Vangi Batata - Eggplant Potato Curry

Vangi Batata is one of the most loved dish in Maharashtrian & Gujrati Cuisine. Eggplants mixed with potatoes and onions along with simple yet flavourful spices enhances the taste of this humble vegetable.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

• 1/2kg Small Eggplants

• 1 Onion finely chopped

• 3 Potatoes cut in cubes

• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds

• 1/4th tsp Hing (Asafoetida)

• 1/4th tsp Turmeric Powder

• 2 tbsp Maharashtrian Goda Masala ( You can use Coriander -Cumin Powder instead of Goda Masala)

• 1 tbsp Red Chilli Powder

• 1 tbsp Jaggery (Gul)

• Salt to taste

• 1 tbsp Oil

• Water for cooking

Method:

• Cut eggplants and potatoes in cubes and keep them seperately in salted water so as to avoid oxidation.

• In a kadhai, heat oil and add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds crackle, add hing, turmeric powder and finely chopped onions. Saute onions for 2 minutes.

• Add cubes of potatoes and saute for 2-3 minutes and add 1 cup of water. Cover and cook the potatoes till they are half done. Keep on checking and stirring potatoes occasionally.

• Once potatoes are half cooked, add the eggplants along with jaggery, salt, goda masala (OR Coriander-Cumin powder), red chilli powder and mix all the ingredients. Add water if required. You many adjust the consistency of the gravy as per your preference.

• Cover and cook the vegetable till eggplants and potatoes are tender.

• Vangi Batata - Eggplant Potato Curry is ready.

• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with any flat bread of your choice or with dal rice.

Tip: You may also add 2 teaspoon of roasted peanut powder (roughly crushed) which not only add a little crunch to this vegetable but also enhances the flavour. Add this peanut powder in the last when the vegetable is completely cooked, no need to cook after addition of peanut powder.

Kadai Chicken

One of the simplest, quickest and tastiest dish that is prepared using very few ingredients that are almost readily available at every home. 

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

Kadai Masala:

• 3 Cloves

• 2 tbsp Coriander Seeds

• 1 tbsp Cumin Seeds

• 2 Dry Red Chillies

• 1 inch Cinnamon 

• 5-6 Black Peppercorns

• 1 tsp Fennel Seeds

For Onion Tomato Masala:

• 2 Onion cut lengthwise

• 1 Tomato roughly cut

For Gravy:

• 2 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste

• 3 Cardamom Pods

• 2 Green Chilies cut lengthwise (Optional)

• 1 Capsicum cut in cubes ( You may use any colour capsicum of your choice)

• 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder

• 2 tbsp Cream or Homemade Malai

• 500 gms Chicken cut in pieces

• Juice of 1 Lemon

• Water to cook 

• Salt as per taste

• 2 tbsp Oil for cooking 

• 1 tsp Kasuri Methi Powder (Dry Fenugreek Leaves)

• 2 tsp Kadai Masala

Method:

For Kadai Masala:

• Dry roast the whole spices mentioned above for the Kadai Masala till they release their aroma, ie approx 3 minutes on a medium flame.

• Once roasted transfer the spices onto a plate and let them cool to room temperature.

• In a blender add the above cooled spices and grind to a powder.

• Kadai Masala is ready.

Chicken Marination:

• Marinate chicken for 30 minutes with a tablespoon of ginger garlic paste and juice of 1 lemon.

For Onion Tomato Masala:

• In a pan heat 1tspn of oil and add onions and saute till translucent, add chopped tomato and saute till both onion and tomatoes are cooked. Switch off the flame and let this mixture cool to room temperature.

• Once this onion tomato mixture comes to room temperature, blend it to a fine paste.Add a teaspoon of water if required while blending. 

 For Gravy:

• In a kadhai heat oil, add cardamom pods and saute for a mintue till it releases its aroma. Then add green chilies along with 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste. Saute till raw smell of ginger garlic fades away.

• Add the onion tomato paste and mix well. Saute this paste till oil separates from the mixture. Add red chilli powder, 2 teaspoon of kadai masala which we prepared and mix well.

• Now add marinated chicken and saute till the chicken pieces are nicely coated with the onion tomato masala. Add salt and 1/4th cup water, cook till chicken is 3/4th done. Stir occasionally in between.

