Dondakaya Pachadi

Dondakaya Pachadi is a classic Andhra style chutney that is popular and simple to make. Ivy gourd (tindora/tendli/gherkins) is abundantly available throughout the year in our part of the world and finds it way to our kitchen almost every week. You will find numerous Andhra veg recipes using dondakaya on the blog since I love this vegetable. And am wondering why it took so long for today’s recipe to make it to the blog.

Those of you who have been following my recipes closely will notice that I add jaggery to many chutney and curry recipes. I like to add a hint of sweet which balances out the flavors in many Andhra style dishes. Try this everyday vegetarian chutney that is eaten with warm rice, a dollop of ghee and sliced onion by the side.

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Ragi Dosa

Looking for an instant healthy breakfast meal that your family will love? The answer is Ragi dosa! Nutritious, high in dietary fibre, calcium and iron, ragi aka finger millet flour is gluten free, easily digestible with an earthy, nutty flavor. Ragi is popular down South and many families incorporate it in their daily meals in some form or the other.

The ragi dosa that I am posting today is similar to the Rava dosa I have posted earlier. The only difference is the inclusion of ragi flour to the basic rava dosa recipe. These dosas are best enjoyed hot off the stove when they are slightly crisp. I always add green chilies, coriander leaves and buttermilk to the dosa batter which gives a subtle spice and tang to the dosa and elevates the flavor by leaps and bounds.

Learn how to make ragi dosa that is instant, easy to make, nutritious and tasty! I have earlier posted step by step pictures and tips on how to make rava dosa which can be followed to make ragi dosa.

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Akki Roti – Ellu Pajji

Nestled in the Western Ghats, Coorg is one of the most beautiful places in South India and a traveler’s must see destination. The Kodavas are born foodies, warm and hospitable people. During my boarding school days, I was fortunate to have good friends who belonged to Coorg. I learnt a lot about their culture, traditional attire, age old customs that are followed to date, rich cuisine, the tea and coffee estates including spice plantations. Last summer we had a memorable trip to Coorg. It was absolutely rejuvenating and we were treated to some scrumptious traditional Kodava cuisine.

I tried to replicate a popular breakfast fare that we relished during our stay in Coorg ~ Akki Otti (aka roti) served with Ellu Pajji (sesame seeds chutney) and drizzled with honey. Akki Roti is basically a flat bread prepared with cooked rice and rice flour and Ellu Pajji is a nutty flavored roasted sesame seeds chutney.

Akki Roti with Sesame seeds Chutney

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Ragi Idli

Last week, I prepared Ragi Idli for our morning breakfast and served it with Tomato Pachadi. I cannot emphasis enough the nutritional value of Ragi and it makes sense to include this humble grain (finger millet) in our daily diet. There are many Indian recipes using ragi flour include Ragi dosa, Ragi Malt, Ragi Roti and Ragi Mudde to name a few. In rural India, this poor man’s grain is extensively cultivated and consumed by the rural folks because of its nutritional value (high protein with low glycemic index) and affordability.

Today’s Ragi Idli recipe is a tasty alternative to the traditional South Indian breakfast, Idli. A healthy Indian breakfast that is full of fiber, low carb, filling and tasty. Could you ask for more?

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Red Bell Pepper Tomato Chutney

I know many of you are looking forward to today’s chutney recipe that I served with Ragi Idli. I simply adore red bell peppers and tomatoes and when combined they are absolutely irresistible both in terms of looks and flavor. If a simple every day recipe can be turned into a something exotic and impressive then it has to be Red bell pepper tomato chutney. Its colorful looks with reddish orange hues and a flavor which is unmatched, this chutney is sunshine on your plate. Red bell pepper tomato chutney is versatile and can also be used as a dip or spread. A must try chutney that is a gem among South Indian vegetarian recipes!

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Indian Food Trail – Sindhi Cuisine and Recipes

Continuing the culinary journey on the Indian Food Trail, we have with us the vivacious and ever cheerful Alka Keswani of Sindhi Rasoi fame take us through the Sindh food route. A prolific food blogger, Alka is very passionate about her culture and cuisine and is working hard to showcase Sindhi food culture to the world. She runs a wonderful blog which primarily features Sindhi cuisine with traditional recipes. In today’s article, Alka shares with us her food culture as well as a traditional Sindhi thali (meal) that includes the classic Sindhi Kadhi recipe. Do visit her lovely food blog to learn more about Sindhi food and recipes that are sure to salivate your taste buds. Thank you, dear Alka, for sharing with us your food culture. Dear readers, please give a warm welcome to dear Alka.

~ Sailaja

The Sindhi people, originally belonging to Sindh (now in Pakistan), are supposed to have deep prehistoric roots. Sindh’s first known village settlements existed way back in 7000 BC. This culture blossomed over several thousand years and gave rise to the Indus Valley Civilization (around 3000 BC). The proximity of the great Indus River nurtured the bounty of crops, besides providing abundant sea food to the people living nearby. Sindhis flourished along the Indus River and their cuisine was an amalgam of the local produce and the influence of neighboring cuisines that infused Gujrati, Kutchi, Punjabi flavors in day to day cooking. Also due to various invasions, many of Persian, Iranian and Arabian flavors seeped into our unique Sindhi food.

The beauty of Sindhi food lies in its simplicity. The basic flavors of vegetables are retained due to the use of minimum spices. One can cook a Sindhi meal using just 4 spices viz; Turmeric powder, Coriander powder, Garam masala powder and Amchoor (Dried mango powder). And no, Sindhis do not eat food dunked in oil, it’s just the myth. Though we are ill famous for our love for deep fried food, there are many meals that can be cooked in just 1-2 tsps of oil.

