MAHARASHTRA CUISINE

(Pic from www.bakingshop.com)
Before I start with RCI,let me wish all the fathers very happy "Father's day" and have a wonderful Sunday.Moms and kids,make sure to make him feel special!

And now..

We are celebrating the state of Maharashtra as a part of Regional Cuisines of India which is started LakshmiK from "Veggie Cuisine" and Nupur from "One hot stove" is the host for this event in June.Thanks for taking time to host Nupur!:))



Maharashtra:

The name Maharashtra first appeared in a 7th century inscription and in a Chinese traveler's account. Its name may have originated from rathi, which means, "chariot driver". At that age Maharashtra was full of builders and drivers of chariots who formed a maharathis, a "fighting force." In 90 A.D. king Vedishri made Junnar, thirty miles north of Pune, the capital of his kingdom.The official language is Marathi.Shivaji Bhosle,a legend and the founder of the Maratha Empire,holds the highest place in Maratha history.It is well known that Maharashtrians consider their food as 'Anna he poornabrahma' meaning they consider 'anna',or food,equal to 'Brahma',or the creator of the universe.Food is God, to be worshipped.Maharashtrian cuisine is divided into two, Konkani, and Varadi.Language spoken is Marathi,Mumbai is the capital and of course, don't forget the Bollywood!!(Info from here.)Most of these recipes are from this book which has wonderful collection of Maratha cuisine.Enjoy!:)



Bhakarwadi:
I always bought Bhakarwadi and loved it although store bought ones are little hard to chew.When I saw this recipe,it looked complicated but decided to try anyway.Boy! Am I glad I did? They 100% better than store bought and so crisp!I will never buy store bought again.Look at these! Why buy when you can make these beauties at home!:)


Click on the image to see step by step pics:


To make casing:1 1/2 cups plain flour,salt,1/8 tsp baking soda or Self rising flour which has salt and rising agent already(I used this for Bhakarwadi above),1/4 cup Besan (Chickpea flour),1 tbsp oil or Margarine(Crisco).Mix,knead with little water until a stiff dough,cover and keep aside.




Prepare filling:
Roast 1 tbsp each sesame,coriander seeds and Poppy seeds,1 tsp each Fennel seeds,crushed Ajwain,cumin seeds, 2 tbsp dry coconut lightly and add to a blender along with 1 tbsp Goda masala,1 tbsp cornstarch,salt,1 tsp sugar,1 tsp chilli pd.Heat 1 tsp oil,fry 1/4 cup finely minced onions until reddish,1 tsp each of ground ginger and garlic,fry for a minute and add to the blender.Grind to a smooth pd with 1 tsp of water(not more than that, just make it wet and thick paste.)Heat oil to fry.
To roll Bhakarwadi: Divide the dough into 4,roll out to rectangle if you can,brush filling all over thinly and roll from the wider end to a tube and cut to 1" pieces.Repeat with other 3 dough and fry these in hot oil until golden and crisp.Drain on paper towel,cool and store.YUM!!
If they get soft after sometime,reheat in 300F oven for 15mins and cool.

Valachi Usal:(I used Soya beans)


You Need:1 cup dried white Greenpeas or Soya beans,1 cup minced onions, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp mustard seeds, 1 pinch asafoetida/Hing, 1 tbsp thick tamarind juice,1 tsp grated jaggery or sugar, 2 tbsp grated coconut,2 minced green chillies, 1 tsp cumin seeds pd, 1 tbsp coriander powder, 4 flakes garlic, 1" piece of ginger ( both ground),1 tbsp Goda masala and salt to taste.
How To: Wash and soak beans overnight,and cook them until soft with enough water with turmeric,green chillies and all the spices till soft. Take off the heat and set aside. Cover tamarind with water for 5 minutes, then squeeze out the juice. Heat 3 tbsp oil and add in asafoetida and mustard seeds. When the seeds stop popping, put in ground onions,fry until soft,add ginger, and garlic and fry to a rich golden color.Add in salt and cooked beans, tamarind and jaggery ,Goda masala and boil for 5 minutes. Serve garnished with sev,coconut and coriander leaves.Mash some beans to make thick sauce and serve with Parathas or sprinkle minced onion,cilantro and sev on top as a snack.

Goda Masala:
There are many variations of Goda masala.This is my fav mix which I use it to my beloved snack Misal with Matki beans(Yum! Reminds me of college!).This Goda masala is simple and tasty.Kaala masala is of darker shade and little or lot different from Goda masala and has 32 ingredients!!


Roast and powder: 4 tbsp coriander seeds, 2 tsp coconut powder,2 tsp sesame seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp Ajwain (carom seeds),1" Dalchini(cinnamon),4 cloves, 1 cardamom powdered.I use this masala to make Bhakarwadi filling as well.






Kolhapuri Egg Rassa:
This recipe is from Chef Sanjeev Kapoor with some of my own my additions.You can add chicken,Mutton or veggies to this gravy.I chose to add some hard boiled Eggs.Gravy taste great with anything,hope you try.

You Need: 4-6 hard boiled Eggs, 2 small onions minced,1" piece ginger, 3 cloves garlic,some cilantro, 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter, 1-2 dry whole chillies, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/8 tsp of grated nutmeg pd, 1 cup Tomato sauce and salt to taste.
For grinding: 1/4 dry coconut,3 red chillies, 1 tbsp sesame seeds, 2 tbsp poppy seeds, 6-8 peppercorns, 1 tsp shahi jeera(black Cumin),1" cinnamon, 2 green cardamoms pd, 1 black cardamom pd, 4 cloves, 1 blade mace,1/2 tsp of Paprika.
How to:
1. Hard boil Eggs,peel,slice halfway and keep them aside.
2. Mince onions and grind ginger, garlic.Keep it aside.
3. Roast and grind dry coconut, red chillies with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, peppercorns, shahi jeera( black cumin seeds), cinnamon, cardamom pd, black cardamom pd, cloves, and mace separately to a smooth paste with little water.
4. Heat oil in a pan, add red chillies,add chopped onions and saute` till golden brown.
5. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook on medium heat for a few seconds.Add tomato sauce,cook until almost dry.Turn down the heat a little. Stir in the coconut paste and simmer until oil shows up on top.
6. Add eggs , 1 tsp sugar , and 1 cup or more of water, mix well and cook on medium heat, stirring for two to three minutes.
7. Add turmeric powder, grated nutmeg,and salt. Mix well and simmer for 2-3 mins.
8. How thin you want your gravy is up to you,adjust the liquid amount.Serve hot garnished with chopped fresh coriander leaves and fried red chillies.

Bhareli Keli:
We call it Rasayana in Karnataka,here is a very fragrant dessert and very easy to make too.You can substitute Coconut milk with cream and honey instead of sugar as well. The house smelled like Hindu temple (prasada!) when I was cooking this divine dessert! YUM!


You need:2 ripe (not too ripe) bananas,1 tbsp ghee, 1/4 cup sweetened or fresh coconut,finely grated,1 tsp Cardamom pd,1/8 cup grated jaggery or sugar(only if you are using fresh coconut), 1 cup coconut milk,1 tbsp each toasted coconut and sliced Almonds for garnish.
How To:
Mix together 1 tbsp ghee, coconut milk and cardamom pd and cook over a slow heat for 3mins. Peel and slice bananas halfway through on one side and fill in with the coconut filling. Put them side by side in a dish and pour coconut milk on top.Microwave until sauce is somewhat thick.Garnish with toasted coconut ,a pinch of Cardamom pd and Almonds.Serve warm or chilled.

That's it for this week.Next would be JFI with my beloved Eggplants!! Have a great Father's day Sunday!:))