NAVANAKKI HOLIGE

Navanakki or foxtail millet is one of the oldest millets known. It is a staple in south India, especially Karnataka. Variety of dishes like payasam, upma, dosa are prepared with navanakki.

Navanakki holige is similar to puran poli from Maharashtra. It is a parantha made from whole wheat flour or all purpose flour, stuffed with navanakki and jaggery filling, rolled and baked on griddle (tava) or deep fried.

Traditionally this sweet is prepared on special occasions and festivals.

Recipe for Navanakki Holige

Ingredients for Navanakki Holige

• All pupose flour or maida
• Navanakki
• Jaggery
• Cardamom powder
• Clarified butter or ghee
• Oil
• Rice flour or any other flour for dusting
• salt

How to make

Take maida in a mixing bowl. Add salt, oil and  water to it.

Knead a soft dough. Cover and keep aside for an hour.

Dry roast navanakki for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat. Keep aside to cool.

Grind navanakki to a fine powder and sieve it.

In a pan melt jaggery with 2 tablespoon of water. Bring it to boil.

Add sifted navanakki flour. Mix well.

Cook for 2 minutes and remove from heat.

As the mixture cools it will take form of a soft dough.

Add crushed cardomom. Mix well.

Divide the maida dough into small equal portions. Shape them into balls.

Take a dough ball, roll it into a circle of approximately 4 inches. Place a portion of filling at its center.

Gently bring together the edges and press them together to seal it.

Dust some flour on the rolling surface to prevent it from sticking.

Gently roll it flat into an oval shape. Take care while rolling so that there are no holes. 

Deep fry till golden in colour and crisp.

Top it with a spoonful of ghee and serve it.

DINKACHE LADOO / GOND LADDU

This is a time saving and low cal recipe of Dinkache ladoo, as it is called in marathi.

As a child I would love to have these laddus which were strictly rationed by my grandmother. The big aluminium container used to be a priced possession of her until all laddus were consumed.

The process of making these winter special laddus used to be an elaborate process, right from purchasing the ingredients to sun drying the ingredients to the actual making.

Dinkache ladoo or gond ke laddu made from edible gum and dry fruits is prepared in different parts of India. The preparation varies from region to region. This particular recipe is a Maharashtrian style preparation.

Dinkache ladoo is had mostly during winters. They are full of energy and nutrients . They are consumed by new mothers for good health.

Traditionally, most of the ingredients are fried in ghee or clarified butter. My variation of this recipe requires one fourth amount of the ghee.

Also in olden days all the ingredients used to be sun dried for 2 to 3 days to get rid of any moisture.

Recipe for Dinkache ladoo

Ingredients for Dinkache laddo

• 100gms edible gum
• 2 cups dry coconut
• 1/3 cup almonds (badam)
• ½ cup cashews (kaju)
• ½ cup ker beeja
• 1 cup dried dates (khareek)
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds (khuskhus)
• ½ tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
• 250gms jaggery (gur)
• 100ml water
• 4 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)

How to make

In a microwave safe dish microwave edible gum or dink for 5 minutes (without ghee). Remove the popped gum pieces. If any of gum pieces have not popped, microwave again for 2 minutes.

Dry roast grated coconut until golden in colour.

Dry roast poppy seeds and caraway seeds for couple of minutes.

Now microwave almonds, cashews and ker beeja for 4 to 5 minutes until pink in colour. As I forgot to add ker beeja to the same dish, it took me extra 5 minutes to do that. Skip the ker beeja if not available.

Roast the dry dates in one tablespoon of ghee for 3 to 4 minutes on low heat. Cool it. Make a coarse powder in mixer.

Melt jaggery with water in a pan. Bring it to a boil. Boil until the syrup coats the spoon.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a big mixing bowl. Add 4 tablespoon of clarified butter or ghee to it.

Pour jaggery syrup in the mixture. Mix well. Let it cool for 5 minutes.

Take some mixture between your palms and press gently to shape them into irregular balls. This mixture will yield you 16 laddus.

Clean your hand with water and dry them. Now reshape the irregular balls into round laddus. This procedure has to be done while the mixture is still warm.

Dinkache ladoo can be stored for a month or more but they usually get consumed much before the given shelf life.

GULACHI POLI

Gulachi poli is a flat bread, stuffed with sesame seeds and jaggery. This festive dish is mainly prepared during Makar Sankranti, the harvest festival of Maharashtra which is celebrated in the month of January. A huge pile of these polis are prepared a day before the festival. They can be stored for upto a week.

The following recipe has half and half quantity of groundnuts and sesame seeds. Groundnuts give a nice twist in the taste.

These polis are extremely healthy as a snack as well as a sweet dish.

Recipe of Gulachi Poli

Ingredients of dough

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• ¼ cup oil
• ½ tsp salt
• Water to knead

Add oil and salt to the flour. Mix well.

Add water as required to make a stiff dough. Keep aside for 20 minutes.

