:


Heat oil in a kadhai.
Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds.
After the mustard seeds have spluttered, add the green chillies, curry leaves and chopped onion to the oil and fry until the onions turn translucent.
Once the onions are cooked add the potato and the turmeric powder. Mix well. Stir for 1 minute.
Wash the poha twice in water and drain the water immediately. This is for medium thick. In case you are using thick avalakki (it actually resembles rice), you may need to keep it soaked for sometime to make it soft. Soak it for at least 5 mins in warm water before starting to cook it.
Add poha to kadhai and mix well.
Add salt to taste.
Stir for sometime and remove off heat.
Add lime juice as per taste.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut. Serve hot.

Read more ...