BHARLI BHENDI (STUFFED OKRA)

BHARLI BHENDI (STUFFED OKRA)

INGREDIENTS

Bhendi (tender & small sized)	200 gms
Besan / chanadaliche peeth  (chickpea flour)	3 – 4 tbsp
Haldi (turmeric powder)	¼ tsp
Red chilli pdr	½ tsp
Salt	To Taste
Oil	4 tsp + 1 tsp (optional)
Grated coconut	3 tsp
Lime juice	2 tsp
Peanut pdr	2 – 3 tbsp

 METHOD:-

1.       Pick small sized and tender bhendi for this recipe. Wash and wipe them completely dry.

2.       Cut out both the ends and slit it lengthwise from the centre such that you don’t completely cut them in half.

3.       Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, add besan and sauté it on a slow flame till it gives off a nice aroma and its colour becomes a little pink. Remove and to this add salt, haldi, chilli pdr, peanut pdr and little lime juice.

4.       Stuff this prepared masala in each bhendi.

5.       Heat 3 tsp oil, when it is hot enough add the bhendi and sauté well. Sprinkle all the remaining masala in the pan if anything does remain.

6.       You can put a lid on and cover and cook on a slow flame. But I prefer not putting on a lid as the moisture trapped inside tends to make the bhendi sticky.

7.       Add little more oil if required. When the bhendi is almost cooked sprinkle in the remaining lime juice and the grated coconut.

8.       Serve hot immediately with chapatti, phulka or roti.

TIP – Any sour ingredient like lime juice, amchur (dry mango powder), imli pulp (tamarind)etc is added as it helps to cut down the stickiness of the bhendi.

DHANIA JEERA POWDER / CORIANDER & CUMIN POWDER

DHANIA JEERA POWDER / CORIANDER AND CUMIN POWDER

INGREDIENTS

Dhane / dhania seeds (coriander seeds)	4 cups
Jeera (cumin seeds)	1 cup

METHOD –

1)      Dry roast separately the dhania seeds and jeera seeds.

2)      Also grind them separately to a fine powder.

3)      Sieve the prepared powder for a finer texture and regrind the remaining husk. I prefer using it without sieving it as it gives maximum flavor.

4)      Store in an air tight container and use as required for light flavouring of gravies, rice or also in conjunction with any other masala for additional flavor.
5)     The dhania and jeera can also be used in equal quantity of 2 cups each to make this powder. it is preferable to make this powder fresh as dhania tends to loose its flavaour very easily.

KAKDICHE GHAVAN (CUCUMBER PANCAKES) WITH GHATLE (RICE FLOUR PORRIDGE)

KAKDICHE GHAVAN WITH GHATLE

KAKDICHE GHAVAN

INGREDIENTS

Grated cucumber (squeezed) (kakdi)	1 big cup
Jaggery (Gul)	¼ big cup
Wheat flour (Gavhache peeth)	¾ big cup
Rice flour or jowar flour	¼ big cup
Salt	To taste
Chilli pdr	1 tsp
Haldi	½ tsp
Oil	2 – 3 tsp
Grated coconut (optional)	2 – 3 tsp

METHOD –

1)      Peel and grate the cucumbers. Do not grate the central seeds. Squeeze out all the excess juice.

2)      Add grated jaggery to it. Put in a kadhai and dissolve all the jaggery by heating it on a medium flame. Bring to boil and simmer. The cucumber will give out more juice. Repeat this 2 – 3 times till all the jaggery is dissolved and the cucumber is cooked.

3)      Remove from flame and cool completely. To this cooled mixture add salt, haldi and chilli pdr.

4)      Mix both the flours (wheat flour and rice flour / jowar flour) together.

5)      Now add the flour to the cucumber jaggery mix a little at a time and mix vigorously so that they do not form lumps. In case the batter becomes too thick add the squeezed out cucumber juice or water to thin it down. The batter should be semi thick but of dropping consistency.

6)      Heat a tava and apply oil on it. Spread the batter a ladleful at a time on the tava just as you make regular dhirde or dosa. Since the batter is thick it may not spread much. You can use your fingertips to spread the batter.

7)      Put a lid on top and cook on a slow flame. When the top looks firm, flip over and cook on the other side. Serve hot with ghatle or with home churned white butter.

TIP – If you add flour to the hot cucumber mix batter will be lumpy. So cool the cucumber jaggery mix completely before adding flour.

         If you add more jaggery than required then the ghavan will stick to the pan and are very difficult to remove. In such a case add a little flour and water.

