Veg Kolhapuri Recipe

Veg Kolhapuri is a Maharashtrian spicy vegetable dish that comes from Kolhapur, Maharashtra. Kolhapur is famous as a historic city as well as for growing hot red chilies. This spicy red curry with plenty of vegetables is made using a blend of Indian spices along with coconut and red chilies. These spices are roasted to release its oil and enhance the flavor to the dish. I have prepared this curry using combination of vegetables such as Cauliflower, Carrots, Green Beans, Capsicum, and Peas. You can also substitute Potatoes, Pumpkin, and Paneer with any vegetable. Boiled vegetables are cooked in thick and spicy gravy made using onion, tomatoes, along with ginger and garlic. And to give the authentic taste, Kolhapuri masala is added which makes the dish aromatic. This is super spicy vegetable curry so you can reduce the red chili if you want the curry to be mild. Veg Kolhapuri is served in restaurants all over India with Naan, plain paratha, or rice as main course. This recipe is little time consuming but once you have your vegetables and Kolhapuri Masala ready, it will be made in very less time. So let’s not wait and see the ingredients and a detailed recipe of Veg Kolhapuri.

Ingredients for Veg Kolhapuri:
100 gm Cauliflower
100 gm Capsicum
50 gm Chopped Carrots
50 gm Green Peas
25 gm French Beans
½ Cup Onion finely chopped
½ Cup Tomatoes finely chopped
¼ Cup Chopped Coriander Leaves
½ Cup Cashews
2 Tbsp Refined Oil
½ Tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1 Dried Red Chili
1 Bay Leaf
1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder
Salt as per requirement

Ingredients for the Kolhapuri Masala:
½ Cup tightly packed Grated Coconut
2 Dried Red Chili
½ Tsp Poppy Seeds
½ Tsp Cumin Seeds
¼ Tsp Fennel Seeds
1 Tsp Coriander Seeds
1 Medium Black Cardamom Pod/ Green Cardamom Pod
½ inch Cinnamon Stick
3 Black Pepper
2 Cloves

Method for Kolhapuri Masala:

1. Heat a nonstick pan and dry roast coconut powder and keep it aside in a plate.

2. Now using the same pan, dry roast the remaining ingredients of the Kolhapuri Masala.

3. Add dried red chili, poppy seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and black pepper to the pan. Roast on medium heat till you get a nice aroma. Keep tossing the spices to give it a quick stir.

4. Once the spices cool a bit, grind them to a fine powder along with grated coconut.

5. Kolhapuri Masala is ready for this dish. You can double the quantity of dry spices and make the masala for your next use.

Method of Veg Kolhapuri :

1. Wash and chop cauliflower and capsicum. Cut carrots and french beans lengthwise.

2. Boil cauliflower, carrots, french beans, and green peas with little salt for 5-6 minutes. The vegetables should be half cooked and not get mushy. You can also steam the vegetables.

3. Now strain the boiled vegetables and keep them side.

4. Grind the cashews into a fine paste by grinding it with some water.

5. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add bay leaf and dry red chili.

6. Now add chopped onions and saute till it turns translucent. Also add ginger garlic paste and give it a nice stir.

7. Add in the tomatoes and cook till they get soft and mushy. Once the tomatoes are cooked add capsicum and saute for a minute.

8. Put the prepared Kolhapuri Masala and turmeric powder into the pan and mix well. Saute well till the oil separates from the masala.

9. Add in cashew paste and stir well.

10. Now add all the half cooked veggies and salt. Mix it well and cook for 2-3 minutes.

11. Mix in one cup water and let the gravy simmer for 10-12 minutes.

12. Garnish Veg Kolhapuri with coriander leaves and serve hot with Naan, Paratha or Rice.

Check out our recipes of Paneer Butter Masala, Chole Bhature, Palak Paneer, Kathiyawadi Sev Tomato.

Nuts and Coconut Stuffed Balushahi – GGDiwaliContest Winner Recipe

Hey girls, are you waiting for the Diwali Contest Winner Recipe and very much desperate to know the winner of the contest. Finally, the wait is over! Here is our winner recipe from New Delhi. Yes, Payal Mishra from New Delhi is the winner of GG Diwali Contest who had shared her innovation by combining two typical Diwali special sweets in one and made as simple Stuffed Balushahi with the stuffing of Ghughra also known as Gujiya, a Gujarati sweet prepared only at the time of Diwali.

Balushahi is a very famous sweet served also as a dessert in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. This is famous in Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana and also it is famous as Badusha in Kerela, Tamil Nadu, Andhara Pradesh. This sweet seems like a sugar coated doughnut but is different in its taste. It is prepared with mainly three ingredients and that is all purpose flour, clarified butter, and sugar for the outer cover. Apart from these ingredients, the stuffed Balushahi needs Mawa – whole dried milk, cashews, almonds, semolina, and coconut to make the stuffing.

