Apple Malpua ~ Eggless Apple Pancakes

This is healthy breakfast and very good option for tiffin.

Ingredients:

• Apples- 2 nos.
• Wheat flour- 1 cup
• Powdered/caster sugar- 4 tbsp or to tate
• Milk- approx ½ cup
• Cardamom powder- ¼ tsp (optional)
• Saffron- 2 pinches
• Baking powder- ¼ tsp
• Clarified butter (pure ghee)- as required

Method:

• Grate the apples with skin.
• Combine grated apple, wheat flour, powdered sugar, cardamom powder, saffron and mix well.
• Add milk gradually. Beat well the mixture to remove the lumps if any.
• Add baking powder and mix well.
• Heat the griddle or frying pan. Pour 2 tsp ghee and spread all over pan.
• Pour a ladle full of mixture. Spread circular with spoon and make thick & small pancakes.
• Fry till golden brown on both sides.
• Serve hot. You can pour some honey if you like.

Kelyache Shikran (Maharashtrian Simple and Quick Banana Dessert)

Shikran is simply delicious! Easy and quick dessert to please anybody! 

Whenever I make this "Shikran", even when I remember a song of my childhood.
झुकझुक झुकझुक अगीनगाडी, धुरांच्या रेषा हवेत काढी
पळती झाडे पाहू या,मामाच्या गावाला जाऊ या
केळीच्या बागा मामाच्या, पिवळ्या घडांनी वाकायच्या
मामाची बायको सुगरण, रोज रोज केळी शिकरण
Means..... Poet says that my maternal uncle lives in the village and he has big farm of banana. His wife is expert in cooking and she make "shikran" everyday for us. So let's go to uncle's place by train. Actually you do not need to be expert in cooking (सुगरण), anybody can easily make it. :)

Ingredients :
Banana- 1
Milk- ¼ cup
Sugar- 2 tsp or to taste

Method :
Peel the banana. In a bowl, put banana and sugar. Roughly mash the banana with sugar. Add milk and mix very well. Serve as a dessert or with chapati/roti or poori.

Tip:
This is basic recipe. But you can add a pinch of cardamom powder, some chopped nuts. You also can add saffron or/with Vanilla Bean. But personally I like basic plain 'Shikaran' because banana has its own flavour and it goes nice for Shikaran. Cardamom or other ingredients overlap this flavour.

Second Method:
In Konkan (Western coastal belt of Maharashtra), coconut milk is used instead of milk and jaggery is used instead of sugar.
In a bowl, combine the coconut milk, cardamom and jaggery. Dissolve completely jaggery in coconut milk. Add mashed banana in it. Shikran is ready.
Serve with chapati/roti or poori or ghavana.

Flaxseeds (Javas/ Alashi) chutney

Flax seeds (Javas/ Alashi) do  lower cholesterol, protect against heart disease, control high blood pressure and help to protect from cancer.

Chutney is best use of flax seeds.

हि पाककृती मराठीतून वाचण्यासाठी इथे क्लिक करा.  

Ingredients:

• Flax seeds- ½ cup
• Sesame seeds- ¼ cup
• Red chilli powder- 2 to 3 tsp
• Salt- to taste

Flax seeds: 

Method:

• Roast flax seeds for 3-4 minutes and keep it in one plate. 
• Then roast sesame seeds till comes nice aroma.
• Let everything get cool. 
• Grind all together.
• Serve with bhakari or chapati. Mix this chutney with some chopped onion, tastes good. 

Tips & Variations:

• You can use peanuts or dry coconut instead of or with sesame seeds.
• You can add curry leaves in this chutney. Wash curry leaves and let it dry completely. Then fry them to crispy in little oil. Grind together with seeds. 
• You can add garlic in this chutney. Grind 6-8 garlic cloves together with seeds.
• Dry roast flax seeds and grind to fine powder. Store in air tight container. Keep in refrigerator for long lasting. Use this powder 1 to half spoon in curry. This can be alternative to peanut powder. But do not use too much like peanut powder. Flax seed has strong flavour. 

Tiranga/Tricolour Sandwich

This sandwich represents our lovely National flag ~ Tiranga. Tiranga sandwich is healthy breakfast to celebrate our national festivals.

