Gujarati Kadhi and a couple of Awards

Gujarati Kadhi was born [in my kitchen,of course] after I made the Punjabi Kadi Pakora.After this I went on and prepared Taro Kadhi, capsicum kadhi, Palak kadhi.All these are still in my drafts and today I made up my mind to post Gujarati kadhi.

This kadhi is a lot thinner in consistency when compared to Punjabi Kadi Pakora.A very light and yummy accompaniment for steamed rice

I used:

Yogurt / Curd- 2 cups
Besan / gram flour - 2 tablespoons
Ginger green chilli paste - 1 teaspoon
Sugar- 1 tablespoon
Curry leaves a few
Turmeric powder- a pinch
Salt to taste

For tempering:

Oil- 1 tablespoon
Mustard- 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds- 1 teaspoon
Red chillies-2 , broken into bits
Asafoetida powder- a pinch

Coriander leaves to garnish

1. Beat together curd,besan, 2 cups water, turmeric powder, ginger green chilli paste, sugar and salt.[I ran this mixture in a blender jar for a minute so that there are no lumps.]
2. In a pan put in this blended mixture, curry leaves and bring to a boil.
3. Simmer for 5- 10 minutes till the raw smell of besan disappears.Add more water if needed.
4. Meanwhile, heat a small pan with oil and put in the ingredients for tempering.
5. When it splutters,pour this over the simmering kadhi and let it simmer for another couple of minutes
6. Remove from heat and serve garnished with coriander leaves.

Gujarati Kadhi

Now for the awards....

Archana of The Mad Scientist's Kitchen has passed on these wonderful awards...




The rules say that I have to tell you 7 things about myself.I have already share a few secrets here.Anyways, I will share something else here ...

1. I am in the process of cooking new dishes from the huge collection of recipes that I have.The collection is growing steadily and I can't stop collecting / book marking recipes.
2. Anytime I go to the library ,Lil Angel runs to the kids section first.So my priorities have changed.Kiddy books first, then some thrillers and finally to the cookbook section.
3. I love to go out for walks everyday.
4. My recent passion is gardening.I have started out with growing fenugreek, coriander, oregano and bittergourd in the little patch in our back yard.
5. Jasmine is my favorite flower.
6. I love to watch cookery shows on TV . My favorites are Nigella Lawson, Madhur Jaffery , Kylie Kwang.
7. I love to watch black and white movies.I feel they are better than the movies of today...

I am supposed to pass this award to 15 other bloggers and I am really in a fix now, not knowing whom to include as there are so many out there who deserve these wonderful awards...Anyways,since I have only 15 to choose from,here they are....

1. Mina of Authentic Vegetarian Recipes
2. Gayathri Kumar of Gayathri's cook spot
3. Savitha Ganesan of Savitha's Kitchen
4. Azeema of Azee's Kitchen Blog
   
5. Veena Krishnakumar of Veg Junction
6. Srivalli Jetti of Spicing Your Life
7. Rujuta of The world according to Rujuta
8. Harini - Jaya of Tamalpaku
9. Gayathri Anand of Kavithavin Kaivannam
10. Ivan of Evano Oruvanin Diary
11. Suma Gandlur of Veggie Platter
12. Sowmya Madhavan of Creative Saga
13. VJ of Super Curious
14. Jayashree of My experiments with food
15. Kamalika of Janaki's Kitchen

This day That year...

2010 - Radish Chutney and Pineapple Salsa with a twist

2009 - Tovvay Anna and Gojju - A perfect pair....

Bon Appetit...

Jajeek - Iraqi Cucumber Yogurt Dip for Taste and Create

As I had mentioned in my previous post -Turkish Haydari, I was paired with Nicole who writes at For the love of food and is also the founder of Taste and Create.When I got the mail with my partner name on the list ,I immediately set about bookmarking the recipes that I wanted to try and this Jajeek recipe was the first. It sounded so much similar to the Indian cucumber raita.

