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As the sesame seeds were roasting, their delicate aroma hovered over the pan and soon filled up my entire kitchen. Simultaneously, golden brown sugar syrup was bubbling away in a saucepan, adding a subtle sweet fragrance around me that reminded me of my childhood days when mom made Til Gul especially for Sankrant.
The very first Indian festival of the year is here and for the very first time, I made the quintessential sweet for the festivities, Til Gul, at home. After all these years, I was almost craving to bite into one of those soft, nutty candies and I decided to make some right away! I pulled out my handbook of Marathi cuisine, “Ruchira” (see Evolving Tastes for the details and an extensive review of the book) and looked at the traditional recipe. Having all the ingredients on hand, I jumped right at it by roasting the sesame seeds and caramelizing the sugar. The simple combination of the sesame seeds with melted sugar is incredible on it’s own, but becomes even more amazing when mixed with ground cardamom and crushed roasted peanuts. This, to me, is the true essence of Sankrant!
Read on … »
Its been quite a while since my last post! Well, after a fun-filled Summer and Fall at home with my family, I’m now busy working in the clouds 
I’m back to work and it’s so much fun as I get to taste a little bit of San Francisco everyday! Even if it is for a few minutes, I try to step out for lunch and explore the foodie hot spots in downtown area. There are such amazing places to eat around my office building and then my favorite place in the foodie city, the Ferry Building, is just a hop, skip and a jump away  . On balmy SF afternoons, I get out and join in the hustle-bustle of the farmers’ market or go strolling inside the building, getting inspirations and relishing the flavors of the marketplace.
Life’s certainly busier than ever before and I just haven’t had time to write about my signature concoctions lately. But, that doesn’t mean I have stopped cooking and clicking! When I’m done with work, I look forward to coming home and getting me some “cooking therapy” . I guess it’s my passion for cooking that makes it such a relaxing and therapeutic activity for me to do at the end of the day. And it also gives me a great sense of satisfaction to have fed my family with fresh, home-cooked food everyday.
In the last few weeks, I have been making my go-to jhatpat subzis or some weeknight quickies, primarily staying in my comfort zone. And then there were the other days when my creative juices were overflowing and I made concoctions like pasta with shrimp, grape tomatoes and baby spinach in a light wine sauce, a hearty pasta dish with fresh, clean flavors or spicy lentils with steamed brown basmati rice, a traditional Maharashtrian dish packed with proteins and carbohydrates that will leave you feeling re-energized at the end of the day and finally, baked masala fish packets, a full and delicious meal that’s done in a little pouch, making the clean up easier that ever.
These dishes are a great way to treat yourself after long hours at work – weeknight wonders that are ready in minutes and completely satisfying! Try making one of these and enjoy the therapeutic experience of cooking.
Read on … »
I can’t really go without Indian (or Maharashtrian) food for too long. After a week or two, I start craving for the aromatic masalas, roasted cumin, fried mustard seeds, cilantro, ginger, garlic, green chillies, coconut…..I can go on and on….guess it’s natural since I am an Indian. Spices are the cornerstone of Indian cooking and it is the perfect blending of spices that gives Indian food its subtly magical flavors, aromas and textures. One such skillfully blended spice mix is the Goda or Kala Masala from Maharashtra, India’s mid-western coastal state.
It is this classic “black” spice mix that gives Marathi food a “magical” flavor. This dark brown, spicy- sweet masala is the base of most of Maharashtrian vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes, just like the popular Indian Garam Masala. What makes the Kala or Goda masala unique is the use of rustic ingredients and the method of individually roasting and grinding an array of spices that are mixed in to make a dark aromatic blend.
Every family has their own version of the recipe and so does mine. While I have access to the creator of my family’s recipe a.k.a. my grandmother, I have never ever ventured into the labor intensive process of making my masala since I get my annual supply from her or my mom. I usually store it in the refrigerator and use it to recreate the flavors of home-cooked food, I had growing up. It’s hard to find this particular spice mix in the grocery stores outside India, however, if you made a trip there you can bring back a packet from any local manufacturer in any city of Maharashtra or go for the most-trusted commercial brand that would be available all over the country. Now, if you want to conquer the world of Marathi cuisine and master the masala-making technique, have a cup of tea with one of my fellow bloggers, Anita and get the low down from her. Her recipe is a close match to my family’s. But if you’re just not up to it and would still like to enjoy the deliciousness of this traditional masala, here are some awesomely lazy and lazier versions that seem to work as well.
Today I’m sharing a couple of typical dishes that are made in Marathi households using the spicemix. Enjoy these authentic flavors or try using the masala as rub on the meat for your next bbq, sprinkle it over chicken or fish before grilling or roasting them or in your next batch of rice for something completely different.
Chincha Gulachi Amti
(Maharashtrian Sweet & Sour Stew of Lentils)
The Kala or Goda masala is a key ingredient in everyday Maharashtrian food, especially in the amti, a very basic lentil stew. This daily dal is delicately spicy and gets it’s characteristic sweet and sour flavor from jaggery (i.e. unrefined /palm sugar) and tamarind. My mom makes different versions of this amti by adding diced baby eggplants, onions or cut drumsticks and they all taste delicious. For me, and a lot of the Marathi folks out there, amti-bhaat (i.e. lentil stew over steamed rice) is the most comforting comfort food in the whole world!
Serves 4
½ cup toor daal
1½ cups water (See ratios and proportions)
2-3 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
½ tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1-2 pinches asofoetida (hing)
½ tsp red chilli powder or cayenne pepper
1½ tsp Maharashtrian Goda/Kala Masala
1 tbsp sugar/jaggery (See Concoctions 101)
1 tbsp tamarind paste
salt, to taste
fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
Wash and drain the toor daal in a stainless steel pressure cooker vessel. Add the water, turmeric, asofoetida, salt and place it inside the pressure cooker. Cover the lid and bring the cooker to a full pressure, letting it whistle for 3-4 times, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 10 – 15 mins. Toor daal needs more cooking time as its a little tougher as compared to other daals. When the cooker cools down, remove the vessel and mash the cooked daal using the back of the ladle or a whisk to a pulp-like consistency.
Heat oil in a medium pot and add mustard seeds along with turmeric and pinch of asofoetida. When the seeds splutter, pour in the mashed daal and stir gently to combine. Rinse the vessel in which daal was cooked and mashed with water and add this water (up to 2 cups) to the pot to dilute the mixture.
Season with salt, goda/kala masala, red chilli powder, jaggery and tamarind paste. Mix well and bring it to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot over steamed rice.
…
Bharli Dodki
(Stuffed Ridge Gourds)
The bharli vangi i.e. stuffed baby eggplants or bhoplyachi bhaji are a few of the popular Maharashtrian curries that have the goda/kala masala as a key ingredient. While I often make the two curries, I like this particular one made by stuffing chunks of ridge gourd (a.k.a Dodka/Toorai/ Turia/ Chinese Okra) with a mixture of crushed roasted peanuts, powdered jaggery, cayenne pepper and of course, the goda /kala masala. Ridge gourd has a subtle flavor and get’s spiced up in this spicy-sweet curry. It goes well with hot rotis or over steamed basmati rice.
Like many Maharashtrian home chefs, my mom uses the gourd to make the curry and then instead of discarding it’s peeled ridges, she uses them to make a lip-smacking chutney along with sesame seeds, dried grated coconut and spices. It’s a wonderful way to make the best out of waste and works great as a condiment on the side.
While I am not a big fan of the chutney made with the tough, dry ridges of the gourd, I simply love its curried form. I often like get Chinese Okra from the Asian stores here, in the US and with my abysmal jar of the masala (thanks to my mom and grand mom who never let it run out!), I recreate the flavors of this rustic curry in my home, far away from home.
 Serves 2
2 medium-sized ridge gourds (Dodki / Chinese Okra), ridges peeled, ends discarded and cut into 2-inch long chunks with slits
2-3 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
½ tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1-2 pinches asofoetida
about 3-4 cups of water
The Stuffing Mix
1 tsp red chilli powder (use 1/2 tsp if you don’t like it that hot)
1-2 tbsp Maharashtrian Goda/Kala Masala (Some Indian stores in the US carry this masala. If you just can’t find it, you can use the regular Garam Masala)
¼ cup crushed jaggery
¼ cup roasted peanut powder (coarsely grounded) (See concoctions101)
salt
 Combine the ingredients for the stuffing and stuff the chunks of the gourd by opening the slit and filling the mix in it.
Heat oil in a deep sauté pan or kadhai with lid (use some kind vessel with a lid). Add mustard and cumin seeds along with the turmeric powder and pinch of aesofoetida.
When the seeds splutter, add the stuffed gourds and sauté for a min. Add water, mix well and cook covered for 15-20 mins on medium high heat, stirring once in a while and uncovered for 15-20 mins more, till the water evaporates and results in a thicker curry/gravy.
Serve hot with rotis or steamed rice.
10 days of Ganesh Utsav are now over. In the state of Maharashtra, where I am from, it is the most popular festival and the celebrations are indeed grandiose! The highlight of the festivities is, without a doubt, Ganpati Bappa’s favorite – steamed modak! Everyone simply loves this Maharashtrian delicacy that’s made with the soft, white steamed outer covering and the delicately spiced jaggery and coconut filling inside! While I ate yummy mom-made modak, some of my friends dared to make their own, like my friend, Soni. Her perfectly shaped decadent modak look so tempting!
During the Ganesh festival, other than the “modak“, there are a few other Maharashtrian sweet dishes like Sheera (Cardamom-saffron Semolina with Almonds), Shrikhand (Cardamom-Saffron spiced Yogurt) and Basundi (Creamy Milk Pudding) that I made and offered to Ganpati Bappa.
Now, you don’t have to wait for Ganesh festival to come back next year! Give these recipes a try the next time you are in the mood for something sweet!
The recipes that I am sharing today reflect the characteristic “Brahmin” cooking style from my native state in India – Maharashtra. The traditional cooking emphasizes on creating uncomplicated dishes in which the veggies or legumes are delicately spiced and cooked by using simple methods like sautéing or braising. I believe it is these culinary techniques that preserve the true flavor of the food and give this cuisine it’s intricate flavors, intoxicating aromas and succulent textures of home-style Indian food.
