Puran Poli

Ingredients
300gms. channa (yellow gram) dal
300 gms. jaggery (Gur)
1 teaspoon. cardamom powder
150 gms. plain flour
1 tablespoon. ghee
warm water to knead dough
ghee to serve

Method
Boil dal in plenty of water till soft but not broken.
Drain in a colander for 10-15 minutes.
Pass through a grater with your palm until the dal is mashed properly.
Mash jaggery till lumps break. Mix well into dal.
Put mixture in a saucepan, add a spoon full of ghee and cook till a soft lump is formed
Take care to stir continuously till it leaves the sides. Keep aside.
Mix ghee, flour, add enough water to make a soft dough.
Take a morsel sized ball of dough, roll into a 4" round.
Place same sized ball of filling in centre, life all round and seal.
Reroll carefully to a 6" diameter round.
Roast on warm griddle till golden brown.
Repeat other side.
Take on serving plate. Apply a tsp. of ghee all over top.

OR

Shallow fry on griddle like a paratha for a better flavour.
But this method will consume more ghee and therefore calories.
Serve hot with dal or amti.

Note: The water drained from boiling dal is used to make the amti. ( a thin curry made using black masala, garam masala and some mashed dal.)

Samosa Do Pyaaza

Bored of eating that typical “kaanda poha”?? How about wrapping it in an innovative wrap? That also calls for christening this snack. Shall we call it “Samosa Do Pyaaza”

Samosa Do Pyaaza

Ingredients:

For the Wrapping Sheets:
1 cup Wheat Flour
1 Cup Maida
2 teaspoon oil
Salt to taste

Mix the above ingredients with water as desired and knead it into soft dough and leave it aside for 15-20 minutes so that it becomes soft enough to roll into thin rotis. Take a portion of the dough and roll it thin and cook it slightly on a hot pan on both the sides. Don’t let the spots appear on the rotis like the normal roti. Quickly remove it and cut them into two rectangle sheets. Remove the side edges so that you get a proper shape as desired.

Also take one teaspoon of maida and two teaspoon of water and mix it into a paste. This is required for sealing the samosas.

For the Filling:
1 cup Beaten rice (Poha/Chiwra)
3 medium size onions, finely chopped
1 green chilly finely chopped
Juice of one lemon
½ teaspoon chilli powder
2 teaspoon fresh grated coconut
Chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste

Simply mix all the above ingredients in a bowl and the filling is ready.

Method:

Take the flour/maida sheets roll it to a cone, seal the edges with the maida paste and fill the cone with the above filling. Apply some maida paste to the corners of the cone and wrap it properly in a triangle shape.

Heat oil in a frying pan and on medium flame fry these samosas until golden brown. Once done remove them from the oil and place them on the tissue paper so that the excess oil is absorbed. Serve hot with a nice steaming cup of Tea/Coffee of your choice...

Aloo Palak

Aloo Palak

Ingredients
3 cups chopped spinach
2 large onoins chopped fine
2 large potatoes boiled and peeled
1 tomato grated
2 green chillies
1" piece ginger
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. wheat or other flour
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tsp. cinnamon-clove powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 pinches asafoetida
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. ghee
salt to taste

Method:
Put the washed spinach in a pan, add very little water (just a sprinkle) and a pinch of salt.
Cover and boil over a high flame for 2 minutes. Cool quickly, or hold under running water in a colander.
Put in a mixie, add green chilli and run for a minute. Keep slightly coarse, do not make very smooth.
Keep aside.
Cut the potatoes into big pieces. Heat ghee and fry potatoes till light brown.
Drain the potatoes, keep aside.
In the same hot ghee add the cumin seeds.
Add the ginger, onions and fry till very tender.
Add the tomato and further fry for two minutes.
Add all the dry masalas and fry till ghee separates.
Add spinach and potatoes.
When it resumes a boil sprinkle the flour and stir well. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Add lemon juice
Just before s erving heat butter in a tiny saucepan and add the asafoetida.
Pour over the vegetable and mix gently.
Serve hot with naan or parathas or even rice.

Note: You may use boiled peas, boiled corn or paneer in the above dish, instead of potatoes.

Indian Spices - English Names

We come across loads of recipes here and there and we are tempted to try it out at home. Sometimes, we are caught up with the spice names as it what it could be or sometimes even get confused with the names. I have tried to list down names of few spices and ingredients that mostly rules all the traditional Indian Kitchens. Though this is not an exhaustive list, yet I am sure it would come handy to novices who try out cooking. I guess this would be of more use to those husbands who try to cook for themselves, when their wives are away...Enjoy..!!

