Fruit Salad

Fruit Salad in Marathi

Time: 20 to 25 minutes
Serves: 4 to 5 persons

Ingredients:
1 medium banana
1 medium apple
1 medium orange
1/2 cup grapes
1/2 cup papaya, small cubes
Dry Fruits: - 2 tbsp sliced almonds, 1 tbsp sliced pistachio, 2 tbsp golden raisins, 1 tbsp cashews
1/2 cup condensed milk
1/2 cup milk

Method:
1) Preparation
Grapes: Use whole grapes. If the size is big, cut them into two halves. Also, use seedless grapes.
Orange: Peel the orange. Separate the wedges. Now remove skin and take out the fleshy part.
Papaya: Peel the papaya. remove seeds. Chop the papaya into medium cubes.
Banana: Peel the banana and make medium cubes.
Apple: Always cut the apple when you are ready to mix all the ingredients. Cut the apple, deseed and make small cubes.

Mix all the fruits. Add condensed milk and plain milk. [Amount of milk may vary. So first, add 1/4 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of condensed milk. Taste the fruit salad. If it is sweet enough then only add plain milk, if required.]
Add dry fruits, save some for garnishing.
Chill the fruit salad and serve as a dessert.

Tips:
1) You may add your choice of fruits like Chickoo, Pomegranate kernels, strawberries, Alfonso mango etc. [use any sweet or sweet and sour tasted fruits]

Harabhara kabab

Hara Bhara Kabab in Marathi

10 to 12 medium kababs
Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
15 to 20 spinach leaves
2 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed
3/4 cup green peas, boiled
2-3 green chilies, finely chopped
2 tbsp corn flour
1/2 tsp ginger, grated
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp amchoor (dry mango powder)
salt to taste
oil for deep frying
8 to 10 Cashew-nuts

Method:
1) Blanch the spinach leaves - boil around 2 cups of water. Once water starts boiling, add spinach leaves. Stir for couple of minutes. Then drain hot water and immediately immerse spinach leaves into cold water.
2) Slightly squeeze out water from spinach. Add green peas, spinach and green chilies to a blender. Blend coarsely. Do not add water.
3) Transfer blended peas and spinach to a mixing bowl. Add ginger, mashed potatoes, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, amchoor and salt. Also add corn flour and mix nicely.
4) Grease your palms lightly. Divide the mixture into equal small portions and make smooth surfaced balls. Press slightly to flatten a little. Gently press cashew-nut at one side. Deep fry over medium-high heat until pinkish.
Serve with Tomato ketchup, green chutney or tamarind chutney.

Tips:
1) Mash the potato without any lumps
2) To make the mixture dry, squeeze out the water well from spinach. Also drain the peas properly before adding to blender. The kabab wont form well if the mixture is wet and more corn flour will require. This will ruin the taste.
3) To make kababs very green, add a small pinch of edible green color

Gawarichi bhaji

Gavar Bhaji in Marathi

Time: Preparation: 15 to 20 minutes | Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 2 to 3

Ingredients:
1/4 kg Gawar (Cluster beans)
for tempering:- 1 tbsp oil, 2 pinches mustard seeds, 1 pinch cumin seeds, 2 pinches hing (Asafoetida), 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp red chili powder
1 small potato, peeled and cubed
2 to 3 tbsp fresh coconut
1 tbsp peanuts powder
2 tsp jaggery
1/2 tsp Goda masala (Maharashtrian masala)
salt to taste

Method:
1) Wash gawar thoroughly. Pat dry with towel. Remove ends and strings (if any) of each gawar. Then pluck and make 1 inch pieces.
2) Steam cook broken gawar into a pressure cooker. Do not add water. (Add 1 inch level water at the bottom of cooker, take a steel container which fits inside the cooker. Put the broken gawar into it. and do not add water to this container.) Pressure cook upto 2 whistles, then turn of heat and wait for 10 minutes.
3) Heat oil into a wok or any pan. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing and turmeric. Then add potato cubes. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, till potato is half done. Add steam cooked gawar and mix.
4) Add red chili powder, goda masala, coconut, peanuts powder, and little salt. Mix nicely, cover and cook for couple of minutes. Then add jaggery and mix well. Cook for couple minutes more.
This sabzi tastes nice with chapati or white rice and dal.

