Vegetable Kolhapuri

A wonderful Maharashtrian dish from the western part of Maharashtra, Kolhapur... this popular dish is traditionally spicy but you can adjust the heat to your tastebuds. Serve it with plain boiled rice or hot chapatis.....
Preparation time : 15-20 minutes
Cooking time: 30-45 minutes
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
Carrots 1 medium (diced and boiled)
Potato 1 medium (diced and boiled)
Cauliflower 6-8 florets (boiled)
French beans 6-8 1/2 inch pieces (boiled)
Green peas 1/4 cup (boiled)
Ginger paste 1 tsp
Garlic paste 1 tsp
Oil 4 tbsp
Dry coconut 1/2 (grated) (you can use dry desicated coconut 1/2 cup)
Cloves 8
Black peppercorns 8
Poppy seeds (khus khus) 1 tsp
Coriander seeds 1 tsp
Whole dry red chillies 6
Onions 2 large (chopped)
Tomatoes 2 large (chopped)
Red chilli powder 1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander leaves 2 tbsp (chopped)

For Garam Masala

Fennel seed (saunf) powder 1/2 teaspoon
Cinnamon 1 inch stick
Stone flower (dagad phool) 1
Cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon
Bay leaves 2
Black cardamoms 2
Black peppercorns 7-8

Method

1. Grind ginger and garlic to a fine paste.

2. Grind all the ingredients of the Kolhapuri garam masala into a fine powder and set aside.

3. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a kadai. Add grated dry coconut, cloves, peppercorns, poppy seeds, coriander seeds and red chillies. Lightly fry.

4. Now add two thirds of the chopped onions and cook till it turns slightly brown. Cool, grind to a paste using sufficient water. Set aside.

5. Heat remaining oil in another kadai. Add the remaining chopped onions and sauté till brown.

6. Add ginger and garlic paste and continue to sauté till lightly browned. Add tomatoes, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, masala paste and half cup of water and cook for two minutes.

7. Add the boiled vegetables, adjust salt and simmer for four to five minutes. Sprinkle Kolhapuri garam masala powder and mix well.

8. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

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Scrambled Tofu

We had a potlock party last month in our office... Everyone had got wonderful dishes... we had a sumptuous lunch that day.. enjoyed a wide range of dishes.... it was a great day... as after the lunch we also had a tea party at 4 which was not planned... One of the colleague had got this dish of scrambled tofu which at first I thought was scrambled egg (egg bhurji)... when asked she told me the recepie... it was great to taste... So here goes the recepie... u all make eat and enjoy....
Ingredients
Red dired chillies 2-3 (deseeded) (if you like spicy then add more chillies)
Ginger paste 1 tsp
Garlic paste 1 tsp
Medium Onions 4
Tahu/Tofu 2 pieces
Sugar 1/2 tsp
Tamarind paste 1 tsp
Big tomatoes 2
Oil To fry the Tofu/ and then to fry the gravy
Salt To taste
Method
1. Wash, dry and cut the Tofu into small cubes. In a wok take oil and fry the tofu nicely till it changes its color.
2. Remove on a tissue and keep aside.
3. Deseed the tomatoes and cut the onion into 4 pieces. In a blender make a paste of the onions, tomatoes and the red chillies together.
4. Heat the remaining oil and add the ginger and garlic paste and fry till it becomesa bit brown. Then add the onion tomato paste and cook properly on low flame till the oil starts to separate.
5. Add sugar, salt, tamarind paste on cook over low fire for 1/2 an hour.
6. Lastly add the fried tofu and mix together. Remove and serve hot or cold with rice/bread/naan/chappati.... etc......
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Badam and Banana Sheera

I wanted to make Badam Sheera since a long time.... but the with my job and the routine I am hardly getting time nowadays to try new stuff... But this weekend I reserved time to do it.... it was a good snack in the afternoon....

Ingredients

Sooji/Rawa 1 cup

Badam/ Almonds 1 cup (soaked in warm water)

Sugar 1 1/2 cup (if you prefer less sweet then adjust accordingly)

Riped Bananas 2

Cardamom/elaichi powder 1 tsp

Milk 3 1/2 cups

Water 1/2 cup

Ghee 1 1/2 tbsp

Method

1. Remove the skin of the almonds and then make a paste of the almonds in a mixie.

2. In a thick bottomed vessel put the add 1/2 of the ghee and rava and roast it on medium flame until it changes its color and becomes aromatic.

3. While roasting the rava on another gas take a vessel and mix water and milk in it and keep for boiling.

4. Put the rest of the ghee in the vessel and add the almond paste to it. Roast it until it changes its colour.

5. Once the almond paste changes its colour add the rava and smashed bananas and mix all the together.

6. Then add the hot boiled milk to this above mixture. And keep stirring until they blend together.

7. Cover and let it cook for 2 minutes. Then add sugar and mix properely.

8. Once the sugar is completely dissolved and mixed nicely remove from the gas and add cardamom powder, any other nusts,raisins as desired and serve hot with a little ghee on top....