Adrak= Ginger
Ajwain= Carom seed
Amchur= Dried Mango powder
Aanvla= Gooseberry
Anardana= Pomegranate seeds
Dalchini= Cinnamon
Dhania Dried= Coriander seeds
Elaichi Green= Cardamom
Elaichi, Badi= Black Cardamom
Gulab Jal= Rose Water
Haldi= Turmeric
Hara Dhania= Green Coriander
Hing= Asafoetida
Imli= Tamarind
Jaiphal= Nutmeg
Jeera= Cumin seed
Jeera Shahi= Black Cumin
Kala Namak = Black Rock salt
Kali Mirch = Black pepper
Kalonji = Nigella seeds
Kari Patta = Curry leaf
Kasuri Methi = Dried Fenugreek leaves
Kesar = Saffron
Khus-khus = Poppy Seeds
Kokum = Red Mango
Lehsun = Garlic
Laung = Cloves
Makhane = Popped Lotus seeds
Methi = Fenugreek Seeds
Mirch Degi = Kashmir Paprika
Mirch Lal = Red Chilly
Mirch Hari = Green Chilly
Mishri = Rock candy
Nimbu = Lemon
Namak = Salt
Podina = Mint leaves
Rai = Black Mustard seeds
Saindha Namak = Rock Salt
Sarson = Mustard seeds
Saunf = Aniseed
Sirka = Vinegar
Tej Patta = Indian Bay leaf
Tulsi = Basil leaves

Dhokla Halka Fulka

Whenever I wish to stay light on my snack or breakfast, all I can think about experimenting dishes with Sooji/Semolina. Also because they are easy on stomach and faster to cook. One can make dishes in minutes. Today, I would like to share with you one such variation of “Dhokla”

Dhokla Halka Fulka

Ingredients:

1 cup Sooji (Rawa/Semolina) 1 cup yoghurt
1 teaspoon ENO Salt
½ teaspoon turmeric powder 1 teaspoon grated Ginger
1 teaspoon finely chopped green chilly
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
8-10 curry leaves
2 teaspoon sugar
5 green chillies thin sliced
2 teaspoon oil for seasoning
2 teaspoon fresh coconut (grated) for garnishing
2 teaspoon coriander leaves (chopped) for garnishing

Method:

Take a bowl and add Sooji, yoghurt, ENO, turmeric powder, grated ginger, chopped green chillies. Add salt to taste. Whisk all the ingredients into a thick mixture and pour it into a greased pan. Place the pan either in a pressure cooker or a idli steamer and steam the batter for 7-8 minutes. Insert a fork in the pan to check if the dhokla is cooked or not. If the fork comes out clean, then its ready. Remove the pan and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Cut it into square pieces.

Heat a Frying pan and pour 2 teaspoon oil, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, sliced green and sauté for a while. Add sugar and salt to taste and add ½ cup water and cook for 1 minute. Spread this sauce/seasoning on the dhokla. Garnish it with coriander leaves and grated fresh coconut (optional).

Make a quick coriander chutney, take one cup fresh coriander, 4 green chillies, 2 teaspoon ground nut, 1 medium size onion, juice of one fresh lime, salt to taste and blend it into a fine paste in a mixer. And the chutney is ready to serve...

Indian Pizza

Summer is the time to stay light on food as well, something that is easy to digest, be it a light snack or regular meals. Today, I would like to share with you one such snack that is a variant of South Indian Dosa. This is not that regular dosa which is cooked out of rice, so let’s name it “Indian Pizza”

Indian Pizza

Ingredients:

1 cup Sooji (Rawa/Semolina)

6 Bread Slices
2 teaspoon rice flour
1 cup yoghurt (whipped)

½ grated carrots

½ cup finely chopped capsicums

½ teaspoon each finely chopped Ginger & green chilly
(Soaked in water for 10 minutes)

1 teaspoon each Bengal gram & split black gram
1 medium size onion
2 teaspoon fresh coconut, grated
8-10 curry leaves
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 dry red chillies
2 teaspoon oil


Method:

Cut the edges of the bread slices and soak it in water. Make a thick paste of Sooji, rice flour & yoghurt. Add salt to taste. Squeeze the bread slices to drain off the excess water and add it to the batter. Blend the batter well in a mixer. Pour the batter into a large bowl.

Heat a pan and pour 2 teaspoon oil, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, red chillies, soaked Bengal gram and split black gram chopped green chillies and onion and sauté until brown. Let it cool for some time.

Add this seasoning to the batter along with chopped capsicum, grated carrot and coconut. Mix this batter well. Place a non-stick pan on medium flame and clean the same with wet cloth. Spread a ladle of batter on the pan and sprinkle few drops of oil on the batter and cover it. Once cooked, turn it and cook on the other side too until brown.

Serve this with an accompaniment of your choice. My preference would be to make red chilli coconut chutney. Here is quick recipe. Take one cup fresh grated coconut, 2-3 roasted red chillies, tamarind, and sugar, salt to taste and blend it into a fine paste in a mixer. And the chutney is ready to serve...

Aloo Dahiwale

Ingredients:
3 medium. potatoes boiled and peeled
1 cup curd or yogurt beaten
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dhania powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/4 tsp. garam masala
2 pinches asafoetida
1 stalk curry leaves
1tbsp. coriander leaves chopped
1 1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. each ginger, garlic grated
2 green chillies slit
1 tsp. each cumin, mustard seeds
1/4 tsp. wheat flour
1 tbsp. oil

Method:
Cut potatoes into big pieces. Mash 3-4 pieces fine with hand. Keep both aside.
Mix all the dry masala in 1/4 cup water.
Heat oil. Add the seeds (cumin and mustard). When they splutter, add ginger-garlic, chilli and curry leaves.
Add the masala mixture and fry for 2 minutes.
Add beaten curd and fry for 5 minutes or till the curd loses its whiteness. Stir continuously after adding curd.
Add the remaining water and all the potato and flour. Stir well.
Boil and simmer for 10 minutes or till gravy thickens
Garnish with chopped coriander.
Serve hot with wheat chappaties or steamed rice.