Ingredients:

• Bread- 6 slices
• Carrot, grated- ¼ cup
• Potato, boiled and mashed- ¼ cup
• Green cucumber, sliced- 1
• Chat masala- ½ tsp
• Pepper powder- ½ tsp 
• Mint chutney- 2 tbsp 
• Mayonnaise- 2 tbsp 
• Tomato ketchup- 2 tbsp 
• Salt- to taste
• Butter- as required 

Method:
For orange layer- put carrot in a bowl, add chat masala, salt & mix well.
For green layer- sprinkle salt & pepper on cucumber.
For white layer- put chopped boiled potato in a bowl, add white or black pepper powder, salt & mix well. You can add some grated cheese in it.

Assembling of sandwich-

• Cut the sides of the bread. Apply butter on one side of every slice. 
• Apply ketchup on one slice and then apply carrot mixture.
• Apply mint chutney on one slice and then lay on cucumber slices.
• Apply meyo on one slice and then apply potato mixture.
• Combine set of 3 slices as tiranga and then cut into half in triangular shape.

Soupy Noodles

Soupy Noodles is one dish meal. This is very good option for dinner specially in winter. This is quick and easy to make. My kids love them more than hakka noodles. This is quite healthy and comfort food than noddles. 

Ingredients:

• Noodles, roughly broken- 100 grams (half pack)
• Capsicum, chopped- ½ cup (1 no.)
• Carrot, thinly sliced- ½ cup (2 no.)
• Cabbage, chopped- 1 cup
• Mushrooms, chopped- ½ cup (optional)
• Soya mini chunks- ½ cup
• Spring onions, white part or onion, chopped- ½ cup
• Ginger, minced– 2 inch piece
• Garlic, minced – 8 cloves
• Green chilies, minced – 2
• Fresh coriander with steams or celery stick, finely chopped- 2 tbsp
• Spring onions, green part, chopped– ¼ cup  (for garnish/optional)
• Red chili powder – 1 tsp
• Maggi magic cubes (Vegetarian masala) , crushed- 2 packets
• Soy sauce- 1 to 2 tbsp
• Chilli sauce- 1 tsp or to taste
• Vinegar – 1 tsp
• Black pepper powder – 1 tsp or to taste
• Salt- to taste
• Water or Vegetable Stock – 3 cups (or more)
• Oil – 2 tbsp

Method:

• Chop all vegetables. 
• Heat a oil in the wok. Add the onion and sauté till it turns pink. 
• Now add the chilii, ginger, garlic, coriander or celery stick and sauté for a while. Add all vegetables one by one and salt. Sauté over high flame for 2 minute.
• Add crushed magic cubes, chilli sauce, soy sauce, red chilli powder, black pepper powder and mix well. 
• Add the vegetable stock or water and bring to a boil. 
• Add soya chunks and noodles and let it cook in the stock till done over medium flame. 
• Check the seasonings, add salt and pepper if needed. Switch off gas.
• Garnish with spring onion greens and serve piping hot.

Notes:

• Use any vegetables which you like and available. 
• Use boiled chicken or tofu instead of or with soya chunks.
• I used here Chinese seasonings, but you may use Italian or any seasonings for this soup.  
• I do not use cornflour for soups, I like as it is. About this soup, noodles cook in the soup, they release some starch in the soup. Thus soup become little bit thicker. If you like thick soup, you may add 2 tsp of corn starch/flour mixed with water for thickness. 

Daliya Khichadi

Dalia Khichadi is not only tasty but nutritious too. It is a satisfying food and easy to made. This is good option for a dinner.

Ingredients: 

• Broken wheat (Daliya/Fada /Lapshi Rava)- ½ cup
• Split green gram (Moong dal)- ¼ cup
• Peanuts- ¼ cup
• Carrot, peeled & diced- ¼ cup
• Potato, peeled & diced- ¼ cup (optional)
• Onion, chopped-1 med
• Green peas- ¼ cup
• Tomato, chopped- 1 med
• Ginger, grated- 1 tsp 
• Green chili, chopped: 2
• Red chili powder- ½ tsp or to taste
• Goda masala- 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder- ½ tsp
• Asafoetida (Hing)- ¼ tsp
• Cumin seeds (jeera)- 1 tsp
• Cinnamon stick (dal chini)- ½ inch piece 
• Black pepper corns- 2
• Oil- 1 tbsp
• Water- 2 cups
• Fresh coriander, chopped- 2 tbsp
• Salt- to taste
• Clarified butter/pure ghee- 2 tsp

