Makai ka Dhokla or Corn Savory Steamed Cake

Hello everyone. I am sure by now you know how much I love Gujarati food. I probably have more Guajarati dishes on my blog then any other cuisine. Just in case you have missed them, here they are – Kutchi Dabeli, Aam ka Chunda, Cabbage Muthia, Microwave Khandvi and Oats Dhokla. Do check them out if you like Guajarati food as much as I do. 🙂

For today’s post I am sharing another dhokla recipe. This one is made with maize flour or Makai ka atta and also has some corn kernels to bite into. A pure healthy delight I must say. If you are like me and have lots of Makai ka atta left from those Maki ki roti you thought but never made, here is something you can use it for. And trust me, the dhokla is so good, you won’t regret buying some maize flour especially to make this.

Without wasting anymore time, let’s make some delicious dhokla 😛

Recipe inspired from here

Ingredients:

Maize Flour or Makai ka atta – 1 cup

Corn Kernels – 1/2 cup

Thick yogurt – 1/2 cup

Sugar – 1 tbsp

Lemon Juice – 2 tbsp

Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp

Ginger paste – 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil – 1 tbsp

Eno Fruit Salt – 1 tsp

Warm water – 3/4 cup

For Tempering:

Oil – 1 tbsp

Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves – a handful

Seasme Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Chopped Cilantro and Shredded Coconut – for garnish

Method:

1. Mix together the maize flour, yogurt and warm water and keep it covered for 30 minutes.
2. Now add in the corn kernels, ginger paste, sugar, lemon juice, oil, turmeric powder and salt and mix well.
3. Lightly grease a 7 inch pan or thali and bring water to boil for steaming.
4. Once you are ready to steam, add the eno fruit salt to the dhokla mix and mix gently.
5. Steam the dhokla on medium flame for at least 20 minutes, till a toothpick inserted in the center of the dhokla comes out clean.
6. While the dhokla is steaming, we can make the tempering. Heat oil in a small pan and add in the mustard seeds. Once they crackle add the curry leaves, followed by sesame seeds. Cook everything for a few minutes and turn off the gas.
7. Once the dhokla has cooled down to room temperature, pour this tempering over dhokla and garnish with cilantro leaves and coconut.
8.  Cut the dhokla into desired pieces and serve with your favorite chutney.

So that is how I made this delightful dhokla. Do let me know if you try it out.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love,

Ritu. 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Oats Dhokla..A healthy delight

A big hello to all of you. I am so excited the spring will be here soon. With the New England weather, you can’t really predict much but at least with all the Easter stuff floating around, it makes both me and my daughter very happy. She is looking forward to all the egg hunting and I can’t wait for some warmer days and outdoor activities. We have been lucky enough to have a reasonably warm winter this year and are really looking forward to a  gorgeous summer ahead. How is the weather like at your end..?

Healthy is my favorite kind of food. I do enjoy eating all the junk and the not so good for you desserts but they make me so guilty afterwards. Dang. So not worth it. 😦 I am therefore always on the lookout for healthy recipes – oats, quinoa, kale, chia seeds are some of the most frequent ingredients used in my kitchen. I have been cooking with oats a lot off lately and this dhokla or steamed cake recipe was as healthy as it was delicious. 🙂

Without wasting any more time, lets make this yummy treat..

Ingredients:

Oats – 3/4 cup, dry roast and make a powder – will yield 1/2 cup oats flour

Sooji or Semolina – 1/2 cup

Yogurt – 1/2 cup

Ginger and  green chilly paste – 1/2 tsp

Chopped Spinach or grated carrots – 1/2 cup (Use your choice of veggies)

Salt to taste

Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp.

Sugar – 1 tbsp.

Eno Fruit Salt – 1 tsp

Water – 1/4 cup, use as needed

Oil – 1 tbsp.

Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves – a few

Chopped Cilantro for garnish

Method:

1. In a bowl mix together the oats flour, sooji, yogurt, salt, lemon juice, sugar, ginger and green chilly paste. Add water as needed to make a smooth batter of pouring consistency. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
2. Now mix in the spinach and give it a good stir. Add some more water if needed. The batter should be of pouring consistency but not too thick or thin.
3. Get your steamer ready or boil some water in a large pot or cooker. If steaming in the cooker, do not use the whistle.
4. Grease a 7 inch dish and keep it ready.
5. Once the water comes to boil, add in the eno fruit salt to the dhokla mix and give it a gentle mix, making sure not to over mix.
6. Pour the dhokla mix in the greased dish and let it steam on medium flame for at least 15 – 20 minutes till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. While the dhokla is steaming, we can prepare our tempering.
8. Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds. Allow them to splutter. Throw in the curry leaves and once they crackle, switch off the flame.
9. Once the dhokla is ready, pour this tempering over it and allow it to rest for 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.
10. Finally, cut your dhokla pieces and serve with your favorite chutney. Enjoy this healthy snack.

