Amritsari wadiyan aloo subzi ; Potatoes with dried lentil dumplings curry

Image

IMG_3436-2

Lentils are a very important source of proteins for the vegetarians. They can be cooked in a myriad of ways starting from appetizers , main course, side dish, or desserts. Each part of the country has their own style of preparing them.

IMG_3437

“Wadis” are ground lentils, that are spiced, made into balls and sun dried. They are then stored in air tight containers for a long period of time. The time of the year when the vegetables are scarce, or a day when the grocery is yet to be done, these come as saviours. The town of Amritsar in Punjab is associated with making these Wadis, hence the name.

Onion and garlic are an integral part of the recipe. I have modified it to a no onion garlic recipe, using only ginger and tomatoes.

Here is the recipe.

Recipe; Serves four as main or six as side dish.

Ingredients;

Wadis ( Store bought )                                8-10

Potatoes cut in wedges                              2 cups

Heeng ( asafoetida )                                   1/4 tsp

Jeera ( Cumin seeds )                                1 tsp

Canola oil                                                  4 Tbsp

Ginger puree                                             2 tbsps

Tomato puree                                            4 Tbsps

Turmeric powder                                        1/2 tsp

Paprika                                                     1 tsp

Red chilli powder                                      1/2 tsp

Jeera powder                                            1 tsp

Salt                                                            to taste

Cilantro  ( chopped )                                    1 Tbsp

Method;

Take 2 tbsp of canola oil in a non stick pan on medium high heat. Add the wadis. Fry, changing sides till they get a reddish colour. Collect them on kitchen towel and keep aside.

Take the rest of the oil in the pan on medium heat, add the heeng and jeera seeds, saute for half a minute or till the seeds change to slightly darker colour.

Add the potatoes, turmeric powder, salt. Cover and cook till the potatoes are almost done. Add the ginger paste, saute for a couple minutes, add the chilli powder, paprika, jeera powder and some water. Cook, stirring often so that the spices do not catch the bottom of the pan. When you see the oil leaving the spices add the tomato puree, the wadis and two cups of water. Let it all come together, the wadis absorb lot of water, so depending upon how much gravy you desire, add water. Using the spatula break the wadis into smaller pieces which is easy to do now. Check to see if the potatoes are done, adjust salt if needed. Garnish with cilantro.

Serve it with a side of either rice or roti.

Enjoy.

Green beans dhokli ; Beans with chick pea flour pasta : GF option

Image

IMG_3392

I love highlighting the amazing array of vegetarian dishes that are available in Indian cuisine. Most of them are gluten free too.

IMG_3313

IMG_3367

“Dhokli’ is a small pasta made from chick pea flour. I have added a little bit of whole wheat flour, but this can easily be replaced by millet or other gluten free flour.

I am quite new to this dish which comes from the far western state of Gujrat. Traditionally  this is done with cluster beans, I have replaced it with french beans. Also the pastas are usually shaped as small discs. I had my malloreddu maker from my Rome visit, which I thought of putting to good use.

This can be an excellent side dish, either with roti or rice. With a beautiful balance between sweet, sour and salty this dish has a great flavour. The fiery red colour comes from the paprika and not red chillies.

Recipe: Serves 6 as a side dish.

Ingredients

Beans, cut in 1 inch pieces                               3 cups

Tomatoes                                                         3, pureed

Canola oil                                                         3. tbsp

Asafoetida                                                       1/2 tsp

Garllic cloves                                                    4-5

Ajwain ( carrom seeds )                                     1/2 tsp

Curry leaves                                                      6-7

Ghee                                                                   1 Tbsp

Jaggery                                                               1 tsp

Sev to garnish                                                      1 Tbsp

For the dhokli;

Chick pea flour              1 cup

Whole wheat flour                   1 tbsp

Turmeric powder                      1/4 tsp

Heeng ( asafoetida )                 1/4 tsp

Red chliiy powder                      1/2 tsp

Salt                                             1/2 tsp or to taste

Kasuri methi                                1/2 tbsp

Baking soda                                  1 pinch

Lemon juice                                   1 tsp

Oil                                                   1/2 tsp

Warm water                                       as needed

Jaggery powder                             1/2 tsp

Method:

Mix all the ingredients under Dhokli together to form a dough. brush with a bit of oil. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes.

I have used frozen beans, Take a pan of hot water, bring it to boil on high heat. Throw the beans in it, cook for about 7-8 minutes. Take the beans out of the water and soak them in ice cold water.

