Drumstick Flower Dry Curry ~ Shevagyachya Fulanchi Bhaji

Drumstick flowers are edible and small, round, yellowish-white flowers. They fulfil with energy, moisture, protein, fat, carbohydrates, fibre, calcium, Iron and Phosphorus. Here is simple stirfry from my Aai/Mother's kitchen.

Ingredients:

• Drumstick Flowers- 2 cups
• Onion, chopped- 1 cup
• Mustard Seeds- 1 tsp
• Garlic, crushed- 4 cloves
• Turmeric powder- ½ tsp
• Asafetida (Hing)- ¼ tsp
• Homemade mix masala/Malwani masala- 2 to 3 tsp or (1½ tsp Red chilli powder+ 1 tsp Goda masala)
• Oil- 2 to 3 tbsp
• Jaggery- a pinch or to taste 
• Salt- to taste
• Fresh coconut, scrapped- 2 tbsp
• Fresh coriander, finely chopped- ¼ cup

Drumstick Flowers:

Method:

• Wash flowers and chop roughly.
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. When they crackled, add garlic and onion.
• Saute onion till it turned pink.
• Add hing, turmeric powder and mix masala or chilli powder. Saute a while.
• Add chopped drumstick flowers. Sprinkle little water and mix well. 
• Cover and cook on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or till cooked. Saute in between. Sprinkle little water if needed.
• When flowers are cooked add salt and jaggery. Add goda masala if you are using. Sprinkle very little water and cook for a minute.
• Switch off the gas. Garnish with chopped coriander and scraped coconut.
• Serve hot with roti or rice and dal.

Drumstick Tree (Shevaga/Shekat):

Drumstick Flowers Cutlets ~ Shevagyachya Fulanche Vade

Drumstick Flowers Cutlets is a unique but authentic recipe from Konkan. They are edible and taste like mushrooms or meaty. These are also used to make curry, chutney, dal and dosa.

My aaji/granny used to make these vade. Because we children didn't eat drumstick flower curry and she was very insistent that we had to eat all kind of seasonal vegetables. Drumstick flowers prevent frequent infections of the throat, chest and skin.

Drumstick Flowers:

Ingredients:

• Drumstick flowers, roughly chopped- 1 cup
• Scraped coconut- 2 tbsp
• Onion, finely chopped- ½ cup
• Bengal gram flour (besan)- 2 to 2½ tbsp (I roast besan slightly.)
• Rice flour- 1 tsp
• Tamarind thick pulp- ¼ tsp (optional)
• Roasted cumin powder- ½ tsp
• Coriander powder- ¼ tsp
• Turmeric powder- ½ tsp
• Asafoetida (Hing)- ¼ tsp 
• Green chili-coriander leaves paste- 2 tsp
• Salt- to taste
• Oil- as required

Method:

• Wash the flowers and drain.
• Combine drumstick flowers, onion, coconut, chili-coriander paste, tamarind paste, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, hing and salt to taste in a bowl and mix well. 
  
• Divide into lemon sized balls. Shape them into flat patties. 
• Heat a pan, sprinkle oil. Roast on low heat till crisp and golden brown. (You can deep fry also, but they absorb too much oil.) 
• Serve hot with tamarind chutney and coriander chutney. 

Notes:

• Select fresh and unwilted flowers. They should be whole and not broken.
• You can store drumstick flowers in refrigerator. Wrap in damp cloth or air-tight container  for upto 3-4 days.
• You can use red chilli powder and chopped coriander instead of green chili-coriander paste.

Drumstick Tree (Shevaga/Shekat):

Mix Vegetable Pickle / Bhajyanche Lonche

I love to prepare this vegetable pickle because it is very easy to make and can be done quickly. I like seasonal short term pickles, instead of yearly pickles. In winter, these fresh veggies have great taste. Hence pickle tastes great.

