Flat Breads, Recipes

Methi na Dhebra

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Methi na Dhebra

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Serves: 6

Millet flour flat bread with fenugreek greens (fenugreek greens are bitter greens, especially eaten during winter months)
Ingredients
  • 2 cups bajri (millet) flour
  • ½ cup bhakhri flour or cream of wheat
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon chili powder (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons salt or to taste
  • 4 teaspoons sugar or to taste
  • 3 cups fresh chopped methi (fenugreek) leaves or frozen, thawed
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 jalapeno or serrano chili, finely minced
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, finely minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • ½ cup yogurt (not Greek)
  • Neutral oil for semi frying
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour for dusting and rolling
Directions
  1. Combine millet and wheat flours, olive oil, salt, sugar, turmeric and chili powder in large mixing bowl with hands. Add methi, cilantro, chili, ginger, garlic and yogurt. Mix them with hands and knead into soft dough. If mixture is dry, add some water to knead into soft and smooth dough. Cover dough with a plate or a kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
  2. Divide dough into 20 to 25 equal parts and form into balls.
  3. Place all-purpose flour into a flat dish. Roll a ball of dough into flour and flatten it on a smooth cutting board (wooden or marble). Dip the flatten dough circle into flour again on both sides. Roll out into 4 inch diameter circle, dusting with flour if the dough starts sticking to the board.
  4. Heat a griddle or a flat non-stick pan on a medium heat. Transfer the dhebra on to heated pan. Let the first side cook for 30 seconds to 40 seconds or until small bubbles appear on surface and flip to the other side. Let the other side cook for one minute. Pour about one teaspoon of oil on the top surface of dhebra and flip. Cook the dhebra by pressing with a spatula on top surface for 30 to 40 seconds and flip. Cook the other side same way. Remove from the heat. Repeat the process with all the remaining dough balls.
  5. Serve as a snack or lunch with cilantro chutney and/or tomato chutney. Can also be served with a vegetable.
Notes
You can also use greens like spinach or kale in this recipe instead of fenugreek greens.

 

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Flat Breads, Recipes

Bajri na Rotla

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Bajri na Rotla

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Serves: 4

Traditionally millet flour flat bread (bajri na rotla) is made with hands (without use of rolling pin and flat surface) and cooked in a griddle made of clay.
Ingredients
  • 1 cup bajri (millet) flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • Water as needed
  • ½ cup bajri or all-purpose flour, for dusting and rolling
  • ⅛ cup or less ghee or melted butter for brushing (optional)
Directions
  1. Combine salt and bajri flour in a medium mixing bowl. Gradually add water and knead into soft and smooth dough. Divide into 5 to 6 equal portions and roll into balls.
  2. Start heating a skillet or a griddle on medium high heat.
  3. Place flour for dusting and rolling in a plate. Dip a ball into flour and gently flatten it with your hand. Flip it on other side and roll it in flour. Start rolling dough on a wooden or marble cutting board either with a rolling pin or with your hands by gently pressing on dough and moving in a circle, until it makes a circle of 4 inch diameter. To roll this dough easily you will have to constantly dust flour on both sides.
  4. Transfer it to a heated skillet or a griddle and cook it on one side for 40 seconds to a minute or until small bubbles appear on surface. Flip it and cooked it on other side for a minute to minute and a half. Remove a skillet or a griddle from heat and increase heat to high. Place the first side of rotla on open flame and let the rotla puff up. Flip it to other side and let it cook for a 10 to 20 seconds. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate. Replace a skillet or a griddle over medium high heat. Dust off extra flour from rotla and brush the first side with ghee or melted butter. Repeat the process with remaining dough balls. Stack cooked rotla, and to keep rotla warm, wrap it in kitchen towel. Serve warm with a vegetable or bean dish and garlic chutney. Children love to eat rotla with ghee and jaggery (Indian raw sugar).

 

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Condiments, Recipes

Cachumber

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Raw vegetables eaten with meal as a side dish is known as cachumber (salad).  It varies depending on season and availability of vegetables.

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Everyday Cachumber

Prep time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • 2 Roma or plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 serrano or jalapeno chilies, cut lengthwise into 4 pieces (optional)
  • ½ English cucumber, thinly sliced
  • 1 carrot, thinly sliced
  • 3 to 4 radishes, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon chaat masala
  • Juice of ½ a lime
Directions
  1. Arrange slices of vegetables on a serving platter. Just before serving, sprinkle chaat masala and squeeze lime juice on vegetables evenly.

