KANDA BHAJI !!!

Kanda Bhaji/ Khekda Bhaji

Now non veggies.. I am sorry to disappoint you.. This is not a dish with crabs.. Don’t expect that from a vegetarian cook :) These are bhajis made from onions (Kanda) bhaji.These are crunchy dumplings prepared using besan and onion.
There’s a historic fort in Maharashtra, Pune City called Sinhagad fort.. It is a major tourist attraction and is famous mostly for the Khekda bhaji served there. :-)

Once I got a chance to ask the lady over their why it’s called so… She explained me that when they make these bhajis the onions take whatever shape they want which mostly resemble like a Khekda (crab) as the thin onion slices come out from sides seem to be the crab’s foot and claws. The other reason that she told me was that these are as crunchy as fried crabs.
Kanda bhaji is mostly enjoyed on a rainy day at a roadside thela with a cutting chai and some friends to chat with. Hot bhajis just make the day so refreshing and enjoyable.. Yesterday it was raining heavily in evening so I planned to prepare a plate of hot kanda bhaji with a cup of tea :-)

Here is the recipe for you all of Sinhagad special Kanda Bhaji / Khekda Bhaji :-)

Serves: 2
Preparation Time: 15mins

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup Besan, 2 small Onions (thinly sliced), 3 tsp Red Chili Powder, 1 tsp Turmeric, 1 tsp coriander seeds powder, Salt to taste, Oil for frying and little Water.

METHOD

1) Mix all the ingredients except besan. Mix it well.
2) Add Besan to above mixture and very little water. 3) Heat oil in a kadhai /pan.
4) Add the batter in batches (don’t add all at once).

5) Make bhajis such that onion slices are coated with the batter and there seem equal amount of batter and onion.
6) Deep fry in oil and drain excess oil-using tissues.
7) Serve hot with spicy chutney on a rainy day!! :)

Spicy Chutney Ingredients 1 finely chopped onion, 2 tsp red chili powder, 3 tsp oil, salt to taste
Method
Mix all the ingredients well in one bowl and serve along with hot Kanda Bhaji :)

PINEAPPLE CHEESE SANDWICH :-)

PINEAPPLE CHEESE SANDWICH :)

Very simple and quick dish

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 5 mins

Ingredients

2 cheese slices, 2 pineapple slices (each slice cut in to 4 pieces), cherries; 1tbsp powdered sugar, butter, 4 bread slices and tooth peak.

Method
1. Take a bowl and add sugar and butter to it. Mix it well to make a paste. 2. Take 2 bread slices and spread the above paste on the bread slices. 3. Put cheese slice on one of the bread slice. 4. Put 4 pineapple pieces over the cheese slice. 5. Cover it with the other bread slice.Cut it in to desired shape and decorate it with a cherry :)

Apple Shake !!

APPLE SHAKE !!!

Ingredients
2 medium size chopped apples, 2 glass Milk, 1 tbsp whipped cream and 4tsp Sugar.
Method
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour into glasses and enjoy!

GRATED SPICY SWEET POTATO (Ratalyacha Kees)

HARTALIKA TEEJ PUJA and FASTING RECIPES

Hartalika Teej welcome the monsoon season and are celebrated primarily by girls and women, with songs, dancing and prayer rituals

GRATED SPICY SWEET POTATO (Ratalyacha Kees)

Ingredients

2 Sweet Potatoes, 1tsp cumin seeds, 2-3 green chilies chopped, 1tbsp crushed roasted peanut powder, 1 tbsp Oil / Saajuk Tup (ghee), Salt as per taste and Chopped coriander to garnish

Method

1. Wash the sweet potatoes thoroughly, wipe them dry with a cloth, peel the skin off and then grate them. (Make sure that if you are not going to cook the grated sweet potatoes immediately, cover them with water)
2. In a pan/ kadai, heat the oil/ghee. Add the jeera and then the green chilies. Fry for a minute or so, and then add the grated sweet potatoes (make sure to squeeze out the water from the sweet potatoes before adding to the pan).
3. Mix well, cover with a lid and cook for about 3-4 minutes till white steam escapes from the pan. Once cooked, add the crushed peanut powder and salt to taste.
4. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.
To enjoy it even more, serve it with lemon slice, butter milk and cucumber raita on the side. :)

CUCUMBER RAITA
Ingredients1 chopped cucumber, 1 tsp sugar, 2 finely chopped green chilies, 2 tbsp curd, salt to taste.
MethodTake a bowl and add cucumber, curd, chili, salt and sugar.
Mix it well and serve :-)

SABUDANA VADA !!!

SABUDANA VADA

Serves: 2
Ingredients:
1 cup sago (Sabudana), 2 medium sized boiled potatoes, 1 medium sized raw grated potato, 4-5 green chilies, 1/2 cup coriander leaves, 1/2 cup peanut powder, salt to taste, 1 cup groundnut oil or ghee for frying and 1tsp red chili powder.

Method:
1. Soak sago (Sabudana) in water. Drain off all the water and keep it aside for half an hour to one hour (Depending on the quality, sometimes the sago needs to be soaked overnight in a little bit of water).
2. Mash the boiled potatoes.
3. Make a paste of salt and chilies in a grinder.
4. Now combine the sago, chili paste, grated and mashed potatoes, coriander leaves, red chili powder and peanut powder. Mix it properly using a little bit of water. 5. Make small balls of the mixture and flatten them. 6. Heat some oil or ghee in a pan.
7. Deep-fry these vadas till golden brown and crispy. 8. Serve hot with chutney. Tip: Grated raw potato makes the vadas crisp.

SWEET POTATO APPLE PORRIDGE

Sweet Potato Apple Porridge

Ingredients:
1 cup boiled and sliced sweet potato, 1 cup curd, 1tbsp sugar/ honey, 1 cup chopped apple
Method:
1. Mash the sweet potato slices when it gets cool.
2. Mix sweet potato, curd, sugar / honey and chopped apple.3. While serving garnish it with apple pieces and cherry.

SABUDANA THALIPEETH !!

Sabudana Thalipeeth

Serves: 2
Ingredients:
1 cup Sabudana (wash well and drain water. Leave for 5 to 6 hours), 2 medium size boiled potatoes, 2-3 green chilies, 1/2 cup coriander leaves (finely chopped), 1cup peanut powder (dry roast and powder coarsely), groundnut oil or butter to fry, salt to taste, 1tsp red chili powder and little groundnut oil to make dough
Method:
1. Soak sago (Sabudana) in water. Drain off all the water and keep it aside for half an hour to one hour (Depending on the quality, sometimes the sago needs to be soaked overnight in a little bit of water).
2. Grate boiled potatoes.
3. Make a paste of salt and chilies in a grinder.
4. Mix Sabudana, grated potato, Chili paste, coriander leaves, red chili powder and peanut powder and knead to soft dough. 5. You can add oil to prevent dough from sticking to your hands.
6. Make small balls of the dough.

7. Flatten it into a chapatti using your fingertips. 8. Heat a pan and add 1 tsp oil and cook thalipeeth on medium heat.
9. Turn over and cook both sides till thalipeeth is golden brown. 10. Serve hot with chutney & Curd.