Baraf ka Gola…….juicy ice candy

I still remember the "Tring Tring" sound of bottles of "Golewala" in the hard summer afternoon. A sip of "Baraf ka gola" makes you freshy fresh…….. It's nothing but crushed ice ball soaked in “Syrups” with a variety of colours and flavours with lemon and salt sprinkled over it. It would not be exaggerated that colourful Golas seems to tempt people of all age groups. But now a days people says that it's not hygienically good. So we avoid to eat it outside. But thanks to my Aai, one day she bought an ice crusher at home and we started making baraf ka gola at home………. So the hygenically good and yummy Baraf ka gola for uuuuuuuuu




Ingredients

Ice - 4 cups
Rose Syrup - 4 tablespoon
Khus Syrup - 4 tablespoon
Kalakhatta surup - 4 tablespoon
Orange crush - 4 tablespoon
Lemon juice - 2 tablespoon
Honey - 4 tablespoon
Salt for sprinkling



Procedure

Crush the ice in ice crusher. Immediately make a ball from it and fix it to a wooden stick. (I used a wooden stick which we use for kababs). Now pour all the syrups on ice. Quantity you can decide as per your choice. I take kalakhatta syrup more. I used all the Rasna flavors for this. You can bring Mapro, Haldiram or some other brands too. Now pour little honey on it. Then sprinkle some slat and lemon juice on it. ( If you like sprinkle some chat masala on it). Sip the Gola quickly before it melts.



This is my entry for RCI : Mumbai Street Food and Lakshmi's RCI page.

Bhuna Murg

I love to try out different type of cuisines. Especially now a days I am trying out varieties of chicken. My husband loves it like anything. Last week in Marathi cookery show "Aamhi sare Khavaiyye", one of the participant showed the recipe of Bhuna Murg and I tried it . The taste is different than our normal chicken curry. But it was very tasty. I think you should also try this. Vegetarian can replace chicken with paneer or mushrooms.


















Ingredients

Chicken - 250 Gms.
Onion - 2
Tomato - 2 small
Capsicum - 1 small
Tomato puree - 1/2 cup
Grated ginger - 1 teaspoon
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 table spoon
Mustard Oil (Sarson Ka Tel) - 50 ml.
Garam Masala - 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon powder - 1 teaspoon
Fresh coriander - for garnishing.
Salt to taste


Procedure

Cut onions vertically. Deep fry it and keep it aside. Cut tomatoes and capsicum lengthwise. Marinate chicken with little ginger-garlic paste for 15-20 minutes. Take mustard oil in kadai. Add grated ginger into it and saute it. Then add chicken and saute for 2 minutes. Add capsicum and tomatoes and gently saute it. Now add the tomato puree, ginger-garlic paste. Cook it for 5-6 minutes. Then add garam masala, cinnamon powder and salt. Mix well. Cook it with lid. Remove the lid and let it get little dry. Now add fried onion and fresh coriander, cover it and cook it again for 2-3 minutes. Serve it with tandoori roti. Just awesome combination.

Upma in Microwave

Upma is very famous Indian breakfast. When I bought my new Microwave, After roasting Papad, I tried upma in it. After 3-4 attempts, it was perfectly done. Like my Aai…… my mother , I also add milk with water while making it. It gives a softness and a fresh colour to Upma. And the aroma of ghee will leave you wanting for more. Upma is quickly and perfectly made in Microwave.

Ingredients

Semolina (sooji) (thicker variety) - 3/4 cup
Finely chopped onion - 1
Finely chopped tomato - 1
Chopped green chillies - 3-4
Curry leaves - 7-8
Black gram dal (urad dal) - 3/4 teaspoon
Bengal Gram (Chana dal ) - 3/4 teaspoon
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Asafetida - a pinch
Water -1 cup
Milk - 1/4 cup
Pure ghee - 1 teaspoon
Salt and sugar to taste
Lemon juice - 1 teaspoon
Chopped coriander and grated coconut for garnishing

Procedure

Take sooji in Microwave safe dish and roast it for 1-2 minutes stirring in between till it becomes golden brown. In a shallow microwave safe dish, heat oil for 2 minutes at High power. Now add mustard seeds, asafetida, Black and bengal gram. Cook at the same power for 2 minutes. Add green chillies and curry leaves and cook for 1 minutes. Now add onion and cook it for 2 minutes. Then add tomatoes and cook it for 2 minutes. Pour water, milk, salt and sugar and on same power keep it for 1 minute. Add sooji stirring continuously and Microwave covered at 100% power for 5 minutes, stirring twice. Let stand a few minutes. Spread pure ghee from corners to give a nice aroma. Serve with the lemon juice squeezed over and garnish with coriander and coconut.

