Flat Breads, Recipes

Puran Poli

No Comments
Print
Puran Poli

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 6

Puran (filling) Poli (flat bread) is one of my husband and his family's favorite dishes. During a holiday/festival you are bound to find it during meals at his family home in Gujarat, India.
Ingredients
For filling (puran):
  • 1 cup toover dal (split pigeon peas)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
For dough:
  • 2 cups chapatti or whole wheat flour
  • 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon neutral oil
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ cup or less all-purpose flour, for rolling and dusting
  • ¼ cup or less ghee (clarified butter), for brushing
Directions
  1. Wash split pigeon peas few times. For oily dal make sure all the oil is washed off. Soak in about 2 cups of water for 1 to 2 hours or until peas are soft in a medium size soup pot. (Soaking is optional).
  2. Cover dal with a lid and cook it with water on a medium heat until peas are very soft, about one hour. Dal can also be cooked in a pressure cooker, according to manufacturer’s direction.
  3. While dal is cooking make dough. Put chapatti or whole wheat flour in a medium mixing bowl. Add salt and 2 tablespoons oil and mix it with hands. Gradually add water and knead until it makes soft and smooth dough. Cover the dough with a plate or a kitchen towel and let it rest while dal is cooking and you make the filling.
  4. Once dal is cooked, add sugar and cook until mixture thickens, stirring frequently, about 25 to 30 minutes. (You can also cook filling in microwave uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes). Let filling cool for 45 minutes to an hour or until cool to handle. Add cardamom and nutmeg and stir to combine. Divide filling into 12 to 15 equal portions and roll into balls.
  5. Pour 1 teaspoon oil on top of the dough and knead it few times until smooth. Divide the dough into 12 to 15 equal portions and roll into balls.
  6. Put about half a cup of all-purpose flour into a flat dish. Dip the ball of dough into flour and flatten it on a smooth cutting board (wooden or marble). Dip the flatten dough into flour again on both sides. First roll out a biscuit size (about 3 inch in diameter) small circle. Put one ball of filling in the middle. Gradually make folds around the edges to cover filling. Pinch the folds together, twist the dough on top and press the dough down so that it makes small circle. Dip the circle into flour on both sides .Roll out into a circle about 6 inches in diameter, dusting with flour if the dough starts sticking to the board. If some stuffing comes out or dough breaks, it’s fine.
  7. Heat a griddle or a flat non-stick pan on a medium heat. Transfer puran poli 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. Remove from the heat. Brush the first side with about 1 teaspoon of ghee. Repeat the process with all the remaining dough and filling balls. Stack cooked puran poli. Serve warm with a shaak (vegetable) like okra, tindola or bataka ni sukhi bhaji.
Continue Reading

Recipes, Sweets

Gulab Jamun

No Comments

Print
Gulab Jamun

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 8

Donuts soaked in sugar syrup
Ingredients
  • ½ cup whole milk ricotta cheese, drained
  • ½ cup milk powder
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon arrowroot flour or corn starch
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk yogurt
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons ghee or unsalted butter
  • Vegetable oil or vegetable shortening for frying
Syrup:
  • 1 ¼ cups sugar
  • ¾ cup water
  • 3-4 threads of saffron
  • 3 whole cardamom pods
Directions
  1. Make Syrup: Combine water and sugar in a large sauce pan. Bring to boil on a medium high heat. Open cardamom pods slightly. Turn heat to low; add saffron and cardamom pods to syrup. Let it simmer on low heat for 10 to 12 minutes.
  2. While syrup is cooking, first combine milk powder, flour, arrowroot flour (or corn starch) and baking powder in a medium mixing bowl. Add ricotta, one tablespoon of yogurt and with your hands knead into soft dough. If mixture is too dry, add one more tablespoon of yogurt. To avoid dough sticking to hands, spread butter or ghee on your hands.
  3. Divide the dough into 30 or so equal portions and form into balls (gulab jamun). Keep it covered with a kitchen towel.
  4. Heat oil or shortening in a frying pan on medium-high heat until hot enough for frying. Reduce heat to medium. Fry 6 to 7 gulab jamun at a time, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Drain excess oil on paper towel and immediately drop them into sugar syrup. Repeat process for rest of gulab jamun. Let gulab jamun soak in sugar syrup for at least 3 hours before serving. Can be served warm or at room temperature as a sweet or a snack.
Notes
Gulab Jamun in made with milk fudge, known as mava, in India. Replacing it with ricotta cheese and milk powder gives same flavor and texture.