Being a Maharashtrian, it’s no surprise that these and many such authentic dishes are on the list of my “constant cravings”. Time and again, I find myself cooking this food and relishing every bite of it!
Mix ‘n’ match or pair them with steamed basmati rice or any kind of Indian breads for a well-balanced meal!
Read on … »
Who doesn’t like to sit back, relax and have fresh, homemade food make it’s way to you?! I sure do! It usually happens once in a while when mom comes over and takes over the kitchen.
I have to admit; as much as I love cooking, I love it more when I can get mom to make all my favorite things like lip-smacking chutneys, crunchy pohe chivda, spicy hot green chilli pickles that I can relish for a long time after she’s gone back home and not to forget her very own signature concoction. While I make all the dishes she makes, somehow they taste better when mom conducts the orchestra!
Of course, when she’s in my kitchen, I too join her and get a crash course on Maharashtrian cooking and we have our impromptu recipe exchange sessions – some old, some new, and some that are created together on the spur of the moment. Only this time, we had one more chef putting her little nose in our soup!
Now, this last trip, she got the blogger bug from me and created a few recipes that are internet ready!…So, for Mother’s day this year, I am sharing a couple of concoctions that mom whipped up, right here, in my kitchen. Join us as we have fun cooking with my mom!
Read on … »
“Ganpati Bappa Morya, Pudhchya Varshi Lavkar Ya” … and Ganpati Bappa is back!
For Maharashtrians living out of the country, these words virtually take them back home, from where ever in the world they may be! The most popular festival of Maharashtra is presently being celebrated with lot of enthusiasm and excitement. Ganesh Utsav is special to me too; it brings back many wonderful memories from my childhood.
And today, I relive those memories and keep the spirit of the festival alive by making Ganpati Bappa’s favorite - steamed Modak!
Modak
(Steamed Dumplings with sweet and spiced Coconut Filling)
If I were to give an exact definition of a ”modak“, I would say that they are a traditional Maharashtrian steamed rice-flour dumplings with a sweet filling made with grated coconut, jaggery (palm sugar) or sugar and some spices. The dumpling dough made out of rice flour is not sweet but in fact is slightly salty and compliments very well the saccharine filling inside. As delicious as it sounds, making the dough for outer covering from scratch seemed a little tough for me, given the time I had to spend in the kitchen on Ganesh Chaturthi, this past Sunday. So, I came up with a semi-homemade shortcut and put my own spin on this very traditional sweet dish. I used some “wonton wrappers” and stuffed them with the classic coconut filling ;)
To my surprise, my “dim-sum” modaks turned out great – very similar to the authentic ones Try my recipe and I guarantee, you won’t be disappointed!
Makes 21 mini “dim-sum” modaks
21 round dumpling/wonton wrappers (you should find these at any Asian stores or the speciality section of a regular supermarket)
some cold water in a bowl and basting brush
The Filling
1½ cups grated coconut (thawed if using frozen)
¾ cup powdered jaggery (i.e. palm sugar) or brown sugar (dark or light)
¼ cup light cream or half ‘n’ half (or even whole milk)
1 tbsp white poppy seeds (khus khus)
1-2 tbsp Everest Milk Masala (alternatively you can coarsely grind together- 4-5 green cardamom pod seeds, 1-2 saffron strands, couple pinches of ground nutmeg, 4-5 pistachios, 4-5 cashews and 4-5 almonds)
Special Equipment
Traditional Indian Modak / Idli Steamer or a Chinese bamboo steamer
Making the Filling
In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients and place it on the medium low heat. Cook covered for 15-20 mins till the jaggery is completely dissolved, milk is absorbed and the coconut is cooked through. Stir occassionally to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
Assembling the Dumpling
Place a wonton wrapper on a clean flat wooden board or surface. Dip a brush in cold water and tap it on the side of the bowl to remove excess water from the bristles. Lightly brush the wonton wrapper with water and then drop about a tablespoon of the filling onto the center of a wrapper.
Lift the the edges of the wrapper up, gather them around the filling and twist the top with your fingers to seal. The sides will naturally pleat, leaving the top part of the wrapper and the filling inside. Tap the dumpling on the table so the bottom is flat and it stands upright. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
Cooking the Dumplings
Lightly oil the plate of the steamer you are using and stand the dumplings in the steamer in a single layer and don’t let them touch. Bring 1 to 2 inches of water to a boil in a steamer pot. Set the steamer plates inside the pot, then cover it with the lid. Steam for 10 to 12 minutes.
Serve immediately.
Here in America, green mango is popular with Thai food. Most Thai restaurants have either a salad or curry with green mango on their menus. While Indian restaurants tend to shy away from green mangoes, Indian food has a rich repertoire of green mango delicacies.
We Indians love to snack on kairees (or kayree) - the green, unripe or raw mango – sliced and dipped in spicy hot salt (salt mixed with red chilli powder or cayenne pepper). Green mango is also used in many Indian dishes like chutneys, murabbas (preserves), daals (lentil stews), raitas (salads), even bhel or chats (snacks) an, of course, a variety of kairee achaars (green mango pickles). Depending on the region, there are a variety of Indian recipes that have the green mango as a star ingredient.
In Maharashtra (a state in Western India), where I come from, kairee is extensively used in cooking, especially during the mango season. To name a few, some of the most popular Maharashtrian kairee preparations range from juices to pickles and much more in between: kairee che panha, kairee chi chatni, kairee chi daal, kairee cha moramba, kairee che loncha and many more. Growing up, I remember my mom making almost all of these items every summer. We had two tall mango trees in our backyard that would yield atleast a couple hundred mangoes every mango season. Unfortunately, they were not the prestigious Alphonso mangoes; these would ripe into a very tart not-so-tasty fruit. So the fruit usually was plucked earlier, when it was still very green and not allowed to ripe. It was used in homecooking or distributed among relatives and friends and even used as secondary payment to the person hired to do the plucking job!
I try to make one or two of these kairee preparations in the summer, when I can lay my hands on them in the Indian grocery stores.
 Green Mangoes at Bhavani Cash & Carry, Iselin NJ …So join me as I explore the green side of mango!
Kairee Panha
(Green Mango Cooler)
To beat the summer heat, Indian cuisine has a wide variety of refreshing and nutritious beverages. Green mangoes are rich in potassium and iron and are used as a base for panha - a delicious cooler made from green mangoes and flavored with cardamom and saffron. Kairee panha is the Maharashtrian alternative to lemonade during the mango season. It is a little sweet, a little sour and very pleasant drink with a subtle hint of spices.
There are two different methods of making the panha. One is by grating the raw green mangoes and pressing them hard to squeeze the juices out (back then, my mom’s kitchen wasn’t equipped with a juicer) and the other one is by cooking the green mangoes and puréeing the cooked flesh under the skin. Both the recipes call for sugar or jaggery, but the former method requires more sweetener, since the juice from the raw mango can be extremely sour. I personally prefer the latter method, simply because the pressure cooker and the food processor do most of the work and it is low in sugar. This drink done my way, has a beautiful golden yellow color and looks tempting! Go ahead, take a sip!
Makes 6 tall (12 oz.) glasses or 12 small (8 oz.) glasses
The Concentrate
2 large or 3 medium green mangoes
water, for cooking
1 cup jaggery or sugar
½ tsp salt
10-12 green cardamom pods, seeds removed and grinded
5-6 saffron strands
To prepare the concentrate, place the green mangoes in a pressure cooker and add water to immerse them completely in it. Bring the cooker to a full pressure, letting it whistle 3 times and then turn the heat off. Alternatively, place the green mangoes in a pot of water and bring it to a boil. Continue boiling over medium heat for 15-20 mins, till the skin of the manoes wrinkles and turns from bright green to moss green. Turn the heat off and try holding the mangoes, one by one, with a pair of tongs and try to give it a little squeeze. If it is still tough, it needs to cook for more time.
After the mangoes have cooled down, peel the skin off and squeeze the flesh out as much as possible, discarding the seed.
Purée the mangoes into pulp in a blender or food processor and transfer it into a saucepan. Add jaggery or sugar to the mango pulp along with the salt, ground cardamom seeds and saffron strands. Simmer for another 10-15 mins till the jaggery dissolves, stirring occassionally.
Remove from heat, cool completely and refrigerate the concentrate in an air tight container.
When ready to serve, add ¼ cup of the concentrate to a tall glass and top it up with ice cold water. Add ice cubes if you like and serve. Add more concentrate if necessary
…
Kairee Loncha
(Green Mango Pickle)
Pickles are an integral part of Indian cuisine. Be it North, South, East or West, any regional Indian cuisine has some kind of pickle served on the side with lunch and dinner, and sometimes even breakfast!
During hot summer months, Indian homecooks spend a lot of their time outdoors, feverishly preparing sun-dried foodstuff like papads, potato kees and pickling a variety of fruits and vegetables. The most popular among the fruit pickles is the green mango pickle and there are numerous different ways to pickle it. The Indian summer helps kill the bacteria, thus prolonging the shelf life of these pickles. In fact it gets so hot that you can get pickled just sitting in your car  .
Today I am sharing a simple traditional pickle recipe that my mom and my grandmom would make every summer with homegrown green mangoes. Unlike the store-bought variety, this one has crunchy, tart green mango chunks marinated in spicy, sweet oil.
Try it and I bet you’ll find yourself licking your fingers!
Makes about 1 cup of pickle
2 medium or 1 large green mango, seeded and diced
salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp red chilli powder or cayenne pepper
¼ cup oil, canola, sunflower, corn or vegetable
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp asafoetida (see Concoctions 101)
In a bowl, combine diced green mangoes, salt, sugar and red chilli powder.
In a small frying pan, warm oil over medium high heat and add turmeric, mustard seeds and adofoetida. When the seeds start to sputter, remove from heat and pour the hot tempered oil over the mango in the bowl.
Toss gently and transfer in an air tight container. Store it at room temperature in a cool, dry place or refrigerate for 48 hours (2 days) before serving so that the mango marinates in the spicy-sweet oil.