Note : For time saving, you can roast sooji and make tadka without onion and tomatoes. Mix sooji, salt and sugar in it. You can keep this mixture in refrigerator for a week. Whenever you want to make upma, just add water and milk in it and cook it for 5 minutes. Garam Upma is ready.

My contribution for MEC : Breezy Breakfasts and Srivalli's cooking 4 all season

Methamba

It's June and almost Mango season is ending……….. So I thought last time I will prepare Methamba for this season. It's a typical Maharashtrian side dish. The name itself describes ingredients Methi(fenugreek seeds in marathi) and Amba (Mango in marathi). Raw mango is used for this recipe. Its a sweet, sour ,spicy and with little bitternees tastes. In Karnataka it is known as 'Bhishi Uppinkai (Hot Pickle). It is very easy and quick to make. And can be store in refrigerator for several days.

Ingredients
Raw mango -1 large
fenugreek seeds (Methi dana)- 1 teaspoon
Grated Jaggery -1/2 cup
Red chilli powder -1 teaspoon
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Mutard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Turmeric powder -1/4teaspoon
Asafetida (hing) - a pinch
Salt to taste


Procedure
Wash and peal raw mango. Make small pieces. Don't use the seed. Heat the oil in a Kadai. Add mustard seeds and when it start spluttering add turmeric powder and asafetida. Then add fenugreek seeds and saute it till it get slightly brown. Now add raw mango pieces. Saute it so that it will get coated with the tadka. Add chilli powder, salt and 1/4 cup of water. Cover it and cook it till mango get cooked properly. Now add jaggery. You can adjust the quantity of jaggery as per the sourness of mango. Cook for another 5-6 minutes without lid. Consistency should be little thick. Methamba is ready, you can serve it with roti, paratha or bread also. Refrigerate it for several days.

I would like to contribute this recipe for cooking4allseason's Mango Mela!

SiMi Raita

Wondering, what is this SiMi raita ????? Nothing special, It's a capsicum raita. We call capsicum as "Simla Mirchi" , so shortcut of it is SiMi Raita. I am a Raita lover. I love to eat every kind of raitas. So one uncommon raita for you….

Ingredients
Green Capsicum - 1
Red Capsicum - 1
Curd - 2 cups (I used set curd)
Cumin Powder - 1/2 teaspoons
Sugar - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Procedure
Cut the both capsicums into small pieces. Heat a pan with little oil and saute capsicums for a minute. Don't over cook it. Now take curd in a bowl and add salt, sugar and cumin powder. Mix well. Now add capsicums and mix it neatly. Keep it in a fridge before serving. You can also add finely chopped onion and tomatoes in this raita.

This is my contribution for Priya's AFAM: Bell Peppers and and Maheswari's blog.

Gojjavalakki

Generally in Kannadigas prefer to have some snacks with their tea……. Preferably varieties of Poha (Avalakki in Kannada). Gojju avalakki is one of them. We can say it's a traditional snack of Karnataka. It is also called as 'Huli avalakki'. In short you can say it's grinde poha in tamarind sauce. One of my Aunty, in Bangalore taught me to make this easy Avalakki …… Poha.

Ingredients

Thick Poha - 2 cups
Sarin Pudi - 3 tablespoonss
Tamarind pulp- 3 tablespoons
Jaggery- 1/2 cup
Fresh coconut grated- 4 tablespoon
groundnuts - 2-3 tablespoons
Oil - 2 tablespoon
mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
curry leaves - 7-8
Dry red chillies - 4-5
chana dal( bengal gram) - 1 teaspoon
urad dal ( black gram ) - 1 teaspoon
Haldi powder - 1/2 teaspoon.
Hing (Asafetida) - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Procedure

Grind the thick poha coarsely in a mixer. Wash it and keep aside for 5-10 minutes. Take tamarind pulp add 2 cup of water, sarin pudi, jaggery and salt. Keep aside for half an hour so that poha will absorbs the tamarind mixture. Heat oil in a large kadai and make a tadaka of mustard seeds, curry leaves, dry red chillies, chana dal, urad dal, haldi powder and hing. Add groundnuts into it and fry it for a minute. Now add soaked poha and coconut and mix it properly. Cover it and cook it for a minute. Garnish with coriander and serve hot avalakki with Tea.

