Home-made Limoncello

Ingredients:

8 Organic lemons - take peels cut lengthwise thin strips

Juice of 3 Organic lemons

2.5 cups of good quality Vodka

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup water

Recipe:

Boil water and add sugar and lemon juice. Continue to simmer until all the sugar is melted. 

Add lemon peels into vodka bottle and keep in dark place for 48 hours. After that strain vodka and return it to the bottle.

Add lemon syrup to vodka and mix well.

Add tight cap to the bottle.

Notes:

Use this limoncello to prepare drinks.

Puffed Rice - Snack 1

Ingredients:

Puffed rice - 1 cup

Hot mix (FarsaaN) - 1/4 cup 

Onion - chopped fine - 1/2 medium

Cilantro - handful

Ketchup - 2 Tbsp

Mint chutney - 2 Tbsp

Salt - a pinch

Recipe:

Heat up puffed rice in microwave for 30 seconds.

Add all ingredients and mix well.

Serve immediately.

Notes:

1) Purchase all ingredients in Indian store.

2) Add handful roasted/fried peanuts.

3) You can serve it as a quick snack or as an appetizer.

Puffed Rice - Snack 2

Ingredients:

Puffed rice - 1 cup

Roasted peanuts - handful

Onion - chopped fine - 1/2 medium

Cilantro - handful

Black masala - 1 Tbsp

Peanut oil - 1 Tbsp

Salt - a pinch

Recipe:

Heat up puffed rice in microwave for 30 seconds.

Add all ingredients and mix well.

Serve immediately.

Notes:

1) Purchase all ingredients in Indian store.

2) Add handful hot mix (farsaaN) as a variation.

3) You can serve it as a quick snack or as an appetizer.

Whole Moong Curry 1

Ingredients:

For oil tempering - peanut oil, black mustard seeds, and turmeric
Whole moong beans - 1 cup soaked and cooked
Ghati Masala - 1 tsp (or Chili powder - 1/4 tsp or to your taste)
Tomato - 1 large cut into small pieces
Garlic cloves - 7- 8 cut lengthwise
Curry Leaves - 10 to 12 or 1 branch
Salt to taste.
Chopped cilantro leaves - 2-3 Tbs

Recipe:

Heat pan and add 2 tsp peanut oil.
Prepare oil tempering and add garlic.
Let garlic cook until lightly brown.
Add curry leaves and then add cut tomato.
Add 1 tsp ghati masala or chili powder.
Add cooked moong beans and salt to taste.
Mix well and add water if necessary and cook more until right consistency has reached.
Sprinkle with cilantro.
Serve as a side dish with Indian bread, or rice.

Notes:

1) Serve with roti (bhakari) and freshly cut onion wedges.
2) This is a rustic dish and is made during rainy season.
3) I don't add any sugar in this recipe (most of the savory recipes in Maharashtrian cooking has sweet, salty and sourness balanced).
4) You can substitute moong beans with any other beans like black eyed peas, lentils, green/white peas, black or red kidney beans.

Ghati Masala

Ingredients:

Onions - 3 medium
Garlic cloves - 1/4 cup - 2 whole garlic pods
Red hot chili peppers - 250 grams
Dry coconut pieces - 100 grams or from 1/2 coconut
Black peppercorns - 50 grams
Coriander seeds - 50 grams
Cumin seeds - 25 grams
Shahajeera (black cumin seeds) - 25 grams
Cloves - 25 grams
Cinnamon - 25 grams
Green ilaichi - 25 grams
Poppy seeds (khaskhas) - 25 grams
Star anise (chakriphool) - 2
Black ilaichi ( badi ilaichi) - 2
Whole nutmeg - 2
Mace - 3 Tb
Salt - 1 Tb
Peanut oil to shallow fry - 5 Tb

Recipe:

Add 1 Tb oil each time in a wok and fry ingredients with following order and remove them to a bowl.

1) Start with cloves, cinnamon and black peppercorn ( be careful with them as peppercorn and cloves can splatter and can cause burns)
2) coconut pieces until golden
3) Remove stems from red chilis and fry them. Remove them to a bowl and add salt to them.
4) Fry onion until it becomes golden in color and crisp.
5) Fry rest of the ingredients except cumin, poppy seeds and garlic (don't fry these 3 ingredients)

Once all the ingredients are fried, mix them well and grind them in a blender/mixer and store the masala in a tight lid glass jar.  Store it in a freezer so that it won't go rancid and will last for many months.
Just take out enough every time that will last for few days in your spice box.

