Akshaya Tritiya Maharastrain Veg Lunch Thali

Akshaya Tritiya Maharastrain  Veg Lunch Thali is Upvasachi Batata Bhaji, Tikhat Mitachi Puri / Khari Puri, Amras, Dahi / Homemade Yogurt from Full Cream Milk Powder, Aamras, Kakdi chi Koshimbir or Khamang Kakdi and Pickle.

Upvasachi Batata Bhaji

This dish is eaten during days of fast. It is made with potatoes and seasoned with peanut powder, green chillies, coconut, cumin seeds and ghee.

Serves : 3 - 4

Ingredients
4 Medium Potatoes
3 Tablespoon Roasted Peanuts powder
3 Green chillies - chopped
1/2 Teaspoon Sendav Namak or to taste salt
1 Teaspoon Sugar
1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
2 Tablespoons Ghee - I used Desi Ghee
1 Tablespoon Oil
2 Tablespoon Grated Coconut - for garnishing - optional
1 Sprig Curry Leaves - optional
Method 

Boil the potatoes in a pressure cooker with one cup water for 3 whistles on medium high flame.

When the cooker cools open and drain all the water. Peel the potatoes and cut into small pieces.
Add the salt ,sugar to the potatoes and keep aside.

Heat ghee in frying pan. Add cumin seeds and once seeds start spluttering add the curry leaves and chillies, when the chillies start to change color add potato pieces and fry till they start to change color on medium high flame. 

Add the peanut powder and give it a good mix. 

Switch off the flame.

Serve it with a garnish of shredded coconut.

Khamang Kakdi/Kakdi chi Koshimbir

In Marathi, ‘kakdi’ means cucumber and ‘koshimbir’ means salad.  Maharashtrian Khamang Kakdi/Kakdi chi Koshimbir is nothing but cucumber salad, it's a refreshing salad which has an unique flavor with the tadka added to it and a perfect way to indulge in a hearty and filling salad.

Ingredients
2 Cucumber- finely chopped - I grated them
1 Green Chilly - finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Roasted Peanuts - coarsely crushed
1 Teaspoon Sugar
Salt to taste
1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice

For Garnishing

Freshly Chopped Coriander

Grated Fresh Coconut - optional
For The Tadka

1 Teaspoon Vegetable Oil
¼ Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
¼ Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
A few Curry leaves

Method

Add cucumber, coriander, green chilly, peanuts, lemon juice, salt, sugar and coriander leaves in a bowl and mix well. Heat vegetable oil in a pan, add mustard and cumin seeds, when they splutter add curry leaves .Switch off the flame  pour this over the salad and mix well. Refrigerate the salad for a few hours. 

Khamang Kakdi/Kakdi chi Koshimbir is ready.  This goes well with the Tikhat Mitachi Puri / Khari Puri. 

Aamras

Aam means mango and Ras means juice. so literally the word aamras means mango juice. Basically aamras is plain mango puree or pulp. Aamras is a summer delight in a bowl and a famous dish of Gujarat and Maharashtra and the classic combo is Aamras puri.  This is a must sweet dish in both Gujarati and Maharashtrian weddings, during the mango season.

Aamras can also be had after a meal, as a sweet dish, dessert or just about at any time, it's so irresistible!
Since the alphonso mangoes are not fibrous , this variety of mango is used for making Aamras.
Ingredients
8 Alphonso Mangoes 

Method

Rinse the alphonso mangoes.

With your hands soften them, like as you soften lemons. Cut off the top a little and then squeeze the juice into a bow. You can also peel and chop them, then blend it into a smooth puree. But my hubby love the squeeze method. Chill it in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!! So rich in color and irresistible .. hmmm.. yum ..yum!

Homemade Yogurt From Full Cream Milk Powder

In my house we have yogurt with our meals for 365 days of the year. I always set a seperate container of yogurt culture to set yogurt every day. When I go on a long holiday this container of yogurt culture goes into the freezer so that when, am, back, there is yogurt culture to set yogurt for us. I have noticed that when you set yogurt from store bought yogurt the set yogurt is slime and has a very weird taste. You will love this yogurt made from full cream milk powder.  Do try it!