….

So here is how I made this healthy and delicious dhokla. Do let me know if you try this out.

Thanks for stopping by. See you soon.

Love,

Ritu. 🙂

 

 

 

 

Healthy Banana Oats Cookies…Sugar Free, Butter Free & Oil Free

Hello everyone. Sorry for missing in action for so long. My daughter started her Preschool today and I was super busy getting ready for the big day. I am so glad she thoroughly enjoyed her first day at school. There were lots of firsts for all of us and we are excited for the new beginnings. I really wish her the best in this new phase of life. 🙂

School also means thinking what to pack for lunch everyday. I can’t believe I have reached that stage. I still remember asking my mom – what’s in lunch box tomorrow and then saying..No give me something different. Sigh..how life takes a full circle. Having said that, I am excited to try new recipes for her so if you have an interesting lunch box idea, do share in the comment below. Would love to try it out.

Speaking of lunch box and healthy treats, today I am sharing a very healthy cookie recipe with you. If you are looking for a healthy snack, this is it. These cookies have the natural sweetness of banana, the goodness of oats and are free from any oil or butter. Best of all, they get ready in 15 minutes. So the next time, you see some ripe bananas lying round, make this delicious and healthy treat.

Here is how I made them:

Ingredients:

Ripe bananas – 2 (You can also use very ripe plantains instead)

Quick Oats – 1 cup

Baking powder – 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon powder – 1 tsp

Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

Raisins or chocolate chip – 1/4 cup

Method:

1. Mash the bananas well and add in the rest of the ingredients till everything is well combined.
2. Preheat your oven to 350 F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
3. Scoop little balls of this mixture on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. You should get about 12 – 16 cookies based on the size.
4. Let the cookies cool completely before storing them away in an air tight container. Enjoy your healthy snack.

So that is the super simple recipe of the healthiest cookies. These taste like the chewy cookies and not the crispy ones. You can also make these like a bar. Just put the whole mix in a baking dish together and cut into pieces when done.

Thanks for stopping by. Do let me know if you try this out.

I hope to see you again soon.

Love,

Ritu. 🙂

Khandvi Recipe..Made in microwave

Most of my friends call me a Fraud Punjabi 😛 and rightly so. For starters I don’t really know the language, can’t really eat and talk as much as they do and have a genuine preference for non Punjabi cuisine. Not taking away the fact that Punjabi food and people both are pretty great, I was just probably born in the wrong house. 😉

I absolutely love Guajarati food as you can judge from my previous posts. Just in case you missed it, here are some of my favorites – Cabbage Muthia, Kutchi Dabeli and Aam Ka Chunda.

For today’s post I am making some delicious Khandvi. Its a famous Guajarati appetizer made with chickpea flour and yogurt. It has very mild flavor and is really light and healthy. A little tricky to make but once you get it right, you cant stop making it. Thanks to Shital’s Kitchen for a fabulous recipe. This one is made in a microwave and is so much easier than the traditional stove top method. I am so glad I finally got it right and would surely be making it again soon for my next get together.

Here is my adaption of her recipe

Ingredients:

Besan or Chickpea flour – 1 cup

Yogurt – 1 cup

Water – 1.5 cups

Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida or Hing – a pinch

Salt to taste

Oil – 1 tbsp.

Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp

Sesame Seeds – 1 tsp

Green chilies – 2, slit

Curry Leaves – 5 or 6

Grated Coconut – 1 tbsp

Chopped Cilantro – for garnish

Procedure:

