Nendra Kaaya Kaalan

This is a quick version of my kaalan with Nendra kaaya, has a classic sweet-sour taste...

What goes in?

• 2 large Nendra kaaya - almost ripe (kerala banana), cut into small pieces, you would first slice it vertically into 4 parts and then keep slicing it to get small triangular pieces
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 1/4 tsp jeera
• 4 tbsp beaten thick curd
• salt to taste
• pinch of turmeric powder
• 2-3 red chillies for seasoning
• curry leaves for garnishing

What to do next?

• Microwave the Nendra Kaaya for 5 minutes on High - you can check in-between around 2.5 to 3 mins to ensure that it doesn't get baked, the idea is to cook it a bit
• Grind the coconut and jeera to a fine paste, with minimum water
• Mix Nendra Kaaya and the coconut jeera paste and cook it on a low flame, with salt and turmeric
• Once the coconut is cooked and mixed well with the Nendra Kaaya, add curd and let it cook for 2-3 minutes
• Season it with red chillies and garnish with fresh curry leaves

Time it takes?

20  minutes

Kaanda (Onion) Bhajji

A common fast food in Maharashtra...Jeev and I tried this last weekend and this was yummy!!!

What goes in?

2 Large Onions chopped
1 cup Besan - Gram Flour
2 tbsp Rice Flour
pinch of turmeric
salt to taste
chilly powder
1 tsp corriander powder

What Next?
Mix all ingredients except onion with very little water to form a dry mixture, Add Onion to this. Deep fry small portions in hot oil till crisp and brown.

Serve Hot with Tomato Sauce, Pudina Chutney and Hot Chai :)

Tip: Rice Flour is added to make it crisper, and don't keep the mixture aside for long before you fry, else onion will let out water and the mixture will be too watery to stick to the onion.

How much time does it take:
Not more than 20 mins

Orange Pancakes

2 cups maida
2 tbsp orange marmalade
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp orange rind
1 tbsp sugar

Mix all of the above into a batter just right to be made into pancakes.
Once done heat a pan, pour some batter and flatten it just like dosa
Add a bit of butter to the sides and a bit on top to make it a bit crisp
Cook it well on both sides
Serve hot!

Sabu Dana(Sago) Khichdi

This is one long story, it took me ages to get it right. But now I think I know what exactly needs to be done. Thanks to Amma for having demonstrated this to me multiple times :)

What goes In?

Sabudana 2 cups (Soaked overnight - now there is a trick to this, use a flat bottomed vessel and soak in enough water to be just above the Sabudana. When you use it in the morning you will see that all the water is soaked and each grain of Sago is nice and round, yet separate, drain excess water before you use it)

2-3 green chilles
1 tsp cumin seeds
salt to taste
1 tsp sugar
3/4 cup roasted groundnut crushed - dont make this a fine powder, instead use pestel and mortar and leave it half crushed.

What Next?

Heat 2 tbsp oil
Add cumin seeds and allow it to splutter
Add Green Chillies
Add Soaked Sago, salt, sugar and mix well
Add the crushed groundnuts
Cook until the Sago gets transluscent, Add more oil if necessary.

How much time does it take:
30-35 mins.

You can also add Potatoes to this if you like it.

Kothimir Bhajji

Another popular Maharashtrian snack...

What goes in?

Bunch of Fresh Corrainder Leaves finely chopped
1 cup Gram Flour
2 tbsp Rice Flour
1 tsp Chilly Powder
Pinch of turmeric
Salt to taste

What Next?

Mix all of the above with very little water to form a dry mixture. Deep fry small portions of this in hot oil.

Seve hot with Chai :)

How much time does it take?

About 15 mins.

Cracker Snacker

Cracker biscuits
Dry potato sabji (or any other sabji..)
tomato sauce
pudina chutney

All you have to do is place the cracker...put the sabji on top and garnish with a bit of pudina chutney and tomato sauce...this snacker was a total hit :)

Spaghetti in red sauce..desi version

2 cups spaghetti
For the sauce:
2 tomatoes
1/2 a spoon calonji
1 onion sliced
2-3 red chillies
1/2 inch ginger
3-4 cloves of garlic

grind all of the above except onion and basil to a fine paste..finally add onion and grind to leave a few pieces of onion intact...