 

 

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Kakdi Cachumber

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Serves: 4

Stir fired cucumber
Ingredients
  • 1 English cucumber, shredded
  • 1 jalapeno or serrano chili, cut lengthwise in 4 pieces
  • 7 to 8 curry leaves
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
  • ⅛ teaspoon asafetida
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon dalia (roasted and hulled split chickpeas) or roughly chopped peanuts
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • Pinch of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Directions
  1. Put shredded cucumber in a colander on top of bowl to catch drippings. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt on cucumber and let it stand for 30 minutes. Squeeze out water from cucumber and transfer to a plate.
  2. Heat oil in a medium sauté pan on medium high heat until shimmering, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mustard seeds and let them sizzle. Add sesame seeds, asafetida and turmeric. Add chili, curry leaves and sauté for 30 to 40 seconds. Add dalia or peanuts and sauté for a minute.
  3. Add cucumber and sauté it for one minute. Season with salt, sugar and stir. Let cucumber cook for two more minutes. Off heat add lemon juice, cilantro and stir. Serve immediately as a side dish.

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Tameta Dungli nu Cachumber

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Total time: 

Serves: 4

Tomato-Onion Salad
Ingredients
  • 2 Roma or plum tomatoes, ¼ inch diced
  • 1 red onion, ¼ inch diced
  • ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • Pinch of sugar
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Directions
  1. Combine all ingredients in a serving bowl and serve immediately as a side dish.

 

 

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Kachu Paku Cobis

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Serves: 4

Kachu (raw) Paku (cooked) Cobis (cabbage) - Stir fired cabbage
Ingredients
  • Quarter of cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 1 jalapeno or serrano chili, halved
  • 10 to 12 curry leaves
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • ⅛ teaspoon asafetida
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon dhana-jeeru (spice blend of ground coriander and cumin)
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Directions
  1. Heat oil in a medium sauté pan on medium high heat until shimmering, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mustard seeds and let them sizzle. Add asafetida and turmeric. Add chili, curry leaves and sauté for 30 to 40 seconds.
  2. Add cabbage and sauté it for 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and stir. Let cabbage cook for two more minutes. Add dhana-jeeru and let cabbage cook for a minute. Off heat add cilantro and stir. Serve immediately as a side dish.

 
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Kacchi Keri Nu Cachumber

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At beginning of spring season (vasant rutu), raw mangoes (kacchi keri) are available. When raw mangoes are available for few months, it is used in various ways, in making pickles, drinks and salad.
Ingredients
  • 1 small raw mango, seed removed, ¼ inch diced
  • 1 red onion, ¼ inch diced
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon sugar or jaggery or to taste
Directions
  1. Combine ingredients in a serving bowl and serve immediately as side dish.
Notes
With young raw mango, you should be able to cut through seed. With a late season raw mango, you can cut around mango to remove seed.

 
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Kacha Papaya nu Chhin

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Serves: 4

Where I grew up our house was surrounded by a garden. We had a couple of papaya trees and my mother used to make kacha (unripe) papaya nu chhin (shredded) frequently from papaya grown in our garden. This cachumber is also served with methi ni bhaji na gota (fenugreek green fritters), fafda (chickpea flour crisps), etc. When you buy gota or fafda from a street vendor or farsan (savory food) shop, you will also get this cachumber, especially in Gujarat.
Ingredients
  • Quarter of papaya, peeled, seeded and shredded
  • 1 jalapeno or serrano chili, halved
  • 10 to 12 curry leaves
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • ⅛ teaspoon asafetida
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon dhana-jeeru (spice blend of ground coriander and cumin)
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
Directions
  1. Heat oil in a medium sauté pan on medium high heat until shimmering, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mustard seeds and let them sizzle. Add asafetida and turmeric. Add chili, curry leaves and sauté for 30 to 40 seconds.
  2. Add shredded papaya and sauté it for 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and stir. Let papaya cook for two more minutes. Add dhana-jeeru and let papaya cook for a minute. Off heat add cilantro, lime juice and stir. Serve immediately as a side dish or with methi na gota (fritters).

