खानदेशी लग्नातल्या पंगतीतली वांग्याची भाजी

लग्नाच्या पंगती आता खेडी सोडली तर जवळपास संपल्यातच जमा झाल्या आहेत असे मला परवा मम्मी सांगत होती. सगळीकडे बफे असतात. ते भरमसाठ जेवण आणि लहान थाळ्या असा सरंजाम घेऊन जेवणे किती अवघड होते असा एकूण बोलण्याचा सूर वाटला. अर्थात तिच्यापरीने तिचे बरोबरच आहे म्हणा! कायम पंगतीला बसून जेवायची सवय असल्यामुळे बफे सिस्टीम अवघड जात असेलच नक्की.
मला आठवतेय आजूबाजूच्या ओळखीच्या लग्नाला गेले कि किती साधा सोप्पा मेनू असायचा. मसालेभात - आमच्या भागात त्याला काळा भात म्हणतात, सोबत वांग्याची भाजी, लिंबू. मुलीकडचे जेवण असेल तर जिलेबी, मुलाकडचे असेल तर बुंदीचे लाडू. असलाच तर मठ्ठा कधीतरी कुणाकडे असेल तर वरण-भात. क्वचित कधीतरी एखादी कोशिंबीर ती पण पहिल्या १-२ पंगतीनंतर पुरली तर ठीक नाही तर संपली. पुरी, बटाट्याची भाजी, श्रीखंड वगैरे मेनू क्वचितच कोणाकडे. कारण खेडेगावात बहुदा संपूर्ण गावाला निमंत्रण असायचे तेव्हा साधे सोपे जेवण केलेले आर्थिकदृष्ट्या आणि एकूणच व्याप पहात सोयीस्कर पडत असावे.
लहान गावांमध्ये कमी अधिक प्रमाणात असेच सगळीकडे. अगदी माझ्या सासरी खानदेशात पण पंगतीत अगदी साधे जेवण असते. पण मला विशेष वाटलेली गोष्ट म्हणजे तिथे जेवण वरण - पोळी (चपाती) आणि वांग्याची भाजी. पोळ्यांसाठी कणिक मळून बायकांना घरी लाटण्यासाठी दिली जाते. मग पोळ्या करून बायका लग्नघरी पोचवतात. वांग्याची भाजी अगदी साधी फक्त लसूण, हिरवी मिरची, तेल आणि मीठ घालून केलेली. पश्चिम महाराष्ट्रात देखील वान्ग्याचीच भाजी करत असले तरी करण्याची पद्धत जरा वेगळी. त्यामुळे सामुग्री अगदी सारखीच असली तरी चव मात्र अगदी वेगवेगळी.
खानदेशी पंगतीचे वर्णन पहायचे असेल तर आमचा हा व्हिडिओ पहायला विसरू नका :)

आता पाहू ही सोप्पी वांग्याची भाजी कशी करतात. खानदेशात मिळणारी लहान हिरवी वांगी यासाठी वापरली जातात. खूप प्रयत्न केला तर एखादेवेळी मला बरी हिरवी वांगी मिळतात. त्यामुळे मी ही इथे मिळालेल्या जांभळ्या वांग्याचीच ही भाजी नेहेमी करते.

३-४ लहान वांगी
२-३ हिरव्या मिरच्या (चवीप्रमाणे कमी-जास्त)
३-४ लसूण पाकळ्या
२-३ टेबलस्पून तेल
मुठभर कोथिंबीर
चवीप्रमाणे मीठ
१/२ लिंबू

कृती - 
लसून आणि मिरची वाटून एकत्र वाटून घ्या.
वांग्याच्या फोडी करून पाण्यात टाका.
कढईत तेल तापायला ठेवा. तेल तापले की वाटलेली लसून-मिरची घाला. किंचित परता.
त्यात वांग्याच्या फोडी पाणी निथळून घाला. नीट परतून झाकण घालून आच बारीक करून ठेवा.
मधून मधून हलवत राहा. गरज असेल तर थोडे पाणी घालायला हरकत नाही. शेवटी मीठ, कोथिंबीर घालून नीट मिसळा.
पळीने अगर मुसळीने भाजी घोटून एकजीव करा.
शेवटी लिंबू पिळून परत एकदा घोटून घ्या.
गरम पोळीबरोबर खा.

