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

Whole Wheat & Country Sugar Cookies

This is one of my new experiments on making cookies. These cookies are not only healthy but tasty as well.

Ingredients

Whole Wheat Flour - 1.5 cups
Country Sugar - 1/2 cup
Pure Ghee (Clarified Butter) - 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Milk - 3 tbsp
Salt a pinch
Tutti Fruiti - 1/2 cup

Method

1. Pre-heat oven at 180 deg Celcius. Line your Cookie Tray with Parchment paper
2. Sieve Whole wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon powder, Cardamom powder and Salt. Mix is thoroughly
3. Whisk And Cream Ghee and Country Sugar thoroughly with a hand mixer till it's light and fluffy
4. Add the whole wheat flour mix and khead it into a dough
5. Add milk as needed to make a soft dough
6. Make small balls and stuff it with Tutti Fruiti bits. Make a firm ball again and Press it against the fork to give a shape as give in the pic
7. Bake it for 15 to 18 mins in 180 deg Celcius..
8. Cool it in wire rack and store it in an air tight container.

Buttermilk Rice Cakes (Mor Kali)

This is one recipe which reminds me of my childhood when my grandmom or mom used to prepare it without much ingredients in hand..It's called MOR KALI OR MOR KUZHU or we can call it Buttermilk Rice Cakes

Ingredients

Rice flour - 1 cup
Thick Buttermilk - 1 cup (slightly sour)
Gingelly Oil - 3 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Asafoetida - a generous pinch
Sun dried Green Chillies (Mor milagai) or Dried Red Chilli - 2 to 3
Salt to taste
Water - 2.5 cups

Method

1. In a Bowl, add Rice flour and Buttermilk, mix them to a lump free mix. 
2. Add water to make it a mix of running consistency
3. Add Salt to taste
4. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a Kadai, add Mustard seeds, Urad Dal, Asafoetida, Curry Leaves and sun dried Green Chillies. Saute till the Chillies turn dark brown
5. Add the rice flour mix and keep stirring constantly in medium to low flame
6. Within few minutes, the mix will start coming together and form lump..
7. At this time, Add the remaining 1 tbsp of oil and mix till it leaves sides
8. Transfer it to a greased tray and cut into desired shape when it's partially cooled.

Peanut Chutney (Andhra Style)

This is one Chutney close to my Heart as this was one thing I learnt immediately after Marriage. 

Ingredients

Peanuts - 1/2 cup (roasted and deskinned)

Garlic - 3 cloves

Dried Red Chilli - 3 ( 1 for tempering)

Onion - 1 small (sliced)

Tamarind - just a small bite size (soaked in water)

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad dal - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida - generous pinch

Method

1. In a Kadai, dry roast peanuts and then deskin it

2. After turning off the Kadai, when it is still hot just add other ingredients except salt to accentuate it's Flavours

3. Put all ingredients in a mixer along with salt and grind to fine paste.

4. Add water if it is too dry to bring it to Chutney consistency

5. Take a small Kadai, heat oil, add Mustard seeds, urad dal and asafoetida with a dry red chilli. 

6. Temper it on the Chutney. Serve with hot Idly or Dosas

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

Dondakaaya Pachadi

One of my favourite chutneys, this goes well with Roti, Rice, Millets, Idly, Dosa and even as a dip to Nachos..🤩🤩🤩


Ingredients

Ivy Gourd - 10 to 12
Tamarind - 1 gooseberry size (soaked in water)
Dried Red chilli - 2
Urad Dal - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - one generous pinch
Garlic cloves (optional) - 2 to 3
Green Chillies - 2 
Gingelly Oil - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
Salt to taste

Method

1. Heat one tsp of oil in Kadai, roast Mustard seeds, urad dal and dry chilli. Roast till urad dal turns golden and remove from fire
2. In the same Kadai, heat the balance oil, add Chopped Ivy Gourd, garlic, green chillies and turmeric powder.
3. Occasionally stir till Ivy Gourd is cooked.
4. Turn off the heat and add curry leaves and coriander leaves.
5. In a mixie, add roasted urad dal & Mustard, cooked Ivy Gourd, soaked tamarind and salt to taste
6. Grind it into coarse paste as shown in the image below..
7. Serve with hot rice..😛😛😋

BEANS PORICHA KOOTU

It's yet again a south indian cuisine..  One of the best things I like about south indian cooking is that all the masalas are freshly made which enhances the taste and flavour of the dish..
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Beans Poricha Kootu is a very tasty dish which goes well with Rice.. It is a complete dish as it has proteins from Moong Dal and Vitamins from vegetables along with the flavours from spices like pepper, Jeera and red chilli..
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During these 15 days of Mahalaya (time of Shraddh), we generally do not use Onions and Garlic for cooking.. this recipe holds good during this time..
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Ingredients

To roast and grind

Channa Dal- 1tsp
Urad Dal - 1tsp
Jeera - 1tsp
Pepper corns - 1tsp
Coconut (shredded) - 1tbsp
Coconut oil - 1tsp

To pressure cook

Beans - 1/2 cup (chopped)
Moong Dal - 1/2 cup

For tempering

Coconut oil - 2tsp
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Channa Dal - 1tsp
Urad Dal - 1tsp
Curry leaves - 1sprig
Asafoetida - a generous pinch
Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
Salt to taste

Method

1. Roast and grind the ingredients given the section "To roast and grind" to a smooth paste
2. Pressure cook the Dal and beans
3. Heat coconut oil in a Kadai, add Mustard seeds, curry leaves, Channa Dal, urad Dal, stir for 2 mins till dal turns golden.
4. Add turmeric powder and asafoetida. 
5. Add cooked dal and beans along with paste
6. Add salt to taste and adjust the consistency with water.
7. Boil for 2 mins and serve hot with Rice

Tips
- Adding 1 tsp of Tamarind paste will make the Kootu bit Tangy
- Cooking with coconut oil will enhance the flavour of the Kootu