Gajar Halwa / Carrot Halwa

This is authentic Punjabi dessert, one of the sweet treats which is healthy yet super simple to prepare.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of shredded Carrot
• 1/4 cup of Sugar
• 2+1 cups Milk
• Milk Paneer 1/2 cup
• Dry fruits(Cashews, Almonds, Raisins etc)

Gajar Halwa/ Carrot Halwa

Procedure: 

1. Boil 2 cups of milk till it reduces half to its quantity.
2. Boil 1 cup of milk separately until all water evaporates and mixture becomes a thick mawa.(You can use ready made khawa/khoya instead of making mawa from scratch.)
3. Now take a thick bottom and wide open pan/wok and heat 2-3 Tsp of ghee.
4. Add bites of almonds, cashew nuts and raisins to the ghee and fry them for 2 minutes.
5. Add Carrot, saute for a while and add the above milk.
6. Reduce the flame and keep stirring till the mixture becomes thick, add slightly crushed cardamoms. It usually takes around 10-15 minutes on low heat to cook the halwa.
7. Now add sugar and keep stirring for 2 minutes. 
8. Add khava/Mawa

Your gajar halawa is ready. You can top it with fried cashews and almonds for crunchy effect at the time of serving.

Kadakani - Dasara Special

Kadakani is made on the occasion of Dasara/ Vijayadashami in Maharashtra.

Ingredients : 

• 1/2 cup semolina.
• Powdered sugar - 1 cup
• All purpose flour - 2 cup
• Oil to fry kadakani
• Salt to taste.

Kadakani

Procedure : 
1. Soak semolina in some water for 20 minutes and then grind it in mixer.
2. Add powdered sugar to it and mix well till sugar melts.
3. Mix in all purpose flour to it. Add salt. Add some hot oil so that they will become crunchy.
4. Now make a dough out of this mixture. Make sure it is not too soft, or Kadakani will dissolve in oil while frying. Keep this dough covered and set aside for at least 3 hours.
5. Heat oil in wok/Kadhai. 
6. Make small balls of dough. Roll the balls with rolling pin to the size of poori making it as thin as possible. (use plastic sheet to avoid dough sticking to the board) and fry them one by one in oil.
7. Keep them aside for 15 minutes and then you are good to eat the festive special sweets.

Pithale (पिठले )

Here comes delicious, quick & easy to prepare food from Maharastra region! i.e. pithale!

Ingredients :

• Besan(gram flour ) – 5 spoons
• Onion – 1 finely chopped
• Green chilies – 4-5
• Curry leaves - 4
• Chopped coriander
• Mustered seeds
• Cumin Seeds
• Turmeric powder

Pithale

Preparation :

1.       Add some water to besan forming a smooth consistent batter without any lumps.

2.       Now, in a wok, heat some oil. Add cumin and mustered seeds and let them splutter. Add green chilies and curry leaves.

3.       Then add onion and saute till golden brown, add turmeric powder and saute for a while.

4.       Add 2 cups of water and let it come to boil.

5.       Now pour the besan mixture slowly in the boiling water. Make sure you are stirring continuously because besan tends to make chunks when hot.

6.       Keep it stirring for another 7-8 mins, or till you observe a silky texture of pithale.

7.       Strew  finely chopped coriander and serve hot with chapati, bhakari or hot rice.

Sabudana/Tapioca Khichadi (साबुदाण्याची खिचडी)

This is again an authentic Maharashtrian snack usually prepared on the day of fast.

                                     साबुदाण्याची खिचडी / Sabudana Khichadi

Ingredients:
1. Sabudana : 1 cup
2. Roasted peanut powder(Coarsely Grind) : 4-5 Tsp
3. Cumin Seeds : 1 Tsp
4. Green Chili - 4 to 5
5. Cilantro/Coriander 
6. Lemon Juice (optional) : 2 Tsp
7. Sugar : 1 Tsp
8. Salt to taste.
9. Ghee
10. Curry Leaves : 4 to 5


Procedure:
1. First, Soak Sabudana in water for 30 minutes, then drain all the water out and keep it overnight or for 7-8 hours. Soaking sabudana properly is the crux of this recipe. sprinkle spoonful of water on sabudana and mix it time to time so not to dry out completely.
2. When sabudana is soaked properly, mix it well at the time of preparing khichadi.
3. Now in a skillet, heat some ghee, then add cumin seeds. When they splutter, add green chili, curry leaves, finely chopped coriander leaves.
4. Then add sabudana, roasted peanut powder, salt, sugar and lemon juice(optional as per your taste). Keep churning it continuously for 7-8 minutes till sabudana changes its color and texture like shown in picture. (if sabudana left unattended without tossing or kept covered while cooking, it will stick to the pan and turn hard like a rubber.)
5. Remove from the fire and make sure to serve hot!

Amboli (आंबोळी)

Amboli/आंबोळी

You will need  - 
2 Cups of rice flour.
2 Tsp yogurt
Water
Salt to taste.


Preparation -
1. Mix up rice flour, yogurt and add some water till it becomes just thin batter but of pouring consistency. Keep it aside for at least 1 hour.
2. Now heat a non-stick pan on medium flame. Sprinkle over some oil.
3. Pour half ladle of batter in pan and spread it to thin round shape. Make sure you keep the flame low/medium all the time. 
4. Cook on both sides till become golden brown and little crispy. 
5. Serve with Potato Sabji/Coconut Chutney/ or any type of Pulses/Beans Sabji.

Bread Chivda (ब्रेडचा चिवडा)

Bread Chivda / ब्रेडचा चिवडा

Ingredients : 

8/10 Slices of bread cut into small bite-size squares

1 Onion finely chopped
1/2 tomato finely chopped

2/3 spoons lemon juice

1.5 tsp Sugar

1/2 Tsp mustard seeds

Salt to taste

4 tsp oil

handful of coriander

4/5 curry leaves

1/4 tsp Turmeric

green chili - 3/4

Preparation :

1. Heat oil in pan. Add mustard seeds. when they sizzle, add green chilies, onion and saute till onion become golden brown.

2. Now add tomato and saute till they become tender.

3. Add turmeric powder, lemon juice and sugar. (Adding sugar and lemon juice while cooking onion will make it glazing and transparent. You can see that color in above picture).

3. Now add in bread and salt. keep adding salt in smaller quantity as the bread already contain some salt in it.

4. Sprinkle coriander and saute till all pieces of bread are covered with turmeric and oil.

5. Serve hot.

Apple-Melon Shake.

1. One big Apple.
2. Water Melon slices - 4/5 
3. Sugar 2 Tsp or as per taste.
4. Milk 1 cup
5. Ice Cubes

Apple Melon Milk Shake

Preparation :

• First add apple and melon slices into mixer and beat it well till apple slices make paste. then add milk and sugar and blend in the mixer for another 2-3 minutes.
• Now pour the shake in glasses.
• Add some crushed ice and serve cold.