Thecha Millet Noodles / Chowmein

 

          Thecha is a traditional Maharashtrian green chili chutney that is usually served as an accompaniment with Indian flat bread. This spicy & tangy chutney is prepared with fresh green chilies, garlic, coriander leaves along with the stems and groundnuts, that is pounded in a mortar & pestle into a coarse consistency.

          So add this amazing Thecha to noodles and give them a new taste and flavor. You may add any veggies like sliced capsicum, carrot, cabbage, etc. to give it a healthy touch. You may add tomato ketchup and / or soya sauce according to your preference. This Thecha Noodles can be a great breakfast, lunch or dinner option. It can also be packed for a lunch box meal for young and old alike. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this amazing fusion noodle recipe. 

Green Chili Thecha - 

• 1/2 cup green chilies, roughly chopped
• 8-10 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup coriander leaves with stems
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. lime juice 

Thecha Noodles - 

• 1 packet millet noodles, boiled al dente & drained
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3-4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2-3 tbsp. Thecha chutney
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp. hot sauce
• 1-2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
• 1-2 tsp. lime juice

Green Chili Thecha - 

           Heat oil in a pan and sauté the garlic, green chilies and cumin seeds for 2-3 minutes.

          Add the coriander leaves along with the stems and salt to taste. Give it a stir and switch off the flame. 

          Add the roasted peanuts and allow it to cool down. Then pound them in a mortar and pestle into a coarse consistency. (You can also blend in a mixer jar coarsely without adding any water). Drizzle some lime juice and keep aside. 

Thecha Noodles - 

          Heat oil in a wok / pan and temper with mustard seeds. Sauté till it stops crackling. 

          Then add the onion, garlic and curry leaves. Sauté till it turns translucent. 

          Add 2-3 tbsp. of the Thecha chutney and give it a mix.

          Now add the cooked millet noodles, salt to taste and the hot sauce. Combine everything well and sauté for a minute. 

          When done, add the lime juice and garnish with coriander leaves. 

          Serve hot as it is or with some extra sauce of your choice. You may add few roasted peanuts for some crunch.

Heat oil in a pan & sauté the garlic, green chilies & cumin seeds for 2 minutes.

Add the coriander leaves along with the stems & salt to taste. Give it a stir & switch off the flame. 

Add the roasted peanuts & allow it to cool down. Then pound them in a mortar & pestle into a coarse consistency. (You can also blend in a mixer jar coarsely without adding any water). Drizzle some lime juice & keep aside. 

Heat oil in a wok / pan & temper with mustard seeds. Sauté till it stops crackling. 

  Add the onion, garlic & curry leaves. Sauté till it turns translucent. 

                    Add 2-3 tbsp. of the Thecha chutney & give it a mix.

Now add the cooked noodles, salt to taste & the hot sauce. Combine everything well and sauté for a minute. 

           When done, add the lime juice & garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot as it is or with some extra sauce of your choice. You may add few roasted peanuts for some crunch.

Multigrain Modak

 

           Modak is a sweet dumpling that is offered to Lord Ganesha. Without it, celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi is incomplete. There are many types of modak available in the market. They are traditionally prepared with rice flour and with a coconut-jaggery stuffing. 

            However, let me share a healthy modak recipe made of multigrain flour and jaggery. I flavored it with cardamom powder and saffron. Very easy to prepare, they can be made in a very short time. The end result are these yummy modak that can be offered to Lord Ganesha on this festive occasion. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this divine festive treat.

Ingredients - 

• 1 tsp. ghee
• 1 cup multi grain flour
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup jaggery
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
• a pinch of saffron
• 2-3 tbsp. milk or as required

          Heat ghee in a pan and add the multi grain flour with a pinch of salt. Roast on a low flame for 2-3 minutes or till light golden in colour. 

          Switch off the flame and add the jaggery. Mix everything well. Then add the cardamom powder and a pinch of saffron. Give it a stir.

          Transfer the mix to a bowl. Add milk, little at a time, to make it moist. It should come together when you hold it in a fist. 

          Grease a modak mold with some ghee and fill it with a small portion of the prepared mixture. Press it with your fingers to make the modak. 

          Now gently demold and arrange it on a serving plate. Make similar modak with the remaining mix. 

          Wow!!! tasty and healthy modak is ready to be offered to Lord Ganesha. 

Heat ghee in a pan and add the multi grain flour with a pinch of salt. Roast on a low flame for 2-3 minutes or till light golden in colour. 

        Switch off the flame & add the jaggery. Mix everything well.

Then add the cardamom powder & a pinch of saffron. Give it a stir. 

Transfer the mix to a bowl. Add milk, little at a time to make it moist. It should come together when you hold it in a fist. 

Grease a modak mold with ghee & fill it with a small portion of the prepared mixture. Press it with your fingers to make the modak. 

Gently demold & arrange it on a serving plate. Make similar modak with the remaining mix.

      Wow!!! tasty & healthy modak is ready to be offered to Lord Ganesha. 

Thecha Lachcha Paratha

 

                Check out these yummy and flavorsome Thecha Lachcha (flaky) Parathas stuffed with the thecha chutney. It comes out great and can be enjoyed with yoghurt, butter, raita, any side dish or pickles. One can relish it for breakfast, lunch / dinner or as a snack on the go. They can also be a packed as a lunch box meal. In fact you can have them anytime of the day. So go ahead and give it a try by checking out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it. 