Ingredients:

• Green Peas - ¼
• Carrot, chopped into small pieces - ¼ cup
• Cauliflower florets, chopped into small pieces - ¼
• Garlic- 8 cloves (optional)
• Lemon juice 1 ½ to 2 tbsp
• Readymade Maharashtrian style mango pickle masala - 3 to 4 tbsp
• Turmeric Powder - ½ tsp
• Mustard seeds (Rai) - ¼ tsp (optional)
• Asafetida (hing) - ¼ tsp
• Oil - 5 tbsp
• Salt- 2 tsp or to taste

Method

• Boil water, add a pinch of salt. Switch off the gas and add peas, carrot, cauliflower in the boiling water. Rest for 5 miniutes in hot water and then drain comeletely. Spread on cotton cloth and dry comeletely them in the shade.
• Prick the garlic cloves.
• Combine all veggies, garlic, salt, lemon juice, turmeric powder and pickle masala. Mix well.
• Heat oil till it smokes. Switch off the gas. When oil become little bit cool then add mustard seeds, let them crackled and add hing, otherwise hing will burn. 
• When oil come to room temperature, add this oil in pickle mixture bowl and mix well.
• Transfer the pickle in to clean, sterilize, dry and airtight glass jar.
• Here I use very less oil for pickle. So keep this pickle in the freeze after 2 days. (Pickle with less oil will stay fresh for long time in refrigerator.)
• Marinate/keep this pickle for approx 4 to 6 days. 
• This pickle goes well with Paratha or Da-rice or Khichadi.

Tips:

• If you dont have your own homemade pickle masala. Use ready made masala. I prefer K-pra or Pravin mango pickle masala.
• According to your taste you can add more masala, lemon juice or salt.
• You can add different vegetables as per your choice. You can add ginger also.
• Never add raw oil directly in the pickle.

Fresh Green Gram Cutlet ~ Hare Chaneke Kebab

Usually dried Bengal gram or Chickpeas is used for Kebab. But kebab which using with fresh Bengal gram tastes awesome. Fresh Bengal gram is easily available in winter.

Ingredients:

• Fresh bengal gram/ hare chane - 500 gm~ about 1½ cup 
• Fresh coriander leaves- ¼ cup
• Mint leaves / pudina- 10 leaves
• Garlic- 6 cloves
• Ginger- ½ inch
• Green chilies- 3 to 4
• Onion- ½ cup
• Hang curd- 1 tbsp
• Gram flour/ besan, roasted-  ¼ cup
• Coriander powder- ½ tsp
• Roasted cumin powder- ½ tsp
• Garam masala- ½ tsp
• Salt- to taste
• Oil- as required

Hare Chane:

Method:

• Peel the pods.
• Pressure cook hare chane. (Keep in separator, sprinkle little water, do not use much more water for cooking.) let them cooled.
• Combine cooked chane, fresh coriander, pudina, garlic, ginger, green chillies, onion, hung curd and grind together without water into paste.
• Add roasted besan, coriander-cumin powder, salt and mix well till soft dough is formed. 
• Divide into small equal parts and make ball.
• Flatten each ball into round shape
• Heat little oil in the pan and shallow fry the kebabs into golden brown. You can deep fry also.
• Serve hot with tomato ketchup, mint chutney and some salad. 

Bhogichi Bhaji ~ Maharashtrian Style Mix Vegetable for Bhogi

Bhogi is a day before Makar Snakrati. On this day we preapare this Mix Vegetable Sabzi in Maharashtra known as 'Bhogichi Bhaji'. In winter, lots of veggies are easily available in India. In this recipe, we use generous quantity of sesame seeds which are very healthy and essential during cold days. This mix vegetable is served bajra roti, mung dal khichadi, spicy sesame chutney and hot kadhi. Warm up your body and mind in this winter with this very healthy and delious dish!