Chicken Tikka

Though all over India it's very hot now a days, Bangalore is having Rain showering every evening. So it's very pleasant atmosphere here. "Barsat ki sham aur chicken tikka ho saath to kya bat hain? " This was my husband's dialogue . So I made it and sharing the recipe with you…….

Ingredients

Boneless chicken - 125 gms.
Brown Paste - 1/2 teaspoon
Garam Masala - 1/4 teaspoon
Oil - 1/2 teaspoon
Lemon Juice - 1/2 teaspoon
Vinegar - 1/4 teaspoon
Ginger paste - 1/2 teaspoon
Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
Salt - 3/4 teaspoon
Hanged curd - 1 tablespoon
Orange red colour - 1/8 teaspoon (optional)

Procedure

Brown Paste - Take 1 medium size onion and cut it in slices. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in kadai and saute onions till it becomes brown. Let it get cool. Make a thin paste of onion in mixer , it is called as brown paste.

Now mix all the ingredients except chicken and make a smooth marination . Add boneless chicken in it and mix well so that chicken will fully get coated with the marination. Keep it aside for 1-2 hours. Skewer the chicken pieces (with capsicum and onion cubes) on thick skewers, not too tightly or they will not cook well on all sides. Brush little oil on the marinated chicken pieces. Now keep skewer on the flame and cook it from all sides till it gets cooked properly. For typical tandoor smell you can brush with pure ghee in between. You can cook it in gas tandoor also. So garma garam tikkas are ready, serve it with pudina chutney and onion salad.

My contribution to Viki's Kitchen's The Potluck - Chicken event

Tava pulav

One more recipe from Mumbai street is "Tava Pulav". It's not a regular pulav. Vegetables used are same as in Pav bhaji and the wonderful thing is, pav bhaji masala is added for flavor. It is called as Tava Pulav because Haath gadi wala bhaiyya prepares this pulav on same tava of pav bhaji. With all these vegetables, he also adds some ready bhaji into it. In our college days pav bhaji and Tava pulav with raita was our favorite dinner. So you must try this pulav, I assure you it tastes awesome……...

Ingredients

Cooked Basmati rice - 1 big bowl.
Potato -1 (peeled and cut in cubes)
Cauliflower florets - 1/2 cup
Capsicum - 1 (cut in cubes)
Carrot - 1 small (cut in cubes)
Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Tomatoes - 1 (finely chopped)
Green peas - 1/2 cup
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
Pav bhaji masala - 2 teaspoon
Red chili powder -1 teaspoon
Amul butter - 3 table spoon
Chopped onion and coriander - 1/2 cup
Lemon wedges - 4
Salt to taste


Procedure

Take a big tava (or a fry pan). Heat the tava and add butter in it. When the butter melts add ginger garlic paste and saute it for few seconds. Add chopped onion and saute it till it gets transparent. Add tomatoes , saute it till it leaves oil. Now add all the remaining vegetables, salt, red chili powder and pav bhaji masala and mix well. Add little water, cover it and let all the vegetables get cooked. Don't over cook it. Now add cooked rice, 1teaspoon of butter and if needed, add salt. Mix very gently . Saute it for a minute . Our pav bhaji wala used to add 1-2 table spoon of pav bhaji's ready bhaji at this time to give the authentic taste. This time my bhaji was ready, so I added 2 table spoon of ready bhaji into it. Mix well. Serve hot pulav with lemon wedges, chopped onion and coriander and Raita.

This is my entry for RCI : Mumbai Street Food and Lakshmi's RCI page.

&

For Ravishing Rice Recipes and to Meeta's MM page.

&

For EFM June - Breakfast Series!

