Jhal moori

Anybody who's grown up in Calcutta will swear that jhal is the best dish you can make out of puffed rice. Make no mistake, I do love the Bambaiya bhel with its notes of tamarind and mint, but offer me a choice between that and jhal moori, and I'll pick the comforting taste of mustard oil any day. So though I am trying to go easy on milk and sugar, I pile on the MO when I snack on this dish.

1 cup puffed rice

Onions, chopped fine

Green chillies, chopped fine

Tomatoes, chopped fine

Boiled potatoes, chopped fine

Peanuts

Salt, to taste

Red chilli powder, to taste

1 tsp mustard oil, for ever cup of moori*

Method:

Roast the peanuts, cool

Add peanuts, onions, chillies, tomatoes, potatoes to the moori and mix well

Add salt and red chilli powder, mix

Add mustard oil, cover the container, and shake vigorously to mix well

Serve, preferable in a paper cone

*- you can substitute the MO with the oil floating on top of pickle

Sprouted moong dhokala

Sprouted moong is a perennial favourite of mine. When I was young, I would consume enormous quantities of it, and I still can. But with age, the tongue gets more demanding, and I need to sprinkle salt on it now. I also love experimenting with dishes that have it as a primary ingredient, and this dhokla was particularly good. 

1 cup sprouted moong

1/2 cups spinach

1/4 cups grated carrot

1 tsp ginger- green chilli paste

2 tbsp besan

A pinch of hing

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp haldi powder

1 packet Eno fruit salt

For tempering:

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp urad dal

1 tsp mustard seed

1 tsp sesame seeds

Method:

Grind the moong sprouts, spinach and carrot till you get an even but slightly coarse consistency 

Mix in the ginger green chilli paste, salt, hing, besan, haldi powder. 

Grease a flat plate and keep aside

Add Eno fruit salt to the mixture, and while the fizzing is still taking place, spread the mixture on the plate

Steam in a pressure cooker with the whistle removed for 12 minutes. 

Cut after allowing to cool

Heat the oil, add mustard seeds, and after it stops spluttering, add urad dal and sesame seeds. Pour over the dhokla, garnish with grated carrot and serve. 

Roasted Moong Dal

With the summer holidays going on, the kids have been eating far more junk food than I would like them to. In a bit to give them something marginally healthier, I decided to make some roasted moong dal. It was not as tasty as the Haldiram ones that they devour by the packet, but given the fact that I control the ingredients, that was a small price to pay.
The only problem is that most of it disappeared with my morning tea, and I have to make up a new batch for the kids.

1 cup moong dal
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp haldi powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste

Method:
Soak the moong dal for an hour. Drain, and dry it between two sheets of tissue to remove most of the water.
Spread on a microwaveable tray, and microwave for 1 minute
Break the moong pieces apart, coat palms with oil, and smear it over the moong dal.
Add haldi powder, red chilli powder and salt and mix well.
Microwave for 1 minutes, mix. Microwave for 1 minute.
Keep testing, to ensure that it doesn't burn. Different microwaves work differently, but I got crispy moong dal in about 1+2 minutes.

Aambatti

Another dish I first tasted in office and liked enough to ask for the recipe. Full of proteins and packed with taste, it is a winner of a dish.

1/3 cup channa dal, soaked for 3 hours

1 green mango

1 green chillie

1 tsp jeera seeds

Salt to taste 

Method:

Soak the dal overnight, or atleast for a few hours. 

Grind coarsely and keep aside

Grate the raw mango and keep aside

Mix mango, pulses, salt and jeera powder. 

Serve with roti or as a stand alone snack 

Chiwada

When you crave something to have with with afternoon tea, but don't want to stuff yourself with calories in a tetrapack, chiwda to the rescue! The best part is that it can be whipped up in a jiffy- waiting for it to cool down takes longer than anything else.

2 cups poha (pressed rice)
1/3 cups peanuts
2 green chillis, sliced
1 tsp rai/ mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tbsp copra, sliced fine
1/2 tsp haldi powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Salt and sugar to taste
1 tsp oil

Method:
Dry roast the chivda till it becomes absolutely crisp. Keep aside.
Heat oil, add mustard seeds, and wait till it stops spluttering.
Add peanuts, and fry till they start browning. Add sliced copra, green chillis, curry leaves and the haldi and red chill powder.
Saute for 1-2 minutes, than add the roasted chivda.
Mix well. Turn off the flame, Add salt and sugar to taste and mix well.
Cool well before storing in an airtight container (if any is left over).

