Dudhi Pakodas / Bottle gourd Fritters

The Final i.e Day Seven of Blogging Marathon finds us with Dudhi Pakodas or Bottle gourd Fritters.

As we all know by now that Blogging Marathon is a brilliant and novel initiative started by the fantastic Srivalli and it is now in its 14th Edition... 


The idea of dudhi pakodas came quite suddenly. During lunch one day while chatting with my niece and nephew, I realised that they hated dudhi in any and every form and would never touch it with a barge pool.However, when we prepared Dudhi Kofta Curry, the kids ate it happily without knowing that the star ingredient was the dreaded Dudhi / Bottle gourd.
Not only that while frying the dudhi koftas, the kids began eating them like pakodas and needless to say ensured that some of us adults had to be satisfied with eating only Curry that day without the koftas :)))
So, I decided to prepare dudhi pakodas specially for them again and I added my own twist ..mint.. giving it slightly different but wonderful favor...

Dudhi Pakodas / Bottle Gourd Fritters :

Ingredients :
Dudhi (bottle gourd) - 1 kg
Besan / gram flour - 1 cup
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic - 7/8 cloves
Coriander leaves - few
Mint leaves - few
Curry leaves - few
Green chillies - 2 
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt - as per taste
Sugar - pinch
Oil - 1 teaspoon and also for frying
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin powder - 1/2 teaspoon


Method :
1) Peel the skin of dudhi / bottle gourd and finely grate it.
2) Squeeze the dudhi and drain all the water.
3) Take dudhi in a large bowl and add besan / gram flour slowly to this till you get good consistency.
4) Grind green chillies, coriander leaves, curry leaves, mint leaves, cumin seeds, ginger and garlic together and make a fine paste.
5) Add this paste to the dudhi mixture and mix thoroughly.
6) Heat one teaspoon of oil and add in this mixture.
7) Add salt, turmeric powder and sugar and mix well.
6) Heat some oil in a heavy bottom pan (kadhai) for frying.
7) Make round balls of dudhi mixture and deep fry them in oil on medium flame.


Dudhi Pakodas / bottlegourd fritters are ready to be savored.
These are specially approved by my niece and nephew.


Sending this to Srivalli's Kid's Delight, guest hosted by me themed on Easy to Make Snacks under30 mins......  

Do check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing Blogging Marathon#14........  

Pav Bhaji

Day Six of Blogging Marathon finds us with Pav Bhaji, one of my personal favorite dish.

Blogging Marathon was a great and novel initiative started by the fantastic Srivalli and it is now in its 14th Edition...


Pav Bhaji is one of my personal all time favorite dish since I was a kid. And it goes without saying that till date it remains my favorite. It is a dish adored by young and old.
My father who I always say is the best cook in the family makes the Pav Bhaji in the world.
I remember in my school days whenever my birthday was around the corner, all my friends would request me to ask Baba to make Pav Bhaji on my birthday and it soon became a stand feature.
I and my sister would refuse to eat Pav Bhaji in any restaurant as we would always end up comparing it with my Baba's home cooked Pav Bhaji which would win the competition hands down.
The best part of my Baba's cooking was and still is that he doesn't measure and quantify the ingredients. It is all the measurement as per eyes (expert cooks do that I am told) 
But I have tried to quantify the same and hope to get similiar result.

Pav Bhaji

Ingredients :
Potatoes - 1/2 kg 
Onions - 1/2 kg
Tomatoes - 1/2 kg
Green Peas - 200 gms
Cauliflower - 1/2 kg
Green Capsicum - 1/4 kg
Ginger - 1 1/2 inch
Garlic - 12 cloves
Oil - 2 tablespoon
Butter 
Salt - As per taste
Pav Bhaji Masala - 2 teaspoon
Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Amchur Powder - 1 teaspoon (optional)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Pav (ladi pav) - 12
Coriander leaves - for garnishing
Onions - 2 (for garnishing bhaji)
Lemon - 2


Method :
1) Pressure cook potatoes and cauliflower & green peas separately for 3 whistles.
2) After potatoes are pressure cooked, peel the skin and grate them or mash them.
3) Finely chopped boiled cauliflower.
4) Mash the peas finely.
5) Finely chop onions, green capsicum and tomatoes.
6) Grind ginger and garlic in a mixer.
7) Heat oil in heavy bottom vessel (kadhai) and after the oil is heated add chopped onions.
8) When onions turn translucent add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, amchur powder and pav bhaji masala and stir continuously.
9) Add green capsicum and continue stirring.
10) Add tomatoes and stir till they become soft.
11) Add mashed potatoes, cauliflower and peas and continue stirring.
12) Add salt and butter.
13) Add water as per required consistency and let it cook on medium flame.
14) Cover with lid.
15) Stir at regular intervals.
16) Slice pav horizontally and heat them on gridle / tava with butter.
17) Garnish the bhaji with coriander leaves and chopped onions and serve pav bhaji with lemon wedges.