Serve chilled or at room temperature along side of parathas, roti-subzis, rice or snacks like poha and upma. (I even like it as a sandwich spread  )
I am sure we all hold dear in our childhood memories, the food prepared for us by the first cook we ever knew – Mom. Her cooking has always more than nourished us; made with love, affection and so many other emotions that only a mother can feel for her child – it has a mystical quality! There is always a dish for the rainy days in life to pick you up from the dumps, the special tidbit for your birthday, mouth watering preparations for festivals……the list is endless… so much so, the food and person simply merge into a single frame. So, I dedicate this Mother’s Day to my mom by making one of her signature concoctions – red, hot Sabudana Khichadi.
My mom has an instinctive cooking style; her implements never include measuring cups, spoons or recipe books. She just tosses a fistful of this or a pinch of that into the kadhai, as she stands by the kitchen counter with her saree pallu tucked, her bangles jingling, and you see the maestro, effortlessly putting together a delicious meal! I believe [hope?! ], some of that has rubbed off on me. I distinctly remember growing up watching her cook and getting impromptu cooking lessons along the way. All along on this website, you will find me writing about her cooking every now and then.
My mom and even my dad (yes, he has his fair share of forays!) are both very good cooks and I grew up on fresh, home-cooked food, that I oh-so miss! Today, the best part of travelling back home to Pune is to sit back, relax and enjoy all the mom-made food, like pohe for breakfast, everyday Maharashtrian family-style lunches and dinners, delicious comfort foods, or those special occassion spreads, that my mom whips up in her kitchen. So for Mother’s day this year, I am sharing one of her unique creations – this dish makes it to the top of menus for fasting days, special occasions, family gatherings and also for some of my girlfriends in India to satisfy their pregnancy cravings! For me, my sister or brother, it just rules! Check it out…
Sabudana Khichadi
(Pearl Sago /Tapioca Pilaf)
Sabudana (Pearl Sago or Tapioca) is the star ingredient in Maharashtrian cooking, especially on religious fasting days. The most favored sabudana concoction is the khichadi, which is definitely on the fasting menu but is also a popular breakfast or snack preparation. The most common and traditional recipes are the ones presented on Divine Taste, Indian Dhaba and Evolving Tastes.
…And what’s so special about my mom’s recipe?! Well, it’s the best sabudana khichadi … ever! While I guess it’s natural for me to think so, I think I can back it up. She uses red chilli powder (not green chillies), which not only adds a spicy kick to the khichadi but also gives it a beautiful deep red color! She likes to “marinate” the sabudana with all the condiments for sometime, which, I think, gives a chance for it to absorb all the flavors and makes this khichadi truely divine.
My mom sometimes adds potato kees to the khichadi. Potato Sali (or Kees, according to the Marathi terminology) is also a special fasting food item and is made by sundrying shredded boiled potatoes that are rehydrated by soaking in hot water before cooking, just the way the dried porcini mushrooms are used in cooking. Maharashtrians usually make a quick stir-fried version of it (like this one made by My Foodcourt). My grandmother sends me homemade kees every year, but if I run out, I get it from one of the local Indian foodstores. For this particular dish, it compliments very well to the overall flavor and texture.
Try my mom’s signature recipe and I am sure it’ll be your favorite too!
Serves 2
1 cup sabudana (If you can’t find sabudana, you can use Israeli/Pearl Cous Cous and follow the cooking instructions for it. Once cooked, use it in the same way as the soaked sabudana in the recipe below)
1 tbsp red chilli powder/cayenne pepper
¾ cup roasted peanut powder (see concoctions 101 for the recipe)
¼ cup grated coconut (fresh or frozen, thawed) + some for garnish
1 tsp sugar
salt
3-4 tbsp oil (canola, vegetable, sunflower or corn) or ghee (clarified butter)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup potato sali (optional)
½ lemon, juiced
scant ¼ cup water
cilantro/coriander, for garnish
In a sieve or a colander, rinse thoroughly the sabudana under cold tap water till the water coming out of the sieve is clear and not cloudly white. Let it sit for about half an hour and repeat it once more.
Combine red chilli powder, roasted peanut powder, grated coconut, salt and sugar along with the soaked sabudana and mix well. Let it sit and “marinate” for about an hour or so.
If using, immerse the potato sali in hot water and let it soak in the meantime (for about an hour or so).
Heat oil in a kadhai, wok or deep sauté pan over medium high and add cumin seeds. When the seeds start to splutter, add the potato sali and sauté for a couple of mins.
Add the sabudana mixture and stir to mix it in well with the potato sali. Adjust the salt, sugar and red chilli powder seasonings. Stir in the lemon juice and sprinkle some water. Cover and simmer for 10-15 mins, stirring occassionally.
Garnish with grated coconut and chopped cilantro and serve warm with a side of cool yogurt or cucumber raita.
So, what’s your mom’s signature concoction? Share it with everyone in the comments section below!
Friday, March 27th 2009, was Gudi Padwa, New Year’s Day for Indians from the state of Maharashtra in western India.
 Image Courtesy: My Dad May this new year bring new hopes, new dreams, fulfilment of wishes and greater chances of prosperity!
Being a Maharashtrian, I celebrate this festival every year in a way that fits my lifestyle here in the US. Back home, my parents go through all the steps every year and follow the age-old religious rituals. Early in the morning on Gudi Padwa, you will see the “Gudi“ all decked up and standing upright on the terrace of our house in Pune, India. After setting up the Gudi , my dad will be getting ready for the pooja (special prayer) while my mom is busy in the kitchen, cooking about 10-12 items (yeah!!) for naivedya (food offering) – to be offered to God and the Gudi.
Here’s a snapshot of what she made this year….
 Image Courtesy: My Mom
My mom strictly abides by all the rules – gets up early, takes a bath, cleans the kitchen and starts the prep and cooking without eating anything for breakfast. Also, there’s no tasting of this special food before the prayer and offering is done. Hat’s off to mom, she does all this in a matter of 2-3 hours in the morning!
 Gudi Padwa '09 at home in Pune
On the contrary, my Maharashtrian New Year celebration is pretty low key. Like most Indian festivals, the festivities happen over the weekend, when there’s more time to have friends over, make a trip to the temple or cook special foods and celebrate the festivals. For this particular festival, there’s no hoisting of “Gudi” in my house, but I do try to follow my mom’s steps and get into the kitchen to make only a few (phew!) of those “goodies” specially for Gudi Padwa!
So, join me as I bring on this Maharashtrian New Year with a wonderful array of authentic Maharashtrian dishes!
Hirvi Chutney
(Green Chutney with Cilantro and Coconut)
This vibrant, green chutney is regular and rather usual condiment served on the Maharashtrian thali (plate). Cilantro gives it a wonderful aroma and green chillies add a tasty kick to this chutney. With creamy coconut as the base and minimal seasonings, it can prepared in moments by quickly grinding everything in a blender.
Makes about 1 cup
1 cup coconut, grated fresh or frozen thawed
1½ cups cilantro/coriander (leaves and stems)
2-3 small green chillies (See Concoctions 101)
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp cumin & coriander powder (dhana-jeera powder)
salt
water, as required
Combine all the ingredients in a blender/grinder/food processor and grind to a thick paste. Add water, as necessary.
Transfer the paste to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator till you are ready to serve. It can be refrigerated for 1-2 weeks.
Khamang Kaakdi
(Cucumber Yogurt Salad/Raita with Mustard -Turmeric Oil)
This is a simple Maharashtrian koshimbir of diced cucumber and beaten yogurt with an elegant twist. A creamy cucumber-yogurt raita gets a sudden face lift when garnished with the hot phodani (Marathi) a.k.a tadka (Hindi) (termpered oil with mustard seeds, turmeric and asofoetida). It introduces a new dimension to the overall flavor of this cool, refreshing koshimbir.
Serves 2-4
1 long or 2 Kirby cucumbers, diced
2 cups beaten yogurt
fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
1-2 green chillies, finely chopped
salt
½ tsp sugar
Phodani Garnish
1-2 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, vegetable or corn)
½ tsp mustard seeds (mori/rai)
½ tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1-2 pinches of asofoetida (hing)
Toss together diced cucumbers and yogurt. Add green chillies and fresh cilantro, season with salt and sugar.
Heat oil in a small frying pan over medium heat and add mustard seeds, turmeric powder and asofoetida. When the seeds splutter remove from heat and pour over the mixed salad. Stir to incorporate the oil in the salad and refrigerate till ready to serve.
Garnish with more cilantro and serve chilled.
Papad
(Fried or Roasted Indian Crackers/Wafers)
These are disks of flavored dried beans (typically urad daal), rice or potato that are either deep-fried, fire-roasted or even microwaved (like I did!) before they are served as an appetizer, snack or a side accompaniment.
 A variety of Papads at Bhavani Cash & Carry, Iselin, NJ You’ll find a huge vareity of flavors at most of the Indian food markets. Look out for the most popular brand called Lijjat Papad, a unique women’s organization from Mumbai, India that provides employment only to women.
Make as needed
A packet of readymade papad (I used plain urad daal papads)
Pop 1 papad in the microwave oven at a time and microwave high for upto 30 secs. (works well for most microwave oen brands)
Alternatively, deep fry in hot oil for 5-10 secs flipping once or roast over the stove top flame with the help of tongs flipping several times, making sure it doesn’t burn but at the same time there are no raw patches left.
Masale Bhaat
(Maharashtrian Spicy Rice Pilaf)
A staple of any Maharashtrian wedding menu, this special rice preparation is a spicy, vegetarian and Maharashtrian version of the North Indian Pulav. The spice that really makes this dish “masaledaar” (spicy) is the Maharashtrian Goda/Kala Masala. Adding a vareity of veggies like peas, gherkins (thondli/tinda), cabbage, cauliflower, onion and eggplant (single or combination) to this quick and easy one pot concoction not only enhances the flavor but also adds to the overall color and texture of the dish.
We Maharashtrians love to pour a generous amount of melted ghee (clarified butter) over it just before serving. Trust me, it tastes awesome!
Serves 2
2-3 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
½ tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1-2 pinches asofoetida (hing)
½ cup peas, fresh or frozen thawed (or any of the veggies from the list above)
1 cup Basmati rice
2 ½ cups water
salt, to taste
½ tsp red chilli powder
1½ tsp Maharashtrian Goda/Kala Masala (Some Indian stores in the US carry this masala. If you just can’t find it, you can use the regular Garam Masala)
grated coconut, fresh or frozen thawed (optional for garnishing
fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
ghee (clarified butter optional)
Rinse the basmati rice in water and set aside.
