Sukha Dum Aloo ( Baby Potato Curry)

This sukha dum aloo curry is very tasty and very easy to make.

Ingredients:

• Baby potatoes- 12 
• Onion, finely chopped- ¼ cup
• Tomato,finely chopped- 1 cup
• Green Chili- 1 (optional)
• Ginger- garlic paste- 2 tsp
• Curd, thick and beaten- ½ cup
• Crushed dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)- 1 tsp
• Kashmiri red chili powder- 3 tsp or any chili powder- 2 tsp or less
• Turmeric powder- ½ tsp
• Cumin seeds (jeera), crushed-1 tsp
• Fennel seeds (saunf), crushed-1 tsp
• Badshah's Punjabi garam (gravy) masala- 1 tsp
• Asafetida (Hing)- ¼ tsp (optional)
• Veg. Oil- 3 tbsp
• Salt- to taste
• Sugar- ½ tsp
• Finely chopped fresh coriander- 2 tbsp

Method:

• Wash potatoes. Prick the skin of potatoes with fork. Half boil potatoes in pressure cooker or microwave for 5 to 6 minutes in cooking polythene bag. (Potatoes should be little bit tough not more soft.) 
• Peal their skin. Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry potatoes in hot oil, till the potatoes are cooked and golden brown and keep aside in a plate. 
• Heat above same oil in same pan. Add onion, sauté till it turn into golden brown. Add turmeric powder, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, hing and sauté for a minute. 
• Add chili powder, ginger- garlic paste& tomato. Sauté till they soften like gravy. 
• Add chili , potato, kasuri methi and curd. Mix well & sauté for 2-3 minutes. 
• Add garam masala, sugar and some water to adjust consistency of gravy as per personal choice. 
• Add salt & mix well. Cover the pan & cook simmer for 5-6 minutes. 
• Garnish with coriander. Serve hot with rotis.

Chili Paneer With Chowmein Noodles

All time super hit....super addictive !

Chili Paneer (Dry)
Ingredients:

• Cottage cheese (paneer)- 250 gm
• Capsicum- 1 large (cut into ½ inch cubs)
• Onions- 2 large (cut into ½ inch cubs)
• Green chilies, slit- 4
• Garlic Cloves, minced- 6
• Ginger, minced-  - 1 tsp
• Chopped green part of spring onion- ½ cup
• Soy sauce – 1 tbsp
• Green Chilli Sauce- 1 tsp 
• Oil- as required
• Sugar- ½ tsp
• Salt to taste

For the Marinade Paste:

• Plain flour (Maida)- 2 tbsp
• Corn flour / corn starch – 2 tbsp
• Black pepper – 1 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp
• Salt – ¼ tsp
• Water as required

Method:

• Cut paneer into 1 inch cubes.
• Make a thick paste with the ingredients for marinade. Add the paneer pieces in it and let them soak in the marinade for minimum 15 mins.
• Heat 3-4 tbsp oil in a pan and shallow fry the paneer pieces till golden brown from both sides. (Or deep fry coated paneer cubes till golden brown. Strain them and then put on an absorbent paper.) Keep aside for further action. 
• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan. Add minced ginger and garlic and sauté for 30 seconds over medium flame. 
• Add chopped onion and sauté until it turn translucent.
• Add chopped capsicum and green chillies and cook for 2 minutes. Keep stirring in between. 
• Add chili sauce, soy sauce, sugar and salt. (Adjust the quantity of chili sauce according to your liking to make it as spicy as you want it.) Mix well and cook over medium flame for 1 minute. 
• Add fried paneer cubes. Stir and cook over medium flame for around 2-3 minutes.
• If you want little gravy, add 1 tbsp of remaining marinate in pan, mix well & sauté until gravy turns thick. 
• Garnish it with spring onion and serve hot with noodles or fried rice. Or serve steaming hot as a starter.

I made this Chow mein Noodles using Ching’s Chowmein Masala.
Boiled Noodles stir-fry with onion, ginger, garlic, cabage, carrot, capsicum & salt like ordinary hakka noodles. I didn't use another sauce like soy, chilli etc . That’s it…..

Kashmiri Rajma Masala

Rajma masala is a popular Indian curry made with kidney beans. This recipe bursts with aroma of Kashmiri garam masala. Some months ago, I have visited Jammu & Kashmir. I brought many Kashmiri delicacies like kashmiri rajama, masala tikki/ver, black caraway seeds etc.  I recalled the memories of Kashmir to recreate the magic in my kitchen. 