I had this as a side dish with Chapathi while Lil Angel preferred to have it as a main dish!So much is her love for Yogurt.Like mother,like daughter!!!


I used: The original recipe from Nicole's blog is here

Yogurt,fresh and thick - 1 cup
Cucumber -1 small,peeled and grated
Garlic- 1 clove
Ginger, grated- 1 teaspoon
Mint - 1 tablespoon,finely chopped
Salt to taste

1. Using a mortar and pestle, grind together garlic and salt.The dish tastes a lot better than adding these two separately.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.

Serve as a side dish / dip

If not using immediately, it can be refrigerated.

Taste and Create is a food community where we are paired with another blogger and we get to taste and create the recipes from the partner's blog.Would you like to join us?Then check out how it works page and register yourself for the next month's edition.Hope to see you in the next months Taste and Create list :)

This day That Year...

2010 - Spicy Garlic butter for toast 
Vegetable sandwich
Greens Sambar


Bon Appetit...

Turkish Haydari For Taste and Create

This month for taste and create I was thrilled to be paired with Nicole who writes at For the love of food and is also the founder of this wonderful food community. Though I had prepared two recipes from her blog, I missed posting it by the scheduled date.So today you will see two recipe prepared from my favorite ingredient - Yogurt.

The first one is Turkish Haydari [Yogurt Dip] which works well as a dipping sauce with chips and fries and also an excellent side dish with Chapathi.

I could not find dill around here, so I used mint leaves instead.Nicole's recipe is here

I used:

Fresh yogurt,thick - 1 cup
Mint leaves, finely chopped, a few tablespoons
Garlic - 1 clove, minced
Salt to taste
Chilli powder- to taste
Salt to taste
Olive oil- 1 teaspoon

1. In a bowl put in yogurt,mint leaves,garlic , salt and mix well.
2. Cover and chill till ready to use.
3. Just before serving sprinkle chilli powder and drizzle a little olive oil

This day That Year...

2010 - Spicy Garlic butter for toast 
Vegetable sandwich
Greens Sambar

Bon Appetit...

Microwave Fruit and Nut Cake with Oats

After I made the Healthy Oats cake with custard sauce I was tempted to try out another version of  that cake.On an impulse I gathered the ingredients and went ahead to bake a microwave cake. This cake which was prepared with a slight change in ingredients was moister than the one I had baked earlier , so I left out the custard sauce.Since its made in the microwave, it took less than 10 minutes from getting the ingredients measured and mixed to getting the cake out of the oven.

As always, the cake that I baked was just sufficient for the three of us to go with our evening tea.

I used:

All purpose flour - 1 cup
Oats - 1/4 cup,powdered[Measured 1/4 cup of oats and then powdered]
Brown sugar - 3/4 cup
Banana - 1,roughly chopped
Oil - 1/4 cup
Yogurt - 1/4 cup
Baking powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Baking Soda - 1/4 teaspoon
Mixed nuts -1/2 cup, roughly chopped
Raisins - a handful

1. Take all purpose flour, oats,baking powder and baking soda in a bowl and mix well.
2. Blend the yogurt,half the oil, banana and brown sugar till well blended.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the blended ingredients.
4. Mix to combine.If its dry and you feel that you need to add a little more liquid ,add the remaining oil.
5. Fold in the nuts and raisins.
6. Pour into a greased microwave proof tin and microwave on high for 3 minutes.
7. Let it stand for 1 minute.Remove from the microwave, let it cool a bit before removing the cake from the tin.
8. Cut into slices and serve.

Note:

The baking time will vary depending on the voltage , quantity of ingredients etc.So set the timing accordingly.

This day That year...

2010 - Farfelle al arrabbiata - Farfelle in a spicy tomato sauce

Bon Appetit...

