Besara dia Matti Alu Bhaja ( Suran fries )

Cooking Time Required: 10-15 mins
Cost of Preparation: 30-35 Rupees


Ingredients: Matti Alu/ Suran ( 200 gm ), cooking oil ( 7-8 tsp ), salt ( to taste), turmeric ( 1/3 tsp ), soaked rice ( 2-3 tsp), mustard seeds ( 3 tsp ), green chilli ( 1-2 nos ).

Preparation: Grind the mustard seeds with the green chilli into a fine paste.

Grind the rice separately into a thin watery paste. Add a pinch of salt to this paste.

Cut the suran into 1/2 cm thick pieces. Wash throughly.

Cooking: Take the suran pieces in a wok. Add the mustard seed paste along with salt and turmeric. Pour just enough water to cover the pieces.

Cook on a medium flame for 5-6 mins till almost done. Remove from stove, drain excess water and allow to cool down.

Heat a non-stick pan. Drizzle a little oil on it.

Dip the boiled suran pieces in the rice paste and place on the pan. Fry on both sides till lightly crisp.















Serve hot with white rice.

Piaja Sandha Bhaja ( Onion flower stalk fry )

Cooking Time Required: 10-15 mins
Cost of preparation: 15-20 rupees

Ingredients: Piaja Sandha/Onion flowers stalks ( 1 bunches ), potato ( 1 no, medium
sized ), dry red chillis ( 2-3 nos.), roasted cumin-chilli powder ( 1/3 tsp ), turmeric ( 2-3 pinch ), salt to taste, vegetable oil ( 3-4 tsp ), pancha phutana ( 1/5 tsp ).

Preparation: Wash and cut the onion flower stalks into inch sized pieces.

Wash and cut the potato into small pieces so that both vegetables can cook togather.

Cooking: Heat a non-stick pan. Drizzle a little oil. Turn the flame to high.

Add the broken red chillis and pancha-phutana. Allow seeds to crackle.

Add the potato and onion stalk pieces. Sprinkle turmeric and salt. Mix well and cook
covered for 8-10 mins. Stir occasionally so that the vegetables do not stick to the pan.

Sprinkle the chilli-cumin powder, mix well and remove from the stove.

Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Kakharu Phula Bara ( Pumpkin Flower Fries )

Cooking Time Required: 10-15 mins
Cost of preparation: 10-15 rupees

Ingredients: Kakharu phula/Pumpkin flowers ( 2 bunches or 20 nos ), dry red chillis (2-3 nos.), rice ( 5-6 tsp), cumin seeds ( 1/3 tsp ), turmeric ( 2-3 pinch ), salt to taste, any vegetable oil ( 3-4 tsp ), freshly grated coconut ( 2 tsp ) .

Preparation: Soak the rice in a cup of warm water for about 2-3 hours.

Wash and remove all the parts of the flowers except for the petals.

Wash and grind the soaked rice along with the remaining spices into a smooth paste of medium consitency.

Cooking: Heat a non-stick pan. Drizzle/spray a little oil.

Hold two of the pumpkin flowers togather and dip into the batter. Put it on the pan.
Repeat with the remaining flowers.

Cook on one side till crisp and reddish. Flip over, spray a little oil and cook the other side till reddish.

Serve hot with rice as a side dish.

Papad Tarkari ( Popadom curry )

Cooking Time Required: 10-15 mins
Cost of preparation: 15-20 rupees

Ingredients: Yogurt ( 1/2 cup ), medium sized boiled potato ( 1 no ), green chillis ( 2-3 nos), chopped coriander stems ( 1 tbs ), mustard seeds ( 1/3 tsp ), mustard powder ( 1/5 tsp ), oil ( 3 tsp ), garlic flakes ( 2 nos ), fried and broken papad/papadom ( 1 cup), coriander leaves for garnishing, salt ( to taste).

Preparation: Peel and cut the potato into cubes.

Chop/slit the green chillis and completely crush the garlic flakes.

Add salt to the curd/yogurt in a mixing bowl along with 1/2 cup of water. Whisk it till no lumps remain.

Cooking: Heat the oil in a wok. Add mustard seeds followed by the crushed garlic, green chillis and chopped coriander stem. Stir fry for 30 secs.

Add the potato cubes to the wok. Fry for 2-3 mins. Switch off the flame and allow to
stand for 1 minute.















