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Doodh Pak

This recipe is made on Mahavir Janam Vanchan day.
2 litres fresh whole milk
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp basmati rice washed and soaked in water
1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
2-3 pinches saffron
1 1/2 tbsp. chopped almonds

Rinse a large heavy bottomed saucepan with cold water.
Pour in the milk. Put to boil, on high flame.
When it starts to boil, add drained rice.
Stir gradually till boiling resumes.
Dissolve crushed saffron in a tbsp. of warm milk or water.
Continue to boil milk till rice is done. Stir occasionally.
Press a grain between fingers to check.
Add saffron, chopped almonds and cardamom.
The milk should be thick enough to thickly coat back of a spoon.
Serve warm with puris

Making time: 45 minutes
Makes: 7-8 servings

SOONTH KI GOLI

INGREDIENTS:
1 tsp dry ginger powder
1 tsp peepramool powder
1 ½ tsp.jaggery grated
1 tsp ghee

METHOD:
Mix all ingredients well.
Gently knead into a dough.
Add more ghee if the mixture feels too dry.
Make small balls of this dough.
Served on breaking a fast.

Note: these balls are generally consumed so that they can keep away acidity and menstrual cramps in fasting periods.

Makes: 2-3 golis
Shelflife: 2-3 days
Making Time: 5 minutes

LUNCH:

MOONG KA SAAG

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup whole moong (green), washed
1/2 tsp. red chilli powder
1/2 tsp. dhania (coriander seed) powder
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. amchoor (dried mango) powder
1/2 tsp. cumin powder
1 pinch citric acid powder (or ½ tsp. lemon juice)
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. each mustard and cumin seeds
2-3 pinches asafetida powder
salt to taste
2 tbsp. ghee or oil

METHOD:
Pressure cook moong beans with ½ cup water for 3-4 whistles.
Allow steam to escape cooker, then remove.
Beans should be whole but soft on pressing.
Drain any excess water into a cup, keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan, add seeds, asafetida, allow to splutter.
Add chillies, turmeric, with drained water.
Add moong and all other ingredients.
Cover and simmer for 2 minutes.
Stir gently to blend flavours but not break the beans.
Take of fire, serve hot with rotis, khakras or papads.

Note: One may drizzle a tsp. of ghee on top of ready vegetable for enhanced flavour.

Making time: 10 minutes (excluding pressure cooking time)
Makes: 2 servings
Shelflife: 1 day

Aate Ki Raab

1 1/2 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp wheat flour
1 cup water
1 1/2 cup milk
Sugar as per taste

Heat ghee in a pan
Add flour; roast flour stirring continuously, over low fire.
When flour is a light golden brown, and exudes strong aroma, add water.
Stir continuously to avoid lumps and bring to a boil
Add milk and sugar
Bring to boil and allow to boil for 2 minutes Serve piping hot

Making Time: 10-12 minutes
Shelflife: best fresh
Makes: 3 servings

Masala Khaman

1 1/2 cup rice
1/2 cup urad dal
1 1/2 cup curd
1/2 tsp dry green chilli powder
1 tsp eno (fruit salt)
2 tbsp oil
Salt as per taste
For Seasoning:
1 1/2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt as per taste

Mix the rice and dal, wash, drain and dry on a clean cloth for a few hours.
The grain should be completely dry.
Grind to a coarse flour in dry grinder or at the flour mill.
This flour should be like very fine sooji in texture.
The flour can be made in advance
Make buttermilk of the curd by adding required water
Add buttermilk to the mixture, and mix well.
Keep- aside for 4-5 hours.
Add green chilli powder and salt
Dissolve fruit salt the oil. Add to batter.
Pour immediately in a 6" diam. greased plate.
Steam over water either in a cooker or steamer.
Pierce knife, and check, should come out clean if done; take approx 12-15 min
Cut into squares or diamonds
Heat oil in a deep pan
Add mustard seeds and allow to splutter
Add red chilli powder and turmeric and salt
Put the khaman pieces in it
Toss it well; so the masalas come on the khaman
Keep it on gas on slow flame for 5 minutes;
stirring occasionally
Serve hot

Making time:15 minutes(excluding flour grinding and fermenting time)
Makes: 12-14 pieces


Patoondhri Thins

Method:
1. Spoon a ladleful of mixture in centre of a large plate.
2. Spread in circular motion towards edges, thinning evenly.
3. If required, wipe out excess mixture with edge of your palm, to give a thin even finish. Do this only while hot, or the texture will spoil.
4. Cool, cut into strips, roll like swiss rolls.
5. Or cut into 3 squares, or cut into rounds with inverted steel cup or lid, and pile up. Serve as is, or seasoned with tadka and garnished with coconut and coriander.