Tips:
1) Instead of raw potato, boiled potato can also be used. Put the boiled potato in the refrigerator for little while. Add the boiled potato and steam cooked gawar together into tempering.
2) Potato can be substituted by black peas. Soak the peas for atleast 7 to 8 hours in the water. Then pressure cook and use in the vegetable.
3) This sabzi can be prepare completely in the pressure cooker. Take a small pressure cooker. Prepare tempering according to the above method. Then add raw broken gawar and potato cubes (or soaked peas). Also add other ingredients and little water. Pressure cook upto 2 to 3 whistles. After 10 minutes open the cooker and boil for couple of minutes.

Hakka Noodles

Hakka Noodles in Marathi

Time:30 minutes
serves: 2 persons

Ingredients:
2 Noodle cakes (approx 50 gram each)
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
5 big garlic pods
1/2 inch ginger
1 tbsp red chili sauce (I used Maggi masala chili sauce)
1 tbsp tomato paste
salt to taste
1/2 tsp vinegar
Vegetables: Bell pepper, Carrot, cabbage, mushroom, green onion - thin slices
(total vegetables should be 1/3rd of cooked noodles)
2 to 3 tbsp green onion, finely chopped

Method:
1) Boil around 6 cups of water. Add 1 tbsp salt and Noodles. Keep ready a container filled with cold water. Once noodles are almost done (90%), drain the water and immerse the noodles into cold water. Drain the cold water just before sauteing vegetables.
2) Prepare a fine paste of ginger + garlic + red chili sauce + tomato paste.
3) Heat oil into a wok. Add the paste of ginger+garlic+red chili sauce+tomato paste. saute for few seconds.
4) Add vegetables and saute for 10 to12 seconds over high heat. Add drained noodles and soy sauce. Mix nicely. At the end add vinegar and salt (if required). Garnish with green onion
Serve hot.

Rava Idli

Rava Idli in Marathi

Yield: around 15 to 18 medium Idlis
Time: 35 to 40 minutes (Prep time - 15 mins + steaming time - 20 to 25 mins)

Ingredients:
1 cup Rava /Semolina (Coarse quality)
1 tsp Oil, pinch of mustard seeds, pinch of asafoetida (hing), 1/2 tsp urad dal, 1/2 to 1 tsp chana dal, 4 to 5 curry leaves
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1/2 cup sour plain yogurt, well beaten
1/2 cup water
salt to taste
1 tsp Eno fruit salt (Eno Soda) - original flavor (do not use flavors like cherry, lemon)

Method:
1) Heat oil in the pan. Add mustard seeds and hing. Immediately add chana dal. Let the chana dal turn pink. Then add urad dal and saute for few seconds. Add curry leaves and ginger. Now add Rava and roast for couple of minutes over medium heat.
2) Transfer roasted rava into a deep bowl. In other bowl mix beaten yogurt and water well. when rava becomes warm, add yogurt+water mixture to it and blend well (tip 2). Add salt and mix. Let it stand for 10 minutes. Consistency should be like usual Idli batter, not too thick or thin.
3) Pour about 2 to 2.5 cups of water into the Idli cooker. Put it on the stove over high heat. Light grease the Idli stand (molds) with little oil (tip 3). Add Eno salt to the batter and mix in one direction. Spoon the batter into Idli molds.
4) Once water starts boiling, put the Idli stand inside the cooker (important tip 4). Close cooker with the lid. Steam the idlis for 12 to 15 minutes. After 12-15 minutes, turn off the heat and wait for 7-8 minutes before opening the cooker.
Remove idlis with sharp edged spoon (Do not use knife, it will break the idlis)

Tips:
1) Some variations can be done in the above recipe. Vegetables like carrot, peas, cabbage can be added to the idli batter. Just put small quantity of grated carrot and 2-3 peas into idli molds and then spoon the batter over it. Another idea is you may add the vegetables to idli batter.Though, it changes the color of Idlis.
2) If you have roasted the rava a little longer, it will soak more water. So, you may need to add little more water to adjust the consistency.
3) If you have small Idli stand (8 to 12 medium molds), Do not add Eno soda into whole batter. Divide it into 2 equal portions. Add 1/2 tsp of soda into one portion. Make idlis as per above instructions. Now add remaining 1/2 tsp soda into second prortion of batter and make idlis with the same directions.
4) If using normal pressure cooker, remove the weight (Pressure whistle) and then before steaming idlis.

