Besan Doodh ~ A Punjabi Milk and Chickpea Flour Based Drink

I came across a 'besan doodh' recipe a few years ago and I have been itching to try it ever since. Somehow, I kept postponing  it though the preparation is quite a simple one and finally yesterday I decided to try it before the winter is gone for good. As the name suggests, besan doodh is a chickpea flour and milk based drink and a classic Punjabi winter warmer. It is usually served hot. This traditional drink is very healthy, especially for the kids and the elderly and also considered an effective home remedy for cold and coughs. Don't ask me how it is going to cure the cold but all the recipes I came across made it sound like a highly valued medicinal drink. I would more call it as one that pleases your palates and your guests'. 

Besan is toasted in ghee until it starts to smell nutty and then cooked in milk, thus creating the besan doodh aka besan sheera. Yes, it is not a typo. It sure seems to be also called as sheera though it is not cooked to halwa consistency. And dodhi and sudkaa seem to be other names of this drink. Adding nuts is optional but I found that throwing in some chopped nuts like almonds and pistachios to the drink makes it more yummier. Also I added turmeric in the mix for color and health benefit in place of saffron. 
 
Besan doodh is truly a delicious drink to try. It tasted almost similar to MTR badam mix drink or I should say even better without being all excessively sugary. It makes a great alternative to coffee and teas during winter and also a welcoming chilled drink during summers (or even winters), if you ask me. However if drinking chilled / serving guests, I would recommend to omit the ghee completely to toast the besan. The ghee solidifies when the milk is chilled and you feel like eating a layer of ghee along with each gulp of milk. Go ahead with the addition of ghee if you don't mind that feel. Otherwise the omission of ghee is not going to alter the taste though it may affect if drinking for medicinal value.

Ingredients: (Yield 2 servings)
1 - 2 tsp. ghee
1 heaped tbsp. chickpea flour / besan
2 tbsp. roughly chopped nuts (optional but recommended.)
2 cups of milk
Ground cardamom from one pod
Sugar to taste (I used stevia.)
A pinch of saffron strands (Optional. I didn't use it.)


Directions:
* Heat ghee in  preferably a non-stick pan and add chickpea flour. Toast it on low flame until it starts to brown and nutty aroma can be noticed. 
* Add a small quantity of milk and stir constantly to form a lump free roux. When you get a homogeneous mixture, add the remaining milk, any chopped nuts if using, cardamom, sugar, and saffron if using. I added a pinch of turmeric as well.
* Bring the mixture to a boil and lower the heat. Simmer the mixture for about 7 to 8 minutes until the milk is slightly thickened and the chickpea flour appears cooked. 
* Serve it warm. 

This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon #98 under 'Cooking for two' theme.



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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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Dhaabay Di Dal

Dhaabas, the roadside eateries serving Punjabi food is a common feature along the Indian highways. The traditional dhaabas mostly cater hearty food at a reasonable price to weary truck drivers and the others who are eager enough to try out their greasy offerings. I have not been adventurous enough to try out the food from a roadside shack but have tried to create some of their dishes in my kitchen albeit low cal versions. This dhaabay di dal which literally means a lentil preparation from dhaaba comes from a cookbook by Sanjeev Kapoor and have been tried in my kitchen many times over the years. This tasty and spicy dal is prepared using a mixture of three different kind of lentils and is a favorite of mine.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup kidney beans / rajma
1/4 cup whole black gram / sabut urad dal
2 to 4 tbsp. roasted split chickpeas / chana dal
2 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. ginger - garlic paste
1 small green chillie, chopped fine
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 tsp. cumin powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp. red chili powder
1 to 1.5 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. kasuri methi
Minced cilantro to garnish

Method:
* Soak all the beans overnight or for about 8 to 10 hours and pressure cook them softly adding sufficient water. Drain the water if preferred and lightly mash the dal with the back of the ladle.
* Heat oil in a pan and add ginger and garlic paste and saute until golden brown. Next add chillies and onion and fry until the onion start to brown. 
* Next add cumin and chili powders and stir. Add tomato pieces and cook until mushy. 
* Add the cooked dals, butter, salt, cilantro and extra water (to the desired consistency) to the pan and stir. Bring it to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about five minutes.

* Crush kasuri methi between your palms and sprinkle over the dal. Stir and turn off the stove.
* Serve hot with rotis / rice.

This goes to Blogging marathon #69, under the theme 'Bookmarked Recipes'. Check here to find out what the other marathoners are cooking as part of the BM.

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Baked Punjabi Samosa

 

Samosa is one of the popular and well loved snacks in India and this yummy appetizer has traveled far and wide as Middle East and African countries where the dish with mild variations have become an equally favored one. Samosas have a flaky, crispy shell made with all purpose flour and usually stuffed with a vegetarian filling, the potato-pea version being the most classic one. The traditional version involves deep frying which of course lends the samosa it's inviting flaky textured exterior. A baked version though lacks that classic feature, still tastes great and a good option for guilt-free snacking, especially if one is holding back from enjoying these yummy appetizers because of the deep frying.

