Khaman Dhokla

Ingredients:
Bengal gram/Chana dal/Kadalai paruppu - 3/4 cup
Split green gram/Moong dal/Paasi paruppu - 1/4 cup
Salt (to taste)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp.
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp.
Oil - 1 tbsp.
Fruit salt (eno) - 1 tsp.
Sugar - 1 tsp.

For tempering:
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Sesame seeds (white) - 1 tsp. (I didn't add)
Green chillies - 2 (slit and chopped into 2)
Curry leaves - few
Oil

For garnishing:
Grated coconut - few
Coriander leaves - few

Method:
Soak the Bengal gram and split green gram for 4 to 5 hours.
Drain all the water and grind the grams into paste by pouring little water.
To the paste add salt, turmeric powder, lemon juice, sugar and oil and mix well.
Heat the steamer in the stove.
Grease the steamer vessel or dhokla plate with oil.
Add the fruit salt to the paste and mix.
Pour the paste into the greased vessel or plate.
Place it in the steamer immediately.
Steam for 20 minutes.
(Insert a toothpick and check whether the dhokla is cooked or not. If not, then cook for another 5 minutes)
Cool the dhoklas for a few minutes and invert them on a plate.
Cut them into pieces.
Temper the given ingredients and sprinkle over the dhokla pieces.
Finally garnish with grated coconut and coriander leaves.

Note:
Before adding Eno, the batter should be the same as idli batter.
If you want restaurant-like dhokla, pour a cup of water in the tempering when the mustard seeds crackle and green chilles are sautéed well. Bring the water to boil and pour on the top of dhokla pieces.
After 10 minutes, consume.
My dhoklas were very spongy so I didn't feel the need to pour water.

Recipe: adapted from a magazine.

Sent off to Priya's CWS-Chanadal event.

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Methi Muthia/Muthiya

Ingredients:
Wheat flour - 1 cup
Besan/Gram flour - 1/2 cup
Fenugreek leaves/methi - 2 cups
Cornflour - 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp.
Crushed peanuts - 2 tsp.
Oil - 3 tbsp.
Green chilli paste - 1.5 tsp.
Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp.
Roasted ground cumin - 1.25 tsp.
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Yogurt or lemon juice - 2 tbsp. (I used yogurt)
Sugar - 1 tsp. or as per taste
Water (as needed)

For tempering:
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Oil - 2 tbsp.
Asafoetida - a pinch (optional)

After steaming

Method:
1. Keep the steamer on the stove and boil the water. Grease the steamer vessel with oil. Keep aside.
2. Meanwhile in a bowl, add wheat flour, gram flour, corn flour, turmeric powder, salt, ground cumin, baking soda, sugar, crushed peanuts and sesame seeds. Mix well.
3. Now add the wet ingredients. Add oil, yogurt, green chilli paste, fresh fenugreek leaves and mix well.
4. Add little water and form a dough. Make oblong sized balls from the dough and place them in the greased steamer vessel.
5. Place the vessel in the steamer and cover with a lid. Steam for 25 minutes. Cool them.
6. Slice the muthia. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and asafoetida (optional). Add the sliced muthia and saute for a few minutes till golden colour or brown colour.
7. Enjoy these healthy muthias with some hot chai.
Adapted from Super Veggie Delight.

Sent off to Nayna's "Flavours of Gujarat" event.

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Dapka Kadhi

Moong dal dumplings in kadhi.

Ingredients:
Sour yogurt - 2 cups
Besan/Gram flour - 2 tbsp.
Water - 3 cups
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Jaggery - 1 tsp. (or to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Ginger paste - 1 tsp.
Green chilli paste - 1/2 tsp.
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp.

For tempering:
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Asafoetida - a pinch
Fenugreek seeds - a pinch
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Whole dry red chillies - 2
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Oil - 1.5 tsp.

For moong dal dumplings:
Moong dal - 1 cup (soak for 5 hours)
Ginger paste- 1 tsp.
Green chilli paste - 1/2 tsp.
Sugar to taste (I didn't add)
Baking soda - a pinch
Salt (to taste)
Oil (for deep frying)

Method:
1. Whisk yogurt, gram flour and one cup of water without any lumps. Add remaining water, ginger paste, green chilli paste and turmeric powder and whisk again.
2. Pour this mixture in a kadai and bring it to boil. Stir continuously.
3. Meanwhile in another small pan, do the tempering with the given "tempering" ingredients. Pour this over the kadhi. Stir well. Simmer the kadhi for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in between. Add salt and jaggery according to taste.
4. Grind the moong dal into the paste with addition of very little water. To this paste, add ginger paste, green chilli paste, asafoetida, baking soda, salt and sugar. Heat oil and deep fry the small bhajias till they're done. Remove and drop them into the kadhi. Again simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and add the coriander leaves. Enjoy with khichdi or with white rice. We had it with white rice and coriander leaves thuvaiyal.