 

Continue Reading

Recipes, Sweets

Ghughra

No Comments

Print
Ghughra

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 20

This sweet snack (Empanadas) is made during the festival of Diwali.
Ingredients
For Filling:
  • ⅔ cup or more Ghee (clarified butter)
  • 1 cup fine ravo (crème of wheat)
  • ¼ cup coconut or almond flour
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup confectioner sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
For Dough:
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons Crisco Shortening, cold and cut into ½ inch dice
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cold and cut into ½ inch dice
  • ¾ cup or more cold water
For Frying:
  • 1 ½ cups Crisco shortening (or neutral oil)
Directions
  1. Make dough: In a bowl of food processor combine all-purpose flour, salt, Crisco and butter by pulsing 10 to 12 times, until mealy. With a processor running, gradually add water until soft dough comes together. Remove from bowl and knead the dough until smooth. If dough sticks use some flour. Transfer to a bowl and cover with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes to an hour while you make filling.
  2. Heat ghee in a wok or a frying pan on low heat, 1 minute. Add crème of wheat and combine with ghee. If the mixer looks dry, add more ghee, one tablespoon at a time. Increase heat to medium high. Sauté crème of wheat until it becomes very light, fluffy and light golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. You will also see separated ghee, which is fine. Off the heat, add coconut or almond flour and cardamom. Let it cool down for 30 minutes. Add both sugars to filling. Adjust sweetness. If the mixer looks dry, add more ghee, one tablespoon at a time. The filling should stay together.
  3. Knead the dough couple of times. Divide the dough into 25 to 26 equal portions. Make rounds by rolling between palms and keep them covered with a kitchen towel. Roll it out one round into a thin circle, about 3 inches in diameter. Put about 1 tablespoon of filling on one side and fold it into a semi-circle. Seal the edges either with a fork or a hand and create a scalloped edge with fingers. Transfer to a plate and cover with slightly damp kitchen towel. Repeat the process for the remaining rounds, about 1 hour.
  4. Heat Crisco or oil in a frying pan. Deep fry the Ghughra, in batches of 4 to 5 until they are light golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Can be served as snack or light dessert at room temperature. Store in an air tight container. It can last for a week with coconut and two weeks with almonds.

 

Continue Reading

Recipes, Sweets

Rice Pudding

No Comments

Print
Doodh Pak

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • 2 cups whole milk (doodh)
  • 2 cups half and half
  • ½ cup uncooked basmati rice
  • 1 tablespoon ghee (optional)
  • ½ cup sugar or more
  • ⅛ teaspoon saffron (kesar) threads
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom (elaichi)
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (jaifal)
  • 2 tablespoons slivered almonds (badam), for garnish
Directions
  1. Rinse rice with water until water is clear. Let excess water drain and combine with ghee if using in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
  2. In a small mixing bowl combine saffron with 1 tablespoon of milk and set it aside to dissolve.
  3. Combine milk and half and half in a large non-stick pot or a Dutch oven and bring to a boil on medium heat, 8 to 10 minutes. Lower the heat and let milk simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in between so that milk does not boil over.
  4. Change heat to medium. Add rice and immediately stir to keep rice kernels separate. Let rice cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring in between.
  5. Add sugar, saffron milk and let doodh pak simmer for 10 minutes or so to let sugar dissolved and the liquid from sugar to evaporate, stirring frequently. Add more sugar if needed.
  6. Off heat add cardamom, nutmeg and mix. Garnish with almonds and before serving. Can be served warm or chilled with Puri.

 

 

Print
Kheer

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 4

You will find this recipe in most region of India.
Ingredients
  • 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar, if needed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 tablespoon slivered almonds, for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted pistachios, finely chopped, for garnish
Directions
  1. Rinse rice with water until water is clear. Let excess water drain and set aside.
  2. In a non-stick medium pot or a Dutch oven bring milk to a boil on medium heat, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in between so that milk does not boil over.
  3. Add rice and immediately stir to keep rice kernels separate. Let rice cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring in between.
  4. Once rice is cooked add condensed milk and let kheer cook for 10 more minutes to make it creamy, stirring frequently.
  5. Add more sugar if needed. Off heat add cardamom and mix. Garnish with almonds and pistachio before serving. Can be served warm or chilled.

Continue Reading

Recipes, Sweets

Shrikhand

No Comments

Print
Elaichi Shrikhand

Prep time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 8

Cardamom Yogurt Pudding
Ingredients
  • 1 32oz container full fat yogurt (not Greek)
  • 1 32oz container low fat yogurt (not Greek)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar or more
  • 1 teaspoon ground elaichi (cardamom)
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground jaifal (nutmeg)
  • 1 tablespoons finely chopped pistachio, for garnish (optional)
Directions
  1. The night before or at least 8 hours before: Line a colander with 10 to 12 paper towels. On top of towels spread cheese cloth with double layer. Put colander onto a big container for dripping water. Pour yogurt from two containers over cheese cloth. Fold over extra cheese cloth and cover with a plate which stays inside the colander. Put heavy pot or cans to weigh down yogurt to remove water from it. Let everything stand overnight or for at least 8 hours.
  2. Pick up cheese cloth with four corners and squeeze out remaining water from yogurt. Transfer yogurt to a large mixing bowl or bowl of standing mixture.
  3. Add first ½ cup of sugar to yogurt and whisk it until smooth. Repeat the same. Taste yogurt and add more sugar if it is still sour and repeat the process.
  4. Add cardamom, nutmeg and whisk to combine. Let it refrigerate at least 4 hours to blend all the flavors.
  5. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with pistachio. Shrikhand is mostly served as a sweet with meals.