Ingredients: 

Veggies:-

• Brinjal/eggplant pieces- ½ cup 
• Carrot, peeled & chopped - ¼ cup 
• Potato, peeled & chopped -½ cup 
• Ivy gourds/ Tendali- ¼ cup 
• Fresh green chana/ ole harbare- ¼ cup 
• Fresh green tuvar- ¼ cup 
• Fresh green val or pavate- ¼ cup 
• Green peas - ¼ cup 
• Ghevada, devained & chopped - ¼ cup 
• Fresh/tender peanuts- ¼ cup 
• Drumsticks,peeled & chopped- 6 pieces of 3 inches 
• Sugarcane, peeled & chopped- 3 pieces of 1 inch 
• Ber/ Bor (Indian Zizyphus) - 5 to 6 
• Fresh coriander- a handful

Other:-

• Peanuts, roasted- 1 tbsp
• Sesame seeds, roasted- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
• Dry coconut, grated & roasted- 1 tbsp
• Goda masala or Kala masala- 1 tbsp 
• Red chilly powder - 1 tsp or to taste
• Mustard seeds/rai- 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds/ jeera- 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder- ½ tsp
• Asafetida (Hing) - ¼ tsp
• Salt to taste
• Tamarind thick pulp- 1 tsp or to taste
• Gud/ Jaggery- a pinch or to taste 
• Oil - 4 to 5 tbsp

Method:

• Cut, peel and wash all the veggies.
• Dry roast 1 tbsp sesame seeds until it gets golden brown color. Let them cooled.
• Combine sesame seeds, roasted dry coconut and roasted peanut in blender and blend into powder.
• Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and when they start spluttering, add hing, turmeric, red chili powder. Add some water to prevent burning this tempering. 
• Add potato, fresh chana, fresh val/pavta, green peas, green tuvar and peanuts. Mix well. Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes over low heat. 
• Then add sugarcane, drumsticks, brinjal and carrot. Mix well. Add some water if necessary. Cover and cook over low heat. Stir occasionally.
• Once vegetables are almost cooked, add salt, ber, tamarind juice, gud and goda masala. Mix well with soft hand. Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle some water if necessary. 
• Add ground powder and coriander. Sprinkle 1 tsp of roasted sesame seeds on it. Mix well and switch of the gas
• Serve with hot Bajra bhakri/roti with sesame seeds on it. Apply some ghee or homemade white butter on it.

Tips:

• You can also add radish/mula, val papadi or other winter veggies.
• You can add fresh coconut insted of dry coconut. Just add in curry in the end with coriander.
• This mix vegetable has not too much gravy. Keep little gravy, adjust the water according to this. 

• Mugachi khichadi...click here for recipe.
• Kadhi.....click here for recipe.

भोगीची भाजी

नव्या वर्षाचे स्वागत केल्यावर येणारा पहिला सण मकरसंक्रात ! महाराष्ट्रात मकरसंक्रातीच्या आदल्या दिवशी भोगी साजरी केली जाते. भोगीच्या दिवशी अनेक प्रकारच्या भाज्यांची एकत्र भाजी केली जाते…हीच ती भोगीची लेकुरवाळी भाजी.  

संक्रांतीच्या सुमारास म्हणजेच जानेवारी महिन्यात भाजीपाला व फळे मुबलक प्रमाणात उपलब्ध असतात. हेमंत ऋतूचे हे दिवस हे मस्त थंडीचे असतात. या काळाला धुंदुर मास असही म्हणतात. याकाळात नैसर्गिकरित्या खूप भूक वाढते, पचनशक्ती सुधारते तसेच खाल्लेले अन्न शरीरालाही लागते. त्यामुळे  थंडीमध्ये पोषक ठरतील, असे पदार्थ केले जातात.
बाजरी उष्ण असल्याने ती हिवाळयात खाणे अधिक हितकारी आहे. बाजरी ही बलकारक, उष्ण, अग्निदीपक, कफनाशक असते. त्यामुळे भोगीच्या भाजीसोबत बाजरीची भाकरी बनवावी. थापताना वरून तीळ लावावेत. 

