BHARLI VAANGI (STUFFED EGGPLANT CURRY)

Bharli Vaangi (Stuffed eggplant curry) originates from Maharashtra. This typical Maharastrian preparation comes generations from the Peshwai era. The masala stuffed in the stomach of this eggplants is just perfect to melt it in your mouth.

 When I talk about typical Maharastrian dish, the first person who comes to my mind is my granny. She cooks this to near perfection. So, keeping my granny’s recipe in my mind, I opened “Annapurna”- Maharastrian recipe book gifted by my dear MIL and mixing both the recipes I made my version. And what a meal, fill your plate with this hot bharli vaangi and bhakris.

You Need :

Utensils:

Pan

Wok

Ingredients:

5-6 Baby Eggplants (Vaangi)

For Masala Paste:

½ Cup grated dry Coconut/desiccated coconut

1 Onion (medium size)

3 – 4 Cloves of garlic

½ Cup peanut

3-4 Red whole Chillis

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Coriander seeds

2 tsp Goda masala (Maharastrian garam masala)

1 tsp Tamarind Extract

½ tsp Turmeric powder

Small piece of jaggery

Salt to taste

For Garnish:

Few chopped cilantro (coriander) leaves.

Method:

1.       Slit the egg plants in a (+) shape from bottom for the stuffing.

2.      For the masala paste; dry roast in a pan, dry coconut, chopped onions, chopped garlic, peanuts, red chillis, cumin seeds, coriander seeds.

3.      Grind the masala into powder, add turmeric, goda masala, tamarind extract, salt, add little water to form a paste.

4.      Now fill in this masala paste in the eggplants.

5.      In a wok, heat oil. Add the remaining masala paste, and the stuffed eggplants.

6.      Add a piece of jaggery.

7.      Cook till the eggplants get tender.

8.     When done, sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves.

9.      Serve hot with some bhakris or rice.

RICE BHAKRI

Bhakri is a round flat unleavened bread often used in the cuisine of western and central India, especially in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra and northern Karnataka. It is thicker than the chapati and traditionally flattened by use of hands.

Bhakri is part of a traditional Indian meal. Bhakri has traditionally been the farmer's food which would be carried to the farm at the crack of dawn and make up for both breakfast and lunch.

In the fields, bhakri even used to serve as a plate, in which thecha, junka, pithla ( curry made from gram flour) with simple raw onion was served and eaten together. In modern days, however, bhakri has been replaced by rotis and phulkas but still enjoys its traditional taste. Bhakri has dietary advantages. Being made from cereals, it is high in protein and fibre but at the same time very easy to digest. It is made of comparatively coarse flour and hence more nutritious than the fine flour.

It is made mostly from jowar , bajra , nachni and rice flour . But amongst all of them rice bhakri is my one of favorites. Being from land of Maharashtra, I love this staple food with Bharli vangi ( Maharastrian  stuffed eggplants) and thecha. Traditionally , bhakri is made by flattening it round by hands and then roasted on iron tawa . .that’s how my granny use to make. This is my way of making bhakris.

 

You Need:

Utensils:

Dough dish ( parat)

Iron Tawa / any other pan used for making chapatis

 

Ingredients:

1 cup rice flour

1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)

Pinch of salt

1 cup warm water

Few sesame seeds

                                               

Method:

Mix rice flour and salt in a parat. Now boil water and add 1 tsp ghee in it. Pour this warm water all over the flour, and close with our plate to capture the steam. This process is called ukad in Marathi. After 15 minutes, mix in a dough and make equal balls. Now roll the balls round dipping your hands in water to flatten.Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top. You can roll with bread roller to flatten .Now roast it on hot tawa both the sides, till you get golden spots. Pour some ghee on this hot bhakri or a simple piece of jaggery and serve with thecha and bharli vangi.

BOTTLE GOURD KOFTA CURRY

 

Bottle gourd/dudhi/lauki  is a vegetable , which  rarely people love to eat . Every time  this vegetable in my lunch box , use to be gifted back to my mom at the end of the day. My mom use always recommend, because of its nutritious value. http://ayurveda-foryou.com/ayurveda_herb/bottle_gourd.html .I liked it only in sweet preparation , dudhi halwa or dudhi kheer. So I tried this recipe of koftas, and to my surprise, I never loved this vegetable so much before. With its rich creamy curry and the tempting koftas swimming in , changed my view for this poor vegetable.

Utensils required

Mixing bowl

Baking try

Wok

 

Ingredients:

For Koftas:

1 medium size bottle gourd (grated)

2 cloves of  garlic (grated)

½  inch of  ginger (grated)

2 green chillis (finely chopped)

½  tsp cumin powder

½  tsp coriander powder

¼ tsp chilli powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

4 tsp besan ( chickpeas flour)

 

For Curry:

1 medium size onion (finely chopped)

1 plum tomato (finely chopped)

½ inch ginger (grated)

3 cloves garlic (grated)

1 tsp garam masala

½ tsp cumin powder

½ tsp coriander powder

½ tsp chilli powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

¼ cup heavy cream

½ cup milk

Salt to taste

Oil

Method:

For the koftas :

In a mixing bowl , mix grated bottle gourd with salt , and keep aside for 15 minutes. Now drain all the water from the gourd . This water will be used in the gravy. Now add ginger – garlic paste, chillis, and dry masalas. Add salt and besan and mix well. Make small round balls of the mixture. Pre- heat oven at 300 F for 10 minutes. Grease the baking tray with oil  and bake this koftas in oven till they turn golden brown both the sides . Koftas are ready.

