Biscuit Sandwich Pakora

Biscuit Sandwich Pakora

Ingredients :

For the filling:

• 2 medium size boiled potatoes
• 1 tspn green chili, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro/coriander leaves
• 1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
• 2 tspn raisins
• 1 tspn roasted groundnuts
• Salt to taste

For the outer crisp coating:

• 2 cups besan (chick pea flour/gram flour)
• 1 cup cornflour
• a pinch of hing
• 1/4 tspn red chili powder
• water
• salt
• vermicelli  or crushed cornflakes

And 8-10 Marie Biscuits and oil for frying.


Method :
Peel the boiled potatoes. The potatoes should be boiled really well. Mash the potatoes when they are still warm.Add the coriander leaves, green chili,ginger-garlic paste,raisins, ground nuts and salt to the mashed potatoes.Mix these with the mashed potatoes. Check the seasonings and adjust accordingly. Keep aside.

Preparing the besan batter:
In a bowl, take the besan (chick pea flour/gram flour) and cornflour.Add the red chili powder, asafoetida and salt.Add around 1/2 cup water and mix. .The batter should not be very thick nor too thin. Check the seasonings and adjust accordingly.Add a few drops of oil to the batter and mix well.Keep the ready batter aside.

Assembling and Frying the Biscuit Pakora:
Before you do the following steps, heat up some oil for deep frying the pakoras.Take 2 tbsp of the mashed potato mixture and apply it on the biscuit evenly.Cover this potato stuffed biscuit with another biscuit . I choose to keep it plain. But if you want, you can apply the same green mint coriander chutney or tomato sauce or sweet chaat chutney to this second biscuit .You have now a beautiful biscuit sandwich. Just slightly press the sandwich. Take the entire sandwich in your hand and dip it in the besan batter.Coat the stuffed biscuit sandwich evenly with the besan batter. Be gentle with the pakoras. Take care not to keep the stuffed biscuit sandwich a long time in the batter as the biscuit tends to break.Coat pakoras with vermicelli or cornflakes. By now, your oil is hot and you can easily slid the besan batter coated biscuit sandwich in the oil.Fry the biscuit pakoras on a medium flame till they are crisp and golden brown.Drain on a tissue.Serve them hot or warm with tomato sauce or with any chutney of your choice,  or even coconut chutney. .Enjoy the bread pakodas in the rains with a cup of indian ginger chai or masala chai.

 

Moong Daal Bhaji / Pakoda

Moong Daal Bhaji / Pakoda

Ingredients :

• 1 cup moong daal(yellow) ( green gram)
• 2-3 finally chopped green chilies
• 1/2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
• 1/4 tablespoon mango powder
• Some chopped coriander leaves
• Salt to taste

Method :
First wash moong daal and soak it in the water for 3-4 hours.Take it out from water. Mis all other ingredients with daa and grind the mixture Deep fry on medium heat to golden brown.Fry slowly so that you will get crispy moong pakode.Serve hot with tamrind or pudina (mint)chatni.

Spicy Appe / Spicy Appam

Spicy Appe / Spicy Appam

Ingredients :

• 1/4 cup urad dal
• 3/4 cup rice
• 1-2 Tsp Coriander-Green chillies-Ginger Paste
• Oil for frying
• Salt to taste

Method :
Soak rice and dal separately for 3-4 hours. Grind them separately to a smooth paste and keep in different containers. Allow it to ferment for 10-12 hours. Mix both the batter together, add salt , add Coriander-Green chillies-Ginger Paste and mix well. Heat Appe Maker and add some oil to all the moulds. Now Half fill the moulds with batter and prepare appam by cooking on both sides.
Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Sabudana Khichdi

Sabudana Khichdi

Ingredients :

• 1 cup Sabudana / Sago (medium size pearls) wash, drain and soaked overnight
• 1/2 cup coarsely pound roasted peanuts
• 1-2 Tsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp ghee
• 1 Tbsp Fresh Grated Coconut
• 1 Tsp cumin seeds
• 3-4 green chillis, finely chopped
• salt to taste

Method :
Wash the sago thoroughly, drain off the water and let it stand over night. Next day morning, run your fingers through the sago pearls and loosen the lumps if any. The sago should appear clear, translucent, swelled up and separate pearls.Combine coarsely pounded roasted peanuts, sugar and salt to the sago and keep aside.Heat  ghee in kadai ,once hot, add cumin seeds and let them brown a bit. Add the chopped green chillies and suate for 2 minutes.Finally add the sago-peanut mixture and combine well with the seasoning on low heat and Then add coocnut and toss the sago mixture continuously for 8-9 minutess. Serve hot.