Notes: 

1) Every family has their own masala recipe in India. This recipe is my family recipe. It came from My mom's mom, my maternal grandmother (Mrs. Pramodini Joshi) to my mom (Mrs. Sheela Datar) and now to me.
2) I use this masala only in rustic dishes.

4) Glossary of Spices & Condiments - Indian Names
http://www.syvum.com/recipes/indian/glosss1.html

5) What is asafoetida?   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asafoetida

Cauliflower Salad 2

Ingredients:

For oil tempering - 2 tsp peanut oil, black mustard seeds, green chilis
Cauliflower - 1 cup - grated coarse
Green chilis - 1 cut into pieces
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp (or to your taste)
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste.
Chopped cilantro leaves - 2-3 Tb

Recipe:

Grate cauliflower.
Prepare oil tempering and add chilis to it. Let chilis fry for few seconds.
Add it to cauliflower.
Add 2-3 Tb peanut powder, chili powder, sugar and salt to taste.
Add 1 tsp fresh lemon juice. Mix well.
Adjust salt, sugar, lemon juice to your taste.
Remove it to a serving dish and sprinkle with cilantro.
Serve as a side dish with Indian bread, or rice.

Notes:

1) You can also add 2-3 Tb fresh grated coconut.
2) You can add 1/2 tsp coriander powder and 1/2 tsp cumin powder as a variation.
3) You can add 3-4 Tb sprouted moong beans as a variation.

Cauliflower Salad 1

Ingredients:

For ghee tempering - ghee and cumin seeds
Cauliflower - 1 cup - cut into pieces about 1/2" -1" size
Green chilis - 1 cut into pieces
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp (or to your taste)
Salt to taste.
Chopped cilantro leaves - 2-3 Tb

Recipe:

Cut cauliflower into smaller pieces.
Boil 3 cups of water and add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper.
Add cauliflower and cook it for 4-5 minutes.
Drain water and transfer cauliflower to a bowl.
Prepare ghee tempering and add chilis to it. Let chilis fry for few seconds.
Add it to cauliflower.
Add 2-3 Tb peanut powder, chili powder and salt to taste.
Add 1 tsp fresh lemon juice. Mix well.
Remove it to a serving dish and sprinkle with cilantro.
Serve as a side dish with Indian bread, or rice.

Notes:

1) You can also add 2-3 Tb fresh grated coconut.

Eggplant Bhaji with Besan Flour

Ingredients:

For oil tempering - peanut oil, black mustard seeds, turmeric, hing powder
Tender eggplant - 1 cup - cut into pieces about 1.5" - 2" size.
Besan flour - 3-4 Tb - sieve it so it has no lumps
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp (or to your taste)
Salt to taste.
Chopped cilantro leaves - 2-3 Tb

Recipe:

Cut eggplant into smaller pieces and soak them in salted (1/2 tsp salt) water for 10 minutes.
Drain and rinse. This will remove bitterness from the eggplants.
Heat pan and add 3-4 tsp peanut oil (will need more oil as eggplant absorbs oil).
Prepare oil tempering and add eggplant pieces. Stir well.
Add salt. Let the eggplant get cooked on medium high heat stirring occasionally (sprinkle water if necessary).
When eggplant is cooked, add chili powder and besan flour and mix well. Let the besan coat eggplant.
Turn heat to medium low and cook for 2-3 minutes until besan gets cooked.
Keep stirring as besan can burn easily.
Remove it to a serving dish and sprinkle with cilantro.
Serve as a side dish with Indian bread, or rice.

Notes:

1) Adding hing powder is essential as eggplants and besan create gas.
2) You can add 1/2 tsp cumin powder after you add chili powder as a variation.
3) You can leave besan flour out and add 1/2 tsp black masala as a variation.
4) Use this recipe for spring onions, bell peppers, any chopped leafy vegetable like spinach, Kale, Swiss Chard, collard greens, cabbage, zuccini and so on.
5) I prefer to use Japanese eggplants as they are tender and have fewer seeds.

