Hara Bhara Kabab

Hara Bhara Kebab is interestingly made with the humble spinach! Bound together by mashed chana dal, green peas and paneer, and flavoured with readily available spice powders and other ingredients like ginger and green chillies. The spinach adds to its vitamin a content while contributing very little to the carbohydrate levels. The green peas add bulk and fibre to this dish

Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins  
Makes 12 kebabs

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup chana dal (split bengal gram)
• 2 tsp finely chopped ginger (adrak)
• 2 tsp finely garlic (lehsun)
• 1 tbsp finely chopped green chillies
• 1 cup blanched spinach (palak)
• 1/2 cup boiled green peas
• 1/2 cup grated paneer (cottage cheese)
• 1 tsp chaat masala
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• salt to taste
• 1/2 cup plain flour (maida) dissolved with 1/3 cup water
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs
• oil for deep-frying

Method

1. Clean, wash and soak the chana dal for 1 hour and drain.
2. In a pressure cooker add the chana dal, garlic, ginger, green chilies and ½ cup of water, mix well and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
3. Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid. Drain.
4. Add the chana dal, green peas, spinach and blend in a blender till smooth using ½ tbsp water if needed.
5. Transfer into a bowl and add the paneer, salt, garam masala, chaat masala and ¼ cup bread crumbs, mix well.
6. Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions and shape each portion into a 50 mm. (2”) flat kebabs.
7. Dip each kebab into the prepared flour- water paste and roll in the remaining bread crumbs.
8. Heat the oil in a non-stick kadhai and deep-fry them till they are golden brown in colour from both the sides.
9. Serve hot with tomato ketchup and green chutney.

Dahi Puri

Dahi Puri is one of famous  street food in India  After a round of spicy pani puris, eating dahi puris is the perfect way to soothe your palate. "dahi puris" are a favourite with children as well as with adults who cannot handle the fiery pani puri. What makes a dahipuri truly divine is obviously the humble curds which are made daily in every indian household. The curds have to be fresh and chilled and most importantly of the right consistency i. e. Neither too thick or too thin. If your curds are not very fresh, add a few tablespoons of milk to cut down the sharp acidic taste. Save the semi puffed (half puffed) or damaged puris which cannot be used for serving pani puri to make dahi puri.

Preparation Time: 25 mins
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 20 pcs puris
• 1/3 cup boiled potatoes  , cubed
• 1/3 cup boiled kala chana, mashed
• 1/2 cup khajur imli ki chutney
• 1 1/2 cups curds (dahi)
• salt to taste

For The Garnish

• 1/4 cup sev
• 1/4 cup pomegranate
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp roasted cumin seeds (jeera) powder
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)

Method

1. Arrange the puris on a serving plate.
2. Crack a small hole in the centre of each puri.
3. Add salt to the curds and mix well.
4. Fill it with the mixed kala chana, potato, khajur imli ki chutney and top with fresh curds.
5. Sprinkle the nylon sev, chilli powder and cumin seed powder, pomegranate on top.
6. Garnish with the chopped coriander and serve immediately.

Eggless Vanilla Cake

Makes one 8 inch round cake or one 4 in x 7 in loaf tin.

Ingredients:

195 gm or 1 1/2 cup All purpose flour
100-150 gm Sugar (grind it to make it fine after measuring if it is coarse or use
store bought castor sugar) *
240 ml yogurt (can be substituted with 240 ml thick buttermilk)
100 ml Oil or melted butter (cooled) **
1 1/4 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
A pinch of Salt
2 tsp Vanilla essence
Milk or water to adjust consistency of batter

Method:

1. Grease or line your tin and preheat the oven.
2. In a bowl sieve the flour, salt and baking powder. Add soda and mix well.
3. Grind your sugar to make it fine.
4. In another bowl beat the curd/thick buttermilk until smooth. Add the sugar powder and oil/melted butter to this and mix well. Add vanilla essence. Mix  well with a whisk until the fat is emulsified.
5. Add the flour to this mixture in tow additions and fold gently until just about combined. Do not over mix. Some lumps are OK. The mixture should be of dropping consistency. 
6. Add milk or water to adjust.
7. Add any dried fruits to the flour mixture and any liquid flavorings to the liquid mixture.
8. Bake for 30-40 mins at 180 deg C. Oven temperatures may vary, so keep a check on your cake.
9. Cake is done when toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10. Leave it in the oven for 2 mins to cool. Then take it out from the pan and
11. Cool on a wire rack.
12. ENJOY

Note:

• Adjust the sugar to your taste. Some sugar brands are way too sweet than others.
• You need to have fine sugar since there is no beating involved in the cake making and you will be left with sugar granules in a baked cake.
• I find 100 ml of oil or butter enough, but you can add up to 120 ml if you find it less.

Karnataki Vada (Southi Vada)

This vada is another version of medu vada. Its south indian snakes or breakfast recipe. Generally sreves with coconut chutney or tomatoes chutney or sambar.

Preparation Time - 5 to 6 hours
Cooking Time - 8 to 10 minutes
Serving - 2
Recipe source : Riddhi's kitchen

Ingredients:

• White Udad Dal - 250 gm
• Oil - 2 tablespoons + Deep Frying
• Muster Seeds - 1 Teaspoon
• Curry Leaves - 6 to 8
• Hing - 1/2 Teaspoon
• Chopped Onions - 2 medium
• Chopped Green chilly - 3
• Salt To Taste

Method:

1. Soak the urad dal for 4 to 5 hours or overnight.
2. Grind the soaked dal to a smooth batter with little water if required.
3. Heat oil in pan add musteed seeds, curry leves hing.
4. Add the tadka in batter or onions , chili and salt , mix well
5. Heat oil in kadai.
6. Make the vadas and deep fry.
7. Serve vadas, hot or warm with coconut chutney.

Puran Poli

The perfect preparation of puran poli is considered a highly-skilled task… an art actually! unlike maharashtrian puran poli which uses chana dal, the gujarati version makes use of toovar dal. In Andhra pradesh (bobbatlu or bakshalu) and other places, even moong dal or Chana dal is used, even a mix of lentils is used in some recipe. Boli in Tamil Nadu is a golden yellow sweet pancake from South India. It is eaten during a traditional Sadhya along with Payasam. Its unique flavour and characteristic aroma can be attributed to the special indian spices used.

Preparation time: 30 min
Serving for 3 people.

Ingredients

For The Dough

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta)
• 2 tbsp oil

For The Filling

• 1 cup toovar (arhar) dal
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg (jaiphal) powder

Other Ingredients

• whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta) for rolling
• ghee for smearing

Method:

1. Combine the flour and oil in a bowl and knead into a soft dough using enough water.
2. Combine the dal with 1½ cups of water and pressure cook it for 3 whistles.
3. Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid.
4. Drain any excess water and mash the dal lightly using the back of the spoon.
5. Heat the ghee in a broad non-stick pan, add the dal and sugar and cook on a medium flame for 20 minutes or till the mixture thickens, while stirring continuously.
6. Add the cardamom powder, nutmeg powder, mix well.
7. Cool slightly and divide it into 15 equal portions. Keep aside.
8. Roll out one portion of the dough into a samll circle.
9. Place a portion of the filling in the centre and fold the edges of the dough over the filling. Pinch the edges together to seal the filling in.
10. Flatten the dough and roll again into a circle, using a little wheat flour for rolling.
11. Cook on a tava (griddle) over a medium flame till it turns golden brown in colour on both the sides.
12. Smear a little ghee on each puran poli and serve hot with Gujrati Kadhi.