Amti (light and tasty Dal)

Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins


Ingredients
Toor Dal - 1 cup
Goda masala - 1 tsp
(this is a common and essential masala in any maharashtrian household...if you do not have this you can use normal garam masala and add a mixture of grounded sesame seeds and dry coconut (1:1)
Tamarind pulp - 1tsp
Tomato (diced) - 1
Freshly grated coconut - 2 tbsp
Freshly chopped coriander - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Jaggery to taste (a must since you are adding tamarind)

For tempering
2 tbsp oil
2 tsp mustard seeds
1/3 tsp turmeric
a pinch of asafoetida
1/4 tsp fenugreek/methi seeds (optional)
3 green chilies-chopped

Preparation

• Boil the toor dal in the pressure cooker. Blend it lightly and set aside
•  Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and when they pop, add the fenugreek seeds, turmeric, asafoetida and chilies.
• Saute for 3 minutes till the tomato is tender and add the boiled dal.
•  Add 4 cups of water or more as required (the consistency of the dal should be very thin- a little thicker than rasam)
•  Add the rest of the ingredients except the coconut and coriander and continue to boil for 10 minutes.
• Garnish with coriander and coconut and serve with rice and chapatis.

Batata vada- Vada Pav

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
Potatoes (large) - 2
Onion (large) - 1
Green chilies - 3
Ginger - 1/2 inch stick
Coriander(chopped) - 2 tbsp
Garlic (chopped) - 3 cloves
Salt to taste
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
For batter:
Besan (Gram flour) - 1 cup
Turmeric - a pinch
Asafoetida - a pinch
Baking soda - a pinch
Salt to taste
Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
Water - 1cup
Oil for frying

Method

• Boil, peel and mash potatoes.
• Saute the onion until soft
• Mix potatoes,onion and all the other ingredients into a dough.
• Roll them in to 1 inch balls and set aside.
• Mix  Besan, turmeric and all the batter ingredients with 2 tsp of very hot oil and later make in to a thick batter with sufficient water
• Heat oil in a wok, dip the potato balls in the batter and deep fry.
• Serve sizzling hot with any chutney sweet/tangy/hot  and Pav

Veg Hot n Sour Soup with Crispy Bread sticks

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time 25 minutes

Ingredients
For the Soup
Capsicum(Chopped) - 1
Spring Onions(chopped) - 1
Carrot (chopped/ grated) - 1
Cabbage (finely chopped) - 1/4 cup
Chilies- 3 (fine paste)
Tomato Sauce - 2 tbsp
Corn Flour / Corn Starch - 1 1/2 tbsp
Soy Sauce- 1 tbsp
Vinegar - 1 1/2 tbsp
Black Pepper Powder - 1 tsp
Ginger- 1/2 inch (fine paste)
Sugar- 1 tsp
Salt to taste
4 cups Water

For the Bread sticks

Wheat flour - 1/2 cup

All Purpose flour (Maida) - 1/4 cup

Sesame Seeds - 2 tsp

Water - 1/2 cup

Oil- 1/2tbsp

Salt to taste

Sugar- 1/2 tsp

Oil for frying

Preparation (Soup)

• Grind the chilies and ginger in to a smooth paste
• Add Soya sauce, Vinegar, Tomato sauce, black pepper powder, sugar and salt to it mix thoroughly
• Take 4 cups of water in a heavy bottom vessel and add the above mixture to it and bring it to a boil
• Now add the half boiled vegetables to the mixture and cook for 2 minutes
• Dissolve the corn flour/starch in 1/2 cup of lukewarm water and add to the mixture slowly while you stir
• As the soup stats to get thick, lower the flame and cook for about 3 minutes
• Garnish  with  spring onions and serve this  hot, spicy and tangy soup with bread sticks

Tip:   1)You can use the vegetable stock from the half cooked vegetables, instead of water, it kind of adds more flavours.
2) You can add your choice of vegetables, you can also use peas, babycorn, mushrooms


Preparation (Bread Sticks)

• Mix all the contents in a bowl expect  water
• Now add the water slowly while mixing the flour and knead it in to a smooth dough
• Make equal portions of the dough (6-8 ) and roll them in to 3-4 inch long sticks
• Now gently  twist the sticks a little so that the marks show on them (do not bend them completely)
• Heat oil in a pan and fry the sticks until light brown.
• Serve them with hot soup.

