Navalkol sukhi bhaji

Navalkol Bhaji in Marathi

Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 3 people

Ingredients:
2 medium bulbs of Kohlrabi (Navalkol)
for tempering: 1 tbsp oil, 2 pinches mustard seeds, 2 pinches cumin seeds, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 2-3 curry leaves
2 green chilies
2 tbsp fresh coconut
1/2 tsp sugar or to taste
Salt to taste

Method:
1) Peel the Navalkol bulbs and cut into medium cubes.
2) Heat oil into a pan. Prepare tempering by adding mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, curryleaves and green chilies.
3) Add chopped navalkol and salt. Cover the pan and cook till navalkol cubes become tender. Sprinkle little water occasionally. (Tip)
4) Add fresh coconut and sugar. Mix and cook for couple of minutes. Garnish with cilantro.
Serve hot with chapati

Tips:
1) Do not add whole lot of water. Sprinkle couple of tbsp at a time in batches.

Bottle gourd sabzi

Lauki Sabzi in Marathi

Time: 15 to 20 minutes
Serves: 2 to 3 persons



Ingredients:
2 cups bottle-gourd cubes (First, peel and deseed the bottle-gourd)
1 tsp + 1 tsp Ghee
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
2 to 3 tbsp roasted peanuts powder
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk
Salt to taste
2 dried red chilies
1/2 tsp urad dal
Cilantro, finely chopped

Method:
1) Heat 1 tsp ghee in a pan. Add cumin seeds and wait for few seconds. Add bottle-gourd cubes and little salt. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes.
2) Then add milk and let the bottle-gourd cook. Add peanuts powder after bottle-gourd is cooked. Simmer for couple of minutes.
3) Take a small tadka pan. Add 1 tsp ghee and let it melt. Break the chilies into 2 pieces. First, add urad dal and wait till the color turns to pink. Then add broken chilies and stir with spoon. Pour this tempering over bottle-gourd sabzi.
Serve hot with chapati.

Tips:
1) Some people eat bottle gourd for fasting. In that case, skip the tadka of ghee- cumin-urad dal. This sabzi may be eaten as a one bowl meal. Also, it tastes great if accompanied with sabudsana khichdi.

Dudhi Halwa

Dudhi Halwa in marathi
Time: approx 30 minutes
Servings: 3 to 4

Ingredients:
2 n 1/2 cup packed grated bottle gourd (First peel and deseed)
1 tsp ghee
3/4 cup condensed milk
1 tsp Chironji (Charoli)
1 tbsp Almond slivers, blanched and peeled
1 tbsp other dried fruits like cashews, pistachio, sliced
1/4 tsp cardamom powder

Method:
1) Heat a pan, add ghee and wait till it melts. The add bottle gourd. Cook over medium high heat. Stir continuously.
2) After 5 to 8 minutes, the water in bottle gourd will evaporate. Then check a little thread of bottle gourd and taste it. If you feel its under cooked, cook for few more minutes.
3) Add condensed milk and let it cook until nice and thick. Add chironji, and dry fruits. Stir nicely. Add cardamom powder and mix well.
Serve warm or cold. Both way, it tastes great.

Tips:
1) Do not cover the pan when cooking grated bottle gourd.
2) Adjust the amount of condensed milk as per your preference.

Dudhi halwa using Milk and sugar

Aloo Methi

Aloo Methi in Marathi

Time: 30 to 40 minutes
Serves: 2 to 3 persons

Ingredients:
3 cups finely chopped Methi leaves
1 medium Potato, (peel and cut into medium cubes)
1 small onion, finely chopped (around 1/2 cup after chopping)
1 small tomato, pureed
For tempering:- 1.5 tbsp oil, 2 pinches mustard seeds, 1 pinch cumin seeds, 1 pinch hing, 1/4 tsp turmeric
2-3 green chilies, slitted lengthwise
Salt to taste

Method:
1) Tomato Puree - Immerse the tomato into a water-filled glass bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes. Then drain, puree and strain.
2) Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing, turmeric and green chilies. Saute for few seconds. Add onion and cook 50 %. Then add potato cubes (Tip 1). Mix well, cover the pan and let the potato cook. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking.
3) Add tomato Puree and cook over high heat. Stir until tomato puree reduces and becomes very thick.
4) Now add chopped methi and 2-3 pinches of salt. Do not add too much salt as methi will shrink after sauteing. Stir over high heat.
5) Once methi reduces in size and water content in methi almost evaporates, reduce the heat and cook for couple of minutes. Add salt at this moment (only if required).
Serve hot with chapati.

