Mulyache Raite Raddish raita

Mulyache Raite in Marathi

Time: 15 minutes
Makes: 2 to 3 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup grated Muli (diakon)
3/4 to 1 cup plain yogurt, whisked
1/4 tsp cumin powder (optional)
2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp green chili paste (or to taste)
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt to taste
Optional Ingredients: 1/2 tsp oil, pinch of hing, pinch of cumin seeds

Method:
1) Mix yogurt, cumin powder, salt, sugar and green chili paste in a bowl. Add couple of tbsp milk to adjust the consistency.
2) Add grated muli and cilantro. Mix well.
3) Heat 1/2 tsp oil into a tadka pan. Add cumin seeds and hing. Pour this tadka in raita. Mix well.
Serve as a side dish in your meal.

Bhindi Raita

Bhindi Raita in Marathi

Time: 5-7 minutes
Makes: 2 servings

Ingredients:
Okra 10 no. medium
2 green chilies
Yogurt 1/4 to 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
1 tsp oil
pinch of asafoetida (hing)
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

Method:
1) Cut off the ends of Okra. Cut the okra into medium pieces.
2) Pressure cook okra and green chilies together upto two whistles.
3) Once the steam has released, get the okra out and crush with fingers. Add salt.
4) Take a small tadka pan. Heat oil in it. Add cumin and hing. Pour this tadka over crushed okra. Mix with spoon.
5) Once mixture is cooled down. Add yogurt and cilantro. Mix and serve as side dish in your meal.

Tips:
1) Do not add yogurt while okra mixture is hot. Heat separates the yogurt into tiny particles.

Banana Raita

Banana Raita in Marathi

Serves: 4 persons
Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
2 medium bananas (little extra ripe)
1/2 cup yogurt, well beaten
1 green chili, coarsely ground (or to taste)
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander
1/4 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp sugar or to taste
Salt to taste

Method:
1) Peel and cut banana into small cubes.
2) Beat the yogurt and add a tbsp of water to make the consistency little smooth.
3) Add coriander and salt together with hands. Add it to yogurt.
4) Add mustard powder, sugar, chili, crushed coriander and salt to yogurt. Mix well. Now add chopped banana. mix nicely.
Banana raita can be served in the meal as a condiment or side dish.

Kakadicha Kayras

Kakdicha Kayras in Marathi

Time: 10 to 15 minutes
Serves: 3 to 4 persons

Ingredients:
1 cup finely chopped cucumber (peeled)
1 tbsp tamarind pulp
3 to 4 tbsp grated jaggery or to taste
2 tbsp roasted peanuts powder (coarsely ground)
For tempering: 1 tbsp oil, 1/8 tsp cumin seeds, 2 pinches asafoetida, 1/8 tsp turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp red chili powder
2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
salt to taste

Method:
1) Take tamarind pulp into a medium bowl. Add around 1/2 cup water and mix well. Add salt, jaggery and mix until dissolve. [Taste should be sweet and sour, so do not hesitate to add some more jaggery if you want to.]
2) Add chopped cucumber to tamarind water. We want runny consistency, so add some more water if required. Also, add roasted peanuts.
3) Heat oil into a tadka pan. Add cumin, hing, turmeric powder, red chili powder. Pour this tempering over kayras. Garnish with cilantro.
Cucumber kayras can be served as a side dish.

Cucumber Raita

Cucumber Raita in Marathi

Serves: 2 to 3 persons
Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup finely chopped cucumber (Peeled)
3/4 cup plain yogurt, well beaten
1 green chili, finely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp ghee
2 pinches cumin seeds
salt to taste

Method:
1) Mix cucumber and yogurt. Crush green chili with little salt. Add it to cucumber-yogurt mixture and mix.
2) Heat ghee in a tadka pan. Add cumin and wait till it crackles. Add this to cucumber raita.
3) Add cilantro and some salt if needed. Mix nicely. Serve as a side dish.

Tips:
1) To make raita more spicy, add little more green chili.
2) Do not add all yogurt at once. Add little and mix. Once you get perfect consistency, stop adding more. OR if you like yogurt-y taste, add more than given amount.
3) Some roasted crushed peanuts can add some crunch to the raita.

