Karlyachi Bhuji - Bittergourd Fritters

I made these simple bitter gourd fritters after tasting them in Mumbai.

Karlyachi Bhuji
Bitter gourd Fritters
Ingredients
3 small bitter gourd, scraped, deseeded, cut into 4-6 pieces, lengthwise
salt to taste

1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp asafetida
1 tsp chili powder

Oil for frying

Method
1. Scrape the peels and remove the seeds of the bitter gourds. Cut them into 4-5 pieces lengthwise.
2. Apply salt and set aside. Drain the bitter gourd slices after 15 minutes.
3. Heat oil for frying.
4. Mix rice flour with spices. Add water to make a thick batter. Adjust salt - remember that you had applied salt to the bitter gourd pieces.
5. Dip each bitter gourd piece into the batter to coat it uniformly. Shake off any excess.
6. Place into hot oil. Fry till crispy on both sides.

7. Place on a kitchen napkin to remove excess oil.

Note -
1. Add more or less chili powder depending on your preference.


Print Page

Sabudana Chaklya

 

Every summer, my aunt makes delicious Papads, Kurdaya, Chundo, pickles & wafers. She always sends a big container of all the goodies.

 

These "chaklya" are fried and eaten like papads.

Sabudana Chakalya
साबुदाण्याच्या चकल्या
Sago - Potato Fritters
Ingredients
500 Gm sabudana
500 Gm potatoes

Grind to a paste
Salt to taste
5 Green chilies
2" ginger, peeled & grated
1 tbsp. Cumin seeds powder


Method
1. Roast sabudana and then soak it overnight
2. Grind it to a fine paste
3. Boil potatoes, mash them and keep it aside
4. Add all the ingredients together, and knead to a soft dough. Squeeze out chaklis . Keep them under sun for drying.
5. Once dried completely, store them in an airtight container.

Note -
1. These are deep fried and eaten.

Surnache Kaap - Indian Yam Fritters

 

 

So far, I had always used freshly frozen suran/yam from Indian stores. But last time, I found fresh suran. I took a small chunk to make kaap/kachrya/fodi. This is a typical vegetarian delicacy which is enjoyed in Konkani homes along with simple daal and rice especially on the vegetarian (shivraak) day.

SurNache Kaap
Indian Yam Fritters
Ingredients
1  chunk of suraN/Indian yam
2 cups water + 5 kokums or 1 tsp tamarind paste

Mix
1/2 tbsp. chili powder
salt to taste
1/2 tsp asafetida
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

To dredge
1 tbsp. rice flour
1 tbsp. fine rawa/semolina

Oil for shallow frying

Method
1. Peel yam carefully, discarding all the outer skin.
2. Cut into thick "fillets".
3. Soak them in kokum or tamarind water for 15 minutes. Drain.

4. Mix chili powder, salt, asafetida and turmeric powder. Place wet yam pieces and apply this paste so it's uniformly coated.

5. Heat a cast iron pan. Add oil for shallow frying.
6. Dredge each yam "fillet" in the rice flour + rawa mixture.
7. Place in a single layer on hot tawa.

8. Cook on low flame, covering with a lid. Remove the lid after 7-8 minutes. Flip on the other side. Let it cook without the lid.
9. Let it crisp up from both the sides.
10. Place on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.

Note -
1. Kokum or tamarind water soak is needed since suran/Indian yam generally results in a nasty itch to the throat. Kokum or tamarind takes care of this issue.

SuraN/Indian Yam

Print Page

Andyacha PoLa - Fried Egg Indian style

 

My grandmother was a pesco-vegetarian per her family's GSB beliefs. So she consumed fish along with vegetarian diet. But she didn't eat eggs. My grandfather was a strict vegetarian. Back in the day, theirs was a rare inter-caste marriage. What I find endearing is the fact that, my grandfather encouraged my grandmother to cook and eat seafood though he never touched it. There was no restriction on her to change her food habits because his food habits were different and vice versa. But later my grandfather had a car accident. He became quite weak and Doctor prescribed "an egg a day" remedy for him. My grandmother -who had never touched an egg, started making egg and of course, her children eagerly started devouring eggs. As soon as my grandfather recovered, he resumed back to his vegetarian diet. But my grandmother kept cooking eggs once in a while for her kids. Now, dosa is called "PoLa" in Marathi/Konkani. So my grandmother started calling simple omelet as "Andyacha PoLa".

Andyacha PoLa
Ingredients
2 eggs
2 tbsp. milk
salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp. minced onion (optional)

Ghee/Toop for frying

Method
1. Whisk eggs, milk, salt, turmeric powder and onion - if using.
2. Heat ghee/toop/clarified butter in a small saucepan.
3. Add half of the batter. Drizzle more ghee if desired.

4. Cover and let it cook.
5. Flip and cook on the other side.

6. Repeat steps 2 - 5 for the remaining batter.

Note -
1. Do use clarified butter for this recipe.

Print Page

Kesar Pistewali Lassi

 

Kesar Pista is my most favorite flavor for ice creams/kulfi. So I used it to create my lassi today.

