Spicy Potato Curry (Batate vaagu) (Konkani cuisine)

Ingredients:
For batate vaagu you need to prepare one special powder which makes this dish yummy and different from rest potato curries.
½ cup chaana dal, dry red chilli 2-3, methi dana (fenugreek seeds) 2-4, black pepper 4, Dry roast all the ingredients turn-off the heat then add pinch of Hing (asafoetida) and turmeric powder ½ tsp. Now grind to make fine powder.
2 cups boiled, peeled, chopped potatoes
1 cup tomato paste
½ cup coriander leaves chopped
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
4-5 curry leaves
Oil
Salt
Increase the number of chilies if your taste buds can tolerate it.

Method:
Heat a little oil, add mustard seeds when they start popping add curry leaves. Fry for a minute. Add  tomato paste fry, then add ground powder, and about 1/2 cup water. Cook till tomatoes softens a bit.
Add potatoes, salt. Cook for another 5mins. The consistency should be like a thick curry, I made it bit more thicker just to get a concentrated flavor. Serve as a side dish with rice, poori or chapathi. To make this dish different my mom adds ½ cup of cooked peas when adding boiled potatoes it gives extra punch to Konkani batate vaagu. Peas is just my mom’s innovation in original batate vaagu recipe peas is not included. I think cooking is not just to follow a recipe as it is, we can add our special touch to make it yummy for our tummy. Happy Cooking.

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Singhare ki poori

Singhare ki poori is a deep fried Indian bread also known as poori which is made from water chestnut flour or singhaade ka atta. A popular dish especially during pujas that require fasting. Singhare ka atta is also known as ‘Vrat ka Atta’.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Singhara flour • 1/4 cup coriander leaves (chopped) • 1/4 cup Potatoes (boiled and greated) • 2 Green Chillies (chopped) • 1 tbsp Red Chilli Powder (optional) • 1 tbsp Oil • 2 tsp Ajwain • 1/4 tsp black pepper powder • Salt to taste • Oil for frying

Method:

•	Combine all dry ingredients in the flour properly.
•	Add very little water and knead well until a dough is obtained.
•	Make small balls out of the dough and flatten them by pressing in between palms.
•	Make it a shape of poori.
•	Heat oil in a pan.
•	Fry the poori in oil till dark brown.
•	Repeat the procedure with the rest of the mixture.
•	Serve the poori with, potato curry-  http://yuvikasrecipes.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/spicy-potato-curry-batate-vaagu-konkani.html or curd or pickle. Tip: This flour is not like the normal flour so do not add too much of water. Mix all the ingredients before adding any water. Then add the water slowly.

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Instant Masala Uttapam

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup Semolina /Sooji/Rava
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 1 cup yoghurt
• 1 cup water
• salt to taste
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 tomato finely chopped
• ½ cup chopped coriander leaves
• 2 tsp sambar powder

 Method:

Take 1 cup of yoghurt and mix about 1 cup water. Whisk it well. Make it like buttermilk consistency. Now to this add semolina and rice flour. Mix it well. Cover and keep it aside for half an hour for fermenting. Now chop the veggies (1 red onion, 1 tomato, and a handful corinder leaves).  After its been resting for 1/2 hour, the Uttapam mixture will be a bit dense as the semolina absorbs most of the water. Add about 1/2 cup to 1 cup water , mix it well. Add salt, sambar powder and the chopped veggies. Heat a griddle/Tawa.  When its hot, pour about 1/4 cup batter onto the griddle and spread in a circular motion. Apply some oil around the Uttapam. Once its cooked turn it and let it cook on the other side.   

Serve hot with coconut chutney.

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Quick Simple Aloo Bhatura

Ingredients:

• Maida - 2 cup
• Salt - ½ tsp or as per taste
• Potato - 2-3 (boiled)
• Curd - 1/3 cup
• Oil - 1 tbsp to add in maida
• Oil - to fry bhatura

Method:

Peel the potatoes and grate them finely.
Take maida in any utensil, add mashed potato, salt, oil and curd in maida. Mix all ingredients nicely and add little water at a time and knead soft dough. Keep it bit hard then chapatti dough and soft then puri dough. Cover the dough and keep it aside for 15-20 minutes so that it gets fermented nicely and becomes puffy. Dough for making bhatura is ready.
Take oil in a pan and keep on flame to make it warm. Put some dry flour in your hands and take little amount (lemon size) of dough in your hands and make a round ball. Like wise prepare all balls. Take one ball and dust with dry flour. Place the ball on rolling plate and roll giving it a round shape. Keep it thick like a parantha.
When the oil gets hot, gently place the bhatura in the pan. When it floats at the surface press it slightly with ladle to make it puffy, turn it upside down when it gets brown from one side. Fry until both sides are cooked properly and evenly. Take out the fried bhatura in a plate covered with kitchen paper. Like wise fry rest of bhatura’s.
Hot and yummy aloo bhatura is ready.
Serve with masala chana or palak chana http://yuvikasrecipes.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/palak-chole.html
or achari aloo http://yuvikasrecipes.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/achaari-aloo.html
or chutney or pickle. The aloo bhatura is remain soft even after they get cool. You eat aloo bhatura by just sprinkling some chat masala on top, roll it and munch it.