• After chicken is 3/4th cooked, add capsicum that is cut in cubes along with cream and mix well. 

• Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes till chicken is tender.Stir occasionally. 

• Lastly when chicken is almost cooked add kasuri methi and cook for another 2 minutes.

• Kadai Chicken is ready.

• Serve hot with flat bread of your choice.

Tip: 1) Use Chicken on bone instead of boneless chicken.

2) You can make this kadai masala in advance and keep it in an airtight container for almost 3 months and use it when needed. 

3) You can also use storebought kadai masala or use any type of chicken masala. 

Shrikhanda

Gudi Padwa is incomplete without Shrikhanda Puri at our Home. 
 
A simple homemade curd magically transformed into one of the delectable sweet dish of India known as Shrikhanda. Thick creamy yogurt flavoured with elegant spices and dry fruits. Best served with garma garam puris.

Gudi Padwyacha hardik Subhecha (Happy Gudi Padwa)!!

Ingredients:

• 500 gms Hung Curd (Chakka)

• 500 gms Powdered Sugar

• 1 tsp Cardamom Powder (Velchi Powder)

• Few strands of saffron dissolved in hot water(Optional) 

Method:

• For making chakka at home, place the curd onto muslin cloth and place it over a colander (sieve) and place in the fridge so as to drain all the water from the curd. Let the water drain from the curd.The thick curd is your chakka.

• In a mixing bowl add chakka & powdered sugar. Mix well till the sugar is nicely incorporated into the curd. Adjust the sweetness as per sourness of the curd.

• Once the curd and sugar are mixed well add cardamom powder and saffron mixture (optional) mix well.

• Make sure mixture has no lumps. 

• Refrigerate for 6-7 hours.

• Garnish with slit almonds & posts.

• Shrikhanda is ready. 

• Serve chilled.

Marie Fudge

Amazingly simple yet delicious Marie Biscuit Fudge!!

Ingredients: (Make Approx. 12 pieces)

• 20 Marie Biscuits

• 3 tbsp Cocoa Powder

• 200 ml. Condensed Milk

• 2 tsp Nutella

• 1 tsp Sugar only if needed

Method:

• Grind marie biscuits to fine powder and transfer it to a mixing bowl.

• Add rest of the ingredients and mix well. Check for the sweetness and transfer the mixture into a glass or aluminum tray.

• Refrigerate for 4-5 hours till the mixture sets well.

• Once mixture is set, cut into bite size pieces and serve.

Cabbage Besan Sabzi - Peeth Perun Kobhi Bhaaji

Cabbage is the king of vegetables at My home. Their are various varieties in which we love preparing this humble nutritious sabzi. One such kind is as we say in Marathi "Peeth Perun Kobhi chi Bhaaji" that is besan sprinkled on cabbage sabzi. Its a dry sabzi, best for tiffins.

Ingredients Required for Recipe: 

• 150 kg Cabbage cut lengthwise
• 1 Onion cut lenghtwise
• 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
• 1/4th teaspoon Hing (Asafoetida)
• 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
• 1/4th teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 2 teaspoon Coriander Powder
• 1 teaspoon Jeera Powder
• 1/4th Cup Coriander Leaves finely chopped
• Salt as per taste
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• 3 tablespoon Besan (Chickpea Flour) 
• 2 tablespoon oil

How to make Besan Cabbage Stir Fry Vegetable:

• In a non stick kadhai heat oil and add mustard seeds, let them splutter. Now add hing (asafoetida), turmeric powder and onions and saute for 2 minutes on a medium flame.

• Once the onions are sauted add cabbage, salt, sugar and mix well. Do not use water.

• Cover and cook the vegetable for another 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Now add red chilli powder, jeera powder, coriander powder and mix well.

• When cabbage is 80% done, use a sieve (strainer) and sprinkle besan evenly over the cabbage and mix well.

• Check for seasoning. Cover and cook the vegetable until the rawness of besan fades away and cabbage is well cooked. Lastly add coriander leaves and mix.

• Cabbage Besan Sabzi – Peeth Perun Kobhi Bhaaji is ready.

• Serve hot with flatbread of your choice.

Tip: As besan is used in this recipe without the use of water, it is highly advisable to use only nonstick utensil while preparing the dish.

Incase you are using different metal utensil then cover with lid adding little water over the lid so that the vegetable does not burn.

