Chirote

Ingredients
1 cup = 250 ml
1 cup all purpose flour / maida
1/8 cup melted ghee/clarified butter (30 ml)
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
ghee/oil for deep frying

Rice flour paste
4 tbsp ghee
2 1/2 tbsp rice flour

Method :

 In a mixing bowl, add maida, hot melted ghee and milk and knead the dough. Cover and leave the dough aside for 20 mins.
Divide the dough into 6 equal balls and roll each of them like a chapati/tortilla. The tortilla / chapati should be thin and almost of the same size.

Now make the rice flour paste, add melted ghee to the rice flour and make the paste.
Chirote has layered texture, for which we need to use 3 chapatis or tortillas at a time.
 Take 1 chapati, spread the rice flour paste. Place the second chapati on top of it, again apply the paste and place the third one.
 Now roll tightly from one side and paste the opposite end firmly with the rice flour paste.
Similarly do for the next 3 chapatis, you need to be really quick as the rice flour mixture would start thickening and you cannot heat it again as the rice flour will get cooked. You can make this mixture twice, if you think you will not be able to paste the chapatis quickly.Leave the rolls aside for a while, so that the melted ghee thickens and the chapatis would stay together firmly.Once the ghee thickens, cut the rolls into 1 inch pieces.
Now one way is to roll the pieces with the plain sides up and the second way would be to roll lightly with the swirled side up.
I prefer the second way as the chirotes look good using that method. All you need to do is place the swirl side up and gently roll the pieces, so that you can see the layers.In a kadai heat enough oil or ghee for deep frying, once the oil is hot reduce the heat to medium.Deep fry the chirotes until golden brown and drain on absorbent paper.Immediately sprinkle 3-4 pinch of powdered sugar on it. Since the chirota is still hot, it will absorb the sugar powder easily.

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Besan Shev / Sev

Ingredients : 

• 1 cup besan ( chickpea flour)
• 3 cup rice flour  
• 1/2 stick butter melted 
• 3 tbsp cumin coriander powder 
• Pinch of asafoetida 
• 1 tbsp red chilli powder
• Salt to taste  
• Water to knead dough
• Oil to fry sev

Method : 

Mix besan, rice flour, cumin coriander powder, asafoetida, red chilli powder and salt. Add melted butter to the mixture and mix well. Start adding water to form a dough. Consistency of the dough should be like chapati dough. Make sure the consistency is right. Heat oil for frying. Add dough to sev maker and start forming sev in the oil. Deep fry the sev on medium high heat until they turn crispy and golden brown. Let the sev come to room temperature before storing them.

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Crispy Chapati Rolls

Ingredient :

• 1 Cup Gram flour (Besan)
• 1/2 Tsp Ajwain
• 1 Tsp Dhania-jeera Powder ( Cumin and Dry Coriander powder)
• 1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1-2 Tsp Sesame Seeds
• A pinch of Baking Powder
• A pinch of Asafoetida(Hing)
• 1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves
• Salt to Taste
• Water.
• Oil for Frying 

 
Method :
In bowl take gram flour and add all above ingredients to it and mix it up well.

 Now add water little by little to make a thick paste or mixture.

Now take a chapati and spread the made mixture over it .

Then place second chapati on it, spread mixture on it again , place third chapati on it and again spread the mixture.

Now Roll this layer of 3 chapaties tightly into a roll and seal the edges with little water.

Steam cook this roll for 10 minutes.

Let it cool for 15 minutes Then cut the roll horizontally.

Heat oil in kadai and deep fry rolls on medium flame.Serve with Tomato Ketchup.

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Popcorn

Ingredients :

• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1 cup of popcorn (kernels, un-popped)
• 1 tsp Butter
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder

Method :
In a medium pan pour the tablespoon of oil and heat over medium heat.

When oil is hot, put salt and turmeric powder and throw in popcorn.  Make sure all of the kernels are touching the bottom of the pan .

Cover the pan and wait until you hear kernels start to pop.  Once they start, grab the pan with one hand and grab an oven mitt or towel and hold down the lid.

Pick up the pan and start to shake until all for a few moments.  Return pan to the stove and repeat a few times. It takes some coordination, but it’s way easy and this way you won’t have any unpopped kernels and the popcorn won’t be burnt. When the popcorn is done, turn off the heat and serve hot.  

