Lauki/Doodhi (Bottle Gourd) Thepla

An healthy and a low fat breakfast perfect for summer mornings, Lauki/Doodhi Thepla. Its very easy and quick to serve in breakfast or in snacks which accompanies well with a cup of hot masala tea, pickle or curd.
I kept my dough kneaded last night and refrigerated overnight, next day bring it out and after 15-20 min of resting, rolled it in to thin theplas (not compulsory to do so, as I was going to be bit busy this morning, prepared it early).
So let's start making it..!!

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup Besan (Chickpea flour)
3 tsp vegetable oil
1 cup lauki peeled and grated
2 tbsp curd
3 green chillies, finely paste
1 tsp ginger paste
2-3 pods of garlic, finely paste
1 tsp kashmiri red chilly powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
Salt to taste

Recipe:

• In a bowl, mix whole wheat flour with besan, vegetable oil, spices mentioned above and salt.
• Mix all well and keep it aside.
• In another bowl, grated launki/doodhi. (No need to strain its water)
• Mix grated lauki/doodhi and curd in the flour mixture.
• Start kneading the dough ( don't add water immediately, as lauki has its own water which releases, add the water only if required. Else too much water will be tacky to handle the dough). 
• Dough should be smooth and soft.
• Let it rest for 5-10 minutes.
• Pull out the medium size balls from the dough and start rolling in to thin parathas/theplas, with the flour dusted on the rolling board.
• Place the theplas on the hot tawa with a drizzle of little oil on medium flame.
• Once you see the bubbles on it, flip turn the other side.
• Cook until light pink patches.
• Spoon the oil on the sides of the thepla and spread it evenly. Press it with a spatula and same way flip and again press.
• Here you are done. Serve it with hot cup of tea, curd or pickle..

White Sandwich Dhokla

White Dhoklas are very easy, tasty and healthy breakfast or an ideal for tiffin pack. Here i have sandwiched the dhoklas with green coriander chutney, but feel free to use any other chutney of your choice..

Ingredients:

For White Dhokla
1 cup Rice
1/4 cup Sabudana (Sago)
1/4 cup split white gram dal (white Urad dal)
1/3 cup beaten curd
2 tbsp oil
2 tsp green chilly paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
1 sachet of Plain Eno fruit salt
1 tsp black pepper powder
2 tsp lemon juice
Salt to taste

For Sandwich
1/3 cup Green Coriander Chutney

For Tempering:
5-7 Curry Leaves
1 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1 whole green chilly slit

For Garnishing, few fresh chopped coriander leaves


Recipe:

For Dhokla

• Soak Rice, sabudana, white gram dal in water for 4-5 hours. 
• Drain the water and grind the mixture by adding about 1/3-1/2 cup of water to a fine batter. Consistency of the batter should be thick, but of a pouring consistency.
• Transfer the grind batter in a large deep bowl, add beaten curd and whisk all until no lumps. Cover the bowl with a lid and keep it in warm place to ferment overnight.
• Heat sufficient water in a steamer. Grease two Round dhokla plates with oil.
• Mean while, add green chilly paste, ginger paste, black pepper powder and salt to taste. Mix all well.
• Stir bicarb soda, lemon juice and Eno fruit soda in a small bowl and add immediately to the batter.
• Whisk well all and pour the batter in to greased dhokla plates.
• Place the ready plates in the steamer. Cover with the lid and steam for 10-12 minutes on medium flame.
• Once done check with the knife to see if the dhokla is cooked. If it comes out clean, it is done.

For sandwiching with Green Coriander Chutney

• Take out the plates from the steamer. Allow it to cool slightly and remove the dhokla from plates.
• Place one layer on to the  plate and apply Green Coriander Chutney generously and cover it with other dhokla layer.

For Tempering:

• Now heat oil in small fry pan, add mustard seeds, as soon as it splutters, add heeng powder, currry leaves and slit green chilly. Pour the tempering on the dhokla.
• Garnish it with few fresh chopped coriander leaves.
• Cut in to squares and here you are ready to serve..

