Muthiya

Muthiya (spiced vegetable dumplings) is a very famous gujarati appetizer. The procedure I've described below may seem lengthy but trust me - it is super easy to make, most of it is just me trying to explain the process in a detailed way so it is easy for you all :).

I hope you give this a try and let me know your feedback in the comments section below. Happy cooking!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Coarse Wheat Flour (also known as Laddu Flour)
• 1 ¹/₂ cups grated Indian Squash (cabbage/fenugreek leaves/onion can also be used as a substitution)
• 1 tsp Green Chillies Paste
• 1 tsp grated Ginger
• 1 ¹/₂ tsp grated Garlic
• 2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
• ¹/₄ tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tsp Achaar Masala/Pickle Spice Mix
• 1 ¹/₂ tbsp crushed Jaggary
• 2 tbsp oil
• Water - as needed
• Salt to taste

Tempering:

• 4 tbsp Oil
• 1 ¹/₂ tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1 ¹/₂ tsp Sesame Seeds
• 8-10 Curry Leaves
• ¹/₂ tsp Asafoetida/Hing
• 1 tbsp Cilantro

Garnishing:

• 1 tsp finely chopped cilantro/green coriander/dhaniya

Method:

• This recipe requires to be steam-cooked. Now, those of you who are not familiar with steam-cooking, it is a process of cooking with the heat from the steam wherein the food being cooked gets direct contact of ONLY the steam and not the boiling water. This is very important. To know more about this process, this article in wikipedia gives a decent description. Now, if you don't have a steam-cooker like I do, there is no need to worry, we can always improvise! What you'd basically need is a big pot with a lid and a steamer rack like this one that is smaller in diameter than the pot so that it can be placed into the pot. Make sure the water level is below the steamer rack that you are using so that the bottom of the steamer rack comes in contact only with the steam. I have always used all stainless-steel utensils for the steamer so I wouldn't be able to vouch for other materials like glass/bamboo... But if you do, please leave me the details in a comment below!
• In your pot, place the steamer rack with enough water so that it stays below the level of your steamer rack. Put this pot on high heat and make sure to cover it
• Now, in a large bowl, add coarse wheat flour, grated indian squash, green chillies paste, grated ginger, grated garlic, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, achaar powder, jaggary (make sure it it crushed well or else you'll have lumps of sweetness in your muthiya and trust me - you don't want that to happen!) and oil; mix well (I find mixing using my hands works the best but you can use a big spoon as well).
• Now, add water, little at a time. I'm not mentioning the quantity of water as it depends on the quality of flour, the moisture content in your squash, etc. The mixture should be of very thick consistency - you should be able to roll them into cylindrical rolls by taking some mixture in your hands and making an open/close movement of your fist. If it doesn't stay in shape, you need more water. The consistency, by no means, should be watery. Once you have your mixture ready, set it aside.
• Once the water in your pot is boiling, open the lid and reduce the heat to low (this is to avoid getting burnt by the steam). Now, take a fistful of mixture in your hand and roll it into cylindrical log shape using an open & close movement of your fist; once done, immediately put it on the steamer rack in your pot. I find it easier to work my way from the peripheral to the center. Make only one layer do not stack one on top of other. Cover the pot, increase the heat to high and cook for 8-12 minutes. 
• To check the doneness, insert a knife/toothpick into the center, it should come out clean. 
• Once done, turn off the heat and carefully remove the steamer rack out of the pan and let it cool down.
• Separate each of the logs and slice them approx. 1/4 inch thick. I like to cut them into smaller pieces as it helps incorporating more crispiness (our family likes it that way)!

• Tempering:

• In a pan, heat the oil. Add mustard seeds; once they start crackling, add sesame seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida; give it a quick stir and add the cut muthiya/dumplings and stir to coat them well.
• Cook for 2-3 minutes stirring every now and then. If you like crispiness in your dumplings, cook for additional 3-5 minutes.
• Mix in the cilantro and stir one last time.
• Garnish with cilantro and serve hot 
• Enjoy!!

Coconut Chutney (Spicy Coconut Dip)

Coconut chutney is a spicy flavorful dip that is generally served with South-Indian delicacies. It is very easy to make and needs just handful of ingredients which will all be easily available at any of your local Indian grocery stores.