Ingredients for filling

•  ½ cup sesame seeds (dry roasted)
• ½ cup groundnuts (dry roasted)
• 1 cup jaggery (grated )
• ½ tsp cardamom ( powdered)
• 2 tbsp ghee or clarified butter ( for serving)

How to make

First grind sesame seeds and groundnuts together to get a coarse powder.

Remove in a plate. Add jaggery and cardamom powder. Mix with hand.

Divide the mixture in two parts. Now grind it again in two batches. Keep it aside.

Knead the dough again for two minutes. Divide in ten portions. Shape them into balls.

Flatten the balls with fingers, put one heaped tablespoon of the filling in it and seal the dough. This step has to be done carefully such that there are no holes in the dough.

Dust the balls with flour and roll it with a light hand as thin as a chapatti.

Shallow fry on a medium hot griddle applying half a teaspoon of oil on both sides. It will take one 

minute for each side.

Smear some ghee or clarified butter on the poli before serving.

BENGALI MUSTARD PRAWNS

Seafood is an inseparable component of a Bengali meal. Bengalis love their fish which is very much obvious from the variety of dishes they have. Mustard oil is again a must have of every Bengali kitchen.

Mustard prawns is a easy to make, quick dish. Fresh coconut or cashew paste is used for enhance the creaminess of the curry which is optional.

Only a few ingredients are required to make this gorgeous curry. Small or medium sized prawns can be used.

Recipe of Mustard Prawns

Ingredients of Mustard Prawns

• 500 gms prawns ( shelled and deveined)
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp black mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds
• 4 green chillies (chopped)
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp kalonji or nigella seeds
• Salt to taste
• 4 tbsp mustard oil

How to make

Rub the turmeric powder and salt on prawns. Keep aside for ten to fifteen minutes.

Soak poppy seeds, yellow and black mustard seeds in water for ten minutes.

Make a fine paste of soaked mustard seeds and green chillies.

Heat oil in kadhai or skillet.

Add kalonji to it followed by the mustard paste. Saute for a minute. Add one cup of water.

As the curry comes to a boil add marinated prawns. Simmer with lid on for five to seven minutes on low heat.

Enjoy Bengali mustard prawns with steamed rice.

BAKARWADI

Sweet and savoury pinwheel snacks, crispy and tongue tingling flavours. Bakarwadi is most popular snack in Maharashtra.

The dough can be made with all purpose flour or whole wheat flour or chickpea flour. The given recipe uses combination of all purpose flour and chickpea flour.

The filling contains coconut, sesame and some powdered spices. The quantity of ingredients for filling have been finalised after trying various combinations. It may have a strong taste which is required as the flavours will mellow down after deep frying the bakarwadis.

Recipe of Bakarwadi

Ingredients for dough

• 2 cups maida or all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp besan or chickpea flour
• 2 pinches salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp hot oil
• ½ cup + 2 tbsp water

How to make dough

Mix together maida, besan, salt, baking powder, hot oil.

Add half cup water to knead a soft dough. Add more two tablespoon of water if required.

Let the dough rest for half an hour.

Ingredients for Filling

• 3 tbsp dry coconut (grated)
• 1 tbsp chilly powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tbsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp poppy seeds
• 1/ tsp fennel dees
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp dry mango powder
• 2 tsp besan
• ½ inch cinnamon stick
• 4  cloves
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar

*Oil for deep frying

How to make filling

Tip all the above ingredients in a mixer jar. Make a coarse mixture(do not add any water).

How to make Bakarwadi

Divide the dough in two portions. Roll out the dough to the thickness of ¼ cm.

Apply some water, spread the filling mixture on it. Lightly press the filling.

Start rolling the bakarwadi tightly. No gaps should be left.

Cut the roll into two centimetres thickness.

Lightly press the pieces again from both the sides to prevent the filling from coming out.

Heat some oil for frying to medium temperature.

Fry the bakarwadis in batches till crispy and golden in colour. It will take around seven to eight minutes for frying on medium low heat.

Transfer them into an air tight container when completely cooled.

Suggestion

Avoid using high heat as bakarwadi may remain uncooked from inside.

ALU WITH DRIED SURMAI KHATTA (ANDHRA STYLE CURRY)

Dried fish is a delicacy. Fish like surmai or king makarel, makarel, shrimps, Bombay duck and many more are sun dried with lots of salt. Salt helps in preserving the dried fish.

Andhra Pradesh cuisine has a unique variety of vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes. The combinations of vegetables with meat and fish are very interesting.

Baby potatoes with dried surmai or king makarel is an amazing recipe. The humble baby potatoes in this fish curry taste awesome. The curry is sour in taste due to the tamarind pulp which is used in it this recipe. Thus this curry is locally called as khatta.

