Rajma

Rajma with rice is a well known combi meal for Punjabis.. Rajma is a gravy prepared from Red Kidney beans and this hot gravy served with rice has a heavenly taste :) This is one of the easiest and quickest meals for Punjabis. Punjabis love rice just the way I do ;) I prepared this yesterday for dinner and decided to post it today for RCI Punjabi Cuisine!

Rajma

Makes:

4 generous servings

What you need:

1 can (400 gm) boiled Rajma(Red Kidney Beans)
2 Onions, chopped
2 Tomatoes,puried
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
2 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Cumin Powder
2 tsp Corriander powder
2-3 tbsp chopped Corriander
4-5 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

How to proceed:

1) If you do not have canned Rajma, soak Rajma overnight and then boil it in cooker for 3 whistles with some salt n cooking soda.
2) Do not drain off the water in which rajma is soaked (even the canned content)
3) Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and onions
4) Saute onions till they become transperant
5) Add puried tomatoes and cook till mixture turns mushy and it starts leaving sides of the pan
6) Now add all spices and mix well for a minute
7) Add rajma alongwith water in which it is soaked
8) Add another cup or two of water (acoording to desired consistency)
9) Add oil as required
10) Cook for 10-12 mins, garnish with corriander
11) Serve hot with rice and papads!

Whole Moong Salad

Whole moong salad is one nutritious salad prepared regularly at my place. Sometimes when I am too lazy to cook lunch for myself, this is just the thing for me.. My hubby loves this for breakfast since this is very quick n easy with some preparations on previous day! Just some sprouted moong and some Indian salad vegetables at hand and its ready.. Whole moong, rich in protein, makes a good salad with other salad vegetables topped with some fresh lemon juice... Here's Whole Moong Salad for Nupur's "W of Indian Vegetables"

Whole Moong Salad

Makes:

1 portion each for 2 people

What you need:

1 cup Sprouted Whole Moong (green gram)

1/2 Onion, chopped finely [~1/4 cup]

1 small Tomato, chopped finely [~1/4 cup]

1 small Carrot, chopped finely [~1/4 cup]

1/2 Cucumber, chopped finely [~1/4 cup]

1 Green Chilli, chopped finely

1 tsp chopped Corriander

1-2 tsp Lemon Juice

1 tsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder

1/2 tsp Black Pepper powder

A pinch of Black Salt

Salt to taste

How to proceed:

1) Mix all ingredients

2) Add lemon juice just before serving

* If desired, substitute lemon juice with yoghurt to make Whole Moong Raita!

Funke/Waffole

This is one dish near to my heart coz its from my ajool (granny's place). "Funke" as it is called in Khandesh (Northern Maharashtra), it is also known as "Waffole" after the process of cooking- steaming (this process is called "Waafavane" in Marathi, waaf being the marathi word for "vapour"). I can be undoubtedly called 100% healthy dish coz this recipe does not call for even a drop of oil. Toor daal, rich in proteins, onions and corriander and spicy chillies is all it needs for making waffole. Nutritious and tasty waffole can be served as a side dish or as breakfast or snack item with a hot cup of tea! :) As a side dish, this goes for "RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine", "W of Indian Vegetables" and as a healthy breakfast for "WBB #12-Spice it up"!

To enjoy something crispy, cut each waffole into 2-3 pieces and shallow fry in a skillet with one tablespoon of oil and some mustard and cumin seeds. If you are health/ calorie conscious people, below recipe is for you! Enjoy madi! :D

Funke

What you need:

1 cup Toor Daal
2 Onions, finely chopped
1/3 cup Corrainder, finely chopped
1 inch Ginger, minced
3 cloves Garlic, minced
3-4 Green Chillies, minced
4-5 tsp Sesame Seeds
1 -2 tsp Lemon Juice
Salt

How to proceed:

1) Soak Toor Daal for 1-2 hrs
2) Drain all water and coarsely grind it
3) Mix all the remaining ingredients except Sesame seeds and knead together
4) Make small dumplings of desired shape and dip in sesame seeds
5) Put these dumplings in a steamer/cooker and steam it for 15-20 mins
6) Serve hot oil-free healthy waffole as a snack or a side item during lunch!