Simple Cauliflower Bhaji 2

Ingredients:

Cauliflwer - 2 cups cut cauliflower - small flowers ( 1" - 1.5" size)
For oil tempering - peanut oil, black mustard seeds, turmeric
Chili powder - 1/4 tsp (or to your taste)
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Brown sugar - 1 tsp
Salt to taste.
Chopped cilantro leaves - 2-3 Tbs
Freshly grated coconut - 3-4 Tbs

Recipe:

Heat pan and add 2 tsp peanut oil.
Prepare oil tempering.
Add cauliflower. Stir well.
Add  1/4 cup water + salt + brown sugar + chili powder + cumin powder. Mix well.
Keep heat on medium and let the cauliflower get cooked stirring occasionally.
It should not be mushy and all the water should be gone.
Sprinkle with cilantro and coconut.
Serve as a side dish with Indian bread, or rice

Notes:

1) Vegetables like cabbage and cauliflower have strong pungent smell which can be tamed by cumin.
2) I don't use hing powder or garlic as they both have  strong smells as well.
3) I don't use cover/lid when I cook tender cauliflower as it can get mushy.

Eggplant - Chana dal Bhaji (DaL Wange)

Ingredients:

Eggplants - small egg size - 8 to 10 - cut into half - soak in water to remove bitterness.

Chana dal - wash and soak 1/4 cup for 2 hours

Onion - 1 memdium - chopped
Tomato - 1 medium - chopped

Garlic - 5-6 large cloves

Dry grated coconut - 4 Tb -  dry roasted until lightly brown

Poppy seeds - 1 Tb - dryroasted until. Lightly brown

Cilantro - handful or 4 Tb chopped

Curry leaves - 8-10 

Onion-garlic masala - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Peanut oil - 2 tsp for onions and 2 Tb for tempering

Recipe:

Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and add chopped onions.

Saute onions until Lightly brown. Add tomato and cook it well.

Blend coconut, ppoppy seeds, cilantro, garlic cloves and cooked onion - tomato and 1/4 cup water in a blender to a smooth paste.

Heat the pan again and add 2 Tb oil.

Prepare oil tempering with black mustard seeds and turmeric powder and curry leaves.

Add chana dal and saute for a minute.

Remove eggplants from the water (discard water) and add to the pan. 

Add 1 cup water and salt to taste and cover the pan and let the dal and eggplant cook on a medium heat.
When the eggplants are tender, add blended wet masala and onion-garlic masala.
Stir well and cover the pan and let it cook for 2 minutes.
Remove the lid and cook until the gravy gets as thick as you want.
Keep stirring as coconut can settle on the bottom of the pan and Burn.

Notes:

1) You can use small potatoes instead of eggplants.

2) This style of cooking eggplants is kind of rustic and should be hot to taste.

3) You can add handful of roasted peanuts while blending wet masala as a variation.

4) You can add 2 Tb roasted sesame seeds while blending wet masala as a variation.

Baby Lima Beans Bhaji 1

Ingredients:

Baby lima beans - fresh or frozen (thawed) - 2 cups
Lemon juice - 1 Tb
Cilantro - chopped 2-3 Tb when serving

Masala:

Onion - 1 medium cut into big pieces

Garlic - chopped 1 tsp

Ginger root - 1 tsp grated

Raw peanuts - 4 Tsp

Green chilis - 3-4

Cilantro - handful

Fresh coconut - 1/4 cup grated (or frozen - unsweetened)

Coriander seeds -1 Tb

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp 

Sesame seeds - 1 Tb - dry roasted

Chili powder - 1/4 tsp if needed

Salt to taste

Recipe:

Grind the masala into fine paste by adding little water.

Boil 4 cups of water and add lima beans in it. 

Let them get cooked. Cover and turn the heat off. Keep for few minutes.

Turn the heat on and uncover and add ground masala.

Mix well. Add salt to taste and chili powder if needed.

Let the beans cook until all the water is evaporated. 

You can reserve or add water if you like more gravy.
Turn the heat off and add the lemon juice.

Tranfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
Serve with Indian bread or rice.

Notes:

1) You can use green peas instead of Lima beans.

2) You can use potatoes - boiled and cut into 1" pieces instead of Lima beans.

Palak Paneer ( Spinach) Bhaji

Ingredients:

Spinach - washed and chopped fine - 4 cups

Paneer - 200 gms - cubed

Cream - 3-4 Tbsp

Tomatoes - 2 small chopped

Onion - 1 small chopped

Ginger root - grated 1 tsp

Garlic - chopped 1 tsp

Green chilis - 1 chopped

Shahi masala - 1/4 tsp

Dry masala for tempering - 4 cloves + 2" cinnamon stick flat kind + 2-3 green ilaichi + 1 large/black ilaichi (optional)
Salt to taste

Chili powder - 1/2 tsp or to taste

Peanut oil - for tempering - 2 tsp and more for deep frying paneer

Recipe:

Heat 1 cup of water in a large pan. Add cut spinach. Do not cover and cook spinach. 

