Shengdanyache Ladoo / Peanut laddoos

Navratri is the pious week and many follow it with fast of different kinds. Some follow vegetarian, some roots and fruits while some only fruits and nuts. I made these Peanut laddoos for a quick and healthy bite which not only satiates you hungers pangs but also energies you quickly. So here is my take on Peanut laddoos.

Ingredients :

Salted roasted peanuts 400 grms, Jaggery/palm sugar powder preferebly the organic one 250 grams, sugar 50 grams, pure ghee 2 to 3 tabsp, salt 1/4 tsp. Cardamom powder 1tsp.

Method :

Grind peanuts into a coarse powder, add jaggery powder, sugar salt cardamom powder and ghee. Mix well. Take small portion and bind it into a tight lemon size laddoos.

Enjoy the healthy snacks…

N.

Rava Dosa

Rava Dosa is an authentic South Indian delicacy. Unlike the regular dosa…these don’t require soaking, grinding a day prior preps. Rava Dosas can be made max 30 minutes prior meal. Here is my take on Rava Dosa.

Ingredients –

Semolina (Rava) 1 1/2 cups, Rice Flour 1 1/2 cups, all purpose flour (maida) 1cup. Water as required. Salt to taste.

Seasoning – Oil 1/2 cup, mustard and cumin seeds 1teaspoon each, asafoetida 1/2 teaspoon. Grated ginger 1 tabspoon. Onion 1 large finely chopped. Coriander leave chopped handful, chillies chopped as required. A few broken cashews and raisins.

Method –

In a mixing bowl take Rava, maida and rice flour, season it with salt and add water, mix well into a thin consistency. In a wok heat oil and tamper asafoetida, mustard and cumin, add ginger and onion. Take it off the heat and add it to the batter. Now add the green chillies, coriander leaves, cashews and raisins. Mix well and keep it covered for 30 minutes.

Making of Dosa – heat griddle/nonstick skillet and apply some oil. Take the batter in a ladle and drop slowly on hot griddle. Allow it to cook till it turns golden. Flip and let it crisp up. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

N.

Kobi Cha bhanavla

Kobicha Bhanavla are spiced cabbage cakes. Steamed and then shallow fried with a crisp exterior and soft spicy core. An SKP speciality and a big hit at our restaurant – Paisley Experience Alibaug. Here’s my take on this authentic gem of our community.

Ingredients :

Chopped cabbage 2 cups, coriander leaves finely chopped 1/2 cup, onions 1 medium chopped, green chillies 2/3 chopped, ginger garlic paste 1 tsp, turmeric powder 1/2 tsp, skp masala 1tsp or chilli powder 1 tsp with 1/2 tsp garam masala. Coriander cumin powder 1tsp, juice of 1 lemon, chick pea flour (besan) 11/2 cups, rice flour 1/2 cup, salt to taste, sugar 2 tsp. Oil 2/3 tabsp in the mixture and some more for shallow trying.

Method:

In a bowl mix cabbage, coriander leaves, onion and green chillies with the dry spices – turmeric, skp masala, coriander cumin powder, sugar and salt. Add lemon juice, oil, besan and rice flour. If too dry add 1/2 cup of water. Mix the whole into a loose dough. Transfer the mixture into a greased tin and steam it for 20 mins. Till cooked. To check try the knife method if the knife has the dough continue cooking for another 5/10 mins. Cool the steamed cake and cut into cubes. Shallow fry till Golden and Crispy. Serve hot and garnish with some freshly grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves.

N.

Ghavane and Lasun chutney.

Ghavan is rice flour pancakes and lasun chutney is chutney made from Lasun – Garlic and coconut. One of the humblest and most satisfying breakfast option in every SKP (Somvanshiya Kshatriya Pathare) household. I enjoy this with an add on goodness of Gud – Jaggery. Ghavane can be savoured with spicy fish curry too!

Ingredients:

Ghavane – Rice flour 1cup, salt as per the taste and oil 2tabspoon.

Chutney – Coconut freshly grated 1/2 cup, garlic 2 cloves, green coriander 2 tabsp chopped, green chillies 1/2, salt as per taste, sugar 1/2tsp, a few drops of lemon juice.

Method:

For the Ghavane mix rice flour salt and oil in a mixing bowl and add 2/3 cups of water. The consistency shouldn’t be too thick or thin. Heat a non stick griddle and with a laddle pour evenly the batter all over. Allow it to cook for 3-4 mins. While the Ghavane is being cooked make the chutney by add all the above ingredients and running it thru a grinder. Make a coarse paste. Do not add much of water.

Enjoy the steaming hot Ghavane with chutney and try it with a hint of jaggery.

