Oondhiyu ( Gujarathi Mix Vege )

Winter season brings with it , its share of various special dishes... Sarson Kaa Saag , Gajar Kaa Halwa, Til Laddoos , Gajak and many many more. Oondhiyu is one such very popular Gujarati dish which is made during winter season.

 Its a type of mix vegetable using all the fresh vegetables avalaible . The dish demands liberal use of oil . Though the dish demands some special efforts and time , you will forget all that when you taste this amazingly tasty dish.

 The dish can be prepared well in advance. This brings out the flavours of all the vegetables beautifully.

Serve this with pooris and shrikhand or with Gujarati khichdi kadhi .

Ingredients :

1/4 kg .................small brinjals
4 .......................ripe banans ( with skin)
1/2 kg ...............surti papdi ( small variety beans )
1/2 kg ..............green peas ( fresh )
1 kg together .................suran ( yam ) + ratali ( sweet potato) konphal ( purple type of root )

For Grinding :

1 bunch ......................coriander leaves
1 bowl........................fresh scraped coconut
1 small bowl.............coriander seeds
1/2 small bowl..........cumin seeds
1/4 small bowl...........pepper seeds
8/10 ..........................green chillies
2 .............................lemons

For the methi muthiyas  : ( fenugreek leaves pakoda) 1 small bunch...................fresh fenugreek leaves 1 small bunch....................fresh garlic leaves 7 / 8  tbsp...........................besan ( chick pea flour ) 1/2 tsp...............................turmeric powder  salt oil

Method : Clean the coriander bunch and grind the leaves, coconut, coriander seeds, cumin, pepper into a rough paste. Add to this paste lemon juice and mix well . Clean the fenugreek and garlic leaves bunch and chop finely. Mix half the chopped garlic leaves into the ground paste. Add the remaining half in fenugreek leaves. Add to this besan, 2 tbsp green paste and salt. Add water and make a sticky dough of this mixture. Heat oil in a kadhai and drop small roundels of this in oil. Fry them till golden and keep aside These are called muthiyas. Clean the beans by removing the thread and making two vertical halves . Shell the green peas. Add half green paste to beans and peas and keep aside. Now wash all the roots and remove the skin , Cut them into big pieces and give vertical cuts keeping the base part intact as if to stuff these vegetables. Do the same for brinjals and bananas ( with skin) Stuff these vegetables and roots with the remaining green paste.

Now in a big vessel add oil and add to it beans and peas. Stir well and cook with covered lid for 5 minutes. Next add all the stuffed roots and again pour some oil. Cover with lid and cook till the roots are half cooked ( 15 minutes) Now arrange stuffed brinjals  and pour some oil. Cook for 5 more minutes. Lastly arrange all stuffed bananas and muthiyas on top. Add oil and sprinkle some water and cook covered for 10 minutes. Serve hot with pooris or with khichdi kadhi .

Sweet Potato Strusel Bread

Made this yummy Sweet Potato Bread for home-bakers-challenge this month. This is a rich and moist bread not the fluffy and soft kind which we are used to. But sweet potato lends this bread a very unique flavour along with the nutty strusel.

The bread can be had plain as it is sweetish in taste. We thoroughly enjoyed this bread with some custard sauce .

Ingredients :

1/4 kg ..................sweet potato
2 tsp......................butter
1/3 cup.................chopped nuts ( almonds, pistachios, walnuts )
2 tbsp..................sugar
1 cup...................maida
1 cup..................wheat flour
3/4 cup................sugar (powdered)
1 tsp....................baking powder
3 tbsp..................oil
2/3 cup ...............fresh orange juice
1/2 tsp................cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp................nutmeg powder
2 tbsp.................egg replacer powder ( whipped stiff in 1/4 cup water )

Method :


Steam the sweet potato, peel it and mash it
.
In a small vessel add butter , nuts and sugar and heat till the sugar melts.

Keep this mixture aside.

In a vessel add all the ingredients given in the list from maida onwards and mix well.

If needed add some water for mixing well.

The mixture should be thicker than the idli batter.

Pour the mixture in a greased pan.

Put spoonfuls of the nuts mixture on the cake batter at intervals.

Bake for  40 to 50  minutes at 180 degrees in a preheated oven.

Check whether cooked by inserting a toothpick in the bread.

The toothpick should come out completely clean.

Sajja Booleru - Sweet Bajra Poori

This month our indian-cooking-challenge  date an event by Srivalli coincided with Pongal or  Makarsankranti as it is known in Maharashtra .

This sweet which we have made also completely relates with the festival . Usually on Pongal or Makarsankranti sweets which have liberal use of sesame seeds are made and these pooris have a nutty flavour due to the added sesame seeds .

Sajja Booleru a traditional Andhra sweet which is made with bajra flour , jaggery and sesame and is very simple to make and delicious to taste.

Ingredients :


1/4 kg ....................Bajra flour
100 gm .................jaggery
2 tbsp.....................fresh grated coconut
2 tbsp.....................sesame ( til seeds )
1/2 tsp....................cardamom powder
water for mixing
oil for deep frying




Method:


Add 1/2 cup water in a vessel and melt jaggery in it.

Dry roast sesame seeds till they give nutty aroma.

Now mix everything and knead a soft dough.

If needed add more water.

Heat oil in kadhai for deep frying.

Now take a greased plastic sheet and place a small lemon sized ball of dough on it.





Press with your fingers into a small round disc shape.

Deep fry these discs ( pooris ) .

Cool them completely and store in air tight jar.

Rassa Bhaji ( Maharashtrian Dish )

Come winter and you have a big list of dishes to prepare for the season . Markets are full of green peas, carrots,  fresh mustard leaves ( sarson ), vegetables used for making Oondhiyu ( Popular Gujarati Dish ) and the list goes on .

 So this year first on my list was Oondhiyu which I made last week and will soon be posting the recipe.

 But for today I am posting this very easy and tasty Maharashtrian dish Rassa Bhaji . This tastes awesome when had hot with a chunk of butter and with simple laadi pav .

Ingredients :

1 cup...................cauliflower florets
1 cup...................fresh green peas ( shelled)
1 cup..................potatoes ( peeled and cubed )
1 n 1/2 cup..........onions ( chopped )
1 n 1/2 cup .........tomatoes ( chopped )
2 tbsp or more .....dhana jeera powder ( cumin corainder seeds powder )
1 tsp ....................chilly powder
1/2 tsp.................turmeric powder
4 tbsp..................oil
salt
Amul butter ( to serve)


Method :


Heat oil in a non stick vessel and saute onions till golden.

Add chopped tomatoes and stir fry till oil separates.

Now add all the other vegetables and stir fry further for 5 minutes.

Add all dry powders and salt and stir for 2 more minutes.

Add 2 to 3 cups water and make the gravy watery.

Cover and cook till vegetables are well cooked.

Serve hot topped with amul butter and with laadi paav.