Dinkache laadu/ Antin Undi

Another traditional recipe for Winter. Dink means edible gum crystals. Ladoo of this with coconut and lots of ghee and dry fruits are very healthy and specially prepared in winter. Old people used to eat this ladoo in winter because it generates heat and strength in body. Dinkache ladoo are traditionally given to ladies after their delivery to strengthen the body. Ladoos in this picture also prepared by My Bhabhi, Sapna's Mother after Sapna's delivery.

Ingredients
Dink/antu (gum/resin) - 2 tablespoons
Grated dry coconut - 1/2 cup
Finley Chopped cashew - 2 tablespoons
Finley Chopped almonds- 2 tablespoons
Finley Chopped kharik (dry dates)- 2 tablespoons
Finley Chopped walnuts- 2 tablespoons
Raisins - 1 tablespoon
Poppy seeds - 2 tablespoons
Cardamom powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Nutmeg powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Jaggery - 1 cup
Pure ghee (preferably homemade) - 2 tablespoon


Procedure
Heat a ghee in a kadai and put dink in it. Slowly it will start puffing like small balls. When all the dink got puffed remove it from kadai but keep the ghee as it is in kadai. Now fry all dry fruits one by one in ghee till it turns to slightly brown. Then fry poppy seeds and dry coconut. Crush fried dink little. Mix all fried ingredients. Now take 1/2 cup of water and bring it to boil. Add jaggery and make a thick syrup of it. (When we put a drop of syrup in water it should sit like a ball, then the syrup is done.) Now add all fried ingredient's mixture and cardamom and nutmeg powder in syrup and mix wel. Apply ghee on your palm and make ladoos when the mixture is warm. Store it in a container. If you want to get feel of eating just done ladoos after 10-15 days, just microwave it for 10-15 seconds….ladoos will taste more yummy.

Til Gul ghya god Bola…..

Sankrant is the first Hindu festival of the solar calendar year, falling on January 14. It is one of the most auspicious times for the followers of the Hindu religion. This festival coincides with the Sun's northward journey (Uttarayan). On Jan 14, the Sun enters the zodiac sign of Makar ( Capricorn). Sankrant means the movement from one zodiac sign to another. It is a special date when the day and night are of equal duration. Henceforth, the duration of the day becomes longer thereby providing a reason for celebration.
Sankrant symbolizes the onset of the harvest season and the end of winter. It has been celebrated as the harvest festival right from the times of the Aryans. The Sun God, Surya, is said to turn his back on winter with his chariot of seven horses marching forward. In Mahabharata too, the auspiciousness of this period is mentioned. Bhishma Pitamaha, in spite of being wounded and lying on a bed of arrows, waits for 'Uttarayan' to set in before breathing his last. It is believed that a person who dies in this period attains 'moksha' (salvation) and escapes the cycle of birth and death.

In Maharashtra this period is called as sankraman kal. On the Sankranti day sweets are prepared from Til (sesame) and Gul (jaggery) which again warms your body. Its an occasion to visit near and dear ones and distribute tilgul saying "Tilgul ghya, god god bola" that means "Take a tilgul and talk sweet as it". The under-lying thought in the exchange of tilguls is to forget the past ill-feelings and hostilities and resolve to speak sweetly and remain friends.
In this 'sankraman kal' you have to do 'Daan' so, this is a special day for the women in Maharashtra when married women are invited for a get-together called ‘Haldi-Kumkum’ and given gifts of any utensil or any useful items. This is the only day when black colour is auspicious. So married woman wears black sarees and for infants also Maharashtrian people purchase a black dress.

[Black Rangoli by my Sister Sneha on the occasion of Sankranti Haldi kumkum]

So here is my recipe for Sankrant….

Tilgulache Ladoo

Ingredient
Sesame seeds- 2 cups
Groundnuts - 1/2 cups
Grated dry coconut - 1/2 cup
Grated Jaggery - 1 cup
cardamom powder - 1/2 tea spoon


Procedure
Take a kadai and first roast sesame seeds and keep aside. Roast groundnut and keep aside to cool. Lastly roast grated dry coconut. When all the three ingredients get cooled mix it and grind the mixture to powder. Because of the oil in Sesame, Groundnut and coconut, this mixture will become moist. Add cardamom powder. Now make a small small balls (ladoo) of it. These will keep easily for 2 weeks.
Give this Ladoo, 'Sweet balls' to your near and dear one and say '' TIL GUL GHYAA GOD GOD BOLA''

I want to contribute this to Preeti's Festive Food.