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Cauliflower Manchurian

A wonderful IndoChinese recipie.Hope you like it and enjoy with your family. IndoChinese are my favourite dishes.Mothers Day Special!

Ingredients

500gms Cauliflower florets

8 tbsp Cornflour/ corn starch
3-4 Green chillies, minced
2 Spring onion bulb , chopped
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry+2 tablespoons
1/2 tsp Garlic paste
1/2 tsp Ginger paste
1 medium Green capsicum, chopped
1 medium Onion , chopped
2 tbsp Soy sauce
2 1/2 cups Vegetable stock
2 tbsp Vinegar
1/4 tsp Sugar
Method

1. Wash and drain cauliflower florets. Make a batter of six tablespoons of cornstarch, green chillies and spring onions adding salt to taste.

2. Dissolve the remaining two tablespoons of cornstarch in quarter cup of water and keep aside for sauce.Heat sufficient oil in a kadai.

3. Dip each cauliflower floret in the prepared batter and deep fry till golden brown. Remove and drain onto an absorbent paper.

4. To make the sauce, heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan and gently fry the garlic paste and the
ginger paste.

5. Add the chopped capsicum and onion.Stir in the soya sauce and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for two minutes.Add the vinegar, sugar and adjust salt to taste.

6. Stir in the dissolved cornstarch and cook stirring continuously till the mixture thickens and starts bubbling.Add the fried cauliflower florets.

7. Mix well to coat and cook for two minutes more. Serve hot.

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Anjeer Halwa

A wonderful and easy recipie...
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 20 min
Serves 4

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Ingredients
Anjeer (Dried figs) 24 no.s (200gms)
Clarified butter (ghee) 3 tbsp
Almonds, blanched, peeled & powdered 1/2 cup
Milk powder 1/3 cup
Sugar 4 tbsp
Cardamom powder (elaichi powder) 1/4 tsp


Method
1. Cook the figs in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes. Drain, cool and then grind them in a mixer.
2. Heat clarified butte in a thick bottomed non stick vessel and add the powdered almonds to it.
3. Saute for 5 minutes and then add pureed figs, sugar, milk powder and 1/2 cup water. Keep stirring continuously.
4. Cook till the sugar dissolves and the consistency becomes a bit thick.
5. Remove from gas and then add cardamom. Mix it well. Serve hot garnished with slivered almonds....

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Cabbage and Spinach Parathas

Easy and fast parathas Good for breakfast/ lunch/ dinner/ journey/ picnic.........
Preparation time: 20 min
Cooking time: 15 min
Serves: 5 parathas

Ingredients
Spinach shredded 1/2 bunch
Cabbage shredded 1/4 medium
Wheat flour (atta) 2 cups
Chickpea flour (besan) 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Carom seeds (ajwain/ ova) 1 tsp
Green chillies 1-2 chopped
Oil 4-5 tsp
Milk 4-5 tbsp
Method
1. Put the wheat flour and chickpea flour in a vessel.
2. Add the red chilli powder, carom seeds, green chillies, oil, salt, shredded cabbage, shredded spinach and milk to it.
3. Mix all the ingredients and make a dough of it.
4. Add a little water if needed. Set aside for 5-10 min.
5. Divide into 5 equal portions and roll out into thick parathas of 5 to 6 inches of diametre.
6. Heat tawa and place the paratha on it. Drizzle with oil and cook on one side. Turn the paratha and drizzle oil again and cook the other side too.
7. Similarly make other 4 parathas and serve hot with any pickle, chutney or raita.....

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Bharli Mirchi

A spicy Maharashtrian vege made from stuffed big green chillies....
Preparation time: 30 min
Cooking time: 20 min
Serves: 2

Ingredients
Large green chillies 4
Salt to taste
Oil 2 1/2 tbsp
Asafoetida a pinch
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Fresh coconut scrapped 1 cup
Fennel Seed powder (saunf) 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder (dhania powder) 1 tsp
Cumin powder (jeera powder) 1 tsp
Raw mango, grated 1 small
Fresh coriander chopped 1 tbsp
Method
1. Slit the green chillies and deseed them. Apply salt to the chillies and leave aside for 30 min. Wash and drain well.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil and add mustard seeds, once they crackle add asafoetida, turmeric powder. Add coconut and fry till slightly brown.
3. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, fennel seed powder and mix well.
4. Add the raw mango, coriander leaves, salt and miix well and remove from gas. Set aside to cool.
5. When the mixture is cool, stuff it in the chillies.
6. Heat the remaining oil in a pan and put the chillies one by one. Cover and cook for 2 -3 minutes.
7. Turn around and cook on the other side too. Remove from gas and serve hot....
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