Upvasachi Shengdanyachi Usal/Peanut Sundal - Keto#Alphabet Challenge

With the festival season, we need a lot of naivedyam or upvas/vrat recipes. This one dish is always prepared for Ganapati. I simply love it, and make it often since it is rich in protein and most of all keto, this is so addictive that you can't stop eating it. This is also called by different names in different states like Verkadalai Sundal, Verusenaga Guggillu in south states of our country. This is a very easy dish to prepare.

Ingredients
1½ Cup Raw Peanuts – soaked
½ Cup Packed Freshly Grated Coconut
1 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
2 Dried Red Chillies
A Sprig Curry Leaves
2 - 3 Tablespoon Oil
A Pinch Asafoetida
Salt to Taste
Method

Soak the peanuts in water 30 minutes. Then wash it well.
Add about ½ teaspoon sea salt to the soaked peanuts.
Pressure cook for one whistle on high then keep it for 5 minutes on low. Drain the water completely and set aside.
In a wok or kadai, heat the oil / ghee. Add mustard seeds and wait till they splutter. Turn the flame to low add red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida. Stir-fry for a minute. Add the cooked peanuts and grated coconut. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Add salt to taste, if required. Mix well. Switch off the flame.

Serve warm or at room temperature.
Labels: Shengdane, Peanuts, Vrat, Alphabet Challenge, Maharashtra, Keto, Low Carb, Indian

Let's see what other recipes are being served in alphabet "U" today..

• Culinary Cam: Curry Udon with Prawns 
• Blogghetti: Easy Homemade Peach Upside Down Cake 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Stir-Fried Udon Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables (Yaki Udon) 
• Food Lust People Love: Spicy Urad Dal 
• A Messy Kitchen: Ube Muffins
• Magical Ingredients: Ube Paratha 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Ukrainian Cod in Tomato Sauce
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Unsweetened Coconut Oatmeal Peach Crisp
• Sneha’s Recipe: Upvasachi Shengdanyachi Usal/Peanut Sundal - Keto 
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Utah Buttermilk Scones 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Vegetable Upma  

Dhapate - Multigrain Flatbread#BreadBakers

Dhapate is a multigrain flatbread from Maharashtra and is mostly had for breakfast or an evening snack. This is made by mixing the flours along with spices. Dhapate is a like a sister of thalipeeth, since the method and spices used is more or less the same. It taste more delicious when had with freshly churned homemade white butter. What I love about making these that is takes just no pre preparation to make it and all ingredients are always there in your kitchen pantry.

Ingredients
1 Cup Jowar Flour/Sorghum flour
½ Cup Whole Wheat Flour
¼ Cup Besan/Chickpea flour
1 Small Onion - finely chopped
1 Green Chilly - minced
2 Cloves Garlic - crushed
2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves
½ Teaspoon Coriander powder
1 Teaspoon Ajwain/Carom seeds - coarsely crushed
1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds - coarsely crushed
1 Tablespoon Sesame seeds
½ Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt to taste
½ Teaspoon Red Chili Powder
Water - as required to make a soft dough
Oil as required

Method 

In a mortar and pastel, lightly pound the ajwain and cumin seeds.  

In a wide bowl add the flours, salt and dry spices and mix well. Then add the onions, green chilly, garlic and coriander leaves and mix well.

Now add water slowly to knead a soft dough. Cover and keep aside.
Heat a tawa or pan.

Make equal balls about 5 to 6.

Using a plastic sheet or a clean wet cloth, take one ball and press to form a circle using your fingers. You can even pat the rotis directly on the pan using wet hands. 

Make four or five holes in it( this allow the oil to seep in evenly). 

Place this on to hot tawa and peel off the cloth/plastic sheet. Add little oil in each hole. Cover with a lid, let it cook for 2 minutes. Take off the lid. 

Flip and cook on the other side till golden.

Serve with freshly churned homemade white butter or with a chutney or any sauce.

Enjoy these healthy and wholesome Dhapate's for breakfast. These are so filling that they will keep you energetic past lunch time.

