SHRIMP PULAV

Ingredients:
Rice – 1 ½ cup
Shrimp – 1 lb
Ghee – 2-3 tbsp
Onion – 1 big, sliced
Ginger – 1”
Garlic – 4-5 cloves
Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Red chili powder – ½ tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Black cumin seeds – ¼ tsp
Freshly chopped coriander leaves – 2 tbsp
For masala:
Black pepper corns – 10-12
Cloves – 3-4
Cardamom – 2-3
Cinnamon – 1” stick
Bay leaf – 1
Cumin seeds – 1 tbsp

Cooking procedure:
Wash the rice till the water runs clear. Drain the water using colander and let the rice sit in colander till you prepare the other ingredients. Wash the shrimp, drain the water and add ½ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp salt and keep aside. Grind ginger, garlic and coriander leaves to a fine paste. Grind all the ingredients for masala into a fine powder. I use coffee grinder to grind the spices. Boil 3-4 cups of water.
Heat the ghee in a big skillet. I use deep skillets to cook rice so that they get even heat and rice is also fluffy. Then add the onion and fry on medium heat till they become golden brown. Then add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for a minute. Then add the coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt, sugar and sauté till the oil separates. Then add the shrimp, lemon juice and mix well. Let it cook for a minute. Then add the rice, black cumin seeds and masala powder. Mix everything and add the boiling water. Let the rice boil for 5 minutes and then cover it, reduce the flame to medium or low and let cook till the rice becomes tender. Half way through the cooking of rice, sprinkle some cold water over the pulav, again cover it and continue cooking. Do this for aleast two times and you will see the rice puff. Finally garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves and lemon. Serve with radish salad.

RADISH KOSHIMBIR (SALAD)

Ingredients:
Onion – 1 medium, chopped
Tomato – 1 medium, chopped
Radish (daikon) – 1 cup, grated
Green chilies – 2-3
Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp, chopped
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
Sugar – 1 tsp
Salt

Cooking Procedure:
Mix all the above ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and keep aside for the flavors to combine. On hot days, I prefer to keep the salad in refrigerator.

BHARLE KARLE (STUFFED BITTER GOURD)

Ingredients:
Bitter gourd – 4, small
Masala for stuffing:
Roasted peanut – ½ cup
Garlic – 5-6 cloves
Garam masala – 1 tbsp
Cumin powder – ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Asafetida – a pinch
Sesame seeds – 1 tsp, optional
Fresh chopped coriander leaves – 2 tbsp
Salt

Cooking procedure:
Wash the bitter gourd properly and slit them lengthwise leaving 1/2" from top and bottom ends so that the two halves DO NOT separate. Gently scoop out the seeds and discard them. We like our gourds little bitter, but if you want to reduce the bitterness you can blanch them in salty water. To blanch the gourds boil a large pot of water, add salt, gourds and cook for just 2 minutes, do not over cook. Adjust the cooking time as per the tenderness of the gourd. Drain the gourds and they are ready to be stuffed.
For the masala, grind all the ingredients except the coriander leaves to form a fine powder. Do not over mix or lumps will form. Then remove all the masala in a plate and add freshly chopped coriander leaves.

Stuff this masala into the bitter gourd and keep aside. Heat 2-3 tbsp of oil in shallow pan. Add the stuffed bitter melon to it with stuffing side down and cook on medium heat. When the masala gets brown, flip the gourd, cover the pan and let cook on low to medium heat till the gourd gets tender. To check if the gourd is cooked, if you poke a knife in the ends of the gourd and if it goes through easily, it means the gourd is cooked. For last few minutes of cooking remove the lid and let it cook on low flame so that the bitter gourd gets crispier.

GILKYACHE BHARIT (CURRIED SPONGE GOURD MASH)

Ingredients:
Sponge gourd – 3, chopped
Onion – 1 big, finely chopped
Green chilies – 5-6
Garlic cloves – 3-4

Peanuts - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Asafetida a pinch
Salt

Cooking Procedure:
Below is the picture of sponge gourd. I buy this vegetable in Indian store or at farmers market.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add the sponge gourd and sauté on high heat 2 minutes. Now add the salt, reduce the heat, cover and let cook till the gourd becomes tender. As you add salt, water will start oozing out of the gourd. If you notice that there is lot of water, sauté it on high heat, stirring continuously. Now remove the pan and keep aside. Make green chilies and garlic paste.

In a big pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil. Then add mustard seeds, when they start to pop, add the cumin seeds, peanuts and onions. Fry the onion on medium heat, till they become translucent. Then add the garlic paste. Mix well and fry for a minute, then add the turmeric powder, asafetida and salt. Mix well and add the cooked sponge gourd. Mix everything well and cover and let cook till the oil separates. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves. This bharit taste very good with bhakri, pair it with kadhi and you will have a complete meal.

VEGETABLE PASTA

Ingredients:
Pasta – ½ lb
Garlic – 5-6 cloves, chopped finely
Red chili flakes – ¼ tsp
Onion – 1 medium, chopped
Carrot – 1 medium, diced
Celery – 3 stalks, chopped
Green bell pepper – ¼ cup, chopped
Dry basil – ½ tsp
Dry oregano – ¼ tsp
Tomato – 1 can, 14 oz petite diced
Salt
Sugar – ¼ tsp
Black pepper powder – ¼ tsp
Extra virgin olive oil – 3 tbsp
Freshly chopped parsley for garnishing
Grated parmesan cheese – ¼ cup

Cooking Procedure:
Bring a big pot of water to a boil.
Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the garlic. Sauté the garlic for a minute and then add the onion. Fry the onion on medium heat till they become translucent, stirring occasionally. Then add red chili flakes, carrot, celery and green bell pepper. Mix everything well and add the salt and let it cook for a minute or two. Then add the tomatoes, basil, oregano, black pepper and sugar . Mix everything well, cover the pan and let it cook till the oil separates.
When the pasta water starts boiling, salt it generously and add the pasta. Cook the pasta as per the directions on the package, checking a minute before the indicated time. I cook pasta little more that al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain the remaining water using a colander. Add the pasta water to the sauce and mix well. Reduce the heat and add the pasta. Mix everything well till all the pasta gets covered with the sauce. Turn off the heat and add grated parmesan cheese and mix well. Finally garnish with fresh parsley. Serve hot.