Tips:
1) Boiled potato can be used to save time. In that case, follow the same steps except add boiled potato cubes at the end.
( tempering + Add onion and cook completely + Add tomato puree and cook until thickens + Add methi leaves and wait till the it shrinks + add potatoes cook for few minutes)
2) This sabzi tastes good without any spices. However, spices may be added as per your choice (garam masala, coriander - cumin powder).
3) Onion can be substituted by Garlic paste. Use 1 tsp garlic paste.

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.

Moongdal Khichdi

Moongdal Khichdi in Marathi

Time: 20 to 25 minutes
Serves: 2 to 3 persons

Ingredients:
1 cup Rice
1/2 cup Moong Dal (Tip 1 and 2)
3 to 3.5 cups hot water (Tip 3)
For tempering:- 1 tbsp oil, 2 pinches mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp cumin seeds, 1 pinch hing, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp red chili powder
1/2 cup Green peas (Tip 5)
1 tsp goda masala
Salt to taste

Method:
1) Wash rice and moong dal and drain all the water. Leave it for 1/2 an hour.
2) Heat a small pressure cooker (Tip 6). Add oil and wait till its hot. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing, turmeric powder and red chili powder. Saute and add washed rice and dal. Saute until nicely dry (about 4-5 minutes).
3) Once rice is roasted, add peas and saute for a minute. Then add hot water, goda masala and salt. Stir. Add little salt if needed.
4) Close the cooker with lid and let khichdi cook upto 3 to 4 whistles. Let it stand for 10-15 minutes to release the pressure.
Do not forget to add a tsp of ghee while serving khichdi.

Tips:
1) Moong dal (peels on), Toor dal or masoor dal can be used instead of yellow moong dal.
2) The quantity of moongdal can be adjusted according to your preference.
3) To get soft consistency add little more water.
4) Roasting rice and dal keeps the grain separate after cooking. Just careful not to burn the rice.
5) Potato cubes, cauliflower florets, capsicum slices, onion slices, carrot chunks etc can be added instead of green peas.
6) Khichdi can be made without pressure cooker. Do the tempering in heavy bottom pan. Roast rice. Only add some more water. Cook over high heat until water is almost soaked into rice, then turn the heat down and cover the pan. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes.While using toor dal, soak in the water before making khichdi as toor dal takes longer to cook.

Potato Pumpkin Sabzi

Potato Pumpkin Stir fry in Marathi

Time: 20 to 25 minutes
Servings: 2 to 3

Ingredients:
1 cup potato cubes, small (peel the potato first)
1 cup pumpkin cubes, small (peel and deseed the pumpkin)
1 tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 to 3 green chilis, slit lengthwise
2 tbsp fresh coconut, scraped
2 tbsp peanuts powder, coarse
approx 1/4 cup Buttermilk (Tip 1)
salt to taste
Cilantro finely chopped

Method:
1) Heat ghee in a pan. Add cumin and wait till it splutters. Then add green chilies and potato cubes. Mix nicely and cover the pan with a lid. Let the potatoes cook for a minute or two. Add 3-4 tbsp water before covering the pan.
2) Then add pumpkin cubes and salt. Sprinkle little buttermilk. Mix well and add coconut. Cover and cook until pumpkin is 80 % cooked. Add peanuts powder and mix gently. Cook for a minute.
Serve hot with chapati. It can also be eaten during fast.

Tips:
1) Sprinkle buttermilk only when moisture is needed.

