NAGPURI TARRI POHA

If you guys visit Nagpur and happen to go out in the morning looking for some breakfast options. The Tarri Poha is the best pick. Tarri Poha is a quintessential dish that is popular across all parts of Maharashtra especially in Nagpur. A plate of piping hot kanda poha is one comfort food that is very healthy. In Nagpur, it is popular as a street food and many vendors sell poha in the wee hours of the morning. Some vendors make the chole or green vatana. But it tastes best with kala chana curry which is very hot and spicy curry on the poha. Here is an attempt to recreate Nagpur speciality….Tarri Poha..Hope you all like it and want to try it at home. So try it and share your suggestions if any.

INGREDIENTS:

 For Making Kanda Poha:

1 Cup Flatten Rice / Poha

1 Big Onion, sliced

2-3 Green Chillies, chopped

¼ teaspoon Cumin Seeds

¼ teaspoon Mustard Seeds

1 tablespoon Oil

¼ teaspoon Asafoetida

¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

Salt to taste

½ teaspoon Sugar

Few Curry Leaves

1 tablespoon Peanuts

For Tarri:

1 Cup Gram / Chana

1-2 tablespoon Onion-Coconut Paste [see notes]

1 Tomato, chopped

1 ½ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1 teaspoon Dry Coriander Powder

Salt as needed

1 teaspoon Kala Masala / Garam Masala / Saoji Masala

1 sprig Curry Leaves

Water as needed

2 tablespoon Oil

Other Ingredients:

2 tablespoon Chopped Coriander

2 tablespoon Grated Fresh Coconut

¼ Cup Fine Sev

1 medium Onion, chopped

Lemon slice

METHOD:

For Making Tarri:

STEP 1 – Wash and soak chana for 7-8 hours, drain water and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Keep them aside to cool down.

STEP 2 – In a pan, heat oil, add onion masala in it with curry leaves and sauté well for 3-4 minutes.

STEP 3 – Then add chopped tomatoes and cook until they turn soft and mushy.

STEP 3 – Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, kala masala, salt in it and mix well. Saute for 1 minute / until oil separates.

STEP 4 – Then add pressure cooked chana and give a nice stir. Add 2 cups water in it and let it boil for 5-10 minutes. Tarri is ready to serve.

Making Of Kanda Poha:

STEP 1 – First take a strainer, add poha and wash under running water and keep them aside for 5-10 minutes and let drain the excess water. Be careful, don’t over wash, it makes the poha soggy

STEP 2 - Heat a wide pan with oil and let crackle cumin-mustard seeds. Add peanuts and roast for few seconds.

STEP 3 – Now add chopped onions, chillies and curry leaves in it and sauté well for about 1-2 minute or until the rawness vanish. Lastly, add a pinch of asafoetida.

STEP 4 - Add turmeric powder and salt in the poha and mix well.

STEP 5 – Then add poha mixture to kadai / pan and mix them well.

STEP 6 – Cook covered for next 2-3 minutes. Just check the salt and adjust if less.

STEP 6 – Then add sugar to it and mix. Finally, add lemon juice to it and give a stir and mix it and garnish with chopped coriander, switch off the flame and serve.

 For Serving:

STEP 1 – In a plate, add kanda poha.

STEP 2 - Pour a big spoonful tarri over it.

STEP 3 – Now sprinkle some chopped onion, chopped coriander and sev on it.

STEP 4 – Squeeze lemon juice and tarri poha is ready to serve.

NOTES: *Adding sugar is totally optional.

                *Don’t over wash the poha.

                                                 ONION-COCONUT paste:

              *Roast the chopped onion with 1 teaspoon oil. Dry roast sliced dry coconut separately. Cool it. Then add ginger and garlic cloves in it with the thick coriander stems [which we generally throw away in dustbins]. Grind it in a mixie till fine paste. [don’t use much water while grinding, it minimise the shelf life of the paste].  Use this paste for any veg/ non-veg gravies. I always keep this ready, stored in my refrigerator for weekly purpose.

MOONG DAL PAKODA / PAKORA / VADA

Pakode or Pakora or Vada are one of the best known appetizers, finger foods, and street food across India. Today I am sharing one of the most popular Moong Dal Pakoda which is not only delicious but very easy and quick snack. Moong Dal Pakoda is a favourite street side food in North India especially in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Delhi. This is known as Pakodas/ Pakoras/ Bajiya / Vada / Fritters. It is an excellent appetizer for the parties and potlucks. This is a delicious and spicy snack, crunchy from outside and soft from the inside. The sweet dates and spicy mint chutney goes well with this pakodas. Allthough the moong dal pakoda faces a lot of competiton from its other counterparts such as Gol Gappe, Chaat Papdi it has still managed to crave its place in the hearts of millions of foodies. Moong Dal Pakode is the perfect evening snack that you can enjoy with a cup of tea of coffee, especially on a rainy / chilly winter day. Even they are deep fried, these bite-sized sensations never seem too heavy on your stomach. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Moong Dal / Yellow Lentil

¼ Cup Water

3tablespoon Rice Flour

2-3 Green Chillies, chopped finely

1 inch Ginger piece

1 tablespoon chopped Onion

2 tablespoon chopped Coriander

1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds / Jeera

Salt as needed

¼ teaspoon Baking Soda

Oil for frying

Mint/ Coriander / Tamarind chutney for serving

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Wash and soak moong dal for 4-5 hours in a bowl.