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Ragi Dosa

Ingredients

•	Millet (Ragi) flour	300 grams
•	Split black gram skinless (dhuli urad dal)	55 grams
•	Rice flour	70 grams
•	Dried red chilli	2
•	Coriander seeds	1/2 teaspoon
•	Fenugreek seeds (methi dana)	1/2 teaspoon
•	Low-fat yogurt	350 grams
•	Salt	1/2 teaspoon

Method
Mix the three flours together in a bowl. Grind the chillies, coriander and fenugreek seeds to a paste. Mix the yogurt with 250 ml water.

Combine the spice paste and flour mixture. Add the salt, followed by the yogurt-water mixture. Mix to a batter of pouring consistency. 

Let it rest for 3–4 hours.

When you are ready to make the dosas, heat a non-stick dosa tawa and spray oil to grease it lightly. 

Sprinkle on some water and then wipe the tawa clean with a muslin cloth. 

This is to prepare the tawa as well as grease it lightly.

Give the batter a stir, and pour a ladleful on to the tawa, making sure that it spreads in a thin, even layer. 

Cook until crisp and light brown. Make the rest of the pancakes in the same way.

You can also add potato filling  and serve hot with coconut chutney. 

Ragi flour is very good for your health and helps in weight loss. 

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Achaari Aloo

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - 500 grams(7-8medium sized)
• Mustard oil - 2 tbsp
• Heeng(asafoetida) - 2 pinch
• Jeera(cumin) - ½ tsp
• Rie - ½ tsp
• Grinded Meth(fenugreek)i - ½ tsp
• Grinded Saunf(fennel) - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
• Green chilli - 2 to 3 finely chopped
• Ginger(grated) - 1 inch long
• Dhaniya(coriander) powder - 1 tsp
• Salt - add to taste or ¾ tsp
• Red chilli powder - ¼ tsp
• Aamchur(mango)powder - ½ tsp
• Garam masala - less than ¼ tsp
• Green dhaniya(coriander) - 2 tbsp

Method:

Wash the potatoes and put them in a cooker. Allow them to boil till 1 whistle goes off. Let the pressure escape from the cooker completely.Now cool the potatoes and peel them. Cut the peeled potatoes into 6 halves.
Pour oil in the kadhai(pan) and heat. Put heeng, methi, saunf into hot oil and fry lightly. Now add turmeric powder, green chilli, ginger and dhaniya powder and gently stir fry. Put potatoes, salt,red chilli powder, aamchur powder, garam masala into the fried spices respectively.Stir with a spoon and fry potatoes for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the gas, put green dhaniya to our Achaari Aloo and mix.
Achaari Aloo is ready, take it out in a bowl and serve hot with paranthas or roti.
This quick and simple recipe.

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Palak Chole

Ingredients

•	Chickpeas boiled	2 cups
•	Spinach leaves puree	1 medium bunch
•	Ghee/ oil	1 tablespoon
•	Cumin seeds	1 teaspoon
•	Coriander powder	2 teaspoon
•	Onion ,finely chopped	1 large
•	Ginger, chopped	1 inch piece
•	Salt	to taste
•	Turmeric powder	1/2 teaspoon
•	Green chilli,slit	1
Cream 4-5 tsp.

Method
Heat ghee/ oil in a non stick pan, add cumin seeds, coriander powder and onion and sauté till onion is lightly browned.

Add ginger, spinach puree, salt and turmeric powder and mix well. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add chana, ½ cup water and green chilli (you can also add green chilli paste 1 tsp).
 Mix well and add cream. Mix well and cook till dry.

Serve hot. [ you can take one cup black chana and one cup white chana this will add colour to your recipe]

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Shahi Paneer

Ingredients

•	Paneer (cottage cheese)	400 grams
•	Onion ,quartered	2 large
•	Oil	2 tablespoons
•	Cloves	3
•	Black peppercorns	4-5
•	Cinnamon	2 one inch sticks
•	Bay leaf	1
•	Green chillies,slit	2
•	Ginger paste	1 teaspoon
•	Garlic paste	1 teaspoon
•	Cashewnut paste	1/4 cup
•	Raisins	8-10
•	Cream	½ cup
•	Saffron (optional)	a pinch
•	Garam masala powder	1/2 teaspoon
•	Salt	to taste
•	Coriander leaves	1/4 cup

Method
Cut the paneer into half inch wide and one inch long pieces. Boil the onions in quarter cup of water. Drain and allow to cool. Grind to a fine paste. Heat the oil in a kadai, add the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon and bay leaf and sauté till fragrant. Add the green chillies and boiled onion paste and sauté for three to four minutes on low heat so it does not get coloured. Add the ginger paste and garlic paste and continue to sauté for half a minute. Add the cashewnut paste and sauté for another two minutes. 