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Desserts & more, Recipes

Blueberry and Peach Egg less Cake

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Blueberry and Peach Egg less Cake

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 16

Ingredients
For Blueberry Cake:
  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup ground freeze dried blueberry (fine powder)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 12 to 15 drops of blue food color
For Peach Cake:
  • Same ingredients as blueberry cake except ground freeze dried blueberry and blue food color
  • ⅓ cup ground freeze dried peaches (fine powder)
  • 12 to 15 drops of yellow food color
For Icing:
  • ½ stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 12 to 15 drops of yellow food color
For decorating:
  • 1 to 1 ½ cups blue berries
  • 1 peach, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon apricot jam with 1 teaspoon water
Directions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Prepare 8 x 8 x 2 inch baking pan by spraying non-stick spray or baking spray.
  3. Make blueberry cake: Combine flour, ground freeze dried blueberry, baking powder, salt in a medium mixing bowl.
  4. In a measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk, vanilla and baking soda until well combine, 1 minute.
  5. In another medium mixing bowl whisk together sugar and oil until sugar is dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Add ⅓ of flour mixture and ⅓ of buttermilk mixture and whisk to combine with sugar and oil, 1 minute. Repeat the process for two more times. Stir the batter with spatula to combine everything.
  6. Repeat steps 3 to 5 for peach cake.
  7. First pour blueberry batter into baking pan and level it with offset spatula. Next pour peach batter and level it. Since the batters are thick, they remain separate. Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cake cool down in pan for 15 to 20 minutes. Invert cake on a cake stand and let it completely cool, at least 3 hours.
  8. Whisk together ingredients of icing in a stand mixture.
  9. Once cake is cool, ice the cake. On top of icing, on one triangle arrange blue berries and another triangle arrange peach slices. Warm apricot jam with water in a microwave for 30 seconds. Brush blueberries and peach slices with apricot glaze. Refrigerate cake for at least 2 hours before serving. Keep left over cake refrigerated and serve within 2 to 3 days.
Notes
You can also other freeze dried fruits to make this cake. To make fine powder of freeze dried fruit, use spice or coffee grinder.

 

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Recipes, Vegetable Forward

Undhiyu

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Undhiyu

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Serves: 4

This mixed vegetables recipe is quintessential Gujarati dish. It is a very famous dish from city of Surat in Gujarat. The variety of green beans called papadi used in this recipe are named after the city. The fresh papadi is available mostly in winter months in India. In US it is mostly available frozen in Indian grocery stores along with other vegetables. Most of the time, undhiyu is cooked on stove top but it is also cooked underground in a clay pot called matalu covered with food fire, known as matala undhiyu.
Ingredients
  • ½ lb. frozen Surati papadi, thawed
  • ½ lb. frozen Surati papadi lilva, thawed
  • ¼ lb. frozen tuver lilva, thawed
  • ¼ lb. frozen ratalu (purple yam), thawed
  • 4 Indian eggplants
  • 4 small yellow or red potatoes
  • 1 sweet potato, 1 inch diced
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon ajwain seeds
  • 4 teaspoons green garlic or 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 2 jalapeno or serrano chilies, finely minced
  • ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1 recipe fried methi muthia
Masala (Spice mixture):
  • ¼ cup chickpea flour
  • 3 tablespoons ground peanuts (optional)
  • ¼ cup dhana-jeeru (spice blend of ground coriander and cumin)
  • 2 teaspoons salt or to taste
  • 4 teaspoons sugar or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • ¼ teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ cup grated fresh coconut
Directions
  1. Wash eggplants and potatoes, and pat dry. Make an X cut on ⅓ of eggplant on stemless side, keeping the stem. Make an X cut on ⅓ of potato on one side. Repeat the same with rest of eggplants and potatoes.
  2. Combine spice mixture plus 2 tablespoons of cilantro, 1 tablespoon minced chili, 2 teaspoons garlic and 2 tablespoons oil into a medium mixing bowl. Set aside ½ of spice mixture. Gently widen an eggplant and stuff it by gently pushing stuffing down by hand. Try not to break it and not over stuff it. Repeat the same with rest of eggplants and potatoes. If any stuffing remains, add it to set aside spice mixture.
  3. Heat remaining oil on a medium-high heat in a roasting pan or a Dutch oven until shimmering, 2 to 3 minutes. Add ajwain seeds and let them sizzle. Add remaining garlic and green chili. Sauté it for 30 seconds. Lower the heat to low while you arrange vegetables on top.
  4. In a Dutch oven, first arrange stuffed eggplants and potatoes in single layer. On top arrange papadi, papadi lilva, tuver lilva. Spread ½ of spice mixture on top. Next arrange sweet potatoes and ratalu in single layer. Spread remaining spice mixture on top. Or in a roasting pan, arrange first eggplants vertically on one side, next arrange potatoes, and then arrange one by one papadi, papadi lilva, tuver lilva, sweet potatoes and ratalu. Spread spice mixture evenly on vegetables except eggplants and potatoes. Add ½ cup water in Dutch oven or roasting pan. Cover with lid or aluminum foil. You can either cook vegetables on stove top on medium heat or a preheated 375 degrees oven until vegetables are tender, about 30 to 35 minutes. Check on vegetables half way through cooking and stir gently with spice mixture. If vegetables are sticking to bottom, add more water.
  5. Once vegetables are cooked, add muthia and stir to combine everything. Let undhiyu cook for 3 to 4 minutes, uncovered. Garnish with remaining cilantro before serving. Serve warm with puri or other Indian flat bread. Serve cilantro chutney, garlic chutney and thin sev (thin crispy chickpea flour noodles) on side to add to undhiyu to enhance the flavor.