As it is one of my personal favorite dish as a kid.........Sending this to Srivalli's Kid's Delight, guest hosted by me themed on Easy to Make Snacks under30 mins......  

Do check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing Blogging Marathon#14........  

Ambyachi Dal or Raw Mango Dal

Day Five of Blogging Marathon finds us with Ambyachi Dal or Raw Mango Dal.

Blogging Marathon was a lovely and novel initiative started by the fantastic Srivalli and is now in its 14th Edition...

Ambyachi Dal as we call it in Marathi is raw mango dal. This is a typical Maharashtrian dish prepared during summers when raw mango is available in abundance.

Summers were synonymous with generous helpings of Ambyachi Dal, watali dal and Kairiche Panhe(a sweet drink made from raw mango)
Typically these dishes would be made during Chaitra, which is the first month in the Marathi calendra. Gudi Padwa marks the beginning of Marathi New Year and Chaitra is the first month in that. These dishes were usually done during Chaitra Gauri Haldi Kunku ( Ladies get together)
This is a quick and easy to make recipe which requires no cooking only tempering (tadka /Phodni)
Only the dal has to be washed and soaked in water before.Ensure that the dal is soaked in water for a long time so that dal does not stay very raw and it is easy to digest as the channa / gram dal is not cooked in this dish.
The difference between Ambyachi Dal and Vatali Dal is that the gram / channa dal is cooked while preparing Vatali Dal.
Ambyachi Dal or raw mango dal is a dish that we loved as kids and still do as adults :))

 Ambyachi Dal or Raw Mango Dal

Ingredients :

Gram dal / channa dal - 1cup ( to be washed and soaked in water for atleast 4/6 hours)
Raw mango - 1/2
Green chillies - 1/2
Sugar - pinch
Salt - as per taste
Coriander leaves - bunchful
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Asafoetida (hing) - pinch
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 3/4
Lemon juice - 1 teaspoon


Method :
1) Drain the excess water of the soaked channa/gram dal and keep aside.
2) Peel the skin of raw mangoes and grate them
3) In a mixer grind the channa dal, green chillies, sugar, salt and coriander leaves coarsely. 
4) In a large bowl take the channa dal mixture and add the grated raw mangoes in it. Mix well.
5) Heat oil in a kadhai(wok) and when it gets heated properly, add mustard seeds.
6) After they start spluttering, add cumin seeds,asafoetida and turmeric powder.
8) Pour this tempering over the channa dal mixture and mix well.
9) Add lemon juice and mix well.
10) Garnish with coriander leaves.


Ambyachi Dal is ready to be savoured in these hot and humid afternoons.


Precautions to be taken :
The gram / channa dal has to be washed and soaked in water for atleast 6 hours. Traditionally, if the dal is to be eaten for breakfast, the channa dal is soaked in water the previous night and if it is to be eaten as an evening snack, then it is soaked in the morning. It ensures that the dal does not stay too raw and can be digested easily as we do not cook it.
Do not make smooth or fine paste. The charm of the dish is in its being coarsely grinded.


Please excuse the poor quality of the food pic, will try to upload better and clear picture soon.


Sending this to Srivalli's Kid's Delight, guest hosted by me themed onEasy to Make Snacks under30 mins...... 

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing Blogging Marathon#14........ 

Dashamis.......(Theplas)

Day Four of  Blogging Marathon#14 is Dashami as we call it in Marathi, similiar to Theplas (flat wheat breads)


Blogging Marathon is a lovely and novel initiative started by the wonderfully enthusiastic Srivalli and is now in its 14th Edition... Commendable achievement by Srivalli.....


My both grandmothers were extremely fond of making Dashamis as we call it in Marathi. Usually, they were prepared when one had to travel on long train journeys, picnics, etc as these dashamis would not get spoiled even if one was travelling for 2 days at a stretch....... The home made dashamis would be relished with gusto on long train journeys when one yearns for homemade stuff........ My paternal grandparents would travel twice a year by train from Nagpur to Pune during summer & winter to spend the holidays with us and these dashamis with lemon or mango pickle would be their lunch / dinner. The dashamis would always be made in excess as they knew that even we wanted to taste them:)) 
The dashamis bring back lots of memories of summer and winter holidays that we as kids spent with our grandparents :)) 
Before I get too nostalgic and continue rambling.... let me share with you the recipe for these dashamis or theplas that my grandmother would prepare........

