Nachani (Ragi) Ladoos

Power packed combo of Calcium and iron for kids and adults alike. They are superbly delicious and guilt free .

Ingredients :

Nachani flour - 250gm
Jaggery - 1 cup or as required
Dry Kharik - 50 gms
cardamom powder - 1 tsp
Ghee- as per required





Method :

Dry roast the nachani flour on low flame till it gives out aroma.
Dry roast Kharik and crush and powder them coarsely.
Cool down the nachani flour.
In the grinder mix nachani flour and jaggery and just run the grinder for 4 to five times stopping after every few seconds.
Take it out add cardamom powder and kharik powder and mix well.
Pour warm ghee and make ladoos.


Note : If hot nachani flour is put in grinder with jaggery , the jaggery will melt due to the heat and the mixture will become sticky preventing you from making ladoos easily.

Mushrooms Stuffed with Cottage Cheese

I was inspired to try this dish when I saw some stuffed mushroom recipe posts by other bloggers. As I had some Paneer I decided to give it a try with the same. The resulting dish was very satisfactory and delicious.
You can have it as a snack with some ketchup or as a side dish with the dinner.

Ingredients :

Big Button Mushrooms - 20-25
Paneer (cottage cheese) - 150 gm
Chopped onion -1
Chopped green chilly - 1
Chopped pudina - 1 tbsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Boiled and mashed potato - 2
Sugar
Salt
Ghee

Method :

Thoroughly wash the mushrooms to remove all the dirt.
Remove the stalks of the mushrooms and finely chop them.
Heat ghee add onions, green chillies and saute till onions are tranparent.
Add chopped mushrooms stalks.
When they are cooked add mashed paneer, pudina, garam masala, salt and sugar.
Stir for 2 minutes and remove from fire.
Stuff the mushrooms with this mixture and cover them with the layer of potato mash.
Smear a non stick frying pan with ghee and arrange the mushrooms on it.
When cooked on one side turn them and brown the other side.

Chicken Liver Masala

A non-vegetarian  gravy dish which can be had with rotis or parathas along with some raita.

Ingredients :

Chicken liver - 250 gm
Chopped onions - 2
Ginger - Garlic paste 2 tbsp
Chopped tomatoes - 2
Chopped  green chiilies - 4
Turmeric -2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tbsp
Fresh Cream - 4 tbsp
Milk - 1/2 cup
Finely cut coriander and pudina - 4 tbsp
Salt
Oil

Method :

Cut each liver into 2  to 3 pieces .
Apply turmeric, salt, garam masala.
Add onions, tomatoes, chillies, ginger garlic paste and corinder pudina.
Keep all this marinated for at least 2 hours.
Heat oil in a non stick kadhai .add all the above mixture and cook cook covered with lid.
When the liver is cooked add milk, and half the fresh cream and again cook for 10 minutes.
Decorate with remaing fresh cream .
Serve with cut onions and lemon wedges or with some raita.

Stuffed Parwar

A dry dish prepared by stuffing parwar with besan mixture. The resulting dish is very yummy.

Ingredients :

Parwar - 1/2 kg
Chopped Onion - 1
Besan (Channa dal  flour) - 1 cup
Cut Green chillies - 2 to 3
Turmeric pd - 1 tsp
Goda (Kala ) Masala pd - 1 tsp
Chopped coriander - 1 tbsp
Panch Poran - (1tsp each mustard, jeera, methi, kalonji, saunf)
salt
oil

Method :

Wash the parwar well and peel the skin .
Give two vertical cuts to parwar as we give cuts to brinjal while makeing bharli vangi (stff brinjal).
Remove the seeds carefully keeping the parwar intact.
Mix together besan, onion, chillies, turmeric, goda masala , cut coriander and salt by adding little water.
The consistency should be much thicker than that of bhajia batter.
Stuff this mixture in the parwar.
Heat oil in a pan.Crush the panch poran seeds a bit and add them.
After they splutter arrange the parwar .
Dilute the remaining stuffing mixture with water , add  and cook with the lid covered.
After 5 minutes turn the parwar and let the other side also cook.

Sungta Kismur (Dry Prawn Salad)

You can use any small dry variety of prawns ( jawla or galba). Normally dry fish dishes are done during monsoons when fresh fish is not available in the market.