Alu Vadi

Alu Vadi

Ingredients :

• 5-6 colocassia leaves (Alu chi pane in Marathi)
• 1/2 cup gram flour
• 1/4 cup rice flour (for crispiness)
• 1 Tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 Tsp black maharashtrian masala or garam masala
• 1 Tsp tamarind paste
• 2 Tsp jaggery or sugar
• 1 Tbsp white sesame seeds
• 1 Tsp turmeric powder
• 1-2 Tsp chili powder
• 1/4 Tsp asafoetida
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

Method :


Remove stems and wash colocassia leaves. Drain and wipe off the excess water.Mix gram flour and rice flour. Add sesame seeds, black masala, tamarind paste. jaggery, chili powder, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, asafoetida, salt and water to make a thick paste.Spread the paste on one leaf,spread some sesame seeds, put another leaf on it and again spread some paste on it , the sesame seeds. Like this arrange all the leaves one above the other with the layer of paste in between them.

Wrap the leaves tightly and make a roll. Tie it with a thread if required.Steam cook alu vadi for about 25 minutes.

Remove and insert a toothpick or knife into the roll to check the doneness. If the toothpick comes out clean, the roll is cooked. Let cool and slice.Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Deep fry the pieces in hot oil. Or shallow fry them on a flat griddle. Remove when golden brown and crisp. 

Shahi Tukda

Shahi Tukda

Ingredients:

• 6 slices Bread
• 2 Tbsp Ghee
• 1 cup Full Cream Milk
• 2-3 Tbsp chopped Pista, almonds
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 1/4 cup Water
• 1 Cardamom powder
• Few strands of saffron


Method :
Cut bread slices diagonally to form 2 triangles. Keep the bread aside for about 2 hours, so that it becomes hard. Now  To make the sugar syrup, mix sugar and water and set the mixture to boil. Now, simmer the solution for about 10 minutes and add powdered elachi into it. Take a pan and set the milk to boil.Add chopped pistas and almonds pieces, 3-4 tsp sugar. Simmer it until it reduces to 1/4th quantity. Simultaneously, keep stirring occasionally so that it does not stick to the pan. Add few strands of saffron to the thickened milk. Now Apply ghee on the sides of the bread and lightly fry/roast them until they turn golden brown on both sides. Arrange the fried bread on a plate. Pour the sugar syrup onto the bread and wait until it seeps down. Now, spread the milk mixture onto the bread and sprinkle some almonds, pista and saffron strands over it. Freeze it and serve when it is chill!

Sooji Pakoda / Rawya chi Bhaji

Sooji Pakoda / Rawya chi Bhaji

Pakoda / Pakora is a fried snack (fritter) found across South Asia.

Ingredients :

• 2 Cups Sooji Rava (Semolina)
• 3 Cups Yogurt/curd ( or As per requirement)(Curd should be thick,with out water)
• 3-4 finely chopped Green Chilly
• 1/2 cup finely chopped Coriander leaves
• 1 finely chopped Ginger
• Salt as per taste
• Oil for deep frying

Method :
Mix all the above ingredient's(except oil)properly in mixing bowl and prepare pakoda dough(add yogurt if required, but do not add water). ( Dough as shown in picture below). Let the dough rest for 15 min.

Heat the oil and take small small portion of the dough and dip in to the oil, and deep fry them till it turns in to golden brown.And the crispy Sooji Pakda are ready to serve.

