Broccoli Paratha

Broccoli Paratha in Marathi

Time: 30 minutes
Makes: 4-5 medium Parathas

Ingredients:
::::Stuffing::::
1 medium broccoli head
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garam masala
salt to taste
1 tsp chili paste
1/2 tsp amchoor powder
::::Dough::::
1 cup wheat flour
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oil
Other ingredients:
1/4 cup oil for roasting parathas
Some dry flour for dusting

Method:
1) First make dough. Take a mixing bowl. Add wheat flour, turmeric, cumin seeds, salt and oil. Add water and make semi soft dough.
2) Wash broccoli and cut into small florets. Grind coarsely. Add onion, ginger-garlic paste, garam masala, chili paste, amchoor powder and salt to taste. Mix well.
3) Divide dough and stuffing into 5 equal portions. Heat a nonstick tawa.
Roll one dough ball into 3 inch circle. Put one portion of stuffing at the center. Gather the edges and seal. Dust with flour. Roll and make paratha. Spray some oil on one side. Place the paratha on tawa, oiled side down.
4) Roast one side, spray some oil and flip the paratha. Roast both sides well. Serve broccoli paratha with yogurt and butter.

Bisibelebath

Bisibele Bhat in Marathi

Time: 40 minutes
Makes: 3 servings

Ingredients:
3/4 cup rice
1/4 cup toor dal
1 tbsp tamarind
1 and 1/2 cup cut vegetables (Potatoes, green beans, eggplant, carrot, cauliflower)
Spices: 1 inch piece of cinnamon, 2 cardamoms, 2 bay leaves
For tempering: 1 tbsp ghee, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1/4 tsp hing, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 tbsp Homemade sambar masala
Salt to taste
Special Tadka : 2 tbsp ghee, 1/4 tsp hing, 2 to 3 tbsp peanuts, 7-8 curry leaves

Method:
Bisibele bhat
1) Wash toor dal and pressure cook upto 4 whistles.(tip 1)
2) Soak tamarind in 1/4 cup hot water. After 10 minutes, squeeze the tamarind and bring out all the juice.
3) Heat a deep pan. Add 1 tbsp ghee. Saute cinnamon, cardamons and bayleaves for 5-7 seconds. Add cumin seeds, hing, turmeric powder, and red chili powder. Add all the vegetables except eggplant. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Now add rice and 3 cups of water. Add tamarind juice and sambar masala. Cover and cook over medium heat.
4) We need semi solid consistency. Hence, add some water and adjust the consistency. When rice is 60 % done, add cooked dal and eggplants.
5) Cook for 10 minutes or till the rice is completely done.
6) Serve the Rice in plates. Heat a tadka pan. Add 2 tbsp ghee, hing, and peanuts. Keep the peanuts moving to cook them evenly. When peanuts become brown, add curry leaves and turn off the heat.
8) Pour this tadka over served rice. This tadka is very important and gives very nice flavor.

Tips:
1) After pressure releases, take the dal out. Do not whisk it. Let it dissolve on its own. Whisked dal changes the texture of bisibele bhat.

Tomato Rice

Tomato Rice in Marathi

Serves: 2 persons
Time 10 to 15 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked Rice (basmati)
2 big juicy red tomatoes, finely chopped
3 to 4 big garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tbsp ghee or oil, 2 pinches cumin seeds, 1/8 tsp hing, 2 green chilies, 1 spring of curry leaves
Salt to taste
chopped cilantro for garnishing

Method:
1) Heat ghee into a pan. Add garlic and cook over high heat. Stir continuously. Saute garlic until edges become brown.
2) Once garlic cooks nicely, add cumin seeds, hing, green chilies, curry leaves. Fry for 15 to 20 seconds.
3) Add chopped tomatoes and salt. Cover and cook over high heat, stir occasionally. Let tomatoes become completely mushy.
4) Mix in the rice and toss well. Rice should get coated with sauteed tomato. Cover pan and cook for couple of minutes over medium-low heat.
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.

Tips:
1) dried Red chilies can be used instead of green chilies
2) Garlic should get nicely brown (do not burn). Raw flavor of garlic doesn't taste good.
3) Choose good quality, red, fully riped and juicy to get tomato flavor.
4) You may add garam masala in the recipe. However, garam masala overpowers flavor of tomato.