* The long funke on the left are the steamed funke and on the small funke on right are the shallow fried ones. I served them with tomato ketchup.

Matkichi Usal

When it comes to Maharashtrian food, one category of dry vegetables is typically the Usal. Usal is a vegetable made from whole beans and legumes (sometimes sprouted). The most common ones being Matki Usal (Sprouted Moth Beans), Moong Usal(Whole green gram), Olya Watanyachi Usal (green peas), Chawlichi Usal(Whole Black eyed beans), Walachi Usal, Harbaryachi Usal(whole green chana) etc. These lentils are high sources of proteins and best for surviving in places where fresh Indian vegetables are scarce. Oh yes... at my place I cook these twice a week! :D Here's Matkichi Usal for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine and "U of Indian Vegetables"

Matkichi Usal

What you need:

1 cup Matki (Moth beans), sprouted
1 Onion, chopped
1-2 tsp Garlic Ginger paste
2-3 tsp Red Chilli Powder
2 tsp Garam Masala
½ tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Corriander Powder
1 Tomato, chopped (optional)
2-3 strands of Corriander
Oil
Salt to taste

How to proceed:

1) Wash and soak matki for 5-6 hrs.
2) Drain water and put in thin wet cloth for sprouting. [this process might take 1-2 days]

Read more @ sprouting tips by Nupur here.
3) Put sprouted matki in cooker and cook for 1 whistle (if cooked more, it will become mushy!)
4) Heat oil in a pan, add ginger garlic paste and onion.
5) Saute till onions turn translucent
6) Now add all spices and mix well
7) Add matki and salt and cook covered for 5-10 mins
8) Garnish with chopped tomatoes and corriander. Serve hot with phulkas

* If some gravy is desired, add water and 3-4 tbsp roasted groundnut powder

Katachi Aamti

In continuation to my previous post for Puran Poli, here’s katachi aamti for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine. Katachi Aamti is one the favourite spicy curries in Maharashtra. It is usually prepared with puran poli using the water in which chana daal is boiled. I love this aamti so much that I prepare it very often without puran poli and eat it with rice. Don’t worry about the cooked daal.. I make chana daal kheer :D This aamti is also known as rasshi in North Maharashtra and yelavni in the solapur region! Whenevr my mom makes puran poli, she takes some of the puran poli dough and puts small pieces of it in this aamti. These dumplings, known as dubukwade, taste awesome! :) At mom’s place, I see to it that all dubukwade fall in my bowl :D Mahrashtrina goda masala gives a nice flavour to this dish. Unfortunately I didn’t have any :( But still nothing much to miss.. mom’s recipe with all the remaining ingredients make my aamti “ek number”(number 1/superb)!! ;)

Katachi Aamti

What you need:

1 and ½ cups Katache Pani
1 piece Cinnamon
2 bay leaves
8-10 curry leaves
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
A pinch of asafoetida
2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
2 tsp Garam Masala
½ tsp Tamarind concentrate
3 tsp Jaggery
2 tsp Cumin Seeds, roasted
3-4 tbsp Dry coconut, grated and roasted
Salt to taste
1 tsp Corriander, chopped
Oil
Water

How to proceed:

1) Grind roasted cumin seeds and coconut to a thin paste
2) In a cooking vessel, add katache pani, tamarind, jaggery, red chilli powder, garam masala and salt to it. If you have Mahrashtrian goda masala, add 1-2 tsp of it
3) Bring this to boil and then add coconut paste
4) Boil for more time, add water if its too thick
5) In a separate pan, heat oil and add cinnamon, bay leaves and curry leaves to it. Then add mustard seeds and cumin seeds and a pinch of asafoetida.
6) When mustard seeds start spluttering, transfer the tadka to the aamti
7) Mix well and boil for another 5 mins.
8) Garnish with corriander and serve hot with puran poli.

Puran Poli

After the lovely gulpoli for the first important festival- Makar Sankranti in Maharashtra, lets move to the second next important festival.. the festival of Holi, which comes sometime in March and (in food) is famous for the yummy Puran Poli, a very famous marathi dish that I specially prepared today for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine.. Holi is incomplete without the naivedya (prasad) of Puran Poli. It is served with katachi aamti whose recipe will follow soon.