A typical Sindhi breakfast on weekdays would be Koki, a spiced up, double-cooked, unleavened flat bread. It could be paired with almost any edible Indian food. Be it veg. or non veg. curry, dry subzi, fried potatoes, Dahi (curd/yoghurt), pickle or even with just tea or papad. Apart from Koki, a variety of Parathas stuffed with veggies like Potato, Radish, boiled green grams etc are eaten with pickle and papad or Dahi. The typical Sindhi stuffed paratha is Dal paatoh phulko, made from yellow moong dal, which is cooked till al dente and with spices tempered in ghee. During winters Sorghum is used either to make porridge tempered with mustard seeds or its flour is used to make Rotis, called Dodo in Sindhi. For sweet lovers , a roti made from sugar/jaggery syrup called Lolo is pretty popular, and so is Bori, a crumble made from whole wheat flour and sugar and ghee. Bori is generally served with preserved lemon and papad. And for those who like a marriage of sweet and savory, Seyun patata ( Sweet vermicelli with Potatoes) is an ideal choice. Interestingly, there is a tradition to send vermicelli- potato breakfast to the newly wedded daughter, right on next day of marriage. Leftover rotis from last night dinner are turned into spicy Seyal maani (Rotis cooked in Sindhi Style pesto) and at times soft dinner rolls (Laadi pav) is used to make delicious Seyal dhabhal.

Though the calorie conscious generation of today avoids greasy Sindhi food, but it’s very hard to find a Sindhi who would say no to Dal pakwan. A breakfast fit for the king!

Till few years back, Sundays were made special by relishing Dal pakwan, or Chola Dhabhal (Garbanzo beans curry served with bread) or at times Dal moong (Mixed lentils). And most of the times, you will end up skipping lunch after enjoying such a lavish breakfast.

The moment you utter Sindhi cuisine, two dishes that strike your mind are probably Kadhi chaawal and Saibhaji.

Basically the food is made using local and seasonal veggies like Cabbage, cauliflower, gourds, okra etc. Sindhi curries/Maincourse dishes could be classified into 5 types of cooking:

1) Onion tomato based curries: wherein chopped onion is sauteed in oil, and pressure cooked with tomatoes and regular spices. The basic gravy is then churned using a wooden churner (and never blended using any blender). This method of cooking brings out the sweetness of caramelized onions and hence provide a balanced flavors to the curry to which any vegetable of choice could be added. This type of preparation is called ‘Daagh mein’

2) Tomato based curry: To the tempered cumin and curry leaves, grated tomatoes are added and cooked till rawness of tomatoes disappears. The vegetables like gourds, potatoes etc and the beans or lentils are added to this gravy and cooked further.

3) Diced/sliced onion based vegetables: A Do-pyaaza style preparation, wherein sliced or diced/chopped onions are cooked till translucent and chopped vegetables are then added along with tomatoes and spices. The quantity of onion is greater than that of vegetable. Some popular Sindhi dishes that comes in this category are Seyal Bhaji, Bhindi basar, Bhee basar, Karela basar etc.

4) Saye masale mein: A traditional Sindhi masala preparation wherein generous amount of Coriander leaves are pounded (and never grind-ed) along with ginger, garlic and green chillies and cooked with grated tomatoes and spices. This pesto like mixture serves as a base for many preparations like that of Seyal maani, Gobi Patata, Bhee patata , fish etc.

5) Daas: Another popular method of cooking is ‘Daas‘ wherein whole vegetables like apple gourds, bitter gourds or capsicum are stuffed with a mixture of grated onion and Sindhi pesto and cooked till tender.

Beans and lentils play an important role in our diet. The most popular Dal amongst Sindhis is a three lentil mixture called Tidali dal, ideally served with Sorghum Dodo and whole stuffed fish, Kurree. Apart from that Punjabi style Panchratni dal, Raanh (black eyed beans), Chola (Garbanzo beans) are regularly cooked in Sindhi homes. Dinner generally consists of simple Yellow lentils served with steamed rice and a side dish. The typical Sindhi people are crazy about Bhee (Lotus stem) and Swanjhro (drumstick flowers and tender drumsticks, both fresh and dried) and not to forget the spicy Amritsar vadis (Sun dried lentil cakes also known as Badi).

Some of the best tasting snacks in our cuisine range from artery clogging deep fried ones, like Sanna pakora, Mirchi Pakora, Bhee tikki, Aloo tikki, Patties etc to the healthier and unique ones like Kuneih ja Bhee (Soft boiled Lotus stem cooked in earthen pot,served with dash of tangy mint chutney and pepper) , Dl ji tikki (Lentil Patty) etc.

The Sindhi populated areas are famous for the street food like Dal pakwan, Dal moong, Chaap Chola ( Aloo patties stuffed with spicy chana dal, served with garbanzo beans curry), Panipuri and Batan papdi (hard round unsweetened rusk topped with boiled potato, chopped onions, papdi, salted boondi, and various chutneys)

They say that probably a Sindhi cannot survive without a regular dose of Sindhi papad and pickle. A Sindhi papad is made from Urad dal and Moong dal with the generous amount of black pepper and Hing.

Our ancestors had gone through the pain of partition in 1947. So while whole India was rejoicing at the newly gained independence, Hindu Sindhis were forced to migrate from Sindh to India, leaving behind their homes, lanes and by- lanes, their belongings, their roots, culture, heritage, near and dear ones, money, valuables and above all the sweet moments of the life time. The military barracks in Mumbai were allotted to them and they didn’t had any proper homes or jobs. They started earning their livelihood by selling home made papad and pickles, gradually moving to other businesses and that’s how Sindhis flourished in India. Maybe that’s the reason Papad and Pickles are so indispensable to Sindhi cuisine.