Do give this recipe a try and let me know your feedback in the comments below.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup Fresh Grated Coconut (I used the frozen variety)
• 2 tbsp Roasted Urad Dal/Black Gram/Black Lentil
• 2 tbsp Cilantro
• 1/4 cup Water (or adjust to your liking)
• For Tempering:
• 2 tsp Oil
• 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1/2 tsp Urad Dal/Black Gram/Black Lentil
• 2-3 Dry Red Chillies
• 4-5 Curry Leaves
• 1/8 tsp Asafoetida 

Method:

• Grind the urad dal in a food processor.
• Add the cilantro and grind again.
• Finally, add the grated coconut and grind it one more time. Add water to aid the grinding process (only if necessary).
• Take the ground chutney in a serving bowl and add the remaining water.
• In a small saucepan or a small tempering bowl, heat the oil on medium heat. Add mustard seeds and black gram and let the mustard seeds crackle. Lastly, add dry red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida and pour it immediately over the prepared chutney mixture.
• Stir to combine and serve!
• Enjoy!!

Serving Suggestions:

Coconut chutney is served with South Indian delicacies like idly, sambar, medu vada, etc.

Kadhai Paneer

Presenting - "Kadhai Paneer". This is a very famous North Indian delicacy equally popular amongst young and adults. It is a rich gravy dish made with paneer (of course, thats in the name!), bell pepper & onion. I've tried to make this recipe with very few ingredients (well, few considering that North Indian dishes are usually very elaborate). Do give this a try and I'm sure you'd want to make this again and again.. Do let me know your feedback in the comments below! Happy cooking..!!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb Paneer, Cubed
• 1 large Green Bell Pepper, cut into squares of the same size as paneer
• 1 medium Onion, cut into squares of the same size as paneer
• 2 Onions Finely Chopped
• 4 Tomatoes Finely Chopped
• 1/4 cup Tomato Puree
• 4 tbsp Oil
• 2 tbsp Ghee/Clarified Butter
• 1 Cinnamon Stick (approx 3"), whole
• 3 Black Cardamom, whole
• 3 Bay Leaves, whole
• 1 1/2 tsp Ginger Paste
• 1 tbsp Garlic Paste
• 1 tbsp Red Chilli Powder
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
• 2 tsp Kasuri Methi/Dried Fenugreek Leaves, crushed between your palms
• 2 tsp Corn Flour (you may substitute by 3 tsp All Purpose Flour)
• 3 tbsp Heavy Cream
• Water - as needed
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying paneer
• Cold Water and Ice Cubes
• 2 tbsp Cilantro/Coriander/Dhaniya Finely Chopped

Method:

• In a frying pan, fry the paneer, few cubes at a time. Fry on medium only for a few seconds, they still need to retain their color (if a few cubes do get brown on the edges, it is ok, don't worry about it). Drain them into the bowl with cold water and ice cubes for approximately 2-3 minutes; this is to stop the paneer from cooking further. Take them out of the water and set them aside for later use.
• In another pan, add the oil (we will add the ghee later) and shallow fry the onion squares on medium heat until tender; keep stirring constantly to avoid caramelizing the onions any more than necessary. Take them out into a bowl and set it aside for later use.
• In the same pan, shallow fry the green bell peppers on medium heat until tender; keep stirring occasionally. Take them out into a bowl and set it aside for later use.
• In the same pan with the remaining oil, add the ghee and the whole garam masala, viz. cinnamon stick, black cardamom and bay leaves; saute for about 30 seconds. Add ginger and garlic paste and saute for another 30 seconds.
• Add the chopped onions and season it with salt (just enough salt for the onions in the pan, we will season the remaining ingredients as and when we add them). Cook covered on medium heat until they are translucent (stir occasionally to avoid the onions sticking to the bottom of the pan).
• Add the chopped tomatoes, season it with salt (only for the quantity of tomatoes added) and stir well. Cook covered on medium low until oil starts leaving the sides; stirring occasionally.
• Add the tomato puree, stir and cook covered on medium low for about 3-4 minutes.
• At this point, the flavor of whole garam masala is incorporated in the gravy and it is ok to remove them (you may choose to leave it in if you prefer so).
• Add the spices, viz. red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, kasuri methi; stir well. Mash the gravy in the pan (you can either use a potato masher or just use the back of your stirring spoon).
• Mix the corn flour with water and add it to the gravy while stirring constantly.
• Add the paneer, onion and bell pepper and stir well.
• Add heavy cream and stir well. Add water, if needed, to adjust the consistency. Simmer on low for 15-20 minutes.
• Give it a final taste test and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• Finally stir in the chopped cilantro (you may reserve some for garnish).
• Enjoy!

Serving Suggestions:

Kadhai Paneer can be served with naan/roti/paratha.

