Maharashtrian Recipes

Recipes from Maharashtra Region of India.

This region of India is know for their rich history of "Maratha Empire". Recipes from this region consists the large variety of Vegetarian as well as the Non-vegetarian recipes from Spicy to Sweet flavored. Most of the dishes are made in groundnut oil and are rich in Ginger, Garlic & many other spices. Being the region of the Warriors, most of the recipes are spicy but are really mouth-watering & delicious.

Aamti

Ingredients:

2 cups of Moong Daal (also known as, Golden Gram)

2 & half cup of Water

1 chopped tomato (approx. 70Grams)

3-4 chopped Green chillies

Curry Leaves (optional)

Salt to taste

1 Tea-spoon Black Mustard seeds

A pinch of Asafoetida

1 Tea-spoon Turmeric Powder

1 Tea-spoon Cumin Seeds

3 Table-spoons of oil (any of groundnut oil, vegetables oil, soyabean oil, safflower oil etc)

Half cup chopped coriander leaves

1. Boil Moong Daal in the sufficient quantity of water and simmer until soft and mushy.

2. Heat the oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, as soon as they pop, add the asafoetida, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, chilies and curry leaves.

3. Saute for a minute and add the cooked daal.

4. Bring to boil and add the tomatoes, salt and coriander leaves. Boil for next 1 minute.

5. Remove from the heat.

And your Aamti is ready to serve. Serve with Steamed Rice accompanied with pickle (Indian styled) for the greater taste.

Stuffed Brinjals (Bharala Vaanga)

7 small Egg plant/Brinjal (Approx. 500 Grams)
7 peeled baby Potato (Approx. 250 Grams)
2 large chopped Onions (Approx. 250 Grams)
2/3rd cup grated Coconut
4 Table-spoons chopped Cashews
6 Cloves
6 Black Pepper corns
Half Tea-spoon Sugar
Salt to taste
1 tea-spoon Turmeric Powder

1 tea-spoon Tamarind Paste
7 table-spoons Oil (any of groundnut oil, vegetables oil, soyabean oil, safflower oil etc)

2 table-spoons Coriander seeds
3 table-spoons finely chopped Coriander Leaves

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and add cloves, coriander seeds and peppercorns and Saute for a minute

2. Add sliced onion and fry until it turns brown.

3. Now add coconut and stir-fry until the entire mixture turns brown. Once it turns brown remove from heat and allow it to cool.

4. Once the mixture is cool grind it in the blender. Add little water if needed but don't let it to become flowy paste.

5. Slit brinjals lengthwise into four, keeping the stem end intact.

6. Add salt, sugar, tamarind paste, cashews and turmeric powder in the grinded mixture.

7. Keep 1/4th of the mixture aside and stuff brinjals with the remaining mixture.

8. Roll the potatoes in the mixture, kept aside.

9. Heat remaining (5 tables-spoons) of oil in a pan and add all the vegetables.

10. Cook over low-heat, add water if needed. Keep an eye so that it should not burn. Cook until the vegetables become soft and eatable.

11. Serve hot with "Roti" (Indian Wheat Bread).

Puran Poli (Sweet-stuffed Indian Wheat Bread)

450 Grams Chana Daal (also known as, Bengal Gram)

500 Grams Jaggery

250Grams Wheat Flour

50 Grams Flour

5 tea-spoon oil (any of groundnut oil, vegetables oil, soyabean oil, safflower oil etc)

Half grated nutmeg

50 Ggrams powdered Cardamom

1. Wash chana daal and cook in the just-sufficient quantity water.

2. Remove the excess quantity of water once daal is cooked.

3. Add jaggery to cooked daal and re-heat the same until mixture becomes thick.

4. Remove from heat and pass it through a sieve while still hot.

5. Add grated nutmeg & cardamom powder.

6. Make smooth dough by mixing Wheat flour, flour, oil and enough water.

7. Keep the dough aside for 1-2 hours.

8. Make small balls of gram daal mixture and the flour dough.

9. Roll flour balls a little so that they become flat and can be stuffed with gram daal balls.

10. Place the gram daal ball in the centre of the rolled flour dough and close it to cover the filling completely.

11. Roll out into a chapati and bake on a non stick tawa till done on both sides, adding a little ghee around.

12. Fry till done. Now serve hot by applying/brushing extra ghee on "Puran-Poli" & a bowl of warm plain milk.

Pandhara (White) Rassa (Curry)

1 Kg Chicken, skinned & cut into mid-sized pieces

2 medium sized finely chopped onions (Approx. 250 Grams)

11/2 tsp Garlic Paste

1 tsp Ginger Paste
1/2 grated dry Coconut
10 Cloves
1 inch long piece of Cinnamon
1 1/2 Table-spoon Black Cumin Seed
3 cut into pieces dried Red Chili
11/2 tblsp Poppy seeds
Salt to taste
11/2 tea-spoon Red Chili seeds
11/2 tea-spoon Coriander Seeds
2 cup Coconut Milk
1/2 cup stirred Plain Yogurt
1 table-spoon Raisins
1 table-spoon Cashew nut
3 table-spoon Ghee / Vegetable Oil

1. Wash the skinned pieces of chicken properly and apply the ginger-garlic paste on them thoroughly, set aside.

2. Grind together dry coconut, black cumin seeds, poppy seeds, coriander seeds, red chili seeds, cardamom seeds and 8 cloves, adding a little water and keep aside.

3. Heat 1 tblsp oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add cinnamon, red chili pieces, cashew nuts, raisins and remaining cloves.

4. Stir fry till cashew nuts turn golden.

5. Now add chicken pieces to it and fry well.

6. Lower the flame and cover the pan.

7. Put a little water on the lid and cook till almost done.

8. Heat the remaining oil in a large pan and add onion.

9. Fry till it becomes translucent.

10. Add the grinded paste and stir fry and add curd and stir for two minutes.

11. Add the cooked chicken and 2 cups of water, and bring to boil.

12. Add coconut milk and stir well.

13. Boil only once to avoid curdling.

14. Serve hot with rice, pooris or roti.