Pav Bhaji

First of all Thanks from bottom of my heart to the person who invented such a wonderful dish called Pav Bhaji. This is a most popular snack - a mixture of various vegetables are boiled, mashed and cooked with a spicy masala and served with butter fried pav. You can get good pav bhaji on 'hath gadi' or you can say thela…… My most favorite Pav bhaji places are…… Mama's Pav bhaji @ Nashik, Brindavan hotel's Pav bhaji @ Bandra, Samarth Pav bhaji @ Pune, Kailash's Pav Bhaji @ Aurangabad. Wow the taste of each Pav bhaji stall is still on my tongue. There are different types of Pav bhaji like Sadha Pav bhaji, Amul Pav bhaji, cheese Pav bhaji, Khada Pav bhaji (Vegetables are not mashed), Jain Pav bhaji (without onion and garlic). This bhaji has a typical masala which contains 14 different spices. I have the recipe of this masala but I prefer to make this with Everest Pav bhaji Masala. This Bhaji is served with Pav (sorry not a bun). It is usually called as ladi Pav (slabs of bread) in Mumbai. Whenever you have to order for more Pav, you can only say…. "Ek single dena / Ek Doube dena…" I still remember a boy in Mama's pavbhaji stall, I don't remember his name but we used to call him Shahrukh and he was also very happy with that name :)
Today is my lovely sis Sneha's Birthday and she is very fond of "Pav bhaji". So sis this special dish is only for U…….. &

WISH U A VERY HAPPY BIRTH DAY!

Ingredients
Potatoes, boiled and mashed 5-6
cauliflower florets boiled and mashed - 1 cup
Finely chopped Capsicum - 1/2 cup
Finely chopped Tomatoes - 1 cup
Boiled Green peas -1 cup
Finely chopped Onion - 2 cups
Finely chopped Coriander -1/4 cup
Finely chopped garlic - 6-7 cloves
Grated ginger - 1/2 teaspoon
Pav bhaji Masala - 2 teaspoon
Red chili powder -1 teaspoon
Oil - 3 tablespoon
Butter - 50 gms.
Salt to taste.
Pav - 6-8


Procedure

Heat oil in a big Kadai. Add garlic and ginger and saute it till garlic turns to golden brown. Then add half of the onion and saute it till it get brown. Add tomatoes and cook it for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Now add capsicum and let it get cooked for a minute. Then add boiled peas, mashed cauliflower and potatoes. Add some water and mix it properly. Cook it on low flame for another 5 minutes. Mash it with wooden masher or back of the spoon till all the vegetables are completely mashed.(For khada pav bhaji this step is not necessary) Now add red chili powder, Everest Pav bhaji masala, salt and mix it properly. Add some butter from the side. If you find the bhaji very dry you can add some water and cook it for another minute. Bhaji is ready.
Heat a tawa. On the other side give a little cut to pav and spread a spoonful butter to pav from both sides. Now fry pav from both side till it gets crispy. Serve these pav with bhaji. Put half teaspoon butter on bhaji. And with chopped onion with coriander and lemon wedges.


I would love to send this post for RCI : Mumbai Street Food and Lakshmi's RCI page.

Aamras Puri with Kurdai for Vata savitri Purnima

Vat Savitri purnima is a festival of women. Vata Savitri Purnima is a very famous Hindu festival of India which can be celebrated across the country specially in Maharashtra. Vat Savitri purnima can be celebrated by the women on the full moon day of Jyeshtha mas. Vata Savitri Purnima is also known as vata purnima or vat purnima. on the day of Vata Savitri Purnima women pray for long life of their husbands and they pray that they never be widows. The significance of Vat Savitri purnima is connected to the legend story of Savitri and satyawan. in this story savitri got back her dead husbands life form yama. On this occasion of Vata Savitri Purnima women keep fast For their husbands, women wear bridal type dresses and jewelery. After breaking their fast, fruits, clothes and such other articles are given in charity in a bamboo basket to the Brahmin’s. Women worship a banyan (vata) tree, and listen to the story of Savitri in groups. after all this women can offer prayer and worship. during this puja women pray for good health of their husbands. women feed water to the tree, sprinkle red powder (kumkum) on it, cotton threads are wrapped round tree’s trunks and then they go seven times round and do the parikrama.

So the typical menu of Vatasavitri purnima is Aamras puri. My aaji used to say the actual season of eating Mangoes is from Akshay tritiya to Vata savitri purnima. So today is last day to eat Mangoes because now the monsoon will start and it's better not to eat Mangoes after rain starts.

Aamras

Aamras is a popular dessert of Maharashtra - smooth mango pulp served with hot puris.

