Crispy karela (bitter gourd) in microwave

I wonder if I put on weight merely by taking in the smell of good food or even glancing at it!! So for all good reasons, here's something that I would like to share with anyone and everyone who likes bitter gourd.

Ingredients:

Bitter gourd thinly sliced - 1 cup

Chilli powder - 1 tbsp

Gram flour (besan) - 2 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Hing (asafoetida) - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Mix all the ingredients together and keep aside for 10-15 minutes.

Place the slices in a single layer on a greased microwave safe plate and microwave on high for 6 minutes. Turn over the slices and once again microwave on high for 6 minutes. You can continue to microwave for a minute or two more if the slices are not crispy enough.

Diya Decoration

How to make Diwali Diya decoration

What we need

• Diyas
• Acrylic colours
• Brush

How to make 

• Choose any acrylic colour and use it to paint 2 coats on the diya
• Wait for coats to dry
• You can also stick rhinestone using normal glue and outline with sparkle glue.
• Have fun making diyas of different colors and patterns. 

Marathi Ghavan.....

Ghavan



साहित्य:
१/२ कप तांदूळ पिठ
२ टेस्पून चणा पिठ
दिड कप आंबट ताक
१/४ कप बारीक चिरलेला कांदा (ऑप्शनल)
२-३ हिरव्या मिरच्या
२ पाकळ्या बारीक चिरलेली लसूण
१/२ टिस्पून हळद
१/२ टिस्पून जिरे
बारीक चिरलेली कोथिंबीर
मीठ
१/२ कप तेल


कृती:
१) तांदूळ पिठ आणि चणा पिठ एकत्र करून त्यात ताक घालावे. गुठळ्या न होता पातळसर भिजवून घ्यावे.
२) त्यात जिरे, कांदा, मिरच्या, हळद, कोथिंबीर, लसूण, मीठ घालून निट ढवळून घ्यावे.
३) नॉनस्टीक फ्राईंग पॅन गरम करावा. त्यामध्ये किंचीत तेल घालून घावन घालावे. लसणीच्या तिखटाबरोबर गरम गरम खावे.

टीप:
१) जर ताकाची आंबट चव नको असेल तर त्याऐवजी पाणी घालावे.
२) जर कांदा आवडत नसेल तर कांदा वगळून घावन घालावे.
३) पिठ जर थोडे पातळ भिजवले तर घावनाला छान जाळी पडते.

Alu Vadi

Alu vadi 

Alu vadi has a very important place in traditional Maharashtrian cuisine. It is a popular snack prepared during traditional functions. Alu Vadi's also known as patras is a delicious preparation using spinach or colocasia leaves that has a sweet and tangy gram flour mixture spread on them and rolled in a special way to form a pinwheel.

Method in pictorial form

Make paste of coconut, Dhania leaves , green chillies and ginger . 

In paste add red chilly powder, turmeric, garam masala , besan , rice flour n jaggery.

Mix all in paste ...above ingredient.

Give tadka to paste with Rai , jeera, Sesame seeds, hing, crushed saunf .

Wash leaves scrape its thick veins n roll Belan on leaves .

Apply batter on leaves

Arrange leaves as per picture

Fold n again apply batter

Then make rolls

Pressure cooker for 4-5 whistle or else steam for 30 min .

Give tadka for final round with Rai , jeera n Sesame seeds n hing

N shallow fry

Veg Kheema Cutlet

Veg Kheema Cutlet

Ingredients:

3 boiled potatoes
1 cup soya granules
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp dhaniya powder
1/2 tsp jeera powder 
1 tsp amchur powder
Salt as per taste
1/2 cup grated carrot
2 tbsp roasted besan
1 green chilly chopped (optional)
Chopped dhaniya leaves few

Method:

1.Keep soya Kheema in hot water for 30 min covered .

2. Mix above all

3. With boiled potatoes

4.Make dough

5. Make small tikki n keep in refrigerator for one hour.

6. Later shallow fry or u can deep fry

Read to serve .....

Chaat ki Masti ......Just yummy and Tangy.

