Pohe

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Pohe is one of the popular breakfast items in maharashtrian cuisine. There are various types of pohe like Dadape Pohe, Kolache pohe, Gulache pohe, Vangi pohe, Kande pohe, batate pohe etc. The recipe which I have posted here falls under the category of kande as well as batate pohe. I have used both the ingredients in this recipe.

In maharashtrians, pohe is also popular dish served during “Baghnyacha Karyakram” (where boy comes to girls place for marriage talks).

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ingredients:
2 cup thick Pohe
2 finely chopped onions
1 Potato chopped in squares
½ cup boiled green peas
Handful of roasted peanuts
½ lemon’s juice
2 tspn Sugar
Water
Salt to taste

¼ cup oil
1 tspn mustard seeds
1 tspn cumin seeds
¼ tspn asafetida
1 tspn turmeric powder
8-10 curry leaves
2-3 chopped green chilies

Freshly grated coconut
Finely chopped coriander

Preparation:
Wash Pohe.
Drain all the water and keep aside for 10 to 15 minutes.
After 10-15 minutes add salt and sugar to the soaked pohe and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a pan.
Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafetida, curry leaves and green chillies to the oil.
Now add chopped onion and fry it.
Once is it semi-cooked, add potatoes, peanuts and green peas
Cover the mixture with lid and allow it to cook
(You may sprinkle some water if required)

Remove the lid and add soaked pohe to it.
Mix the entire mixture
Sprinkle some water and cover it with lid
Allow it to cook for 5 minutes
Add lemon juice in the end.

Serve hot by garnishing it with fresh coconut and coriander.

Note : You may also garnish it with yellow sev.
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Guava Raita (Peruche Raite)

Ingredients:
2 Ripe Guavas
1 cup curd
3-4 tspn sugar
Salt to taste

Preparation:
Grate the guavas
Try to remove the seeds as much as possible
Transfer grated guava in bowl
Add sugar salt and curd to the mixture
Serve chilled

Bread Upma

This is one of my favourite snacks. The recipe is also very simple and take very less time to make. Bread upma is generally made from Maida bread. However, I have added multigrain bread also to this recipe as an healthy option.

Ingredients:
6 breads (Pav)
1 finely chopped onion
1 finely chopped tomato
1 vertically chopped capsicum
1 vertically chopped carrot
¼ cup green peas
2 chopped green chilies
¼ spoon asafoetida
½ tspn mustard seeds,
½ tspn cumin seeds
1/2 tsp sugar
¼ cup Oil
Salt to taste
Coriander to garnish

Preparation:
Break the bread into 5-6 pieces each.
Put it in mixer grinder and grind it for 1-2 minutes (Alternatively you may make small pieces manually)
Boil green peas in water with a pinch of salt and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a pan.
Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafetida and green chillies.
Now add onion and fry till it becomes transparent.
After that add remaining vegetables and allow it to cook for 5 minutes.
Add sugar and salt to the vegetables.
Finally add bread mixture and mix it well.
Garnish it with finely chopped coriander.
Serve hot.

                       

Maggie Noodles Upma

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My Aai hates eating Maggie noddles. She has perception that the tastemaker (masala) that we get in Maggie noddles pack has non-veg smell. So whenever I purchase noddles, she use to make Noddles Upma from it (without using the taste-maker) Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:


1 pack Maggie Noodles
1 finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped capsicum, carrot, french beans etc. (mix vegetables)
1 finely chopped green chilly
1 tbspn Oil
¼ tspn mustard seeds
5-6 curry leaves
¼ tspn asafetida (Hing)
Water
A pinch of salt (Maggie noodles contains salt)
Corriander for garnishing