Instant Rawa Roast | Rawa Dosa

Lil Angel loves crispy dosa's.Well,I think that's the case with most of the kids.Rawa dosa is yet another favorite of hers.Instead of going out to eat this yummy dosa, I make it at home for her to relish.This dosa is very quick to prepare and requires no grinding or fermentation.

Rawa roast

I use:

Roasted Semolina - 1 cup
All Purpose Flour / Maida- 1/4 cup
Rice flour -1/4 cup
Sour yogurt / curd - 1- 2 cups
Peppercorns- 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds- 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves- a few torn
Salt to taste

1. In a large bowl combine semolina, rice flour, all purpose flour , salt and mix well.
2. Beat curd and add to the semolina-flour mixture.[See No.3 in note below]
3. Stir well to get a batter of pouring consistency.
4. Put in peppercorns, cumin seeds and curry leaves.
5. Let it rest for 10 minutes.You can utilize this time to prepare a side dish[chutney]
6. Heat a griddle.Take a ladle full of batter and start pouring it in a circle from the edge to the center.Do not spread the batter with the ladle and do not fill the small gaps.
7. Drizzle a little oil around the edges.
8. Cook till it turns crispy and the edges leaves the griddle.
9. Gently flip it over and cook for a couple of minutes
10. Fold into a semi circle / triangle and serve hot with a side dish of your choice.

Rawa Roast served with Sambar

Note:

1.  Rawa dosa take a couple of minutes longer to cook than the regular dosas.So please be patient till it cooks.If you try to flip it before it gets cooked, the dosa is bound to tear.
2. If the first dosa sticks to the griddle, add some more rice flour to the batter.Pour a teaspoon of oil on the griddle and rub the griddle with the cut surface of an onion and then proceed.
3. The amount of curd used depends on the absorption capacity of the flour and semolina.Use at least 1 cup sour curd and the rest can be made up with water.
4. Since Lil Angel does not like to bite into green chilli pieces, I don't add it to the batter.If you don't mind biting into them you can add finely chopped green chillies to suit your taste.
5. You can add chopped roasted cashews to the batter to give a nice crunch to the dosa
6. Another variation is onion rawa dosa.After pouring the batter in step 6, sprinkle a hand full of finely chopped onions and cook for a few minutes.[You need not flip it over].Fold in a triangle and serve.
7. For a spicier version, sprinkle a teaspoon of milagai podi over the onions and fold and serve.
8. You can also add chopped onions and coriander leaves to the batter and prepare it in the usual way.

This crispy dosa is on its way to Kids delight- Restaurant recreation hosted by Champa of Versatile Vegetarian Kitchen,an event started by Srivalli.Check out the other delicious kid's favorite in running roundup posted here

Bon Appetit...

Bittergourd - Carrot Kootu

There are days when the vegetable tray in the fridge is almost empty and you notice that just a few minutes before you set out to prepare lunch and pack it for the bread winner of the family.You try to rustle up something with whatever is available and keep your fingers crossed till you get the dreaded phone call from him, mocking your culinary skills but actually he calls to tell you that the meal was excellent!!!

Well, that's what happened when I found a small carrot and a single bittergourd in the veggie tray and prepared this different kind of kootu to pack for his lunch box.I was really worried that it might not be very good to take to office but I was praised for preparing a different kind of dish!!!

The sweetness from the carrot and the bitterness from the bittergourd  got balanced perfectly here.If you like bittergourd add more of it or if you prefer a little sweetness in the dish add more carrots...

