Authentic Maharashtrian Ukadiche Modak

Ingredients:
2 cups grated coconut
1 cup jaggery
1 cup rice flour
1/2 spoon elaichi powder
1 spoon ghee
Salt according to taste
1 cup water

Method:

To make Ukad

1. In a pan add water, ghee and a pinch of salt. keep it on the stove top
2. Let this mixture come to a boil.
3. Switch off the stove and add the rice flour quickly and mix it well.
4. Keep aside covered for 15 min till it cools down
5. Later take it out in a plate and knead the dough nicely.If you feel it has hardened add very little warm water and knead it.


To make Stuffing
1. Heat a non-stick pan, add the jagerry, once the jagerry starts melting add the coconut.
2. mix well and cook on a medium flame, till the all jagerry dissolves completely.
3. Add the elachi powder and Keep aside and allow it to cool.

To make Modak

1. Divide the dough into small equal balls.
2. Roll out each ball into a small circle then while holding it in a hand make a small cup.
3. Put some coconut filling into this cup shaped dough.
4. Dip fingers your in the oil and bring the sides together to form a peak.
5. Prepare remaining modak's in similar manner.
6. In a steamer,steam for about 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Serve warm along with Ghee !

Easy and Instant Pav Bhaji

Ingredients:

•     3 big Boiled and mashed potatoes
•     2 onions finely chopped
•     2 Tomatoes chopped and made into puree
•     1 big green pepper (simla mirch) finely chopped
•     1 small cup green peas boiled
•     1 tsp red chilli powder
•     4 tsp Pav bhaji masala
•     Salt to taste
•     Oil 4 tsp
•     2 tsp Ginger Garlic paste
•     1 pack Butter
•     Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

1.     Heat oil in a pan. Once oil is hot add onions and fry till it gets slight golden color.
2.     Add ginger garlic paste and saute till raw smell from ginger garlic goes away.
3.     Then add tomato puree,mashed potatoes,green pepper and green peas.
4.     Now add pavbhaji masala and red chilli powder and salt.
5.     Add little water,mash everything together and cook with covered lid for 3-4 mins.
6.     Then add half stick of butter or even more if you like
7.     Cover and cook for 5 mts till all the butter melts inside
8.     Garnish with coriander leaves

Note:
Butter and Tomato Puree give it a rice and nice flavor/taste

Besan Ladoo

Ingredients:

•     2 cups Besan / Gram Flour
•     1 cup powdered Sugar
•     6 tbsp or 1/4 cup Ghee
•     Assorted nuts
•     1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder (elaychi powder)
•     1/4 tsp Nutmeg Powder (Jaifhal powder)
•     1 tsp Sooji

Method:

1.     Heat pan on mediun flame and add 6 tbsp of ghee to it,let the ghee melt.
2.     Add sooji,besan and  mix well
3.     Keep on stirring the mixture on low-mediun flame for 15-20 mins till the besan turns golden brown in color.
4.     After the besan becomes gloden brown turn off the heat and let the mixture cool down.
5.     Add sugar, cardamom powder, nutmeg powder and mix well.
6.     Make small golf size ladoo.
7.     Top up with some Raisin, almond or cashew nut!

Tips:

1.     If you find mixture has dried up just add extra tbsp of ghee.
2.     Adjust the amount of sugar suitable to your taste.
3.     Above quantity of ingredients prepares 10 ladoos!!

Ale Pak / Sweet Ginger candy

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Chopped ginger
• 2 Cups Sugar
• 1/2 Cup milk along with cream
• 1 tsp melted ghee

Method:

1. First clean the ginger and remove the skin.Chop and Grind the ginger in the blender
2. Heat a non-stick pan and all the ingredients together
3. Let the sugar melt in the ginger.Keep stirring continuously on low flame till mixture becomes thick
4. Coat a plate with Ghee.Put the mixture onto the plate and spread it evenly.
5. Cut into pieces with a sharp knife.
6. Let them cool. Serve with Hot Tea..!!!

