Phirni

It's Diwali time, Time to try out some sweet dishes.
Phirni is one of the simplest sweet I have known so far, but tastes really awesome.

Ingriedients:
Rice - 2 tablespoon
Sugar - 3 tablespoon
Elaichi (green cardamom) - 3
Milk - 1 ltr
Almonds

Procedure:
1. Soak rice for 4 hours. Drain the water and grind the soaked rice coarsely and keep aside.
2. Take a thick pan and keep the milk for boiling. Add sugar.
3. When the milk starts boiling, add the ground rice and stir.
4. Next add cardamom powder and almonds and mix well.
5. Boil this on a low flame till the rice is cooked completely.
6. Keep stirring continuously so that the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
7. Once the rice is completely cooked, remove from heat.
8. Transfer it to a serving bowl and add almonds and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

The delicious Phirni is ready to serve.

Bharla Vanga\ Ennegayi\ Stuffed Brinjal

Stuffed brinjal is known as Bharla Vanga in Marathi. Bharla meaning stuffed and Vanga meaning brinjal. In kannada it is known as Ennegayi.

This is very authentic preparation wherein the stuffing masala is first roasted with little oil and then ground to a paste. This is then stuffed in the brinjal and cooked.

It goes really well with Jowar roti and can also be served with chapatis and fulkas.

Ingriedients:
5 small brinjals(egg plants)
1 onion - chopped
Curry leaves
Garlic
Peanuts
Red chillies - 2
Half Coconut - grated
Tamarind - 2
Corainder leaves
Oil
Garam Masala

Procedure:
1. Take 2 tablespoon oil in a pan. Add chopped onions and fry for 2 minutes.
2. Next add curry leaves, garlic, peanuts, red chillies and grated coconut and fry for mins.
3. Keep it aside and wait till it cools down.
4. To this fried mixture, add tamarind. garam masala and corainder leaves and grind to form a paste. If required add 2 tablespoon water while grinding.
5. Slit the brinjals vertically in such a way that they are joined at one end, Stuff the ground mixture in the brinjals.
6. Take a pan and add 3 tablespoon oil and fry the brinjals till they are completely cooked. Cook it on a low flame for around 30 minutes. Also keep turning the brinjals so that they are cooked from all sides.
7. If you want to make this with gravy, Fry the same mixture which is used for stuffing in another pan with 1 tablespoon oil for 5 mins. After frying the brinjals for 15-20 mins, add this fried mixture.
8. Garnish with corainder leaves

Serve it hot with Jowar roti or chapathis or fulkas.

Notes:
1. Make sure that the brinjals are cooked completely. You can also microwave the stuffed brinjals with little oil for 10 minutes for faster cooking.
2. Jaggery can also be added to the stuffing.

Sabudana Khichdi

Sabudana Khichdi belongs to the Maharashtrian cuisine and is served mostly for breakfast or snacks.
This is also served for lunch or dinner during fasting.

Ingriedients:
Sabudana (Sabakku)- 4 cups
Ghee - 3 tablespoon
Roasted groundnut powder - 1 cup
Jeera (Cumin seeds) - 1 tablespoon
Salt
Groundnut powder
1 lemon
3 potatoes - boiled and chopped
4 green chillies - chopped

Procedure:
1. Soak the sabudana for overnight in water.
2. Next day, in the morning, add pinch of salt and groundnut powder to the soaked sabudana and keep aside.
3. Take a kadhai, add 3 tablespoon ghee.
4. Once the ghee is hot, add jeera and chopped green chillies.
5. Next add the chopped potatoes and salt as per taste and fry for 2 minutes.
6. Next add the sabudana and mix well. Keep stirring so that the sabudana does not stick to the kadhai.
7. Next add the groundnut powder and mix well.

Sabudana khichdi is ready to be served.

Serve the sabudana khichdi with curd. While serving, sprinkle lemon juice.

Notes:
1. To prepare Roasted groundnut powder(Danyaychi Kut), dry roast the groundnuts for 5 minutes. Once it cools down, rub them in between your palms to remove the outer skin. Then grind it to a coarse powder in the mixer.

Chanyache Tondak (Chana Masala)

Chanyache Tondak is typical Goan style of preparing the Chana Masala. It is prepared using coconut which is very typical in Goan cuisine.

Ingriedients:
Kabuli chana
Half coconut - grated
4 cloves
1 small cinnamon(tikhi)
Dagad phool (stone flower)
10 corainder seeds (dhania)
Turmeric powder
Chilli powder
1 onion - finely chopped
1 tomato - finely chopped
Salt
Oil
Mustard seeds
Jeera seeds
Potato - boiled and chopped
Corainder leaves

Procedure:
1. Soak the kabuli chana overnight and boil the soaked chana and keep aside.
2. Grind the grated coconut, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, dagad phool, 1 tablespoon turmeric, pinch of salt and water. Grind to a fine paste and keep aside.
3. In a Vok (Kadhai), pour 2 tablespoon oil, add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add jeera seeds.
4. Next add onions and fry till golden brown. Add a pinch of salt
5. Add turmeric powder, Chilli powder and Chole Masala and fry for 2 mins.
6. Next add the ground coconut paste and fry for 2 mins.
7. Add the chopped tomatoes, boiled potatoes and the boiled chana.
8. Add salt as per taste and boil for 10 mins.
9. Garnish with coraiander.

Chanyche Tondak is ready to serve.

It is served with roties.

Note: Instead of kabuli chana, other types of grams or sprouts can also be used. Additionally veggies like cauli flower, raw banana, soyabeans can also be added along with potatoes.

Peda

Khoya Pedas...A very simple recipe and a great Indian Dessert Delicacy

Ingriedients:
Khoya (Khova) - 500 gms
Sugar - powdered - 200 gms
Almonds - grated
Cardomom powder

Procedure:
1. Mash the khoya and keep aside.
2. Take a thick Kadai (Vok) and stir fry khoya till it softens.
3. Add 2 tablespoon sugar and continue frying till it is light brown.
4. Keep this aside for around 2 hours till it cools down.
5. Once it is cooled down, add the grated almonds, powdered sugar and cardomom powder(elaichi) and mix well.
6. Make small balls of the combined mixture.
7. Take the lid of a small container. Sprinkle the grated almond and cardomom powder and place one of the ball and press it so that it becomes flat to get the shape of a peda.
8. In the similar fasion, shape the remaining pedas.

Delicious Khoya Pedas are ready.

Tip: Keep the pedas in the open for some time before packing them