Stir in the cream, saffron and garam masala powder and salt to taste. 
Add the paneer and  raisins stir gently to mix. 
Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

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Masala Bati and Rajasthani Dal

Baati made in oven is very tempting Rajasthani dish. If baati is stuffed with potato-peas then it gets more appetizing.

Ingredients for Stuffed Masala Dal baati
For dough:
Wheat flour -2 cup
Semolina - ½ cup
Ghee - 1/3 cup
Salt - ¾ tsp
Carom seeds - ½ tsp
Baking soda - ¼ tsp

For stuffing:
Potato - 2 (boiled)
Green peas - ¼ cup
Green coriander - 2 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Cumin seeds - ¼ tsp
Ginger - ½ inch piece (grated)
Green chilly - 1-2 (finely chopped)
Mango powder - ¼ tsp
Coriander powder - ½ tsp
Salt - ½ tsp (as per taste)
Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
Red chilly powder - ¼ tsp

Method:
Mix flour and semolina in a big utensil. Also add salt, carom seeds, baking soda and ½ amount of ghee (2 tbsp ghee) and mix all ingredients nicely. Add little water at a time and knead dough. Don’t make dough too soft just mix it really well. To knead this much quantity of dough we have used less then 1 cup water. Cover the dough and keep it aside for ½ hour for fermenting.

Stuffing for Masala Dal Baati
Peel potatoes and mash them finely. Heat oil in a pan. When oil gets hot add cumin seeds and asafoetida and sauté for few minutes. Now add ginger, green chilly, turmeric powder, coriander powder and peas. Sauté for 2 minutes. Also add potatoes, salt, mango powder, red chilly powder and green coriander. Mix all ingredients nicely. Stuffing is ready.

After ½ hour grease hands with ghee and knead the dough again. Dough for making baati is also ready.

Make balls from dough. Keep the size equal to the size of ball required for making chapatti (we can make 12 balls from this much dough). Take one ball and flatten it into 2-3 inch diameter circle with help of your hands and place 1-1.5 tsp stuffing on it. Seal it from all sides giving it a round shape. Place the baati on baking tray. Like wise prepare all baati’s.


Bake Dal Bati in Oven
Preheat oven at 230 degree centigrade. Place tray at middle rack of the oven and set it on 230 degree centigrade for 10 minutes. After 10 are over take them out and check. It is little brown in color; bake it for 2 more minutes on same temperature. Baati has become golden brown, it is now ready.

Dip piping hot baati in ghee and place back on the tray. Baati for serving is ready. Serve piping hot baati with mix dal or pickle and chutney.

Suggestion:
You can make stuffing from peas-paneer, mix vegetables, dry fruits or dal accordingly.

Ingredients for dal:

1 cup of lentils containing equal proportions of

- black split lentils/ urad dal
- split toorvar/ arhar lentils/ pigeon peas
-  moong dal
- split channa dal (bengal gram)
- split red lentils (masoor dal)

2 tomatoes, finely chopped

2 green chillies, slit vertically

2 red chillies

1 teaspoon ginger, grated finely

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon garam masala powder

1” piece cinnamon stick

1/4 teaspoon asafoetida

2-3 sprigs fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped

Salt to taste

11/2 tablespoons ghee
 
Method

Begin by soaking all the lentils in a vessel filled with water, for about an hour. Soak the moog dal seprately for 4-5 hours.

Once softened, cook the lentils in about 3 cups of water with salt, till it becomes very soft.

Next, heat the ghee in a heavy bottomed pan. Add in the cumin seeds and allow it to crackle. Follow this with the red chillies, roasting it for a few seconds until browned, and then pour in the ginger, green chillies and tomatoes, and sauté everything together till the tomatoes are soft.

Now, add in the asafoetida, turmeric powder and garam masala powder to the tomato mixture, stirring them for a few minutes till the raw smell disappears.

Finally, add in the cooked lentils into this tomato masala mix, and stir to combine everything well. Adjust the consistency of the lentils by adding a little water if you find the dal is thick. Taste the salt levels too and allow this dal to simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes.

When cooked, remove from the heat and garnish the rajasthani Dal with the chopped coriander leaves.

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