Vari Tandul Pulao [Samo Rice Pulav]

Samo Rice Pulao in Marathi

Time: 25 to 30 minutes
Servings: 3 to 4

Ingredients:
1 cup Samo Rice
2 tsp Ghee
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
2 green chilies
1/2 cup Pumpkin cubes medium (Peel before making cubes)
1/2 cup Potato cubes (Peel the potato)
2 tbsp Coarsely ground peanuts
salt to taste
Approx 3 cups hot water

Method:
1) Heat a heavy bottom pan. Dry roast samo rice for couple of minutes. Transfer the roasted rice to a bowl
2) In that same pan, add ghee and wait till it melts. Add cumin seeds and slit green chilies. Saute for 10 seconds. Flame should be on medium. Add potato cubes. Cover the pan and cook till potato is almost done. At this point, add roasted samo rice.
3) Mix nicely. Pour hot water and add salt. After couple of minutes add pumpkin cubes and peanuts powder. Stir well, cover and cook till rice is done.
Garnish with Cilantro Serve hot with Peanuts curry.

Jowar Flour bhakri

Jwarichi Bhakri in Marathi

Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4 to 5 medium bhakari

Ingredients:
2 cups Jowar flour
approx 2 cups hot water
1 tbsp ghee or Butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup dry jowar flour for dusting

Serve this healthy yet delicious Bhakari with - Bhogi Bhaji (Mixed Vegetable)

Method:
1) Boil 2 cups of water into a small pan. Add 1 tbsp ghee. Add 2 cups jowar flour into a big thali or a big mixing bowl. Sprinkle salt. Add the hot water little by little into jowar flour and mix carefully. Knead and make a soft, pliable dough.
2) Now divide the dough into 4 to 5 equal portions.
3) Heat a tawa over high heat for a minute and turn down the flame to medium high. Make a smooth ball of a dough portion, dip it into dry jowar flour and dust nicely. Gently roll with a rolling pin to a semi thick disc. Sprinkle little dry flour if required.
4) Put the bhakari over hot tawa. Apply some water to the surface carefully with hand or wet cotton cloth. The applied water will evaporate. At this time check the doneness of opposite side. Turn the bhakari and cook the other side. Dark brown spots should appear on both the sides. (Important tip 2)
Put a dollop of homemade butter on hot bhakari and serve with zunka, pithla or eggplant-potato curry.

Tips:
1) Instead of rolling bhakari can be made by patting it clockwise.
2) I have electric stove coil at home, So its not possible to roast the bhakari on direct flame. However, if you have gas stove top (with flame), roast one side on tawa. Flip the side roast for few second on tawa and now put it on direct flame. flip and turn the bhakari with a tong. It will puff up nicely on direct flame.
3) To make it on the day of Bhogi. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of sesame seeds on bhakari dough ball and roll. Sesame seeds will stick to bhakari and will get roasted with it.

bhogichi bhaji

Bhogichi Bhaji in Marathi

Time: Preparation - 20 minutes | Cooking - 15 to 20 minutes
Servings : 3 to 4

Ingredients:
1 big potato, peeled and cubed (approx 1 to 1.5 cup)
1 medium Eggplant or 3 to 4 small eggplants (approx 1 to 1.25 cup medium cubes)
1 cup carrot, medium cubes
1/2 cup fresh green chana (I used frozen)
1/4 cup soaked Peanuts (soak for 2 hours)
1/4 cup Pavta beans (Indian style lima beans)
6 pieces of Drumsticks (3 inch) (tip 1)
For Tempering: 2 tbsp oil, 2 pinches mustard seeds, 2 pinches hing, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp red chili powder, 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
3-4 curry leaves
2 tbsp roasted sesame seeds, coarsely crushed
2 tsp Goda Masala - click here for recipe
2 tbsp Tamarind juice
1 to 1.5 tbsp jaggery, grated
1/4 cup fresh coconut
salt to taste

Method:
1) Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing, turmeric, red chili powder, curry leaves. Then add potato cubes, fresh chana, pavta beans, drumsticks and peanuts. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. stir occasionally.
2) Then add eggplant and carrot. Mix well. Add 1/2 cup water, cover the pan and cook over medium heat.
3) Once vegetables are almost cooked, add tamarind juice and goda masala. Also add little water if required.
4) Add jaggery after vegetables are cooked nicely. Also add roasted sesame powder and fresh coconut. Sprinkle little salt if needed. Boil for 1 minute and serve immediately with Millet Roti.

