Super Hot & Spicy Kolhapuri Misal: Not for the Faint Hearted!

Kolhapuri Misal

Who likes spicy food?
I mean really spicy… spicy as the one that turn your nose crimson red and brings tears in your eyes! Spicy as you are left with wiping your nose and eyes and yet you are smile and happily continue to devour the food! Yeah, I am talking of hot and fiery spicy food.

If you are still reading this and nodding your head in agreement then this recipe is for you. We have hot and fiery Kolhapuri Misal in our today’s menu. Last time I had it was in Belgaum where my friend took me to this small hotel in one corner of the city. It was not a fancy hotel with crystal chandeliers and comfy cushions. Instead it was a small, modest hotel with wooden tables and long benches in a small square room with sea green coloured walls and red roof tiles. The hotel’s owner was sitting right next to the entrance door on a beautifully carved high rosewood chair. And in front of him was the ancient rosewood table with half a dozen big glass canisters filled with coloured peppermints and chocolates. The wall behind him was adorned with framed, colourful pictures of goddess Lakshmi (goddess of wealth), lord Ganesha (elephant faced Hindu god) and goddess Saraswati (goddess of knowledge). The owner himself was a pleasant looking guy with kumkum on his forehead and wore white kurta and dhoti.

The aroma drifting from the small kitchen was enough to make me dizzy with hunger. But the hotel was packed with people occupying every possible table. Still my friend rushed inside almost dragging me along to a table occupied by two strangers. Before I could say anything she was sitting on a bench where a middle aged guy was eating Ragi Mudde Oota and nodded her head asking me to sit in front bench where another college student was devouring some delicious lentil gravy with pav. With in few minutes I realised that the people who had occupied that particular table also didn’t know each other and without any feeling of awkwardness they both seemed to be enjoying their meal!

Soon my friend ordered for two plates of Kolhapuri Misal and within few minutes we were served a plateful of sprouted lentils in gravy topped with chopped onions, tomatoes and crisp farsan along with twp pav buns and a small katori of fiery red curry called Kat. The server also left a tall glass of water and a big steel jar filled with water to the brim. My friend looked at me and smiled and asked me to pour some red gravy on top of sprouted lentils. She showed me how to eat it by breaking her pav into small pieces and dipping it in gravy and scooping little lentils along with chopped veggies and crunchy farsan. And what happened after that left me speechless!

I was experiencing the explosion of different flavours at once but the main flavour being fiery hot. There we were sitting right next to total strangers and devouring one of the spiciest food on this planet. The tears started rolling from my eyes and I needed my handkerchief to wipe my nose and eyes at same time! Small drops of sweat started forming on my forehead and nose and my nose matched that of circus buffoon. But still I couldn’t help but think that it was one of the best foods I have had in my life. That was my first encounter with Matki or Moth Beans and the earthy taste of it made big impact on my taste buds. Sprouted moth beans cooked in spicy gravy along with potato was wholesome and simply delicious. And the taste of Kat, fiery spicy red gravy, served along with Misal is something that I had never experienced in my life before! By the time we both licked cleaned our plates, we had also finished drinking last drop of water from that big steel jar and were asking for more water!!!

Since then it had kind of slipped from my mind until few weeks back when I received a mail from my friend reminding our wonderful days spent in hostel and the food we gorged during weekends or weekdays when we couldn’t stand the thought of chewing bullet proof chapatti with watery dal in hostel mess. Suddenly I remembered eating Kolhapuri Misal and there was nothing that could stop me from eating it except I had to Google for the recipe and cook it all by myself. While googling for the recipe I stumbled upon Nupur’s One Hot Stove and Vaidehi’s Chakali and I decided to cook it on weekend. A day before the cooking, I made fresh batch of Kolhapuri Masala/Chutney following Nupur’s recipe. Since then I have been using this spice powder in stir fries and curries in place of garam masala and experiencing the goodness of homemade spice powder. I cooked Usal following Nupur’s recipe and made the spicy curry Kat following Vaidehi’s recipe for Kat. Since then I have cooked this delicious Kolhapuri Misal twice in last month and next time I am thinking of combining moong sprouts with matki sprouts. Kolhapuri Usal is a wholesome, delicious, humble food and is a must for every Marathi and spicy food lovers. Without much delay let me give you step by step instruction on how to make this fiery hot bowl of Kolhapuri Misal. This my entry for Ashwini's Lentils Mela and Susan’s My Legume Love Affair.

