Solapur style mutton kheema balls | सोलापूर पद्धतीचे मटन खिम्याचे गोळे

During my school summer vacation I used to visit every year. My mausi used to make excellent 'kheemyache gole'. Those lazy summer vacations were about doing almost nothing - I used to hang out at my maushi's place and spent time with my elder sister. My mother and younger brother used to stay at my Aaji's place which was nearby. The afternoon's used to be super hot with the tar on top of the roads melting. Everyone used to just sleep off the heat. After 5pm it used to cool down and the town would come awake.

We saw at least a movie each year. Visited my Aajoba's garage to play in the oiled soil. We used to drink sugarcane juice at 'Poonekar Kamte' at Daffrin chowk. I used to go to the Kaljapur Maruti mandir with my Aaji. Sometime even to shop for groceries.

Sometime my cousins from Kolhapur used to also come down. Then it was a lot of activity. Aaji used to get a large basket of 'chokhi aamba' (small mangoes which we suck the juice out of) and all of us had a free hand. Then there was the ice-cream making activity. My youngest mama used to get the ice from the ice factory and then we used to put Aapus aamba and milk and sugar in the ice-cream maker and work it. It was a lot of fun and the ice-cream used to be awesome. We used to go the Park to eat pani poori and pav-chatni.

In the earlier years when I was younger my Aajoba had taken us on several drives to nearby places in one of the many cars he kept building at the garage.

This all happened till my grandparents were alive. My mother used to cry while leaving every year - as did my Aaji and Aajoba both. We used to head back in the Siddheshwar express which left at about 8:30pm. It reached Kurla at about 6am next morning. Then the auto ride to the campus ... and home!

By the time we got back the first rains would have turned the campus into a beautiful heavenly place.

Egg Curry Solapuri | मामीची सोलापुरी अंडा रस्सा

I made this egg curry under the instructions of my Mami in Solapur. Very tasty.

Kairas | Methamba | आईच्या हातचा कायरस | मेथाम्बा

I am so glad I recorded this video of Aai and I wish I had many more of these. Just to see her cook brings out the taste in my mouth.

Authentic Popti from Pen - पेण ची पोपटी

Egg dum biryani (अंडा दम बिर्यानी)

This will feed 6 Adults.

Ingredients.

1. Eggs 12
2. Basmati rice 3 cups
3. Onions 5 large
4. Tomatoes 3 large
5. Curds 3/4 cup
6. Garlic 10 cloves
7. Ginger 1 inch piece
8. Coriander stems
9. Coriander fresh-cut copious
10. Mint leaves copious
11. Bay leaf 2
12. Cloves 6
13. Black Cardimon 2
14. Star anise 1
15. Jayatri 1
16. Cinamon 1 inch pieces 2
17. Black peppercorns 10
18. Salt to taste
19. Cooking oil of choice and quantity
20. Cumin seeds
21. Red chilli powder
22. Tumeric powder
23. Garam Masala or Biryani Masala
24. Cashews 20-30
25. Manuka / Sultana / Rasins 20-30
26. Saffron about 10 threads
27. Milk 1/4 cup

Collect all the ingredients. 

Make a paste of the garlic, ginger and the coriander stems.

Fry the cashews and keep aside.

Warm the milk and soak the saffron in it.

Wash the rice in water; drain the water and keep on side.

Start cooking in an open cooker pot which can be sealed later.

Hard boil the eggs.

Cut all onion longitudinally. Fry 50% of the onions is sufficient oil on high heat till they become brown (caramelized).

Like this.

In the same oil put 1/2 the spices, cumin and the onions to cook on low heat.

Add the ginger garlic paste to the onions and cook for some time till onions are translucent.

Add the diced tomatoes and cook further. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder and the garam masala/biryani powder.

Put a pot of water to boil with the rest of the spices. Add the washed rice and let it come to a boil.

Cook till the tomatoes pieces disappear. Reduce flame completely and let the mixture cool a bit. Then add the curds and stir well.  Add salt to taste. Adjust with more chilli powder and masala powder if needed.

