MyMusingsSangSpeak-Pet Puja - Ajwaini Paratha

Ajwaini Paratha

Ajwaini Paratha is a roti/chapatti(Indian Bread) with ajwain(Carom Seeds) in it, adding more flavour to the mundane roti. It is easy to make and tastes good with all types of subjis and daals.

 Ingredients

Wheat flour - 1½ cups

Water- For kneading

Salt - As per taste

Carom Seeds (Ajwain) - ½ teaspoon

Cumin Powder - ¼ teaspoon

Coriander Powder - ¼ teaspoon

Oil - 1-2 tablespoons

Ghee/Butter - 1-2 tablespoons

 Method

Mix salt, carom seeds, cumin powder and coriander powder well with wheat flour. Then add water to form soft yet firm dough, add about one teaspoon of oil and knead well. Set aside for about 45 minutes to one hour. To make paratha, take small ball of the kneaded dough and roll into a circle, apply few drops of oil and sprinkle little wheat flour and make folds as shown in the accompanying photos. Heat the tawa and roast the parathas well, you may add ghee/butter as per your choice

MyMusingsSangSpeak-Pet Puja - Chinch Chutney

Chinch Chutney (Tamarind Sauce/Imli chutney)

The chinch chutney is a recipe that I never tire of. I like chinch chutney with all fried snacks, especially fried fish. Generally, I make it in large quantity and store in the fridge and it always comes in handy while making bhelpuri and other chaat dishes. The recipe takes a long time to make as it involves slow cooking.

Ingredients

Tamarind - 200 gms

Jaggery - 500 gms

Water - 1 litre approx

Method

Wash tamarind and soak in water for about an hour. Mash the tamarind pulp with hand and strain well. Add jaggery and water and boil the mixture in a broad based vessel on low flame. Keep stirring occasionally. It may take about 45 minutes for the sauce to thicken. Allow the sauce to cool and store in clean bottle or stainless steel jar. Refrigerate and use as and when required. The chutney stays good for as long as 3 months

Note - If you wish to make the sauce tangier, you may add salt, red chilly powder and cumin powder as per your liking. In Uttar Pradesh, dry ginger powder is also added. 

MyMusingsSangSpeak-Pet Puja - Thalipeeth

Thalipeeth

Thalipeeth is a very inetersting Maharashtrian delicacy, can be eaten as a snack or whole meal. It is multigrain recipe full of nutrition and also a lip smacking, tasty dish. Thalipeeth can be made in many different ways - you can mix different flours available in the kitchen or you can mix different grains, wash and roast after drying and grind them to form a multigrain flour mix (this is the bhajni thalipeeth). Thalipeeth essentially has lots of onion and fresh coriander in it lending it that unique taste. You can make varieties of thalipeeth by using leafy vegetables of your choice. Even if you do not have all the various flours at home, you can dish out a delicious thalipeeth with just three flours, that of wheat, Bengal gram and shorghum or rice.

I remember the yummy thalipeeths made by my mother, grandmother, aunts and other relatives. Each one tasted different yet delicious. One more memory associated is of the thalipeeth that was eaten during childhood on the cart that sold homemade Maharashtrian delicacies near Nataraj Theatre in Dr Madhumalati Gune Hospital compound in Deccan area of Pune.

Ingredients

Wheat Flour - 2 cups

Shorghum(Jowar) Flour - 2 tablespoons

Gram Flour - 2 tablespoons

Rice Flour - 2 tablespoons

Bajra(Pearl Millet) - 2 tablespoons

Corn (Makki/Kanees) Flour - 2 tablespoons

Onion - 1 large (finely chopped)