Masoor Pulav

Masoor Pulao in Marathi

Time: 40 to 50 minutes
Serves: 3 to 4 persons

Ingredients:
:: To cook Rice ::
1 and 1/2 cup Basmati Rice
3 cups hot water
1 star anise, 2 bay leaves, 2 Cloves
1 tbsp Ghee
1/2 tsp salt
:: To make Masoor Gravy ::
1/2 cup Masoor
1 tbsp ghee
2 cardamoms, 2-3 black pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder (I used 1/2 tsp kashmiri red chilil powder for color and 1/2 tsp normal red chili powder for spiciness)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1/2 cup yogurt
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp golden raisins, few cashews
salt to taste

Method:
1) Soak Masoor overnight or 7 to 8 hours in sufficient water. Pressure cook Masoor up-to 1 whistle without adding water (For details see tip below). Add little salt when pressure cooking.
2) Heat ghee into a pan. Add cardamom and black pepper. Saute for 10 seconds. Add turmeric powder, chili powder, and ginger garlic paste. Saute for 15 seconds. Add onion and saute till it becomes translucent.
3) Now add cooked Masoor and 1/2 cup water. Add little salt (remember- salt added while pressure cooking). Simmer for few minutes. Add garam masala, cumin-coriander powder, raisins, cashews. Check the taste and adjust the spices. Remove from the heat. gravy should be thick in consistency as we are going to add yogurt once it cools down.
4) Let the gravy cool down a bit. Add yogurt and whisk well. Add little salt if needed.
5) Soak basmati rice for 10 minutes into cold water. Then discard the water and keep the rice aside for 20 minutes.
6) Heat a medium saucepan. Add ghee and wait till it melts. Add star anise, bay leaves and cloves. Saute for 10 seconds. Now add rice. Saute continuously until rice becomes completely dry. You will also notice the changes in texture of rice.
7) Once rice is nicely roasted, add hot water and salt. Give a nice stir and let it boil uncovered over high heat. Turn the heat to low, the moment water on the surface disappears. Cover the pan and let the rice cook in steam until grains are almost done.
Let the rice sit for a while, because if we add gravy in hot rice, the grains are likely to brake.
8) Fluff the rice with a fork and mix in the gravy little by little. Mix well but gently.
9) Add some ghee. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes over low heat.
Serve hot with Raita

Tips:
1) Roasting rice over high heat for 6 to 8 minutes results in fluffy rice after cooking.
2) If you don’t have enough time for soaking, immerse the masoor in hot water for couple of hours.
3) Pressure cooking without adding water means - Add a cup of water at the bottom of pressure cooker and DO NOT add water in the steel container inside the pressure cooker. In this steel container we are going to put only soaked masoor.
4) To lessen the amount of ghee, use oil for making Gravy and skip adding ghee at the end.

Spinach Rice

Spinach Rice in Marathi

Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2 persons

Ingredients:
3/4 cup basmati rice
1 cup finely chopped spinach
3/4 cup hot water
1 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 small green chili
Whole spice: 2 bay leaves, 1 cardamom, 2 cloves
Salt to taste

Method:
1) Soak rice in water for 10 minutes. Drain the water after 10 minutes. Leave the rice for 10 minutes.
2) Add 1/2 cup of water to spinach and puree.
3) Heat 1 tbsp butter into a deep nonstick saucepan. Add cumin seeds, whole spices. Saute for 5 seconds. Add ginger garlic and green chili. Add onion and saute till translucent.
4) Add soaked rice. Roast for few minutes over high heat. Stir continuously to avoid burning the rice. You will notice that rice has become completely dry and rice grains are popping when touched directly to the pan's bottom. That means rice is roasted perfectly.
5) Add 3/4 cup hot water, salt and spinach puree. Keep the flame on high. Boil until you don't see water on the surface of rice. Then put the flame on medium low and cover the pan. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until rice is cooked completely.
Fluff with a fork. Serve hot with raita and fryums/ papad.

Tips:
1) To make this rice more healthy and colorful, add vegetables like peas, carrot, french beans, cauliflower etc
2) Roasting rice helps to keep the grains separate after cooking. Also, use hot water and follow step 5 for better results.
3) Kids would love to eat this green rice. Do not add green chili to make it kids friendly.

