Paneer Butter Masala

  Mild gravies are something I relish and mild gravies with paneer are simply irrestible.While searching for one such recipe I happened to stumble on Prema's blog and borrowed this yummy recipe from here. I followed the recipe except for using fried paneer which gives it a unique taste.This is the link to the recipe.
http://premascookbook.blogspot.com/2008/09/paneer-butter-masala.html#links

Dahi Wada

   Managing things at home with little kiddo around is a challenge, I am going through currently. My little one needs my attention all the time. Its an awesome feeling to have a wee little admirer but frankly speaking its difficult  to manage . So these days I prefer recipes I can make in advance. Dahi wada is one of them. I love stuffed variety but havent found time to make that one recently.

Dahi wada

These need to go into the wada

Urad dal :1/2 cup soaked in water and then ground to a coarse paste.
Ginger-greenchili- jeera paste-1 tablespoon
Finely chopped corriander
salt.
One can also add a pinch of  baking powder.
Mix the above well  make small round balls and deep fry it in oil.

Soak the wada in cold butter milk ( Taak in marathi)  or dilute yogurt and refrigerate. The wadas should be left in the buttermilk  untill it is well absorbed.

For the dahi

Whip the Dahi with sugar  and salt ( as per taste) .The dahi should be thick, sweet and chilled.

When serving top with wadas with Dahi and garnish with pepper, red chilli powder, corriander.

Rice Muthia

Rice Muthia

In typically Maharashtrian homes the left over rice is modified to make fodni cha bhat. Mummy made spicy fodni cha bhat is something I still relish. However, Personifying Rice, I am sure hes bored of the fodni.

Muthia is a Guajarati speciality, dumplings made from chickpea flour/ Besan, however besan sometimes is difficult to digest. Here I basically substituted the besan by rice and modified muthias according  to my liking and availablity. Here we dont find Methi/ fenugreek easily so I use Spinach or corriander which are equally good to taste as the traditional methi muthias.

I used:
2 cups left over rice.
2 tbsp Chickpea flour/ besan to bind
1 tsp greenchilli, ginger, cumin seed paste
½ cup Methi or Palak or Corriander
½ tsp cumin-corriander powder
½ turmeric powder
½ red chili powder
Curd to bind
1 tsp oil

For tempering
2-3 tbsp Oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp jeera / cumin seeds
¼ tsp asafoetida
½ tsp seasame seeds

Garnish
Corriander

What to do
Mix all ingredients well and make dough. Shape them into small kababs. Microwave for about 3 minutes on high or alternatively u can steam them in a cooker without the whistle for about 10-15 minutes.

Place in plate and add the ingredients for tempering to the hot oil and pour over the muthias and garnish with coriander.
These will make u a lovely tea time snack or starter.

Surali Wadi / Khandwi

This is the recipe I get kudos for. Though I never got through this recipe easily. I have dumped loads of the batter into the dustbin quietly, before mom came from office when experiments failed. However as perseverance is always rewarded my khandvis never fail… Touch wood!!!

I evidently remember making this recipe for my friend Supriya, her little bundle was soon to arrive and she desired to eat Khandvi. I can imagine how it feels and the desire to be cared for surges, specially being away from home. Whenever I make khandwi I always remember Supriya and her little bundle Sarthak.

What you need:

Chickpea flour/ Besan-1 cup
Plain flour/Maida-1tsp
Sour curd/ tak-3/4 cup
Water -2 cups
Green chilies+ ginger paste-1tsp
Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp

Oil for greasing and tempering
Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp
Asafetida
Salt to taste

For Garnish
Grated coconut
Corriander

The Method:

Mix the Besan, Maida, green chili-ginger paste, water and sour curd, turmeric powder and salt .check that no lumps are formed .Add the mix into a thick bottomed pan and keep stirring. When the dough becomes thick reduce the flame and cover the pan for some time. It’s very important to stir the mixture completely so that no lumps are formed.

Mean while keep a greased plate ready .Now comes the trickiest part. How do u know the mixture is cooked? The mixture should have a glossy look and should fall of the spoon in a single thick string.
Using a spatula pour the mixture on the flat surface may be greased plate or the kitchen table itself and spread it in a thin layer. Cut into thin strips and roll them to make Khandwi.

Put the rolls in a serving dish and add the tempering of mustard seeds, asafetida. Garnish with scraped coconut, corriander and serve.