Now that we are talking pickles, one unique Sindhi pickle deserves a special mention and that is Gathri/ potli/ Bhendi pickle , made from grated raw mangoes and spices, tied in muslin cloth to make small potlis. A wide variety of pickles made using raw mangoes, lime, ginger, garlic, onions, turnips, carrots etc are popular amongst Sindhis. Many prefer the water based ones than Oil based pickles. The Kanji water used to pickle various vegetables not only taste delicious but also have its own health benefits. Murrabas made from Mango, Amla etc are preserved in huge quantities to last year long.

Our sweet cravings are soothed by Gulabjamuns, rabri, Malpua, falooda etc. During festivals various sweets adorn the shops. Most loved mithais are Singhar (unsalted sev) Ji mithai, Narel (coconut) ji mithai, Attey (wholewheat flour) ja ladoo, Kajukatri (cashew) and the most unique sweets are Gheear ( complex concentric sweet that taste like Jalebi), Praghri( flaky crisp pastry, stuffed with either mawa or Bombay karachi halwa) dipped in sugar syrup and garnished with silver varq and dried rose petals, Tosha, Dryfruit varo (Praline) , Majoon (poppy seeds halwa with loads of nuts , dry fruits and dried coconut shavings) and many more.

Many Non Sindhis assume that Sindhi are vegetarian folks. But on the contrary, Sindhis are very fond of Non veg food, particularly Goat meat and Pallo (Hilsa) fish. Inclusion of Meat kebabs and Biryani was the result of Muslim invasions but Pallo fish that swims upstream , signifies the never-say-die attitude of Sindhis, who despite going through the turmoils of various invasions, forced religious conversions and migration during India Pakistan partition, raised themselves up, against all odds, with dignity .

The most interesting fish preparation is probably the ‘Dhakyal Machi’/ Koke Pallo wherein whole fish is stuffed with herbs, tamarind and spices and enveloped in flour rotis, sealed well and baked (Traditionally in sand, but nowadays using Oven). When it comes to goat meat, a nutritious soupy mutton curry is a hands down winner. Sindhi Mutton Biryani is famous all over, and so is Photey bhugal ghosht, a cardamom flavored meat.

And like every cuisine , Sindhi cuisine have its own set of festive foods cooked during various festivals. Lets have a look…

• Chetichand (Our new year, observed on the first day of the month of Chaitra): A sweet Tayri made from rice and jaggery, Sherbet, milkrose, chola (boiled garbanzo beans)
• Diwali (Festival of Lights) : Sat saaghi bhaji (Seven vegetables curry)
• Holi (Festival of colours): Mava samosa, Rotah ( Thick wheat flour rotis sweetened with sugar or jaggery, cooked on dried (hold your breath) cow dung.
• Thadri ( We worship goddess Jogmaya on this day and consume one day old food or cold food): Dal patoh phulko, Lolo, koki, besani( Gram flour rotis), dahi wada, karela (bittergourds) etc are cooked a night ahead and consumed on Thadri. An almost same procedure is followed on Nagpanchmi, known as Gogo in Sindhi.
• Ghyaras (Ekadashi, the eleventh lunar day ): We avoid Grains for whole day and include in our diet, foods like potato, Sago, Sweet potato, Dates, peanuts,and instead of using wheat flour , flours of Sauri, singhara etc are used to make puris or Dodo (thick flat bread). Other food that is consumed on this day includes, Bhee patata, ghyarsi bhaji etc.
• Chaliyo: A 40 day ritual observed by Sindhis, as an ode to our God, Jhulelal, to thank him for restoring peace and harmony in our lives. Any non veg food, or food with garlic, onion is forbidden, and so is white colour food.Those who observe strict fast, give up wearing anything made from leather (footwear, belt etc), males abstain from shaving or hair cut and people generally visit the Sindhi temple every single day of this 40 day fast. On the last day of Chaliya, a feast of various subzis, rice, pakora, pickle etc is relished. Tayri (Sweet rice) is the main food offered as prasad in this festival.
• Ashtami: The little girls are invited at home and fed Dal puri, seero, kheerni etc.
• Chaumaso: In monsoon, Lord Shiva is worshiped by Sindhi women/ girls, by observing fast on 13 Mondays and the fast commence on 14th Monday with a pooja and prasad of sweet, flour based crumble called Kutti. During the fasting 13 weeks, women eat one (Satvik ) meal in the evening.
• Teejri : A simple fast that ends up when moon is visible in the sky on the Full moon day that falls immediately after Raksha Bandhan. Girls and women fast for their soul mates (Girls fast to assure that they find a perfect groom). After offering rice and milk to moon, a simple meal without onion, garlic or non veg is consumed.

And here comes a Sindhi Thali, that I cooked to share (virtually) with dear Sailaja for her Indian Food Trail. Going in clockwise direction, starting from Roti, here we go….

• Shikarpuri Phulko (Simple whole wheat flour Roti)
• Koki
• Baat Jo seero (A sweet made from broken wheat)
• Sindhi Kadhi
• Saibhaji (Sindhi style Spinach cooked with assorted vegetables and lentils)
• Dal (Yellow lentils)
• Daas Meyah (Stuffed Apple gourds)
• Boondi raita
• Kachalu and Alu Took (Crisp fried Taro root and potatoes)
• Sanna pakora (Double fried gram flour fritters)
• Attey ja Ladoo (Whole wheat flour ladoo)
• Tosho (A sweet made from flour and sugar syrup)
• Steamed rice topped with Sindhi Boondi
• Sindhi Papad and Kheecha
• Gathri pickle (Mango pickle, on the top left, outside Thali)

Today I am sharing the recipe of most famous Sindhi Kadhi:

~ Alka of Sindhi Rasoi

Listed below are guest posts on different Indian regional cuisines by fellow food bloggers.