Dum Aloo

Dum aloo in Marathi

Time: around 1 hour
Serves: 3 to 4 persons

Ingredients:
15 to 18 small potatoes (Tip)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped Tomato
1/2 inch piece of Ginger, finely chopped
4 to 6 big garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp cashew powder
4 tbsp plain yogurt, well beaten
1/2 tsp dry ginger powder, 1 tsp fennel seeds powder, 2 pinches clove powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp kashmiri red chili powder (tip)
1 tsp red chili powder
salt to taste
3 tbsp oil
Oil for deep frying
Method:
1) Wash the potatoes. Boil 1 liter water. Add 1 tsp salt. Put the potatoes in, cover the pan and cook for around 7-8 minutes over high heat. Add some water if required. Don't cook potatoes fully. Cook enough, so that the skin is easily peelable. Once potatoes reach that point, drain the hot water and add cold water. Peel all the potatoes.
2) Heat oil in a kadai. Once oil is hot, turn the heat to medium. Deep fry potatoes till they turn golden brown. Do not fry over high heat. Potatoes will become brown quickly, but they will stay uncooked inside. Place the fried potatoes over a absorbent paper. Poke each fried potato 2-3 times with a fork.[This allows potatoes to soak the gravy.]
3) Heat 2 tbsp oil into a pan. Saute ginger-garlic for 10 seconds. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add red chili powder, cashew powder salt and tomato. Cook till tomato becomes mushy. Turn the heat off and let this mixture cool down. Grind it to a fine paste. Add little water if needed.
4) Heat 1 tbsp oil in that same kadai. Add turmeric powder and Kashmiri red chili powder. Add onion-tomato paste. Let the gravy boil. Then add dry ginger powder, fennel seeds powder, clove powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and garam masala. Mix well.
5) Turn the heat to very low, 5 minutes before adding yogurt. Add yogurt and whisk quickly so that yogurt won't get spoil and become grainy. Therefore use egg beater to stir the gravy.
6) Once yogurt is well blended, add fried potatoes. Cover the pan and cook for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Adjust the consistency to your own preference. Serve hot with white rice or chapati.

Tips:
1) In case, if baby potatoes are unavailable, cut the normal potatoes in big chunks and they are good to use.
2) Kashmiri red chili powder is used for bright red color. It's not much spicy, therefore normal red chili powder (cayenne) is also required.

Moongdal Khichdi

Moongdal Khichdi in Marathi

Time: 20 to 25 minutes
Serves: 2 to 3 persons

Ingredients:
1 cup Rice
1/2 cup Moong Dal (Tip 1 and 2)
3 to 3.5 cups hot water (Tip 3)
For tempering:- 1 tbsp oil, 2 pinches mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp cumin seeds, 1 pinch hing, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp red chili powder
1/2 cup Green peas (Tip 5)
1 tsp goda masala
Salt to taste

Method:
1) Wash rice and moong dal and drain all the water. Leave it for 1/2 an hour.
2) Heat a small pressure cooker (Tip 6). Add oil and wait till its hot. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing, turmeric powder and red chili powder. Saute and add washed rice and dal. Saute until nicely dry (about 4-5 minutes).
3) Once rice is roasted, add peas and saute for a minute. Then add hot water, goda masala and salt. Stir. Add little salt if needed.
4) Close the cooker with lid and let khichdi cook upto 3 to 4 whistles. Let it stand for 10-15 minutes to release the pressure.
Do not forget to add a tsp of ghee while serving khichdi.

Tips:
1) Moong dal (peels on), Toor dal or masoor dal can be used instead of yellow moong dal.
2) The quantity of moongdal can be adjusted according to your preference.
3) To get soft consistency add little more water.
4) Roasting rice and dal keeps the grain separate after cooking. Just careful not to burn the rice.
5) Potato cubes, cauliflower florets, capsicum slices, onion slices, carrot chunks etc can be added instead of green peas.
6) Khichdi can be made without pressure cooker. Do the tempering in heavy bottom pan. Roast rice. Only add some more water. Cook over high heat until water is almost soaked into rice, then turn the heat down and cover the pan. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes.While using toor dal, soak in the water before making khichdi as toor dal takes longer to cook.