Ingredients
Alphanso mangoes - 6 medium
Sugar - if required
Milk - If required

Procedure
Take Mangoes and soak them in water for 5-10 minutes. Keep you thumb on the tip of mango and press it with fingers to loosen the pulp. Remove the tip and take out all the pulp. Squeeze the seed ('koy' in Marathi) and remove pulp from it. Many people deep these seeds and cover of mangoes in milk and squeeze them to get maximum pulp from Mango. It is called as 'Fajita'. (I never prefer that). Add sugar if necessary. I generally never blend Aamras because I like the lumps in it. But if you want you can blend it and make a smooth Aamras. Pour it into a bowl and chill. Serve with hot puris.

Puri

This is very common puris which every Indian lady prepare in her house. But just wanted to add it with Aamras and Kurdai.


Ingredients
Wheat flour - 4 cups
Sugar – 1/2 Tea spoon
Salt – As per taste
Hot oil (mohan) – 2 Table spoon
Oil for frying


Procedure
Mix wheat flour, salt, sugar and hot oil. Knead to a hard dough with water. Keep aside for 5-10 minutes. Knead the dough very neatly so that corners of puri will not get cracked while rolling. Make a lemon size ball. Roll each ball in a round shape. Heat oil in kadai and deep fry on medium flame till it puffed properly. My Aai likes Golden brown Puris (she calls it as "Kharpus ani tamma phugalelya purya). Serve hot puris with Aamras.

Kurdai is like papad, taste best when deep fried. Mainly prepared from Wheat. I have already post the first step of kurdai that is Gavhacha cheek. It tastes best with Aamras……… give a try.

I would like to contribute this recipe for cooking4allseason's Mango Mela!

And To FIC June Delectable combinations, hosted by Kamalinka of Dedicated to Janaki Patt ,event by SunshineMom's event.

Palak Soup

Last month my niece Aadyaa was here. She loves Palak soup like anything. As we all know Palak (spinach) is an iron rich vegetable. So I prepared this soup for her…….. And she just loved it and was asking more ('ajun' in Marathi) in her bowl…… So a healthy soup for the rainy season.

Ingredients

Palak (spinach) - 1 bunch
Milk - 1,1/2 cup
Onion - 1 small
Garlic - 4-5 cloves
Ginger - 1 inch
Green chili - 1 (optional)
Black pepper powder - 1/4 tea spoon
Corn flour - 1 teaspoon
Sugar - 1 teaspoon
Butter - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste


Procedure

Wash the spinach neatly. Now cook spinach, 1/2 cup milk, onion, chili, garlic and ginger in pressure cooker for 2-3 whistles. Let it get cool. Now make a thin paste in the mixer. Sieve it with 1 cup of milk added into it. Add sugar, salt and butter and boil it for a minute. Now make a thin paste of corn flour and pour it in the soup and boil it for 30 seconds. Sprinkle some black pepper powder. Garma garam Palak soup is ready.

I would like to send this recipe to Pavani's Cooking For Kids-Leafy Greens started by Sharmi's original CKF announcement.
And
Soumya's SWC- Cooking with greens event

Dahi Jeera Butter

From the name, you must have thought that, what a combination? Curd with cumin seeds and Amul butter. But it's not a Amul butter . It's a bakery product just hard like toast but in round shape. Usually we eat this with tea. Last month my parents brought this butter from very famous bakery of Nashik (my hometown) , "Prakash Bakery" for me. This idea of making dahi vada with this jeera butter was taught by my Grand father, "Bhau Ajoba". This is very easy and quick recipe. You must try this Oil free vadas.




Ingredients

Jeera butter - 8-10
Curd - 250 Grams
Sugar - 4 teaspoons
Cumin powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Chat Masala - 1/4 teaspoon
Sev for garnishing
Salt to taste



Procedure

Beat the curd with some water. Add sugar, salt, cumin and coriander powder and mix well. This mixture should be very soft. In a bowl take warm water and deep jeera butter into it from one side. When it becomes slightly soft, deep it from other side till it get soften. Now take the jeera butter on your palm and gently press it with both the hands to remove water from it. Repeat it for remaining jeera butters. Put it in a serving plate. Pour curd over the vadas. Also pour the tamarind chutney and sprinkle chat masala and sev to taste. Garnish with chopped coriander. Serve immediately. If you wish you can pour pudina chutney on it. Instant Dahi vada for summer is ready.