Maharastra
A Simple Summer Meal by Nupur of One Hot Stove
Traditional Maharashtrian Thalis – Veg & Non-Veg by Meera of Enjoy Indian Food
Traditional Maharastrian Sweet & Snacks by Meera of Enjoy Indian Food
Konkan Region – North Canara
An Essay on Konkani Cuisine by Shilpa of Aayis Recipes
Kerala
Munchies from a Kerala home - Shn of Mishmash
A traditional Malabar meal ~ Shaheen of Malabar Spice
Udupi-Mangalore
Exploring Udupi Mangalorean Street Foods by Sia of Monsoon Spice
Mangalore
Mangalore Cuisine, Mangalore Recipes and Mangalorean Catholic Cuisine by Shireen of Ruchik Randhap
Mysore
Mysore Cuisine, by Vani of Mysoorean
Tamil Nadu
Traditional Tamil Tiffins – Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine
Bengal
Bengali Cuisine ~ Sandeepa of Bong Mom’s Cook Book
Hyderabad
Hyderabadi Cuisine ~ Mona of Zaiqa
Kongu
Kongu Cuisine ~ Indhu of Daily Musings
Khandesh
Khandeshi Cusine – Minoti of Vadani Kaval Gheta

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Aam Panna – Raw Mango Drink

Aam Panna is a rejuvenating and refreshing cooler prepared using raw green mangoes during the hot summer months when mangoes are in season. This sweet and sour summer drink, also known as Kairi Panha works as a digestive and is hard to resist due to its unbeatable flavor and health benefits.

With two mango trees in our backyard garden we are armed with a huge haul of raw mangoes each season. A large batch of mangoes are allowed to ripen while the rest are used to make large jars of sweet and hot pickles, juice, squash, desserts and quite a few are gifted to family and friends. While mango picking some of the mangoes get slightly bruised and cannot be used to make pickles. We use these slightly bruised mangoes to make mango pulp that is frozen while some are peeled, sliced and sun dried to make Amchur powder (raw mango powder).

Usually we pressure cook raw mangoes, remove the pulp, grind to a paste, store in a clean container and freeze it. Aam Panna is easy to make provided you have the pulp on hand. I personally like the flavor of mint leaves, black salt and roasted cumin powder in Aam Panna but you could try another variation by replacing them with fennel seed powder or nutmeg and cardamom powder.

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Rajma Masala

Rajma Masala is a typical Punjabi style recipe that I have been trying to improvize on since years. Having tasted it at quite a few Punjabi friends homes (read school/college friends), langar at gurudwara as well as the roadside Punjabi dhabas, I try my best to replicate the same flavor at home. It never tasted the same in any of the places I tried. Each home (or dhaba or restaurant) has its own style of preparation. While the basic onion-ginger-garlic-tomato base is the same, it is the garam masala powder that makes all the difference.

I have had some success with today’s recipe which is almost close to the authentic Punjabi Rajma Masala recipe. I have already blogged the recipe for Rajma Masala with Jeera Pulao and today’s version is slightly different in terms of the garam masala used. This delicious protein rich red kidney beans curry is prepared with good quality beans and care should be taken to saute the onion tomato base till rawness disappers. It is a crucial step in the making of the curry.

Popular as Rajma Chawal in North India, Rajma Masala is served with Basmati rice. Among the best Indian recipes, Rajma Masala is my most favorite comfort food that I relish to the core.

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Appam Recipe

Appam is God’s own country’s revered food and most popular among Kerala breakfast recipes that are healthy and easy to make. These white lacy pancakes have a crisp side with an airy, soft on touch, fluffy center. Appam recipe uses minimal ingredients, simple to make and usually served with a range of sides like vegetable stew or chicken stew, sweetened coconut milk, Kerala egg cury, egg roast, korma, chutney and kadala curry.

Traditional appam preparation calls for the use of toddy aka kallu for the frementation of the appam batter. The alternate methods for fermenting appam batter are yeast or cooked appam batter in place of toddy. I have prepared appam recipe with both yeast as well as cooked appam batter and I prefer the latter in terms of flavor. I served Appam with Kerala style vegetable stew and egg roast, the recipes of which I will post tomorrow.

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Vegetable Stew

Vegetable stew aka ‘Ishtu’ is traditional Kerala style dish served with Appam. Minimal ingredients and the simplicity of the recipe is what wins you over. A delicately flavored stew where the spices do not over power the natural flavor of the vegetables. The addition of aromatic whole spices, ginger and fresh coconut milk enhance the natural flavor of the vegetables by leaps and bounds. The crucial ingredient is fresh coconut milk which lends a sweet flavor that is perfectly balanced with the spice of crushed peppercorns.

There are some subtle variations to the basic ‘ishtu’ recipe based on the regional preferences. Even the color of the stew varies from white to hues of turmeric yellow based on the ingredients that go into its making. One of the best Kerala style vegetarian recipes that is healthy, easy to make and outright delicious. And when paired with Appam, it makes for a filling and wholesome breakfast.

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Stuffed Brinjal Recipe

Today, I have for you an Andhra style stuffed brinjal recipe, Vankaya Kobbari Karam, that is sure to tantalize your taste buds. I am a faithful fan of brinjals aka eggplants and my blog is testimony to that.

These stuffed brinjals are soft and gooey with an aromatic stuffing that include fresh coconut, fresh coriander and cumin. The kitchen is filled with an incredible aroma as the baby brinjals roast over slow fire. I’ve always been a fresh coriander lover and its inclusion elevates this hearty Andhra stuffed brinjal recipe. In fact fresh coconut and coriander are the flavor boosters for this vegetarian dish. The key is in choosing the right kind of brinjals. Avoid the seedy bitter variety and go for tender, baby brinjals.

Though the dish lacks in looks, it more than makes up in flavor All brinjal lovers, especially the ones who heart stuffed brinjals, will surely make this a staple.

