Thalipeeth

If the English eat Pancakes for breakfast, we eat Thalipeeth with looni or butter...said one of my friends in Pune! It was way back in 2007 , I was working in Pune , and was having a quick breakfast with my collegues before the start of banking hours..
And a typical Puneite does boast of just being a Punekar ( no offences...I admire that though) and ofcourse of their native stuff, be it Sinhagad, DagduSheth Ganpati or Sujata's Mastani or ofcourse Thalipeeth!! So for a typical punekar..my collegue , a Thalipeeth with Loni is no less than an english Pancake with Maple syrup , perhaps ,even better. And I agree...not only does it score more on the nutritional value , its delicious start for a long day too!!
So lets make a traditional Marathi Breakfast today....
My twist....along with the Thalipeeth bhajani ( I got a readymade one , ofcourse from Pune, but Kpra or Bedekar's are good too) I used makai ka atta or cornmeal too...and it tastes yumm too!
A Thalipeeth Bhajani ingredients vary slightly ,depending on the brands , but it predominantly has Rice,Chana Dal(Bengal Gram) , Urad Dal and some seasonings like coriander powder,fenugreek seeds,cumin seeds etc. pulses like Matki,moong ,Masur etc can be added too.
The above mixture is roasted and ground into a powder in flour mill.
My mom in law used to make one at home , but we found readymades good too, and acquired with least efforts.....Choice is yours!

Ingredients:

1 Cup Thalipeeth Bhajani
2 tbsp Cornmeal Flour or Makai Ka Atta
1 tsp Red Chilly Powder
1-2 Tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Cumin powder
2 tsp Namak Shamak
2 tbsp Chopped coriander
1 small Finely chopped Onion
1 tsp Oil+ for roasting
Water as required

To serve:
1 Cup Yogurt
1-2 tsp White Butter / Clarified butter
Sweet Lemon Pickle

Melting butter over hot thalipeeth

Mix all the ingredients except water and rub them together.

Now slowly add lukewarm water and knead a dough . Keep aside for 10 - 15 mins.
Pinch a small amount of dough and using wet palms pat them flat over a plastic sheet or a foil into a small roti or pancake.

Drizzle some oil over medium hot tawa and place the thalipeeth over it.
Slow roast them on both sides till brown and crisp.
Serve hot smeared with white butter and yogurt and sweet and sour lemon pickle.

Perfect breakfast,and yummy too!!

 

 

 

Diet Batata Wada/Potato Wada

Many of us have a fascination with anything that pairs up with the word "Diet" or "Healthy" or the new entrant "Baked"especially when it comes to food or snacks...
Our leading snack brands have therefore decided to cash on it! with smart marketing tactics(wish they put in atleast half the efforts in researching on the recipes and taste of their snacks and on making them actually healthy as much as they advertise about)..
Be it those baked potato chips or those snacks which say "with cereals ,ragi oats...etc"...everyone is on the run to lure the consumer,who has suddenly become conscious about eating healthy (thanks to the media that worships size  zero goddess)
But I believe any diet or healthy or low calorie can be made only at home, cause then you can be sure of how much oil has been added,what ingredients you are using and how much you are using. As they say "Trust No One other than You" So when you decide to indulge , atleast you know how much !
With the above mantra in mind,here's a classic Mumbaiya snack revisited! The favourite of every Mumbaikar on the run!

Ingredients:

For the Batata/Potato Subji/Filling ( You can use this same recipe for making the deep fried wadas as well):

2 Medium Potatoes boiled ,peeled and diced
2-3 Green Chillies
5-7 Cloves garlic
1 Inch Ginger peeled
1 tsp Turmeric
3/4 tsp Namak Shamak
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds/Jeera
1 tsp Ajwain
2-3 Curry leaves
2 tbsp Chopped Coriander Leaves
1/2 Lemon Juice
1 tsp Oil +for roasting the wadas

For the Batter:

1 Cup Besan/Gram Flour
1 tbsp Cornflour
1 tsp Namak Shamak
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Baking Soda

Mix together all the ingredients for the batter and add 1/2 cup water and whisk to make a batter of  little over dropping consistency ( Little thick than that for pakodas)Adjust water or besan ,as required.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan , and add mustard seeds,cumin seeds and ajwain. Once mustard splitters ,add curry leaves and fry.
In a mortar and pessle ,pound together garlic ,chillies and ginger to form a  paste.Alternately grind them coarsely in a mixer ,without using water.
Add the above mixture to the oil and saute till the garlic gets light brown .

Add turmeric powder and mix.
Add chopped boiled potatoes to the pan and mix together and cover and cook for 2 mins on low flame.

Add salt, lemon juice and coriander and mix. Cool the mixture on a plate and make small marble size balls out of them.

