Dhokla

Dhokla or Dhokra is a vegetarian food item that originates from Gujarat state in India. It is made with a fermented batter made up of with chana daal and rice. Dhokla can be eaten as a breakfast or as a side dish or even as a snack.

This is pretty much similar to the south Indian tiffin variety Idly. To make dhokla Rice and chanadaal are used, in the ratio 2:1 and soaked for 5-6 hours. The mixture is ground and this paste is fermented over night. The fermented batter is then steamed for about 15 minutes on a flat dish and cut into pieces. These chopped pieces are seasoned with mustard seeds, corinader leaves and fresh coconut. For the typical Gujarati style, an equal amount of water and a little sugar is added to the seasoning. As I want it spicy, I have avoided adding sugar.

Dhokla with Mint chutney

Ingredients:

Chana daal / Bengal gram - 1 cup

Rice - 2 cups

Turmeric - pinch

Salt

Baking soda - 1/2 tsp

For seasoning -

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard - 1/2 tsp

Urad daal / Black gram - 1 tsp

Chopped corainder - 1 tbsp

Grated fresh coconut - 1tbsp

Method:

Wash and soak the chana daal and rice for about 5-6 hours. Grind them into a smooth paste in a blender. Consistency should be like beaten yoghurt or like idly batter. Ferment it for about 6-8 hours or over night.

To the fermented batter add salt, baking soda and turmeric. Mix it thoroughly. In the mean time, boil the water in a idly / dokla steamer.

If you dont have one then, take a wide bottomed pan and add water till about 1 inch depth. Now place a metal stand or any wide bowl.

Now greese a cake tin or pressure cooker tin and pour the batter into the tin.

Slowly place the tin into the wide bottomed vessel on top of the metal stand or plate and cover it with lid.

Steam the batter for 15 minutes on medium high flame.

Steamed dhokla

Turn off the heat and prepare the seasoning. Heat a small pan with 1 tbsp of oil. Add mustard and urad daal to it. When the urad daal changes the colour, add 1 tbsp of water to it and immediately pour over the steamed dhokla.

Now cut them into small pieces and garnish with coriander and grated coconut.

Serve it with any chutney of your choice. Mint chutney is the best option. 

Vankaya nanchudu koora / Brinjal Curry

This is another version of stuffed brinjal (dry variety) with mild spices that are roasted and coarsely grounded. The aroma emanated from my kitchen during it preparation warms every ones appetite. I have chosen the tender brinjals that are simmered in tamarind juice and flavoured with the spicy powder.

Ingredients:

Brinjals / Egg plants (Purple variety) – 5

Urad daal (black) – 1 tbsp

Chana daal / Senagapappu – 1 1/2 tbsp

Fenugreek seeds – 1/2  tsp

Cumin – 1/2 tsp

Coriander seeds - 1 tsp

Peanuts – 1 tbsp

Till / Sesame seeds – 1 tsp

Scraped coconut – 1  tbsp

Dry Red chilli – 4-5

Tamarind juice extracted from half a lemon size of it

Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt as per taste

Method:

Dry roast all the ingredients one after the other except the egg plants and tamarind.

Allow them to cool down and grind them in a blender into fine powder by adding enough salt.

Tender brinjals, tamarind juice and the spicy powder

Remove the stalks for the egg plants and slit each egg plant twice still keeping the base in contact. Fill each egg plant with the spicy powder and keep them ready. Now heat a broad pan with 2 -3 tbsp of oil. Slowly slip the stuffed egg plants into it.

Once in a while give a good toss, so that the egg plants will get cooked from all sides. When they are half done add tamarind juice and cover it with the lid for 4-5 minutes or until they are fully cooked. Remove the lid and sprinkle all the remaining spicy powder and toss it again and remove from the fire.

Rice with stuffed brinjal

Kobbari lauju / Coconut fudge

This is an Indian variety of coconut fudge. Unlike the other sweets where you need some expertise to make the sugar syrup, this recipe need not require any experience. Instead of using sugar, I have used jaggery which will give a nice caramel taste and colour. Also, instead of making the sweet in squares, I shaped them in laddu form.

Ingredients:

Fresh grated coconut - 4 cups
Jaggery - 3 cups
Cardamom powder - 2 pinches
Ghee – 1 tbsp to mould the coconut mixture.

Jaggery and grated coconut

Method:

Take a large pan with wide bottom. Add 3/4th cup of water and melt the jaggery. Keep the heat on medium-low allowing the jaggery to melt completely.

Add the grated coconut and cardamom powder to the jaggery syrup.

Keep the heat on medium and cook, stirring frequently to prevent the mixture from sticking to the pan. In about 30 minutes, the mixture will be reduced, becomes very thick and comes away easily from the sides of pan - this is the signal to turnoff the heat.