Bread Pudding / Bread pudding made in Cooker

Bread Pudding / Bread pudding made in Cooker

Ingredients : 

• 14-15 slices of Bread ( take only White part ) 
• 2 Cups Milk
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 1-2 Drops of Vanilla Essence

 For the Caramel

• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 2 TbspWater

Method :
Tear the bread roughly into small pieces and soak it in the milk mixed with sugar and vanilla essence properly. Make sure the bread is smashed nicely in milk. Keep aside.
Then in a pan add in water and sugar for the caramel mix. Keep stirring on low-med flame. Once the sugar is thick leave as it on flame till you get brown color mixture. Just stir the pan once in a wile if you need.Once you get the brown color melted sugar, pour evenly in a pressure cooker pan and the on top of that put the bread mixture around and sprad with spoon evenly.
Cover the pan with aluminium foil and make holes randomly to keep the steam going through it. Pour sufficient water in pressure cooker and then put in the pressure cooker pan and steam cook for about 20-25 mins on low flame.

Let the pudding cool down completely and then in a plate topple over the mixture and chill it in fridge. Serve chilled.

Kharavas

Kharavas

Kharvas' is the marathi name of a sweet steamed pudding made out of milk given by a cow or buffalo within a day after she has calved.

Ingredients :

• 1 Liter bovine colostrum milk ( Cheek )
• 1 or 1/2 liter Milk if required ( Please refer Method )
• 1-2 cup (more or less as pertaste / sweetness) grated jaggery or Powdered sugar
• 1 Tsp Cardamom Powder
• A few strands of saffron (optional )

Method :

P.N : If  Cheek is 1 day old then add 1 Liter Milk to Cheek, if Cheek is 2 days old then add 1/2 Liter Milk to it, and if Cheek is 3 or more days old then no need to add Milk.Dissolve the jaggery in the milk.  Add the cardamom powder and saffron to the milk.Pour the milk in a container that will fit in a pressure cooker or other large pan, with enough water in the outer pan for steaming. Cover with a lid and steam for 15-20 minutes .Or even you can Cook in pressure cooker with 3 whistles. Let cool completely , Then cut into pieces and chill it in the fridge for a few hours before serving.

Batata Bhaji / Potato Pakoda

Batata Bhaji / Potato Pakoda

Ingredients :

• 2 Medium size potatoes
• 1 Cup Gram Flour 
• 1 Pinch of Baking Soda
• 1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder
• Water as requires
• Salt as per taste
• 1/2 tsp Ajwain ( bishop's weed )
• A pinch of Asafoetida
• Oil for Deep frying

Method :

Peel Potatoes.Make round slices of potatoes and soak it into salt water for 10 to 15 mins.Meanwhile take one bowl, mix all ingredients i.e  gram flour,red chilly powder,turmeric powder & salt, ajwain. Add water little by little to this mixture to make a running consistency batter . Then add baking soda into the batter and mix well . Now h eat oil in a pan.Drain all potato slices.Deep each slice into the batter till it is completely coated. Turn flame to medium heat & deep fry them till color turns to golden.Serve it with Garlic Chutney / Tomato Sauce /Green Chutney  etc...

Karanji

Karanji

Ingredients :

For Dough :

• 1 Cup Maida
• 1 Tsp Ghee( Butter)
• A pinch of Salt
• Warm Water( for doughing)

For Stuffing :

• 1 Cup Grated Dry Coconut
• 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
• 1 Pinch Nutmeg Powder
• 1 Pinch Dry Ginger Powder
• 4 Elaichi
• 2 Tsp Maida
• 2 Tsp Poppy Seeds
• 2 Tbsp Mixed Dry Fruits Pieces

Method :

In order to prepare Karanji, you will have to first prepare dough and then prepare the stuffing. Once you are done with both of them, you simply need to fill the stuffing and deep fry the Karanji.

Dough Preparation :

Mix 1 cup maida, 1 tbsp ghee, a pinch of salt and warm milk to prepare the dough, try to keep the dough a little hard.

Stuffing Preparation

Roast dry coconut. Roast maida in ghee.Roast poppy seeds. Mix all the above ingredients and mill them finely.

Karanji Preparation

Roll small oval shaped puris from the hard dough. Now place the prepared stuffing in the middle of it. Stick both the corners of the puri by applying some water or milk so that it will seal properly. Remember not to apply too much of water as it will not seal properly.Deep fry it till it becomes brownish color.Serve it hot or cold as you wish.