 

 

Print
Kesar Elaichi Shrikhand

Prep time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 8

Saffron Cardamom Yogurt Pudding
Ingredients
  • 1 32oz container full fat yogurt (not Greek)
  • 1 32oz container low fat yogurt (not Greek)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar or more
  • 1 teaspoon ground elaichi (cardamom)
  • 1 teaspoon kesar (Saffron) threads
  • 1 tablespoons finely chopped pistachio, for garnish (optional)
Directions
  1. Follow the first three steps of Elaichi Shrikhand.
  2. Combine saffron and one teaspoon of sugar into a mortar and with a pestle make it into fine powder or dissolve saffron into one teaspoon of milk. Add cardamom, saffron and whisk to combine. Let it refrigerate at least 4 hours to blend all the flavors.
  3. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with pistachio. Shrikhand is mostly served as a sweet with meals.

 
Print
Mango Shrikhand

Prep time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 8

Mango Yogurt Pudding
Ingredients
  • 1 32oz container full fat yogurt (not Greek)
  • 1 32oz container low fat yogurt (not Greek)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar or more
  • 2 mangoes
Directions
  1. Follow the first three steps of Elaichi Shrikhand.
  2. Peel and cut mangoes into big chunks. Puree mangoes in a blender.
  3. Add mango puree to whisked yogurt. Whisk again to combine. Taste and adjust sweetness. Let it refrigerate at least 4 hours to blend all the flavors.
  4. Mango Shrikhand is mostly served as a sweet during mango season with meals.

Continue Reading

Recipes, Sweets

Sukhadi

No Comments

Print
Sukhadi

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 6

This is my sister Jayshree's recipe of whole wheat flour halva.
Ingredients
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup Ghee (clarified butter)
  • 1 cup jaggery (Indian raw sugar), shredded
Directions
  1. Heat a small wok or a frying pan on a low heat. Add flour and sauté it until light golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
  2. Gradually add ghee and keep sautéing flour in the ghee until flour is fluffy and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
  3. Add jaggery and switch off heat. Stir everything until jaggery is melted, about 5 minutes.
  4. Transfer to a pie plate and smooth it out in even layer. Cut two inch squares. It is best served warm as a snack or a quick sweet. It can be store in an air tight container for a week once it cools down.

 

 

Continue Reading

Recipes, Sweets

Sheero

No Comments

Print
Sheero

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 4

(Sweet Cream of Wheat Porridge) This recipe is found in many regions of India in some form. But unlike other regions, in region of Gujarat this type of sweet dish is eaten along with a meal. Sometimes sheero is made from the whole wheat flour and jaggery (Indian raw sugar) instead of sugar. You can also add saffron in this dish, which can be added when you are sautéing cream of wheat. If you are making it with whole wheat flour, best is to use water and without raisins and saffron.
Ingredients
  • ½ cup rawa or soji (cream of wheat)
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup ghee (clarified butter)
  • 1 ½ cups warm water or milk
  • 1 tablespoon golden raisins
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 tablespoon slivered almonds for garnish
Directions
  1. Heat ghee in a medium soup pot over low heat, until it shimmers. Add cream of wheat , raisins and increase heat to medium. Sauté it until cream of wheat becomes light, fluffy and light golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Add water or milk. (Using milk instead of water makes it richer in taste). Immediately stir to remove any lumps and let it simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, stirring it occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes. It should be like creamy polenta.
  2. Add sugar and mix it well and again let all the liquid absorbed, stirring it occasionally, about 5 minutes. Keep cooking and as soon as the ghee starts separating in about 2 to 3 minutes remove from heat. Let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
  3. Add cardamom and stir well. Just before serving garnish with slivered almonds. The sheero can be either served warm or cold.

 

Continue Reading

Recipes, Sweets

Gajar Ka Halwa

No Comments

Print
Gajar Ka Halwa

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 20

Carrot pudding
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds carrots, peeled and shredded
  • 1 16 oz container ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup each golden raisins and cashews (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter) (optional)
  • 1 cup sugar or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut, for garnish (optional)
Directions
  1. In a non-stick soup pot or frying pan, heat ghee slowly. Add ricotta cheese and sauté it until fragrant. Or start heating ricotta cheese in a pot or pan. Add cashews and raisins and sauté it for one minute. Add carrots and heavy cream. Mix everything and let it cook, uncovered, until all the water has evaporated, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir the mixture occasionally and watch it carefully so that it does not brown or stick to bottom.
  2. Add sugar and mix everything and again let it cook, uncovered, until all the water has evaporated, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir the mixture occasionally and watch it carefully so that it does not brown or stick to bottom. Let it cool down slightly, add cardamom and mix well.
  3. Transfer it to a pie dish or shallow pan and spread evenly. Garnish it with coconut. Can be served warm or at room temperature.

 

Continue Reading