Kolhapuri Misal

Day 1: Wash and then soak 1 cup of Matki/Moth beans in 2 cups of water in the morning. Let it soak for at least 8-10 hours. Then drain water from the beans and place them in a colander lined with damp muslin cloth. Cover the beans with the muslin cloth (like money bag) and place the colander in a dark place overnight. Make sure that the cloth is damp enough and sprinkle little water in between so that the beans don’t dry out. It usually takes 2 days (16-24 hrs) here for the beans to sprout well. So if I am planning to cook anything with sprouted beans I make sure that I prepare for it two days well in advance.

You can also prepare the Kolhapuri Masala/Chutney on day one itself and store it in an air tight jar. And make sure that you have got all the ingredients needed for making Misal. You can also make the spice powder for Kat this day or simply use Kolhapuri chutney in its place.

Day 2: This is the day you prepare Usal and Kat. Preparing Usal and Kat is very simple and straightforward since we have already prepared the Kolhapuri chutney on previous day. Over all it took me around 1 hour to cook and serve spicy Kolhapuri Misal with help from TH.

Print This Recipe

---

Kolhapuri Masala/Chutney Powder
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 5-10 mins
Makes: ½ cup
Shelf Life: 1 month
Recipe Source: One Hot Stove
Recipe Level: Easy/Beginner to Intermdeiary
Spice Level: Medium to High

---

Ingredients:
½ cup Red Chilli Powder
¼ cup Coriander Seeds
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
2 tbsp Dry Coconut. Shredded (unsweetened variety)
1 tsp Sesame Seeds
1 tsp Black Peppercorns
¼ inch Cinnamon Stick
2-3 Cloves
¼ tsp Fennel Seeds
½ medium Onion, thinly sliced
2-3 Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced
¼ cup Coriander Leaves, patted dry and finely chopped
½ tbsp Oil

Kolhapuri Masala/Chutney Powder

Method:

Dry roast coriander seeds, jeera, sesame seeds, black peppercorns, cinnamon stick, cloves and fennel seeds in a skillet till they are fragrant and roasted fine, about 1-2 mins. Set it aside to cool.
Heat oil in a same pan and roast finely sliced onion, garlic and coriander leaves till they are nicely browned and crisp. Set them aside to cool completely.
Now grind all these ingredients to fine powder. Add red chilli powder to the ground spice powder and mix them well.
Cool and store this spice powder in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

---

Note:

Since the spice powder is made using fresh ingredients like onion, garlic and coriander leaves, make sure that they are nicely browned (but not burnt) and dry. Or else the spice powder will have shorter shelf life.

---

Kolhapuri Misal
Print This Recipe

---

Kat (Spicy Gravy served with Misal)
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Makes: 1¼ cup
Recipe Source: Chakli

Recipe Level: Easy/Beginner
Spice Level: Super HOT!
Serving Suggestion: With Usal

---

Ingredients:

1 tsp Turmeric Powder
½ tsp Hing/Asafoetida
4-5 tsp Red Chilli Powder
2-3 pieces of Kokum or 1 tsp Tamarind Paste
Salt to taste
2-3 tbsp Oil (Original recipe calls for 5-6 tbsp)

For Kat Paste:
1 small Onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp grated Coconut, fresh/frozen
2 tbsp Oil

Grind to Fine Powder:
3-4 Garlic Cloves
1 inch Ginger, peeled
1 inch Cinnamon Stick
2-3 cloves
1 Bay Leaf
2-3 Black Peppercorns
1 tbsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 tbsp Coriander Powder
-OR-
Simply use 2 tbsp Kolhapuri Masala in place of the above spice powder

Kat

Method:

For Kat Paste:
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and ground masala powder or Kolhapuri masala and sauté for couple of seconds till the raw smell disappears from spice base. Make sure that you don’t burn it.
Next add finely chopped onion and tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes. Mix in grated coconut and cook till the mixture starts to leave oil, about 3 minutes.
Cool the mixture completely and grind to smooth paste adding little water at time.

