SHENGDANA AAMTI / PEANUT CURRY

Peanut Curry or Shengdanyachi Amti is a Maharashtrian curry made especially during fasting days. This curry is usually served with varicha bhaat/ bhagar. The varicha bhaat and shengdanyachi amti is usually prepared in the holy month of Shravan when most people fast. Peanuts are high in protein and fibre and helps to improve satiety and benefits in weight loss. They are also rich in vitamin B6 and vitamin E and lots of minerals like magnesium, zinc, iron, etc. Peanuts also help in anti aging. Peanuts being rich in monounsaturated fats, are heart healthy. This is the curry dish one can prepare in minutes, yet flavourful. A very suitable curry dish for fasting days. If you are someone who loves peanuts like my hubby and my elder daughter do, this is for you. You can make it with green chillies too. I prepared this with dry red chillies because my daughter love it that way. Bhagar, shengdana amti and batata bhaji is a favourite for not only me but my mom and daughter also like it on fasting days. Make it when fasting next time and share if you like it.  

INGREDIENTS:

½ Cup Roasted Shengdana/ Peanuts

2-3 Dry Red Chillies [see notes]

5-6 Garlic Cloves

Salt as needed

½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds

½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds

1 -2 tablespoon Oil

Water as needed

Chopped Coriander

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Dry roast the peanuts on medium heat, don’t over roast them. Remove from heat and let them cool down.

STEP 2 – In a mixer pot add peanuts, cumin seeds, garlic cloves, red chillies, salt with little water

and grind to paste,

if not able to grind add some more water in it and then grind it to a fine paste. If required add more water. Keep it aside.

STEP 3 – Now heat oil in a pan on low heat and crackle mustard seeds in it.

After that add this peanuts paste mixture in it.

STEP 4 – Mix it well and add more water as per your liking consistency. Check the salt, if needed add more.

STEP 5 – Now cook it well till it starts boiling.

Boil it for 3-4 minutes and 

your aamti is ready.

STEP 6 – Switch of the flame and garnish it with chopped coriander and serve.

Serve it with chapatti, bajrichi bhakri or jowar bhakri and onion and lemon and enjoy.

NOTES:* If you are making it for upwas/ fasting then avoid adding garlic and regular salt.
               * You can use green chillies instead of red which gives a green colour to your aamti.

MAHARASHTRIAN AMTI / VARAN

 Rice and Amti / Varan Bhaat is a kind of must in many household in Maharashtra. Amti / Dal is a simple lip smacking dish that can be had everyday, simple but great flavours. It has a sweet, sour and spicy taste. The meaning of amti is “ any curry or dal curry which has acidic ingredients, in this case its tamarind”. So this Maharashtrian Amti has a touch of sourness. Normally, Amti uses some spices most important being Goda Masala, a key spice in many Maharashtrian dishes. Amti without onion or garlic is a Konkani version of amti. That version of amti is also delicious in its own way but I repeatedly make this style of amti at home. There are different types of dal prepared like dal tada, dal fry, kolhapuri dal, katachi amti. But this version is simple and uses fewer ingredients, spiced only with green chillies / red chilli powder and goda masala. This dal preparation can be done in a jiffy if you have the toor dal precooked. This is a flavorful and delicious yet comfort food. Yes dal chawal is a real comfort food……!!!! So let’s start making Maharashtrian Amti / Dal. Do try and let me know if you like it or if any suggestions are there.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cups Cooked Toor / Tur/ Arhar Dal

½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds

½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds

½ teaspoon Asafoetida

Curry Leaves

1 finely chopped Tomato

1-2 Green Chillies, chopped

1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1 teaspoon Goda Masala

Salt as needed

1 teaspoon Jaggery

2 teaspoon Tamarind Pulp [optional] [see notes]

2 tablespoon Grated Coconut [optional]

Water as needed

Finely Chopped Coriander

2 teaspoon Oil

METHOD:

 STEP 1 – Wash dal 3-4 times under running water.

Pressure cook it for 3 whistles.

When the pressure released, mash it with a masher. Keep aside.

STEP 2 – Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Let them pop up.

STEP 3 – Add asafoetida and curry leaves with green chillies [if using].

STEP 4 – Fry them for few seconds and then add chopped tomato in it. Fry tomatoes for 2 minutes.

STEP 5 – Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, goda masala and mix well.

STEP 6 – Now add cooked dal in it and give a nice stir till dal get well combined with spices.

Add water as per your desired consistency and mix well.

STEP 7 – Add jaggery, salt and tamarind at this stage. Mix well.

 STEP 8 – Boil dal on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes. Check the consistency of it and add the seasoning if needed.

STEP 9 – Add finely chopped coriander in it and give a nice mix and your amti is ready. Switch off the heat and serve it hot.

Serve hot amti with steamed rice topped with lots of homemade ghee. You can serve it with any Indian flatbread like chapatti / parantha or serve it with baflya [bati / batti ] like I served and enjoy.

NOTES: You can use kokam or amchur powder or lemon juice instead of tamarind pulp.