Dahi Vada

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup white Lentil (Urad Dal - Soaked in water for 4 hrs)
• 1/2 cup green gram dal (Green Moong Dal - Urad Dal - Soaked in water for 4 hrs)
• 2 cups churned Yogurt
• 1 tsp Ginger Chilli Paste
• Coriander Leaves
• Salt
• 1/2 Soda Bicarbonate
• Red Chilli Powder
• Cumin Seed Powder
• Black Salt
• Date and Tamarind Chutney
• Oil

Method:

1. Grind both the dal in a grinder adding minimum water to make a fine and thick batter.
2. Take out the mixture in a bowl, add the ginger chilli paste and salt and mix all the ingredients together using hands in a single direction.
3. Add soda bicaronate and whisk it again.
4. Take a dollop of the mixture and deep fry them in hot oil.
5. Fry both the sides till nice golden brown in colour.
6. Once its fried drop and soak the vadas in water and leave it for 15 - 20mins
7. After that press the vadas and drain out the water and refrigerate this to cool it.
8. Take them out in a serving bowl.
9. Add salt to the churned yogurt and mix well
10. Put the yogurt mixture all over the vadas and add date & tamarind Chutney from the top.
11. Sprinkle some red chilli powder, cumin seed powder, black salt and coriander leaves and dahi vadas are ready to be served chilled.

Tip:
Due to Mixing of Moong dal the vadas get fried absorbing less oil

Sabudana Thalipeeth

Ingredients:

•     Salt to taste
•     Ghee or Butter
•     Chopped coriander leaves
•     2 cup Sabudana / sago seeds
•     2 cup potato boiled and mashed
•     Coarse paste of green chillies and cumin
•     Roasted peanut powder

Method:

1.     Wash and soak sabudana in enough water for 30 mts. After 1/2 hour drain excess water, cover and keep it overnight. In the morning add few splashes of water, cover and keep for 1 hour.
2.     Mix green chiilies and cumin seeds and make a coarse paste.
3.     Mix soaked sabudana, chilli paste, coriander leaves, salt, roasted peanut powder, boiled potato together and make a soft dough. (add few splashes of water if required)
4.     Take any plastic thin, make a small ball from the dough, sprinkle few drops of water on plastic thin, place the dough and just press it in round shape by hand.
5.     Heat pan on a medium high, add some oil and place thalipeeth and roast till it gets nice golden color from both the sides.
6.     Serve hot with yogurt chutney or sauce!

Tip:

1. Mix equal amount of sabudana and potato
2. If still not able to make a good dough sprinkle/mix little chapati dough to it

Kadhi

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons Gram flour (besan)   
• 3 cups Yogurt   
• 1 tablespoon Salt or as per taste
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon dhana jeera powder
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder     2 tablespoon Ghee    
• 1/2 teaspoon jeera
• 1 teaspoon graded Ginger
• 2 Green chillies,slit
• pinch of Asafoetida (hing)
• 4-6 Curry leaves     4
• Fresh coriander leaves,chopped

   
Method:

1. Combine besan and yogurt thoroughly in a deep pan.
2. Add two cups of water, salt,sugar,ginger and dhana jeera powder and mix well.
3. Heat ghee in another pan. Add jeera to it. When they begin to splutter add green chillies, turmeric powder,asafoetida and curry leaves.
4. Cook for a minute and then add the yogurt besan mixture to it.
5. Cook, stirring continuously, on low heat until kadhi is slightly thick.
6. Remove from heat, adjust salt and serve garnished with chopped coriander leaves

Tip:
Mix the besan yogurt mixture in water so well that there are no small lumps left in it
Add little sugar to give it a sweet sour taste

Spicy Moong Dal Khichdi in Rice cooker

Ingredients:

For Khichdi

• 1   Cup of rice
• 1/2 Cup of moong dal
• 1/2 Teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1   Teaspoon dhana jeera powder
• 1   Teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1   Teaspoon garam masala powder
• 1½  Teaspoon salt or as per your taste
• Pinch of asafetida (hing)
• 3   Cups of water