टीपा - 

1. खानदेशात लसूण-मिरचीचा ठेचा लाकडाच्या बडगी-मुसळीत करतात. तीच मुसळी भाजी एकजीव करायला वापरतात.
2. लहान वांग्याचे थोडे देठ ठेवले तर भाजी चांगली होते असे सगळे म्हणतात पण देठ खाताना तोंडात आलेले आवडत नसतील तर ते काढून भाजी केली तरी चालते. 
3. लाल भोपळ्याची(गांगाफळ/डांगर)  पण अशीच भाजी करतात. भोपळा गोडसर असल्याने हिरवी मिरची थोडी जास्त घालतात. 
4. पंगतीत पोळ्या मोडून त्याचा कुस्करा करतात. त्याचे आळे करून त्यात वरण तूप घालून सोबत ही भाजी असे खातात. 

New Hobby And Lemon Quinoa

Lately I have been getting frustrated at my evening commute. no matter when you start from work, I end up spending almost an hour sitting in the car. Sometimes I listen to radio, sometimes finish talking to my friends. By the time I reach home, I am dead tired. I do not have any energy left to open my laptop again and write. Hence this blog has been neglected for over a month now.

Recently I took on a new hobby of making bead earrings. It is fun to make things that I can make in 15-20 minutes and wear immediately. Talk about instant gratification!!! I spend hours trying different bead combinations and making the earrings. It is very satisfactory. Here are some earrings I made recently -

With work, commute, new hobby and knitting on the side, I am left with minimum cooking time. If I have cooked something earlier then we always have that for dinner. But like last few weekends if I have spend all my weekends on knitting or painting or beading, then I have to think about cooking something in a jiffy and healthy for dinner. In such crunch times I tend to cook my favorite grain - Quinoa. It cooks quickly, tastes wonderful with any Indian daal or sabji. I also tastes good in soups and very versatile to be used in pasta salad or in Israeli couscous salad. But I often make this lemon quinoa and it sure satiates me. Here is how I make it.

1 cup Quinoa
1 Bird Chili
2 Red Chilies
2-3 tbsp Peanuts
2-3 tbsp Cashews (broken into pieces)
1 large Lemon
3 tbsp Oil
Few Curry Leaves
Salt to taste
Tempering - Mustard Seeds, Urad Dal, Hing, Turmeric Powder, Fenugreek seeds
1.5 cups Water

Preparation -
Wash quinoa thoroughly and cook it in rice cooker with 1.5 cups of water.  You can add pinch of salt while quinoa is cooking.
Cool the quinoa for 15-20 minutes. Separate cooked quinoa grains using fork.
Slit green chili. Chop curry leaves if they are too big.
Heat oil in thick bottom pan and add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds.
Once mustard seeds start spluttering, add curry leaves, 1/tsp fenugreek seeds, 1 tbsp urad dal, pinch of hing and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder.
Add green chili and red chilies. Roast for couple of minutes.
Now add cashew pieces and peanuts. Roast on medium heat till golden brown.
Add quinoa and mix throughly.
Now squeeze lemon juice, add salt and mix well. Cover it for few minutes.
Remove the cover, mix well. Add chopped cilantro and enjoy.

Tips -

1. I like adding small red onion. I chop it and roast in oil till golden brown before adding quinoa. 
2. If I have a fresh lemon, I add little bit of lemon zest at the end. That gives really fresh aroma to the final product.

There is a curry leaf in these muffins!!!

Small plates or Tapas for dinner is becoming more and more popular in past few years. Or it may be just me, who started hearing about it in last couple of years. This year we friends decided to go Tapas route for our new years party. All of us were coming back from vacations  just before new year's eve so we decided the menu even before Christmas! We did not want to stick with the traditional Indian things but did not want to divert too much. Number of emails after here is what we decided - Batata Vadas, some vegan desserts, some bread and dips.
And on the day here is what we actually had for three families -
Batata vada, beer bread, Matar Usal, savory muffins, tofu lettuce-wraps, chocolate cake, and a fruit cake, figs-olive dip, pear-ginger chutney.

As usual we had so much food and we did not even touch matar usal that evening! I got an opportunity to make two different types of savory muffins which I wanted to try since I saw this recipe. I just added this and that to make mine as I did not have cornmeal at home and wanted mine to be vegan. Mine turned out to be good in first trial. But there was no 'oomph'! I got few suggestions and I tried two different versions for the new year's eve and they came out perfect! Here is recipe for one of my favorite -

Curry leaves, Red bell pepper Muffins!

1 cup Wheat Flour (I used Chapati Flour)
1/2 cup Oat Bran
1/4 cup chopped Sun dried Tomatoes (Dry variety)
1/4 cup chopped Roasted Red Bell Peppers
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 tsp Garam Masala
2 tbsp Finely Chopped Curry Leaves
1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
4 Oz Unsweetened Apple Sauce
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 cup Almond milk
1/4 cup Water (or use almond milk)
1.5 tsp Salt
1.5 tsp Baking Powder





Preparation -

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.

Line a mini muffin pan with muffin liners.

