ALL PURPOSE MASALA FOR VEGGIES

This masala paste, I am going share with you is commanly used in Maharashtra and North Karnataka and other parts of Karnataka and South India with little variation.But this version is authentic Maharashtrian and N.Karnataka.
This can be used with allmost all vegetables including but not limited to Brinjal,Beans,Snake Gourd ,Bottle gourd, Red pumpkin, Bitter Gourd, Ridge Gourd ,Capsicum etc.

I have already posted the recipe for Barla Vaanga where I have used this masala.

What you can do is, prepare this and refrigerate and make your day easy :)

Ingredients :

1. Roasted Peanut Powder - 1 Cup
2. Finely chopped onion or Onion Paste - 1 cup
3. Dry coconut powder - 1  cup
4. Coriander powder - 1 Tea Spoon
5. Cumin Powder 1 Tea Spoon
6. Coriander  Leaves
7. Garam Masala or Godaa Masala (If you have) - 2 Teaspoon
8. Kaanda Lasun Masala - 11/2 Teaspoon.If you do not have, you can use Red Chilli Powder instead.
9. Salt to taste
10. Jaggery - 1/4 cup
11. Tamarind - a peace of 1 inch

Steps :

• You can see in the picture that I have kept jaggery and tamarind in water so that I do not have shred jaggery separately and both of them get mixed very well.This is your very first step.Keep both of them in the water (not more than 20 ml).By the time you are all set with masala, both will be dissolved  nicely.
• Mix all of the ingredients mentioned above nicely.Add the mixture of tamarind and jaggery to it.Before doing this, take out the remaining tamarind as it's pulp is already mixed in water. Again mix the paste nicely and your masala is ready to use :)

TIP : If guests are coming, you can prepare this ahead of time and refrigerate.This will save your time.

कैरीचि चटणि/ಮಾವಿನ ಕಾಯಿ ಚಟ್ನಿ/Kairi chi Chutney

'Maavin Kaai' is kannada name for Green Mango.It is called 'Kairi' Marathi and HIndi.
This is my all time favorite chutney as it has sweet, bit spicy,tangy taste. It is a perfect combination with chapti,parathaetc.I love eating this with Uppit and Pohe too.Definitely give a try :)

Ingredients :

1. Green Mango - 1
2. Jaggery shredded - 1 cup (Use the one which is soft)
3. Kashmiri Red chilli Powder - 5 tea spoons.Vary the amount according to the type of chilly poweder you are using.
4. Salt to taste
5. Roasted peanut powder - 1/2 cup
6. For Tadka  - 3 teaspoon of Oil,1/2 teaspoon mustard and cumin seeds, 1 tea spoon of fenugreek seeds (Methi seeds), 1/4th tea spoon of hing and turmeric.

Steps :

• Peel the mango and make the pieces of around 1 inch.
• To that ,add jaggery,salt,Red chilli powder
• Grind well in the grinder and take out in a bowl
• Add roasted peanut powder to it and mix well
• Heat up oil, add mustard,cumin and fenugreek seeds.Once you are sure that they are fried well,put off the flame and add hing and turmeric powder.
• Pour this tadka on the chutney

TIPS :

• Adding fenugreek might seem bit weird but these crispy seeds ad a unique taste to this chutney.

Make sure that seeds are fried well. When you smell the aroma of fenugreek seed coming from oil, it means they are fried well.If they remain uncooked then they are the biggest spoilers here.At the same time, do not over fry too.

• Add peanut powder separately this gives crunchy texture to chutney and you will feel the crunch while eating.Do not mix it with ingredients while grinding them.
• If you like more hot taste, you can increase quantity of red chilli powder according to your wish
• When refridgerated,remains good for months.

CUCUMBER RAITA

A Superfast and cool recipe

Ingredients: 

1. 1 cucumber shredder or finely chopped
2. 1/4th cup of roasted peanut powder
3. 1/2 tea spoon of sugar (Optional)
4. Sendhaa salt to taste
5.Yogurt (Optional)
6.Coriander leaves
 
Steps : Just mix all the ingredients well and raita is ready.If you want.You can give tadka of ghee,cumin seeds and green chillis

RAJGARA THALIPEET

This is a very easy, quick recipe.Tastes well with Vrat/Upwas chutney or Vrat/Upwas raita

Ingredients:

1. boiled potato.
2. 1/2 cup of rajgara atta or sago atta (you can use both together)
3.Dry grated coconut
4. 1 green chilli cut into small pieces
5.coriender leaves
6.Sugar 1/4th tea spoon (Optional)
7.Sendhaa salt to taste
8.ghee or butter