Bhogi chi Bhaaji

Today is Bhogi. The first day of Sankranti Festival. Generally it is 13th January. It is celebrated in honor of Lord Indra, "the God of Clouds and Rains". Lord Indra is worshiped for the abundance of harvest, thereby bringing plenty and prosperity to the land. Since it’s a winter season main food for Bhogi is curry of mixed vegetable (available in this season), bajra roti with sesame on it and rice & mung dal khichadi. So that you can keep yourselves warm in winter.


Ingredient
Brinjal small - 4
Peeled & chopped Carrots - 3
Peeled & chopped Potatoes - 3 medium
Harbara /Fresh Green chana - 1/2 cup
Green peas - 1/2 cup
Val papdi / INDIAN BEANS - 1 cup
Chopped tomato - 1 medium
Ber/ Bor (Indian Zizyphus) - 4-5

Roasted groundnut powder - 3 Tea spoon
sesame seeds - 1 tea spoon
Red chilly powder - 1 tea spoon
Goda Masala or Garam Masala - 1 table spoon
Gud/ Jaggery to taste
Salt to taste
For Tempering
Oil - 2 tea spoon
Mustard seeds (Rai)- 1/2 tea spoon
Turmeric powder (Haldi) -1/2 tea spoon
Asafetida (Hing) - 1 pinch

Procedure

Heat Oil in a kadai. Put mustard seeds, turmeric powder and Asafetida. Add brinjal, val papdi, carrots, potatoes, harbara and peas, mix it and cover it for few minutes. Then add chopped tomato & saute it. Now add chilly powder, masala, salt, jaggery and little water and cover it and let it cook for five minutes. When all vegetables cooked properly add ber/bor and mix it. (It gives khatta mitha taste to it) You can add water if required. Add groundnut powder and sesame seeds mix it and cook for 2 minutes. Bhogi chi bhaji is ready. You can add more vegetables of your choice.
Serve with Bajra Bhakri with sesame seeds on it.

I want to contribute this to Preeti's Festive Food.

Mod aalelya methichi (Fenugreek seed sprouts) Usal

This is again a very traditional & rare recipe of my Grandmother (Mai aaji). Now after my aaji, my Aai is specialist for this 'Usal' in our entire family. It is a Winter recipe. Methi (Fenugreek seed) is very healthiest Indian spice. It is good for Diabetic patient to lower blood sugar level and help to reduce Cholesterol Levels. It is a good kindly tonic. It gives heat to your body. Beside this, it is bitter in taste so no one loves to eat methi seeds. But this 'Usal' tastes very nice and bitter taste of methi seeds is almost vanished.

Procedure : sprout Fenugreek seeds


Wash 1 cup of fenugreek seeds and keep it in a large bowl. Add 2 cups of water and cover it with lead. Soak the seeds for about 10 hours. Then drain out water, rinse it with fresh water and again drain it. Now transfer it to a sprout maker or else tie it tightly in a smooth cotton cloth for 2-3 days. Now the sprouts with good length is ready.

Ingredient
Sprouts - 1 Cup
Coarsely grinded wheat flour - 1, 1/2 cup
Grated dry coconut - 1/4 cup
Garlic cloves - 7-8
Red chilly powder - 2 tea spoon
Salt & sugar as per taste

For tempering (tadka)
Oil - 1/4 cup
Mustard seeds - 1 tea spoon
Asafetida (hing) - 1 pinch
Turmeric powder - 1 tea spoon


Procedure
Heat half of oil in Kadai. Add mustard seeds, after they pop add chopped garlic when they turned golden add asafetida and turmeric powder. Now add Sprouts and mix it very gently. Put the lead and pour little water on it for proper steam. After five minutes add chilly powder, salt, and sugar again mix softly so that sprouts will not break, otherwise the bitter taste will spread all over. Again put lead for steam. When the sprouts properly cooked add Coarsely grinded wheat flour ( if you don't have this you can combine normal wheat flour with rawa / semolina in 3:1 ratio respectively). While mixing it add remaining oil, spoon after spoon. Put the lead and cook it for 3-4 minutes. Now take it away from the flame. When it becomes little cool add grated dry coconut and mix it. You can have this with roti or Bhakri. While eating you can pour some more garlic tadka on it. I just love that………..


