Green Pigeon Pea (arhar/toor dal) Kachori

Commonly known as Lelva ni Kachori. This is a very famous Gujrati snack. Made in Gujrat during winters, when fresh green pigeon peas are available in market.

Ingredients

For dough

1 cup maida/All purpose flour

Salt to taste

½ tablespoon oil

For filling

2 cup shelled pigeon peas

2 finely chopped green chili

A pinch of asafetida

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

¼ teaspoon garlic paste

1teaspoon ginger paste

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon oil for roasting

Oil for frying

Method

Dough

Sift flour.  Add salt and mix.

Add oil and mix it well with fingers.

Add water to make soft dough and knead well.

Cover the dough and keep it aside.

Filling

Coarsely grind shelled pigeon peas and green chili together.

Heat a tablespoon oil in a kadhai/Wok.

Add asafetida and cumin seeds.

Add ginger and garlic paste. Stir it.

Now add sesame seeds, coriander powder, salt, sugar and grinded peas.

Roast the mixture over a slow flame for 3-4 minutes. Keep stirring it.

Remove from the stove.

Now add lime juice and coriander leaves.  Mix it well.

Divide this filling into 12-14 parts and make small balls out of each part with the help of your palm.

Making of kachori

Divide the dough into 12-14 parts and make balls of each part with your palm.

Roll out each ball with the rolling pin into 3-4” diameter thin pancake.

If you find difficulty in making pancake, you can also use cling film .

You can also make the pancake by using your palm and fingers.  For this apply  little oil in your palm and finger. Take the ball in your left palm and spread it with the help of your right hand finger into thin round pancake.

Make all pancakes like this.

Place one pea ball each in all the pancakes.

Now lift up the edges of the pancake inwards and towards the center.

Make balls of all the pancakes like this.

Heat oil in a Kadhai/wok.

Fry all these kachori on medium heat to golden.

Serve while hot with green chutney (recipe for this can be found here : Green Chutney) or tomato ketchup.

Papdi Chat

Ingredients

For making papdi

250 gm flour

½ teaspoon thyme seeds/caraway seeds (Ajwain)

2 tablespoon oil for dough

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

For serving

1 cup curd

 1/4 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon black salt

Salt to taste

½ teaspoon coarsely grounded, roasted cumin seeds

2 medium boiled potatoes, cut in small cubes

1 tablespoon boiled kabuli chana (Optional)

1 teaspoon fresh pomegranate seeds

1tablespoon tamarind chutney (recipe for this can be found here : Tamarind Chutney)

1 tablespoon green chutney (recipe for this can be found here : Green Chutney)

½ teaspoon red chili powder

½ teaspoon chat masala

1table spoon fine besan/chickpea sev and puffed rice (optional)

Method

Sift flour.  Add salt and caraway seeds and mix.

Add 2 tablespoon oil and mix it well with fingers.

Add just enough water to make firm dough and knead well.

Divide the dough into 3-4 parts.

Make balls of each part with your palm.

Roll out each ball with rolling pin to a thin pancake.

Cut into 1.5” diamond shapes with gujia cutter or pizza cutter or cut into 1.5” diameter circular shapes with cutter.

Heat oil in a Kadhai/wok.

Now fry all papdi in a slow flame to golden.

Turn occasionally so that all papdi are uniformly fried from all sides.

Remove from oil and cool at room temperature.

These papdi can be stored at room temperature in an air tight container for about 5-6 weeks

Serving

Whisk the curd to a smooth consistency.

Mix sugar,  salt, half of the cumin seed powder and black salt to the curd.

Arrange all papdi in a serving plate.

Now sprinkle potatoes, pomegranate seeds and  kabuli chana over it.

Now pour the curd uniformly over the plate.

Now sprinkle tamarind chutney and green chutney over it.

Now sprinkle remaining cumin seed powder, red chili powder and chat masala over the chat.

Garnish the chat with fine besan/chickpea sev.

Note  - Arrange in serving plate just before serving, otherwise the papdi will become soggy.

