Pav Bhaji

This dish is especially visible in the great city of Mumbai- Maharashtra. Pav Bhaji is a wholesome dish which can work as a substitute for a full meal. When I am not in a mood to cook a complete meal for my family, pav bhaji in one of the dishes which comes to my mind. This is really an innovation that arose out of the necessity of providing a nice hot meal in a hurry and one that tickles the taste buds. A spicy blend of vegetables in tomato gravy served with pav that is cooked with butter.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

For Pav

8 pavs/buns (white bread in square)
5 tbs butter

For Bhaji

1 ½ cups boiled and mashed potatoes

1 cauliflower

½ cup green peas
2 carrots

1 medium sized onion

1 capsicum
3 medium sized tomatoes
½ tsp ginger garlic paste
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp chilli powder
1 ½ tbsp pav bhaji masala

½ tsp black salt

½ tsp lemon juice


Method:

• Finely chop cauliflower, carrots, onion, capsicum and tomatoes.
• Boil chopped cauliflower, carrot and peas till they are soft.
• Drain out the excess water.
• Heat the butter in a wok; add the onion and capsicum and sauté for 2 minutes. Then, add the ginger-garlic paste and stir fry till the onion softens.
• Add the tomatoes and cook till the oil separates.
• Add chilli powder, turmeric powder, black salt ,pav bhaji masala, and salt and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the boiled vegetables, potatoes and lemon juice and squash thoroughly, adding some water if required.
• On the other hand slice each pav into 2 horizontally.
• Apply a little butter to each side.
• Heat a large skillet and cook the pav on both sides till the pieces are lightly browned.
• Sprinkle grated cheese and chopped coriander leaves over bhaaji and serve hot with pav.

Aloo Matar

It can be served as a snack,side dish or even can be placed in sandwich.

Ingredients:

4 potatoes
1 cup peas
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
½ tsp green chillies
1 to 2 cloves garlic
Fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1 lemon or amchoor powder
1-2 green chillies, finely chopped
Oil, for shallow-frying


Direction:

• Peel and slice potatoes cubically.
• Boil peas separately.
• Meanwhile grind all ingredients except peas, potato and oil. Mix well.
• Heat oil in a pan and add chopped potato and peas. Stir till cooked.
• Add coriander garlic paste.Mix well.
• Serve hot as a side dish or as a snack.

Crunchy Onion Pakora

What better to go with scorched earth and rain outside your window than some sizzling hot snacks? Every time when it downpour outside I love to have roasted bhutta, or Pakora. Let’s try this mouth-watering delicacy.

Ingredients:

2-4 large sliced onions,

1 cup of gram flour (besan)

4 cup of fresh green finely chopped coriander leaves,

¼ tsp green chilies chopped

¼ tsp red chili

Salt to taste

Water as needed

Oil

 

For Red Chutney

2 Red Chilies
2 tsp Sugar
1 pinch salt

Direction:

Red Chutney

• Mix all ingredient with a little water and blend it for about 1 min.

Onion Pakora

• Make a batter with the gram flour, chopped coriander leaves, chopped green chilies, red chilli, salt and water as per your preference.
• Remember to pour in the water a little at a time to get a batter of medium consistency.
• Mix sliced onion in the batter and deep fry till the coating gets a nice golden brown colour.
• Pakora is ready.Patting it on paper napkin will soak away the excess oil.
• Serve with sauce,green or red chutney.

Baati Chokha (Litti)

People these days turned out to be health conscious. Consequently they prefer high-fiber and low calorie food. Baati Chokha which is commonly known as Litti Chokha will certainly suit the taste of those, looking for a combination of tasty and healthy food. Apart from being tasty, it is rich in fiber and low on calorie.It is one of my favorite recipes cooked by Grand Ma.

Ingredient:

4 cups wheat flour
1 cup sattu ( made by grinding black chana)
¼ tsp kalonji /magrail/ nigella
¼ tsp Carom seed/Ajwain
¼ tsp black pepper
1 lemon
3 cloves of garlic
ginger
3 green chillies as per taste
green coriander
salt as per taste
oil
ghee

Direction:
For Normal Litti/Baati

• Take Wheat flour and knead into soft dough and keep aside.
• Divide dough into small medium size balls.
• Roast these balls/littis in tandoor or cow-dung fire.
• Don’t forget to dip into pure ghee.
• Best served with Toor Daal (Alhar daal deep fried with onion and tomato) and Aaaloo Baigan Chokha.