Add the whisked yogurt to the wok while stirring continuously. Do this for 2 mins.

Switch over to a low flame, add the mustard powder and continue stirring till the
contents come to a boil. Allow to boil for 3 minutes.















Add the papad pieces at this stage and switch off the flame.















Garnish with coriander leaves and serve immediately with plain white rice.

Note: I prefer using the Lijjat Urad dal papads for this recipe.

Fish head with baby potatoes and dried lentil dumplings

Cooking Time Required: 15-20 mins
Cost of preparation: 20-25 rupees

Ingredients: Maccha munda/Fish head ( 1 no ), mustard-garlic paste ( 1/2 tsp ),onion ( 1 no, medium sized ), pancha phutana ( 1/2 tsp ), baby potatoes ( 10-12 nos ), dry red chilli ( 2 nos ), boris/dried lentil dumpings ( 8-9 nos), salt, turmeric, vegetable oil ( 3-4 tsp ), oil for deep frying.

Preparation: Clean the fish head throughly. Add salt and turmeric and keep aside for 15 mins. (Any large sized freshwater fish weighing 1 kg or more will do.)

Wash and cut the onion into chunks. Cut the baby potatoes into two.

Cooking: Deep fry the fish head till crispy, crush nicely and keep aside.

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a wok. Fry the boris/lentil dumplings to a reddish color and
remove from the wok.

Add the remaining oil followed by the pancha phutana and broken red chillis . Allow
seeds to crackle.

Add the onion chunks and stir fry till translucent. Add the baby potatoes at this stage and fry for 3-4 mins. Add the crushed fish head along with 1 cup of water,
mustard-garlic paste, salt and turmeric . Bring to a boil.

Allow to simmer for 5-6 mins while stirring at intervals. Remove from fire, add the
fried boris and keep aside for 10 mins.

Serve with rice and dal.

Note: Add 2 green chillis while making the mustard-garlic paste for upping the spice
content.

This recipe is usually prepared with dried/smoked fish.

Coffee and orange flavoured French Crepes

Cooking Time Required: 15-20 mins
Cost of Preparation: 30-35 Rupees

Ingredients: Whole wheat flour ( 1/2 cup ), egg ( 1 no. ), milk ( 3/4 th cup ), cooking butter ( 3 tsp ), sugar ( 2 tsp ), salt ( a pinch ), baking powder ( 1/5 tsp ), grated orange rind ( 1/4 tsp ), coffee powder ( 1/4 tsp ), orange marmalade ( 2-3 tbs ).

Preparation: Break the egg in a bowl. Beat well. Add the milk, sugar, coffee powder, grated orange rind and salt. Beat for 2 mins.

Sift the flour with the baking powder. Add to the beaten egg and milk. Melt 2 tsp of butter and add to it. Beat for 4-5 mins.

Cooking: Heat a small frying pan to a low temperature. Add a few drops of oil/butter. Rub with a cloth to spread uniformly without leaving excess greasiness.

Take 2 tbs of the batter and tilt the pan to spread uniformly.

Cook for 40-45 secs on either side and remove from pan.

Spread a thick/thin layer ( as per taste ) of orange marmalade all over the pancakes
and twist into a tight roll. Cut up into bite sized pieces and serve immediately.

Masala Papad Cones

Cooking Time Required: 10-12 mins
Cost of preparation: 10-15 rupees

Ingredients: Boiled potato ( 1 small ), Lijjat papad ( 1 no ), chopped coriander ( 1
tbs ), chopped ripe tomato ( 2 tbs ), red chilli flakes ( 1/3 tsp ), lemon juice ( few drops ), olive oil ( 1/5 tsp ), roasted sesame seeds ( 1/2 tsp ), salt ( to taste), any vegetable oil for deep frying.

Preparation: Peel and cut the potato into very small pieces. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

Add all the ingredients except for the papad and oil . Mix well.
















Cooking: Heat sufficient amount of oil in a deep wok.

Cut the papad into 4 pieces (quarters) and roll each piece into a cone shape. Hold the shape with the help of a pair of tongs and dip into hot oil for 20-25 secs.

Remove fried papad from wok and keep on a blotting paper/paper napkin. Allow to cool
for 5 mins.
















Stuff the prepared mixture into the papad cone.

Garnish with coriander leaves and chilli flakes and serve immediately.

Note: Use fresh papads for best results. I used a packet which was opened a month back and the papads turned a little brittle.