Mix flour, oat bran, garam masala, red pepper flakes, black pepper, baking powder, salt together. Mix it throughly in a big mixing bowl and set aside.

Add oil, almond milk, apple sauce and water together.

Fine dice roasted red bell peppers and sun dried tomatoes. Mix with the oil-milk mixture. Mix in chopped curry leaves.

Now mix wet ingredients with dry in three batches, mixing everything very well.

Distribute batter evenly into prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4th full. Mixture will be enough to make 16-18 mini muffins.

Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy with dab of Earth Balance.

Tips -

• I used fresh curry leaves and Trader Joe's roasted bell peppers. 
• Another version used 1/4 cup chopped olives and jalapeños instead of bell pepper and sun dried tomatoes. Used Italian seasoning in place curry leaves. 
• One more version is 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes and fresh rosemary.
• If you do not want to use almond milk you can use plain water.

Winter Break Up-Cycling

I am reluctant to throw away things, may that be a small ribbon that came with a gift or old Indian dress. And this habit sometime creates storing challenges and often is topic of household argument! Recently we had to clean up our garage and I realized my collection has gone beyond control and I have to take decision soon. Last weekend I sorted few things and decided I will take action about most of it in my winter break.
Thursday was last working day, before the madness starts again in new year. I got so excited about the holidays that I could not sleep!! I kept on browsing whole night about ideas of using the fabric swatches, unused chunnis, unused kurti-sleeves, left over yarn, etc. Reusing old/unused items into something fancy is called 'Up-cycling'. I decided to up-cycle my collection into gifts for some close friends. Friday morning I opened my sewing machine and box of fabrics. After working over 6-8 hours I finished making following -

Vegetable/Produce bags from unused cotton voile chunni -

Tea coasters from unused kurti sleeves -

Pot holders and table runner from left over fabric -

I did not pay much attention to cooking while I was working on my projects. I also kept on telling my husband, I will cook once I am done and did not allow him to cook either. By the time I finished, it was  so late that I had to make something in a jiffy. Methi Paratha is something I make often in winter. Despite the name, this is neither the traditions Gujarati style methi thepla nor Punjabi style methi paratha. It needs methi seeds powder and not the leafy green vegetable. Here is how my mother-in-law taught me to make it -

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 tbsp Methi Seeds Powder
2-3 tsp Red Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
Fistful of Chopped Cilantro
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Oil
Water as needed

Some more oil to roast chapatis.

Preparation -
Mix all the ingredients except water really well.
Using little water at a time, make soft dough like chapati. It should not be sticky and too soft.
Cover and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
Heat flat griddle on medium heat.
Make about 5-6 golf size balls of dough.
Roll the dough using little flour into a 4 inch round. Smear 1/2 tsp oil and fold into half and then again into quarter.
Now roll this into 6-7 inch chapati using little flour as needed.
Roast chapati on hot griddle from both the sides. Use little oil at the end. Similarly make remaining chapatis.
Traditionally this methi paratha is served with this nistyachi chutney. But you can serve with any pickle, koshimbeer.

Tips -

• If you do not have methi flour, soak about 2 tbsp methi in warm water for couple of hours. Grind it into paste and use that. 
• You can use Kasoori methi for more flavor.

रव्याचे थालीपीठ

English recipe - http://vadanikavalgheta.blogspot.com/2011/12/simple-light-meal-rava-thalipeeth.html

हि माझ्या एका मैत्रिणीची रेसिपी. तिच्याकडून मी बरेच कोकणी पदार्थ शिकले. पटकन होणारी हि थालीपीठे कोकणात सकाळच्या नाष्ट्यासाठी करतात.

१ कप रवा
एखादी कोवळी काकडी (मोठी असेल तर अर्धी)
१/४ कप बारीक चिरलेला कांदा
२-३  हिरव्या मिरच्या
१/४ कप ओले खोबरे
मुठभर कोथिंबीर चिरुन
चवीप्रमाणे मीठ
पाणी लागेल तसे

कृती - 
पाणी वगळून बाकीचे सगळे एकत्र करायचे. लागेल तसे पाणी घालत साधारण भज्याच्या पिठासारखे भिजवायचे. नेहेमीच्या डोश्याच्या पिठाहून हे पीठ घट्ट असते आणि आपल्या भाजणीच्या थालिपीठाहून बरेच सैल असते.
तवा तापत ठेवायचा. त्यावर हाताने साधारण १/४ कप पीठ घालायचे आणि हातानेच पीठ पसरवत थालिपीठासारखे करायचे. गरज लागेल तसे थोडे थोडे पाणी लावत एकसारखे थालीपीठ पसरायचे.
एक बाजू भाजून घ्यायची. उलटवून दुसरी बाजू भाजायची.
गरम गरम थालिपीठ लोण्याबरोबर आणि चटणीबरोबर खायचे.
निस्त्याच्या चटणीबरोबर हे डोसे एकदम भारी लागले.