For Stuffed Litti/Ghathi

• Take Wheat flour and knead into soft dough and keep aside.
• Divide dough into small medium size balls.
• Chop onion, chilies and garlic into very small pieces.
• Take another bowl and mix sattu, lemon juice, kalonji, chilies, onion and garlic. Add Salt and water to make the mixture fluffy.
• Stuff these balls with sattu mixture and give them desired shape. Roast these balls/littis in tandoor or cow-dung fire.
• Or Steam it for around 4-6 mins.
• Heat oil in a seal and gently drop them into hot oil. Let it cook on both sides.
• Stuffed Ghatti can also be used as morning/evening snack.
• Keep in mind that it is the best snack to be taken while traveling.

Namak Para (Maide ki Namkeen)

Raj (for those of you who don't know, he's my hubby) once asked me to make “mathri" from the left over Plain flour.
Oh! Let me break off a second to let you all know that this incident is a story from when I was newly married. Actually, the story started afterward and ended only way later.
We were newly married couple and I tried various recipes that I could to make an impression on him, without realizing that at times it was torment for him. (Shhhh…. He’s not aware that I did all this just to impress him). To be very honest I never tried Mathri at home before my marriage. But yes I tasted Haldiram’s mathri in different aroma. I was a little puzzled so I asked which mathri ? He so frantically said "Mathriiiii"(As if, there is just one thing called mathri in this whole world). Consequently after a long question and answer session, all I could get from him was that it was a delicious snack of plain flour. He just didn't know how to explain it. Wow! What a great technique to make a request!
Since I had to show my talent, I decided to go for it. All I knew was its rounded shape and green color, flavored with pudeena. I took small amount of plain flour and prepared the Namak para mixture. To give it green color and flavor, I added pudeena in it. Finally I ended up with a snack appear like Mathri.
I went to Raj and asked him to taste it in order to verify whether it is " THE ONE " that he asked for, but I was taken aback by his reaction…Guess What?????????
He retorted so badly that I felt very twitchy. After a stretched discussion I realized that it is Namak Para that he calls Mathri. Finally he helped me to prepare Namak Para. And the story ended on a happy note.
Days and months passed and so did a couple of years but every time when we visit Market; I pull his leg by showing real ‘Mathri’.
Namak Para is a North Indian recipe commonly used for evening snacks.

Ingredients:

½ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup maida (Refined Flour/Plain Flour)

½ tsp Baking Powder

½ cup Ghee

½ tsp Carom Seeds (Ajwain)

Salt to taste

Direction:

• Take a bowl; mix plain flour, wheat flour and baking powder. Add ghee/refined, rub in with fingertips to get a consistency and knead the mixture into dough.
• Add salt and crushed carom seeds. Add ample water to make it medium-hard dough.
• Cover dough with a muslin cloth and let it rest for some time.
• Meanwhile, heat a seal with oil.
• Then divide the dough into equal balls. Take a ball and flatten on the rolling board using a rolling pin. The dough has to be of thickness of 1 inch.
• With the help of knife cut them into tiles of 2 inches size and do a cross cut. Each piece will be like a diamond.
• Once the dough is cut as small diamonds, gently drop them into hot oil. Let it cook on both sides.
• Namak Para is ready. Keep it in air for about 5 mins and serve with tea.
• You can also store it for a month. Make sure the container should be closed properly otherwise it would capture moisture.

Allo Poha (Chidva)

It is a Maharastrian dish and frequently used for breakfast and snacks.you can also add Chana and Urad dal in it.

Ingredients

3 cups of poha (Chidva or Beaten Rice)

1 potato cubed (optional)

1 onion chopped

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 tsp black mustard seeds

5 curry leaves

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 bunch green coriander- finely chopped

½ cup peas ( Matar/Peanut)

1 tsp cumin Seeds ( Jeera)

1 tsp turmeric ( Haldi)

2 green chillies filnely chopped

½ lemon

½ tsp sugar

Salt to taste

Preparation:

• Soak the poha in water. Wash and drain all the water.
• Spread on a tissue or plate and set aside

Direction:

• Peel and cut the potatoes into small cubes, chop the onions, chillies, coriander leaves.
• Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat.Add mustard seeds,chillies,cumin seed and curry leaves and let them crackle.
• Add chopped onion, cook till golden brown.Few people prefer to add it in last step.
• Add peas /peanut and potato and stir.
• Put salt and turmeric powder. Cook till they are done.
• Add the poha, rice flakes ( Chidva) and stir well.
• Add coriander leaves and sugar.
• Keep it on slow flame for 4- 6 minutes.
• Take it off the heat now,and add lemon juice.
• Serve hot.

Chilla (Veg Omelette)

A very good recipe for breakfast for everyone and especially for vegetarian.

Serve: 4

Ingredients:

1¼ cup Besan ( chick pea flour )

½ tsp Red Chilli Powder

1 very finely chopped onion

2 -inch piece of ginger, very finely chopped

2 Green Chillies, very finely chopped

1 tomato finely diced.