Tips:
1) Use fresh drumsticks. Aged and stale drumsticks have hard beans which takes longer to cook. In that case, pressure cook drumstick with 2 whistles.
2) It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to cook the vegetables. For a quicker version, pressure cook chana, Pavta (lima beans), drumsticks, peanuts upto 2 whistles. However, the vegetables cooked in the pan taste more flavorful that quick version.

Dalia Idli

Daliya idli in Marathi

Time: Prep time-20 minutes (excludes soaking time)| Cooking time- 35 to 40 minutes
Serves: 13 to 15 medium idlis.

Ingredients:
1 cup Daliya
2 cups hot water
For Tempering: 1 tbsp Oil, 2 pinches mustard seeds, 2 pinches Hing,
2 green chilies and 4 to 5 curry leaves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp Urad dal, 1/2 tsp Chana dal
1 tsp Ginger, grated
1/2 cup plain Yogurt, (preferably sour tasted)
Salt to taste
1 tsp Eno fruit Salt
Idli stand
Idil Cooker or normal pressure cooker

Method:
1) Soak daliya in hot water for about 4 hours. After 4 hours, drain and save the excessive water (Tip 1). No need to squeeze out the water. Grind soaked dailya to a semi-fine paste.
2) Heat oil in a small pan. Add chana dal and urad dal. Saute until color changes to pink. Then add mustard seeds, hing, chopped green chilies and curry leaves. Pour this Tadka to ground daliya.
3) Add yogurt, ginger and salt to taste. Mix well. The consistency should be same like Rice Idli batter. If the batter is too thick, add little saved water to adjust the consistency.
4) Add water in cooker upto 2 and 1/2 inches from the bottom. Put the pressure cooker on high flame. Grease the Idli stand with little oil
5) Divide the batter into 2 equal portions (tip 6). Add 1/2 tsp Eno fruit salt in one portion. Mix with a spoon and start filling Idli molds with batter.
6) Once water in pressure cooker starts boiling, put the Idli stand inside. Close with the lid. Remove the weight, if using normal pressure cooker.
7) Steam cook for 12 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it rest for 7 to 8 minutes.
8) Then remove the Idlis with sharp edged spoon (Tip 2). Again add water in the pressure cooker and make second batch of Idli as per the above method.

Tips:
1) Use this water to make sambar. It does not affect the taste.
2) These idlis are made of daliya (unpolished cracked wheat). Hence, they don't become very spongy and light like normal rice idlis. Remove the Idli stand 10 minutes after turning the gas off. Let it sit outside for few minutes. Then remove idlis with a spoon.
3) These idlis are little grainy. Therefore, make some sambar alongwith chutney.
4) Its a good breakfast alternative for diabetes patients who want to avoid Rice in there diet.
5) Add some vegetables like carrot, peas to the idli batter to make it more tasty and healthy.
6) My Idli stand has only 9 compartments. Therefore, I had to divide the batter into 2 equal portions. If your Idli stand has 12 or 16 compartments, then you can make the idlis in one batch.

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.

Capsicum Potato Curry

Capsicum Potato Curry in Marathi

Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 3 to 4 persons

Ingredients:
2 cups Bell Pepper, big chunks (simla mirchi)
1 cup potato cubes, medium
For tempering: 1 tbsp oil, 2 pinches mustard seeds, 2 pinches hing, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp Goda Masala
2 tbsp coarsely crushed peanuts, roasted
1 tbsp fresh coconut
1 tbsp tamarind pulp
1 tbsp jaggery or to taste
Salt to taste

Method:
1) Heat oil in a wok. Add mustard seeds, hing, turmeric powder and red chili powder. Add potato cubes. Cover and cook for a minute or two over medium heat.
2) Add bell pepper, saute for a minute. Add 3/4 cup water, Goda Masala, tamarind pulp and salt. Cook until potato are nicely done. Add little water if needed. There should be little bit crunch to bell pepper.
3) Once potatoes are cooked, add jaggery, fresh coconut and peanuts powder. Mix nicely. Serve hot with Chapati.