Chivda / Poha Chivda / Patal Pohyacha Chivda

Chivda / Poha Chivda / Patal Pohyacha Chivda

Ingredients :

• ½ kg thin pohe
• 1 cup roasted or fried pea nuts or shengdane
• 1 cup roasted chana dal or phutane
• ½ cup thin slices of dry coconut
• 1 tsp of jeera seeds
• ½ tsp of rai seeds
• 1 tsp garlic paste (optional)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 10 green chilies
• 10-15 curry leaves
• 3 tsp of fried kaju
• 2 tsp sugar
• ½ cup oil
• salt to taste

Method :

Roast pohe in a heavy pan without oil on low to medium flame and keep aside.Take a little quantity of oil and fry peanuts, phutane, kaju and keep aside.Heat the oil in heavy pan. Add rai, jeera, curry leaves, green chilies, garlic paste and turmeric powder.Now add all fried nuts and mix well.Add salt and sugar.Immediately add all roasted pohe and mix well till pohe is well coated and look light yellowish. Cool and store it in a airtight container.

Shankarpali

Shankarpali

Ingredients :

• 1 1/2 cup Milk

• 2 cups Sugar

• 3.1/2 cup Maida [all purpose flour ]

• 1/2 teaspoon Salt

• 3/4 th cup Ghee

• Oil to fry

Method :

Mix ghee, sugar and milk in a pan and heat it till the sugar melts and the mixture starts boiling. Turn the heat off, as soon as the mixture starts boiling. Let the mixture cool down. Mix maida in above mixture and keep adding it till you get a nice, stiff dough. The consistency of the dough should be such that you should be able to roll it. [not too thin, not too stiff.]  Heat oil, in a kadhai. Divide the dough in equal parts, roll it, into round shape like a chapati. [it should not be very thin.]  Cut it with a knife into small squares. Fry in oil, on medium heat, till you get light brown colour. Serve these nice crispy, crunchy shankarpali with tea.

Chakali

Chakali

 

Ingredients :

• 2 cups Rice Flour
• 1 cup Besan / Gram Flour
• 1 1/4 cup Water
• 1 tbsp Carom seeds / Ajwayan
• 1 tbsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp Red Chilli powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp Coriander powder
• 3 tsp hot Oil for dough
• 2 tbsp Sesame Seeds

Method : 

First roughly crush cumin seeds and ajwayan together in to blender.Heat 3 tsp oil. Take rice flour, besan, add crushed cumin and ajawayan, coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, sesame seeds, salt to taste and mix all dry ingredients together. Pour hot oil, mix well, now add water and start to knead the dough. The consistency of the dough should be like regular chapati dough. Cover and let it sit for 30 mts. Deep hand in cold water, take big enough ball from the dough and add in to chakali maker and make chakali in to desired shape. Deep fry chakalis till it gets light brown color from both the sides.

Besan Ladoo

Besan Ladoo

Ingredeints :

• 2 cups gram flour (besan/chickpea flour)
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• ¾ -1 cup ghee (clarified butter)
• 15-20 raisins/ cashew pieces

 Method :

 Heat the ghee in a heavy bottom pan. 
 Note : This is the tough and time consuming part, but the taste of the ladoos depends on this step.

Add the gram flour and fry it on a low flame stirring continuously till it releases a warm nutty aroma and the flour turns very light brown. This takes about 35- 45 minutes (or even more).Add more ghee in small quantities if required.Once it is lightly and evenly browned, transfer it to a plate, set aside and let it cool.Add powdered cardamom and sugar and mix well.Shape into ladoos and add chopped almonds (optional) and raisins on each of them.Store in air tight containers.

Anarsa / Anarse

Anarsa / Anarse

 

Ingredients :

• 1 1/2 cup rice flour

• 1/2 cup jaggery

• 1 cup water

• 1/4 tbsp cardamom powder

• 3-4 tbsp poppy seeds or khus khus

• Ghee for frying

Method :

Heat water in a pan and dissolve jaggery to make well. Strain and set aside to cool.  Add cardamom powder and ghee to the flour and knead the flour with jaggery water till the dough becomes stiff.  Divide into 24 to 25 small portions, knead and roll it into 4" discs. Sprinkle poppy seeds on the discs. Set aside and allow them to dry a little.  Deep fry in ghee till the discs turn golden yellow. Cool the anarsa till these become crisper. Serve or store in an airtight container.

