Undhiyoo (उंधियो)

I always had this strange fascination for Undhiyoo. It has always tasted differently in every different restaurant we had. Till few years ago, this winter special Gujarati vegetable was not available in restaurants in our city. From last 2-3 years practise, I could make 'my' version which my family enjoys a lot. My dear daughter carried it to school too to share with her friends !

Ingredients

For the methi muthias
  1 cup fenugreek (methi) leaves, chopped
1/4 cup whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta)
1/2 cup besan (Bengal gram flour)
1 tsp ginger-green chilly paste
1 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 tbsp lemon juice or 2 spoons of curd
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
a pinch of baking soda
salt to taste
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For masala
1/2 cup grated fresh coconut
1/2 cup chopped coriander (dhania)
1/4 cup chopped green garlic (hara lehsun)
2 tsp coriander-cumin seeds (dhania-jeera) powder
2 tsp ginger-green chilly paste
2 tsp chilly powder
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
salt to taste
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Vegetables
250 gms surti papdi (सुरती वाल)
250 gms purple yam (कंद)
100 gms yam (सुरण)
100 gms potatoes
100 gms sweet potato (रताळं), optional
100 gms brinjals (वांगी)
1 to 2  green bananas (कच्ची केळी)
1 tbsp carom seeds (ओवा)
1/4 tsp soda bi-carb
salt to taste


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Recipe 

For the methi muthias


1.Put the chopped fenugreek leaves in a bowl, add 1 teaspoon of salt and mix well.
2.Allow to stand for 5 to 7 minutes and squeeze out all the liquid from the leaves.
3.Combine the fenugreek with the remaining ingredients in a bowl and knead into a very soft dough by adding curd to bind well.
4. Heat the oil in wok. Make muthias with hand and deep fry them. Keep them on absorbent paper to get rid of extra oil.

For Vegetable
1. String the Surti papdi, taking care not to separate the 2 sides.
2. Peel the purple yam, yam, potatoes and sweet potatoes and cut into big pieces.
3. Cut the brinjals and the banana into big pieces and cut a vertical slit in the centre of each piece.
4. Put the oil in wok. Once the mustard seeds crackle add asafoetida, turmeric and half amount of grounded green masala.
5. Now add the Surti papdi, purple yam, yam, potatoes, sweet potatoes and brinjals and 1/4 cup water. Cover it with a lid and cook
6. After the above vegetables are half cooked, add remaining masala, bananas, methi muthias and mix well. Cover with a lid to cook fully.
7.Serve hot.


Tips
 
1. Undhiyoo is served with puris and phulkas.
2. Some of them make red masala using tomatoes but green suites us more.
3. You need to check the vegetables are cooked properly as yam & purple yam take some time to cookwhile banana cooks very fast.

कर्टुल्याची भाजी

कर्टुल्याची भाजी


 वातानुकूलित मॉल्समधून भाज्या घेण्यापेक्षा भाजीबाजारातून भाजी घेण्याची मजाच वेगळीच आहे. वेगवेगळ्या भाज्यांबरोबरच भाजीवाल्यांशी होणारा संवादही भाजी घेतांनाची रंगत वाढवतो. श्रावण किंवा भाद्रपदात बाजारात चक्कर मारल्यास भरेकरी (मुळताहा भाजी व्यावसायिक नसलेले) रानभाज्या विकायला घेऊन बसलेले दिसतात. ’कर्टुलं’ ही त्यातलीच एक रानभाजी !! जव्हार रस्त्यावर फिरायला गेलो असता वेलीवरुन तोडलेली हिरवागार कर्टुली अजूनही लक्षात आहेत. ’कर्टुलं’ स्ट्रॉबेरीपेक्षा थोडेसे मोठे, मऊ काटे असलेले हिरवेगार असते. रानात उगवणारी असल्याने नेहमी उपलब्ध नसते तसेच असते तेव्हा ब-यापैकी महाग असते :)-  असो ही कर्टुल्याची भाजी तुम्ही पुढच्या मोसमात नक्कीच करुन बघाल.

साहित्य :

कर्टूली
दाण्याचा कूट
फोडणीचे साहित्य
कोथिंबीर
ओल्या नारळाचा चव

कृती :

कर्टूली

१) कर्टूली धुतांना त्याच्या काटयातून माती निघेल ह्याची काळजी घ्यावी. स्वच्छ पुसून काटयांसकट पातळ उभी चिरुन किंवा गोल चकत्या करुन घ्यावी.
२) कढईत पुरेसे तेल टाकून मोहरी तडतडली की हिंग, हळद टाकून चिरलेली कर्टूली घालून परतावी.
३) पाणी न घालता, गॅस मंद करुन, झाकण ठेवून चांगली वाफ आणावी. कढईला लागत असल्यास मधून परतावी किंवा झाकणावर पाणी घालावे.
४) एक वाफ आली की त्यात तिखट, मीठ, गरम मसाला, धने-जिरे पावडर आणि दाण्याचा कूट घालून आणखी वाफेवर चांगली शिजू द्यावी.
५) शिजली की त्यावर आवडीनुसार कोथिंबीर आणि ओले खोबरे घालून सजवावे.

टीप : ह्या भाजीमध्ये फारसा मसाला किंवा वाटण घालण्याचा अटटाहास करु नये कारण ही भाजी जितकी ’बेसीक’ तितकी तिची अस्सल चव कळते. लक्षात घ्या आपण जितका मसाला घातला आहे तितका मसालाही आदिवासी त्यात घालत नाहीत.

Misal- Pav

Misal-Pav is traditional Maharashtrian breakfast/brunch with different variations. Though it a great combination of different sprouted lentils ( Mattkee & Mong being a major ) mixed with Sev-Farsan, no single Misal recipe tastes always the same. It differs from hot spicy to very less spicy version depending on ranges of Masalas used. Misal is made with Kaala Masala, Gooda Masala, Lalmirchi Masala, Bramhani
Masala and Khada Masala. Each Masala gives a distinct colour, taste and aroma to the Misal. The Sev-Farsan used for the filling and decoration are varying according to the taste and availablity. Also there are varaitions in garnishing with onion, tomatoes, potatoes, green chillies and fried groundnuts. Hence whenever we visit any Misal joint in the city or outside, we enjoy 'the version' of Misal and do not compare them with each other.

Our favourite is Makhmalabad Misal. Typical sunday program is to climb Charmer leni in the early morning and then have a good heavy Misal-pav at Makhamalabad. Misal in Makhmalabad gaon near Nashik, is popular in no time for its less spicy taste and sufficient amount of Usal in it. They offer a plate full of sprouted Mattkee with a faint yellow sev, fried groundnuts and chopped onions with corainder. Seperate steel jar for 'Tarree' is provided. The amount of Tarree is offered in the plate depeding on the spicyness required. They offer you just Usal for kids. Special Misal comprises of fried Udid papad and a small bowl of curd.
We can see the Misal, kept boiling in large vessel and continuosly served to the people.The owners Mr & Mrs. Pingle along with their school going son serve the Nashikites with warm hospitality. There are merely five wooden tables in the small Gala accomodating six people on each table. If you are large in number, the Bhartiya sitting is lead to enjoy Misal pangat. The hotel serves only Misal, tea and coffee.