Makai Vada (Corn Flour Fritters)

Have you heard of Methu Vada? This is a counterpart from the corn family. It's a Gujarati delicacy and my MIL's recipe. Deep fried in oil, this one is a snack that you'd occasionally want just for a change.

1. 5-6 green chili, shredded
2. 4-5 cloves of garlic, shredded
3. A big handful of cilantro, shredded
4. 2 tsp coriander powder
5. 1 tsp red chili  powder
6. 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
7. 4-5 tbsp yogurt whisked.
8. 4 tbsp jaggery
9. An inch of ginger, shredded
10. Salt to taste
11. Corn flour 200-300 gram
12. Some water
13. Oil for frying

Directions:
1. Mix jaggery with the whisked yogurt.
2. Make a dough of corn flour with ingredients 1-10.
3. Oil your palms.
4. Pinch out small round balls of the dough (1 cm in radius) and then flatten by pressing between your palms
3. Deep fry until brown.

Serve warm or cold.

Undhiyo or Gujarati Mixed Vegetables with Chickpea Flour Dumplings

Undhiyo is a Gujarati  mixed vegetable dish with steamed chickpea flour dumplings. This was the first time I made and tried this dish. I had only heard the name before that. My MIL taught me how to make this dish. Long story short - First prepare the dumplings then cook the vegetables and finally mix them together.

Some people like to add Plantain to the dish but I was advised otherwise from my MIL.  The steamed dumplings are often referred to as Muthia and is also consumed as a tea time snack. The dumplings can be made in many ways, one variant is described here.

The dish is cooked in a generous amount of oil and requires a lot of work. But I loved the flavours and the excitement of making something different from the mundane.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:
1. 1 yam, peeled, cubed
2. 1 sweet potato, peeled, cubed
3. 2-3 potatoes, peeled, cubed
4. 1 round eggplant, cubed
5. 2 carrots, peeled, cut in rings
6. Snow peas/Navy beans/Fava Beans (Sem or Surati papdi), de-veined and split, 1 pound
7. 7-8 cloves garlic, shredded/crushed
8. a handful of cilantro, shredded, finely chopped
9. 2-3 green chili, crushed
10. Besan or chickpea flour, 3-4 cups
11. Methi or fenugreek leaves, chopped, appx 2 bunches
12. 2 tsp red chili powder
13. 2 tsp coriander powder
14. Salt to taste
15. 2 tsp turmeric powder
16. Tomatoes, 1, cubed
17. Mustard seeds, 1 tsp
18. Cumin seeds, 1 tsp
19. Garam masala

Directions:
1. Make a moist dough of ingredients 10-15 with oil. Then add water to make a smooth dough.
2. Make cylindrical balls of the dough and steam. Set aside and cool.
3. Heat a generous amount of oil in a deep bottomed wok or pressure cooker.
4. Add mustard and cumin seeds to the oil and let it crackle.
5. Next add ingredients 7-9 and stir fry for a minute.
6. Now add ingredients 1-6 and some water.
7. Close the lid of the pressure cook and let the vegetables cook.
8.  When the vegetables are cooked, add red chili powder, salt and garam masala.
9. Throw in the steamed dumplings and chopped tomato.
10. Mix well.

Serve with hot Rotis

Lahsaniya Batata (Potatoes in garlic-tomato sauce)

 If you like garlic and if you like potatoes, this one is for you! This is a Gujarati dish served as a side with Indian bread. The recipe is easy and fail-proof yet delicious.

Pan fried baby potatoes in a flavourful tomato and garlic gravy infused with typical Indian spices makes this different yet delectable.

Ingredients:
1. Baby potatoes, 4-5, boiled.
2. Oil
3. Mustard seeds (optional)
4. Hing
5. Tomato, 1, ripe
6. 6-8 pods of garlic cloves
7. 2 green chili
8. Coriander powder
9. Cumin powder
10. Salt
11. Chaat masala
12. Garam masala
13. Tomato paste
14. Deeghi mirch, 1 tsp
15. Bay leaf, 1
16. Onion, 1/2, finely chopped
17. 1 inch ginger

Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a wok, then add mustard seeds and heeng.
2. When the seeds crackle, add chaat masala and garam masala.
3. Shallow fry the baby potatoes until they are nicely coated with the spices and turn golden brown.
4. Set aside.
5. Make a paste of tomato, chili, garlic, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt and ginger.
6. In the same wok, add oil.
7. Add a bay leaf and then fry onions.
8. Add the paste and saute until it leaves the oil.
Note: Add the tomato paste and deegi mirch to impart colour to the paste if you feel its not red enough.
9. Throw in the shallow fried potatoes.
10. Cook for about 5 mins,

Serve warm with Indian bread.