Gulpoli

Gulpoli in Marathi

Time: around 2 hours
Yield: approx 25 gulpoli

Ingredients:
Stuffing
1/2 kg Jaggery
1 cup Besan flour (Chickpea flour/ Gram flour)
1/2 cup Oil
2 halves of dry coconut
3/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup poppy seeds
1/2 cup peanuts
Cover
1 and 1/2 cup maida
3/4 cup wheat flour
2 tbsp oil
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp besan (Optional)

Method:
1) Grate the dry coconut. Dry roast till golden brown. Gently crush with hands. We need around 1/2 to 3/4 cup of crushed coconut. If it is less, then grate some more coconut. Roast and crush it.
2) Dry roast sesame seeds, poppy seeds separately, till golden brown. Grind to a fine powder.
3) Dry roast peanuts. Remove the peels and grind the peanuts to a fine powder.
4) Heat a pan. Add 1/2 cup oil. Add 1 cup besan flour and roast till, you sense nice aroma and color changes til golden.
5) Grate the jaggery to a fine powder. Add all the roasted items to the grated jaggery. Knead to a semi-stiff dough.
6) Mix maida, wheat flour, salt and besan. Heat 2 tbsp oil to the smoke point. Add it to the flour mixture. Make a medium consistency dough by adding water. Use little oil if required. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
7) Divide the stuffing into 23 to 25 equal balls.
8) For the cover, we will need two equal dough balls for 1 stuffing ball. Therefore, the 2 dough balls should be slightly smaller than stuffing ball.
9) Sandwich the stuffing ball between two dough balls. Seal the edges. Use dry flour and roll it to a thin roti. While rolling, do not flip the sides.
10) Roast over medium-high heated tawa. Roast both the sides. Put it on a paper towel. Stack them into Chapati Container after cools off.
Gulpoli can be served warm or cold. It tastes delicious either way. Do not forget to put a dollop of desi ghee.
Gulpoli stays fresh for 8 to 10 days at room temp. Hence, you can stack some extra gulpoli and enjoy them for few more days.

Tips:
1) The proportion of the flours can be changed according to your preference. If you want firm and little crispy gulpoli, then use only maida and add hot oil. If you want soft gulpoli, then use wheat flour and do not use hot oil, use room temp. oil.

Homemade Garlic Bread

Garlic Bread in Marathi

Serves: 10 pieces
Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1 ft french bread loaf
Kosher salt / normal salt to taste
2 to 3 pinches of dry herbs (I used Rosemary and Oregano)
Butter spread:
4 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Olive oil
5 cloves of garlic, minced

Method:
1) Preheat the oven at 400 F.
2) Cut the bread loaf horizontally into two halves.
3) To make garlic butter spread, melt butter in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds. Do not let it boil. It won't taste good. Then add olive oil and minced garlic to the melted butter and mix nicely.
If you don't have microwave, use the stove-top. Heat a small saucepan, add olive oil and make it warm. Turn off the heat. Add butter and minced garlic and mix well.
4) Spread the garlic butter on the inside (white) area of cut bread and also on the two vertical sides. Crush the herbs and sprinkle all over it. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until the edges get lightly brown. Sprinkle salt to taste.
Take a cutting board. Put the baked bread, buttered side down and slice it with a sharp knife. Serve hot with tomato pasta sauce.

Tips:
1) You can slice the bread into strips before applying the spread. However, you will need to make extra garlic butter spread to apply on the two vertical sides of each slice. Also, it will taste too much buttery.

Layered Chapati Ghadichya Polya

Ghadichya Polya in Marathi

Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 5 to 6 chapatis



Ingredients:
Dough made of 1 cup Chapati atta (Divided into 5 to 6 equal portions)
Little oil or ghee
1/2 cup dry chapati atta

Method:
1) Heat the tawa and then put the flame over medium high heat.
2) Take one portion of the dough. Dust it with dry flour. Roll it into 4 inches circle. Spread little oil with hand or with the spoon. Sprinkle little dry flour over it.
3) Fold the circle into half. Apply some oil and sprinkle little flour. Again fold and make a triangle.
4) Dust it with flour and start rolling from one of the angles. Roll nicely and turn the triangle into a circle.
5) Place it on the heated tawa. Turn the one side immediately after 5 to 6 seconds. Roast the other side until brown spot appears. Flip the side and roast it nicely.
Once both sides are cooked, remove from the tawa. Apply little oil or ghee. Serve hot or put it into insulated Chapati container (to keep chapati warm and soft)

Tips:
1) To save the time, do not heat the tawa in the beginning. First, follow step number 2 and 3. Keep all the triangles ready. Then heat tawa, roll one triangle into chapati and roast.