Dal Dhokli

Its September and already quite windy and cold. The weather fluctuates and often it’s a task to keep in good spirits in such gloomy weather.V and I prefer to have a bowl of hot steamy soup in the evenings. My soup vocab has expanded considerably due to this new chore. However I wanted something that would be filling, in liquid consistency. Browsing for such a recipe Tarla Dalal’s recipe for Dal dhokli caught my interest and was a grand success and and is a complete meal as well.

Ingredients:

For the Dhokli:

Wheat flour 1 cup
Red chilli powder ½ tsp
Turmeric powder ½ tsp
Asafoetida ½ tsp
Carom seeds ¼ tsp
Salt to taste and Oil
Spinach/Methi / coriander finely chopped: optional


For the Dal:

Toor Dal: 2 cups
Ginger: ½ tsp grated
Green chilles: 4 slited
Tomatoes: 1 finely chopped
Peanuts: 2 teaspoons
Lemon juice: 2 tsp
Jaggery: 3-4 tsp
Turmeric: ½ tsp
Red chilli powder: ½ tsp
Coccum :2-4 pieces
Salt to taste

For the tempering:

Rai/mustard seeds: ¼ tsp
Jeera/ cumin seeds: ¼ tsp
Fenugreek seeds: a few
Curry leaves: approximately
Cloves, cinnamon,boriya mirchi: 2 each
Bay leaf: 1
Asafoetida: ¼ tsp
Ghee: 2 tablespoons
Oil: 1 tablespoon

What to do:

Dhoklis: Mix the ingredients and make dough like for chapatti. You can add finely chopped methi/ palak or corriander to the dough if you like. Roll into circles like chapatti and just put on a hot girdle for a few seconds. Cut into square shaped pieces. The slight warming of the chapattis is important so the dhoklis do not stick in the stew.

The Dal: cook the toor dal and add finely chopped ginger, tomatoes, greenchilles, peanuts, coccum. Add the red chili powder, turmeric powder. Boil the dal well. Add the tempering and tamarind pulp and lemon juice. Add the salt and jaggery.

How to serve:
When the dal is boiling hot add the dhokli and cook for 2-3 minutes. Garnish with coriander and add ghee while serving. One can also add finely chopped banana.

Alu Palak

Spinach is the only familiar leafy vegetable we find here easily in Nl. Lal math, Methi, Ambadi , sarso the list is long and its been a long time these have been a part of my meals. Well whenever I usually buy Palak I call it the ‘Palak Week’ as we get it in a huge Packet here and the Spinach is freshly washed and wet so if not used soon its gets soggy and finds it way to to the rubbish bin. So The Palak week celebration!!!!
One easy recipe is Alu palak. Its easy to make, its quick and and goes great with rotis/Nan / bread.I recollect seeing this recipe in Khana Khazana I think though I am not sure, however its worth a try!!!

I used:

2-3 potatoes: peeled and cubed
2 cups : Spinach finale chopped
2 tsp:Ginger, greenchilles, cumin paste
Seasame seeds as per liking ( optional)
Oil
½ tsp turmeric
Salt to taste

Method:
Heat oil in a pan add Cumin seeds , ginger paste and turmeric , fry a little add seasame seeds and potatoes . Cover the pan and cook the potatoes. Once the potatoes are cooked add the spinach and cook till the spinach is done. Add salt and serve hot.

Bhoppa dohi

“Kharwas” is one of Vs long lists of favourites. Kharwas is a sweet made from the “cheek” as we call in Marathi i.e. colostrum ( the thick milk) when a little calf is born. Its texture is similar to china grass and is often served chilled. Well let aside the “Kharwas” as it is very difficult to find cheek here in Nl. So to surprise V one fine day I fished this recipe. This recipe hails from Bong state and tastes very similar to Kharwas made far away in Maharashtra.

V was so surprised and happy; I can still recollect the look on his face!!! When he had his fill
I told him that it was “Bhoppa Dohi” not Kharwas. Sometimes I wish I hadn’t and let him think his wife is a super genious. So this is treat for all Kharwas lovers who are unable to find “cheek”.
I used:

1 can sweet condensed milk
1 cup thick sweet curd
1 cup whole milk or cream.

Garnish
Dry fruit pieces- cashews/ pistas etc.
Saffron/ Cardamom powder (optional)

The Method:

Mix the three ingredients together .You can use a hand mixer if u like. Add the dry fruits and steam for 20 mins in a steamer for eg cooker without the whistle or alternatively u can microwave for 6-8 mins . The mixture coagulates and assumes the texture similar to china grass. Cool, turn the vessel and cut into pieces and 2 × 2 inches. Serve chilled.