Patole is a traditional Maharashtrian dish,made especially in month of Shravan.Also made as prasad for Nag Panchami. 

नागपंचमी – श्रावणातला पहिला सण नागपंचमी या दिवशीं नागाची पूजा केली जाते‌ या दिवशीं घरात भाजी चिरणे, कोणतेही पदार्थ तळलेले किंवा भाजले जात नाही. कोकणात सासरी गेलेल्या मुलीला भाऊ या दिवशी माहेरी घेऊन येतो . सर्व गावातील मुली एकत्र येऊन हा सण साजरा करतात . झाडावर झोका बांधून त्यावर बसून झोके घेतात. नागोबाची गाणी गातात. झिम्मा.फुगडी,फेर धरतात . या दिवशी बहीण भावासाठी दिर्घ आयुष्यासाठी देवाजवळ मागणे मागते. घरोघरी मोदक, पुरणाचे दिंडे , पातोळ्या असा नैवेद्य दाखवला जातो. नागोबाला लाह्या दूध यांचा नैवेद्य दाखवला जातो.खरतर हा सण निसर्गातील विविध प्रकारचे प्राणी . याबद्दल कृतज्ञता व्यक्त करण्यासाठी साजरा केला जातो .

Its easy to make if you master the trick of making it.

ingredients:

6 FreshTurmeric leaves.washed and destalked

4 tbsp Ghee

For the outter covering:

2 cups Rice flour(flour of washed and dried rice).

2 cups grated Cucumber.

2 tbsp Ghee.

1/4 tsp Elaichi powder.

Salt to taste.

For the Stuffing:

3 cups Grated coconut.

2 cup Grated jaggery.

salt to taste.

2 tsp Elaichi (cardamom) powder.

2 tbsp Ghee.

Method:

For the stuffing:

In a non stick pan,heat ghee,add grated coconut and roast for a minute.

Now add grated jaggery and salt,mix well till jaggery dries up.

Add cardamom powder,mix well.

Keep aside for cooling.

For the Covering:

For this recipe we have to use tavsa,a kind of cucumber available in month of Shravan.

In a thick bottom pan mix together grated cucumber and water,add salt,ghee and cardamom powder.

Mix well and keep for boiling,cook on medium flame till cucumber is cooked.

Add rice flour.

Stir well till a dough consistency is formed.

Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, while the mixture is still hot remove in a big plate, apply little ghee to your hand and knead well to form a soft dough,Keep aside.

You will require fresh turmeric leaves.

If turmeric leaves are not available,you can use banana leaves also,but turmeric leaves gives a nice taste to the dish.

Take a turmeric leaf and place it upside down(greener part facing towards you) do apply ghee to it.

Make a small ball out of the dough and place on the leaf.

Cover with a plastic sheet.

With a rolling pin roll out till the edges of the leaf.

Now,in the centre of the leaf place the stuffing.

Fold the leaf in half,press at the edges to seal.

Make some more out of the remaining leaves,dough and stuffing.

patole can be made by folding the leaf vertically also.

Once 8 to 10 Patoles are made,keep water for boiling in a steamer.

Place some turmeric or banana leaves in the top vessel of steamer and greese with  little melted ghee.

Arrange patole on it.Now place this top vessel on lower vessel which contains boiling water.Cover and steam for 10 mins.

Remove and serve hot,Drizzle some ghee before serving.

Remove the leaf,before eating.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera.

Kadhan is a traditional kokani sweet dish made out of moong dal,jaggery & coconut milk.

Traditionally it is made by roasting whole moong and then deskinning them by grinding in Jata( manual grinder,made out if stone)or food processor,it is a very lengthy process,so to make it quick now a days skinless moongdal is used.

In our home this sweet dish is usually made on janmashtami as an offering to Lord Krishna.Served along with Amboli & Moringa Leaves vegetable.

Ingredients:

1 cup Yellow Moong Dal.

1 cup Jaggery.

1 cup Thick Coconut Milk.