1/2 cup basil leaves
Garnishing:
2/3 types of cheese (I used gouda and regular cheese)

Cook spaghetti in the required amount of water with a few drops of olive oil and salt to taste.
Once this comes to a boil - keep it aside
Cook the sauce in olive oil till it leaves a nice aroma
Add the basil leaves
cook for 2-3 mins
add the spaghetti
and finally garnish with grated cheese

Banana Bread pudding

4 slices of bread
2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup of milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of powdered cinnamon

Soak bread in milk for 10-15 mins
blend together, bread, bananas, sugar and powdered cinnamon
Bake the mixture at Medium High for 15 mins

Garnish with Cashew/Almonds

Pudina and Raw Mango Chutney

1 bowl full of pudina leaves
1/2 bowl sliced raw onions
2 tbsp Dried roasted chick peas
1/2 inch ginger
3-4 cloves of garlic
2-3 green chillies
salt to taste

grind them all to a coarse paste...tastes yummy with bhajji/bread roll...any of those fried snacks..

Kadhi

What goes in:

2 cups fresh curd - I strain the curd using a strainer to ensure that its well blended, you could also use a blender instead
pinch of turmeric
1 tsp kasuri methi
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 Red Chillies

What Next:

Heat 1 tsp oil
Add Mustard seeds allow it to splutter
Add Red Chillies, turmeric and kasuri methi
Add Curd and salt

Keep Stirring till you see the first bubbles and stop cooking right there, else the kadhi will be all curdled...

I did an operation with spoilt milk the other day, strained it, mixed it with 2 tbsp fresh curd, kept it aside for about 2 hours and used this for my kadhi. My Kadhi has never been so creamy before. :) Try this next time you have spoilt milk and are not in mood to make paneer out of it!

Savoury Pancakes

2 Cups Maida
1 Egg
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp spring onion finely chopped
salt to taste
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1/2 tsp Oregano
2 tbsp shredded cheese

Blend all of the above into a smooth batter and make yummy pancakes in butter.

I tried adding some vermicelli to it, to give it a different texture. It does taste great, do try it out.

This wont take more than 15 mins

Chiwda

What goes in?
2 cups Flat poha ( beaten rice)
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp chana dal (bengal gram)
1 tbsp chopped green chilles
1 tbsp powdered sugar
pinch of turmeric powder
salt to taste
Optional (curry leaves, ground nut, small pieces of dry coconut)

What to do next?
Heat the poha in the microwave on high for 1 min
Heat oil.
Add the mustard seeds, allow it to splutter
Add the chana dal and chopped green chillies (and the optional ingredients.)
Remove from flame and add salt and turmeric to this.
Mix this with the poha.
Add powdered sugar and mix well.

How much time does it take?
10 mins

Crispy Aaloo

What goes in?
5-6 medium sized potatoes boiled, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 tsp corriander powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp corn flour
1 tsp chat masala
salt to taste

What to do next?
Shallow fry the potatoes till golden brown
Add salt, chilli powder, corriander powder.
Dust the corn flour and allow the potatoes to go crisp.
Remove from flame, and add char masala and mix well

Garnish with corriander leaves and lemon/ lemon juice. Photo and presentation courtesy Jeev :)

How much time does it take?
15 mins

Peas Pulao

What goes in?
1 cup peas
4 cups basmati rice (soak the rice in 4 1/2 cups of water for 30 mins)
2-4 Bay leaves
2-4 cloves
2 cardamom
1 inch stick of cinnamon
4-6 pepper corns
2 tbsp ghee
salt to taste

What to do next?