Heat oil in a large pot and add mustard and cumin seeds along with the turmeric powder and pinch of aesofoetida.
When the seeds splutter, add the peas and sauté for a min. Add the rice and sauté for another min or so.
Season with salt, goda/kala masala and red chilli powder. Add water, mix well and cook covered for 15-20 mins on medium-low heat, stirring once in a while, till the rice soaks up all the water and is well cooked.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and grated coconut. Serve steaming hot with a teaspoon of melted ghee.
Tomato Saar
(Curry leaf -scented Tomato Broth)
Tomato Saar is a spicy, curry flavored tomato broth and is a classic culinary creation of the state of Maharashtra. It’s a very well-balanced combination of flavors – slightly sweet, slightly tangy, slightly spicy and slightly salty. It’s a nice change of pace from the usual tomato soup. Maharashtrians like to pour it over steamed white rice or Masale Bhaat or simply slrup it all up like a soup.
Serves 2-4
1 lb tomatoes, halved (Alternatively, use 2 cans of readymade tomato soup)
water, as required
2-3 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
½ tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1-2 pinches asofoetida (hing)
4-5 curry leaves
salt, to taste
½ tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp sugar
grated coconut, fresh or frozen thawed
fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped
Place the tomatoes in a large pot and pour water till they are just immersed in it. Bring it to a quick boil over meduim-high heat and then reduce the heat till the tomatoes cook peel and get soft and mushy. Alternatively, pressure cook the tomatoes, letting the cooker whistle for 3-4 times and then simmering for 5 mins.
Let it cool and purée the tomatoes along with the water used for cooking in a blender or in the same pot using a hand blender. Pass it through a sieve to remove the skin pieces.
(Ignore the above two steps if using readymade tomato soup)
Heat oil in a large pot and add mustard and cumin seeds along with the turmeric powder, a pinch of asofoetida and the curry leaves.
When the curry leaves and seeds splutter, stir in the puréed tomato. Season with salt, sugar, red chilli powder and stir in the coconut and cilantro.
Simmer till ready to serve.
Flower Hirva Rassa
(Caulifower in Green Curry)
The most popular vegetable preparation is “batatyachi bhaji” (stir-fried baked potatoes) but I like to make this spicy, rich cauliflower stew that goes very well with the pooris. It’s another Maharashtrian classic preparation in which cauliflower is braised in a sauce that is spiced with a little garam masala, onions and the Maharashtrian “Hirwa Masala” made with grated coconut, ginger, garlic, green chillies and fresh green cilantro. You can add other vegetables like potatoes, peas and carrots or simply leave the cauliflower simmering in the fragrant green curry till it gets soft and mushy.
Serves 2-4
1 medium cauliflower, cut up into small florets and rinsed well
1 small onion, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
½ tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1-2 pinches asofoetida (hing)
1-2 dry red chillies (optional)
1 cup Hirva Masala
1½ tsp garam masala
½ cup peas, fresh or frozen thawed
¾ – 1 cup of water
salt, to taste
fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
In a pan or kadhai heat oil and add turmeric powder, cumin and mustard seeds along with asofoetida and dry red chillies (if using). When the seeds start to splutter, add finely chopped onion and fry till translucent. Add the “hirva masala”, garam masala, salt and fry for 8-10 minutes, till oil seperates from the masala.
Add the cauliflower florets along with peas. Stir in water and cook covered for about 10-15 minutes on medium heat till the cauliflower absorbs all the flavors and cooks in the masala-flavored broth.
Garnish with fresh cilantro/coriander. Serve hot with poori, chapati or tawa roti.
Pooris
(Balloon Bread)
Pooris are deep-fried Indian version of the unleavened, whole wheat flatbread and are well known for their characteristic puffed up balloon-like shape. A perfectly puffed up poori is pale golden brown in color and is an interesting combination of textures – a crispy, microfilm top and a soft, slightly thick bottom. Everyone has their own way of kneading, rolling and frying so that every poori puffs up to a perfection!
Here’s the ”Maharashtrian” take on the whole process that I learnt from my mom:
Kneading – Add a little rava/sooji i.e. semolina flour (1 cup:1 tbsp – flour:rava ratio) and a small amount of hot tempered oil (It’s called “Mohan“. I have no idea how or why it got this name!) to the flour and then knead it into a medium firm dough. This will make sure the poori becomes and stays crispy for a longer time.
Rolling – It’s not a good idea to use flour for dusting while rolling the dough (since it comes off while frying and burns into black particles that stick to the poori leaving an unpleasant taste and color), but instead dip the tiny dough ball into the hot frying oil for a second and then rolling it into about 3-4 inch diameter rounds.
Frying – Pour enough oil to fill the wok/pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a tiny pearl-sized piece of dough will sizzle and rise to the top. Fry one poori at a time. Slowly slide the poori along the edge of the pan to avoid splashing of the hot oil. Use the slotted spoon to gently splash hot oil over the floating poori to puff it up.
Timing – Timing is also important for the most enjoyable poori- experience. If possible, time the frying process as close to serving.
Makes 15-20 pooris
3 cups whole wheat flour (I recommend Bhavani Nature Fresh Whole Wheat Atta)
 Bhavani Nature Fresh Atta at Bhavani Cash & Carry, Iselin, NJ
3 tbsp semolina (rava/sooji)
scant ¼ cup oil (heated till it bubbles up) + for deep frying (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
salt
water to make the dough
In a large mixing bowl or a platter, place the flour and make a well in the center. Add salt, rava/sooji, hot oil and stir in water in small quantities so as to incorporate it in the flour and form it into a medium-firm dough. Cover with a damp cloth or paper towel and set aside for about half to 1 hour.
When ready to make the pooris, pour enough oil into a large frying pan or a wok about a third of the way, to reach a depth of about 2 inches or so. Heat the oil over medium heat.
Meanwhile, remove the covered towel form the dough. Rub some oil onto your palms and knead the dough once again into a large ball. This will make the dough a little bit softer and easier to roll. Divide it into small round 1 inch diameter balls by rolling in between your palms.
When ready to roll into a poori, take a dough ball, dip it in the hot oil in the frying pan for a second and flatten it between your palm and the rolling board/surface. With the help of a rolling pin, roll it into a 2-3 mm thick, flat, 4 inch diameter circle.
Slide the poori slowly along the edge of the pan. It will gradually move to the center of the pan, floating in the hot oil, bubbling vigorously.
At first, the poori will sink in the center. At that point, use the slotted spoon and gently splash hot oil over the poori which will cause it to puff up. Let it fry till the bottom part turns golden brown (about 15-20 secs since this would be the thin crispy side) and then flip it over.
Continue to fry for another min or so till the thicker side also turns golden brown. In the meantime, roll another poori and remove the fried one with the slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel to soak up excess oil.
Serve hot.
Gulab Jamun
No, I didn’t make these! I took a short cut on this last course and opened a can of Amul Gulab Jamun for dessert. Warm up in the microwave or serve chilled from the refrigerator and they are just as great as the fresh ones!
Crispy & spicy Fish Fries, hot & tangy Shrimp Curry and cool & refreshing Sol Kadhi are all synonymous with Malvani cuisine. Malvan is a quaint little town located on the southernmost tip of the Konkan coast in Maharashtra, surrounded by the Sahyadri mountain range on one side and the Arabian Sea on the other. With its beautiful beaches, historic forts and delicious Malvani cuisine, this place is a very popular tourist attaction.
When I was a little girl, my parents took me to Malvan for a vacation. I have faint memories of the boat ride to the Sindhudurg fort, when I tasted the salty sea water for the very first time , the time I spent on the beach collecting all kinds of sea shells from the sand and ran frantically at the sight of a crab and had nothing but curds and rice for lunch and dinner all week long  .. Yes, this big seafood buff was once totally aversive to seafood! I hated the smell so much that I wouldn’t even go anywhere close to it. But somewhere along the way ( I don’t remember how) I grew on to it and now I love eating and cooking all kinds of fish and seafood. My all time favorite in this category is, without a doubt, the food of Malvan.
Here are some of my favorite Malvani recipes….
Fish Fries
(Malvani Style shallow- fried Fish Fries)
“Fish Fry” in any Indian lauguage means hot and spicy filet of fish with a crispy coating thats is formed by either deep or shallow frying. Malvani style fried fish is slightly different from the Bengali or South Indian style depending on the regional spices and other ingredients used for the coating the fish before frying it.
I always take the shallow-fry route to making fried fish. With my Maharashtrian roots, my recipe reflects the Malvani style. I created this basic recipe with a filet of farm rasied, fresh, never frozen Tilapia. It also works well with any firm, white-fleshed fish, as well as shrimp or scallops. I like to marinate the fish in fresh ginger-garlic-herb marinade and then dredge them in a spicy rice flour-semolina mixture before shallow frying. The resulting crust is always crispy, not too thick and refreshingly spicy.
Bite into one of these spicy & crispy fish fries and I guarantee you will come back for more!
Serves 4
4 filets of firm-fleshed fish like Tilapia, cut into 2-inch long pieces
(usually made with Pomfret or Bangda fish in India)
1 tbsp turmeric powder (use more than half for disinfecting and cleaning the fish filets)
oil, extra virgin olive oil or any other (for shallow frying)
The Marinade
2 -3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
½ inch peice ginger, coarsely chopped
1-2 small green chilies, coarsely chopped
1 cup packed (a generous handful) cilantro/coriander, coarsely chopped
salt
freshly ground black pepper
lemon zest from 1 lemon (cut the lemon into wedges for garnish)
¼ cup extra virgin oilve oil
The Crispy Coating
1:1 cup of rice flour: sooji/rava (semolina)
½ tbsp turmeric
½ tbsp red chilli powder (or paprika for less heat)
1 tbsp garam masala or your favorite fish curry masala
Rub turmeric on to both the sides of the tilapia filets, wash, cut into chunks and keep aside.