Gajar ka Halwa (Carrot Halwa)

Ingredients

2 cup grated carrots

2 cup full-cream milk

1 cup milk powder

1 cup sugar (to taste)

1 tablespoon sliced nuts (Cashew nuts, almonds and pistachio)

1 tablespoon raisins

½ cardamom powder

1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)

Method

Heat the milk in a Kadhai/wok.

Add grated carrots and cook them at a medium flame till the carrots get well cooked.

Keep stirring in between so that it doesn’t burn at the bottom of the kadhai.

Now add milk powder and mix it well so that no lumps are formed.

Add sugar, raisins and ghee. Cook it over a slow flame till the content becomes thick in consistency and the ghee starts separating. Keep stirring.

Now add sliced nuts and cardamom powder.

Pour the halwa in a serving dish.

Garnish it with nuts.

Serve while hot.

Vegetable Uttappa

Ingredients

1/2 cup urad dal, soak overnight and ground to a paste

1½ cup rice, soak overnight and ground to a paste

1 tablespoon finely chopped onions

1tablespoon finely chopped tomatoes

½ tablespoon finely chopped yellow capsicum

½ tablespoon finely chopped red capsicum

½ tablespoon finely chopped green capsicum

½ tablespoon finely chopped beat root

1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves

1 teaspoon black pepper powder

Salt to taste

2 tablespoon oil

Method

Mix the urad dal and rice paste together in a large bowl and keep it aside, covered for about 5-6 hours depending upon the weather. If it’s summer it takes less time to ferment whereas in winters it takes more time.

Make a somewhat thick pouring consistency of batter by adding water.

Add salt and mix it well

 Heat a non stick pan.

Sprinkle some oil over it.

Now pour about 1 ½ tablespoon of batter over the non stick pan to form a bit thick 6-7” diameter pancake.

Sprinkle about 2 teaspoon of finely chopped vegetables and a little black pepper powder over it.

Now sprinkle some oil over it and cover it with a lid.

Cook it over a slow flame for 2 minutes.

Open the lid and cook for another 2-3 minutes uncovered so that the lower layer becomes crisp.

Now turn the utappa upside down on the pan.  Sprinkle little oil and cook the other side too till golden.

Cook all utappa like this.

Serve while hot with sambher or coconut chutney.
recipe for sambhar and chutney can be found here: South Indian Platter

Kadhai Mashroom

Ingredients

1 cup chopped (in 4 pieces) mushrooms

½ cup baby corn, cut lengthwise

½ tablespoon red capsicum, cut lengthwise

½ tablespoon yellow capsicum, cut lengthwise

½ tablespoon green capsicum, cut lengthwise

2 medium sliced onions

3 medium sliced tomatoes

1 finely chopped green chili

1” finely chopped ginger

½ teaspoon garlic paste

½ teaspoon red chili powder

½ teaspoon cumin powder

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon garam masala

1 tablespoon fresh cream

½ tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon oil

Method

Parboil mushrooms and baby corns and keep them aside.

Heat oil in a Kadhai/wok.

Add ginger and garlic paste and stir it.

Add sliced onions and stir it. Cook them till they are golden

Add sliced tomato and stir them.

Add green chilies, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala, salt  and red chili powder.

Now add mushrooms and baby corn, add ½ cup water. Cover the Kadhai with a lid.

Cook them on slow flame for 8-10 minutes till the vegetables get cooked.

Now add all the capsicum and mix them well.

Again cook for 2-3 minutes on slow flame without covering. 

Add fresh cream and mix it well.

Remove from stove.

Pour it in a serving bowl.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve while hot with parantha or rice.

Mooli ke patte (Radish leaves) ki sabzi

Ingredients

2 cup finely chopped soft Radish leaves (mooli ke patte)

½ cup finely chopped radish roots

½ cup besan (Chickpea flour/bengal gram flour)

1” finely chopped ginger

A pinch of asafetida

½ teaspoon red chili powder

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon garam masala

½ teaspoon coarsely grounded Aniseeds

½ teaspoon amchoor (dried raw mango powder)

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon oil

Method

Boil finely chopped radish leaves and roots in a pan with little water, till they are tender.