Chivada- Diwali special

I had this really amazing chivda in office the other day, which I liked so much, I had to get the recipe. It turned out to be absolutely yummy, and I can't understand why everyone wouldn't want to make it every day.

2 cups chivda (pressed rice)
1/3 cups peanuts
2 green chillis, sliced
1/2 tsp haldi powder
a pinch of hing
Salt and sugar to taste
1 tsp oil

Method:
Dry roast the chivda till it becomes absolutely crisp. Keep aside.
Heat oil, and fry the peanuts till they start browning. Add hing, haldi powder and green chillis. Saute for 1-2 minutes, than add the roasted chivda.
Mix well. Turn off the flame, Add salt and sugar to taste and mix well.
Cool well before storing in an airtight container.

Roasted makhana

We used to have a lot of makhana when we lived in Jharkhand, but after moving out of the place, the dish moved out of my life. Till I very recently re-discovered it in a grocery store and started stocking it. This recipe is adapted from something a colleague got for us, and I really enjoyed it.

1 cup makhana seeds
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/4 tsp haldi powder
rock salt to taste

Method:
Heat the oil, add the makhana and fry on a low flame for 10 minutes till it becomes nice and crunchy.
Switch off the flame, add all the spice powders and mix well.
Allow it to cool well before storing.

Potato curd pakoda

When you have excess oil, one of the easiest things to make is pakodas. Here's a batch of curd based pakoras that I whipped up on an impulse- using curds as the binding agent added a new dimension to the taste.

1 cup besan

1/2 cup curds

1 potato 

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp cumin powder

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

 

Rock salt or chat masala for garnish

Method:

Dice the potatoes and then cut into small pieces. Add salt to the potatoes and keep aside for 10 minutes.

Pour the besan over the potatoes, mix well.

Add the curds gradually till you get a good (but not runny) batter.

Add the spices and mix well.

Heat the oil, test the temperature by dropping a bit of batter in the oil- if it rises up immediately, the oil is ready.

Reduce the flame, drop the batter into the oil using a spoon, and keep turning till done. 

Remove and drain on kitchen paper.

Test the temperature before making the next batch.

Sprinkle with chat masala/ rock salt before serving

Methi matri

One look at the photograph, and I knew I had to have it. I first wondered if I could try baking it instead, but the instructions were so precise, I though it best to do it the right way at least the first time. I'm happy I did. Next time, baked!

1 cup All Purpose Flour (Maida)
1/4 Cup Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Kasoori Methi)
1/2 Tsp Salt
Pinch Soda B-carb (optional)
1/2 Tsp Carom Seeds (Ajwain)
1/3 Cup Gram Flour (Besan)
3 Tbsp Pure/Desi Ghee
1/4 Cup Water
Oil - Enough For Frying
1/4 Tsp Crushed Cloves
Method:
Making the Mathri Dough-
Take a big enough bowl to contain all flour and make the dough. Add All-purpose-flour, Gram Flour, Salt, Carom Seeds, crushed Cloves, Desi Ghee, Soda and Dried Fenugreek Leaves. Knead them with the help of your hand.
Once mixed, add water gradually and knead to make a hard dough. Do not make it soft like chapati dough. The total amount of water for making this dough should not exceed 1/4 Cup as mentioned in the ingredients simply because we want a harder dough. Don’t think that we are talking about a rock solid one here but a decent one that can hold itself tight.
Once dough is ready, cover it and keep aside for 10 minutes. This would help in making crisp Mathri.
Rolling the Methi Mathri-
Take a small portion (about 2 inch thick) from dough and roll it in round shaped ball with the help of your palms.
Repeat the same with the rest of the dough.
Now pick up each ball and use your palms again to press it into a flat-bread by creating a sandwich (of your palms). You may use a rolling pin as well but we recommend using just your hand.
Now, we are ready to fry. Lets move on.

Frying the Mathri-
Take a frying pan, add Oil and heat it up on high flame for 2 minutes.
Now, turn the flame on low and add raw Mathri for frying.
Fry until they turn golden brown.
When they turned golden brown from all the sides, take them out on a Oil soaking paper napkin.
Switch off the stove and the Methi Mathri is ready to serve hot.

Homemade Roasted Chickpeas

I've been wanting to make this ever since I saw it posted on IFF by Nanditha Suresh about a month back. The right time finally came when I soaked kala-chana intending to make it for dinner, only to be told we had been invited to a housewarming party instead. I could have dumped it in the freezer for making another day, but decided to try the recipe out.
And it was absolutely delicious! Not to polish off an entire bowlful with a cup of tea and a good book.

