Bhavra

I am going to post three 'chickpea flour / besan' based recipes this week and the first one is bhavra. Bhavra is a delicious chickpea flour / besan based snack from Bihar region and were a part of the Bihari thaali I posted last month. I came across this dish when I was randomly looking for regional snacks from that state and unfortunately that recipe link is no longer available online. Bhavra do not fall under the pakora / bhajiya category though a similar kind of chickpea flour based batter is used in the preparation of these tasty fritters. 

A batter of pourable consistency is prepared that includes black chickpeas as well. A ladleful of batter is poured into the hot oil and then shallow fried until it is golden brown. There is another variation that is prepared using fresh peas. These yummy bhavra can be a part of a festive meal or they make a perfect evening snack. They don't need an accompaniment to go with but can be served with some ketchup / chutney if desired.

Ingredients: (Yield 4 bhawra)
1/4 cup black chickpeas / kala chana, soaked overnight 
1/2 cup chickpea flour / gram flour / besan
2 heaped tsp. semolina / sooji (Rice flour is added traditionally.)
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder / haldi
1/2 tsp. carom seeds / ajwain 
2 tbsp. finely minced cilantro / dhaniye ke patte
1 tsp. grated or finely chopped ginger / adrak 
2 or 3 finely chopped green chillies / hari mirchi
1 small onion / pyaaz, grated or finely chopped
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

Method:
* Add all ingredients except oil to a bowl and mix to combine. 

* Add hot water as needed and form a batter with a consistency similar to almost a dosa batter. (I added about 6 tbsp. of hot water.)

* Heat oil in a pan on medium heat, for shallow frying. Pour a tiny drop of batter into hot oil and check whether it quickly swims to the surface. If it does, the oil is hot enough to fry. If not, heat the oil some more but do not bring it to a smoking point.
* Pour a ladleful of batter carefully into the hot oil. Pour the hot oil (in the pan) over the surface of the batter with a slotted spoon once or twice. Lower the heat slightly but do not go to the lowest setting as the oil needs to be hot while frying.

* When the bottom side turns brown, flip and cook until the other side turns golden brown as well.

* Remove the fried bhawra with a slotted spoon, draining as much oil as possible and transfer onto a plate covered with paper towels. Repeat the steps with the remaining batter.
* Serve them warm as it is or with ketchup or a chutney if desired. 

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Senagapindi Gutti Vankaya Koora / Eggplants Stuffed With Chickpea Flour

Stuffed vegetable preparations are relished across India and some vegetables like eggplants, bitter gourds and capsicum are the preferred choices when it comes to these kind of dishes. Today's version is for eggplant lovers. Stuffed eggplant preparations are called gutti vankaya koora in the states of Andhra and Telangana. A gutti literally means a bouquet, vankaya being eggplant and koora is curry / subzi in Telugu language. The 'tti' sound in the word gutti is pronounced as 'thi' as in 'thick' with a stress. The 'vanka' in vankaya rhymes with lanka as in Sri Lanka. Gutti vankaya koora comes both in dry and gravy versions. A typical dry version is prepared in the way I have given below but there are several stuffing choices one can choose from, making this curry a versatile one. 

Also some versions use up all the stuffing mixture to stuff into eggplants with no extra powder left unlike my version. In that case, the eggplants may need a little sprinkling of salt at the end. I added about a tsp. of super spicy chilli powder in the recipe which is perfect for people like my husband who eat very spicy food. People who prefer it to be less spicy need to adjust the quantity as needed. The extra stuffing mixture added to the curry at the final stages makes the curry delicious and keeps it on a spicier side.

My mother's kitchen is a onion - garlic free zone and so, she prepares dry gutti vankaya versions or simple eggplant curries throwing in curry leaves and coconut, the typical south Indian way. Today's version used to be a common preparation in my both grand mothers' kitchens and still is a regular one in my mother's and aunt's places. It is by far the simplest preparation I have seen when it comes to preparing the stuffing - no toasting, no grinding and no cooking involved. You just mix chickpea flour / senagapindi, salt and chili powder and use it as a stuffing. My mother follows her mother and uses an iron kadai / wok to prepare curries like these and so at the final stages, the left over stuffing mixture is fried to the point where it looks like it got accidentally burnt. My mother was telling me that she prepares it so since she grew up enjoying the curry made that way by her mother. The powder looks  black though it doesn't taste like burnt powder. We used to relish that powder alone with some hot rice and ghee when we were kids. My paternal grand mother used to fry it only until it turned reddish like I did. Apart from what color the remaining stuffing mixture is fried to, the recipe is same in both my mother and father's side of the families. Even little kids who cannot eat the stuffed eggplants can enjoy the fried stuffing mixture alone with rice and ghee.