Ingredients :

Dry Prawns ( Jawla) 2 cups
finely chopped onions - 2
grated coconut - 3/4 cup
tamarind- lemon size
chilli pd
coconut oil - 2 tsp
salt

Method :

Heat coconut oil in kadhai and roast the prawns till crispy.
Let them cool.
At the time of serving heat a piece of coal till red on direct flame.
In the meanwhile add onions, coconut, chilli pd, salt and tamarind pulp .
Mix well.
Take a small katori . Make depression in the kismur and keep the katori.
Keep the red coal on it pour some coconut oil and immediately cover with lid.
This imparts a very unique flavour to it.

Rajma Cheese Stuffed Paratha

These protein rich Parathas are equally yummy and filling. You can totally avoid the cheese if you don't want it. But the addition of cheese does make a very big difference in taste.

Ingredients :

For the paratha :
Wheat flour
salt
oil

For the filling :
Rajma 1 cup
Chopped Onion - 2
Chopped Tomatoes - 2
Chopped pudina - 4 tbsp
1tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 tsp garam masala
chilli pd
turmeric pd
salt
Grated cheese

Method :

Soak Rajma for 6 hours and pressure cook till soft.

Knead a dough with wheat flour salt and water.

Heat oil in a kadhai and add chopped onions.

When onions are soft add tomatoes, chilli pd, haldi and garam masala.

When cooked add rajma,half mash it and add salt .

Remove from fire and mix chopped pudina and mix well.

Now make a thick roti  of the dough .

Spread the mash on half the roti sprinkle some grated cheese.

Fold the roti into half and little from below.

Make parathas on tawa by smearing ghee on both the sides.

Serve them hot with bundi ka raita and pickle.

Batata Song (Hot and sour potato)

A no hassle sabji which is tangy, sour, hot and spicy. The trick is to add all the ingredients except potatoes in excess as per your taste.

Ingredients :

 Small baby potatoes - 15-20
Onions- chopped - 2 big
Chilli powder
tamarind
haldi
salt
oil

Method :

Boil the baby potatoes and remove the skin.
Soak the tamarind in water to get the soft pulp.
Heat the oil when hot add chopped onions.
When onions are soft add haldi, chilli pd, potatoes and salt.
Add tamarind pulp and cook.
The vegetable should have little gravy.
Putting more oil, chilli, haldi and tamarind makes the dish more tasty.
The sabji should be very hot and sour .
Consume it in smaller quantities .

Daali Thoy - curry

A daal which is a must in almost all karwari homes on a weekly basis. 
I usually have it on Monday mornings for our lunch. 
This daal along with the batata phodi (see the recipe here) is a deadly combination.


Ingredients :

Tuvar dal-1 cup
green chillies - 2 no
ginger- 1/2 inch grated
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
red dry chillies -2 no
curry leaves - 15-20
hing -1/2 tsp (asefotida)
ghee - 2 tbsp
salt

Method :


Pressure cook dal with slit green chillies and grated ginger till soft.

Again boil it make it thin adding water and add salt.

Toya is usually thinner than the other dals.

Then heat ghee in a small vessel .

When hot add mustard , after they splutter add broken pieces of dry chillies.
Also add curry leaves and hing.

Add this tempering (phodni) to the toya and immediately cover the vessel with the lid.

Pasta with vegetables

Pasta made healthy and guilt free with lots of vegetables. I have added  cheese as we like the cheesy taste.
But weight watcher can totally omit it.It tastes superb without cheese also.



Ingredients:

Pasta - 1 medum packet
carrots-2 no
capsicum - 2 no
onions - 2 no
tomatoes - 2 no
ginger paste - 2tsp
garlic paste - 2tsp
tomato ketchup - 4 tbsp
mozarella cheese grated - 4 tbsp
basil - 2 tsp
oregano - 2tsp
pepper pwder - 2tsp
butter

Method :

Cut carrots, capsicums and onions in 1/2 inch cubes.
Chop the tomatoes fine.
Heat butter add carrots when half cooked add onions and capsicums .
Also add chopped tomatoes, basil, oregano and pepper powder.
Stir fry on high flame for 5 minutes  remove and keep aside, let the vegetables be cooked but crisp.
In a big vessel add lots of water add salt and bring it to boil.
When the water boils add pasta and cook till just done ( cooked but firm).
At the time of serving heat some butter in kadhai and mix the cooked vegetables and pasta ,add tomato ketchup, grated cheese and serve hot.


Linking it to Shama's fast-food-event-pasta

Peas Pulav

Pulav which goes well with any spicy Veg or Non- Veg gravy dish.