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Uggani ~ Puffed Rice Snack

Uggani, Buggani, Vaggani, Borugula Upma and Maramarala Upma are all names of the same dish which is a popular breakfast fare in Rayalaseema region of Andhra which include, Chitoor, Ananthapur, Cuddapah and Kurnool districts. It was a common sight to find road side vendors selling a snack prepared with puffed rice, Uggani with Mirchi Bajji, a typical combination found only in this region.

A very basic and simple recipe that has roasted chickpeas and dry coconut as its star players. Each home has its own version, some use tomatoes, a few throw in peanuts for the crunch factor and many omit dry coconut. Whatever the version, Uggani, is a light yet filling dish that is relished by the Rayalaseema folks. I like to make it as an evening snack along side mirchi bajji (green chili fritters) and masala chai on a rainy day. When you have unexpected guests drop by and need to whip up a quick snack, make Uggani and serve it with a cup of hot kadak chai and papad or chips. I would categorize Uggani as one of the simplest yet flavorful snack among South Indian recipes.

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Potato Fry (3)

How many of you find it addictive to eat a tasty side dish like a simple potato fry with rice and dal/rasam/sambar or the likes? The day I prepare Pappu Pulusu, a tangy vegetable stew, for lunch, potato fry is also part of the lunch menu. It is a food combination that is immensely enjoyed in our home with warm rice. And am always on the look out for easy potato recipes that are tasty side dishes to go with Arisi Paruppu Sadam, Sambar rice or Bisi Bela Bhat.

Really not much of a recipe but the innumberable variations in terms of the seasoning and tempering that flavor the roasted potatoes makes each version unique. I try to make different variations by changing the tempering each time I make potato fry and always find a subtle yet pleasant change from the monontonous everyday potato fry. Today’s potato fry recipe has very minimal yet flavorful spices going into its making. Cumin, curry leaves, green chilies and turmeric powder are the essential ingredients that lend a lovely flavor and a colorful yellow hue to the fry.

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Sweet Potato Indian Recipes – Chilakada Dumpa Pulusu

I have for you, dear readers, an Andhra style sweet potato stew which goes by the name, Chilaka Dumpa Pulusu in Telugu. Sweet Potato is a favorite in our home. The irregular shaped, oblong tuber also known as Teepi Dumpa in coastal parts of Andhra is usually available through out the year in the farmer’s market. Most times we like to eat them steamed or make a mixed vegetable curry (Kalagaya Kura). Other than making a curry we also make a tangy stew using sweet potato that is popular in most parts of Andhra.

Sweet potato is simmered in a beautiful amalgamation of spices like fenugreek, cumin, coriander, chilis, jaggery and tamarind extract to yield a soft, creamy, melt in the mouth texture with a burst of sweet and tangy flavors. The flavorful stew with warm rice makes for a delectable, comforting meal.

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Crispy Onion Samosa Recipe

Onion Samosa recipe is one of the most sought after snack recipe by many of my blog readers. I am talking about the addictive, small, crispy onion samosas that are served in the college canteens, railway stations, movie theatres, Irani tea cafes and the like. Seriously, I am no expert in making this classic Indian addictive snack that also goes by the name, Irani samosas. Trying to achieve perfectly crisp onion samosa is not an easy task. Having said that, I will also say that one can make it at home with near perfection.

Onion samosa is different from the regular Punjabi style samosa in terms of the filling as well as the texture of the outer dough layer. Onion samosa has a super crispy, smooth exterior with a lightly spiced onion filling. The onion filling is mixed with powdered poha aka beaten flat rice flakes which absorbs any moisture that the filling might have. The key to a crisp samosa is in the samosa pastry dough that has to be kneaded to the right consistency, rolled to the perfect thickness which is neither too thick nor too thin and the samosas have to be fried in oil that is not too hot, on a low medium flame to achieve a golden brown, crisp exterior.

I must thank Mina Joshi for her tips on how to make crispy onion samosa. You will find lovely blog for a step by step tutorial on how to roll the samosa pastry and wrap the pastry sheet with the filling on her blog. Do try this onion samosa recipe and leave your feedback.

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Nalla Karam Podi ~ Andhra Style

Nalla Karam literally translates to ‘Black chili powder’ in Telugu. Andhra cuisine boasts of a variety of spiced powders like gun powder aka kandi podi, karam podi, sesame seeds powder, dry coconut powder and curry leaves powder. It is similar to Karam podi yet different in terms of looks, texture and flavor. Each home has its own version of podis and over the years we have been trying out various permutations and combinations trying to achieve that ‘perfect podi’.

Red chilis that are slow roasted to a dark shade, roasted curry leaves and black gram dal with husk are the main ingredients which give the podi its dark shade. Coriander seeds, tamarind and raw garlic give the podi a wonderful texture and flavor. I love the flavor of raw garlic that is blended well into the roasted ingredients. It enhances the flavor of Nalla Karam by leaps and bounds. This podi is best served with hot steamed rice and a dollop of ghee or gingelly oil. It also makes for a delectable side with idli. Liberally sprinkle the podi on the warm idlis, drizzle some gingelly oil or ghee and relish.

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Ammini Kozhukattai ~ Vinayaka Chavithi Recipes

Ammini Kozhukattai ~ a savory rice flour based dish that is popular in Tamil Nadu is a special festival dish prepared for Vinayaka Chavithi. Steamed marble sized rice flour balls are tossed in a tempering of spices which include asafoetida and aromatic curry leaves. In Andhra, it goes by the name Undrallu Guggillu or Talimpu Undrallu similar to Talimpu Senagalu. Usually, left over undrallu rice flour dough is used to prepare this kara aka savory style dish. I must mention that shaping the dough into small sized balls is a time consuming process. But definitely worth the effort.

