One Day At A Time

Most of us love the well known North Indian entrée Aloo Matar . But it involves a lot of prep work, especially the restaurant style creamy one. This Marathi version of Aloo Matar, called as Matar Batatyacha Rassa  is easy, even for newbies. Ingredients: Green Peas/Matar - 1 1/2 cup Boiled Potatoes - 2 big Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1/2 tsp Asafetida/Hing - 1/8 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper/Red Chili Powder - 2 tsp Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp (optional) Lemon or Lime Juice - 1 tbsp Cilantro/Coriander Leaves/Kothimbir - few sprigs Oil - 1 tbsp Salt How to cook Marathi Aloo Matar: Heat about 1 tbsp oil in a pan/skillet and add cumin seeds, asafetida. After few seconds, add green peas and turmeric. Sauté green peas for about 2 minutes. Add about 1 cup water, salt, cayenne pepper and garam masala. Mix and cook till peas turn soft. Add mashed (or diced) boiled potatoes and cook for about 5 minutes. Add water if required. Boiled potatoes tend to ...

Solitary lunches are usually breakfast items for me, maybe Poha or Bread Omelette... something like that. What am I cooking for myself? Bread Masala! A wholesome and quick snack cum meal with veggies and nuts. Ingredients: Sliced Bread - 6 slices Onion - 1 medium Grated Carrots - about 1/2 cup Green Peas - 1/2 cup Curry Leaves/Kadipata - a sprig (optional) Cumin/Jeera seeds - 1/2 tsp Roasted Peanuts - 1/2 cup Turmeric/Haldi - 1/8 tsp Spanish Paprika - 1/4 tsp Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp Chat Masala - 1/4 tsp Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp Sugar - 1 tsp Oil - 3 tbsp Salt How to cook Bread Masala: Finely chop onions, peel and grate the carrots. Chop  the bread slices into small pieces.  Pat the curry leaves dry. Grind the roasted peanuts in a blender or a food processor to a slightly coarse powder. Heat 2 - 3 tbsp oil in a pan/skillet and add cumin seeds and curry leaves. After few seconds, add finely chopped onions. Sauté until ...

Ingredients: Wheat Flour - 3 cups Broccoli - about 300 gms Cayenne Pepper - 2 tsp Cumin/Jeera seeds - 1/2 tsp Garam Masala - 1/8 tsp Chat Masala or Aamchur - 1/4 tsp Butter or Oil Salt Method: 1. In a mixing bowl, add wheat flour and salt.  Knead into a soft dough using water.  Use oil if required to make it softer.  Cover and keep it aside for 30 - 45 minutes. 2. Wash the broccoli florets in hot water (with 1 tsp salt).  Drain the water and let the florets strain for some 20 minutes in a strainer or colander. 3. Grate the broccoli florets.  4. Stuffing : Heat about 1 tbsp oil in a pan/skillet and add cumin seeds.  After few seconds, add grated broccoli and saute till broccoli gets cooked.  Add salt, garam masala, chat masala, cayenne pepper and cook till all the ingredients get mixed well.  Saute till all the moisture is lost.  Stuffing must be dry.  Let it cool. 5. Make round balls of the wheat dough and roll each one big e...

A crisp savoury deep fried snack made of gram flour/chickpea flour.  Shev/Sev is known as Karo in Konkani.  Also made as festival food during Diwali.  Ingredients: Besan/Gram Flour/Chickpea Flour - 3 cups Ajwain/Owa/Carom seeds - 2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper/Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp (optional) Salt Oil Method: 1. Coarsely grind Carom seeds. 2. In a mixing bowl add gram flour, ground carom seeds, turmeric, cayenne pepper and salt.  Add about 1/2 cup water and knead all the ingredients to a soft dough.  Add few drops of oil and knead the dough well.  Keep the dough (covered) aside for about an hour. 3. Grease the chakali/shev mould with oil.  Stuff the mould with gram flour dough. 4. Heat oil for deep frying in a kadhai/wok.  Hold the shev mould above the kadhai and press (or turn depending on the mould) and deep fry the shev.  Be careful while turning the...

Vegetable Pakoras made of cabbage and spring onions.  Other veggies like capsicum/bell peppers, spinach/palak can also be used. Ingredients: Chopped Cabbage - 2 cups Chopped Spring/Green Onions/Kandyachi Paath - 1 cup Cilantro/Coriander leaves - few sprigs Green Chillies - 4 Gram Flour/Chickpea Flour/Besan - 3/4 cup Rice Flour or Corn Flour - 1/4 cup Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Salt Oil Method: 1. Finely chop cabbage, spring onions (with greens), cilantro leaves and green chillies. 2. In a mixing bowl, add chopped veggies, cilantro, green chillies, salt, turmeric and rice flour.  Add about 1 - 2 tbsp water.  Add gram flour and mix all the ingredients well.  Add more gram flour or water if required.  3. To check the batter, drop a lemon sized dollop of the batter (using a spoon or with hands) in hot oil and deep fry till golden brown.  If the fritter breaks add more gram flour to the batter.  4. Serve Cabb...

Green Kohlrabi called as Navalkol in Marathi and Navilkosu in Kannada, belongs to the cabbage family.  My Mom used to make this stir fry very often.  Just like cabbage, this vegetable in available in two colors - green and purple.  I was quite hesitant about the purple one, as I haven't seen that back in India.  Anyway, I picked the green bulbs and Navalkohl Bhaji with Chana Dal was part of our healthy vegetarian meal today.

Fried Bread with Fenugreek/Methi leaves and Carom seeds/Ajwain. Ingredients: Fenugreek/Methi Leaves - a bunch Wheat Flour - about 2 cups Carom Seeds/Ajwain/Owa - 1 tsp Sugar - 1/4 tsp Salt Oil Method: 1. Add finely chopped Fenugreek leaves (with tender stems), wheat flour, carom seeds, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl.  Knead all the above to a firm dough using little water.  Add more wheat flour, if required. 2. I have used fresh fenugreek leaves, you can use frozen Methi or dry Kasoori Methi. 3. Knead the dough well with a few drops of oil.  Keep the dough (covered) aside for about 20 - 30 minutes. 4. Make small lemon sized balls and roll each one into round puris (about 5 - 6 inch diameter) dusting some wheat flour. 5. Deep fry these puris and serve with potato bhaji or any curry you like.

Simple yet flavorful rice with sauteed Kohlrabi leaves and capsicum.  Use leftover rice and turn it into a one pot meal. Ingredients: Cooked (Basmati) Rice - 1 cup Green Kohlrabi /Naval Kol leaves- about 6 Capsicum/Green Bell Pepper - small Coriander/Cilantro leaves - few sprigs Jalapenos/Green chillies - 8 Onion - 1 medium Garlic - 4 big cloves Cashews - 4 Bay Leaf - 1 Biryani Masala - 1/8 tsp (optional) Salt Oil Method: 1. Julienne slice the onions and capsicum.  Finely chop Kohlrabi leaves and cilantro leaves.  Cut the Jalapenos peppers in round circles and crush the garlic. 2. Heat a pan/skillet and add about 2 tbsp oil.  Add bay leaf and crushed garlic. Saute for few seconds and add sliced onions.  Saute onions till soft.  Add capsicum, kohlrabi leaves, cashew pieces and little salt.  Saute for about 5 minutes.  Add Biryani Masala and saute for a minute. 3. Add cooked rice, chopped cilantro ...