Note:
Stirring is done to avoid the curdling of yogurt. Adjust jaggery according to your taste.

Sent off to Nayna's "Flavours of Gujarat" event.

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Khandvi

Khandvi is a popular Gujarati dish which is prepared from gram flour/ chickpeas flour and yogurt. This is also known as Suralichi Wadi in Maharashtra. In the Maharashtrian version, some of the tempering is spread before slicing and folding the khandvi and the remaining are spread on their final stage. In the Gujarati version, the tempering is spread on the rolled ones.

Ingredients:
Gram flour/Besan -1 cup
Yogurt - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Green chilli paste - 1/4 tsp.
Ginger paste - 1/2 tsp.
Salt (to paste)
Asfoetida - a pinch

For Tadka/tempering:
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Sesame seeds - 1 tsp.
Asafoetida - a pinch
Oil

To Garnish:
Grated coconut - 3 tbsp.
Coriander leaves - 3 tbsp.

Method:
1. Sieve besan and keep aside. Whisk besan, yogurt and water without any lumps. Now add turmeric powder, green chilli paste, ginger paste, salt and asafoetida and whisk again.
2. Very lightly, grease the backside of 4 to 5 steel plates. Keep aside.
3. Pour this batter in a non-stick pan/kadhai. Start to stir continuously in medium low flame.
4. When the mixture becomes thick and well-cooked, remove from heat. Before that, check whether the mixture is cooked well. In a small plate, spread a little amount of mixture and cool it. Peel and roll it. If it comes out easily then the mixture is ready.
5. Work quickly. Spread the mixture with big spoons on the back side of plate in thin layers. Continue the process with more plates. If it cools down, we can't spread it.
6. After 5 to 8 minutes score them into long strips. Roll each strip like a swiss roll. Place them on the serving plate.
7. In a small pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds, sesame seeds and asafoetida. When the seeds splutter, pour it over the khandvis.
8. Garnish with coriander leaves and grated coconut. I have also added 1 tsp. of grated carrot. Enjoy!!

Sent off to Nayna's "Flavours of Gujarat" event.

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Mohanthal

To begin with, mohanthal is a Gujarati sweet. The process of preparing the dish is very different from that of Mysore Pak. Some recipes include milk powder, heavy cream or khoya. I adapted this recipe from simply.food

Photography by Nandini

Ingredients:
Besan/Gram flour - 1 cup
Ghee/Clarified butter - 4 tbsp. + 1 tbsp.
Milk - 1 tbsp.
Ground green cardamom - 1/4 tsp.
Nutmeg - 1/2 tsp.

For sugar syrup:
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Pinch of saffron
(I added saffron food color)

For garnishing:
Slivered almonds
Saffron one pinch and khus khus - 1.5 tsp (I didn't add)

Photography by Nandini

Method:
1. Warm milk and 1 tbsp. of ghee and rub the besan to appear like bread crumbs. Keep aside for 30 minutes.
2. Sieve the besan in a large-holed sieve. The texture of the besan should be similar to that of semolina.
3. Then in a pan, add 4 tbsp. of ghee and start roasting till the besan reaches golden brown colour. Keep aside.
4. In another deep pan, add sugar and water and bring it to boil. When the sugar syrup reaches the one thread consistency, remove the pan from the heat and add saffron colour or saffron and mix it well.
5. Add this sugar syrup to the roasted besan (at this stage besan should be warm) and keep stirring constantly. (This process is not done on a stove top).
6. Add cardamom and nutmeg and continue stirring. When it thickens, it should leave the sides of the pan and pour it on a greased plate. Spread the mixture on the plate very evenly. Garnish.
7. Leave it to sit alone for few hours.
8. Score them when it is warm. Cool them completely and enjoy them or store them in an air-tight container. Consume within a week.

Sent off to Nayna's "Flavours of Gujarat" event.

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Doodhi Thepla

Thepla is a popular Gujarati dish. It is an unleavened flat bread which is cooked on a tawa. Theplas are prepared with veggies and greens with spices in Gujarat. Today, I prepared bottle gourd flat bread with a side dish-Batata Nu Shaak (or in simple words, potato curry).

Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour - 200 gm
Bengal gram flour/besan - 100 gm
Rice flour - 2 tbsp.
Grated bottle gourd/doodhi - from 1 medium bottle gourd
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp.
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp.
Salt - 1/4 tsp.
Oil - 2 tbsp.
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp. (chopped)
Oil (to cook thepla)

Method:
Squeeze out the juice from the grated bottle gourd. Collect the juice in a separate bowl. In another bowl, mix all the ingredients including the bottle gourd juice except oil to cook the rotis. Add sufficient amount of water and knead the mixture into a soft dough. Make a lemon-sized ball from the dough and roll them into a roti . Cook the roti on the tawa by adding a little oil. Continue with the remaining dough. Serve hot with potato curry.