Dahi Puri Chaat

Ingredients

• 12 Puris / Puchka / Golgappa
• ½ cup cold, plain thick Curd / Yogurt
• ½ teaspoon Black Salt (or use regular salt)
• 1 teaspoon Chaat Masala powder
• ½ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
• ¼ cup cooked & mashed Potatoes (mix ¼ teaspoon of salt with the potatoes)
• ¼ cup finely chopped Onions
• ¼ cup finely chopped tomatoes
• ¼ cup Green Chutney (Mint Coriander Chutney)
• ¼ cup Sweet Chutney (Tamarind Dates Chutney)
• ½ cup SEV (Fried Chickpea noodles)
• ¼ cup finely chopped Coriander Leaves

Note - usually, store bought Chaat powder has salt content. So adjust salt in yogurt accordingly)

Instructions

1. To yogurt, add Chaat powder, red chilli powder and black salt. Mix well to form smooth mixture.
2. Arrange 6 Puris on each plate. Make small holes in the middle of the Puris using your index finger. (Be gentle & don't break the Puri)
3. Fill each puri with mashed potatoes, onions and tomatoes.
4. Add about a teaspoon of the green and sweet chutneys on top of the fillings (the amounts can vary depending on how sweet / spicy you want it to be)
5. Generously pour 1-2 tablespoon of the spiced yogurt into each poori
6. Fill each puri with the Sev
7. Garnish with onions and chopped coriander leaves.
8. Serve immediately

Sabudana Khichdi

Its a very much typical Maharashtrian Fasting food, why only fasting we can have it in lunch, breakfast or with a cup of tea at evening... eat it any time it always taste yum. Sabudana (sago) khichdi everyone has there own recipe's someone won't eat jeera at the time of fasting, someone eats red chilli powder not green chilli's and many more.. but this is a very typical style of making your fasting so yummy. So just scroll down and find your sabudana khichdi's recipe :)

serves 3-4

Ingredients

• 2 cup sago (tapioca),
• 3 medium potatoes,
• 4 green chilies (adjust as per your liking),
• 2 tsp lemon juice (optional),
• 1 small piece ginger (optional),
• 1/2 cup peanut powder,
• 2-3 tsp sugar,
• salt to taste,
• 1 tbsp clarified ghee/oil,
• 2 tsp cumin seeds,
• coconut and coriander leaves for garnishing.

Method

1. Wash thoroughly and soak sabudana in water. Drain and set aside for half hour to one hour. (Or soak it overnight with water just upto the level of sabudana).
2. Once soaked properly, sabudana absorbs water and plump. Add peanut powder, salt, sugar and lemon juice to the sabudana and mix.
3. Cut green chilies into small pieces and grate ginger. Peel and dice potatoes.
4. Heat oil or ghee in a nonstick kadai/pan.
5. Let cumin seeds sizzle in the heated ghee; add potato pieces and chilies.
6. When potatoes turn tender, add sabudana and stir. Else if using boiled potatoes, sauté them quickly in the ghee before adding the sabudana to it.
7. Cook uncovered for sometime and keep mixing to keep sago from sticking to the bottom.
8. Khichdi is done when the sabudana no more tastes raw. Remove and garnish with coconut and coriander leaves. Serve hot with yogurt.

Tips and Variations:

1) The key to a good khichdi is to keep tossing it until the sabudana is completely cooked.

2) Substitute grated potatoes for the diced ones.

3) Add chopped coriander leaves to the ghee before adding the soaked sabudana for enhanced flavor.

4) Try adding chopped cucumber to the khichdi.

Puran Poli

Puran Poli Puran Poli is a traditional & popular Maharashtrian dish made on occasion of "Gudi Padwa" the beginning of the new year as per the Hindu calendar.

Ingredients:
1 cup Chana Dal
1 cup Jaggery, grated or crushed
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Wheat Flour
7 to 8 tbsp Oil 
1 tsp Cardamom Powder
Rice flour

Method:
1) Wash Chana Dal thoroughly. In the pressure cooker, add 2 and 1/2 cup water (for 1 cup dal) and washed Chana Dal. Switch off gas after 4-5 whistles. Let the pressure cooker cool down.

2) After 25 minutes open the pressure cooker, strain the cooked Chana dal and reserve the water. This water can be used to make 'Katachi Amati'. Remove water completely from dal. Then add this dal into a deep pan. Add jaggery in it and let this mixture cook over medium heat. Jaggery will melt and mixture becomes thin in consistency. keep stirring over medium heat until mixture becomes thick. Add cardamom powder and mix. Don't let the mixture stick to the bottom of pan.