Once the rice is 80% cooked, drain the water. Add all the de-shelled eggs on top of the masala. Add 25% of the fried onions, 25% of the coriander and 25% of the mint leaves on top of the eggs. Add the rice on top evenly. Sprinkle the saffron milk on top of the rice. Sprinkle the cashews and raisins. Evenly spread the remaining mint leaves, coriander and fried onions on top.

Now put the cooker top with the whistle and turn the heat to very low. Let it have the 'dum' for 15 minutes.

Eat.

Bandga Curry Aagri style (बांगड्याचे कालवण)

Ingredients:
5 Bangda fish medium
8-10 garlic cloves
1 cup fresh grated coconut
6-8 Amsul (Kokum)
Kadipatta
2 Tablespoon Oil
8-10 red chillies
2 teaspoons whole dhana
2-3 teaspoons of aagri masala
salt

Procedure:
Soak red chillies and dhana in water for 30 mins
Grind the red chillies, dhana, 6 cloves of garlic with the fresh coconut.
Heat oil.
Add grated 2 cloves of garlic and saute till well done but not brown
Add ground mixture and saute for a couple of minutes
Add aagri masala and saute till the oil starts to seperate
Add the fish, amsul.  Add water to cover the fish and get desired consistency of the gravy.
Bring to boil and cook for a few minutes
Add salt to taste.

Valache bhirde (वालाचे भीर्डे)

Ingredients:
2 cups Vaal (Field Beans) (soaked and peeled)
1/2 cup ole khobre (fresh grated coconut)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoon lal tikhat (red chilli powder)
1/4 teaspoon halad (Turmeric)
4-8 amsul (Kolum)
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
2-3 teaspoon gul (Jaggery)
salt
fodni (tempering) material: jeera, mohori, hing, kadipatta
1 table spoon oil

Procedure:
Heat oil
Add mohori and let it crackle
Add hing, jeera kadipatta and stir
Add finely chopped onion and stir till slightly translucent (do not let it get brown)
Add vaal, lal tikhat, halad and garam masala. saute for a couple of minutes
Add warm water to fully cover the vaal (and a bit more) and bring to boil
Add ole khobre, gul and kokam and cook till vaal are cooked
Add salt to taste.


Based on recipe by Viraj's mom. Thanks Aunty.

Cauliflower in white gravy

Today I thought I will make some bhaji without the usual masalas. I have been cooking with chilli power and 'kala' masal for the past week .. gavari, dodki, tondli, batata and their various mixes. So this one was totally experimental. I did not refer to any recipe for tips. :) I had a box of coconut milk, so I decided to do this white. It turned out pretty OK. 7.5/10 from percy and 7.5/10 from me. We finished 12 fulkas and the whole bhaji in between the 3 of us - the third being PR who also liked it and probably will give it a 8/10. Because he ate his second dinner. :P

250 gm cut cauliflower
1 finely chopped onion (ground will also do, in retrospect)
2 teaspoonful ginger garlic paste
6 black peppers
1 clove
2 kokum
4 green chillies
100ml coconut milk.
a pinch of hing and salt to taste.

procedure is pretty simple:
heat oil in kadai
add hing
add the pepper and clove and let them crackle
add onion and saute for a couple of minutes
add ginger garlic paste and saute for a couple of minutes
add the slit chillies and the kokum and saute for couple of minutes
add salt to taste
add the chopped cauliflower, mix and cook for a minute or so
add a little water, cover and cook for a 5-10 minutes till flower done
taste, if all ok then you can remove the chillies and kokum, else leave it. It should be on the spicier side as we are yet to add coconut milk which is sweetish and will blunt the heat of the chilly.
add the coconut milk and let it simmer for a few minutes.

done. :)

Karela Fry Solapuri

Thin slices of Karela

You need:
4-6 tender karela's.
3-4 large onions, finely cut
kothimbir, lots
fresh scraped khobra of half a coconut
3-4 kokam pieces
Kala Tikhat (mixture of khada masala, garlic etc)


Scrape off lightly parts of the rough green outer covering
Cut thin slices, remove larger and harder seeds
Rub lots of (2-4 teaspoonfuls) salt on all the slices and leave for 30 minutes
Wash thoroughly 2-4 times, lightly squeezing the slices intermittently
Heat a largish quantity of oil, enough to fry/cook all the slices
Squeeze the water out of the slices and fry in oil on low-medium flame till they have reduced in sized and have become somewhat crispy.
get them out of the oil squeezing as much of the oil out as possible
add haldi and onions to remaining oil. add salt and cook till onions are pink
add the kala tikhat and the kokam and further cook till oil starts separating
Add the fried karela slices and cook on low flame till in reduces significantly in volume.
Add a little bit (1/2 - 1 teaspoon) of sugar, kothimbir and the coconut and cook for 2-4 minutes till all mixed.


nipra : 8/10
percy : 7.5/10
q : 8.5/10

I give it more because it was almost as good as what my mom makes. :) and it was a _lot_ of work.

