Marathi Style Toor Dal

No one in an Indian home would serve dal without adding a tarka. The preparation of tarka varies in the different regions of India. Each region boasting their version to be better. What I have found is that they are all good. Whenever I have varied it in one region by preparing a different region’s tarka it has raised question, ‘How did you make this dal?’ It just shows that by using different tarkas one can totally change the taste of dal and almost all of them are good.

My friend and mentor in Aurangabad, Ranjana shows me her style of tarka which transformed the dal into the most exquisite dish. This unfortunately would be the last dish that she could teach me on my whistle stop tour of Maharashtra.

Ingredients:

For Dal:

• 2 Cups Toor Dal

  

  Tarka Dal Marathi Style

• 1 ¼ tsf Salt
• 1 tsf Turmeric powder (Haldi)
  For Tarka:

• Ghee
• 1 Tomato chopped
• 2 Green chillies cut into small pieces
• Curry leaves
• Chopped fresh coriander
• Cumin seeds
• Garlic chopped.

Method:

1. Boil the dal as usual with turmeric powder and salt for approximately 20 minutes or when the dal is done. Some people use a pressure cooker when one would need to cook till the first whistle. Leave it aside. 
2. Before serving the dal prepare the tarka by heating ghee or oil in a pan on high heat.
3. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
4. When cumin seeds start to sizzle add the garlic and lightly brown.
5. Add the curry leaves and fry for 30 secs.
6. Add chopped green chillies and fry for 30 secs.
7. Add chopped tomatoes and fry for a few minutes.
8. Add chopped fresh coriander and fry for 1-2 minutes.
9. Add the tarka to dal before serving.

It goes with any meal. This was my last Maharashtra regional dish blog till I revisit or have the opportunity to be invited by a Maharashtrian friend!

Bandh Gobi, Potatoes and Peas Marathi Style

I was lucky to be in Maharashtra in the winter time, when the fields around were lush with mustard and vegetable fields in between the cotton plantations. The vendors displayed the freshest vegetables straight from the fields, so we picked all kinds of vegetables. 

After the success with the breakfast, Ranjana started to chop the cabbage and told us that she would give us bandh gobi, potatoes and peas Marathi style for lunch. Normally she was instructed to cook in the North Indian style for my North Indian host. That day she was demonstrating for my benefit so she could cook in her own Marathi style, which gave her great pleasure.

Content:

• ½ Cabbage (Bandh Gobi) chopped small 
• 2 Tomatoes chopped
• 1 cup of Green Peas
• 3 small Potatoes cut length wise into thin slices.
• ½ tsf Mustard seeds
• 1 tsf Salt
• 3-4 Green chillis cut length wise
• ½ tsf Haldi 



Bandh Gobi Potatoes and Peas

• 2-3 tbsf Oil

Method:

1. In a thick wok heat the oil. Add Mustard seeds.
2. As soon as the mustard seeds start to sizzle add green chillis and fry for 1 minute.
3. Add cut potatoes and fry for approximately 5 minutes.
4. Add peas and fry for 1-2 minutes.
5. Add chopped Bandh gobi and tomatoes and mix.
6. Add salt and turmeric powder and again mix well.
7. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or till the poatoes and peas are cooked.

Poha

Maharashtra is a fertile land where most of the fruits and vegetables are grown in abundance. Most people are vegetarians and I will introduce mainly the vegetarian dishes which I had the privilege of learning from a Maharashtrian cook Ranjana. As I stayed only for a few days she could only show me three dishes.

Poha is something which Maharashtrians eat for breakfast but on the streets of Mumbai I have often seen it being sold as a snack.

Ingredients:

• Chiwada (Beaten rice)

  

  Poha

• ½ tsf Haldi
• 1 tsf Salt
• 2 tbsf Oil
• ½ tsf Mustard seeds
• ½ tsf Cumin seeds
• 1 small Onion chopped
• 2 Green Chillis chopped at a slight angle
• Few Curry leaves
• 2 tbsf Peanuts
• small bunch of Coriander leaves finely chopped
• Grated Coconut (optional)

Method:

1. Soak the Chiwada for 10 mins and drain the water.
2. Add turmeric powder and salt to the chiwada and leave it aside.
3. In a wok heat the oil and add mustard and cumin seeds, heat on high heat till these start to sizzle.
4. Add curry leaves, green chillis and fry for a few minutes.
5. Add Onion and fry till it start to brown.
6. Add soaked chiwada and mix well and cook for approximately 15 minutes
7. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut (optional).

We were served hot for breakfast.

Malvan Fish Curry

Maharashtra is one of the richest and most populist states in India. Though most of its population is Hindu (descendant Marathas), it has a healthy population of people of other religions. It has the biggest population of Parsees and their culture is seen quite clearly in all the big cities of the state. Despite meeting two good Parsee friends I could not learn their cooking which was unfortunate, but a reason for me to visit that part of the country.

To learn about the cooking style of Maharashtra I chose Malvan, a Sea side town on the West Coast and the Historical City of Aurangabad in the heart of Maharashtra. Malvan is not on most people’s of wish list though, should be, as I was informed by a British coupe who were staying at the same resort as I did. We were staying in Tarkali which is a small fishing village just south of Malvan. It reminded me of Goa at the time of its independence in 1960's. It had several, what essentially are Bed & Breakfast however, local people call these as Home Stay. Malvan boasts a water bound Sindhudurg fort besides the many lovely beaches. As expected the local people are either Vegetarian or eat Fish (which come in plentiful each morning at its many beaches). Their style of cooking is basically Konkan, though locals in Malvan corrected me that Malvan food is different to Konkani food. They tend to eat their Fish Curry very hot and use Kokum to give the Fish curry its distinctive sour taste and the bright red colour. Unfortunately, it is not available easily in the rest of the country so I have used Tamarind, which gives a similar taste but not its bright red colour.

Ingredients:

• Pick a fish of your choice (preferably Pomfret)
• Close to 3 dry red chillies
• 2 cups of coconut milk
• 1 big Onion of finely chopped
• 1 cup of desiccated dry coconut
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 3-4 Garlic roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp tamarind pulp 
• 2 tbsp Ghee/Oil 

 Method:

1. Heat the dry roast red chillies, peppercorns and turmeric in a wok on low heat till the ingredients become fragrant, put out the flame and leave it for cooling.
2. When the ingredients cool down grind these in a mixer along with desiccated coconut, tamarind pulp, garlic and some water to get a smooth paste.
3. Heat oil/ghee in a wok on medium flame and fry onions till they turn soft and translucent.
4. Add the paste to the onions and fry till you see the oil separates from the masala.
5. Add the coconut milk and bring the curry to a boil.
6. Reduce the flame and add the fish pieces to the gravy and cook for around 8-10 minutes. Make sure you don’t overcook the fish.