Kanda Bhaji ( Onion bhajias )

No words can describe the happiness one gets from consuming a hot plate of bhaji and a cup of hot elaichi chai on a rainy evening. Its been raining heavily in Florida and I can think of nothing to make but "Kanda bhaji". As a kid I grew up in Khadki in Pune where my grandfather used to bring hot onion bhajias from the road side vendors mostly every evening. The taste of these bhajias still lingers in my mouth and I have not had any like those after I left that place. The all time favourite bhajias are just what you want on a rainy evening.....

Ingredients :

2 large onions slices thinly
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. chilli powder ( less or more according to taste )
1 tsp. Dhania - jeera powder
1/2 tsp. ajwain ( carom seeds )
besan ( chickpea flour ) as required

Method :

1. Apply salt and turmeric to the sliced onion and keep aside for 15 - 20 mins. ( the onion along with salt will give out moisture enough to make the batter for bhajia )

2. Next mix in the chilli powder, dhania-jeera powder, ajwain and add besan little by little till the slices of onion can be held together to form bhajia.

3. Deep fry spoonfuls of bhajia in moderate hot oil till golden brown in colour and serve hot with choice of sauce or chutney or just a cup of tea.


Krishnaarpanam

Sathyanarayana Prasadam

Sathyaranarayana Pooja was more popular in Maharashtra than in the southern parts of India like Tamil nadu. But now a days this vrat and pooja is becoming popular there also. I never missed any prasad which was distributed by the friends or neighbours as one shouldn't miss it also if you know that there is a pooja going on. A teaspoon of this prasad given in small paper cups were not enough to satisfy the craving for this prasad. For me the prasad used to be a mystery as it had a flavour of the banana and yet I couldn't find any pieces of the fruit in there. Long before my marriage I started doing this pooja every month during the full moon day and the prasadam used to be plain Kesari. I always wanted the typical Maharashtrian flavour or the so called banana flavoured prasadam, which I mastered only a few years back. I wouldn't say mastered, but try to make the typical prasad.

Ingredients :

1 cup rava
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup ghee
1 cup milk
1 cup water
Cashews and raisins as per ones taste
1 tsp. cardamom powder

Method :

1. Mix the milk and water together and keep to boil.

2. Heat the ghee in a kadai, fry the cashews till pink and remove aside. In the same ghee, fry the raisins till they puff up and remove immediately and keep aside. Be careful not to burn the raisins else they will turn bitter.

3. In the same ghee add the rava and roast till light pink in colour.

4. Add the boiling milk-water mixture to the roasted rava and cook till all the moisture evaporates.

5. Add the sugar, smashed banana and keep stirring till the sugar dissolves in the rava and it becomes a dough like consistency.

6. Mix in the cardamom powder, fried cashews and raisins and Krishnaarpanam.

Krishnaarpanam