Chivada

Another wonderful snack during diwali time...


Ingredients
1 1/2 kg Thin Rice Flakes
2-3 tbsp groundnuts
3 tbsp roasted chick peas
2 chillies (cut in pieces) (if you want spicy then add accordingly)
3 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp dry coconut either shredded or cut into thin slices
Salt according to taste
Oil 3-4 tbsp or as needed
3 tsp asafoetida (hing)
3-4 tsp Turmeric
2 tbsp curry leaves
Method
1. In a vessel add oil and make it hot. Add mustard seeds, once they splutter add groundnuts and roasted chickpeas. Fry them for 2-3 minutes. Once they change colour add curry leaves and sliced coconut.
2. Fry it for a while, then add hing and turmeric and salt. Then add the rice flakes slowly slowly.
Keep the gas flame on medium low and keep stirring the mixture.
3. Keep stirring it till the rice flakes become crispy. Do not make the gas flame too big otherwise the rice flakes will become crispy very fast but will not stay crispy for a long time. If the flame is low then it will take time for the rice flakes to become crispy but it will remain crispy for a very long time.
4. Once done remove from fire and let it cool. Then store in a airtight container.

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Shankarpale

One of the wonderful timepass snacks made specially at the time of Diwali. Very easy to prepare .......

Ingredients

1 cup Clarified Butter (ghee)

1 cup Milk

1 1/4 cup Sugar

All purpose flour as needed (maida)

A pinch salt

2 tsp Cardamom powder

Oil for frying

Method

1. Mix ghee, milk and sugar in a heavy bottom vessel and put it on fire. Keep stirring continuously.

2. Boil it slightly, keep stirring so that the sugar melts.

3. Remove from fire and pour in a flat plate for cooling.

4. When it is warm add salt and cardamom powder to it and mix.

5. Then slowly add the flour to the mixture and make a nice soft dough. Cover and leave the dough for half an hour.

6. In a heavy bottom vessel pour oil and keep it on fire. Take a little portion of the dough and roll it a bit thick. Then cut it in diamond or square shape with the help of a knife or a cutter. You can use cookie cutters for different shapes.

7. Fry these in hot oil on a medium flame. Fry the shankarpale on medium low flame till golden brown. Remove on a kitchen towel and then store in a air tight container.

Its a wonderful snack for kids and also for adults with tea or just for time pass.

Tip: For the above measurement I had used around 4 1/2 cup of maida, and sugar 1 1/4 cup. If you like more sweet then may add little more sugar. The above measurement makes around 1kg of shankarpale.

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Shev

HAPPY DIWALI TO ALL OF YOU!!!!

Ingredients

1/4 cup Oil

1/4 cup Water

Salt as per taste

1/4 tsp turmeric

2 tsp Carom seed powder (ajawain)

10 tbsp Chickpea flour (Besan)

1 1/2 tsp chilli powder (optional)

Oil for frying

Method

1. Mix oil, water, salt, turmeric, carom seed powder, chilli powder nicely.

2. Once these ingredients are mixed nicely then add chick pea flour slowly slowly till a nice dough is formed. The dough should not be too hard or too soft.

3. Heat oil in a kadhai and then put in the shev making machine and drop shev in a circular motion directly in the hot oil.

4. Fry for a min or two and once done take out and drain on a kicthen towel.

Tip: Apply a little oil to the shev making machine before putting the dough for the first time.

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Peanut Cookies

Wonderful cookies with a taste of peanuts...

Ingredients
3/4 cup All purpose flour (maida)
1/2 cup Peanut butter
2 tbsp roasted peanuts (roughly crushed)
1/4 tsp soda bi carb
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
3/4 cup brown sugar (can use plain sugar also)
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup desicated coconut
1 tsp lemon rind
Method
1. Take the flour, soda and sieve in a vessel.
2. Then add peanut butter, crushed peanuts, cinnamon powder, lemon rind, desicated coconut and mix.
3. Add honey and lemon rind, sugar and rolled oats. Mix well and knead it with as much water needed.
4. Put in aluminium foil and keep in refridgerator for half an hour.
5. Take it out from fridge and then make lemon size balls from it, and press it a little.
6. Preheat oven at 180 degrees celcius for 10 min.
7. Place the cookies tray in the oven and bake for about 10 min.
8. Keep checking. If the cooking are not done keep for some time more.
9. Remove from oven and keep on wire rack for cooling. Once cool store in airtight container.

