Indian Recipes

                      Gobi Manchurian

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium. cauliflower clean and broken into  big florettes.
1 small  bunch spring onoin finely  chopped 2 tsp. ginger finely  chopped
1 tsp. garlic  finely  chopped
1/4 cup plain flour
3 tbsp. cornflour
1/4  tsp.  red  chilli powder
2  red  chillies, dry
3  tbsp. oil
1 1/2 cups water
1  tbsp. milk

METHOD:

Boil  the florettes for 3-4 minutes in  plenty  of water, to  which a tbsp. of milk  has been added.
Drain and pat  dry  on a clean cloth.
Make thin batter out of flour and  2 tbsp.cornflour, adding 1/4 tsp.
each  of ginger and garlic and red chilli powder and salt  to  taste.
Dip the florettes in  the batter one by  one and deep fry  in  hot  oil.  Keep aside.

In  the remaining  oil, add  remaining  ginger, garlic and  crushed  red  chilli and  fry for a minute.
Add the salt  and spring onions.
Stir  fry  for a minute. Add 1 1/2 cups water and bring to  a boil. Add 1 tbsp.
cornflour to  1/4 cup water and dissolve well.
Gradually add to the gravy and stir  continuously till it resumes boiling.
Boil till the gravy becomes transparent. Add  florettes and  soya sauce.
Boil  for two more minutes and remove. Serve hot  with  noodles or rice.

Variations:

Dry manchurian  can  be  made  by  omitting  the gravy.
Make florettes as above and instead of adding water as  above, add fried florettes, spring onions and soya sauce at this stage.  Sprinkle 1 tsp. cornflour on the florettes and stirfry  for 2 minutes.
Serve piping  hot  with  toothpicks or  miniforks and  chilligarlic sauce or  tomato  sauce.
Same  procedure for veg.
manchurian (with  gravy  or dry), but  instead of using only  cauliflower, use finely chopped minced vegetables and bind with  some  cornflour or bread crumbs and make small  lumps the size of a pingpong ball.
Fry as above and proceed as above.

Making time:  45 minutes
Makes for: 6
Shelf life: Best fresh 

Indian Recipes

                          Aloo  Palak

Ingredients
3 cups chopped spinach
2 large onoins chopped fine
2 large potatoes boiled and peeled
1 tomato  grated
2  green  chillies
1" piece ginger
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. wheat  or other flour
1  tsp.  red  chilli powder
1 tsp. cinnamon-clove powder
 1/4 tsp. turmeric  powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 pinches asafoetida
1/2 tsp. garam  masala
1/2 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. ghee
salt to  taste

METHOD:
Put the washed  spinach  in  a pan,  add  very little water (just a sprinkle) and  a pinch  of  salt. Cover and boil  over a high flame for 2 minutes. Cool  quickly, or hold under running water in  a colander. Put in  a mixie, add  green  chilli and  run  for a minute. Keep  slightly coarse, do  not  make  very smooth. Keep aside.

Cut the potatoes into big pieces.
Heat  ghee and fry potatoes till light brown. Drain the potatoes, keep aside.
In the same  hot ghee add the cumin seeds. Add  the ginger, onions  and  fry till very tender.
Add the tomato and further fry  for two minutes.
Add  all the dry masalas and  fry till ghee separates.
Add spinach and potatoes.
When it  resumes a boil  sprinkle the flour and stir  well.
Boil  for 2-3 minutes.
Add lemon juice Just  before serving heat  butter in  a  tiny saucepan and add the asafoetida.
Pour over the vegetable and mix gently. Serve hot with naan or parathas or even rice.

Note:  You may  use boiled peas, boiled corn kernels or paneer chunks in  the above dish, instead of atoes.

Making time:  45 minutes
Makes for: 6
Shelf life: Best fresh 

Maharashtrian Food Picture

जम्मू आणि काश्मीर

               जम्मू आणि काश्मीर हे भारतातील सर्वात उत्तरेकडे असलेले राज्य आहे. या राज्याला भारताचा मुकुट असेसुद्धा म्हणतात. या राज्याच्या पश्चिमेला पाकिस्तान तर उत्तर व पूर्व दिशांना चीन हे देश आहेत, तर दक्षिणेला हिमाचल प्रदेश हे राज्य आहे. २,२२,२३६ चौरस किलोमीटर क्षेत्रफळ असलेल्या जम्मू-काश्मीरची लोकसंख्या१,२५,४८,९२६ एवढी आहे. 
               व उर्दू ह्या येथील प्रमुख भाषा आहेत. राज्याची साक्षरता ६८.७४ टक्के आहे. तांदूळ, गहू व मका ही येथील प्रमुख पिके, सफरचंदहे प्रमुख फळ व पर्यटन हा येथील प्रमुख व्यवसाय आहे. काश्मीरला भारताचे नंदनवन म्हणतात.

Hill Station

                                                              Amboli

                             Amboli is the only hill station of the district located in Sawantwadi Taluka. This evergreen place was the summer capital of the then princely state of Sawantwadi. Located about 30kms from Sawantwadi on the Belgaum - Sawantwadi road, Amboli is 2,378 ft above the sea level. Blessed with a lovely climate, evergreen forest, peace and scenic beauty, this hill station is a tourist attraction throughout the year. Amboli is at its very best in the rainy season with overflowing waterfalls and thick fog which enhances its beauty.

                           Several tourist points such as Mahadevgad, Narayangad, Kavlesaad, Shiravkar point, Parikshit point, Sunset point, Nangartaas waterfall and birthplace of Hiranyakeshi river are worth visiting. The scenic beauty and bount nature takes one's breath away. The main waterfall located 3 km from Amboli is the major monsoon tourist attraction and lacs of tourists come and enjoy sitting under waterfall and viewing it every rainy season. 

                            Amboli has several loading and boarding facilities, provided by Govt and private hotels, to suit different tastes. It is located 549 km from Mumbai, 68 km from Belgaum, 113 km from Kolhapur, 80 km from Panaji-Goa and 30 km from Sawantwadi and is easily accessible.

The Cows and the Tiger

         

            Once upon a time, four cows lived in a jungle. They were fast friends. They were always together. They lived in peace. If any wild animal ever attacked them, all the four of them fought the enemy unitedly and drove him away.

             A tiger had an eye on these cows. But he did not dare to attack them as long as they were united.

            The cows fell out one day. Each one went separately her own way. Now the tiger had the opportunity that he was looking for. He killed the cows one by one and ate them up.

          UNITY IS STRENGTH.

            UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FAIL.