Maharastrian Puran Poli

• Wash the chana daal and cook with a little or just enough water.

• Drain out the extra water.

• Add sugar or jaggery to the cooked daal and cook on low heat until the mixture becomes thick.

• Remove from heat and pass it through a sieve while still hot.

• Add grated nutmeg and cardamom powder.
• Stir well and remove from heat and keep aside to cool.
• Mix the wheat flour, flour, oil and enough water knead into a smooth dough.
• Keep it aside for an hour or two.
• Divide the gram daal mixture into ping pong sized balls and the flour dough into slightly smaller balls and roll them out a little.
• Place the gram daal ball in the centre of the rolled flour dough and close it to cover the filling completely.
• Roll out into a chapati and bake on a non stick tawa till done on both sides, adding a little ghee around.
• Fry till done.
• Serve hot with pure ghee.

DUM KOBI

Cauliflower in Gram Flour Sauce

Ingredients:

Cauliflower 1
Besan / Gram Flour 3 tbsps
Onion 1
Ginger 1 inch piece
Green Chiles 2
Garam Masala 1 tsp
Red Chile Powder 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1 tsp
Yogurt 1 cup
Cashews 3
Turmeric Powder a big pinch
Lemon Juice 1 tbsp
Oil 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

Remove hard stem, break cauliflower into big florets and wash them under water thoroughly.
Peel and finely chop onion.
Remove stems, wash and slice the green chiles.
Peel and mince ginger.
Chop cashew nuts into small bits.

Bring to boil 2 cups of water, add cauliflower florets, lemon juice, turmeric powder and salt.
Boil for 2 - 4 minutes or until cauliflower becomes soft but not mushy.
Strain the cooked cauliflower and reserve for later use.

Heat oil in a non stick pan on medium flame, add cumin seeds and onion.
Once onion turns translucent, add green chiles, ginger and besan.
Fry until besan changes to golden brown or until the raw smell of besan has gone.
Stir in yogurt, red chile powder, garam masala powder and salt.
Add half a cup of water to besan mixture if the sauce seems too thick.
Boil and remove from heat.

In a baking bowl, add cooked cauliflower florets.
Pour the besan sauce on top of the cauliflower florets and cover.
Bake the dish for 5 minutes and garnish with chopped cashews.
Serve dum gobi with steamed rice or roti.

Notes: Alternatively, fry the boiled cauliflower florets in little bit of oil before pouring the sauce.

Amaranth Leaves Wada

Thotakura Garelu

Ingredients:

Amaranth Leaves 2 cups packed
Urad dal 1 cup
Green Chillies 2
Ginger 1 inch piece
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method of preparation:

Soak urad dal in water for two hours.
Grind the soaked urad dal into thick smooth paste adding minimum amount of water.

Wash thoroughly and finely chop amaranth leaves.
Remove stems, wash and finely chop green chiles.
Peel and mince ginger.

In a mixing bowl, mix ground urad dal paste, chopped amaranth leaves, green chiles, ginger, cumin seeds and salt.

In a deep frying pan, heat oil on medium high.
Wash left palm and let it be wet all through the process.
Using right hand, make lemon sized ball with urad dal mixture.
Place in on left palm and flatten it.
Make a small hole in the middle, remove from left palm and slowly leave in hot oil.
Fry on both sides until golden brown.
Repeat the same with remaining urad dal amaranth mixture.
Serve amaranth leaves wada hot with coconut chutney and sambar.

Notes: Storing the ground urad dal mixture in refrigerator and using it the next day soaks more oil. So use immediately.

Deep Fried Chana Dal

Vepudu Senaga Pappu

Ingredients:

Chana Dal 1 cup
Red Chilli Powder to taste
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method of preparation:

Soak chana dal in water for 3 - 4 hours.
Place the soaked chana dal on kitchen towel and pat it dry.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan on medium high heat.
Slowly drop soaked chana dal into hot oil.
After few minutes, oil stops bubbling.
Stir and fry the chana dal for one more minute.
Remove the completely roasted chana dal onto absorbent paper.
Pour the fried chana dal into a jar while its still hot, sprinkle sufficient red chilli powder and salt.
Mix thoroughly, let it cool and serve fried chana dal as a snack.

