SABUDANA THALIPEETH

This is very easy and simple traditional Maharashtrian fasting dish prepared with sabudana, potatoes and crushed peanuts. The dough looks like sabudana vada but this recipe uses less oil / ghee as it is fried on griddle. Sabudana is used especially during fasting so very popular during Navratri / Shravan and on Ekadashi days. Thalipeeth is a Marathi style multigrain flat bread and sabudana thalipeeth is a kind of flat bread which is made during fasting or for an evening snack.  Sabudana thalipeeth or sabudana roti is super awesome in taste and texture. Addition of potatoes helps to make the sago pearls get united with all other stuff. So you can imagine the dough and it’s softness. I used arrowroot flour here in my recipe, but addition of arrowroot flour is totally optional. I added it here in this recipe which helps as a binding agent in this recipe. Arrowroot flour is a starchy substance that’s extracted from the root of tropical plant known as Maranta arundinacea. Sometimes arrowrooth flour is also known as arrowroot powder or arrowroot starch and they are all the same thing. It is simply a white, powdery starch that is naturally gluten-free and grain-free. I love the crunchy and yummy taste of this flat bread which is very filling and delicious to eat.  Only take care while you pat the dough over a plastic sheet, handle it carefully. Just because they are very delicate. You can end your fasting with this sabudana thalipeeth and feel the divinity with taste. Presenting below step-by-step recipe with pictures of sabudana thalipeeth, do try it and let me know your suggestions if any below in comment box.

 INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Sabudana, soaked for 4-5 hours

2-3 Boiled Potatoes

2 tablespoon Rajgirs / Arrowrooth Flour

1/3 Cup Roasted Peanut Powder

3-4 Green Chillies, chopped

½ teaspoon Ginger [optional]

 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

½ Lemon Juice

Rock Salt as needed

Chopped Coriander [optional]

1-2 tablespoon Ghee, for roasting thalipeeth

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Wash sabudana under running water until all powdery substance goes off and then add ½ cup water in it and leave it for 4-5 hours / overnight. [see notes]

STEP 2 – After 5 hours, sabudana should be swollen and ready. Fluff it with a fork and make sure that the sabudana is soft like cooked rice.

STEP 3 - Mix all ingredients boiled and grated potato, green chillies, chopped coriander, ginger [if adding], peanut powder, arrowrooth flour, soaked sabudana, lemon juice and salt in a mixing bowl or big plate. Mix everything together well to form a dough. 

Squeeze 1/2 lemon juice.

You can add 1 tablespoon water if needed or the mixture is too dry.

STEP 4 – Divide the dough in equal sized balls. Take some water in a bowl for preparing the thalipeeth.

STEP 5 – Take a transparent plastic sheet and keep it on the rolling board.

Wet your hands and the surface of plastic sheet.

STEP 6 – Take a ball of dough, press it

and spread it into a thin circular disc using your fingers

or you can put another plastic sheet over the dough ball and roll it with rolling pin in to a thin disc. [see notes]

STEP 7 – Heat tawa on low-medium flame. I prefer using a iron griddle instead of non-stick.

STEP 8 –Make 3-4 holes on the thalipeeth with your index finger which helps to roast the thalipeeth evenly.  [I forgot to make holes] Gently transfer the thalipeeth on the tawa.

STEP 9 – Cook it from both sides until golden in colour.

STEP 10 – Then drizzle ghee around it and on the holes. Cook from one side until it starts browning.

STEP 11 – Flip it over to the other side and again drizzle ghee and cook both sides well until golden brown.

Repeat the same with the rest of the dough and make thalipeeth likewise.

STEP 12 – Remove from griddle and ready to serve.

Enjoy this very delicious hot thalipeeth with potato subzi or shengdana amti or any chutney of your choice. Or you can simply enjoy it with yogurt.

NOTES: *It does not matter if the sabudana is a little mushy for this recipe.

                *You can do it directly on the hot tawa/ griddle.

DAL KHICHDI

The food of our childhood, our heritage, is what defines us, nourishes us and fills our heart and tummy with warmth. For any Indian, the combination of dal and rice- whether made separately or in a khichdi –is the essence of comfort food. A wholesome and nutricious meal –moong dal khichdi made from rice and moong dal which is comfort food at its best. This one-pot meal is very easy on your stomach and is perfect for all ages. You can use toor dal instead of moong dal. But to make it healthy and light, I used moong dal here in my recipe. Amongest all dals, moong dal is the easiest to digest and that’s the reason when we start solid food for kids, moong dal khichdi makes for a great choice. Few days back, I tasted it for the first time in restaurant. I loved it a lot and so want to give it a try. And here it is, hope I made justice with it. I added tempering in it to give it a rich look. But it is totally optional. Taste was awesome with or without tempering. If not adding the tempering then serve it with a dollop of pure ghee on the top. Rice and lentils serve as a good source of carbs and protein while ghee provides the much-needed macronutrients-carbs, proteins and fats.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Rice

1 Cup Moong Dal

3-4 Tomatoes, chopped

1 big Onion, sliced

20-25 Garlic Cloves, chopped finely

1” Ginger Piece, chopped

6-8 Curry Leaves

1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

2 teaspoon Chilli Powder

1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

1 tablespoon Oil

1 tablespoon Coriander, chopped

For tempering:

2 tablespoon Ghee

1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds

1 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder

1 sprig Curry Leaves

2-3 Dry Red Chillies

8-10 Garlic Cloves, chopped

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Wash dal and rice under running water

till water comes clean.

