MyMusingsSangSpeak- Pet Puja - Kardaichi Bhaji (Safflower Vegetable)

Kardaichi Bhaji (Safflower Vegetable)

Kardai (Safflower) vegetable is a popular green leafy vegetable consumed in Maharashtra. It is a highly nutritious vegetable containing many minerals and vitamins. Kardai oil is also a healthy option of oil. The vegetable can be prepared in many ways, simply by tempering garlic and green chillies or by adding onion and various daals (pulses). It tastes good as accompaniment with almost anything like wheat or jowar roti.

Ingredients

Kardai (Safflower) – 1 bunch

Onion – 1 medium

Garlic – 10-12 cloves

Green chillies – 2

Chana Daal (Split Chickpeas) – 2 tablespoons

Oil – 2 tablespoons approximately

Salt – As per taste

Water – As per requirement

Method

Soak chana daal in water for about an hour. Clean the vegetable by separating the leaves and you may take the tender stems. Wash well and chop into approximately 1” long pieces. Chop onions and crush garlic and green chillies. Heat oil in a kadahi, add chopped onion and fry for 2-3 minutes, then add crushed ginger and green chillies and fry for further 2 minutes. Add the chopped vegetable, soaked chana daal, salt, water, stir well and cover with a lid and allow to cook for about 10 minutes on low flame. Afterwards, give a good stir, check if the daal has softened and cooked well. Remove from fire and serve.

Note - You may use daal of your choice, it could be moong, masoor or tur (arhar).

MyMusingsSangSpeak-Pet Puja - Tandlichi Bhaji(Choulai ki Subji)

Tandalichi Bhaji(Choulai ki Subji)

Green vegetables play a very important role in Maharashtrian cuisine. There are some Maharshtrian households that have green leafy vegetables on daily basis. There are many varieties of green vegetables available – Methi(Fenugreek), Palak(Spinach), Tandali/Choulai(Amaranth), Rajgira( Amaranth species), Ambadi(Gongura), Kardi(Safflower), Kandyachi Paat(Spring Onions), Shepu(Dill), Aambat Chuka(Green Sorrel), Aluchi Paane or Arbi Patta(Arum Leaves)and so on. Green leafy vegetables are of high nutritional value as they contain many vitamins and minerals.

Most of the green vegetables are prepared in a very simple manner, just stir fried with garlic and green chillies. Sometimes, onions or roasted groundnut powder are added and sometimes it may be of thick gravy consistency, wherein gram flour (besan) is used to thicken and homogenize. Various daals (split pulses) are also used in combination with different leafy vegetables.

Leafy vegetables need to be cleaned properly, sometimes you may take only leaves in a recipe and sometimes you may take the tender stalks too. Many people tend to get lazy as these vegetables require a lot of cleaning and hence, do away with them in the diet. Let me emphasize here that despite all the cleaning efforts involved, the health benefits outweigh everything and one must include these in their daily diet.

Tandali is one of my favourites and it tastes best with Jwarichi Bhakri(Jowar or Sorghum ki Roti).

Ingredients

Tandali (Choulai, Amaranth) – 2 bunches, nicely cleaned and washed thoroughly

Garlic cloves – 13 -14 nos

Green Chillies – 2-3

Oil- 1-2 tablespoons

Salt – As per taste

Method

Heat oil in a pan. Add crushed garlic and chopped chillies. Add Tandali leaves and stir well. Add salt and stir well for 2- 3 minutes. Allow to cook on low flame for another 2-3 minutes till water nearly dries up. Tandlichi Bhaji is ready to be served.