Ingredients:
4 small sized eggplants
2 Tbsp. oil 
Ingredients for stuffing:
1/4 cup chickpea flour / senagapindi
Salt to taste
1/2 to 3/4 tsp. spicy variety chili powder (or to taste)
1 tbsp. oil (optional)

Method:
* Sieve chickpea flour into a bowl and add the remaining stuffing ingredients. Mix well to combine.
* Wash eggplants and wipe them dry. I haven't removed the stalks here but they can be cut off if preferred. Keeping the base (the stalk side) intact, make two cuts in each eggplant vertically from the opposite side, making a + shape. In case the stalks are removed, make the  '+' cut from that side. Fill them with the chickpea flour mixture as shown. You can fill as much as the eggplants can hold without spilling. If the filling gets spilled over the surface of the eggplant, wipe it clean.

* Heat a pan and add oil. Drop the eggplants carefully. Rotate each eggplant in the oil holding the stalk so that they are coated well with oil.

* Lower the flame, cover and let it cook until all the eggplants are done. Keep rotating the eggplants in between for uniform cooking. By this time, the eggplants loose their color and are tender to touch. Sprinkle a little salt over eggplants only if needed.

* When they are done, transfer the eggplants onto a plate. Add the remaining stuffing mixture and cook on low medium flame. The little oil present in the pan would be enough to fry the mixture and in case, one can add a tsp. extra if preferred. This powder when fried should be on a dry side. 

* Keep stirring until it starts to change the color, about 5 minutes or so. 

* Add the eggplants back to the pan and gently mix.

* Remove and serve one or two eggplants along with the chickpea flour mixture in each plate, with warm rice and ghee.


This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon #105 under 'Stuffed Dishes - Vegetables' theme. Check what other marathoners are cooking, clicking at the link.

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Khandvi (Pressure Cooker Method)

So far in the series,

First week - Sweets
Malaadu / Hurigadale Unde
Dry Gulab Jamun
Coconut Burfi / Kobbari Mithai
Almond Halwa / Badam Halwa
Elaneer Payasam
Godhuma Sojjappalu

Second week - Snacks from Gujarat
Damni Dhokla
Doodhi Muthia / Lauki Muthia
Dal Pandoli

Sev Khamani

Methi Khakhra

Here is my final dish of the week, another steamed delicacy from Gujarat. Khandvi - the chick pea flour and yogurt based snack that is popular in Gujarat and Maharasthra as well. The chickpea flour and butter milk mixture flavored with chili and ginger is cooked, continuously stirring until it thickens and spread on a greased plate, allowed to cool a bit and cut into strips and then rolled. It is then tempered and garnished with coconut and cilantro. Cooking khandvi for a beginner using this traditional method is quite tricky, especially when one doesn't know when to stop cooking the chickpea flour based paste. That's when this pressure cooker method khandvi comes handy.

I tried making khandvi twice for the ICC event a few years ago in the traditional way and promptly trashed the stuff thinking that I overcooked it. It is hard to understand the required consistency while cooking the chickpea flour paste in the khandvi preparation when one doesn't have any reference point. If you have never seen the preparation, it becomes even harder to imagine the soft paste becoming pliable enough to cut into non sticky rolls. The instructions like 'Cook the paste until glossy' or 'Stir until the paste is cooked' are just that, instructions. Instructions that aren't helpful for those who are trying the dish for the first time. When I look back now, I realize that probably I cooked the mixture to the correct consistency but didn't figure it out then. 

I came across the concept of pressure cooking the paste in a khandvi preparation instead of keeping stirring in a pan when I was searching for steamed Gujarati snacks. I must admit even the first attempt of pressure cooker khandvi ended up being a disaster. I followed a version which used less liquid and it kind of ended up being an under cooked dhokla without any sponginess. This version ended up being perfect though I have seen some versions using flour and liquid in the ratio 1:3. The pressure cooker method is an easy, fail-proof way to make khandvi.