Labels: Flatbread, Multigrain Flour, Maharastrian Cuisine, Maharashtra, Breakfast, Snack, Healthy, Vegan, Breads, Jowar, Millets, Bread Bakers

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

• Aromatic Multigrain Bread with Coriander and Fennel from A Messy Kitchen
• Dhapate - Multigrain Flatbread from Sneha’s Recipe
• Easiest Multigrain sourdough Bread from Zesty South Indian kitchen
• Fluffy Multigrain Pancakes from Food Lust People Love
• Multi-Grain Dinner Rolls from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Roasted Potato Multigrain Bread from What Smells So Good?
• Spelt, Barley, and White Wheat Rustic Loaf from Karen’s Kitchen Stories 

Aloo Matar Kheema Masala- Malvani Style#SundayFunday

Aloo Matar Kheema Masala is a wonderfully simple, yet comforting Maharastrian cuisine recipe made with mince meat, potatoes and peas, that you can definitely try out. The spice mix is spicy, so adjust the spice level according to your taste.

Ingredients
300 Grams Kheema / Mince- Mutton/ Lamb/ Beef
2 Medium Onion- finely chopped
1 Tablespoons Ginger Garlic paste
2 Medium Tomato - finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Whisked Yogurt
1½ Teaspoon Heaped Malvani Masala
3 Tablespoons Groundnut Oil
1 Teaspoon Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Chopped Coriander leaves
1 Green Chilly - Chopped
3 Baby Potatoes - cut into 2 pieces
½ Cup Matar/ Green Peas - I used frozen

Method

Heat oil in a pan add the onion fry on low flame till light golden, add tomato and ginger garlic paste and sauté till oil separates add the masala and ½ cup water cover and cook till oil surfaces, add the potatoes, matar and kheema sauté for 3 minutes. 

Again add  ½ cup water cover and cook till the potatoes and kheema is done. Add green chilly and coriander leaves cover and cook for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame add vinegar mix well.

Enjoy it's super delicious and spicy, you'll love it!! A perfect main course dish. 

Labels: Aloo, Green Peas, Mince, Sunday Funday, Main course, Maharastrian Cuisine   

• Chocolate Bunny Hot Cocoa Bombs from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Bunny Mary from Culinary Cam
• Aloo Matar Kheema Masala- Malvani Style from Sneha's Recipe
• Carrot and Raisin Salad from Palatable Pastime
• Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Goan Baath Cake (Semolina Coconut Cake) from Cook with Renu

Sabudana & Potato Khichdi#SundayFunday

This make a fantastic filling brunch, we had this on lazy day. This is a different from the normal sabudana khichdi that is normally made. In this I have added potato to make a filling meal. Do try this different recipe! 

Ingredients
2 Medium Size Potatoes - cut into small cubes
1 Cup Sabudana
1 Cup Roasted Peanuts - coarsely ground
A Juice of One Big Lime
A Sprig Curry leaves
1 Long Green Chilly - slit
1 Teaspoon Grated Ginger
¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper powder
3 Long Green Chillies - grind to coarse paste
1 Tablespoon Sugar or as per your taste
¾ Teaspoon Sendav Namak or taste
4 Tablespoons Desi Ghee
1 Tablespoon Oil

Method

Wash sabudana lightly and soak in water. The water should to the level of the sabudana. Leave covered for minimum 4 hours or overnight. 
Next morning transfer them to a sieve/colander with small holes. Let excess water drain off. Keep covered (so top layer doesn't dry up). Then fork lightly.

Add sugar, salt and lemon juice and ground chillies to sabudana and mix it well, but gently with a fork.

In a large pan / kadai, heat oil and ghee, add cumin seed, as it browns, add crushed pepper and immediately put potato cubes. Coat potatoes well. Add salt needed for potatoes, Stir well. Cook on high flame for 2 minutes, cover and cook on sim for about 4-5 minutes. Potatoes should be cooked 90%, and retain shape (check by inserting a flat spoon/knife, it should cut through easily).
Now add ginger to potatoes. Mix lightly and cook for 2 minutes.

Push the potato mix to the edge and make a well in the middle. Add pounded peanuts in the well and sauté for a minute.

Add sabudana mix, curry leaves and slit chillies (reserve a few of both to add for final garnish). Slowly, mix everything well.
Cook on high flame for 2 minutes, lower to sim and cook covered for 10 minutes stirring in between so that it does not burn at the bottom of the pan and slowly separating lumps, if any.  

Once all the moisture dries up, leaving the sabudana separated and it should be puffed and transparent by now.
Give it one final stir. 

Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with coriander leaves and reserved curry leaves and chillies. 

Serve with fresh, firm yogurt.