Batata Nu Shaak

Ingredients:
Potatoes - 4 (diced)
Tomatoes - 2 (finely chopped)
Ginger (grated) - 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Kashmiri red chilli powder- 1 tsp.
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp.
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1/4 tsp.
Oil
Salt (to taste)
Coriander leaves - few (chopped)

For tempering:
Kalonji seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp.

Method:
Heat the oil and add the tempering ingredients. When the seeds splutter, add the turmeric and red chilli powders. Add the chopped ginger and tomato pieces. Saute till the tomatoes become mushy. Add the coriander powder, cumin powder and salt. Add the potatoes and 1.5 cups of water. Cover and cook till the potatoes are soft. Lightly mash the potatoes. When the gravy is thick, add the garam masala and coriander leaves. I didn't add sugar. If you want to add, do so with salt.
Only adapted this potato curry from Archana's kitchen.

Sent off to Nayna's "Flavours of Gujarat" event.

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Gujarati Daal

Ingredients:
Arhar dal/toor dal - 1 cup
Ginger - 1 inch (finely chopped)
Tomato - 1 (diced)
Jaggery - 1 tbsp. (grated)
Kokum - 3 to 4 (soaked)
Peanuts - 2 tbsp.
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp.
Cumin powder - 1 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Oil + Ghee
Coriander leaves - few (chopped)


Tadka/Tempering:
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Asafoetida - a pinch
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Curry leaves - few
Whole dry red chillies - 2

Method:
Dry roast the peanuts. Cool and blow off the skin. Pressure cook the dal, tomatoes, peanuts with sufficient water.
Mash the dal (if required, add some water). Heat ghee + oil in a deep saucepan and do the tadka with given ingredients. Now add the powders, mashed dal, ginger, kokum, jaggery and salt. Simmer for 10 minutes or till it reaches required consistency (i.e., dal should not be thick nor thin). Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with bhakri or with rice and ghee.

Sent off to "Flavours of Gujarat" event hosted by simply.food.

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Instant Semolina Dhokla

Ingredients:
Semolina/Rava - 1 cup
Sour yogurt - 1 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Carrot - 1 (grated)
Capsicum (small) - 1 (finely chopped)
Green chillies - 1 (seeded and finely chopped)
Salt (to taste)
Eno fruit salt - 1 tsp.
Lime juice - 1 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Oil - 1 tbsp.

Tempering:
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Green chillies - 4 (slit)
Asafoetida - 2 pinches
Sesame seeds
Oil

To garnish:

Grated Coconut
Coriander leaves

Method:
Add water to the yogurt and whisk into buttermilk. In a bowl, add rava, pour buttermilk and salt and mix well. Now add carrot, capsicum pieces, turmeric powder , oil and green chilli pieces and give a mix. Keep aside for 10 to 15 minutes. Grease the vessel with oil to steam the batter. Place the steamer on a stove top and allow the water to boil. At this stage add lime juice and eno fruit salt to the batter and whisk vigorously. Pour this batter in the greased vessel and place it in the steamer. Cover and steam for 10 to 15 minutes or until the dhokla is cooked well. After 5 to 10 minutes, cut the dhokla into square or whatever shape. Garnish with coconut and coriander leaves. Do the tempering and sprinkle on the top of dhokla and serve immediately.

Sent off to "Flavours of Gujarat" event hosted by simply.food.

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Turiya Mag Ni Dal

Ingredients:
Ridge gourd - 3 cups (peeled and diced)
Moong dal - 1/3 cup
Ginger-green chilli paste - 1 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 2 pinches
Lime juice - few drops
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp.
Salt (to taste)
Sugar - 1/4 tsp.
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp.
Oil

To temper:
Mustard seeds - 3/4 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Asafoetida - a pinch

Method:
Soak moong dal in warm water for 30 minutes to 1 hour. After 1 hour, drain the water and keep the dal aside. Heat oil in a pan and add the tempering ingredients. When the mustards splutter, add moong dal and 1/4 of water or required water. Cook the dal without any mushiness. Now add the diced ridge gourd, ginger- green chilli paste, turmeric powder, salt and sugar. Cover and cook for a few minutes. When the ridge gourd releases water (at this stage, the veggies get tender) remove the lid and continue cooking till the water dries up. Stir gently or else the ridge gourd would get mushy. When the water dries up, add the grated coconut and coriander leaves.
Add lime juice and serve immediately. Serve with roti or rasam rice.
Adapted from Tarla Dalal

Sent off to "Flavours of Gujarat" event hosted by simply.food.

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