3) Once mixture become thick, remove the pan from heat. Put it through Puran Maker (puran yantra) to get fine quality stuffing.

4) Sift all purpose flour and wheat flour together. Add 5 to 6 tbsp Oil and mix well. Now add water little by little and make smooth consistency dough. Knead the dough until the it becomes very elastic. Put this dough into a bowl and cover it with lid. Let it rest for a couple of hours

5) Make 1 and 1/2 inch balls of the stuffing. Also make 1/2 inch balls of the dough. Grease your fingertips and spread one dough ball gently to a small round disc. put one stuffing ball on it. spread the dough gently over the stuffing with fingers and cover the stuffing. Use dry rice flour to roll the Roti. Heat the tawa, place rolled roti in the center and roast both sides over medium heat.

These rotis stay fresh for approximately 4-8 days at room temperature.
Serve hot with Ghee. Cold puranpoli tastes good with cold milk.

Til gul ghya .....gode gode bola.....

Makara Sankranti is a Hindu festival celebrated in almost all parts of India. Makar Sankranti marks the transition of the Sun into the zodiac sign of Makara rashi (Capricorn) on its celestial path. According to the Hindi calendar Makar Sankranti is festival celebrated for new year for Hindus and  is a major harvest festival celebrated in various parts of India. However, it is celebrated with distinct names and rituals in different parts of the country.

Makara Sankranti: Chhattisgarh, Goa, Odisha, Haryana, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh,Maharashtra,

·         Pongal: Tamil Nadu

·         Uttarayan: Gujarat

·         Maghi: Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab

·         Lohri: Punjab (Lohri is celebrated a day before Makar Sankranti)

·         Bhogali Bihu: Assam

·         Shishur Saenkraat: Kashmir Valley

·         Khichdi: Uttar Pradesh and western Bihar

·         Makara Sankramana:

In Maharashtra this period is called as sankraman kal. On the Sankranti day sweets are prepared from Til (sesame) and Gul (jaggery) which again warms your body. Its an occasion to visit near and dear ones and distribute tilgul saying "Tilgul ghya, god god bola" that means "Take a tilgul and talk sweet as it". The under-lying thought in the exchange of tilguls is to forget the past ill-feelings and hostilities and resolve to speak sweetly and remain friends.

In this 'sankraman kal' you have to do 'Daan' so, this is a special day for the women in Maharashtra when married women are invited for a get-together called ‘Haldi-Kumkum’ and given gifts of any utensil or any useful items. This is the only day when black colour is auspicious. So married woman wears black sarees and for infants also Maharashtrian people purchase a black dress.

So here is my recipe for Sankrant….

Ingredients:

½ kg While Sesame
½ kg Jaggery (Chikkicha Gool)
1 cup Roasted Peanuts coarse powder
½ cup grated and roasted Dry Coconut
½ cup Chana dal roasted
1 tsp Cardamom Powder
1 to 2 tbsp Pure Ghee
2/3 drop Rose Essence

Method:

1) Roast ½ kg sesame till golden brown
2) Keep ready roasted coarse peanuts, grated and roasted Dry Coconut.
3) In other pan, melt Chikki Gool. After some time, it will start boiling. The jaggery should be at the “soft-ball” stage. That means that when you drop a bit of it into cold water to cool it down, it will form a soft ball. If you remove the ball from water, it will flatten like a pancake after a few moments in your hand. Sesame Laddus are made using the jaggery in softball stage.
4) Add roasted Sesame, coarse peanuts, roasted dry coconut, Chana Dal , rose essence and cardamom powder and mix well.
5) Grease hands with little Ghee as we are going to make laddus while the mixture is hot. Therefore, because of ghee, hot mixture will not stick to hands.
6) Make 1 inch round shaped laddus while mixture is hot. If it gets cold, it won’t form the round shape as the jaggery will become hard. So, while making laddus if mixture becomes cold, put it again on high heat so that jaggery will melt and you can make laddus from that remaining mixture.

Note:
1) To make laddus rich in flavour, add unsalted cashew pieces or any other dry fruits.