Besan ka halwa
Besan ka halwa is something I always relish whether I am satiated or hungry. I always enjoy besan in whatever form it is whether besan ladoo, besan burfi or halwa. It’s a sort of comfort food.
Recipe of besan ka halwa
1 cup besan (gram flour/chickpea flour)
1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups of water
1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder
Chopped and fried nuts like almonds, cashews and pistachios
1. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel (kadhai). Add besan and roast on medium-low heat. Keep stirring while roasting and roast till besan turns brownish.
2. Add water, sugar and cardamom powder. Keep cooking till water dries up.
3. Remove from heat and serve hot besan ka halva or sheera garnished with nuts.
Aloo matar ki sabzi
This is my (actually my husband’s) simplest recipe of aloo matar which works out well for me. Earlier also I blogged about aloo matar ki sabzi but this one is easier. Even a beginner can try this curry. Since this sabzi contains no onion garlic, it can be eaten during fasts.
Recipe of aloo matar ki sabzi
2 medium aloo (potatoes) - boiled, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup matar (green peas) - fresh or frozen
2 tomatoes- diced
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Few coriander leaves (cilantro) - chopped
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
1. Heat oil in a pan or kadhai/ wok. Add cumin seeds and when they crackle, add hing.
2. Add aloo and matar. Add all the spices and salt and mix. Add 1 cup water.
3. Add diced tomatoes and turn the heat to medium. Cook covered till matar turn tender.
4. Cook till you get the desired gravy consistency. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve aloo matar hot as a side.
Sabudana vada
Sabudana vada is mainly eaten during fasting period especially Navratri fasts (vrat). They are so delicious that I sometimes make them with our evening tea. Some vrat ka khana are so tasty that everyone wants to eat them fasting or non- fasting. Sabudana vada is more popular in Maharashtra. If you observe fast during Navratri or Ekadashi, you can check out recipes in ‘Fasting food’ category in my blog.
Recipe of sabudana vada/ sago patties
1 cup sabudana (sago/ saboodana/ tapioca)
1/2 cup peanuts- dry roasted and coarsely grinded
2 potatoes- boiled, peeled and mashed
3-4 green chillies- chopped
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves (cilantro) - chopped
Oil to shallow fry
1. Wash sabudana in a colander or a strainer. Drain. Soak sabudana in that much water in which it is ‘just immersed’ and no more. Let it soak for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
2. Mix well all the above ingredients in a bowl except oil.
3. Wet your hands and take tennis ball size balls from the sabudana mixture. Flatten them to form patties.
4. Heat oil in a flat, wide pan and shallow fry these patties or wada in it till golden from both sides. Drain using a slotted spoon, on an absorbent paper. Shallow fry vadas in batches. Serve sabudana vada hot.
aloo ka halwa
Aloo ka halwa or potato halwa is an unusual dessert. If you are making it for the first time, you will be surprised that how good it tastes. Potato halwa is also eaten in some fasts. If you roast it really well, it will not give a potato taste but some unique taste. Try it and be ready for surprise!
Recipe of potato halwa
1 cup boiled, peeled and mashed potato
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp elaichi (cardamom) powder
1/4 cup milk
4 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
Toasted nuts like cashew nuts and raisins
1. Mash the boiled potatoes while still warm. Heat ghee in a kadhai/ wok. Add mashed potato and roast on a low heat.
2. Keep stirring the halwa as it tends to stick to the bottom. Roast for 10-15 minutes.
3. Add milk and sugar. Again keep roasting till sugar dissolves and halwa thickens to desired consistency. Turn off the heat.
4. Add elaichi powder and garnish potato halwa with toasted nuts.
Note- The more you roast the aloo ka halwa, the better it will taste. Take medium sized potatoes for this halwa.
shakarkandi ki chaat
If you don’t want to grill shakarkandi, you can just boil it till tender and prepare shakarkandi ki chaat by mixing the given ingredients to it. It’s really a mouth watering chaat and sweet potato is in season now. So, enjoy!
Recipe of shakarkandi ki chaat
1/2 kg shakarkandi (sweet potato)
1 tsp chaat masala
Black salt to taste
Lemon juice to taste
1. Wash shakarkand and pat dry. Smear some oil on shakarkandi. Pressure cook shakarkandi to 1 whistle.
2. Peel and cube shakarkandi. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil. Grease it. Place shakarkandi cubes on tray.
3. Grill them in a preheated oven till edges of shakarkandi becomes brownish.
4. Take out in a bowl and add black salt, chaat masala and lemon juice. Mix well and serve hot. You can also garnish shakarkandi chaat with coriander leaves.
Kuttu poori with curd
I made kuttu poori during ‘Navratras’ but somehow forgot to post it on the blog. You can also make kuttu pooris with kuttu atta only. Singhadi atta is optional. Singhadi atta binds well and also rich in Calcium. Also my mom says kuttu atta is hot on body so mixing singhadi flour leads to cooling down effect.