Vari Tandul Pulao [Samo Rice Pulav]

Samo Rice Pulao in Marathi

Time: 25 to 30 minutes
Servings: 3 to 4

Ingredients:
1 cup Samo Rice
2 tsp Ghee
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
2 green chilies
1/2 cup Pumpkin cubes medium (Peel before making cubes)
1/2 cup Potato cubes (Peel the potato)
2 tbsp Coarsely ground peanuts
salt to taste
Approx 3 cups hot water

Method:
1) Heat a heavy bottom pan. Dry roast samo rice for couple of minutes. Transfer the roasted rice to a bowl
2) In that same pan, add ghee and wait till it melts. Add cumin seeds and slit green chilies. Saute for 10 seconds. Flame should be on medium. Add potato cubes. Cover the pan and cook till potato is almost done. At this point, add roasted samo rice.
3) Mix nicely. Pour hot water and add salt. After couple of minutes add pumpkin cubes and peanuts powder. Stir well, cover and cook till rice is done.
Garnish with Cilantro Serve hot with Peanuts curry.

Paneer Biryani

Paneer Biryani in Marathi

Time: 60 to 90 minutes
Serves: 5 to 6 persons

Ingredients:
2 cups Basmati Rice
3-4 Cardamom pods, 3-4 Bay leaves, 3-4 Cloves, 1 small Cinnamon stick
Salt to taste
Paneer Marination
250 gram Paneer
1/2 cup Yogurt
1 tsp Ginger-garlic paste
1/4 tsp Salt
Gravy
1 cup Onion, thinly sliced
5 medium Tomatoes
2 tsp Ginger-garilc paste
2 tsp Ghee
Whole Garam Masala - 2 cardamom pods, , 3-4 Bay leaves, 3-4 Cloves
1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 cup milk powder (or 1/2 cup cream) (Tip 5)
salt to taste
Approx. 3/4 to 1 cup cut vegetables (I used peas, carrot, french beans)
Other Ingredients
4 tbsp Ghee + some more ghee [its optional :) ]
1 cup thin slices of Onion, 8 to 10 Cashew nuts, 8 tp 10 Raisins
1/4 cup Mint leaves finely chopped, 1/4 cup Cilantro finely chopped
2 tsp Milk + 4 strands of Saffron (Tip 6)

Method:
Paneer
Beat the yogurt. Add ginger-garlic paste and salt. Mix well. Marinate paneer pieces in this yogurt for 30 minutes
Rice
1) Wash rice and drain the water. Let it sit for 30 minutes. Then boil 6 cups of water in a deep pot. Add cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves and salt. Wait till the water comes to a rolling boil.
Gravy
1) Blanch the tomatoes. Peel the tomatoes. Chop the tomatoes coarsely.
2) Heat 2 tsp Ghee into a pan. Add whole garam masala and saute for few seconds. Add ginger garlic paste and onion. Saute onion until golden brown. Now add chopped tomatoes and saute until tomato becomes mushy. Add red chili powder.
3) Let the mixture cools off. Puree into a blender (Don't add water)
4) Heat 2 tbsp Ghee. Fry cashews and raisins. Remove them with slotted spoon. Add the prepared puree in the ghee. Simmer over medium heat. Add cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and milk powder. Also add vegetables. Mix well and cook for few minutes until gravy become thick. Add salt to taste. The consistency of the gravy should not be too runny or too thick (Tip 1). Once the gravy is thick enough, add marinated paneer. Cook for few minutes.
Fried Onion
Deep fry 1 cup onion slices into ghee or oil until crispy. This fried onion is for decoration.
Biryani (Tips 2,3,4)
Once Rice and gravy is ready, divide rice into 4 equal portions and gravy into 3 equal portions. In a deep nonstick pan, spread 1 tbsp melted ghee at the bottom. Then layer 1 portion of rice. Spread 1 portion of gravy. Sprinkle mint leaves, cilantro, 3-4 cashews and raisins. Complete all the layers accordingly. Sprinkle remaining cashews, fried onion, raisins and milk + saffron on the top layer of the rice
Cover the pan with a tight lid. Cook the Biryani for 15 to 20 minutes over low heat.
Serve the biryani with Raita.

Tips:
1) Consistency of the gravy should not be runny. Thin gravy makes the biryani mushy.
2) The last part of steaming can be done in the oven. Preheat the oven at 250 F. Then make the layers in a baking pan. Cover tightly with a oven proof lid or aliminum foil. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
3) If you dont have nonstick pan, use a heavy bottom pan. Do not put this pan directly on the flame. Place a tawa on the flame and put the pan on the tawa. it will avoid burning.
4) Ghee can be added in each layer according to your preference.
5) Try to use milk powder. It quickly gives thickness to the gravy. If using cream, stir nicely until it blends well in the gravy.
6) Saffron can be replaced by edible saffron color.