In a food processor/grinder/blender combine all the ingredients for the marinade and grind it to a coarse-fine consistency paste. Pour it over the fish chunks making sure they are well coated and leave it in the refrigerator for about half an hour. (Marination process is not necessary but recomended)
In the meantime, combine all the ingredients for the “crispy coating” in a medium sized plastic container with a tight lid (I use one of these). Snap the lid on and shake the container so that all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
Preheat a frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle a little amount of oil to thinly coat the bottom of the pan. Remove the fish chunks from the refrigerator and dredge each piece in the mixture for “crispy coating” and drop them into the frying pan. Fry the chunks on each side till they turn golden brown, for about 5 -7 mins on medium high.
Add more oil, if necessary or if the fish chuks seem to soak up all the oil in the pan as they fry.
Serve warm with lemon wedges or with lemon juice drizzled on them while they are still hot, so that they absorb the most flavor.
…
Shrimp Curry
(Malvani Shrimp Curry)
There’s no better shrimp curry than “Malvani Shrimp Curry”. A little heat with all the spices, a little sweet with the coconut milk and a little tangy with the kokum - the flavors wonderfully balance in this beautiful brown rustic curry that’s perfect base for some succulent shrimp to float in.
Living in the US, I haven’t found this type of shrimp curry on the menu of any Indian restaurant here, so I devised my own way of making it just the way I remembered it to be served in the Malvani restaurants in Pune. I truly relish this particular curry every time I make it and it goes very well with chapatis or roti or even when served over a bed of steamed rice or pulav.
Try my Shrimp Curry and check off Malvani food on your to-cook list.
Serves 4
¾ lb shrimp (about 30 shrimp, size: 31-40 count), peeled and deveined
2-3 tbsp oil
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp cumin seeds/jeera
1-2 pinches of asofotida/hing
1 tsp garam masala
salt
1 cup (about ¾ of 7oz. can) lite coconut milk
3-4 petals or 1 tbsp liquid extract of kokum
cilantro, finely chopped for garnishing
Ground Masala
2-3 dried red chilies (or use 1 depending on desired level of heat), soaked in hot water
2-3 tbsp oil
2 medium or 1 large onion, finely chopped
2-3 medium garlic cloves, smashed
1½ cup coconut, grated fresh or frozen thawed
1 cinnamon stick
2-3 cloves
2-3 peppercorns
1 tsp coriander seeds
Start with the “Ground Masala“. In a pan or kadhai heat oil over medium-high flame and add the cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns and coriander seeds along with the onion, garlic and coconut. Fry till the mixture gets a light brown color. Cool down and transfer to a food processor/grinder/blender. Add the soaked red chillies and grind to a coarse-fine consistency paste.
In the same pan or kadhai, heat oil over medium high and add turmeric, cumin and asofotida. When the seeds start to splutter, add the “ground masala” and continue frying. Season with garam masala and salt. Stir in the coconut milk along with the kokum extract and simmer for 15-20 mins till oil seperates and the flavors blend in.
Finally add the shrimp and cook for 5-6 mins, till the shrimp turn pink and is perfectly cooked. (*If you don’t plan to serve this dish right away, don’t add the shrimp to the curry. When ready to serve, bring the curry upto a boil and add the shrimp while continuing to simmer for 5-6 mins)
Garnish with fresh cilantro/coriander. Serve hot with chapati or tawa roti or over a bed of rice.
…
Sol Kadhi
(Cold Coconut Milk Soup)
Sol Kadhi is a cool refreshing soup from the Malvan/Konkan region that is now gaining popularity throughout India. Made with coconut milk as the base and spiked with kokum, herbs and spices, it is also referred to as an energizing drink and a great coolant, especially in the hot summer months.
Whenever I went to any Malvani restaurants in my hometown Pune - Mahesh Lunch Home or Nisarg, I would order more than a glass of sol kadhi to keep me going, before, during or even after the meal. It’s a perfect “pick me up” drink that sets you in the mood for some Malvani food and also works great during or after the meal to douse the flames if the hot & spicy food gets out of hand!
I am very passionate about my favorite drink; here’s how I make the kadhi for my “soul”….
Serves 4
1 can (about 1½ cups) lite coconut milk
water, equal to the quantity of coconut milk (I usually empty the coconut milk can and fill it with water to get the exact measurement)
1 medium garlic clove, smashed
½ inch piece of ginger, roughly chopped
3-4 cilantro sprigs (I use the leaves and stems)
1 small green chilli (optional)
a pinch of hing (asofotida)
salt
1 tsp sugar
4 tbsp kokum extract (Refer to Concoctions 101 for making your own kokum extract)
Combine all the ingredients in the blender and mix thoroughly. Serve chilled in a glass as an appetizing drink or in a bowl as a cold refershing soup.
“It’s the end of Fall ” That’s what my darling hubby has been saying since the beginning of Fall! He gets very sad when it’s time to say goodbye to Summer. But I, on the other hand, just love Fall. I love the smell of the cool, crisp air and the changing color of the leaves; I love to wear my warm sweaters, flaunt my beautiful pashminas and take out the cozy blankets that have been packed away; I love the Indian and American festivals that season brings along with it and last but not the least, I love the seasons eatings – the apple ciders and the pumpkin spice!
This year, Diwali came and went just in time for Halloween and the festive treats went on all week long! Honestly, I am not much into Halloween’s trick-or-treats but I’m definitely into the lots and lot’sa bright, orange pumpkins that Halloween brings along with it! (Here’s an interesting article on Halloween & Pumpkins)
Here’s a couple of my pumpkin concoctions…..
Pumpkins are a popular vegetable in the US and you see them everywhere, especially in Fall, which is the biggest pumpkin harvest season. Pumpkins are used in sweet or savory dishes and around this time of the year, you will find millions of recipes featuring pumpkins on Foodnetwork and in a lot of restaurants as well. Pumpkins are one of my favorite vegetables (or fruit?!) and till I moved to the US, I knew only a few ways to fix them. So when they are in season, I make it a point bring them home and make a couple of my favorite recipes. One way I make pumpkins is Bhoplyachi Bhaji (Pumpkin Curry) and the other way is Bhoplyache Bharit (Pumpkin Raita or Salad).
Bhoplyachi Bhaji
(Pumpkin Curry)
This is a very simple and easy way to make pumpkins. It’s a one pot concoction – fill it, shut it, forget it (only for a little bit!). Cubed pumpkin is added to a spicy and sweet curried broth and simmered till it gets soft and mushy. The sweetness in the broth is due to jaggery or sugar and the spicy kick is due to the “Maharashtrian Goda/Kala Masala“. Crushed roasted peanuts gives this curry a little crunch and cilantro adds a fresh flavor and a beautiful contrast green color. Be it roti or steaming basmati rice, this hot’n'sweet curry is a great accompaniment!
Serves 2
2-3 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1-2 pinches aesofoetida
3-4 cups (3-4 handfuls) pumpkin cubes, 1″x1″ (This will be about 1 lb of pumpkin. To cut the pumpkin, run the knife along the outer, hard skin. Cut only the orange part into cubes and discard the outer skin and the inner seeds)
salt, to taste
1 tsp red chilli powder (use 1/2 tsp if you don’t like it that hot)
1-2 tsp Maharashtrian Goda/Kala Masala (Some Indian stores in the US carry this masala. If you just can’t find it, you can use the regular Garam Masala)
1 tbsp jaggery powder or 1-2 cubes jaggery cubes(If you use Garam Masala, please use 1 tsp sugar instead)
2-3 tbsp roasted peanut powder (coarsely grounded) (See concoctions101)
1/4 cup, grated coconut, fresh or frozen thawed
1-1½ cup water
fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
Heat oil in a frying pan or kadhai with lid (use some kind vessel with a lid). Add mustard and cumin seeds along with the turmeric powder and pinch of aesofoetida.
When the seeds splutter, add the pumpkin cubes and sauté for a min. Add the coconut, the peanut and jaggery powders and season with salt, goda/kala masala and red chilli powder. Add water, mix well and cook covered for 15-20 mins on medium low heat, stirring once in a while, till the pumpkin is well cooked.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot with rotis or steamed rice.
Check out similar recipes of Pumpkin Curry on A Cook @ Heart, Evolving Tastes, Anna Parabrahma, OneHotStove & Mad Tea Party
Bhoplyache Bharit
(Pumpkin Raita/Salad)
Pumpkin is quite an unusual ingredient for making a raita, but I am sure every Maharashtrian has had this raita atleast once in their lifetime! Its quite a popular side dish on the Maharashtrian menu and it ranks high on the nutrition charts.
Soft, mushy cubes of pumpkin are added to the cool yogurt and then garnished with a hot tempered oil that is seasoned with cumin seeds and asofoetida. Adding a few pieces of chillies gives this raita a spicy kick and garnishing with cilantro gives it a fresh green flavor. Try this sweet and creamy raita, I am sure it will be your favorite pumpkin concoction as well!
Serves 2
2 cups (2 handfuls) pumpkin cubes, 1″x1″ (This will be about 1/2 lb of pumpkin. To cut the pumpkin, run the knife along the outer, hard skin. Cut only the orange part into cubes and discard the outer skin and the inner seeds)
water, for cooking
2-3 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1-2 pinches aesofoetida
1-2 green chillies, roughly chopped
1 cup yogurt (any kind)
salt, to taste
1/2 tsp sugar
fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
Add the pumpkin cubes to a pot of boiling water and cook till they are soft and mushy. Alternatively, cook them in the pressure cooker.
Once cooled, drain the water from the cooked pumpkin and set aside. Cooked pumpkin refrigerates very well for 3-4 days.
Add yogurt, salt and sugar to the mixing bowl and set aside. Heat oil in a small frying pan or kadhai. Add cumin seeds along with a pinch of aesofoetida and pieces of green chillies. When the seeds and chillies splutter, turn the heat off and pour the hot tempered oil over the yogurt in the mixing bowl. Combine all the ingredients well and add the pumpkin cubes. Mix gently so that all the pumpkin gets evernly coated with the yogurt but its okay if a few of the pumpkins get mashed up; it adds to the thick, creamy texture of the raita.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve on the side of rotis with subzi or khichadi or pulav or even parathas.
Check out Vaishali’s website Happy Burp for her variation of this recipe and a cute pumpkin story that I had heard in my childhood!