Holi in Mahrashtra is celebrated on full moon day in the month of Phalgun- sometime in early March. On this day, a bonfire is made using a branch of eucalyptus tree, wood and dungcakes and this bonfire is worshipped by presenting a naivedya (prasad/offering) of PuranPoli and cocunut.. The bonfire symbolizes the destruction of evil and bad thoughts. Scientifically, the bonfire provides with some relief from the cold in March :D On the second day, Dhuliwandan, people play with colors and water. In Maharashtra, the festival of colors is less observed on this day, but is celebrated with full josh on the day of “Rang Panchami” which comes 20-21 days after holi... Actually schools and colleges have holiday on RangPanchami and not on Dhuliwandan.. But who cares... People like me used to celebrate Dhuliwandan in college with friends and Rang Panchami with relatives and friends later.

I have been eating this puran poli from childhood.. not just on holi but on special occasions/festivals such as Gudhi Padva (Maharashtrian New Year), Bail Pola (a festival where farmers honor the bullocks used at farms) or as a “shahi bhojan” for visiting guests. But this was my first chance to try my hands at it.. I had a tough time making these.. the pictures can say more.. but I didn’t have time and patience to make it again.. so decided to post the recipe wit the sad pictures.. will change the pics next time I make better ones which I dunno when coz my hubby doesn’t like puran polis and I am too lazy to take so many efforts to prepare it just for myself… Actually the taste was perfectly as expected but the looks and profile were not as expected ;) Thought of ditching it, but then had planned it for RCI. As long as I can promise the sincerity in taste, I am sure u'll excuse me for the pics :D

Puran Poli is bread stuffed with a sweet chana daal mixture called puran. In the early days before the invention of mixers and puran machine, a stone grinder called "pata warwanta" was used to make the puran. Hence puran poli might have been a big fuss in earlier days, but not anymore thanks to so many inventions popping up every other day! :) The process of making puran differs within parts of Mahrashtra. My mom directly mixes the boiled chana daal with sugar/jaggery and then grinds it in a mixie while my mummy(MIL) again cooks the boiled chana daal while mixing it wit sugar. Use of sugar makes the polis soft while adding jaggery is better for calorie conscious guys ;) I usually mix them in equal amounts for a win-win situation. :) Only one of then can be used according to desired sweetness.. doesnt matter for gourmets!! ;) The puran poils are usually of size of normal roti, but in Northern Mahrashtra region (known as Khandesh), the puran polis nearly 3-4 times the size of normal roti, say 10-12 inches in diameter. They are prepared on the earthern gas- “chulha” using a special eathern vessel called “khapar” as the base for cooking/roasting the puran poli. These puran poils are called “khaparachya puran polya” and are usually folded after cooking so as to ease the eating process. In the summer season, these are served with Aamras (Mango pulp mixture) while at other times with rice kheer. In the other regions of Maharashtra, puran poli is served with katachi aamti, the perfect combo! For the time, enjoy Puran Poli, katachi aamti will soon follow :)

Puran Poli

What you need:

For the covering:
1 cup Maida(Plain Flour)
1 cup Atta(Wheat Flour)
½ tsp Salt
Oil
Water

For the filling (puran):
1 cup Chana Daal
1/2 cup Jaggery, grated
1/2 cup Sugar, powdered
* 1 cup just Sugar/Jaggery can be used if the other is unavailable
1 tsp Cardamom Powder
½ tsp Nutmeg Powder
Ghee for roasting

How to proceed:

For the covering:
1) Sieve both flours and mix well
2) Add salt and a tsp oil and knead to a really soft dough and keep it aside in another plate
3) In the kneading pan, spread some oil, add some water and then spread the dough evenly over it and cover with a thin wet cloth and keep aside for an hour

For the filling (puran):
1) Cook chana daal with ample quantity of water in cooker for 2 whistles
2) When cooker cools, remove daal and place in a strainer to remove water. *Retain* this water for Katachi Aamti. This water is called Katache pani.
3) Add grated jaggery, sugar, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder to the daal. Cook in a pan for 10-12 mins stiring constantly
4) When cold, put in a puran machine/mixie. Thin smooth lumpfree puran is ready for puran poli
5) If the puran is watery, tie in a cloth and hang it for sometime to remove water from it.