Mushroom Mutter Curry

Mushroom Matar in Marathi

Serves: 2 to 3 persons
Time: 30 to 35 minutes

Ingredients:
12 to 15 Button Mushrooms (medium size)
1/2 to 3/4 cup Green peas
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp red chili powder
1/2 cup Onion paste
3/4 cup tomato puree
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
Garam Masala - 2 cardamoms, 2 cloves, 1/2 inch cinnamon, 4 pepper corn
1/2 tsp Garam masala powder
2 to 3 tbsp cream or evaporated milk
Salt to taste

Method:
1) Heat a wok or a pan. Add garam masala Ingredients, except cardamom. Dry roast for a minute. Make a fine powder (I used mortar and pestle). Thinly slice the mushrooms.
2) Heat the pan. Add butter and let it melt. Add fine powder of Garam Masala and cardamom. Saute for few seconds and then add onion paste, ginger-garlic paste and red chili powder.
3) Saute the onion paste until color turns to golden brown. Add tomato puree. Cover and cook for couple of minutes. Now introduce green peas. Cover the pan and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat. Add little water if required. Also mix in the salt and readymade garam masala powder.
4) Once peas are cooked nicely, add sliced mushroom. Let the mushroom cook for couple of minutes. Turn off the heat and add cream. Stir nicely till the cream incorporates in the curry.
Serve this delectable curry with any Indian bread.

Butter Paneer Makhani

Paneer Makhani in Marathi

Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 2 to 3 persons

For Restaurant style Makhani Gravy please check Tip no. 6

Ingredients:
250 Gram Paneer (Tip 4)
1/4 cup Onion paste (Tip 5)
1/2 to 3/4 cup Tomato puree (Tip 2)
1 tsp Ginger Garlic paste
1 tbsp Cashew Paste
Whole Garam Masala: 4 pepper corns, 1 bay leaf, 1 cardamom pod, 4 cloves, 1 small cinnamon stick
2 pinches of Kasoori Methi
1 tsp Coriander-Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala powder
1 tsp red chili powder
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp Cream or evaporated milk (Tip 3)
Salt to taste

Method:
1) Make medium cubes or 2 inch strips of Paneer. Deep fry or shallow fry the paneer until golden in color.
2) Toast the whole garam masala ingredients slightly. Crush and make a fine powder.
3) Heat 2 tbsp butter in a wok or in a pan. Add crushed garam masala (Step 2) and saute for few seconds.
4) Add onion paste and ginger garlic paste. Saute over medium heat until onion gets cooked (about 4 to 5 minutes).
5) Once onion becomes golden brown in color, add tomato puree. Let the tomato puree cook over medium heat.
6) Add the dry ingredients - Kasoori Methi, coriander-cumin powder, garam masala powder, red chili powder and salt to taste.
7) Now put the flame on very low. Add cashew paste and cream. Stir vigorously, otherwise the cream will curdle. Add some more butter
Once cream gets incorporated, add fried paneer pieces. Cook for about 30 seconds over low heat. Transfer it to the serving plate. Drizzle some cream for garnishing.
Serve hot with Naan bread or Chapati.

Tips:
1) Use well ripe and nice red colored tomatoes.
2) To make tomato puree, place tomatoes into a deep glass bowl. Pour water just enough to cover the tomatoes (3-4 medium tomatoes). Then puree into a blender. Strain through a sieve. Use the strained puree for good result.
3) If cream or evaporated milk is unavailable, then use 1/2 cup of milk powder. Add 1/4 cup water and mix well without any lumps. Use this mixture to substitute cream.
4) Instead of frying paneer, Immerse the cubes into hot water for few minutes. They will become nice and soft in minutes.
5) Thinly slice about 1 cup of onion. Then deep fry until dark brown. Grind the fried onion to a fine paste. This can be used instead of raw onion paste.
6) Restaurant style Makhani Gravy recipe

Cabbage sabzi

Cabbage sabzi in Marathi

Serves: 3 to 4 persons
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 kg Fresh Cabbage, (4 and 1/2 cup finely chopped)
1 medium potato
1/4 cup green peas
Tempering: 1 tbsp oil, 2 pinches mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp cumin seeds, pinch of asafoeitda, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 4 curry leaves
3 green chilies, slit into two pieces
1/2 tsp grated ginger
Salt to taste
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh coconut, scraped
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

Method:
1) Wash the cabbage and finely chop it. Peel the potato and cut into medium cubes.
2) Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, turmeric powder, curry leaves, green chilies and grated ginger. Saute for few seconds and add potato cubes. Cover and cook over medium heat. Stir occasionally to avoid burning.
3) When potato cubes are half cooked, add chopped cabbage and green peas (Tip 2). Mix gently. Cover and cook over medium heat. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
4) Once cabbage is about 60 to 70 % cooked. Remove the lid and cook uncovered over medium heat. It will evaporate the excess moisture. Also add salt, sugar and lemon juice.
5) Once cabbage is cooked nicely, garnish with coconut and cilantro. Serve hot with Chapati.