I used:

Bitter gourd - 1,chopped
Carrot- 1, chopped
Toor dhal -1 cup

Kootu powder - 1 teaspoon
Sambar powder- 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder -a  pinch
Peanuts- a handful
Tamarind pulp - 3/4 teaspoon dissolved in 1/2 a cup of water
Mustard- 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds- 1 teaspoon
Red chillies- 2
Curry leaves - a few
Oil- 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

1. Microwave / steam carrots till done and keep aside.
2. Similarly microwave bittergourd and keep aside.
3. Pressure cook toor dhal with water and a pinch of turmeric powder.When the pressure releases, drain excess water if present [use this in rasam or as a soup] and mash well.
4. Heat oil in a pan and put in mustard,cumin seeds, red chillies and curry leaves.
5. When it splutters put in the tamarind extract and bring to boil.
6. When it comes to a rolling boil, add the bittergourd and simmer for 5 minutes or till the extract  almost dries up.Take care not to burn the contents of the pan.
7. Now put in toor dhal,carrot, salt, kootu powder, sambar powder, peanuts and add a little water[or the dal water] if needed and bring to boil.Simmer for 5 minutes.[Mix well so that there are no lumps.You can also dissolve the sambar powder and kootu powder in 1/4 cup of water and then add to the dal.This way you can avoid lumping of the powders.]
8. Remove from heat and transfer into a serving dish.

This goes well with steamed rice and chapati...

This Day That Year...

2010 - Makhana Kheer - A delicious dessert made with milk and puffed lotus seeds.

Bon Appetit...

Tawa Pulao | Tava Pulao

Tava Pulao is yet another treat from the roadside chaat-stall.Rice is flavored with Pav bhaji masala which makes the dish all the more tasty and give a 'chaat' feel to the rice.Addition of vegetables makes it tasty and healthy.I fell in love with this dish as it can be put  together in a jiffy.


This recipe is to be prepared on a tava / griddle, as the name suggests.But you can also use a regular pan / wok.Butter is usually used but I substituted it with regular cooking oil.So, here is my version of this dish which is going to be a part of  Flavors of Maharasthtra hosted here.




Tava Pulao served with rice crips


I used:

Cooked rice, grains separate - 2 cups
Chopped capsicum - 1/4 a cup[ I used red and green capsicum]
Frozen peas - 1/4 cup
Onion- 1, sliced
Tomato-1,small,finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
Pav bhaji masala - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds- 1 teaspoon
Oil- 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

 Coriander  / Mint leaves to garnish

 

1. Heat  oil in a pan and add cumin seeds.
2. When it crackles, add the onion, ginger garlic paste and saute till the onion turns transparent.
3. Add the tomato, capsicum, peas and a little water and simmer for a few minutes.
4. Add the pav bhaji masala and salt and more water if it is too dry.Keep stirring for 5 minutes.
5. Add the rice and mix well and cover and cook for 2 minutes for the flavors to blend.
6. Remove from heat and serve garnished with coriander / mint leaves.



Tava Pulao

This rice tastes great on its own, but it can also be served with pappad / chips / any crisps and a raita.

Bon Appetit...

Classic Book Of Indian Traditional Cooking - Book Review

Last week I went to the library and the first thing I looked up for is,guess what?Cook books you say? Then u are wrong!!Lil Angel was so eager to get a book for herself that she dragged me around begging me for a book.Hmmm..Looks like my priorities have to change.

Anyways, after getting her one bedtime story book,I went to the thrillers section and got a Jeffery Archer novel and then I headed to the cookbook section.

I found this book - Classic Book Of Indian Traditional Cooking by Mrs.Vijai Mehra.The book was a well thumbed copy,1998 edition.

The author - Mrs.Vijai Mehra is said to have mastered the art of cooking as a housewife staying in different parts of India and around the world.She has been teaching cookery to students for a number of years.She is a regular contributor of recipes to leading magazine of India.She compiled this book on the suggestions of friends and family.She believes in whole and tasty food cooked with minimum fat.She says that the recipes in this book were tried and tested by her and it is something she used to prepare for party's and get-togethers.

The recipes are categorized into 10 sections as

Soups and juices - 8
Rice dishes- 21
Parathas and puris - 13
Grams and dhals -9
Curried vegetables-15
Dry vegetable dishes - 21
Curd preparations- 11
Sweets and sweet dishes - 23
Tea time snacks - 24
Chutneys,Pickles and jams - 17

There is also a glossary of Indian terms and English terms.

