by Priyanka posted at 4:17 PM
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The first time i tasted this marathi version of toor dal was at a resort called Nisarg Srushti- a place surrounded by nature all around, situated a couple of hours from Pune. Being born and brought up in Gujarat, our version of the dal is modified to resemble the Gujarati dal. So, the first sip of this hot spicy dal liberally sprinkled with freshly grated coconut tantalized my taste buds. I wanted more. However, when I tried my hand at making this dal it turned out nowhere close to the amti that i had. Then, this christmas, we were vacationing with family in Atlanta and P's aunt- Ujjwala mami who is from Wai (a town in Satara) happened to mention that she makes awesome amti. Having said that, she went the whole nine yards to show me how to actually make the amti that i had been craving for. One sip of the amti and i knew it was "THE RECIPE". So here goes the recipe.
Ingredients
Serves 6
1 cup toor dal (yellow split peas)
4-5 curry leaves
1 small tomato chopped
2 tsp tamarind chutney- you can also use tamarind paste made at home but to save time and effort you can use the store bought one (or as per your taste)
1/3 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp goda masala ( a must- goda masala is the marathi version of garam masala- if you dont have it, add garam masala plus crushed dried coconut and sesame seeds- however the taste might change)
2 tbsp freshly grated coconut
2 tbsp freshly chopped coriander
salt to taste
1 tsp or more jaggery to taste (a must since you are adding tamarind)
For tempering
2 tbsp oil
2 tsp mustard seeds
1/3 tsp turmeric
a pinch of asafoetida
1/4 tsp fenugreek/methi seeds (optional)
3 green chilies-chopped
1. Boil the toor dal in the pressure cooker. Blend it lightly and set aside
2. Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and when they pop, add the fenugreek seeds, turmeric, asafoetida and chilies.
3. Saute for minute and add the boiled dal.
4. Add 4 cups of water or more as required (the consistency of the dal should be very thin- a little thicker than rasam)
5. Add the rest of the ingredients except the coconut and coriander and continue to boil for 20 -30 minutes.
6. In the end garnish with coriander and coconut and serve with rice and chapatis.
I served mine with some spicy alu-gobhi and phulkas.
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by Priyanka posted at 12:27 PM
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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.
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by Priyanka posted at 10:46 AM
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After taking a break over the weekend , i am back with some more maharashtrian dishes. Today, i will be posting recipes on a vegetable, salad and breakfast dish to finish up with the maharashtrian cuisine. Then i will start with something from a different cuisine. Every morning, i debate about what to cook for lunch. You see, P doesnt like a heavy lunch because he has to work. So what did i decide to make today ?? Sabudanyachi khichdi/ a spicy sago dish, P's favorite. The ultimate maharashtrian breakfast which can also subsitute for lunch and is usually made on days when you fast. However when you have such a mouthwatering dish in front of you, who cares about fasting.
Sabudana khichdi doesnt require that you put in a whole lot of time. Its a fairly quick dish to make and yummy to boot. However, how it turns out depends on the quality of sago/sabudana that you get. Here in the U.S. it is difficult to get a good quality sabudana. I usually try to get sago from a recent stock because the older it gets, the quality degrades. The Lakshmi brand is usually good.
According to this article in Wikipedia, the word sabudana is derived from Sabut meaning whole and dana meaning seed. Sabudana known as pearl sago in India is a slightly different variation of the traditional sago indigenous to Myanmar, Malaysia and Indonesia. In India sago is used to make khichdi, sabudana wada, wafers and kheer. In the western world, a similar version of the sago- tapioca is used to make puddings. Note: Sago is a high-calorie food full of carbohydrates and little vitamins, proteins or minerals. So if you are on a diet, you should probably avoid sabudana and its varied preparations.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 cups sago/sabudana
1 potato
salt and sugar to taste
1/3 tsp chili powder
3/4th cup roasted peanut powder
For tempering:
1 tsp cumin seeds
6-7 curry leaves
3 green chilies
2 tsbp ghee
For garnish:
coriander
1. The secret to making a good sabudana khichdi is in soaking the sabudana. Soak the sabudana overnight(preferably). If its a good quality one, you only need to soak it 2-3 hours prior to cooking. Add water only till the sabudana is soaked in it. If you add more, it will become soggy; if you add less, it will not turn soft. (Tip: If it turns out just a little soggy, place some paper napkins over it and let it soak up the water. The sabudana will turn out firm yet soft.)
2. For the peanut powder,roast peanuts, peel off the skin and ground it into a coarse powder.
3. The next day or just before cooking, the sabudana should be separate ( just like each rice grain of basmati) but soft. Mix the peanut powder, chili powder, salt and sugar.
4. Peel off the potato skin, and dice it into small cubes.
5. Heat ghee in a cooking pot and add the cumin seeds. When they crackle, add the curry leaves and green chili and potato. Add a pinch of salt and let the potato cook.
6. When the potato's done, add the sabudana and heat for 5-7 minutes.
7. Garnish with coriander and serve hot.
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