SUKKI BATATA BHAJI / DRY POTATO SUBZI

One of my favourite dishes ever is Sukki Aloo Ki sabzi. This potato curry is used in masala dosa and is the perfect accompaniment for puri and chapatti.  It is very simple to make but getting it just right is an art that is learnt with experience. This is a versatile sabzi that can be adapted to a number of recipes. A quick and easy aloo curry or potato masala recipe that goes well not only with masala dosa but it can also be used as a filling to make sandwich, roti rolls or wraps and can also used for making aloo bonda and vada for the vada pav. I make this potato curry often to go with the breakfast for dosa or sandwich and the same day I also use it for the kids lunch box to make rolls. You can adjust the texture of the curry according to your liking. I prefer to keep it slightly moist, little dry that the curry served in restaurants. Hope you like my version. 

INGREDIENTS:

2 Medium Sized Potatoes

1 Big Onion, chopped finely

2-3 Green Chillies, chopped

1 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic Paste

1 tablespoon Oil

½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

Salt as needed

Chopped Coriander

½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds

½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds

A pinch of Asafoetida

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Par boil the potatoes, cool them and peel them off. Cut them into small cubes.

STEP 2 – Heat oil in pan, splutter cumin-mustard seeds, add hing and then add chopped onion, green chillies and ginger-garlic paste.

STEP 3 – Saute well and cook till the raw smell vanish.

STEP 4 – Add turmeric powder and salt and mix.

STEP 5 – Add boiled chopped potato and mix well.

STEP 6 – Cook for 3-4 minutes and switch off the flame.

Garnish it with chopped coriander and serve.

KHAMANG KAKADI

A summer salad of coconut, cucumber and peanuts. Koshimbir is Maharashtrian term for salad, many different combinations of vegetables are used to make different variety of koshimbirs. This cucumber salad or kakadi chi koshimbir is very popular as it is very refreshing and cooling and can be made very quick and easily. Cucumbers, as we all know is an amazing source to flush out toxins from the body also to cool down during summers and are diabetic friendly given high fibre, low  carb composition.  It has a unique flavour  with the tadka added to it and crunchy texture due to the addition of coconut and peanuts and .  I make this khamang kakadi salad very often because it just needs the basic ingredients. You can also make this salad for brunch during weekends or during your lazy days. So try this super easy and quick salad and your family will love it. Serve the khamang kakadi as an accompaniment for your Maharashtrian lunch or dinner or as a healthy evening snack.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cucumber, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoon Chopped Coriander

1-2 Green Chillies, chopped

2 tablespoon Freshly Grated Coconut or fine slices

2 tablespoon Roasted Coarse Peanuts Powder [roughly crushed in mortar and pestle]

½ teaspoon Sugar

2 teaspoon Lemon Juice

Salt to taste

For Tempering:

1 teaspoon Ghee/ Clarified Butter

½ teaspoon Mustard seeds

1 Dry Red Chilli

1 Sprig of Curry Leaves

METHOD:

STEP 1 – In a bowl, add cubed cucumber, coriander, green chillies, coconut and peanuts. Give a nice stir and mix well.

STEP 2 – Season with salt and sugar, lemon juice and mix well all ingredients till combined well.

STEP 3 – Now heat a tempering pan, Add ghee in it, crackle mustard seeds.

STEP 4 – Then add dry red chilli and and curry leaves.

STEP 5 – Pour this tempering over the cucumber mixture and mix properly.  Serve it.

Serve the khamang kakdi as an accompaniment for Maharashtrian lunch or dinner or as a healthy snack.

TRI-COLOUR COOKIES

This is it what I want to make specially on the occasion of our Independence day. Searched so many recipes but very confused what to make. Finally, tried this cookies with the recipe of checker board cookies.This is the recipe I have been most excited and apprehensive about making this. Typically checker board cookies are made with only 2 colours but as I wanted these cookies for Independence Day, I make a slight change and result is here in front of you all. Very happy with the outcome. 

INGREDIENTS:

½ Cup/ 113 gms Unsalted Butter

1/3 Cup/ 75 gms Sugar

2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 ¼ Cup/ 190 gms All Purpose Flour

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl until well blended for about 2-3 minutes.

STEP 2 – Beat in vanilla extract.

STEP 3 – Gradually add all purpose flour on low speed.

