Olya Kandyacha patichi bhaji (Spring Onion vegetable)Let me translate the title of this dish for you. Ola stands for wet/green/fresh, kanda means onion, pati means leaves and bhaaji means vegetable in Marathi- this spring onion vegetable is one of the most delicious preparations i have ever had.
Spring onions, also known as green onions or scallions (scallions however have a smaller bulb than spring onions) are used to make varied preparations in Indian, Chinese, Italian and American cuisines. Milder in taste than the fully developed bulbs, they are a good source of vitamins and minerals.
There are two ways of making this vegetable preparation - the pith perlela (read mixed with besan) dry version which is my MIL's way of making this dish and with which most Maharashtrians are familiar; and the non-dry-version which is my mom's way of making this dish. The one thing thats different with regards to my mom's way of cooking this dish is the addition of ajwain (being an Ayurvedic practitioner who believes in healthy eating, this preparation uses less oil and the ajwain prevents discomforts from gas caused by consumption of the dish). This vegetable can be served with tomato saar and rotis. The only con to making this dish is that it shrinks to a large extent. So initially when starting out you might think that you have a huge quantity on hand , but in the end it will only be enough to suffice.
I am describing both the ways of making this dish- you can take your pick of which one you would like to cook. I like both of them equally, however P loves only the dry version sans the ajwain. The only con to the dry version is the use of lot of oil.
The dry version
Ingredients
400 gm spring onions (scallions)
jaggery as per taste
1/2 tsp chili powder or as per your taste (a little extra salt and chili powder is required here to compensate for the addition of besan)
5 tbsp besan
salt as per taste
For tempering:
5 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
a pinch of asafoetida
1/4 tsp chili pwder
1/3 tsp turmeric
1. Dice the spring onions - the greens and the bulb.
2. Heat oil in a cooking pot and add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add some turmeric, asafoetida and chili powder and add the spring onions. Add salt and Cook them well.
3. When the onions are done add the chili powder and some jaggery. Let cook for 4-5 minutes.
4. Next add in the besan and mix well. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes so that it does not stick to the bottom and burn. Let the besan turn golden brown and when its completely done, serve hot with rotis.
The non-dry version
Serves 4
Ingredients:
400 gm spring onions (scallions)
jaggery as per taste (optional)
For tempering:
3 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
a pinch of asafoetida
1/3 tsp ajwain/ bishop or carom seeds
1/3 tsp turmeric
1. Dice the spring onions - the greens and the bulb.
2. Heat oil in a cooking pot and add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add some turmeric, asafoetida and ajwain and add the spring onions. Cook them.
3. When the onions are done add some jaggery.
Goes well with lasuN Thecha and bajrichi bhakri!!
ani:
tht sounds like a nice combination. i didnt know abt that.Will try it the next time.
wow!creative one:))looks so yummm
I like the dry version of this. But whenever I use besan in a dry veg, I get that raw taste no matter how long I cook it. I guess I should dry roast it separatly first...
@TBC.. Use some more oil.. More than usual.. That way you wont get the raw taste.. I tried this just today and it turned out to be awesome.. Do give it a try..
Thanks for such a nice recipe
@TBC: looks like you use too much of besan. That gives the smell of being raw. I use besan with capsicum similarly and it comes out well. Also, do not forget to keep the flame ultra low when you have added the besan. Cover the pot with a lid. Let the steam from the leaves cook the besan and make it soggy...... enjoy!
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