Oatmeal & Bulgur Wheat (Daliya) Bread

It was Since long i wanted to try something different ingredients for making bread other than usuals...Came across many recipes which Uses different sorts of grains, honestly speaking, i wanted try those mix grain bread but i was not having all the grains handy so thought, why not to use which is available In pantry already..

So here is my Bulgur wheat (Daliya) and Oatmeal bread. A healthy wealthy bread mixed With goodness of wheat germ..Have a look to the recipe below.It is really "Worth trying".

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Germ

For Sponge:

1 1/4 tsp Instant dry yeast
1/3 cup bulgur wheat (fine or coarse grind)
1/3 cup oatmeal (any variety, coarsely grind)
1/4 cup wheat germ (finely grind) (optional)
1 cup sifted maida  / all purpose flour
1 tsp sugar
1 cup lukewarm water (not hot)

For Bread:

Above all sponge mixture
1 cup sifted maida (and a little extra for dusting and kneading)
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp Luke warm water
2 tbsp olive oil or any vegetable oil(and a little extra for greasing dough)
1 1/2 tsp salt

Method:

For sponge

• In a small bowl, mix a cup of sifted maida/ all purpose flour with, sugar, fine or coarse grind bulgur wheat, coarse grind oatmeal and finely grind wheat germ, instant dry yeast and a luke warm water.
• Mix all the sponge mixture, cover and let it rest for about 15-20 minutes.
• After 15-20 minutes, here you are ready with your sponge...

For dough:

• In a large bowl, mix a cup of sifted maida/all purpose flour with salt and olive oil/vegetable oil and mix.
• Now add in all sponge mixture to it, start gathering in to a dough. Add a 1/4 cup of water and little more to accumulate all into a sticky dough mix.
• Knead for few minutes, until dough is smooth, soft and elastic. (Can use a little qty of flour for dusting and kneading the dough)
• Once done, grease the dough in a bowl with oil.
• Cover the bowl with a plastic cling film and allow it to rise for 30 -40 minutes or until double in volume.
• Once the dough doubles, deflate it by punching the dough down.
• Knead for a minute and shape the dough to a loaf.
• Place the shaped dough in to a loaf pan.
• Cover the loaf pan with a tea towel and allow the dough to rise further for about 1-1 1/2 hr or until doubles in volume.
• Mean while preheat oven at 180 degree Celsius.
• Bake the bread for 20-25 minutes in preheated oven at 180 degree Celsius (place a bowl of water in lower rack of oven and bread on top, this gives a moist and nice color crust to bread).
• Once baked, bring the bread out of oven and in a minute or so remove the bread loaf from a loaf tin.
• Place a loaf on a wire rack and allow it to cool completely.
• Here you are ready with a nice rustic bulgur and oatmeal bread.
• Slice and enjoy....:)

Instant Sooji/Rawa (Semolina) Dhokla

Today i was in a no mood to eat usual dal-roti-sabji. As the days are quite warm here so thought to make some light and healthy meal today and later will relax. I want some quick and Instant food and here i made Sooji/Rawa (Semolina) Instant Dhokla, a perfect and most loved Gujarati tea-time snack. I generally make 3 types of dhokla... (Surprised?!!!)

Yes i am actually Gujju from Ahmadabad city  and married to a Punjabi family. So i have a benefit of learning both the cuisines and i love it. 

My mother, she makes sooji instant dhokla, Besan Dhokla, Sandwich Dhoklas, a fermented batter dhokla too..(soon will post that recipe soon, as fermented dhokla is mix of 4 grains and i have to confirm its recipe with my mother as she prepares it in a traditional way). and many other types of dhoklas. And out of this one is here. 

If you are in a relaxing mood and want something instant than here is the recipe of Sooji/Rawa (Semolina) Dhokla.. Enjoy..:)

Instant Sooji/Rawa Dhokla

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup Sooji / Rawa (Semolina)

5 tbsp besan (Chick Pea Flour)

2 tbsp oil
1 cup beaten dahi/Yogurt)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp Eno fruit soda
1/2 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp green chilly paste
1 tsp ginger paste
Salt to taste

For Tempering
2 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp sesame seeds
5 curry leaves
Pinch of asafoetida powder

For Garnishing:

Fresh Coriander Leaves choopped and 

1 tsp dry grated coconut.

