Maharashtrian Puri Bhaji Thali/ Indian Meal Menu
When I started travelling for work, I realized how much I like home made food. Even the simplest recipes felt like distant dream on long hauls. I remember, the day (or night) I used to return home, my mother used to make 19 to dozen dishes to welcome me. But what I insisted on eating was a simple plate of dal rice. There is something special about mom's dal. I hope my son grows up with this fond memories some day. Provided I feed him something that is staple..with my experiments I guess he would be wondering about that one dish
Coming back to the menu for the day, it is a simple yet festive meal for us(maharashtrians). Puri bhaji and shrikhand are like the easiest naivedya (food for God) to be prepared on all small and big occasions. It is actually funny to explain that we eat puris, this kind of potato bhaji (soli batata- peeled potatoes) and shrikhand almost many times in a month or week. But when these three are put together the meal suddenly becomes special.
Menu for the day
Puri - Deep fried small flat bread
Soli Batata Bhaji - Stir fried par boiled potatoes with light tempering
Plain steamed rice -Steamed rice with a dollop of ghee
Ambat God Amti- Sweet and sour dal
Shrikhand - Sweetened curd cheese
I got a big whack for the way the thali is arranged from my mum..but I think she should be happy that I am attempting to make the dishes at home.
Puris -
I realized that puris are not simply deep fried rolled out chapatis a little late in life. I rarely made these as the situation never required me to do puris. I will post my recipe for Puri at leisure as there are variants I make as per taste and need.
Soli batata bhaji
This is a simple stir fried parboiled potato vegetable. Like the pooja prasad, this always tastes great when it is served as naivedya. I am yet to understand how and why?
Shrikhand
Shrikhand does not get much importance in my house as it is common as roti or dal. However, I avoid giving the store bought readymade stuff to son just because I think he has some allergy. I cannot deprive him of this so I sometimes make it at home. It also gets made when we have lot of cream or curd accumulated at home. Most of it gets made into ghee but some part is reserved for shrikhand.
Check the simplest recipe ever for Shrikhand here.
Ambat - God Amti
As if Shrikhand is not sufficient we also make sweet dal to go along. This was something I got familiarized post marriage. I love the way my MIL and Grand MIL prepares it.
I repeat every step religiously but never make it half as tasty. You give it a try to see if you can emulate from here
Comments
Kalyani
Sizzling Tastebuds
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This thali looks very comforting and very tempting too..