Monday, December 24, 2007

Dahi Sev Puri


Ingredients:

Pani Puri - 1 packet
Potato - 1 medium (boiled, peeled and diced)
Garbanzo Beans - 1/4 cup (canned variety is fine)
Tomato - 1/4 medium, optional (finely chopped)
Onion - 1/4 medium, (finely chopped)
Cilantro - 5 sprigs (finely chopped)
Yogurt - 1/2 cup (well beaten)
Chaat Masala - to taste
Salt - to taste
Red Chili Powder - to taste
Mint Chutney - to taste
Tamarind Chutney - to taste
Fine (Thin) Sev - 1/2 cup

Method:
  • Punch a small hole on top of each of the pani puris and place them in a platter.
  • Stuff the puris with a little bit of the following: Potato, Garbanzo Beans, Onion, and Tomato.
  • Spoon a little (to taste) Mint Chutney and Tamarind into the puris.
  • Spoon a little Yogurt the puris and then all around.
  • Sprinkle with Chaat Masala, Salt, Red Chili Powder and Cilantro.
  • Garnish by sprinkling Sev over the entire plate.
  • Additional Mint or Tamarind Chutney can be drizzled on top.
  • Serve immediately!

Pav Bhaji


Ingredients:

Potatoes – 3 cups, diced small
Cauliflower – 2 cups, finely chopped
Frozen Green Peas – 1 cup
Carrots – ½ cup, diced small
Salt – 1 tsp (to taste)
Haldi(Turmeric) – ¼ tsp
Water – 2 cups
Oil – 1 Tbsp
Butter – 1 Tbsp
Jeera (Cumin Seeds) – ½ tsp
Hing (Asofoetida) – pinch
Red Chili Powder – ¼ tsp (to taste)
Onion – 1 medium, finely chopped
Garlic – 2 tsp, minced
Ginger – 2 tsp, minced
Tomato – 1 medium, chopped
Tomato Sauce – ½ cup (1/2 of 8 oz. can)
Pav Bhaji Masala – 2 tsp (to taste)
Dhania Powder – 1 tsp
Lemon Juice – ½ tsp (to taste)
Cilantro – 5 sprigs, chopped (for garnishing)

Method:
  • In a pressure cooker, add Potatoes, Cauliflower, Green Peas, Carrots, Salt, Haldi and Water.
  • Mix well.
  • Pressure cook for 1 whistle.
  • Remove pressure after 2 minutes.
  • To remove pressure, hold cooker under cold running water in sink.
  • Heat Oil and Butter in a non-stick pan.
  • Add Jeera and allow it to sputter.
  • Add Hing and Red Chili Powder.
  • Add Onions, Garlic and Ginger – stir well.
  • Cook until Oil starts to separate.
  • Add Tomatoes and Tomato Sauce.
  • Mix well.
  • Cook until Oil starts to separate again.
  • Add Pav Bhaji Masala and Dhania Powder.
  • Mix well and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add Vegetables and lightly mash.
  • Add Lemon Juice and adjust Salt/Chili Powder/Pav Bhaji Masala.
  • Cook for 5 minutes.
  • Garnish with Cilantro.

Eggless Chocolate


Ingredients:

All-Purpose Flour - 1 cup
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - 3 Tbsp, sifted
Baking Soda - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 5 Tbsp
White Vinegar - 1 Tbsp
Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp
Cold Water - 1 cup

Method:
  • In a mixing bowl, add Flour, Cocoa Powder, Baking Soda, Sugar and Salt.
  • Mix well.
  • Add in Oil, Vinegar, Vanilla Extract and Water.
  • Mix the wet and dry ingredients together with a hand blender until there are no more lumps.
  • Pour batter into a greased 9 inch by 9 inch baking pan, two inches deep.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for about half an hour.
  • Poke a toothpick or fork into the center.
  • If it comes out clean, the cake is ready.
  • Remove pan from the oven and cool for about 5 minutes before flipping it over onto a platter.
  • Cool completely if you want to apply frosting, else serve with a dollop of whipped cream or chocolate sauce.

Moong Daal

Ingredients:

Moong Daal - 1 cup
Water - 4 cups
Salt - to taste
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Asofoetida(Hing) - 2 pinch
Ginger - 1/2″ pc., finely grated
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Green Chili - 1, slit (optional)
Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp or to taste
Cilantro - 2-3 sprigs, finely chopped for garnishing

Method:
  • Wash the Moong Daal and put it in a pressure cooker.
  • Add Water, Salt, Turmeric and cook until one whistle sounds.
  • Remove from the stove immediatly and release the pressure by holding the cooker under a cold water faucet.
  • Heat Oil in a small fry pan.
  • Once the Oil is hot, add the Mustard Seeds and allow them to pop.
  • Add Asofoetida.
  • Add in the chopped Ginger, Green Chili and the Curry Leaves.
  • Cook for 1 minute and add it into the Daal.
  • Cook the Daal for a few minutes to let it come to a boil.
  • Add Lemon Juice and Cilantro, mix well and serve.
  • Enjoy with Chapatis, parathas or with rice.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Sukiyan

Ingredients:

2 Ripe, firm Coconuts
250 gms Jaggery
60 gms Urad Dal
60 gms Rice Powder
2 pinches Cardamom Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
Oil to deep fry

Method:
  • Soak urad dal in water and set aside.
  • Grate coconut finely.
  • Place jaggery in a heavy bottomed vessel, add water till it is just covered and heat on a low flame till the raw smell goes.
  • Test by pouring a few drops in a small bowl of water--if it forms a firm ball, the jaggery is cooked.
  • Add the grated coconut and stir well.
  • Remove from fire when when the mixture begins to turn greasy.
  • Cool and shape into small balls.
  • Drain water from the soaked dal and grind to a fine paste.
  • Add the salt and rice powder and mix well.
  • Heat oil in a deep vessel.
  • Dip the coconut balls in this paste, make sure that all sides are coated evenly and deep-fry six-eight at a time till golden-red.
Tip:
  • Adjust the consistency of the batter so that the coating s neither too thick not too thin.
  • Add more rice powder if you want crisper Sukiyans.

Patras

Ingredients:

10-15 large patra leaves (colocasia leaves)
1 cup besan
1/4 cups tamarind juice
2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3-4 pinches asafoetida
1 tsp dhaniya powder
3 tsp powdered sugar
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste

For Seasoning:

1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp coriander leaves finely chopped
1 tsp grated coconut

Method:
  • Wash and clean Patra leaves
  • Remove thick veins with a pair of scissors and flatten them with a rolling pin.
  • Grind all the above ingredients into thick paste except those kept for seasoning.
  • Take the paste and apply it over the back surface of a Patra leaf, place another leaf over it and repeat the above step.
  • Make a sandwich of 3-4 leaves, with the top surface of the last leaf being covered in paste.
  • Fold the leaf stack into a tight roll along the longer side.
  • Seal the open sides with paste.
  • Steam it in a pressure cooker using perforated plates and cook it for 30 minutes.
  • Cool, and remove.
  • Cut into 1/2 inch thick slices add seasoning on top.