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

Masala Papad

Masala Papad in Marathi

Time: 10 to 15 minutes
Serves: 4 persons

Ingredients:
4 Urad Papad (5 to 6" dia)
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup tomato, finely chopped
2 tbsp Cilnatro (coriander), finely chopped
1/2 tsp red chili powder or to taste
1/2 tsp Chaat Masala
1 tsp lemon juice (optional)
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Method:
1) Heat a flat pan (Tip 1). Add oil and deep fry Papad as usual.
2) Rub lemon juice to the chopped onion. (Tip 2)
3) Sprinkle Red chili powder (Tip 3)and chaat masala over the papad. Also spread tomato and onion. Sprinkle very little salt.
Garnish with Cilantro and serve immediately.

Tips:
1) Usually we use kadai to deep fry papad. But, sometimes papad gets twisted while frying. Hence I used flat pan. It requires very little oil and papad does not fold or twist.
2) Lemon juice gives nice tangy flavor. However, masala papad should be served immediately after adding lemon juice. Otherwise, papad becomes mushy.
3) I had used Jeera flavored Papad. It is better to use plain urad papad. You may use other flavors urad papad, but the taste changes a bit. Sprinkle very little red chili powder, when using Miri flavored (black pepper) Papad.
4) Papad can be roasted instead of frying. However, roasted papad soaks the moisture and gets mushy immediately.
5) Fine sev can be sprinkled to make the masala papad more attractive.

Paneer Finger Pakora

Paneer Pakoda in Marathi

Time: 15 to 20 minutes
Yield: 10 to 12 pieces

Ingredients:
200 Gram paneer, cut into finger sized slices
1 tbsp corn flour
1 tbsp Maida
Salt to taste
1 tsp Red chili powder
Marination
2 tsp green chili sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
Oil for deep frying

Method:
1) Mix chili sauce and soy sauce into a medium bowl. Marinate paneer slices with this mixture for 5 minutes
2) Mix corn flour, maida, salt and red chili powder into a bowl. Dust marinated paneer with this mixture and deep fry in hot oil until golden brown.
Serve with Chili sauce as an appetizer.

Homemade Lemonade

Limbu sarbat in Marathi

Time: 25 minutes
Yield: around 3 to 3.5 cups Lemon juice concentrate (Good for 20-22 servings of Lemon juice)

Ingredinets:
1 cup lemon Juice (12 big lemons)
2 and 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
2 tsp salt

Method:
1) Strain the lemon juice so that there won't be any lemon particles and seeds.
2) Add sugar and water into a pan. Mix nicely and boil it until the syrup reaches soft ball consistency.
3) Once syrup is ready, turn off the gas. Add lemon juice and stir for few minutes. Then stir occasionally until mixture cools down. Mix in the salt.
4) Pour the lemon juice syrup into a clean glass jar or any clean container. Refrigerate.
When making lemon juice, mix 2 to 3 tbsp syrup in 1 glass of cold water. Add salt and ice if required.

Tips:
1) Addition of little cardamom powder gives nice flavor to the juice.

Apple Pomegranate Raita

Apple Pomegranate Raita in Marathi

Time: 10 to 15 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6 persons

Ingredients:
1 cup Pomegranate kernels
1 cup finely chopped Red Apple
1/2 cup Yogurt
1 tbsp milk
1 Green chili, finely chopped
1 tsp Sugar
1 tbsp Cilantro, finely chopped
Salt to taste

Method:
1) Whisk the yogurt, add 1 tbsp milk. Then finely chop red Apple and add immediately to the yogurt.
2) Now add pomegranate kernels, green chili, cilantro, sugar and salt. Mix nicely. Chill for an hour. Serve as a side dish.