Transfer to a bowl. Use a hand blender and chop down the spinach. I don't puree it. You can choose the consistency you like.

Take 2"-3" high oil in a wok and deep fry paneer. Transfer it to a plate. (You can also shallow fry paneer or use paneer without frying at all).

Take 2 Tbsp oil from the same oil from frying and add to a pan. Turn on the heat and add dry masala. Be careful as cloves can splatter and cause burns.
Add chopped onion and cook until golden brown.
Add ginger, garlic, chili (you can grind ginger-garlic-chili into paste) and chopped tomato (or puree) and cover and let it cook for a minute.
Add cooked spinach and 1 cup water.
Add salt, chili powder and stir well.
Cook until half the water is evaporated and add shahi masala and cream. Mix well.
Add paneer and cover and cook for couple more minutes so that paneer will absorb the spices.
Serve immediately with Indian bread, or rice.

Notes:

1) I always prepare extra ginger-garlic paste (both in equal amounts) and store it in the freezer in glass jars. Thaw it when needed and refreeze it.
2) Don't cover spinach when cooking or it will change from bright green to darker green.
3) You can use frozen chopped spinach if you don't have time to use fresh spinach.
4) Always cover the pan after adding dry masala and remove from the heat. Dry masala can splatter and pop out and cause burns. Heated oil is enough to cook the dry masala. Remove the lid, add
veggies and return the pan to heat.
5) You can use ground cashews (5-6) with milk instead of cream.
6) You can use 2 Tbsp butter instead of oil for dry masala.
7) I don't like the strong flavor of black ilaichi so I rarely use it.
8) With all such variations taste will be a little different every time (I prefer that).

Rustic Kadhai Paneer ( Mumbai style)

Ingredients:

Paneer - 200 gms

Onions - 2 medium ( 1.5 sliced thin, 0.5 cut into large cubes 1.5" to 2")

Tomatoes - 2 medium sliced thin

Bell peppers - 1 medium cut into large cubes (1.5" - 2")

Cilantro - handful chopped finely

Chili powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Peanut oil - for deep frying paneer

Sweet cream unsalted butter - 2 tsp

Dry Masala:

Cinnamon sticks - flat - 2" long

Green cardamom - 5

Black cardamom - 1 large

Coriander seeds - 1 Tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 Tsp

1 whole dry red chili 

Dry roast all these spices and grind them into fine powder.

Recipe:

Heat oil in a kadhai ( cast iron wok) for deep frying paneer cubes with oil  2" - 3" high in kadhai.

Deep fry paneer until golden. Remove paneer cubes into a plate. 

Transfer oil to another bowl.

Heat kadhai again and add 2 Tbsp oil. Add onion slices.

Cook onions until golden brown. Add sliced tomatoes. 

Keep stirring and cook tomatoes well. Let it cool a little.

Transfer onion-tomatoes to a blender and puree into fine paste.

Heat kadhai again and add 2 Tbsp butter. Add bell pepper cubes.

Keep stirring until bell pepper cubes are cooked more than half way.

Add tomato-onion puree, and fried paneer cubes.

Add salt to taste, chili powder and ground dry masala and mix well.

Add 1/4 cup water, cover kadhai with a lid and let it cook for 2 minutes.

Uncover kadhai and add cubed onions and mix well.

Let it cook again for a couple of minutes until the gravy thickens.

Transfer it to a serving dish and sprinkle with cilantro.

Serve with Indian bread.

Notes:

1) You can add (1tsp ginger + 1 tsp garlic) paste after you add tomato puree as a variation.

Dum Aloo (Potatoes)

Ingredients:

Small potatoes - 1.5" to 2" diameter - about 25 - steamed and peeled

Tomatoes - 1 large or 2-3 small romano - chopped

Onion - 1 medium - sliced

Cilantro - handful - chopped finely

Green chili - 1 sliced lengthwise (optional)

Cashews - 5-6 - soak for 1 hour

Greek Yogurt - 2 Tb (or regular yogurt 4 Tb)

Shahi garam masala - 1/4 tsp ( 1/8 tsp twice)
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Chili powder - 1/4 tsp or to your taste

Salt - to your taste

Peanut oil - 4 tsps

Recipe:

Heat a pan and add 2 tsp peanut oil. Add onions and saute for a minute. 

Reduce heat and add chopped tomatoes. Mix well, cover and let it cook for couple of minutes.
Remove from the heat. Let it cool for  a little bit. 

