Take a peek into the heart of Maharashtrian cuisine

Surekha Subhash Somvanshi, 30, a resident of Kalamboli has been passionate about cooking since her teenage years. Her inspiration is her mother, from whom she learnt the art of cooking. Surekha's a mother of two and her family relishes the non-vegetarian dishes she prepares. She shares with Veda Ramaswamy three mouth-watering recipes...

Surekha Subhash Somvanshi

Photographer - Umesh Pawar, DNA

Puran Poli

Ingredients

1 bowl chana dal
1 bowl jaggery
1 tsp oil
3-4 cardamom pieces
A pinch of nutmeg powder
Wheat flour
Ghee

Method

Cook the chana dal in cooker until four whistles. Drain out the water. (Do not throw this water)

Grind the cooked chana dal with jaggery in a mixer.
Heat oil in a pan and add this mixture. Stir for 10-15 minutes until it forms thick dough (puran).
Let it cool for sometime.
Knead the wheat flour with water to make a soft dough. Prepare small balls of this dough. Mould a ball into bowl shape, add the puran into it and close its edges.
Flatten this ball with a roti roller until it forms a thin round shape.
Add ghee in a pan and heat the puran poli until golden brown on both sides.

Katachi Aamti

Ingredients

Drained water of cooked chana dal
1 onion
1 bowl of grated dried coconut
7-8 garlic pods
Coriander leaves
1 tbsp oil
1 sp turmeric powder
1 ½ sp salt
1 sp garam masala
1 ½ sp red chilli powder

Method

Heat the finely-chopped onion and grated coconut in a pan without oil.
Grind it in a mixer.
Heat oil in a pan and add this mixture. Add turmeric powder, salt, garam masala, red chili powder and stir well.
Now add the drained out water of cooked chana dal.
Heat on medium flame until it boils.

Aam Ras

Ingredients

2-3 mangoes
Sugar

Method

Peel the skin of the mangoes.
Scoop out the fleshy part and blend it in a mixer.
Add sugar to taste.
Yummy mango ras is now ready to serve.

- May 07, 2011 : DNA Navi Mumbai