Tag: maharashtra

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Watli Dal

Watli Dal is a bright and beautiful dish that packs a punch. Served only during spring months of March- April in western India, it has a special place in the food menu and Naivedya for Chaitra Navratri Haldi-Kunku or Hartalika and Manglagaur pooja.

The watli Dal is savoury or spicy and sour, made with harbara chana Dal and the star of the season, sharp and sour raw mango (kairi). It is often served with Kairi Panhe, which is a refreshing sweet drink made with raw mango as well.

This recipe is perfect for the start of summer when standing before the hot stove might start to get too warm. It is an almost no cooking involved recipe, basically prep, mix and its ready!

Ingredients-
1 cup Chana Harbara dal (चण्याची हरभरा डाळ)
2,3 Dry red chillies
2,3 green chillies
Few leaves of kadhipatta
2 spoons grated dry coconut
2 sp fresh grated coconut
1 Raw unripe mango (kachhi Kairi)
1/4th cup, half bunch Chopped cilantro
4 tbsp oil
One inch ginger
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 sp hing / asafoetida
Salt

Method –
1) Soak chana daal for 5 to 6 hours in water
2) After 6 hrs coarsely grind dal with little water, green chilli, ginger, salt, cumin, little sugar. The texture should have a bite with bits of dal intact. The thickness should be similar to oats, easily scooped.
3) Mix all other ingredients with dal as follows –
4) Make phodni (tempering) – In a small pan, heat 4 to 5 spoons oil. Add mustard, hing, turmeric and dry red chilli. It should crackle lightly. Take it off the heat and let it cool to warm. Separate the red chillies and crush them. Keep it aside for later.
5) Finely grate the raw mango. Add it to the ground dal.
6) Add freshly grated / scraped coconut and chopped cilantro.
7) Add grated dry coconut on top.
8) Add the reserved crushed red chillies from the phodni/tempering oil.
9) Serve fresh, at room temperature.

Tip –  This recipe is best served immediately or within 2 hours of preparation. Or immediately refrigerate for up to 6 hours. It is highly perishable as it contains uncooked ingredients, chana dal and mango.

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Kacchya Phansachi Bhaaji (Young Jackfruit Subzi) Maharashtrian Recipe – No onion, no garlic!

Kacchya Phansachi Bhaaji
Kacchya Phansachi Bhaaji

Kacchya Phansachi Bhaaji (Unripe/ Tender/ Young Jackfruit Subzi)

Kacchya Phansachi Bhaaji is a family recipe that I am sharing with you here. It has been passed down from my grandmother to my mother and to me. Most other recipes call for complex masala preparations, onion, garlic, etc. But this one is truly the simplest recipe for kaccha phanas bhaaji/ subzi. It requires no standing time before the stove, perfect for summers, uses minimal ingredients which are all staples in every Indian pantry and spice boxes.

The freshness and simplicity of flavours are key in making this one of my favourites. It is almost deceptive how a combination of such basic ingredients brings about the wide range of flavours and textures in each bite. The earthy, full yet tender texture of the jackfruit, crunchy rich cashews and fresh coconut, sharp red chilli, earthy cumin and mustard seeds, a kick from the lime juice, freshness from coriander leaves, umami undertone of hing or asafoetida to round off. You can decipher each flavour, yet not know exactly what it was!
Maharashtrian Konkan Speciality

Kaccha (unripe or young ) phanas (jackfruit or kathal in hindi) is a coastal speciality in Maharashtra and Southern India.

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Abhyanga Snan / Pahili Anghol – Naraka Chaturdashi

Naraka chaturdashi

Diwali is a festival stretching over many days, and a few days are more widely celebrated than others. The second such day is Naraka chaturdashi (following Dhana trayodashi or dhan teras).

[Naraka– name of an evil mythological character, chaturdashi– 14th day of the moon’s phases.]

Pahili Anghol / Abhyanga Snan

At dawn on Naraka chaturdashi we have the ‘pahili anghol’ literally meaning first bath, or the ‘abhyanga snan’ (abhyang loosely means spa/ oil massage, snan means bath). So it translates into a full spa bath.

We wake up at dawn on this day and before taking a bath apply natural perfumed oils on our body, followed by application of ‘utna’ or ‘ubtan’ which is a natural scrub made of sandalwood powder and other ayurvedic herbs to scrub, exfoliate and condition the skin. Then, an age old traditional body conditioner made with sandalwood paste, milk/cream, rose water and besan/gram flour and a hot bath follows. This whole ‘spa’ experience is simply heavenly and luxurious on the cold autumn/winter morning of Diwali.

After this self-pampering, we dress up in new clothes, pray to God, seek blessings of our elders.

Crushing the bitter kartula fruit under the foot. Why?

After the abhyanga snan, we walk out of our home. Right outside the doorstep, place this small green fruit called kartula on the floor and crush it with the right foot. It spills out its juice and seeds. This juice must be tasted by the crusher (basically just dip a finger in the squish and lick it!). It tastes absolutely bitter!

The little green fruit kartula symbolises the head of Narakasura. It stands for all the evil, negativity that we need to get rid of. By taking it outside and crushing it we crush the things it stands for.

However, we do this also because it signifies that everything in nature and life is a balance. To balance all the sweet, rich foods and happiness that are to follow through the Diwali festival, this bitter drop will remind us to stay balanced.

Why burst crackers on Naraka Chaturdashi?

In the early hours of the morning of Naraka Chaturdashi friends and family get together and burst a few crackers or fireworks. These bright fireworks at this time signify victory. It is said that an evil Narakasura was brought to his end at dawn on this day.

Some versions of this story say that Narakasura was beheaded by Lord Shri Krishna using the Sudarshana Chakra.

Some parts of India also celebrate this day as Kali Chaudas. Where the version of Narakasura’s death takes place at the hands of the powerful godess Kali Maa. Hence, the day is also celebrated as Kali Chaudas.

Of course, over time due to its environmental effect this practice of fireworks has been reduced significantly. Now all we do is minimal, least polluting, very few short burst crackers, maybe a few sparklers, etc. to carry forward the symbolism and tradition.

The most looked forward to breakfast feast- Faraal!

Once the customary fireworks are done, we all gear up for another big indulgence- the typically Maharashtrian Diwali festive breakfast – faraal. (Of course following this breakfast, faraal is served at all times throughout Diwali.) Everybody looks forward to the foods that are prepared specially for Diwali faraal. A large selection of homemade sweets and savouries like ladoos (Check out my Besan Ladoo recipe), chivda, chakli, shankarpala, karanji, spicy shev, barfi, mithai and so much more!

And of course a cup of kadak masala chai to go with it! Sounds perfect for the wintery morning of Diwali!

 

 

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DIY Diwali Decorations

Diwali is a festival of lot of DIY projects! Diwali decorations include making aakash kandils, rangoli, diya decoration, mud forts and sumptuous cooking!

Aakash Kandil – Lantern

[Aakash– sky, kandil– lantern]

Aakash kandil is traditionally an oil lamp or lantern lit and hung high outside the home, on terraces or outside windows. After electricity became common, it came to be replaced by electric lights encased in the traditional or modern lanterns. No Diwali decoration is complete without the beautiful, graceful aakash kandil.

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