Notes: Add a small pinch of soda bi carb in soaked chana dal if you wish

Indian Vegetarian Moong Dal Kichari Recipe

Rice and Moong Dal Kichari with Cauliflower and peas

Preparation time (after assembling ingredients): 5 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6

1 cup basmati rice
1 small cauliflower, washed, dried and cut into flowerets
1 pinch of hing (asafotida)
4 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
1/2 tablespoon shredded fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon minced seeded hot chilies (or as desired)
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2/3 cup split moong dal (or split peas)
3/4 cup fresh green peas
7 cups water
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon ghee

1. Clean, wash, soak and drain rice and dal.

2. Have the cauliflower and hing ready next to the stove. Heat 4 tablespoons of ghee in a 4-5 quart saucepan over high heat. When it is hot, stir in ginger root, chillies and cumin seeds. Fry until the cumin seeds turn brown (they will darken in seconds).

3. Quickly add the hing and immediately follow with the cauliflower. Turn it about with a spoon, frying for 4-5 minutes or until slightly browned and partially cooked. Add the rice and dal and fry for about 1 minute.

4. Pour in the fresh peas, water and tumeric and bring to a full boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover and slowly cook, stirring occasionally, for 1- 1 1/2 hours or until rice and dal are soft and the mixture is similar to oatmeal in consistency. As the kichari thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Before serving, add the salt and 1 tablespoon ghee.

Indian Vegetarian Halavah Recipe

emolina Halavah with golden raisins

Preparation and cooking time (after assembling ingredients): about 25 minutes
Serves: 6

2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup ghee
1 cup semolina
1/4 cup sliced almonds

1. Combine the water and sugar in a heavy 2 quart saucepan over low heat and, while stirring, dissolve the sugar. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Gently boil it for a few minutes. Add the raisins and set aside, covered.

2. Heat the ghee in a large saucepan over moderately low heat. When it is hot, add the semolina and rhythmically stir-fry until the grains swell and darken to a warm golden color, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

3. Stirring steadily, gradually pour syrup into the semolina. At first the grains may sputter, but will quickly cease as the liquid is absorbed. Place the pan over very low heat and, stirring steadily, cook until the grains absorb the liquid and the texture is fluffy, up to 10 minutes. Best if served hot or warm.

Indian Vegetarian Pakora Recipe

The preparation and cooking time after assembling ingerdients: about 10 minutes.
Resting time of the dough: 10 minutes
Cooking time: about 30 minutes

Batter:

1 1/3 cup chickpea flour (garbanzo bean flour)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoons crushed chillies
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
9 teaspoons cold water

Pakora suggestions
(you can use the vegetable of your choice):
Thin rounds of zucchinu
Small cauliflower flowerets
Potato rounds
Carrot rounds or strips
Thin-sliced eggplant wedges
Under-ripe banana, thinly sliced
Pumpkin, cut into squares
...Be creative

1. Sift the flour. Add spices and salt. Miw well. Add water slowly, beating with a whisk until batter is smooth. The batter should have the consistency of heavy cream.

2. Cover the batter and set aside for 10 minutes.

3. Whisk again for a couple of minutes and stir in the baking powder. Set aside.

4. Heat 3 inches of ghee or oil in a wok or pan until it is hot (355 F). Dip 5 or 6 of your selected ingredients in the dough and slip them one at a time in the hot ghee or oil. Fry until the pakoras are golden-brown, turning to brown evenly. Leavy greens may take as little as 1 minute per side, potaios may take up to five minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon. Serve hot.

Indian Pann - served as a digestive after meal

Paan' is served as a digestive after some meals. The dark-green leaf of the betel-pepper plant is smeared with a little bit of lime and wrapped around a combination of spices like crushed betel-nuts, cardamom, aniseed, sugar and grated coconut. It is an astringent and is believed to help in clearing the system. Mumbai is known to be a good place for connoisseurs of paan.

All the varieties of paan preparations can be made in any of the three types of paans - Kalkatta, Banarasi, Maggai.

After mixing the common ingredients,

For Meetha Paan add :
• Gulkand
• Kharik
• Munakka
• Khopra (Grated Coconut)
• Badam Powder (Almond)
• Kaju Powder (Cashew)
• Pista Powder (Pistachio)
• Cherry
• Special Salli Supari
• Gulab Powder (Rose )

For Sada Paan add:
• Special Roasted Supari
• Kalkatta Supari
• Special Salli Supari
• Badam Chutney
• Hari Patti (small Green Leaves)

For Sada Meetha add:
• Roasted Supari
• Kharik
• Special Salli Supari
• Gulab Powder
• Elaichi Water (Cardamom Water)

For 120 Paan: 120 No. Tambaku (Tobacco) is added to any of the paan preparation. Similarly Tambaku No. 160, 300 and 600 are also available.

Two more types of Tambakus added in the paan are:
• Nautan Kimam - It is a readymade preperation of Kesar Kimam
• Bhola Tambaku