Recipe: 

• In a large Bowl Mix Sooji/Rawa (Semolina) with besan, Beaten Dahi/Yogurt, Buttermilk, oil,  Baking soda, Eno Fruit soda, lime juice, green chilly paste and ginger paste. Mix all and make it to a smooth batter. 
• Add a little water if require. But make sure consistency should not be too thin nor too thick. (I forgot clicking pictures for that but anyways i guess most of us know this rit?) .
• Ok so now cover the batter and let it stand for 15-20 minutes.
• Now add water in your steamer and keep on the stove with flame on. Once water starts steaming, pour the batter in greased tray and cover it. Steam it on a medium flame for about 10-12 minutes or until toothpick or knife inserted in it comes out click. (Make sure, do not overcook as it will loose all its moist and will become hard). 
• Once done, turn the flame off. After a minute open the lid, cut spongy Sooji Dhokla in to the small squares and keep it aside.
• Time for Tempering...:)
• In a small fry pan, Heat oil, add  mustard seeds and sesame seeds. Once it starts spluttering add pinch of Asafoetida powder and curry leaves. Turn the flame off and pour this ready temper over the Sooji Dhokla and garnish them with chopped coriander leaves and sprinkle dry grated  coconut on top.
• Serve it with Green Coriander Chutney (For The chutney Recipe, click on the Link)

Methi Pulao/Rice (Green Fenugreek Rice-Pulao)

Methi Pulao/Rice (Green Fresh Fenugreek Rice - Pulao) is much liked in my family and believe me its very quick and simple to prepare. I serve this with cucumber raita and fried papad. So here it goes...

Methi Pulao/Rice (Green Fenugreek Rice-Pulao)

Serves: 3
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1) For Boiling Rice:

1 1/3 cup Basmati Rice wash and soaked for 30 minutes in water
4 tbsp grated dry coconut .i.e bura (can use fresh too, or can use coconut milk 1/2 cup)
1 bay leaf
2 green cardamom whole
2 black cloves whole
water for boiling

2) Other Ingredients In Pulao/Rice

1 tsp Olive oil (Or any Vegetable oil)
1 tbsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
Pinch of Asafoetida powder
1 bay leaf
2 whole black peper
Half Bunch of Fresh Methi about 2 cup chopped Fresh Methi leaves
2 Onion Sliced (1 large & 1 medium)
2 Tomatoes small chopped (1 large & 1 small)
1 1/2  tsp Ginger Paste-Garlic Paste
1 tsp Green chilly paste
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Red Chilly Powder
1/2 tsp Fennel Powder (Saunf)
Salt to taste

3) Garnishing

Few Cashew nuts cut in to pieces and fried



Recipe:

• In a Pan, Boil rice in water with green Cardamom, Bay leaf, black whole Clove, and grated dry coconut. Once done, allow it cool completely. So here, Coconut rice is ready.

• Mean while lets start working with other Ingredients.
• In a Large wok or Kadai, heat oil and Ghee, add cumin and Mustard seeds, as soon as it splutters add asafoetida powder, bay leaf, whole black pepper and sliced onion with pinch of salt. 
• Saute all until onions are soft and translucent. 
• Add Ginger-Garlic paste, Green Chilly Paste, Fresh chopped Methi leaves and chopped Tomato.

• Stir all and mix well until methi becomes soft and is cooked.

• One by one add all spice powder mentioned above (Cumin, Coriander, turmeric, red chilly, fennel powder and salt to taste).
• Stir all for a minutes. 
• Now fold boiled and cooled coconut rice in kadai mixture. Mix all properly, until rice is nicely coated with the kadai mixture.
• Remove in serving bowl, garnish it with fried cashew nuts.

• Serve hot with Fresh Cucumber Raita and Fried Papad.