Recipes like peas and poha pulao,Dahi fried rice,Khasta puris,Nargisi koftas,Banana koftas, Turnip bharta, Dahi pakodi,Gauva jelly sound interesting.

There are just a few clicks of the dishes and they look good.Since I was in a hurry,I did not go through the contents.I picked it up for the title.Later I found that most of the recipes are those which I usually prepare and I have blogged a few of those too. But this book would be of a great help for a novice cook.

At a Glance...

Book -Classic Book of Traditional Cooking [Click link to buy from Amazon]

Author -Mrs. Vijai Mehra

Publishers - Classic Paperbacks,New Delhi

No. Of Pages - 183


No. Of Recipes - 162

Please note that I have not been paid to write this review.

Happy browsing...

 


 

Paneer Butter Masala - Restaurant style

Last year during the vacations,my Lil Angel fell sick after dining at a wedding party.She ate very little there yet I was shocked to hear the Pediatrician say she was sick due to food poisoning.He also advised me not to give her food stuffs that were prepared in bulk and served like in wedding parties or restaurants.

Paneer Butter Masala and Butter Naan are the dishes that we order every time we eat out in India during our vacation.As with all the recipes, this one too varies from restaurant to restaurant.This pair is our all time favorite.

Though we don't eat out too often, I stopped eating out for her sake and prepared her favorite restaurant stuffs at home.Lil Angel loves paneer and Tofu and she used to enjoy Paneer Butter Masala from our Favorite restaurant.So I made this at home for her and Lil one was truly impressed!

Paneer Butter Masala

To justify the name , I used butter on the higher side and added spiciness and masalas to suit our taste..I also added a little orange food color to give it the restaurant touch.It was a perfect pair with Rotis

Paneer Butter Masala

I used :

Home made paneer - prepared from 1 liter milk, cubed
Tomato - 3 large, blanched and pureed
Tomato-1,small chopped [I added this for texture.It is purely optional]
Onion-1, large grated
Kasuri methi - 2 tablespoons, lightly roasted

Whole spices - Cloves-2, Cinnamon- a small piece,bay leaf - 1
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
Kashmiri red chilli powder- 1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder- 1/2 a teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Butter - 4 tablespoons
Fresh cream- 1 tablespoon
Orange food color- a pinch,dissolved in a tablespoon of water
Salt to taste

1. Heat butter in a pan and add the whole spices, ginger garlic paste, onion,chopped tomato and saute for a minute.
2. Add the kashmiri chilli power, red chilli powder, salt , coriander powder and mix well.
3. Simmer and cook for 5 minutes.Sprinkle a little water if the mixture is very dry.
4. Add the tomato puree and food color and mix well.Cook till the oil oozes from the mixture..
5. Put in the paneer cubes and stir gently.Add around 1 cup water to get the gravy consistency.But take care not to make it watery.Simmer for another 5 minutes.
6. Add the cream and kasuri methi.Stir and remove from heat.

Serve with Roti / Naan / Chapathi or enjoy it as such like Lil Angel does....

Paneer Butter Masala

Isn't it easy?Rich and creamy Paneer Butter Masala is ready without a hassle at home.Instead of butter any cooking oil can be used but there will be change in flavor.Also firm tofu can be used instead of paneer.

Paneer Butter Masala served with Roti

This delicious curry is being served at Kids delight- Restaurant recreation hosted by Champa of Versatile Vegetarian Kitchen,an event started by Srivalli.Check out the running roundup posted here

Bon Appetit...

Mutter Chaat | Green Peas Chaat

The Chaat mania continues today with this yummy Green peas chaat.I modified the recipe from Tarla Dala's recipe.