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Oats Roti

Oats are generally considered "healthy", or a health food. My daughter when I gave her oats porridge she was reluctant to eat... I was really thinking about how do I make her eat oats... Then thought about this recipe.... I made it very very simple as my daughter doesnt eat spicy...



Ingredients
1 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup onion finely chopped
2 tbsp coriander
2 tsp oil
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
(You can add 2 green chillies or chilli powder as per taste if you want the roti to be a bit spicy)
Method
1. Combine all ingredients with water and make a soft dough.
2. Leave it to rest for about 20 min.
3. Divide the dough into small balls and then roll out thick rotis of that.
4. Cook on tava leaving oil from sides and serve hot with fresh curds.

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Kurmura Laddoo

Its holiday season and kids always want some snack. My daughter loves sweet and always asks for chocolate. Its really difficult to say no everytime so I prepared these laddoos....




Ingredients

1 cup Jaggery

1/2 cup water

150gms of Kurmura (puffed rice/murmura)

2tsp cardamom powder

Method

1. Grate or make small pieces of jaggery and take in a heavy bottom vessel. Add water in it and then let it boil.

2. Boil it for around 5-10 min and then when the syrup starts to become thick then take a little water in a dish and put a drop of the syrup in it. Leave for 2 seconds and then check if it forms a balls at once then the syrup is done.

3. Add cardamom powder and mix. Then add puffed rice and mix everything well.

4. Wet your palms a bit and then make balls of the mixture.

Tip: You can add roasted peanuts in the jaggery syrup to make peanut laddoo. Or even mix peanut and puffed rice in equal quantity (75gms peanuts and 75gms puffed rice) and make peanut puffed rice laddoo.

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Vegetable Samosa

A very spicy and tasty mouthwatering snack. I used to have samosa's and kachori's a lot when I was in India. Here also we do get samosa's nowadays in some restaurants. Even frozen samosas are available nowadays. But the taste or fun of eating samosa that we get back in India in the small road side shops is not there.. But any ways I gave a try to this last weekend.. It came out quite good...

Ingredients

For the pastry

1 cup plain flour (maida)

1 tbsp semolina (optional)

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp oil

1/4 cup warm water

For the vegetable

1 cup green peas

2 big potatoes

2 green chillies

1 1/2 tsp dry mango powder (amchoor)

1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander powder

1 1/2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp red chilli powder

2 tsp oil

salt to taste

Method

For the pastry

1. Mix all the ingredients of the pastry and make a stif dough and keep in a wet muslin cloth for 1/2 an hour.

2. Then make round balls of the dough and roll them into chappatis. Cut the chappati in half and then make the edges wet and stick to make a cone shape.

For the Filling

1. Put oil in a vessel. When it is hot add cumin seeds.

2. When the cumin seeds crackle add peas and fry for 2-3 min. Then add garam masala, coriander powder, green chillies finely chopped and mix.

3. Then add boiled and cubed potatoes and salt and amchoor powder. Check the taste of the vege if you want more spicy then add red chilli powder.

4. Remove from pan and put the filling in a plate to cool.

Final stage

1. Heat oil in a deep frying pan.

2. In the cones made from the dough put the filling and close the samosa cones nicely.

3. Make all the cones similarly and then deep fry till golden brown.

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Koki

A very authentic dish specially made for breakfasts in most of the Sindhi families... when I was in college I had a sindhi friend and she used to bring these mouthwatering koki's. Ummm I can never forget the taste of those koki's... Today sunday I was really thinking of making of something really delicious and heavy...... So thought of making these kokis and looked for the recipe on internet... found it on one of the sites... and just followed it... so here is the recipe for the wonderful and yummy breakfast/lunch/evening snack


Ingredients
2 cups wheat flour
2 tbsp butter
2 green chillies finely chopped
2tbsp coriander finely chopped
1 onion finely chopped
Salt to taste (if using salted butter then add salt accordingly)
Ghee for shallow frying
Method
1. Mix all the ingredients except ghee and make a nice stiff dough.
2. Let it rest for a 10-15 min.
3. Make balls of the dough and roll in thick paratha.
4. On hot tawa roast leaving ghee from the sides. Cook on both sides and serve with any vegetable or can serve with plain yoghurt.

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Shigadyache thalipith

Shingada means water chest nut. A very delicious kind of paratha for fasts. This thalipith can be a very good breakfast also.