1 tbsp broken Cashewnuts.

1 tbsp Charoli.

1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder.

Pinch of Salt.

Method:

Roast the moong dal in a pan till it turns a light pink in colour.

Add 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt.Let it come to boil.

Cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes,till dal is completely cooked alternately can be cooked in  pressure cooker for about 3 whistles.The moong dal should remain granular even after it is cooked,should not be completely mashed.

Once the dal is cooked add the jaggery,cashewnuts and charoli,boil it on medium heat till the jaggery is completely dissolved and blended with the dal,stirring occasionally.

Once the jaggery is dissolved, add the coconut milk and bring to a light boil.Add cardamom powder,mix well.

Remove in a serving bowl,can be served hot or chilled.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

 

Sheera is one of the most favorite sweet dish made in every Maharashtrian household…

This is a little richer version of regular sheera,addition of kesar and milk masala gives a very festive flavor to it…

So here goes the recipe…

Ingredients:

1 Cup rava(roasted in 3 tbsp ghee)

3/4th Cup Sugar.

1 Cup milk.(Boiled)

2 tbsp ghee.

2 Bananas(over riped) chopped finely.

5 to 6 Cloves(lavang).

2 Pinch salt.

2 tbsp chopped dry fruit (cashew nuts, Charoli,almonds and pistachios)

2 tbsp Milk masala.

2 tspn cardamom (elaichi) powder.

Few strands of kesar.

Method:

Heat Ghee in a kadhai.Add rava and roast till it changes colour(  turns into light brown) ,stiring continuously.

Rava can be roasted in advance and stored in refrigerator.

Soak kesar in 1 tbsp warm milk.keep aside.

In a Kadhai heat 2 tbsp ghee.Add cloves and chopped banana.

Cook stiring continuously till babanas are cooked and turn golden in colour.

Add chopped dry fruits,save some for garnishing.

Add roasted rava and salt.Stir well.

Pour boiling hot milk on rava.

Stir.After the milk is completely absorbed in rava add sugar,milk masala and kesar dissolved in milk.

Stir well.Cover and cook till sugar melts completely.

Switch off the gas and add cardamom powder.

Stir well.

Remove in serving bowl and garnish With chopped nuts.

Serve hot.

Happy Cooking!

Sameera.

Karachi halwa is a chewy Indian dessert made with cornflour loaded with the goodness of dry fruits like almond and cashewnuts and sweetened with sugar.It is also known as Bombay Halwa.This recipe needs minimum ingredients but lots of patience as cooking time is more.More you cook the halwa more chewy it will turn out.

Here goes the recipe….

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Cornstarch

1 cup Sugar

2 cups Water

4 tbspn Ghee

1/2 tspn Cardamom Powder

2 drops Green Food Colouring

Chopped Dry fruits for garnishing (Almonds,Cashew nuts,sun Flower seeds.

Method:
Take a heavy bottom pan and add in sugar and 1 cupcup water.Mix well and heat till the sugar is dissolved completely.

In another bowl take cornflour and add in 1 cup of water and mix well so no lumps are formed.

Add food colour and mix well.

In melted sugar mixture ,pour the cornflour dissolved in water,mix well.

Add half of the chopped dry fruits.

On medium heat keep whisking the mixture till it is thick and glossy.

Add 2 tbspn ghee and keep stirring for 20 minutes.

Add remaining 2 tblspn of ghee and keep stirring on medium heat.

After 3 mins add another 2 tblspn of ghee and mix well.

After around 5 to 7 minutes the halwa will leave the sides of the pan now add cardamom powder  and mix well.

At this point halwa will leave the pan,  and the ghee will ooze from the sides of the pan.
Pour this mixture in a greased plate and  andgarnish with remaining dry fruits.keep aside to set.

Once it is set, invert it to a cutting board and cut it into squares.
Store in airtight container and serve as required.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera

 

 

After a long break, on auspicious occasion of Navratri I am back to blogging.I tried my hand at khantoli or sweet Khandvi, as naivedya for devi on first day of navratri.I guess I nailed it….here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup Rice rava or Idli rava

1 cup Gul (Jaggery)

1/2 cup grated Fresh Coconut.