DINNER:

SESAME PURIS

INGREDIENTS
3 cups wheat flour
3 tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1 tbsp. ghee
1 tbsp. curds
salt to taste
warm water for kneading
ghee to deep fry

METHOD:
Sieve salt and flour together.
Add pepper powder and 1 tbsp sesame seeds Add ghee and curds and mix well.
Add warm water little by little to knead dough.
Make a soft pliable dough.
Keep covered with a moist cloth for 10 minutes.
Make small apricot sized balls.
Sprinkle sesame seeds over all balls.
Sprinkle 2 tbsp dry flour also.
Toss balls to coat evenly.
Roll into thick puries (4"diam. or as desired) some at a time.
Deep fry in hot ghee.
Allow to puff up, flip and fry other side till light golden.
Drain and serve hot and puffed.
Serve hot or cold with hot or chilled dhoodh pak

Making time:40 minutes
Makes:30-35 puries
Shelflife:2-3 days

Moong Pani

1/2 cup green gram whole
2 pinches citric acid or 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
2 pinches asafoetida
Salt to taste
1 tsp. ghee
1/4 tsp. cumin seeds
3 cups water

1. Wash, pressure cook gram till very soft and mushy in 1 cup water. Will require approx. 5 whistles.
2. Remove and mash coarsely with back of spoon.
3. Heat ghee in a pan, add seeds to splutter.
4. Add asafoetida, cooked moong and all other ingredients.
5. Bring to a boil, simmer for 2 mins.
6. Serve hot.

Making time: 10 minutes (excluding pressure cooking time)
Makes: 3 servings
Shelflife: Best fresh, but can be refrigerated and reused

Moong Sabzi

1/2 cup moong
1 tbsp. ghee
1/4 tsp. cumin & mustard seeds
2-3 pinches asafoetida
3/4 tsp. chilli powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/4 tsp. dhania (coriander seed) powder
3-4 pinches citric acid or lemon to taste
Salt to taste

1. Pressure cook moong to 4-5 whistles.
2. Drain and keep aside.
3. Save the nutritious water for stock or above recipe.
4. Heat ghee in a heavy pan, add seeds, allow to splutter.
5. Add asafoetida, chillies and 1/4 cup water.
6. Add moong and all other ingredients.
7. Allow to simmer for 3-4 minutes, covered.
8. Serve hot with chapati, paratha or rice.

Making time: 10 minutes (excluding pressure cooking time)
Makes: 3 servings
Shelflife: Best fresh, but can be refrigerated and reused.

Pathod with Variation

1 cup gram flour
1- 1/2 cups thick butter milk
1 tsp. red chilli powder
Salt to taste
4-5 pinches turmeric
2 pinches asafoetida
Water if required

1. Add all ingredients in a heavy pan, stir to mix well.
2. Cook, stirring continuously, not allowing it to stick at the bottom.
3. If it feel too much like a lump, add some water.
4. It is done when the mixture does not have the taste of raw flour on tasting.
5. The mixture should be like a very thick spoonable paste.
6. It must be used while very hot, to form pathod cubes, or patoondhri thins.

Pathod Sabzi Cubes

Method:
1. Spoon mixture into a plate, spread with back of spoon to form a thick round.
2. Cool well, before cutting.
3. Cut into 1 squares for pathod in curd gravy.
4. Cut into 1/2 squares for dry pathod or with peas.

Making time: 15-20 minutes
Makes: Above recipe will make approx. 20 thins or 3 cups big cubes or 2 cups small cubes.
Shelflife: Best fresh


Pathod In Curd Gravy

Ingredients:
1 basic recipe (make cubes of 1/2 mixture, cool the rest as it is)
1/2 cup curds
1 cup butter milk
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1/2 tsp. dhania (coriander seed) powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
Salt to taste
3-4 tsp. asafoetida
1/2 tsp. each cumin & mustard seeds
2 tbsp. oil
2 cups water
1 tbsp. coriander leaves finely chopped (optional)

Method:
1. Mix all dry masalas in 1/2 cup water.
2. Beat curds till smooth.
3. Add buttermilk to the cooled uncubed mixture.
4. With hand or ladle break into tiny lumps and mix.
5. Heat oil in pan, add seeds allow to splutter.
6. Add asafoetida, masala water, stir.
7. Add curds, stir continuously, till whiteness is gone.
8. Add reamining water, pathod buttermilk mixture, mix well till it boils.
9. Simmer till gravy is not watery thin, and oil floats on top.
10. Add pathod pieces, simmer for 1 minutes. 11. Garnish if desired.
12. Serve hot with parathas or rice.

Dry Pathod Sabzi

Ingredients:
1 recipe small pathod cubes (above)
1 tsp. fenugreek seeds (boiled as in methi papad sabzi)
1 stalk curry leaves (optional)
1 stalk mint leaves finely chopped (optional)
1 tsp. coriander leaves finely chopped (optional)
1/2 cup peas boiled (optional)
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1/2 tsp. dhania powder
3-4 pinches turmeric powder
2-3 pinches asafoetida
2 pinches citric acid or juice of 1/4th lemon
1/4 tsp. cumin & mustard seeds
1 tbsp. oil

Method:
1. Heat oil in heavy pan, add seeds, allow to splutter.
2. Add curry leaves if desired.
3. Add asafoetida, and all other ingredients.
4. Mix gently, cover and cook on low for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Take care not to break pathod cubes while stirring.
6. Garnish and serve hot, with chapati.

Making time: 10 minutes
Makes: 2-1/2 cups approx.
Shelflife: 3-4 hours

Note: Adjust masalas accordingly, if you are going to add peas.