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

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.

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

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