Transfer to a blender and grind finely. Remove the puree to a bowl.

Add cashews, yogurt to the blender and add little water to blend it.
Grind it finely and set aside.

Heat the same pan again and add 2 tsp oil.

Add 1/8 tsp shahi garam masala and 1 green chili and let it cook for 30 seconds. 

Add peeled potatoes and saute for 2-3 minutes.

Add tomato-onion puree and stir well.

Add coriander powder, cumin powder, chili powder and salt. Mix well and let it cook for a minute.

Reduce heat (yogurt can break on high heat) and add cashew-yogurt puree and stir well. 

Add 1/4 cup water and cover and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add 1/8 tsp shahi garam masala, mix well and cook for a minute.

Remove it to a serving dish and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Serve with any Indian bread (keep the gravy thick).

Add more water to the gravy and serve it with rice.

Notes:

1) You can use regular potatoes (NOT Baking potatoes) and cube them into 1.5"-2" pieces.

2) Adding shahi masala at the end again adds more flavor to potatoes.

3) I make extra tomato-onion puree and store it in the freezer. If I am in a hurry, it saves me time while making Dum-Aloo, Kadhai Paneer, Chhole (garbanzo beans) etc.

4) Always cook onions before grinding or they taste bitter.

5) You can steam cook onion and tomatoes with very little water in the pressure cooker and then grind it.

Spicy Garbanzo Beans

Ingredients:

Garbanzo beans - soaked and cooked - 1 cup

Onions - cut finely - 1/2 cup

Tomatoes - cut finely - 1/2 cup

Salt - to taste

Chili powder - to taste
Cilantro - chopped 2 -3 tsp
Dry spices for garam masala tempering ( 4-5 cloves, 6-7 black peppercorns, 2" flat cinnamon stick, 1 badi ilaichi or 2 small green ilaichi, 2 bay leaves)
Peanut oil for tempering

Wet Masala:

Ginger root - freshly grated - 1 tsp

Garlic - chopped - 1/2 tsp

Green chili - chopped - 1/2 tsp

Green mango (sour) - chopped - 1 tsp (or dry mango powder - 1/2 tsp)

Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Chane ka masala - 1 tsp (store bought) - optional
Water - enough to grind masala to a fine paste - up to 1/4 cup

Recipe:

Add all the ingredients for the wet masala in a blender and add little water if necessary to grind everything in a fine paste.

Heat 2-3 Tb peanut oil in a pan.

Add whole dry spices (cloves, cinnamon, black peppercorns , bay leaves) one by one and partially cover the pan with the lid. (Cloves, and black peppercorns can splatter and cause burns).

As soon as the spices are cooked (20-30 seconds), add chopped onion and stir well. Let the onion get cooked. It will look translucent

Add chopped tomatoes and let the tomato get cooked. Continue stirring.

Add freshly ground wet masala.

Add cooked garbanzos (if you are in a hurry add 1 can of low salt garbanzos).

Mix well.

Add 1 cup water and continue cooking.

Add salt, chili powder to your taste.

Let the gravy reduce to about 1/4 cup water (or as thick gravy you would like to have).

Transfer to a serving dish and add freshly chopped cilantro.

Serve as a side dish with any Indian bread, or rice.

Notes:

1) I keep more gravy if I am eating it with rice.

2) Bay leaves reduce gas from the beans.

3) Replace water 2-3 times while beans are getting soaked. This will also reduce gas from the beans.

4) You can add 1cup tea water while cooking garbanzo beans to add color to beans 

(boil 1 cup water with 2 tea bags and discard tea bags and use this water).

5) I do not like the flavor of badi ilaichi so I rarely use it.

Ginger Root

The use of ginger as a powerful digestive aid dates back thousands of years. Ginger contains chemicals like gingerols and shagaols, which work in our stomachs and intestines to relax our intestinal track and relieve nausea. Ginger can be useful in calming nearly any GI issue, from vomiting to diarrhea. Take advantage of its stomach-soothing properties by sipping on a ginger-infused tea, chewing on a thin slice of fresh ginger, or popping open a good old fashioned ginger ale.

Ingredients:

Freshly grated ginger

Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Sugar

Black salt

Regular salt 

Recipe:

1) 1 tsp grated ginger + 2 tsp lemon juice + 1 tsp sugar - mix well. 
Eat 1/2 tsp at a time every 4-6 hours.
You can make it on a larger quantity and store it in the refrigerator up to 3-4 months.