 

Kesar Pistewali Lassi

Saffron Pistachio Smoothie

Ingredients

2 tbsp. unsalted raw pistachios, grated

2 green cardamoms, peeled, powdered

few strands of saffron

1 tbsp. milk

 

1 1/2 cup plain yogurt

A pinch of salt

4 tbsp. sugar (or more)

 

Method

1. Place saffron strands on a stainless steel spoon. Place it over a flame for few seconds. Add to the milk in a small ramekin. Mix and set aside.

3. Blend yogurt, water, salt, sugar, saffron milk, cardamom powder and pistachio powder.

4. Refrigerate.

5. Serve chilled.

 

Note -

1. Do not use salted pistachios.

Print Page

Hurdyache ThalipeeTh

 

 

 

 My mom had been to Mahalakshmi Saras Exhibition at Bandra Reclamation ground with her friends. They tasted delicious "HurDyache ThalipeeTh". I really thought that it was an amazing idea to try. But getting "HurDa" here is United States was impossible - or so I thought.

Last week, I couldn't believe my eyes when I spotted "Ponk" made by Deep Brand in the frozen section. What we call "hurDa" in Marathi(हुर्डा ) , Gujaratis called "Ponk" (પોંક ) - it's fresh, green tender grains of Sorghum/Jowar/Jondhala/Jwari.

Deep's description says -
"
As delicious as it's rare, Ponk is known in Western India as a special treat - available during short time during winter months. Ponk is lightly roasted so as to retain its tenderness and moisture. Traditionally mixed with tangy sev, Ponk is a perfect snack.
"

Every winter, you get fresh ponk/hurDa in certain parts of Mumbai. I remember my aunt would make that special trip all the way to Dadar - near Kabutar khana - to get that fresh ponk. It was sprinkled with chaat masala and crispy sev.

I took that ponk from the freezer section, thaw it completely at the room temperature, used the bhajni from my pantry and made this thalipeeth. It was delicious.

Disclosure - I am not affiliated to Deep food products by any means. I am just sharing my excitement about finding a rare childhood winter treat right here in the US of A.

Hurdyache ThalipeeTh
हुरड्याचे थालीपीठ
Green Sorghum Grains Pat a cake
Ingredients
1 cup green sorghum grains/HurDa/Ponk
1 1/2 cups Thalipeeth Bhajni
3/4 cup minced onion
1/3 cup chopped cilantro

salt to taste

oil for frying

Method
1. If using "Ponk" from the frozen section, thaw it completely at room temperature.

2. Mix it with bhajni, onion, cilantro and salt.
3. Add water as needed to make little loose dough.

4. Heat a cast iron or nonstick griddle.
5. Keep a bowl of water ready to wet your hands from time to time.
6. Take a ball of the dough with wet hand, place it gingerly on the hot pan. Start patting with your wet hand till it's flat, round and thin.

7. Mark 4-5 holes using the back of a spoon.
8. Drizzle oil as needed around the thalipeeth and into the holes.

9. Cover and let it cook on medium heat.
10. Remove the lid. Flip and let it crisp up on the other side.
11. Serve hot thalipeeth off the pan immediately.

Note-
1. ThalipeeTh bhajni generally contains all the necessary spices, but if you like it, you can add more chili powder or ginger-garlic paste depending on your preference.
2. Thalipeeth bhajni generally does not contain salt. However, make sure it doesn't have it first, and then add salt accordingly.
3. Traditionally thalipeeth is served with a dollop of homemade butter/loNi. But this recipe is otherwise very much vegan!
4. I used Ponk - Deep brand - from the freezer section of my local Indian stores.



Print Page

Panchkutiyu Shaak

 

 My mom-in-law was a working woman. (She is now retired). So many of her recipes involved using pressure cooker since it makes food gets cooked in a jiffy. Today's Panchkutiyu shaak recipe is also a pressure cooker based, but it can easily be made in a saucepan. Cooking time may increase as it will need to be cooked on a low flame.

 

Panchkutiyu Shaak
Ingredients
4-5 small eggplants, Make a 'X' slit on each
4-5 small potatoes, make a 'X' slit on each
1/2 cup surti papdi lilva/baby lima beans
1 green banana, cut into big chunks, and make 'X' slit on each chunk
1 sweet potato, cut into big chunks, and make 'X' slit on each chunk

Mix
1 cup chopped cilantro/coriander leaves
1 tbsp. dhana jiru/coriander-cumin powder
1 tsp ginger - green chilie paste
1 tsp garlic paste
salt
1 tsp Gujarati Garam Masala
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp sugar (optional)

Tempering
1 tbsp. oil
1/4 tsp ajmo
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida

Method
1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
2. Add ingredients for tempering.
3. Add beans at the bottom. Place stuffed vegetables. Spread all the remaining stuffing over the vegetables.

4. Pour about 1 cup water.
5. Pressure cook till done.
6. Remove pressure.
7. Simmer till cooked. Add more water if you desire more gravy.

Note -
1. Make sure that there is extra stuffing after stuffing the vegetables.
2. I sometimes add some readymade hard muthiyas that are available.
3. This shaak can also be made without pressure cooker. In that case, cover the saucepan with a lid. Pour some water on top. Let it cook for about 30 minutes or till the vegetables are done. Cook on low flame.
4. If made without pressure cooker and want to use readymade, hard muthiyas , soak them for 10 minutes before using.


Print Page