STEP 4 – Knead dough to bring it together. 

Divide the dough into three portions.

STEP 5 - Add few drops of orange colour in one part, few drops of green colour in second portion and keep the third one as it is.

Now mix the colour with the dough. You will get three coloured dough with you.

STEP 6 - Turn into a clean working surface. Shape into a rectangle of 7” by 4 “.  Wrap each dough separately in cling sheet and chill them in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

STEP 7 – Remove from fridge. Remove the cling wrap from each dough.

 STEP 8 – Cut each dough into strips of equal width and keep them aside.

STEP 9 – Now arrange the strips as shown in the picture. First take an orange coloured strip, place white strip beside it and then green coloured. Make sure the alternate colours are stacked.

STEP 10 – Brush water in between the strips to stick the strips.

STEP 11 – Rearrange the strips to form the second layer and repeat for the third layer. [see notes]

STEP 12 – Arrange the strips of all three colours to form a rectangular slab.

STEP 13 – Wrap the slab in cling wrap

and again refrigerate for another 30 minutes.

STEP 14 – Preheat the oven for 10 minutes on 180 degree C.

STEP 15 – Remove the dough from refrigerator. Unwrap the slab

and slice the log into ¼ inch thick slices cross-wise.

STEP 16 – Place the cookies on a baking sheet in a baking tray.

STEP 17 – Bake for 12-13 minutes on 180 degrees C per batch.

STEP 18 -  Remove the baking tray and let cookies cool for 5 minutes before transferring onto a wire rack to cool.

STEP 19 – Transfer cookies on a wire rack and cool them completely. Serve them to your dear once after cooling or store in an air tight container for further use.

NOTES:  *For second layer change the colour of first strip and continue arranging strips.

               *For the third layer again change the colour and arrange the strips so that you can see the different colours in each layer.

               * Here I tried the three coloured pinwheel cookies also with the same dough.

               * Roll the three dough like chapatti. Then arrange them one over the other as shown in the picture. Apply water in between two chapatti.

               * Now roll carefully to form a log and refrigerate for 1/2 an hour.

               * Remove from refrigerator, unwrap the log and cut them into equal size.

Bake them in the same way as I mentioned above.

KESARI BHAAT/ SAFFRON RICE

Kesari Bhaat / Sweet Saffron Rice is a famous sweet rice dish prepared almost all round India though the names differ. A royal dish which stands out on its own, by and large prepared during marriages and other celebrations. The dish is considered royal as the ingredients goes into making of the dish are all royal and hence it was a royalty to prepare the same for invitees. The dish has given the name Keasri/ Kesariya Bhaat because we use Saffron here for the colour. The kesari  bhaat is a maharashtrian recipe made on festivals or any celebration day. It is easy and does not take very long time. It is also known as sakhar bhaat as it is sweet in taste. The variety of rice used is preferably basmati but any other white rice can be used as a substitute. The cooked rice should not be mushy, each grain should be separate. So here is the step-by-step picture for the Sakhar Bhaat or Kesari Bhaat.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Basamti Rice

1 Cup Sugar

 Tablespoon Ghee/ Clarified Butter

3 Green Cardamoms/ Elaichi

3-4 Cloves/ Lavang

10-12 Chasews, sliced/ Kaju

8-10 Raisins/ Kishmish

A Pinch of Safforn/ Kesar [soaked in 1 tablespoon hot milk / water]

2-3 Peppercorns/ Meere

1 “ Cinnamon stick/ Dalchini

2-3 tablespoon Grated Coconut, dry or fresh

Water

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Wash and soak the rice for half an hour. Keep aside.

STEP 2 – Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a pan on low flame. Add whole spices, raisins and sliced cashews in it and fry them.

STEP 3 – Then add soaked rice and stir it well and roast for 3-4 minutes or till they become slightly golden.

STEP 4 – Add water in it and mix well. Cook the rice for about 1 minute.
STEP 5 – Then cover it and cook further.

STEP 6 - When the rice is half cooked, add sugar, saffron. Give a nice stir and again cover it with lid.

STEP 7 – Cook on low flame till the rice get cooked complete.

STEP 8 – Add grated coconut and combine it well. Stir it well and switch off the flame.

STEP 9 - Finally, garnish the rice with fried cahsews and raisins and serve.

Serve the rice hot or cold. Both way it tastes awesome.