Its that time of the year, when everyone in India is celebrating…..
Navratri & Dasara followed by Diwali, are the two festivals that evoke wonderful memories of the time I spent with family and friends back home. Its been almost eight years since I moved to America and I haven’t been able to time my travel so that I can join them in these festivities. However, the spirit of the season is very much alive in me and I do my best to enjoy the festivals with the same excitement and enthusiasm, at my home away from home.
I grew up in a family where a great emphasis is placed on the religious aspect of the festivals and everything is strictly done by the books. I didn’t get very much involved in all those rituals and customs then, but now looking back, I appreciate all the things my parents do, even today, to preserve and carry on the family traditions. Somehow, I never got those complex rules in my head. So when I left my parents’ cozy nest and took off to a land far far away, I redesigned some of those traditions and created some new ones to retrofit America. I do simple things like placing a jhendu phool on our altar (yes, we have a beautiful altar in our home where Jesus and Ganpati live in perfect harmony) during Navratri, may be a visit to the Indian temple on Dasara, lighting the whole house with diyas for Diwali and celebrating with family and friends here.
Of course, ’tis the season and there’s every reason to enjoy those festive delicacies! Here are a few of my favorite things….
Basundi for Dasara
(Creamy Milk Pudding)
During the Navaratri festival, my parents have the puja performed daily by offering fresh garland of the jhendu (marigold) flowers on each of the nine days followed by naivedya (food offering) before lunch. Mom prepares vegetarian food every morning including a sweet item on the naivedya menu for each of the nine days!
I am not a big fan of sweets and as a kid, I remember getting bored of eating those sweet dishes prepared everyday for nine days. I would only be waiting for Dasara, the tenth day, when dad would go over to the Chitale store in the morning and bring home a litre of their sweet, creamy “basundi “.
Basundi is a very simple sweet dish prepared by boiling milk. Sugar and some spices are then added and milk is simmered till it reduces to half the quantity. The reduced milk is then chilled for a couple of hours to make a thick and creamy milk pudding.
Try my basundi recipe, its as close as you can get to the Chitale store in Pune!
Serves 4
4 cups whole milk (You could use reduced fat milk but I wouldn’t recommend low fat or skim milk for this)
5-6 saffron strands
1 can sweetened condensed milk (Milkmaid, Nestle La Lechara or Carnation)
4-5 green cardamom pods (elaichi), seeds removed and powdered or 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
charoli or chironji, for garnishing (These are aparently dried and roasted melon seeds with almondish flavor. Here’s more details on Chef In You and Mahanandi)
In a medium pot over medium-high heat, bring the milk to a boil. Turn the heat down to a low simmer and add the saffron, sweetened condensed milk and cardamom powder. Mix well and continue to simmer for 25-30 mins, stirring continuously, making sure milk does not overflow or stick too much on the sides or bottom of the pot.
Remove the pot from heat, scrape the milk sticking to the sides or bottom and let it cool down to room temperature. Pop it into the refrigerator for atleast 2 hours before serving.
Garnish every bowl of basundi with 8-10 charolis and serve chilled.
Diwali Brunch with Brown Pohe
(Flattened Rice with Cumin and Peanut Powder)
Diwali is one reason to make all the special “faral” items. Back home, even today, my mom goes the whole nine yards and sincerely makes everything for the Diwali faral Laadoo, Chivda, Chakali, Shankarpali and what not! She has been making all that ever since I remember and we have always done justice to her efforts by enjoy all those goodies on all the days of Diwali.
In my family, we usually have the big ”faral” on Narak Chaturdashi. My parents host a morning brunch on this day and have relatives and friends over. Growing up I remember us kids bursting fire crackers outside while mom busy working in the kitchen preparing for the big brunch. Obviously the table would be set with all the faral items, but mom liked to make a couple of freshly prepared dishes to go with them. The most popular request for a freshly prepared dish used to be for the ”Brown Pohe“.
Brown Pohe are not the healthier brown version of regular pohe , like brown rice; nor are they made the usual way with turmeric or mustard or onions or any other ingredients. This pohe recipe is our family recipe that has been handed down through generations and I have never had it anywhere else but home. It’s simply made by stir frying pohe with cumin seeds, few green chillies for some heat and roasted peanut powder with salt and sugar seasoning. The peanut powder gives the white pohe a characteristic “brown” color and hence the name.
With it’s simple and earthy flavor, this elegant dish is a centerpiece of my Diwali spread!
Serves 2
2 handfuls (about 2 cups) thick pohe (flattened rice)
1 cup roasted peanut powder (general rule of thumb is to have 2:1 proportion of pohe:peanut powder)
2-3 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1-2 green chillies, roughly chopped
salt
1 tsp sugar
quartered lemon wedges
cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
coconut, frozen thawed or freshly grated, for garnishing
Take the pohe in a colander or sieve and rinse thoroughly under running water, making sure all of it is completely soaked. Set aside to drain completely.
In the meantime, heat oil in a frying pan/wok/kadhai over medium heat and add cumin seeds. When they start to splutter in a min or two, add green chilies. Then gently fluff the wet pohe in the colander with your fingers to loosen them up and add them to the pan. Stir in the roasted peanut powder and season with salt and sugar.
Mix well, drizzle some lemon juice by squeezing 1-2 wedges and cook covered on low heat for about 5 mins stirring occassionally.
Garnish with cilantro and grated coconut and serve warm with a side of a lemon wedge.
Everyday Maharashtrian food is simple, quick, healthy and very flavorful. Poli or chapati (wheat bread), bhaji (vegetable), koshimbir (salad), bhaat (rice) and amti or varan (legumes/lentil stews) is pretty much on the daily menu in every home. Primarily vegetarian, with lots of fresh ingredients, minimum usage of oil, mild or sometimes no spices added and with very few seasonings, Maharashtrian food is high in nutrition value and brings out the true flavors of the of the ingredients used.
But this everyday food doesn’t always have to be humble and modest, right? So I thought of dressing this ordinary food up a little and giving it a new look and feel! I preserved the same high nutrition value and retained the true flavors of the food using some new techniques and making some cosmetic changes.
Take a sneak peek inside my makeover studio! Read on…..
Gajar-Kakdi Koshimbir
(Carrot-Cucumber Salad/Raita)
Growing up, we have always had kakdichi koshimbir (cucumber salad/raita) in some form or the other at least once a week. My mom made it several different ways: with yogurt or with lemon juice, may be with some peanut powder or sometimes with some other veggie like carrot, tomato, onion, etc. My favorite used to be the citrusy and crunchy one with lemon juice and peanut powder. This was the first candidate for my “Extreme Makeover” challenge!
The usual way of making this refreshing koshimbir is to dice or shredded the cucumbers and the carrots but I shaved the two into thin long strips and they got a glamorous new look! The light green cucumber and the deep orange carrot ribbons beautifully compliment each other in color, texture and flavor. The lemon juice adds a citrusy zing, the peanut powder gives it a little crunch and thinly sliced green chillies make it a hot and yummy
Without further ado, presenting the all-new Gajar-Kakdi Koshimbir……
Serves 2
 2 pickling cucumbers
(I wouldn’t recommend the large slicing cucumbers for this salad)
2 carrots
1 small green chilli, micro sliced
3-4 cilantro sprigs, leaves finely chopped
2 tbsp, roasted peanut powder
salt
1 pinch sugar
1/2 lemon, juiced
Peel the cucumber skin and then continue peeling it on all sides till you reach the seeded part. Discard the seeded part or snack on it with a little salt and pepper. Similarly, peel the carrot skin and continute peeling it into thin shavings till you reach the core part and cannot feel further. (Peeler with a lateral blade might be easier than the one with a longitudinal blade)
In a bowl, combine the cucumber and carrot shavings with the green chilli slices, cilantro, peanut powder, salt, sugar and drizzle the lemon juice on it. Mix well and serve refreshingly chilled.
Flower-Batata Bhaji
(Cauliflower & Potato Roast / Subzi)
This was another regular on our table back home that was a winner especially amongst us kids. Cauliflower and potato are a classic combination for making a stir-fry kinda bhaji or subzi. When preparing this concoction stove top in a frying pan or kadhai with bare minimum spices and seasoning, the potato finishes cooking a bit faster than the cauliflower. So while the potato gets a little mushy, the cauliflower is just al dente. This makes it a great stir fried accompaniment for the poli or chapati.
How did I give this unpretentious and delicious recipe a brand new makeover? Instead of stir frying the two vegetables, I roasted them. I tossed the two with raw tadka (made without heating the oil) and then left them alone in the hot oven for sometime. Roasting the cauliflower at high temperatures makes it sweeter and even more crunchier and roasting the potatoes at high heat makes them crisp on outside and tender on the inside. The golden brown color on the surface of the vegetables due to roasting jazzed up the overall look.
With its appealing new look and an appetizing new flavor, this madeover bhaji is a winner of all time!
Serves 2
1/2 large cauliflower, broken into medium sized florets (about 3 cups)
3 small red potatoes, cut up into 1 inch cubes
2-3 tbsp oil (EVOO, canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 – 1 tsp red chilli powder (for desired level of heat and spice)
salt
fresh cilantro/coriander (dhania), finely chopped
Preheat oven to 425 deg F (220 deg C).
Whisk together the oil, turmeric, cumin seeds, red chilli powder and salt in a mixing bowl.
Add the cauliflower florets and the potato cubes and toss well so that they are evenly coated with the oil mixture.
Place the tossed vegetables in a aluminium foil lined baking dish (makes it easy to clean!) and roast in the pre-heated oven until lightly golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
Varan
(Split Pigeon Peas /Toor Daal)
Varan Bhaat is particularly very near and dear to a Maharashtrian. So is it for me!
Varan is Toor Daal in it’s simplest form. (Read PuSiVa‘s post on it). Typically, varan is made by pressure cooking toor daal with a pinch of turmeric and hing(asafoetida). When cooked, the daal mashed up and mixed well to a pulp-like consistency, seasoned with salt and a tiny bit of sugar or even jaggery (that’s typical Maharashtrian cooking!) and is simmered over the stove. When ready it is ladled over steaming grainy rice, topped with a dollop of ghee (clarified butter) and sprinkled with some lemon juice.