           Thecha is a traditional Maharashtrian chutney that is usually served as an accompaniment with Indian flat bread like jowar bhakri, bajra roti, thalipeeth, chapatti, etc. This spicy & tangy chutney is prepared with fresh green chilies, garlic, coriander leaves / stems, peanuts and a drizzle of some lime juice. 

            You can substitute the hot chilies with some green chili pepper if you wish to make it less spicy. This Thecha is generally crushed in a mortar & pestle. However, it can also be ground in a mixer jar coarsely. 

Green Chili Thecha - 

• 1/2 cup green chilies, roughly chopped
• 8-10 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup coriander leaves with stems
• 1 tsp. oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. lime juice 

Paratha - 

• 1 & 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp. oil to knead
• pinch of salt
• water as required to knead
• oil to fry the parathas

Thecha - 

            Heat oil in a pan and sauté the garlic, green chilies and cumin seeds for 2-3 minutes. Switch off the flame and allow it to cool down a little. 

          Add the coriander leaves + stems, salt to taste and roasted peanuts. Pound them in a mortar and pestle into a coarse consistency. 

          (You can also blend in a mixer jar coarsely without adding any water). Add the lime juice and mix well. Keep aside.

 

Paratha - 

         Knead a dough by mixing the whole wheat flour, salt, ghee and required quantity of water. Cover and keep aside for 10-15 minutes. 

          Divide the dough into equal portions and roll out each portion into a thin chapatti by dusting some flour.

          Brush the surface with some oil and then sprinkle some flour over it. Spread the thecha chutney all over the surface. 

          Roll the paratha and then cut into half. Roll out again into a circle. Roll out each circle into a slightly bigger size by dusting some flour. Make similar parathas following this method. 

      

         Heat the tawa and fry the parathas on both sides till brown spots appear on the surface by drizzling some oil. Make all the parathas the same way.

         Serve them hot with any side dish, pickles, raita, yoghurt or butter.

Knead a dough by mixing whole wheat flour, salt, ghee & required quantity of water.  

                        Cover and keep aside for 10-15 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan & sauté the garlic, green chilies & cumin seeds for 2-3 minutes. Switch off the flame & allow it to cool down a little. 

           

Add the coriander leaves + stems, salt to taste & roasted peanuts. Pound them in a mortar & pestle into a coarse consistency. 

Add the lime juice and mix well. Keep aside.

          

Divide the dough into equal portions & roll out each portion into a thin chapatti by dusting some flour. Brush the surface with some oil & sprinkle some flour over it. 

            Spread some of the thecha chutney all over the surface. 

                            Roll the paratha.

                        Cut into half. Roll out again into a circle.

       Roll out each circle into a slightly bigger size by dusting some flour. 

                    Make similar parathas following this method. 

      

Heat the tawa & fry the parathas on both sides till brown spots appear on the surface by drizzling some oil. 

                           Make all the parathas the same way.

  Serve them hot with any side dish, pickles, raita, yoghurt or butter.

Sabudana Millet Vada (Deep Fried Sago Millet Patties)

 

          This is my version of the very popular and traditional Maharashtrian snack - Sabudana Vada, made out of sago, boiled potatoes and other aromatic ingredients. However, in this recipe, I replaced the potatoes with Foxtail millet for a healthier version. You can use any other millet of your choice. 

         The addition of peanuts gives a nice crunch to these yummy vadas and the roasted chickpea flour and rice flour a binding to the vadas. These crispy patties are generally had during fasts, where the onion can be omitted. Enjoy as an evening tea time snack or as an appetizer with some spicy green chutney. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare these amazing Sabudana Millet Vadas.

Dry Roast & Grind - 

• 2-3 dry red chilies
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. fennel seeds
• 1 tsp. coriander seeds
• 1/2 mace
• 2-3 green cardamom

Other Ingredients - 

• 1/3 cup sabudana (sago), soaked overnight
• 1/4 cup cooked foxtail millet
• 50 gms. paneer
• 2 tbsp. roasted peanuts, coarsely ground
• 1 tbsp. roasted chickpea flour
• 2 tbsp. rice flour
• 1 tbsp. roasted spice powder
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• 2 fresh red / green chilies, chopped
• 2-3 tbsp. coriander leaves & mint leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp. chaat masala
• 1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
• oil to deep fry

          Dry roast all the mentioned ingredients slightly till you get a nice aroma. After it cools down, grind into a powder and keep aside. Drain any excess water from the soaked sabudana. 

          In a bowl, take the cooked millet, drained sabudana, paneer and the ground peanuts. Mash well. 

          Then add rest of the ingredients, except oil. Combine everything well and then divide this mix into equal portions. 

          Take each portion and shape into a round flat patty. Do the same with the rest of the mix.

          Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the vadas, few at a time, till crisp and golden in colour on a low to medium flame. 

          Drain on a kitchen towel and serve hot as an appetizer with green chutney or sauce.

In a bowl, take the cooked millet, drained sabudana, paneer & the ground peanuts. Mash well. 

                       Then add rest of the ingredients, except oil. 

     Combine everything well & then divide this mix into equal portions. 

                 Take each portion & shape it into a round flat patty. 

Heat oil & deep fry the vadas, few at a time, till golden in colour on a low to medium flame. 

                            Drain on a kitchen towel.

                    Serve hot as an appetizer with green chutney or sauce.