2 cups chickpeas
1 tbsp oil 
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/3 tsp haldi powder
Salt to taste
 
Method:
Soak the chickpeas overnight and pressure cook (1 whistle). Drain the chickpeas and let it dry completely.
Pre-heat oven to 200 degree celcius for 5 minutes.
In a bowl mix chickpeas and oil. Toss it well. In another cup, mix the dry spices well to make sure the flavours blend well. Now combine the oil-coated chickpeas with the dry spices. Ensure all the ingredients are mixed well.
Now, place the chickpeas mixture on a baking tray and spread it well. Place it in the pre-heated oven. In the same temperature, let it roast for 30 minutes or till browned.
Now the healthy and tasty snack is ready to be served.

Medu vada

I absolutely love medu vada, but am far too lazy to make them the conventional way. While the doughnut shaped ones do look good, I am not sure if getting the perfect shape is worth all the trouble, specially since the funny shaped ones taste almost as good. So this time, while making tair vadai for Holi, I decided to reserve a few just for myself.
I also tried out a couple of modifications, which gave it an extra crunch.

1 cup urad dal, soaked for at least 6 hours

1 half inch piece ginger 

1 green chilli

1 sprig curry leaves

1 tbsp sooji/ rawa

1/2 tsp baking soda

salt to taste

oil for frying

Method

Grind the urad dal with ginger, chilli and curry leaves, and very little water

Pour the batter into a bowl, add salt, baking soda, and rawa, and whisk well with the hand till nice and fluffy (you can test it by dropping a bit in water- if it sinks down, and then rises up, it's done, if not, beat a bit more).

Heat the oil in a kadhai- test by dropping a bit of batter in the oil- if it rises up with bubbles, the oil is just right.

Take a bit of batter and drop it gently into the oil, turn it around a bit to ensure it is well brown.
Ensure you check the temperature of the oil before every batch.

Serve hot with green chutney, or reserve for tair vadais.

Masala Crackers

This recipe for masala crackers had been sitting in my list of recipes to try for so long, it was in danger of becoming a permanent fixture there. With Holi around the corner, and me feeling too lazy to make anything else for the festival, I finally decided to make it.
It was much easier to make than I expected, and came out quite soft. Definitely something I will be making again.

Whole wheat flour-1 1/2 cupsJeera- 1 tsp, roasted and lightly powdered
Kasuri methi-1 tsp
Sesame seeds-1 tbsp
Salt -1 tsp or according to taste (I added 1/2 tsp and it was too bland)
Chili flakes -1/2 tsp
Baking powder-1/2 tsp
Oil-3 tbs(Ratio is 1 tbs oil for every 1/2 cup of flour)
Yogurt - 1 tbs
Water -1/4 cup or less (I needed much less)
 
Method
Mix the flour, jeera, kasuri methi, sesame seeds, baking powder, salt and chili flakes in a bowl
Add oil and curds, and knead the dough, adding water if required. Cover and keep for about 15 mins.
Roll the dough into 1/8 inch thickness and cut into shapes.
Lay them on a cookie tray, prick each cracker with a fork and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes
Place on a wire rack to cool completely and serve with a hot cup of tea.

Cauliflower Chilli Fry

When there are only so many vegetables your family eats, you try to find new ways of cooking it, so they don't get tired of those few veggies also. This cauliflower was super yummilicious. But I am not sure if I will make it again, because it was far too messy. But again, given the fact that even the Younger One lapped it up, maybe I should make it again though not too soon.

1 cup diced cauliflower3 tsp curd
2 green chillies
4-5 curry leaves


For the Batter to coat the Cauliflower:
2 tbsp rice flour
Red chilli powder, to season
Salt to taste
Water
Oil to deep fry

 

 

Method

Mix all ingredients to make a thick batter or paste.

To this add the cauliflower and deep fry. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan and lightly saute the curry leaves.

Add green chillies and curd.

Finally add the cauliflower. Mix well.

Serve pipping hot, either as a starter or with rice and dal.

Dhania patta ke pakore

Today was perfect pakoda weather! For the last couple of weeks, the city has gone crazy. There was a winter like none other I have encountered in January in the city, and just when I was getting used to it, in the course of a single day, it went from deep winter to the early days of summer. For about a week, we sweated even in our sleeveless clothes, but the day after I put the winter clothes away, winter was back again.
It looked like it might drizzle today (though of course, it didn't), and I just had to make myself a plate of pakore to go with my crime novel.