तीळ आणि शेंगदाणे स्निग्ध असल्याने शरीरातील, त्वचेतील रुक्षपणा कमी करण्यास मदत करतात. यासोबत दुध, तुप, दही , लोणी, ताक यासारख्या पदार्थांचे मोठया प्रमाणात सेवन करावे.

साहित्य:

• वांग्याच्या फोडी - १/२ कप
• बटाट्याच्या फोडी-  १/२ कप 
• तुरीचे दाणे - १/४ कप 
• मटारचे दाणे - १/४ कप 
• वालाचे/पावट्याचे दाणे- १/४ कप 
• ओल्या हरभऱ्याचे दाणे - १/४ कप 
• ओले शेंगदाणे/भुईमुग- १/४ कप 
• गाजराचे तुकडे - १/४ कप 
• घेवडा, सोलून मोडलेला - १/४ कप 
• शेवग्याचे ३ इंचाचे तुकडे, सोलून  - ६ नग 
• तोंडली- १/४ कप 
• पिकलेली घट्ट बोरे - ५ ते ६ नग *
• उसाचे १ इंचाचे तुकडे, सोलून- ३
• कोथिंबीर- मुठभर  
• सुके खोबरे, किसून भाजून- १ टेबलस्पून 
• तीळ - १ टेबलस्पून + १ टीस्पून 
• शेंगदाणे, भाजून सोलून-  १ टेबलस्पून
• चिंचेचा घट्ट कोळ - १ टीस्पून 
• गूळ - चिमुटभर 
• काळा मसाला / गोडा मसाला - १ टेबलस्पून
• मिरची पूड / लाल तिखट - १ टीस्पून किंवा आवडीप्रमाणे 
• मोहरी - १ टीस्पून 
• जिरे- १ टीस्पून 
• हिंग - १/४  टीस्पून 
• हळद - १/२ टीस्पून 
• मीठ - चवीनुसार
• तेल - ४ ते ५ टेबलस्पून

कृती: 

• सगळ्या भाज्या चिरून-निवडून व धुवून घ्याव्यात. 
• तीळ खरपूस भाजावेत. थंड झाल्यावर तीळ, शेंगदाणे व सुके खोबरे एकत्र वाटून घ्यावेत. 
• तेल तापवून त्यात मोहरी, जिरे, हिंग, हळद फोडणी करावी. 
• त्यात मिरची पूड घालून लगेच थोडे पाणी टाकावे. 
• त्यात तुरीचे, मटारचे दाणे, हरभऱ्याचे दाणे, पावट्याचे दाणे, शेंगदाणे घालून ५ मिनिट मंद आचेवर वाफवावे. 
• नंतर गाजर, वांगे, घेवडा, उस आणि शेवगा घालून शिजवावे. जरुरीप्रमाणे पाणी घालावे. मध्ये मध्ये हलवावे. 
• भाज्या शिजत आल्या की त्यात बोरे, कोथिंबीर, तयार केलेला कूट, काळा मसाला, चिंचेचा कोळ, गुळ आणि मीठ घालून मिक्स करावे. जरूर असल्यास पाणी शिंपडावे. एक वाफ आणावी. 
• गरमागरम बाजरीच्या भाकरीबरोबर भाजीचा आस्वाद घ्या. शिवाय जोडीला मुगाची खिचडी, ताकाची कढी आणि तीळाची झणझणीत चटणी हवीच. 

टिपा: 

• भाजीला फार रस्सा ठेवायचा नाही, अंगाबरोबर रस्सा ठेवा.   
• ज्या भाज्या आवडत असतील आणि उपलब्ध असतील त्या वापरा, आवडत नसतील त्या वगळा. भाज्यांचे प्रमाण आपल्या आवडीनुसार बदलावे.
• वालपापडी व मुळ्याचे तुकडे पण घालू शकता. 
• सुक्या खोबऱ्याऐवजी खवलेले ओले खोबरे पण वापरू शकता. अगदी शेवटी कोथिंबीर बरोबर वरून घालावे.      