These are best prepared with home made rice flour which yields a soft kozhukattai. Often store bought flour yields tough rice flour balls on steaming. They make for a low fat evening snack or a light meal. Just mix some spicy karam podi or idli milagai podi over the hot Ammini Kozhukattai, toss well and eat when warm. Highly addictive, I tell you. Vegans can omit ghee and use oil.

Vinayaka Chavithi Recipes
Undrallu
Paala Undrallu
Uppu Kudumulu
Biyyam Rava Kudumulu
Pulihora ~ Andhra Tamarind Rice
Garelu (Vada)
Payasam
Kajjikayalu

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Corn Vada

Corn Vada is a kid friendly evening snack that is addictive. Its impossible to go wrong with this Andhra style recipe that has Bengal gram as a binding agent along with fresh coriander, onions, green chilis and ginger. Its versatile and adaptable to variations. You can add greens like spinach and methi (fenugreek leaves). Or add peanuts for the crunch factor. Its advisable to use Indian corn that is slightly mature as the tender corn will not work well for preparing the Vadas.

Corn Vada is best eaten wam when its crisp on the outside with a soft and chewy interior. Works well as a starter, finger good or a simple evening snack to go with you chai. If you are looking for some Indian corn recipes that are vegetarian, simple to make and delicious, your go to recipe is Andhra style Corn Vada.

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Maharashtrian food culture of the Western ghats of Maharashtra ~ Indian Food Trail

Today we have Minoti (aka Mints) of Vadani Kaval Gheta share her insight into regional cuisine and food cuture of the western ghats of Maharashtra. Vadani Kaval Gheta is run by Minoti, an Indian food blogger based in the US. Minoti has previously shared an indepth article on Khandeshi cuisine. Thank you, Minoti, for sharing with us your favorite regional food cuisine as part of the Indian food trail series!

~ Sailaja

Growing up in a rural Western part of Maharashtra known as ‘Ghat’ gave me good insight into day-to-day food habits of people from various walks of life. There is huge variety in preparing western Maharashtrian food even with very common ingredients. Let’s see some examples here. You might have heard about Maharashtrian masala called Goda Masala but that is not very known beyond certain communities of Maharashtra. Some people use variations of Garam masala ground together with caramelized onion, dry coconut, garlic and red chili powder in proportion that varies by household. Generic name for this is ‘MisaLaleli Chutney (mixed chutney)’ and widely popular as Kanda Lasun Masala (Onion-Garlic-Masala) but the store bought variety is not as flavorful as homemade. Most of the families make this in a batch that can last from few months to whole year. Beauty of this masala is that you do not have have to use additional garlic or coconut while making sabji in a jiffy. The coconut and onion thicken the gravies and gives unique taste to sabji. Usually in cities people eat more wheat roti called ‘Chapati or Ghadichi Poli’ everyday but in small towns and villages people eat more ‘Bhakari or Jowar Roti’, but that is not the rule either. This habit may have come from the fact that this region traditionally grows more Jowar/Sorghum than wheat. Ragi(Finger Millet) Roti, Bajara Roti are also made in some parts.

Agriculture is main industry and sugarcane is main crop of the region. If you ever drive through this region on NH4, you can see lush green sugarcane fields everywhere. Almost every town has one big Sugar factory and various Gur/Jaggery making small scale industries. Molasses-like syrup called Kakvi is a by-product of Jaggery making process. As kids we used to enjoy this syrup with chapati. Even with that much production of sugar and jaggery, I have not noticed farmers or people from villages using pinch of sugar/jaggery in their daily sabjis. Sugar and jaggery makes me think about major sweets prepared during festivals. Most of the household in villages make Puran Poli for festivals like Gudhi Padawa/New Year, Dasara, Laxmi Puja during Diwali, and Holi. Boondi Laddoo or Jilebi is must have for weddings. Indian Independence Day (15th August) and Indian Republic Day (26th January) are celebrated with Jilebi. If you happen to pass through vicinity of Kolhapur and Satara on these two days, you can see most of sweet shops selling this orange delicacy by kilos.

Some parts of Kolhapur and Solapur districts of Western Maharashtra grow different varieties of chilies including very spicy chili called ‘Lavangi mirchi (Clove Chili)’, medium spicy chili called ‘Sankeshwari Mirchi (Chili from town of Sankeshwar’ and mild and bright red chili called Byadagi Mirachi. Food from Western Ghats of Maharashtra tends to be more spicier than Pune and Mumbai. Mirachicha Thecha is a savored side dish.

Peanut is a seasonal crop and is staple in most of the household in the form of oil and roasted powder. Most of the sabjis and koshimbirs (salads) gets generous helping of this roasted peanut powder making sabji really delicious. Peanut chutney is a must have. Raw onions, fresh green chilies are still served as sides in rural areas. Dried peanuts in their shells are served during meal and everyone shells these one-by-one as needed. Boiled peanuts with salt is my most favorite. We sometimes boil more and sun dry some and eat throughout the year.

Almost all the small farmers grow vegetable patch for regular disposable income. Leafy vegetables like methi, ambat chuka(green sorrel), ambadi(red sorrel or gongura), cilantro, other vegetables like eggplants, ridge gourd, okra, tomatoes are also grown. These small farmers then take the produce to the local farmers markets on weekly basis. We stayed in the midst of farmland of the town and were very lucky to get farm fresh produce almost daily if needed.

Everyday Breakfast Thali: Back in the days leftover Jowar Roti with yogurt and dry peanut Chutney was main breakfast thali. Kids enjoy leftover Chapati with milk/tea. Kande Pohe, Upama/Uppit, Dadape Pohe and Sanja are made occasionally mainly for guests. Few more things make quick appearance in breakfast thali are phodaNicha Bhat, phoDaNichi Poli or phoDaNichi Bhakari(made almost same way as phoDaNichi Poli). Makyache uppit is also another favorite breakfast during the corn season.