Shev

Shev is the crispy Chickpea fried noodles. A savoury one can munch on endlessly. I somehow missed adding this recipe in the earlier “Diwali Cha Faral” post.

So here’s my take on a quick, crunchy and crispy shev.

Ingredients :

Besan (Chickpea flour) 1/2kg, asafoetida 1/2tsp, chilli powder 2tsp ( can add more if you prefer spicy), turmeric powder 1/2tsp, salt as per the taste, baking powder 1/4 tsp, oil 1cup for in the flour and some more for deep frying.

Method :

In a bowl mix chilli, turmeric, asafoetida salt, baking powder and oil to the Chickpea flour -besan. Mix well and add little water to knead into a loose dough. Pat it will oil seperating them into cylindrical shape. Heat oil. Take some dough in the shev maker( easily available in any utensils store). Strain it into the hot oil directly covering the oil. It will start bubbling and within 3/4 mins the bubbles with subside and that’s when you know the shev is ready to be taken out of the oil. Drain the excess oil and let it cool completely. Store it in an airtight container.

Enjoy with a hot cup of Chai.

N.

Karanji

Karanji

Karanji is a sweet calzone with a stuffing of dessicated coconut, a mix of nuts with flavour of cardamom. Karanji has a special significance in festival like Diwali, Holi or Raksha Bandhan in Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

I have posted one version (Rajput) of karanji in the “Diwali Cha faral” earlier, this one is the Maharashtrian version. So here is my take on Karanji.

Ingredients:

For the cover –

4 cups all purpose flour (maida), 11/2 cup semolina, salt 1tsp, ghee 1cup. Water to knead the dough.

Also we will need a mixture (paste) of ghee and cornflour to line the layers.

For the stuffing –

Dessicated dry coconut 250 grms, poppy seeds ½ cup, mix finely chopped nuts (almond, pistachio, cashew) ½ cup, raisins handful, nutmeg powder ½ tsp, cardamom powder 1tsp. Ghee 2tabsp. Castor Sugar 175grams.

Method-

Covering:

In a mixing bowl add maida, semolina and salt. Rub ghee to make a Sandy mixture. Add some water to knead into a stiff dough. Rest for an hour covering it with wet cloth. Divide the dough into 4 balls and roll it into thin chapatis. Now layer the chapatis and line it by spreading the mixture of cornflour ghee paste. Roll it tightly and divide the roll into 1 inch rolls. Keep it covered for another 15 mins.

Stuffing :

Heat ghee in a broad pan and roast poppy seeds till golden brown, now add the rest of the ingredients except sugar, toast lightly for a couple of minutes. Allow it to cool and then add the powdered sugar. Adjust the sweetness accordingly.

Making the karanji.

Roll the dough into small Puris ⅚ inches diameter. Place it on the karanji mould and add a table spoon full of stuffing. Apply water on the edges and seal it tightly. De-mould it and fry on medium heat till it turns crispy, golden and you see the layers.

Enjoy all the festivities with such golden goodness.

N.

Maalpua

Maalpua is an authentic Rajput delicacy. Whole wheat flour mixed with palm jaggery, deep fried with mild spices…is enjoyed to the hilt in every Rajput family. As a kid I always pricked the peppercorn from the maalpua and wondered why Ma adds it…but now I know it simply takes the simple maalpua to a new level in distinctive taste. So here is my take on the Maalpua.

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour 100grams, palm Jaggery 100grams, peppercorns 7/8, salt to taste. Ghee for deep frying. Water to soak in the jaggery approximately 200/300 ml. Refined flour /maida 1 – 2tabsp optional.

Flavouring – cardamom, dry ginger, crushed pepper, nutmeg powder.

Method:

Soak the jaggery in water the previous night so that is softens and dissolves. In a mixing bowl take the whole wheat flour, season it with salt, add the whole peppercorn and the flavouring ingredients. Stir in the jaggery water till it becomes runny like that of crepes. Heat ghee in a broad pan and pour a laddle full of maalpua mix. If the Maalpua flutters and disintegrates add a couple of tabsp of maida.

Laddle after laddle pour in to make small soft yet crispy on the edge maalpuas. Bite into the hot soft centre with a surprise taste of peppercorn which instantly brings in the hot element to the sweet maalpua.

Serve hot with Mathaa (spiced and tempered buttermilk).

N.

Muttonacha Rassa

Sundays is a usual scene in my kitchen….and most of the Sundays are enjoyable with a hearty Spicy Mutton Curry (मटणाचा रस्सा). So here is my take on a slightly different take on spicy mutton curry.

Ingredients:

Goat meat /Mutton 1kg, ginger garlic paste 1tabsp, onions 2medium finely chopped, garlic crushed 7 -8 cloves.
Dry spices – turmeric 1tsp, pachkalshi masala (SKP) 4 – 5 tsp, coriander cumin powder 1 tabsp.