Lal / Kalya Ghevadyachi Bhaji ~ Hyacinth Beans Curry

Hyacinth beans is seasonal vegetable, available in winter. This vegetable is known as Lal or Kala Ghevada in Maharashtra. This Red Ghevada is more tasty than Green Ghevada.

Ingredients: 

• Hyacinth beans (Lal or Kala Ghevada)- 250 gm (approx 2 cups)
• Onion, chopped- 1 med
• Potato- 1 med (optional)
• Garlic cloves, slightly crushed- 6
• Homemade mix masala - 2 tsp
• Goda masala- ½ tsp
• Turmeric powder- ½ tsp
• Asafoetida (Hing)- ¼ tsp
• Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
• Oil- 3 tbsp
• Salt- to taste
• Fresh coriander, chopped- a handful

Method:

• Wash the pods. 
  
• Remove it's veins/threads, open and cut into small pieces. 
  
• Peel potato and cut into ½ inch cubes.
• Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When the splattering starts, add garlic and onion, sauté till translucent.
• Add turmeric, hing and sauté for a while.
• Add mix masala and sauté for a while. 
• Add this vegetable, potato, goda masala and salt. Mix well. 
• Sprinkle little water. Cover & cook for 10-15 minutes or till cooked on low heat. Stir occasionally.
• Garnish with chopped coriander. You can add some scrapped fresh coconut.
• Serve hot with chapati or dal-rice.

Notes:

• You can add little jaggery/gud in this curry.
• You can add 1 tomato or green tomato in this curry.
• You can add brinjal also.
• You can use Green Ghevada instead of this Red Ghevada. Method is same.
• You can use red chili powder + goda masala instead of this.
• You can use kanda-lasun masala instead of this.
• We cook ghevada with sode or sukat also. Method is same but don't use gada masala for this. 
• You can add scrapped fresh coconut or crushed peanuts in this curry.

Indian Style Sword Bean Pod/Cod Stirfry ~ Aab or Abai / Bedavyachya Shengenchi Bhaji

Sword bean pod/cod is very rare vegetable, available in January to April. This vegetable is known as "Abai/अबई or Aab/आब or Bedava/बेडवा" in Maharashtra. This vegetable is very tasty. Preparation is quite tricky but taste is really well.

Ingredients: 

• Sword bean pod/cod (Bedavyachi Sheng, Aab or Abhay chi sheng)- 1 (approx 1 cup)
• Onion, chopped- ½ cup
• Garlic cloves, crushed- 3
• Homemade mix masala or red chilli powder- ½ tsp
• Goda masala- ½ tsp
• Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp
• Hing- ¼ tsp
• Mustard seeds- ½ tsp
• Oil- 2 tbsp
• Salt- to taste
• Fresh coriander, chopped- 2 tbsp

Method:

Wash this pod.

Cut lengthwise into two halves. 

Remove it's veins/threads and inner white fleshy part. There is thin but tough and transparent sheet like plastic paper inside this pod, discard this sheet also. 

Cut this pod into small pieces. Now this is ready for cook.

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When the splattering starts, add garlic and onion, sauté till translucent.
Add turmeric, hing and sauté for a while.

Add mix masala and sauté for a while. 

Add this vegetable, goda masala and salt. Mix well. 

Sprinkle little water. Cover & cook for 10-15 minutes or till cooked on low heat. Stir occasionally.
Garnish with chopped coriander. You can add some scrapped fresh coconut.
Serve hot with chapati or dal-rice.


Note:
This vegetable is seasonal. These pods grows on creepers. This creeper climbs on another tree. This is my mom's back yard at Murud-Janjira.