Tip:
1) Do not chop Apple ahead of time, it will turn brown. First whisk the yogurt, then chop the Apple. Add it immediately to the yogurt. Acid in yogurt helps keep the apple from browning

Coconut Rice Narali Bhat

Coconut Rice in marathi

Time: Approx 45 to 50 minutes
Serves: 2 to 3 persons

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Rice
1 and 1/2 cup Water
2 + 1 tbsp Ghee
2-3 cloves
1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder
1 cup Jaggery, grated (Tip 2)
1 cup fresh coconut, scraped
8-10 cashew nuts
8-10 Raisins

Method:
1) Wash the rice and drain all the water. Keep aside for 30 to 45 minutes
2) Heat 2 tbsp ghee into a deep pan. Add cloves, saute for few seconds. Add washed rice, and saute for couple of minutes over medium heat.
3) While sauteing rice, boil 1 and 1/2 cup water on another stove-top.
4) Add hot water to the rice. Cover and cook the rice. Once rice is cooked nicely, put it into a big plate and spread evenly to cool down.
5) Gently, mix the coconut and grated jaggery in a bowl. Once rice becomes warm, add coconut-jaggery mixture to it.Fluff the rice with the fork and mix with coconut-jaggery mixture. Mix very gently. Otherwise, rice grains may get crushed and rice will become soggy.
6) Heat a deep heavy bottom pan. Add 1 tbsp ghee to it. Fry cashew nuts and raisins. Remove with a slotted spoon. Turn the heat to low. Now add rice-coconut-jaggery mixture. Also add cardamom powder. Cover with a tight lid. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Cook for atleast 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Once rice becomes dry, add fried cashew nuts and raisins. Add little ghee while serving.

Tips:
1) While cooking the jaggery-coconut-rice mixture, you will notice rice has become little watery. It's due to melted jaggery. However, as you steam for few more minutes, it will start thickening. Also, cook the rice uncovered during last few minutes.
2) If you don't want coconut rice too sweet, add 3/4 cup jaggery instead of 1 cup.
3) If you taste the rice immediately after jaggery is melted, it will taste very sweet. However, the sweetness will reduce after some time as the rice absorbs the melted jaggery.
4) Rice should be cooked 100 %. Under-cooked rice grains may become hard after coming into contact with jaggery. Over-cooked rice will become mushy and unappetising.
5) While cooking the rice, you may add few strings of saffron for flavor and color.

Basket Chat Sev Puri

Basket Chat in marathi

Serves: 3 plates (7 scoops each plate)
Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
21 Tostito's Corn scoops
3/4 cup boiled and mashed potato
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped tomato
1/4 cup Green chutney
1/2 cup Tamarind Chutney
1/2 cup plain yogurt (beaten) (Add pinch of salt and a tsp of sugar)
1/2 cup fine sev
2 tbsp chat masala
2 tsp Rock salt
1 tsp red chili powder (Optional)
Salt to taste
Cilantro for garnishing, finely chopped

Method:
1) Take 3 serving plates. Place 7 corn scoops in each plate. Fill each scoop with little boiled potato followed by onion and tomatoes.
2) Sprinkle Rock salt and chat masala. Add green chutney and tamarind chutney to taste.
3) Then top it with little yogurt. Sprinkle very little chili powder.
Garnish with cilantro and sev.
Taste one scoop and sprinkle little salt if required.

Tips:
1) You can change the sequence. However, add wet ingredients (Chutneys and yogurt) at the end.

Black eyed beans curry

Chawli Amti in Marathi

Serves: 3 to 4 persons
Time: 20 minutes (Excludes time for soaking chawli)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Chavli
1/4 cup Onion, finely chopped
1 big Tomato, pureed
2 garlic cloves, peeled
For tempering: 3 tsp Oil, 2 pinches of Mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp cumin seeds, 1 green chili, 4 curry leaves, pinch of asafoetida, 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp Kanda-Lasun masala
1 tsp Tamarind pulp
2 tbsp Fresh grated coconut
2 tbsp Cilantro, finely chopped + 1 tsp for garnishing
salt to taste

Method:
1) Soak Chavli beans for atleast 3 hours. Pressure cook upto 1 or 2 whistles.
2) Heat a Kadai over medium flame. Add 2 tsp oil. Add mustard seeds and wait till its crackle. Then add cumin seeds, green chili (slit), curry leaves, asafoetida, turmeric powder, red chili powder and cilantro. Saute for few seconds. Add onion and cook until translucent.
3) After onion gets cooked, add tomato puree. Cook over medium low heat for few minutes. Now, add cooked chavli beans and a cup of water. Stir and add Kanda lasun Masala, tamarind pulp, coconut and salt.
4) Adjust the consistency by adding required amount of water. Cook for few minutes over medium heat.
Once the Amti is ready, heat oil in a tadka pan (very small pan). Add whole garlic cloves, pinch of asafoetida and pour it on the Amti. Stir. Garlish with cilantro and serve the amti with White rice.

