Bombay Halwa

Bombay Halwa is a tasty Maharashtrian Recipe that can be prepared on occasions.  

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Ghee 
• 1/3 cup Sago 
• 1/3 cup plain Flour 
• 2/3 cup Corn Flour 
• 4 cups Sugar 
• 2 tbsp Lemon Juice 
• 2 tsp Cardamom Powder 
• 1 cup crushed assorted Nuts (cashews, pistachios, almonds, and peanuts) 
• Foods colors (green, yellow, orange, or red)

How to make Bombay Halwa:

1. Soak sago in 2 cups water overnight.
2. Combine plain flour and corn flour. Soak overnight in 2 cups water.
3. Make a thick syrup from 1½ cups water and sugar, boiling and stirring on medium heat.
4. Add lemon juice and stir.
5. Combine sago with flour mixture and pour into a non-sticky pan on low heat.
6. Add 1 tsp ghee, alternating with 1 tsp syrup, to the flour mix, until both the ingredients remain half of their actual volume.
7. Add a pinch of color and cardamom powder, stirring constantly.
8. Add the remaining ghee and syrup in the same manner, stirring after each addition.
9. Add nuts and mix well.
10. Simmer until the mixture turns translucent and starts leaving the pan.
11. Butter a deep platter and pour the mixture in it and cool to room temperature.
12. After 1 hour, cut the halwa in squares. This yummy delight is ready to be served.

Falooda Ice Cream

 Falooda Ice Cream is a very popular recipe. Learn how to prepare Maharashtrian Falooda Ice Cream by following this easy recipe.

Ingredients:

• 250 ml Ice Cream (Vanilla)
• 1000 ml Milk
• 1/2 cup White Cream (whipped finely)
• 2 ½ tbsp Falooda Seeds
• 1 packet Rose Syrup
• 2 tsp Rose Essence
• 1/2 cup Almonds (crushed roughly)
• 1/2 cup Pistachios
• 1 cup Vermicelli
   
How to make Falooda Ice Cream:

• In a water content vessel soak the vermicelli seeds.
• At low heat simmer the milk in a vessel and stir it to a condensed form.
• Put the vessel aside to cool it down and later mix rose essence to it.
• Pour water into a vessel and add the vermicelli then at low temperature simmer it for 10 minutes.
• Once the vermicelli becomes tender and soft then strain it out by adding extra quantity of cold water.
• As per to the direction given in the packet prepare the rose syrup.
• Shift the rose concentrated syrup to a large bowl and add a cup of sweetened milk.
• Mix it properly before pouring it to cylindrical tall glasses.
• Decorate it with dollop of Falooda seeds and 4 strands of vermicelli.
• Top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and sprinkle of crushed nuts.
 
Suggestions: Serve it with wafer or strawberry.

Batata Vada

Batata Vada is a Maharashtrian dish in which besan is used to dip potato. Learn how to prepare Batata Vada by following this easy recipe.

Ingredients:
• 2 Cups besan 
• 3/4 lb Potatoes 
• 2 tbsp Grated coconut 
• 4 Onions, chopped finely 
• 4 Green chillies 
• 4 Cloves garlic 
• Sugar to taste 
• Juice of one lime 
• A few sprigs coriander leaves, chopped 
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds 
• A small piece ginger 
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder 
• 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder 
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds 
• A pinch of baking soda 
• Oil for deep frying 
• Water as required 
• Salt to taste

How to make Batata Vada:
• Cook potatoes into the Pressure cooker until soft.
• Peel and mash them, keep aside.
• Grind green chillies, garlic and ginger together to make a fine paste.
• Combine this paste, potato, onions, coriander leaves, sugar, lime juice and salt, mix well.
• Take a pan and heat a little oil and fry mustard seeds and curry leaves until the mustard crackles.
• Remove it from the heat and add it to the potato mixture.
• Take another bowl and combine besan, salt, cumin seeds, red chilli powder, baking soda, coconut, turmeric powder and little water in it, to make a thick batter.
• Add a tsp of hot oil to the batter.
• Make small balls from the potato mixture.
• Dip each ball in the batter and deep fry until golden brown.
• Serve hot batata vada with chutney or tomato sauce.

Sweet Kachori

Sweet Kachori is a traditional Maharashtrain recipe. Learn how to make/prepare Sweet Kachori by following this easy recipe.