Fresh Coriander - 1 cup full, finely chopped

Cumin Powder - 1 teaspoon

Coriander Powder - 1 teaspoon

Red Chilly Powder - 1 teaspoon

Turmeric - 1 teaspoon

Sesame seeds - 2 teaspoons

Salt - As per taste

Oil/Butter - 2 tablespoons

Water - As per requirement

Method

Mix all the flours, finely chopped onion and fresh coriander along with all spices powders and knead flour by adding enough water. The dough should be soft. Set aside for about two hours. For making thalipeeth, soak a napkin in water and wring it well. Spread the soaked napkin on a surface and place a fistful of thalipeeth mixture. Dip your fingers in water and tap lightly on this mixture to spread it evenly. Heat a pan and pick this napkin and place the thalipeeth on the hot pan, remove the napkin. Apply oil or butter to the thalipeeth and cover with a lid, allow to cook for about 2 minutes and then filp on to the other side for even cooking. Remove when it is browned well on both sides. Now, repeat the same with the remaining dough.

Thalipeeth is to be served while it is hot and tastes good with homemade butter, curds and matkichi usal. You can serve it with pickles and chutneys too.

MyMusingsSangSpeak-Pet Puja - Wangyache Bharit

Wangyache Bharit

I have posted Baingan Bharta earlier in my blog, the Punjabi style. This baingan bharta is of Mahrashtrian style and is generally made a day prior to Sankranti. This one used to be my Mom’s signature dishes and we all at home used to love it for its delectable taste. My daughter enjoys more of the Punjabi version of baingan ka bharta, so I had nearly given up on making this particular Maharshtrian recipe altogether. I made wangyache bharit after many years and reminded me of my mother and her superb cooking skills.

Ingredients

Brinjals - 2 big

Spring onions - 8-9 along with leaves

Garlic - 10-12 cloves

Green chillies - 3-4

Mustard seeds - ½ teaspoon

Chopped coriander - 2 tabelspoons

Turmeric powder - ½ teaspoon

 Salt - As per taste

Oil - 2 tablespoons

Roasted groundnut powder - Half cup

Method

Wash the brinjals, dry them and apply oil on the outer covering, poke it with a knife at 2 -3 places and roast on the gas stove. Keep turning occasionally and roast till the skin gets charred. Remove from fire and allow cooling. Remove the charred skin and mash the roasted brinjals. Chop the spring onions, green chillies and garlic. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Allow the mustard seeds to splutter and then add chopped spring onions, chillies and garlic and stir fry for about 3-4 minutes. Add roasted and mashed brinjals along with turmeric powder and salt and cook for about 4-5 minutes. Finally, add roasted groundnut powder and chopped coriander leaves. Stir for a minute and remove from fire. This wangyache bharit tastes good with chapati or bhakri of all kinds, jowar or bajra.

MyMusingsSangSpeak-Pet Puja - Penne Pasta with White Sauce and Vegetables

Penne Pasta with White Sauce and Vegetables

Penne Pasta with White Sauce and Vegetables is a one dish meal, quite nutritious and easy to make too. I like this recipe as it is nutritious and has good proportions of carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins.

 

Ingredients

Penne Pasta - 150 gms

Refined Flour - 2 tablespoons

Yellow Butter - 2 tablespoons

Milk - Half Litre

Cheese(optional) - 2 tablespoons

Cauliflower - 50 gms

Carrot - 50 gms

Mushrooms - 50 gms

Baby Corn - 50 gms

Water - 750 ml -1 litre

Oil - 2 tablespoons

Salt - As per Taste

Black Pepper - ¼ teaspoon

Mixed Herbs Seasoning - ½ teaspoon

Method

Boil water in a thick bottom vessel and add Penne Pasta to it. Allow it to cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Add two tablespoons oil, salt to taste and boil for one more minute and remove from fire. Strain the pasta and set aside. Clean and wash all vegetables and chop. Sauté all the chopped vegetables for about 2 minutes in a pan with little butter and set aside.

For the white sauce, take a non stick pan and add butter and flour and sauté lightly for 2 -3 minutes. Add milk gradually and keep stirring continuously so that no lumps are formed. Bring the mixture to a boil and the consistency should be that of a homogenous mixture. Add cheese, salt, black pepper and mixed herbs seasoning and boil for further minute. Now, add the cooked pasta, sautéed vegetables and cook for 2 minutes. Penne Pasta with White Sauce and Vegetables is ready to be served.