Dashamis / Theplas

Ingredients :


Wheat flour ( gehun ka atta) - 2 cups
Salt - As per taste
Sugar - pinch
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Coriander leaves - some
Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Asafoetida (hing) - pinch
Carom seeds ( ajwain or ova in marathi) - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder -1/2 teaspoon
Water
Milk
Oil or ghee for greasing

Method :
1) Take a large bowl and mix wheat flour with all the ingredients except oil, water and milk.
2) Heat some oil and add to the mixture (mohan in marathi)
3) Add some milk to this mixture and knead into dough.
4) The dough should be soft like for chapatis.
5) Water may be added but traditionally these dashamis were prepared by adding only milk.
6) Cover the dough with muslin cloth and keep aside for atleast half an hour.
7)  Make small balls of the dough and roll them with rolling pin like chapati.
8) Heat a girdle (tava) and roast them well before flipping on the other side.
9) Grease them with oil or ghee as per individual taste of preferences.

Dashamis or Theplas are ready to be eaten with lemon or mango pickles on that long train journey to your grandparents house this summer vacations :)))


This dish is associated with my childhood memories and was something that I loved as a kid and still do.......
Sending this to Srivalli's Kid's Delight, guest hosted by me themed onEasy to Make Snacks under30 mins......

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing Blogging Marathon#14........ 

Sabudana Thalipeeth

Day Three of  Blogging Marathon#14 is Sabudana Thalipeeth which can be eaten during fast.

Thalipeeth is a Marathi word which means multigrain pancake.
This is very common Maharashtrian breakfast dish. In Maharashtra "bhajani" (mixture of flours) is readily available or it can be prepared at home too.
I have already blogged about "Carrot Cabbage Bhajaniche Thalipeeth"
This time, the dish is Sabudana Thalipeeth ( Thalipeeth that can be eaten during fast)
Again, Upasachi Bhajani (mixture of flours like sabudana, shengada and rajagira) is readily available or else the same can be prepared at home too.......
The kids love this Thalipeeth and insist on fasting as they get to eat this :))

Sabudana Thalipeeth ( Multigrain Pancake which can be eaten when one is fasting)

Ingredients :
Upasachi Bhajani (I used ready made flour mixture available) - 2 cups
Potato (Boiled) - 1
Sabudana (Sago) - 1 cup ( washed and soaked in water for atleast 2 hrs)
Salt as per taste
Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Sugar - pinch
Water
Ghee or refined oil - 1 teaspoon
Crushed groundnut powder (danyache khut) - 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves - bunch

Method :
1) Wash and soak sabudana (sago) in water for atleast 2 hrs.
2) Drain the excess water and keep aside.
3) Peel the skin of boiled potato and grate finely.
4) Mix together in a large bowl upasachi bhajani, grated boiled potato, salt,sugar, coriander leaves,cumin seeds, red chilli powder,crushed groundnut powder and oil.
5) Add water and knead it to the dough. The consistency of the dough should be harder than that of chapati.
6) Make small round balls of the dough.
7) Flatten them using your hands on plastic sheets. Coat some oil on the sheets and your palms so that it doesn't stick.
8) Place the flatten dough on heated girdle/tava.
9) If nonstick pan is not being used, ensure that some oil is spread on the girdle before you place the flatten dough so that it should not stick.
10) Cover with lid and let it cook on medium flame.
11) When you hear the crackling sound, flip it on the other side and let it cook without lid.
12) Serve hot with curds or pickle.

Sending this to Srivalli's Kid's Delight, guest hosted by me themed onEasy to Make Snacks under30 mins......

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing Blogging Marathon#14........ 

Matar Karanji

Dish of Day Two of Blogging Marathon#14 is Matar Karanji.
Matar Karanji in Marathi refers to Peas stuffed puffs. They can be steamed, shallow fried or deep fried.
This is like gujiya made of green peas.

Matar Karanji

Ingredients :
For Cover :
Whole Wheat Flour (gehun ka atta) - 2 cups
Salt
Water
Oil - 1 teaspoon

For Stuffing :
Green Peas - 2 cups
Fresh coriander leaves - handful
Ginger garlic paste - 1 1/2 teaspoon
Sugar - pinch
Salt - As per individual taste and preferance
Lemon juice - 1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Asafoetida (hing) - pinch
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Chaat Masala - 1/2 teaspoon

Oil for frying

Method :
For the Cover :
1) Take wheat flour in a bowl and add salt in it.
2) Heat 1 teaspoon oil and add this hot oil (mohan) in the wheat flour.
3) Add water and knead into dough.
4) Cover with muslin cloth and keep aside for at least half an hour.

For the Stuffing :
1) Heat one tablespoon of oil in a heavy bottom vessel (kadhai)
2) When the oil gets heated, add mustard seeds.
3) After the mustard seeds splutter, add cumin seeds, asafoetida and turmeric powder.
4) Add green peas and stir continuously.
5) Cover with lid.
6) Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt, sugar and chaat masala and stir well.
7) Cover with lid and let the peas cook properly.
8) Remove from heat and add lemon juice.
9) Let this green peas mixture cool and crush the peas using spoon or masher.
10) Add fresh coriander leaves.

