Begun Bhaja (Bengali Eggplant Fry)

To read this recipe in Marathi CLICK HERE

Ingredients
Big Purple Brinjal (Eggplant): 1
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder: 2 tsp
Sooji (Semolina): 1 tsp (Optional)
Rice Flour: 1 tsp (Optional)
Jeera (Cumin) Powder: 1 tsp (Optional)
Dhania (Coriander) Powder: 1 tsp (Optional)
Salt to Taste
Oil

Procedure
1. Wash eggplant and cut it into around 1/2 inch round slices.
2. Mix all dry ingredients very well.
3. Apply this mixture on the both sides of all eggplant slices.
4. Heat oil in frying pan. Place eggplant slices one by one in the pan. Make sure oil is coated on each slice. Cooke these slices on slow flame. Turn 2-3 times until they become littlebit brown. Follow this procedure for all slices.
5. Sprinkle some coriander leaves on cooked slices and serve hot with rice and daal or you can eat this as appetizer.


Note:
If you want you can bake these in oven or grill it.

This is my entry for Sandeepa's RCI:Bengal Event

Source:
VahRehVah

Maharashtrian Goda Masala (Kala Masala)


To read this recipe in Marathi click here

Ingredients
Coriander Seeds: 4 Cups
Dry Coconut Slices: 1 Cup
Sesame Seeds: 1/2 Cup
Jeera (Cumin Seeds): 1/4 Cup
Shahjeere (Caraway seeds ): 3 tsp
Lavang (Cloves ): 2 tsp
Dalchini (Cinnamon): 4-5 sticks
Hing (Asafoetida): 2 tsp
Tamalpatra (Bay Leaves): 5-6
Dagad Phool (Black Stone Flower): 2-3
Turmeric Powder: 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder: 1/2 Cup
Mustard Seeds: 1 tsp
Methi (Fenugreek Seeds): 1/2 tsp
Oil: 1/4 Cup
Salt: 1/4 Cup

Procedure
1. Dry roast sesame seeds.
2. Heat oil in kadhai & then fry spices one by one: coconut, cloves, cinnamon, shahjeere, bayleaf, dagad phool, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds. Let it cool for a while.
3. Grind all fried ingredients seperately. Then sieve those to get fine powder.
4. Mix all powders, turmeric, salt very well. Then add red chilli powder to oil (remained after frying) & mix it to prepared powder. Mix all ingredients very well.
5. Keep this masala in air tight container. This masala will remain good for years.
6. You can use this masala in any curry.

Source:
Ruchira: Kamalabai Ogale

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Puran Poli (Obbattu / Baksham) For Holi

To read this recipe in Marathi Click Here

Ingredients
For Stuffing
Channa Daal (Split Chick Pea or Bengal gram): 1 Cup
Grated Jaggery (Gur): 1 Cup
Cardamom Powder: 1 tsp
Nutmeg Powder: 1/4 tsp

For Cover:
Maida (All Purpose Flour): 1/2 Cup
Wheat Flour: 1/2 Cup
Salt to Taste
Oil
Ghee (Clarified Butter)

Procedure
1. Wash daal & soak in plenty of water for about half hour.

2. Mix maida with wheat flour, salt. Add water, oil and make soft, pliable dough. Cover with a wet cloth and keep aside for at least 2 hrs. In between knead the dough by punching it for 3-4 minutes or you can place dough on flat surface & beat the dough with rolling pin. Add 2-3 tsp oil while doing this. Do this at least for 4-5 times. Make fine, soft & smooth dough.

3. Cook channa daal with sufficient water in pressure cooker. Don't overcook the daal. Then drain excess water using colander. Don't throw this water use this water to make Katachi Aamti (Rasam / Soup).

4. Heat kadhai and add channa daal. Fry till all water get evaporates. Then add jaggery, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder. Mix well everything for 5 minutes. Then grate the puran with puran making machine or you can mix it in mixer or food processer.

5. Divide the dough into small balls. Divide puran in balls double the size of dough balls. Keep these balls aside.

6. With greased palms take one ball of dough, flatten it into a disc of the size of palm. Place one ball of puran(stuffing) in the center and fold all the edges of disc to cover the puran ball. Flatten the ball with palm.