Ingredients:

• Rajma beans (kidney beans)- 1 cup
• Onion, finely chopped- 2 cups or 4 med
• Tomato, finely chopped- 1 ½ cup or 3 med
• Green chillies, chopped- 2
• Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tbsp
• Kashmiri black caraway seeds or Caraway seeds (shahjeera)- ½ tsp
• Red chilli powder- 1 tbsp or to taste
• Kashmiri vari/ver or masala tikki, crushed- 2 tbsp (plz read more about this in tips)
• Curd/yogurt- ¾ cup
• Turmeric powder- ½ tsp
• Asafoetida (hing)- ¼ tsp
• Oil or ghee- 6 to 8 tbsp
• Salt- to taste
• Fresh coriander leaves, chopped- for garnish, a handful 

Method:

• Wash and soak rajma in the plenty of water overnight.
• Drain and cook in pressure cooker with water till soft (when cooker comes to full pressure, don't take whistle. Reduce heat to low and pressure cook for about 8 to 10 minutes.). Perfectly cooked beans will hold their shape, but yield easily to pressure.
• Heat ghee or oil and add caraway seeds and onion. Saute till the onions turns pink. 
• Add turmeric, hing, chilii powder and ginger-garlic paste. Saute for a while. Add tomato, green chilli and some salt. Saute till tomato become soft and oil separates from masala. 
• Now add curd, stirring vigorously all the time (else the curd will curdle).
• Add crushed kashmiri masala tikki/ ver, salt and cooked rajma along with it's broth (water which used for boiling). Add some extra water to adjust consistency as per personal choice. Mix well.
• Simmer 8-10 minutes, switch off the gas and add coriander. If you are using oil for cooking, then add some desi ghee or butter in rajama curry.
• Serve hot with paratha/chapati or rice/jeera rice. 

Tips:
If you don't have Kashmiri masala tikki or vari/ver, use 2-3 tsp Kashmiri garam masala instead of this. 

If you don't have Kashmiri black caraway seeds, use common Caraway seeds (shahjeera).  

Kashmiri rajma are dark red kidney beans which are known for their rich red colour even after being cooked. They have a shiny appearance are smaller as compared to common rajma. These small red kidney beans are delicious and cook fast than other rajama. 

Grilled Paneer Sticks With Peri Peri Spice Mix

This is a quick starter. I had leftover peri peri masala of McDonald, so first time I made this dish with that masala.  Everyone of my family was demanding again. So I made this masala by recipe of Chef Shantanu Gupte. I did some changes. Here is recipe....

Peri Peri Spice Mix/ Masala:

Ingredients:
Red hot chilli powder or Peri Peri Pepper- 3 tbsp (or whole dry red chillies- 1 cup)
Cumin Seeds- 1 tsp
Cloves- 5
Black Pepper- 1 tsp
Cinnamon-1 inch stick
Garlic powder- 2 tsp (or garlic cloves- 10)
Bay leaves- 2
Dried oregano- 2 tsp

This masala is made by two methods. 
1 st Method: 
Brake whole spices into small pieces. Grind together all ingredients into fine powder. Store in airtight container.
You can use spice powders like cinnamon, cumin etc if available.

2 nd Method: 
If you are using whole chillies and garlic. Soak dry red chillies in vinegar overnight with whole spices like cumin seeds, cloves, black pepper, bay leaf and cinnamon. Grind together into smooth paste. Store in freeze.

Easy Method: Use McDonald's Peri peri mix.  :) :P  

Grilled Paneer Sticks With Peri Peri Spice Mix

Ingredients:
Cottage cheese (paneer)- 200 gm
Capsicum- 2
Peri Peri mix- 2 tbsp or to taste
Salt- to taste
Oil- as required, for grilling

Method:
Cut paneer and capsicum into cubes. Marinate with peri peri masala for 15-20 min. (If you are using peri peri spice powder, add 1 tsp vinegar or lime juice in marinade.)
Heat some oil in a non-stick grill pan.
Arrange the paneer and capsicum cubes in satay sticks. (Soak satay sticks in water before using to avoid burning.)
Grill paneer sticks till evenly done from all sides.
Serve hot with hot and sweet chilli sauce.

Variations:
You can use potatos or sweet potato, chicken, fish almost every thing for a grill. 
Sprinkle on potato fries as usual. 