When the coconut mixture is warm enough, then smear your hands with ghee and make the laddus. Or you can spread it on a greased tray and cut into squares.

I found an empty chocolate box and I filled it with these coconut laddus.

Kobbari Podi - 2

This is another version of spicy coconut powder. Adding daal to the coconut will give the mouthful taste. Instead of stir fries, we can have this spicy powder as a side dish.

Spicy coconut powder

Ingredients:

Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Toor daal / Kandi pappu - 1 tbsp

Coriander seeds - 1 tsp

Dry red chili - 5-6

Garlic cloves - 2-3

Salt

Oil - 1 tsp

Red chili, dry coconut, toor daal, coriander seeds and garlic

Heat a tsp of oil in a heavy bottomed vessel and roast the daal on low heat till light brown and the daal releases its flavor. Remove and cool.

In the same vessel and dry red chillis and the coriander seeds and fry them till they change their colour. Remove and keep them aside. 

To the same pan add the grated or sliced coconut pieces and roast on low heat for 3-4 minutes. Dont add any more oil to roast the coconut pieces.

Once the daals, red chillis and coconut pieces are cool, place them along with garlic cloves and salt in a blender and grind to make a powder of a crumbly consistency.

Store in an air tight container.

Baasundi

Basundi is very popular milk based Maharashtrian Dessert. This is prepared by boiling the milk on medium low heat till the milk is reduced to half. Once reduced a little sugar, saffron, cardamom and almond slices are added. Usually basundi is served chilled. 

Ingredients:

2 litres Milk

3/4th cup Sugar

Cardamom powder - 1 pinch

Safron - 1 pinch

10 Almonds chopped

 

Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy pan.

Reduce the flame and cook on a slow flame till the volume is reduced to half, for approximately 1 hour, while stirring occasionally.

Add the sugar and cook on a slow flame for approximately 25 minutes or till the milk thickens.

Remember to keep scraping the sides of the vessel when cooking, as that will make the basundi thick and impart a real creamy texture.

Add the cardamom powder and saffron and cook on a slow flame for another 20 minutes.

Serve warm or chilled, garnished with almond slivers

Nature

I have taken these pictures from my window during early hours. The nature is changing its colours with in minutes......

Cooking Measurements

Thought to share the below details with you all. In most of the recipes, the measurements of the ingredients are mentioned in cups, tea spoons and table spoons. You can find the conversions in the below table. I have also included a table of Fahrenheit and Celsius degree temperatures equivalent to the Gas marks of the ovens.

• 1 tablespoon (tbsp) = 3 teaspoons (tsp)
• 1/16 cup (c) = 1 tablespoon
• 1/8 cup = 2 tablespoons
• 1/6 cup = 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
• 1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons
• 1/3 cup = 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
• 3/8 cup = 6 tablespoons
• 1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons
• 2/3 cup = 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
• 3/4 cup = 12 tablespoons
• 1 cup = 48 teaspoons
• 1 cup= 16 tablespoons
• 8 fluid ounces (fl oz) = 1 cup
• 1 pint (pt) = 2 cups
• 1 quart (qt) = 2 pints
• 4 cups = 1 quart
• 1 gallon (gal) = 4 quarts
• 16 ounces (oz) =  1 pound (lb)  
• 1 US gallon =  3.79 litres
• 1 UK gallon = 4.54 litres

A typical household Tablespoon and Teaspoon

Not necessary to have the same measuring cups. You can also replace with your own measuring cups. In India especially in southern parts, many households have the old methods of measuring any grains or flours using Seru, Ara seru, Paavu, Ara paavu.

A typical Seru is equivalent to 1.56 litres.

 From right to left - Seru, 1/2 seru, 1/4 seru, 1/8th seru

సేరు, అర సేరు

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Conversion table
Gas mark	Fahrenheit	Celsius	Descriptive
1⁄4	225°	107°	Very Slow/Very Low
1⁄2	250°	121°	Very Slow/Very Low
1	275°	135°	Slow/Low
2	300°	149°	Slow/Low
3	325°	163°	Moderately Slow/Warm
4	350°	177°	Moderate/Medium
5	375°	191°	Moderate/Moderately Hot
6	400°	204°	Moderately Hot
7	425°	218°	Hot
8	450°	232°	Hot/Very Hot
9	475°	246°	Very Hot

Majjiga chaaru / Butter milk stew

There are numerous ways to prepare Majjiga chaaru. This is pretty much similar to North Indian Khadi. In Khadi, basin / gram flour is used, where as in majjiga chaaru, roasted chickpea flour is used. Very easy to prepare. A nice substitute for Rasam.

Ingredients:
Youghurt - 1 cup
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Roasted chickpea - 2 tbsp
Salt
Oinion - 1 small, chopped into small pieces

For seasoning:
Oil - 2 tsp
Turmeric - 1 pinch
Curry leaves - 1 string
Mustard+Cumin - 1/2 tsp
Red chili - 1 or 2

Method:

Grind the roasted chick pea along with cumin and salt.