Batata Vada (Deep Fried Potato )

1. 4-5 potatoes, boiled, peeled, mashed.
2. Garlic pods, crushed
3. Green chili, crushed
4. Salt to taste
5. Chopped fresh coriander leaves, a small bunch
6. Oil for deep frying
7. Chick pea flour (Besan)
8. Red chili powder
9. Lemon juice or amchoor powder
10. Heeng, a pinch
11. Sodium bi carbonate
12. Green onion, chopped
13. Fresh Curry leaves, 2-3 springs
14. Turmeric powder, 1 tsp

Instructions:
1.Heat oil in a non stick wok.
2. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
3. Add garlic, green onion, chili, curry leaves and saute.
4. Add potatoes, salt, turmeric powder, coriander leaves, lemon juice and cook mix well.
5. Add some fresh green chili on top. Set aside to cool. Make small balls of this potato when cooled.
6. Make a batter of besan, heeng, sodium bicarb, red chili powder (1/4 tsp), salt and water.
7. Dip the potato balls in this batter.
8. Deep fry.


Serve hot with Dhania ki Chutney and Chai.
Serve with buns and call it Vada Pav (a popular Maharashtrian street food)

Thepla (Fenugreek Indian Flatbread)

This is my favorite gujju dish. No one makes it like my mother-in-law. This is just an endevaour.

Ingredients:
1. Freshly picked fenugreek leaves, 2 bunches (methi)
2. Salt
3. Sugar
4. Garlic, 5 pods
5. green chili, 4
6. Yogurt, 1/2 cup
7. Oil
8. Millet/Bajra, 1 cup
9. Cornflour/Makai, 1 cup
10. Whole Wheat flour, 1.5 cup

Instructions:
1. Shred garlic and chili.
2. Make a dough of bajra, makai, and aata and mix the shredded garlic and chili in it.
3. Also add salt, sugar, oil, yogurt in it.
4. Make a dough of the above.
5. Pinch out small balls of the dough and flatten it out with your hands.
6. Using a rolling pin, flatten it further.
7. Bake on a non stick pan, each side, while applying oil on both sides.

Serve warm with hot chai!!

Sabudane ki Khichdi (Savoury Sago seeds - Indian Style)

This is my mother in law's recipe. She likes to add some sugar and peanuts to it but I decided to omit for health reasons.

This is one high carb dish that serves as a good one pot lunch or heavy breakfast.



Ingredients:
1. Sago seeds, soaked in water for 6 hours.

2. Salt to taste

3. 2 cups Hash browns

4. 1 onion, chopped

5. 6-7 Fresh Curry leaves, washed

6. Oil

7. 1 tsp Turmeric powder

8. Sugar (optional)

9. 1 tsp Mustard seeds (rai)

10. 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

11. A pinch of heeng

12. Fresh coriander leaves, chopped

13. Red chili powder

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a wok.

2. Add some mustard seeds and allow it to crackle.

3. Add jeera seeds and let it sizzle.

4. Add onion, curry leaves, turmeric powder, and heeng.

5. Saute until translucent.

6. Add has browns and cook until they turns golden brown.

7. Add red chili powder and mix well

8. Add Sabudane and Salt

9. Turn the flame to medium-low and cook until the sabundana loses its colour and becomes translucent.

10. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve warm as a main dish.

Lauki/Dhoodhi/Ghiya Chana (Bottle Gourd with Lentils)

 Lauki-Chane ki sabzi is a classic dish that my mom would make for lunch as an accompaniment to Rice and Dal. I later discovered that this dish is typical of Gujarati cuisine, as well. 'Score', I said to myself. 'For once I see an overlap between the food I grew up eating and the Gujju cuisine that I have been learning. For once, I know a Gujju recipe without having to try'!


Bottle gourd with lentils is a nutritious and easy to make side dish. A bowl full of goodness.

Dhoodi Chana is a tangy curry with a slight nutty flavour  that comes from the lentils. This crunch nicely complements the mellowness and smooth texture of bottle gourd.

Ingredients:
1. 1 medium bottle gourd, peeled and minced
2. 1 cup chana dal, soaked for 1/2 hour
3. Oil, 2-3 tsp
4. Tamarind pulp, 2-3 tsp
5. salt, to taste
6. 1 medium onion, chopped
7. 2 thai chili, minced (optional)
8.  Garam masala, 2 tsp (optional)
9. cumin seeds, 1 tsp

Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and then add cumin seeds.
2. When it starts to sizzle, add onion and green chili.
3. Saute until translucent.
4. Add Chana dal and bottle gourd and salt.
5. Mix well.
6. Add 1/4 cup water and pressure cooker until 1 whistle blows.
7. Allow the pressure cooker's lid to open.
8. Add tamarind pulp and garam masala.
9. Boil on high heat with an open lid to let any excess water evaporate.

Garnish with kasuri methi (optional).