I used:

Green peas - 3/4 cup

Papdi - 5 numbers
Sev - 1/4 a cup
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Dried Mango powder / Amchur - 1/2 a teaspoon
Chaat masala -1/2 a teaspoon
Green chilli - 1, slit
Lemon juice to taste
Butter- 1 teaspoon
Oil- 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
I added a few pieces of  chopped tomato to add color to the dish.

1. Drop the peas in boiling water for 5 minutes.Drain and keep aside
2. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds,green chilli  and wait for cumin seeds to splitter.
3. Add peas,dry mango powder, chaat masala and salt and mix well.
4. Cook for a couple of minutes.
5. Transfer into a serving plate.
6. Add butter [it will melt and spread] 
7. Drizzle a little lemon juice.
8. Top it up with crushed papdi , sev and chopped tomato.

Serve hot / warm

Mutter Chaat served with Rose Milk

Other chaat recipes @ Seduce Your Tastebuds

• Bhel Puri
• Pani Puri
• Bread Chaat
• Channa Chaat
• Aloo Channa Chaat
• Pav Bhaji
• Batata Vada and Vada Pav
• Dahi Papdi Chaat
• Aloo Paneer Chaat
• Sev Puri Chaat
• Masala Pav

This day That year...

2010 - Cardamom Tea


Bon Appetit...

 


 

Arisi Vartral | Arisi Vadaam | Rice Crisps

I love these crisps.I like to much these as a snack or as a side dish with a meal.Its already very sunny in my part of the world and its the right time to prepare these crisps and store them for future use.Since they are sun dried, they have a very good shelf life.When in need of a snack or a side dish,just deep fry them and enjoy...

Though these are available in the stores, mom always insists that she prepare some for us.Here is her version of these rice crisps.

You need a murukku press for this and mom uses 'achu' number 1 [see picture below] for this.

Mom uses:

Raw rice - 6 cups
Sago -3/4 cup

1. Grind rice and sago to a fine powder.This can be done at home or at the rice flour mill.
2. If its done in the mill,it will be heated up so spread it on a cloth and when its cool, sift well.Else it will clog the hole in the murukku press.
3. Store in an air tight container.

With this quantity you can prepare several batches of these rice crisps.Once the flour is ready , you can proceed at your own pace.But be sure to store the flour in an air tight container and use a dry ladle to scoop out the flour from the bulk bin.

Proceed as follows...

1. Grind together green chillies which you can add more or less depending on your taste, a pinch of asafoetida powder to a fine paste using a water.Filter this and reserve the extract.
2. The general rice flour : water ratio is 1 : 1.5 cups but it can vary depending on the quality of the rice.Some varieties absorb more water.So always keep another cup or two of boiling water nearby before you start.
3. Heat a heavy bottom pan with water [use the ratio above] depending on the quantity of rice flour you are using.
4. Add the green chilli extract, salt and a few drops of sesame seed oil.[Oil prevents the flour from sticking to the bottom of the pan.]
5. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add the rice flour little by little and keep stirring after each addition.If necessary add a little hot water that you have kept ready in step 2.
6. Keep stirring so that there are no lumps.
7. The flour will get cooked and become glossy and leave the sides of the pan.
8. Remove from heat and transfer to a another vessel.
9. When the dough is cool enough add a few teaspoons of lemon juice into the dough and mix well.The lemon juice adds flavor and the crisps when fried will have a bright white color.But when you add too much lemon juice the color turns brown / red and tastes bitter.
10. Knead for a few minutes greasing your palm with a little sesame oil.
11. Pinch out a lump and fill the murukku press fitted with nozzle no.1[see picture of murukku press above]
12. Spread out a large cloth/ plastic sheet in a sunny area and place some heavy object around the cloth / sheet so that it does not get disturbed due to the winds
13. Press out the crisps as a straight line.Don't worry if its not  straight  :)
14. Refill the press with the remaining dough and press out the crisps.Let it dry in the sun.
15. Bring in the cloth or sheet indoors in the evening and put it out to dry the next day.
16. Repeat this until the crisps have dried completely.