STEP 2 – Drain off the water my pouring it on a strainer.

 Now put it in a mixer pot and blend to a fine paste by adding water.

STEP 3 – Transfer the paste in a large mixing bowl. Add rice flour in it and mix well. [see notes]

STEP 4 – Then add chopped green chillies, onion, coriander, cumin seeds, grated ginger and salt. Mix it well.

STEP 5 – Heat oil in a wide vok on medium flame.

STEP 6 – Add baking soda and give a nice mix.

Dip hand into water and then take a vada batter

 and drop vadas into hot oil.

STEP 7 – Keep the flame low-medium and stir continuously. Deep fry vadas until golden light brown.

STEP 8 – Remove and drain excess oil on a kitchen towel / tissue paper

and serve hot.

Serve hot moong dal pakoda with your favourite chutney and enjoy....!!!

NOTES:  *If the batter is still liquidy, add some more rice flour. Rice flour helps to make the vada crispy.

CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD

Chocolate Banana Cake / Bread is the perfect dessert for when you are short on time but need a yummy dessert. The addition of bananas to this recipe make a box mix chocolate cake into deliciously moist and decadent treat. Moist, soft and delicious is what all of us look for in a cake. This is one of that kind.  Hubby always buy bananas, but I likes it only when it is just ripe and if it’s over ripen, no one touces it at home. Sometimes, I use it for making shakes or shikran [Maharashtrian recipe] to finish it. But this is the best way to use the over ripen banana. This can be made with whole wheat flour or plain flour / all purpose flour or mix of these. This lightened up chocolate cake is made with ripe/ over ripe bananas and has just the right amount of chocolate to make it feel like and indulgent treat.  The fruity sweetness of bananas and the intoxicating bitterness of cocoa are a made-for-each-other combination. No frosting is required here. Healthy as an evening teatime snack or for kids tiffin. So what are you waiting for, bookmark it and try it at home.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup All Purpose Flour

½ Cup Hershey’s Cocoa Powder

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

½ teaspoon Regular Salt / Sea Salt

3 Large Brown Bananas

¼ Cup Unsalted Butter

¼ Cup Vegetable / Canola Oil

¾ Cup packed Brown Sugar

1 Egg, at room temperature

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 Cup Sweet / Semi –sweet Chocolate Chips

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Pre-heat oven at 350 degree F/ 180 degree C. Grease a cake / bread loaf pan with oil/ butter. Dust some flour and keep the pan ready. Set aside.

STEP 2 – In a medium mixing bowl, sieve together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt

and give a nice mix with the help of fork. Keep this aside.

STEP 3 – In a small bowl mash the bananas with the help of spoon or masher. Keep it aside.

STEP 4 – Now in another mixing bowl, add oil and butter and stir it till combined. [see notes]

Stir in brown sugar, egg and vanilla extract.

Whisk it until smooth.

STEP 5 – Stir the dry ingredients into wet. Don’t over mix.

Mix it by cut and fold method.

STEP 6 – Add in chocolate chips keeping some for sprinkling on the top. Mix well.

STEP 7 – Pour this batter in the cake/ bread loaf mold.

STEP 8 – Sprinkle chocolate chips on the top. Tap the cake mold once or twice on the kitchen counter which helps to remove the air bubbles.

STEP 9 – Bake it for near about 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

You might have some melted chocolate chips on the toothpick and that is fine.

STEP 10 – Check after 45 minutes, just to be safe, as we don’t want a lot of gooey batter and the oven time may vary. If it’s not done then bake for another 5 minutes.

STEP 11 – Remove the pan after resting for 5 minutes in the oven itself. Now remove the cake pan from oven, set outside and let the bread cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Cover it with the damp muslin cloth.

STEP 12 – Run a knife around the edges of bread and carefully remove it from the pan. Cool it completely [until slightly warm] and then cut into slices and serve.

 

NOTES:  *Always use slightly melted butter for cakes at room temperature.

                *Shelf life- 4-5 days when kept wrapped in  a cling wrap. If you want to store it for more days, then cool it completely, wrap in cling wrap/ aluminium foil and then freeze it for up to 20-25 days. Before serving, remove from freezer, defrost and when it comes to room temperature slice it and serve it.