CHIWALI CHA ZUNKA / CHIUCHYA BHAJICHA ZUNKA

Pithla bhakri is a very popular Marathi recipe across the world. I have already posted the recipe here on my blog earlier. Today I am going to share a Zunka recipe, which is a dry version of pithla and that to with Chiwali chi bhaji. You can make it with any vegetable like methi, spring onion greens, capsicum, onion, etc. In some places we call it as “ Pith Perun Bhaji”. It is prepared in almost all homes across the state and is a common, daily meal in rural Maharashtra. Chiwali Cha Zunka is a simple traditional Mahrashtrian dish, with just few ingredients as well as quick and delicious in taste. It tastes best when served with hot chapatti/ jowar bhakri. Chiwali chi Bhaji  is a healthy, leafy vegetable found in the Vidarbha region. This delicacy is savoured in eastern Maharashtra region. Maharashtrians use lots of leafy vegetables in their day-to-day cooking. It was mandatory to eat leafy greens every day when we were kids. Now I am glad that I got to taste so much variety.

Leafy vegetables are good source of water and it helps to keep the body hydrated. We can get good eyesight in presence of vitamin A in green leafy vegetables. In India, a wide range of greens are consumed. The most popular ones being Spinach, Amaranth, Fenugreek, Drumstick leaves, Mint, etc. Green leafy vegetables are vital for growth and good health, as they contain all important nutrients.

INGREDIENTS:

250 gms Chiwali chi Bhaji

½  Cup Besan/ Chana Dal Flour

2 chopped Onions

8-10 Garlic Cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

2-3 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder [adjust according to your taste]

½ teaspoon Asafoetida

Salt as per taste

1 tablespoon Oil

2-3 tablespoon Water

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Clean the bhaji carefully and remove the soil, roots or anything there.

STEP 2 – Wash it under running water for 3-4 times.

STEP 3 – Chop it finely and keep aside.

STEP 4 – Heat oil in a pan, crackle cumin and mustard seeds and add asafoetida in it.

STEP 5 – Then add chopped onion and chopped garlic and sauté well.

Cook until raw smell disappears.

STEP 6 – Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt and mix the spices very well ensuring that they do not get burnt.

STEP 7 – Then add chopped chiwali chi bhaji and give a nice mix.

STEP 8 – Cover it with a lid and cook for 4-5 minutes on low flame.

STEP 9 – Remove the lid and again stir it well and if still there is moisture cook for another 1-2 minute with a lid.

STEP 10 – Now add besan flour in small batches and stir it really well. This way keep on adding besan and mixing. Mix the besan very well with the bhaji.

STEP 11 – Sprinkle 2-3 tablespoon water and mix it well. Lumps will starts forming but after sometime besan flour will absorb all the moisture and helps to keep the bhaji semi moist.

STEP 12 – Cover it with a lid and let it cook on low flame until besan flour is fully cooked.

It may take 4-5 minutes. Once done, give a nice mix and your zunka is ready.

Transfer the zunka in a serving bowl and serve it with chapatti or jowar/ bajra  bhakri and enjoy.

NOTES: Roast and cook the besan flour well and it should not be raw.

COCONUT / NARIYALBURFI

Nariyal burfi or Coconut burfi is a simple sweet made with very few ingredients like grated fresh coconut, sugar and milk. It is one of the simplest traditional Sweet Recipes made for festive occasions. To make coconut burfi we do not need to check  any string consistency, this makes it more simpler for beginners. I have used fresh grated coconut but you can also make it with frozen desiccated coconut.  Coconut burfi is one of the most favourite sweet of my daughters and I used to make it most often for Raksha Bandhan.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cup fresh grated Coconut

1 Cup Sugar

½ Cup Milk at room temperature

¼ teaspoon Cardamom Powder

1 teaspoon chopped Pistachios for garnishing

2 tablespoon Ghee

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Take fresh Nariyal cut into pieces. Remove the brown surface from it.

STEP 2 – Grate it with a grater and keep aside.

STEP 3 - In a wide kadai, add ghee and let it melt.

STEP 4 – Add grated coconut, milk and sugar together and mix well.

STEP 5 – Roast it and cook it with continuous stirring.

Grease a tray or plate with ghee and keep aside.

STEP 6 – Keep stirring it, after 3-4 minutes the mixture will be more liquidy because sugar starts melting.

STEP 7 – Now keep roasting it until the moisture gets dry. [You will see some big bubbles on the sides first, keep roasting and afterwards you can see the size of the bubbles minimised.]

STEP 8 – After that you have to roast for 2 minutes.

STEP 9 – When you see all moisture dried up, and the mixture starts leaving the sides and does begin to bind switch off the flame. It will take approximately 15-20 minutes.

STEP 10 – Transfer the mixture on a greased tray and spread it evenly with the spatula or a flat based katori.

STEP 11 – Sprinkle the chopped pistachios and press it lightly.

STEP 12 – Cool it for 10 minutes and give the cuts.

STEP 13 – Keep it aside for another 15-20 minutes and then cut the pieces completely and serve.

Serve it as a dessert or store in an air tight container.It stays good for 10-15 days in the fridge. 

NOTES:  *When the desired stage is reached act very fast and transfer to the greased tray/ plate, else the burfis would  become hard.

CHIWALI / CHIU CHI BHAJI

Chiwali Chi Bhaji is a simple traditional Mahrashtrian dish, with just few ingredients as well as quick and delicious in taste. It tastes best when served with hot chapatti/ jowar bhakri. Chiwali chi Bhaji  is a healthy, leafy vegetable found in the Vidarbha region. This delicacy is savoured in eastern Maharashtra region. Maharashtrians use lots of leafy vegetables in their day-to-day cooking. It was mandatory to eat leafy greens every day when we were kids. Now I am glad that I got to taste so much variety.

Leafy vegetables are good source of water and it helps to keep the body hydrated. We can get good eyesight in presence of vitamin A in green leafy vegetables. In India, a wide range of greens are consumed. The most popular ones being Spinach, Amaranth, Fenugreek, Drumstick leaves, Mint, etc. Green leafy vegetables are vital for growth and good health, as they contain all important nutrients.

INGREDIENTS:

250 gms Chiwali chi Bhaji

½  Cup Besan/ Chana Dal Flour

2 chopped Onions

8-10 Garlic Cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

2-3 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder [adjust according to your taste]

½ teaspoon Asafoetida

Salt as per taste

1 tablespoon Oil

2-3 tablespoon Water

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Clean the bhaji carefully and remove the soil, roots or anything there.

STEP 2 – Wash it under running water for 3-4 times.

STEP 3 – Put it on colander and drain all the water from it and then chop it finely and keep aside.

STEP 4 – Heat oil in a pan, crackle cumin and mustard seeds and add asafoetida in it.

STEP 5 – Then add chopped onion and chopped garlic and sauté well. Cook until raw smell disappears.

STEP 6 – Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt and mix the spices very well ensuring that they do not get burnt.

STEP 7 – Then add chopped chiwali chi bhaji and give a nice mix.

STEP 8 – Cover it with a lid and cook for 4-5 minutes on low flame.

STEP 9 – Remove the lid and again stir it well and if still there is moisture cook for another 1-2 minute with a lid.

STEP – Chiwali chi bhaji is ready to serve.

Serve it with your meal as a side dish and enjoy with chapatti or hot bhakri.