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Gobi Lollipop

Ingredients :

• Cauliflower florets with long steam- 14 piece
• 1/4 cup Maida/ All purpose flour
• 1/4 cup Corn flour
• 2 tbsp Rice flour
• 1 tbsp Ginger and Garlic paste
• 1 tsp Red chilli powder
• 1 tsp Lemon juice
• A pinch of Ajinomoto
• A pinch of Cooking soda/ Baking soda
• Little Red food color ( optional)
• Salt to taste
• Water as required
• Oil to deep fry. 

Method :

 

Add cauliflower florets to the boiling water and cook until half done. Drain the half cooked cauliflower florets, pat dry and set aside.

 

 

In a bowl combine ginger and garlic paste, red chilli powder, lemon juice, ajinomoto, red food color. Mix everything well and to this mixture add maida flour, cornflour, rice flour, cooking soda, salt and few tbsp water. 

Again mix everything well to get smooth and lump free batter( like bajji/ pakora batter). 

 

Heat oil in a pan to deep fry, when oil is hot take a cauliflower floret, hold the long stem and dip completely in prepared batter and drop it into hot oil. 

 

Do the same with rest of cauliflower florets and deep fry them until crispy and golden brown. 

 

Cover the cauliflower florets long stem with foil paper and serve hot.

 

 

 

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Instant Methi Corn Aappe

Ingredients :

• 2 Cup Sweet Corn
• 1 Cup Rawa
• 2 Green Chillies
• 1/2 Cup Methi Leaves ( Fenugreek )
• 1/2 Cup Coriander Leaves
• 1/4 Spoon Garlic Paste
• Pinch of Eno
• Salt to taste

Method
In a mixie, crush together green chilies and corn till smooth paste.Add salt, rawa, garlic paste in it and mix. Add finely chopped methi leaves and coriander leaves to this mixture and mix.Add Eno and if required little water and make batter by mixing well.

Heat the aappe pan and sprinkle drop of oil in the pan and pour in spoon of batter in each appe cup.

Cook the appe till they become brown, flip and let it cook till the other side browns too, serve hot with coconut chutney or tomato sauce.

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Kothimbir Wadi

Yet one more favorite Maharashtrian snack is the Kothimbir Vadi. Kothimbir is the Marathi word for coriander leaves.

Ingredients:
1/2 packed cups Coriander Leaves, finely chopped 
1 cup Gram Flour/Besan
3-4 Green Chillies, finely chopped 
4-5 Garlic cloves, finely chopped

¼ cup roasted crushed peanuts
1 Tsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Oil
Salt to Taste
1-2 Cup or as required Water

Method:

Heat Pan/ Kadai.Add oil and wait till it gets heated.Now add chopped garlic and green chillies to it.

Add water, Sugar and Salt .Once it boils add gram flour, crushed peanuts and chopped coriander leaves and stir vigorously.
 

 If you stop stirring lumps can be formed.Stir until mixture becomes thick.Mixture should become nicely thick.It will take approx 8-10 min.

 

  

Grease one plate  with oil and pour batter into it. Spread it evenly. Let it cool properly before you un-mould it.

 Cut it into desired shapes. Now you can either serve it as it is or continue with next step.

Heat oil in a pan and Shallow or Deep Fry on both sides till they turn golden brown and crisp.
Serve these Kothimbir Vadis as snacks with any chutney or tomato sauce or as side dish with Rice and Dal and enjoy. 

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Sabudana Thalipeeth

Sabudana (Sago) is a popular item used in Maharashtrian cooking, especially during "upavaas/vrat".

Ingredients :

• 1/2 cup sabudana - rinse in cold water 2/3 times, drain and keep aside for 1-2 hrs
• 1 large russet potato - boiled, peeled and mashed
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp crushed peanuts (unsalted)
• 1/4 tsp Green Chilli Paste
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp sugar or to taste
• 2-3 Drops of Lemon Juice
• Chopped cilantro

Method :

Mix all the ingredients well. Divide into about large lemon sized balls. Flatten each on a plastic bag with your finger tips till you get a disc shape. Make a hope in the center. Transfer gently to a medium hot non-stick pan and roast with a few drops of oil or ghee till golden brown on both sides.

Serve hot with coconut chutney or Curd.

 

 

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