Bhajaniche Vade

'Bhajani' which is a flour of mixed roasted pulses and some spices is typically used to make 'Thalipeeths', a famous snack item from Maharashtra, India. This delicious flavored flatbread is traditionally served with a dollop of home-made butter and an accompaniment of either chutney, raita, pickle or any other relish. Every year my mom makes big batches of this bhajani flour for me along with home made cumin powder, coriander powder, goda masala, upvasachi bhajani (for vrats/ fasts), pickles, chundas etc that I bring back with me during my India trips. 

Last year, for some reason I didn’t get a chance to make thalipeeths that often and therefore have some flour left from last year along with my fresh batch that I brought back with me during my last India trip in December 2009. I wanted to quickly use up the old bhajani, so that I could start using my fresh batch of bhajani for making thalipeeths. While searching for some new recipes that call for this bhajani flour, I came across these bhajani vades on this Blog. I think this is an excellent way of using the leftover flour before it loses all its flavor. I made a few changes to the original recipe. The vades were delicious, puffed up beautifully and went really well with this simple Batatyache Bhareeth (Potato Bharta).

Ingredients -
1 cup Bhajani Flour
2 tbsps wheat flour
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 tsp green chilli paste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp sesame seeds
salt to taste
1-2 tbsps hot oil
Oil for deep frying

Method -
1. In a bowl, take the bhajani flour and add wheat flour, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt, sugar, green chilli paste, cilantro, cumin powder, coriander powder, sesame seeds and mix well.
2. Add the hot oil and with some warm water form a medium dough (like puri dough). Cover and set the dough aside for 15-20 mins. In the meantime, heat oil for deep frying.
3. Form medium sized balls @ 8- 10. Lightly grease a plastic sheet or cut open a Ziploc bag and grease the inside. Place the ball of dough on the greased side and with help of your fingers and palm flatten it into a round puri. Deep fry the vadas in the hot oil on medium heat until done. Fry on both sides.

Batatyache Bhareeth (Potato Bharta) 

Ingredients -
1 cup chopped boiled potatoes
1 finely chopped green chilli
1/2 cup chopped onions
4-5 curry leaves roughly chopped
1/4 cup cilantro finely chopped
1/2 cup thick yogurt
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp hing/ asafoetida
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp sugar
salt to taste

Method -
1. Heat some oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds splutter, add cumin seeds, curry leaves, green chillies, hing/ asafoetida, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and mix well. Make sure you don't burn the spices. I usually turn off the stove, after I add the cumin seeds and then add the other seasonings to the oil.
2. Add the onions and cook for couple of minutes. You want the onions to have some crunch.
3. Take the pan off the stove and add potatoes, salt, sugar and mix together.
4. Let this mixture cool down and then add some beaten yogurt and mix well.
5. Add chopped cilantro and serve it at room temperature.

I'm sending these vadas to Nupur's BB4 event as it uses ingredients lurking in my kitchen and the recipe is inspired by another blogger.