MyMusingsSangSpeak- Pet Puja - Alu che Gargate (Alu chi Patal Bhaji/Alu che Phatphate)

Alu che Gargate (Alu chi Patal Bhaji/Alu che Phatphate)

Alu (Marathi word) is known as Colocasia/Arum in English and Arbi in Hindi and its tubers and leaves are used as vegetables in Indian cooking. This vegetable is full of vitamins and minerals and one must keep it in diet for these nutritious reasons.  The vegetable has the element called raphides (very fine needle like calcium oxalate crystals), that cause itching and discomfort. This acridity needs to be neutralised by using acidic material like tamarind, lime etc and proper cooking.

In Maharashtra, the Colocasia leaves are used to make Aluchi Wadi, a favourite Maharashtrian savoury snack and, in North India, it is known as Patra or Pattaud or Patraud. The tubers are prepared in a similar fashion as potatoes. Alu che gargate or Alu chi Patal Bhaji or Phatphate is a delicacy that is served during Maharashtrian weddings. It is an all-time favourite of Maharashtrians.

There are two types of edible Colocasia leaves in the market, one that is lighter green in colour and one that is dark green in colour. The lighter green is used to make the fluidy vegetable and the darker green variety is used to make the Wadi or the snack. In case, the light green variety is not available, one can substitute it by the dark green variety. The assembling takes a bit of time and cooking is quite easy.

Ingredients

Colocasia leaves with stems – 7-8 nos

Groundnuts – ½ - ¾ cup

Bengal Gram Daal – 2 tablespoons

White Radish – 3-inch piece

Fresh Coconut slices – 2 tablespoons

Tamarind – 2 tablespoons

Jaggery – 1½ tablespoons

Garlic – 10-12 cloves

Green Chillies – 2 – 3 nos

Turmeric – ½ teaspoon

Besan (Gram flour) – 3 tablespoons

Salt – As per taste

Oil/Ghee – 2 tablespoons

Mustard Seeds – ½ teaspoon

Water – Approx 5-6 cups

Method

Wash the Colocasia leaves and stems thoroughly, skin the stems and chop finely. Soak the groundnuts and daal for an hour. Soak tamarind also for an hour. Skin the radish and chop into cubes. Sieve the tamarind and extract the pulp. In a utensil, take the chopped Colocasia stem and leaves, along with soaked groundnuts, daal, jaggery, tamarind extract, turmeric, salt, chopped radish, and about 4-cups of water. Steam this in pressure cooker for about 20 minutes. Remove from pressure cooker, once the steam is let off, add the besan flour and give a nice stir with hand stirrer.

In a small vessel, heat oil and add mustard seeds, chopped green chillies and mustard seeds till they splutter. Add this tempering to the cooked vegetable and cook it for about 7-8 minutes. Serve hot with chapati or rice.

Note - Assembling time is about an hour and cooking tome 30-40 minutes. This quantity should be enough for 4 persons.

MyMusingsSangSpeak - Pet Puja - Shepu chi Bhaji

Shepu chi Bhaji

Shepu is Dill in English, Sowa/Suva in Hindi and it is a favourite leafy vegetable in Maharashtra. In Persian and Oriental cuisines, it is used more as a herb for garnish. In Maharashtra, this vegetable is used in many ways, sometimes with just basic ingredients like garlic and green chillies and sometimes in combination with various pulses or gram flour.

Mostly, people do not like Shepu because of its strong aroma and flavour, even I hated it in my childhood. Things changed over a period of time and I love this vegetable now. The nutritional benefits of this vegetable are far too many to be ignored, so it is best to include it in your diet occasionally at least. I am sharing the basic recipe of Shepu Bhaji here.

Ingredients

Shepu (Dill) – 1 medium bunch

Moong Daal (Split Green Gram) – ½ cup

Garlic – 10-12 cloves

Green Chillies – 2

Oil – 1½ tablespoon

Salt – As per taste

Water – Approx ½ - ¾ cup

Method

Wash Shepu well and chop it fine, both leaves and tender stems. Soak Moong Daal in water for about 1 hour. Heat oil in a pan and add chopped green chillies and crushed garlic and saute for a minute. Add the chopped vegetable and soaked daal along with salt and mix well. Add water and cover with a lid and allow to cook for about 10 minutes. Check if the daal is cooked, it should have the crunch. Remove from fire and serve with chapati or Jowar roti.

MyMusingsSangSpeak - Pet Puja - Ambat Chukya Chi Bhaji

Aambat Chukyachi Bhaji

Aambat Chuka is called Khatta Palak in Hindi and Green Sorrel in English. It is a sour leafy vegetable, with thick, juicy leaves and stems and is a good source of Vit C, Beta carotene, calcium, potassium and magnesium. This vegetable can be prepared individually or in combination with other leafy vegetables. Sometimes it is used in non-vegetarian recipes too. I always loved this vegetable for its unique sour taste. I have grown this vegetable in my kitchen garden when I was away from my home town and it grows quite easily and well too all round the year. Method of preparation of this vegetable is quite easy. The consistency of this recipe is semi liquid (Gargatti Bhaji in Marathi). It tastes heavenly with plain rice or Jowar (Sorghum) roti.

Ingredients

Ambat Chuka – 1 big bunch

Groundnuts – ½ cup

Chana Daal (Bengal Gram) – 2 tablespoons

Besan (Gram Flour) – 2 tablespoons

Curds (Optional)  – 1 tbsp

Water – 3-4 cups

Jaggery – 1 n ½ tablespoon

Turmeric Powder – ½ teaspoon

Salt – As per taste

Oil - 1 tablespoon

Ghee – 1 tablespoon

Green Chillies – 2-3 nos

Garlic – 10-12 cloves

Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon

Method

Wash Ambat Chuka leaves and stems and chop about 1 cm in length. Soak groundnuts and daal in water for about an hour. Now take chopped leaves, soaked grounduts, daal in a stainless-steel vessel and add turmeric powder, salt, jaggery and approx. 3 cups of water. Pressure cook all these ingredients for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk well with hand. Add curd and besan and mix well. Cook this mixture on medium heat while stirring continuously for about 5-6 minutes. Now heat oil and ghee in a tempering vessel and add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add chopped green chillies and crushed garlic and allow to heat for a minute. Add this tempering to the cooked vegetable. The Ambat Chuka vegetables is ready to be served.

Note – Cooking time is about half hour (plus one hour for soaking).