I prepared a small batch of khandvi for the first time when I captured these images. I could do better khandvi the second time but was lazy to photograph them. Also it is hard to take the images in the middle of spreading the khandvi. The mixture thickens very quickly and once it thickens, it is hard to spread. One needs to be quick for this reason. Also more than one thaali / steel plate or a baking sheet is needed to spread this quantity of khandvi. Or one can use both sides of a thali / baking sheet.

Ingredients for khandvi:
1 cup sour yogurt + 1 cup water or 2 cups butterrmilk
1 cup chickpea flour / besan
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp. green chili paste
1 tsp. grated ginger / ginger paste
Ingredients for tempering:
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
 2 red chillies, broken into pieces
few curry leaves
Ingredients for garnish:
Minced cilantro 
Shredded fresh coconut

Directions:
* Sieve chickpea flour. Blend yogurt and water together. Grease two wide plates or a large baking sheet on both sides and keep aside.
* Combine flour, turmeric, salt, chili and ginger paste in a bowl.

* Next add yogurt and water mixture to the bowl and mix well taking care that they are no lumps. 

* The consistency of the mixture is thinner than the bajji batter as shown below.

* Pressure cook the mixture for 3 whistles. Remove the cooker lid once the valve pressure cools down. Whisk the cooked dough well.

* Put the mixture quickly on the greased plate and spread as thinly as possible and quickly using a spatula. 

*  These pictures were taken when I cooked a small quantity but the mixture still got thickened as I was trying to take pictures. I made these one more time and could make good khandvi but there wasn't enough light to capture them.

* Allow it cool slightly and cut them lengthwise, 2 inches apart. Starting from one end, roll each piece tightly.

* Heat oil in a small pan add mustard seeds. When they start to crackle, add curry leaves and chillies and turn off the stove. Pour this tempering over khandvi.
* Garnish with minced cilantro and coconut before serving. This snack can be served both warm and cold. 

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#104.

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Sev Khamani

So far in the series,

First week - Sweets
Malaadu / Hurigadale Unde
Dry Gulab Jamun
Coconut Burfi / Kobbari Mithai
Almond Halwa / Badam Halwa
Elaneer Payasam
Godhuma Sojjappalu

Second week - Snacks from Gujarat
Damni Dhokla
Doodhi Muthia / Lauki Muthia
Dal Pandoli

Today's snack is another steamed delicacy from Gujarat called sev khamani. This dish uses either freshly made or left over khaman, which are savory, steamed cakes that can be eaten either as a snack or a light meal. This dish is eggless, vegan and gluten free if semolina and asafoetida are left out. These khaman can be made using freshly ground chana dal (split chick peas) batter or besan aka chickpea flour. If using chana dal, it is soaked ahead for about 3 hours, ground adding green chillies, ginger, garlic, etc and then the batter steamed. The steamed block is then crumbled and passed through a sieve to get a mixture with a consistency resembling semolina. It is then tempered, slightly moistened adding water and topped with ingredients like sev, cilantro and other stuff.

The chickpea flour version is an instant one which cuts down the time since it needs no soaking and grinding. I made the version in the microwave which further cuts down the cooking time and makes it a quick fix snack. Khaman could be done under 10 minutes including prep work for one cup of chickpea flour used in the recipe. I usually use this recipe and it can be used here and cooked in two batches instead of the recipe below. I make dhoklas regularly at home but this caught my husband's fancy and I have been been requested to repeat this recipe regularly. Of course he adds everything he finds in the box of spice powders and makes it his own dish at the end.

This recipe has been on my to do list for years but somehow never got made. This time I didn't even bother when I couldn't procure good colored pomegranate arils and went ahead. They ended up being sweet and juicy in spite of their dismal look and made a very delicious topping for this sev khamani. In fact, they were the star of this sev khamani. Use pomegranate and sev in generous portions. Garlic is another interesting addition to this sev khamani which can be added either as a paste to the batter or minced and fried in the tempering.  

