Khandvi is a really simple to make, and a very tasty snack or side dish

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KHANDVI Serves 4
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This is really simple to make, and a very tasty snack or side dish

INGREDIENTS
1 cup lightly sour yoghurt
1 cup Gram-Flour (besan)
A pinch of asafetida (hing)
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
Salt to taste
1/2 cup grated Coconut
few Coriander leaves
For Seasoning:
2 tbsp Oil
1tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp ajwain seeds
1 tsp Sesame seeds

PREPARATION
Mix the yoghurt thoroughly into 3 cups of water, to form a smooth thin buttermilk.

Mix together the flour, butter-milk, asafetida, salt, turmeric and Red-Chili-Powder to form a smooth batter.

Heat on a low flame and stir continuously and evenly till it is cooked, for about 10-15 minutes.

Take a ladleful, pour it on as flat a plate as possible and spread it in one direction with the back of the flat spoon forming a very thin layer. Even a tray or the back of a thali will do.

Repeat for rest of the batter on other plates.

Sprinkle grated coconut and chopped Coriander-Leaves over all the spread batter. Wait till it cools slightly.

With a knife cut 2 inch wide strips. Carefully roll each strip up and place in a serving bowl.

Heat oil in a pan and season it with mustard seeds, cumin seeds,ajwain seeds and sesame seeds. When the seeds splutter and release their aroma, pour the seasoning over all the rolls evenly.

Garnish with Coriander-Leaves and serve.

A sweet and sour lentil, an Indian Gujarati speciality. Eat with hot rice

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SWEET & SOUR GUJARATI DAL (lentil) Serves 5
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INGREDIENTS
1 cup toor dal
1 tbsp. mint leaves finely chopped
1 tbsp. coriander leavea finely chopped
1 stalk curry leaves
1 tbsp. broken jaggery
1 inch diameter size tamarind ball
3 green chillies
1″ piece ginger
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. dhania (corianderseed) powder
1/4 tsp. garam masala
2 pinches asafoetida
salt to taste
1/2 tsp. each cumin & mustard seeds
2 tbsp. ghee
5 cups rice starch water or water
PREPARATION
Method:
Soak the tamarind in water.
Wash and pressure cook the dal in two cups water. When it’s done cool. If you simmer the dal on the stove it may take up to 50 minutes to be soft through.

Beat the dal with any water collected on top, with an electric beater till absolutely smooth.

Crush the green chili and ginger together.
Make a paste of all the dry masala powders in 1/4 cup water. Keep aside.

Heat ghee in a saucepan and add the cumin and mustard seeds and let them splutter. Then add the ginger and garlic and stir.

Add asafoetida, mint, masala paste and stir for a minute.

Add the jaggery and tamarind water and stir. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes.
Now add the beaten dal and simmer for 10 minutes.

Check for salt and spice. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Serve steaming hot with white basmati rice.

recipes indian food

This Indian Gujarati speciality is supposed to be eaten when it’s cold. The spicy-sweet taste is unique. I definite must try

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UNDHIYU Serves 5
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INGREDIENTS
200 gms. surti papdi, de-stringed, whole (flat beans)
150 gms. raw banana chunks unpeeled
150 gms. yam chunks (kand) peeled
150 gms. small brinjals slit
7 green chilies crushed
1 tbsp. ginger grated
1 tsp. garlic crushed
2 tbsp. coriander leaves finely chopped
2 tsp wheat flour
6 tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp asafoetida
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ajwain
Salt to taste
1 tbsp sugar
Lemon to taste
For methi ghatta (fried dumplings)
200 gms. methi leaves finely chopped
1 cup gram flour (besan)
1 ½ tsp red chilli powder
2 tbsp fresh ground coconut
Salt to taste
2 tbsp. oil

PREPARATION
Mix all ingredients of the methi ghatta to make a stiff dough. Form into small balls about 1 ½ inch diameter

Heat the oil and deep-fry the ghattas for 2 minutes. Remove and set aside on paper to drain

Form a paste of the chilli, ginger, garlic, coriander.

Rub the yam, banana and brinjals with oil and the chili-ginger-garlic paste. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

Re-heat the oil used for frying the ghattas. Add all the chunky vegetables, stir well. Cover and cook for 7 minutes.

Add the ghattas, papdi, turmeric, flour, ajwain and salt. Cover and cook on low heat for 40 minutes or till the yam is almost done.

Add coriander, lemon, and sprinkle some water if required.

Add in the sugar, stir well and serve hot.

recipes

We went out to Mayur on East Street last week. Got an SMS saying ‘unlimited desserts’ – we certainly didn’t need more incentive. A pure vegetarian Gujarati thali joint, food full of ghee and totally tasty, waiters bustling around serving faster than you can eat. I’m convinced that half your stomach just gets filled up with steam! If I’m going to have pure-veg food, a Gujarathi thali is always my first choice.

They had Undhiyu which is a favourite of mine. This was good, though not as great as some I’ve had in Bombay. It’s something Gujaratis make only in winter because it’s supposed to be ‘heaty’, not to say there’s much cold in Bombay.

Other things on the thali were the ubiquitous potatoes, which actually a pure Jain Gujarati would never touch. A couple of dals, one of them the fab sweetish Gujju dal, their wonderful Kadhi, Khandvi, dhokhlas, mini samosas, and bhindi (okra). Lovely basmati rice of course, and some khichdi. Again drizzled with ghee even while I yelled stoppp! I had aam-ras (mango pulp) for dessert, but of course there were numerous options. We kept sending the waiters back saying be wanted chapattis without ghee, but they either just didn’t get it, or thought we were plain stupid and needed another chance to re-think! After a meal like that you just can’t move.

Here are some recipes. By the way, if the recipes have garlic and ginger it’s total blasphemy to a pure Jain Gujarati, – like the potatoes, they don’t eat anything that grows under the ground, but I’ll take my chances.

vegetarian food

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MULLED WINE Serves 8
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Mulled wine is basically warm wine with a lot of fruity and spicy additions. A good thing to remember is that any red wine will do, and it certainly doesn’t need to be expensive because you’ll be changing the taste quite a bit.

INGREDIENTS
4 lemons
4 oranges
2, 750 ml bottle of medium, to full, bodied red wine
Nutmeg to taste
Cloves to taste
2 oz brandy or Cognac (or to taste)
2 cups granulated sugar (optional)
Herbal or citrus influenced tea (optional but adds wonderfully)
1 cup Water (IF you don’t use the tea)
8 large cinnamon sticks

PREPARATION
Cut the lemons and oranges into slices.

Get your glasses ready. Wet the edge with a clean, damp sponge and invert in into a saucer of salt, just to coat the rim. Looks lovely, tastes nice.

Pour the red wine into a saucepan and heat it gradually.

Add the fruit slices, nutmeg, cloves and brandy.

Keep an eye on the mixture and wait until it becomes hot to the touch. Never let the wine boil. Actually, microwaving mulled wine by the glassful is the best choice. The microwave process concentrates the flavor elements that can dissipate when mulled wine is made on the stove in an open-mouthed pot, back into the drink. Again, be really careful not to let the wine boil. If it boils, it spoils.

Now blend in the sugar if you plan to use any.

Add water (if desired)

Pour into glasses / mugs and add a herbal citrus teabag (to taste).
Garnish with the cinnamon.

wine