Sambar (Spicy Vegetable Lentil Soup)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Toor Daal/Arhar Daal/Split Pigeon Peas
• 2 cups Assorted vegetables diced medium (I used Onions, Potatoes, Carrots, Peas, French Beans, Tomatoes, Drumsticks)
• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• ¹/₂ tsp Fenugreek Seeds
• 8-10 Curry Leaves
• ¹/₈ tsp Asafoetida 
• 1 tsp Ginger Paste
• ¹/₂ tsp Tamarind Extract
• 2 tbsp Sambar Powder
• 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
• Salt - to taste
• Water - as needed

Method:

• Wash and rinse the toor daal well (until the water runs clean)
• Add the daal into the pressure cooker and add water to reach a level about an inch above the daal. Season it with salt and pressure cook it for 3-4 whistles. 
• In a big saucepan, heat the oil; when the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds and allow them to crackle. When they are done crackling, add the curry leaves, asafoetida and ginger paste and saute the vegetables on medium flame (add water as necessary) for 3-5 minutes or until they are almost tender. Season with salt and red chilli powder. 
• Mix the tamarind extract with about ¹/₄ cup of water and stir until it dissolves. Set it aside. 
• Mix the sambar powder with ¹/₄ cup of water and stir until no lumps remain. Set it aside.
• Open the lid of the pressure cooker when the pressure goes off and using an immersion blender or a hand churner, blend the daal well. Add it to the sauce pan with the veggies and mix. Add water as necessary to get the soup like consistency.
• Add the tamarind mixture to the saucepan and stir to combine.  
• Add the sambar powder mixture to the saucepan while stirring continuously to avoid any lump formation.
• Check for seasoning and add salt/red chilli powder as required. 
• Simmer the sambar for 20-30 minutes. Add water, if needed, to adjust the consistency. 
• Enjoy!

Serving Suggestions:

Sambar can be served with a variety of dishes, viz. Idli, Medu Vada, Dosa or just Plain Rice!

Gujarati Daal Vada (Split Moong Bean Fritters)

Daal vadas are very famous in Gujarat and if you've been to any railway station in Gujarat - I'm sure you'd have tasted this delicacy.. It is very easy to make these vadas at home and in this post, I'm going to show you how. Do give this a try and let me know your feedback in the comment section below... Happy cooking!! 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Moong Daal/Split Moong Beans; I prefer using the one with its green covering on
• ¹/₄ cup Chana Daal/Split Bengal Gram
• 2 Green Chillies
• 1 ¹/₂ tsp Ginger - grated
• 2 tbsp Cilantro/Corriander/Dhaniya
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - for frying

Method:

• Soak the moong daal and chana daal (separately) in hot water for 1-2 hours
• In a medium food-processor bowl, add the green chillies, cilantro and make a fine paste.
• Drain as much water as possible from both the daals and reserve 1 1/2 tbsp chana daal and add the remaining daal mixture and grated ginger to the same food-processor's bowl and grind coarse. This will also ensure the chillies and cilantro get mixed evenly with the daal mixture.
• Now, add the whole chana daal and salt to the prepared mixture and stir to combine.
• In a pan, heat the oil.
• Now, when the oil is hot, form small balls and fry on medium heat until they are golden brown. 

Serving Suggestions:

Daal vadas are traditionally served with thinly sliced onions and optionally with fried green chillies as well (depending on the amount of heat you prefer in your food). They can also be served with Cilantro Peanut Chutney or Tamarind/Date Chutney.

Enjoy!!

Gujarati Daal

I'm Gujarati and this daal has been staple in my house for generations now. It is very simple to cook; it is one of the initial dishes I learnt from my mom and this is her recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Toor Daal/Arhar Daal/Split Pigeon Peas
• 1 tsp Oil
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• ¹/₂ tsp Fenugreek Seeds
• Pinch (¹/₈ tsp) of Asafetida
• 10-12 Curry Leaves
• 2 Dried Red Chillies
• 1 tsp Ginger Paste
• 1¹/₂ tbsp Lime Juice
• 1 tsp Chilli Powder
• 1 tsp Aachaar Masala/Pickle Spice Mix (Ready made pickle can be used if you don't have pickle spice mix)
• 2 tsp Coriander-Cumin Powder/Dhaniya-Jeera Powder
• ¹/₄ tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1¹/₂ tsp Jaggery/Gud
• 1 cup Tomatoes - Diced
• Salt - to taste
• Water - to boil and while cooking
• 2 tbsp Cilantro - Finely Chopped