Gulab Jamun

Gulab Jamun In Marathi

Approx 15 to 18 medium Gulabjamun
Time: approx 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients:
250 gram Khoya (Use special Gulabjamun Khoya)
Sugar Syrup::::
1 and 1/2 cup sugar
1 and 1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
Other ingredients::::
Oil of Ghee to deep fry Gulabjamun
1 tbsp Maida (All purpose flour)
Milk as needed (You will need very little, may be few tsps)
Pinch of Baking Soda

Method:
1) Grate the khoya. Sprinkle all purpose flour and baking soda over grated khoya. Mix. Drizzle little milk and knead to medium consistency dough. Use very little ghee if needed. Cover the dough with a damp clean cloth.
2) Make one thread consistency sugar syrup. To make it, mix sugar and water in a deep medium pan. Boil and make one thread consistency syrup. While sugar syrup is getting ready, divide the dough into equal small balls (1 and 1/2 cm to 2 cm). Give them a smooth round shape. There should not be any cracks on the surface.
3) Heat the oil over high heat and them turn the heat to medium low. Oil temperature is a very important while frying the gulabjamun balls. To check the temperature, drop one ball in the heated oil. If it floats immediately on the oil surface and start browning, the oil is hot. So wait for couple of minutes to get the right oil temperature.
If the dough ball sits at the bottom of kadai for few seconds and rises slowly, this is the right temperature. Then, you can drop multiple jamun balls into the oil. Turn and roll them with slotted spoon to get same color at all sides. Fry them into batches. Cook them until they become reddish brown in color. Remove the first batch of fried jamun out of the oil and let them rest for couple of minutes. Then put them into hot sugar syrup. Repeat the same process for other jamun balls. One thing to remember that sugar syrup should not be boiling hot or warm. It should be in the middle.
Let the jamun soak into the sugar syrup for atleast 5 to 6 hours. For better results, soak them overnight.

Tips:
1) Some people like a nice aroma of rose to the Jamun. For that, add 1 or 2 drops of rose essence in the sugar syrup.
2) You can give little twist to the traditional recipe. While make balls out of dough, place a small piece of dry fruit (cashew, pistachio), small piece of rock sugar or a seed of cardamom in the center of the ball. Then fry them normally.
3) You can replace all purpose flour with Araroot powder or corn flour.
4) Oil temperature is very important while frying the Gulabjamun. If the oil is too hot, jamun will get reddish color immediately. however inside, they will remain uncooked. Therefore adjust the oil temperature first.
5) Sugar syrup should be one thread consistency. Thick sugar syrup is hard to absorb into the gulabjamun.

Gulpapdi Laddu

Gulpapdi Laddu in Marathi

Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 5 to 8 medium laddu

Ingredients:
1 cup Wheat flour
1/2 to 3/4 cup pure Ghee
1/2 to 3/4 cup grated Jaggery
1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder

Method:
1) Heat ghee into a pan. Add wheat flour and roast over medium heat until you sense nice aroma. It will take about 6 to 7 minutes. Stir continuously.
2) Once wheat flour is roasted nicely, lower the heat, add jaggery and cardamom powder. Mix nicely until jaggery mingles nicely.
3) Make laddus when mixture is hot.

Note:
1) To make these laddus more healthy, Add 1 tbsp dry-dates powder, 1 tbsp almond powder, 1 tbsp roasted dry coconut (grated) along with jaggery. If you are going to add all these ingredients, increase the amount of ghee by a little.

Farasbi Koshimbir

French beans Koshimbir in Marathi

Time: 15 to 20 minutes
Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients:
1 cup round slices of French beans (thin slices)
1 green chili, finely chopped
1/2 to 1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp Peanuts powder
2 tbsp fresh coconut, scraped
2 tbsp Cilantro, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste (approx 1/2 tsp)

Method:
1) Pressure cook sliced green beans upto 1 whistle (Tip 1)
2) Crush green chili and little salt together.
3) Take the cooked green beans in a bowl. Add crushed green chili, lemon juice, peanuts powder, fresh coconut, cilantro, sugar and little more salt. Mix gently with a spoon.
Serve as side dish in your meal.

