Pav Bhaji

Ingredients:

8 pavs (squarish soft buns about 4" x 5" size)

butter to shallow fry.

For Bhaji

1 capsicum chopped fine

2 onions chopped fine

2 tomatoes chopped fine

2 1/2 cups chopped mixed vegetables (beans, carrots, cauliflower, potota, beans, bottle gourds, etc.) 

1/2 cup shelled peas

2 tbsp. butter

2 tsp. pavbhaji masala

1 1/2 tsp. chilli powder

1/4 tsp. turmeric powder

1/2 tsp. sugar

salt to taste

1 cup water (in which vegetables were boiled)

1/2 tsp. each ginger grated, garlic crushed

juice of 1/2 lemon.

To Garnish

1 tbsp. coriander chopped

1 onion chopped

small pieces of lemon

Method:

Pressure cook mixed vegetables and peas till well done.

Mash them coarsely after draining.

Heat butter in a pan.

Add ginger-garlice, capsicum, onion, tomatoes.

Fry for 2-3 minutes till very soft.

Add pavbhaji masala , chilli powder, turmeric, salt  and fry further 2-3 minutes.

Bring to boil.

Simmer till gravy is thick, stirring and mashing pieces with masala, in between.

Add lemon juice, stir.

Garnish with chopped coriander and a block of butter.

For Pavs

Slit pavs horizontally leaving one edge attached. (To open like a book).

Apply butter (as desired) and roast open on a griddle till hot and soft with the surface crisp on both sides.

Serve hot with bhaji, a piece of lemon and chopped onion.

Note: For jain avoid the use of onion, garlic and carrot.

   Instead of potato use raw banana.

Shrikhand

Ingredients:

1/2 kg. curds

300 gms. sugar

1/2 tsp. cardamom powder

few strands saffron

1/2 tbsp. pista & almond crushed

Method:

Tie curd in a clean muslin cloth overnight. (6-7 hours).

Take into a bowl, add sugar and mix.

Keep aside for 25-30 minutes to allow sugar to dissolve.

Rub saffron into 1 tbsp. milk till well broken and dissolved. Keep aside.

Beat well till sugar has fully dissolved into curd.

Pass through a big holed strong strainer, pressing with hand or spatula.

Mix in cardamom powder and dissolved saffron and half nuts.

Empty into a glass serving bowl, top with remaining nut crush.

Chill for 1-2 hours before serving.

Note: To make fruit flavoured shrikhand eg. mango, add pulp at the stage of adding cardamom and saffron.

A complete Jain Recipe

Potato in Curd Gravy

Ingredients:

3 medium. potatoes boiled and peeled
1 cup curd or yogurt beaten
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dhania powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/4 tsp. garam masala
2 pinches asafoetida
1 stalk curry leaves
1 tbsp. coriander leaves chopped
1 1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. each ginger, garlic grated
2 green chillies slit
1 tsp. each cumin, mustard seeds
1/4 tsp. wheat flour
1 tbsp. oil

Method:

Cut potatoes into big pieces. Mash 3-4 pieces fine with hand. Keep both aside.
Mix all the dry masala in 1/4 cup water.
Heat oil. Add the seeds (cumin and mustard). When they splutter, add ginger-garlic, chilli and curry leaves.
Add the masala mixture and fry for 2 minutes.
Add beaten curd and fry for 5 minutes or till the curd loses its whiteness. Stir continuously after adding curd.
Add the remaining water and all the potato and flour. Stir well.
Boil and simmer for 10 minutes or till gravy thickens
Garnish with chopped coriander.
Serve hot with thin wheat chappaties and rice.

Making time: 30 minutes.
Makes for: 5
Shelf life: Best fresh

Dahi chana

Ingredients:

1cup kale chane soaked in warm water for 2-3 hours
½ tsp gram flour (besan)
½ cup Yogurt (dahi)
½ tsp red chilly powder
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp cumin seeds
hing a pinch
salt to taste
oil

Method:

Cook soaked kale chane till done, Use a pressure cooker.
Drain water from kale chane.
Heat oil in fat bottom vessel .
Add cumin seeds and hing.
When they crackle add dahi and stir.
Add besan quickly and stir properly.
Add red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt.
Add kale chane in it.
Mix it properly and remove from heat.

Note: A complete jain recipe for paryushan festival.

Mirchi ka Salan

Ingredients:

Fresh big (medium thick) green chilies - 250 gms
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Kalonjee (onion seeds)- 1/2 tbs
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind pulp (ie soaked in water) - 1 small cup
Curry leaves 15
Fresh chopped coriander- 1/2 cup
Ginger garlic paste - big tbsp
Salt - according to taste
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 3/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbs
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Jeera powder - 1 tbs spoon
Til (sesame seeds)- 3/4 cup
Ground nut (moongphalli) - 1/2 cup
Fresh coconut grated - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Oil or ghee - 1 1/2 cup

Method:

1. Wash and cut the green chilies into 1 inch or little bigger pieces diagonally that is in diamond shape or ordinary shape. Add curry leaves to the chilies and keep aside.
2. Grind sesame seeds, ground nuts and coconut into fine paste and keep aside.
3. Heat oil or ghee in a fat bottom vessel, add mustard seeds, kalonjee and fenugreek seeds and saute for some time. Add the chilies and curry leaves, see that the chilies are well soaked in oil. If the oil seems to be less add some more oil and saute the chilies for few seconds and then add ginger garlic paste and keep stirring for 2 minutes.
4. Add chili powder, turmeric powder, jeera powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and salt according to taste and saute for 2 minutes.
5. Add the grounded paste (sesame seeds, coconut, ground nuts) and saute continuously so that the chilies are well coated with the paste and add 1 1/2 cup of water and keep stirring. (See that you don’t put lots of water and make the gravy very thin and watery. Gravy should be thick).
6. When the oil comes on top and the chilies are almost tender add the tamarind pulp (that is tamarind soaked in water for sometime), according to taste that is how sour you want and cook for 5 minutes and take out of flame. And garnish with fresh chopped coriander. Serve with hot parathas, plain rice or biryani.

Note: If You want a Jain recipe do not add ginger-garlic paste. And as Tamarind is said to be not good for health you can use lemon juice also but add it at the end when you had removed it from flame.