Store them in an air tight container

When you want to munch on them, heat oil for deep frying and fry them in batches and savor.

Now for the award....

Tahemeem of Not so gourmet and Devi of Devi's Blog have passed on this wonderful award to me...

Thanks you so much for thinking about me :)

This day That year...

2010 - Fruit Relish

2009 - Veggie Chappathi and Tomato Chutney With a Twist

2008 - Idli Upma


Bon Appetit...

Spicy Cauliflower Fry

Yesterday I promised a Chaat recipe but here I am with a crunchy fry.Will definitely post the Chaat tomorrow....

One Sunday noon my folks wanted something spicy and crunchy munchy to go with lunch. That’s when I made this cauliflower fry. It is similar to bajji but I added a few spices to spice it up further. Very yummy snack with steamed rice and sambar.

I used:

Cauliflower florets from 1 large cauliflower
Oil for deep frying

Make a smooth batter of coating consistency [like bajji batter] with water

Besan / chickpea flour – ¼ cup
Rice flour- 2 tablespoons
Cumin powder- ¼ teaspoons
Chilli powder -1 teaspoon
Asafoetida powder- a pinch
Pepper powder- ¼ teaspoon
Saunf powder- a pinch [roast saunf in a pan and powder]
Garam masala- a pinch
Salt to taste


1. Parboil the florets,drain excess water and spread on a kitchen towel for 10 minutes.
2. Heat oil for deep frying.
3. Dip the florets in batter and drop them into the hot oil and fry till it is golden brown.
4. Drain on absorbent paper and serve.

Goes well as a side dish with steamed rice and sambar or as a snack with tea.

Bon Appetit...






.

Gujarati Dal From Sukham Ayu For ICC

This month the chosen dish for  Indian Cooking Challenge is Gujarati Dal from the the Ayurvedic cookbook -Sukham Ayu.This book is authored by Jigyasa & Pratibha ,and it is the Winner of Best Health and Nutrition Book in the World 2009 – second place.You can find healthy recipes and food-tips ,  Ayurvedic insights.

I am so glad that Srivalli chose such an authentic and tasty recipe for our challenge this month.

This recipe makes use of kokum and dried dates , both of which I have not used till now in my dishes.So I hunted for them and heard that it was available in the wholesale 'folk medicine' store and got a little of each. The dal is easy to make and is definitely a very tasty one.

Gujarati Dal

If ,like me, you are new to kokum and dried dates, here is what they look like...

Dried Dates

Kokum

I was wondering if the dal would taste very sweet because we were supposed to add jaggery and dried dates.But it was not too sweet,very mild and tasty.I followed the recipe exactly as it was given but just changed the measurements.

Here is the recipe...

I used:

Toor dal - 1/4 a cup
Dry soft Kokum - a small piece
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Jaggery,powdered - 1 teaspoon
Dry dates - 2 numbers[ soak in hot water and cut into half]
Drumstick - 1, cut in 2" pieces
Yam cut in 1" piece - a handful
Groundnuts -1 teaspoon
Cumin powder-1 teaspoon
Coriander powder- 1 teaspoon
Garam masala powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Green chilli, slit- 1
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves to garnish

For tempering:

Cow's ghee - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Cumin seeds -1/4 teaspoon
Dry red chillies -1, broken into bits
Asafoetida powder -a pinch
Curry leaves -a few

1. Wash the toor dal and soak for half an hour.Pressure cook with turmeric powder and enough waste till it is well cooked.Churn well and keep aside.
2. Mean while, cook the vegetables and keep aside.
3. Heat a thick bottomed pan and put in the churned dal, boiled vegetables,kokum,dry dates ,groundnuts ,jaggery, green chilli,cumin powder, coriander powder, salt and simmer for 15 minutes
4. If the dal is very thick add some water and adjust the consistency.
5. Heat another small pan and put in cow's ghee.
6. Add the mustard and fenugreek seeds.
7. When it splutters add cumin seeds, red chillies, asafoetida and curry leaves.
8. Pour this over the simmering dal and mix well.Let it simmer for another 5 minutes.
9. Remove from heat and garnish with garam masala and coriander leaves.
10. Serve hot with rice and Roti.