2) 4 tsp grated ginger + 1/4 cup lemon juice + 4 tsp sugar ( or more if needed) + 1/8 tsp citric acid as a preservative.

- Mix well and Add to a glass jar and store in the refrigerator. 

- Stir well and eat 1/2 tsp two to three times a day when feeling nausea or have no taste in the mouth.

3) 1 tsp grated ginger + 2 tsp lemon juice + 1/4 tsp black salt - mix well. 
Eat 1/2 tsp at a time every 4-6 hours.
This also you can make it on a larger quantity and store it in the refrigerator up to 3-4 months.

 4) 4 tsp grated ginger +1/4 cup emon juice + 1 tsp black salt (or add more if needed) + 1/8 tsp citric 
acid as a preservative.

- Mix well and Add to a glass jar and store in the refrigerator. 

- Stir well and eat 1/2 tsp two to three times a day when feeling nausea or have no taste in the mouth.

5) 1 tsp ginger powder + 2 tsp ghee + 2 tsp sugar ( or 2 tsp honey) - Mix well and eat 1/4 tsp at a time two to three times a day.

Notes:

1) Add 1/4 tsp grated ginger while water is boiling for a cup of tea.

2) Take a thin slice of ginger (about the size of your thumb nail), slightly coat it with salt and chew on it and swallow. Drink warm water on it.

3) If you don't have fresh ginger then use ginger powder.

4) People  who cannot eat sugar use the recipe with black salt or people who cannot eat salt use the recipe with sugar.

5) Remember ginger is spicy hot to taste. This spicy hotness can be balanced with sugar or salt so balance the sugar or salt to your taste.

6) You can also use honey instead of sugar.

Tapioka Wada

Ingredients:

Tapioka - 1 cup soaked (check basic stuff)
Boiled potatoes - mashed - 1/2 cup
Peanut powder - 1/4 cup (check basic stuff)
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
Chili powder - 1/4 tsp (or to your taste)
Green chilies - 2 - ground coarsely (or to taste)
Chopped cilantro leaves - 2-3 Tbs
Brown sugar - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste.

Recipe:

Heat peanut oil in a woke for deep frying ( about 2"-3" deep).
Prepare dough by mixing all the ingredients well with your hand.
Wet your fingers with water and make golf ball size balls from the dough.
Pat down each ball into a disc of 1/3" to 1/2" thickness.
Smooth edges of these discs with wet fingers if necessary.
Test oil with a small piece of dough. Oil should be really hot.
If the dough starts showing bubbles and rises to the top...means oil is ready for frying.
Add 4-5 discs at one time (slide them from the sides of the woke so the oil won't splatter).
Let them get lightly brown on one side and then flip them over.
Let the other side get lightly bown.
They will puff up and become crisp when done.
Serve them as an appetizer or a side dish.

Notes:

1) Tapioka is used on fasting day as it is total starch and easier for digestion.
2) Potatoes, sweet potatoes are used for the same purpose.
3) Serve them right away when they are crisp.

Green Tomato Chutney 1

Ingredients:

Green tomatoes - cut into small pieces 1"x1" - about 1cup
Bell peppers -  cut into small pieces 1"x1" - about 1cup
green chilies - 2-3 cut into thin slices
for oil tempering - peanut oil, black mustard seeds, turmeric, hing powder
Peanut powder - 1/4 cup
gud or brown sugar - 1-2 Tb or more if tomatoes are tart.
salt to taste.
chopped cilantro leaves - 2-3 tsps
freshly grated coconut - 3-4 Tb (optional)

Recipe:

Heat pan and add 4-5 tsp peanut oil.  Prepare oil tempering and add green chilies and green tomatoes and 1/4 cup water.  Add salt, gud and stir well. Cover for 5 minutes and let it get cooked. Remove cover and check if the tomatoes are cooked well. Add water if necessary and cook more.  It should not be mushy and all the water should be gone. Add 1/4 cup peanut powder. Mix well. Cover and
cook for a minute or two and remove from the heat. If you cook this longer then peanut powder will get burnt.
Sprinkle with cilantro and freshly grated coconut (optional).
Serve as a side dish with Indian bread, or rice

Notes:

1) You can use this as a chutney or hot condiment. When you are using more chilis always add more oil for the tempering so the hotness of the chilis won't bother your stomach. Just add 1/8 tsp citric acid so it will last for 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator. Add more gud or salt according to the taste. Remember, Maharashtrian food is well balanced with salt, sugar and tartness. Don't add coconut if
you want it to last longer as coconut can go rancid.
Also add cilantro with tomatoes so it will also get cooked.
2) you can grind it to a fine paste so as to use as chutney.

