Khandvi

Khandvi , a popular dish from Gujarat is something that just melts in the mouth. It can simply be gulped down. Its that tasty !

I made this today, under my mother's supervision & control.I had made it earlier sans her supervision.

Ingredients : 3/4 cup besan , 3 cups chaas ( yoghurt diluted with water ) , 2 tbsp oil, 1/4 tsp haldi, 1/4 tsp  hing,1/4 cup ( loosely packed ) cleaned &  chopped fresh coriander, 1/4 cup ( loosely packed ) fresh dessicated coconut, 2/3 finely chopped green chillies , 1 tsp grated ginger, a few curry leaves, 1tsp white unpolished til seeds, 1/2 tsp jeera,1/2 tsp mustard ,salt to taste.

Method : Mix the besan & chaas slowly in a vessel so that no lumps remain. .Add oil, grated ginger, chillies,haldi , hing, 1 tbsp oil & salt to taste. Mix all ingredients nicely.

Put this mixture into a kadhai & put it on gas stove. My mom told me ,gas stove must be on high flame. Start stirring with a spoon immediately as soon as the kadhai with the khandvi mix is on the gas. Keep stirring continuously till it starts thickening. Now, lower the faklme & cook on slow flame. Keep stirring till it gets real thick & starts sticking to sides.Cover the kadahai & let it cook for 4-5 minutes on low gas. Put off gas.Immediately , spread the khandvi mix on plates.4-5 plates were needed today to spread the cooked mixture. Spread over the whole plate in a very thin layer. Let all the plates cool. Take a knife & make vertical  strip cuts on the spread khandvi mix on the plates. Take one end of the cut strip & start rolling with hand till the other end of the strip gets rolled. Make similar rolls of the remaining strips from all the plates.

Take a small kadhai or vagar vessel & make vagar. Add oil.Heat it up.Add mustard.After they pop up add jeera.Add til seeds. Then add curry leaves. Put off gas.Pour this vagar mixture over the rolled strips.Mix the freshly chopped dhania & fresh dessicated coconut. Garnish with fresh dessicated coconut & dhania mix.

Serve. And watch it disappear in minutes !

Tip : I use powdered hing always in all dishes unless specified .

The rolls were not evenly spread out. Some rolls were thick strips.With practice, thin strips can be made. And remember, to spread the mix when it is hot on to the plate.That helps in spreading it thinly.

Step by step method can be seen at Veg recipes of India.That recipe is somewhat different though basics remain the same.

Khaman Dhokla

This recipe is by my friend,Medha Sarathy.I am just putting it on to my blog.

Ingredients : 5 tbsp dosa or idli batter,5 tbsp rava,5 tbsp besan,5 tbsp dahi or yoghurt,1/2 tsp hing,1/2 tsp haldi,1-2 green chillies finely cut,1/2 inch grated ginger,2 tbsp oil,a pinch of baking soda,one sachet of eno fruit salt,a few curry leaves,1 tsp mustard seeds, salt to taste.

Method : Mix dosa or idli batter with rava & besan by adding dahi.Add 1 tbsp oil.Mix again.The consistency should be like dosa batter.For getting this consistency ,dahi amount can be altered - & in no case water needs to be added.Add 1/4 tsp turmeric & 1/4 tsp haldi & salt to taste.Again mix.Keep overnight.

Next day ,in the morning, add finely cut green chilly & grated ginger to the batter & mix.

Keep cooker on gas & let water start boiling in the cooker .Keep a stand in the cooker.Let the water boil.

Take  eno fruit salt & add 1 tbsp water..Add this eno water mix to batter. Batter will start bubbling up.Now gently the batter & immediately pour the batter into a greased plate ..Keep this plate on the stand in the cooker. Close the lid of the cooker.Do not put the whistle.

Steam will keep escaping from the cooker.Let it continue for 15-16  minutes after the dhokla batter plate has been kept in the cooker.

Now put off the gas.Open the cooker lid.Put a knife or fork in the centre of the dhokla batter plate.If it comes out clean,the dhokla is done.

Now ,take 1 tbsp of oil .Put it in a kadhai.Put on the gas.Put mustard seeds into it.When they splutter,add finely cut chilly & kadipattas.Put off the gas Also add 1/4 tsp hing & 1/4 tsp haldi.Now add 2 tbsp of water.Add 1-2 tsp sugar to the mustard seasoning.Boil this water mixture till it gets thicker.Now put off the gas.Pour this sugar-water-seasoning mixture on the dhoklas.The seasoning mixture can be poured on the dhoklas either before or after the dhoklas have been cut.

Take a knife & make squares on the dhokla plate.Now remove the squares.Serve with chutney or fried green chillies.

Option :The dhokla pieces can be garnished with finely cut dhania ( coriander ) & fresh dessicated coconut.

Cabbage paratha.

I  make cabbage parathas so that my daughter will eat cabbage.She loves them though I would apprecitae it more if she would start relishing  cabbage sabzi.

Ingredients : a quarter piece of a small cabbage, half an inch piece of adrak(ginger),one teaspoon lal mirchi ( red chilli) powder,half a teaspoon of haldi,quarter teaspoon hing,two tablespoons dahi or take  chaas ( buttermilk ) ,two cups atta , one tablespoon besan ,two table spoons oil &  salt to taste.

Method : Grate the cabbage & ginger.Add salt & keep for 5 minutes.Squeeze out the water.Now take atta,add besan,dahi or chaas,red chilli powder,haldi , hing  & salt .Mix all this into a soft dough by adding sufficient water.

Now make  lemon sized balls .Roll the lemon sized balls into parathas .Take a paratha & put it on the heated tawa.Smear a little oil on the uncooked side of the roti.After 2/3 minutes,turn over the paratha& cook on the tawa by smearing a little oil on the paratha.Cook till golden brown.Now take it out from the tawa.Repeat with other lemom sized dough balls.

Serve the parathas with dahi & achar or chutni.

Dahi or chaas gives a tangy taste to the parathas & is a source of calcium.