Dry fruit Ladoo

If your mum is like mine, she will insist you have a healthy breakfast before you step out of the house in the morning, regardless of how late you already are! These ladoos come in handy when you don't have time to sit down and eat. Bite sized and high on protein and natural sugars, they're high on the satiation quotient as well. They're also great for kids and adults who don't like to eat dry fruits, by themselves.

We make ladoos (लाडू) in a couple of different ways. Here's 'Suka Mewa Ladoo' (सुका मेवा लाडू )

Semolina Crêpes/ Rawyache Ghavan

Semolina crêpes or Rawyache Ghavan (रव्याचे घावन) takes me back to my childhood. Coming home after school, sitting cross-legged, mum would warm rawyache ghavan. I would watch the butter melt and triccle down the ghavan, before escaping through the pores to the bottom of the plate. Then, it was a matter of minutes before I had finished this disc of delicious goodness!

Panagi/Rice Pancakes

Panagi (पानगी) is a traditional breakfast recipe from the Konkan region, where rice is harvested in abundance. So, the grain forms an integral part of Konkani cuisine. Panagis are ever so slightly sweet with an inviting aroma and a soft fluffy texture.This recipe is extremely simple, but what makes it shine is the way it is cooked. The panagis are steamed on turmeric or banana leaves, which impart their respective flavours to the panagi.

Kande Pohe. If you've had too much of this, you aren't an ideal partner!

A Korean friend once told me that if a woman could make delicious kimchi, she was regarded as a good cook. Similarly, in Maharashtrian culture, a preparation of Kande Pohe (कांदे पोहे) is indicative of the woman's culinary abilities. 

Dudh Pohe

Dudh Pohe ( दुध पोहे ) translates to milk and pohe and that's exactly what you need to make this recipe. It's so easy to make, you can whip it up in seconds.Here's the recipe:

Serves 1

Ingredients:

Pohe	35 g (thick variety)
Milk	120 ml
Jaggery/Sugar	2 tsp

Method:
1.Wash the pohe under running water and drain them. Let them sit on the counter-top for 5 minutes to soak up the moisture. This softens the pohe.
2. In a bowl, combine milk and jaggery pieces. You can dissolve the jaggery in the milk but personally, I like to bite into an occasional sweet jaggery rock while eating dudh pohe.
3.Now add the pohe to the bowl and mix again.Your'e done!

This recipe will give you ~240 calories.

Dadpe pohe

Dadpe Pohe ( दडपे पोहे ) is a snack recipe but since we love it so much, we end up having it for dinner too!
The main ingredient is pohe, also known as rice flakes or flatened rice.Use the thin variety for best results.

Serves 3

Ingredients:

Pohe/ Flattened Rice                120 gms
Fresh Scraped Coconut            100 gms
Onion                                      80 gms
Salt                                         To taste  (~1-1.5 tsp)
Sugar                                      1 tsp
Oil                                           2 Tbsp
Mustard seeds                         1.5 tsp
Chillies                                    3 (Cut into 1 inch pieces)
Asafoetida                               1.5 tsp
Turmeric powder                       1.5 tsp
Coriander                                30 gms

Method:

1.Bake the rice flakes at 100°C for 15 minutes. Let them cool.
2.Chop the onion into medium sized pieces.While you're at it, chop the coriander as well.
3.Make the tempering by heating oil in a kadhai. Add the mustard seeds, chillies, asafoetida and turmeric powder.Let it cool.
4.Mix together the coconut, onion, coriander, salt, sugar and the cooled tempering.Mix it well.
5.Now, add the pohe and mix it again.You're done!

You can serve this with roasted papad.

This needs to be consumed immediately.

This recipie will give you ~1080 calories.

Potato kees/Savoury Potatoes

Potato kees literally translates to 'grated potatoes'.The snack uses grated potatoes (obviously!) and is sparsely flavoured, which brings out the root's original flavours.Flavoured with cumin,it's easy to digest.Here's the recepie.

Serves 3

Ingredients: 

Potatoes                   700 gms
Oil                            2 Tbsp
Cumin                       1.5 tsp
Chillies                      3 (Broken into 1 inch pieces)
Salt                          To taste (~1 tsp)
Sugar                        1/4 tsp
Peanut Powder          1.5 Tbsp
Fresh Coconut           3 Tbsp
Coriander                   For Garnishing

Method:

1.Wash, peel and grate the potatoes to a medium-large size. Keep the grated potatoes in a bowl of water to prevent oxidation while you grate the rest.
2.Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Add the cumin seeds and chilli pieces.
3.Squeeze dry the grated potatoes (before the cumin burns! ) and add them to the pan.
4.Cook the potatoes on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
5.Once cooked, add the salt and peanut powder and mix well.
6.Garnish with fresh coconut and coriander. 

You're done!Enjoy it with a cup of tea.

This recipe is best consumed immediately.

This recipe will give you approximately 915 calories.