• Here it is done -a simple Methi Pulao/Rice. [For Cucumber Raita: 2 cup Beaten dahi/Yogurt, 1 cup grated cucumber, salt to taste, roasted cumin powder 1 tsp] 
•  Enjoy your meal...:)

Konkani Vegetable Dal / Lentils

Ingredients:

Konkani Vegetable Dal/Lentil

1/2 cup yellow split Moong Dal
1/3 cup Tuver Dal (Arhar in Hindi and Pigeon pea in English)
1/4  cup Masoor Dal
2 tbsp Green Moong Dal
1 cup Chopped palak (Spinach)
1 cup dice in cube shape Lauki (Bottle Gourd)
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup Small chopped onion
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp Fresh grated coconut
1 tbsp Tamarind Paste
4 whole Red Chilly
1 1/2 tsp dry fenugreek seeds

For Tempering:
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 tbsp ghee (Clarified Butter)
Pinch of Asafoetida Powder (Heeng)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
5-6 Fresh Curry Leaves
1/2 tsp Red Chilly Powder

Recipe:

• Pressure cook all four dals (Moong dal, Tuver dal, Masoor dal, Green Moong dal) with salt, turmeric, diced in cube shaped bottle gourd and Spinach together.
• Mean while in a non stick pan dry roast Fenugreek seeds until light pink and than add whole red chilly, further roast for a minute.
• Grind this Dry roast ingredients with  grated coconut and Tamarind paste in a mixer grinder jar and keep it aside.
• In the same pan, Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and saute sliced onion with little salt until translucent.
• Now add all grinned and boiled ingredients to it with little water to it (about 1/2 cup or as required).
• Simmer on low flame and cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Now its time for tempering
• In a small fry pan heat oil and ghee with cumin and mustard seeds, as soon as it splutters add asafoetida powder, curry leaves and lastly red chilly powder.
• Pour this ready temper on dal and mix it nicely. Cook for another 2 minutes on low flame (add water if required).
• Garnish it with Fresh Coriander leaves and serve it with plain paratha or roti..

Famous Udupi Temple Style Sambhar/Hulli Recipe

Udupi temple Sambhar is so very famous and hallmark recipe that is made with local and easily available ingredients. It is not only famous amongst south indians but mostly all indians love it. Udupi Dishes mainly have grains, beans, vegetables and fruit. Sambhar there is also known as Hulli. Moreover today many of us call this as vegetable and lentil stew too. So lets begin:

Ingredients:

Famous Udupi Sambhar Recipe

Dry Roasting:
6 whole red Chilly
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp white urad dal
1 tsp Chana dal (Gram dal)
5 Springs Curry Leaves
1/2 tsp whole fenugreek seeds (Methi)
1 cup coconut grated

For Sambhar:
1 1/2 tbsp oil
1 cup Toor Dal
1 small chopped green chilly
1 tsp urad dal
3-4 curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 cup vegetables (french beans, carrot, drumstick, pumpkin and brinjals)
1 medium chopped onion (about more than half cup)
1 medium chopped tomatoes
2 tsp tamarind paste
2 tsp jaggery
Salt to taste


Recipe:

Dry Roasting
In a non stick pan, Dry roast coriander seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, Urad dal and Chana dal till all turns light pink in color. Now add whole Red chilly and keep sauteing for 1 minute. Add shredded coconut and curry leaves. Cook for 2 minutes further and keep sauteing in between.
Put off the flame. Allow it to cool. Pour this dry roasted ingredients in mixer grinder jar and grind in to nice Masala. And here is your Masala ready to use in sambhar. Keep it aside for now.

For Sambhar
Pressure cook toor dal with water until boiled properly and easy to mash.
In a pan, heat oil with mustard seeds, once it splutters, add asafoetida and curry leaves. Now add chopped onion, saute it with pinch of salt until translucent. Now add chopped tomatoes, vegetable (carrot, french beans, drumstick, brinjals and pumpkin) and about 1/2 cup water. Cover it and let all vegetables cook properly. See the picture below.

Now once veggies are cooked properly, add tamarind paste, jaggery, dry roasted sambhar masala, salt and boiled toor dal. Add water and mix all well. Now on low flame let sambhar simmer for about 3-4 minutes.
Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves. And serve hot with Soft Idlis or dosa's and uttapam accompanying it with Nariyal/ Coconut Chutney.  (Click on this highlighted links to get idli and coconut chutney  recipes)

Sambhar And Coconut Chutney