Ingredients :

Shelled green peas - 1 big katori
rice - 2 katori
fine slices onions - 2 no
garam masala - 2tsp
Cashew/ raisins (optional)
salt
water
ghee

Method :

Heat ghee and fry cashew and raisins and keep aside.
Fry some onion till crisp , keep aside for decoration.
In the same ghee stir fry remaining onion till transparent and soft .
Add washed rice and stir for 5 to 10 minutes .
Add garam masala, salt, water and cook till done.
While serving decorate with fried onion, cashew and raisins.

Batate Pohe

A very tasty maharashtrian snack . One of our family favourites.

Ingredients :

5 fistfulls of poha
2 big onions chopped
4 green chillies
1 big potato cut into pieces
coriander leaves
lemon - 1
coconut grated
mustard seed 1 tsp
haldi 1 tsp
salt
sugar
oil - 1 small katori

Method :

Heat the oil and add mustard seeds.
When they splutter add cut chillies and onions and cook till soft.
Add potatoes and cook till soft by covering the lid
In the mean while wash the poha and soak in water for just 2 minutes.
Then squeeze the water and spread and keep.
When the potatoes are done add poha , haldi, salt and sugar.
Stir nicely till every thing is mixed . Cover the lid and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
Add lemon juice and serve garnished with  coriander leaves and grated coconut.

Prawns in pepper sauce

A very simple, no hassle dish , yet sure to give you lots of praises. A must try for all non-vegetarians.

Ingredients

Prawns medium - 25 no

Potatoes cut in  big pieces - 3 no (optional)

finely chopped onion - 1

finely chopped garlic flakes - 10 to 12 no

pepper powder - 2 to 3 tbsp full

cornflour -2tsp

soya sauce

salt

butter to cook

Method

Shell the prawns and remove the black thread present on the back side of the prawns.

Heat butter in the kadhai .

When hot add chopped onion and garlic.

When onion becomes transparent add the potatoes.

When the potatoes are half cooked add prawns and stir till they turn light pink.

This should take 5 to 10 minutes.

Add salt and pepper powder and cook till soft, dont overcook or prawns will get rubbery.

While serving heat the kadhai and add cornflour paste make in half glass water for thickness.

Batata phodi

These are my personal favourite . On a Monday , to have a lunch of batata phodi with Toya  ( a watery karwari daal ) is a heavenly pleasure.

 (See the recipe for Toya  here )

Ingredients

Potatoes .................  3 to 4 no sliced

chilli powder .............. 2 tsp

haldi powder .................. 1/2 tsp

Karwari sambar pd ............... 1 tsp

amchur (dry mango pd) .................... 1 tsp
rawa .................. 4 to 5 tbsp

salt according to taste 

oil

Method

Apply little salt to potato slices and keep aside for half and hour.

Mix all the masala powders with rawa.

Heat the tawa and smear it with oil.

Wash the potato slices.

Roll them in the dry rawa mixture and shallow fry on tawa

Turn after 5 minutes and cook till crisp and done on both sides.

Vatlav leaves tambli (ajwain leaf curry )

The ajwain leaves curry which is delicious as well as  very healthy and good for stomach.

Ingredients :

Tender Vatlav (Ajwain) leaves 30-35
jeera (1 tsp)
pepper (1tsp)
green chillies -2

Method :

Remove tender leaves of Ajwain plant and wash properly.
In a kadhai heat 2 tsp ghee and fry jeera, pepper and chillies , put leaves and stir for some time.
Grind all this with some grated coconut .
Add salt to taste and some curd for the sourness.
Serve with hot rice topped with ghee.

Daal Phelani (bengali chana dal)

A delicious bengali chana daal . Raisins and cashew make all the difference.

Ingredients:

Chana dal soaked for 6 hours - 1cup

jeera -1 tsp

velchi-1tsp

dalchin-1 tsp

bay leaf - 2

haldi-1/2 tsp

dhania pd -1 tsp

chillipd - 1/2 tsp

raisins - 20-25
coriander leaves

ghee, salt , sugar

Method :

Boil chana dal in cooker with vechi, dalchin and bay leaf till soft but the daal shout be intact. 

In a Kadhai heat ghee , add raisins and cashews and keep aside.
In the same ghee add jeera, 2 red chillies, daal and all remaing ingredients and cook well.
Dont make it too watery it sould be thick in consistency.
Add raisins and cashews fried in ghee and sprinkle coriander leaves.

Carrot Talasani

A very easy but yummy recipe which can be made within minutes. It hardly has any ingredients but tastes like a chinese vegetable.