Method:

• Wash the daal thoroughly (you'll need to wash it multiple times if you have oil-coated daal). 
• Now, in a pressure cooker, add the washed daal and water at-least an inch above the daal layer. Pressure cook it for 3-4 whistles. 
• When the pressure goes off, open the lid and using an immersion blender or a hand churner, blend it smooth. 
• In a big sauce pan, add oil, mustard & fenugreek seeds allow them to crackle. When they crackle, add the curry leaves, dried red chili, asafetida and ginger paste; give it a quick stir and add the blended daal mixture. Also add water enough to make it a thin soup-like consistency. 
• Add all the masala, viz. salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder, pickle powder, coriander-cumin powder and jaggery and mix. Let it come to a boil on a high flame. 
• Lower the flame to medium and add the diced tomatoes. Let it cook covered for 10 minutes.
• Add the lime juice and cilantro and simmer for 30 minutes (at-least) - this is the most important step as the daal developed the flavor from all the spices as it simmers. Of course, if you are in a hurry, you may take it off the flame sooner but trust me, you will notice the difference in the taste. 
• Stir and see if you need to add more water to adjust the consistency (while simmering, quite some water would evaporate). If you've added more water, cook it for 5 more minutes.
• Enjoy!!

Serving Suggestions:

Gujarati daal is popularly served with rice/roti. I also like to relish it piping hot as a soup :). The possibilities are endless!

Thin Poha Chivda (Flattened Rice Snack Mix)

Thin Poha Chivda (or Flattened Rice Snack Mix) is a gujarati snack very near and dear to my heart. I love it since my childhood days. Here is my mom's recipe that I'd like to share with you all today! Do give it a try.. It is addictive and you'd always want more!

Ingredients:

• 6 cups Thin Flattened Rice/Thin Poha
• ¹/₂ cup Oil
• 1 cup Peanuts
• 1 cup Roasted Split Bengal Gram/Daliya
• 2-4 green chillies - chopped into small pieces.
• 18-20 curry leaves
• 1 ¹/₂ tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1 ¹/₂ tsp Cumin Seeds
• 2 tsp Powdered Sugar/Granulated Sugar
• ¹/₂ tsp Turmeric Powder
• Salt - to taste

Method:

• Dry roast the Poha until they are crispy. You can do this over cooktop or in the oven. If you choose the cooktop method, make sure you keep stirring the poha to avoid burning the bottom layer. For the oven method - pre-heat the oven to 300 F; lay the poha on a cookie sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes. They are done when you feel the crispness upon tasting. Empty the poha into a mixing bowl (big enough to stir them later on) and set it aside.
• Now in a medium skillet, over medium heat, add the oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chillies and peanuts. Keep stirring constantly. Here we are shallow frying the peanuts and the serrano peppers while the mustard and cumin seeds crackle. If you like your chillies to retain its heat in the chivda, add them in the next step instead of now.
• When the peanuts are nearing completion, about 3 minutes, add the roasted split bengal gram and curry leaves; stir for another minute. 
• Now switch off the flame and quickly add the curry leaves, salt, sugar, turmeric powder and asafoetida and after giving it one last mix, add it to the poha and mix well until all the poha turns yellowish green in color. It's important to ensure this step is completed as quickly as possible.
• Let it cool and come to room temperature and then store it in a clean, dry air-tight container.

Enjoy this with tea/coffee or just by itself!!

Potato Onion Poha

Potato-onion poha is a traditional gujarati dish - relished as an appetizer or a main meal too (yes I love it so much!). It is made from flattened rice - the thicker kind. It is very quick easy to make this poha... Go into your kitchen and give it a try!

 

Ingredients:

• 4 cup thick poha/thick flattened rice
• 2 medium potatoes - finely diced
• 2 medium onions - finely diced
• 1 medium tomato - finely diced
• ¹/₂ tsp ginger paste
• ¹/₂ tsp garlic paste
• 2 tsp serrano pepper - finely chopped
• 4 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• ¹/₄ tsp asafoetida
• 6-7 curry leaves
• 2 tbsp roasted unsalted peanuts - coarsely crushed
• ¹/₄ tsp cinnamon powder
• 2 tsp lime juice
• ¹/₄ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp sugar (optional)
• Salt - to taste
• Garnishing
• 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro 
• Fine sev

