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.

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.

Rolled Besan Curry

In India there are variety of food which are very local to certain areas. Rolled besan curry is one of them and mainly prepared in northern part of UP and Bihar. My mother used to make this recipe often when she used to run out of vegetables and I loved it every time. You can make this recipe without much preparation when you don’t feel like making vegetable curry. The recipe is prepared by rolling besan batter on tava and simmer into a spicy tomato based gravy. I have earlier shared a different variation of besan curry named as Besan ki Sabji. If you don’t want to make roll based, you can prepare Besan ki sabji instead. The rolled besan curry goes very well with Partha, phulka and rice.

Makki Ki Roti & Sarson Ka Saag

Makki (corn flour) ki roti and Sarson (mustard) ka saag is one of the very famous Punjabi dish which is also very much liked by people in Northern part of India. Makki flour has very less amount of gluten hence it’s little difficult to make the roti (bread) out of it. Adding little bit of wheat flour makes it easier to make the roti. Kneading the flour is one of the important step while making this roti. Traditionally, the roti is made using palm of both hands by thumping both side to expand however that requires some practice, so I have used butter paper to make this roti and spread it using fingers. Generally this roti is much thicker than actual wheat flour roti and cooked in clay oven however I have cooked it on Tava top. Sarson leaves are generally available during winter season hence the dish is mainly prepared during winter. Sarson ka saag is made using mustard leave, spinach and bathua leaves. You can also add chana leaves as it gives a great taste to it. I have added little sweet corn to the saag as it reduces the bitterness of the mustard leave and gives creamy taste. Adding roasted gram flour gives thickness to the saag. The saag can be also served with normal roti or paratha. When I was kid, my Mom used to make it using roasted corn flour at home and serve with saag and ghee. I really miss those days very much.

Goda Masala Powder

Masala (spices) in any Indian food is one of the most important ingredient giving an unique taste to each recipe. You could find varieties of readymade masalas in any Indian grocery store however if you want to get a real fresh taste in your dish you shall prepare it home from basic ingredients. Goda Masala is one of the famous spice mix from Maharastra state. This masala is used in many Marathi recipes like masala bhaat, vegetarian, non vegeterian curry and other recipes. This fresh and aromatic masala gives a unique taste to any recipe. In fact while I was making this at home, the whole house was filled with awesome sweet-scented smell. Dagad phool is one specific ingredient which gives a very distinctive flavor to the masala. There are many versions of Goda masala recipe and people of different region make slight changes in ingredient list based on their preference/taste. Making Goda masala is really very easy as the only thing one need to ensure is that the ingredients are roasted well and don’t get burnt. Although Goda means sweet but the masala is not sweet at all. I learnt this recipe from one of my friend Shilpa’s Mom who belong to Maharashtra and really glad to share it on my blog.

Daal Baati

Daal Baati Churam is a very popular traditional Rajasthani dish. The celebrations like marriage, festival, parties and so on in Rajasthan are incomplete without this traditional dish. Daal Baati Churma is basically three items put together as a meal. I have already shared the recipe of Churma in my earlier blog and in this blog I am sharing the recipe for Daal and Baati. Baati is made from wheat flour balls with lots of deshi ghee. Traditionally, the Baati balls are backed in clay or coal based tandoor which gives a very specific smoky flavor to the recipe. However, I have made the Baati in electric oven and it really came out well. The crispy Baati with desi ghee aroma makes the dish tastes amazing. The Daal for this recipe is mixture of five kinds of daal (pulses) also known as panchmel daal. The daal is cooked with salt, water and turmeric powder however the seasoning with ghee, ginger-garlic and some gram masala brings in the real flavorful taste in Daal. Serve this recipe to your guests and I am sure they would love it.

Churma Ladoo

Churma is a popular and traditional Rajasthani delicacy. Churma is part of a main meal known as Daal Baati Churama which is very famous in Rajasthan, India. Churma is a prepared using coarse ground wheat flour, cooked with ghee and sugar/jaggry. Although it is a very simple recipe however it takes long time to prepare and requires patience. The Churma balls are cooked on low to medium flame to ensure it is cooked well. There are two ways it can be served as a Churma granules or made as a Ladoo. These ladoo looks very similar to besan ladoo and takes time to make each one of them. These delicious ladoos are also used to worship Lord Ganesha. I am very thankful to my friend for sharing this delicious recipe.

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