Kokani Style Fish Fry

Fish fry is one of the easiest recipe and very very tasty too. Almost every body like fish fry. Due to frying with sensational masala, fried fish do not have bad fishy odor and taste.

हि पाककृती मराठीतून वाचण्यासाठी इथे क्लिक करा 

Ingredients:

• Pomfret fish - 1 med size (approx 6-7 pieces) 
• Turmeric powder- ½ tsp
• Asafetida (hing)- ¼ tsp
• Homemade masala  or Malwani masala or Sunday masala- 2 to 3 tsp (Malwani masala is easily available in the market.)
• Garlic cloves- 8 to 10
• Kokam petals- 6
• Fine semolina/barik rava or Rice flour- 1 tsp (optional)
• Salt to taste
• Oil for shallow fry- as required

Method:

• Grind garlic and kokam together with minimum water into smooth paste. (options: plz read notes)
• Cut the fish as required size. Remove and cut out unwanted parts. 
• Wash carefully for 2 times and drain.
• Apply salt, masala, turmeric powder, hing, rava, kokam- garlic paste. Mix well and rub gently this marinate on fish.  
  
• Marinate for minimum half an hour. 
• Heat 2 tbsp oil in the grill pan or griddle, shallow fry the fish from both sides on low-med. flame. Pour some oil if required.
• Serve hot with bhakari or in a meal with fish curry and rice.

Tips:

• You can use almost any type of fish or prawns. Peel and deveined the prawns. Cut the fish as required size. marinate as above and shallow fry.
• Malwani masala is easily available in the market. You can use also aagari-koli masala. All masalas from Konkan region are quite similar in taste. But store bought masala can not give proper taste.
• Instead of kokam, you can use tamarind pulp or lemon juice but kokam gives authentic taste.
• Instead of kokam, you can use Kokam extract (Aagal). 
• Do not use ginger for this style of fish-fry.
• I make usually garlic-kokum paste in a huge quantity and store in freezer. Because two reasons......first is, it is difficult to grind smooth paste in small quantity in the grinder. My mom uses "Pata-varavanta/silbatta" to make smooth paste. Second is, it saves time. (Grind together ½ cup garlic and ½ cup kokam with minimum water.) 2-3 tsp paste is required for med sized fish. 
• Frying methods of Bombay-duck (bombil) and Mackerel (bangada) are different. I will show you later.

Pachak Mukh Shuddhi (Digestive Refresher)

Daily used mouthfreshner......It removes mouth odor as well as it help us to digest food. It is very useful for women, especially after childbirth, as it helps in digestion and relieves one of gas and distension.

Ingredients:
Fennel seeds (Badisounf/Badishep)- 250 gm

Spilt Coriander seeds (Dhana dal)- 100 gm

Carom seeds (Ova, Ajvain)- 50 gm 

Dill seeds (Balant shepa, Suva)- 50 gm 

Method:
Dry roast all ingredients separately on low-medium flame till they discharge aroma. 
Mix and cool them all ingredients. Store in airtight container.

Zatpat Shevbhaji

Zatapat Shevbhaji using K-pra masala. It's tasty, quick and simple recipe.

Ingredients:

• Thick spicy red shev- 100 gm 
• Onion, finely chopped- 1 med 
• K-pra Shevbhaji masala- 1 tbsp 
• Chilli powder- ½ to 1 tsp (as per your taste) 
• Curd- ¼ cup 
• Water- 1 cup 
• oil- 2 tbsp 
• Salt- to taste 
• Fresh coriander, finely chopped- 2 tbsp 

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan. Then add chopped onion and saute till the mixture becomes light brown. After that, add shevbhaji masala, chilli powder, water, curd and stir well. 
• Turn the heat (flame) off as it starts boiling. 
• Add shev and garnish with finely chopped coriander and serve hot. 
• Do not keep for more time, it becomes soggy. Eat immediately. 

Maharashtrian Style Brinjal & Potato Curry (Vang-Batata Rassa)

A typical Maharashtrian curry, Batata ani Vangyacha Rassa. This curry is made too many styles. This style is used in Kokan belt.

