Mawa Roti (Khavyachi Poli)

Khavyachi poli is a traditional Marathi recipe and is prepared on special occasions and relished by one and all. It is rich in taste and the grainy texture of mawa or khava makes it one of my favorites. I had it in one of the weddings back in India and asked my mom to make it at home. We had some leftover mawa at home so tried this recipe and it turned out better than what I had in the wedding! Try this recipe on a festive day or a party when you are in a mood for something sweet and rich in flavor.

Ingredients

• Will make around 4-5 rotis
• Khava or Mawa --1 cup
• Sugar- 1/2 cup
• Whole wheat flour - 1 cup
• Water and salt.

Step 1

Knead  the whole wheat flour with water to make a firm dough. The dough should not be sticky, add a little oil and keep aside for about an hour

Step 2

Take a pan and add the Mawa or Khova to it mix in the sugar and roast it until the sugar is well blended and the Mawa become firm and not sticky for about 10 minutes. Cool it completely before use.

Step 3 

To make the roti roll the dough like a poori or the shape of a golf ball and place the mama in the center , gathering the sides to the center over the stuffing so as to cover it . Now place the stuffed side down and sprinkle some flour on it , roll this stuffed ball gently into a round roti. Place it on a tawa/griddle and cook on a medium flame. Flip it when one side is done and cook it until it is crisp just like you would cook a paratha. Serve with a scoop of ghee on top or just plain.

Vegetable Kabab

Whenever you think of kabab you think of delicious food with smoky smell to be enjoyed with a bunch of people on a lazy evening. For me it reminds me of narrow alleys in Hyderabad where kababs are roasted over coal and enjoyed during Ramzan.  Kabab or Kabob were originated in the Middle east and are originally made with meat. I was delighted when I found this vegetarian version which is packed with protein and very easy to make. It is a great addition to kids lunchbox as it feeds them with the goodness of spinach and other vegetables.

Ingredients

• Potatoes(boiled)--4(medium size)
• Spinach -3 cups
• Garbanzo beans or Chole boiled--2 cups
• Bread crumbs--1 cup
• Corn Flour--2 Tbsp
• Ginger Garlic paste--1 Tbsp
• Chat masala-1/4 tsp
• Garam masala--1/4 tsp
• Amchur powder(dry mango powder)--1 Tbsp
• Green Chillies chopped fine
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

Recipe

Cut the Spinach roughly and blanch them (put them in boiling water and take them out in about 2-3 minutes)drain them and keep aside. Mash the potatoes and the boiled garbanzo beans and mix it all together with spinach. Add Ginger garlic paste,Bread crumbs,Corn Flour,Chat masala,Amchur powder,Garam masala and salt to taste. Add chillies and shape them with your hands gently. Shallow fry in oil on a low flame. Serve with chutney or ketchup.Enjoy!

Dal Usal (lentil curry with onions)

Small towns have a charm of their own. I look forward to  spending time at my DH's town which is a small village near Sangli. I love the warm and welcoming people, the unhurried lifestyle and uncomplicated life in general. The sangli region is gifted with abundant natural resources and thus the produce grown there is very tasty and healthy. When we were invited to someone's house I came across this recipe of "Dal Usal" which is very simple yet very rustic and earthy. It is packed with protein and is mainly consumed with the heavenly tasting "bhakri" which is expertly made by these women with jowar flour. Try this recipe if you want to try something new or craving for some rustic authentic food!

Ingredients

• Toor dal--1 cup
• Red onions-- 1 
• Green chilies--4-5
• Cumin seeds--1 Tsp
• Mustard Seeds--1 Tsp
• Garam Masala--1/2 tsp

Recipe

Place the toor dal with  very little water  in a pressure cooker and switch it off after one whistle. Alternate method is to cook the toor dal till it is cooked partially in a pan with little water. The toor dal should be partially cooked and not soft or mushy. Now take a pan and add oil to it. Add mustard seeds till they crackle and then cumin seed, add slit green chillies and let it fry for about a minute.Add onions and roast them . Add the partially cooked dal, garam masala and salt at the end. Serve hot.

Tomato Pickle

All my neighbors  have been best of my friends. They are a call away in time of need and important part of every celebration.

 Our neighborhood is filled with good cooks who surprise me with piping hot pakoras when I crave them during rain, or give me comfort food when I am down and out :) And of course the pickles..I love my neighbors pickles so much that I take all my ingredients to her and get it made the same way to get the authentic South Indian taste. One such recipe is tomato pickle. I loved this pickle as it is very spicy and different from the regular tomato chutney. It is perfect to eat with dosa,idli,paratha or rice. Try this recipe if you love spicy tangy pickles and you sure will love it !

Ingredients

• Tomatoes--600 gms
• Tamarind-80 gms
• Salt-1/2 cup
• Chilli powder--3/4 cup
• Cumin seeds--2tbsp

• Mustards seeds--2 Tbsp
• Methi seeds--1 Tbsp
• Oil--1/2 cup
• For tadka
• Cumin seeds--1/2 Tbsp

• Mustard seeds--!/2 Tbsp
• Methi--1/4 Tbsp
• Garlic--7-8 pods

Recipe

Grind tomatoes with tamarind pieces in a grinder to a smooth paste. Heat some oil and put this mixture, add garlic pieces and cook for 10-15 minutes till oil separates. Cool the mixture completely.

Take a small pan and dry roast cumin seeds,mustard seeds, Methi seeds till the aroma of the spices fill the air. Grind this into a powder and add salt and chill powder. Add this powder into the cooked tomato and mix thoroughly.

For tadka take come oil and add all the above mentioned ingredients one by one. Pour it into a bowl and let it cool. Add to the tomato paste and mix well. 

This pickle can be stored into an airtight jar for couple of months.

Saboodana vada

Saboodana is a food starch which is prepared by extracting contents out of a sago palm tree. It is mainly consumed during fasting ,but has become very popular as a snack item mostly in the state of Maharashtra. 

Back in India my mother is the one who observes a fast and  everyone else just pretends to fast for the love of saboodana vada or khichdi! When my parents visited us here, my mom made saboodana vada and it was the best vada we ever had ! The recipe I had been following was very different from this one, so I decided to delete it forever and follow the new one! These vada's have crispy texture and they taste awesome! Make them for your friends or family and you sure won't be disappointed! I have not met anyone who does not like the taste of a good crispy saboodana wada!

Ingredients

• Saboodana or Sago (Soak it for about 6 hrs)--2 cups
• Samo rice (Moraiyo ) --3/4th cup (cooked just like normal rice, add 1 1/2 cup water and boil for 7-8 min till soft)
• Peanut Powder --1/2 cup (roast peanuts and grindto fine powder)
• Jeera--1 tsp
• Chilli powder--1 tsp
• Coriander leaves--optional
• Salt to taste

Procedure

Combine all the the above ingredients and rub in a bit of oil . Make tiny balls  and flatten  on a greased plate with some oil, to form a thin layer or wada . Heat some oil and deep fry this wada on medium heat until it becomes golden brown. Make sure the temperature of oil is right and it is not too hot. The perfect wada is crispy outside and soft and well cooked inside..Enjoy with yogurt  or just pop it in while hot!