Thepla

Thepla and Chhundo (sweet mango pickle) are as common breakfast in Gujarat as bread and butter are in western part of the world. Theplas come in different flavors, bottle gourd theplas, fenugreek theplas, cabbage theplas, rice theplas etc. With the use of these ingredients, the theplas become moist and soft. One can also opt for plain masala theplas, too. Almost all types of theplas have a long shelf life. Also, theplas can fit in with anything: subjis with gravy, subjis with no gravy, sweet pickles,  hot pickles, chutneys, or all by themselves. These qualities make them very good food to keep while traveling as well.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 cup grated bottle gourd and/or carrots

2 tbsp kasuri methi (optional)

1 tbsp garlic paste

1 tbsp ginger-chili paste

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp cumin-coriander powder

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp paav-bhaji masala (optional)

1 tsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt plus more if needed

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)

2 tbsp oil (I use 2 tbsp yogurt instead of oil)

water to knead the dough

oil spray/oil for cooking theplas

Method:

• Mix all the ingredients to make the dough. Keep aside for an hour.
• Divide into 7-8 equal portions. Roll them out (make them slightly thicker than regular rotis).
• Heat a non-stick pan to a medium-high heat. Start by roasting the theplas on one side. Turn over, and apply oil spray/oil. Repeat for the other side.

I would like to send these yummy theplas over to the Singing Chef's Think Spice-Think Carom event. I'll also send them over to EFM-savories event hosted by SriLekha.

Enjoy!!!

Dhokla

I think Dhoklas are the most popular food Gujarati food. I have been asked to demonstrate Dhokla preparation by my non-Gujarati friends more often than any other item so far, making Dhoklas an absolutely worthy dish for my posts. Nisarg also loves Dhoklas very much, so I get to make them often :).

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups rice

1/2 cup urad dal

1/4 cup yogurt

1 tbsp ginger-chili paste

2/3 cup shredded bottle gourd

1 tbsp urad dal-chana dal

1 tsp fenugreek seeds

1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (I didn't use it this time)

1 tbsp cilantro (chopped) (optional)

1/4 tsp asafoetida

3/4 tsp soda-bi-carb

1 tsp oil

1 tsp black pepper (coarsely ground)

salt as needed

Method:

• Soak the rice and urad dal overnight and grind in a mixture the next day. Add yogurt, 1/8 cup of hot water and allow to ferment for 6-7 hours.
• Add all the ingredients except black pepper and mix well.
• Apply oil spray on a flat metal dish (see picture-2) and pour batter to fill half the height. For thinner dhoklas, make this layer thinner (see picture-3).
• Sprinkle black pepper on top and steam for 13-14 minutes. Repeat with rest of the batter. 
• Cut into pieces and serve hot with green chutney.

I'd like to send this dhokla over to Lubna's FIC-white (Food in color),which was started by sunshinemom of ToungeTicklers.

Enjoy!!!

Bharelu Shak (Stuffed Brinjals with Potatoes)

My dear Jagufoi sent me this mouthwatering recipe few days back along with photos. She took the pictures specially for this blog :). Nisarg is not a great fan of brinjals but when he saw the photos sent by her, he really wanted me to try it! I was planning to use onions too, but Nisarg wanted it just as Jagufoi made it :).

So, I made this yesterday with rotis and it turned out fantastic! 

Ingredients:

11-12 small brinjals

4 small potatoes 

For stuffing:

1/2 cup chickpea flour (besan)

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup peanuts (coarsely ground)

1 tbsp ginger-chili paste

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1 tbsp cumin-coriander powder

1 tbsp aam-churan ( I didn't have this so I used 1 tsp tamarind paste)

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt + more if needed

2 tsp oil 

For Tadka:

1 tsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp asafoetida

Method:

• Wash and dry the brinjals and remove the stem. Slit them vertically and horizontally like a cross sign, without breaking them into halves.
• In a bowl, mix all the ingredients needed for the stuffing. Stuff it into the brinjal slits. Keep the remaining mix for the potatoes.
• Put the brinjals into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 5 minutes. Turn the brinjals and heat again for 3-4 more minutes.
• Put the sliced potatoes in the microwave with little amount of water and cook for 3-4 minutes. When they are almost done, mix with remaining masala and heat until done-about 2-3 minutes.
• Put cooked brinjals and potatoes in a big bowl. Add tadka on top and mix gently. 
• Serve hot with rotis.

Enjoy!!!

Fruit Shrikhand

My kaki(Aunt) makes yummiest fruit Shrikhand.  This time I tried making it myself, of course after consulting her. One of the good things about this dessert is that it is almost fat-free, and yet there is no compromise with the taste!! Not many desserts fall into that category. We originally had decided to eat it bit-by-bit and to finish it off in 3-4 days, but once we started eating it, it only lasted one evening :).