Take the above dough, make small pieces about 1 tsp full of dough and make them into disc. I gave this fancy shape, just because.

Take a deep bottomed pan, add the oil, when it heats up, throw in heeng, stir for a few seconds till a nutty aroma comes out, add the curry leaves, ajwain, turmeric powder, paprika crushed garlic, cumin and coriander powder. Keep stirring for about 5-6 minutes over medium flame, if needed sprinkle some water. Add 2 cups of hot water and the dhoklis. Add the salt, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes. Add the tomato puree, jaggery powder.  Cook for another 3-4 minutes.Put the gas off. Add the ghee.

Garnish with sev ( available in Indian grocery store, Walmart, Superstore).

Enjoy with rotis or rice.

 

Kumror chhakka : Pumpkin sixer

Image

IMG_3004-2

“Why is it called a Chhakka , ma?”, asked my ten year old son quite a few summers back. I must say I was caught off guard and did not have a proper answer for him. After all why is it called a ” Chhakka”? Now as we know that Chhakka or sixer is a score, be it in a game of cricket or ludo.

IMG_2678

For those of you unfamiliar with the above games, it is like an ace score, a home run? And why not, in the culinary world the sweet pumpkin with a few choice spices takes this very homey dish to an ” ace” for sure.

IMG_2702

What ever the story, this is like a comfort food in our household. A few pooris and “kumror Chhakka ” can be a Sunday breakfast, or with some rice it is an excellent side.

Give it a try friends. Here is the recipe,

Recipe; Adapted from Bong mom’s cookbook with some changes.

Serves four as a side.

ingredients’

Pumpkin cut in cubed  ( I used frozen )                   2 cups

Potatoes cut in 1/2 inch cube                                1 cup

Kala Chana ( cooked )                                           1/3 cup

Fenugreek seeds                                                  1/2 tsp

Asafoetida ( heeng )                                             1/4 tap

Dry red chillies                                                     2-3

Grated ginger                                                     1 tsp

Cumin powder                                                   1/2 tsp

Coriander powder                                               1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder                                                 1/2 tsp

Green chillies                                                        2-3

Jaggery powder                                                  1 tsp

Ghee                                                                   1/2 tsp

Garam masala                                                     1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Canola oil                                                            2 Tbsp

Method;

Dry roast the cumin and coriander powder.

Take the canola oil in a wok on medium high heat. Add the fenugreek seeds, heeng and dry red chillies. Saute for about ten seconds, throw in the potatoes. Add turmeric powder and fry till golden. Add the cumin and coriander powder, grated ginger, couple slit green chillies. Sprinkle a bit of water so that the spices do not get burnt.

Add the squash pieces. Saute for a few minutes, add the salt and jaggery. Cover and cook till done. Add the cooked  kala chana. Throw in the ghee and garam masala. Put the gas off. Keep it covered for few minutes.

Enjoy with rice or pooris.

 

 

Murir Moa : Puffed rice balls : GF

Image

IMG_2027

Back in the day when we did not have a variety of ready made snacks available for the kids, mothers and grandmothers used to spend many afternoons painstakingly prepare an assortment of snacks at home.

I specially remember our summer holidays , when we used to visit our grandparents.Our uncles landed with their families as well. For that one month the house used to be super busy with grandkids ranging from preteens to infant. Those were days before cell phones and television. We were busy playing with our cousins during the day. My grand dad was an excellent story teller. He had no problem mesmerizing us grand kids of different ages with his story telling. The youngest one would be on his lap, some sitting on the armrest of his ‘plantation style’ armchair. Few others around his feet. The one thing that was common was we were all wide eyed in rapt attention, trying to follow the ups and downs of the story.

IMG_2024

My grandmother on the other hand, used to be busy in the kitchen. With limited resources she never failed to surprise us with homemade snacks. Walking for days together, with only a few of her belongings to this land from the former “East Pakistan’, as a refugee, hard work came to her naturally. Savoury or sweet she could whip up either in no time.The “Moa” was always there. One by one she moulded the round shape on the palm of her hand, which used to be angry red from the heat.

Many years later, when I had my own family did I realize how much effort it takes, to come up with a big batch of these. “Love” was the main sweetener, no matter how much jaggery we add.

Recipe: Made 15

Ingredients;

Murmura ( Puffed rice )                            3 cups

Ghee                                                        1 Tbsp

Jaggery                                                     1 cup

Method,

Dry roast the Murmura on medium flame for a few minutes only to make it crunchier.

