ALUCHI PATAL BHAJI/ ALUCHE FATFATE

Aluchi Patal Bhaji is also known as Aluche Fatfate is a Maharashtrian delicacy made with Alu/ Taro/Colocasia / Arbi leaves. It is healthy and popular Maharashtrian green leaf vegetable recipe. The curry is mainly prepared on special occasions like Wedding and Shradh. Alu is Marathi word for Colocasia. So do not confuse Alu with Aloo. I have alu in my terrace garden and few days back I shared ali wadi prepared with that. This recipe is on my to do list from last so many days. So prepared this curry and it turned out super delicious. Use tamarind and jiggery which increases the richness of taste. A green leafy vegetable is very important to complete a meal. Colocasia leaves are a very good source of Vitamin A and C and contain more protein.

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 Alu / Colocassia Leaves

¼ Cup Chana Dal

¼ Cup Peanuts

2 tablespoon Sliced Coconut

1 teaspoon Jaggery

1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds

2 tablespoon Chana Dal

½ teaspoon + 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

Salt as needed

1 tablespoon Goda / Kala Masala

8-10 Garlic Cloves

2-3 Dry Red Chillies

1 Tomato, roughly chopped

1 Onion, roughly chopped

2-3 tablespoon Tamarind Pulp

4 tablespoon Oil

1 teaspoon Asafoetida

Chopped Coriander

For Tempering:

2-3 tablespoon Oil

2-3 Dry Red Chillies

8-10 Garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds

1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Soak chana dal and peanuts separately in 2 bowls for 2 hours.

STEP 2 – Wash, pat dry and chop alu leaves finely. Remove the stem from leaves before cutting.

STEP 3 – Heat pan with a teaspoon oil, add cumin and mustard seeds and let them crackle.

STEP 4 – Add asafoetida and chopped alu leaves and sauté it for 1-2 minutes.

STEP 5 – Now in a pressure cooker add, soaked chana dal, peanuts, coconut slices, turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, goda masala, salt and 10-12 garlic cloves roughly crushed.

STEP 6 – Then add sauted alu leaves and 1 ½ cup water, close the lid and make 2 whistles.

STEP 7 – Cool it and then open the lid from pressure cooker. Mash the bhaji with a masher.

STEP 8 – Heat a pan, dry roast gram flour with 1 teaspoon red chilli powder. Transfer it into another bowl and keep it aside.

STEP 9 – In a mixer pot, add roughly chopped onion, tomato and 2-3 dry red chillies

and blend it to make fine paste. Keep this aside.

STEP 10 - Now pour cooked mixture in a pan and add tamarind pulp, jaggery and gram flour paste and mix well.

STEP 11 – Let it heat and come to boil.  Boil it on low flame for 2-3 minutes.

STEP 12 – Switch off the flame and keep this bhaji aside.

 

For making tempering:

STEP 1 - Heat 2-3 tablespoon oil in a tempering pan, and crackle cumin, mustard seeds. Add 1-2 dry red chillies and cook for 1 minute.

STEP 2 - Add a pinch of asafoetida and remaining garlic cloves crushed roughly. Let’s cook the garlic till nice light brown in colour.

STEP 3 – Pour this tempering over the bhaji, add chopped coriander and mix it well and bhaji is ready to serve.

Aluchi patal bhaji tastes best when served as a side dish with chapatti/ bhakari.

NOTES: Fry Alu leaves well since some persons may be sensitive to these leaves that could induce an itching sensation and frying will kill the itchiness of the leaves.

MURGH MALAI TIKKA [in oven]

A popular Indian classic, commonly known as Murg Malai Tikka/ Kebab. Before I begin with the recipe, let's talk about Murgh Malai Tikka. "MURGH" means cubed pieces of chicken, "MALAI" means cream and "TIKKA" means pieces of meat marinated in a spicy mix. So Murgh Malai Tikka is simply small pieces of chicken cooked in a cream and yogurt-based marinade and grilled to perfection.  A chicken malai tikka recipe for soft, juicy kebabs on skewers that will simply melt in your mouth. Serve it with naan, chapati, roti or as a starter to your parties and get together. Perfect for an outdoor barbecue or luncheon. You can make different wraps with them and you can never go wrong with these simple yet tasty kebabs. I am damn sure that these kebabs will make your appetite satisfy. 

INGREDIENTS:

500 gms Boneless Chicken, cut into bite size cubes

1 Onion, cut into bite size cubes

1 teaspoon Kasoori Methi

For Marination:

1 Cup Hung Curd

3 tablespoon Cream Cheese [optional]

1 tablespoon Cream

1 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic Paste

3 tablespoon Mint + Coriander Chutney

1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

1 teaspoon Green Chilli Paste [optional]

1 teaspoon Cornflour

1 Teaspoon Cumin Powder

1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

Salt as needed

2 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Clean and cut the chicken in small bite-size pieces.

STEP 2 - In mixer pot, add green chillies, mint and coriander leaves and make a fine paste.

STEP 2 – Combine all the ingredients for marination with the green paste in a mixing bowl. Whisk to form a smooth paste.

STEP 3 – Add chicken pieces, onions cubes and mix well to coat everything nicely.

 

Add lemon juice and give a nice mix.

STEP 4 – Cover with cling wrap or a lid and keep covered in the fridge for minimum 30 minutes. If you have time, it’s better to keep it overnight.

STEP 5 – Pre-heat the oven at 400 degrees F/ 180 degree C for 10 minutes.

