My experiments and experiences with cooking vegetarian food

Sunday 31 December 2017

Maadichi kaapa


Maadi is root vegetable, it is also called Colocasia. In Marathi it is called ‘alu bhaji cha kand’. Kaap or Kaapa is a term generally used in Goan households to describe Rava (Semolina) fried dishes. This is a proper Goan side dish. The cooking time is about 30 minutes. You can get these Maadi in November – December season mostly in Goa.


Ingredients

Maadi 1 foot long
Semolina 1 cup
Hing / Asafoetida2 pinch
Haldi / Turmeric powder1/4 teaspoon
Chilli powder1/2 teaspoon
Salt1 1/2 teaspoon
Tamarind pulp2 teaspoon
Oil for shallow frying


This recipe can be used to make about 10 kaapa, depending on the size of Maadi.


Steps

  • Pro Tip - When you cut Maadi you may feel itchy so do not cut with wet hands. If you feel itchy you can rub some tamarind on hands.

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  • First cut Maadi in to half.

half madi

  • Peel skin off and cut it in to circle shape pieces of about half inch in size.

peeled madi

  • With the help of spoon put all piece in to strainer and wash under running water to avoid itching.
  • Mix tamarind pulp and salt in a bowl and then add all the Maadi pieces in it.

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  • Marinate nicely with the help of spoon and keep it aside for 5 minutes. When you marinate these Maadi pieces, the itching will stop.
  • Now we will make semolina mixture.
  • Mix the Semolina, Chilli powder, Turmeric powder, Salt and Hing.

Semolina mixture

  • Keep pan for heating .
  • Take one by one piece of Maadi and roll it in to Semolina mixture evenly.

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  • Put one tablespoon oil in pan and spread it and arrange all pieces. Put 2 to 3 tablespoon of oil all over the pieces and cover it for 3-4 minutes on medium flame.

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  • After 3-4 minutes remove the lid and check if the bottom part has become brownish.  Flip the kaap and keep again 3-4 minutes on low flame without the lid.

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  • To check kaap is done or not you can poke with tip of knife or spoon until it becomes soft and brown from both sides.
  • When its done remove kaap in plate and they are ready to serve. The crispy kaap goes along nicely with rice during lunch or dinner.

Saturday 30 December 2017

final dish

Gajar or Carrot Halwa is a popular Indian sweet. It is quite easy to make and takes about 45 minutes to cook. It is one of the healthiest and delicious dish.

Ingredients

Carrot1 kg
Sugar250g
Ghee50g
Milk100ml
Cardamom powder1/4 teaspoon
Saffron2 pinch
Raisins8-10 pieces
Cashews and Almonds8-10 pieces

This recipe serves about 8 to 10 people.

Steps

  • Wash carrots nicely and let them dry. Peel and grate the carrots.
grated carrots
  • Take a thick bottom kadhai or pan. Heat the pan and add ghee. When the ghee becomes hot, add grated carrots and mix it well. Cover it for 15 minutes on low flame. Stir in between.
cover for 15 minutes
  • When the carrots become soft, add milk and cover it again for 5 more minutes on low flame.
add milk
  • Add Sugar and keep the gas on medium flame. Mix everything nicely to spread the sugar uniformly. Keep stirring in between to avoid mixture sticking to the pan.
sugar mixture
  • Add Saffron, Cardamom cashew nuts and Almonds (Badam) and stir well until the mixture becomes dry.
with sugarsaffron
dry halwa








When the complete mixture is dry, your Gajar (Carrot) Halwa is ready to serve. You can serve it cold or hot as per your choice. Controlling the heat is most important to get the best result.