Steps : 
1.along with rajgar atta and other ingredients,smash the potato in a fine dough.
2.On the tawa,put some ghee or butter and spread in a circle of around 6 inch diameter.
3.take a dough ball of madium size and spread on the tawa by patting with hands.
4.Make the holes as shown in pic(Very imp) and keep tawa on the medium flame,
5.Pour some ghee or butter on the thalipeeth and turn to the other side.
6.Make sure, it gets fine golden brown color but is not burnt.Thaleepeeth is ready to serve

Shabudana Khichadi

The equation, fast = shabudana khichadi can never be changed.Let us learn step by step,the making of Shabudana khichadi.I am explaining right from soaking the sabudana.If you follow the step, then no doubt,shabudana will not be sticky at all.

 

Ingredients : 

1) Shabudana or Sago - 1 cup

2) Roasted peanut powder - 2 cups

3) Fresh or dry coconut,grated - 1/4th Cup

4) Ghee - 5 table spoons

4) Sugar - 1 tea spoon

5) Lime juice - 4 tea spoons

6) Sendha Salt to taste

7) Cumin seeds - 1 tea spoon

8) Green Chillies - 2 

8) Coriander/Cilantro leaves

Soaking the Sabudana : If you are making khichadi in the morning, then do it on previous night.If you have plans for evening, then do it in the morning as follows

In a container, take sabudana. Add water and wash for 2 to 3 time so that extra starch is taken out.Then soak it completely in water such that water level an inch above the sabudana.After 10 minutes, drain out all the water,as much as possible, and keep it covered over night.

Steps to make Khichadi : 

Now,shabudana is almost double it's original size.Give a nice mix to sabudana there by separating the grains, and you will see,it is not at all sticky.

1. To that,add a cup of roasted peanut powder,sugar,salt,and lime juice, mix it well,cover it and keep aside for 10 -15 mins.

2. In a pan,on medium heat,add ghee.Add cumin seeds and chilli after ghee is hot.To that, add the sabudana and lower the heat.Add grated coconut.

3. Mix it in the ghee properly, bring flame to medium heat, keep on stirring for 10-15 minutes.Make sue that it is not burnt at the bottom of pan.

4. Add coriander leaves, sprinkle very little water, give a mix,cover with lid and keep it on low heat for another 5 minute.Put off the flame and open lid after 5-10 minutes

Khichadi is absolutely ready to eat.It has to be non sticky, fluffy and delicious :)

TIPS : I do not recommend boiled potatoes in this dish as it takes over the nice aroma of khichadi.But if you are still a potato lover, you can definitly add boiled potatoes in the ghee along with cumin seeds and chilli.

If you do not want lime juice while making and serve lime dices with khichadi, then add 2 tea spoons of curd or around 1 table spoon of butter milk while marinating.It is important to reduce the chances of shabudana getting sticky and glued.

Shabudana (Sago) Kheer

Treat yourself with this delicious,simple Sabudana Kheer while fasting.

Ingredients :

1) Shabudana - 1/2 cup
2) Milk - 200 ml
3)Sugar - 4 tea spoons
4)Dry fruits of your choice (optional)

Method of Preparation :

1. Soak sabudaana into water for around 1 hour.After that drain out all the water.

2.In a pan, add a cup of water,soaked sabudana ,dry fruits and keep for boiling on medium to low heat for 10 minutes.

3.Once you find that sabudana is almost cooked, add sugar.keep on adding milk till you get the required consistency and let it cook for another 5 minutes

4.Serve hot.

TIPS :
1.Do not  make this dish very sweet.It should be less than a sweet dish because if it is over sweetened, then it is really hard to eat.
2.It thickens on cooling.So add milk and sugar if needed,re heat before you serve/eat it
3.You can keep this shabudana lump ready(without milk).You can prepare by adding milk and sugar,as and when needed.

Cutlet for Vrat/Upwaas/Fast

A tasty and tangy recipe to make your vrat even more happening.

 

Ingredients:

 1. 2 boiled potatoes
 2. 1/4 cup of Rajgara atta (available in market)
 3.Coriander leaves
 4.Dry coconut(grated)
 5.1 -2 green chillis cut in very small pieces
 6.sugar1/2 tea spoon(Optional)
 7.Sendhaa salt to taste

Steps : 1.Except Rajgara atta, mix every ingredient with potatoes and mash it such that it becomes a fine dough.