Thank you for stopping by…..

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Instant Malai Burfi

On the occasion of Angariki Chaturthi made Instant Malai Burfi for Ganpati Bappa!!

This Malai Burfi is made by My Mom, all credit goes to her :)
 

Ingredients:

• 250 gms Grated Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese)

• 100 gms Condensed Milk

• 2 Cardamon Pods

• 7-8 Pistachios 

• 1-2 tbsp Ghee (Clarified Butter) 

Method:

• Pre-preparation: Take out the seeds of cardamon pods and using mortar pestle  crush the seeds coarsely. Also cut the pistachios into small pieces and keep aside.

• In a thick bottom non-stick pan on a very slow flame, add grated paneer and condensed milk and mix well.

• Stirring continuously, cook this mixture till it thickens and starts to leave the sides of the pan. This process may take approximately 20-25 minutes. Switch off the gas and add crushed cardamon seeds, mix well.

• Grease a plate with ghee (clarified butter). Take out the paneer mixture onto the plate. With the help of spatula spread the mixture evenly.

• Now sprinkle the chopped pistachios all over the evenly spread burfi mixture and gently press the pistachios so that they set on barfi nicely.

• Keep this burfi mixture aside to cool. In an hour or two the burfi mixture sets perfectly. Once the mixtures comes to room temperature, cut the burfi into squares and serve.

Maharashtrian Kadhi

Maharashtrian Kadhi is a famous dish prepared in every maharastrian household. This kadhi is made using yogurt/curd and besan.There are various varieties of kadhi that are prepared across India such as Maharashtrian, Gujrati, Punjabi etc. This sweet tangy healthy kadhi is normally served along with Mugachi Khichadi or hot piping plain rice. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Curd/Yogurt

• 3 cups water

• 1 tsp Turmeric Powder

• 1/2 inch Ginger (Crushed)

• 2 Green Chilles (Crushed)

• 2 tbsp Besan

• 2 tbsp Sugar or as required

• Salt

• 1 tbsp Ghee

• 4-5 Curry Leaves

• 1tbsp Jeera (Cumin seeds)

Method:

• In a sauce pan add whisked smooth curd. Now add Besan and again whisk this mixture making sure no lumps are remained.

• Now add water, turmeric powder, salt, sugar and crushed ginger & green chilly to the curd mixture and mix well. Kadhi mixture is ready. 

• Now keep this mixture to simmer on the lowest flame possible. Check for the seasoning at this time.

• Now for tempering : In a small kadhai add ghee and cumin seeds. When cumin seeds starts to sizzle and change colour add curry leaves. 

• Put this tempering onto the kadhi mixture and let the kadhi come to a boil. Stir the kadhi occasionally.

• Maharashtrian Kadhi is ready. 

• Serve this kadhi piping hot with Mugachi Khichadi or Plain rice along with papad and mango pickle.

Tip: You can garnish this kadhi with coriander leaves.

Palak Paratha - Spinach Paratha

Paratha's are all time favourite at My home. So this time it was Palak's (Spinach) turn!! Normally palak (spinach) puree is used in making of this palak paratha (Spinach Paratha), but we prefer to prepare it by roughly chopping the blanched spinach leaves.
 

Ingredients: (Serves approx. 3)

• 2 Bunches of blanched Palak (Spinach)

• 2 tsp Ginger - Garlic Paste

• 2 tsp Coriander Powder

• 1 tsp Cumin Powder

• 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder

• 2 Cups Wheat Flour

• Salt to taste

• Water to knead dough

• Oil

Method:

• Blanch palak (spinach leaves). Drain excess water and keep aside to cool. Once the palak(spinach leaves) is cooled enough, cut it roughly.

• In a bowl, add chopped spinach leaves and rest of the ingredients.

• Mix all the ingredients well and start kneading the dough by adding small amount of water at a time. Knead a soft dough.Drizzle little oil over the kneaded dough. Cover and let it rest for about 15-20 minutes.

• After 15-20 minutes divide the dough into equal portion and roll out each portion into a round paratha.

• Use dry wheat flour while rolling the paratha.

• Heat a skillet / tava and place the paratha over it.Cook the paratha from both sides by applying little oil over it. Roast this paratha till nice brown spots appear on the surface. 

• Palak Paratha is ready.

