Puran Poli

Puran Poli can be easily associated with Maharashtra and is its most popular dish. It is made mostly during holi when the bonfire is lit.

I got this Recipe  from my Lil sister. She cooks good Maharastrian Food, Settled in bombay for the past 3 years, she has literally become a Maharastrian Woman. She talks Good Marathi too. I m here in Dubai for the past 5 years, i would have learned only 3 or 4 words in arabic, whereas she talks good marathi, like a marathi. Her Tamil, now-a-days is Marathish. Way 2 go girl!!!!

Now comes the recipe

Ingredients

For Poli

Wheat flour -  1 cup

All Purpose Flour/Maida - 1/2 cup

ghee - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Water - for making the dough.

Mix all the above ingredients, knead well and make a soft dough.

For Poli
Chana Dal/Gram Dal/Kadalai Parupu -  1 cup
Jaggery/Vellam - 3/4 cup
Ghee - 3 to 4 tbsp
Cardamom -  a pinch

Soak Chana Dal overnight, and pressure cook it until soft. Mash it well. Heat a Kadai Add Jaggery and Mashed Chana Dal, Mix well. Cook it on a low flame, Add Ghee little by little, When the Puran Starts leaving the sides and comes together(thirandu varum, i m not able to find a word for this), Add cardamom and take it off the flame.

Now Divide the dough to 10 Balls. Roll each ball in to a small disc, take a small ball of Puran(2 -3 tbsp), keep it in the center and close it using the sides of the dough and now roll slowly lightly to make a small disc.

Cook both sides using ghee on a hot tava.

Tasted Great. Since it has got wheat and maida, was very light on the tummy too.

If you save the excess water after boiling the chana dal.  To this,  add a clove of crushed garlic, 1 or  2 tsp of red chilli powder,  1 or 2 tbsp of mashed chana dal, and  Salt to taste. Season it with mustard seeds and curry leaves and Cook it until the rawness of the chilli powder goes. This Katachi Amti makes a great combo for puran poli.

Packing this Poli to RCI - Mumbai Event Hosted by Lakshmi Venkatesh of Kitchen Chronicles, Event Started by Lakshmi Krishnan of Veggie Cuisine

Mediterranean Goodness

MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE SPAGHETTI SQUASH

Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS

1 medium spaghetti squash

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, roughly chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes, drained

1/4 cup sliced Kalamata olives

1/2 cup feta cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Cut spaghetti squash lengthwise and remove seeds.  Place cut sides face down on cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil.  Bake 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat.  Add onion and garlic.  Saute until onion becomes tender. Stir in tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.   Add olives.   

Use a fork to remove the pulp from the squash.  Mix into sauteed vegetables. Garnish with feta.  

Mung Dal Dosa and Coriander Peanut Chutney

I just loved the texture of  Mung dosa- thick, spongy and soft! Imagine the taste when it is slathered with coriander peanut garlic chutney! Both make a perfect pair.



I found this recipe from a cookbook.
Mung Dal Dosa
Serves 3
Ingredients:
Soak these in water for 2 hours:
Mung dal(yellow)-1/2 cup
Boiled rice or Sona masoori rice-1 cup
Fenugreek seeds-1 tsp

Other Ingredients:
Hing-1/4 tsp
Salt
Red chilli-1
Curry leaves
Green chilli chopped-1
Chopped ginger-1 tsp
Sour Yogurt-1/3 cup

Method:
After soaking the dal and rice, rinse and grind along with red chilli, salt and hing with some water to a coarse paste. The batter should be of dosa batter consistency-neither too thick nor too thin.
Add rest of the ingredients and mix well.
Heat a flat griddle. Spread some oil. When the griddle is hot, pour a ladle full of batter and spread it  in circular fashion. Drizzle oil around the corners. When one side turns golden brown, flip and cook the other side.

Coriander peanut chutney
Ingredients:
Coriander leaves-a handful
Roasted unsalted peanuts-2 tbsp
Coconut-3 tbsp
Garlic(optional)-2 cloves
Red chillies-2
Salt
Tamarind-tiny piece

Method:
Grind all the ingredients to a smooth paste adding some water.