Khandeshi Thali

Khandeshi Thali...

Khandesh is a region of central India, which forms the northwestern portion of Maharashtra state.The region falls in north-west Maharashtra and covers Jalgaon, Dhule, Nandurbar, Malegaon, Nashik and Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh. The Khandeshis like their meals spicy and earthy. Peanut oil, dry coconut, tiny lavangi chillies are the trademark of their cooking. But the foolproof way to tell a Khandeshi dish from another is to look for oil swimming over the dish, locally and lovingly called tarri. Kala masala is to the Khandeshis what bottle masala is to East Indians. Every family has its own version of the recipe that's pounded every summer and bottled for use all year long. It's a heavily roasted preparation and includes khopra, coriander seeds, dried red chillies, peppercorns, whole turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, black cardamom, shahjeera, fennel seeds, hing, khus khus, bay leaves, nutmeg, mace, dagad phool, dry ginger and jeera. Pumpkins, green tomatoes, green sorrel leaves, ridge gourd and the very popular brinjal are all sourced on the day of cooking." The Khandeshi baingan bharta or hirva vangyachi bharith is made with green brinjals (long, slim, striped variety commonly found in Jalgaon) that are roasted on an open flame till black. They are then pulped and pounded with green chillies, garlic, peanuts and spring onions. Bharleli vaangi, another popular brinjal preparation, involves stuffing aubergine with a paste of roasted peanuts, dried coconut, garlic, turmeric, red chilli powder and kala masala. But the most famous and easiest Khandeshi bhaji is made without vegetables. Shev bhaji is a curry made with dry coconut, garlic and onions. The crisp shev absorbs the spicy curry and oil, making it ideal to slurp up with the bhakri.

Information : Net source

Today my Kandeshi platter consist of 

Vangyache Bharith

Khandeshi Chicken

Boondi

Jawari chi Bhakri

Shingdana cha Thecha

Khandeshi Vangyache Bharith

Ingredients

1/2 kg Big size Brinjal roasted

1 Bunch Spring Onions chopped

12  Garlic cloves minced

4 Green chillies fried and crushed

1 tbsp Dry coconut  slices

2 tbsp  Peanuts coarsely  ground

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

2 tbsp Vegetable oil

Salt  to taste

Coriander leaves chopped

Method

Remove the skin of the  brinjal and mash it very well. Heat oil in a pan . Add cumin seeds and let the seeds crackle. Add garlic  and chillies. Sauté it for few minutes. Add the peanuts and coconut. Sauté for few minutes more. Add chopped green onion and sauté it for 2 minutes. Add the mashed brinjal and salt. Mix it well and cook for 5 minutes. Garnish it with coriander leaves. Serve it salad and Bhakari.

Khandeshi Chicken Curry

For Marinating the Chicken

Ingredients 

1 kg  Chicken cleaned and cut into pieces

1 tsp Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Method

In a mixing bowl, add the salt, turmeric powder and chicken. Mix it and marinate it for 30 minutes..

Wet Ground Masala

Ingredients

1 small Onion chopped

1 piece Ginger

10 Garlic cloves

4 Red Dry Chillies

2 tbsp Coconut grated

1 tbsp Oil

Method

Roast all the above ingredients in oil  till brown. Grind the roasted masala in a grinder to make a paste.

For the Chicken

Ingredients

Marinated Chicken

1 big Onions chopped

1 1/2 tbsp Kala masala

Wet Masala

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Oil

Chopped Coriander for garnishing

Heat oil in a pressure cooker.  Fry chopped onions till translucent. Add the ground masala and stir cook for 3 minutes. Add the kala masala and cook for 3 minutes.  Add marinated chicken and mix it.  Add 3 cups water to it and mix. Add salt to taste,  cover the lid of the pressure cooker and cook for upto 2-3 whistles.  Garnished it with chopped coriander, serve it  with sliced onions and Bhakris.