Tips:
1) While pressure cooking the beans, add around 2 cups water at the bottom of the pressure cooker. Put the chopped green beans in the pressure cooker steel container and do not add water in this container. This will only steam cook the beans.
2) French beans salad taste good without adding oil tempering. However, you can add it according to your preference. To make the tempering, heat 1 tsp oil, add 2 pinches of cumin seeds, and a pinch of asafoetida. Pour it over Salad and mix nicely.
3) Add some Yogurt to give a different flavor.

Greek Salad

Greek Salad in Marathi

Time: 15 minutes
Yield : 1 bowl
Ingredients:
2 Lettuce leaves, torn in bite-size pieces
1 small Tomato, cut into wedges
5 to 6 Cucumber slices
1 small red Radish (5 to 6 slices)
1 Scallion, sliced diagonally (1 inch pieces)
Red Onion, 5 to 6 julienne
Dressing
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 tsp Lemon Juice
Pinch of Dry oregano, crushed
1 small garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1) Mix all the ingredients given under dressing.
2) At the time of serving, put the cut vegetables (except lettuce) in the dressing. Mix gently.
3) Now, introduce torn lettuce to the vegetables. and toss gently. Do not mix for longer. It may make the vegetables mushy.
Serve immediately.

Instant Vegetable Pickle

Instant vegetable pickle in Marathi

Yield: approx 1 and 1/2 cup
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup carrots, small pieces (1 cm)
1/2 cup cauliflower, very small florets
1/4 cup Green Peas
1 tsp Salt or to taste
1 and 1/2 tsp red Chili powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
4 to 5 Fenugreek seeds
1/4 + 1/4 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tbsp Lemon juice
1 tsp Oil

Method:
1) In a mixing bowl, add carrots, cauliflower and green pea. Add salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida powder and mix well. Grind 1/4 tsp mustard seeds coarsely and add it to the mixture.
2) Heat oil in a small saucepan (eg. egg pan). Add fenugreek seeds and let it become little brown. Remove from oil with a spoon, keep aside. In that hot oil, temper 1/4 tsp mustard seeds, let it crackle and transfer it to a small glass bowl to cool down.
3) Crush the fenugreek seeds and add it to vegetable mixture. Add prepared tadka to the mixture and mix well.
4) Finally, add lemon juice and mix nicely.
This pickle is ready to serve. It will stay fresh for 5-6 days in refrigerator.

Falooda

Falooda in Marathi

Servings: 4
Time: 10 minutes (If all ingredients are ready to serve)


Ingredients:
8 scoops of Vanilla Icecream
1/2 cup Rooh afza Rose syrup
2 tbsp Sabja seeds (Falooda Seeds)
2 to 3 cups cold Milk
2 tbsp dry fruits, crushed
1 packet Falooda Sevai
1 cup Strawberry flavored Jelly
Some Cherries for garnishing

Method:
1) Set jelly into refrigerator atleast 5 hours before serving, just follow the instructions on the packet.
2) Soak 2 tbsp Sabja seeds for 2 hours into 1/2 cup water.
3) Heat 1 liter water, let it boil. Add Falooda sevai and cook it for 4 to 5 minutes. drain out hot water and transfer cooked sevai into cold water.
4) Mix Milk and rose Syrup. Add little more rose syrup, if needed.
5) Take 4 glasses, First add 1 tbsp soaked sabja seeds, jelly pieces, cooked sevai, milk, 1 scoop Ice-cream and little more jelly again. Add mixture of rose syrup and milk. Place a scoop of Vanilla ice-cream. Garnish with dry fruits and cherry. Serve immediately. Insert 1 straw and spoon while serving.

Tips:
1) Add a layer of some sweet and sour fruits like grapes, pineapple chunks, strawberry to Falooda. It will taste good and make it more attractive.