Putting it all together:
1) When its time to make puran polis, knead, knead and knead the dough to mix the added oil and water and to make the dough lump free(if any)
2) Take some dough and knead it well. Now roll it using rice/wheat flour. When its as big as a puri, put a big ball of puran at the center and close from the sides so that puran does not come out.
3) Roll to size of roti taking care that puran does not come out (this happens with first timers like me :D)
4) Put some ghee on hot girdle and place the puran poli over it.
5) Add ghee on sides and when cooked, flip to cook on other side as well.
6) Serve with spicy katachi aamti!

Ulli Garelu

Another recipe from Andhra which everyone adores! Wondering whats “Ulli Garelu”?? Even I would have surely not ordered this dish from the menu card in a Udupi restaurant. But if I knew what it is, there surely would have been no second thoughts! Its our own “Medu Wada” straight from Andhra and hence my entry for RCI Andhra!

Ulli Garelu aka Medu Wada is a festive food from Andhra, prepared from Black gram dal (urad dal) spiced with onion and ginger. Ulli means “Onion” and Garelu means “Wada”. These garelus are typically served with sambar and coconut chutney. But lazy Arts loves to enjoy its true flavour!! ;)

Ulli Garelu/Medu Wada

What you need:

1 cup Urad Dal (black gram dal)
1 big Onion finely chopped
2 tsp Cumin seeds
3-4 Green Chillies, finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped Ginger
A pinch of Baking Soda
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

How to proceed:

1) Wash and soak Urad dal for 5-6 hrs
2) Remove all the excess water and convert the ural dal into a smooth thick paste using a grinder [if the batter is not thick, the wadas do not get a perfect shape]
3) Add cumin seeds, chopped onion, chillies, ginger and salt
4) Heat oil in a deep vessel.
5) Wet hands, take a spoonful of batter on the palm, form a circular shape and flatten the wada. Make a hole at the center of the wada using index finger. [This will ensure that the wada is fried evenly]
6) Slowly drop wadas in hot oil, deep fry on both sides till golden brown.
7) Serve hot with sambar or coconut chutney and enjoy! Rocks wit hot tea as well!!

Pesarattu

Thanks to RCI, I try my hand at something different than regular cooking. This month's state is my Andhra Pradesh hosted by Latha. My entry for RCI Andhra is Pesarattu.

Bloggers from Andhra, a genuine request!! Please don’t curse me for the way my Pesarattu’s turned out. I can never(seriously!!!) make a thin dosa. I tried to make it as thin as possible. This was the best I could do. I know I am supposed to make it look like a dosa, but this has turned out to be somewhere between a dosa and an uttapam. But 1 thing I am sure of is that the taste of the pesarattus is simply mind-blowing! And I'll surely keep trying and hope to improve my dosa skills!! Well, I am sure it wont take more time to improve since we just loved this dish and I'll have to prepare it more often now! :)

Pesarattus are breads prepared from whole Moong(green gram) and are normally served with Upma. While making Pesarattus(and obviously enjoying its taste simultaneously :D) they seemed so yummy and tempting that I was sure they wouldn’t remain in the plate until I prepared upma. Hence I served it with takku (raw mango chutney) and nimbu ka aachar (hot lemon pickle).

Pesarattu

What you need:

1 cup Whole Moong (Green Gram)
2-3 tsp Rice flour
4-5 Green Chillies finely chopped
2 tsp Ginger Garlic paste
Salt to taste
Oil

How to proceed:

1) Wash and soak the moong overnight
2) Drain the water and grind the moong, add water to form a paste of medium consistency
3) Add rice flour, chillies, ginger garlic paste, rice flour and salt to taste
4) Keep the mixture aside for 5-10 mins
5) On a hot girdle, put some oil and add a spoonful of batter. Spread the batter in a circular motion to form thin dosas/uttapas
6) When the pesarattu seems to be cooked on one side, add some oil on the corners to make the corners crisp.
7) Turn and shallow fry on the other side as well
8) Serve hot with chatnis or pickles.