I would like to send this recipe to Ammalu’s Kitchen's JFI - Sprouts Event

And also for Trupti's 'Winter Treat Event '

Kalanachi Bhkari

As we all know Bhakri is very famous in Maharashtra and Karnataka. Bhakri has traditionally been the farmer's food, but in modern days however, bhakri has been replaced by roti and paratha, but still enjoys its own fan-following. It is made mostly from jowar flour, bajra flour, nachni flour and even rice flour. But today I am going to show you new variety of Bhakri which is a mixture of Black gram (Urad) and jowar. This bhakri is from 'Khandesh' (Maharashtra). Specially they make this in Winter season. This is best to be consumed in Winter , as it is known to generate heat and keep you warm. This Bhakri can accompany virtually any vegetable, daal or chutney (thecha), but in my house we eat this with groundnut and garlic chutney.


Ingredient

Jowar - 1 kg
Black gram (urad) - 250gms
Warm water
Salt - 1 tsp

Procedure
Mix jowar and black gram and grind it to fine flour . This flour is called as 'Kalana'.
Now take 'Kalana' flour in a vessel and make a well in the middle. Add salt and warm water.
Knead nicely to make a soft dough. Make round balls out of this dough. On a flat surface, sprinkle little flour and pat the ball with your palm ( you can roll it like roti also). Use flour as required. Keep flattening the ball in circular motion to make round shape like roti. Don't make it too thin. Heat a griddle (tawa) . Lower the flame. Now place Bhakri on griddle in such a way that the lower portion of bhakri should be on griddle. Now spread little of water on upper side of bhakri. When water on bhakri dries completely turn it to cook from other side. Now remove from griddle and keep it on the direct flame. It will get puffed. It will need practice for puffed bhakri. Serve it with Groundnut Chutney and onion ( And if you prefer green chilly shsh……).

I would like to send this recipe to Trupti's 'Winter Treat Event '

Oli halad (Fresh Turmeric) Chutney

This is another winter special recipe. From end of November you will start getting fresh turmeric in market. Now you must be wondering what is this 'Fresh turmeric' ?
Most of us knew the Turmeric in powdered form only. But the Turmeric comes from the root of Curcuma longa, a green plant in the ginger family. Rhizome has a tough brown skin and bright orange flesh. Ground turmeric comes from fingers which extend from the root. Besides flavoring food, to purify the blood and remedy skin conditions is the most common use of Turmeric.

In this picture you can see yellow fresh turmeric and ginger on right side.

Ingredients
fresh turmeric - 100gms
Ginger -100 gms
green chillis - 3-4
Lemon juice - 2 tablespoon
Sugar - 2 tablespoon
Mustard seeds (rai) - 1 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1 teaspoon
salt to taste

For tempering/ tadaka
Oil - 2 tablespoon
Rai - 1/2 teaspoon
Asafetida - 2 pinch


Procedure :
Wash, peel and chop fresh turmeric and ginger. Combine all ingredients and grind to a fine paste without using water. Now for tempering/ tadka heat the oil in a small kadai , add mustard seeds, after they pop add Asafetida and pour the tadaka on the mixture. Mix it properly. Serve this with any meal as a side dish ( in Marathi we called it as 'Davi baaju'). You can keep this chutney in fridge for many days.

I would like to send this recipe to Trupti's 'Winter Treat Event '

Mix vegetable pickle / Bhajyanche Lonche

This is one of my favorite pickles. It’s really mouth watering. My Mother in law makes it very nice. This or any variety of pickle is her specialty. I must say, she is a great Cook. I love to prepare this pickle because it’s very easy and can be done in just a few minutes.

Ingredient:

Carrot chopped in small pieces - 1 Bowl
Green Peas - 1 Bowl
Cauliflower florets chopped in small pieces - 1/2 Bowl
Lemon - 1
Readymade pickle masala - 2 Tablespoon

For Tempering

Oil - 2 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds (Rai) - 1/2 teaspoon
Asafetida (hing) - 1 pinch
Turmeric Powder (haldi) - 1/2 Tea spoon

Procedure:

Mix Carrot, Green Peas, Cauliflower, Lemon juice and pickle masala (generally I prefer Bedekar's Readymade Pickle Masala) neatly. Now for tempering heat the oil in a small kadai, add mustard seeds, after they pop add asafetida and turmeric powder. Let it cool for some time. Add it to pickle mixture & mix it. According to your taste you can add more masala, lemon juice or salt. You can add different vegetables as per your choice. Store it in glass container. It tastes better the next day because all vegetables soak the masala properly. You can eat it with Roti, Paratha, Bhakri, and Gakar or simply with bread.