Labels: Khichdi, Sabudana, Breakfast, Brunch, Sunday Funday, Maharastrian Cuisine, Vrat

For Sunday Funday we are sharing Thanksgiving Breakfast Recipes.   

• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Bread Egg Kottu 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Chocolate Banana Cranberry Smoothie 
• Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Donut Hole Turkeys 
• Cook with Renu: Open-Faced Celery Avocado Sandwich
• Palatable Pastime : Pork Cracklin’ Breakfast Scramble 
• Sneha’s Recipe: Sabudana & Potato Khichdi   

Flaxseed & Corn Poha#Improv

Flax seed is called Alasi in Marathi and Hindi. The Marathi name for this dish is Alasi Ani Makyacha Pohe. Flaxseeds are shiny & nutty seeds, have an earthy aroma which are a great source of omega 3 fatty acids and a host of other health benefiting properties. I love the earthy and nuttiness of these seeds. 

This Poha (beaten rice) is a fusion recipe is made with corn, which is delicious and nutritious. Try this lip-smacking recipe for your friends and family on various occasions like kitty parties, game nights or even road trips. Go ahead because it is worth a try, as it's so wholesome and tasty that you can make it any time of the day, as breakfast, supper or a simple evening tea snack.

Ingredients
2 Cups Poha
1 Cup Boiled Sweet Corn
3 Green Chillies - finely chopped
1 Large Onion - sliced
1 Teaspoon Grated Ginger
2 Dried Red Chillies
A Sprig Curry Leaves
2 Tablespoon Heaped Flax seeds
1 Teaspoon Mustard seeds
2 Tablespoon Lemon juice
1/2 Teaspoon Salt or to taste
1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
3 Tablespoons Oil
2 Tablespoons Desi Ghee
Chopped Coriander Leaves for garnishing

Method 

Wash the poha in a strainer well and set aside.
Heat a oil in a wok/ kadai. Add the mustard seeds, flax seeds red chillies and let the seeds sizzle, then add the onion, ginger and green chilly and curry leaves to it and fry for a few seconds or till onions are translucent. 

Now add the salt, sugar and corn and fry for a minute. Add the soaked poha and mix well. Cover and cook for another 2 minutes and turn off the flame. Add the lemon juice and mix well.   

Serve garnished with coriander leaves as a snack or breakfast.

Labels: Poha, Breakfast, Corn, Flaxseed, Maharastrian Cuisine, Maharashtra, Healthy, Improv Cooking Challenge

  

Improv Cooking Challenge

Corn & Peppers

• Corn and Bell Pepper Sandwich by Magical Ingredients 
• Flaxseed & Corn Poha by Sneha's Recipes
• Mexican Street Corn and Sausage Salad by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Nassau Grits by Pandemonium Noshery  

Mahahrastrian Misal Pav#SundayFunday

Misal-Pav” is a another favorite meal of a“Maharashtrians / Mumbaikar's ” after the most famous Vada Pav. Misal pav is a pretty popular dish from Maharashtra and every region has it’s own version of making misal.

What is Misal? Misal is basically a spicy curry made of moth beans/matki or mixed beans sprouts. The dish is topped "farsan" or "sev", onions, lemon and coriander before serving. It's eaten with bread or pav, a katori of yogurt/curd or a glass of buttermil.
In Konkan where the spice levels are so high that a glass of solkadi is guzzled down to cool the heat!

Misal has in three steps
1. Making of the usal/curry
2. Making the kat/tarri spicy water based thin gravy!
3. The toppings - tomato, onion , lemon juice and farsan

Ingredients
For The Sprouted Mixed Beans Curry
2 Cups Mixed Bean Sprouts - see notes
1 Large Onion - finely chopped
2 Medium Tomatoes - finely chopped
1 Green chilly - chopped
1 Teaspoon Heaped Ginger Garlic paste
1 Teaspoon Mustard seeds
½ Teaspoon Cumin seeds
A Spring Curry leaves
1 Teaspoon Heaped Goda masala - see notes
½ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
2 Teaspoons Heaped Kacha Masala - East Indian - see notes
A Small Lemon Size Ball Tamarind, soaked in 1/2 cup water
1 cup water or add more if you want thin consistency
2 - 3 Tablespoons Groundnut Oil
Salt to taste

Method
Soaked the tamarind in ½ cup water for 15 - 20 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind and remove the plup, keep this aside.