Serve warm with phulkas/roti/indian bread.

Shreekhand (Indian Mango Pudding)

1. 2 cups plain yogurt
2. 1 cup kesar (saffron) mango pulp
3. 4 tsp sugar
4. 3 tsp cardamom powder

Instructions:
1. Strain yogurt with a muslin cloth for a few hours until the water leaves the yogurt.
Tip: This can be done by hanging yogurt in a muslin cloth, tied to the faucet of your tap, in your sink.
2. Add mango pulp to this thickened yogurt.
3. Add sugar and cardamom powder.

Voila! A mouth watering dessert is ready to be devoured!

Basundi

Basundi is a Gujarati milk based dessert. Basundi is easy to make, tastes great, and is rather healthy (minus the sugar). I was introduced to Basundi by my new cookbook and while researching Gujarati recipes online. The first time I made Basundi, was also the first time I tried this dessert. Then I was unfamiliar with Charoli nuts (seeds of Buchanania lanzan) as an ingredient to this recipe. But later on, at a relative's place, when I tried Basundi with these nuts, I realized how it took the deliciousness of this dessert to the next level. I was extremely happy with the results this time around.

Ingredients:
1. Charoli seeds (can be found at Indian grocery stores)
2. Sugar
3. 1 L half and half milk
4. Saffron strands, 4-6
5. Almonds, soaked overnight
6. Cardamom powder (optional)

Instructions:
1. Boil the half and half milk.
2. Reduce the heat and simmer until it reduces to 1/4th quantity.
3. Add sugar to taste and saffron. Mix.
4. Let the milk cool then add charoli and almonds or any other nut of your choice.
5. Refrigerate for a few hours.

Serve chilled as a dessert or with lunch/dinner as a side.

Dhoodhi Muthiya (Bottle Gourd Steamed Pan Fried Dumplings)

As my reader you must be aware of my obsession with Gujju culture and cuisine. You can find one meal Gujju dishes such as Vagharela Bhaat, Dal Dhokli; snacks like Khaman Dhokla and Lentils like Gujarati Dahl on my blog. This post comes as an addition to the series of the Gujju cookery that I have been upto.

Since one of my readers requested me to post a snack recipe, I thought why not  post a Gujju snack from my very first (purchased) cook book? Muthiya is nothing but steamed dumplings made of vegetables and 3 different kinds of flour mixed with traditional Indian spices. Seasoned with sesame seeds and asafoetida, this dish pampers your palate and satiates your starvation. Muthiya was known to be a popular Gujarati tea time snack but today it has slowly and steadily transcended the borders of western India to make it a dish that everyone embraces. Weight watchers or flavour finders, all  enjoy this dish alike. Take my word for it :)

Ingredients:
1. 2 cups shredded white bottle gourd/pumpkin (dhoodhi/lauki/gheeya), the water strained from the vegetable.
2. 1 cup shredded onion.
3. 2 tsp ginger-chili, shredded.
4. 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
5. 1 tsp fennel seeds (Sauf)
6. 1 tsp turmeric powder
7. Salt to taste
8. 2 tsp sugar
9. 2 cups whole wheat
10. 1 cup besan (chickpea flour)
11. 3/4 cup suji (semolina)
12. .5 tsp baking soda
13. 1 tsp garam masala
14. 6-8 tsp oil.
15. Rai or mustard seeds, 1 tsp
16. Til or sesame seeds, 1 tsp
17. Chopped coriander leaves, 1 cup
18. 1 tsp heeng
19. 2 tsp lemon juice

Instructions:
1. Mix the pumpkin, onion, chickpea flour, semolina, wheat flour, 4 tsp of oil, cumin and fennel seeds, .5 tsp heeng, lemon juice, turmeric powder, salt, sugar, baking soda, garam masala and make a dough with the pumpkin water.
2. Oil your hands and make cylinderical threads of the dough and place on a steamer. Steam on medium heat for 30 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean.
3. Let it cool. Then chop into 1.5 or bite inch pieces. Set aside.
4. In a wok, heat 4-5 tsp oil and add mustard seeds and let it crackle.
5. Add sesame seeds and .5 tsp heeng.
6. Add the chopped bite size pieces of the dumpling and cook until they turn brown.
7 Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.

Serve warm with chilled Dhania ki Chutney


Need more proof that I am no more a rookie in Gujju cooking? :-) You'll get it!

Dal Dhokli (Savoury Pita bread immersed in tempered lentil soup)

Dal Dhokli - the name was new to me but the delicacy itself was not. As a kid, my mom would occasionally cook a variant of this dish. Back in the day, we called it Dal Pitta (literal translation is Savory Pita bread immersed in a tempered lentil soup). This dish was never my favorite and so conveniently I made it a point not to learn the recipe. My mantra was that if I don't know how to cook it, I wont have to cook it :) But life often has interesting things in store for us...