Boondi

For the Boondi

Ingredients

1 cup Gram flour

2 tbsp Rice flour

Pinch of Soda bicarbonate

Pinch of Salt

1 tsp Oil

Approx. 3/4 cup of Water

Ghee or Oil for frying

Almond and Pistacho flakes for garnishing

Method

Mix the gram flour, rice flour and salt.  Add water slowly and make a smooth batter to dropping consistency, batter should have no lumps. Add 1 tsp oil and soda bicarbonate  mix it well. Heat the ghee or oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Hold the  skimmer about 2 inches above the oil over the center of the frying pan. Pour some of the batter onto the skimmer to cover all of the holes.Batter will start dropping through the holes into the oil. If the batter doesn’t drop right away through the holes. Add little more water to the batter and start again. Drop enough boondesi into the oil so they just cover the surface of the oil in frying pan in a single layer.Fry the boondies until the boondies are light golden in colour. Take the boondies out and put them directly into the warm syrup and mix it. Let it soak in the sugar syrup for 15 minutes. Drain the excess syrup. Boondies are ready to serve. Garnish with almond and pistacho flakes.

For the Syrup

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup Sugar

1 cup water

1/2 tsp Cardamom powder

Pinch of Saffron

Few drops of Lime juice

Method

Boil the water and sugar in a sauce pan on medium high heat, stir to dissolve the sugar, lower the heat and let it simmer for  3 minutes. Add the crushed cardamom, saffron and lime juice  to the syrup. The syrup should be one string syrup. Switch off the flame.

 Shingdana cha Thecha

Ingredients

12 Green Chillies silted

12 Garlic Cloves

3 tbsp Penuts

1 tsp Oil

Salt to taste

Method

Take oil in a pan. As the oil heats up add the chillies, penuts and garlic. Sauté it till the chillies starts to change it's colour. Add salt to the sauted chillies and garlic. Coarse grind all the ingredients in a grinder... Serve with Bhakri..

Kala Masala

Ingredients

1/4 cup Dry Coconut grated

1/4 cup  Coriander seeds

2 tbsp  Cumin Seed

1 tbsp Shahi Jeera

1 tbsp  Fennel Seeds

12  Dried Red Chillies

2 tbsp Pepper Corns

2 sticks Cinnamon

10 Cloves

3 Black Cardamom

1 tbsp  Dagad Phool

1/2  Nutmeg

2 Mace

10 Bay leaves

1 tsp Asafoetida

2 tbsp  Poppy Seeds

1 piece  Dry Ginger

2 tsp Oil

Method

Dry roast the coconut till brown. Set aside to cool. Roast each ingredient seperately ,except turmeric, asafoetida and ginger in oil and set aside to cool. Grind the roasted ingredients with turmeric , asafoetida and ginger in to fine powder.

Pan Mukhwas

Pan Mukhwas

How about digesting your food with some home made Pan Mukhwas....

I have Piper Betal leaves plant growing in my house...it has medium size leaves and when eaten, it has a bit pungent after effect taste.  Few days back my husband chopped of some parts of the plant which was growing wild.. immediately I collected all the leaves.. dried it and made Pan Mukhwas.. very easy to make and tasty too... 

Ingredients

Approximately 100  Betal Leaves dried  and hand crushed 

1/2 cup Dry Rose petals 

1 cup Gulkand 

3 tbsp Sugar

2 tbsp Silver Sugar balls ( optional )

1/4 cup  Fennel Seeds roasted

1/4 cup Dhana Dal roasted

2 tbsp Poppy seeds roasted 

1/2 cup Shredded Dry Coconut

12 Dried Canned Sweet Cherries chopped 

12 Dried Canned Pineapple bites chopped

1/2 cup Coloured Sugar coated Fennel Seeds

6  whole Cardamon powder 

8 Clove powder 

1 small stick Cardamom powder

2 tsp Fennel seed powder

Method

 In a big bowl, mix all the above ingredients very well with hand, gulkand should mix well with other ingredients and store in an airtight container in refrigerator, stays good for 2 months or more.

Konkani Thali

Konkani Thali

Tur chi Dal
Papdi chi Bhaji
Surmai Machi Fry
served with Chappati and Rice...

Daali Thoy / Tur chi Dal
Ingredients
1 cup Toor Dal
2  Green Chillies
1 inch piece Ginger grated
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
Few Curry leaves
1 Dry Red Chilli broken
2 Pinch of Asafoetida
Few Coriander leaves chopped
2 tsp Ghee

Method
Cook dal in pressure cooker with a turmeric, salt, green chillies and ginger. Heat ghee. Add mustard. When mustard starts to crackle, add curry leaves, red chilli and asafoetida. Pour this seasoning to the cooked dal. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add coriander leaves and if you want pout more ghee on the dal.  Serve with hot rice.