Beat the yoghurt to smooth consistency.

Mix the roasted chickpea flour to the beaten yoghurt and mix it thoroughly with out any lumps. Now slowly add 1 cup of water and mix thoroughly.

For seasoning heat a small pan with oil. When it is warm enough add mustard + Cumin, red chili and then curry leaves. Now add chopped onion and turmeric. Fry the onion for less than a minute and immediately add the seasoning to the yoghurt mixture.

Serve it with rice

Note:

Those who like the raw onion taste can add the chopped onion directly to the yoghurt mixture with out frying. Bombay onion is the best for this recipe.

Cabbage with toor daal

This is a nice recipe with the combination of daal and vegetable. This can be served as a side dish or as a main dish.

Ingredients:

Shredded Cabbage – 2 cups

Toor dal – ½ cup

Grated Coconut (Fresh)– ¼ cup

Green chilli - 4 – 5

Salt

For Seasoning;

Red chilli (Dry) – 1 or 2

Curry leaves – 1 string

Mustard – ½ tsp

Cumin / Jeera – ½ tsp

Oil – 2 tbsp

Boiled toor daal, cabbage, fresh coconut

Wash and soak the toor daal in 1 cup of water for 30 minutes and pressure cook until 1 whistle or cook normally until it is just done and should not be too mushy and be able to press in between the fingers.

Boiled toor daal

Heat a pan with 2 tbsp of oil. When it is hot enough, add the entire seasoning items Red chilli, mustard, cumin, curry leaves one after the other.

Slit the green chillies into 2 to 4 pieces and add to the seasoning and fry for a minute.

Now add the shredded cabbage, salt and turmeric powder and stir momentarily. Cover the lid and allow cabbage to cook with the steam itself. No need to add water.

When the cabbage is almost done, add the boiled toor daal and grated coconut and mix every thing and cook for few minutes and remove from the fire.

This goes well with rice or roti or even with pita bread.

Kandhi Podi / Spicy daal powder

There are many versions of the spicy powders in South Indian Cuisine. One among them is this protein rich spicy daal powder. 

Ingredients:

1 small cup red gram/toor dal
1 small cup bengal gram/channa dal
1 tsp cumin seeds
7-8 dried red chillis (adjust)
Curry leaves 1 string
1/2 tsp asafoetida (Optional)
Salt to taste
1 tsp oil

Bengal gram / Chana daal, Red gram / Toor daal, Curry leaves, Cumin, Red chili

Method:

Heat a heavy bottomed shallow pan and add both the daals and slowly, dry roast on low to medium heat stirring constantly till they turn red. Don’t burn them. Remove from pan and keep aside.

In the same vessel, add the cumin seeds and toss them on medium heat for 2-3 min. Remove from pan and keep aside.

Next drizzle some oil in the vessel, add the dry red chilies and curry leaves and stir fry for 3-4 min. Remove and cool.

Allow all the ingredients to cool down and grind them all to a slightly coarse or a rough texture by adding salt  and asafoetida.. Store in an air-tight container.

Served with hot steamed rice and a dollop of ghee.

Poori

Pooris are traditional Indian fried breads made with whole wheat flour or unbleached plain flour. Pooris are eaten warm or cold. These are great for picnics or even when travelling. As these are fried in the oil, they will remain fresh up to 3 days. A best option to carry when we have to stay away from home. Pooris can be served with any curry or daal varieties. Even, with spicy powders like Coconut powder, peanut powder.

Poori with potato curry

Ingredients:

2 cups - chapathi flour / Atta

Salt - 1/2 tsp 

Oil for deep frying

Water - 2/3 cup

Method:

Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add up to 2/3 cup water, slowly pouring in just enough to form a medium soft, kneadable dough. 

Turn the dough onto a clean surface. Smear your hand with 1 tsp of oil and knead the dough for 5-8 minutes or until smooth. Adding oil at this stage will remove all the sticky dough from your hand. Cover the dough for 10 minutes.

Pre-heat oil in a deep pan over low heat. Meanwhile, divide the dough into 15 to 16 balls and roll each ball into thin disk about 4 1/2 inches wide.Increase the oil temperature.

Lift up a rolled poori and slip in into the hot oil, making sure that it doesn't fold over. It will sink to the bottom, then immediately rise to the surface. Hold it under the surface with a slotted spoon until it puffs up into a balloon.

Let it brown slightly to a golden colour, then turn it over and cook the other side too.

Lift out the poori with the slotted spoon and carefully drain it. Serve with any curry of your choice.

Tips:
 Do not make the dough too soft. This will make the pooris to absorb more oil.
 Do not over cook the pooris as they will turn hard.