Note - Preparation time is about half hour to 40 minutes. This quantity should be enough for about 3- 4 persons. You may add veggies of your choice like sweet corn, bell peppers, French beans, green peas, broccoli etc.

For non-vegetarians, cooked chicken/ meat cubes can be added.  

MyMusingsSangSpeak-Pet Puja -Khumbi ki Subji (Mushroom Vegetable/ Aalimbe chi Bhaji)

Khumbi ki Subji (Mushroom Vegetable/ Aalimbe chi Bhaji)

Mushroom vegetable is quick and easy recipe and tasty too. Mushrooms are loaded with nutrition, and are good source of proteins and vitamins. Button mushrooms are readily available in markets nowadays and this recipe uses fresh button mushrooms.

Ingredients

Button Mushrooms - 200 gms

Onions - 2 medium sized

Oil - 2 tablespoons

Fresh coriander leaves - 2 tablespoons, finely chopped

Turmeric Powder - ¼ teaspoon

Garam Masala - ½ teaspoon

Red Chilly Powder - ¼ teaspoon

Salt - As per taste

Method

Wash mushrooms and drain the water. Chop fine and set aside. Chop the onions. Heat oil in a pan and add chopped onions. Stir fry for about 3-4 minutes till they turn translucent. Add chopped mushrooms, turmeric powder and salt and stir well. Allow to cook on medium flame for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add garam masala and red chilly powder and cook for 1- 2 minutes more. Turn off the gas and remove from fire. Finally, add chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with roti/ chapatti/ naan. 

MyMusingsSangSpeak- Pet Puja -Kawath/Kavath Chutney (Wood Apple Chutney)

Kawath/Kavath Chutney (Wood Apple Chutney)

Kawath/Kavath Chutney (Wood Apple Chutney) is one of my favourite dishes and I try to make it as often as possible, though the fruit is quite rarely available all over India.

The scientific name of Kawath (Kabeeth/Kavooth/Wood Apple) is Limonia acidissima and it is native to mainly Indian Asian Subcontinent. It is also known as curd apple, monkey fruit or elephant apple. This fruit is generally consumed on the fast of Mahashivratri day and has religious significance.

The fruit has a tough outer cover of wooden texture and the inner pulp is very sour and has seeds. It has a heady aroma and I love this fruit to bits. The tree has some medicinal benefits and the fruit is rich in Vitamin A and B.

The fruit pulp has high content of pectin and hence, one can make jams and jellies too out of it. One can also make a sherbet with lovely sweet sour taste with amazingly fresh aroma. The fruit is generally consumed in chutney form, either sweet with jaggery/sugar or a tangy one with little salt and chilly powder. I prefer the sweet chutney. It is so tasty and tempting that one can just go on eating, but, one of course needs to be careful as it contains high amount of sugar.

It is quite difficult to choose a wood apple for eating. Go for the fresh one with a lovely fragrance.

A sweetmeat known as Kawath/Kavath Barfi is also available in shops near Kolhapur Mahalaxmi Mandir and this comes generally from Kurundwad, a place in Kolhapur district. This is a hard boiled sugary speciality, I am sure all Kolhapuris can relate to it.

Ingredients

Wood Apple - 1 no

Jaggery - One and a half times or twice the amount of the fruit pulp

Method

As the wood apple cover is tough, you require a heavy object/hammer to break it. Remove all pulp and set aside. Cut jaggery into small pieces and mix it with the fruit pulp well with your hand. Leave for two to three hours to allow good mixing of pulp and jaggery. The chutney tastes good as an accompaniment with chapatti or one can eat it just like that.

Note - The colour of the chutney varies with the fruit, extra ripe fruit will be dark brown. The colour of jaggery may also be light or dark brown.