For Kat:
Heat 1-2 tbsp of oil in a pan and add turmeric powder, chilli powder and hing. Immediately add the Kat paste and about ¾-1 cup of water and mix well. Mix in kokum/tamarind paste and salt to taste and bring the whole mixture to boil. Turn off the heat and keep it aside till needed.

Kolhapuri Misal
Print This Recipe

---

Kolhapuri Misal/Usal (Sprouted Moth Beans cooked in Spicy Gravy of Onion, Coconut and Kolhapuri Misal Masala)

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 20-30 mins
Serves: 4-6
Recipe Source: One Hot Stove
Recipe Level: Easy/Basic to Intermediary
Spice Level: Super HOT!
Serving Suggestion: With Pav Bun

---

Ingredients:
1 cup Dry Matki/Moth Beans, soaked overnight and sprouted
1 large Potato, peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
1 large Onion, finely chopped
½ cup raw/roasted Peanuts
1 tsp Tamarind Paste
1-2 tbsp Jaggery/Brown Sugar
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
Salt to taste

For Kolhapuri Masala/Chutney Paste:
1 large Onion, finely chopped
½ cup grated coconut, fresh/frozen
1 heaped tbsp Kolhapuri Masala/Chutney (Adjust acc to taste)
½-1 tbsp Oil

For Tadka:
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
Few Curry Leaves
¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida (Optional)
1-2 tbsp Oil

Kolhapuri Misal

Method:

First prepare Kolhapuri Masala/Chutney paste. Heat oil in a pan and add finely chopped onion. Sauté the onion till it turn golden brown. Then add grated coconut and Kolhapuri masala and sauté till the coconut turns golden brown. Cool this mixture and then grind to smooth paste adding little water at time. Keep it aside until needed.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds to it. When it starts to pop and splutter, add cumin seeds, hing and curry leaves. Sauté till cumin turns golden and then add chopped onions to it.
When onions turn translucent, add peanuts, sprouts, potato, turmeric powder, ground Kolhapuri masala paste and salt. Keep stirring for couple of minutes till the masala is evenly spread.
Now add 5-6 cups of water and cook in medium flame. When curry starts to boil, simmer the heat and cook till the sprouts turn tender and potatoes are cooked thoroughly.
Mix in tamarind paste and jaggery and simmer for few more minutes for all the flavours to blend well. Adjust the seasonings before serving this delicious Misal.

Kolhapuri Misal

To Assemble Misal:
Ingredients needed:
Kat
Usal
Yogurt
Finely chopped Onion, tomato & Coriander Leaves
Lime/Lemon Wedges
Farsan or any Spicy Mixture or Chips
Pav or White Bread Slices

Method:
Take an individual bowl/plate and add 2 ladles full of Usal. Drizzle Kat depending on how spicy you like, yogurt, finely chopped onion, tomato and coriander leaves on top of Usal. Then add little bit of farsan/spicy mixture/crushed potato chips and serve this along lime/lemon wedges and slices of white bread/Pav.

---

Notes:

Use dry desiccated coconut if fresh/frozen coconut is not available.
Use Green Moong Beans if Matki/Moth beans are not available. Make sure that you use the sprouted beans.
For delicious, fulfilling meal/diet idea, serve simple Usal with a cup of cold Yogurt.
You can use combination of Garlic paste + Coriander powder + Cumin powder + Red Chilli powder + Garam masala in place of Kolhapuri Masala (Tip by Nupur).

Continue Reading...