7. Tie muslin cloth on rolling board. Then sprinkle some flour on rolling board or any flat surface, place this stuffed ball and roll it gently. Make sure puran did not get out so roll poli very gently. Don’t turn poli while rolling turn your rolling board so that poli will not stick to the board. If you think poli is sticking to rolling board use some flour. To avoid puran coming out of poli you can make poli by pressing the ball with palm on plastic sheet. For this use oil instead of flour.

8. Heat tava and place some ghee or oil on it. Gently lift the poli & place it on tava. Cook both sides until color changes to light brown. Apply ghee while cooking. While roasting poli just don’t turn poli lot of times just turn for 2-3 times. Follow the same procedure for remaining balls.

9. Serve hot puran poli with ghee or warm milk or katachi aamati .


Notes
1. Make sure knead the dough according to procedure otherwise polis will not become soft.
2. Be gentle while rolling the poli.
3. Puran or puran poli will remain good for 2 weeks in fridge.
4. You can use sugar instead of jaggery.
5. If you want you can use shredded coconut or khoya (mawa). Add them when you add jaggery to the daal.

Katachi Aamati ( Chaana Daal Rasam) For Arusuvai

For Arusuvai Friendship Chain Manasi send me two homemade powders. One is curry powder which is for 'Chavli Curry' from Nupur's : One Hot Stove blog and second is Masale Bhat powder which is for 'Masala Bhat' from Ashwini's: Food For Thought blog. Thanks Manasi for sending me these lovely powders. For this recipe I am using Curry Powder. Hope you all will love this recipe. I will post next recipe later.


To read this article in Marathi Click Here

Ingredients:
Kat (Chaana Daal Stock): 2 Cups
Cooked Chaana Daal: 1/4 Cup
Curry Leaves: 1 Spring
Sliced Onion: ½ Cup
Dry Shredded Coconut: 1 tbsp
Ginger – Garlic Paste: 1 tsp
Sesame Seeds: 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds: 1 tsp
Pinch of Hing (Asafoetida)
Kandyacha (Onion) Masala: 2 tsp
Curry Masala: 2 tbsp
Finely Chopped Coriander
Tamarind Pulp: 2 tsp
Sugar or Jaggery: 1 tsp (Optional)
Salt to Taste

Procedure:
1. Blend cooked chaana dal & water. Make a fine paste.
2. Dry roast sesame seeds, coconut and onion individually. Let it cool. Then make a paste of onion, coconut and ginger garlic paste.
3. Heat oil in a sauce pan. Add cumin seeds. When they stop sputtering add curry leaves and hing. Then add onion paste. Cook this paste till it leaves some oil. It will take 3-4 minutes. Then add both masalas. Fry for 2-3 minutes.
4. Then add chaana daal stock & chaana daal paste. If you don’t have chaana daal paste, don’t worry take some extra cooked chaana daal. Add extra water, salt, tamarind pulp & sugar. Boil it for 4-5 minutes.
5. Garnish with finely chopped coriander. Serve this hot aamati with Puran Poli or Hot Rice or you can drink it like Rasam.

Dodkhyachya Shiryanchi Chutney (Dry Ridge Gourd Skin Chutney)

To read this recipe in Marathi click here

Ingredients
Dodkyahcya Shira (Ridge Gourd Skin): 2 Cups
Sesame Seeds: 1 tbsp
Dry Shredded Coconut: 1 tbsp
Jeera (Cumin Seeds): 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder to Taste
Salt to Taste

Procedure
1. Dry roast cumin seeds, coconut, sesame seeds till golden brown & keep aside.
2. Fry skin on the pan till it get crispy. It will take approximately 9-10 minutes. Let it cool for a while.
3. Grind all the ingredients to coarse or fine consistency.
4. Store this chutney in air tight container. This chutney will remain good for a month.
5. Just like dry peanut chutney, you can serve this chutney with any snack, with roti.