Method

•  Wash the poha in a colander and set it aside. The poha will puff soaking the water that it has retained in the colander while you washed it. Remember, do not soak the poha in water - this will make your end product very mushy.
• In a pan, heat the oil on medium-high heat and add mustard seeds; allow them to crackle. When the mustard seeds start crackling, add sesame seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida. Add serrano pepper, ginger paste and garlic paste and saute on medium-low heat for 30 seconds.
• Add the diced onion and potatoes and season them with salt (salt helps reduce cook time), cook covered until onion and potatoes are cooked thru (you can check by splitting a piece of onion and a potato using a saute spoon - it is done if you can feel a soft split). Sprinkle little water if needed.
• Add the poha, turmeric powder, cinnamon powder, peanuts, sugar, salt for the poha's portion; mix well. Let it cook covered for 2-3 minutes. 
• Add diced tomatoes, lime juice and cilantro; mix well one last time and cook for about a minute.
• take it off the heat

Serving suggestion:
Poha can be relished by itself or served with fine sev sprinkled on top.
Enjoy!!

Punjabi Chhole

Punjabi Chhole is a mouth watering curry prepared with Chhole (garbanzo beans) in aromatic onion-tomato sauce/gravy.. Follow this recipe and I assure you this will be the best Chhole you've had so far :-)

Ingredients:

• 3 - 15 oz. cans of Chhole (garbanzo beans) - rinsed (you can alternatively soak the beans overnight and boil the next day if you don't want to use canned ones)
• 4 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1¹/₂ tbsp ginger - grated
• 1¹/₂ tbsp garlic - grated
• 3 large onions - puréed
• 5 large tomatoes - puréed
• 5 tbsp chhole/chana masala (I used MTR)
• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• ¹/₄ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp kasuri methi (crushed between your palms)
• ¹/₂ cup tomato purée from can (optional use if your tomatoes are not very red and tangy)
• Water - as needed (I used about 1/4 cup)
• Salt to taste
• Whole masala
• 1-1¹/₂" cinnamon stick
• 4-5 cloves
• 8-10 black peppercorns
• 3 pods cardamom peeled
• To garnish
• Cilantro - 2 tbsp

Method

• Using a mortar pestle coarsely ground the whole masala
• In a frypan, heat the oil and ghee; add the coarsely ground whole masala and sauté for about 30 sec.
• Add grated ginger and garlic and sauté again for 30 sec.
• Add puréed onion and let it cook covered on medium to medium-low heat until the smell of raw onion disappears (add water if necessary - I like to be frugal with water addition)
• Now add the puréed tomatoes and let it cook covered until the oil separates at the edges
• Now add all the masala and mix well
• Let it simmer for a few minutes - this will ensure the masala flavor is infused in the gravy
• Add Chhole and mix well
• Add this mixture to the pressure cooker (add water if the gravy is less) and pressure cook on medium low flame for 1 whistle. Don't be in a hurry to open the pressure cooker, rather let the pressure release on its own.
• Open the pressure cooker and mix well one last time. Remove to a serving bowl and garnish with cilantro

Serving suggestion:

Chhole is traditionally served with bhature; I however prefer the whole wheat paratha :-)

Enjoy!!

Baingan Ka Salan

Baingan ka Salan - I was introduced to this heavenly dish by a friend of mine.. It has this amazing nutty tangy flavor to it (you'll know when you taste it).. It is very easy to cook and here is how :-)

Ingredients:

• 6-7 Indian Baby Eggplant 
• ¹/₄cup oil (to cook the eggplant)
• 2 large onions
• 1¹/₂ tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp ginger paste 
• 1¹/₂ tsp crushed green chillies (I use Serrano pepper) - adjust to the level of heat you prefer in your food 
• ¹/₃ cup sesame seeds (roasted)
• ¹/₃ cup + 1 tbsp - peanuts (roasted)
• ¹/₂ cup grated coconut
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1¹/₂ cup tomato purée 
• ¹/₂ cup oil (to cook the gravy) 
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• ¹/₄ tsp fenugreek seeds
• Pinch of asafoetida 
• ¹/₂ tsp turmeric powder 
• 1¹/₂ tsp red chilli powder (adjust to your taste)
• 1 tsp tamarind extract dissolved in 1¹/₂ cups of water
• Salt - to taste

Garnishing:

• 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

Above - Eggplants wrapped in aluminum foil

Above - The different purées used in this recipe

Method:

• First of all we will prep our eggplants. Preheat the oven to 325F. Wash the eggplants and dry them thoroughly. Keep their crowns attached; coat eggplants with a thin layer of oil and wrap each individually with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the oven for approx. 10 minutes.
• Let them cool down a bit (enough for you to handle them) and then remove the aluminum foil.
• Add the oil to a skillet and once hot, add the eggplants and cook them on a medium-low flame for about 5 minutes.
• In a food processor/blender, add the roasted sesame seeds, peanuts and fennel seeds and make a fine paste. To this, add the grated coconut and process again. Set the paste aside.
• Purée the onion, Serrano pepper, ginger & garlic and set aside.
• In a saucepan, add the oil; once the oil is hot, add cumin, mustard & fenugreek seeds and when they crackle, add the asafoetida and the prepared onion purée. Stir and let it cook covered for 3-5 minutes or until the onion changes color (this is to get the rawness of onion out before we proceed to the next step).
• Now add the tomato purée, stir and let it cook covered for another 8-10 minutes (till you see the oil separate from the side.
• Now stir in the sesame, peanut, coconut paste, spices and the tamarind water. Let it simmer on low for 15-20 minutes (add more water if you like the consistency of the gravy thinner).
• Garnish with the cilantro and serve!

Serving Suggestions:

The baingan ka salan can be served and relished with Roti and/or Rice
Enjoy!

Veg. Fried Rice (Indo-Chinese Recipe)

This is an Indo-Chinese fusion recipe which is very quick and super easy to make

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice (uncooked) - 1 cup
• Water - 2 cups
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Carrots diced into small cubes - ¹/₃ cup
• Green onion (the white bulb) diced into small cubes - ¹/₃ cup
• Green beans cut diagonally - ¹/₃ cup
• Green onion (the greens) cut diagonally - ¹/₄ cup
• Garlic minced - 1 ¹/₂ tsp
• Ginger minced - ³/₄ tsp
• Serrano pepper finely chopped - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Soy sauce - ¹/₂ tsp
• Chilli sauce - 1 tsp
• White vinegar - 1 ¹/₂ tsp
• Salt to taste
• Garnishing
• Green onion greens - 1 tbsp

Method:

• To cook the rice
• Wash & soak the rice for about 30 min
• In a pan add the rice, water, oil and salt; cook on a medium flame for about 10-15 min. (until they are 90% done)
• Drain excess water and set aside
•  In a big pan/wok, heat oil on high flame. The Indo-Chinese cuisine is usually cooked on high flame (begin to end).
• Add garlic, ginger & Serrano pepper and stir for half a minute.
• Add in carrots, green beans and green onion (whites) stirring periodically for 4-5 min.
• Season it with salt.
• Add the green onion (greens), cooked rice, soy sauce, chilli sauce and white vinegar; stir together and cook for a minute.
• Garnish with the reserved green onion greens
• Enjoy!!

Serving Suggstions:
Veg. fried rice is popularly served with veg. manchurian with gravy (recipe coming shortly!)

Spinach Soup

Spinach soup is a very healthy soup that is quick and easy to cook and tastes delicious too. I am sure even people not very fond of spinach would enjoy this.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups roughly chopped spinach
• 1 cup roughly chopped onion
• ¹/₄ cup moong dal (preferably soaked for about an hour)
• ³/₄ tsp chopped garlic
• ³/₄ tsp grated ginger
• 4-5 cups of water
• 1 tsp oil
• ¹/₂ cup milk
• Salt & Pepper to taste
•  For garnishing:
• ¹/₂ cup paneer (cut into small cubes)

Method:

• In a saucepan, heat the oil and add the onion, ginger and garlic. Sauté on medium high heat until the onion turn translucent.
• In a pressure cooker, add the onion mixture from the saucepan, moong dal, spinach and half of the water; season with salt and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
• Once the steam has escaped, open the cooker and pureé the mixture in a blender.
• Add the remaining water and season with ground black pepper and cook for a 1-2 minutes.
• Add milk and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
• Garnishing:
• On a nonstick pan, spray some cooking spray and cook the paneer cubes. 
• Stir continuously so that the paneer cubes are not burnt. I have found that this is the best way to roast the paneer using minimum oil.
• Add the paneer to the soup while serving

Serving suggestions:

Serve with bread-sticks (for healthier version, choose whole wheat bread-sticks)
 
Enjoy!

