Orange Cookies

Welcome back after another long break!!! Seems like I have become too lazy these days!! I had uploaded pics for this recipe immediately after I came to know about Srilekha's Cookie Event, but then I thought I had enough time and needn't have to rush. Now the last date of sending is tomorrow, so, here I am with the recipe :).

Usually when it comes to having/making cookies, I stick with chocolate and chocolate chips (This is true for icecreams, cakes or any kind of desserts :) ). But when I saw the snap of these cookies in my cookbook, I really had to give this a try! The aroma of the batter is so refreshing and taste is just awesome!! Brown sugar and cream cheese make these cookies really moist and chewy. I was happiest when my niece asked me if I would be bringing these again the next time I visit her :)). Do make these once and I am sure you'll be making them again and again...

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup cream cheese (I used reduced-fat)

1 egg, lightly beaten (I used eggwhites only)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp orange juice

1 tsp finely grated orange rind, plus extra for decorating

raw brown sugar (for sprinkling)

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease a baking sheet with oil spray.
• Put the butter, sugar and cream cheese in a large bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg.
• Sift in the flour and baking soda. Add orange juice and rind and mix well.
• Drop about 25 rounded tablespoonfuls of the batter onto the baking sheet and make sure they are well spaced.
• Sprinkle with raw brown sugar and bake in the oven for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are light brown at the edges.
• Let cool and decorate with orange rind before serving.

After the successful attempt of the orange cookies, I decided to become innovative and tried mango-coconut cookies. ( I used mango juice instead of orange juice and used shredded coconut in place of orange rind). These were not as delicious as the orange ones :(, but they were still tasty.

I am sending my yummy orange cookies to Srilekha's cookie event.

Enjoy!!!

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!!!

Dahivadas-with a twist :)

The twist in the recipe is---'There is no frying involved!!'  For someone like me, who is not very fond of frying, this is a great option. 

We have new Indian neighbors in our apartment (We haven't met them yet) and every evening when Nisarg returns from the office, the whole lobby area smells of some delicious Indian food :). Last week or so, he informed me that the neighbors were having dahivadas, and I suddenly remembered that my bhabhi used to make this dish without frying the vadas!! So, I got on the phone with bhabhi and made these the very next day. 

Ingredients:

For Vadas:

1 cup green moong daal (husk makes the vadas softer)

1 tbsp ginger-chili paste

15-17 raisins

oil spray, salt as needed

For Garnishing:

2 cups yogurt

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/3 cup tamarind chutney

1 tsp sugar

chili powder, roasted cumin powder to sprinkle

salt as needed

Method:

• Wash and soak moong daal for about 4 hours. Grind in the mixie along with ginger-garlic paste and salt. Use minimum amount of water to make the vada batter.
• Heat up the sandwich maker and once it is hot enough, coat with oil spray and pour batter. Top with raisins and let it cook.
• Place the cooked vadas in lukewarm water and soak for 30-40 minutes. 
• Mix yogurt, salt, sugar with a hand-mixie and add some amount of water to make smooth consistency. 
• Squeeze the vadas gently to remove water and place in a large bowl. Pour yogurt mixture over it and let it soak for 15-20 minutes.
• Drizzle tamarind chutney over the mixture and sprinkle with cilantro, chili powder and cumin powder. 

Enjoy!!!

Apple-Paneer Toasts

My husband, Nisarg, comes home so hungry after the end of his workday that he attacks almost anything that is in vicinity and is edible. Along with that, he also wants something that is light, so that he can exercise/workout properly before we have dinner. This recipe fits right into that category, light and yet satisfying the appetite. 

Ingredients:

2 apples (peeled,cored and sliced)

4 slices whole wheat / multigrain bread

1 cup orange juice

1/3 cup paneer(cottage cheese) (grated)

1 tbsp lemon juice 

8 cashew nuts

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

2 tbsp honey

Method:

• Sprinkle lemon juice on the apple slices.
• Pre-heat the oven at 300 F.
• Toast the cashew nuts in the microwave for 60-90 seconds, till golden. Let cool and crush coarsely.
• Heat a non-stick pan and gently poach the apple slices in the orange juice for about 10 minutes or until soft. Add more juice if needed. 
• Cut the bread slices in half and toast them.
• Mix paneer with crushed cashew nuts. 
• Put about 4 apple slices on each bread slice and cover with paneer-cashew mixture. Sprinkle cinnamon powder and put in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown.
• Drizzle the honey on the toasts and serve.

Because this dish is novel and delicious, children and adolescents enjoy eating it. My younger cousins and my nephew-niece really love it. The ingredients used in the food such as honey, oranges, apples, cinnamon etc. are rich in their nutritive values as well, making it ideal for children's snacks.

Madhavi has organized Children's Day Event in her blog, and this recipe is perfect for it!!

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!!!