Heat the appam vessel/pan and drizzle a drop of oil in each cavity. pour a tbsp of batter in each cavity and dunk the potato balls in the batter.

 Fill the remaining cavity with some more batter.
Cook covered on low flame till the base turns light brown and crisp.

Turn the wadas to cook from the other side as well for 1 - mins on medium flame. Drizzle some oil if needed.

Serve hot with dry coconut garlic chutney ,or regular mint and tamarind chutneys.
You can also pair them with pav and enjoy them guilt free!

Quick Sweet Rawa Appams

This is not an  Traditional South Indian Appam recipe in a strict sense. This recipe has come down to me from my mother in law, she makes mean appams... ooh I love them.

This one is a quick fix solution for the festival days when you forget to buy sweets or when you tend to wake up late and your hubby and kid are in a mood for something sweet.

These are very nutritious and make a good tiffin snack for kids.

I personally prefer home cooked sweets to the shop ones so I am always on a look out for something new.

Since Janmashtami is fast approaching I decided this recipe would be good prasad for Kishen Kanhaiyya!!!

Ingredients:

1 Cup     Grated Coconut (You can also use dabur homemade coconut milk)

1 Cup     Sooji (the fine variety)

1/2 Cup  Poha

1/2 Cup  Jaggery

1/2 tsp    Elaichi Powder

1/2 tsp    Baking Powder(optional)

Ghee

Method:

Grind the coconut finely.

Mix the ground coconut (or the coconut milk), sooji, poha, jaggery and the elaichi powder and cover and set aside for 1/2 hr. Now add the baking powder and mix.

Heat an appam pan. Add a little ghee. Spoon out a little of the batter and cook on low heat till the appams start turning golden brown. Now turn them over and cook for 5 more mins.

This is our entry for the event "Know your natural sweetness-Jaggery" hosted by Archana from Tangy Minds and owned by Jagruti from Jagruti's Cooking Odyssey.

http://tangymind.blogspot.in/2012/07/announcing-know-your-natural-sweetness.html#links

http://www.jagrutidhanecha.com/p/know-your-series-hosts-lineup-and-round.html

 

Instant Nutritious Dosa

Monday Blues and already feeling lazy and after having dragged myself out of bed in the morning, really had no enthu to make a systematic breakfast!
A hot cup of chai just gave me the kick to start the day. Earlier had decided to make a thalipeeth ( A kind of flat bread made with roasted mixed lentil powder) but chopping onions and tering my eyes was the last thing to do. So just put together the thalipeeth bhajani I had and mixed it with a couple of other flours and dropped the batter on the pan. And what happened was a nutritious and filling dosa ,that was a meal by itself and what more it didnt need any chutney,went well with tomato ketchup. Indeed my saviour for today!

Ingredients:

1 Cup Thalipeeth Bhajani( I get Sakas bhajani at my place, but the K Pra or Bedekar brands are good too)
1/2 Cup Nachani/Ragi Flour
1 tbsp Rice Flour
1 tbsp Besan/Gram Flour
2 tbsp Atta/Whole Wheat Flour
2 tsp Red Chilly Powder
1 tsp Turmeric
1-2 tsp Namak Shamak
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Powder
A pinch of Baking soda
1 Cup Water
Oil to roast
1 tbsp Chopped Coriander

Mix together all the ingredients except oil in a bowl and make a smooth batter of flowing consistency. Adjust the quantity of water if needed.
Rest the batter for 5 mins.

Heat a non stick tawa and drop a laddle full of batter and spread it . Add a few drops of oil from the sides and roast it till it turns brown. Flip the dosa and roast lightly on the other side.
Serve with ketchup or chutney.

Broccoli Peas Paratha

Finally some fresh broccoli!!!!

Sounds strange but my kid just loves broccoli. Generally kids are pretty fussy about eating anything green.

Broccoli is high in vitamin C, as well as fiber; it also contains multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties. Peas are high in fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. And the combination of these two -  a full fledged immunity booster...

Well, in short this paratha  is a fully loaded multi vitamin shot.... and what more it tastes really good. Specially with Aam ka Achar.

Ingredients:

1 Cup        Broccoli

1/2 Cup     Peas

1 1/2 Cup  Boiled Potatoes (mashed)

1/2 Cup     Paneer (optional)

2 tsp          Finely chopped green chillies

1/2 tsp       Chaat masala

1/2 tsp       Jeera powder

1/2 tsp       Dhania powder

1/2 tsp       Namak Shamak

1/2 cup      Coriander leaves

2 cups       Whole Wheat Atta

Ghee for roasting

 

Method:

Boil the peas and the broccoli in a little salt water for 5 to 10 mins. When cooked drain and reserve the water. 

Use the water to knead the whole wheat atta. Make a dough and keep covered.