Gujarati Kadhi

Gujarati Kadhi is a very light gravy-based sweet n sour dish popularly served with Khichadi

Ingredients:

• ¹/₃ cup yogurt (curd/dahi)
• 1¹/₃ cup water
• 5 tsp besan (chickpea flour)
• ¹/₂ tsp grated ginger
• ³/₄ tsp finely chopped serrano pepper 
• 1 tsp ghee/butter
• ¹/₂ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 6-8 curry leaves
• ¹/₄ tsp asafoetida (hing)
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt to taste
• 3 whole cloves
• 3-4 small pieces of cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp cilantro

Method:

• In a medium saucepan, whisk together the yogurt and water. 
• Add the besan and whisk again - ensure no lumps remain
• Add ginger, serrano pepper, sugar and salt; set it aside.
• In a tadka-pan, at a medium heat, add the ghee (or butter) and cumin seeds; wait until they crack. While the cumin seeds are cracking, add the cloves and cinnamon stick pieces. This will help your cloves crack as well before you add the tadka to the yogurt mixture.
• Switch off the heat and add  curry leaves and asafoetida; add this tadka immediately to the prepared yogurt mixture.
• Cook the mixture on a medium-high heat for a few minutes. Take the pan off the heat when the mixture comes to a boil. Cover with a lid.
• After a couple of minutes, mix in the cilantro and cover the lid back again.

Serving Suggestions:

Kadhi is traditionally served with Khichadi
Can also be served with rice/roti/pulav/etc.

Enjoy!

Cooked Moong Sprouts

Cooked moong sprouts is a very quick and healthy recipe that can be eaten as breakfast/side dish

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sprouted moong
• 1 cup water
• ¹/₂ tsp oil
• ¹/₂ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp finely chopped serrano pepper (~1 medium serrano pepper)
• ¹/₈ tsp asafetida (hing)
• ¹/₄ tsp turmeric (haldi)
• Salt to taste
• ¹/₂ tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp chopped cilantro for garnishing

Method:

• In a pan, add oil, cumin seeds and cook on medium high heat until the cumin seeds crack; reduce the heat to low and add asafetida, ginger garlic paste and serrano pepper, mix together
• Add the sprouted moong and water. Mix together and increase the heat to medium high and cook covered for about 5-7 minutes stirring intermittently. You need to cook until your sprouts are tender. If they are not cooked, and all the water has evaporated, add some more water and continue to cook them covered. If your sprouts have cooked and you still have surplus water in the pan, remove the lid and cook on high heat to allow the water to evaporate quickly. 
• Switch off the heat and add the lime juice and cilantro. Mix well.

Serving Suggestions:

If serving for breakfast, it goes well with Khakhra
If serving as a side dish, can be served with any curry+roti combination

Enjoy!!

Lentil Spinach Soup (दाल पालक सूप)

Lentil Spinach Soup is super easy and incredibly healthy soup... Just try it once, you'll sink into the amazingness, I promise!!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion (~ ¹/₃ cup) sliced onions
• 1¹/₂ tsp (3-4 cloves) roughly minced garlic
• 1 tsp roughly minced ginger
• 3 medium tomatoes (~2¹/₂ cups) roughly chopped
• ³/₄ cup soaked lentils (masoor dal)
• 2 cup water - to be added for pressure cook
• 1 cup water - to be added later
• ²/₃ cup milk
• 1¹/₃ cup chopped spinach
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 2 tsp red chilli powder (depending on your preference)
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• ¹/₂ tsp olive oil (you can substitute other oil if necessary)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• Salt to taste

Method:

• In a pressure cooker, add the oil, ginger, garlic and onion and saute for ~2 minutes
• Add the soaked lentils, tomatoes and water; pressure cook for ~ 4 whistles (you probably will need to adjust the number of whistles depending on your cooker)
• Once the cooker has cooled down, puree it in a blender
• I did not strain it to retain the fiber content and believe me since it has cooked so well, you will not feel any fiber while eating!
• Now, take the puree out in a large pan, add spinach, cilantro, red chilli powder, ground black pepper, ground cumin and salt. Mix well and heat over medium high heat for a minute.
• Add milk (you don't need to use cream... I used 2% fat milk) and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
• Serve hot..!

Serving suggestions:

• Serve with breadsticks/toast

Enjoy!!

Instant Khaman

Khaman is a quick and easy healthy Gujarati (the western state of India) dish which can be served as an appetizer or as a side dish to the main course.