Recipe for Alu with dried Surmai Khatta

Ingredients for Alu with dried Surmai Khatta

• 250 gms baby potatoes ( half boiled and peeled)
• 200 gms dried surmai fish ( cut into 2 inch pieces)
• 1 cup onion (thinly sliced)
• ½ cup tomatoes (diced)
• 12 cloves garlic
• ½ cup tamarind pulp
• 2 tsp red chilly powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 10 curry leaves
• ½ cup oil
• Salt to taste

How to make

Soak the fish pieces in water for ten minutes. Wash nicely to get rid of excess salt. Keep aside on paper napkin so that it becomes dry.

Grind onion and garlic to a fine paste. Tip the paste in a mixing bowl.

Add 400 ml of water to the paste.

Add turmeric, chilli powder and salt followed by tamarind paste. Mix well.

Heat oil. Fry the fish pieces. Keep aside.

In the leftover oil add mustard seeds, curry leaves. As the mustard seeds splutter add diced tomatoes followed by the curry solution.

Add the half boiled baby potatoes.

Let it come to a boil. Simmer for ten minutes.

Oil will start appearing on the top of the simmering curry. Now add the fried pieces of fish.

Simmer for five minutes.

Serve with steamed rice.

BHAJAKE POHE CHIVDA

A variety of Chivdas are relished as a snack in Maharashtra. It is a savoury snack made from pressed rice or puffed rice or even cornflakes are used as the base. The ingredients and their quantity totally depend on one's preference.

Every household has their own version. It is prepared very frequently as it is a quick snack also is enjoyed by all. 

In this recipe, puffed rice is used as the base. The quantity of salt has been specified whereas it can be changed as required.  It comes out crispy, light and tasty.

Recipe for Chivda

Ingredients

• 250 gms bhajake pohe (puffed rice)
• ½ cup cashews (broken into halves)
• ½ cup peanuts
• ½ cup black raisins
• 1/3 cup garlic (cut into slivers)
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tbsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp chilly powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ¼  tsp asafoetida
• 4 green chillies (finely chopped)
• 15 curry leaves
• ½ cup oil
• 2 tbsp salt

How to make

Dry roast the poha for four to five minutes on medium heat. Alternatively, it can be microwaved for three minutes (mix after every one minute). Keep aside.

Heat oil in a big kadhai or skillet. Fry peanuts, cashews, garlic, curry leaves and green chillies on medium heat till crisp and golden in colour. All these items should be fried separately. Remove in a plate.

Reduce the heat to low. Now quickly add asafoetida, turmeric, coriander, cumin and chilli powder followed by sesame seeds. Saute for a minute.

Add the fried ingredients and poha. Mix well till the spices are evenly coated.

Let the mixture cool for five minutes before adding salt and powdered sugar.

Transfer in an airtight container after completely cooled.

Suggestion

 For even mixing powdered sugar can be sieved.

CHAKLI/ MAHARASHTRIAN SNACK

Chakli is one of the favourite snacks from Gujrat and Maharashtra. There are many different recipes to make chakli. It is made with rice flour or whole wheat flour or semolina. Also ready mixes are available in the market. Nothing can beat a homemade chakli. My recipe calls for rice and roasted chana dal also called as chutney dal readily available in grocery stores.

This is my mother’s recipe, tried and tested.  For years I have been enjoying this lovely snack. Chakli is one item which my mom prepares in more quantity. I don’t restrict the chakli as just a tea time snack. I have it with dal chawal and also with kadhi chawal. Do try it, highly recommended !

Recipe for Chakli

Ingredients for (bhajani) flour mixture

• 1 kg rice
• 700 gms roasted chana or chutney dal

How to make (bhajani) flour mixture

Wash the raw rice and dry it in shade.

Dry roast the rice till it becomes light pink in colour.

Let it cool. Add the roasted chana as it is. Mix well.

Give it in flour mill to be made into fine flour.

Ingredients for Chakli

• 2 cups bhajani or flour mixture
• 1 ½ tsp chilly powder
• 2 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 ½ tsp salt or as per taste
• 3 tbsp hot oil
• 1 + 2 tbsp lukewarm water
• Oil for frying
• Chakli making machine, thick paper or plastic sheets

How to make Chakli

Take the bhajani or flour mixture in a mixing bowl.

Add hot oil, Rub the flour between the palms.

Add chilli powder, sesame seeds, salt. Mix well.

Add 1 cup of lukewarm water and knead the dough. The dough should not be too stiff or soft. Add additional 2 tbsp of water if required. Let it rest for 5 minutes.

Keep some thick paper sheets or plastic sheets ready for forming in chaklis.

Divide the dough in two equal portions. Knead again.  Shape it in form of a fat sausage, put in in the chakli making machine.

Rotate the spindle so that the chaklis come out. Simultaneously move the machine in a spiral way to form the required shape of chakli.

Heat oil for frying. Make sure that the heat is between medium to low. Fry three to four chaklis in a batch. Flip them after a minute.

Fry till the chaklis are crisp and golden in colour.

Let them cool completely before storing them in an airtight container.

Suggestion

Temperature of the oil should not be too high as Chaklis may get burnt or may remain uncooked.