Wanga Batata Rassa Bhaji, Solapuri

Cut each wanga (brinjal, baingan) into 8 longitudinal pieces
cut a couple of potatoes into small chunks
finely cut 2 onions (if you got 4-6 wangi and 2 potatoes)

take oil, heat.
put haldi, hing and let is mix
add onion and saute till soft
add salt and crushed garlic (to taste, I prefer 4-6 cloves)
saute a bit more
add 2 large spoons of kala masala (or if you dont have that, mixture of garam masala nd chili power)
add 2 chopped tomatoes and cook a bit till tomatoes give up the juice
add the wangi and batata and mix
add 4-6 large spoon fulls of crushed goundnut power
mix and cook for couple of minutes
add water and bring to boil and let it simmer till potatoes cook. wangi will cook before the potatoes. this is rassa bhaji so put water accordingly.

we ate it with rice. was not bad.

sorry, forgot the photo. :)

Bhendi Fry Kolhapuri

Bhendi-fry.jpg, originally uploaded by quasi's mobile.

Wash and dry the bhendi.
Cut thin slices of Bhendi
smash lots of garlic
take oil in kadhai and heat
put rai and jira till they crackle
add the garlic and lots of kadipatta and chopped green chillies
fry for little while
add bhendi and fry for 5-10 minutes on very low flame
bhendi will shrivel, become darker and reduce in volume.
sprinkle with ground nut power or fresh khobra scrapes
sprinkle kothimbir

eat!

q:8/10
percy:8/10
nipra:7/10

Photo was a left handed shot with slippery mobile while eating. :) Sorry.

Serious Observations of a Funny World

Tondli Batata

Tondli Batata, originally uploaded by quasi's mobile.

Tondli Batata
Slice (thin) the cleaned Tondli and Potatoes
Heat oil, add halad and one finely chopped onion and saute till onions pink
Add red chili powder and little 'goda' masala and salt to taste
Add potatoes and cook for 4-6 minutes
Add Tondli and one finely chopped tomato
Cook till well done (leave the tondli a little rare for crispiness)

Henjoy!

Nipra : 7/10
Percy : 8/10
Q : 7/10
Raju : 7.5/10

Serious Observations of a Funny World

Egg Curry Sholapuri

20090831-EggCurry.jpg, originally uploaded by quasi's mobile.

A meal well eaten.

Egg Curry and Fulka with a Tomato-Onion-Curd-Chilli Salad. All finished. Four happy souls.

Egg Curry Sholapuri
8 eggs hard boiled for 5 minutes
onion + dry coconut power fry-roasted in oil on a shallow pan till deep brown
above mixture when cool, ground together with ginger, garlic and coriander.
haldi and kala-masala sauted in oil quickly
ground mixtures cooked in this for 1-2 minutes
salt to taste
eggs and a little water added and cooked.

Salad
1 onion shredded
3 tomatoes shredded
2 green chillies finely chopped
200gms of curd.
salt to taste
all mixed well together


percy : 8.5/10
q : 8/10
nipra : 8.5/10

hehe

Serious Observations of a Funny World

Red Maggie

Red Maggie, originally uploaded by quasi's mobile.

Heat a little bit of oil.
Put an onion, finely chopped, in it and saute.
add Red chili powder to taste.
add 1 finely chopped beet, saute for some time
add dark soya to it and saute for a minute
add a little bit of water and cook for some time
add more water for 2 maggies
add 2 maggie masala sachets and bring to boil
add the noodles from the two packets
cook till well done

RED MAGGIE !

Nipra gave it 8/10

Serious Observations of a Funny World