Chawli chi bhaji (Black eyed beans Curry)

Ingredients ( Serves 2 ) :

1 cup black eyed beans
2 cups water
1 clove of garlic
1/2 big onion ( finely chopped )
4 tbsp tomato puree
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp asafeotida powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tbsp jaggery
1/2 chili ( finely chopped , no seeds )

Directions:

Pressure cook the black eyed beans in 2 cups of water, keep aside. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add mustard seeds , cumin seeds and fry till crackling noise stops. Add asafeotida powder, onion, turmeric powder and fry till onions are golden brown. Add garlic and chili and fry for a minute. Add tomato puree, salt and jaggery and cook for 2 minutes. Add the black eyed beans and water, cook till desired consistency is reached. Serve hot with chapati or rice.

Bread chi Bhaji ( aka Bread cha Chiwda or Phodni cha Bread )

Ingredients:

1/2 big onion ( finely chopped )
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp asafeotida powder
1/2 loaf wheat bread
1/2 cup peanuts
1 tsp turmeric
salt

Directions:

Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add mustard seeds , cumin seeds and fry till crackling noise stops. Add asafeotida powder, onion and peanuts and fry till onions are golden brown. Add turmeric and bread, fry for 5 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Sauteed Spinach ( Indian Style )

Ingredients:

1/4 big onion ( finely chopped )
4 - 5 big cloves of garlic ( coarsely chopped )
1 large bunch of spinach ( coarsely chopped )
2 tbsp oil
salt

Directions:

Heat oil in a pan and fry garlic and onions till golden brown. Add spinach and sautee till fully cooked and add salt to taste.

Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

1/2 loaf of regular wheat bread
5 cups milk
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups of sugar
2 tbsp vanilla
1 cup raisins soaked over night in 1/2 cup rum
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
3 tbsp of unsalted butter

Directions:

Crush bread and mix it with the milk in a bowl and add raisins to this mixture. In another bowl take eggs, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla and mix it well. Melt the butter and coat the baking pan with melted butter. Add the egg mixture to the bowl with bread in it and mix it well. Pour the contents of this bowl into the baking pan along. Insert the pan into the oven which is preheated to 300. The pudding should be done in 30-45 minutes. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream or as is.

Pithla

1 cup gram flour ( besan)
5 cups water
1 (big) onion (finely chopped)
3 green chillis (chopped)
3tsp salt
3tbsp oil
1/2 tsp turmuric powder
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/8 tsp asafeotida powder
3 garlic cloves (chopped)
5 kadipatta leaves (curry leaf tree)

Heat oil in a deap pan. Add asafeotida powder, turmuric powder and mustard seeds and heat till mustard seeds pop. Add the chopped chillis, garlic and kadipatta leaves and fry. Dont let them burn. Add the finely chopped onion and sautee them till they turn golden brown. Add besan to this and mix till besan changes shade. Add water, one cup at a time and mix thoroughly. Before the last cup of water, add salt so that it mixes properly.
Simmer on low heat till it get cooked. Cooked besan tastes distinctly different than uncooked besan, so that can be the test of when it is cooked. If you keep the heat high, the whole thing will make large popping sounds :-)

Enjoy with bhakri if you can make it.

Daliya

Ingredients:

1/2 lb cracked wheat
2 tbsp ghee
5 cups water
3 cups sugar
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup cashews
1/8 cup raisins
1 cup whole milk

Directions:

Boil water and milk separately.Heat the ghee in a different pan on medium heat. Roast the cracked wheat till golden brown. Add boiling water and milk to the cracked wheat and stir continuously. Let the wheat cook in boiling water for 20 - 25 minutes ( stir continuously, do not let it stick to the pan ) , add more water if required. Once the wheat is fully cooked, add sugar and stir. Let it cool and garnish with almonds, raisins and cashews.

Burger ( with a touch of indian spices )

Ingredients:

1 pound ground top sirloin
1 tbsp ground pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp garam masala ( you will find it in any indian store )

Directions:

Mix all the above ingredients , shape into 4 or 5 patties and refrigerate for 2 hours.Grill patties for 4 minutes on each side ( depends upon the level of doneness that you prefer ).Do not flip the patties more than once.

Kanda Pohe ( Poha is flattened cooked rice )

Ingredients:

1/2 big onion ( finely chopped )
1 1/2 cup poha ( you can get them from indian store )
1/2 chilli ( finely chopped )
1 tsp of lemon juice
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp asafeotida powder
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
salt to taste

Directions:
Wash poha and add lemon juice ,sugar and salt.Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add mustard seeds , cumin seeds and fry till crackling noise stops. Add asafeotida powder, onion and peanuts and fry till onions are golden brown. Add turmeric and poha. fry for 5 minutes and add a few drops of lemon juice before serving.

Chicken Curry ( simple Maharashtrian style )

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken ( cut into 1 inch pieces )
1 big red onion ( julienned )
1 chili ( finely chopped )
1 inch ginger
salt to taste
2 tbsp oil
1/2 glass of water

Directions:

Heat oil in pan, add onion and fry till golden brown. Add ginder and chillies and fry for a minute. Add chicken pieces and water ,cook till chicken is soft and tender.

Cabbage ( Indian Style aka Kobichi Bhaji )

Ingredients:

Half a cabbage ( chopped )
1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp asafeotida
2 tsp turmeric powder
1 chili
2 tbsp oil
salt to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in a pan on medium heat, add mustard and cumin seeds. Once the crackling noise has stopped add chili, asafeotida, turmeric and cabbage. Stir fry till the cabbage is cooked to the desired degree. Add salt to taste