1 cup besan
1 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp jeera powder
salt to taste
1/3 tsp baking soda
1/3 cups chopped dhania patta
oil for frying

Method
Mix all the dry ingredients well, then make a batter, but carefully adding water. Whip a couple of times so it is well aereated, and keep aside for about 15 minutes
Heat the oil (to check the temperature, drop a tiny bit of batter- if it rises to the surface, the oil is ready for use), and drop in spoonfulls of the batter.
Fry till crispy, remove, and drain on a kitchen towel.
Enjoy with garam-garam chai, and a good book.

Fried Paneer, with strawberry preserve

I tried making paneer tikka a couple of weeks back, but it was an unmitigated disaster. Since the family loves paneer tikkas, I decided to fry the paneer instead, and the results were equally good.
In a fit of inspiration, I paired it with strawberry preserve, which took it into the realms of divine. Here, then is the recipe for fried paneer.

250 gms paneer
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
2 green chillies
4 tbsp vinegar
Rock salt to taste





Method
Pound the coriander leaves and green chillis in a mortar and pestle till most of the juices are released. Add vinegar and rock salt.
Cut the paneer into thin pieces, and marinate overnight
Remove most of the greens. Melt butter on a tawa, and lightly fry till browned.
Serve with strawberry preserve.

Khandavi

Khandavi was another of those dishes that I thought could only be bought from a farsan shop. That belief, perhaps, dates back to the time when I was really young, and I saw my mother trying to make it. For some reason, she could just not get it to behave, and never made it again. If an expert cook like her couldn't make khandavi, what hope did I have to even attempt it?
And then I came across this really easy recipe by Uma Raghavan, and though I was certain I wouldn't be able to pull it off, I had to try, and the results were yummy. Even easier to make than mor kuzhu, and that's saying a lot!

1 cup yogurt
3 tablespoons of chana flour
Pinch hing
Pinch haldi powder
Salt to taste
half green chilli
Slither of fresh ginger cut up



2 tsp sugar

For tempering
Curry leaves
Mustard seeds
Green chilli
 
For garnish
Grated coconut
Chopped coriander leaves 
 
Method
Put above in a blender and mix/grind well.
Pour mixture in a heavy based pot and cook on low heat stirring constantly till mixture thickens and leaves the side of the pot.
Pour this on a largish flat ungreased plate and spread thinly using a spattula.
Leave to cool for couple minutes, then cut into long strips and roll. Arrange this in flat dish.
 
In small bowl dissolve two small teaspoon sugar in little water  and sprinkle this over the rolls.
Heat a little oil, and temper the ingredients listed under tempering. Pour over the rolls.
Garnish with grated coconut and coriander.

Kanda Poha

Poha was another of those things that I could never get right, which made it take on the mantle of "exotic", even though it doesn't really deserve it. The trick is in the soaking part- you are not supposed to soak it, as much as being required to wash it well, and let the water seep in. Now that I have a lovely steel colander for that purpose, poha is something that can be rustled up in a jiffy.
This poha is special, because it formed a part of my "carbo-loading" before the Mumbai Marathon.

1.5 cups poha
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup peas shelled
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
Handful of peanuts
10-12 curry leaves
1 green chilli,chopped
1 tsp sugar or as required
1 or 1.5 tbsp oil
salt as required
1 tbsp lemon juice

Method
Rinse the poha in water till they soften. Put them in a colander, and let the water drain and the poha soak for about 15 minutes
Add sugar, salt and turmeric powder to the poha and gently mix.
Dry roast the peanuts in a pan till they become crunchy and keep aside.
Heat oil, temper with mustard seeds. Add curry leaves, green chilli, onions and peas and saute till onions turn translucent.
Add the roasted peanuts and the poha and stir. Cover and steam the poha for 2-3 minutes on a low flame.
Switch off the fire and let the poha remain covered for 1-2 minutes.
Add the lemon juice, stir well, and serve

Baked mini samosas

I wasn't planning on cooking dinner on New Years Eve. Even though I have been cooking all the meals for the last several months, I haven't yet got used to rejection- that sinking feeling that you get when you have poured your heart and soul into a dish, and it is consumed without comment. Criticism I can deal with, not indifference, and I wanted to shield myself from that on the last day of the year.

But even though we'd agreed to order pizzas, I still wanted to whip up something for the family, and at the last minute remembered these baked samosas that Shruti Gandhi had posted. They were a hit!

