Mugachya DaLichi Khichdi aani karmaNe

My mom used to make this khichdi for dinner on the last Saturday of every month as Sunday morning would be the day for kadu kiraitacha kadha or NiwaLi(decoction made out of the herb).Also twice a year on Sundays there was a 'Castor oil day' .
The purpose of both was for removing stomach infections if any and thereby to maintain good health.
After that process the need for healthy,light and easily digestible food was the necessity. Khichdi and VaraN-bhat fulfill all the requirements.
Now after the creation of antibiotics,the NiwaLi and the Castor oil funda has become passé but I follow the principle of making this dish once a month.


Mugachya DaLichi khichDee
 (Rice & yellow split peas combo)


Ingredients
1/2 cup rice
1/4 cup moog daL/yellow split peas
1/4 cup saalwali/chilkewali moog dal

Tempering
1 tsp ghee
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Method

• Wash rice and daL together and soak them in little water for 10-15 minutes.
• Warm 2 cups of water in a pan.
• Heat ghee in another pan. Add cumin seeds. As they sizzle add asafoetida. Add turmeric powder.
• Add soaked dal-rice mixture.Mix well.
• Add warm water. Bring it to boil.let the water get soaked.
• Simmer the flame and cover the pan. Let it cook on low flame for 10-15 minutes.
• Serve hot with a tsp of shuddha ghee and karmane

Karmane
       accompaniment with khichdi


Ingredients
1/2 cup freshly grated coconut
2-3 pepper corns
1 -2 tsp chopped onion
1/2 tsp red chili powder or 1 dry red chili
1/2 tsp tamarind paste
salt to taste

Method

Grind all the ingredients to make a paste(not too fine).  Add little water while grinding to adjust the consistency.Serve with moogachi khichdi

Batatyachi kape/Kachrya

Ingredients
2 potatoes
red chili powder
turmeric powder
salt to taste
rice flour (for dipping the slices)

 Oil for shallow fry                                                                                  

Method

• Wash and slice the potatoes
• Spread the slices in a plate or shallow bottom pan
• Sprinkle red chili powder as per taste and turmeric powder
• Add salt and mix well
• Heat the griddle/tawa/non-stick frying pan. Add 1-2 tsp oil and spread all over it.
• Take rice flour in a plate and dip each marinated potato slice in it and place it on the griddle.
• Arrange as many slices as the space available on the griddle. ( try to keep each slice separately)
• Add oil around the slices with spoon if required.
• Cover the griddle. Let it cook on low-medium flame for 2-3 minutes
• Take off the lid check if the slices are cooked with fork or knife.
• Serve with khichdi-karmane
  
  
  
  
  
  Note
  Khichdi is plain so you can make accompaniments more spicy.
  This combo of khichdi,karmane and kachrya is supposed to be a complete meal or purnanna (a meal made up of carbohydrate, proteins and fats)

Paneer Bhurji

Paneer or curd cheese is high in protein content and hence a good source of protein for vegetarians. Here I have used paneer as a main ingredient.

Addition of  black grapes, raisins, cashew nuts make the dish rich. Spicy taste is because of the chilies and few masalas. A few drops of  fresh lemon juice make it tangy.


Ingredients
1-2 cups of paneer cubes
4-5 black grapes ( or soak dried black raisins in warm water for 10 minutes)
2-3 cahew nuts (chopped)

Tempering
1 tsp ghee/oil
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida
1 tsp garlic ginger paste
1 dry red chilly(chopped finely)
1 green chilly(chopped finely)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
salt to taste
1 tsp kasoori methi
1 tsp of dried/fresh mint leaves

Garnishing
Chopped coriander leaves
drops of fresh lemon juice

Method

• Cut the black grapes in slices. If unavailable soak some dried ones in warm water for 10 minutes,if not then use as it is)
• Cut ends of red and green chilies and remove seeds and chop them fine.
• Heat ghee/oil in the kadai. Add cumin seeds. As they sizzle add asafoetida and ginger garlic paste.
• Add chilies. Add all powders. Fry for a while and add paneer cubes. Mix well.
• Add salt and sugar(optional) to taste.
• add kasoori methi and pudina. Mix well and take off the heat.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with few drops of lemon juice on it.

Note

• Dry roast the leaves of kasoori methi a little on a low flame and rub it on the palms to make a powder and then mix in.
• Pudina/mint leaves can be added fresh or dried (if using dried just rub them to powder before adding)
• If using frozen paneer, boil the water and dip the paneer in it for 10 minutes before preparation.