1. In a microwave safe bowl, mix together the besan, yogurt, water, salt, turmeric powder and hing and make a smooth paste.
2. Microwave this uncovered at 100% power for 2 minutes. My microwave power is 1100 watts.
3. Take out the bowl and give it a good stir and microwave it again uncovered for 2 more minutes.
4. Stir it again and repeat it for another 2 minutes. We have microwaved for a total of 6 minutes now. You can either use a hand whisk to smooth it out or use a hand blender.
5. While that is happening, wipe clean a kitchen counter and lightly grease it with oil. You can also use the back of a plate or aluminum foils for the same.
6. After microwaving the mixture, mix everything well to get a smooth paste. Now take a little bit of the mixture and spread it out on your greased surface or plate and let it cool for a few minutes. Check to see if you can roll it like a cylinder. If yes, the mixture is ready. If not, microwave it for another minute and repeat the test.
7. Once your mixture is ready, spread it quickly on the greased surface making sure its not very thick and is smooth and even. This step needs to be done quickly to avoid getting the besan mixture cold.
8. If you would like to make stuffed Khandvi, you can sprinkle some coconut or chopped cilantro while its cooling down.
9. After 5 minutes, cut one inch strips and roll it like a cylinder. Keep aside on a platter.
10. To make tempering, heat the oil and add mustard seeds. Once they crackle, add in the green chilies and curry leaves. Mix in the sesame seeds and let it all cook for a minute.
11. Turn off the gas and pour this tempering over the rolled Khandvi.
12. Finally, garnish with some chopped cilantro and grated coconut. Serve with your favorite chutney or enjoy as it is.

The best thing is that Khandvi can also be pre-made and served at room temperature which makes this a perfect make ahead appetizer.

Do give this a try and let me know if you like it.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope to see you again soon.

Love,

Ritu. 🙂

Vegan Banana Pecan Bread..A keeper recipe

Hello everyone. I hope you guys are doing well. I am on a “constant happy mode” these days. Just in case you didn’t know my parents are visiting us here and I am so delighted with all the love, pampering and of course the good food. 🙂

Today I am sharing the recipe of a vegan Banana Pecan Bread. I made this to welcome my parents and they give it a big thumps up. I wanted to make something without egg for them but haven’t really had good success with yogurt or other egg substitutes earlier so was a little skeptical with this one. The good thing was I didn’t add any egg substitute here, expect for an additional banana and it worked like a charm. I would definitely be making this again. I have used Pecans here but you can definitely add walnuts or your choice of nuts or chocolate chips as well.

Now lets pick up some of those ripe bananas and make this delicious bread 😛

Ingredients:

All purpose Flour – 1.5 cups (Can also use whole wheat flour instead)

Very Ripe Bananas – 4, medium

Sugar – 1/2 cup

Oil – 2/3 cup

Baking Powder – 1 tsp

Baking Soda – 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon Powder – 1/4 tsp

A pinch of salt

Chopped Pecans – 1 cup

Procedure:

1. Preheat your oven to 350F. Grease well a 9 inch loaf pan with butter and keep aside.
2. Peel and mash the over ripe bananas with a fork or use a blender. Mix in the Oil and Sugar to the banana puree.
3. Sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder and salt. Keep aside.
4. Take some flour and coat well about 3/4 cup of the pecans. This ensures that the pecan do not sink to the bottom of the pan while baking. We will use the remaining 1/4 cup of pecans for garnish.
5. Mix the coated pecans with flour mixture.
6. Now gently mix the dry ingredients with the wet ones, making sure not to over mix. Just use a rubber spatula.
7. Finally, pour this mixture in your greased pan and give it a gentle tap and shake to take out any air bubbles.
8. Garnish with the remaining pecans on top of the bread.
9. Bake it for about 40 minutes, more or less, depending on your oven, until a toothpick inserted at the center on the bread comes out clean.
10. Let the bread cool at the kitchen counter for 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy with your favorite beverage.
11. Any leftovers can be stored in an air tight container for up to 3 days.

So that is how I made this healthy and delicious bread and welcomed my parents 🙂

I hope you will give this a try and let me know if you like it.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Love,

Ritu 😀

Bhature (or Indian fried bread) Recipe..Best enjoyed with Punjabi Chole

I am super excited as I write down this post. My parents will be here tomorrow (yayyy). I am so looking forward to their visit and spending some quality time with them. Believe it or not, that is probably one of the best gift a girl can get after her marriage. Super excited 😀 I will also be taking a break from my cooking to enjoy some delicious food by my mom because she is the best cook in the world. No I am serious. I am sure your mom is too. Cause seriously no one cooks as good as our moms 🙂

Today I am sharing the recipe of Bhature, an Indian fried bread, best had with Punjabi Chole. Do check out the recipe, just in case you have missed it earlier.

Chole can also be had with Puri or Naan but my husband is really fond of Chole Bhature so I decided to treat him a few days ago. Chole Bhature is a favorite north indian breakfast but seriously can be enjoyed anytime of the day.

Here is how I made these delicious treat 😛

Ingredients:

All purpose flour or Maida – 1 cup

Thick Yogurt – 1/4 cup

Baking powder – 1/2 tsp

Baking Soda – 1/4 tsp

Sugar – 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil – 1 tbsp.

