Saatvik chhole.

I had read about this authentic chhole recipe in Sangeeta Khanna's blog banaras ka khana.I had tried it before .I had skipped posting what I tried.I had used grated raw mango in place of aam chur. I tried it again .This time I made use of kairi preserve or raw mango preserve.

My mom realised that many kairis had been given to us by our neighbour who has planted mango trees at their factory grounds.Since,mango pickle is not relished  throughout the year.this is because , somehow,the mango pickle loses its crunchiness as , she thought of grating the kairis.Then she added salt,haldi & hing to the grated kairi.And we bottled this kairi preserve to add to dishes as a souring agent in dishes if a change in sour taste was needed.The bottled kairi preserve is stored in refrigerator.

Ingredients : 1 /2 cup kabuli chana &  1 tbsp chana dal soaked overnight, 1 tsp kairi preserve, 1 hari mirchi roughly chopped,1-2 byadgi mirchi broken into pieces, 1bay leaf,3-4  peppercorns,1 clove, 1/2 inch grated ginger ,1 tsp dhania powder , 1/2 tsp jeera powder, salt to taste, 2  tsp oil.

Method : Pressure cook the soaked chana & chana dal with salt for 2-3 whistles.Then slow down the gas & cook for 15 minutes.Put off gas.


Grind all dry spices.Add adrak & hari mirchi to dry ground spice mixture & grind again.

Take oil in kadhai.Heat the oil.Drop the ground spice mixture in that.After the aroma wafts across, add the pressure cooked chana chhole mix to the spices in kadhai.Mix nicely.Add raw mango preserve.Mix nicely.Let it all boil for 10 minutes.It will start thickening .If you need it to be watery,add water. Put off gas.Serve with rotis,naan ,bhature and rice.

This came out so nicely that I am thinking of making it again & again. No bother of chopping onions & tomatoes .And the taste is so authentic !

I added amla candy piece to the water in which the kabuli chana & chana dal was being cooked.This gives the chana the brown tinge .No haldi was added.Even a teabag can be added to water or tea in a small potli ( a thin piece of cloth with tea wrapped & bound ) can be dropped in the water which pressure cooks the chhole.Using tea bag gives the same brown tinge to chhole.I added a pinch of baking soda to the chhole chana dal mix while it was pressure cooked so that the kabuli chana & chana dal are cooked mashably well !

I did not have badi elaichi & so skipped using  it. In the original recipe ,it is added.I added both byadgi mirchi as also 1 hari mirchi as byadgi mirchi has little pungency .

Seasonal fruit parfait

Sangeeta Khanna's food blog banaras ka khana  introduced me to the fact that just milk & rajgir ladoos can make a wonderful cereal .And to a lazy  person like me ,this was too yummy .I loved the flavour ! Moreover,rajgir ladoos have no oil and or ghee.Rajgir danas bound by jaggery ! Then through her blog post on healthfooddesivideshi,I learnt to add fruits & dahi to rajgir  laddoos to make morning breakfast cereal !

And here is my recipe...actually it is Sangeeta Khanna's recipe just tweaked a little, by me  !

Ingredients : 2 Rajgir laddoos,1 orange desseded & peeled & cut ,3-4  strawberries cut, 1 chikoo deeseeded ,peeled &  cut & 1 apple deeseded & cut , & peeled,1 banana peeled & cut into thin slices, 3-4 tbsp dahi or milk  ,1 tbsp crumbled cookie or crumbled cake ( optional ) .this quantity is enough for 1 person.

Method : Take a glass tumbler ( so that one can look at the parfait & start oogling at it ) .Drop 2 rajgir laddoos inside it.Add the seasonal fruits like bananas,apple,oranges,strawberries even black & green grapes,etal In fact any seasonal fruit can be added .Moreover,in any quantity.Add yoghurt ( I prefer yoghurt....alternatively milk can be added or maybe a mix of both  ) ..... on top of the fruit mix.Now add crumbled cookies or cake.Let it stand for 10 -15 minutes.

Now take a spoon & try to mix all the ingredients reaching upto the bottom.And just eat it spoon by spoon ! It is just heavenly !

