The Yin, Yang and the Yum of it all.....

My friend , Shruti Nargundkar of Melbourne, posted a wonderful post about Matar Karanji/Gujiya/Calzones on her blog , in a post , "Less is more, More is Less". 

Karanji's made with a pastry of Rawa(cream of wheat), Maida(all purpose flour), woth a lashing of hot melted butter, allowed to sit a bit, nicely covered in a cool corner, and then stuffed with a spicy concoction of green peas, crushed potatoes, and tongue tickling spices, finally fried an served. 

Read Shruti's recipe on her blog.

Perfect for the approaching festive season in India.....

and even more so for a dedication in Marathi and English ...:-)

वर्गशिक्षिका आणि मुख्याध्यापिका बाई , आपल्या ए. सी. दालनात बसून , आपल्याच विचारात मुरल्या आहेत ; तशी मोहन रावांची मदत आहे म्हणा , पण आज काल वर्गात दंगा करणारी मुलं जरा ज्यास्तच करतायत .... बाहेर  येउन बघतात तर काय , सर्व मटार व बटाटे  आपापल्या जागा सोडून , वर्गातील  तिखट मसालेदार टग्या मंडळीन बरोबर चकाट्या पिटत बसली आहेत .... थोडा लाटण्याचा वापर, थोडा वरवणट्याचा दणका , आणि सर्व मुलं शिस्तीत मध्ये जमा  होतात , बाई सर्वांना एकत्र गोळा करतात, गुंडाळून घेतात , आणि मुलांना भाजणार नाही अश्या प्रकारे स्वताहाला गरम तेलात झोकून देतात . थोडे रुसणे फुगणे चालतेच, काही तर थोडे लाल पण होतात, पण जरा शांत झाले, कि चटणी ताईला बघून खूप खुश होतात . थोड्क्यात  काय ,  आता मुलांची गडबड एका मोठ्या प्लेट मध्ये चालूच राहते ......

Rawa Ma'am and Princi Maida ma'am deep in thought, in their cool airconditioned room, resting a bit after tangling with some Hot Fat melting types; and they wonder, given what they notice, if children in class today are more indisciplined..... They emerge outside, in time to see the peas and potato kids running haywire messing around with the wild and young spicy masala mafia types, nicely ensconced, gossipping away..... A few lessons in action with the rolling pin, a few with a hefty pestle, and they all fall in together, as the ladies gather them close, wrapping around them, before throwing themselves into a cauldron of a festively hot oil. Some puffing up, some anger some burning of the cheeks, but they calm down as they cool, away from the heat, and rejoice at the sight of their comrade-in-hands, Chutney. After all, they are children. And the excitement continues unabated, as they pile up in the large plate.....