Chavli Amti: Recipes from Your Kitchen to Mine

Roasted Spices for Amti Masala

Yes, it’s a time for this month’s “Recipes from Your Kitchen to Mine”. This month I have tried 2 recipes from different blogs and if time permits I will post the second recipe before the clock strikes 12 on 31st October. So today I am posting a recipe I tried from Nupur’s One Hot Stove.

Nupur’s One Hot Stove is one of the inspirational blogs where she takes us on virtual culinary journey of authentic and delicious Marathi cuisine. Coming from a beautiful city of Kolhapur, Nupur warmly welcomes us to savour simple yet heavenly home food which she grew up enjoying eating and later creating the same magic in her kitchen. Well, I don’t think I need to write more about Nupur or her blog as most of us visit her very often to see the Marathi culinary gems she churns from her One Hot Stove.

On one of such visits I stumbled upon delicious looking Chavli Amti. Amti is as dear to Maharashrtians as Rasam is to South Indians. I have come across many recipes of Amti in last two years of blogging but surprisingly never ventured into making it till now. Since I am quite partial to Black Eyed Peas these days, I couldn’t resist the temptation of trying her Chavli Amti. Well cooked plump black eyed peas in delicious creamy coconut, onion and tomato gravy was something which is hard to resist. And with freshly made batch of Amti Masala from her blog it was everything any true foodie can think of.

Except for the soaking bit I followed Nupur’s recipe without twisting and tweaking. In recent experiment with cooking the black eyed peas in Methi Lobia, I have learnt that black eyed peas can be directly cooked without soaking them overnight. Since I had few other things to do, I could soak these beans for 2 hours and it came out just perfect when pressure cooked. So don’t worry if you don’t have time to soak the peas in water. Just bring a pot of water to a boil and add these beans. Cover and pressure cook for 15 minutes till they get nicely cooked and plumped. The freshly ground Amti Masala is sure to find its way into many other recipe I am going to cook. As Amti Masala doesn’t contain over powering spicy ingredients, it is just perfect for the recipes which needs little kick of aromatic, fresh spice powder. Roasting of lentils and spices along with onion and coconut simply jazzes the whole dish and gives creamy base gravy with a touch of sweet and nuttiness. I made it little thick on first day to go with fresh batch of Phulkas and added little more water on next day to get thin gravy to serve with a pot of steam cooked rice and needless to say we licked our fingers and plates clean ;) Thank you, Nupur for inspiring me to cook this extra ordinary dish which has become talk of our home :) This is my third and final entry (I hope so;) for dear Sra’s My Legume Love Affair-Fourth Helping, initiated by lovely Susan. Well, this should show my love affair with legumes and lentils, I think ;)

Chavli Amti
Print This Recipe

---

Amti Masala Powder
Prep & Cooking Time: 5 mins
Makes: ¾ cup
Shelf Life: 3 months
Recipe Source: One Hot Stove

---

Ingredients:
½ cup Coriander Seeds
¼ cup Jeera/Cumin Seeds
2 tsp Shah Jeera/Black Cumin Seeds
1 inch Cinnamon Stick
10 Cloves

Freshly Ground Amti Masala

Method:

Dry roast all the ingredients in a pan at medium-low heat till they change colour to lovely golden red and fragrant. Let it cool completely before you proceed.
Grind these roasted spices to smooth powder and store this aromatic Amti masala powder in an air tight jar or container and use as and when needed.

Chavli Amti
Print This Recipe

---

Chavli Amti (Black Eyed Peas in delicious spiced gravy of Coconut, Onion and Tomato, a recipe from Maharashtra)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Serves: 4-6
Recipe Source: One Hot Stove

---

Ingredients:
1 cup Black Eyed Peas, washed and soaked in a bowl of water overnight
1 medium onion, thinly sliced or finely chopped
2 large tomatoes, pureed or finely chopped
1½ tsp Amti Masala Powder or use any Curry Powder of your choice (Garam masala, Sambar masala etc)
1 tsp Jaggery/Sugar
Salt to taste

