TEL-PANYACHI MIRCHI

This is yummy, spicy accompaniment is sure to jazz up any meal with its spicy flavour and tantalizing aroma. Light green chillies which are sauted in oil and perked up with everyday ingredients like chopped garlic, asafoetida, mustard and cumin seeds. Tel-Panyachi Mirchi  is a delicious Vidarbha recipe served with Garma Garam Bhakri or Dal-Chawal specially in rainy season.  

INGREDIENTS:

4-5 Big Chillies

8-10 Garlic Cloves, chopped roughly

¼ teaspoon Asafoetida

½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds

½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds

¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1 tablespoon Oil

3-4 tablespoon Water

Salt as needed

2 tablespoon chopped Coriander

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Wash the big chillies, wipe with kitchen towel.

STEP 2 – Now give a cross cut as shown in the picture below. Keep them aside.

STEP 3 – Heat oil in a pan and when it is hot, add asafoetida in it.

STEP 4 – Immediately add cumin and mustard seeds and let them splutter.

STEP 5 – Add roughly chopped garlic and let it cook well until raw smell vanishes.

STEP 6 – Then add chillies and sauté well for 3-4 minutes until it shows white spots on the skin. White spots is a sign that chillies are cooked properly.

STEP 7 – Add 3-4 tablespoon water and mix it.

STEP 8 – Add chopped coriander and give a nice mix.

STEP 9 – Now cover it with a lid and cook for 3-4 minutes.

STEP 10 – Remove the lid and add turmeric powder and salt and give a nice stir.

Cook for 2 minutes and chillies are ready to serve.

Serve this oil-water chillies with bhakri/ dal-chawal or as a side dish to your regular meal. 

But it tastes yum when serve with garma garam jowar chi bhakri and that to in this rainy season.

BATATA BHAJI/ PAKODA

Monsoon is simply incomplete without aloo/ batata bhajji or pakoda. Every Indian has had Batata Bhajji at home while growing up and we can say it for sure that we just can't get enough of it. Batata Bhaji are an upgrade on the western style wafers with a spicy twist of the local Indian taste. The thinly sliced Potatoes are coated in a spiced chickpea flour/ besan flour batter and deep-fried in oil to create a hot delicious snack. The simple fluffy pakodas does not just look delightful but also taste amazing. Have it with your favourite chutney or tomato sauce. Though not very popular, these are made in  many homes espeacially during monsoon to accompany their masala chai or coffee. These pakodas give you everything your palate will ask for on a cool and rainy day. 

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium Potato

½ Cup Besan/ Chickpea Flour

1 tablespoon Rice Flour

1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

A pinch of Baking Soda [optional]

½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds

½ teaspoon Carom Seeds
1 tablespoon Chopped Coriander

3 tablespoon Water

Oil for frying

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Peel potatoes, slice the horizontally. Slices should be very thin.

STEP 2 – Take a bowl, add water and salt and mix it. Add potato slices in it for 15 minutes.

STEP 3 – Remove slices on a colander to drain excess water and make them dry. It helps to prevent the besan batter more thin.

STEP 4 – By that time, take a mixing bowl, add besan flour, rice flour, salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder, carom, cumin seeds, chopped coriander and mix well.

STEP 5 – Add water and make a thick batter.

Batter should not be very thick or thin.

STEP 6 – Heat oil in a wide kadai.

STEP 7 – Add baking soda and mix well.

STEP 8 – Deep potato slices in the besan batter and coat them from all sides.

STEP 9 – Drop gently in hot oil. Deep fry until golden brown in colour. Flip when done from one side and fry on another side.

STEP 10 – Remove using a slotted spoon, drain excess oil on a kitchen towel.

Serve hot with spicy green chutney/ tomato ketchup or any of your favourite dip with a cutting chai as an evening snack.

MIRCHI PAKODA

Monsoon have already started in many parts of India  and the first which is enjoyed the most in this lovely weather is surely some fried snacks or roasted corn. There are numerous versions of making pakodas or bhajji but the hot mirchi pakoda / bhajji are liked by every one those who can't handle the firey chillies can blanch them for a minute in hot water so it will become mild in taste. I have already shared 2 types of stuffed mirchi pakoda earlier on my blog. Mirchi Vada is a popular Hyaderabadi snack and also a Rajasthani street food speciality. 

These are not stuffed pakodas and prepared with lightly spiced green peppers, which are also known as Bhavnagari Mirchi. It is an ideal snack on a pouring day, with some garma garam adrakwali chai. Really nice and crsipy and very easy to cook  too. Please try it and give feedback.

📌📌 Watch the video recipe here 📌📌

INGREDIENTS:

 Big Green mildly spicy Chillies

1 Cup Besan/ Chickpea Flour

1 tablespoon Rice Flour

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder 

1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

Salt as per taste 

A pinch of Baking Soda [optional]

1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

1 teaspoon Carom Seeds

Chopped Coriander 

 Water for making batter 

Sufficient Oil for frying

METHOD:
STEP 1 – Wash the chillies, give a  vertical slit. If the chillies are too big, cut them into halves. Remove seeds from them to minimise the spiciness.