Potato Puffs



Ingredients
Frozen Puff Pastry Sheets: 2
Medium Size Boiled Potato: 1
Frozen Green Peas: 1/2 Cup
Finely Chopped Onion: 1/2 Cup
Finely Chopped Coriander: 2 tsp
Finely Chopped Green Chillies: 2-3
Lemon Juice: 1 tsp
Grated Ginger: 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder: 1 tsp
Finely Chopped Almonds & Cashew: 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
Oil
Salt to Taste

Procedure
1. Take out the puff pastry sheet from the pack and separate the sheets and keep it out side.
2. Cut boiled potato into small pieces. Keep aside.
3. Preheat the oven at 350 F.
4. Heat oil in a Kadhai. Add green chillies and fry for a minute. Then add chopped onion & fry till golden brown. Then add ginger, turmeric powder & garam masala powder. Fry for a minute.

5. Then add chopped potatoes, green peas, cashews, almonds, salt & lemon juice. Mix well all ingredients. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Then let it cool for 5- 10 minutes.
6. Unfold the pastry sheet.



7. Fill the stuffing in the middle part of patry sheet.







8. Then fold other 2 halfs carefully & press it littlebit so that they don't open while baking.
9. Then cut this stuffed sheet in to desired shape.
10. Bake these in preheated oven until they turn brown. It will take approximately 20 - 25 minutes.
11. Serve hot with Tomato Sauce.

Variation
You can use different types of stuffing like mix vegetables, chicken, fruits instead of potatos.

This is my entry for Sia's Ode to Potato event.

Palak - Paneer Neer Dosa

Ingredients
Rice: 1 Cup
Thick Poha: 1 Cup
Shredded Paneer: 1/2 Cup
Spinach Puree: 1 Cup
Green Chillies: 3-4
Chopped Coriander Leaves: 2 tbsp
Salt to Taste
Oil

Procedure
1. Soak rice & poha together for 2-3 hours.
2. Grind poha, rice, green chillies, paneer, salt to a fine batter. If you want you can add paneer later.
3. Then add spinach puree and coriander leaves. Mix the batter well.
4. Heat tava / griddle. Pour 1 tsp of oil. Then pour a ladle full of batter on tava. Spread it round evenly but slightly thick in size. Pour some oil around the edges.


5. Serve hot with any type of chutney or sambar.

Notes
1. Instead of palak puree you can use any other puree like carrot, tomato.
2. You can also use finely chopped methi leaves.
3. This dosa is very healthy and I am sure your kids will also love this colorful dosa.

This is my entry for Manasi's WBB Balanced Breakfast Meals and Srivalli's Dosa Mela

Shengdana Chutney (Spicy Dry Peanut Chutney)

Ingredients
Dry Roasted Peanuts/ Groundnuts : 2 Cups
Red Chilli Powder: 1/2 tbsp
Cumin Seeds: 1-2 tsp
Garlic Cloves: 3-4 (Optional)
Tamarind : 1 inch
Curry Leaves: 2 Springs
Asafoetida / Hing : 2-3 Pinch
Salt to Taste
Sugar to Taste

Procedure
1. Remove the cover of nuts by rubbing them with a wad of cloth. Blow out the skin.
2. Dry roast cumin seeds and chopped garlic cloves. Let it cool.4. Fry curry leaves in small amount of oil.
3. Grind all ingredients to coarse consistency. Don't make fine powder.
4. Store this chutney in air tight container. This chutney will remain good for a month.

Surving Suggestion
1. You can eat this chutney with anything.
2. Eat with hot rice & ghee.


3. Add yogurt and serve with any type of snack like Dosa, Wada, Pakodas, Idli etc.
4. If you got boared of cooking, just eat this chutney with hot roti, chapati.
5. To get some indian taste sprinkle this chutney on Pizza, Sandwitch, Burger, Toast etc.

Bagara Baingan


Ingredients
Small Fresh Young Brinjals: 8 - 10
Roasted Peanuts: 1 Cup
Roasted Sesame Seeds: 3 tbsp
Roasted Dry Shredded Coconut: 2 tbsp
Finely Chopped Onion: 1 Big
Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves: 1 tbsp
Sliced Green Chilllies: 2
Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 tsp
Tomato Paste: 1 tbsp
Curry Leaves: 1 Spring
Tamarind Paste: 1 tbsp
Jaggery or Sugar: 1-2 tsp
Cumin Powder: 1 tbsp
Coriander Powder: 1tbsp
Red Chilli Powder: 1 tbsp
Whole Garam Masala Powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds (Jeera): 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds : 1 tsp
Fenugreek Seeds: 1 tsp
Asafoetida (Hing): 1/2 tsp
Cloves: 3-4
Cinnamon Stick: 1 (cut into pieces)
Elaichi: 3
Bay Leaf: 1
Salt to Taste
Water