STEP 6 - Remove from fridge 45 minutes-1 hour before baking.

STEP 6 – Line the skewers in a baking tray and lightly spray some oil over the skewers.

STEP 7 – Arrange the marinated chicken pieces on the skewers.

STEP 8 – Bake for 10 minutes at 180 degrees C and then turn the side.

STEP 9 – Lightly spray the side up with oil and bake from the other side for about 8-10 minutes. 

STEP 10 – Remove and immediately transfer on a serving plate and serve hot.

Serve hot with your favourite chutney/dip and enjoy.

NOTES: *Time may vary depending on the brand of the oven.

HOMEMADE BADAM MILK MIX POWDER

Badam Milk Mix Powder can be prepared at home and stored for days. Indian Almond Milk is a delicious and healthy energizing drink for growing kids. It has many medicinal properties and nutritional benefits. I will also share how to prepare badam milk using this homemade badam milk mix powder. Almonds are loaded with nutrients like Vitamin E, Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Copper and other beneficial compounds. Almonds also helps to improve skin complexion, regulates blood pressure, maintains good cholesterol level and boots immune power. I prepared this my for daughter who lives in a hostel for her education and doesn't take full diet daily and also faces some health issues now and then. I have also used organic turmeric powder which has its most active compound curcumin which has many scientifically proven health benefits, such as the potential to prevent heart diseases, Alzheimer's and cancer. Then also have cashew nuts in it which is a great source of phytochemicals, proteins and anti-oxidants. The high percentage of selenium in cashews is not only good for your skin but also helps prevent cancer as well. Store brought badam milk mix powder contains lots of preservatives. We can easily make this at home hygienically as well as healthy without adding any preservatives. You can make it in bulk quantity and store in an air tight container for about a month and if refrigerated it can be used for several months.    

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Almonds

¼ Cup Cashew Nuts

Few Saffron Strands

¾ Cup Sugar

¼ Cup Milk Powder

4-5 Cardamoms

1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Dry roast almonds and cashews separately for 2-3 minutes. You will see little brown spots on them. It will help to remove the moisture from the nuts.

STEP 2 - Remove and let them cool completely.

STEP 3 – Add almonds, cashews and cardamoms [see notes] in mixer pot and let blend it to make a coarse powder.

STEP 4 – Now add sugar, milk powder, turmeric and saffron strands and make a fine powder.

STEP 5 – Our homemade badam milk mix powder is ready.

STEP 6 - Store it in a clean, air-tight conatiner.

 It can be stored for a month outside and in the refrigerator it will stay good for more months.

NOTES: Remove the seeds of cardamom and use them only.

MOONG DAL AND URAD DAL IDLI

Idli recipes are very common across India and are made with different ingredients. Generally, we make idlis with the combination of rice and urad dal which are soft, spongy and white in colour. But then there are other variations like moong dal idli or with a combination of moong dal and urad dal which can be an ideal alternative for the traditional ones. Moong Dal and Urad Dal Idlis are a very tasty and nutritious breakfast/ lunch/ dinner recipe. Very easy and simple to prepare and need very few ingredients to make. This toothsome dish is a protein pack as it is prepared with weight watcher friendly moong dal/ yellow lentil and urad dal. Moong dal is the healthiest among the dal and it is a rich source of Iron, Protein, Zinc and Vitamin B. It is very low in terms of calories and fat and very light to digest. Urad dal is also enriched with Proteins, Vitamin B, Folic Acid, Calcium and Iron. The combination of moong dal and urad dal in this idli makes it as a protein-enriched food and it is a very healthy alternative to normal rice-dal idli. I have already shared some different variations of idli recipes on my blog earlier. Here I used the combination of urad and moong dal but you can prepare idlis only with moong dal too. Here I have made simple and plain idlis but you can season it with a tempering of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chana dal, green chilies, cashews and curry leaves. You can make it healthier by using some veggies like grated carrot, finely chopped capsicum, chopped coriander and green peas. Lastly, I have added Eno salt for the fermentation as I made it in hurry, but if you have time you can ferment it naturally for 4-5 hours like regular idli batter. I hope you like this healthy idli version. If yes then do not forget to try it and share your feedback with me.  

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cups Yellow Moong Dal

1 Cup Urad Dal

½ teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon Eno Fruit Salt [optional][see notes]

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Take both the dals in two separate bowls. Add fenugreek seeds in urad dal while soaking.

STEP 2 - Wash both the dals under tap water for 2-3 times.

STEP 3 – Soak them separately for overnight with enough water.

STEP 4 – Now next morning, drain the water and wash them with some freshwater.

STEP 5 – Grind them coarsely in mixer pot with minimum water.

STEP 6 – Mix both the batter together.

STEP 7 - Batter should be coarse and a bit thicker side.

STEP 8 – Keep the batter at a humid place and let it ferment for 4-5 hours. [see notes]

STEP 9 – After 5 hours, add salt as per your taste and mix the batter.

STEP 10 – Now heat the steamer with little water.

STEP 11 – Grease the idli plate with oil. Pour a ladleful batter in each portion and place them in idli steamer.

STEP 12 – Steam the idlis for about 15-20 minutes on medium flame.

STEP 13 – Cool them for 4-5 minutes.

STEP 14 - Then remove from steamer, demould and idli is ready to serve.

Serve piping hot idli with sambar, coconut chutney and enjoy.

NOTES: *If you don’t have time and want to make idlis immediately after grinding, then add eno and mix well. The batter is ready to use.