Picture of Mummy’s Lunch Thali:

Everyday Lunch Thali: One dry sabji, one daal/curry sabji in bowl, Jowar Roti or wheat Chapati, white rice called bhat made on daily basis. Pickles and chutneys like mirachicha thecha, coconut-garlic chutney, dry peanut chutney, mango pickle or green chili pickle adorn the left side of the plate. Sometimes peanuts in their shells are served in individual plates and everyone shells their own while having their food. Small onions are also served and everyone smashes their own with fist and enjoy with lunch. Seasonal raw vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes are served as sides when available.

Variety of dry vegetables change by season. GhevaDyachi bhaji, Moog/ChavaLichya shengachi Bhaji, Batatyachya kachaRya, Karlyachi Bhaji, Green Beans chi Bhaji, Daal Kanda, Dry Cabbage Sabji, vangyache bharit are some examples of sabjis made in the region. Spicy delicacy called Paatvadya, or zunaka patties are made for special occasions.

Variety of leafy vegetables adorn the plates in sabjis like Dry Daal Methi bhaji, Zunaka, Dill Bhaji, Ambat chukyachi(green sorrel) bhaji, ambadichi (gongura) bhaji, Chakavatachi Bhaji and Palak(spinach) Bhaji, and many more dry vegetables are eaten on regular basis.

Bhajis with Curry/Gravy have huge variety including, but not limited to, Kanda Batata Rassa, Vanga BaTatyacha Rassa, Dal Vange, Flower-Batata Rassa, Ridge Gourd Sabji, Stuffed eggplants with rassa, Methichi patal bhaji.

Variety of dry chutneys served are staple peanut chutney, garlic chutney, khurasaNi (Nyjer or Thistle seeds) chutney, Sesame chutney and flaxseed chutney.

Variety of Daals, lentils and beans like Mataki/Moth beans, Black Eyed Peas, Moog, Masoor/Lentils, dried peas, black chana are used sprouted or un-sprouted in Usal. Even though most usals are made using same recipe, the final results come out very different due to tastes of beans.

Amati is maharashtrian name for cooked daal. There are lots of varieties of amatis made from toor daal. Here are some of my favorites – my Grandma’s Amati, Chinch Gulachi Amati, Shevagyachya (drumsticks) Shenganchi Amati, Tomato Amati. Split moong daal, masoor daal, also used to make various amatis. Panchmel amati meaning amati made with 5 mixed daals, toor, moong, chana, urad and masoor. Sprouted legumes regularly made into tasty amatis like Chawalichi (Black Eyed Peas) Amati, Moogachi Amati, Masoor (Lentil) Amati. Fresh Lima beans, fresh black eyed peas also made into amati when available in the season.

Sometimes it is very difficult to find vegetables then Chana besan comes in very handy. Besan poli or besan crepe is make instantly to eat with chapati or bhakari.

Everyday Dinner Thali:
1. Fresh Jowar Roti is served with leftover sabjis from morning, if any.
2. Fresh Jowar Roti with freshly made leafy green vegetables like Amaranth/ Chinese spinach.
3. Sometimes pithale and bhat are made fresh just enough for the evening.
4. Kadhi-Khichadi made once in awhile.
5. VaranPhale is another dish that is made occasionally in some homes and regularly in others.
6. Thalipeeth is made very often either with flour of roasted grains or by mixing various flours together and then adding onion-garlic etc.

Picture of Modak Thali:

Variety of festival are celebrated in the region with festival special thalis. I am going to share few I enjoyed the most in the past and still enjoy now –
1. General Festival Thali: Puran Poli and Katachi Amati are main attractions. Puran poli is either eaten with warm milk with dollop of ghee or with Gulawani. Gulawani is light jaggery syrup with milk. It is not very common in cities, but its usually made in villages. Deep fried papad, kurdai are must for festivals along with some kind of Pakodas. For GaNapati festival, special Modal thali is prepared.
2. Wedding Thali: Invitation goes out to whole village so simple food is served in large quantities. Masale Bhat, vangyachi bhaji, mattha. Sweet dish is either Bundi Ladoo or Jilebi. If enough yogurt is not available to make mattha, spicy dal is made. Its called Shak.
3. Thalipeeth Thali: Thalipeeth is made either by roasting all the grains and grinding into flour together or mix all the flours together, knead and make thalipeeth. Yogurt, home churned butter, variety of pickles are must along with any thalipeeth. Dhapate is another cousin of thalipeeth. There are various dhapate recipes, some include adding vegetables like large cucumber very similar to lemon cucumber. Some use cooked pumpkin or leftover eggplant sabji. Some make their dhapate by rolling like chapati, some make it like thalipeeth.
4. Upavasachi Thali (Religious Fast Thali): Usual Sabudana Khichadi is made often when fast is only half day. ShengdaNyachi Amati (Peanut Amati) with Varichya tandaLacha Bhat (Samo rice).
5. Pravasacha Dabba (Lunch box while travelling): People would carry their lunches and/or dinners with them when travelling. They would carry few chapatis, dry sabji made with lots of oil and without onion-garlic, dry peanut chutney, water in a utensil called phirachicha tambya, yogurt in a small container.

I am going to share making Maharashtrian ghadichi chapati and two very special bhaji recipes from this region with you today -
○ Ghadichi chapati,
○ Mhadya, also known as dukhavalelya daNyachi Bhaji (Subji of roughly smashed peanuts)
○ Sandagyachi Amati.