Ingredients:

• Brinjal/Eggplant- 250 gm
• Potato- 2 med size
• Onion- 1 med. size
• Coconut paste- 2 to 3 tbsp
• Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Home made masala or malawani masala – 3 to 4 tsp (or 2 tsp chilli powder+2 tsp goda masala)
• Cinnamon stick- 1 inch piece
• Asafetida (Hing)- ¼ tsp
• Greatted jaggery (gud)- ½ tsp
• Oil- 3 to 4 tbsp
• Fresh coriander, chopped- ¼ cup
• Water-  approx ½ cup

Method:

• Peel potatoes and cut into 1 inch pieces. Cut brinjal into 1.5 inch pieces approx. Chop finely onion.
• Heat oil in a pan or kadai (wok). Add cinnamon stick and onion and sauté till it turns dark brown (but do not burn). 
• Add hing, turmeric powder and sauté for a while. 
• Add masala or chili powder, ginger-garlic paste and coconut paste. Sauté till oil comes out from masala.
• Add brinjal, potato and some water. Mix well and cover with lid. Pour some water on lid. and cook for 5-6 minutes on low heat. 
• Add salt, goda masala, chopped coriander, jaggery.(if you are using). 
• Add some water to adjust consistency as per personal choice. Mix well.
• Continue to simmer this curry for 4 to 5 minutes or until brinjal and potato cooked. You can use pressure pan for cooking.
• Garnish with coriander. Serve hot with chapati or bhakari.

Tip:
In some part of Maharashtra, roasted peanut is used. Grind roasted and peeled peanuts into fine powder. Use 1 or 2 tbsp peanut powder + 1 tbsp coconut paste in curry.

Aloo Matar

A tasty, spicy and simple curry of potatoes and green peas.

Ingredients:

• Fresh green peas (matar)- 1½ cup
• Potato- 2 med size
• Onion, finely chopped - 1 cup
• Tomato, chopped- ½ cup
• Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp 
• Green chilli- 2 or 3
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Asafetida (Hing)- ¼ tsp
• Chilli powder – 1 tsp or as per taste
• Nilon's Sabji masala or Garam masala powder- 1 tsp
• Salt- to taste
• Veg. oil- 2 to 3 tbsp
• Fresh coriander, finely chopped- ¼ cup

Method:

• Peel potato and cut into 1 inch pieces. 
• Heat oil in a large pan or kadai (wok). Add onion & sauté till it turn golden brown. 
• Add hing, turmeric powder, chili powder & sauté for few seconds. 
• Add ginger-garlic paste. Sauté for a minute. 
• Add green peas, potato & some water. Cover & cook for 5-6 minutes on low heat. 
• Add tomato, salt, garam masala & some water. Mix well & cook for 3-4 minutes on low heat until peas & potato cooked. 
• Garnish with coriander. Serve hot with chapati or in a meal as side.

Note:

• If matar are frozen, add later to avoid overcook.
• You may add some coconut paste  or cashew paste for thickness. But I don't use anything for this curry.

Maharashtrian Spongy Dosa ~ Aamboli

"Aamboli"  is fluffy, spongy soft Maharashtrian style dosa. This is not crispy like dosa. This is a traditional malwani/kokani dish, and these can also be had with almost everything like chicken-mutton curry, veggie curry, chutney like ghavan.

Aamboli flour:

• Thick rice (which is used for bhakari)- 1kg
• Split black gram(urad dal)- 250 gm
• Fenugreek seeds (methi dana)- 1 tsp

Combine and grind into a coarse powder from a flour mill.
Store this flour in airtight container. Keep in dry place. Use this for 2-3 months. 

Ingredients:

• Aamboli flour- 1 cup
• Salt- to taste
• Water-  approximately 1+ ¼ cup (required some more or less, batter should be thick than dosa batter, because it become loose or thin after fermentation.)
• Oil- as required

Method:

• Combine aamboli flour in a container.
• Add water gradually in a flour. Mix and remove all lumps if any.
• Keep for fermentation in a warm place and let the mixture overnight.
• Next day while preparing, add salt in the batter and stir.
• Heat cast iron griddle or non-stick griddle. Sprinkle and spread little oil. (you can use half onion for spreading oil.)
• Making method is apart from dosa. Pour the batter circular, side of pan to middle of pan. 
  
• Pour little oil at all sides of dosa.
• Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes or till all sides start leaving edges, turn (flip) it and let it cook for another 1 minute. When bottom side turn to golden brown, take it out from the griddle.
• Serve hot with mutton curry or chicken curry also. For vegetarians, it serves with black peas curry or black gram curry.
• It goes well also with green coconut chutney or boiled potato yellow subji.