*Traditionally koftas are deep fried. So if you don’t want to bake you can fry them.

For the Gravy :

In a wok , heat oil and sauté ginger- garlic paste. Now add onion. After they turn golden , add tomato. Add bottle gourd juice and cook till it forms gravy. Add all the dry masala and salt. Add heavy cream and milk and bring to a boil. Add the koftas and let them sink in the rich gravy.

Enjoy nutritiously tasty  bottle gourd kofta curry with hot phulkas or rice.

CAPSICUM PULAV

In our everyday meals, rice is always included in our dinner. I always like some twist in my rice preparation. I have a magnetic note pad on refrigerator, where I note all the veggies inside and which was telling me dear you have to do grocery, all you have now are few tomatoes and capsicum. I brought my eyebrows closer and lit bulb of my brains and sliced the veggies and started cooking and the end result was fabulous !!!..My hubby simply loved it and told me “I will stuff the refrigerator with capsicums, you make this for me everyday”.

 

Ingredients :

 

1 big sliced green capsicum

( you can add few sliced yellow and red capsicum to give color )

1 medium onion (sliced)

1 big tomato (sliced)

1 bay leaf

1 big cardamom

1 cinnamon (dalchini) bark

1 cumin seeds

4 tsp peppercorns crushed

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp biryani masala

½ tsp coriander and cumin powder

½ tsp chilli powder

½ tsp turmeric

Salt for taste

Oil

 

Basmati rice cooked separately.

 

Method:

 

In a skillet heat oil. Now add cumin seeds, bay leaf, big cardamom, cinnamon bark , crushed pepper corn. Add the sliced onion, sauté till golden brown then add the sliced capsicum cook for 2 minutes then add sliced tomatoes. Add all dry spices : turmeric, coriander and cumin powder, garam masala, biryani masala, chilli powder and salt. Now cook till veggies cook well. Add this mixture to the cooked rice and mix well. Serve with curd /raita, few fryms or papad.

 

 

 

SWEET SPICY BANANAS

This is karvari recipe which my granny use to make and eventually my mom. Though I am not a big fan of bananas,this is something I simply love to put in my mouth. With the spicy chutney stuffed in the sweet bananas , you have that unique combination of sweet and kick of spice .

Ingredients :

3 long green bananas ( it is called rajali kali or kerela bananas in India, they are long and inside they are saffron color)

If you don’t get them use the normal bananas.

For chutney :

1 cup grated coconut

1 tsp salt

½ cup coriander ( cilantro)leaves

3 – 4 green chillies

For shallow frying:

2 tsp clarified butter (ghee)

Method:

Cut the bananas in finger size , and give a small cut to stuff the chutney. Grind all the chutney ingredients and stuff in bananas. Now heat pan and add ghee. Shallow fry the banana pieces on medium flame till they are golden brown. They are now ready to eat. Bon Apetit.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE BROWNIES

Baking is something which I love from childhood. I still remember the days when me and my sister use to bake cakes. Every month my mom used to make cakes, which later on we took over. Baking the cake was such fun, with that aroma all over the place and long wait just to have a bite. 

I love cakes and luckily over here you have big ovens to make baking easy and quick. So I wait for some occasion for baking good cakes.

Yesterday we completed 5 months of our happy married life ....and what a occasion to celebrate, so of course cake is every time on my list. I love brownies, especially when it is served with hot chocolate sauce and ice-cream. Wanted to bring back the old memories of our courtship period, my DH used to by default order sizzling brownie for me, as he knew I love it.

Brownies are easy to prepare and deliciously yummy as a dessert for any occasion.

 

Ingredients:

 

For Brownies :

 

 1 ¼ cup unsweetened chocolate  

¾ cup all – purpose flour ( maida)

¾ cup butter (unsalted butter)

1 ½ cup sugar

2 eggs (at room temperature)

1 tsp vanilla extract/essence

½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

¼ cup sweetened milk chocolate chips

¼ cup chopped walnuts

 

For Chocolate Sauce:

 

2 tsp unsalted butter

1 cup sweetened chocolate

¼ cup milk

 

How to Make :

First pre- heat the oven at 350F.

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl: all – purpose flour, sugar, salt, baking powder.

Melt butter and unsweetened chocolate in a double boiler.

Whip 2 eggs add vanilla essence/extract to it.

Now mix all together, add chocolate chips, coarsely chopped walnuts and mix together.

Grease the cake pan with butter and sprinkle some flour so that the cake will come out easily , this is not required if you have non stick cake pan.

Now pour the batter in the cake pan and bake in oven for 20 – 25 minutes till you get a clean knife . Once done cool it at room temperature and cut the brownies in squares.

Now for chocolate sauce in a double boiler melt butter, chocolate and milk together.

Before serving, microwave brownies for 1 minute, place this hot brownie, pour hot chocolate sauce on top of it and finish it with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

You will of course say …..Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmyyyy!!

 

 

WELCOME !!!!

Welcome all to my blog . I will take you to my exclusive recipes which are cooked on daily basis in my aromatic kitchen. We all are foodies here , and always crave for good food. This blog is dedicated to all beautiful women in my life : my grannies, my mom, my mother in law and my sister..all are excellent cooks who always made my taste buds crave for good food and how can I forget my DH , who is a big time foodie and always encourages to scratch my head for good recipes, after all he is the one who appreciates my food. So all you foodies take a peep in my aromatic kitchen.