PITHALA BHAKRI

It's time to be a bit of Maharashtrian.. I learnt this from my friends in Pune and it's one my favourite dishes when it comes to Maharashtrian Cooking.

Ingredients for PITHALA

Gram Flour - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Turmeric
Onions - 2 finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Green Chillies - 3 chopped
Coriander leaves for garnish
Lemon juice - 1 lemon
Water - 3 to 4 cups ( depending on the consistency of the PITHALA)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Oil/ghee 1 tbsp

Ingredients for Bhakri
Jowar Flour - 1 cup
Wheat flour - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Water to knead the dough


Tempering/LAAL GHEE

Ghee - 1 tbsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Method

1. Heat oil in a Kadai, add Mustard seeds and Jeera to it. Add ginger garlic paste, green chillies and onions and saute on a high flame.
2. In a Bowl, Add gram flour turmeric powder, salt and water to make a dilute flour mix without lumps
3. Add this to mix to Sauteed onions and keep stirring constantly till it thickens and cooks. The consistency should be like a melted butter
4. Add Coriander leaves and Lemon Juice and remove from the flame. Your PITHALA is ready
5. For Bhakri, khead the ingredients with warm water till the dough is soft
6. Rest the dough for 10 mins and roll it and grill on Tawa with little oil to cook and then grill it on Gas flame directly to give smoky taste
7. To temper PITHALA, heat ghee in a Kadai and add Jeera and Kashmiri red chilli powder to it after turning off the heat.. 
8. To serve, add PITHALA on the plate, top it with the tempering and serve with hot Bhakri

Carrot Kurma

Ever since I had Kurma Parotta in Chennai Hotel Saravana Bhavan, I always wanted to try it.. Here's my take on South Indian Style Carrot Kurma.

Ingredients
Carrots - 4 to 5 (finely chopped)
French Beans - 5 to 6 (finely chopped)
Potato - 2 (finely chopped)
Onion - 2 (finely chopped)
Green Chilli - 1slit into two
Ginger - 1/2inch (finely chopped)
Garlic - 3 pods (finely chopped)
Curry leaves - 1sprig
Cinnamon sticks - 2 inches (broken into two)
Bay leaves - 1 (optional)
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt to Taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

To Soak and Grind
Cashews - 6 to 7
Poppy seeds - 1.5 tsp
Coconut - 1/3 cup

Method

1. Heat oil in a 2 or 3 liter cooker, add Mustard seeds, curry leaves, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, garam masala powder
2. Wait for a minute, add Chopped garlic, ginger, onions and tomatoes
3. Saute for 2 minutes, add turmeric powder and chopped carrots, beans and potatoes
4. Add red chilli powder and salt to taste
5. Add water till the level veggies are immersed in water
6. Grind the ones mentioned in "To Soak and Grind" after soaking for 30 mins into a fine paste
7. Cook for just one whistle and allow it to release naturally
8 B t back to heat and add the ground paste and just simmer for 2mins
9. Serve hot with chapati, Parotta, idly, Idiyappam, or even hot rice

Tips to note:
1. You may also add other whole spices like black and green cardamom, cloves etc and reduce garam masala
2. You may add other veggies like peas, cauliflower, capsicum to make to more nutritious and colourful

PANEER BUTTER MASALA

As an ardent lover of Paneer.. This is one dish which I do not get bored of.. 
This dish will be my 1st thing to order any north indian restaurants for Mains 😜😜

Below recipe holds good for 4 people

Ingredients

Paneer - 200 gms
Tomato medium sized - 2 (roughly chopped)
Onions medium sized -  3 (roughly chopped)
Cashews - 7 to 10
Garlic - 2 to 3 pods
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Salt to taste
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder
Dhania powder - 1tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Kasuri Methi - Generous pinch (crushed)
Butter (homemade)/oil - 2 tbsp
Water as required
Coriander leaves for garnish

Method

1. Heat Kadai with 2 tsp of Butter or oil, add ginger, garlic, tomato, onion and cashews.
2. Add turmeric powder, Red chilli powder, garam masala, salt to taste and keep stirring till everything is cooked well and leaves oil
3. Cool the mix and Grind it to a smooth paste
4. Heat butter in same kadai, add the paste, and cut paneer
5. Add sugar and adjust water as per the gravy consistency
6. Garnish with coriander leaves.Serve hot phulkas, naan or rice

Bhindi Masala

BHINDI MASALA

A perfect side dish for rotis or rice.

Ingredients:

Bhindi/Okra -  2 cups, cut into slits

Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp

Onion - 1 (Chopped)

Tomato -  1 (Chopped)

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1.5 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1.5 tsp

Amchur Powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Method:

• Heat Oil in Kadai, add Jeera, Ginger-garlic paste, onions & Tomatoes. Fry till it is cooked.
• Add all dry masalas & add Bhindi. 
• Cover & cook till bhindi is cooked. Add salt & saute for 2 mins and serve hot.

Diet Chole or Channa (Oil Free)

The name of my dish suggests a Sardar on diet or a slim Sardar. But I made these Chole for me health-conscious husband, he really loved it.
 
 

Ingredients:
 
Kabuli channa (chick peas) - 2 cups
Moti illaichi (brown cardamoms) - 2
Laung (cloves) -  3 to 4
Onion - 1 large finely chopped
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Channa masala - 3 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - ½ tsp
Garam masala - ½ tsp 
Dhania powder -  4 tsp
Imli (tamarind) pulp or squeeze out pulp from 1" ball of tamarind -  3 tsp
Kasuri Methi - a generous pinch
Chaat Masala - ½ tsp

Method:

1. Soak the channas overnight.
2. Put the soaked channas in a pressure cooker. Add 4 cups fresh water. Add finely chopped onion, moti illaichi, laung, garlic paste and ginger paste. Pressure cook to give 1 whistle and keep on low flame for 15-20 minutes.
3. After the pressure drops open the cooker. Add salt, dhania powder, channa masala, jeera powder, garam masala, black pepper, red chilli and the tamarind pulp to the cooked channas. Mash the channas a bit.
4. Again pressure cook to give 1 whistle. Remove from fire.
5. Add Kasuri Methi & Chaat Masala

Tips:

• Serve hot with puris or rotis
• Channa is very good source of protein so can be given to kids as well