Method:

• Soak peanuts in the water for minimum 30 min.
• Wash together daliya and moong daal in water for 2 times and drain.
• Soak them for 10-15 minutes in the water.
• Chop all veggies.
• Heat oil and add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, and pepper corns in the pressure pan/cooker.
• Once the spices gets tempered add chopped green chili and ginger.
• Add chopped onions and cook until they become translucent.
• Add all vegetables.
• Add turmeric powder, hing, red chili powder, goda masala and mix well.
• Add daliya and moong dal with water.
• Close the lid of pressure cooker and cook till 3 whistles come out. 
• Once cooked, turn off the gas and let the pressure cooker rest for another 5 minutes. Daliya Khichdi is ready to serve.
• Add ghee and chopped coriander, mix well.
• Serve hot with roasted papad and lemon wedge.

Tofu Stir Fry

This is a simple stir fry of tofu which can be made in hasty. This is a very good accompaniment to fried rice or noodles.

Ingredients: 

• Extra Firm Tofu/Soya paneer- 200 gm
• Green Pepper/Capsicum- 2
• White bulbs/parts of spring onion- 6 to 8
• Green part of spring onion, finely chopped- ¼ cup
• Hot chilli-garlic sauce or Chilli-garlic paste or  Sambal Oelek- 2 tbsp or to taste
• Soy Sauce- 2 tbsp
• Tomato ketchup- 1 tbsp
• Rice vinegar or Lime juice- ½ tsp
• Brown sugar- ½ tsp or to taste
• Sesame seeds- 1 tsp
• Salt and pepper- to taste
• Oil- 2 tbsp

Method:

• Cut the Tofu in cubes.
• Combine soy sauce, hot chilli-garlic sauce, tomato ketchup, lime juice, brown sugar, pepper and salt in the bowl. Mix well.
• Add tofu cubes in this mixture and marinade for about 15 minutes.
• Lightly dry roast sesame seeds, keep aside.
• Cut spring onion bulbs vertically into two parts. Cut capsicum into cubes.
• Heat oil in a non stick pan and add the spring onion bulbs and capsicum. Add little salt and pepper. Saute for 2 minutes on high flame.
• Add marinated tofu cubes along with marination.
• Stir fry for about 5 minutes until nicely combined.
• Put in the serving dish, sprinkle chopped green spring onion and roasted sesame seeds on it.
• Serve hot with noodles or fried-rice.

Variations:

• You can use cottage cheese/paneer, small chicken chunks or prawns or even boiled eggs instead of Tofu.
• You can use Schezwan sauce instead of chili-garlic sauce.

Sheera ~ Sujika Halawa

Sheera, traditional Indian Sweet made using Semolina. I mostly use banana in sheera. So you can call this 'Banana Sheera'.

Ingredients:

• Semolina (Rava/Suji)- ½ cup (I use fine semolina/barik rava)
• Clarified butter (Pure ghee)- ¼ cup
• Milk (with it's own cream/malai/sai)- 1 ½ cup
• Sugar- ½ cup (or some less as your likes)
• Ripe banana, mashed- 1 (optional)
• Dry nuts and fruits (almonds, cashew, golden raisins/kishmish, charoli), chopped- ½ cup or to personal like
• Cardamom powder- ½ tsp
• Salt- very very little, less than ¼ tsp 

Method:

• Roast rava in a heavy bottom or non-stick pan on a low to medium heat. 
• At the same time, on other side, keep milk to boil on low-med heat.
• Add all ghee in between, roast rava for 15 to 20 minutes or until sooji gets golden brown colour, it releases a lovely appetizing aroma.
• In between, add nuts so they will also roast along with rava.
• Meanwhile, the milk will have started boiling. 
• Pour the milk in rava mixture carefully and give a nice stir.
• Cover the pan with a lid and let rava cook for 3-4 minutes on low heat.
• After rava mixture gets thicker, add sugar, raisins, mashed banana, cardamom powder and salt. Give a nice stir and again cover with the lid for 2-3 minutes. 
• Serve hot.