I make this in my small pressure cooker
Heat ghee in the cooker
Add the bay leaves, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, pepper..allow it to splutter
Add the peas and mix well
Allow this to cool for 5 mins
Add the soaked basmati rice (minus the water)
Mix this well
Add the water (in which the rice was soaked)
Cover the pressure cooker with its lid (minus the weight/whistle)
Cook in high flame for 5 mins.
Lower the flame.
Check for the steam from the vent, cook for 5 mins after the steam is seen.
Take it off the flame, and allow it to stand for another 15 mins (till the steam is out and the lid can be opened)
Peas Pulao is ready to serve :)

How much time does it take?
45 mins

Boondi Raita

The simplest of recipes :)..the raita shown in this picture here was made by Jeev..it was yummy!!
What goes in?

2 cups beaten curd

salt to taste

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp chat masala

1 1/2 cup boondi

What to do next?

Mix all the ingredients except curd and mix well.

Add boondi to this just before you wish to serve.

Garnish with corriander leaves..if you wish to, but it tastes great even otherwise

How much time does it take?
5 mins :)

Shahi Paneer

What goes in?

200 gms paneer
2 big onions
1/2 inch ginger
5-6 pods garlic
2 tbsp chopped corriander
1 tbsp chopped mint leaves
1 big tomato
2 green chillies
2 tbsp garam masala
pinch of turmeric
1/2 cup milk with cream
salt to taste

What to do next?

In a shallow pan fry the paneer pieces till the sides go golden brown (no oil needed)
Grind the onion, green chillies, corriander leaves, mint leaves into a fine paste
Heat oil , and add this paste.
Fry the paste well, till it gets the brown hue
Add the tomato puree and mix well
Add turmeric, salt, garam masala and fry for another 2 mins
Add milk to this, and allow to cook for 4-5 mins
Finally Add the paneer and mix well.
Garnish with chopped corriander

How much time does this take?
30 mins

Shankar Pali (Diamond cuts)

What goes in?

3 1/2 cups maida

1 cup milk

1 tbsp ghee

2 cups sugar

What to do next?

In a kadai heat the ghee, add milk and sugar.
Bring this to boil, and keep stirring to ensure the sugar is mixed well.
Remove from flame and allow this to cool

Add this to maida, and make a stiff dough.

Roll the dough into thick rotis.

Cut small squares of the rotis.

Deep fry the squares in oil till golden brown

How much time does it take?

45 mins

Besan Katli

What goes in?
1 cup besan (gram flour)
1 cup ghee
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp cardamom powder
1/4 cup raisins and shopped cashes

What to do next?

Heat the ghee in a kadai

Add the besan and fry till it is golden brown

Remove from the heat and allow it to cool

While it is warm add the powdered sugar ,cardamom, raisins and cashews

flatten the mixture in a plate

with a knife cut the mixture into small diamond shape pieces (katlis)

You can also roll the mixture into small laddoos to make Besan ka ladoo :)

How much time does it take?

30 mins

Karanji

What goes in?

For the outer cover:

1 1/4 cup maida

pinch of salt

1 tbsp ghee

For the filling

1 cup grated copra (dry coconut)

2 tbsp poppy seeds (khus khus)

1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup chopped dry fruits (cashew, raisins)



What to do next?

Mix the ingredients for the outer cover with water, sufficient to make a stiff dough.

fry the grated coconut and poppy seeds for 3-4 mins on low flame.
Remove from the flame, mix the powdered sugar and dry fruits

Make small thin rotis from the dough
Place the filling in one half
Fold the rest of the dough to form a D shape
Seal the ends, you can use a bit of milk to press the dough to seal it

Deep fry this till either side is golden brown.
This makes around 20 karanjis


How much time does it take?
1 hour

aate ki pinni

What goes in?
1 cup wheat flour (aata)
1 cup ghee
1 cup sugar powder
1 tsp cardamom powder
1/4 cup cashewnuts

What to do next?
In a kadai heat the ghee
Add the wheat flour and keep frying till it gets a brown colour
Remove from heat and allow it to cool.
While it is warm add the sugar powder, cinnamon.
Make small laddoo sized balls
Decorate each laddoo with a cashew nut.

How much time does it take?
30 mins