Mango Pickle (Ambyache Lonache)

 Ingredients : 
1 Kg. raw mangoes (Makarand Ambe)
100 gm red chilly powder (Laal Tikhat)
1 cup mustard powder (Mohri powder)
2 tspoon mustard seeds (Mohri)
1/2 cup fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
2 tspns turmeric powder (Halad)
1 1/2 cup roasted salt
1 1/2 inch asafoetida  (Irani Hing)
2 cups oil + 2 tbps oil





Preparation :
Cut raw mangoes in small square blocks.
Heat 2 tbpsn oil in a pan
Now add 1/2 cup fenugreek seeds
Fry fenugreek seeds in oil for 10-15 minutes
After frying make fine powder of  fenugreek seeds
Also make fine powder of Irani Hing (Because in market we get pieces of Irani hing)

Heat 2 cups oil in a pan
Add 2 tspns mustard seeds and turmeric to it
Keep it aside for cooling

Take red chilly powder, methi powder and mustard powder in a vessel
Mix it well
Pour cool oil tempering on it and again mix it
Add raw mango pieces to the mixture
Lastly add salt (roasted) to it and mix.

Transfer the pickle into glass bottle
Pour thin layer of salt over it
Seal the lid with cotton cloth (In marathi it is called "Dadra")

Notes :
You may use readymade methi powder also instead of making it at home.
The pickle should be kept away from water as water may spoil the same.

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Cashew Usal (Kajuchi Usal)

We use to relish Kajuchi usal in Girgaon. There were 2-3 restaurants on girgaon road where we use to get Cashew Usal. 

I am not aware of the recipe of Kajuchi usal and hence I tried to make it in the manner of "Dalimbi usal". This too tastes good. But I am still in search of the authentic Kajuchi Usal recipe.

Ingredients :

1 cup raw cashews (Ole Kaju)

1/4 cup grated coconut 

1/2 inch jaggrey

2-3 tbspn oil

1 tspn of mustard seeds & cumin seeds

1/4 tspn turmeric powder

1/4 tspn red chilly powder

A pinch of asafoetida

Salt to taste

Water

Corriander for garnishing

Method :

Soak raw cashews in hot water for 15-20 min. 

Now remove the skin of cashews

Heat oil in a pan

Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, asafoetida to it.

Now add coconut, raw cashews and water to it.

Cover it with lid and let it cook for 5-6 minutes

After cooking add jaggrey, red chilly powder and salt to it.

Mix it well and cook it again for 3-4 minutes

Garnish it with corriander 

Serve hot.

Note : Since cashews are delicate, handle carefully. 

Sabudana Khichadi

Sabudana khichadi is a very very common recipe made in every Maharashtrian home during fast. In Girgaon, we use to relish Prakash's khichadi and sabudana wada and piyush during Sankashti chaturthi, our sole monthly fast. There are many ways of making sabudana khichadi, some people add red chilly powder to make it red in colour, while some people add too much sugar to make it sweet.  On one of the occasions (Chaitra Haldi Kunku), we added fried potato cubes and fried cashews to khichadi to make it "Shahi" and got compliments from everyone.

Sabudana khichadi is served with dahi in some restaurants, however it spoils its original taste. So I would suggest to have it as it is.

Here is the receipe of regular Sabudana Khichadi.

Ingredients :

1 cup sabudana (Sago)
1/2 cup roasted peanuts crush
1 potato chopped in small cubes
OR 1 boiled potato cut in small cubes
3-4 green chillies
1/2 inch ginger
1 tbspn ghee
1/2 tspn cumin seeds
1/2 lemon juice
1 tspn sugar
Salt to taste
Fresh grated coconut for garnishing

Preparation :
Take Sabudana in a vessel
Wash it for 3-4 minutes in water
Remove the excess water from sabudana
Soak it overnight.

After soaking, add peanuts crush, salt and sugar to the sabudana
Make fine ginger-chilly paste and add it to the soaked sabudana
Mix all the ingredients and keep it aside.

Heat ghee in a pan
Add cumin seeds to heated ghee
Now add potato cubes to the ghee
Cover the lid of pan to allow cooking of potatoes
After 7-8 minutes remove the lid and
(If boiled potato is used, then saute for few minutes)
Add the sabudana mixture to the pan
Stir the mixture in intervals
Turn off the flame when sabudana becomes transparent
Finally add lemon juice and
Garnish it with freshly grated coconut.

Notes :
1. Ensure that while soaking sabudana, the level of water should not be more than the level of sabudana, because that may make Khichadi sticky. The level of water should be little less than the level of soaked sabudana.
2. The potato cubes should be kept in water. This prevents the change of cut cubes into brown/black.

Stepwise Pictures :