For matar karanji :
1) Make small balls of the kneaded dough and roll small puris.
2) Take some stuffing and keep it in the centre.
3) Fold one part over the other so that it is in shape of gujiya or half moon shape.
4) Press the edges firmly using water so that the stuffing does not come out.
5) Heat oil in a pan or kadhai.
6) When the oil gets heated, deep fry these karanjis.

Serve matar karanjis hot with some tomato sauce or chutney.

Blogging Marathon is a great initiative started by Srivalli and is in its Fourteen Edition now...

This Matar Karanji is a great favourite among the kids in my family........

Sending this to Srivalli's Kid's Delight, guest hosted by me themed on Easy to Make Snacks under30 mins......

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing Blogging Marathon#14........

Green Capsicum Potato Parantha

Its time for Blogging Marathon again..... 


Blogging Marathon as we all know by now, is a amazing initiative started by lovely and talented Srivalli
This is its Fourteen Edition.....wow...hats off to Srivalli for pulling off this amazing feat......


The Theme for the second week of Blogging Marathon 14 that I have taken is Kid's Delight : Easy to Make Snacks Under 30 minutes....the Kids Delight is also a lovely monthly event started by Srivalli which is being guest hosted by Yours Truly this month..... I am so excited..........


Day One of Blogging Marathon 14 finds us with Green Capsicum Potato Parantha.......

Green Capsicum Potato Parantha 

Ingredients :
Green Capsicum : 1 
Potato - 1 (boiled)
Whole wheat flour / gehun ka atta - 2 cups
Coriander leaves - handful
Salt
Oil
Water
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Asafoetida (hing)- pinch

Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Godha masala - 1 teaspoon 

Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon 


Method :
1) Slice green capsicum and boiled potato into small pieces.
2) Heat some oil in a heavy bottom vessel (Kadhai) 
3) When the oil gets heated add cumin seeds,Asafoetida and turmeric powder.
4) Add chopped green capsicum and stir continuously.
5) Cover with lid for 5 mins.
6) Add green chilli powder, salt, goda masala, cumin powder and coriander powder.
7) Add boiled and chopped potatoes and stir continously.
8) Cover with lid for 5 mins and let it cook properly.
9) After the stuffing is ready, let it cool.
10) Grind it into fine paste in a mixer.
11) For the cover of the paranthas,mix atta with oil and salt.
12) Add coriander leaves and water and knead the dough.
13) Keep aside for half and hour and let it rest.
14) Make small pedas (balls) and roll the ball into full moon shape.

15) Roast the paratha on tava/girdle on both sides.

16) Grease with oil or ghee as per taste.

Hot paranthas are ready to be enjoyed with dollap of curds or lovely mango pickle......


All my nieces and nephews simply love this and the best part is they eat the parantha happily without realizing that green capsicum is the core ingredient......So that makes all the mothers extremely happy.... Yeah.. at times the maasis have to trick the nieces and nephews into eating healthy food :))) 


Sending this for Kid's Delight, hosted by me themed on Easy to make Snacks under 30 mins

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 14

Announcing Kid's Delight ~ Easy to make Snacks under 30 mins

I am very pleased and happy to be hosting this month's Kid's Delight. Kid's Delight is a lovely monthly event started by the wonderful and enthusiastic Srivalli who blogs at Spice your Life.

This month's theme chosen by me is Easy to make Snacks under 30 mins. We all know that kids always suffer from hunger pangs and insist on eating something different and delicious each time :)) So this theme is specially for all such lovely kids who turn their mothers into creative genius who whip up amazing and tasty snacks in no time at all for the apple of their eyes :)))

Since this is the first time I am hosting any event on my blog, I was bit apprehensive and nervous. But a big thanks to dear Srivalli for supporting me and guiding me throughout the process, especially clearing all my big and small doubts....

I am looking forward to seeing all your lovely and tasty dishes for this event......

Here's what you do......

1) Any dish (veg or nonveg) which can be cooked under 30 minutes and is liked by kids (age group under 12 years) will do.
2) Multiple entries are welcomed. The more the merrier. There is no limit on the number of entries that one can send.
3) Recipes from archives will do ONLY if you re-post them linking them to Kid's Delight.
4) Recipes submitted to other events will do.
5) If you do not have a blog, send me an email at rujuta(dot)dnyansagar(at)gmail(dot)com with your entry and food picture, I will include it in the round up.
6) Using the above Logo is very much appreciated and encouraged.
7) The last date for entries is April 15th, 2012.
8) Please link your entries to this announcement page and to Srivalli's announcement page.
9) All the bloggers, please link your entries to the linky tools posted at the end of this announcement.

Looking forward to all your lovely entries........ Happy Blogging