Instead of cookie or cake ,dry fruit can be added for the crunch like almonds,cashews,walnuts.etc.Even kismis can be added for extra sweetness.Though the jaggery in the laddoos will impart the needed sweetness !

Cauliflower peas potato nimona

I heard or rather read about nimona recipes at Sangeeta Khanna's blog banaras ka khana.I was interested in knowing about it.Moreover since I am someone who will try to test any recipes which are easy to whip up,I delved deeper.She has many nimona recipes like masoor nimona with gobhi,peas nimona,aloo gobhi matar nimona to name some.I picked up aloo gobhi matar nimona & tried it.Mine came out thicker.I am sure ,it thickens up as it cools, just like oondhiyon & bisi bele bhaath.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup boiled,peeled & diced potato chunks ,washed & boiled cauliflower florets ( bring water to which haldi & salt has been added & drown the florets in it & bring it to a boil .This is to  3/4 cup,3/4 cup peas,1-2 green chillies,2 pods garlic,1/4 inch ginger,1 tsp dhania powder,1/4 tsp black pepper powder,1/4 tsp jeera powder,1tsp jeera,1 tbsp oil,salt to taste.

Method : Heat  cauliflower florets in water with turmeric & salt to remove pesticides.I added peeled & cubed potatoes as well.After one boil of the water.Put off gas.Let the florets & potato cubes remain in the hot water. Keep aside.

Take the peas in a mixer & churn the mixer once or twice so that a granular mixture ( not paste ) of peas is obtained.Keep aside.

Take a kadhai.Add oil.Heat up the kadhai.Add cumin.After,they splutter, add the hot florets & potato cubes,Fry the veggies nicely till they slightly change colour.Add salt. Mix.Add the spices. Mix nicely.After 1-2 minutes, add the chilli ginger paste.Mix nicely. Let it heat the veggie spice mix for 1-2 minutes.Add the ground green peas  to the kadhai.Mix all nicely.Let it cook for 4-5 minutes till veggie mix starts sticking to the bottom of kadhai.Add 1 cup water & mix. Let the water veggie mix simmer for 4-5 minutes. Put off gas.

Serve nimona with rice and or rotis. It goes well with both.

This was my second attempt & today ,it turned out just a bit  more salty than I like.Still,I loved it ! It has a very different taste from the usual gram masala added gobhi sabzi.So ,if you want to try some different tasting sabzi with gobhi this winter,please give this a try.You can also try masoor nimona,hare chane ka nimona...all from banaras ka khana.And believe me ,you will be delighted with the results.This is because,Sangeeta is too good  a food blogger.Her recipes are detailed & finely tuned.

Cauliflower in carrot tomato gravy.

Winter is the season of fresh cauliflowers ,carrots,tomatoes etal...so many vegetables to choose from. Aloo gobhi ka nimona at Sangeeta Khanna's blog "Banaras ka khana " was the inspiration for this recipe.

Ingredients :Cauliflower cut or broken into florets 1cup,medium sized tomatoes 2,carrot peeled & cut into chunks,peas 1/4 cup, 1 medium onion chopped ,1green chilli, 1/2 inch ginger cleaned & grated,few curry leaves,1/2 tsp garam masla,1/4 tsp haldi,1/4 tsp hing,1tbsp oil,salt to taste.

Method :Take oil in a kadahi & heat it up.Now add cauliflower florets & peas.Saute them in oil.Cover with alid & cook.After 2-3 minutes,remove lid ,add hing ,haldi & salt.Mix nicely & again cover with lid & cook.Add some water if you feel that the veggies are getting stuck to bottom of kadahi.

Grind onions,ginger,green chilly & curry leaves into a paste.Add this paste to the kadhai & mix nicely.Let the vegetable mix simmer in the kadhai.Grind together carrots & tomatoes in the mixer.Add this carrot tomato paste to the kadhai.Mix nicely.Add salt & garam masala.Mix nicely .Put off the gas.

Now put the contents of the kadhai into a vessel which can be fitted into the pressure cooker.Pressure cook the mixed vegetable dish for two whistles.Put off the gas.Let the cooker cool.Remove from the cooker & serve with chapatis & or rice.

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