In another pan take the ghee and jaggery on slow flame. I have used powdered jaggery. Let it melt and be frothy, about 11 minutes. Take a drop of this in a bowl of water. If this sets right away, then the jaggery is ready.

Put the gas off. Pour the murmura in the molten jaggery. Mix it nicely such that the murmura is evenly coated.

Wait for this mixture to cool down a bit, so that it can be handled on the palm. I used a pair of silicone gloves, that definitely helped. Take a handful, press on all sides to give a round shape.

Store in an airtight container and enjoy for a couple of weeks.

 

Chochori: Sauteed vegetables

Image

IMG_1649I remember my teenage daughter ask me one time, what does “Chochori”, mean? Now as we know it is a very homey, dish of sauteed vegetables. Remember the day you clean the fridge? You find the leftover beans, half cauliflower, the eggplant threatening to dry up if not used that day, that is when you start making Chochori.

That is all true. But that still doesn’t account for the name. Well such is the nature of Chochori that it welcomes all kinds of veggies. The firm ones like potatoes, carrots, the medium ones like beans, cauliflowers, soft ones like squashes, eggplants. There are a few must haves though like the stems of the cauliflower, I include celery sticks if I happen to have them. I strongly believe this is where the name comes from, Think about the noise it makes when you chew on these stems…..

IMG_1652

On a serious note, Chochori has a secured a soft spot in the Bengali heart. It is an excellent way of getting the required  quota of vegetable for the day. Be generous with the mustard oil though. After all, the success of Chochori depends heavily on ‘the runny nose” feeling from the  strong  smell of  ‘First pressed” mustard oil.

Recipe: Serves 6 as a side.

Try to have a medley of the firm, softer and very soft veggies.

Potato cut in thick julienne                                   1 cup

Carrots cut similarly                                             1 cup

Cauliflower florets                                                 1 cup

Eggplants cut in julienne                                       1 cup

Squash cut as above                                            1 cup

Cauliflower stem, celery stick cut similar                  1 cup

Mustard oil                                                            4 tbsp

Mustard powder                                                   1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Jaggery                                                               1 tbsp

Five spice                                                             1 tsp

Dry red chilly                                                           1

Turmeric powder                                                     1/2 tsp

Method,

In a microwave safe bowl put the stems and celery and cook for 5 minutes.

In a wok add 2 tbsp mustard oil on high heat. Add the five spice and chilly, saute till it changes colour. Add the firm veggies like potato and carrot, saute for few minutes. Next add the cauliflower florets and stems and beans, cook for few minutes, finally add the eggplant and squash. Add salt, jaggery, turmeric powder, cover and cook till the veggies are done. No water is added, careful that the veggies do not burn, a few sprinkle of water if needed .

When the veggies are all cooked add the mustard powder. Mix everything together. Finish off by adding the 2 tbsp of mustard oil.

Tweak to your taste. This dish gives a lot of leeway, to adjust to your taste.

Goes well with plain white rice.

Note: Five spice a very typical Bengali mixture of equal amounts of Nigella seeds, Cumin seeds, Fenugreek seeds, Mustard and Fennel seeds.

Gatte ke subzi : Vegetarian sausage curry; GF

Image

IMG_1451Rajasthan in India is a province which has desert like climate. With very little rainfall, there is a scarcity of fresh produce. The local cuisine has evolved around it, relying less on vegetables, but managing the protein etc intake from alternative sources.

IMG_1442“Gatte  ke Subzi” is one such special dish from Rajasthan. Chick pea flour is kneaded with a variesty of spices into these locks, which are then boiled and fried gently.

IMG_1443These are made into a curry, which can be enjoyed either with piping hot rice or handmade rotis or flatbrads.

IMG_1445I must admit I am fairly new to this curry, was introduced to this only in my adult life. Look at the versatility of the use of legume and beans in Indian cooking. Not only are they used to make Dals, or salads, but grind them in powder, make them in “Gatte”, or shape them round to make sun dried :Vadi:, or even roll them paper thin into Papad:. The possibilities are endless.

IMG_1457Recipe: Serves 4 as a side dish.

