Cucumber salad/KakDichi koshimbir

Cucumber salad/Khamang kakDi
In hot summer, eating cucumber sprinkling salt and chili powder is an experience. It cools your hunger as well as thirst.

Cucumber salad/khamang kakdi
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Ingredients
2 cucumbers
1/2 cup roasted peanuts(crush or grind coarsely )
1/2 cup curd/dahi
salt and sugar to taste

Tempering
1/2 tsp ghee/butter
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida(optional)
1 green chili(chopped)

Garnishing
1-2 sticks of coriander leaves(chopped)(optional)


Method

• Wash cucumber. Peeling off the skin depends on your choice. I don't.
• Chop the cucumber in small pieces.
• Apply a tsp of ghee/butter to the chopped cucumber.
• Mix crushed peanuts,salt, sugar and curd. Mix well.
• Heat ghee in an iron spoon/ladle or paLi.
• Add cumin seeds, asafoetida(optional) and chili.
• Pour it on the cucumber mixture. Cover for a while.
• Garnish with chopped coriander(optional).

Note
Applying ghee on the chopped cucumber prevents the salad becoming watery.

This dish can be eaten for upwas(fasting) by omitting asafoetida and coriander leaves

Beetroot salad

 Beetroot Salad

For many years I was under the impression that beet root could not be eaten raw. I used to pressure cook it but somehow I didn't like the taste & smell after that. Because of the vitamin contents and varieties of benefits of it on the human body I used to include beetroot in our diet as a salad once a while.
When my friend Sudha shared her recipe of beet salad. I loved it so much that I fell in love with the salad & it was included as a regular recipe.



Method

• Wash the beetroots. Cut the ends and scrape the skin. Grate the beetroot.
• Beat curd with a spoon to make it smooth.
• Add black salt  and cumin seeds powder as per taste.
• Mix in  the beaten curd.

Note
Make it just  before you eat to get the benefits of the anti-oxidants.

Spicy Rice/Masale Bhaat

Masale Bhaat
          Spicy Rice
My Mom used to make this dish from a recipe book 'Ruchira', by Kamalabai Ogale. The first edition was out in March 1970. It was very popular at that time. I remember my Mom gifting the book to a newly wed girl once. A typical  rice preparation in Maharashtrian Weddings. Though the name says 'spicy',it's not that spicy or hot. A perfect blend of coriander and cumin seeds gives a typical flavor.

  Addition of tondli/tendli(Ivy gourd), potato,brinjal (egg plant)makes it delicious and nutritious as well.

           
Ingredients
1 cup rice
2 cups water
4-5  tondli/tendli/Ivy gourd OR 2 brinjals/egg plant OR 1potato
4-5 cashew nuts
1/2 tsp kaLa masala/goDa masala
1/2 cup curd
salt and jaggery/sugar to taste

To be roasted (dry)
1 table sp coriander seeds
1 table sp cumin seeds
1 table sp dry grated coconut

 Tempering
1-2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida
5-6 curry leaves
1-2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
Garnishing
freshly grated coconut
chopped coriander leaves
a slice of lemon

Method

• Wash rice. Drain water and keep aside. ( Do not drain water completely )
• Heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds, as they sputter add asafoetida, curry leaves, bay leaves.
• Add rice & fry and mix well. Mix in the vegetable and fry as well.. Add turmeric and chili powder as per taste.
• Boil  water. Pour in the hot water in the kadai..
• Roast coriander seeds,cumin seeds, dry red chilies & dry grated coconut. Crush all roasted ingredients in khul-batta to a coarse powder.
• Once rice is half cooked ( water reduces to half),add this powder, salt, jaggery in it.
• Add cashew nuts. Add kaLa masala. Cover with lid and let it cook. Lower the flame.
• At the end add cream or  sweet curd ( without sugar but not sour). Mix well & cover for a minute.
• Garnish with freshly grated coconut,chopped coriander and sajuk toop,roasted papad.