Ingredients

2 Small boiled and mashed potatoes

1 cup Sagoo (soaked over night)

2 tbsp sagoo flour (roast dry sagoo a little and make powder in the mixer)

1 1/2 cup shingada pith (water chest nut flour)

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp chilli powder (put more if you like spicy)/ 1 green chilli finely chopped

1 tsp coriander chopped (optional)

2-3 tbsp roasted peanut powder

1 tbsp lime juice

salt to taste

oil

Method

1. Soak sagoo over night with very little water.

2. Take sagoo in a vessel and add boiled mashed potato, shingada flour, sagoo flour, peanut powder, cumin powder, cumin seeds, coriander, lime juice, chilli powder /chilli paste, salt and mix nicely. If needed use little water.

3. Make small balls of it and then directly on cool tava spread with hand.

4. Then put the tava on gas and leave a little oil from the sides. Cook on both sides and serve with yoghurt and lime pickle.

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Pithla Bhakri and Chutney

A very delicious and authentic Maharashtrian Dish..... Its a very very healthy meal. Mostly the farmers prefer this food for lunch as it is very very energetic and also keeps you full for a longer time....

Ingredients

For Bhakri

2 cups Bajra / Jowar flour

Water

For Pithala

2 cups Chickpea flour (besan)

1 or 2 chillies

few curry leaves

1 tsp each ginger and garlic paste

1 onion chopped

1 tsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

salt to taste

For Chutney

1/2 cup roasted peanuts

1 big pod of garlic

1" piece of ginger

Salt to taste

2 spoon yoghurt

water

Method

For Bhakri

1. Take the bajra or jowar flour in a plate. Take little flour and put water and make dough of it and then with hand spread it slowly.

2. Once spread put it on hot tawa and on the top brush water.

3. When the water dries turn it over on the gas and let it puff.

4. Remove and keep it in the vessel.

For Pithala

1. Put oil in a vessel. When it is hot add mustard seeds.

2. Then add the curry leaves and chopped chillies.

3. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for few minutes.

4. Add chopped onions and fry for few minutes.

5. Add water salt. Let the water boil nicely.

6. When the water starts boiling slowly start adding chickpea flour and stir at the same time.

7. Cook for a few minutes and then off the gas.

For chutney

1. In a mixer add all the ingredients of the chutney and make a paste.

Serve hot Bhakri with Pithala and chutney.

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Sweet Potato Kheer

A very different kind of desert. This desert can be made one day before and kept in the fridge. Its taste even better.... This is my contri for Shama's Event of Kheer



Serves 6
Ingredients
2 Big size sweet potatoes (grated)
1 litre Milk
2 tbsp ghee
2 cups sugar (if you want less sweet then take sugar accordingly) (if the grated sweet potato is about 2 cups then 1 cup sugar will do)
1 tsp Cardamom powder
few pieces of cashew and pista.

Method
1. Heat ghee in a pan and add sweet potato to it. Keep frying the potato till it becomes soft.
2. Then add milk and let it boil with the potato. Let it boil till the potato gets completely cooked and milk thickens.
3. Then add sugar and let it boil again till the sugar dissolves. Keep stirring frequently.
4. Let it boil till it is of the desired consistency. Then remove from the fire and add cardamom powder and nuts.
5. Serve hot or cold. (I liked it a bit warm)



Note: Sugar can be substituted with Jaggery. It gives a different taste and colour to the kheer.





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Kashmiri Dum Aloo

A quick and easy way of preparing Kashmiri Dum Aloo. It may not be the authentic way of preparing the recipe but i liked it. Its easy and a very fast recipe..... may be a few ingredients are missed out but the taste was great.. so here goes the recipe with few ingredients but yummy in taste and cooked in just 1tsp oil.... :)

Ingredients

Oil 1tsp

Dry red chillies 6 (Take dry red chillies and make a paste in the mixer with water)

Boiled Potatoes 4 (cut into pieces) (traditionally small sized potatoes are used but i had big ones)

Seasame Seeds 3tsp ( dry roast the seasame seeds and then make a paste in mixer with little water.)

Kalonji 1/2 tsp

Salt as per taste

Onion, tomato cut into rings and coriander finely chopped for garnishing.