For Masala Paste:
1 tsp Urad Dal/Split Black Lentils
1 tsp Channa Dal/Split Chickpeas
1 tsp Coriander Seeds
½ tsp Methi/Fenugreek Seeds
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
3-4 Dry Red Chillies (Adjust acc to taste)
1 small Onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp grated Coconut, fresh or frozen or desiccated
½ -1 tbsp Oil

For Tadka/Tempering:
½ tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
Few Curry Leaves
A big pinch of Hing/Asafoetida
½ tsp Turmeric Powder

Chavli Amti

Method:

Cook soaked beans along with the same water used in soaking in a pressure cooker for 10-15 mins till it is cooked thoroughly. I soaked these peas for about 2 hrs in water and cooked them in pressure cooker. Alternatively if you don’t have enough time to soak the peas in water, bring 2-2½ cups of water to boil in a pressure cooker and to this add washed beans. Cover the pressure cooker lid and proceed to cook for 15 mins or for 3 whistles. Let the pressure cooker cool slightly and let it release all its pressure before opening the lid to avoid nasty accidents in your kitchen.

For Masala Paste:

While black eyed peas are cooking, add all the ingredients listed under the masala paste ingredient list in a pan and fry them in a little oil till they are lightly roasted, about 2-3 minutes on medium flame.
Switch off the flame and let the spices cool slightly. Grind it to a smooth paste by adding little water at a time. Keep it aside until required.

Proceed to make Chavli Amti:

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard, hing, curry leaves and turmeric powder in that order and let the mustard pop and splutter. To this add finely chopped/sliced onions and sauté till it turns golden brown, about 2 mins.
Now add chopped tomatoes or tomato puree, sugar, amti or other curry powder, ground masala paste and salt to taste. Fry this on medium flame for another 2-3 mins.
Add cooked black eyed peas along with the water in which it is cooked and bring the whole mixture to a boil. Add little more water if needed and simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Serve it hot garnished with finely chopped coriander leaves along with roties or steaming bowl of rice and enjoy.

Continue Reading...

Healing Herbs: Kothimbir Vadi

Kothimbir Vadi

"We are what we eat. We don't doubt that fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts contain a range of vitamins, minerals and cancer, yet the nutrient content and medicinal properties of herbs are often overlooked.”

- UK's leading organic herb grower Jekka McVicar

Do we really underestimate the healing power of herbs? I doubt. As far as Indian cooking is concerned herbs play vital role in any regional cooking. Ayurveda, an ancient Indian medicinal form, emphasises on the healing power of herbs and spices. Since generations many families in India have been following knowingly or unknowingly the concept of cooking with medicinal herbs and spices. While growing up I have seen my mother using herbs in many avatars. She starts her day with herb infused teas and ends by taking fresh herbs and spices for its medicinal use. In between, the herbs are used in recipes not just as garnishes but good handfuls for enhancing flavours and also for their healing power.

One such herb which I use quite often is fresh Coriander which imparts a bold sage and tangy citrus effect to many dishes in ethnic kitchens. It is almost impossible to see food in Indian restaurants and home without it. It makes its presence felt in a form of dried aromatic seeds or ground powder or in its vibrant green leafy form. It is said that Coriander was named after the bedbug, because it emits the same unpleasant odour as its namesake. What?? Unpleasant odour??? I strongly disagree as the heady aroma of roasted coriander seeds and chopped fresh coriander leaves is one pure pleasure for all your senses. May be that’s the reason I end up adding little extra handful of coriander leaves and extra pinch of coriander powder in almost all the dishes I cook. After all it is a wonder herb for acid indigestion or upset stomach.