Ingredients;

For the Gatta (Sausage ),

Besan ( chick pea flour )                                              1cup

Cumin seeds                                                               1/2 tsp

Aniseeds ( saunf )                                                         1/4 tsp

Carom seeds ( ajwain )                                                 1/2 tsp

Coriander ( dhania ) seeds                                            1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder                                                           1/4 tsp

Red chiily powder                                                           1/4 tsp

Salt                                                                                 1 tsp

Ghee                                                                               1 tbsp

Oil                                                                                     1 tbsp

Water                                                                                 2 tbsp

Yoghurt                                                                              3 tbsp

For the gravy;

Cumin seeds                                                                   1 tsp

asafoetida ( heeng )                                                          1/4 tsp

Dried red chilly                                                                  2

Ginger grated                                                                    1 tsp

Tomato                                                                              2, made into puree

Turmeric powder                                                                 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder                                                               11/2 tsp

Red chillly powder                                                              1 tsp

Yoghurt                                                                              2 Tbsp

Kasuri methi ( dried fenugreek leaves )                               1 tbsp

Cilantro                                                                             1 tsp

Method:

For the Gatte,

Coarse grind the seeds. In a bowl take the besan, add the crushed seeds, all the powders as listed, ghee, salt, oil and yoghurt. Mix with greased hands then add water little by little to make it into a nice dough. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Knead a few more times with greased hand and cut in four balls. Shape each one into cylinders, like in the picture above, about 4 inches long.

In a sauce pan bring a litre of water to a rolling boil. Add the locks one by one.  Let it cook for 10-12 minutes. these will rise up and have blisters on its skin. Put the gas off. Collect these, let it cool. Cut them in half inch pieces and fry them in very hot oil for about two minutes. Collect on kitchen towel. Save the boiled water for gravy.

For the gravy,

Take 2 tbsp oil in a pan on high heat. Add the dry chilly, cumin seeds and heeng, saute till the cumin seeds get a light colour. Add the ginger paste, saute for another minute. Add the tomato puree, turmeric, red chilly powder, coriander powder and add about 2 tbsp of the saved boiled water from before. Crank the heat down to medium high and keep stirring until all the water evaporates. Bring the heat down to low now. Add the whisked yoghurt and keep stirring for 3-4 minutes. Add the rest of the saved boiled water , salt and the fried “Gatte”pieces. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Garnish with Kasuri methi and cilantro.

Serve with rice or roti.

I feel we should be able to freeze the fried Gatte pieces. This will give a head start for the day of, cook the gravy and throw these in and bring it to boil.

 

Sabudana khichri : Tapioca pearls khichri; GF

Image

IMG_0809

Raise your hands if this situation rings a bell to you. It is a festive day, mum is fasting and asks help tp prepare the food  to be had after the fast is broken. Not ready to give her company with fasting but really excited to dream about the food that will be available later. I really hope there are some of you with me on this. I feel so guilty to even think about it now.

Sabudana is actually set in round molds in factories. It is extracted from the root of Tapioca plant. As it is not a grain, it is a recommended food after fasting.

Feast or no feast it is a staple breakfast in many households. Once you start it is hard to stop. It is a carb bomb, so having it as breakfast gives one enough time to burn it out.

Have a happy Navaratri. Pray Mata rani brings peace and happiness to the world.

Recipe: Serves 4 as a snack.

Ingredients;

Sabudana ( Tapioca pearls )                                                    2 cups

Peanuts                                                                                  3/4 cup

Cooking oil                                                                             3 Tbsp

Cumin seeds                                                                          11/2 tsp

Green chilly slices ( optional )                                                   2 tsp

Potatoes cut in small cubes                                                     3/4 cup

Jaggery powder                                                                      11/2 tsp

Lemon juice                                                                             1 tbsp

Cilantro leaves                                                                          1/2 cup

Pomegranate seeds ( optional )                                                 1 tbsp

Salt. to taste

Method;

Wash the Sabudana in a few changes of water, rubbing the pearls with hand. This ensures that the extra starch is gone, making the khichri where the pearls stand alone and are not clumped together. Leave it soaked for about 5 hours. I had these giant sized pearls, I soaked them for 24 hours.

Drain the water off completely, rest them on a kitchen towel. Dry roast the peanuts and keep aside.

Take a non stick wok on medium high heat. Add the oil, wait till it is hot reduce the heat to medium and add the cumin seeds and green chilly slices if using. Stir till the cumins get a bit darker, add the potato pieces, turn the gas low, cover and cook till they are done. Add the Sabudana, peanuts, salt, jaggery and mix nicely. The Sabudana will shine like pearls. Add the lemon juice and put the gas off. Garnish with cilantro and pomegranate seeds.

The khichri is ready. Enjoy!