For Tampering

• 4 tablespoon oil
• 4-5 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tablespoon rai/black mustard seeds
• Pinch of asafetida (hing)

Method:

For Khichdi

1. Wash Rice and Mung Daal with water until water runs clear.
2. In a pressure cooker, add Rice, Mung Daal, Water, Salt, turmeric powder,Hing,Dhana jeera powder,red chilli powder,garam masala and mix well.
3.  Pressure cook until one whistle sounds and immediately turn off heat.
4. Wait until pressure from cooker is gone before opening cooker lid.

For tampering 

1.  Heat oil
2.  Add rai,hing and pieces of garlic cloves
3. Fry the garlic cloves till then turn golden in colour and become crispy

Note:
Always add double amount of water to the mixture of rice + moong dal

Crispy Karanji / Gujiya

Ingredients:

For Dough

•     1 cup All Purpose Flour / Maida
•     1/4 cup Sooji / Rawa
•     2 tsp Rice Flour
•     2 tsp Oil
•     1 tsp melted Ghee
•     1/2 cup warm Milk
•     pinch of Salt

For Filling

•     1 tsp Poppy Seeds / KhasKhas
•     1 cup Dry Grated Coconut
•     1 cup Powdered Sugar
•     1/4 tsp Cardamom powder
•     Assorted Nuts - Kaju and Badam pieces

• Oil for frying

Method:

 For Cover / Coating

1.     Heat up 2 tsp oil and 1 tsp of ghee.
2.     Mix all purpose flour, sooji, rice flour,salt in to a bowl and pour hot oil and hot ghee over it.
3.     Mix well till the time mixture becomes crumbly.
4.     Pour warm milk slowly to make medium consistency dough, not too hard and too soft.
5.     Cover and keep the dough for 30 mts.

For Filling / Stuffing

1.     Dry roast poppy seeds till the time they get light brown color.
2.     Add coconut to dry roasted poppy seeds, add sugar, cardamom powder, dry fruits and mix well.

To make Karanji

1.     Take the dough and again knead to make it smooth.
2.     Make small balls and roll like poori, add stuffing in the center, apply milk around its edges and seal the karanji well.
3.     Use fork and make some design around karanji.
4.     Now deep fry till the time it gets nice golden color.

Tip:
The Rice flour and melted ghee make the karanji Crispy

Fried Modak's made of Wheat flour

Ingredients:

• 1 & 1/2 cup Wheat Flour
• 2 tbsp Semolina (Rava / Sooji)
• Salt
• 1 & 1/2 tbsp Clarified Butter (Ghee)
• 1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder
• 1 tbsp Roasted Poppy Seeds (Khas Khas)
• 1 tbsp chopped Cashew Nuts
• 1 tbsp chopped Almonds
• 1 cup Grated Fresh Coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped Jaggery
• Oil

Method:

1. Take wheat flour, salt, semolina, ghee, water in a bowl and start kneading the dough very well
2. Keep the dough to rest for about 10 -- 15 mins
3. Meanwhile heat ghee in a pan and add grated coconut to the heated ghee
4. Cook the grated coconut for a minute and add the jaggery
5. Cook this till the jaggery melts
6. Turn off the flame and add the cardamom powder, roasted poppy, almond flakes, chopped cashew nuts and mix everything well
7. Remove the filling onto a plate and let it cool completely
8. Take small portions from the dough and make flat round
9. Apply ghee to the rolling board and rolling pin and start rolling the roti into soft small rounds
10. Cut it with a ring to get a perfect shape and equal size
11. Take the small roti and put about 1 tbsp of the filling
12. Pinch the edges of the roti, bring the edges together, seal and close it so that while frying them no oil goes in
13. Heat oil in a pan and put the modaks for frying in medium hot oil
14. Fry and cook them in medium flame till its golden brown in color.