Gujarati Dal

I am sure you will agree with me that this is a very simple preparation and you have to try this out to really feel how good it tastes.Very simple dal full of flavor.

Gujarati Dal served with steamed rice, 

Ajwaini Paratha,simple bottlegourd curry

and microwaved pappad

Let's peek into my fellow marathoner's kitchen - Srivalli,Azeema, Bhagi, Champa, Gayathri Anand, Gayathri Kumar, Harini, Jay, Kamalika, Meena, Mina, Padma, ,Pavani,PJ, Priya Mahadevan, Priya Suresh, Priya Vasu, Rujuta, Santosh, Saraswathi, Savitha, Shanavi, Smitha, Sowmya, Suma, Usha, Veena


The Chaat recipe that had to come up today will be posted tomorrow.So be sure to come back to grab a bite...

Bon Appetit...

Masala Pav

Masala Pav is another way of serving Pav / bun / bread. Actually I found just a couple of differences between this and Pav Bhaji..For Pav bhaji you serve the pav along with the gravy whereas for Masala Pav the gravy is stuffed and coated with gravy and also dressed over the Pav buns.There is a very small change in the ingredients for the masal gravy..Anyways,it is a very nice way to dress up the Pav.And also a neat way to use up leftover buns / Pav.

I used:

Pav buns [You can also use regular buns]
Butter

For Masala

Tomato- 2,chopped
Onion-1,grated
Capsicum-1,grated
Peas- a handful
Garlic- 2 large cloves,grated
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Chilli powder- 1 teaspoon
Pav bhaji masala - 1 teaspoon
Butter-1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

To garnish

Onion-finely chopped
Sev
Coriander leaves
Lemon wedges

To prepare:

1. Heat butter [for the masal] in a pan and put in garlic and onion.Saute till transparent.
2. Put in the tomato,peas,capsicum and xook for a couple of minutes.
3. Add the turmeric powder, pav bhaji masala and salt.
4. Add a little water and simmer.The veggies will get cooked fast a they are grated.
5. Mash lightly with a potao masher / back of the ladle.
6. When it thickens ,remove from heat and keep aside.
7.  Slice the bun horizontally and butter the cut sides.
8. Heat a griddle and toast the buns.
9. When the sides are brown remove from griddle.

To serve:

1. Place one half of the toasted bun on a serving plate.
2. Place a little of the masal on it.
3. Top it up with the other half.
4. Pour a little more masal over the bun.
5. Garnish with chopped onions,sev and coriander leaves.
6. Serve with a wedge of lime on the side.

This is also being sent to Srivalli for her event Kids delight with the theme - Street Food and Flavors of Maharasthtra hosted here.

Other chaat recipes @ Seduce Your Tastebuds

• Bhel Puri
• Pani Puri
• Bread Chaat
• Channa Chaat
• Aloo Channa Chaat
• Pav Bhaji
• Batata Vada and Vada Pav
• Dahi Papdi Chaat
• Aloo Paneer Chaat
• Sev Puri Chaat

Let's peek into my fellow marathoner's kitchen - Srivalli,Azeema, Bhagi, Champa, Gayathri Anand, Gayathri Kumar, Harini, Jay, Kamalika, Meena, Mina, Padma, ,Pavani,PJ, Priya Mahadevan, Priya Suresh, Priya Vasu, Rujuta, Santosh, Saraswathi, Savitha, Shanavi, Smitha, Sowmya, Suma, Usha, Veena

This Day That Year

2009 - Importance of weaning and a few recipes and Poori


Bon Appetit...