Method

1. Boil potatoes in pressure cooker for 2 or 3 whistles. (do not make them too soft)

2. Heat oil in a vessel, add kalonji and fry for a min.

3. Then add dry chilli paste and fry for a min.

4. Add seasame seeds paste and fry for another min.

5. Add two cups of water. Let it boil for a while and then add the boiled potatoes.

6. Add salt cover and let it boil for another five min.

7. Serve hot garnished with onion, tomato and coriander with puri/ lucchi.

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Raagi Laddu

This is the first time I have tried making this... had heard a lot from some friends that these laddus are nice and nutritious... especially for those who have a heat in the body... raagi or Nachani as they call it in marathi is very good for health in the summer season... the measurements are all my own judgements.. you can vary as per your taste....

Ingredients
Raagi/ Nachni Flour 2 cups
Pure Ghee 1 1/2 cups (may vary)
Icing Sugar 1 1/2 cups (or as per taste)
Cardamom powder 1 tsp
Nutmeg powder 1 tsp


Method
1. In a non stick pan put the raagi flour and start adding the ghee 1 spoon at a time and fry the flour till it changes its colour a bit and starts giving aroma. Add ghee until the consistency till you feel it is enough to make laddoos.
2. Remove from fire and transfer it in another vessel. Let the temperature come down slightly. When it is warm add sugar, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder. If wanted you can add pieces of cashew and almonds.
3. Mix well and then make laddoos out of it.

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Gorkha Dum

This is a Nepali style dum alloo recipe... When we ate it I thought it must have taken a long time and lots of ingredients to cook...lots of masalas and lots of oil and this and that... but to my surprise it was only made from only 4 ingredients.... and that too in only 1tsp oil..... this is a fast and must try recipe... very nice to serve as a special vege for parties instead of the traditional paneer vege which really needs so much of preparation and time.......

Ingredients
4 Boiled potatoes
6 dry red chillies
3 cloves garlic
½ tsp kalonji
1 tsp oil
Salt as per taste.
1. Boil potatoes in the pressure cooker for a two to three whistle.
2. Make a paste of the garlic cloves.
3. Make paste of the chillies with little water.
4. Heat oil in a vessel add kalonji to it and fry for a min
5. Then add garlic paste and fry till it is brown.
6. Then add chilli paste and fry for 2 min.
7. Then add 2 cups water.
8. Let it boil then add boiled and cut potatoes.
9. Add salt and boil it for another 5 min.
10. Serve hot with white rice or Naan.
The red chillies give a wonderful colour and flavour too.... Use fresh garlic... it gives a very very different taste than the ready garlic paste....
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Rava Laddoo

I always used to think of making rava laddoos.. but was very scared as the way my mom makes it is a bit difficult.. she makes the sugar syrup then add the roasted rava to it then makes the laddoos.. the consistency of sugar syrup has to be just right.... so i never tried rava laddoos.. Few days back one of my friend had brought rava laddoo in the office.. wow they were wonderful... so I asked her how did she make it.. and the recipie she told me was so simple... so I also decided to prepare it the same way... and the result was yum yum yum......

Ingredients

2 cups fine semolina (Rava)

1 cup chick pea flour (Besan)

1 cup clarified butter (ghee)

1 1/2 cup icing sugar (or adjust according to sweetness)

all nuts (cashew, almonds, raisins etc...)

1 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder

1 1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Method

1. Mix rava, besan and 2-3 tbsp ghee together and rub nicely. Leave it for 1/2 an hr.

2. In a heavy bottomed vessel put the rava mixture and roast it nicely adding the remaining ghee little by little.

3. Roast on medium flame till there is nice aroma and the mixture changes colour. (about 20-30 min)

4. Remove in a flat plate and let it cool for about 10-15 min.

5. When it is warm add icing sugar, all nuts, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder.

6. Make laddoos and serve them next day. As the sweetness of the sugar will mix very nicely.

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Misal

Missal a very famous breakfast in the Maharashtra..... This saturday I was really missing that wonderful taste of missal and wanted something in the breakfast which combines lunch with it... so its a complete meal in itself.... and my entry for Priyanka's holi event on Asankhana




Ingredients
For the Usal
1 tsp oil
1/2 cup sprouted matki
1/2 cup moong (saoked in water for atleast 8-10 hours)
1/2 tsp turmeric
pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp goda masala
little jaggery (1/2 tsp)
Salt to taste

For the Gravy (called as Tarri)
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 onion finely chopped
1 tomato finely chopped
2 1/2 tbsp grated dry coconut
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp oil
salt to taste

For garnishing
Farsan, Shev, Finely chopped onion, finely chopped tomato, A wedge of lemon


Method
For Usal
1. Put oil in a pan then add the mustard seeds, when they crackle add cumin seeds, turmeric and asafoetida, matki and moong and red chilli powder.
2. Then add salt, goda masala, jaggery and mix it all together. Keep aside.