 

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Recipes, Street Food

Khaman

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Khaman

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Serves: 4

This Gujarati dish can be found all over Gujarat in shops called khaman house or farsan (savory) mart. It is eaten as a snack or with a meal as a farsan on special occasions.
Ingredients
  • 2 cups besan (chickpea flour)
  • 1 cup yogurt (not Greek)
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon minced jalapeno or serrano chili
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh coconut, for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, for garnish
For tempering (Vaghar):
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon asafetida
  • 1 jalapeno or serrano chili, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon water
Directions
  1. Whisk together besan, yogurt and warm water in a medium mixing bowl until smooth batter. Cover the bowl with a plate and let it ferment for 4 to 5 hours.
  2. Once batter is fermented, add turmeric, salt, chili and ginger to batter and stir to combine.
  3. Grease two metal pie dishes with oil or nonstick cooking spray. Start heating steamer on medium high heat.
  4. Whisk lemon juice, oil and baking soda in a small mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously to emulsify oil and lemon juice and to aerate. Immediately add to fermented batter and whisk vigorously.
  5. Pour batter into pie dishes and steam it for 10 to 12 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from steamer and cut into squares. Keep it in pie dishes.
  6. While khaman are steaming, prepare vaghar. Combine sugar and water in a small mixing bowl until sugar dissolves. Set aside. In a small heavy bottomed sauce pan heat oil on medium high heat until shimmering. Add mustard seeds and let them sizzle. Lower heat to medium. Add asafetida and let it cook for 10 seconds. Add sesame seeds and chili. Let chili cook for 1 minute. Pour sugar water into vaghar. Take off heat.
  7. Pour ½ of vaghar on one pie dish and other ½ on second pie dish. Transfer khaman from pie dish to serving bowl. Stir gently to evenly coat vaghar. Garnish with coconut and cilantro. Serve immediately.
Notes
You can also make this recipe from ready to make packets available in Indian grocery stores.

 

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Grains, Recipes

Dal Dhokli

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Dal Dhokli

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Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 4

