1.
Soak the dal; overnight in
water about 2 inches above the dal.
2.
Drain dal. Pour half of them
into the food processor. Add half the yogurt blended with water and
grind coarsely. Take care not to over grind.
3.
Repeat until all the dal; is
coarsely ground. Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl.
4.
Add the salt, hing, baking
soda, citric acid, ginger and chillies. Mix well with the hands so the
mixture becomes light and fluffy.
5.
Lightly oil three 8-inch cake
pans. Pour 1/3 of the mixture into each pan. Arrange the pan on 3 tiers
of a steamer and steam about 5 minutes or until cooked. (The tip of a
knife inserted in the center will one out clean.) If you do not have a
steamer with several tiers,. Steam one pan at a time and repeat until
all the dhoklas are cooked.
6.
Let the pans stand outside the
steamer briefly. Cut the breads into 1 ½ inch cubes and transfer top a
platter.
7.
Heat the oil in a large
skillet. When it is almost hot add the mustard and cumin seeds. Cook
briefly.
8.
Add the hing and water. Add
the cubes of bread (there will be more than one layer). Sprinkle with
half the coriander and grated coconut. Toss the pieces in the skillet
until they are all covered with spices. Leave on the heat for a few
minutes until warm. Transfer the dhokalas to a platter and sprinkle
with remaining coriander and coconut. Serve with coriander chutney.
Serves
6-8
Stuffed Bread with Dal Filling
(Mung dal kachori)
Filling
1 cup mung dal; without
skin, 2 tsp ground chilli (optional)
soaked in water 4
hours 1 tsp ground turmeric
5 Tblsp
oil 1 tsp hing
½ tsp mustard
seeds 2 Tblsp garam masala
1 ½ tsp mustard
seeds Juice of 1 lemon
Salt ½
coconut, grated
2 Tblsp ground
cumin 2 Tblsp raisins
1 Tblsp chop. Coriander leaves
Dough
1 cup all-purpose
flour Salt to taste
3 Tblsp
ghee Vegetable shortening
for frying
1.
Heat 2 Tblsp of oil in a pan.
Add ½ tsp mustard seeds. Add washed dal. Add 1 ½ cups of water and
salt. Allow to cook till the dal becomes tender and the water is
absorbed (about 25 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.
2.
Heat the remaining 3 Tblsp of
oil in a pan. Add cooked dal (from step 1) and keep stirring till dal
becomes dry and of golden color. Remove from heat and let it cool. Add
all the other ingredients and mix well.
3.
In a bowl, mix the flour with
melted ghee and salt. Make dough by adding water and knead well. Form
balls the size of lemons and roll out into rounds 3 inches in diameter.
Fill them with 1 Tblsp filling. Turn into kachori shape by pulling up
the edges to form a pouch with the filling inside. Pinch the puch
opening together to seal.
4.
Preheat the oil and deep fry
4-5 pouches in vegetable shortening on medium heat. Do the same with
the rest of the kachoris. Serve with date sauce.
Yields 15-18 kachoris
Baked Vegetable-Dal Cake
(Handavo – No. 1)
1 ¼ cup cream of wheat
2 green chillies & 1 inch ginger,
¼ cup chick-pea
flour ground into a fine paste
¼ cup rice
flour 2 Tblsp chop. Coriander
leaves
¼ cup wheat
flour ½ cup peas
4 Tblsp
oil 1 med. Potato
peeled & grated
2 cups
yogurt 1 cup grated zucchini
½ cup water or more
2 Tblsp oil
½ tsp soda
bicarbonate 1 tsp mustard seeds
Salt to
taste 1 tsp
sesame seeds
2 tsp
sugar ¼ tsp hing
1.
In a mixing bowl put the cream
of wheat, chick-pea flour, rice and wheat flour. Add oil,. Yogurt,
water, soda bicarbonate and salt and mix well. The batter should be
like a pancake batter consistency. Leave the batter for 12 to 14 hours
for fermentation.
2.
Add sugar,. Chilli, ginger,.
Coriander leaves, peas, potato and zucchini to the batter and mix well.
3.
In an ovenproof pan, heat
oil. Add mustard seeds and sesame seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds
start popping, add the hing and the batter to the oil mixture. Mix
well.
4.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at
3000 for about 1 hour. It is done if inserted knife comes
out clean and top of cake is brown and crispy. Cut into squares and
serve with coconut chutney and date sauce.