For Tarri
1. Fry the onion in oil till brown, then add coconut, ginger and garlic pastes and tomato.
2. Cool it and then grind everything in mixer.
3. Put some oil in a pan and put turmeric, red chilli powder in it and add the onion gravy to it. (if chilli powder is put in oil directly it will bring nice red colour to the gravy)
4. Now add garam masala, salt and fry for another minute.
5. Add water and boil the gravy.

In another vessel make kanda pohe and keep.
Srving
Put the Usal in a dish, spread little pohe on it then top with farsan and then with the tarri....
Or the gravy can be served separately in a bowl, keep a wedge of lemon and pav.
Enjoy.......
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Dahi Puri

Yum yum yum... my favourite chaat... I just love all chaat items... but Dahi Puri is at no. 1 amongst all... last weekend I was really bored of making the same old snacks... so decided to make dahi puri... had got all the ingredients and then just see this ....





My first entry to Priyanka's Holi event on Asankhana

So here go the ingredients for 1 plate mouth watering dahi puri

Dahi (yogurt) 1 cup

6 puri (you can get ready made puris of pani puris)

1/2 onion finely chopped

1/2 tomato finely chopped

1 tbsp of coriander finely chopped

1/2 tsp chaat masala

1/2 potato boiled

1 tsp green chutney

1 tbsp dates and tamarind chutney

1 tbsp shev

For making the green chutney

Take 1 green chilli, 2 tbsp of coriander, 2-3 leaves of mint and salt. Grind them together.

For dates and tamarind chutney

Soak 2-3 dates in water for 1 hour. Then in the mixer put the dates without seed, add tamarind pulp 1tsp, 1/2tsp jaggery, 1/2tsp salt and grind together.

Method

1. Add chaat masala and salt to dahi and mix it together. Refrigerate till serving time.

2. Make small holes in the puris and add the roughly smashed potato, then top it up with onion, tomato, green chutney, dates and tamarind chutney, chilled dahi, coriander and shev. Serve.

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Nariyal Aur Dudh Pulav

A wonderful flavoured rice..... For any special occasion.....

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Rice (Basmati)

2-3 green chillies

2 tbsp raisins

4 cardamoms

1/2 tsp sugar

2 tbsp dessicated coconut

1tbsp pistachio skinned and cut into stirps

2 inch stick of cinnamon

2 1/2 cups of milk

1 1/4 cup of water

3 tbsp ghee

2 bay leaves

Salt to taste

Method

1. Wash rice and keep for half an hour with water in it. Drain and mix with the coconut, chillies, salt, sugar, raisins, pistachios, bay leaves, cinnamon and cardamoms.

2. Heat ghee in a vessel and add the rice mixture to it. Fry for 5-10 min stirring constantly.

3. Add the milk and water, and on high flame bring it to boil.

4. Once it starts boiling nicely stir and lower the flame. Let the rice cook and then serve the pulav hot.

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Masala Kaddu

One more easy quick and tasty vege......

Ingredients

Oil 2tbsp

1 large onion, finely sliced

2 dried red chillies

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp Kalonji (onion seeds)

1/2 tsp chilli powder

4 cups red pumpkin cubed

Salt to taste

Method

1. Heat oil in a vessel and add kalonji and red chillies to it. Fry for a min and add onion to it.

2. Fry the onions till golden brown. Add the pumpkin, turmeric, chilli and salt and stir fry for few minutes. Cover, and cook on low heat for 10-15 min. Serve hot with
luchi.

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Channa dal with bottle gourd

This is very quick and nice recipie which can be served as a vege and dal.... so two in one.....

Ingredients

1 cup split gram (channa dal)

1/2 small bottle gourd- peeled and chopped

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1 tomato sliced

1 onion sliced

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 green chilli sliced

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp dry mango powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1tbsp oil

Salt to taste.

Method

1. In a bowl mix split gram, bottle gourd, slat, turmeric, 1/4 red chilli powder and 4 cups of water and pressure cook.

2. Remove from fire.

3. While the dal and bottle gourd are getting cooked on another side heat oil add jeera and ones it changes colour add onions.

4. Cook onions till brown and then add tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 min and then add coriander powder, garam masala, dry mango powder and cook for another min.

5. Remove from fire and add green chillies and red chilli powder. Mix and then pour it on the hot dal. Mix gently and serve hot with steamed rice/chappati/puri etc........

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