Dabbu Mirchi Raita

Dabbu Mirchi is our marathi word for capsicum. The credit for this great recipe goes to my Mom in law. This Maharastrian dish has a tinge of sweetness and goes really well with either Puri or Chapathi. 

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Capsicum - 4 (Chopped)

Green chilly - 5 (Chopped)

Peanut - 3 tsp

White Til - 3 tsp

Grated coconut - 3/4 cup

Tamarind - small piece

Oil - 4 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Hing - a pinch

Fenugreek seeds - 4

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Jaggery - half cube (2 tsp - if grated)

Preparation:

1. Grind capsicum and green chilly together into a coase paste.

2. Fry peanut and keep aside to cool

3. Next fry white til and keep aside to cool.

4. Once peanut and white til cools, grind them together into a dry powder.

5. Grind grated coconut with small piece of tamarind and water to make it a pastr.

6. Next in a pan, heat oil.

7. Once the oil heats up, add mustard seeds. Once it splutters add Hing and fenugreek seeds.

8. After it turns a bit brown, put the capsicum-green chilly paste and let it cook well.

9. Once the capsicum is nicely cooked, add turmeric powder, coconut & tamarind paste, peanut-white til powder, salt and jaggery and mix well. Let it cook for a few more mins and then you have dabbu mirchi raita ready to be served.

Methi Puri

I'm not a big fan of methi, but when I tasted the puris made out of it by my mom in law, it tasted simply heavenly and now I'm all for methi. It's amazing how a well thought recipe can change the way you think about certain vegetables. Here is the recipe to this yummy dish. 

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Garlic - 4 cloves

Green Chillies - 6

Fenugreek leaves (Methi) - 2

Wheat flour - 2 cup

Gram Flour (Besan) - 1/4 cup

Rava -1/8 cup

Oil - 2 cups

Preparation:

1. Grind the garlic, green chillies and fenugreek leaves together into a paste.

2. Knead the dough by mixing wheat flour, gram flour, rava, the paste made above, heated oil and water. The heated oil is added to make the dough softer.

3. Heat oil for frying. Make round balls, roll into a circular shape and deep fry it.

Methi Puri can be eaten by itself or with a side of chutney powder.

Mashingasangha Pitli

This dish is a Konkani speciality that I learnt from my mom. It is generally served with rice as a side. In Konkani, drumsticks are called as Mashingasangh/ Maskasangh. The gravy is made of besan which gives it a thick consistency. It tastes somewhat similar to Zunka which is a Maharastrian dish.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Drumsticks - 2

Oil - 4 tsp

Urad Dal - 2 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves

Hing

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Red Chilly Powder - 1 tsp

Salt

Gram Flour (Besan) - 1/4 cup

Preparation:

1.) Boil drumsticks. Retain the water since it has all the flavor. We will use this water for the gravy.

2.) Heat oil in a pan.

3.) Add Urad Dal and fry it.

4.) Next add mustard seeds and let it splutter.

5.) Add cumin seeds, curry leaves, hing, turmeric powder and red chilly powder.

6.) Add the boiled drumstick along with its water. 

7.) Let the mixture boil for few mins and then add salt.

8.) Mix gram flour with water and make sure there are no lumps. Then add that to the drumstick gravy and stir continously.

9.) Let it cook for few minutes.

Mashingasangha Pitli is ready to be served with rice.

Note: 

• You can optionally add coriander powder, cumin powder and amchur.
• You can boil the drumsticks along with the tadka.