Ingredients:

3 cups non-fat yogurt ( about 2 cups of hung yogurt)

1/3 cup sugar (add more if needed)

1 1/2 cup mixed fruits ( I used pineapple, mango, apple, grapes. Avoid bananas as   they tend to get black)

1 tsp cardamom powder

7-8 strands of saffron

chopped pistachios and almonds for garnishing 

Method:

• Put paper-towel covered colander in a large bowl and pour yogurt into it. Put this in the fridge overnight so that all the liquid from the yogurt gets drained off.
• Mix together this hung yogurt, sugar, cardamom and saffron and mix really well. Use hand mixie if needed.
• Add all the fruits and mix properly. Garnish with pistachios-almonds and serve cold.

I'd like to send this to Srilekha's  Sweet Event.

Enjoy!!!

Makai Handvo (Vegetable Handvo)

Recently I visited my cousin in New York and she showed me some hand-written recipes by my masi. Among these, I found this delicious vegetable handvo/corn handvo recipe which is a speciality of my other masi:). I always thought that this would be way too complicated for me. 

Also, in India we used to live in the same society, so whenever she cooked something special, she'd send the goodies to us,too. I never had to worry about how to cook all those yummy dishes;). But here in the US, if you want to eat authentic gujju dishes, there is no other option but to cook them yourself!!

So, I finally cooked it yesterday and it turned out so good!! Am planning to make it again soon...

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen corn (thawed and grated)

1 large potato (boiled and mashed)

1 cup cooked rice

1 cup chopped boiled vegetables(green beans, peas, carrots)

1 cup boiled corn

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1 cup bread crumbs(toast 2 bread slices and then grind in the mixer)

1 cup milk

2-3 tbsp tomato ketchup

2 tbsp coconut powder

5 tbsp chopped cilantro

3 tbsp crushed ginger-chili 

1 tsp ghee

1 tbsp oil 

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp mustard seeds

pinch of asafoetida

1 tbsp sesame seeds

5-6 cashews (halved)

5-6 golden raisins

7-8 curry leaves

salt, sugar, lemon juice as needed

oil spray

Method:

• Heat ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds. Add crushed corn, salt, 1 tbsp chili-ginger, 1 tbsp coconut, sugar, lemon juice, 2 tbsp cilantro and 1 cup milk. Let it thicken at low-medium heat. Stir continuously. Set aside.
• Add 1 tbsp chili-ginger, 1 tbsp cilantro, salt, lemon juice and sugar into mashed potato and mix well. 
• Take a large mixing bowl and add crushed corn mixture, mashed potato mixture, boiled vegetables, tomatoes, cilantro, rice and mix well. Add chili-ginger, sugar,salt, lemon juice if needed.
• Heat oil for tadka. Add mustard seeds, asafoetida, sesame seeds, curry leaves, cashews and raisins. When sesame seeds are golden brown turn off the heat and add this tadka to the mixing bowl. Mix well.
• Preheat the oven at 350 F.
• Coat conventional oven-safe bowl with oil spray and spread half of the mixture. Now layer with tomato ketchup. Pour rest of the mixture and layer with bread crumbs.
• Put in the oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the bread crumbs are golden brown. 
• Serve with tomato ketchup or cilantro chutney.

I'd like to send this to Sharmi's 'Cooking For Kids' event, where this month's key ingredient is 'corn'. 

Enjoy!!!

Bajri Vada

When I was young, Ma would never let me help her with the frying. She would always get worried that I'd be a bit careless and hurt myself. Because of that, and because of the fact that fried items contain high fat content, I have never made fried items more than 3-4 times. So, this recipe in a way is one of the very rare fried dishes that I make.

Bajri vada is one of the several famous Gujarati 'farsaan's (salty snacks) made during  Diwali festival. It is easy to make and they stay unperished for quite a long time, making it an ideal snack during Diwali festival. My husband's personal experience suggests that it is impossible to  have just one vada ;) and it is extremely hard to resist temptation to have 3-4 at once:).

Ingredients:

1 cup bajri(pearl millet) flour

1/2 cup wheat flour

1/8 cup suji

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

1 chopped green chili

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp coriander-cumin powder

3 tbsp sugar

salt to taste

water/oil to knead dough

oil for frying

Method:

• Mix together all the ingredients and knead the dough. For chewy texture, knead it with water, for softer texture, use oil.
• The dough should be little soft. Make about 15 balls. Pat the balls with hands to make small patties.
• Heat oil and fry the vadas.
• These can be eaten hot or cold.

Enjoy!!!