Preparation:
Put water and 2-3 drops of oil in a vessel and bring it to boil
Now put the noodles in it and allow it to cook for 2 minutes
Take off the heat and drain the excess water
Heat oil in a pan
Add mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafetida to hot oil for tempering
Now add chopped onion and allow it to cook
After onion becomes transparent add remaining vegetables & green chilly to it
Allow the vegetables to cook
Add a pinch of salt to it
Add the cooked noodles to the vegetables
Garnish it with chopped coriander
Serve Hot

Note : You may add vegetables of your own choice to make it more colourful.
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Handvo (Handwa)

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Personally, I am fond of Gujrati recipes. I love eating Undhyu, dhoklas, and all type of gujrati farsans. Handvo (or Handwa) is a Gujarati dish. It is made up of various dals and bottlegourd. You may classify it as a type of dhokla also. You also get readymade Handwa flour in stores.

In this recipe, I have not used bottlegourd (dudhi) but have used vegetables available in my refrigerator like green-peas, carrot etc. This is a modified version of Handvo which we prepare at home.

Ingredients:
1 cup rice
1 cup mix dals (toor dal, moong dal, chana dal, urad dal)
2 tspns rawa (Sooji)
1 cup sour curd
1 cup mix finely chopped / grated vegetables (green-peas, carrot, capsicum, etc.)
½ tspn sugar
1 tspn soda or fruit salt
1 tspn turmeric powder
1 tspn red chilly powder
Salt to taste

For Tempering:
½ cup oil
1 ½ tspn mustard seeds
2-3 tspns sesame seeds
½ tspn asafetida (hinga)

Preparation :
Wash rice and dals together
Grind it into a fine paste
Add rawa and curd to the paste
Leave it aside for 6-7 hours for fermentation
Add rest of the ingredients to the batter

Take oil in a non stick pan and heat it.
Add mustard seeds, asafetida and sesame seeds and let it crackle
Pour the batter into the non-stick pan
Close the lid of pan and allow it to cook for 10-15 minutes
Now change the side and allow it to cook for another few minutes
Cut it into small pieces and serve hot

                        

Bhajaniche Thalipeeth

Thalipeeth is a multigrain Indian bread. It is made from Bhajani. Apart from bhajani thalipeeth, ‘sabudana thalipeeth’ is prepared during fasts. Thalipeeth can be prepared from leftover Dal, vegetables also. Thalipeeth can be eaten anytime of the day; for breakfast, lunch, brunch, snack or in dinner.

I still remember my childhood days, when my Aaji use to make delicious Bhajani Thalipeeths and serve it hot with “Lonyacha Gola” (home made butter).

Ingredients:

2 cup Bhajani

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 tsp red chili powder

¼ tsp turmeric powder

¼ tsp asafoetida

2-3 tbspns oil

Water for kneading

salt to taste

Oil for shallow fry

Preparation:

Take bhajani in a vessel.

Add finely chopped onion, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, asafetida, oil, salt and mix it well.

Add water to the mixture

Knead the mixture to make dough.

Make 3-4 equal size balls of the dough

Take a non stick fry pan and grease it with oil

Place the ball on the pan

Gently press the dough to make it flat and give it round shape

Make a hole in the centre and 4 holes in each quadrant to pour oil in it.

Place the pan on medium flame

Cover thalipeeth for 2-3 minutes

Now change the side and again cook it for 2-3 minutes

Serve it with butter (Loni) or curd

Note : You may add coriander to enhance the taste.

Thalipeeth Bhajani

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I have posted the recipe of Mokal bhajani, but have not posted the recipe of Bhajani, which is the main ingredient to make it. Bhajani is a mixture of all the roasted grains and pulses. It can be prepared well in advance and is used as a main ingredient in making Thalipeeth, Bhajaniche Wade and Mokal Bhajani etc.