Ingredients
For Dal:
  • ¾ cup oily or dry toover dal (split pigeon peas), uncooked
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • Small (golf ball size) piece of jaggary or 3 teaspoons sugar
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon dhana-jeeru (spice blend of coriander and cumin powder)
  • 1 teaspoon or to taste finely chopped or minced jalapeno or serrano chili
  • ½ teaspoon finely minced ginger
  • 1 medium tomato, diced
  • 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, for garnish
For Dhokali:
  • 1 cup chapatti or whole wheat flour
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon ajwain seeds
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon asafetida
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • Water as needed to make dough
For Tempering (Vaghar):
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • ⅛ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • Pinch of asafetida
  • 5 to 6 curry leaves
  • 1 whole dry red chili (optional)
  • Pinch of red chili powder (optional)
Directions
  1. Wash split pigeon peas few times. For oily dal make sure all the oil is washed off. Soak in about 1 ½ cups of water for 1 to 2 hours or until peas are soft in a medium size soup pot. (Soaking is optional but it will speed up cooking process).
  2. Add diced tomato. Cover with a lid and cook it with water on a medium heat until peas are very soft, about one hour.
  3. While dal is cooking, make dhokli dough. Combine flour, oil, salt and dry spices in a mixing bowl with hands. Gradually add water and knead into firm and smooth dough. Cover with a plate or a kitchen towel and let it rest 30 to 40 minutes. After dough is rested divide into four equal portions and roll into balls.
  4. Once the dal is cooked, take off the heat and add ½ cup of water and mix it with a whisk or an immersion blender until it has a consistency of slightly thick soup. Start heating the dal on medium heat. Add salt, turmeric, dhana-jeeru, green chili, ginger and let it simmer on low heat or a simmer burner.
  5. While dal is simmering, flatten a dough ball on to a smooth cutting board and roll out into a thin circle (as thin as pasta sheet). Cut dough into 2 inch squares or diamonds. If some pieces are small it’s fine. Drop the pieces one by one into simmering dal and stir with dal. Increase heat to medium high and let dal come to boil so dough pieces can cook. Repeat the process with remaining dough balls. If dal starts to boil over, reduce heat to medium. Let dal-dhokli simmer for 12 to 15 minutes and then add jaggery or sugar and lemon juice, stir dal-dhokli. Keep it simmering on low heat.
  6. To cook dal-dhokali in Instant Pot: Follow step 1 but instead of soup pot use insert pot of instant pot. Add diced tomato and cook dal on pressure cooker setting for 25 minutes. For unsoaked dal increase time to 35 minutes. Once dal is cooked, release steam. Add ½ cup of water and mix it with a whisk or an immersion blender until it has a consistency of slightly thick soup. Start heating the dal on sauté setting. Set it for 30 minutes. Add salt, turmeric, dhana-jeeru, green chili, ginger and let it simmer. Follow step 5. Ignore the temperature changes as temperature in Instant pot remains constant. If dal starts to boil over change setting to keep warm setting for few minutes.
  7. Prepare Vaghar: In a separate small heavy bottomed sauce pan, heat oil on medium high heat until shimmering. Add fenugreek seeds and let it sizzle. Lower the heat, add mustard and cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add asafetida, curry leaves, red chili and chili powder. Pour oil with everything over dal. Mix it with dal-dhokli and let it simmer for two to three minutes. Garnish with cilantro before serving. Serve warm. Can be served over rice. You can also add ½ cup vegetables like green beans, green peas or beans like black-eyed peas to simmering dal to make it one pot meal.

 

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Flat Breads, Recipes

Bhakhri

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Bhakhri

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Serves: 4

This whole wheat flour flat bread is eaten as a breakfast in many homes in state of Gujarat. It is made with coarse flour than the usual chapatti flour used in making flat breads. Because of this textured flour and firm dough, it comes out like a shortbread.
Ingredients
  • 2 cups bhakhri flour (coarse whole wheat flour), see Note.
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • Water as needed
  • ⅛ cup or less Ghee or melted butter, for brushing (optional)
Directions
  1. Combine flour, salt and oil in a mixing bowl with hands. Gradually add water and knead into firm and smooth dough. Cover with a plate or a kitchen towel and let it stand for ½ to 1 hour.
  2. After dough is rested knead it few times until smooth. Divide dough into 12 to 13 equal portions and roll them into golf ball sized balls.
  3. Start heating a skillet or a griddle on medium high heat. Put the dough ball on a wooden or marble or smooth cutting board and make dough flat with palm of hand. Roll the dough with a rolling pin into a 4 inch diameter round.
  4. Transfer it to heated skillet or a griddle and cook it on one side for 40 seconds to a minute or until small bubbles appear on surface. Flip it and cooked it on other side for 1 minute to 1 ½ minutes. Remove a skillet or a griddle from heat and increase heat to high. Put the first side of bhakhri on open flame and let bhakhri puff up. Flip it to other side and let it cook for a 20 to 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Replace skillet or griddle over medium high heat. Brush the first side of bhakhri with ghee or melted butter. Repeat the process with remaining dough balls. Serve warm with a vegetable or bean dish.
Notes
Bhakhri flour is available in Indian grocery stores.