I noticed online that the topping can be done in two ways and did both. The common toppings used are coconut, cilantro, sev and pomegranate arils. A street food video showed that the crumbled khaman is moistened with water to almost a lumpy consistency like a moist upma, and then topped with a fried green chili, sev, cilantro and minced onion. I liked this sev khamani without onion somehow,

Ingredients for khaman:
1 cup chick pea flour / besan
2 tbsp. semolina
1 tsp. sugar
Salt to taste
2 pinches of asafoetida
1 tbsp. green chili paste (Adjust as needed)
1.5 tsp. garlic paste
1 tsp. ginger paste
1 tsp. oil
1 tsp. lemon juice
3/4 cup water (1 or 2 tbsp. less)
1 tsp. Eno's fruit salt

Ingredients for tempering: (Version 1)
1.5 tbsp. oil
1/2 tbsp. mustard seeds
1 or 2 green chillies, finely chopped
2 pinches of asafoetida powder
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
2 tbsp. water
1/2 cup nylon sev
1/2 cup pomegranate arils
Minced cilantro to garnish
Fresh, grated coconut (optional)
Lemon juice

Ingredients for tempering: (Version 2)
1.5 tbsp. oil
3 /4 green chillies
1/2 tbsp. mustard seeds
2 pinches of asafoetida powder
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
2 tbsp. water or more
1/2 cup nylon sev
Minced cilantro to garnish
Minced onion to garnish


Directions:
* Grease a microwave safe bowl.
* Combine all the ingredients under 'khaman' list in a mixing bowl except water and fruit salt. Add 1/2 cup water initially and then in slow increments, add about 2 to 3 tbsp. water. Make a medium consistency batter and transfer to the microwave safe bowl.

* Add fruit salt and sprinkle a tsp. of water over it. 

* Mix the batter well and cover with a microwave safe lid. 

* Place it in the microwave and cook until a tooth pick / knife inserted at the center comes out clean, about 5 - 7 minutes depending upon the strength of microwave.

* Let the mixture cool down and then crumble it using fingers, breaking any tiny lumps present.

Tempering for version 1:
* Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they start to crackle, add green chillies and saute them for few seconds. Then add asafoetida, turmeric and mix. Immediately add the crumbled khaman and sprinkle about 2 tbsp. of water. Mix well and cook for a minute or two.

* Divide the mixture into 2 or 3 serving bowls. Top with sev, cilantro, coconut and pomegranate arils. Squeeze lemon juice over and serve immediately.

Tempering for version 2:
* Heat oil in a pan and add green chillies. Saute them, remove and keep aside. To the same oil, add mustard seeds. When they start to crackle, add asafoetida, turmeric and mix. Immediately add the crumbled khaman and sprinkle about 2 tbsp. of water. (More water can be added if preferred.) Mix well and cook for a minute or two.
* Divide the mixture into 2 or 3 serving bowls. Top with fried green chili, sev, cilantro, and onion. Sprinkle some lemon juice and serve immediately.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#104.

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A - Z Indian Street Foods ~ F For Fulwadi

I pinned my hopes on the early spring weather that I would get at least a day or two suitable to enjoy a cold dessert so that I would have my “F’ post covered. I waited and waited until the last moment only to be left disappointed. The weather in my neck of the woods played a spoilsport and instead I ended up with 2 snowfalls this past week and temperature falling down to 20’s (F). And it was ‘grab a cup of tea with a warm snack’ kind of weather rather than the ‘sit and enjoy falooda’ kind.

And so, this fulavdi happened. Fulvadi is a fried snack from the Gujarat region that also happens to be a popular street food. It is made with coarse chickpea flour to get the right crunchiness for this snack. It is medium spicy in terms of heat and flavor filled one. This can be stored longer and so can be carried as travel food as well. (I accidentally  fried them longer to a darker shade but there is no need to get the color of my fulvadi. Frying can be stopped before reaching that point.)

Recipe Source: Tarla Dalal

Ingredients:

3/4 cup coarse chickpea flour / besan

1/2 tsp. coarsely crushed corander seeds

1/2 tsp. coarsely crushed fennel seeds / saunf

1/2 tsp. carom seeds / ajwain seeds

1 tsp. white sesame seeds

1/8 tsp. turmeric powder

1/2 tsp. red chili powder

Salt to taste

1 tbsp. yogurt

1 tbsp. hot oil

Oil to fry

Method: 
* Combine everything except the oil used to fry in a bowl and mix. Add a tsp. or more water if needed to form a firm dough. The dough tends to be sticky and grease your palms if needed.

* Let the dough rest for about 15 minutes. 
* Heat the oil on medium flame in a frying pan until it is hot but don’t allow it to smoke. 
* Meanwhile, grease your palms well and divide the dough into about 25 portions. Roll each portion into a one inch log. Keep greasing your palms whenever needed while shaping the logs.
 
* Gently slide the dough logs from the side of the frying pan. 

* Reduce the flame to low setting and fry them until golden brown, flipping a few times in between.
* Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent towels. 
* Store them in an airtight container when they once cool down. 