Sweet Lime pickle

Sweet Lime Pickle in Marathi

Ingredients
12 juicy lemons (Tip 1)
1 kg Sugar (approx 4 to 4.5 cups)
3/4 cup salt
3/4 cup red chili powder
2 tsp cumin powder

Method:
1) Wash lemons thoroughly. Pat dry with a kitchen towel. There should not be any trace of water. Then cut each lemon and remove seeds. Make around 8 to 10 pieces of each lemon.
2) Put lemon pieces into a clean bowl. Add salt, red chili powder and cumin powder. Mix well. Then transfer the mixture to a clean and dry glass jar. Close with an airtight lid for 8 days.
Method 1
After 8 days, prepare a one string consistency sugar syrup (1 kg sugar + 1 cup water). Let the sugar syrup cool down. add pickled lemon pieces to the syrup. Mix well and again transfer this mixture to glass jar. Spread half a cup sugar at the top and close the jar with lid. It will take around 4 to 5 months to marinate. During this period lemon pieces will get soaked nicely in sugar syrup and salt. Also, the bitter taste of lemon skin will go away.
Method 2
If you are not comfortable with making sugar syrup, you can use sugar directly.
After 8 days, mix sugar and the pickle into a separate bowl. Then transfer it to the glass jar and close with a tight lid. Everyday, open jar and stir the pickle from the bottom. Use clean and dry spoon. Do it till sugar dissolves completely. Let the pickle mature for 4 to 5 months.

Tips:
1) Use lemons with thin skin. In India, it is very easy to find juicy lemons.
If you are in US, use limes (green color), as lemons (yellow one) have thick skin. Limes have thin yet hard skin. Therefore Boil around 2-3 liter water and turn off the heat. Put the whole limes in boiled water and cover. After an hour or so, remove limes from water. Pat dry thoroughly, so that there wont be any water. Then make pickle as per the above method.

Plantain Cutlets

Plantain cutlets in Marathi

Time: Prep Time- 20 minutes (Excludes soaking time for sago) | Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 12 to 14 medium cutlets

Ingredients:
2 green plantain/raw bananas
1 medium potato boiled and mashed
1/4 cup sago
2 tbsp flour used for fasting
3 Tbsp peanuts roasted and crushed
Crush together - 3 green chilies + ½ tsp cumin seeds +¼ cup coriander leaves chopped finely
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
Ghee or Peanuts Oil for deep frying

Method:
1) Wash sago pearls with water. Drain all the water and keep it covered for 4 hours.
2) Once sago is nice and plump, peel and grate the plantain. Mix them both. Now add mashed potato, fasting flour, peanuts powder, chili mixture, lemon juice and salt to taste. Make a stiff dough. Divide the dough into equal sized dumplings and shape them according to your preference.
3) Heat oil or ghee for deep frying. Deep fry cutlets over medium heat till color turns to golden brown.
Serve hot with Sweet lemon pickle or green chutney.

Aliv Kheer

Aliv Kheer in Marathi

serving: 1
Time: 10 minutes (excluding soaking time)

New moms require food, rich in vitamins and minerals. Aliv (Watercress seeds) is a good source of vitamins C, B1, B6, K, E, Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, Zinc, and Potassium. Aliv helps in reducing postpartum back-ache. It also improves digestion.
Aliv is very healthy to human body, it can be eaten to reduce weakness and to treat anemia.
Note: Pregnant women should not eat Aliv during pregnancy as it can increase the heat in body.

Ingredients:
1 cup Milk + 1/4 cup more milk for soaking Aliv
1 to 1 and 1/2 tbsp Aliv seeds
3 to 4 Almonds
1 Dried Date (Tip 2)
Sugar to taste (approx 1 to 2 tsp)
Pinch of Cardamom powder

Method:
1) In a small bowl, soak Aliv in 1/4 cup milk. In another small bowl, soak almonds and dried date in little water or milk (Important tip 1). Soak Aliv, dried date andalmond for atleast 4 hours.
2) After 4 to 5 hours aliv and dried date will be nicely swollen. Almonds will also be nicely soaked.
3) Peel the almonds and make thin slices. De-seed the dried date and chop nicely.
4) Add 1 cup milk in a small deep pan. Turn on the heat. Add soaked aliv seeds, sliced almonds, chopped dried dates and sugar. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Add cardamom powder and mix nicely.
Serve hot.