Some other ways I love to have varan is by putting ghee and dipping bites of poli in it or simply slurping it up as a soup. However I have it, this simple concoction tastes like home to me, anytime! (Here’s how Nupur has her “Waran Bhaat“ )
For the makeover challenge, I put an exciting spin on the classic recipe. I cooked the toor daal as usual and then in the simmering stage, I poured over a little hot chilli – garlic infused oil (i.e. tadka with chilli and garlic). The hot green chillies added a bright color along with a spicy kick and the garlic gave it a wonderful aroma.
With a makeover, the varan got a fabulous new look, but it is still the same old comforting food, at heart!
Serves 2
1/2 cup toor daal
1½ cups water (See ratios and proportions)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 pinch asofoetida (hing)
1 tsp sugar/jaggery
1-2 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable) or ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
1-2 small green chillies
2 medium garlic cloves, smashed
salt
fresh cilantro/coriander (dhania), finely chopped
Wash and drain the toor daal in a stainless steel pressure cooker vessel. Add the water, turmeric, asofoetida, salt and place it inside the pressure cooker. Cover the lid and bring the cooker to a full pressure, letting it whistle for 3-4 times, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 10 – 15 mins. Toor daal needs more cooking time as its a little tougher as compared to other daals.
When the cooker cools down, remove the vessel and mash the cooked daal using the back of the ladle or a whisk to a pulp-like consistency. Transfer it to a medium sized pot, add some water if needed and season it with salt and sugar or jaggery. Simmer for 10 – 15 mins.
While the daal is simmering, heat the oil/ghee in a small frying pan. Add mustard seeds along with the green chillies and smashed garlic cloves. When the seeds splutter and the chillies and garlic are slightly fried (just about a min or so), remove from heat and pour over the simmering daal. Stir and continue to simmer.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot.
Whenever I say, “I’m from India”, most of the time, people here in the US say, “Oh, I love Indian curries!” or some say “I can’t do curries” or like that woman sitting next to me on a flight to SFO asked, “So tell me a recipe to make an authentic Indian curry!”
All over the world, the word “curry” is exclusively assosiated with Indian food. My idea of a curry is a concoction made with veggie or non-veggie stuff and is either mildly or heavily spiced with some kinda thick or thin, sauce or gravy as a base. Sometimes I use onions and tomatoes or sometimes I use coconut or coconut milk to make the gravy and then other times, I add some dairy item like yogurt, cream or even milk to make the curry.
So c’mon over and join me in my kitchen as I whip up some curried concoctions
Murgh Masala
(Chicken Curry)
Perfect when served with rice or roti, this traditional chicken curry is the first non-veggie dish I learnt to make, more than 15 years ago. Of course, over time, I have modified and improvised it a lot, but the basic recipe still calls for an onion-tomato curry spiced with the basic masala. Its a very easy recipe for someone who doesn’t have the time to or doesn’t prefer to grind a fresh masala. However, I do recommend marinating the chicken for atleast an hour before cooking; it helps to maintain the moisture in the chicken and does not make it dry or chewy. In addition, I also prefer to use the chicken thigh pieces with bone-in, because the thigh meat does not dry out as the breast meat and when you use thighs with the bones, the bones add to the flavor of the chicken as it cooks, as well as to the fun of eating the it “right off the bone”.
With a great spicy flavor and a beautiful brown color, this classic chicken curry is an all time favorite!
Serves 4
1 lb chicken thighs, skinless, bone-in (but if you prefer, you can use boneless instead)
2-3 tbsp canola/vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 large or 2 medium onions, finely chopped
3/4 cup canned tomato sauce or homemade purée of 1 large tomato
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, minced
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tsp red chilli powder (optional, for desired level of heat)
1 tsp chicken masala (I always use Everest Chicken Masala) or garam masala (if you don’t have chicken masala)
salt
For the marinade:
1 cup yogurt (whole / low fat)
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (for homemade paste, mince 1 garlic clove and 1 inch piece of ginger)
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tsp red chilli powder (optional, for desired level of heat)
1 tsp chicken masala or garam masala
salt
cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
Clean the chicken and cut into 2-inch pieces. In a bowl, add all the ingredients for the marinade along with the chicken pieces, mix well and cover it with a plastic wrap. Refrigerate for atleast 1 hour.
In a large pot, heat oil over medium flame and throw in the cumin seeds. When the seeds splutter, add the onions along with the garlic and ginger. Sauté till the onion turns light brown in color. Add the tomato sauce, turmeric, red chilli powder, chicken or garam masala and continue frying till oil seperates out. Add a little water, about 1/4 cup and continue frying over medium heat till oil seperates out again.
Now add the chicken along with the marinade to the onion-tomato masala int he pot and mix well. Rinse the bowl in which the chicken was marinated with minimum quantity of water (not more than 1 cup) and reserve the water. (This adds to the overall flavor of the curry and you also do not waste any of the good marinade)
Add the reserved water to the chicken, mix well and cook covered for 15-20 mins till the chicken is cooked and the yogurt blends well with the onion-tomato masala.
Garnish with cilantro/coriander and serve hot with rice or rotis.
Fish Hirva Masala
(Fish in fresh Green Curry)
A refreshing combination of cilantro (coriander), green chillies and grated coconut, the hirva masala is a versatile base in Maharashtrian and its regional- Konkani or Malvani seafood curries. My mom makes a delicious masoor daal amti (lentil stew) using the hirva masala and a hint of kokum (a deep purple berry-like fruit with a sour and pleasing flavor from the western coast of India. Click here for an elaborate explanation), which was an inspiration for me to create this recipe of fish curry.
In this recipe, I sauté onions in hirva masala along with some basic spices and a couple of kokum petals or a few dashes of kokum extract. Sometimes, I like to stir in a little amount of lite coconut milk, to make it extra rich and creamy, but you can absolutely do without it and this dish tastes just as good! In the end, when all the ingredients are well cooked, Tilapia fish cubes are added and simmered till they cook. Ready in minutes, my fish curry will take you right on the beautiful Konkan coast of Maharashtra!
Serves 2
4 filets of firm-fleshed fish like Tilapia, Halibut, Swordfish, Sea Bass, Cod, etc. cut into 1-inch chunks
(usually made with Surmai fish in India)
2 small or 1 medium onion, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp oil
1 tbsp turmeric powder (use more than half for disinfecting the fish filets)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
1/2 tsp mustard seeds/mori/rai
salt
dried red chilies (optional), for desired level of heat
1½ tsp garam masala / or you favorite fish curry masala
3-4 petals or 1 tbsp liquid extract of kokum
½ cup lite coconut milk (optional)
cilantro, finely chopped for garnishing
For Hirva Masala:
1 cup grated coconut (thawed if using frozen)
2 big or 4 small garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 inch peice ginger, coarsely chopped
1-2 small green chilies, coarsely chopped
1 cup cilantro/coriander, coarsely chopped
Rub turmeric on to both the sides of the tilapia filets, wash and keep aside.
In a food processor/grinder/blender combine all the ingredients for “hirva masala” and grind it to a coarse-fine consistency paste.
In a pan or kadhai heat oil and add turmeric powder, cumin and mustard seeds. When the seeds start to splutter, add finely chopped onion and fry till translucent and light brown in color. Add the “hirva masala”, garam masala, salt and fry for 8-10 minutes, till oil seperates from the masala. In the meantime, cut the fish filets into 1 inch cubes.
*This is the deciding point where you could choose to add coconut milk or not. If you don’t add, your dish is going to look like this.
If you decide to use the coconut milk, stir it in at this point. Then, add the fish cubes and kokum and cook covered for only 4-5 minutes on medium high till the fish absorbs all the flavors and cooks in the curry. Do not overcook the fish otherwise it will lose its flavor. Also, gently stir or shake or swirl the pan to mix everything otherwise the delicate fish flesh might fall apart.
Garnish with fresh cilantro/coriander. Serve hot with chapati or tawa roti.
Methi Mutter Malai
(Fenugreek Leaves and Green Peas in Mild Creamy Curry)
I have fond memories of Methi Mutter Malai from a really nice restaurant in Pune, India. I had it for the first time at Portico restaurant, where I was celebrating one of my birthdays with the family and we all just loved the unique flavor of this wonderful dish. Since I started cooking experiements in my own kitchen, I tried my hand at making Methi Mutter Malai at home, as this amazing item is not available on any of the desi restaurant menus here! Fresh methi or fenugreek leaves are available at the Indian stores here in NJ, but if you can’t find them, most Indian stores will carry the frozen packets as well.
 Fresh Methi leaves at Bhavani Cash & Carry, Iselin NJ I am not sure of its true roots, but this rich dish definitely seems to be a part of the “Mughlai” cuisine family. Green peas and methi leaves are simmered in a luscious creamy sauce made with of cashewnuts, yogurt and cream. The mild spices, the creamy curry and the green peas add a delicate, sweet flavor which takes away the bitterness from methi.
This royal veggie curry is a great way to make that “emperor” in my house get his daily dose of veggies ;)
Serves 2
2 cups (approx 1/2 bunch) methi (fenugreek) leaves
1/2 cup green peas (thawed if using frozen)
2-3 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin/jeera
Salt
1&1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp sugar
3/4 cup milk (whole/lowfat)
2 tbsp malai (Heavy Cream/Half ‘n’ Half)
For White Masala
2 small or 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup cashewnuts (broken pieces or coarsely chopped)
1/4 cup yogurt (whole/lowfat)
3/4 inch peice of ginger, coarsely chopped
1-2 small green chilies, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp malai (Heavy Cream/Half ‘n’ Half)
Rinse methi leaves, chop and set aside.
In a food processor/grinder/blender combine all the ingredients for “white masala” and grind it to a smooth/fine consistency paste.
In a pot/kadhai heat oil and add cumin and when the seeds start to splutter, add the white masala. Turn the heat down and stir to mix the white masala with the oil. If heat is not turned down, the whole kitchen will be splattered with the white masala!
When the masala is mixed with the oil thoroughly, cover with a lid and cook for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Simmer for a minute, uncover lid, stir, add 1/2 cup of water* (Use the water that will be available by rinsing the blender after grinding the masala. This adds to the overall flavor of the curry and gives you the 100% use of the ground masala!) and cook again covered for 3-4 minutes or till the water is absorbed into the masala.