 

Risotto in my (indianised) way

Ingredients
1 cup rice ( preferably flavored-Basmati or aambemohor)
1 bunch spinach
1/2 cup sweet corn
2-3 garlic cloves(chopped)
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 table sp butter
2 table spoon cream
oregano,pepper powder & salt as per taste
grated cow cheese


Method

• Wash rice with warm water and soak in little water for 10-15 minutes.
• Wash spinach leaves in salty water for 10 minutes, drain and pat dry. Cut spinach.
• Saute onion in butter till transparent. Add garlic with leaves,corns and saute well.
• Add rice and spinach. Saute for 2 minutes.
• Sprinkle salt,pepper powder and oregano. Add half of the grated cheese.
• Add 2 cups of warm water. Cook on high flame till water gets absorbed. Lower the flame.
• Cover with lid and let it cook.
• When done add cream. Mix well.
• Transfer the contents in a serving bowl.
• Garnish with remaining grated cheese and oregano.

Chanyachya DaLichi AamTi

Masalyachi AamTi
(ChaNaDaL/bengal gram)

Ingredients
1/2 cup chNa DaL
salt and jaggery to taste


To be roastedin 1/2 -1 tsp of oil

1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp black cumin seeds( shahajire)
2-3 cloves
1/2 inch cinnamon
3-4 peppercorns
2 dry red chilies
1/4 cup dry/fresh coconut (grated)

To be ground
All roasted masala
1-2 tsp tamarind paste
1-2 tsp cooked DaL


Tempering
1-2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida
4-5 curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Method

• Wash and cook DaL with double the quantity of water in a pressure cooker.
• Roast all the ingredients of masala in oil.
• Grind all roasted masala with tamarind and a tsp of cooked dal to a fine paste.
• Heat oil in a pan add the tempering ingredients one by one. As they sizzle add cooked dal and little water.
• Add ground masala paste and water to adjust the consistency.
• Bring it to boil.
• Add jaggery and salt to taste.
• Serve with steamed rice.
  
  
  Note
  Instead of chana DaL, same curry is prepared using kaLa waTaNa/black peas. Soak the black peas/kaLa waTana in sufficient water the previous day.
  
  

Solachi Kadhi

Soal-kadhi/ Kokum kadhi

This is the extended version of fooTi kadhi/tiwaL.it contains coconut milk,which is the main task. Earlier generation did it using paata-warwanta before the invention of mixer/grinder. Hats off to them!!!  Nowadays coconut milk is readily available so it's not a big deal for the newcomers.
This kadhi is usually served with non-veg dishes. Non-veg meaning heavy on digestion. Basic ingredients in soalkadhi  like kokum, lasooN/garlic serve the purpose.
Many variations can be made in the basic soal kadhi so as to get different tastes. The basic is as follows.

Ingredients
1 cup grated coconut
2-3 garlic cloves
1 green chili
2-3 kokum/aamsul or 1 tsp aaghal ( kokum juice)
1 tsp chopped coriander
salt to taste

Method

• Soak aamsul and salt in 1/2 cup water in a bowl
• Grind coconut,garlic and chili(optional)with little water in a mixer. Squeeze out the juice and strain it.  Do it twice or thrice to extract the maximim milk from the coconut.
• Mix it in aamsul dipped bowl.
• Add salt to taste.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and green chili (slit)
• Serve with steamed rice and fried fish.

Some variations

1. Use red chili powder instead of green chili.Other things remain the same ( change of taste and color )
2. Add owa/ajwain  instead of garlic.
3. Tempering of mustard seeds and asafoetida with red chili enhances the flavor.

tiwaL/futee kadhi

Futee Kadhi/tiwaL


This kadhi/curry is accompanied with  steamed rice and fry fish. It is actually a substitute to soal kadhi if time is the constraint.
Here is the information of aamsul/kokam,the basic ingredient of soal kadhi

Kokum is effectively used in acidity, digestive problems.

Ingredients
2-3 aamsule/soal or 1 tsp aaghal(kokum juice)
1 cup water
1/2 tsp asafoetida
1 green chili (slit)
1 tsp chopped coriander
salt to taste


Method
Mix all the ingredients in water and the tiwaL is ready to serve. Goes well with steamed rice and as an appetizer as well.