Tips:
1) If the climate is hot and humid, milk might get spoiled if kept outside. In that case, soak aliv seeds, almonds and dried dates in water.
2) Powder of dried dates can be used instead of whole one. Make powder of dried dates (around 300 to 400 grams) and keep in the container. Put a spoonful powder in boiling milk along with aliv seeds.
3) Water used for soaking almonds and dried date and almond peels are good health. Although almond peels are little chewy, they are packed with fiber and antioxidants. Eat them immediately after peeling and drink the water as well.
4) Add Pistachio, cashews, raisins to make it more rich.
5) Aliv seeds are light weight, hence float on the water. Therefore, After adding to the water/milk, stir with the spoon. So that they will soak evenly.

Microwave Rava Upma

Microwave Upma in marathi

Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 2 to 3

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Sooji (Rava, Semolina)
1 to 2 tbsp Ghee
For Tempering - 1 tbsp Ghee, pinch of mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp Urad Dal, pinch of Hing, 3 green chilies, 4-5 curry leaves, 1/4 tsp Ginger grated
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup Green Peas (Optional)
1/2 cup Tomato, finely chopped (Optional)
Salt and sugar to taste
1 tbsp Ghee (Optional)
Cilantro, Lemon, fresh coconut for garnishing
Microwave safe glass bowl with glass lid

Method:
1) Roasting Semolina (Roast it in a microwave safe plate)
3/4 cup Rava :- 1.30 min + 1.30 min + 1 min + 1 min = Total 5 minutes
2) Tempering (Use a big glass bowl which has lid)
Heat the ghee:- 1.30 min
Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal :- 1.30 to 2 mins - Stir once in between
Add asafoetida, green chilies, curry leaves, ginger - High Power :- 30 to 40 seconds
3) Cooking Onion, Tomato
Add finely chopped onion :- 1.30 min + 1.30 min + 1 min + 1 more min if needed = Total 4 to 5 mins - Stir once or twice in between
Add Tomato, green peas :- 1.30 min + 1.30 min - stir once in between
Add 1 and 1/4 cup water, salt and sugar to taste - Mix :- 1 min
4) Upma
Add roasted semolina, mix - Cover the container :- 2 mins + 2 min - Stir once in between and also add some ghee.
Keep the upma covered for 3 to 4 minutes before serving.

Tips:
1) Every microwave's power differs a little bit. So the time given in the above recipe may vary by a minute.
2) Ghee can be substitute with oil. However, ghee makes the upma more delicious.
3) Add cashews according to the availability and choice.
4) Upma will be ready to eat within 20-22 minutes if the time utilized properly. Chop onion, tomato, chilies while microwaving sooji.
5) In first 3 steps keep the glass bowl uncovered. In 4th step cover the bowl with lid

Microwave Khandvi Surali Vadi

Microwave surali vadi in Marathi

Yield: 12 to 15 pieces
Time: Preparation time: 15 to 20 minutes | Microwave : 5 to 7 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup Besan (chickpea flour)
1 cup Sour Buttermilk (Thick)
1 and 1/2 cup water
1 tsp green chili paste
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Asafoetida Powder
For Tempering : 2 tbsp Oil, 1/4 tsp Mustard Seeds, 2 Pinches of Asafoetida powder
½ cup Fresh grated Coconut
1 tsp Red Chili Powder, to sprinkle over Surali Vadi
½ cup finely chopped Cilantro
Salt to taste
Kalatha (Indian Pancake turner made of steel) to spread the mixture
Thick Plastic Sheet greased slightly with oil