Ingredients:
1 Kg Rice
½ Kg Black Udid
¼ Kg. Harbhara (whole Chikpeas)
¼ Kg. Corriander Seeds
¼ kg Jowar, Bajra & wheat
Handful of Jeera (Cumin seeds)

Preparation :
Heat vessel
Roast all the ingredient separately on medium flame
Mix all the ingredients
Grind it in a flour mill coarsely
The flour can be stored for months
The flour is called Thalipeeth Bhajani

Dudhi Thepla

Thepla is a very simple gujrathi recipe. In theplas, methi theplas are popular, however we can make theplas from bottle-gourd, spinach, raddish or vegetable of your choice. You may have it anytime during the day. It can be served as a break-fast item, during meals or during tea-time also. Dudhi theplas are tasty as well as nutritious.

Ingredients:
1 cup grated bottlegourd (Dudhi)
2 cups wheat flour
½ cup chopped fresh coriander
½ tspn turmeric powder
1 tspn red chilli powder (or green chilly paste)
1 tspn ginger-garlic paste
1 tspn dhana-jeera powder
½ lemon juice
water
Salt to taste
Oil

Preparation :
Take grated bottle-gourd in a vessel
Sprinkle some salt over it and keep it aside to 20-25 minutes to facilitate release of water from it
Now add wheat flour, turmeric powder, red chilly powder,chopped coriander, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice and dhana-jeera powder to it.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil and pour it on the mixture
Now knead all the ingredients together to make smooth dough
Add water if required
Make small balls from the dough
Roll them into round shape of rotis
Heat pan and roast the thepla on both the sides
Pour few oil drops on the both the sides
Serve with chutney / curd / sauce / sweet pickle

Note : Adding 1 cup curd to the abovemixture (instead of lemon juice) will make the theplas soft.

Moong Dal Chilla

Moong Dal chilla is a diet recipe. If you indulge in some high caloried food during this marriage season, a two days No-Cereal Diet (NCD) will help you compensate the extra calories and help you to maintain your weight.

Moong Chilla along with fresh fruits, salad, roasted chanas and butter-milk in your diet helps you to compensate the extra calories gained. The taste of chillas is also awesome. You may have it with plain curd also.

Ingredients:

2 cups split moong dal (chilti dal)
½ cup green moong (optional)

2 finley chopped onions

2 finely chopped green chilies
1 tspn ginger-garlic paste

½ cup finely chopped fresh coriander
1 sachet of Eno (Fruit salt) or A pinch of soda

Oil for frying

Salt to taste

Preparation:
Sprinkle pinch of soda on moong dal and moong
Soak moong dal and moong in water for 5-6 hours
(If you wish to use fruit salt / Eno, then do not add soda at this stage)
Remove the excess water and grind it into a smooth paste (medium consistency)
Add finely chopped onion, green chillies, coriander, ginger-garlic paste and salt to it.
Mix it well and set it aside for 15-20 minutes
If you have not used soda for soaking, add 1 sachet of Eno to the batter
Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat
Add 1 tspn of oil on the pan
Pour the batter on the pan and spread it evenly
Close the lid of pan and allow it to cook for 5 minutes
Now turn the chilla and drizzle some more oil drops.
Cook on both the sides, till it becomes brown in colour
Serve hot with tomato ketchup or chutney.

Note : You may add finely chopped cabbage or spinach to enhance the taste

Kolhapur Special Misal Pav

This is not my recipe. This recipe has been forwarded to me by Akshaya Parkar (Akshu), my friend and ex-colleague, who is an excellent cook.

I miss Akshu ke hath ka khana since the day I left Microsynth, my first job.

*******

Misal Pav (Spicy curry with bread) is a traditional Indian dish sold in the streets of Mumbai, Pune and parts of Maharastra, India. It consists of spicy curry usually made of chick peas and chilly powder gravy. The final dish is topped with Punjabi mix or sev (Indian noodles), onions, lemon and coriander (cilantro). It is usually served with bread toasted with butter. The dish is inexpensive and a poor man's meal.