While browsing through Nupur’s One Hot Stove for T&T, I came across this recipe of Kothimbir Vadi. One look at them and I had serious cravings for this delicious vadis. And another point that got my full attention was the fact that Coriander is the main lead in this recipe instead of playing a cameo role as a garnish. This recipe is a best example as how simple herb can be used as main ingredient and yet will not end-up tasting herb-y (I know it’s not even a word, but couldn’t think of anything else ;). Other main equipment needed for this recipe is a steamer. I used pressure cooker without the “weight” and fried them in little oil till they turned golden and crisp. And boy! What a tasty vadis they turned out to be. Aromatic, crisp from outside and soft from inside, they were devoured in no time at all. We had them as an evening snack with cup of coffee and also as a side dish with Sabudana Kichidi the very next day. Thank you Nupur, for introducing us to another wonderful Marathi dish. Off this delightful crisp vadis goes to dear Kayln who is hosting this week’s WHB a.k.a. Weekend Herb Blogging.

Kothimbir Vadi

Print This Recipe

---

Kothimbir Vadi (Steam Cooked & Fried Savoury Coriander Cakes)

Prep Time: 5-10 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Serves: 4-6
Recipe Source: One Hot Stove

---

Ingredients:
2 packed cups Coriander Leaves, finely chopped (I also used their stems)
1 cup Gram Flour/Besan
¼ cup Mixed Flours (I used Whole Wheat Flour + Millet Flour)
1 tbsp Rice Flour
4-5 Green Chillies, finely chopped (adjust acc to taste)
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 tbsp White Sesame Seeds (Nupur used 1 tsp)
1 tsp Poppy Seeds
½ Lime Juice (Nupur used 2 tsp, I am little partial to tangy taste)
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Sugar
¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida
¼ tsp Baking Soda
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl except the oil. Add little water at a time to get a thick batter. Make sure that you remove any lumps former. The batter I made was that of any Pakoda/Bhajji batter consistency.
Grease a flat bottomed vessel with oil and pour batter into it. Steam it using a traditional steamer or pressure cooker without its weight for around 20-30 mints over a medium heat. The skewer inserted in the middle should come clean when it’s cooked properly.
Let it cool properly before you un-mould it. Cut it into desired shapes. I cut them into wedges. Now you can either serve it as it is or continue with next step.
Heat about ½ cm of oil in a pan and arrange these slices. Cook on both sides till they turn golden brown and crisp.
Serve these Kothimbir Vadis as snacks with any chutney or sauce of your choice or as side dish with Rice and Dal and enjoy.

Kothimbir Vadi

---

Reminder: MBP-Street Food

MBP-Street Food ends on 30th of June, 2008. Start patrolling the blogs and cook your favourite Street Food that your tummy begs and heart desires and spread link love.

Deadline: 30th June, 2008

Please go through the guidelines and include all the required information in your post and mail when sending me your entry. Don't forget to add Your Name, Your Blog Name, Name of the Dish you cooked, Perm Link of the entry, Perm Link of original recipe along with the gorgeous Photo of final dish.

Click Here or on the logo to find out more information on this event.

---

Reminder: WBB-Summer Feast

For this edition of WBB, your challenge is to cook anything with summer fruits and vegetables. Yes, the theme is WBB-Summer Feast. Go to your town/city’s Farmer’s Market and pick fresh season’s produce and make your favourite breakfast or brunch and join in the Summer Feast.

Deadline: 31st July, 2008

Please go through the guidelines and include all the required information in your post and mail when sending me your entry. Don't forget to add Your Name, Your Blog Name, Name of the Dish you cooked, Perm Link of the entry, Perm Link of original recipe along with the gorgeous Photo of final dish.

Click Here or on the logo to find out more information on this event.

Continue Reading...

Thalipeeth with Okra Raita and Aamras

Purani jeans aur guitar
Mohalle ki vo chhat
Aur mere yaar
Vo raaton ko jaagna
Subah ghar jaan
Kood ke deewar
Vo cigaretee peena
Gali mein jaake
Wo karna daanton ko
Ghadi ghadi saaf

Pahunchna college hamesha late
Vo kehna sir ka
"Get out from the class!"
Vo bahar jaake hamsha kehna
Yahan ka system
Hi hai kharaab
Vo jaake canteen mein
Table bajaake
Vo gaane gaana
Yaaron ke saath

