Lavang Lata, a sweet for which we were crazy in our childhood. Every time we went to market for some shopping, the desire to eat this sweet used to make us pester our parents until they actualy bought it. It’s a Bengali sweet however pretty famous in Eastern UP and Bihar too. This sweet is made during festivals like Durga puja, Dipawali or Holi as well as readily available in sweet shops but homemade tastes always better. Lavang Lata is crispy on outer surface and little juicy inside. The outer layer is made using all purpose flour and it is filled with mix of milk mava and nuts. The outer layer is sealed using lavang (clove) which gives a exotic aroma to it. When served warm it tastes awesome. The richness of mava, nuts and ghee give a delicious taste. Indulge at your on risk or ensure you do some good exercise after enjoying it.
Category Archives: Veg
Raw Kathal ( Jackfruit) Dum
Kathal (Jackfruit) can be used as vegetable when it’s raw or as fruit when it gets riped. In Northern part of India people mostly use it as vegetable however in South mostly people use it as fruit. Raw Jackfruit can be used to prepare variety of dishes like dry, curry or kofta. Raw Jackfruit dishes are my favorite and I have been always looking to find fresh Jackfruit, however in many of my attempts I failed to find the right one to make proper vegetable dish. Cutting raw Jackfruit requires some skills as it is very sticky, my Mom used oil to grease her palm and knife while cutting the kathal. For this recipe I have used the canned raw Jackfruit which is available in Indian grocery stores which makes it easier as it is already cleaned and cut. I am sharing this recipe from my Mom who used to make it amazingly delicious. Boiled and roasted kathal cooked in onion and tomato gravy flavored with garam masala powder, nutmeg powder and spices. This simple curry is a great compliment with steamed rice or roti.
Maharashtrian Kadhi
Kadhi, the name itself brings a tangy taste in one’s mouth. Kadhi is very simple side dish prepared mainly using gram flour and sour curd. In different part of India, there are many variations of Kadhi. I have earlier shared some of the variations like Bihari Kadhi Bari and Punjabi Kadhi. This recipe is specifically based on how it is prepared in Maharashtra and very easy to prepare. The delicious side dish goes very well with roti, plain rice as well as famous Maharashtrian masala bhaat. 
Masala Bhaat
Masala Bhaat is a Maharashtrian recipe prepared using basmati rice, mix vegetables and spiced with Goda Masala. Goda Masala is a special Maharashtrian spice mix which gives an authentic flavor to the recipe. It seems Maharashtrian wedding is considered incomplete without masala bhaat which indicates that how much people like it. In a way you can say it’s like a veg pulao, however it is more spicy and have it’s own taste. You could add vegetables of your choices in it. I learnt this recipe from one of my family friend’s Mom. She makes it so delicious that once you start eating, you can’t stop. Masala bhaat goes very well with maharastrian kadhi or curd raita.
Strawberry Modak
Wishing you all a very happy Ganesh Chaturthi!!
Ukadiche Modak is a very famous Maharashtra sweet dumpling which is offered to Lord Ganesha during Ganesh Chaturthi festival celebration. Modak is made using rice flour shell which is filled with a sweet mixture of grated coconut, jaggery, poppy seeds and flavored with green cardamon and nutmeg powder. The Ukadiche modak is steam cooked. As such there are varieties of modak’s recipes like mava modak, puran modak, kesari modak and dry fruit modak. I have also published couple of modak recipes Ukadiche Modak and Indian blackberry Modak. This recipe is a another variation of modak recipe which has a filling based on strawberry. Straberry gives a unique fruit flavor as well as sweet and sour taste to the modak. Rest of the filling ingredients are same like coconut, mava and jaggery. Preparing modak first time or first few time could be a daunting task as it requires patience and some practice to get the right texture and shape. There are some modak mold available and you can try that. 
Multi Adai Paniyaram
Paniyaram is one of very popular breakfast or appetizer dish in Southern part of India. It is prepared from batter which is pretty similar to Dosa/Idli batter. I have already shared the regular Paniyaram recipe earlier, this recipe a little variation to the original recipe. The major ingredient for this recipe is mix of various kind of daal (pulses), beans, brown rice and rava. I have also added grated beetroot to a refreshing color as well as nice taste. The batter needs at least 6 to 7 hours of fermentation. The paniyram tastes great with samber, coconut or tomtato chutney. You would need paniyarm pan to prepare this recipe which is generally available in Indian grocery stores. These cute little balls works great as appetizer for your guests as well as for kid’s lunch boxes. 
Buttercream Frosting
Frosting as you are know is used for decorating cakes as well as cupcakes. Though there are variety of frosting available is stores it’s always good to make them at home so that is fresh and according to your taste and flavor. You can make different kind of frosting like chocolate buttercream frosting, cream cheese frosting, orange buttercream frosting and so on. I am sharing this simple buttercream frosting recipe and other can be prepared using similar process. This recipe is little stiff consistency as I wanted to use this to create designs using Russian piping tip however you can adjust the consistency by adding milk based on your need. You could also tint it using the food color as well as add your own flavor. It’s very important to keep butter and shorting at room temperature as well as powder sugar is well sifted to make proper frosting.
Tandoori Gobhi
As you hear the sound Tandoori, it gives you a spicy, tangy and mouthwatering sensation. There are varieties of non-veg based Tandoori recipes however Tandoori Gobhi is vegetarian recipe and is an excellent starter or snacks item. This recipe is prepared using cauliflower florets marinated in hung curd, tandoori masala and other spices and grilled in oven. If cooked in clay based oven, it would have an amazing aroma and smoky flavor. You can also cook it in gas based oven or on griddle. Serve this dish to your guests with mint chutney & mocktails in parties and have fun. Also see my other Tandoori recipes like Tandoori Salmon, Tandoori tangdi 65 and Tandoori Chicken.