Ingredients for the outer cover: (Yield 18 samosas)
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup semolina
1/2 tsp. carom seeds (optional)
3 to 4 tbsp. oil / ghee
Salt to taste
Milk to brush the samosas
Ingredients for the filling:
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. finely minced ginger / ginger paste
1 to 2 finely minced green chillies
1/2 cup fresh / frozen green peas
1/2 tsp. red chili powder or to taste
1 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. amchur powder / dried mango powder
2 cups peeled, cooked and mashed potatoes 
Salt to taste
1 to 2 tbsp. finely minced cilantro

Preparing the outer dough:
* Combine flour, semolina, carom seeds if using and salt in a mixing bowl. Next add ghee or oil to the oil and rub it in with your fingers to incorporate. Then add water in small increments and form a soft, pliable dough. ( I think I added around 5 - 6 tbsp. water.) Cover and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.

Preparing the stuffing:
* Heat oil in a saute pan and add cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle and change color, add ginger and chillies. Fry them for about 30 seconds and then add peas. Cook them for about a minute. Next add all the dry spices and saute for few seconds. Finally add potatoes, salt and cilantro and mix well to combine. Continue to cook on low flame for about a minute and turn off the stove. Let the mixture cool a little before using to stuff for samosas.

Assembling & baking the samosas:
* Preheat the oven to 400 deg F.
* Knead the dough prepared earlier and pinch into big marble sized balls. Work with one ball at a time and keep the rest covered. 
* Grease you palms and roll one ball between your palms. Using a rolling pin, roll it thinly into a circle of about 5 inches diameter.

* Cut the rolled out circle into two equal halves, running a knife at the center. Basically you will end up with two crescent shaped halves, each with one straight edge and one curved edge.
* Take one half now and brush with water along with edges. Starting from one end of the straight edge, fold in half.

 * Now again fold to form a cone.

* Seal the two edges carefully, (taking care that there are no gaps) so that stuffing wouldn't spill.

* Spoon the filling into prepared cone and seal the edges.

* Repeat the steps with the remaining dough.
 * Grease a foil lined baking sheet and place the prepared samosas on it. Brush them with milk on both sides. 
* Bake them for about 25 - 30 minutes or until they start turning golden brown.
* Remove them from the oven and serve immediately with green chutney / sweet chutney.
 This goes to Blogging marathon #59 under the theme 'Stuffed Dishes'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.
 
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Matar Paneer

I rarely cook paneer in my kitchen and that explains the shortage of paneer based recipes on my blog. North Indians may be having a hard time to believe it but paneer is one of those ingredients that no one at home is going to miss even if I don't cook it ever in our lives. My husband who seemed to be in love with paneer when we were newly weds  did a 180 degree turn by the time I acquired my own home and hearth and started cooking. He gives me 'been there, done that' look whenever I talk about paneer and prefers tofu instead. My daughter up until a year ago, wasn't even buying that 'paneer' is a variety of cheese. She literally calls it 'pan' 'eer' in her American accent. For her, the ones that don't melt into ooey gooey mess do not fall under the cheese category. With that much of support for paneer at home, I quit cooking paneer dishes after a while.

However recently things again took a 180 degree turn regarding paneer at home. This time with my daughter, in a good way. She has started to like paneer dishes after tasting it in our Haryanvi friend's home during our last India trip. She keeps reminiscing how good the matar paneer and dal makhni tasted in her home and surprisingly she has even started to choose paneer dishes when we dine out. And I am happily obliging her request for paneer dishes even at home.
  
The word 'matar' stands for peas in Hindi while the paneer is the acid-set, non melting, freshly made Indian variety cheese. Matar - Paneer is basically the peas and paneer being cooked in a spicy, tomato gravy. Matar paneer is one of those recipes which can make use of summer bounty of fresh peas and tomatoes along with some good quality panner for the fresh flavors to burst through. This north Indian delicacy  is so popular that it is an ubiquitous part of Indian restaurants' buffets across the globe. It can be an easy choice when throwing parties based on Indian food since it is simple and quick to put together besides being nutritious and tasty. I like to keep the recipe simple but the addition of cashew paste or rounding off the dish with a dollop of cream would make it richer and suitable when one has company.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. oil
1 cup paneer cubes
1 tsp. grated ginger / ginger paste
1 big or 2 medium sized onions, chopped
1 big sized tomato, chopped
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. cumin powder
1/2 tsp. coriander powder
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. red chili powder (The Kashmiri variety will add a nice color.)
Salt to taste
1/2 cup fresh / frozen peas / matar
1 tsp. kasuri methi, slightly crushed
Minced cilantro to garnish

Method:
* Heat a tbsp. oil in a pan and toast the paneer cubes until lightly golden through out and drain on paper towel. Keep the fried cubes aside until needed. (This step of shallow frying paneer is optional.)
* To the same oil, add grated ginger and fry until golden. Next add onion and fry until lightly golden. Then add tomatoes and cook until mush.
* Grind the onion-tomato mixture finely.
* Heat another tsp. oil to the pan and add cumin seeds. When they start to change shade, add the ground paste, turmeric and the remaining spice powders. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes.
* Next add peas, salt and about 2/3 cup water to the pan and stir. Let it simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes.
* Finally add the paneer cubes and crushed kasuri methi and simmer the mixture for another couple of minutes. Garnish with cilantro.
* Serve matar paneer warm with rotis / puris.
 
