Wish all of you a very Happy New Year

Gajar Halwa

Typical Bollywood scene ………!!

माँ : बेटा आज मैंने तुम्हारे लिए गाजर का हलवा बनाया हैं ........

बेटा : अरे माँ तुम्हे कैसे पता मुझे गाजर का हलवा पसंद हैं?

One of the famous dialect in 70's in our own hindi movies……………... Cool na ;)………………. Son is asking how his mother knows what he likes………... Actually you should hear this from Shirish Kanekar in one of his stand up comedy show (He is also writer and film critic). But as my hubby says, ignore it.................. 'cinematic justice'.
Ok coming to the point, Today is last day of 2008. I thought I will end this year sweetly. So here comes Bollywood famous Gajar ka halwa.......

Ingredient
Carrots (gajar) - 8 -10
Khoya (khawa) - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Desi Ghee - 3 table spoon
Green Cardamom powder - 1 tea spoon
Pista, badam slices for decoration.


Procedure
Peel wash and grate carrots. Heat the desi ghee in thick-bottomed pan, ass grated carrots and saute it for five minutes. Add milk and put lead on it. Cook on medium heat until carrots are cooked. Now add sugar and grated khoya, cook it till sugar melts and mixes well, stirring continuously. Add pista, badam slices and continue to cook for two minutes more. Serve hot. You can serve hot halwa with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream as a dessert.

Veg. Dish

Papad Roll (In microwave)

This is a non fried version of Papad roll. I like the papad rolls, but its so oily. I generally avoid to eat it. Yesterday I roasted the papad in Microwave oven as usual and an idea clicked in my mind, the papad roll can also be prepared in microwave without any oil. Today I tried this and it was a successful attempt.

Ingredient
Papad (urad/ mung) - 5
Boiled and mashed potatoes - 5
Finely chopped onion - 1
Chilli,ginger and garlic paste - 2 table spoon
Chat masala - 1 teaspoon.
Jeera (cumin) Powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tea spoon
Chopped fresh coriander leaves - 1 table spoon
Sugar - 1/2 tea spoon
Oil - 2 table spoon
Salt to taste.


Procedure

Heat the oil in a kadai , then add chilli,ginger,garlic paste. Saute it. Add mashed potatoes, chat masala, jeera powder,turmeric powder,salt and sugar and mix it. Cool the mixture and add onion and chopped coriander leaves. Divide the potato mixture into equal portions and shape each portion into a long roll of about the same length as the diameter of the papads. Take water in deep plate. Dip the papads in water for a few seconds.Put a potato roll on the corner of each papad and roll up. Put all the rolls on Microwave safe plate and keep it in Microwave. Set the Microwave on high for 1 minutes. The rolls are ready Serve hot with Pudina chutney or Tomato ketchup.

would like to send this recipe to EFM-Savouries

Khekda Bhaji (Onion Fritters )

This is again a all time favorite snacks of Maharashtrian people. In Marathi 'Khaekda' means crab. But this bhaji is not of crabs but of Onion. When totally prepared it looks looks like crabs, So it is called as Khekda Bhaji. Nothing is as great as eating 'Khekda bhaji' with hot Ginger tea in rainy days. But if you ask me, I can eat this any time and in any season. My bro-in-law, Pranav is very expert in making these bhaji. Whenever there is program of khekda bhaji in our house, he is main chef and we are his assistants. So here is Pranav special 'Khekda bhaji' for u.


Ingredient
Onions thinly sliced vertically - 2
Besan - 1 cup
Red chilly powder - 2 tea spoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon
Ova (Ajwain seeds) - 1 tea spoon
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Procedure
Separate out onion slices neatly. Add salt, red chilly powder, turmeric powder and Ajwain seeds and mix it properly. Now keep this mixture aside for 15 to 20 minutes.
This will soften the onions and the mixture becomes juicy. Now add rest of the ingredients and mix it. On the other side heat oil in kadai. Add 2-3 teaspoon of hot oil (mohan) in the mixture. If needed add little water to make a thick batter. Now drop small lumps of the batter and fry till golden and crisp. Drain it on paper towel. Serve very hot with pudina or coconut or imly ki chutney or with tomato ketchup. You put some ketchup on 2 slices of bread and keep these bhajis between two slices and have it like sandwich, 'khekda sandwich '

I would like to send this recipe to EFM-Savouries

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 '