Repeat the above step once more.** (The mixture of raw onion and yogurt has to be thoroughly cooked, otherwise it will make the curry bitter!)
Add garam masala, salt, sugar, peas and methi leaves and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes and add milk and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occassionally.
Garnish with heavy cream/half ‘n’ half. Serve hot with roti/naan/rice.
No matter how busy I get, I really like to cook something every night during the week. I try to make it fast and easy, but at the same time nutritious, full of flavor and pleasing to the eyes. Today I am posting recipes for some jhatpat subzis that you could easily make in minutes. Serve them with rotis, raita salads or rice and you will have a hearty weeknight dinner. In these recipes, I have used very simple ingredients to create unique flavors that will satisfy your growling stomach in no time!
Chilli Pepper Cauliflower
Inspired by the desi-chinese flavors of chilli pepper chicken/shrimp, I came up with this recipe for a cauliflower subzi. Tiny cauliflower florets are sautéed with red chilli flakes and ground black pepper with a hint of freshly grated ginger. The heat from the chilli flakes and the black pepper powder and the freshness from the earthy ginger will tickle your taste buds!
Serves 2
1 cauliflower, cut up into tiny florets.
1 tsp red chilli flakes
1 tsp black pepper powder
1 inch length piece of ginger, skin scraped and minced
2-3 tbsp oil, canola/ vegetable/ sunflower
1 tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
salt, to taste
fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
Soak the cauliflower florets in water (to remove any dirt or worms). It is important that you make very tiny florets so that they absorb all the flavor of the basic ingredients, chilli, black pepper and ginger.
Heat oil in a pan or kadhai. Add mustard and cumin seeds along with the pinch of asofotida. When the seeds splutter, add the cauliflower florets. Stir fry for a couple of minutes.
Add the red chilli flakes, black pepper powder, minced ginger, salt and mix well. Cook uncovered on medium-high for 10 mins stirring occassionally. The cauliflower should be al dente, cooked but it should still have a crunch to it.
Garnish with cilantro and serve warm with rotis
Another way to enjoy this yummy concoction is to use it as a stuffing for parathas.
Bhindi Elaichi Masala
(Cardamom Spiced Okra)
This is one of the recipes handed down to me by my mom. To please my sister, who would eat bhindi or bhendi (orka) anytime, she came up with several recipes: simple stir fried with no spices, with tangy yogurt curry, cut into thin strips and made crispy with spicy garam masala or paired with other vegetables. One of my favorites was when mom made it this way….thin strips of okra, potatoes, tomatoes and onions are stir fried in the usual tadka (oil, mustard, jeera, asofotida and turmeric powder) and then spiced with elaichi (green cardamom).
Elaichi is a wonderful spice. It adds great scent and flavor to any recipe. A lot of Indian cooking calls for adding the whole cardamom pods to a vareity of dishes, especially rice dishes like pulavs and biryanis and some desserts too. In this recipe, a little amount of crushed elaichi seeds are added in the end and it just gives this everyday subzi a brand new makeover!
Serves 4
1/2 lb orka (bhindi/bhendi), cut into thin strips (see picture)
  
1 medium red or yellow onion, cut into thin strips
1-2 medium red or white potatoes, cut into french fries-like strips
1 medium tomato, cut into thin strips
2-3 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
salt, to taste
1 tsp red chilli powder (use 1/2 tsp if you don’t like it that hot)
1 pinch sugar (for that Maharashtrian touch)
4-5 green cardamom seeds (elaichi), crushed
fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
Heat oil in a pan or kadhai. Add mustard and cumin seeds along with the turmeric powder and pinch of asofotida. When the seeds splutter, add the vegetables. Stir fry for a few of minutes. Season with salt and red chilli powder and add a pinch of sugar. Traditional Maharashtrian cooking calls for a little sugar in all savory recipes to bring out the flavors.
Cook covered for 10-15 mins on medium low heat, stirring occassionally, till all the vegetables are well cooked. Add crushed elaichi and mix well. Let it simmer for 5 more mins on low heat.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot with rotis.
Kobi Kaanda
(Cabbage Onion Stir Fry)
This is a typical Maharashtrian quick stir fry of shredded cabbage (kobi/gobi) and thin long slices of onion (kaanda/pyaz). With a just little seasoning of salt and red chilli powder and no other spices added, this recipe brings out the natural flavors of the vegetables. The onion when stir fried becomes soft and silky and releases its natural sugars which perfectly complements the firm and crunchy cabbage, which does not have its own flavor but takes it up from the spices or other vegetables used with it. Try it and I guarantee you will love it!
Serves 2
1/2 large cabbage, shredded
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2-3 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
salt, to taste
1 tsp red chilli powder (use 1/2 tsp if you don’t like it that hot)
fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
Heat oil in a pan or kadhai. Add mustard and cumin seeds along with the turmeric powder and pinch of asofotida. When the seeds splutter, add the onion and sauté for a few of minutes till translucent. Add the cabbage and season with salt and red chilli powder. Cook covered for 10-15 mins on medium low heat, stirring occassionally, till the cabbage is almost cooked, but still has a little crunch to it.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot with rotis.
Some other variations of this recipe are just cabbage or cabbage paired with potatoes or green peas.
After a long, hard day or on a cold winter night (and those times when I am stuffy and sniffy), all I crave for is some warm, comforting khichadi. I have fond memories from my childhood, when mom used to cook this simple and easy one pot concoction of rice & moong daal. Traditionally it is paired with kadhi (warm, spicy buttermilk) but I usually take the shortcut and have it with cool mattha (Maharashtrian version of salty lassi or spiced up buttermilk). The hot and spicy roasted chilli-garlic thecha (Maharashtrian version of chilli garlic chutney) on the side definitely kicks it up a notch!
This, for me, is the most comforting, comfort food.
Garlicky Khichadi
(Rice and Lentil with Garlic)
Khichadi is a popular dish throughout India. Some like it mild, some like it spicy; sometimes its soft & mushy and other times its perfectly cooked, fluffy & distinctly grainy (this is how I like it). Nutritious and easy on the stomach, it is a staple meal for a lot of Indians. I add my personal touch and turn this simple concoction into a very elegant one by using fresh garlic.
The general rule of thumb is 2:1 proportions of rice:daal. I use 1:1 to take some of the weight off the starchy rice carbs and add more of the healthy daal protein.
Serves 2
1 cup basmati or any white rice like jasmine, sona masoori, surti kolam (or up health factor by using brown basmati rice!)
1 cup split moong daal with skin (any other variety works well too)
1-2 tbsp good oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable) or ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 pinch asofotida
1-2 dry red chillies
2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp, garam masala
salt, to taste
3&1/2 cups water
fresh cilantro/coriander (dhania), finely chopped for garnishing
Wash and drain the rice and daal together and keep aside.
In a pressure cooker/pan or a medium pot with lid, heat the oil. Add mustard and cumin seeds along with the pinch of asofotida, dry red chillies and chopped garlic. When the seeds splutter and the garlic is slightly browned, add the the rice and daal. Then add garam masala and salt and stir fry for a couple of minutes.
Add water, cover with the lid and cook for 15-20 mins until the rice and daal mixture has absorbed all the moisture and is dry and fluffy. Alternately, if using a pressure cooker/pan, cover the lid and bring the cooker to a full pressure, letting it whistle for 3 times, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 5 mins.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot.
Mattha
(Spiced Buttermilk)
Mattha or spiced buttermilk is a cool and savory drink. Growing up, I remember my mom churning the butter every week and we would get to enjoy the fresh home made buttermilk. With a little hint of spices and fresh herbs, this refreshing drink is very healthy and aids in digestion. As you can imagine, it has a very soothing and relaxing effect. Sit back, relax and enjoy every sip of this cool concoction!
For the mattha, you could either use the ready buttermilk available in the grocery stores or mix water and yogurt, 1:1 proportion and then add the spices and herbs.
Serves 2
2 cups buttermilk or 1 cup yogurt (whole, reduced, low or non fat) mixed with 1 cup of water (if using low or non fat, increase the qty. of yogurt and decrease qty. of water to suit your taste)
1/2 cm piece of ginger, minced
1 small green chilli (optional)
2-3 cilantro sprigs, finely chopped
1-2 pinches cumin (jeera) powder
1-2 pinches coriander (dhania) powder
And my secret ingredient,
black salt, to taste
Alternatively, you can use
1/2 tsp MDH Chunky Chaat Masala instead of cumin, coriander and black salt.
Add all the ingredients to the yogurt-water mixture or the ready buttermilk and stir well.
Serve chilled.
Thecha
(Ground Roasted Chilli-Garlic)
The heat from red chilli and the spice from garam masala in the khichadi are not quite enough for me. I need to spice it up more, with the thecha. Green chillies and garlic are roasted and ground together to form a coarse paste. The smoky flavor from the roasting adds to the heat of the chillies and the aroma of the garlic. Cool it down with a little bit of yogurt and you won’t be able to resist this fiery-icy concoction.
 
Now, traditionally, the chillies and garlic are roasted on a flat pan with some oil. I have taken the oil out of the equation. And also I don’t want to use too many utensils (who’s gonna wash them??) Your kitchen tongs can do the job and all they need is a rinse later on.
Serves 2
3-4 small green chillies (Very hot! Use less chillies for desired level of heat/spiciness) (See Concoctions 101)
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves
1/4 cup yogurt (any kind)
3-4 cilantro sprigs, finely chopped
salt, to taste
1 pinch sugar (this adds the Maharashtrian touch)
With a pair of kitchen tongs, roast the chillies and garlic cloves by holding them directly on the stove flame till they turn dark brown-black in color. If you don’t have a gas stove, you can roast them on a frying pan/flat iron skillet. You may use a few drops of oil, but if you don’t, they will roast just fine.
Coarsely pound the two using a pestle and a mortar (as shown above). Add the rest of the ingredients and combine with the pestle. Alternatively, you can use a mini food processor and it will deliver the same product. Just remember to pulse and not run it continuously.
This can be a great side item to spice up any meal. As I do, it can be had with khichadi or any other rice concoction and goes very well with parathas too.
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