Sserves 4-6
Baked Vegetable-Dal Cake
(Handavo – No. 2)
1 cup rice, dry,
ground, 2 green chillies & 1 inch ginger
½ cup tuver dal, ground
coarse ground to a fine paste
¼ cup udad dal, ground
coarse 1 tsp soda bicarbonate
¼ cup chana dal, ground
coarse 1 tsp turmeric
3 cups
buttermilk 1 tsp mustard seeds
1 cups vegetable cut
small 2 tsp sesame seeds
(any combination of
green ½ tsp hing
peas, white
pumpkin, ½ cup cooking oil
potatoes,
carrots) curry leaves
Salt to taste
1.
In a food mill dry ground the
rice and all the dals.
2.
In a large mixing bowl, place
the ground rice and dal. Mix buttermilk and salt. Let stand overnight
to ferment.
3.
Mix rice and ground dal
batter,. Chilli-ginger aster, vegetables, Soda bicarbonate,. And
turmeric.
4.
In an ovenproof pan, heat ½
cup of cooking oil. Add mustard seeds, sesame seeds, curry leaves, hing
and fermented batter. Mix and remove from the heat .
5.
Bake in a pre-heated 3000F
oven for 45 minutes or until the top turns brown. (Insert a knife in
the center of cake, when it comes out clean, it is done).
6.
Serve with chutney.
Serves 4-6
Chick-Pea Flour Rolls
(Khandvi)
1 cup chick-pea flour (besan)
Garnish
3 cups
buttermilk 3 Tblsp oil
1 tsp red chilli powder
or 2 Tblsp grated coconut
1 ½ Tblsp green masala
1 Tblsp chop. Coriander leaves
½ tsp ground
turmeric ½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp hing
½ tsp cumin seeds
Salt to
taste ½ tsp
sesame seeds
1.
Mix chick-pea flour,
buttermilk, red chilli powder, turmeric, hing and salt in a heavy
saucepan. Place pan on medium heat,. Stirring constantly, for about 30
to 45 minutes. When mixture becomes thick, try spreading one spoonful
on a plate, when it can be lifted and rolled it is ready.
2.
Spread the mixture very thinly
with the help of a spoon on a plain metal surface. When cool, Apply very
little oil on your fingers and roll the mixture as tightly as possible.
3.
Cut the roll into small pieces
and arrange on a platter.
4.
Sprinkle grated coconut and
coriander leaves.
Garnish:
1. Heat the oil in a pan. Add mustard
seeds, cumin seeds the sesame seeds and allow to pop. Remove from heat
and pour over Khandvi and serve.
Serves 4-6
Deep Fried Filled Pastries
(Samosas)
Pastry
3 cups all-purpose
flour 3 Tblsp ghee
1 tsp
salt ¾-1 cup water
Filling
2 boiled potatoes (1/2
pound) ½ cup boiled fresh green peas
2 Tblsp vegetable
oil (about ½ pound unshelled)
2 tsp scraped,
finely 1 tsp salt
chopped
ginger 1 Tblsp finely chop.
Coriander
1 tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp garam masala
¼ tsp cumin seeds
1/8 tsp hot red pepper
¼ tsp turmeric
2 tsp amchur powder
Pastry
1.
In a deep bowl, combine flour,
salt and ghee. With your fingertips,. Rub flour and ghee together until
they look like flakes of coarse meal. Pour ¾ cup water over the mixture
all at once,. Knead together vigorously, gather dough into a ball. If
dough crumbles,. Add up to 4 Tblsp water, a Tblsp at a time until the
particles adhere.
2.
On a lightly floured surface,.
Knead the dough by folding it end to end,. Then pressing it down and
pushing forward several; times with the heel of your hand. Repeat until
the dough is smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Gather into a ball,
brush lightly with vegetable oil,. Set in a bowl and drape a damp kithen
towel over the top to keep the dough moist. (Covered with the towel, it
can remain at rook temperature for 4 top 5 hours.)
Filling:
1.
Peel and cut the potatoes into
tiny cubes.
2.
In a heavy saucepan or
skillet,. Heat the vegetable oil over moderate heat. Add the cumin seeds
and when they brown, add ginger. Stirring constantly, fry for about 1
to 2 minutes.
3.
Stir in fennel seeds and
turmeric. Add the potatoes,. Peas, salt and coriander leave. Reduce the
heat to low. Cover the pan tightly and cook for 5 minutes.
4.
Remove pan from heat. Stir in
garam masala, red pepper and amchur powder. Taste for seasoning. Put in
a bowl and to cool; to room temperature before using it.
Shape and Fill the Samosas two at a time
in the following way:
1.
Pinch off a small piece of
dough and roll into a ball about 1 inch in diameter. (keep remaining
dough covered.) On a lightly fouled surface, roll the ball into a 3-inch
round. With a pastry wheel or small knife, cut the round in half.