In a bowl, take the boiled potatoes, green chillies, the cooked broccoli and peas. Add the salt, jeera powder, dhania powder, chaat masala and the coriander leaves. Add the grated paneer (optional) and mix.

Make small ball of the dough. Make a small vati of the dough and fill it with the filling and close it.

Roll out the parathas lightly.

Heat a tawa and roast the parathas on medium heat using a little ghee.

These taste good with curd or Aam ka achaar.

Jhatpat Dal Paratha

Got up in the morning wondering "what for breakfast?"

Made poha yesterday, upma the day before and everyone wanted something home cooked, so I guess paratha was the only filling option.

I had cooked dal for dal tadka but no one was excited about simple dal and chawal. So I decided to use the humble tuvar dal to make parathas which were quite filling and loaded with proteins. You can use moong dal or channa dal or urad dal or simply mixed dals. This can be a very easy breakfast to make when You are on the run, just keep aside some of the cooked dal in the fridge and the next day you have a nutritious breakfast.

Kids love this paratha. Just spread some khatta meetha chunda or some cheese spread on it and make a roll. Tastes good even when cold, so it can be ideal for kiddies tiffins.

Ingredients:

1 cup         Tuvar Dal

1               Onion

2               Green Chillies

6 to 7        Garlic Cloves

1/2 cup     Coriander leaves

3 cups       Wheat Atta

1 tsp         Dhania Powder

1/2 tsp      Jeera Powder

1 tsp         Red Chilli Powder

1/2 tsp      Haldi Powder

1 tsp         Namak Shamak

Method:

Cook the Tuvar dal in 1 and 1/2 cup of water in a pressure cooker till done.

Chop the garlic, onions and coriander leaves finely.

In a big vessel take the tuvar dal, add the haldi powder, jeera powder, dhania powder, red chilli powder, onions, green chillies, coriander leaves, salt and the Wheat Atta. Knead the dough well. You can add a tsp of oil to the dough to make it a little soft.

Now roll into small parathas and roast on a tawa applying a little ghee.

Serve hot with dahi.

Baked Corn Wadi

Monsoon is here!!!!!!! 

And so are the corns........I just love to munch on the hot and spicy bhutta during the rains. Pure heaven!!!!

In short I love the corns so much that there are going to be a lot of corn recipes this season in all forms from starters to desserts.

During the rains we just let go of the diet and pile on kilos, so here is an healthy alternative without compromising on taste.

Ingredients:

2 cup       Sweet Corns

1              Onion

1 inch      Ginger

1/2 tsp     Jeera

1 tsp        Garam Masala

1/2 tsp     Red Chilli Powder

1/4 tsp     Haldi Powder

1/2 tsp     Dhania Powder

1 tsp        Saunf

1/2 tsp     Namak Shamak

1/2 cup    Coriander Leaves

2 tsp        Oil

Method:

Add the Sweet Corns, Onion, Ginger in the food processor and coarsely grind it. Remove in a bowl. Now in a non stick pan add the oil. When hot add the corn mixture, dhania powder, jeera powder, haldi powder, saunf and the salt. Cover and cook for 10 mins. Stir the mixture from time to time. Remove from fire and add the coriander leaves.

Take a pie tin or any flat cake tin and oil it. Now put in the corn mixture and flatten it. 

Put the tin on high rack and grill for 10 mins or till the crust turns golden brown. 

Cool and cut into diamond shapes and serve with chutney or tomato ketchup.

Jhatpat Uthappa and Dosa

Bored with regular upma poha and toast breakfast...... but wanted something quick filling and nutritious for the first meal of the day.

Sustaining without a Nashata is difficult for a young toddler's mom like me....

So, heres a dosa batter that requires no fermenting and minimal soaking time.

Take out 10 mins a day before to prepare and you have a delicious breakfast ready next day.

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Moong Dal

1/2 Cup Urad Dal

2-3 Tbsp Rice Flour

1 Tbsp Rava

Namak Shamak

Pinch of Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

3 Green chillies finely chopped

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

3-4 Curry leaves

1 tsp oil for tempering + for roasting

1 Cup Chopped onion and tomatoes

Chopped coriander for garnish

Method:

Soak Moong Dal and Urad Dal in warm water for 1 hour

Put the soaked dals along with rice flour and rava in a bender and make a smooth batter adding water if required.

Add namak , baking soda , turmeric and mix.Heat oil for temepring and add chopped green chillies and mustard seeds and curry leaves.Once the mustard seeds splitter,add the tempering to the batter and mix, Add some chopped coriander 

Spread the batter on a medium hot non stick tawa and roast drizzliing some oil.

Similarly make uthappams , putting onion tomatoes on top of spread batter and roast both the sides.

The crisp dosas can be eaten with regular coconut chutney or ketchup.