Stuffed Balushahi has a long process but a unique item to serve as a dessert. This sweet is famous in Rajbhog or Chappan bhog to serve a huge thali to the deity during festivals.  This is also one of the sweet dishes in Gujarati, Rajasthani, Bangali thali in Indian Cuisine. This is served hot as after cooling the sugar syrup which is covered on it gets dried. But the sweet lovers also love the cool one as it gets dry dessert and easily packed while travelling.

So, here goes the recipe. Hope you like it and make it during the festival of Diwali and do share it with your loved ones.

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 cup all purpose flour

2 tbsp clarified butter

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

Water as required

Stuffing:

200 gm Mawa-Whole dried milk

3 tbsp Powdered Sugar

2 tbsp Semolina

2 tbsp Grated Coconut

1 tbsp Chopped Cashews

1 tbsp Chopped Almonds

¼ tsp Cardamom Powder

Sugar Syrup:

1 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Water

¼ cardamom powder

Pinch of Saffron

Method:

1. First take all purpose flour, clarified butter, baking soda and salt in a vessel and mix it properly with hand.
2. Now gently prepare soft dough and cover it with wet cloth for 20 minutes.
3. Roast semolina and coconut separately in a nonstick pan and keep it aside.
4. Crumble the whole dried milk and sauté it in a non-stick pan at medium flame.
5. After two to three minutes you will get the aroma of whole dried milk.
6. Add chopped cashews, almonds, coconut and semolina and powdered sugar into it.
7. Mix all the ingredients well and keep it aside to cool.
8. Prepare sugar syrup by keeping sugar and water to a boil at medium flame.
9. Till the time syrup gets ready make small balls of the Mawa stuffing.
10. Your syrup must be half boiled so you can add cardamom powder and saffron into it.
11. Remember the sugar consistency should be of 2 threads.
12. Now take the dough and prepare small puri’s and cover it with wet cloth so it does not get dried.
13. Time for stuffing the puri’s. Put the Mawa stuffing balls inside the puri and cover it properly from the top and slightly press it the middle from the finger. Do it with all the puri’s.
14. Deep fry your stuffed puri at medium flame and you will see it turns into light brownish in color. Flip it and cook on the other side too.
15. As the color changes take out the stuffed puri and dip into the sugar syrup.
16. Your Stuffed Balushahi is ready to serve.
17. Take out the Balushahi with the help of small spoon and arrange in your serving plate.
18. Garnish it with grated almonds and cashew nuts.

Congratulations Payal for winning the #GGDiwaliContest and we are delighted to feature your recipe on GirlsGlamour!!! Some other contestants whose recipes we liked were Dates Laddoo by Sheetal P, Coconut Barfi by Aabha Sharma, Sabudana Kheer by Tejaswi Challapu, Chocolate Broken Wheat Kheer by Arathi Raghuveer.  Thanks to all the participants.

A very Happy Diwali to you all.

 

 

 

Methi Laddoo

Methi (Fenugreek) Laddoo or Methi Pak is a sweet delicacy made during winters. This laddoo is consumed early morning on empty stomach and that too in moderation. One laddoo a day keeps you going all day. Methi along with other Ayurvedic medicines gives warmth to the body during winter months. Methi also helps to control blood sugar level, lowers cholesterol, helps in digestion, gives energy, strengthens bones and helps increase milk production in lactating women. Women suffering from severe back pain consume this Methi Pak once the temperature starts to go down. Methi (Fenugreek) is bitter in taste, so to balance its taste Jaggery is added with almonds, dry coconut, edible gum, and with some other Ayurvedic medicines to make this healthy yet delicious medicine. Make this vasanu and get the maximum health benefits from it.

Ingredients:

• 125 gms Fenugreek Powder (Methi Powder)
• 75 gms Chickpea Flour (Besan)
• 200 gms Jaggery
• 250 gms Ghee (Clarified Butter)
• 50 gms Almond
• 25 gms Dry Grated Coconut
• 25 gms Dry Ginger Powder
• 25 gms Peepramul Powder (Ayurvedic Medicine)
• 25 gms Batrisu Powder (Katlu) – Ayurvedic Mix herbs
• 25 gms Gond / Edible Gum
• 25 gms Poppy Seeds (KhusKhus)

Method:

• Dry roast Almonds for two minutes in a low flame and keep it aside.
• Now dry roast Poppy seeds for two minutes and that too keep aside.
• Now heat two tablespoons of ghee in a pan at low flame and fry Edible gum until they puff up and change its color to light golden brown. Let the fried gum cool aside.
• Now add 4-5 tbsp of ghee in the same pan.
• Add besan (Chickpea Flour) and cook it at a low flame until it changes color and gives nice aroma. Keep stirring as chickpea burns easily.
• Now coarsely grind roasted almonds and fried edible gum separately.
• Now take a big mixing bowl. To it add methi powder, dry ginger powder, peepramul powder, batrisu, poppy seeds, grated coconut, and coarsely ground roasted almonds and edible gum.
• Mix well all the ingredients.
• Heat remaining ghee in a pan over medium flame and add jaggery to it. Stir it continuously until jaggery melts.
• Once the jaggery melts, add the roasted chickpea mixture to it and stir it. Switch off the heat, as you might overcook the jaggery.
• Now, add all the dry mix (methi powder, dry ginger powder, peepramul powder, batrisu, poppy seeds, grated coconut, and coarsely ground roasted almonds and edible gum) to jaggery and stir it nicely, so that jaggery incorporates well with other dry mixes.
• Now make Laddoo by greasing your hand with ghee and rolling into round balls.
• Alternatively, you can pour this mixture into a greased plate and cut it into pieces once it cools.

Methi Laddoo or Methi Pak can be stored at room temperature for about 30-40 days in an airtight container. If you want to make it for your kids, try adding just a little Methi powder to reduce the bitterness and add more nuts like cashews, walnuts, pistachios to make it richer.

 

Handicrafts made of Coconut Shell.

Coconut in Hindu culture is considered very auspicious and used in every traditional ritual. Before entering the new house or during a Hindu marriage ceremony, coconut is put in ‘Havan Agni’ (fire) for ‘Grah Shanti Pooja’ (Prayer performed to make peace with the planets). Coconut is also broken while performing the prayer of the new car. Before starting any new business or venture a coconut is broken. Whenever starting or buying anything new and big coconut is broken and offered to offering to God as it is called as ‘Sriphal’ – God’s fruit. Breaking a coconut signifies that any obstacles may be broken and can be easily conquered. In this belief you smash a coconut. So coconut is high in its traditional values. Also coconut in itself yields high economic value too.

This plant belongs to Palm family and almost found in tropical region. Everyone knows that coconut is utilized daily in southern part of India. Coconut water, coconut kernel, coconut oil, shell, fibrous coir, every part of coconut is used in various purpose in southern India. In rituals, health  and beauty products, and cooking purpose its utilization is seen throughout India. Coconut shell and fiber are considered in their everyday waste. Its shell and husks are burned to repel mosquitoes. But, many artists made their mind to create something new from this waste and reuse shell in a very decorative way.

Artists use their creativity to convert this hard shell into decorative pieces. This art of making decorative items from coconut shell is practiced in Kerala of India at higher level. Coconut shell craft is also practiced in other states of India like Goa, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and in Andaman and Nicobar Islands but it is very popular in Kerala, as Brass Broidered products are made here which includes cups, earrings, buttons, flower vases, lunch boxes, lamp stands, hanging lamps, decorative wall pieces by the artists. Coconut shell buttons are also made which are very famous in various countries.

In this craft, coconut shell is first removed and then cleaned properly. Then artists draw the design on it. This design is then cut with cutting tool and the cutting task is completed by finishing the edges of design by sand paper or filer. An artist while making vase will attach cutting pieces of shell to give proper look at the top and bottom. To make cup he will attach handle to the cup, hook on hanging pieces and likewise decorative items are ready with their shape. Once done with the designing, it’s time to paint. The pieces are painted with different colors to match the design. And to give some extra touch,  mirror pieces or other decorative items are glued on it. This is how artist’s skills design beautiful and useful items.

In making broidered products artists requires great efforts as the shell is extremely hard like wood. Totally removing fibers is not easy task but it is cleaned with different rubbing tools. Artists also use sand paper to clean the fibers. Three eye of coconut is also used to fit hangings for hanging pieces. Recently ‘Brass broidered coconut shell craft‘ of Kerala is registered by the Government of India. This craft is not only famous in Indian culture but it is also practiced in many countries around the world such as Sri Lanka, Mexico, Maldives, Thailand and Columbia.

In a city ‘Morbi’ of Gujarat in India ‘Prafful Chandra Dave’ retired ST worker without having the knowledge of this craft made 250 items of Coconut Shell. He was unknown about his creativity which is now a part of his success. He first made boat for his daughter then animals shape pieces frog, tortoise, different flower and plant shape like “Suryamukhi” sunflower and “Coconut tree”. He is more interested to keep his creation in museum. Like him many people have art in them, but are unaware of it. Nothing worth having was ever achieved without Effort.

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