Moisten the straight edge with a pastry brush or finger dipped in
water. Shape each semicircle into a cone, fill with 1 ½ tsp of
filling. Moisten and press top edges closed. (Covered with foil or
plastic wrap, the pastries may be made ahead of time and kept for 2 to 3
hours.)
2.
To deep fry pastries, heat 3
cups of vegetable oil in a 10-12 inch wok (in a deep fryer, heat 2-3
inches oil to a temperature of 3750F on a deep frying
thermometer).
3.
Preheat oven top 2000F
line a large baking dish with double thickness of absorbent paper
towels.
4.
Deep fry Samosas 4-5 at a time
for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. When done, put them in lined
dish and keep warm in oven.
5.
To serve, mound samosas on a
platter. Accompanied with chutney in a separate bowl.
Yields about 60
samosas
Vegetable Fritters
(Bhajias)
1 small
cucumber Batter
2 small
potatoes 2 cups chick-pea from (besan)
2-3 cabbage leaves
¼ tsp hing
1 small
zucchini ¾ cup water
1
banana Salt to taste
3-4 spinach leaves
Oil for deep frying
1.
Wash and slice vegetables
thin, except for cabbage and spinach leaves, which are cut into 1 inch
squares.
2.
Combine batter ingredients.
Add enough water to make batter of pancake consistency, or slightly
thinner.
3.
In a wok or deep fryer,. Heat
oil until very hot. Lower heat. Test the oil by dropping a drop of
batter into the oil, it will rise to the top immediately if the oil is
of correct temperature.
4.
Mix 1 tsp of the hot oil into
the batter top make the Bhajias crispy.
5.
Dip the vegetable pieces into
the batter. Make sure the batter covers the vegetables thoroughly.
Drop 4-5 pieces in oil at a time. Fry until brown. Continue until all
the vegetables are fried. Drain on paper towels. Serve with mint
chutney.
Serves 4-6
Dal Ball with Yogurt
(Dahi pakodi)
Batter
Sauce
1 cup udad dal
4 cups whipped yogurt
2 Tblsp finely chopped
green 1 cup water
pepper (use chilli pepper
or 3 tsp sugar
sweet green
pepper) 1 tsp salt
½ tsp
salt 2 Tblsp oil
Water to
blend 2 tsp mustard seeds
Oil for deep frying
2 tsp udad dal
10
dried curry leaves
3
Tblsp finely chopped
coriander leaves
Batter
1.
Clean dal and wash
thoroughly. Soak in water to cover for 4 hours.
2.
Strain dal and place in a
blender. Adding just enough water to facilitate blending, grind to a
coarse consistency.
3.
Place blended dal in a bowl.
Add chopped green pepper and salt. Mix well.
Sauce
1.
Place whipped yogurt in a
large bowl. Mix to a smooth sauce with a mixer. Add sugar, salt and
stir still blended.
2.
Heat oil in a small saucepan.
Add mustard seeds and when they begin to pop, add udad dal and curry
leaves. As soon as the leaves brown, add the mixture to yogurt and stir
to blend. (Udad dal will turn slightly pink. Do not allow it to brown.)
To assemble savory
1.
On low heat, heat 3 incase of
oil in a wok or deep fryer.
2.
Using your fingertips or a
spoon, take a Tblsp of dal mixture and gently ease it into the heated
oil. Fry only 5-7 balls at a time. They will puff to twice their size
and should not be crowded in the wok. Turn the balls gently in oil with
a slotted spoon to brown evenly on all sides.
3.
When the balls are brown, put
them in a bowl of cold water. Let them soak for 5 minutes. Gently
remove balls from water and press them between your two palms to remove
any oil or water. Place dry balls on a platter.
4.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 until all
balls are done. Place the yogurt sauce on the balls.
5.
Garnish with coriander and
chill in refrigerator before serving.
6.
Serve 3-4 balls with a liberal
quantity of sauce in individual bowls, topped with date sauce.
Yields
approximately 45 1 inch balls
Potato Rolls
(Bhakharvadi)
Dough
1 cup whole wheat
flour 2 Tblsp ghee
¼ cu unbleached white
flour ¼ tsp salt
½ cup
water (approximately)
Filling
1 pound mashed
potatoes 2 tsp amour powder
4 Tblsp
ghee Salt to taste
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 Tblsp chop. Coriander
leaves
1 green chilli, chopped
small 1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp ginger
root Oil for deep frying
Dough
1.