Procedure
1. Grind peanuts, sesame seeds, coconut with water. Make a smooth paste. Keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and when they start spluttering, add cumin seeds and curry leaves. Add cloves, bay leaf, cinamon stick, elaichi. Fry for a minute. Then add chopped green chillies, onion and hing. Fry onions till it gets golden brown.
3. Add turmeric powder, ginger - garlic paste, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala. Fry for a minute. Then add tomato paste and some salt. Add some water and bring it to boil.
4. Then add paste of peanuts, sesame seeds & coconut powder & water. Cook for 10 minutes.
5. In mean time, make slits to eggplant (don't cut end). Shallow fry or deep fry them till they are 80% done.
6. Add these brinjals to gravy. Then add salt, tamarind juice, jaggery. Cook this gravy on medium heat till brinjals are 100 % cooked.
7. Garnish this with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with pulao, biryani or chapati.

This is my entry for Pooja's event of 'Vegetable of the week : Brinjal' Source: VahRehVah

Sabudana Ladoo (Sago Ladoo) For Mahashivratri



Ingredients
Sabudana / Sago : 1 Cup
Powdered Sugar : 1/2 Cup
Pure Ghee / Clarified Butter : 1/4 Cup
Ilaychi / Cardamom Powder: 1/2 tsp
Chopped Cashews, Almonds & Raisins: 1/4 Cup

Procedure
1. Dry roast sabudana till it get little bit golden brown. Keep aside to cool down.
2. When sabudana cools down little bit grind it in a grinder to fine powder.
3. Sieve this powder to get fine powder.
4. Beat ghee with spatula till it gets little bit fluffy.
5. Add sugar & beat this again for 5 minutes.
6. Then add ilaychi powder, dry fruits & sabudana powder.
7. Mix all these ingredients very well.
8. Now form the mixture, a little at a time, into lime-sized balls. Press gently but firmly with lightly greased palms to ensure they have no cracks and are firm and smooth.
9. Serve these ladoos as a snack.

Notes
1. Sabudana powder will remain good for months. You can use this powder while making thalipeeth for vrat.
2. If this mixture get little bit dry, you can add beaten ghee or sprinkle some milk.

Veg Lollipop

Ingredients
Finely Chopped Cabbage: 1 Cup
Finely Chopped Gobi (Cauliflower): 1 Cup
Finely Chopped Carrot: 1/2 Cup
Finely Chopped Green Beans: 1/4 Cup
Finely Chopped Onion: 3/4 Cup
Finely Chopped Corainder: 1/2 Cup
Finely Chopped Capsicum: 1/2 Cup (Optional)
Finely Chopped Beet: 1/4 Cup (Optional)
Fresh / Frozen Green Peas: 1/2 Cup
Maida /All Purpose Flour: 1 Cup
Corn Flour: 1 tbsp
Small Bread Sticks: 12 -15
Ginger - Garlic - Green Chilli Paste: 1 tbsp
Salt to Taste
Oil for Frying

Procedure
1. Mix all vegetables, onion, coriander and salt. Keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
2. Dry roast maida and keep aside to cool down.
3. Squeeze out excess water from this mixture. Don't throw this water. If your mixture gets very dry, you can this water or you can use this water in any curry or soup.
4. Add maida, corn flour and ginger -garlic- green chilli paste to this mixture. Mix well.
5. Make oval shape balls of this mixture.
6. Insert one bread stick in each ball & press well.
7. Heat oil in kadhai. Deep fry these balls till golden brown.
8. Serve hot with any sauce or chutney.

Notes
1. You can adjust or skip the quantity of vegetables according to your taste.
2. If you don't like oily food, you can bake these in oven.
3. You can shredded potato or boiled mashed potato.

This is my entry for Mansi's Weekend Breakfast Blogging event. This month's theme is Balanced Breakfast Meals.

Source: Aamhi Sare Khawayye