1 Bunch of Green Coriander, large stem removed and finely chopped

1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp salt

Direction:

• Put the besan (chick pea flour) in a large mixing bowl.Add water (about 1 cup) and stir to make a smooth batter.
• Fluff up or use a spoon to make sure there are no lumps.
• Add all other ingredients now and mix well and leave for 10 minutes.
• Take a heavy bottomed skillet , fry pan or Tawa and put it on medium heat, put some oil on the pan.
• Once the pan is hot, pour a cup full of this batter in the center of the pan and let it spread like an omlette.
• Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes and turn the side,pour some more oil and cook on the other side.
• Make sure that everytime you put a new chilla on the pan ,you spread some oil on the pan.
• Serve hot with Red Chutney/ Green Chutney
  

Rawa Idli

Few years back I learned it from one of my friends and now I am sharing it with all of you.First time when my hubby ate it he became a fan of it. Now it has become a top priority item in our breakfast.If you don't have much time and feeling hungry ,try this.It is quite simple and tasty too.

Makes - 10 pieces of normal size

Ingredients:

1 cup wheat sooji/rava

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp grated and crushed ginger

2-3 chopped green chilies

1/4 tsp soda bi carbonate or Eno-1 packet

2-3 strands of coriander leaves

1 cup curd

1-2 tsp oil

Salt to taste

Direction:

• Mix sooji with curd and water, stir well and add 1/2 tsp salt and 1 packet Eno or soda bi carbonate.
• Grease an idli stand with Ghee. Put the mixture and steam for around 4-6 mins.
• Cut it into 2 pieces (optional)
• Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds,curry leaves and Red chili. When it start popping, add idli, and fry for sometime. Switch off the heat and immediately add salt, black pepper, coriander leaves, and mix well.
• Serve hot with green chutney/ tomato ketchup/coconut chutney.
  

Dhokla

Dhokla is a healthful snack from Gujarat in Western India and extremely popular across the country. It doesn't really suits to my taste buds but my family members are mad about it.

Green chutney

4-5 Green chili

4- 5 pieces coconut

1 bunch coriander leaves

few mint leaves

1/2 Cumin seeds

1 big Lime

Salt to taste

Direction:

• Take all the ingredients except coriander in a food processor. Grind to a smooth paste.
• Then add the coriander and again grind. Remove to a bowl, add the remaining lime and serve with Dhoklas.

Makes 20 medium sized pieces

For Batter:

250 gms Bengal Gram flour / Besan 1 & 1/2 cup

1/2 cup Curd

1/2 cup Water

1/2 tsp Cooking Soda

For seasoning to be mixed to the batter (to be added just before cooking)

1 tbsp Oil

1 pinch Turmeric Powder

2 green Chili paste (as per taste)

1 tsp Sugar

1/2 lime or 1/3 tbsp Citric acid

1/2 tsp Sodium bi carbonate or Eno - 1 packet

For tempering

Mustard Seeds

Curry leaves

Grated coconut

Coriander leaves

Oil

Direction:

• First, mix 1/2 cup curds with 1/2 water. To this add the besan and stir well to get a lumpless batter, the uniformity should be like idli batter.Add the soda. Set it aside to ferment for approximatly 1to 2 hrs.
• If you are using a pressure cooker, fill the pan with water, place a plate over which you will have use a plate for steaming the dhoklas. or you can use ovan.
• Just before pouring to plate put the lime, sugar,oil, salt,green chili paste and turmeric powder into the batter and mix well.
• In the meantime put the pan on stove, and let the water start boiling. When the water boils, you can mix the eno to the batter (Save little of eno for dusting on the plate), mix gently and you will see bubbles coming out.
• Sprinkle the plate with eno. And immediately pour the batter to the plate. Place the plate carefully inside the pressure pan and cover with lid. whistle is not required. After covering you will find steam coming out of the outlet, simmer and don't disturb for almost 4 -6 minutes.You can use ovan also.
• Remove the lid and confirm it using knife or anything sharp.If it comes out clean and does not have any batter sticking, then it is done. Cover back and let it remain on flame for 1 min and switch off the gas and allow it for 5 minutes.
• In a seperate bowl, mix 3 tsp of water with 1 tsp of oil.
• Remove the plate from the pan, pour the water and oil mix over the top.
• For seasoning, heat a pan with oil, add curry leaves, mustard seeds and finely chopped green chilies. When mustard starts popping, remove and pour over the dhokla.
• The batter should be filled 1/2 to avoid collapse as it will rise up. After adding eno the batter should not rest. Amount of sugar can be increased on preference.
• Let it cool for sometime then cut into big cubes to avoid crumbling.
• Garnish it with coriander leaves n chillies
• Serve with green chutney