Pithla Bhakri

Its “Mothers Day” tomorrow.. And the first time/year that I am away from my mom on Mother’s day.. Miss ya mom.. My mom as well as my mummy (MIL) are not so choosy about food. They prefer simple home cooked food to restaurant food. In eating habits both are very similar. :) If I would have been home, I would have surely cooked a simple meal for them. I cooked Pithla Bhakri today specially to celebrate Mothers day. Happy Mothers Day Mom and Mummy!

I also take this opportunity to wish my fellow bloggers, who are proud Mothers, a very Happy Mothers Day! :)

Pithla Bhakri represents a humble meal in any Maharashtrain household. Pithla is made from besan/chickpea flour and tastes best when eaten with a bread called Bhakri which is typically prepared in Western Maharashtra using Jowar/Bajri flour. It can also be eaten with plain rice or rotis. Although Pithla Bhakri is said to be a “poor man’s meal”, it is enjoyed by one and all due to its simplicity! Loads of people visit the Sinhagad Fort in Pune just to have a feast of the Pithla Bhakri and Khekda Bhaji served there. Good old memories!! :)

This is my second entry for Nupur’s “P of Indian Vegetables” for A-Z of Indian Vegetables. The bhakris didn’t turn out as good as expected (and then I didn’t have much jowar flour left), and hence have not posted the recipe here. I’ll post it the next time when they turn out better with some good snaps. Here goes the recipe for Pithla.

Pithla

What you need:

4-5 tbsp Besan/Chickpea Flour
500 ml Water
2 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
3-4 Green Chillies
3-4 cloves Garlic
1 inch Ginger
Few strands of Corriander, chopped
Salt to taste

How to proceed:

1) Add besan to water and mix well so as to make it lump free mixture.
2) Grind chillies, ginger and garlic together
3) Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds
4) When mustard seeds start spluttering, ass the chilli ginger garlic paste and fry a min
5) Now add the besan water mixture and stir well
6) Add salt as required and keep stirring at intervals (Continuous stirring will avoid formation of lumps)
7) Cook for 5-10 mins.
8) Garnish with corriander and serve hot with bhakri, roti or rice.

I served pithla with bhakris, rice, buttermilk and spring onion…. A perfect marathi meal, ideal for a weekend, cooked for moms and gobbled by their kids ;)

Moong Dal Kheer

This recipe is my entry for "M of Indian Vegetables" of Nupur's A to Z of Indian Vegetables.This is one of the interesting recipes which develops from an accident ;) Last week hubby dear cooked some extra moong daal which rested in the fridge for two days. I could not find any innovative recipes on net for washed and cooked Moong dal and decided to experiment. As Moong Dal Payasam recipes expected me to wash, roast and then cook the dal, I decided to adapted steps from the same recipe.

It was Akshaya Trutiya (a festival celebrated in Maharashtra, India) last Thursday when mom called and asked me to cook some sweet naivedya (prasad/offering to god). This was how the reicpe of "Moong Dal Kheer" was born. Quick and easy to cook dessert with very few ingredients. Here goes the recipe...

Moong Dal Kheer

What you need:

1 cup Moong Dal
¾ cup Sugar
3 cups Milk
4-5 strands of saffron soaked in 2 tsp of warm milk
1 tsp Ground cardamom
7-8 Cashews
Few golden raisins
2-3 tbsp Ghee

How to proceed:

1) Wash and cook Moong Dal in cooker till mushy (3 whistles)
2) Put Moong Dal in blender to make a smooth paste
3) Heat ghee and fry the raisins and cashews and put aside
4) Add the Moong Dal paste to ghee and cook for some time
5) Add soaked saffron and ground cardamom
6) Add sugar and milk and mix well on medium heat
7) Keep stirring the kheer at intervals on medium heat for 30 mins
8) Add roasted raisins and cashews and cook for 5 more mins
9) Serve hot or cold