Bas yaadein yaadein
Yaadein reh jaati hain
Kuchh chhoti chhoti
Baatein reh jaati hain
Bas yaadein…

Remember this song of Ali Haider? This song has been our college anthem;) and it always takes me down the memory lane. College canteen, mimicking our lecturers, bunking the classes, late night parties, birthday bums, ragging, internals, last minute study, lab sessions, hostel warden, hostel food, Sunday telephone calls from home, long Q in STD booths (when mobile phones were very rare and looked like TV remotes;), another long Q for Sunday special breakfasts, new year parties, tapri/dhaba food… Oh yes… How I miss my college and hostel days! Hostels, my home away from home where I made very good friends, and the memories of ragging my juniors, fighting with warden, jumping from compound walls after curfew hours, chewing bullet proof chapaties, drinking watery coffee, Friday night’s beauty session with all colored face packs, Saturday night’s eating out at Kamat’s or Sagar’s, visits to Café Coffee Day, counting the days to go home(for me from the day I returned from home;), stuffing last inch of our bags from Maggi noodles to hair pin, attacking the supply of home food from friend’s bag, reading M&B in zero watt bulb, bunking first session of the day coz of late night reading, listening to music till wee hours of morning, heating water with candle light to make Maggi noodles, birthday parties, pajama parties, Sunday laundry sessions… Yes… I can go on and on with my memories of hostel days.
When it comes to hostel days, hostel food is integral part of every hostilities memory. It is not a joke to cook and feed hundreds of hungry tummies every day; morning, noon and night. With usual bullet proof chapaties, sticky dal, watery milk, hot as hell subjis, oily curries, it was like breath of fresh air when we get invitation for home cooked meals from our localite friends. No wonder I used to feel home cooked meals are like oasis in hot desert ;) One of my friend’s mother was an excellent cook and her specialty was Marathi Cuisine. I still remember all delicious chat-pata chats, spicy Kaap (Pakoda), aromatic Bhaaji’s (Vegetable dish) with simple Koshimbir (Salads) and Poli’s she used to churn in her small kitchen and serve. There were the days when aunt would send us big stack of delicious Bhakries which we homesick souls would dip in sweet and creamy Shreekhand or Spicy Thalipeeth with Yogurt and Spicy Pickles. And how can I forget all those Puran Poli, Basundi, Gul Polies which we would gulp during Ganesha Chaturthi.
When lovely Nupur of One Hot Stove announced RCI-Maharastrian Cuisine for this month’s of RCI which is the brainchild of Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine, I knew what I wanted to contribute. It’s been ages since I had Thalipeeth and decided to serve it with Okra Raita and Aamras.
Thalipeeth is a multi-grain mildly spiced pancake which is not only tasty but also healthy and nutritious. I remember aunty using Bhajani, flour mixture of different grains which are slightly roasted and ground. After unsuccessful hunt for bhajani, I made thalipeeth using the flours in my pantry. Adjust all the ingredients according to your taste and preference. The recipe below makes 6 thalipeeth.
If you are a lover of Maharashtrian Cuisine like me and want to try some of the best Marathi food then look no further. Our this month's hostess for RCI, Nupur of One Hot Stove has her blog dedicated to authentic A-Z Maharashtrian Cuisine and here for Nupur's recipe for Thalipeeth. Her Bombay Pav Bhaji is something which I love the most.

Thalipeeth with Okra Raita and Aamras

---

Thalipeeth
Prep Time: 15-20 mins
Cooking Time: 10-15 mins
Serves: 2-3

---

Ingredients:
1½ cups Jowar Flour
½ cup Wheat Flour
2 tbsp Rice Flour
2 tbsp Gram Flour
1 tbsp Semolina
1 medium Onion, chopped very finely
1-2 Green Chillies, chopped finely
3-4 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Powder
½ tsp Coriander Powder
½ tsp Red Chilli Powder
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
Salt to taste
Oil/Ghee for frying