The best Misal Pav available is at Thane outside Mamledar Office. Usually the Pav served is a Bun Pav, but in Kolhapur it is a Sandwich bread. Puneri Misal, as name suggest from Pune is also tasty. Shree Datta Guru Snacks at Panvel delightfull Misal Pav. Misal Pav in Shree Datta Snacks Spot near Goregaon Station (East) is also very tasty



Ingredients :
2 Potatoes
4 onions
2 tomatoes
50 gm sprouts
½ tsp seasme Seeds
½ tsp poppy Seeds
½ coconut
½ tspn coriander Seeds
1 tablespoon curd
10 gms garlic
10 gm ginger
2 springs coriander leaves
4 tablespoon oil
1 tspn garam masala
Salt – to taste
Bread
Chilly powder to taste
100 gms chivada & shev

Preparation :
Soak the sprouts 24 hours before you make misal.
Boil Peel & keep the potatoes aside.
Grind together Ginger, Garlic, Popy Seed, Seasme seeds, Coconut, Coriander Seeds, Coriander Leaves into fine paste.
Chop onion and tomato.
Take a vessel and heat oil, add chopped tomato, onion, garam masala powder, chilli powder.
Then add grinded masala.
Fry it well till it leaves oil.
Separate water from sprouts & add to fry masala
Now add fresh and salt & cook well.

To Serve :
Take bowl and add small cubes of boiled potato.
Top with shev and chiwada add prepared sprout curry to it.
Garnish with chopped onion & curd.
Serve hot with bread
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उत्तम मिसळ मिळणारी ६० ठिकाणे

१) अण्णा बेडेकर, पुणे
२) मनशक्ती के॑द्र, लोणावळा
३) मामलेदार, ठाणे
४) मूनमून मिसळ, डो॑बिवली
५) संजिवनी- माडिवाले कॉलनी, टिळकरोड
६) रामनाथ - साहित्य परिषदेजवळ ,टिळकरोड
७) श्री- शनिपारा जवळ
८) नेवाळे- चिंचवड
९) जयश्री- बजाज ऑटो समोर, अकुर्डी.
१०) दत्त स्नॅकस, पळस्पे फाटा.
११) कुंजविहारी, ठाणे स्टेशन
१२) जुन्नर बस स्थानक.
१३) फडतरे, कलानगरी.
१४) अनंताश्रम, जेलरोड, इंदौर
१५) गोखले उपहार गृह, ठाणे
१६) भगवानदास, नाशिक
१७) फडतरे मिसळ, कोल्हापुर
१८) गरवारे कॉलेज समोर काटाकिर्र, पुणे
१९) प्रकाश, दादर
२०) दत्तात्रय, दादर
२१) वृंदावन, दादर
२२) आस्वाद, दादर
२३) आनंदाश्रम, दादर
२४) मामाकाणे
२५) आदर्श, दादर
२६) समर्थदादर (पूर्व)
२७) पणशीकर (गिरगाव)
२८) विनय (गिरगाव) (Vinay Health Home - My favourite)
२९) बालाजी स्नँकसेंटर, चिंचवड
३०) शामसुंदर- सातपुर एमआयडीसी नाशिक
३१) अंबिका- पंचवटीकारंजा (काळ्यामसाल्याचीमिसळ) नाशिक
३२) तुषार- कोलेजरोड (गोड ब्राह्मण मिसळ) नाशिक
३३) कमलाविजय- दहिपुल (ब्राह्मणमिसळ) नाशिक
३४) गारवा- अंबड (लालमिसळ) नाशिक
३५) अलंकार- मेनरोड( मिसळीपेक्षा वडारस्सामस्त) नाशिक
३६) गुरुदत्त- शिंगाडातलाव ( कच्चा मसाला मिसळ) नाशिक
३७) मिसळ पाव सेंटर- नेहरुउद्यान (रिक्षावाल्यांचाफर्स्टचोइस) नाशिक
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३९) वैद्य उपाहार गृह- फडके हौद चौका जवळ, बुधवार्/रविवारपेठ, पुणे
४०) खास बागची मिसळ, कोल्हापुर
४१) चोरगे मिसळ, कोल्हापुर
४२). बावड्याची मिसळ, कोल्हापुर
४३) मोहनची मिसळ, कोल्हापुर
४४) टेंबे उपहारगृह - ठाकुरद्वार,
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४८) लोअर परळ स्टेशन (पश्चिम) च्याबाहेर पडल्यावर नेताजी लंच होम
४९) बाजीराव रोडवर भिकारदास समारोती जवळ तापीकर काकांचे होटेल
५०) जुन्नर मध्ये एक उंब्रज नावाचे छोटे गावआहे. तिथे "दांगटांची मिसळ"
५१) पेणला चावडी नाक्यावर तांडेलची मिसळ
५२) हॉटेल ज्योती, सोलापुर- पुणे महामार्गावरील भिगवण गाव
५३) बावड्यातली मिसळ, कोल्हापुर
५४) बादशाहि मिसळ, पुणे
५५) अलका टॉकीज समोर कोल्हापूर मिसळ
५६) नगर रस्त्यावर सरद वाडीची मिसळ
५७) शनिवार पेठेतील "रामदास'
५८) वायंगणकर (मारुतीमंदिर) रत्नागिरी
५९) दत्त मिसळ (टॉकीजवरची/ गांध्याचीमिसळ) रत्नागिरी
६०) माऊली हॉटेल( KBS होस्टेलसमोर)