टीपा - 

1. गरम तव्यावर थालीपीठे लावणे सुरुवातीला थोडे अवघड गेले तरी सवयीने पटापट जमते. 
2. कलिगडाचा पांढरा भाग खिसुन घालायला हरकत नाही.

Simple light meal - Rava Thalipeeth

Recipe in Marathi - http://vadanikavalgheta.blogspot.com/2011/12/blog-post.html

"I really want to make special Konkani meal for you girls before I move from here. When will you all be able to make it at my place?", she said one day. Now that was a very tempting offer! She had too many things on her plate given her move in just 10 days to another city somewhere in the midwest. We insisted her not to make anything but we will just meet somewhere and enjoy our time together. She is a one of the greatest cooks I know! Even simplest meals she cooked, turned out to be the most flavorful. Its been a year already and I still remember everything she made that day. Paan Pole, Ravyache thalipeeth -- which I am going to share with you today, Kalya vaTaNyachi usal, Batata Bhaji, and garlic chutney! She served us 'hot off the griddle'! It reminded me of my mom making rotis and serving us when we were school going kids.

My dear friend, its been a year already, please come back soon. We miss you, we miss our chit-chat, gossips and food talks. The group is not the same without you! Here is her recipe of Ravyache Thalipeeth which I make often when I am in hurry or in mood to eat something different than usual roti-sabji.

1 cup Fine Semolina (Rava)
1/2 Cucumber
1 Small Onion or Shallot
1/4 cup Fresh Coconut
Few Stalks of Cilantro
2-3 Green Chilies (adjust per taste)
Salt per taste
Water as needed

Preparation - 
Finely chop onion, green chilies and cilantro.
Grate cucumber.
Mix everything together except water.
Now heat a non stick griddle on low-medium heat.
Make a dough by mixing little water at a time. Dough should be softer than chapati dough but not as thin as dosa batter.
Divide dough in 5 equal parts. Carefully spread one part/ball in the center of hot griddle. Use little water to spread the dough in pancake shape. Spread it as thin as possible.
Cook on both the sides. Serve hot with any chutney, pickle, or as is!

Tips - 

1. Do not mix the dough and keep. Mix it just when you are ready make and eat.
2. I have made this with fine semolina as well as Upama rava. There is not difference in the flavor.
3. These are usually made for breakfast in Konkan. 

Thai style butternut squash soup

Or should I say its 'Thai influenced' soup! 

Marathi version of this soup can be found here.

Farmers markets and grocery stores are flooded with variety of winter squashes. They are pretty to look at and amazingly tasty! I usually buy couple of them keep on the counter for few days as decorative pieces and then cook and eat! I enjoy making soups and fall and winter are perfect seasons to enjoy warm soup and crusty breads. My lunches and dinners are usually start with soup. Recently I had this nice Thai style butternut squash soup in office cafe and I had to recreate it. I once tried it by making my own green curry paste and then using it in the soup as I couldn't find vegan green curry paste in my neighborhood oriental market. But that was too much spice for the fresh taste of squash. So I decided to tweak the recipe and not make the paste instead use the herbs I like. Voila! It resulted in a nice creamy soup that I can keep on slurping! Recipe is quite simple -

1 Small Butternut Squash (should yield 3-4 cups of pulp)
5-6" Thick Stalk of Lemon Grass
1-2 Kaffir Lime leaves
1 tbsp Chopped Ginger
1 tsp Oil
1 cup Light Coconut Milk
Black Pepper and Salt to taste

Preparation -
Peel and remove seeds from butternut squash.
Dice it in small cubes.
Bruise lemon grass and chop in 2" long pieces.
Heat oil in a dutch oven. Add chopped squash, Kaffir lime leaves, chopped ginger and lemon grass. Saute for 5-6 minutes in medium heat until squash turns partially translucent.
Now add about a cup of water, cover and let the squash cook completely.
Remove Kaffir leaves and lemon grass and purée it using hand blender
Add some water if the purée is very thick and start boiling it on low-medium heat. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Slowly add coconut milk and mix thoroughly. Just boil it on low heat.
Enjoy with any crusty bread or croutons.

Tips - 

• You can use any winter squash for this soup. 
• I have used lime zest/ lime rind pieces instead of Kaffir lime leaves and that tastes good too. 
• I liked this toned down version than Thai curry paste but you can always use that. Please check the labels before purchasing as it might not be vegan/vegetarian.