Thalipeeth

Method:
Mix all the ingredients except oil/ghee and knead it into stiff dough using water. The dough should be of chapatti consistency. While kneading the dough, rub some oil or ghee to your palms to keep from sticking.
Keep this dough aside for 10-15 minutes covered with wet kitchen towel.
Again knead the dough and make golf ball sized balls.
Take a clean plastic sheet or banana leaf and grease its one side with some oil or ghee.
Flatten one ball in the palm of your hand and place it in the center of the sheet. Pat the ball with palm and the fingers. If the dough is too sticky, dip fingers in water to make the patting easier. Keep flattening in circular motion to make a round flat disc but make it sure that the thalipeeth has even thickness.
make one small hole in the center with finger which will help to cook the thalipeeth evenly.
Heat the griddle or non-stick tava and gently remove thalipeeth from plastic sheet and place it on tava.
Apply little oil or ghee at the edges, in the center hole and on top of the thalipeeth and cook on both the sides until it turns crisp and light brown in colour.
Serve hot thalipeeth with yogurt or raita with pickle and sweet Aamras.

Thalipeeth with Okra Raita

---

Bhindi/Okra Raita
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 5-10 mins
Serves: 2-3

---

Ingredients:
6-7 Okra/Bhindi, cut into thin slices
1 small Red Onion
2 cups Yogurt
½ tsp Green Chilli, finely chopped
A Pinch of Jeera/Cumin Powder
1 tsp Oil
Salt to Taste

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and add finely chopped onion. Sauté it till they turn translucent.
Now add okra and green chilli and sauté it in high flame till it becomes crisp and brown.
Beat the yogurt and mix sauted okra and onion and cumin powder and salt to taste and mix well.
Chill the raita for at least half an hour before serving.
If desired you can add little bit of chat masala. But I like the sweet taste of fried Okra with tanginess of yogurt.

Thalipeeth with Okra Raita

---

Aamras
Prep Time: 5-10 mins
Cooking Time: -
Serves: 2-3

---

Ingredients:
3 Ripe Mangoes(I used Alphanso)
1 tbsp Sugar(acc to taste)
1 cup chilled Milk
A pinch of Cardamom Powder
Ice Cubes

Method:
Peel the mangoes and take out the pulp. Discard the skin and seeds.
Blend this pulp with milk, sugar and ice cubes.
Add cardamom powder and chill it before serving and enjoy.

Thalipeeth with Aamras

---

Did You Know?
The saying 'Anna he poornabrahma' aptly summarises what Maharashtrians feel about the food they cook. They consider 'anna', or food, equal to 'Brahma', or the creator of the universe. Food is God, to be worshipped. Little wonder that Maharashtrian cuisine not only fills the stomach, but also fills the soul - with content!
The cuisine of Maharashtra has its own distinctive flavors and tastes. It can be divided into two major sections–the coastal and the interior.
A major portion of Maharashtra, which lies on the coast of the Arabian Sea, is loosely called the Konkan and boasts of its own Konkani cuisine, which is a homogeneous combination of Malvani, Gaud Saraswat Brahmin, and Goan cuisines. Besides the coastal cuisine, the interior of Maharashtra—the Vidarbha area, has its own distinctive cuisine known as the Varadi cuisine.
The people are known for the aesthetic presentation of food, which adds extra allure to the feasts. For instance, in formal meals, it is a practice to sing sacred verses to dedicate the meal to God. The guests sit on floor rugs or red wooden seats and eat from silver or metal thalis and bowls placed on a raised 'chowrang', or a short decorative table. Rangolis or auspicious patterns of coloured powder are drawn around the thali or the chowrang. To avoid mixing flavours, each guest is given a bowl of saffron scented water to dip the fingers in before starting on the next course. There is a specific order of serving of savouries and sweets, curries and rice or rotis, and a person who does not know this is not considered to be well trained in the art of hospitality. Agarbattis spread fragrance everywhere and the host believes the satisfaction of his guests to be his true joy.
(Source: wiki and www.maharashtraweb.com)

---

Thalipeeth with Okra Raita and Aamras

Continue Reading...