Cool them at room temperature and remove excess water out of them by squeezing them with your palm.

Heat 1teaspoon of oil in a Kadhai/wok.

Roast chickpea flour for 2-3 minutes in it and keep the flour aside.

Now heat the remaining oil in a Kadhai/wok.

Add asafetida in it.

Add cumin seeds in it. Stir it

Now add turmeric and stir it

Now add boiled radish leaves, roots, chickpea flour and salt in it.  Mix it well.

Cover the Kadhai/wok with lid and cook for about 10 minutes on a slow flame. Stir it after 2-3 minutes.

Now remove the lid and add red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, aniseed powder and amchoor.

Mix it well and cook for another 5 minute on a slow flame without covering it.  Stir it.

Remove from stove

Dish out the content in a serving dish.

Serve while hot with parantha.

Payasam

Ingredients

500 ml milk

60 gm vermicelli

4-5 cardamom powder

Few strands of saffron

1tablespoon sliced almonds and cashew nuts

1 tablespoon raisins

½ cup condensed milk

Sugar to taste

½ tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)

Method


Soak saffron in 1 teaspoon of milk and keep it aside.

Heat ghee in a Kadhai/wok

Roast nuts it ghee and keep them aside.

Now roast vermicelli till golden and keep aside.

Heat the milk in a pan.

Add vermicelli in the pan and cook at slow flame for 5-6 minutes.

Add roasted nuts, raisins, condensed milk and sugar.

Cook for another 3-4 minutes on slow flame

Add cardamom powder and saffron.

Remove from stove.

Pour in the serving bowl and cool at room temperature.

Keep it in fridge.

Serve chilled

Boondi raita

Ingredients

1 table besan/chickpea flour

A pinch of baking powder

2 cups curd

½ teaspoon coarsely grounded roasted cumin seeds

½ teaspoon red chili powder

½ teaspoon black salt

¼ teaspoon sugar

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Salt to taste

Method

Making Boondi

Sift besen/chickpea flour  in a bowl and add baking powder to it. Mix it well

Now add water, little by little to it and whisk it with a fork continously so the no lump formed.

Make pouring consistency of the smooth batter.

Now heat ghee in a kadhai/wok.

Take a spoon with small holes/karchi with small holes (so that the batter come out of it in the form of small droplets) and place it above the kadhai and pour little batter through it.

Batter will come out of karchi/spoon in the form of small droplets and will fall into hot ghee.

Fry all these droplets, will be known as boondi to golden yellow colour.

Making raita

Whisk the curd to a smooth consistency.

Mix sugar, salt and black salt to the curd .

Now add fried boondi to the curd.

Pour the raita in a serving bowl

Garnish it with cumin seed powder, red chili powder and coriander leaves

Serve as a side dish with pulao and parantha

Mix Vegetable Pulao

Ingredients

2 cup steamed basmati rice

1 tablespoon finely chopped French beans

1 tablespoon finely chopped cauliflower

1 tablespoon finely chopped carrots

1 tablespoon shelled peas

½ tablespoon finely chopped beat root

1 tablespoon finely chopped onions

4-5 cashew nuts, make small pieces

1” finely chopped ginger

1 green chili finely chopped

 1 teaspoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon garam masala

½ teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

4-5 black peppers

A small piece of cinnamon

2 cardamoms

2 bay leaves

2 cloves

Salt to taste

1 ½   tablespoon oil

Method

Heat oil in a Kadhai/Wok.

Fry carrots, cauliflower, French beans and beat root in oil, drain from oil and keep aside

Heat the remaining oil in the Kadhai, add ginger.

Now add onions and stir it.

Add cumin seeds, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves and cloves.

Now add nuts and peas. Cook for some time.

Now add coriander powder, garam masala, chopped green chilies.