Note:

• "Prasadacha Sheera" is prepared in Maharashtra on the holy occasion, mostly on 'Saty-Narayan Pooja'. This sheera is offered in small cups as a prasad to guests. All ingredients are same, just use  ½ cup ghee instead of  ¼ cup. Banana is must for "Prasadacha Sheera".
• I don't like to use water in sheera, you may use half of water and half of milk as mentioned quantity.
• Do not roast rava/semolina on high heat hence, it changed colour from outside. It remains raw inner side.

Potato Stuffed Chilli

Tangy, spicy and tasty snack as well as side dish for chapatti or dal-rice.

Ingredients:  

• Bhavnagri chillies- 6
• Potato, boiled - 4 medium size
• Fresh coriander, finely chopped - a handful
• Red chilli powder - ¼ tsp (optional)
• Cumin powder - ½ tsp
• Coriander powder - ½ tsp
• Mango powder - ¼ tsp or to taste
• Salt- to taste
• Oil- as required for shallow frying, 2 to 3 tbsp approx
• Mustered seeds- 1 tsp
• Asafetida (hing)- ¼ tsp

Method:

• Wash and wipe chilies. 
• Make a small horizontal cut, parallel to the stem about 1 cm below it. Make a vertical slit perpendicular to the first slit to the tip of the chillies. Don’t remove the ribs and seeds. 
• Sprinkle some salt on the chillies and keep it aside while you prepare the stuffing. (Salt softens the peppers just enough to allow it to cook quicker.)
• Peel potatoes and mash or grate them finely. Add salt, red chili powder, mango powder, cumin-coriander powder, chopped coriander in potatoes. Mix all ingredients really well.
• Stuff all chilies neatly. If some stuffing is remained, you can make tikkies from this. 
• Heat oil in flat pan. 
• Add mustard seeds, when it crackles add hing. (But this step is totally optional. You may cancel to give tadka. Shallow-fry chillies directly in the oil.)
• Place all stuffed chilies in it. Cover with lid and allow cook for 2 to 3 minutes. 
• Remove the lid & flip it over and let it cook on the other side too till it became golden brown. Don’t cover again, otherwise they become  flabby. When both sides became golden brown, it’s ready. 
• Coat  tikkies in some fine rava/semolina and shallow-fry till both sides became golden brown.
• Serve as side dish chapatti, dal-rice. Or serve as snack with curd or tamarind chutney.
• It can be stored in refrigerator for 2 days.

Vangyache Kap ~ Fried Eggplant Slices

Tasty, simple, easy and quick to making side dish for dal-rice or khichadi.

Ingredients:

• Brinjal/Eggplant- 1 thick and long (It should be fresh and seedless.)
• Rice Flour- 2 tbsp
• Gram flour (besan)- 1 tbsp
• Fine semolina (rava)- 2 tbsp
• Red chili powder- 1 tsp or to taste
• Turmeric powder- ½ tsp
• Asafoetida (Hing)- ¼ tsp
• Cumin powder- ½ tsp
• Coriander powder- ½ tsp
• Salt- to taste
• Oil to shallow fry- as required

Method:

• Wash brinjal and cut into thin (approx 1 cm), round slices. 
• Combine some salt and water in the bowl and immerse these slices into water to avoid darkening.
• Combine all the dry ingredients (gram flour, rice flour, red chili powder, turmeric, asafoetida, salt, coriander powder, cumin powder) in the plate. Do not add water.
• Drain the water and keep these slices in the strainer. 
• Heat a nonstick pan/griddle. Spread some oil over it.
• Dip the brinjal slices in the flour mixture and coat properly both sides of each slice.
• Place the slices on pan. Each slice should be separated and fry slices in batches. Do not cover while frying.
• Pour little oil and cook both sides until golden brown over low-medium heat.
• Serve them as side dish in your meal.

Tips:

• You can add 1 tsp of dry mango powder (aamchur) or chat masala in that flour mixture to give tangy taste.
• You can omit rava, then use ¼ cup of rice flour only.
• Even you can omit all flours, may use only spices and salt. But then slices will not become crispy.