Flat Beans Bhaji (Papdi chi Bhaji)

For the Ground Masala
Ingredients
1/2 cup Coconut
2-3 Red Chillies
1/2 tbsp Tamarind paste
1 tsp Coriander seeds
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Jaggery

Method
Add all the above ingredients in a grinder and grind the ingredients into a paste.

For the Vegetable
Ingredients
1/2 kg chopped Flat Beans
2 Onion chopped
1 Tomato chopped
3 Green chillies cut into pieces
Few Curry leaves
Wet Masala
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Oil
Few Coriander leaves chopped

Method
Add oil in the pan. Heat it. Add mustard seeds and let it crackle. Add Curry leaves and asafoetida. Add the tomato. Sauté it for 2 minutes. Add the flat beans. Sauté it for few minutes more. Add salt,turmeric powder and wet masala. Stir and cook it 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water and cover and cook till the flat beans have become tender. Garnish it with coriander leaves.

Surmai Machi Fry
Ingredients
6 pieces of sliced Surmai
1 tsp Tamarind paste
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Konkani Masala
1/2 Chilli powder
1/2 cup Samolina
Oil for Shallow frying

Method
Marinate the fish with Tamarind paste,
Salt,Turmeric powder,Konkani masala and
Chilli powder for 15 minutes. Coat the fish with Samolina. Heat the oil in a pan. Fry the fish till golden brown from both the sides. Serve hot.

Chilli Cauliflower Bread Sticks with Marinara sauce

Chilli Cauliflower Bread Sticks with Marinara sauce
Ingredients
1 big size cauliflower, cut into small florets and minced
1 tsp Pickled Red Chill sliced or Green chillies chopped
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp Pepper powder
Salt to taste
3 Egg whites beaten
1/2 cup + 1 cup Mozzarella cheese
Method

Cook the minced florets in a pan till tender. Remove cooked cauliflower from pan and cool it . Place the cooked  cauliflower in a towel and holding by the ends,  squeeze the liquid out of the cauliflower. No water should remain.Transfer the cauliflower to a mixing bowl along with 1/2 cup cheese, italian seasoning, chilli, pepper and salt and mix it well. Gently fold in the egg whites.  Transfer the cauliflower mixture into the baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes, at 200 degrees celcius in a preheated oven.  Remove from the oven and top with remaining 1cup cheese. Bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese turns golden brown. Cool it. Cut it into breadsticks and serve hot with marinara sauce.

Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
2 cups of Tomato seeded and diced
2 onions chopped
1 garlic clove  minced
1/4 tsp of each dry Oregano and Basil
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Pepper powder
1/2 tsp Sugar
2 tbsp Olive oil

Method
Heat oil in a saucepan.  Add onions and garlic and sauté until translucent. Add tomatoes, oregano, sugar and basil and simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Cool it. Add the sauce in the blender.. Blend it until it becomes into a puree. Add it back in to the saucepan and simmer for 2 minutes. It is  ready to be served...

Achari Began

Achari Began
Ingredients
1/2 kg small Brinjals cut into 4 pieces
1 Tomato cut into strips
1 tsp Ginger Paste
Few Curry leaves
1/4 tsp Mustard Seeds
1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Coriander seeds
1/4 tsp Fennel Seeds
1/4 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
1/4 tsp Nigella Seeds
1 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp Fennel powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Dry Mango Powder
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
1/4 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Mustard oil

Method
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds and nigella seeds. When the seeds crackle, add hing and curry leaves.  Add ginger paste and sauté it for few seconds. Add in turmeric, coriander powder, fennel powder, garam masala powder, chilli powder and fry the spices for half a minute. Add the brinjals. Stir it well. Add the tomato. Add about 1/4 cup of water and cover the pan with lid. Let it cook till the water has dried up.  Open the lid and add salt to taste. Cover and let it cook for another 3-4 minutes on medium flame, stirring it occasionally. Add sugar and amchur powder and stir it  well. Let it cook uncovered for few more minutes till the brinjals are cooked.