आठळ्यांची भाजी - Jackfruit Seeds Sabzi

Jackfruit is exotic tropical fruit which is huge available in Konkan in summer. Jackfruit is one of the most loved fruits at my place, ranking second after mango. During season, both ripe and unripe fruit is used in many different dishes. The edible part of the fruit is called ghare(Konkani) there must be some English name for it, which I don’t know. And the recipe which I am going to share is the left over seeds of this fruit which is called आठळ्यां (Marathi). It’s very simple and easy to make.

Ingredients:

30 to 35 Jack-fruit seeds
Tempering: 1 tbsp oil, 2 pinches mustard seeds, 2 pinches cumin seeds, 1/4 tsp hing, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp red chili powder
2 tbsp fresh coconut, scraped
1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Sugar (optional)

Method:
1) Pressure cook Jack-fruit seeds upto 3 to 4 whistles. Add some salt while pressure cooking.
2) Once seeds are cooked, peel them and discard the peels. Roughly chop them.
3) Heat oil into a kadai. Add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds crackle, add cumin seeds, hing, turmeric powder and red chili powder. Add chopped jack-fruit seeds. Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
4) Add cilantro, coconut, sugar and salt if required (as we have added some salt while pressure-cooking). Cook for few more minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves and Serve hot with chapati.

Why one should have home-made meals?

While eating out in restaurants is a treat for many families, it has be. You receive benefits in the areas of nutrition, health and economics when you limit dining out and begin eating your very own homemade food.

Natural Ingredients

Eating at home allows you to control the ingredients in your food, so you can use natural ingredients instead of unhealthy processed foods. Processed foods, frequently served in restaurants or available in pre-made meals from the grocery store, tend to be high in sodium, fat and added sugars. According to the BBC, the World Health Organization recommends greatly reducing the intake of processed foods. Eating home-made foods lets you add in more fresh fruits and vegetables to your diets so that you can focus on all-natural ingredients.

Substitutions and Healthy Eating

You can use healthier cooking methods and substitutions for unhealthy ingredients when making your own meals. For example, when most restaurants would use butter or oils with trans-fats, you can cook at home with nonfat cooking spray or healthy vegetable oils such as olive oil. In addition, at home you can substitute unhealthy ingredients for alternatives. For instance, the American Heart Association recommends substituting one cup of fat-free milk with one tablespoon of vegetable oil for one cup of whole milk.

Economic Value

With the economy in a recession, many Americans are eating more home-made food because it is cheaper than going to a restaurant or buying pre-cooked meals. Few restaurant dishes are cheaper to buy rather than to make at home, and even fast food value items are slightly cheaper to make at home. Preparing food in large quantities, which you can do at home, allows you to be more economical with your money.

Other Benefits

Eating home-made food also provides other benefits, including helping you live a healthier lifestyle. Eating at home allows you to customize the portion size as necessary, reducing your urge to indulge on oversized restaurant portions, regardless of the dish's nutritional value. A report in the January 2007 issue of  "Public Health Nutrition" states that families who eat more fast-food meals are less likely to eat healthy fruits and vegetables, and had an overall increase in consumption of salty snacks and soda. Eating home-made food you prepare yourself helps you learn good nutrition, which you can teach to your family so that they too can be healthier.

summer special

God-amba

 

My native place is Ratnagiri so my connection with mangoes are very special. In my last trip to my hometown I had got some nice green mangoes, this was sure sign of coming summer. Mangoes are known as king of fruits they are got very special treatment in my home, whether raw or ripe there were pickles and panha (cool mango drink), bhels with small chunks of raw & sour mangoes, aamras(mango pulp) and poli, mango ice-cream.

 

There are so many ways that one can use mangoes, especially raw ones in every day cooking. The recipe I am going to share is just an example of a great and simple way to transform a nice tangy green mango into a yummy relish. Pair it up with some rice and dal and you will have a delicious meal in minutes.

God-amba uses very few ingredients and takes no time to cook. You can even make some in advance and store it in the refrigerator for up to a week. Enjoy God-amba with rice, poli, bread or even as a dip. You can be assured that people will be left wanting more!

 

 

Ingredients:
(the quantities here are really estimates as it all depends on how sour the mango is)
1 raw/green mango
1/4 tsp methya (fenugreek seeds)
1/4 cup jaggery (approximately...this will depend entirely on how sour the mango is)
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp oil
hing (asafoetida)
salt to taste

 

Method:
Peel the mango and cut into small cubes. In a pan, heat the oil and then add the mustard seeds to it. Once the seeds start to pop, add the hing and then the methya. Let cook for a few seconds. Then add the chopped mango to the pan. Add a little bit of salt and let the mango cook. Normally you would not need to add water, but if the mixture starts drying out, only then add a few teaspoons of water to prevent it from burning. Don't add too much because once you add the jaggery it will let out some moisture. Once the mango s completely cooked, and feels mushy, add the jaggery and red chilli powder and cook till everything is cooked together. Check for taste and adjust the salt/chilli powder and jaggery. The mixture is supposed to be a combo of sweet/sour/spicy. Once ready , take it off from the heat and let it cool. Store in a container and refrigerate the leftover.

 

i hope u try this out and enjoy the coming summer!! 

Love for home-made maharashtrain food

Swaypakghar in Marathi is the word for kitchen. Where I have seen my mother cooking different types of food for me and my famliy. My love for cooking started while watching my mother cooking with her secret ingredients and hence the this name. I was always whipping up some tasty dish in my pretended kitchen with my bhaatukli. Growing up, my mom encouraged  me to learn to cook and thanks to her today i love creating and trying out different recipes. This certain or rather I must admit my passion for cooking has come to me from my mother or as I fondly call ‘Aayi‘ in my mother tongue.

 Growing up in a rural Western part of Maharashtra known as ‘Ghat’ gave me good insight into day-to-day food habits of people from various walks of life. There is huge variety in preparing western Maharashtrian food even with very common ingredients.

I have a deep love for regional food. The kind of food that you cannot buy in ia generic restaurant. The kind which requires an invitation into someone's home, where it is made by loving hands and served with pride.

Here I would love to share some of my mother’s recipe straight from her swaypakghar :)