STEP 4 – Take a mixing bowl, add besan flour, rice flour, salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder, carom, cumin seeds, chopped coriander

STEP 5 –  Mix well and add water

and make a thick, smooth and lump free batter.

STEP 6 – Heat oil in a wide kadai.

STEP 7 – Add baking soda and mix well.

STEP 8 – Deep the green chillies in the besan batter and coat them from all sides.

STEP 9 – Slide them gently in hot oil.

STEP 10 - Deep fry until crispy and golden brown in colour. Flip when done from one side and fry on another side.

STEP 10 – Remove using a slotted spoon,

STEP 11 - Drain excess oil on a kitchen towel.

Serve hot with spicy green chutney/ tomato ketchup or any of your favourite dip with a cutting chai as an evening snack.

GILKYACHE/ TURAI/ SPONGE GOURD BHARIT

Gilke or Turai or Ghosale or it is known as “Chopdi Dodki” in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. Chopdi means smooth in Marathi. It is one of the most underrated vegetable in the Indian Cuisine.Today I am going to share traditional recipe of my mother of Gilkyache/ Sponge Gourd Bharit. I don’t like it much in childhood but these days it is one of my favourites. It is one of the most underrated vegetable in the Indian Cuisine. The bland taste and neutral flavour of Gilke is the reason a lot of people dislike it. But you can make number of tasty dishes with it like curry, koshimbir, thalipeeth and bhaji/ pakode too. Gilkyachi Bhaji is more popular than the others. Gilke /Turai is a very healthy vegetable and is easy to digest in summer. It’s speciality is it is very cooling for body and it has a lot of water content. It is seasonal vegetable and easily available in Indian Market at very reasonable price. For today’s recipe you don’t need much spices but it results in delicious and tasty dish. This is traditional way of making Gilkyache Bharit in my family with some other recipes using it which I will share in my blog in future.  It tastes good with hot chapati’s and dal-rice.           

               Gilka/ sponge gourd is widely cultivated plant in the family Cucurbitsceae which is easy to grow. It is cultivated throughout Asia and the United States for the food and scrubbers but is natural to Tropical Asia and Africa. It is also known as Sponge Gourd, Bath Sponge, Rag Gourd, Luffa. It is titled to various names in different countries such as Greman: Luffa, Hindi: Dodka/ Gilka, Ghia: Torai and so on. Gilka fruit is amoothly cylindrical and about 24 inch in length and 3 inch in diameter. In general, the fruit featurs thin and smooth green skin, white flesh and smooth black, flat ovate seeds with length 1-12 cm. The taste of the fruit resembles Zucchinis.

                   Some health benefits of this fruits It contains antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, nutrients and lipids. It is an excellent source of Vitamin A and carbohydrates and also a very good source of vitamin B5, B6. The fruit is used in cooking as well as to treat various health aliments. It is helpful to lower the blood sugar, constipation, weight loss and hypoglycaemia. It helps to enhance immune system and detoxifies the body. It helps –

1. To prevent Eye Aliments

2. Cardiovascular Benefits

3. Prevent Diabetes

4. Prevents Muscle Pain

5. Reduce Arthritis

6. Treat Anemia

7. Brain Functions and so on.

So let us see now how to prepare this awesome recipe with step by step pictures. Hope you like the recipe and want to give a try. If you like it then don’t forget to share your comments below in the comment box.    

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 Gilke/ Sponge Gourds

2 medium size Onion, chopped finely

4-5 Green Chillies

1 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic Paste

1 sprig Curry Leaves

¼ Cup Spring Onion, chopped

1 tablespoon roasted Peanuts

½ tablespoon roughly crushed roasted Peanuts

½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1 teaspoon Garam Masala

¼ teaspoon Asafoetida

Salt as needed

½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds

½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds

1 tablespoon Oil

Coriander for garnishing

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Wash and clean the sponge gourd and wipe out with a kitchen towel. 

Grease them with some oil and roast them directly on the flame.
STEP 2 – When done, remove and wash under running tap water to remove the charred part from it.

STEP 3 – Then remove both the ends and cut with knife and 

mash very well using hands.

STEP 4 – Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and let them splutter.

STEP 5 – Then add whole peanuts and crushed peanuts and sauté for 1 minute.

STEP 6 – Add chopped onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until turns translucent.

STEP 7 – Then add chopped green chillies, curry leaves, chopped spring onion and ginger-garlic paste and mix and sauté well for 1 minute.

STEP 8 – Add turmeric powder, asafoetida, garam masala and salt and give a nice mix. Cook for 1 minute.

STEP 9 – Now add mashed gilke / sponge gourd and mix well. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

STEP 10 – Add chopped coriander, mix and switch off the flame.

Serve it warm with chapatti/ bhakri as a side dish with your meal and enjoy.