Sift flour and salt into large
bowl. Add ghee and mix with fingertips until; flakes are formed. Add
water, gather the flakes and make a soft dough by kneading. The dough
should be like a pie dough.
2.
Cover dough and set aside.
Filling
1.
In a skillet, heat ghee, add
cumin seeds. As the seeds brown, add chilli (opt.) ginger, mashed
potatoes and mix well. Add amchur powder, salt, coriander leaves and
garam masala. Mix everything together thoroughly with a flat wooden
spoon. Turn off heat.
2.
Set aside and let cool.
To assemble savory
1.
Knead dough thoroughly and
divide in half. Form each into a ball
2.
Dust ball with flour and roll
out into 9 inch round.
3.
On rolled dough, place half of
potato mixture. Sported potatoes evenly, leaving a margin of ½ inch at
the outer edge.
4.
Fold ½ inch of dough at top
and bottom of pie over filling Repeat at sides, forming a square. The
pie is now secured, and ready to be rolled.
5.
Take 2 upper corners of dough
and roll toward you, until ½ inch of dough remains. Seal; the roll
securely by pressing the remaining edge into the roll with your fingers.
6.
Cut roll in ½ inch slices.
Press each slice gently but firmly between your plams preventing slices
from falling apart when deep fried.
7.
In preparation for deep
frying,. Heat 3 inches of oil on low heat in a wok or deep fryer.
8.
Repeat steps 2-6 with
remaining portion of dough.
9.
Deep fry the slices, 5 or 6 at
a time, until; golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve warm or at
rook temperature with coriander chutney.
Yields
approximately 26 pieces.
Stuffed Crepe
(Puda)
Puda
Stuffing
1 cup mung dal
2 cups boiled green peas
¼ cup udad dal
½ coconut, grated
2 tsp ground chillies and
gingers Coriander leaves
Salt to
taste 2 tsp
garam masala
Oil as required
Salt to taste
1
Tblsp oil
1.
Wash and soak dals together in
water 2-3 hours.
2.
Drain water and grind into
fine paste in an electric blender using very little water.
3.
Add chillies,. Ginger, and
salt to batter, allowing them to ferment for 4-5 hours.
4.
Heat a non-stick skillet; and
lower heat to medium. Pour a few spoonfuls of batter in skillet and
spread with a spoon (like a crepe about 6 inch in diameter). Pour 1 tsp
oil around the crepe and let it browns on the bottom. Browning
indicates end-point for turning over; brown on other side and place on a
plate. Do the same with rest of the batter.
5.
Mash the peas and cook with
very little oil for 2-3 minutes. Add grated coconut, chopped, coriander
leaves, garam masala and salt and mix well. Remove from heat.
6.
Spread 1 Tblsp pea mixture on
each crepe and form a roll. Do same with all crepes. Serve with date
sauce and mint chutney.
Yields
12-15 crepes
Bean Sprouts and Cabbage Samosas
Filling
1 cup mung bean
sprouts 2 tsp finely chopped or
grated
1 ½ cups
shredded ginger root
white
cabbage 1 Tblsp oil
1 green pepper, put into
strips Salt to taste
Dough
1 cup whole wheat
flour 2 Tblsp oil
1 cup all-purpose
flour Salt to taste
` Rice flour for
rolling out dough
Filling
1.
Warm oil in a pan. Add ginger
and cook until light brown.
2.
Add cabbage,. Mung bean
sprouts, green pepper, salt; cook until water is absorbed and filling
dry. Remove from heat and cool.
Dough
1.
Mix flours and salt.
2.
Add oil, salt and sufficient
water to form dough like pie dough.
3.
Pinch out 24 balls. Take 2
balls and roll each into 3 inch rounds. Sprinkle rice flour on one
round, place the second round over it and press together. Roat lightly
on both sides on a griddle or cast-iron pan. Remove when half done and
separate when still warm. It will separate easily. Cut the rounds in
half.
To assemble
1.
Take one half of a round and
with a pastry brush dipped in a water moisten the straight edge of the
semicircle. Shape it into a cone, and fill it with about 1 ½ tsp of
filling. Moisten and press the top open edges together and seal lthe
cone. Do the same with the rest of the dough. (This can be done ahead
of time).
2.
Deep fry the samosas as in the
samosas recipe.
Yields 48 to 50 samosas
Sapiced Corn with Pomegranate
(Makai no chevado)
1 cup cooked corn kernels
1 tsp mustard seeds
½ cup fresh pomegranate
seeds ¼ tsp black pepper
¼ cup sev (vermicelli
made Salt to taste
from chick-pea
flour) ½ tsp lemon juice
2 tsp
oil 2 Tblsp chopped
coriander leaves
1.
