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Masala Bhaat

Masala Bhaat is a Maharashtrian recipe prepared using basmati rice, mix vegetables and spiced with Goda Masala. Goda Masala is a special Maharashtrian spice mix which gives an authentic flavor to the recipe. It seems Maharashtrian wedding is considered incomplete without masala bhaat which indicates that how much people like it. In a way you can say it’s like a veg pulao, however it is more spicy and have it’s own taste. You could add vegetables of your choices in it. I learnt this recipe from one of my family friend’s Mom. She makes it so delicious that once you start eating, you can’t stop. Masala bhaat goes very well with maharastrian kadhi or curd raita.Masala Bhaat_7

Strawberry Modak

Wishing you all a very happy Ganesh Chaturthi!!

Ukadiche Modak is a very famous Maharashtra sweet dumpling which is offered to Lord Ganesha during Ganesh Chaturthi festival celebration. Modak is made using rice flour shell which is filled with a sweet mixture of grated coconut, jaggery, poppy seeds and flavored with green cardamon and nutmeg powder. The Ukadiche modak is steam cooked. As such there are varieties of modak’s recipes like mava modak, puran modak, kesari modak and dry fruit modak. I have also published couple of modak recipes Ukadiche Modak and Indian blackberry Modak. This recipe is a another variation of modak recipe which has a filling based on strawberry. Straberry gives a unique fruit flavor as well as sweet and sour taste to the modak. Rest of the filling ingredients are same like coconut, mava and jaggery. Preparing modak first time or first few time could be a daunting task as it requires patience and some practice to get the right texture and shape. There are some modak mold available and you can try that. Strawberries

 

Makki Ki Roti & Sarson Ka Saag

Makki (corn flour) ki roti and Sarson (mustard) ka saag is one of the very famous Punjabi dish which is also very much liked by people in Northern part of India. Makki flour has very less amount of gluten hence it’s little difficult to make the roti (bread) out of it. Adding little bit of wheat flour makes it easier to make the roti. Kneading the flour is one of the important step while making this roti. Traditionally, the roti is made using palm of both hands by thumping both side to expand however that requires some practice, so I have used butter paper to make this roti and spread it using fingers. Generally this roti is much thicker than actual wheat flour roti and cooked in clay oven however I have cooked it on Tava top. Sarson leaves are generally available during winter season hence the dish is mainly prepared during winter. Sarson ka saag is made using mustard leave, spinach and bathua leaves. You can also add chana leaves as it gives a great taste to it. I have added little sweet corn to the saag as it reduces the bitterness of the mustard leave and gives creamy taste. Adding roasted gram flour gives thickness to the saag. The saag can be also served with normal roti or paratha. When I was kid, my Mom used to make it using roasted corn flour at home and serve with saag and ghee. I really miss those days very much. Mustard Leaves_1

 

Daal Baati

Daal Baati Churam is a very popular traditional Rajasthani dish. The celebrations like marriage, festival, parties and so on in Rajasthan are incomplete without this traditional dish. Daal Baati Churma is basically three items put together as a meal. I have already shared the recipe of Churma in my earlier blog and in this blog I am sharing the recipe for Daal and Baati. Baati is made from wheat flour balls with lots of deshi ghee. Traditionally, the Baati balls are backed in clay or coal based tandoor which gives a very specific smoky flavor to the recipe. However, I have made the Baati in electric oven and it really came out well. The crispy Baati with desi ghee aroma makes the dish tastes amazing. The Daal for this recipe is mixture of five kinds of daal (pulses) also known as panchmel daal. The daal is cooked with salt, water and turmeric powder however the seasoning with ghee, ginger-garlic and some gram masala brings in the real flavorful taste in Daal. Serve this recipe to your guests and I am sure they would love it.

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Churma Ladoo

Churma is a popular and traditional Rajasthani delicacy. Churma is part of a main meal known as Daal Baati Churama which is very famous in Rajasthan, India. Churma is a prepared using coarse ground wheat flour, cooked with ghee and sugar/jaggry. Although it is a very simple recipe however it takes long time to prepare and requires patience. The Churma balls are cooked on low to medium flame to ensure it is cooked well. There are two ways it can be served as a Churma granules or made as a Ladoo. These ladoo looks very similar to besan ladoo and takes time to make each one of them. These delicious ladoos are also used to worship Lord Ganesha. I am very thankful to my friend for sharing this delicious recipe.

Sambar Polenta (Cornmeal)

Polenta aka cornmeal is granules of corn available in grocery stores all around. The Polenta is cooked in many ways like it can be baked, grilled or fried. This recipe is prepared using boiled Polenta which is typically simmered in water with salt and ghee or butter. Polenta takes a little long time to cook and creamy texture.You could each boiled Polenta as is or It can be served many different ways. For this recipe we would prepare a sambar to serve with Polenta. Sambar is a south Indian soup which is prepared using mix of vegetables of your choice, toor daal and special sambar masala. In this recipe, I have also added green pigeon peas along with toor dal to get twist in sambar taste. There are varieties of sambar recipes available and you can use anyone if you like or you can use your own sambar recipe. Polenta used to be one of common meal item when I was young and my grand mother use to make it and serve with toor dal and spicy curry. In northern India is it referred as “Makki ka bath”. I literally love Polenta and every time I make it, it bring memories from childhood. Polenta with sambar was an awesome combination and very delicious, you could also try it with rasamCorn Meal_

Strawberry & Beetroot Kesari

Happy Valentine Day!! This special valentine day dessert recipe for your love ones. The strawberry & beetroot kesari is slight variation of normal kesari. The regular kesari is made during for worships and on special occasions as Prasad. The recipe is prepared with ghee roasted rava cooked into milk, beetroot & strawberry puree and flavored with cardamon powder and kewra-rose essence. This beautiful naturally colored recipe is so delicious and mouthwatering. I am sure you would love this recipe if you Kesari bhath fan.

Bisi Bele Bath

Bisi bele bath is one of most popular dish in Karnataka. The recipe is very similar to north Indian khichdi. In Kannada, bisi means hot, bele means daal and bath means rice hence the name. Rice and daal cooked along with veggie, spices, and jaggery makes this dish delicious. I am very fond of south Indian food and this is one of my favorite dish. The aroma of bisi bele bath masala, curry leaves, ghee and tamarind creates a craving for the food. You can use home made Bisi bele bath masala which gives an awesome freshness and taste to this dish but if not available, you could use store bought MTR Bisi bele bath masala powder. Bisi bele bath tastes best when served hot, topped with ghee along with papad and kara boondi.