Farasbichi Bhaji - French Beans Bhaaji

Farasbichi Bhaji in Marathi

Serves: 2 to 3 persons
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
3/4 pound Farasbi (Frech beans)
1 tbsp Oil
For tempering: 1/8 tsp Mustard Seeds, 1/4 tsp Cumin, 1/8 tsp Asafoetida, 1/4 tsp Turmeric, 1/2 tsp Red chili powder
4 curry leaves
2 tbsp fresh coconut, scraped
1 tbsp peanuts powder
1 tsp Goda Masala
1 tsp Jaggery
2 Kokum
Salt to taste
Cilantro for garnishing

Method:
1) Wash Green beans, remove the strings and cut into 1/2 cm slices. Pressure cook for 2 whistles. Add salt while cooking.
2) Heat a wok or a pan. Add oil, let it heat up. Then add mustard seeds, Asafoeida, turmeric, red chili powder, and curry leaves stir nicely. Add coconut and saute for a minute. Then add cooked Farasbi. Add little water, peanuts powder, goda masala, jaggery and Kokum. Also add little salt, if needed. Cover and cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
Garnish with Cilantro and serve with Chapati.

Punjabi Gobi Masala

Gobhi Masala in Marathi

Serves: 2 to 3 people

Ingredients:
200 gram cauliflower florets
2 tbsp oil
3 green chilies
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
3/4 cup Onion, finely chopped (1 medium)
1 cup Tomato, finely chopped (2 medium)
3/4 cup yogurt
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
salt to taste
1 tbsp Kasoori Methi
Cilantro for Garnishing
Oil for Deep frying

Method:
1) Wash Cauliflower florets with water. Pat dry. Heat Oil to deep fry Cauliflower florets. Deep fry florets over medium heat till color turns to light brown. By using slotted spoon carefully drain and transfer onto paper towel.
2) Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add Turmeric Powder and Ginger Garlic paste, saute for a 30 seconds. Now add green chilies and chopped Onion. saute until Onion becomes translucent.
3) Once Onion is done, add tomatoes and cook til tomatoes become mushy. Add Coriander powder and Cumin Powder, mix well. Add fried Cauliflower and stir gently. whisk Yogurt and make it smooth. Add it in to curry. Add salt and give a nice stir. Add little water to adjust the consistency. Cook over medium low heat.
4) Make fine powder of Kasoori Methi (Dried fenugreek Leaves) by crushing them between palms. Sprinkle it over Gobhi masala curry and stir. Cover and cook for few minutes.
Serve hot with Chapathi, Roti Naan bread.

Crispy Idli Fry

Idli Fry in Marathi

Serves: 18 pieces (6 pc to each person)




Ingredients:
6 Leftover Idlis
Oil for deep frying
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Chat Masala

Method:
For Plain Idli Fry
To make plain Idli fry, cut each Idli into 3 pieces. Heat oil and deep fry Idli pieces over medium high heat. Drain with stainless skimmer and transfer them to paper towel.
For Tangy and spicy Idli fry
First, make plain Idli fry as per the above method. Place them on paper towel. Sprinkle little salt, chili powder and Chat masala to taste when fried Idlis are hot. Mix well and serve hot with Tomato Ketchup or Green Chutney.

Labels:
Idli Fry, Idali Fry, Spicy idlis, fried idli

Guacamole

Guacamole in Marathi

Avocado is a nutritious Fruit which has many health benefits. Learn More about Health Benefits of Avocado


Ingredients:
1 Ripe Avocado
1/4 cup Red Onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup Tomato, finely chopped
1/4 cup Cilantro, finely chopped
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 small Green chili, finely chopped
Salt to taste
1/8 tsp Black pepper

Method:
1) Halve and deseed the Avocado. Scoop out the fleshy portion into a bowl. Mash with fork, but keep some small lumps for nice texture.
2) Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Serve with Tortilla chips. It goes great as side dish with any Mexican dish.

Note:
1) Unripe Avocado has dark green skin and ripe one has dull 'brownish green' colored skin. Buy ripe avocado to make guacamole. Do not buy overdone Avocado. It might be spoiled from inside. You will feel the difference in the texture of overdone and perfectly done avocado by touching them.
2) To served chilled Guacamole, put the guacamole into a bowl, plastic wrap to cover it and refrigerate for an hour.
3) Adjust quantity of Onion-Tomato according to your taste.
4) Bake Tortilla chips for 4 to 5 minutes before eating. Baking makes tortilla chips more appetizing and more crispy.