Tips:
1) Add boiled, peeled and cubed potato to this curry to make it more flavorful.
2) You can add Goda masala or any other curry masala instead of Kanda Lasun Masala.

Stir Fried Leftover Rice and Chapati

Manikmoti in Marathi

Serves: 2 persons
Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
4 Chapatis (preferably a day old)
1 cup cooked Rice (preferably a day old)
For tempering: 2 tbsp oil, 1/8 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp cumin seeds, 1/8 tsp turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp red chili powder, 3 to 4 curry leaves.
2 tbsp Peanuts
2 to 3 tbsp frozen green peas
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp lemon juice
salt to taste
1/2 tsp sugar
Chopped Cilantro and fresh coconut for garnishing

Method:
1) Crumble Chapatis coarsely with hands or in blender. Fluff the rice gently.
2) Heat oil in a medium pan. Add peanuts and saute until color changes to light brown. Then add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, turmeric powder, red chili powder and curry leaves. Add chopped onion and saute well. After a minute, add peas and saute for couple more minutes over medium heat. Add salt to taste.
3) Once onion is cooked, add the rice and mix. Add crumbled Chapatis and mix. Add sugar and give a quick mix. Cover and cook over medium low heat for a minute. Add lemon juice. Transfer it to a serving plate. Garnish with Cilantro and coconut. Serve hot.

Phodnichi Poli

Phodnichi Poli in Marathi

Serves: 2 persons
Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
7 to 8 Chapatis (A day before)
For Tempering: 2 tsp oil, pinch of mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp cumin seeds, pinch of asafoetida, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp red chili powder, 2 curry leaves
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tbsp fried peanuts
1/2 tsp lemon juice
salt to taste
2 pinches sugar
Finely chopped Cilantro for garnishing

Method:
1) Grind chapatis coarsely.
2) Heat 2 tsp oil into a pan. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, turmeric powder, red chili powder and curry leaves. Add onion and saute until translusent. Add fried peanuts and saute.
3) Add ground chapati and stir over medium heat. Add salt and sugar, mix nicely and cook covered for 2 minutes.
Garnish with cilantro and lemon juice. Serve hot.

Tips:
1) If you don't want to grind chapatis, mince them with hands.
2) Accompany this dish with plain yogurt and mango pickle.
3) Along with peanuts you can add 1/4 cup frozen peas.

Instant Bread Pizza

Bread Pizza in Marathi

Serves: 2 person (2 Pizza each)
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
4 bread slices (Tip 1) (I used 'Arnold - whole wheat sandwich thins')
1/2 cup Pizza Sauce (click here for the Recipe)
1/2 cup thinly sliced Capsicum
1/2 cup thinly sliced Onion
12 thin slices of Tomato
1/2 cup Crumbled Paneer (Optional)
1/2 to 3/4 cup Grated Pizza Cheese blend
Dried Basil or Oregano leaves
2 to 3 pinches of salt
Red chili flakes to taste

Method:
1) Preheat the oven at 400 degree F. Sprinkle pinch of salt over each sliced vegetable.
2) Apply Pizza sauce to each bread slice. Top it with tomato, onion and bell pepper. Add some crumbled paneer. Crush and sprinkle some dry basil leaves.
3) Cover it with grated Cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese melts nicely.

Sprinkle a pinch of crushed dry basil leaves and red chili flakes to taste.

Serve hot for evening snack.

Tips:
1) I had used 'whole wheat sandwich thins'. However, you can use normal bread slices to make this pizza. Only one thing to keep in mind is, normal slice bread soaks the moisture and becomes soggy. So, apply pizza sauce and arrange vegetables asap and immediately put in the oven to bake.
2) You can use your choice of vegetables like mushrooms, spinach, olives etc. Addition of some pineapple chunks can give a nice sweet and sour hint to your pizza.
3) To make a quicker version, use readymade pizza sauce.