2 tbsp Ghee

1 tsp Elaichi powder

1/8 tsp Haldi ( Turmeric powder )

1/2 tsp Ginger grated

Small pinch of Salt

2 cups Water.

Method :

Heat ghee in a thick bottom pan,roast the rawa till it turns light brown in colour.Keep aside.

In the same pan,boil 2 cups of water,add jaggery,grated coconut,ginger,haldi powder,elaichi powder and salt.Boil till jaggery melts completely.

Add roasted rava and mix well,cover and cook till rava absorbs all the water.

Preserve 1 tsp coconut for decoration.(Optional)

Grease a plate with ghee.

Transfer the cooked mixture in the greased plate.

spread evenly.

Sprinkle grated coconut. (Optional)

Cut into pieces & let it cool.

Serve as required.

Happy Cooking! ! !

Sameera

Back to blogging  after a very long gap,was busy with many things in life.But that’s unfair to my blog….something that I have started and that too with  so much  passion should not be neglected. …so here I am…..

Today’s recipe is something which was in my mind since long,once few years back I had visited  some of our distant relatives in native place,the granny in that house had made this dish and had served it on banana leaf…Goad thalipeeth made with cucumber  and jagger. …since then I had this taste mingling on my tongue….so finally I tried my hands on it andI am glad to say. …I nailed it…so here goes the yum recipe….

Today I have used dark green version of cucumber(Tavsa),If the same is not available,regular cucumber can also be used.

Ingredients:

1 cup Maida/Wheat Flour.

1 cup grated Cucumber.

3/4 cup grated Jaggery.

1/2 tsp Cardamom powder.

1 pinch Salt.

1/2 cup Ghee.

Method:

In a thick bottom pan mix together grated cucumber  and grated jaggery,put it on slow heat and cook till jaggery is completely melted an cucumber  is cooked.keep aside to cool.

In a bowl mix together above mixture,maida or wheat flour and water.

Mix well adding little water if required to have consistency like dosa batter.Add salt and Cardamom powder.

Heat ghee in a pan,make pancake with the batter.

 

Turn around and cook from both the sides,till crisp.

Remove and serve hot.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera.

This is a different version of our mouthwatering Sheera.Today on 2 nd day of navratri,tried my hand at this recipe to make Prasad.I have used pineapple essence to flavor this dish some recipes have pineapple puree or chunk in it.

Here goes the recipe for simple yet delicious pineapple sheera.

Ingredients:

1 Cup rava(roasted in 3 tbsp ghee)

1 Cup Sugar.

1 Cup Water (hot)

2 tbsp ghee.

A Pinch of salt.

Some broken Cashew Nuts and Charoli.

1 tsp Pineapple Essence.

2 drops Lemon Yellow Colour.

 

Method:

Heat Ghee in a kadhai.Add rava and roast till it changes colour(  turns into light brown) ,stiring continuously.

Rava can be roasted in advance and stored in refrigerator.

Add cashewnuts, charoli & salt.

Stir well.

Pour boiling hot water on rava.

Stir.After the water is completely absorbed in rava add sugar.

Stir well.Add pineapple essence and lemon yellow colour.Mix well.Cover and cook till sugar melts completely.

Switch off the gas.Serve hot.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera

I have memories of having these kaap as a kid, my mom and grand mom used to make it , my masi makes varieties of vadis using potato, beetrot, carrots, and various essence. This was my first attempt making these, and they turned out great. This is a basic recipe simple and yummy flavoured only with nutmeg.

Ingredients :

3 cups  Scrapped  coconuts.

2 cups Sugar

1cup full cream Milk

1 tsp Nutmeg powder.

1 tbsp Ghee.

2 drops Food colour (Optional)

Method:

Break the coconut from centre and scrape out white portion from it.