GHATLE

INGREDIENTS

Rice flour (Tandulache peeth)	3 tbsp
Jaggery (Gul)	3 tbsp
Grated coconut (Khovlela naral)	6 tbsp
Water	4 cups
Ghee (Sajook toop)	2 tbsp
Salt	A pinch
Cardamom pdr (velchi pood)	⅛ tsp

METHOD

1)      Mix rice flour in 1 cup water to form a watery paste.

2)      Mix jaggery, salt and grated fresh coconut with 1 cup water. When the jaggery dissolves add 2 more cups of water and heat it to a boil.

3)      When it starts to boil simmer. Mix again the rice flour- water mix as it tends to settle at the bottom and pour little at a time in the boiling jaggery water. Mix well, cover and cook for a few minutes.

4)      It should be of pouring consistency to dip the ghavan in it.

5)      Season with cardamom pdr.  Serve along with ghavan garnished with chopped dry fruits and cardamom pdr.     

MASALE BHAAT (TYPE 1)

MASALE BHAAT

INGREDIENTS

Rice	1 small cup
Sprouted moong or sprouted matki (moth beans)	¼ small cup
Sliced onion	1 no
Diced potato	1 no
Shredded cabbage                                        OR Tondli (gherkins) cut lengthwise in 4           OR Diced brinjal	¼ small cup ¼ small cup 1 no
Tomato chopped	1 no
Sugar	1 tsp
Salt	To taste
Green chillies cut in big pieces	2 nos
Dhania jeera powder	2 tsp
Sprouted or soaked peanuts	1/8 small cup
Lime juice	2 tsp
Grated fresh coconut	4 tbsp
Coriander leaves chopped	5 – 6 sprigs
Water	3 ½ times the quantity of rice
FOR TADKA
Oil	3 tbsp
Rai (mustard seeds)	½ tsp
Heeng (Asafoetida)	½ tsp
Haldi (Turmeric pdr)	½ tsp
Curry leaves	1 sprig

METHOD –

1)      Heat oil, add rai and when it splutters add heeng and haldi. Pour the given quantity of water.

2)      When the water comes to a boil add all the given ingredients except lime juice and keep aside half the quantity of coconut and coriander leaves for garnish.

3)      Just mix it once and cover and simmer till all the water is absorbed. Heck that the rice is cooked.

4)      At this point just mix it slightly adding the lime juice. Do not over mix as the rice grains will break.

5)      Serve garnished with grated coconut and coriander leaves.

For dhania jeera powder you can refer to http://paripoornapaksiddhi.blogspot.in/2012/07/dhane-jeera-masala-coriander-seeds.html

THALIPITHACHI BHAJANI (MIXED CEREAL GRAINS FLOUR)

THALIPITHACHI BHAJANI (MIXED CEREAL GRAINS FLOUR)

INGREDIENTS

Gahu / Wheat	2 big cups
Jwari / Jowar / Jondhale / sorghum / white millet	2 – 3 big cups
Bajri / bajra / pearl millet	3 big cups
Tandool / Rice	1 big cup
Chana dal / split bengal gram	1 big cup
Urad dal / split black gram	1 big cup
Dhania seeds / Coriander seeds	1 med. Cup

METHOD:-

1)      Dry roast separately all the cereal grains till they turn pink in colour.

2)      Mix all the ingredients together along with the roasted coriander seeds and grind to form a coarse powder.

3)      Store in an air tight container. This bhajani or mixed cereals flour can be used to make mokli bjajani or thalipeeth.

CHANADALICHI WATLI DAAL

CHANADALICHI WATLI DAAL

INGREDIENTS

Chana dal	1 cup
Grated ginger (optional)	¼ tsp
Milk &water mixed at 1:1 ratio	1/8 cup
Chilli pdr	½ tsp
Salt	To taste
Sugar	¼ tsp
Lime juice	1 tsp
Jeera pdr	½ tsp
For Tadka
Oil	¼ cup (¼ the ground dal)
Mustard seeds (Rai)	½ tsp
Heeng	½ tsp
Haldi	½ tsp
Curry leaves	1 sprig

1) Soak the chana dal for 3-4 hours.

2) Drain completely and grind to a paste along with the milk water mix.

3) Add to it chilli pdr, salt, sugar, jeera pdr, ginger (optional) and haldi.

4) Heat oil, when it comes to smoking point add rai.

5) When it starts to crackles add heeng, finely shredded curry leaves and then pour the ground paste.

6) Sauté a little, cover and simmer on a slow flame for some time. When the steam starts to come out mix it again, cover and cook. In this way let the steam come out 3 times.

7) Slowly the paste will start to come together and start developing a little crumbly but moist texture. Pour lime juice.

8) No need to cook for a long time as it gets cooked in 3 – 4 minutes.

7) Serve immediately garnished with fresh grated coconut, coriander leaves and lemon wedges.