Tips:
1) Use fresh cabbage head. Aged or stale cabbage has rough texture and unpleasant taste which ruins the taste of Cabbage subzi.
2) Do not add salt in advance. Cabbage tends to shrink after getting cooked. So if you add salt in proportion to chopped (uncooked) cabbage, it will make the sabzi salty. Hence, add the salt after cabbage gets cooked atleast halfway.
3) This sabzi taste good without any masala blend. However, you can add Maharashtrian masala or Garam masala to your taste. Adding masala will change the color of the sabzi.
4) Serve Chili-Cilantro Chutney with this sabzi to enhance the flavor. (3 to 4 green chilies + 1/4 cup Cilantro + pinch of salt + pinch of cumin = crush all together)
5) You can make this sabzi into pressure pan cooker. Prepare tempering in the pressure pan. Add potato cubes, chopped cabbages and peas. Also add a little salt and sugar. Pressure cook upto 2 whistles. Let the pressure release naturally. Open the pressure pan, taste the subzi and add any ingredient if required.

Vari Tandul - Samo Seeds Rice

Vari Tandul in Marathi

Time: 10 to 15 minutes
Serves: 2 to 3 persons

This Rice goes great with Peanuts curry. Click here for the recipe
Other Related Recipes: Fasting Potato bhaaji | Other Fasting Recipes

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Samo seeds (Vari Tandul)
2 and 1/2 cup warm water
1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tbsp Ghee
Salt to taste

Method:
1) Heat 1 tbsp ghee, add cumin seeds. Add samo seeds and lightly roast them.
2) Add 2 and 1/2 cup warm water, add salt to taste. Cover and cook over medium heat.

Tips:
1) You can make plain bhagar by skipping Cumin seeds.
2) To give little sour taste, add 1 piece of dry Kokum while cooking the rice.
3) To make bhagar more soft and mushy, increase the quantity of water by 1/2 to 3/4 cups.

Tofu Basil Fried Rice

Tofu basil Fried Rice in Marathi

Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 2 to 3 persons

Ingredients:
1 cup Jasmine Rice
3 tbsp Oil
3 to 4 Garlic cloves
2 Green chilies
1 tsp Soy sauce
1 tsp Tamarind Pulp
1 tsp Sugar
1/4 cup Bell pepper (sliced lengthwise)
1/4 cup Onion (sliced lengthwise)
1/2 to 3/4 cup Tofu (1 inch pieces)
3/4 cup Basil leaves
1 small Carrot (small cubes)
Salt to taste

Directions:
1) Wash Jasmine rice and drain the water. Bring 1 and 1/2 cups of water to boil. Add a dash of salt. Once water starts boiling, turn the heat to medium low and add washed rice. Cover and cook.
2) Squeeze the tofu slightly. Shallow fry over medium heat until light brown.
3) Crush garlic and green chilies together and make a coarse paste. Heat oil in a wok. Add crushed chili and saute for few seconds. Add carrot cubes and stir for around 30 seconds.
4) After 30 seconds, add bell pepper and Onion. Saute for only 10 seconds as we want onion and bell pepper nice and crisp. Add cooked rice, tamarind juice, sugar, soy sauce and little salt (if required). Mix nicely so that all the ingredients mingle together.
5) Once rice is mixed nicely, add basil leaves and shallow-fried tofu. Mix gently for few seconds and serve.

Tips:
1) We are adding tofu at the end to prevent it from crumbling.
2) Do not heat the rice for longer after adding basil leaves as they will become mushy.
3) To give a different flavor I have added tamarind juice. However, you can add half a teaspoon of white vinegar instead.
4) In Thai fried rice, fish sauce is used to give little tangy-sour taste. Non-vegetarian people can use fish-sauce instead of tamarind juice or vinegar.