Add all the fried vegetables.

Now add boiled rice, salt and the juice of a lemon.

 Mix the whole content.

Pour the pulao in a serving dish.

Serve it while hot with raita (cucumber raita or boondi raita). 
You can find the recipes for Boondi Raita and Cucumber Raita here:
Boondi Raita
Cucumber Raita

Nariyal ke Laddoo (Coconut Laddoo)

Ingredients

2 cup full cream milk

2 cup milk powder

1 cup sugar

500 gm coconut powder or scraped coconut

1 tablespoon sliced cashew nuts and almonds

1 tablespoon raisins

¼ teaspoon cardamom powder

1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)

Method

Mix the milk powder in the milk and boil it in a nonstick Kadhai/Wok.

Add sugar, raisins (my kids love raisins so I end up adding a lot of it, you can try it too if you wish to) and cashew nuts and almond to it and again cook on a slow flame.

In about 15 minutes the mixture will reduce in volume.

Now add ghee to it and again cook it for 5 minutes. Keep stirring it.

 Add cardamom powder to this mixture and mix it well.

Now add coconut powder (take 1 tablespoon coconut powder aside) and remove from stove.

Mix the whole mixture well.

Cool it at room temperature.

Now make small round laddoo with the help of your palm, out of the mixture.

Roll the laddoo over coconut powder so that little coconut power will stick on outer layer of these laddoo.

Store it in refrigerator.

Radish salad (Mooli)

Ingredients

500 gm grated radishes

3 finely chopped medium tomatoes

¼ cup finely chopped coriander leaves

2 finely chopped green chilies

1” finely chopped ginger

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt to taste

Method

Wash the grated radishes and drain out the water with the help of a strainer.

Remove excess water by squeezing the radish with your palms.

Add all the ingredients with the radish in a bowl. Mix it well

Tastes best when served chilled.

Dal Bati

Ingredients

For Dal

½ cup chana dal (chickpea/Bengal gram)

½ cup urad dal (white lentil)

½ cup arhar dal (toor dal/pigeon pea dal)

A pinch of asafetida

1” finely chopped ginger

½ spoon garlic paste

2 finely chopped onions

2 finely chopped tomatoes

2 finely chopped green chilies

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon red chili powder

½ teaspoon garam masala

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves

1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)

For Bati

3 cup whole wheat flour

½ teaspoon ajwain (thyme seeds)

½ cup curd

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon ghee for dough

1½ tablespoon ghee for frying bati

Method

Dal

Take all the types of dal together in a bowl and wash them properly.

Soak them for 1 hour in water.

Add turmeric, salt and water in dal, and cook in a pressure cooker

Heat some ghee in a Kadhai/wok.

Add cumin seeds and asafetida.

Add ginger and garlic paste and stir it.

Add chopped onions and stir it. Cook them till they are golden

Add chopped tomato and cook them till ghee starts separating.

Add green chilies, coriander powder, garam masala and red chili powder.

Add cooked dal to it and mix it well.

Cook them together for 2-3 minute.

Pour the dal in a serving dish.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Bati

Take the flour in a bowl.

Mix salt and Ajwain (thyme) seeds to it.

Make a depression in the centre.

Pour 1 tablespoon melted ghee in it and mix it with the flour with your fingers.

Now add curd in it and mix well.

Now with the help of lukewarm water make soft dough.

Cover it and keep it aside for about 15 minutes.

Apply a little amount of ghee in your palm and with the help of your palm make small balls out of this dough.

(Bati is traditionally made by cooking over dried cow dung cakes or in a tandoor. However it can also be made by boiling them in water and then frying them in ghee.)

Boil a liter of water in a pan. Dip all the bati in boiling water and boil them for about 15 minutes.

All bati will start floating on the surface of the water.

Drain them out from the water and keep aside for 10 minutes so that the excess water evaporates.

Now heat the remaining ghee in a Kadhai/wok.

Shallow fry all bati in small batches from all sides.

Serve while hot with dal.