Vaatan (masala paste) fresh coconut grated 2tabsp, dry coconut grated 2 tabsp, red chillies dry 4/5, garam masala 1tsp, cardamom 4-5 and 2 bay leaves.

Oil 100grm, salt to taste. Coriander leaves for garnish.

Method:

In a bowl mix the dry spices – turmeric, red masala and coriander cumin powder with the mutton. Add ginger garlic paste and massage well in the meat. Set aside for a couple of hours.

Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan, add garlic. Saute for less than a minute and then add onions. Stir fry till it turns pink and translucent. Now add the marinated meat to it. Stir fry the meat on high flame for 5 mins till the oil separates. Add 500 morning of warm water. Season it with salt. Bring it to a boil and simmer it with lid on. Cook till tender.

Till the meat cooks we prepare the vaatan ( curry paste) . In a work heat a tabsp of oil and tamper bay leaves, cardamom and red chillis. Add fresh and dry coconut and roast for 2/3 minutes. Add garam masala. Transfer it to a mixer and grind it into a fine paste.

Add this ground paste to the mutton curry and bring it to a boil. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with Roti, Rice, Ghavan etc the choice is endless and so is the level of enjoyment.

N.

Kheema Akrod Karanji (Ukdiche)

Kheema (mince) Akrod (walnuts) karanji (calzone) Ukdiche kheema Akrod Karanji is one of the most liked appetizer for parties at my place. One can eat this without guilt simply because I use minimal oil for making the stuffing and steam it instead of deep frying. So here is my take on this recipe.

Ingredients:

Stuffing-

Chicken kheema 200 grams, onion 1 medium finely chopped, ginger garlic paste 1tsp, turmeric 1/2 tap, chilli powder 2tsp, coriander cumin powder 2tsp, garam masala powder 1/2tsp, cardamom powder 1/4th tsp, salt to taste, oil 2tabsp, chopped green coriander, lemon juice 1tabsp, chopped walnuts 3tabsp.

Cover-

Rice flour 1heaped cup, water 1cup, a pinch of salt and oil 1tsp.

Method:

Heat oil and sauté onions till translucent, add ginger garlic paste and the rest of the dry spices. Stir for a minute and add the mince. Season it with salt and stir on high flame. (The mince has water and fat content so do not add water) cover it and cook it for 15mins on low heat. Garnish with chopped coriander, walnuts and a dash of lemon.

For the cover, heat water in a pan and season it with salt and oil. Once it comes to a boil add rice flour. Mix well and cover it with the lid. Shut the heat and let it rest till it cools though not completely.

Stuffing and making the karanji-

Now knead the rice flour into a smooth dough and divide them into lemon size balls. Roll each ball into approximate 5 inches circle. Place the rolled rice flour dough in a karanji mould and fill a tabsp of mince walnuts fillings. Press the mould to seal the karanji. Place these karanji into a steamer and cook it further for 5 mins. Serve hot with mint or garlic chutney.

If you do not have a mould on can just twist and seal the rolled dough into semicircular to make it into a karanji form.

N.

Shevayi / Rice Noodles in sweet coconut milk.

Shevayi is the most popular dessert after Ukdiche Modak in coastal Maharashtra. Simple rice noodles bathing in sweetened coconut milk is pure indulgence. My husband’s Nani’s house being in Alibaug… this is one of his favorite dessert. Hence cracked the recipe to Pamper my hubster.

Ingredients: (serves 8)

Coconut 1, rice flour 2 cups, ghee a tabsp, salt to taste, jaggery 1/2 cup, cardamom powder 1tsp.

Method:

Coconut milk –

Grate 1coconut, add 1/2cups of water, add the jaggery and blend it through. Sieve the milk by pressing the coconut mixture through the sieve. This is the first extract. Repeat the same process to get another extract. Keep it in the fridge.

Rice Noodles –

Boil 4cups of water, add ghee and season it with salt, bring it to a boil. Add the rice flour and mix it with a spatula. Cover it and keep it at rest for half an hour. After cooled knead the rice flour into a smooth dough. Make cylindrical shape and transfer into the noodles maker( the same Machine used for making shev/ chakli). Make small batches of thin rice noodles and place them in a steamer. Steam it for 5 mins.

OR

Another method of making noodles is after kneading the steamed rice flour into a dough, make small balls (lemon size). In a pot boil water and immerse the rice flour balls, boil it till it floats. Strain it. Then transfer into the Noodle maker and make thin noodles. Pour sweetened coconut milk over the noodles and serve.

Serving – place the noodles in a shallow bowl and pour the sweet coconut milk over it. Garnish with a pinch of cardamom powder.

Enjoy the heavenly गोड शेवया !

N.