Method:
1) Whisk together Chickpea flour, Buttermilk and water. Remove all the lumps. Add chili paste to taste, Turmeric Powder, ½ tsp Asafoetida Powder and salt to taste. Mix well and make a smooth batter.
2) Before cooking the mixture, keep ready the plastic shee on a flat surface and also Kaltha to spread the batter.
3) Pour this batter into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high power for 50 seconds. Take the bowl out and whisk nicely to remove the lumps. Make it smooth. Microwave for 30 seconds, remove the bowl out and beat again. Do it until mixture gets cooked. Consistency should be medium. whisk and remove lumps if any.
4) Immediately spread the mixture over plastic sheet and make a even thin layer. Let this layer cool down a bit.
5) Heat oil into a small pan (omlete pan). Add mustard seeds, asafoetida. Spread this tadka over surali wadi layer with the help of spoon.
6) Sprinkle coconut and cilantro evenly. Also sprinkle red chili powder to taste. Then Cut it into 5 inch big stripes. Then gently roll it and then divide into equal 3 to 4 pieces.
7) Garnish with cilantro and coconut while serving

Surali Vadi - Stove top Method

Tips:
1) Instead of plastic sheet, you can use backside of stainless steel thali (Plates) to make thin layer of mixture. But you will need 5-6 thalis for the whole batter, which would be little difficult to manage.
2) If you don’t want tadka inside the roll, don’t spread tadka on the layer, just spread takda with spoon over the roll after making roll.
3) It would be difficult to make rolls if we spread coconut and cilantro on the layer. In that case, spread only tadka on the layer, make rolls, and garnish them with coconut and cilantro.

Thick Poha Chivda

Thick Poha Chivda in Marathi

Time: 1 Hour
yield: 6 cups (serves: 10 to 12)

Ingredients:
3 cups Thick poha
1/2 cup peanuts
1/4 cup thin slices of dry coconut
1/4 cup Broken Cashew-nuts
1/4 cup Roasted Chana dal (Tip)
5 to 6 dry Red chilies or 1 tsp Red chilli powder
5 to 6 curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3 tsp powdered sugar
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
around 1 and 1/2 cup oil

Method:
1) Heat oil in kadai. Deep fry peanuts, cashew-nuts, dry coconut slices, curry leaves and chana dal separately. Put them in a bowl.
2) In that same oil, deep fry thick poha into small batches. Poha should puff nicely, yet the color should remain white. (Tip)
3) Put the poha into a big thali. Sprinkle turmeric powder, sugar, cumin powder, salt and red chili powder (Tip). Mix well. Now add deep fried peanuts, cashewnuts, dry coconut slices, and chana dal. Mix nicely.
Chiwada is ready.

Tips:
1) Always fry poha at the end.
2) Fine particles in poha burns and settles at the bottom of kadai. Therefore, Place fistful of poha into a fine mesh skimmer (metal). Dip the skimmer into hot oil so that fried poha does not spread in the oil as well as the burned particles won't mix along with poha.
3) Adjust the amount of turmeric powder, sugar, cumin powder, salt and red chili powder to your taste. If you are using red chilies then deep fry them and skip red chili powder.
4) Chana dal is the one which we use in normal chiwda. (Roasted split chana)

Kadboli - Maharashtrian Faral Recipe

Kadboli in Marathi

Yield: 35 to 40 pieces
Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
1 + 1/4 cup Kadboli Flour - Click here for the recipe
1 + 1/4 cup Water
1 tsp Sesame seeds
1 tsp Ajwain (Carom Seeds)
1 + 1/2 tsp red chili powder or to taste
1/4 tsp Hing (Asafoetida)
1 tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp Oil
Oil for deep frying

Method:
1) Heat the water into a medium sized pan. Add sesame seeds, ajwain, red chili powder, hing, salt and 1 tsp oil. Mix well.
2) Once water starts boiling, turn off the heat. Add Kadboli flour and mix. Cover the pan and let the steam infuse in the dough. Keep it covered for 5 to 8 minutes.
3) Then sprinkle very little warm water and knead the dough.
4) Divide the dough into 1 inch balls. Roll each one into a short log (tip 1) (1 cm thickness). Start from one end and shape it like a coil. stick the second end to the kadboli, so that it wont open when frying.

Tips:
1) Roll the the dough in a thick string shape. Then slowly give shape to the "kadboli" string by hand. This can be done effectively by rolling action as if you are tying a string around a stick. Do not lift kadboli from the kitchen platform during this, rather use platform for support.
2) Fry kadboli over medium-high flame.You will notice lots of bubbles when you add the kadboli into hot oil, then gradually it will stop and kadboli will start to go downward in the oil. This is a clue to doneness.