 

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Recipes, Vegetable Forward

Cauliflower Manchurian

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Gobi Manchurian

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Serves: 4

This recipe is a fusion of Chinese and Indian cuisine to suit Indian taste. It is believed to be created by Chinese community living in city of Kolkata (State of Bengal), eastern part of India.
Ingredients
  • 1 medium sized cauliflower (gobi), cut into 2 inch florets
  • Neutral Oil for frying
For Batter:
  • ½ cup AP flour
  • ½ cup corn starch
  • 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste, see Note.
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • Water as needed
For Sauce:
  • ½ cup tomato ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • ½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 jalapeno or Serrano chili, minced
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil
Directions
  1. To prepare sauce, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a small sauce pan until shimmering. Add chili, ginger-garlic paste and white parts of scallions and sauté them until soft, 2 minutes. Add ketch up, honey and soy sauce and stir to combine. Let sauce come to boil and let it simmer for 7 to 10 or until sauce thickens. Cover sauce and set it aside.
  2. While sauce is simmering, combine batter ingredients except water in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add water to make thin batter (like tempura batter). Add cauliflower florets and gently stir florets to coat evenly with batter.
  3. Heat oil in a frying pan until hot enough to fry. Shake off excess batter from florets and fry them in batches of 6 to 7 until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain excess oil on paper towel lined plate.
  4. Once all florets are fried and drained transfer to a large mixing bowl. Pour sauce over florets and stir to coat with sauce. Transfer to serving bowl and garnish with green parts of scallions. Serve immediately as a side dish and/or Scallion Paratha
Notes
Ginger-garlic paste is available in Indian grocery stores.

 

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Recipes, Vegetable Forward

Buffalo Cauliflower Florets

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Buffalo Cauliflower Florets

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Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • 1 medium sized cauliflower, cut into 2 inch florets
  • ½ cup fine corn meal
  • ½ cup corn starch
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce
  • Neutral Oil for frying
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro or parsley
Buffalo sauce:
  • ¼ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces
  • ½ cup hot sauce
  • 2 tablespoons honey
Ranch dressing:
  • ¼ cup yogurt
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon ranch seasoning powder
  • 1 teaspoon chives, sliced thinly
Directions
  1. In a small mixing bowl, combine buttermilk and hot sauce. Transfer cauliflower florets to a large mixing bowl. Pour buttermilk mixture over florets. Stir gently to coat florets with buttermilk. Let florets marinate for ½ to 1 hour.
  2. Meanwhile prepare Buffalo sauce by heating hot sauce and honey in a small sauce pan. Once hot sauce is bubbling, add butter 1 tablespoon at a time and whisk to combine until all butter is added. Cover sauce and set it aside.
  3. In a small mixing bowl combine ingredients of ranch dressing and transfer to serving bowl.
  4. In small mixing bowl, combine corn meal, corn starch, salt and pepper. After cauliflower florets are marinated, drain buttermilk. Sprinkle flour mixture all over florets. Gently stir florets to coat evenly with flour mixture.
  5. Heat oil in a frying pan until hot enough to fry. Shake off excess flour from florets and fry them in batches of 6 to 7 until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain excess oil on paper towel lined plate.
  6. Once all florets are fried and drained, transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Pour Buffalo sauce over florets and stir to coat with sauce. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with scallions and cilantro or parsley. Serve immediately with ranch dressing on side.

 

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Recipes, Street Food

Chickpea Flour Rolls and Fries

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Khandavi

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 6

The chickpea flour is known as besan and the rolls are known as Khandavi. This dish was my mother's specialty. My mother used to make it on special occasions and whenever guests were coming over. She is not able to cook anymore but she has passed on this recipe to many of us. This is not an easy recipe to master. It took several attempts for me to make it right.
Ingredients
  • ½ cup chickpea flour (besan)
  • ½ cup yogurt (not Greek)
  • ¾ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon finely minced green chili (jalapeno or serrano)
  • 1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • Pinch of asafetida
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
  • 3 tablespoons freshly grated coconut, see Note.
  • Oil for brushing on baking sheet
For Tempering (Vaghar):
  • 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon asafetida
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
Directions
  1. Prepare two large or three medium sized baking sheets for spreading cooked besan. Invert baking sheets and brush them with oil and set them aside. You can also use silicon mat or spread on a stone kitchen counter.
  2. Whisk together besan, yogurt, water, green chili, ginger, turmeric, asafetida and salt in a medium heavy bottomed sauce pan until smooth.
  3. Start cooking besan on low heat, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook besan until it is fully cooked (like polenta), about 7 to 10 minutes. Immediately spread besan on to baking sheets in thin layer (like thickness of tortilla).
  4. Sprinkle two tablespoons each of cilantro and coconut on baking sheets evenly. Make 2 ½ inch cuts evenly on spread batter vertically along the width of baking sheet.
  5. Gently start rolling khandavi as tight as you can, until all spread batter is gone. This batter will make 12 to 14 khandavi. Arrange khandvi vertically on a casserole dish.
  6. Prepare Vaghar: In a small heavy bottomed sauce pan, heat oil on medium heat until simmering. Add mustard seeds and let them sizzle, 30 seconds. Add remaining vaghar ingredients and let it cook 10 seconds. Pour over arranged khandvi. Garnish with remaining cilantro and coconut. Serve within few hours of making at room temperature.
Notes
Fresh grated coconut is easily available in Indian grocery stores in frozen section.