1 Cup Measurement = 250ML
Ingredients
500 ML Water
½ Cup Full Cream Powder Milk
¼ Cup Fresh Active Yogurt Culture

Method

Stir the powdered milk into the milk in the pot. Adding powdered milk increases the protein content of the finished yogurt, and also gives it a thicker and creamier texture.
Heat the milk until it reaches just, when you dip your finger in to the milk it should be just warm. Switch off the flame and allow the milk to cool slightly.
Once the milk has cooled add the active yogurt culture whisk the yogurt and milk well until completely blended.
Transfer the milk mixture into jars or katoris. Let the yogurt sit to complete the culturing process ( Do Not stir, or jiggle the yogurt jars/katoris during this time).

At the end of the culturing time, move the jars/katoris to the fridge and chill well before eating.

Perfectly set and thick yogurt!!

Labels : Mango, Sweets & Desserts, Festival, Vrat, No Onion No Garlic, Potato, Main course, Maharastrian Cuisine, Homemade, Yogurt, Milk powder, Thali, Maharashtra,  Salads, Cucumber  

Olya Naralachi Karanji / Fresh Coconut Nevries

We East Indians make this for San Jao Cha Sann/St  John feast, which is celebrated on 24th June the proper day or the coming Sunday. 

This is must in my family, my mother and grandmother used to make this every year,  I too make this since my husband love them. This year I decided to take step by step pics, here is my family recipe. You can add more sugar if you want, but for us the sweetness was just right.

This Karanji is  also a traditional Maharashtrian sweet,  usually made  for festive occasions like Diwali and Ganesh Chaturthi.  

Olya means fresh, naralachya means coconut,  karanjya is turnovers or nevries,  which means fresh coconut karanji. The shelf live of these are just 3 - 4 days,  for a longer shelf-life you may use dry or desiccated coconut and sugar. 
I, prefer making karanji using fresh coconut for a superior taste. Making these, is quite a time consuming task, but,  if you love these, all the effort is worthwhile. This is one of the most easy recipes, do try preparing karanji this way and let me know how it turned out.

Makes around 9 - 10  Nevries /Karanjies - depending on the amount of filling inside.

Ingredients
For the filling

1 Cup Packed Fresh Grated Coconut
1/4 Teaspoon Heaped Cardamom pods
3 Tablespoons Heaped Sugar

A Pinch of Nutmeg powder

15 Cashewnuts - chopped

1 Tablespoon Golden Raisins/Kismis

1 Teaspoon Ghee/Vegetable Shortening

For the Covering

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

1½ Tablespoon Heaped Melted Ghee

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

For frying 

Vegetable Oil as required
 Method

For the filling

In a pan / kadai take ghee, coconut and sugar. Cook on low heat till  melts and the mixture comes together, add the raisins, cashew nuts, cardamom  and nutmeg powder and continue to cook the mixture on low medium heat for a 2 minutes stir continuously, since tends to burn quickly, so do not stop stirring at any given point of time. Once the mixture is dry  take  off the heat and set aside to cool completely.

For the covering

In a thaal/bowl mix  flour, melted ghee and salt, mix well.  Add water as required and knead to a soft, pliable,  smooth dough.  Keep it covered in a moist cloth  for 25 to 30 minutes. 

After 30 minutes, knead the dough again slightly and make small round balls.

Take one small dough ball. With the help of a rolling pin, roll it flat (same as the size of a poori)

Place a spoonful of the coconut jaggery mixture in the center

Dip your finger into the water and apply on the edge of half the poori. Flod the other edge of the poori, press the edges well to seal the filling inside
Be sure that no air bubbles remain inside. The edges should be tightly sealed or the filling may ooze our during deep frying.

Press the edges using the back of a fork  or a cutter to give it that  design.  Place the filled karanjis on  a plate and cover with  a damp  towel to avoid drying. 

Heat oil for deep frying in a kadhai or deep pan.
Slowly fry the karanjis on low flame till golden brown. Remove on paper towel and let them rest for 20 mins. When cooled down, store in airtight container upto 3 - 4 days. If refrigerated, it can be stored for a few more days.

Enjoy.. these are delicious, I am sure you can't stop at one or two!!
Labels:   Coconut, Fried, Nevries, Karanji, Turnover, Festival , Maharastrian Cuisine, East Indian, Vegan