Gajarachi Koshimbir

Gajarachi koshimbir is a very simple maharashtrian recipe. It can be made prepared in few minutes. Whenever you get bore of regular vegetables, you may replace the vegetable with this raita.

Gajarachi koshimbir can be prepared with curd or without curd. I prefer to make it with curd so that it can be served with hot roti also. If you are on a diet, you may skip peanut crush and seasoning. Trust me, it tastes equally good without seasoning and peanut crush.

Ingredients :
1 cup grated carrot
1 chopped green chilly
2-3 tspns roasted peanuts crush (Danyacha kut)
¾ cup curd
¼ cup finely chopped corriander
½ tspn Sugar
Salt to taste

2 tspn pure ghee
½ tspn cumin seeds
A pinch of asafoetida
4-5 curry leaves (Kadhilimba)

Preparation :
Take grated carrot in a bowl.
Add chopped green chilly, peanut crush, corriander, sugar and salt to it

Now heat ghee in a kadai (You may use ‘Pali’ also for phodni)
Add cumin seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves to it.
Switch off the gas and pour it over the mixture.
Lastly, add curd to the mixture
Mix it with spoon and serve.

Note : The koshimbir can be served without curd also. But in that case, you may add lemon juice to it.

Mokal Bhajani

'Bhajaniche thalipeeth' and 'bhajaniche wade' are common in maharashtrian homes. But still there is one more recipe which is made by using bhajani i.e. ‘Mokal Bhajani’. It can be categorized as evening snack dish. The taste is as awesome as thalipeeth.

Ingredients :
2 cups thalipeeth bhajani
2 chopped onions
1 tsp chilly powder
½ tsp asafoetida
1 tspn mustard seeds
½ tspn turmeric powder
2-3 tbspns Oil
few curry leaves
Salt to taste
Fresh grated coconut (for garnishing)
Finely chopped coriander (for garnishing)

Preparation :
Take bhajani in a bowl
Add chilly powder and salt
Now add sufficient quantity of water to make batter of thick consistency

Heat oil in a pan
Add mustard seeds, hing , turmeric powder and curry leaves to the oil
Put chopped onion and fry it for 10 minutes
Pour the bhajani batter into the pan
Stir the mixture for 5 minutes
Keep lid on the pan and allow it to cook for 10-15 minutes
Remove the lead
Saute the mixture till it becomes a bit dry (Add oil if necessary to make it a bit crispy)
Garnish it with grated fresh coconut and chopped coriander
Serve hot

Masala Puri

In this entire month, I posted only sweet recipes. Hence, I am posting the recipe of Khari Puri. It is not the part of traditional maharashtrian faraal, however, it is commonly made in Gujarati homes during diwali. It can be enjoyed during tea time also.