2 Boiled Potatoes

1/4 cup Boiled Green Peas

1 Green Chilly, finely chopped

1 tbsp Chopped Coriander

1 tsp Coriander Powder

1 tsp Cumin Powder, roasted

1/2 tsp Red Chilly Powder

1/4 tsp Garam Masala

Salt, to taste

1 tbsp Oil

1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds

2 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped

For Dough–

1 cup Plain Flour
1/4 tsp Cumin Seeds
1/4 tsp Ajwain
1 tbsp Ghee
Salt, to taste
Lukewarm Water, as required

Method

1. Mash potatoes in a big bowl and add boiled peas in it.
2. Add all the spices and coriander leaves too and mix everything well.
3. Take plain flour, salt, cumin seeds, ajwain and ghee in another bowl. Mix them to form crumbled texture.
4. Knead a medium-hard dough by adding lukewarm water as required.
5. Cover with a lid or cling wrap and keep it aside for half hour.
6. Divide the dough in 7 and stuffing in 14 equal portions.
7. Roll out 5-6″ disk with paratha thickness and cut it into halves.
8. Take a half part and fold it to make a cone shape. Seal the end with gluey paste.
9. Fill the stuffing in it and seal the open edge with that paste again. Repeat the same process for rest of all pieces.
10. Arrange them in a lined baking tray.
11. Bake them in pre-heated oven for 25-30 mins on 180 degrees or until they are golden brown and crisp.

Dhokla

Dhokla is one of my favourite snacks, but like many others, it was one of those things that I thought only "other people" (or outside establishments) could make. Though I have often been assured that it is one of the easiest things to prepare, I was never ready to accept it. 

It was only after I opened the steamer and saw the fluffy surface of the dhokla that I was finally willing to accept that it could be made at home. The next time, however, I need to do it differently, so it gets done better.

For The Batter
3/4 cup soaked yellow moong dal
3 green chillies
salt to taste
1 1/2 tsp sugar
a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tbsp besan 

2 tbsp curds

1 1/2 tsp fruit salt

For The Tempering1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp sesame seeds
a pinch asafoetida (hing)
2 tsp finely chopped green chillies

For The Garnish and serving
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)
1 tbsp grated coconut

green chutney

MethodCombine the yellow moong dal and green chillies and blend in a mixer using a little water to make a paste of pouring consistency.
Transfer the paste to a bowl, add the salt, sugar, asafoetida, oil, turmeric powder, besan and curds and mix well to make a batter.
Just before steaming, sprinkle fruit salt and mix lightly.
Pour the batter into a greased container

Steam in a steamer for 10 to 12 minutes or till the dhokalas are cooked*. Keep aside.

Heat the oil in a small non-stick pan and add the mustard seeds.
When the mustard seeds crackle, add the sesame seeds, asafoetida and sauté on a medium flame for 30 seconds.
Add the green chillies and sauté on a medium flame for 30 seconds.
Pour the tempering over the prepared dhoklas and spread it evenly.
Sprinkle the coriander and coconut evenly on top.
Cut into pieces and serve hot with green chutney.

 

* - since it is hard to know when the dhokala is done, it might make more sense to divide the batter into two containers and steam each separately- this will ensure the entire batter gets cooked properly.

Mini samosas- the triumph of sensibility over sense

What do you do on that rare day when your husband comes back home early, you decide to have a quick beer, and yet you want something more substantial than peanuts to go with it? If you are sensible, you either curb that desire, or fry some kebabs. But when you are more prone to sensibility, you decide to use the hingwala aloo left over from last week's dinner party, to rustle up some mini samosas!

1 measure maida
1 measure whole wheat flour/ atta
2 tbsp oil
large pinch ajwain
enough water to knead the dough
salt to taste
oil for deep frying
leftover aloo subji (or make your own)

Method
Mix the flours with salt, oil, ghee and ajwain, and combine to form a crumbly mixture.
Now slowly add enough water to make a pliable dough, not too soft. Divide the dough and shape into balls. Keep aside covered with moist cloth for 15-20 mts.
 Roll each ball with the rolling pin into a slightly thin puri, slightly elongated in shape. Take a knife and divide the rolled puri into two by cutting through the center.
Now take a semi-circle piece of the roti, and make a fold in the shape of a triangle, pressing with your fingers to seal along the fold. Now place this cone between your thumb and index finger and place a ball of the stuffing inside. Wet your finger and run it along the edges of the dough with water and seal to enclose the stuffing.
Press the ends firmly so that the filling does not come out during the deep frying process. Prepare all the samosas in the same manner.
Heat enough oil in a wide vessel to deep fry the samosas. Heat the oil till hot but not piping hot. Reduce flame to low medium and drop 2-3 samosas into the oil slowly and deep fry them till golden brown, turning them carefully to the other side so that it cooks on all sides.
Serve with green chutney.