Ghadichi Poli
It is Maharashtrian special layered chapati. The dough for this chapati is same as normal chapati dough. Just the technique is bit different. Here is the video on how to make Ghadichi Chapati –

Video of Chapati Making

Picture of Mhadya:

Mhadya
Western Maharashtra is a one of the major peanut/groundnut producer. And I think this journey will not be complete without a very special dish that feature peanuts as a main ingredient. This subji may not be known beyond vicinity of Satara-Kolhapur region. This was one of the sabjis made mainly for travelling as it has less chances of getting spoilt even in summer heat. It tastes best with freshly plucked groundnuts from the bushes but it can be made with soaked peanuts. Let’s see how it is made –

Ingredients –
1 cup Freshly Shelled Groundnuts/Peanuts
3-4 Green Chilies
Salt per taste
2-3 tbsp Oil
½ tsp each Mustard seeds & Cumin seeds
Water as needed

Preparation –
Soak the groundnuts for at least an hour. Drain and pound to rough consistency. I would suggest using mortar pestle or just one whirl in food processor. But please do not use mixer/grinder. Consistency should be very coarse with few peanuts are just roughly bruised and some are coarsely powdered.
Make chili paste.
Heat oil in a heavy bottom kadhai. Add mustard – cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add chili paste roast for few seconds.
Now add the coarsely ground peanuts. Add salt and start stirring constantly. Sprinkle little bit of water if needed. Peanuts will start cooking and will turn translucent. Sprinkle chopped cilantro and enjoy with yogurt, chapati or bhakari. You can make drier version by using very little water while grinding.

Pictures of Sandage Amati:

Annual preparations:
Before I give you actual recipe, I should give you little background about the main ingredient. Ladies of the house spent early morning of summer preparing various kinds papads, sandage, kuradaya (it looks like dry noodles and is deep fried) and stuffed green chilies, all sun-dried goodies. These goodies take a lot of manpower to make and are made during really hot days of summer. These are used during rainy days when fresh vegetables are scarce. Subject of summer specialities can make a whole new post in itself so I am going to Sandage (just like moong vadi) made with mixed daals or any one daal. It is soaked overnight and coarsely ground without (or very little) water. Then chili-garlic-ginger-salt paste is mixed in the ground daal. Small ¼” morsels are made on the plastic paper from the daal batter. These are dried in sun for 3-4 days until completely dry. Then stored in airtight container to be used over the year.

Here are some more Maharashtrian special dishes favored in the western Maharashtra region –
1. Gavhachi Kheer (Cracked Wheat Berry Kheer)
2. Shevayachi Kheer (Vermicelli Kheer)
3. Sheera
4. Modak – Wheat flour cover and jaggery-coconut filling. These are either steamed or deep fried.
5. Masala Milk
6. Basundi – reduced sweet milk
7. Shrikhand
8. Anarasa –
9. Karanji – Gujiya
10. Gharya
11. Sanjyachi Poli
12. GuLacha Sanja – Cracked Wheat Halwa with jaggery

Diwali is celebrated full four days in Maharashtra. One interesting tradition I saw was sharing diwalichya faralache taat (Diwali sweets and other morsels in a thali) with your neighbors and relatives. Everything made for diwali is put in a steel thali covered with nice crocheted doily. This thali is then carefully hand delivered to the neighbors. In return, the neighbours will send whatever they have made. Someone makes a special trip to the nearby towns to deliver faral boxes to close relatives.

This is the region I grew up in and is very close to my heart. It is very difficult to convey every tradition in one article, I have tried my best to cover most important traditions. I hope you enjoyed the journey through Western Maharashtra Ghats as much as I enjoyed writing.

Thank you Sailaja for giving me opportunity to write about my favorite regional cuisine – Maharashtrian food from the western ghats of Maharashtra.

Listed below are guest posts on different Indian regional cuisines by fellow food bloggers.

Maharastra
A Simple Summer Meal by Nupur of One Hot Stove
Traditional Maharashtrian Thalis – Veg & Non-Veg by Meera of Enjoy Indian Food
Traditional Maharastrian Sweet & Snacks by Meera of Enjoy Indian Food
Konkan Region – North Canara
An Essay on Konkani Cuisine by Shilpa of Aayis Recipes
Kerala
Munchies from a Kerala home - Shn of Mishmash
A traditional Malabar meal ~ Shaheen of Malabar Spice
Udupi-Mangalore
Exploring Udupi Mangalorean Street Foods by Sia of Monsoon Spice
Mangalore
Mangalore Cuisine, Mangalore Recipes and Mangalorean Catholic Cuisine by Shireen of Ruchik Randhap
Mysore
Mysore Cuisine, by Vani of Mysoorean
Tamil Nadu
Traditional Tamil Tiffins – Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine
Bengal
Bengali Cuisine ~ Sandeepa of Bong Mom’s Cook Book
Hyderabad
Hyderabadi Cuisine ~ Mona of Zaiqa
Kongu
Kongu Cuisine ~ Indhu of Daily Musings
Khandesh
Khandeshi Cusine – Minoti of Vadani Kaval Gheta
Sindhi
Sindhi Cuisine – Alka of Sindhi Rasoi
Kodava
Kodava Cuisine – Shalini of A Cookery Year in Coorg

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Peanut Sundal ~ Quick and easy snacks/Navratri recipes

Navratri is an important Hindu festival and is celebrated with much fervour. Talimpu aka sundal varieties are offered as neivedhyam to Mother Goddess during the nine days. A popular sundal variety among Navratri recipes is Peanut Sundal aka Vergusenaga pappu Talimpu. Not only popular as neivedhyam (offering to Goddess), Peanut Sundal is one of those quick and easy snacks for tea time. The humble sundals make for protein rich, nutrition packed, guilt free and yummy snacks with tea.

Usually legumes like peanuts, kidney beans, black eyed beans, moong dal, chana dal, black chickpeas and white chickpeas (kabuli channa) are soaked in water, steamed till soft and tempered with spices with minimal oil. Peanut Sundal is the tastiest among all the sundal varieties and makes for a easy, healthy and tasty tea time snack.

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