Raw Mango Raita

Kairi Raiyte in Marathi

Time: 10 min
Yield: 1 cup
Ingredients:
Pulp OfGreen mango1 cup(Step 1)
Jaggery1/2 cup
Red chili powder1/2 tsp
oil1 tsp
curry leaves2
1/4 tspcumin seeds
dry red chili1
pinch of Hing (asafoetida)
Salt to taste

Method:
1) Add 1 cup water at the bottom of a pressure cooker. Place a steel container inside the pressure cooker. Put a whole green mango inside the container. Do not add water to this container. Pressure cook upto 2-3 whistles and turn off the heat. After 10 minutes, open the pressure cooker. Peel the mango while its hot and remove the pulp.
2) Add the jaggery to the pulp and mix well.
3) Add red chili powder and salt to taste. Prepare a tempering, heat oil, add cumin, hing, curry leaves and red chili. Pour this tempering into mango pulp. Mix well. Serve as a condiment or side dish in your meal.

Tip:
1) Adjust the quantity of jaggery according to your taste.

Baingan Bhurta

Baingan Bharta in Marathi

Time: for Roasting- varies according to roasting method | Cooking Time - 5 to 10 minutes
Serves: 3 to 4 persons

Ingredients:
1 big eggplant
1 big Onion, finely chopped (around 3/4 to 1 cup)
3 green chilies, slitted lengthwise
For tempering: 1 tbsp oil, 2 pinches mustard seeds, 1 pinch cumin seeds, 1/8 tsp hing, 1/8 tsp turmeric
Salt to taste
Cilantro for garnishing

Method:
1) Roast the eggplant.
i) over stove top:- If you have gas burner, rub little oil to eggplant and roast it on the flame. Turn it occasionally. (Note- Eggplant releases water after roasting, so it may leave stains on the burner. But those stains can be removed by scrubbing)
ii) in Oven:- Preheat the oven at 400 F. Apply some oil all over the eggplant. Poke the eggplant a few times with a fork. Wrap it with aluminum foil. Put it in a baking tray and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. (It does cook the eggplant, but does not give smokey flavor)
iii) Use the barbecue grill to roast eggplant.
iv) in Fireplace (Tip) - Funny to hear but I actually roasted the eggplant in fireplace :). Apply some oil all over the eggplant. Poke the eggplant a few times with a fork. Wrap it with aluminum foil. Open the exhaust before starting fire. Now stack 2-3 twigs in fireplace. Put 1 or 2 coconut shells at the bottom. Sprinkle 2 spoons oil over twigs. Place the eggplant in between so that it gets roasted evenly. Light the fire with some newspapers. After fire kicks up perfectly, eggplant will get roasted within 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the eggplant very carefully by using tong. BE CAREFUL WHILE USING THIS METHOD and taking the roasted eggplant out.

2) Let the eggplant cool down. Peel it and cut off the stem. Chop the flesh roughly.
3) Mix eggplant and onion. Do not throw the juices oozed out of the eggplant.
4) Heat oil into a kadai. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing, turmeric powder and chilies. Saute for few seconds and add onion-eggplant mixture. Cook for couple of minutes. Garnish with cilantro
Serve hot with Millet Roti.

Tip
1) I did not use 'starter fire logs' which are available in super markets, as I wasn't sure of what things and chemicals have been used to make them workable. It is better to use fallen twigs.

Apple Pomegranate Raita

Apple Pomegranate Raita in Marathi

Time: 10 to 15 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6 persons

Ingredients:
1 cup Pomegranate kernels
1 cup finely chopped Red Apple
1/2 cup Yogurt
1 tbsp milk
1 Green chili, finely chopped
1 tsp Sugar
1 tbsp Cilantro, finely chopped
Salt to taste

Method:
1) Whisk the yogurt, add 1 tbsp milk. Then finely chop red Apple and add immediately to the yogurt.
2) Now add pomegranate kernels, green chili, cilantro, sugar and salt. Mix nicely. Chill for an hour. Serve as a side dish.

Tip:
1) Do not chop Apple ahead of time, it will turn brown. First whisk the yogurt, then chop the Apple. Add it immediately to the yogurt. Acid in yogurt helps keep the apple from browning