• Serve these healthy & delicious Palak Paratha with any raita or pickle

Healthy Chinese Bhel Using Chapati

Its been more than a month now that I have been successful in ditching unhealthy junk food and immensely trying hard to implement healthy lifestyle by cooking at home with low carb ingredients and high fiber content. And that's what lead Me to prepare this utterly magnificent tongue tingling dish made with Chapati and lots of veggies. Though it has sauces which are not quite "healthy" but still such a small quantity won't harm for that "Healthy Quotient".

I was quite hesitant though, regarding the taste but was amazed to find out that it tasted heavenly delicious than using fried hakka noodles! No wonder this is now a family favourite at our home.!!!

Ingredients: (Serves 3)

• 1 1/2 Cup Fried Chapati Noodles

• 1 Cup Grated OR Shredded Carrot

• 1 Cup Shredded Cabbage

• 1/4th Cup Spring Onion Greens finely chopped

• Salt if needed

For Sauce:

• 1 tsp Minced Garlic  

• 1 tbsp Red Chili Sauce 

• 2 tbsp Tomato Ketchup

• 1 tbsp Soy Sauce

• 1 tsp Vinegar

Chapati Noodles:

• Using a kitchen scissor / knife cut Chapati into strips. 

• Let the width of the strips be half inch wide. Once your chapati is cut into strips, now in batches deep fry these chapati chips till they are light golden brown.

• Transfer the fried chapati chips onto a tissue paper to absorb the extra oil.

• Your fried Chapati noodles are ready.

Method: 

• In a bowl, add minced garlic, red chilly sauce, soy sauce, tomato ketchup, vinegar and mix well.

• In a mixing bowl, add carrot, cabbage some spring onion greens, fried  Chapati noodles and above prepared sauce. Keep aside some spring onion greens for garnishing.

• Mix all the ingredients well. Check for seasoning.

• Chinese Bhel using leftover Chapati's is ready.

• Garnish with finely chopped spring onions and serve. 

Note: 1) You may add veggies as per your choice. Capsicum, Beans Sprouts, Onions etc.

2) In case you don't want to have raw veggies, you can saute this veggies along with the sauce and then add to the fried chapati noodles once the veggies are cooled off.

Dudhi Muthia

Muthia's are all time favourite at My home. Easy to make and very healthy, My Mom loves making different kinds of Muthia for us. This is one of such dish, Dudhi (Bottle Gourd) Muthia, it comes out so tasty and full of flavours. 

You may either deep or shallow fry it or add tadka over the steam muthia to lower the oil content. As such they taste amazing without any tempering or frying.

  
Ingredients: (Makes approx. 3 rolls)

• 2 Cups Grated Dudhi (Bottle Gourd)

• 2 Cups Wheat Flour

• 1 Cup Gram Flour (Besan)

• 4 tsp Red Chilli Powder

• 1 tsp Cumin Powder

• 2 tsp Coriander Powder

• 1 tsp Turmeric

• 1 tsp Sesame Seeds

• 1/2 tsp Sugar (Optional)

• Salt as per taste

• Water to knead the dough

• Oil to fry

Method:

• Remove the skin of dudhi (bottle gourd) and grate it, remove as much excess water as you can after grating. Add red chili powder, coriander & cumin powder, sesame seeds, turmeric powder, salt and sugar.

• Mix all the ingredients well and check for seasoning. Now add wheat flour and besan (gram flour) and start kneading the dough.

• Do not add excess water, due to salt dudhi (bottle gourd) will leave sufficient amount of water. So without adding any extra water first, mix all the ingredients.Incase your batter is too dry then only add little water as per required.
  

• Knead a soft dough, this dough.

• Now shape the dough into cylindrical shape and apply little oil over it.

• Place these rolls onto a sieved plate & steam for 20 minutes.

• After 20 minutes, take out the rolls and keep aside to cool.

• Once cooled, cut them into half inch disc and deep or shallow fry into hot oil.

• Dudhi Mutia (Bottle Gourd Muthia) are ready.

• Serve them hot with cup of garma garam Chai (Indian Tea).   

Note: Incase you don't want to fry these muthia's, you may make tempering of mustard seeds and asafoetida (hing) in hot oil along with 4-5 curry leaves and pour this tempering over these muthia. Garnish with coriander leaves and scrapped coconut and serve.