Recipe of kuttu poori
1 cup kuttu atta (buckwheat flour)
1/2 cup singhadi atta
3-4 medium sized potatoes- boiled, peeled and mashed
3 green chillies- chopped finely
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry
1. Mix salt and green chillies to potato. In a bowl, mix kuttu and singhadi atta.
2. Mix potato mixture to kuttu and singhadi flour. Use potato to knead the flour into stiff dough. Add water only if there is a need. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
3. Take lemon sized ball from the dough and roll out on a lightly oiled surface, into a 3-4 inch round.
4. Heat oil in a kadhai/wok. To check whether the oil is hot enough, put a small portion of dough into the oil. If it sizzles and comes to surface, your oil is ready. Turn the heat to medium. Gently place the rolled poori in the oil.
4. Press the kuttu ki poori with a pauni (slotted spoon/ chhari). The poori will puff up. Turn over and fry from other side also. Drain the poori using the same slotted spoon on an absorbent paper. Similarly make rest of the kuttu ki puri from the dough. Serve hot with curds.
Aloo ki sabzi
I have earlier posted a recipe of aloo ki sabzi with gravy but it used onion and garlic in the gravy. This recipe of aloo bhaji can be a part of ‘Sattvic Ahaar’ as it is devoid of onion, garlic. It can also be made as a part of fasting food or ‘Vrat ka Khana’. This sabzi tastes absolutely delicious.
Recipe of aloo ki sabzi/ bhaji
3 medium aloo (potato) - boiled, peeled
2 tomatoes- diced
1 tsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) - crushed between palms
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 cup water
1/2 tsp red chilli powder (cayenne pepper)
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
1. Break potato by your hands to get uneven pieces.
2. Heat oil in a kadhai/ wok or a pan. Add cumin seeds and when they change color, add hing.
3. Add potatoes and 1 cup water. Add salt and all the spices.
4. Add tomatoes and kasoori methi. Mix well and turn the heat to medium. Cover the lid.
5. Stir occasionally and cook till gravy thickens to desired consistency. Serve hot with poori or paratha.
sabudana thalipeeth
Sabudana thalipeeth or sago chappati is a delicious fasting food which you should not miss out on. You can also have it for a breakfast or snack item whether you are fasting or not. If you like sabudana just the way I do, you can check out other sago dishes in Fasting foods category especially sabudana khichdi which also comes from Maharashtrian cuisine.
Recipe of sabudana thalipeeth
1 cup Sabudana (sago) - soaked
2-3 green chillies- chopped
2 medium potatoes- boiled, peeled and mashed
Salt to taste
1/2 cup dry roasted and grinded peanuts
Coriander leaves (cilantro) - chopped
Ghee (clarified butter) or oil to shallow fry
Sago dough
1. Mix together all the ingredients except oil or ghee.
2. Divide the dough into tennis size balls.
3. Grease a thick plastic sheet or polythene and place the ball at its center. Pat with moistened fingers to form a thick round. Make small holes in it.
3. Heat a tava (griddle) and grease it with ghee. Gently and carefully turn the thalipeeth onto the tava and peel the plastic off.
4. Put ghee in the holes. Cover the thalipeeth with a plate or a lid and turn the heat to medium. Cook it for 1-2 minutes.
5. Remove the plate and gently turn over. Cook it for another minute or two. Cook till sabudana thalipeeth is golden brown from both sides. Serve sago rotti hot.
sabudana thalipeeth
Kuttu aloo paratha
Kuttu aur aloo ka paratha can be eaten in fasts of Ekadashi and Navratras. Kuttu paratha along with aloo ki sabzi are part of Navratra thali.
Recipe of kuttu aur aloo ka paratha
1 cup kuttu atta (buckwheat flour) and singhadi atta mixed in equal proportions
4-5 medium potatoes (boiled, peeled and mashed)
2-3 green chillies- chopped finely
Salt to taste
Oil to shallow fry
1. Mix all the above ingredients except oil in a bowl and knead into pliable dough. There is no need to add water, use potatoes to knead.
2. Take a small ball (peda) out of the dough and roll into a 4-5 inch diameter disk dusting in dry flour to prevent from sticking.
3. Heat a tava (griddle) and place this paratha on it. Roast from both sides applying oil. Similarly make other paranthas from rest of the dough. Serve hot.
Dough
Kuttu aur aloo ka paratha
Kaddu ki sabzi
Kaddu ki sabzi or sitaphal sabzi is a family favorite. The best thing is that it can also be eaten in fasts like Navratri and Ekadashi. Kaddu subzi, aloo ki sabzi and kuttu paratha or puri makes a complete Navratra thali. Oops! I forgot to mention, sabudana kheer.
Recipe of kaddu ki sabzi
1/2 kilogram kaddu (pumpkin/ sitaphal) - peeled and cubed
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2-3 green chillies- chopped
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)
1/2 tsp methi dana (fenugreek seeds)
A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
1 tbsp oil
Kaddu pieces
1. Heat oil in a pan or a karahi. Add methi dana and when it changes color, add hing. Add green chillies and sauté for 1 minute.
2. Add kaddu pieces. Add turmeric, coriander powders and salt. Mix well and add 1 tsp water. Lower heat and cook covered till kaddu turns tender.
3. Add sugar, amchoor and garam masala powder and mix well. Cook on low heat for 2 minutes. Cook till all the water evaporates.
Healthy Bytes (nutrition info.) - kaddu or pumpkin is a rich source of Vitamin A and carotenoids. Carotenoids keep the immune system healthy. Kaddu also has high amount of fiber thus it is good for bowel movement. Kaddu is also rich in Iron and Potassium thus it also helps lower hypertension.