Notes:  

• You can make batter by other way: Wash all ingredients and soak it for at least 6 hrs.
• Grind it with water and make thick batter like idali batter consistency, let it ferment overnight. Rest of recipe is same as above. But this is not authentic method.
• Store leftover amboli batter in refrigerator with air-tight container for 3-4 days.
• Many people think that "Ghavane", "Dhirade" and "Aamaboli" are same , but it's not true. Refer these recipe also.

आंबोळी

आंबोळ्या ह्या कोकण स्पेशल पाककृती पैकी एक म्हणाव्या लागतील. काही लोक धिरडे, घावण आणि आंबोळी एकच समजतात. पण तस नाही आहे. निदान आमच्या कोकणात तरी धिरडे, घावण आणि आंबोळी हे तीन वेगळे पदार्थ आहेत. घावणे फक्त तांदुळाच्या पिठापासून व पीठ न आंबवता केले जातात तर धिरडे बनवताना पिठात ताक, मिरची वै. घातली जाते आणि आंबोळ्या कश्या करायच्या ते पहा.

खर तर तुम्हांला साहित्य वाचून अस वाटेल कि हे तर डोश्याच साहित्य आहे. अगदी बरोबर पण याची करण्याची पद्धत वेगळी आहे त्यामुळेच ते डोश्यापेक्षा वेगळे लागतात. आंबोळी डोश्याप्रमाणे पातळ व क्रिस्पी नसते तर जाडसर आणि मऊ असते.  आंबोळीला छान जाळी पडते.

आंबोळीचे पीठ : 

भाकरीचे जाडे तांदूळ- १ किलो

उडीद डाळ- २५० ग्रॅम

मेथी दाणे- १  टीस्पून

वरील सर्व साहित्य निवडून एकत्र करून गिरणीतून जाडसर/रवाळ/खसखशीत दळून आणावे.

साहित्य:

आंबोळीचे पीठ- १ कप

मीठ- चवीनुसार

पाणी- अंदाजे १+ १/४ कप (थोडस कमी-जास्त, डोश्याच्या मिश्रणाप्रमाणे हव.)

कृती:

पिठात पाणी मिसळून सरसरीत भिजवावं व सर्व गुठळ्या मोडून घ्याव्यात.

हे मिश्रण एका डब्यात भरून उबदार जागी रात्रभर ठेऊन द्यावे.

करतेवेळी मीठ घालून छान ढवळून घ्यावे.

नॉन-स्टीक तवा किंव्हा बीडाची "कावील" गरम करावी.

चमच्याने किंव्हा कांदा अर्धा कापून, त्याने तव्याला तेल लावावं. ऑईल स्प्रेचा सुद्धा वापर करता येईल. (माझी आई नारळाच्या शेंबीने कावीलला तेल लावायची.)

तवा चांगला गरम झाला कि वाटीने किंव्हा पळीने तव्याच्या कडे पासून मध्यापर्यंत हे मिश्रण गोलाकार ओतावे. (सविस्तर कृतीसाठी  "घावण" ची कृती वाचावी.)

झाकण ठेऊन २-३ मिनिटे शिजू द्यावे. कडा सुटताच उलटे करावे व १-२ मिनिटे शिजू द्यावे.

आंबोळी तयार……… मटण रस्सा /कोंबडी रस्सा किंव्हा काळे वाटाणे आमटी / चणे आमटी सोबत खा. नारळाच्या चटणीसोबत पण मस्त लागते.

Spinach and Potato Cutlet

A tasty and appealing cutlet recipe for the evening tea times. You can say.......it's healthy version of  "Aaloo Tikki". :)

हि पाककृती मराठीतून वाचण्यासाठी इथे क्लिक करा.  

Ingredients:

• Spinach, chopped- 1 ½ cup
• Potato, boiled and mashed- 1 cup (approx 2 large)
• Sweet potato, boiled and mashed - ½ cup
• Green chillies- 3 to 4
• Garlic- 6 cloves
• Cumin powder-  ½  tsp
• Chat masala- 1 tsp
• Cornflour- 1 tbsp
• Salt- to taste 
• Oil- as required for frying

Method: 

• Boil, deskin and mash both potatoes.
• Coarsely crush green chillies, garlic.
• Combine all ingredients and mix well.
• Make small balls and shape them as desired shape and size.
• Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry.
• Sprinkle some chat masala and serve hot with tamarind chutney or tomato ketchup. 

Tip:
You can omit sweet  potato and use totally potato. Add pinch of sugar for flevour.