Green Tomato Bhaaji 1

Ingredients:

Green tomatoes - cut into small pieces 1"x1" - about 1cup
Bell peppers -  cut into small pieces 1"x1" - about 1cup
green chilies - 2-3 cut into thin slices
for oil tempering - peanut oil, black mustard seeds, turmeric, hing powder
chopped cilantro leaves - 2-3 tsps
freshly grated coconut - 3-4 Tb (optional)
gud or brown sugar - 1-2 Tb or more if tomatoes are tart.
salt to taste.

Recipe:

Heat pan and add 2 tsp peanut oil.  Prepare oil tempering and add green chilies.  Add cut bell peppers and green tomatoes and 1/4 cup water.  Add salt, gud and stir well. Cover for 5 minutes and let it get cooked. Remove cover and check if the tomatoes are cooked well. Add water if necessary and cook more.  It should not be mushy and all the water should be gone. Add 1/4 cup peanut powder. Mix well. Cover and cook for a minute or two and remove from the heat. If you cook this longer then
peanut powder will get burnt.
Sprinkle with cilantro and freshly grated coconut (optional).
Serve as a side dish with Indian bread, or rice

Notes:

1) If you add 1/2 cup hot chilis cut fine instead of bell peppers...you can use this as a chutney or hot condiment. When you are using more chilis always add more oil (4-5 Tsp) for the tempering so the hotness of the chilis won't bother your stomach. Just add 1/8 tsp citric acid so it will last for 2-3
weeks in the refrigerator. Don't add coconut if you want it to last longer as coconut can go rancid.
Also add cilantro with tomatoes so it will also get cooked.
2) you can grind it to a fine paste so as to use as chutney.

Preparation For Leafy Vegetables

All the leafy vegetables, also called as Palebhaaji ( some can be found only in Indian stores).
So how do you wash these leafy vegetables and prepare them for cooking?
First wash and pluck leaves and discard the stems. Wash the leaves thoroughly in water as they may have sand/dirt in it. Add these leaves in a big pot filled with water and stir them well. Sand will settle at the bottom of the pan and then remove the leaves to a plate and discard the water. Rinse the pot and fill it with the new water and repeat the process twice. Squeeze the leaves or use a salad spinner to remove excess water and chop them finely.

Glossary of Vegetables - Indian Names

http://www.syvum.com/recipes/indian/glossv1.html

Potato Bhaji 2

Ingredients:

3-4 medium potatoes
2 green chili peppers chopped
8-10 curry leaves
1 tsp grated ginger root + 1 tsp chopped garlic (or 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste)
4 tsp peanut oil for oil tempering
1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp sugar
salt to taste
2 tsp lemon juice
handful cilantro leaves chopped fine
3 Tsp freshly grated coconut (optional)

Recipe:

Boil potatoes and peel them. Cut them into 1/2"x1/2" pieces.
Add salt, sugar to potatoes and mix well.
Prepare oil tempering (NO hing powder with garlic).
Add curry leaves and chilli paste and ginger-garlic paste.
Let this cook for a minute while stirring.
Add potatoes and mix well.
Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remember potatoes are already cooked.
Add chopped cilantro leaves.
Add fresh coconut and serve (optional)

Notes:

1) Use as a side dish.
2) Don't add coconut and use as a stuffing for potato wada or samosa.
3) You need more oil for tempering as potatoes absorb more oil than other veggies.
4) Glossary of Vegetables - Indian Names
http://www.syvum.com/recipes/indian/glossv1.html

Preparation for Salads

Prepare Oil tempering:

Heat 2 tsp peanut oil + 1/4 tsp mustard seeds. When they start popping remove pan from heat and add 1/8 th tsp hing powder (also called as asaphoetida) and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder. Add 1 green chilli chopped and pour over the grated/ chopped veggies. If you cannot eat green chilis or jalapeno peppers don't use them. You can add a pinch of chili powder/ dry red chili instead.

Prepare Butter/Ghee Tempering:

Add 2 Tbsp unsalted sweet cream butter to a pan. Heat the pan on medium heat and let the butter melt and cook until it becomes clear (this is clarified butter or ghee). Add 1/2 tsp cumin. When cumin gets lightly brown add 1/8th tsp hing powder. Add 1 chilli chopped fine and pour over the veggies.  If you cannot eat green chilis or jalapeno peppers...don't use them. You can add a pinch of chili powder/ dry red chili instead.