STEP 2 - Then add dal and rice in pressure cooker and add double i.e. 4 cups water in it and add turmeric powder in it and salt in it and mix it well.

Pressure cook it for 1 whistle.

STEP 3 – Let the pressure release naturally.

STEP 4 – Heat 1 tablespoon in a pan, crackle cumin seeds and add curry leaves, chopped onion, chopped garlic, chopped ginger and cook for 1-2 minute.

STEP 5 – Add chopped tomato, chopped coriander and cook them till mushy.[sorry don't have tomatoes, so no pic]

STEP 6 – Then add turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt in it and mix it well. Add ½ cup water in it and mix well.

STEP 7 – Now add cooked dal and rice and give a nice mix.

Add some water in it and cook for 4-5 minutes with lid.

Stir it occasionally. Taste it and add salt if needed.

For Tempering:

STEP 1 – Heat ghee in small tempering pan.

STEP 2 – Add cumin and mustard seeds in it and let them crackle.

STEP 3 – Then add dry red chillies, chopped garlic cloves, curry leaves and roast for 1 minute.

STEP 4 – Switch off the flame and add Kashmiri red chilli powder.

Pour this tempering over khichdi and mix it well and enjoy.

Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot dal khichdi with papad, raita or any pickle and enjoy.

PANEER PESHAWARI

Peshawar is the capital city of Khyber Pakhtunkhuwa, Pakistan. Pesahwar is known for behing the center of Pashtun Cuisine. Pashtune Cuisine is largely based on cereals like wheat, maize, barly and rice. It includes different meat dishes like lamb, beef, chicken and fish. Extensive use of dairy products, dry fruits, nuts etc is the magic of Pashtun Cuisine. Paneer Peshawari is a part of this Pashtun Cuisine. Here I am with yet another finger-licking Paneer curry- Paneer Peshawari…!!! If you are looking for an easy paneer curry, then paneer peshawari is your go-to recipe. It is a delectable paneer dish cooked in Pashtun style of cooking. A rocking Indian gravy recipe that takes very less time you make it. Paneer Peshawari is delicious paneer dish in Peshawari style. Peshawri paneer, cubes of paneer cooked in a lip-smacking onion paste and cashew paste and finished with cream. The sliced onion and capsicum add crunchiness to the dish and compliments the softness of the paneer. Kasoori Methi gives a nice flavour to this dish. We always used to eat it in restaurant. That gave me an idea to re-create its recipe at home. It came out awesome and the taste was unique. Try it at home. It is very easy to cook.

INGREDIENTS:

200 gms Paneer Cubes

1 Capsicum, cut in to big chunks

1 Onion, cut in to big chunks

1 teaspoon Kasoori Methi

1-2 Bay Leaf

½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds

½ Cup Milk

¼ Cup Cream

½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder

1 teaspoon Coriander Powder

Salt as needed

1 tablespoon Oil

1 tablespoon Butter

Chopped Coriander

For Onion Paste:

1 Big Onion, chopped

5-6 Garlic Cloves

½ “ Ginger Piece

2-3 Green Chillies

For Tomato Paste:

3 Tomatoes, chopped roughly

10-12 Cashews, soaked for 10 minutes in hot water

A pinch of crushed Kasoori Methi for garnishing

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Add" onion paste" ingredients in a mixer jar and make a fine paste with it. Transfer it in a bowl and keep aside.

STEP 2 – Add tomato and soaked cahsews in a mixer pot and make a smooth paste. Transfer in a bowl. Set it aside.

STEP 3 – Heat a pan with oil in it. Crackle cumin seeds and add bay leaf in it.

Roast for few seconds and then add butter in it. Let it melt.

STEP 4 – Now add onion paste in it and roast well till raw smell vanish.

STEP 5 – Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, salt and mix well.

Cook it for 2-3 minutes.

STEP 6 – Then add tomato-cashew paste in it and mix well. Cook it well until oil starts floating.

STEP 7 – Add chopped capsicum and onion chunks in it and mix it well.

Let the veggies cook for next 3-4 minutes. Then add 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder, garam masala powder and 1/2 teaspoon roasted and crushed kasoori methi. Mix well.

STEP 8 – Then add milk in it and give a nice mix. Cook for 1-2 minute.

STEP 9 – Add paneer cubes in the curry and gently stir it.

If needed add more water to get desired consistency of the curry.

Add cream here and mix it well.

STEP 10 – Add garam masala powder and kasoori methi in it, mix it and cook for another 1 minute or until the gravy thickens a bit.

Switch off the flame and paneer peshawari is ready to serve.

Serve Paneer Peshawari with naan, paratha, roti or jeera rice.

NOTES: You can make cashew paste separately by soaking cahsews in hot water or boiling cahsews with water and then grind it to fine paste.

It can be stored in freezer for later use.