POTATO BHAJI

Ingredients:
Potato – 4
Onion – 1 big, chopped
Garlic – 3-4
Ginger – 1”
Green chilies – 3-4
Curry leaves – 3-4
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
Methi seeds – ¼ tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Asafetida a pinch
Salt

Cooking Procedure:
Boil the potato, peel them and chop then into small pieces. Make ginger, garlic and green chili paste. Heat 2-3 tbsp of oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to crackle, add the cumin seeds and methi seeds. Then add the onion and fry till they become translucent. Then add the green chili paste and curry leaves. Fry the paste for a minute. Then add the turmeric powder, asafetida and salt. Mix everything well and then add the boiled potato. Mix everything well, cover it and let cook on medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves. You can serve this bhaji with dosa, roti and also use in missal.

KOLHAPURI MISAL PAAV

Ingredients:
Muth beans – 1 cup
Mung beans – ½ cup
Peanut – 3 tbsp

For Usal:
Onion – 1 medium, chopped
Garlic – 2-3 chopped
Tomato – 1 small, chopped
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/8 tsp
Pinch of asfoetida
Coriander powder – ½ tsp
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Salt

For Rassa/ Gravy:
Frozen shredded coconut – ½ cup
Ginger – 1”
Garlic – 3-4
Chopped coriander leaves – 3-4 tbsp
Onion – 1 big, finely chopped
Bay leaf – 3-4
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Kolhapuri masala – 1 tsp
Salt
Boiling water

Potato bhaji – 1 bowl

For Garnishing:

Onion - 1 big, finely chopped

Tomato - 1 big, finely chopped

Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup, finely chopped

Lime - 1

Cooking Procedure:
Wash the moong beans and muth beans in different containers till the water runs clear. Take three times more water to fill each container and soak them overnight. The other day drain all the water using a colander. Dampen two muslin cloths and put the beans in centre of the cloth. Gather all the ends in the center and tie them together, to form a pouch. Keep these pouches in a container, cover them and keep them in a warm place. You can see sprouts coming out of the cloth after 7-8 hours.
To make the usal, transfer the sprouted beans and peanuts to a big pot. Add three times as much water in the pot and bring it to a boil. Cook the beans till they get half cooked. Now separate the beans and water. Reserve the water for Rassa.
To make the usal, heat 2-3 tbsp of oil in a pan, and add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to splatter add the cumin seeds. Then add the garlic and sauté for minute. Then add the onions and Sauté till they become golden brown. Then add the tomatoes and sauté for minute. Now add the turmeric powder, asafetida, coriander powder, red chili powder and salt. Mix everything very well and sauté till the oil separates. Then add one cup of hot water and cook till the oil separates. Then add the cooked beans and mix everything well. Cook covered till the beans get completely cooked. Add little hot water if required.
To make the rassa, grind the coconut, ginger and garlic to a fine paste. Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a pan and add the bay leaf and onions. Fry the onion till they become golden brown. Then add the coconut paste and fry till the oil separates. Then add turmeric powder, asafetida, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, garam masala, kolhapuri masala and salt. Mix everything well and add a cup of boiling water. Boil it till the oil separates. Then add 3-4 cups of boiling water and adjust the water as per your required consistency. Let the curry boil for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

To serve the misal, place 1 tbsp of potato bhaji in the plate and then top it with the usal, then with onion, tomato. Then add the ladle full of rassa. Finally top it with sev and coriander leaves. Serve paav on the side.

APPE

Ingredients:
Rice- 2 cups
Chana dal – 1 cup
Urad dal – ½ cup
Thick poha – 1 cup
Green chilies – 6-7
Chopped coriander leaves – ¼ cup
Eno/ baking Soda – ¼ tsp

Salt

Cooking Procedure:
Wash the rice, chana dal and urad dal in separate containers till the water runs clear. Take three times more water to fill each container and soak them overnight. The other day remove the excess water and grind the rice, chana dal and urad dal separately into a fine paste. Use little water while grinding*. As you grind the rice and dals, remove the pastes in one big container. Mix everything well to form a cake like batter. Add salt and leave the mixture to ferment for about 6-8 hours or till it rises. I keep the batter in oven and keep the oven light ON, so that the heat from the lamp boasts the fermentation process.
Before making the appe, finely chop the green chilies and coriander leaves and add it to the batter. Mix the batter well. Crush the poha with hands, add it to the batter and mix well. Just before making the appe, mix in the soda. Heat the appe mould and add a teaspoon of oil in each mould. This how the appe mould looks like. I bought this in India. You can buy it in US as well and is called "Aebleskiver Pan".

Pour a spoon full of batter in each mould and cook it covered on medium heat for about a minute.

Remove the lid and flip the appe.

Let the other side cook till golden brown. Serve hot with coconut chutney. If you want to eat the appe later, I usually remove the appe and keep them on cooling rack to cool so that they remain crispy. When they cool down a bit, I transfer them to a container. You can reheat them in the microwave.

* I use oster blender to blend the dals or rice and add about ½ cup of any ingredient in the blender so that air can circulate and the blades don’t get jammed. If you add too much, the blades get stuck and the required consistency and texture of the batter is not achieved.