Ingredients:

• ¹/₂ cup Besan (chickpea flour)
• ³/₄ tbsp Semolina/Sooji/Rawa
• ¹/₄ tsp Citric acid (nimbu ka phool)
• ³/₄ tbsp Sugar
• ¹/₂ tsp Salt
• 1 tbsp Oil
• ¹/₂ cup Water
• 1 tsp Ginger+green chilli (I use serrano pepper) paste
• ¹/₈ tsp Haldi (turmeric powder)
• ³/₄ tsp Fruit salt (I use eno-lemon flavor; you can get this at any Indian grocery stores)
• For the glaze:
• ¹/₂ tsp Sesame seeds
• ¹/₂ tsp Mustard seeds
• 1¹/₂ tsp Oil
• ¹/₃ cup Water
• 1 Serrano pepper - cut horizontally into ¹/₂ inch thick pieces
• Finely chopped cilantro
• Grated coconut

Method:

• This recipe requires to be steam-cooked. Now, those of you who are not familiar with steam-cooking, it is a process of cooking with the heat from the steam wherein the food being cooked gets direct contact of ONLY the steam and not the boiling water. This is very important. To know more about this process, this article in wikipedia gives a decent description. Now, if you don't have a steam-cooker like I do, there is no need to worry, we can always improvise! What you'd basically need is a big pot with a lid, a plate with at least 1/2 inch wall (something like this) that is smaller in diameter than the pot so that it can be placed into the pot and a steamer rack like this one or a bowl of sorts which will elevate the plate above the boiling water so that the bottom of the plate comes in contact only with the steam. I have always used all stainless-steel utensils for the steamer so I wouldn't be able to vouch for other materials like glass/bamboo... But if you do, please leave me the details in a comment below!  
• Please note, my ingredients are for a plate that is 6¹/₂ inches in diameter and about ¹/₂ an inch deep; so if the size of your plate varies drastically, alter the quantities proportionately!
• In your pot, place the steamer rack with enough water so that it stays below the level of your steamer rack. Put this pot on high heat and make sure to cover it
• In a bowl, mix besan, sooji, nimbu ka phool, sugar and salt together (sift the besan if it has lumps)
• Add oil & water and whisk it until you get smooth consistency (make sure you don't have any lumps in the mixture)
• Stir in the ginger+green chilli paste and haldi
• Spray your plate with some non-stick cooking spray or just coat it with a few drops of oil
• Once your water has started to boil, add the fruit salt to your mixture and mix well. You will notice that the mixture rises.
• Pour the mixture in your plate and place it in the pot. Be careful not to get burnt by the steam.. Reduce the heat while placing the plate in your pot, cover the lid and increase the heat back to high again
• Cook for 10-12 minutes. To check, you can reduce the heat, remove the lid (ensure you don't tilt the lid while removing or else you'll have water droplets in your khaman!) and insert a knife in the middle of the khaman. If it comes out clean, your khaman has cooked completely. Take the plate out of the pot.
• For the glaze:
• In a small saucepan, heat the sesame seeds until they crack; take them out into a bowl
• In the same saucepan, heat the mustard seeds until they crack; take them out in a bowl
• Again, in the same saucepan, heat the oil. Once the oil is hot, turn off the heat and add water and serrano pepper
• Cut the khaman in the plate horizontally and vertically to form square pieces of your desired size (I prefer them to be of 1 to 1¹/₂ inch in length)
• Sprinkle the cracked sesame and mustard seeds. Using a spoon or a shallow ladle, pour the oil+pepper+water combination to cover all the pieces 
• Garnish with cilantro and grated coconut
• To remove the khaman pieces from the plate, use a stainless steel spatula and insert it where you've formed cuts and push it forward so you have a few pieces on your spatula. Once you've removed the first couple of pieces, it is fairly simple to remove the others; follow the same process

Serving suggestion:

Serve with cilantro peanut dip

Enjoy!!

Cilantro Peanut Dip (Dhaniya Chutney)

Cilantro peanut dip (known as chutney in Hindi) is the best dip/spread you'll ever taste... I guarantee you that... just give it a try!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro (hara dhaniya) - including stems is ok... rather it is encouraged!
• 2 tbsp roughly crushed peanuts
• 1½ tsp minced serrano pepper
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ large lime's juice (you can increase/decrease this per your liking... my advise would be to start with less quantity and add more as necessary)
• 1½ tsp sugar
• Salt to taste
• 1-2 tsp water (optional) - this is just to help the pureeing process 

Method:

• Add the cilantro, peanuts, serrano pepper, ginger & garlic to a food processor and puree together using water if necessary

• Once you get this into a paste-like consistency (you should continue until you don't see any cilantro leaves/stem in its original form), add in the lime juice, sugar, salt and mix them together

Serving suggestions:

This is a great healthy recipe that can be used as a spread on bread/english muffins/etc or as a dip with tortilla chips... Serve it with anything that suits your fancy! :)