Bread Dhokla

Bread Dhokla

Ingredients :

• 7-8 Bread slices
• 1/2 Cup Yogurt / Thick Curd
• 1/2 Tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1/2 Tsp Green Chilli Paste
• 1/2 Tsp Cumin Powder
• 1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 Tbsp Finely Chopped Coriander leaves
• A pinch of sugar
• Salt to Taste
• 1/2 Tsp Mustard Seeds
• 5-6 Curry leaves
• 1 Tbsp Oil

 
Method :

Take a bowl, mix yogurt,Ginger garlic paste, Green chilli paste, Cumin powder, Turmeric Powder, Coriander leaves,Salt, Sugar and mix well. Now remove edges of bread slices and cut into 4 squares.Then spread the above made mixture on each square & join two squares to form a sandwich. Now heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and curry leaves to it.When mustard seeds start to splutter, place sandwiches in the pan and fry from both sides till light golden brown. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves & grated coconut if you want. Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Dudhi Halwa(Bottle Gourd Halwa)

Dudhi Halwa(Bottle Gourd Halwa)

Ingredients : 

• 2 cups grated Bottle Gourd(Dudhi Bhopla)
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 Cup khoya
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 2-3 Tbsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)
• 3-4 chopped Dry Figs
• 4-5 Chopped Cashewnuts
• 4-5 Chopped Almonds.

Method :

 Peel & Grate bottle gourd. Squeeze out water from it.Now in a kadai or pan, heat Ghee.Add grated bottle gourd and saute it,the cover with lid and let the bottle gourd cook over medium flame.Once water is totally absorbed , check whether bottle gourd is cooked or not.Then add sugar to it & mix well and again let it cook for some time.When sugar gets dissolved & mixed in bottle gourd, add khoya to it and mix well.Then add dry fruits pieces and stir until you get thick consistency dudhi halwa.Garnish with dry fruits & serve hot or cold.

Crispy Chapati Rolls

Crispy Chapati Rolls

Ingredient :

• 1 Cup Gram flour (Besan)
• 1/2 Tsp Ajwain
• 1 Tsp Dhania-jeera Powder ( Cumin and Dry Coriander powder)
• 1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1-2 Tsp Sesame Seeds
• A pinch of Baking Powder
• A pinch of Asafoetida(Hing)
• 1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves
• Salt to Taste
• Water.
• Oil for Frying 

 
Method :
In bowl take gram flour and add all above ingredients to it and mix it up well.Now add water little by little to make a thick paste or mixture.Now take a chapati and spread the made mixture over it .Then place second chapati on it, spread mixture on it again , place third chapati on it and again spread the mixture.Now Roll this layer of 3 chapaties tightly into a roll and seal the edges with little water.Steam cook this roll for 10 minutes.Let it cool for 15 minutes Then cut the roll horizontally.Heat oil in kadai and deep fry rolls on medium flame.Serve with Tomato Ketchup.

Masala Pav

Masala Pav

Ingredients :

• 1 Cup Finely Chopped Capsicum
• 1 Cup Finely Chopped Onion
• 1 Cup Finely Chopped Tomatos
• 2 Tsp Pav-Bhaji Masala
• 1-2 Tsp Cumin seeds
• Salt to Taste
• Butter as required
• 8 pieces of Ladi-Pav (Pav-Bhaji Paav)

Method :
Heat 2 tsp Butter in kadai. Add cumin seeds.When they crackle, add onions, tomatoes, capsicum and saute for 3-4 minutes.Then add Pav bhaji masala, salt and cook until done.Now heat tawa,put some butter on it.Then slit pav vertically, open  and keep on tawa for 2-3 minutes.Then turn the side and spread the above made masala on it .Cook pav for 3-4 minutes on medium flame , till the other side turns golden brown.Repeat these steps for remaining pav pieces.Serve hot.