Lapshi ravyacha upma

Normally  we use jada rawa /semolina for making upma/sanja/shira but daliya/lapshi rawa/gavhacha rawa is the healthier option.
The only tedious part is daliya takes more time to cook. So to save the time, I roast daliya with a tsp of ghee on the previous day ( rather night) and pressure cook it with double the quantity of water. On the next morning I just separate the grains with hand/spoon and proceed to make the normal upma. Although the ingredients are the same,the dish tastes different because of daliya. Only addition I made is turmeric powder which is optional.

Upma

Almost all south-indian restaurants serve this upma. There are many udipi restaurants in Matunga(central) area. Just to name the few are... Sharada bhavan, Amba bhavan, Ramashraya, Udipi, Mysore Cafe..... Udipi Shrikrishna and Mahabhoj are also located in the same area  but they only serve full meals.
The upma that I make and that from the restaurant are different in taste though the ingredients are same. I think the difference is I use roasted rawa and they don't ( or the time for roasting varies)
I have not tried the upma with plain semolina(non-roasted) as my children like the way I make it....:)

Ingredients
1 cup jada rawa/semolina
1/4 cup green peas(optional)
2 and1/2 cup of hot water
salt and sugar to taste

Tempering
2 tsp oil /ghee (tastes better in ghee)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp chana dal
1/2 tsp udad dal
4-5 cashew nuts
1 tsp asafoetida
5-6 curry leaves
2-3 chopped dry red chilies(halved)/green chilies (chopped)

Garnishing
Freshly grated coconut
Chopped coriander leaves
lemon juice

Method

1.Heat the oil/ghee in the pan.
2.Add all the ingredients of tempering.
3.Add green peas.
4.Add semolina. Roast well for 5-7 minutes.
5.Add boiled water (you can add salt and sugar while boiling)Cover the pan.Let it cook for 3-5 minutes or till all the water gets soaked
6.Squeeze in the lemon.
7. Garnish with coconut and coriander and serve.

Note
My mom used to keep pre-roasted rawa handy. (that served two purposes...1. It saved her time by 5-7 minutes and 2. increased the shelf life of rawa.
Nowadays refrigerating it is another option.

NaraLachya rasatalya Shevaya

(Rice flour noodles in coconut milk)

Ingredients

For Shevaya
1 cup rice flour
1 cup water
1 tsp oil
salt to taste

For coconut milk
1 cup freshly grated coconut
 jaggery ( as per taste)
 a pinch cardamom or nutmeg powder (optional)


Method
Grind grated coconut,cardamom/numeg powder in a mixer. Strain the coconut milk in a bowl, mix in the grated jaggery so that it gets dissolved in it.

Boil water in a saucepan. (add salt abd oil while heating)
Simmer the gas and add rice flour in parts.
Mix well and cover the pan. keep the flame low.
Let it cook for 1-2 minutes.turn off the gas. Let it remain covered for 2 minutes.
Transfer the contents in a shallow dish. Knead the flour into a soft dough. ( dip palms in water while kneading)
Make 3-4  balls out of the dough and press each one in your fist to make a 'mutka'.
Heat a saucepan with sufficient water in it. Add mutkas as water starts boiling. All will immerse in it.
As water boils, mutkas get cooked and float on water.
Grease the  shevecha sacha/press with oil.Put 2 mutkas in it while they are warm. ( as per the availability of space) Press the handle  to make shevaya.
Dip the shevaya in coconut milk and jaggery mixture while serving.

Note
I use 1/2 coconut milk and half milk combi
Ready-made coconut milk can also be an option

Chakali-shev sacha/press

DaLichi Toay

No coconut,no masala....easy,simple,healthy..yet tasty

Ingredients
1 cup toor dal
2 green chilies(slit)
1/2 inch ginger (chopped or julienne)
salt to taste

Tempering
1 tsp ghee
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
4-5 curry leaves
2 dry red chilies

Garnishing
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp sajuk toop


Method
Pressure cook dal with green chilies and ginger with at least 2 cups of water
When cooked transfer the contents in a sauce pan or kadai. Add salt.Stir well and bring it to boil.Add warm water to make the desired consistency.
Turn off the gas.
In a PaLi (iron tempering spoon) heat ghee and add mustard seeds,as they sizzle add asafoetida,curry leaves and dry redchili pieces.take off the heat.
Dip the spoon contents in a saucepan and cover it for 2 minutes.
Toay is ready to serve.
Add fresh lemon juice and a tsp of sajuk toop while serving.
Serve hot with steamed rice.


Note
This curry is dilute or watery.
In traditional Toay turmeric is not used.