This goes to blogging marathon #57 under the theme 'Side Dishes' and check here to find out what other marathoners are cooking today.

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Aloo Paratha ~ Stuffed Potato Flat Bread

I realized that there is a dearth of stuffed parathas at my blog when I signed up for this week's theme of Indian Bread Basket. I haven't featured the most common, delicious and filling Punjabi stuffed breads yet in spite of making them at home now and then. Stuffed parathas can prove to be a nightmare to novice cooks who lack the experience and the technique to nail them. I had my share of woes regarding these in my early days of cooking, especially with the aloo parathas. The stuffing would come out from everywhere while rolling out the parathas and stick to the rolling pin and the board. I frustratingly would roll out rotis instead and grudgingly start cooking a side dish to go with it. Serving those tempting and piping hot parathas in my kitchen seemed like an elusive dream until I learnt the trick. My success rate with stuffed mooli parathas has been good and consistent all these years while with the potato filled ones, it has been a hit and miss situation until I chose to go with the  fool proof method of stuffing between two rolled out parathas and rolling it again.
 
I have provided both the methods of making the parathas but as I mentioned above, the second method is lot easier. And as usual, the spices that go into the stuffing can be omitted / altered according to one's preferences. However remember to keep it on a spicier side since it s used as a stuffing and if not kept spicier, the final parathas taste bland. The following measurements give about 10-12 parathas if stuffed directly (method 1) and about 6 parathas if stuffed between 2 parathas (method 2). 

Ingredients for the stuffing:
3 potatoes (about 1 & 1/2 cooked and mashed potato)
2 tbsp. finely minced cilantro
2 finely minced green chillies that are spicier or red chili powder to taste
1/2 tsp to 1 tsp each - amchur powder / dry mango powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and chaat masala 
Salt to taste

Ingredients for parathas:
2 cups whole wheat flour + extra for dusting
1 - 2 tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. salt
Oil/ghee to toast parathas

Preparing the stuffing:
* Peel and cube potatoes. Wash and drain them completely. Transfer them to a container that fits into a pressure cooker and cook them for up to 3 - 4 whistles. Do not add any water to cook them to ensure that potatoes don't turn soggy. Remove the potatoes after the valve pressure is gone and drain in a colander if any water is present. Cool and mash the potatoes very smooth so that there are not even tiny bit of lumps. Or you can refrigerate the potatoes before mashing, to use them up later.
(Or scrub the potatoes and cut them into big chunks and cook them in water in a sauce pan and mash them. Or microwave them until done.) 
* Add the rest of the ingredients mentioned under 'stuffing' to the mashed potatoes and mix well.

Preparation of dough:
* Combine wheat flour and 1/2 tsp salt in a mixing bowl. Add water in small increments and prepare a soft, pliable dough. (I added about 1 cup minus 2 tbsp. water.)
* Next add oil and knead the dough for a couple of minutes. Cover and allow it to rest anywhere between 30 minutes to a few hours.
(You can proceed with the below recipe to make parathas at this point or refrigerate it to use the dough within a day or two. If refrigerating, bring the dough to room temperature before rolling out the parathas. Or to quicken the process, cover the dough and put it in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for about 20 - 30 seconds depending upon the quantity. The refrigerated dough would be ready to work with, in a jiffy this way.)
* Divide the mixture into about 12 portions and roll them smoothly between your palms to shape them into balls.
 
* Work with one dough ball at a time and keep the rest covered. 

Rolling parathas: (Method 1)
* Roll a dough ball into 3 - 4 inch disc and place about 1 - 2 tbsp. of filling, depending upon how comfortable you are with the rolling
part. Place the stuffing at the center of the disc, leaving the edges free.
 
* Bring the edges together so that there are no gaps and the stuffing is inside intact.

* Press it into a disc taking care that there are no gaps anywhere so that the stuffing wouldn't spill out while rolling.
 
* Roll the disc carefully into a 5 to 6 inch thin circle, dusting with flour if necessary. Take care not to break it or let the filling coming out. Repeat the steps of paratha making with the remaining dough.


Rolling parathas: (Method 2)
* Roll out a couple of balls into 4 -5 inch discs, dusting with flour if necessary.
 
* Spread 1 - 2 tbsp. curry evenly on one disc, leaving out the edges.
 
* Cover it with another rolled disc. 

* Neatly seal them so that the stuffing wouldn't spill out when they are rolled again.
 
* Dust the work surface and stuffed disc lightly and proceed with the rolling part. Gently roll it into a thin disc.
* Heat iron griddle or a shallow, non stick pan and place the rolled out paratha.

 * Toast the parathas, brushing generously with oil / ghee, until both sides are cooked well and brown spots appear.

* Repeat the steps of rolling and toasting the parathas with the remaining dough balls and the stuffing. Serve them hot with yogurt and a spicy pickle.

This goes to Blogging Marathon #49, under the theme of "Indian Bread Basket".

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