SPAGHETTI PASTA

With the simple ingredients, you can have a delicious meal on the tables in just a matter of minutes. It involves adding a few ingredients to your favourite spaghetti  available easily in your pantry. Toss it in with some  angel hair pasta which I love because it cooks fast. I prepared veg balls instead of meat balls with this spaghetti pasta , so I used very less spices for my pasta and added only pepper powder and salt in it with soy sauce. Toss it with and you are ready to eat. Serve it with as it is or with veg balls or meatballs and some crusty bread for a quick weeknight meal on a super busy day. This vegetable Noodle Stir fry is fast and healthy loaded with colourful vegetables. So give it  a try on busy weeknight or enjoy as a weekend one pot feast menu.  

INGREDIENTS:

100 gms Spaghetti

½ Cup Cabbage, Julienned

½ Of the Carrot, Julienned

½ of a Capsicum, Julienned

2-3 Spring Onion

1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

½ teaspoon Soy Sauce

2 tablespoon Olive Oil

Salt as per taste

Water as needed

 METHOD:

STEP 1 – Boil water in a big container with some salt and 1 teaspoon olive oil.

STEP 2 – Add spaghetti in it and cook well.

STEP 3 – Remove the spaghetti in a colander and drain excess water from it. Keep ½ cup water from it for further use. Pour some cold water and wash spaghetti so stop further cooking as well as prevent sticking together.

STEP 4 – Heat a non-stick pan on low heat. Add olive oil in it.

STEP 5 – Add garlic and ginger finely chopped in it and cook for few seconds. Then add spring onion whites and fry it till transparent.

STEP 6 – Then add the carrot, cabbage and capsicum one after another. Saute it well and cook for a minute or two.

STEP 7 – Lastly add ground pepper and sauce one by one.

STEP 8 – Add salt as required and mix well. Add the green part of spring onion and cook.

STEP 9 – Now add cooked pasta in it and stir/ toss well so that the veggies get mixed with the pasta evenly.

STEP 10 – Garnish with spring onion and serve hot.

NOTE :   *Use your choice of pasta, you can replace black pepper with white pepper.

               *Omit Onion whites and garlic in the beginning.

               *You can try adding Italian Seasonings too.  

RAJASTHANI PANCHMEL DAL / 5 LENTIL MIX CURRY

As the name suggests, this is a mix of five lentils. Spiced up with the flavors from Rajasthani cuisine, this lentil mix is my all time favrite. It’s creamy and rich dish. I liked the popular Dal Makhani but it’s later on a bit heavy on stomach and uses a lot of milk and butter. But this Panchmel Dal is the best and healthy too. It goes well with baati as traditionally served in Rajasthan. It can also be served with spiced rice dishes such as lemon rice, coconut fried rice or tawa pulaw, etc. I liked it as it is with chapatti. This dal is also known as Panchratna Dal where the meaning of Panch means 5 and Ratna means jewels. In Rajasthan because of scarcity of water vegetables are not available throughout the year. So curries like dal, gatte ki sabzi are very commonly prepared. This dish is rich in protein, very healthy and goes well with rice as well as chapatti, fulka or parantha. Today we will learn how to make this Rajasthani Panchmel Dal following this easy recipe with step-by-step picture.

INGREDIENTS:

¼ Cup Dal [each Chana, Yellow Moong, Red Masoor, Split Green Moong and toor dal]

¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

1 teaspoon Coriander Powder

1 Large Onion, chopped

1 teaspoon grated Ginger

2 Tomatoes, chopped finely

3-4 Garlic Pods, crushed

½ teaspoon Asafoetida

½ inch Cinnamon

1 teaspoon Ghee

1 teaspoon Oil

½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds

1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

2-3 Green Chillies, chopped

1 teaspoon Kasoori Methi

Chopped Coriander

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Wash dal thoroughly and

  soak together for 30 minutes.

  STEP 2 – After 30 minutes, rinse many times till the white water cleans off.

STEP 3 – Now heat pressure cooker, add 1 teaspoon oil and add asafoetida in it.

STEP 4 – Add chopped tomatoes and green chillies in it and cook for 1 minute.

STEP 5 – Now add turmeric powder, coriander powder, cinnamon and salt and mix well.

Cook covered till tomatoes gets mushy and spices get cooked for around 2-3 minutes.

STEP 6 – Add dal

and 4 cups water in it.

Close the lid and pressure cook dal for 2 whistles.

Open the pressure cooker when pressure released.

STEP 7 – In another pan, heat 1 teaspoon ghee, splutter cumin and mustard seeds.

STEP 8 – Then add ginger and garlic in it and fry for 1 minute or until raw smell vanish.

STEP 9 – Add chopped onion in it and cook till light brown in colour.

STEP 10 – Then add red chilli powder and kasoori methi in it. 

Give a nice stir.

STEP 11 – Pour this tempering on the cooked dal and combine.

STEP 12 – Garnish with chopped coriander and serve.

Serve panchamel dal hot with rice or any Indian flat bread and relish…!!!