Rinse the bean sprouts first in running water well. Drain them completely and then add the sprouts, a little turmeric powder, salt and water 2 inch's above the sprouts, in a pressure cooker till done. Pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles, or until the beans are cooked yet firm.
Take a deep pan/kadai, heat oil, add in the mustard seeds and cumin seeds when they splutter. Add onion and curry leaves, sauté the onion till they turn translucent. Add ginger-garlic paste and green chilly, stir and sauté till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away. Now add the dry spices - kacha masala, turmeric powder and goda masala. Stir and then add the tamarind pulp. Keep stirring till the raw aroma of the tamarind goes away. 

Now drain the bean sprouts ( reserve the stock to make the tarri), lighlty mix and add a cup water or more water if required. I added more because the sprouts while getting cooked makes the curry thicker. Bring this to a rolling boil. Reduce the flame and let it simmer for 15 minutes, so the flavors infuse, keep stirring in between so that the beans don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.  

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Ingredients
For The Tarri/ Kat
3 Tablespoons Grated Dry Coconut (lightly dry roasted)
1 Medium Tomato chopped
1 Medium Onion - chopped
½ Teaspoon Ginger Garlic paste
1 Teaspoon Goda Masala
½ Teaspoon  Red chili powder
1 Tablespoon Groundnut Oil
Salt to taste

Method

Heat the pan with oil, add the  garlic-ginger paste, fry for till they turn light brown. Add onion and fry till they turn golden and soft. Add tomatoes and fry for few minutes. Turn off the flame and let it cool. Once cool add above made onion masala, dry coconut, garam masala, red chilly powder and grind to a smooth paste.
Heat the pan with 4-5tsp oil, add above made masala paste and cook till the oil starts leave the sides. At this point you can add red chili powder, salt. Add stock from the beans and little more to make a watery consistency. Cook till it comes to boil.  

Kat or tarri is very thin watery consistency is ready.

Assembling The Misal Pav  

In a bowl or divided plate take the usal curry. Fill it to half. Add in the tarri. Garnish it with tomatoes, onions, farsan, potato sallis, as much as you would like to. Squeeze in lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves.  

Serve it warm with pav, cold buttermilk or Solkadhi

My Notes

Do not sprout the beans too much or else the misal will be mushy.
If you do not have goda masala then you can use garam masala powder but half the quantity of goda masala.
Instead of Kacha Masala - use 2 or more teaspoon of red chilly or according to spice level, a teaspoon heaped of coriander powder and a teaspoon cumin powder.
Labels: Mixed Beans, Sprouts, Curry, Street food, Maharastrian Cuisine, Maharashtra, Sunday Funday, Main course

For our event called Sunday Funday, wherein we share recipes our families will love to enjoy on a Sunday. Our theme for Sunday Funday: "Sprouts".

Chinese Cuban Fried Rice from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Korean Banchan (Bean Sprout, Pickled Radish and Cucumber) from Palatable Pastime
Masala papad with sprouted moth bean chaat from Mildly Indian
Mahahrastrian Misal Pav from Sneha’s Recipe
Quick and Easy Pork Pho from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Spicy Tofu Bowl from Mayuri’s Jikoni
Sprouted Wheat Bread (Wet Sprouted - No Dehydrating or Grain Mill from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
Tomato and Sunflower Sprout Salad from Pandemonium Noshery
The Goan Usali Recipe from The Mad Scientist’s Kitchen

 

Gola Bhaat With Kadhi - Varhadi Thali#SundayFunday

This is the specialty of Vidharbha, which is the north-eastern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra, I learnt this ‘Gola Bhaat’ from my husband's aunty, who's a fantastic cook. It's a slightly lengthy process but worth the effort, to enjoy something different. 

This is a gluten free meal. If you don't want to enjoy it with kadhi then even vegan's can enjoy this meal. My daughter enjoyed this minus the kadhi.
In the gola/balls adding yogurt is optional, but, adding it gives a softer gola /balls. 
1 Cup Measurement = 250 ML
Serves 3
Ingredients

For The Gola / Balls / Dumplings
1 Cup Coarsely Ground Besan/Gram Flour
1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves
1 Teaspoon Coriander powder
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin powder
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
¼ Teaspoon Ajwain Seeds
½ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 Teaspoon Red Chilly Powder
1 Tablespoon Heaped Roasted & Coarsely Powdered Peanuts
1 Tablespoon Heaped Roasted Dry Coconut
A Pinch Asafoetida
1 Tablespoon Yogurt - optional
2 Tablespoons Heaped Oil
4 Curry Leaves - finely chopped