Spinach & Peas Kebabs (Hara Bhara Kebabs)

Preparation time: 35 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins


Ingredients
Potato - 2
Pea seeds( muttar) - 1 cup
Spinach (chopped) - 1/2 cup
Ginger (finely chopped)  - 1/4 inch piece
Green chillies (finely chopped) - 3
Coriander leaves (finely chopped) - 1/4 cup
Chat Masala - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Cornflour-3tsp
Oil for frying

Preparation

• Boil,mash and mix together the potatoes, peas and spinach till a smooth paste is formed.
• Add chopped coriander, ginger, green chilies,corn flour, salt and chat masala to it and mix well
• Refrigerate it for 15 mins
• Take out the mixture from the refrigerator and shape in to patties
• Heat the oil in a kadai (for deep fry) or a heavy bottomed pan (for shallow fry) and fry the kebabs until crisp on each side
• Serve hot with green chutney or sweet n sour chutney

Capsicum Rice (Capsicum Masale Bhath)

Preparation time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients

Basmati Rice/ Normal Rice - 1 Cup

Medium sized Capsicum (Finely chopped) - 2

Medium sized Onion (finely chopped) - 1 (optional)

Medium sized Tomato (finely chopped) - 1

Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp

Green Chilies (finely chopped) - 2

Garam Masala/ Sabji Masala - 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves - to garnish

seasoning

Oil/ghee - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida(hing) - pinch

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Cashew - 1 tsp (optional) 

Preparation

• Cook basmati rice in 2 cups of water. The grains should be separate. Set aside. 
• Heat oil/ghee in a pan.Add mustard seeds, Asafoetida and cumin seeds  
• When mustard seeds crackle, add ginger garlic paste, chopped green chilies,onion capsicum. Sprinkle salt and turmeric powder.
• Saute till capsicum turns soft.Add the garam masala and mix well.
• Gently add rice to the pan  and mix thoroughly.
• Add salt and garnish with roasted cashew nuts coriander leaves.
• Have it with raitha or papad.

Jeedi Pappu (Cashew Nuts) Upma

Ingredients

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 10 minutes

Suji/Semolina -  1 Cup
Cashew nuts (broken into quarters)- 1/4 Cup
Mustard seeds- 2 tsp
Green chilies (finely chopped) - 2
Ginger (finely chopped)- 1/4 inch
Salt to taste
Ghee- 4 tbsp
Water- 3 Cups

Preparation

• Heat the kadai and saute the semolina/suji till golden brown and keep aside
• Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a kadai, add mustard seeds, once the seeds pop, add cashew nuts, chopped green chilies, ginger and saute till the cashew nuts turn red
• Add water and bring it to a boil, now add the salt and stir well
• Once the water starts to boil add the semolina slowly and stir continuously to avoid lumps.
• Simmer the flame and close the lid for 2 minutes
• Now add 2 tbsp of ghee to the contents of the kadai, mix well and close the lid for another 3 minutes.
• Serve hot with any pickle/chutney

Vatana chi missal

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Vatana (dried  peas) - 2 cups

Onion (finely chopped) - 1 big

Tomato (finely chopped) - 2

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp

Green chilli paste- 1/2 tsp

Tamarind paste - 2 tsp

Garam masala - 2tsp

Coriander (finely chopped) - 1/4 cup

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Chaat masala - 1/2 tsp

Oil- 1 1/2 tbsp

Preparation Method

• Soak 2 cups of dried peas overnight in water.
• Pressure cook peas with very little water, salt & turmeric.
• Heat the oil and put mustard seeds
• Add ginger-garlic,green chili paste chopped onions and saute for 3 mins till the onions become translucent.
• Now add chopped tomatoes, tamarind paste, Garam masala, chilli powder and cook till the tomatoes go tender.
• Add cooked peas and 2 cups water.
• Cook uncovered on a low flame for 10 mins and remove from heat
• Garnish with chopped coriander 

Note: The beauty of the dish is it can be served with Rice, Roti, Pav, or can just be consumed  as it is topped with farsand (Namkeen mixture/chivda)