Coconut Chutney

Coconut Chutney in Marathi

Time: 5 minutes
Yield: approx 1 cup

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh coconut (shredded)
1/4 cup Chana dalia (Which we use in poha chiwda)
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp sugar
1 green chili
For tempering
1/2 tsp oil
1/8 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Urad Dal
1/8 tsp hing
5 to 7 curry leaves
1 dry Red chili
1/8 tsp ginger paste

Method:
1) Grind coconut, chana dalia, green chili, salt and sugar in a grinder to fine paste. Add little water if required. Pour this mixture into a bowl.
2) Take a small kadai, heat oil and prepare tempering by adding mustard seeds and Urad Dal. wait till urad dal becomes light brown, then continue by adding hing, curry leaves, red chili, and ginger paste. Pour it over coconut mixture. Mix nicely and serve with Idli, Medu vada, Masala Dosa, Utthappa, Appe and other south Indian recipes.

Note:
1) This chutney recipe is basic type usually found in Mumbai udipi hotels. You can create different combination using ingredients like yogurt, cumin, tamarind etc.
2) Another delicious Chutney recipe which goes well with Maharashtrian meal.

Rava Pancakes

Rava Ghavan in Marathi

Yield: 8 to 10 small pancakes
Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup Sooji (semolina)
3/4 cup Yogurt
1/2 cup Water
1/2 cup Onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup Tomato, finely chopped
2 Green chilies, finely chopped
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Ginger paste
1/4 cup Cilantro, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Pinch of Baking Soda
1/4 cup Oil

Method:
1) Make buttermilk by whisking yogurt and water together. Add Sooji and mix well. Add more buttermilk to adjust the consistency. Mixture should not be too thin or too thick in consistency. Keep it covered for 1 and 1/2 hour.
2) After 1 hour, add onion, tomato, chilies, Ginger paste, cumin, cilantro, salt and baking soda to the Sooji mixture. Mix nicely.
3) Heat a nonstick tawa. Once tawa is hot, drizzle 1/2 tsp little oil. Pour 1 big spoonful of batter, but do not spread on the tawa. Make 1 to 2 cm thick pancake. Cover the tawa and let it cook for a minute on one side, flip and cook the other side.
Serve hot with Coconut Chutney

Sukhi Bhel

Suki Bhel in Marathi

Serves: 3 persons
Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
3 cups Kurmure (Puffed Rice)
1 medium Onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup Cilantro, finely chopped
2 Green chilies, finely chopped
2 tbsp Green Mango, small pieces
1/4 cup fried Peanuts
3/4 cup Farsan mix
1/4 cup fine Sev
1/2 lemon's juice
salt to taste
1/2 tsp Chat Masala (Optional)
1/2 cup Tomato, finely chopped

Method:
1) Toast puffed rice over medium low heat for 2 to 4 minutes to make it more crispy. Stir while toasting to avoid burning. Transfer puffed rice in a mixing bowl
2) Let the puffed rice cool down a little. Then add dry items like salt, farsan, fried peanuts and Sev. Mix well. Then add onion, green chilies, green mango, cilantro, and lemon juice and mix. Do not mix for longer.
Once Bhel is ready, serve immediately, otherwise it will become mushy.

Note:
1) Some people don't like tomato in the Bhel. So its optional.

Leftover chapati Laddu

Chapati Ladoo in Marathi

Yield: 5 medium Ladoos
Time: 5 minutes



Ingredients:
4 to 5 leftover chapaties
2 tbsp grated Jaggery or to taste
2 tbsp Ghee

Method:
Crumble Chapaties and blend coarsely into the blender.
Add Jaggery and Ghee. Mix vigorously with hands. Make 4 to 5 round shaped Laddus.

Note:
1) Some people don't like laddus made with blended chapaties. In that case tear chapatis nicely to very small pieces and make laddus out of it.
2) You can also add dryfruit powder for better taste.
3) If you want to make spicy snack out of leftover chapatis, try delicious Quesadillas from Chapati

Mint Chutney

Mint Chutney in Marathi

Serves: 2 persons

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Mint Leaves
1/2 cup Cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped Onion
2 Garlic Cloves (Optional)
2 Green Chilies
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
1/2 tsp Lemon Juice
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Sugar

Serve this flavorful chutney with Vegetable Sandwiches, Mutter Khasta Kachori, Soya Cutlets, Methi Stems Pakoda, Bread Roll, Muttar Potato Karanji, Patti Samosa, Dhokla and other snacks Items


Method:
Put all the ingredients into the mixer and make fine paste. Add 2 to 3 tbsp water if needed.

Note:
1) You can use dried Pomegranate Seeds or little Tamarind juice instead of Lemon juice for sour taste, but lemon juice taste better in this chutney and it is easily available in the kitchen.