Prepare Peanut Powder:

1) Use dry raw peanuts - Dry roast peanuts in a pan until lightly brown. Cool and with your fingers 
rub against the skin of peanuts or place them in a dish cloth and fold the dish cloth and rub against it. 
The peels will come off.  Remove peels and grind them coarse and store the powder in a refrigerator for upto 4-6 months. 

2)You can also buy unsalted roasted peanuts that are already peeled and grind and store them in 
a refrigerator (the taste will be a bit different but if you don't have time to labor over roasting and peeling raw peanuts these work just fine). The only worry I have is that they are processed and we really don't know how they do it. I try not to use any processed food as possible but once in a while I give in. 

Grating Veggies:

Try to use hand grater ( when making for many people /party you may use food processor) to grate or
chop veggies with a simple knife for daily cooking. Using our fingers like this prevents from getting 
arthritis in old age. So consider this as an exercise for your fingers and hands and a great way to meditate (you will get healthy and good food as a reward too). My mom says that the love you will pass on to your loved ones via cooking is priceless and that is why it tastes so special. 

Tomato Saar (Tomato curry with coconut)

Ingredients:

For oil tempering - peanut oil, black mustard seeds, cumin seeds(1/4tsp), hing powder.
Or use ghee tempering - ghee, cumin seeds, hing powder
Tomatoes - 4 medium or 6 Roma
Green chilies - cut into 1/2" pieces
Curry leaves - 8-10
Chili powder - 1/4 tsp (or to your taste)
Cinnamon stick - flat kind - 2-3 small pieces (about 1" each)
Black peppercorn - 7-8 (powder them)
Sugar - 1-2 tsp (to taste)
Salt to taste.
Chopped cilantro leaves - 2-3 Tbs
Freshly grated coconut - 4-5 Tbsp

Recipe:

Remove stems and cut tomatoes in big pieces. Add them to a tall pan and add 1 cup water. Cover and let the tomatoes cook well. Cool a bit and puree them with a hand grinder (food mill) to remove skins  and seeds.
Heat pan and add 2 tsp peanut oil.
Prepare oil tempering (or ghee tempering) and add green chilies, cinnamon and black pepper.
(For a variation you can add curry leaves after chillies) - optional
Add tomato puree.
Add water to desired thickness of curry.
Add salt and sugar to taste (depends on how tart tomatoes are).
Remember, Maharashtrian food is well balanced with salt, sugar, and tartness.
Let the tomato puree come to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add freshly chopped cilantro and grated coconut.
I use frozen unsweetened coconut when in hurry.
Serve as a side dish with Indian bread, or rice.

Notes:

1) You can use canned whole tomatoes (taste will be a little different).
2) You can add canned coconut milk (1/4 cup) when curry is simmering...do not boil it or curry will curdle/ break.
3) You can add 1 small onion to tomatoes while cooking them.

Cilantro Wadi

Ingredients:

Chopped cilantro leaves - 1 cup chopped
Besan flour - 1.5 cup
Rice flour - 2-3 tsp
Green chilies - 2-3 finely chopped
Grated ginger - 1/2 tsp
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp (or to your taste)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Hing powder - 1/8 tsp
Gud or brown sugar - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp +  cumin powder - 1/2 tsp (OR Garam masala - 1/2 tsp)
Salt to taste.
Peanut oil - 2-3 tsp

Recipe:

Wash cilantro and chop it.
(Soak in a pan filled with water. Sand/dirt will settle at the bottom and cilantro leaves will float to the top. Remove cilantro and throw away water. Repeat cleaning cilantro twice).
Add cilantro to a bowl and add all the ingredients except besan flour and peanut oil.  Mix well.
Heat 2-3 tsp peanut oil and add to the mixture (this makes them crisp and absorb less oil while frying).
Start adding besan flour little by little. Start mixing by hand. Add just enough flour to make a dough.
(Do not add more water. You will make the dough with water that has stayed with cilantro after washing it).
Divide dough into 2 parts. Roll each part into 2" cylinder.
Line a pan with a thin fabric or oil it and place the rolls on it.
Steam them in a steamer or a pressure cooker. Cool.
Cut each roll into 1/2" pieces.
Shallow fry them on both sides by adding little oil or deep fry them.

Notes:

1) Serve them as a side dish.
2) Serve them as an appetizer.
3) Use (1/4 cup dill + 3/4 cup spinach) instead of cilantro.