Ingredients :

Carrots cut into 1 1/2 inch stripes - 1/2 kg
red dry chillies - 3
garlic flakes -12-14 - crushed
 oil and salt

Method :

Heat oil add crushed garlic and cut pieces of dry chilli.
Then add carrot , salt and cook on high flame for 5 to 10 minutes.
Do not overcook keep little crisp.

Cauliflower Talasan

 A simple dry dish make out of cauliflower

Ingredients

Cauliflower florets -half kg

chilli pd-1 1/2 tsp

haldi 1/4 tspm

ustard seeds1/2 tsp

hing 1/4 tsp

oil and salt

Method

Heat oil in a kadhai .
When hot  add mustard when they splutter,lower  make the flame.
Add haldi, chilli, hing immediately and then add florets and salt .
Cook without keeping the lid till cooked.

Lasun Kadhi

This curry goes very well with fish fry ,dry fish preparation ,chicken or mutton .


Ingredients 

Coconut grated - 1/2
garlic flakes 10
dry red chillies 4 to 5
kokam 3 to 4
ghee
mustard seeds
salt


Method

Grind together coconut with garlic, chillies and 1 kokam .
Strain the mixture and take out the milk of coconut.
Repeat this 2 to 3 times more till the juice is no more milky.
Add salt and kokams to this strained mixtureper required .
Heat ghee in a small vessel when hot add mustard seeds and let them splutter. 
Temper the kadhi with this ghee.
Immediately cover the kadhi with the lid.

Egg Flowers on Onion Bed

An all time favourite egg dish which has never failed to impress my guests .
Looks pretty tastes delicious.

Ingredients

Eggs - 6 no
onions 3 big - thinly slices
green chillies 2 - finely chopped
haldi 1/2 tsp
garam masala 1/ tsp
kothmir
salt and oil

Method

In a wide flat pan heat oil .
Put chillies and onion and cook till soft and transparent.
Add haldi salt and garam masala.
Now make the base of onion in pan and make six depressions.
Now break the eggs carefully in these depressions.
Sprinkle little more salt and garam masala on eggs it needed.
Cook till eggs are set. Sprinkle kothmir on top

Sweet potato gujia ( Ratali Karanji)

A sweet karanji made of ratali . Can be had on fasting days .

Ingredients

Boiled and mashed Sweet potatoes - 1/2 Kg
Rajgira atta - 150 gm
milk -to knead a dough
coconut 1/2 - grated
jaggery-1/2 katori
elaichi - 1/2 tsp
ghee

Method

Knead a dough with mashed sweet potatoes , rajgira atta and milk add little salt to taste.
heat ghee add grated coconut and jagerry stir when the jagerry melt and mixture solidifies a little add elaichi.
roll out small puris of the dough, stuff them with the above mixture and fold the puri in a semicircular shape . seal the edges with water.
deep fry in ghee or shallow fry on a pan .

Miri Batata (Pepper Potato)

A easy and tasty potato preparation especially for the fasting days.

  Ingredients

Ghee
Boiled and chopped potatoes 4 no
1tbsp pepper powder
salt

Method

Heat ghee add potato pieces , pepper powder and salt and stir fry till crispy and little reddish brown.
Do not cover while cooking.

Shepu Jhunka (Dill leaves)

A dry vegetable dish made out of dill leaves

Ingredients

Shepu (Dill) 1 bunch
onion chopped -2
garlic 10 -15 flakes crushed
4 tbsp besan

haldi 1/2 tsp

chilli pd 1 1/2 tsp
salt
oil

Method : 

Heat oil add crushed garlic when brown add onions and fry till transparent.
Add cut shepu , haldi, chilli and salt , stir for 5 minutes.
Add little water and cook  for some time.
Sprinkle 4 tbsp besan  and mix properly .
Add little water and cover the lid and cook.

Chapati upma

A tasty snack made with leftover chapatis. 

Ingredients :

10 chapatis
onion 2 big chopped
green chillies -3
mustard-1tsp
haldi-1/2 tsp
kothmir/ naral (optional)
salt sugar oil


Method:

Make small pieces of previous days chapati .
 Heat kadai put oil .
Add mustard when they splutter add chopped onions, gr chillies.
Cook till onion is soft.
Then add the roti pieces put salt, sugar, haldi and sprinkle some water.
Cover with the lid and cook for 5 minutes. add lemon juice and chopped kothmir and serve hot