Masala Dudh is delicious, sweet milk enriched with nuts, Saffron and a touch of nutmeg. It's specially served on the full moon night in the Ashwin month (Hindu Calendar) called Kojagiri Pornima or Sharad pornima.
Masala Dudh is a main attraction of Kojagiri Pornima for kids :)



Ingredients:
2/3 Cup Milk
3 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Teaspoon Cardamom powder
Pinch of nutmeg powder (optional)
Few Saffron

For Masala:
10 - 15 Almonds, unsalted
10 - 15 Pistachio, unsalted
8 - 10  Cashew nuts, unsalted

Method:
First grind all dry fruits and make powder.
Heat milk in a sauce pan. Add Sugar. let it boil.
Now turn heat on slow. Add Masala in it. Stir it well. Add Cardamom and nutmeg powder. crush the saffron and add in to the milk. let it boil agin.
Serve hot or cold.

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Basundi is a Maharashtrian dessert which is made from milk. It's sweet thickened milk, flavored with cardamom, saffron, and dry fruits. This is usually made in festival days.
Basundi is quite similar to Rabdi.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 liter whole milk
1/3 Cup Sugar
1 tablespoon Cardamom powder
Saffron, few strands
1/4 Cup chopped Almonds and Pistachios

Method:
Take a heavy bottom pan. Add milk. Let it boil. Once milk started boiling, reduce the heat. Simmer until the milk reduces to half and thickens. Just make sure to Stir often.
Once milk, reduced to half, add Sugar, Cardamom powder and mix well. Now add chopped dry fruits, mix it and let it cook for another 6 to 8 minutes.
Basundi is ready.

Serving Suggestion:
Before serving keep the Basundi in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.

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If there is Poori to eat then, "Batatyachi Bhaji" is must in my menu.
For this recipe you need is boiled potatoes and some spices, that's it :)

Ingredients:
3 - 4 boiled potatoes
5 - 6 green chilies, chopped
4 - 5 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
Curry leaves
Fresh coriander, chopped
Salt to taste

Method:
Cut the boiled potatoes into the cubes. Keep it aside. Heat oil in a Kadai. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, green chili, turmeric powder, saute it for 1 minute. Add boiled potato cubes and mix well.
Add salt and saute it for another 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and sprinkle some fresh chopped cilantro.
Batatyachi Bhaji is ready.

Serve with Poori/ Roti.

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Pithla Bhakri is called as a farmer's meal in Maharashtra. Pithla is made from Besan and it tastes best with Bhakri.
So here is the authentic Maharashtrian recipe of Pithla. Very simple & very quick to make.

Ingredients:

4 - 5 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 Medium onion, chopped
2 Tablespoon green chili, ginger, garlic paste (4 - 5 green chilies + 1 inch piece of ginger + 4 Garlic cloves)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 Cup besan (gram flour)
1 Tablespoon Kolhapuri masala (Substitute = 1/2 Tablespoon red chili powder + 1/4 Tablespoon Garam masala)
Fresh coriander, chopped
Salt as per your taste
Water as per your need

Method:

Add Besan and Kolhapuri masala, mix well. Add water as per your need and make a smooth paste. Keep it aside.
Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, onion, green chili paste, onion and turmeric.
Saute onion until it turns brown.
Add the besan paste on it. Stir it continuously. Make sure there are no lumps. When mixture becomes little thick, cover the pan and cook it for 4 - 5 minutes on medium heat. Pithla is ready!
Sprinkle some fresh coriander.

Serve it hot with Bhakri.

Tips:
You can adjust your spices according to your taste.
You can adjust the water consistency as per your requirement.

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गणपती बाप्पा मोरया!!
Ganesh Chaturthi is the festival celebrated in honor of the God Ganesha. This is also known as Vinayak Chaturthi. This is an important festival of Maharashtra.
And today is the first day of "Ganesh Chaturthi", so made Bappa's favorite sweet "Talniche Modak" as Prasad.

Ingredients:
For filling/Saran
3 - 4 tablespoon ghee 
2 Cup dry coconut, grated
1 1/2 Cup Jaggery, grated
1/2 Cup Sesame Seeds (Roast it and roughly grind it)
2 teaspoon Cardamom powder

 For Outer Cover:
1 1/2 Cup wheat flour
2 - 3 Tablespoon hot oil
Salt to taste

Method:
In a bowl add wheat flour and salt (as per taste). Heat oil and add in the wheat flour. Add water as per your need and knead the dough. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the Saran/ Filling for Modak.
 