 

 

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Chickpea Flour Fries

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 3

Ingredients
  • ½ cup chickpea flour (besan)
  • ½ cup yogurt (not Greek)
  • ¾ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon finely minced green chili (jalapeno or serrano)
  • 1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • Pinch of asafetida
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated coconut
  • Oil for brushing on baking sheet
  • Neutral oil for frying
For Tempering (Vaghar):
  • 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon asafetida
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
Directions
  1. Whisk together besan, yogurt, water, green chili, ginger, turmeric, asafetida and salt in a medium heavy bottomed sauce pan until smooth. Brush with oil a small 6 x 10 baking sheet.
  2. Start cooking besan on low heat, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook besan until it is fully cooked (like polenta), about 7 to 10 minutes. Immediately spread besan on to baking sheet in even layer.
  3. Transfer the baking sheet to freezer for 2 to 3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
  4. Cut the batter into ½ inch thick fries. Heat oil into a frying pan until hot enough to fry. Fry the fries in 3 to 4 batches until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Transfer fries to paper towel lined dish or on a wire rack to drain excess oil. Once oil is drained, transfer fries to serving dish or bowl.
  5. Prepare Vaghar: In a small heavy bottomed sauce pan, heat oil on medium heat until simmering. Add mustard seeds and let them sizzle, 30 seconds. Add remaining vaghar ingredients and let it cook 10 seconds. Pour over the fries. Garnish with cilantro and coconut. Serve warm.

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Recipes, Street Food

Dabeli

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Dabeli

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 4

Dabeli is an Indian Street food available all over India. It is grab and go like food which people can eat as a breakfast, lunch or a snack in a hurry. It is basically a vegetarian slider, the patty is made out of mashed potatoes and spices.
Ingredients
  • 2 russet potatoes, boiled and mashed
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 small shallot, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons Dabeli masala, See note.
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon sugar or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 cup tamarind and date chutney, See note.
  • ½ cup salted or spicy peanuts, chopped finely
  • ¼ cup coconut, finely grated
  • ¼ cup pomegranate seeds
  • 12-15 black raisins, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup nylon sev (fine crunchy chickpea flour noodles), See note.
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup garlic chutney, See note.
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 4 slider buns
Directions
  1. Heat oil in a frying pan on a medium high heat, 2 minutes. Add shallot and sauté it until translucent, 2 minutes. Add mashed potatoes and stir to combine with shallot. Add ½ cup of tamarind and date chutney, dabeli masala, salt, sugar and lemon juice. Stir to combine with masala. Let mixture cook for 2 to 3 minutes. If mixture is too dry, add some water.
  2. Transfer the mixture to a plate or a baking sheet and spread it in even layer. On top of mixture sprinkle peanuts, coconut, pomegranate seeds, raisins, half of sev and cilantro. Stir the mixture with your hands to combine everything. Divide the mixture into four equal parts and make small patties to fit into slider buns.
  3. Slit the buns without cutting through all the way. Spread about 1 tablespoon each of garlic chutney on one half and tamarind and date chutney on another half. Sprinkle about ½ tablespoon sev on both sides of patty and slide into bun. Press the bun tight to seal the patty. Repeat same process for remaining buns.
  4. Heat non-stick pan or a griddle on a medium heat and add butter. Once the butter is melted, toast the buns with patty on both sides by gently pressing, about 2 minutes per side.
Notes
The Dabeli masala, nylon sev, tamarind and date chutney, and garlic chutney are easily available in Indian grocery stores.

 

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