Ingredients:


• For cover:

• 250 gm Plain flour

• 1 tbsp Corn flour

• 30 gm Ghee

For filling:

• 200 gm Khoya

• 50 gm Milk powder

• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg, cardamom, and cinnamon powder

For syrup:

• 250 gm Sugar

• 1 Cup water

• 1 Big pinch saffron

• Ghee for deep frying


How to make Sweet Kachori:

• Mix khoya, milk powder and other ingredients for filling.

• Take a big bowl and combine plain flour, corn flour and ghee.

• Using water, knead it to pliable dough. Now cover it with a wet cloth.

• Boil sugar and water to form syrup, add one tbsp of milk also.

• Boil until the syrup is slightly sticky between the fingers.

• Crush and add the saffron.

• Prepare 15 to 16 flat balls from the mixture.

• Divide the dough into 15 to 16 parts.

• Roll one ball into a puri and put one mixture ball in the centre.

• Pull up all the sides to seal the mixture, and press in the centre.

• Make 5 to 6 kachoris.

• Heat ghee and fry them on low flame until light brown, turning once.

• Repeat the process for remaining kachoris.

• Make a hole in the centre of each (approx. 2 cm diameter), when slightly cool.

• Pour half tbsp of syrup and roll kachori around to let the syrup spread.

• Allow to stand for about half an hour before serving.

Bharli Vangi

Bharli Vangi is a sweet and tangy Maharashtrian dish made with coconut and peanuts. Learn how to make Bharli Vaangi by following this easy recipe.

Ingredients:


• 6 small Brinjals

• 3 tsp Gur (grated)

• 3 tbsp Coconut (grated)

• 3 tsp Red Chilli powder

• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds

• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds

• ½ tsp Turmeric Powder

• 2 tbsp Tamarind Pulp

• Salt to taste

• Oil (as required)

For filling

• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds

• 2 tsp Coriander Powder

• 6 Cloves

• 6 Peppercorns

• 1 Cinnamon Stick

• 1 cup Onion (grated)

• ¼ cup Peanuts (roasted and powdered)


How to make Bharli Vangi:

• Put all the ingredients for the filling (cumin, coriander, cloves, cinnamon, grated onion, peanuts and peppercorns) in a mixer to make a fine paste.

• Heat a pan and put little oil. Add grated coconut, salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder and the paste and saute for a while. Take out the masala and keep it aside.

• Wash the brinjals and slit them lengthwise. Do not cut the stem.

• Rub the brinjals with salt and turmeric.

• Stuff the masala (filling paste) in each of the brinjals.

• Take a pan and heat oil in it. Add cumin and mustard seeds.

• When the seeds splutter, add the stuffed brinjals.

• Cover it with a lid and let the brinjals cook over low heat.

• When the brinjals become soft, add little water.

• Now add the tamarind and jaggery water into it. (Tamarind pulp and grated jaggery mixed in 1 cup water).

• Sprinkle salt according to your taste and cook the brinjals till done.

• Garnish with chopped coriander and coconut.

• Serve hot with rotis or parathas

Almond Til Chikki

Almond Til Chikki made with til and almonds tastes great and is a healthy sweet rich in iron. Learn how to make/prepare Almond Til Chikki by following this easy recipe
.

Ingredients:


• 1/3 cup grated Gur (jaggery)

• 1/2 cup thinly-sliced Badam (almond)

• 1/4 cup Til (sesame seeds)

• 1½ tsp Ghee

How to make Almond Til Chikki:

• Take a tawa and heat it.

• Put the sesame seeds and roast them till they turn brown. Keep them aside and allow them to cool.

• Now put the sliced almonds in the tawa and roast them. Keep them separately.

• Take a separate pan or kadhai and heat the ghee in it.

• Add jaggery to the melted ghee and keep stirring till it melts and caramelizes.

• Now remove the melted jaggery from the flame and immediately add the roasted almonds and sesame seeds.

• Keep stirring so that the almond and sesame seeds properly get mixed with the jaggery.

• Now take a thali(plate) and grease it with ½ teaspoon ghee.

• Put the already prepared jaggery and til mixture on the thali and spread it evenly.

• Allow the mixture to cool and then cut it into square shapes.

• Store the yummy Almond Til Chikkis in an airtight jar.

Aamras

Ingredients:

• 4 cups Mango Flesh (cubed)
• ¼ tsp Saffron strands
• 2 cups Milk
• 1 cup Water
• 11/2 tbsp Sugar

How to make Aamras:

• In a microwave or stove top, heat the milk near boil. Crush the saffron strands, add it to the milk and let it stand for around 15 minutes.
• Use an electric blender, puree the mango flesh, water, milk and sugar.
• Add to it the saffron milk