For The Rice/Bhaat
1 Cup Rice - I used Wada Kolam
2½ - 2¾ Cup Water
½ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 Teaspoon Salt or to taste
A Pinch Asafoetida
1 Tablespoon Lemon juice
For the Tadka
2 Tablespoon Heaped Oil
½ Teaspoon Mustard seeds
3 Cloves Garlic - slit
2 Dried Red Chillies
A Sprig Curry Leaves

For The Kadhi
½ Cup Yogurt - slightly sour
Water as required
1 Teaspoon Heaped Besan/Gram Four
1½ Tablespoon Heaped Oil
½ Teaspoon Mustard seeds
5 Grains Fenugreek Seeds
2 Cloves Garlic - finely chopped
¼ Teaspoon chopped Ginger
1 Sprig Curry Leaves
2 Green Chillies - slit
¼ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
A Pinch Asafoetida
Method
For The Gola / Balls / Dumplings

In a large bowl, mix together the besan and all the given dry ingredients well, add yogurt and oil and mix well with your hand. Now knead to make a slightly stiff dough, add more oil if necessary a teaspoon at a time( do not add water to make the dough, it will make the duplings/gola's hard. Add oil since this will make the dumplings/gola's soft). 

Cover the dough with a damp cloth and keep aside for 10 - 15 minutes. 

Then make small marble size gola's/dumplings from the dough. In the meantime lets start with the rice.   

For The Gola Bhaat

Wash the rice well and soak it for 20 minutes. After the soaking time drain all the water. 

In a mud handi/trezal , add 2½ cups water, salt, turmeric powder, lemon juice, asafoetida and the rice.
Bring this water to a rolling boil, lightly stirring it, when it comes to a boil add oil, again lightly stir it. Reduce the flame to medium high and let the rice cook till 50% done only or till it water is just a little above the rice. 

Now arrange all the gola/dumplings, lightly press them with a spatula . Cover with a lid add ½ cup water on the lid and let this cook on medium low flame till the rice is fully done , yet each grain should be separated. Open the lid every 2 minutes and lightly stir it with a spatula. 

The Gola Bhaat is done... 

When the rice is cooked keep it covered till we make the Kadhi to enjoy with it.
For the Tadka

Heat oil in a tadka pan, add mustard seeds when they crackle add the garlic, when the garlic changes color add the dried red chillies, stir it lightly , switch of the flame add the curry leaves. 

Pour this over the rice and we are ready to serve. 
To Make the Kadhi

Whisk the yogurt well in a large bowl. Add the besan and whisk it well so that no lumps are formed.
Add 1¼ cup water and whisk it again ,salt to taste, turmeric powder.
Heat oil in large pot/kadai, add the mustard seeds , when the crackle, add the fenugreek seeds, when they start to brown add the chopped ginger, garlic and asafoetida, sauté till it starts to change color, add the curry leaves, slit green chillies, turmeric, fry for a minute. Take this off the flame and add the yogurt besan mixture, whisk it well. Place this back on the flame and on medium high keep whisking continuously till it comes to a rolling boil, reduce the flame to medium low, let it simmer till it thicken a little for about 15 to 20 minutes. 

Add coriander leaves and it's ready to serve. 

Serve this with papad, pickle and salad. When you eating mash the gola/dumplings lightly and mix it with the rice, pour the kadhi. 

Enjoy... Nagpur Varhadi Thali!! 
My Notes
If the yogurt is not slightly sour add a teaspoon of lemon juice, whisk it nicely check for sourness or add more. 
Labels: Nagpur, Maharastrian Cuisine, Rice, Kadhi, Yogurt, Besan, Main course, Thali, Sunday Funday, Vegetarian, Gluten free, Vegan, Pulao, Dumplings

For Sunday Funday our theme is "Yogurt".    

• Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken Thighs by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Dahi Kachumber (with Yogurt) by Palatable Pastime
• 2 Ingredients Mango Yogurt Smoothie by Cook with Renu
• Gola Bhaat With Kadhi - Varhadi Thali by Sneha’s Recipe
• Lemon Yogurt Cake, Eggless by Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Creamy Avocado Yogurt Dip by Food Lust People Love
• Strawberries with Minted Yogurt by A Day in the Life on the Farm