Khari puri is prepared by using maida as the main ingredient. However, I made it using wheat flour (Aata / Gavhachi Kanik), which is a healthier option than maida.



Ingredients
2 cups wheat flour
2 tbspns semolina
¼ cup oil (2-3 tbspns)
4 tspns sesame seeds (Til)
1 tspn red chilly powder
1 tspn turmeric powder
1 small lemon’s juice
4 tspns sugar
Water
Salt to taste
Oil to fry puris

Preparation :
Take ½ cup of water and sugar in a vessel and boil it.
Mix wheat flour, semolina, sesame seeds, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, lemon juice and salt in a bowl.
Add the boiled sugar water to the flour slowly and make a stiff dough.
Keep the dough aside for 30-45 minutes.
To make puris, take lemon size ball of dough and roll it.
After rolling puri, prick it with the tip of knife or fork.
Heat oil in a pan.
Deep fry the puris till the colour turns to golden brown.
Store it in an air-tight container.

Note :
1. In order to get uniformity in the size, you may roll out a large size roti and cut out small puris with the help of Katori (wati)
2. Multigrain aata can also be used instead of wheat flour.

Karanji (Olya naralachya karanjya)

Karanji is a also a traditional Maharashtrian sweet (faral item) made during the festive occasion of diwali. For non-maharashtrians you may call it fried dumplings stuffed with a sweet mixture of fresh coconut and sugar (i.e. olya naralachya karanjya) OR Khirapat.. Karanji is also known as Gujiya. Karanjis can be stored for weeks. Some people add semolina or khava also in the filling. However, the recipe given here is the traditional recipe.

My aaji say that along with the karanji you should also make a fried modak (by using the same dough and saran) as a brother of karanji.

Ingredients :
For cover
2 cup maida,
½ cup pure ghee
½ cup milk
water
Oil for frying

For Saaran
1 whole fresh coconut (grated) (Approx. 3 to 3 ½ waatya)
1 ½ to 2 cup sugar
1 tsp cardamom powder

Preparation
Saaran
Take grated coconut &  sugar in a pan.
Cook it on a low flame till the sugar is melted
Do not make it too dry. Cook only for 5 minutes.
Keep it aside for cooling.
Add cardamom powder at the end

Cover
Take maida in a bowl.
Heat ½ cup ghee in kadai and pour it over the maida.(This is called as “Mohan” in marathi)
Add milk and knead the dough
If required, use small quantity of water to knead the dough
Set it aside for ½ an hour
Knead it again to make the dough soft.

Karanji
Take a small ball of dough
Roll it into a puri sized circle
Place a spoon of the filling in the center
Fold the circle in a half-moon shape.
Apply a little water or milk on the edges and seal it.
Now remove the excess sides with the help of knife or cutter (katan)
Cover with a moist cloth.

Repeat the abovementioned procedure for balance karanjis

Deep fry on medium heat till it turns golden brown.

Note : You may add dry-fruits of your choice to enhance the taste.

Besan Ladu

On this festive occasion of diwali, I am posting the recipe of Besan ladoo



Ingredients:
4 cups besan
2 to 2 ½ cups pure ghee
3 cups sugar power (Pithi sakhar)
1/4 cup milk
1 tspn cardamom power
Raisins and cashews for garnishing

Preparation :
Mix besan and pure ghee in a vessel
Heat it over low flame
Roast it for at least 45 min to 1 hour till you get aroma in some other room.
After roasting, add milk to the mixture
Stir the mixture and put off the flame
Allow the mixture to cool for 2-3 hours
Add cardamom powder to the mixture
Lastly, add sugar powder to the mixture
Make small balls of the mixture
Affix cashew and raisin to it.