As you know, I was married into a Gujju family. The other day we were invited for dinner at Mr. Husband's Gujju friends' place. To my surprise, they served Dal Dhokli for dinner. That is when I discovered that Dal Dhokli/Dal Pitta was an integral part of and typical Gujarati cuisine. Counting backwards, that day it had been some 20 years since I last had Dal Dhokli and to my surprise, I fell in love with it. A nutritious one meal dish, the dhokli's melted in the mouth while the warm lentil stew comforted and wrecked havoc in the taste department . How strange it is that the things you like as a kid are no longer on your most-coveted list as an adult and vice-versa! Such was my case.

Filling and delicious, I decided to give this dish a try. It has the goodness of a tasty protein-rich lentil broth along with the wholesomeness of flavored whole wheat pita bread.

Serves 2. No preparation required.

Ingredients:
1. 1 bay leaf leaves
2. Mustard seeds
3. Green chili, finely sliced
4. Tomato chopped
5. Salt 2 tsp
6. Jaggery 4 tsp
7. Oil
8. Heeng, a pinch
9. Red chili powder
10. 1.5 teaspoon coriander powder
11. Fresh Coriander leaves, chopped
12. Toovar dahl, 1 cup
13. Turmeric powder
14. 3 cups whole wheat
15. 1 cup ajwain or carom seeds
16. 1 tbsp ghee or clarified butter
17. 1 inch cinamon stick
18. 1 tsp methi seeds or fenugreek seeds
19. 1/2 inch ginger, shredded
20. A handful of unsalted peanuts
21. A small ball of tamarind pulp, soaked in warm water

Instructions:
1. In a pressure cooker, add 1 cup toovar dahl, salt, turmeric powder, and 3 cups water. Allow 4 whistles to blow.
2. When the pressure cooker opens, let it cool. Then mash the dahl with an electric blender.
3. In a separate pan, heat ghee for the tempering.
4. When the oil is hot, add bay leaf, Cinnamon stick, mustard and fenugreek seeds and let it crackle.
5. Add a pinch of heeng and then add green chili and ginger. When the green chili fries, add coriander powder, red chili powder.
6. Add this, along with a peanuts, to the dal.
7. Boil the dahl.
8. Add gur  to the dahl. Mix then add tamarind pulp to the dahl.
9. Make a dough of 3 cups whole wheat with 2 tsps oil, salt, .5 tsp red chili powder, .5 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp carom seeds, .5 tsp coriander powder.
10. Make small balls of the dough. Then with a rolling pin, flatten the balls. With a pizza cutter, make slices of the flattened ball. Add to the dahl and let it boil.
11. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.

This recipe is based off Hetal's recipe and customized to my pantry and taste :) Thanks, Hetal!


Walking down the memory lane!

Vagharelu Bhaat (Gujju style fried rice)

Hola, everyone! I know it's been a long time since I posted. However, a new motivation to post regularly has struck me.

I was recently married into a Gujju family. My husband's family speak a different language - entirely Greek to me. His food and cuisine is also alien. As a new bride in the family, I am anxious to learn and adjust in the new family. Since my parents-in-law are planning to visit us in the near future, I've decided to take a stunt on Gujju cooking.

I have decided to play it safe and start my way bottom up. I googled Gujarati recipes and stumbled upon Cardamom's gujju dishes and also this site. I realized that Gujju food is more or less a variant of North Indian minus a few exceptions. Gujju dishes are distinct with a bittersweet flavour.

Vagharela bhaat seemed to be the best bet in terms of level of difficulty. Vagherla rice is nothing but Desi Style Fried Rice cooked with both salt and sugar. As much of a struggle it is to pronounce the word 'Vagherla', the cooking part was a piece of cake! It turned out tasty and that's all that matters, right? ;)


Ingredients:
1. Oil
2. Mustard Seeds
3. Heeng
4. Onion, finely chopped
5. Tomato, finely chopped
6. Curry leaves
7. Sugar
8. Salt
9. Turmeric powder
10. Lemon juice
11. Coriander leaves, freshly cut
12. Red chili powder
13. Garlic, chopped
14. Green chili, finely chopped.
15. Cooked, cold white rice.

Instructions:
1. In a non stick pan, heat oil.
2. When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Let it splutter
3. Add a pinch of heeng and throw in the onions, garlic, and green chili.
4. Fry until translucent
5. Add turmeric powder, salt, sugar, tomatoes, coriander leaves and rice.
6. mix well.
7. Cook for another few minutes then add lemon juice.

Serve warm with Raita.


I'm so excited about trying my hand over this new cuisine that I ordered my first cook book ever - Tarla Dalal's Complete Gujarati Cookbook! So, Keep reading :)