Aloo Sukhi Bhaji Potato Sabzi

Batata (Aloo) Bhaji in Marathi

Serves: 2 1/2 cups (2 to 3 persons)


Ingredients:
3 medium Potatoes
For Tempering:
2 tbsp Oil, 2 pinch Mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp Cumin Seeds, 1/8 tsp Asafoetida, 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder,
1/2 tsp Urad Dal (optional)
1/2 tsp Ginger paste
4 green chilies or to taste, slit lengthwise
4-5 curry leaves
1/4 cup Cilantro, finely chopped
Salt to taste
1 tsp lemon juice (optional)
2 tbsp Cilantro for garnishing

Method:
1) Boil and peel potatoes, make small cubes (2 cm).
2) Heat oil in a nonstick pan or Kadai. Add mustard seeds, allow to crackle. Add Cumin, Asafoetida, Turmeric powder, and Urad dal.
3) Once urad dal becomes little golden in color, add ginger paste, green chilies and curry leaves. Also, add 1/4 cup Cilantro, saute for 5 to 10 seconds and add potato cubes. Mix gently with spatula. Do not mix vigorously, it could crumble the cubes.
4) Sprinkle salt to taste. Cover the pan and cook over medium low heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in between. Add lemon juice and mix well. Garnish with Cilantro. Serve Potato bhaji with Puri or Chapati.

Note:
1) Adjust amount of chilies according to your taste
2) Some people like little mashed up potatoes in this sabzi. In that case, before covering pan in step 4, mash potato cubes a little and stir nicely. Then cover and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.

Aliv Ladu

Aliv Ladu in Marathi

Serves: 6 to 7 Laddus



Ingredients:
1/8 cup Aliv seeds (Halim Seeds / Garden cress seeds)
1/4 cup Milk
3/4 cup Jaggery
1 cup Scrapped Coconut (Fresh)

Method:
1) Soak Aliv Seeds in cold milk for approximately 3-4 hours. After 3-4 hours Aliv seeds will get swollen.
2) Heat a pan, add soaked Aliv seeds, Jaggery, Coconut. Mix well and simmer over medium heat. When the mixture becomes thick enough to form Laddus, turn off the heat and let the mixture become lukewarm. Make medium sized Laddus.

Labels:
Aliv Ladu, Maharashtrian Laddu, Healthy laddu

Pumpkin Raita

Pumpkin Raita in Marathi

Serves: 2 to 3 persons


Ingredients:
2 cup Pumpkin, peeled and cubed
1/2 tsp Ghee
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
3 green Chilies, chopped
1/4 cup Cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup Plain Yogurt
Salt and Sugar to taste

Method:
1) Pressure cook Pumpkin cubes to 2-3 whistles or until soft and tender. Mash pumpkin cubes after they cool down. mash nicely and try to remove lumps.
2) In a small saucepan, heat Ghee. Add Cumin seeds and Green chilies. saute for few seconds and pour it over mashed pumpkin. Add Salt and sugar to taste. Add Yogurt, Cilantro and mix well.

Note:
1) This Raita is great side dish in you Fasting meal. Otherwise, you can add Mustard seeds, Asafoetida, Turmeric to hot Ghee with Cuminseeds as additional seasoning.
2) Roasted Peanuts coarsed Powder taste great in this Raita.

Labels:
Pumpkin Raita, Kaddu Bhurta, Bhopla Bharit

Khoya from Ricotta Cheese

How to make Khoya from Ricotta Cheese in Marathi

Ingredients:
425 Gram Ricotta Cheese
1/2 tsp Pure Ghee

Method:
Heat a nonstick pan. Add 1 tsp Ghee and Ricotta Cheese. Stir on medium heat. Within 2-3 minutes, it will start melting and after 10-15 minutes, it will start thickening. Keep stirring, otherwise Ricotta cheese could stick to the pan. Slowly, it will become thick; it takes approximately 25-30 minutes. In this process, liquid content in Ricotta cheese evaporates and starts converting into Khoya. Khoya (Thickened Ricotta Cheese) should be thick in consistency and should form a ball. Knead this khoya gently after it cool down.

Food Items made by using Khoya - Pedha sweets and Mava Kulfi









Labels:
Khava, Khoya, Khawa recipe, how to make Khava from Ricotta cheese, Mava, Ricotta cheese khoya, Ricotta cheese sweets