Labels:
Guacamole, Avocado Dip, avocado snack, healthy avocado recipe

Idli Rava Khandvi

Idli Rava Khandavi in Marathi

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Idli Rava
1/2 cup Jaggery, grated
1 cup Water
2 tbsp Ghee
1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder
1/4 cup Fresh Coconut, grated

Enjoy Khandvi during Fast

Method:
1) In a nonstick pan, heat Ghee over medium heat and roast Idli Rava till color turns Pink. Boil 1 cup water in other pan and pour it in roasted Rava. Stir nicely and remove lumps with spatula, if any. Turn the heat over medium low. Cover the pan with lid and let it cook for couple of minutes.
2) After 2-3 minutes, add grated coconut, Cardamom Powder and Jaggery. stir nicely. Cover again and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes.Mix well and remove all the lumps. Turn the heat on medium. Cover the pan with lid and let it cook for few minutes.
3) Grease a stainless steel plate with little ghee. Pour all the mixture in the plate and spread evenly to make 2 cm layer. Sprinkle grated coconut on it and Cut into 2 inch pieces.

Note:
1) In grocery stores, there are various Idli Rava brands available with different quality. Some has fine granules, some has little bigger granules. To make the perfect consistency Khandvi Mixture, Use water in the following proportion.
Rava with Fine Granules = 1 Portion Rava : 2 Portions Water
Rava with bigger Granules = 1 portion Rava : 2 1/2 Portions Water

Gobhi Manchurian

Gobhi Manchurian in Marathi

Servings: 2 persons



Ingredients:
1 & 1/2 cup Cauliflower Florest (Small Florets)
::::For Batter::::
1/4 to 1/2 cup Corn Starch
1 tbsp All Purpose Flour (Optional)
1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder
1/4 tsp Black Pepper Powder
Salt to taste
Oil for Deep Frying
::::Sauce::::
1 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Ginger Paste
1 tbsp Garlic Paste
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp Sugar
1/2 cup Onion, finely chopped
2 Green chilies, finely chopped
1/2 tsp Chili Flakes
1 tbsp Vinegar
1 tsp Corn Starch
Approx. 1/2 cup water
salt to taste
::::For Garnishing::::
2 tbsp Scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup Cabbage, thinly sliced (Optional)


Method:
1) First we will make Sauce. For that, heat a nonstick pan on High heat. Add oil, saute Ginger-Garlic Paste, Green Chilies. Then add Sugar and Soy sauce, saute for few seconds.
2) After few seconds, add Onion and let it cook on medium heat. Meanwhile, Mix 1 tsp Corn starch and 1/4 cup Water. Once Onion is done, add this mixture in the cooked Onion. Now, add Chili Flakes, Vinegar and salt. We need a thick sauce, so, add little water if needed. Corn starch should cook properly, so let the sauce cook for about 1 or 2 minutes. Remove from heat and keep aside.
3) Now start making Cauliflower nuggets. In a medium and deep pan, heat around 2 liters of water. Add some salt and 2 pinch of Turmeric. Once water starts boiling add cauliflower florets and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Do not cook completely, we need half cooked Florets. Also don't cover the pan while water is boiling. (Note 1)
4) Drain and put these florets on a paper towel. Let the Florets cool down. Meanwhile, make the batter. In a bowl, mix corn starch and All purpose flour. Add water and make thick batter. Add Red Chili Powder, Black pepper and salt to taste. Mix well, remove all the lumps
5) Heat oil for deep frying. Once oil is heated, turn the heat on medium. Dip and cover the florets with the batter. Deep fry on medium heat till color changes to light brown.
6) Put fried florets on a paper towel to remove excessive oil. Put them in a bowl and sprinkle little Red chili Powder over all florets.
7) Reheat the sauce, add Scallions and Cabbage mix well. Now put fried florets in cover with the sauce. Serve hot as an Appetizer.

Note:
1) If you use don't cook Florets before frying, they will remain uncooked inside after frying. But if you cook them completely, they wont taste good. That's why we are cooking them slightly and not completely.
2) For the batter, you can use only Corn starch without adding All Purpose Flour. But, do not use only All purpose Flour, as Corn starch gives crisp after frying.
3) Use small florets, as large sized florets might remain uncooked inside after deep frying.

Labels:
Gobhi manchurian, Appetizer recipe, Cauliflower Manchurian, authentic Chinese