Heat oil in skillet on low
heat. When hot,. Add mustard seeds.
2.
When mustard seeds stared
popping, add corn and mix well, Add salt, pepper and lemon juice. Mix
well and turn off heat.
3.
When cool, and pomegranate
seeds, sev and coriander leaves.
4.
Serve in individual bowls as a
tea-time snack.
Serves 4
Pressed Rice with Potatoes
(Bateta poha)
1 cup poha (pressed rice)
2 tsp sugar
2 med. Potatoes,. Boiled & cubed
2 tsp lemon juice
½ cup peas, cooked
2 Tblsp oil
1 med. Tomato chopped
Dash of hing
1 tsp minced ginger
¼ cup water
¼ tsp
turmeric 2 Tblsp finely
chopped
1 tsp salt
coriander leaves
1.
Wash poha in a colander.
Squeeze out as much water as much water as possible from the poha with
your palms, making a fist, so they are dry.
2.
Spread the poha in a medium
sized pan or bowl.
3.
Add potatoes, peas, ginger,
turmeric, salt and lemon juice. Mix well.
4.
In a frying pan, heat oil. Add
mustard seeds. As they start to pop, add hing and tomatoes. When
tomatoes become soft, and poha mixture. Mix well.
5.
Add the water and mix
everything together. Leave on low heat for 5-7 minutes.
6.
Add coriander leaves and mix.
Remove from heat, and serve in individual bowls.
Tastes good with coriander chutney and
masala tea.
Serves 4-6
Cabbage cheese Toast
1 cup finely shredded cabbage
1 cup finely chopped coriander leaves
¼ cup finely chopped green pepper (capsicum)
¾ cup grated mild, rennetless cheese
¾ cup chick-pea flour
¼ tsp hing
¼ cup water
Salt to taste
9 slices of brown bread
Oil for deep frying
1.
In a bowl, mix together
cabbage, coriander lease and green pepper.
2.
Add cheese, flour, hing and
salt, mix well with your hands.
3.
Add water, a little at a time,
until mixture takes on the consistency of a spread.
4.
Cut away the crusts of the
slices of bread and cut into 3 inch pieces.
5.
Spread mixture on bread.
6.
Heat oil a deep fryer. Deep
fry bread pieces. Remove from oil and place on absorbent towels.
7.
Serve with coriander chutney
and ketchup.
Yields 18 pieces
To make a quick snack: cut plain cheese
sandwich into small squares. Dip in chick-pea batter and deep fry as in
bhajias.
Yellow Split Pea Balls
(Chana dal wadas)
¾ cup chana dal, soaked for 4-5 hours
¼ cup poha (pressed rice)
1 cup spinach, finely chopped
½ cup coriander leaves, finely chopped
1 Tblsp coriander seeds, crushed or coarsely
ground
½ tsp ground black pepper
2 Tblsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying
1.
Coarsely bland the drained
chana dal in a blender with a little water. Set aside in bowl.
2.
Wash the poha in hot water.
Squeeze out as much water as possible.
3.
Add all the ingredients along
with the poha to the ground dal and mix thoroughly.
4.
Shape the mixture into
medium-sized balls.
5.
Heat oil in a deep fryer.
When oil is hot,. Add balls a few at a time and lower heat. Cook until
golden brown.
6.
Do the same with rest of the
mixture.
7.
Serve with coconut chutney and
date sauce.
Serves 4-6
Raitas and Salads
In India, raitas and salads are
served as a side dish rather than eaten as a dish by itself.
Raita is made of yogurt combined
with different vegetable and/or fruits. The soothing effect of the
chilled raita as opposed to the spicy dal and vegetables brings a good
balance to the palate. Raitas are simple to make and take just a few
minutes to put together. One the basics are acquired,. You may end up
with your own combinations,. Besides the ones you find in this book.
Taitas are some times just spiced with salt or mustard seeds and hing.
It is very important to maintain the natural flavor of the yogurt and
the vegetables or fruits.
As salad is to a Westerner,
Cachumber is to an Indian. The Indian version of a salad requires no
dressing. Cachumber is spiced with salt, pepper and lemon juice just
before serving. Sometimes it is flavored with other milled spices like
coriander and cumin seed powder. The crunchiness of this salad is the
secret of its success. Swerved with khichadi,. Dal-dhokali or regular
lunch, it enhances the taste of food.
So raitas and cachumbers heighten
the aesthetic and nutritional appeal of the food with their natural
color,. Texture and coolness. They also add an artistic touch to the
whole menu.