2.now make cutlets as shown in the pic and marinate in dry rajgara atta.
3.Heat the skillet or tawa.Pour some ghee or butter (around 1 tea spoon),spread it over.
4.Keep the cutlets to bake.Now apply some ghee or butter on the upper part of cutlets and turn them to bake.
5.Bake until you get a fine golden brown color.Ready to serve with vrat chutney

CHUTNEY FOR VRAT/UPWAAS

https://www.facebook.com/GayatrisKitchenPhotos



Vrat is such a great day but one should not feel tired just because one does not have options to eat other than set of some limited variety of food.
This chutney takes not more than 5 minutes to be prepared and goes very well with curd or ghee or butter

Ingredients :

1.3/4th Cup of roasted peanut powder,
2.1/2 cup of dry coconut (grated)
3.1 -2 green chillis
4.1/2 tea spoon sugar
5.Sendhaa Salt to taste
6.Cumin seeds
7.Coriander leaves

Steps : Very easy.Take all the ingredients and grind well.It really goes well with curd,butter or ghee.

Tips : 

1.You can actually make this in larger amount for vrat as this can be added to many vrat recipes such as Shabudaana khichadi,shabudaana Vada, Rajgara thalipeeth etc.

2.It really saves time and energy of some one who is observing the long lasting fast like 'Navratri'

Bharli Vangi/ತುಂಬಗಾಯಿ/भरलं वांगं

Bharla Vaanga (Stuffed Brinjal/Egg plant) is a mouth watering gravy with Eggplant and is mostly prepared in Southern sIndia including Maharashtra.This has rich blend of spices varying from state to state,region to region.

Bharla Vaanga is marathi name.In Kannada it is called 'Tumbgaai'.Badane kaai is kannada name for egg plant.

I have explained step by step details so that it becomes easier for beginners.

Serving : 4 people

Ingredients :


1) 4 to 6 small egg plants -cut till 3/4th part of it, making four parts for stuffing.Make sure that it is not cut completely.
2)  Big size Onion - 1, made in to paste or chopped to very small pieces.
3)Roasted peanut powder - 1 cup
4)Dry Coconut powder - 3/4th cup
5)Red chilli powder - 1 tea spoon (You can also use 'kaanda lasun masla')
6)Garam masala - 2 tea spoon (Godaa Masala is better if you have)
7)Salt to Taste.
8)Jagery and tamarind water - 1/2th cup (To make this,Take 1/2th cup water.Add around 2 inch of tamarind and 2 inch of jagery.Leave it for some time.After jagery is completely melted,take out the tamarind pulp).
9) Oil - 2 table spoons10) Coriander leaves.



Method of Preparation : For preparing the stuffing (Gravy Masala): In a bowl, take all ingredients except oil and tamarind -jagery water.Mix it well bringing it to a fine thick paste.To that add around 2 tea spoon of tamarind - jagery water and mix again.Making of Bharla Vanga : 1.Do not cut the stem of egg plants.From the other end, give 2 perpendicular cuts till 3/4th of the egg pant making into 4 pieces but make sure that it is not completely cut.


3. Now fill the stuffing(Gravy Masala)  in the egg plant such that it is stuffed tightly and does not come out of the Egg plant.Keep the remaining stuffing-masala paste aside.

4.On a medium flame, keep a pan,put oil and heat it.To that, add mustard and cumin seeds(1 tea spoon each), hing and turmeric(1/4th tea spoon each).Then,holding with the stem,keep egg plants in the oil for frying.

5.Turn the Egg plants with the help of  stem so that it is fried from all sides, then gently add remaining masala paste into oil.Stir it will.Let masala fry well in the oil.Keep it on a medium flame.Make sure that onion does not remain uncooked,or else it really spoils the taste.When every thing is fried well, you get a nice aroma of spices.

6.Then add water  (around 3 cups) remaining tamarind - jagery water to it.Close the lid for 10 mins on medium flame. Once you are sure that egg plants are cooked well and soft, remove lid so that excess water is steamed out.Once you get a medium thick gravy,turn the flame off.After some time,again gravy thickens by itselfTips : At the very first,keep tamarind and Jagery in water so that by time your masala is ready, both are dissolved in the water.2. Make sure that onion is not half fried or cooked.Because this smell is a great spoiler all the time.3.Depending upon how much thick gravy do you want, you can decide when to put off the flame.If you feel that egg plants are not yet cooked, add another cup of water, close the lid for some time and again remove so let the excess water go off.