So far, on this series,
A for Aloo Kabli
B for Bajra Vada
C for Chooda Matar
D for Dahi Batata Puri
E for Elaichi - Kesar Lassi

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 87

An InLinkz Link-up

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Punjabi Mini Thali ~ Jeera Rice & Punjabi Style Kadhi

My 'thaali' of the day comes from Punjab, a northern state of India. People who have tasted Indian food in any restaurant, especially in the western world can be automatically assumed to have tasted Punjabi food. The North Indian cuisine especially served in these restaurants is basically the delicious, calorie laden Punjabi food. The famous tandoor breads like naans, kulchas and parathas, the stuffed breads come from the region as are the paneer (Indian cheese) based side dishes. And of course the region can also boast about their mouthwatering side dishes like rajma, chole, dal makhnis which are equally popular in the other parts of  the country. And the scrumptious carrot halwa, the ultimate dessert of the bollywood movies also is a gift from the region to the Indian subcontinent.
 
My today's thaali consists of the following items and I had tried to cut down calories wherever I can though traditionally it is not done so. I baked the samosas instead of deep frying, prepared a microwave version of gajar ka halwa using skim milk, didn't use butter in dal and made rotis using a little oil. I wanted to try the famous combo of 'makki  di roti and sarson da saag' but wasn't sure how it would be received at home and decided to stick with roti, dal and palak paneer instead. I am posting recipes for jeera rice and Punjabi style kadhi today.

Baked mini Punjabi Samosa
Mithi chutney / Sweet chutneyJeera rice / Cumin flavored rice
Roti (Wheat flour based flat bread)
Achaar (Mango pickle)
Dhaabay di dal  (Mixture of lentils cooked in a spicy base)
Punjabi Kadhi (Spicy chickpea flour & yogurt based gravy)
Palak Paneer 
Gajar ka halwa
Onions and chillies on the side
Salted lassi

Ingredients for jeera rice:
1 cup Basmati rice
1 tbsp. ghee
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 small bay leaf
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 or 2 cardamom pods
Salt to taste
Method:
* Rinse and soak rice in water for 10 to 15 minutes and drain. 
* Heat a tbsp. ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cardamom. When cumin starts to brown, add rice and saute for a minute. 
* At this point, the rice can be continued to cook in the pan or pressure cooked. 
Add 2 cups water and salt to the pan and bring it to a boil. Cover and cook on low flame until the rice grains appear cooked and fluffy. Don't be tempted to stir in between.
Or transfer the mixture to a container to place in a pressure cooker or directly to a small pressure cooker. Add 1&1/2 cups water and salt to it and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
 
Ingredients for tadka / tempering: 
1 - 2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek/methi seeds
1 or 2 small dried, red chillies, broken into bits
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. ginger paste / minced ginger
2 pinches of asafoetida

Ingredients for the Punjabi kadhi:
2 small onions, thinly sliced lengthwise or chopped
1 cup sour yogurt
1/3 cup besan / chickpea flour
Salt to taste
Red chili powder to taste
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
About 2 & 1/2 cups water or as needed
1/4 tsp each garam masala or as per tasteMaking kadhi:
* Heat the oil in pan and add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, bay leaf and red chillies. When cumin starts to brown, add ginger and saute for few seconds. Next add asafoetida and onion and fry on low flame until the onion turns translucent.
* Mean while churn / beat the yogurt to get a uniform consistency. Sieve the besan. (Sieving beforehand helps in preventing the besan forming lumps when added to the yogurt.) Add the yogurt to the besan and mix well. Pass the yogurt - besan mixture through a sieve again to avoid any lumps if present. (I take this extra measure to avoid the trouble of lumps in the kadhi mixture later.)
* Add this yogurt mixture, chili powder, turmeric powder and salt to the fried onions. Also add about 2&1/2 to 3 cups of water to it. Cook on low heat for about 15 - 20 minutes till it thickens. Stir now and then. In between, the heat can be increased once or twice for a minute or so to quicken the cooking process. Add garam masala and amchur too if preferred to the kadhi. Cook for a couple of minutes more. Turn off the stove.
Kadhi further thickens after sitting for a while and so prepare the kadhi a little thinner than you like.
 

This goes to Blogging marathon #70, under the theme 'Thaali Recipes'. Check here to find out what the other marathoners are cooking as part of the BM.

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