Heat Ghee in a pan. Add coconut, saute it for 2 minutes. Add jaggery and mix well. Add Sesame seeds and Cardamom powder and saute it for another 2 minutes. The filling is ready.

Take a small size ball and roll it into small puri. Place filling on it. Start folding the edges. Gather all edges together and seal it nicely. Just like that follow the same steps to make all Modaks.

Now heat enough oil for frying. Once oil is hot, deep fry the Modaks on medium heat until it turns brown.

Modaks are ready!!

Tips:
You can adjust the sweetness according to your taste.
You can use fresh coconut instead of dry coconut.
You can use all purpose flour instead of wheat flour.

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"Alu Vadi" is made from Colocasia leaves (Patra Leaves).  
In Marathi it's called "Aluchi Pane".
It's a combination of Colocasia leaves and Besan (gram flour) with some spices.

Ingredients:
6 - 8 Patra leaves
1 1/2 cup Gram flour (Besan)
2 - 3 tablespoon Jaggery and Tamarind pulp (Soak Jaggery and Tamarind together in water)
1 tablespoon Red chili powder
1/2 tablespoon Garam masala
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon Cumin powder
Salt as per your taste

Method:
Wash the leaves. Remove the stalks and remove the extra veins from the middle. Keep it aside.
In a mixing bowl, add besan, red chili powder, garam masala, Cumin powder, turmeric, jaggery and tamarind pulp, and salt. Add water as per your need and make a thick paste.
Now take a leaf and place on a flat surface with the vein side facing you. Apply the paste.
Now take another leaf and place that on top of the first leaf in the opposite direction . Apply the paste.
Repeat this with at least 3 - 4 leaves.
Fold the leaves, little bit from both sides. Start rolling and make a roll.
Repeat this with other leaves too.

Steaming:
Take a big vessel. Add 2 to 4 cups water and let it boil.
Once the water started boiling, put one pot into that. Top of that place the other pot and keep the roll inside. (I'm using pressure cooker dabbas here).
Cover the lid. And let it steam for 20 to 25 minutes. Turn off the heat. Remove the rolls and let it cool for 5 minutes.
Cut them into bite size and keep it aside.

Now heat some oil for shallow fry the vadi. Adjust the oil as per your need (If you want, you can deep fry the vadi). Once oil is hot enough, place vadis into the pan and shallow fry them until it turns brown.

Tips:
You can use steamer or pressure cooker for steaming.
Adjust your spices as per your need.

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Bharli Vangi don't need special introduction. Everyone knows this dish and most of the people loves Bharli Vangi. This is the delicious combination of Brinjals/Eggplants and stuffing made from onion, roasted peanut powder, and Kolhapuri masala.  This traditional Maharashtrian dish is the top menu in my kitchen because, my husband is a big fan of eggplants.

Ingredients:
6 - 7 Brinjals/Eggplants
1 Medium chopped Onion
6 - 8 Tablespoon roasted peanut powder
2 Tablespoon Kolhapuri Tikhat/Masala
(Substitute - 1 1/2 Tablespoon Red chili powder + 1/2 Tablespoon garam masala + 1/2 Tablespoon Coriander powder)
1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric 
Salt as per your taste

4 - 5 Tablespoon Oil
1 Tea spoon Cumin seeds
1 Tea spoon Mustard seeds
4 - 6 Curry leaves
Fresh coriander

Water as per your need.

Method:
Wash Brinjals and give them four vertical slits from bottom till the top. Do not cut full. Keep the Brinjals in the water. In a bowl/plate, take 6 -8 tablespoon peanut powder, Kolhapuri Masala, chopped onion, turmeric and salt(as per your taste). Mix well all together. Now take Brinjals and stuff Brinjals with the mixture.  Keep the leftover mixture aside.
Heat Kadai, add oil. Once oil is hot enough, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves, leftover mixture and saute it for 2 - 3 minutes. Add stuffed Brinjals into the Kadai. Add 2 - 3 cups water and cover it. Cook it foe 4 - 6 minutes. Open the cover and turn the brinjals, so it will cook evenly from both sides. Again cover it and let it cook for another 4 - 6 minutes on medium heat.
Turn off the heat. Sprinkle some chopped cilantro.

Serve it with Bhakri/ Roti/ Rice.

Tips:
You can adjust your spices according to your taste.
You can adjust the water amount as per your need.

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