Semolina or sooji – 1 tbsp., optional (use if you like crispy bhatura)

Water – as needed

Oil for frying

Procedure:

1. Sieve the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl. Add in the salt, sugar and semolina to it. Mix well. Drop in the oil and rub it in the flour.
2. Make sure you are using thick yogurt and it is at room temperature. Add in the yogurt to the flour and mix well.
3. Now slowly add water as needed and make a soft dough. The quantity of water will depend on how thick your yogurt is. Make sure not to add too much water. I ended up using a little less than 1/4 cup of water. Try to use a little warm water to knead the dough to make sure its soft.
4. It is very important to knead the dough well for the gluten to activate. I recommend kneading it for at least 10 – 15 minutes.
5. Add some oil on the dough so it doesn’t dry up. Cover the dough with a wet cloth and keep it in a warm place. The microwave or oven works best.
6. Leave the dough to rest for at least 4 – 5 hours.
7. Now, make small round balls with this dough. You should be able to get about 5 medium sized bhature with this quantity.
8. Let the balls rest for another 10 minutes, covered. Heat oil in a big wok or Kadai for deep frying the bhature. Make sure the oil is hot to ensure the bhature puff up well.
9. Now take a ball and roll out the bhatures, either round or oval, based on your preference. (Please do not judge the shape of my bhatura, not everyone is blessed to make round shaped rotis, like our moms) 😉
10. Stretch the bhatura by hand and drop it very carefully in hot oil. Press it firmly from all sides. The bhatura will puff and once it gets a golden color, flip and cook it from the other side.
11. Drain the excess oil and take out the bhatura on a paper towel to absorb any oil.
12. Serve hot with some delicious Chole.

So that is how I made this delicious treat. It was a pleasure seeing my family enjoying it as much as I enjoyed making them.

I hope you will give this a try and let me know if you liked it.

Thanks so much for reading.

Love,

Ritu. 🙂

Kutchi Dabeli Recipe..Indian style burger..Another favorite street food.

In continuation with my love for Indian street food and Gujarati cuisine, I am making some Dabeli today. It is a delicious Indian street food that originated in Kutch, Gujarat. Spicy potato mixture is placed between Buns and topped with chutney, pomegranate seeds, peanuts and sev.

Dabeli is one of my favorite street food. I have such fond memories of my father treating me with this delicacy. When I moved out of India, I dearly missed eating all the street food, especially Dabeli. So I finally decided to try it at home, and I am so glad I did as its super easy if you have everything handy. Do give it a try and I am sure you will like it.

Lets make some delicious Dabeli…:P

Ingredients:

For Dabeli masala – you can also use store bought – use 1.5 tbsp. or make your own as below

Whole Red chilly – 1

Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Corainder Seeds – 1 tsp

Cloves – 2

Black pepper – 4

Cinnamon Stick – 1/2 inch

For Potato stuffing:

Boiled and mashed potato – 1.5 cups

Oil – 1.5 tbsp.

Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Tamarind Chutney – 2 tbsp.

Salt to taste

Water – 1/2 cup

To Serve:

Buns or Pav – 4

Butter to toast the Pav – 2 tbsp

Roasted Peanuts – 1/4 cup

Sev – 1/4 cup

Pomegranate seeds – 1/4 cup

Chopped onions – 1 small

Sweet tamarind Chutney – 3 tbsp.

Red Chilly Garlic Chutney – 3 tbsp. (Can substitute this with mint & cilantro chutney)

Method:

1. Lets start with making the Dabeli masala. Skip this step if you have the store bought masala readily available. Roast all the ingredients listed under Dabeli masala until fragrant and then grind to a fine powder. Use as in the recipe.
2. To make the potato filling, heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. Once the seeds crackle, add the potatoes, Dabeli masala, salt and tamarind chutney. Mix everything well.
3. Now add 1/2 cup of water and let it come to a boil. Mix everything well and let it cook for a few minutes until the filling is like a thick paste.
4. Slice the buns in half and toast them with butter till they are nice and crispy. I make my own buns using this amazing recipe at Shital’s Kitchen. Check it out here.
5. To assemble, apply some tamarind chutney on one side of the bun and the garlic or mint chutney on the other bun.
6. Take some potato filling and place it on one of the bun slices. Top it with some chopped onions, chopped cilantro leaves, peanuts, pomegranate seeds and sev. Close with the other Bun slice.
7. Garnish with some more sev and chopped cilantro leaves. Enjoy

So that is how I made one of my favorite street food and relished some good old days. See how I have served it on a newspaper, just like they do in India 😉

Do give it a try and let me know if you like it.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Love,

Ritu. 🙂