DAHI VADA

Ingredients

Urad dal

Mung dal, salt

Green chilli and ginger

Sodium bicarbonate

Oil for deep frying

Yoghurt

Rai and jeera seeds

Curry patra, ghee.

Method

1.  Soak the dals overnight. Grind to a thick paste. Add salt ground ground green ginger and green chilli. Add a little sodium bicarbonate , mix well.

2. Drop small balls of the paste into hot deep oil to cook until a pale gold colour (do not overcook). Remember the vada will swell to two or three times its size when cooked. Drain and put on one side.

3. After draining the oil, put vadas in hot water or very thin buttermilk.

4. Make the sauce by churning some yoghurt and adding a vaghar of rai and jeera seeds and a pinch of  hing.

5. Put the vadas into the dahi to soak well before serving. 

PUDA

PLAIN

Use the thin batter from the bhajia receipe. Pour on a flat oiled pan and fry in the same way as a dosa.

BLACKBERY BEAN

Ingredients

Blackeye beans

Salt

Green chilli, green ginger

Garlic (optional)

Red chilli powder

Haldi

Oil

Method

1.  Soak the beans overnight. Grind to a paste and add crushed green chilli and ginger (garlic if used), chilli powder and haldi. Add a little oil,

2. Add enough water to make thin paste and fry with a flat pan in the same way as a dosa. 

BHAJIA

Ingredients

Besan

Salt

Haldi

Red chilli powder

Hing

Sodium bicarbonate

Oil

Water

Potatoes or onions or aubergines

Method

1. Add to besan, salt, haldi, red chilli powder, a pinch of hing and sodium bicarbonate.

2. Add a little oil and make a thin batter with water (add the water in a thin steady stream  mixing all the while, to avoid lumps).

3. Slice thinly potatoes, onions, aubergines. Dip pieces in the batter and deep fry in hot oil for a short time.

Note: The bhajia can also be made with cauliflower, panir or even banana.

DALVADA

Ingredients

Channa or mung dal

Onion

Green ginger and green chilli

Garlic

Salt

Haldi

Oil

Sodium bicarbonate

Method

1. Soak dal in water overnight. Crush to a coarse paste.

2. Add one small chopped onion, green ginger, green chilli, garlic, salt and haldi. Add a little oil and sodium bicarbonate. Mix well.

3. Make a small flat disc and fry in deep oil over a slow fire.

DOSA

Ingredients

Rice flour

Urad flour

Salt

Water

Method

1. To rice and urad flours (3:1) add enough water to make a thin batter, add a pinch of salt. Add one or two spoonfuls of yoghurt. Leave overnight to ferment.

2. Cook on a flat (tawa) as a thin pancake, spreading out the batter very quickly with the back of a spoon  

SAMOSA

Ingredients

Chapati-type dough

Potatoes

Peas

Cabbage

Rai and methi seeds

Hing

Salt

Chilli, jeera and dhania powders

Graram masala

Lemon and sugar (if desired)

Method

1. Boil the potatoes and chop into small pieces. Chop very fine carrots and cabbage.

2. Add a vaghar in sufficient oil of rai, methi and a pinch or hing. Add salt, chilli, jeera and dhania powders, and a little garam masala. Add potatoes and mix well.

3. Roll out the chapatti dough thinly (white or wholemeal flour), into a small chapatti, cut in two.

4. Place filling on one half and fold over to make a triangular shape. Fry in deep oil over a slow fire.

MUTHIA

Ingredients

Wheat flour

Chickpea flour (besan)

Red chilli powder

Haldi

Dhania and jeera powder

Green ginger and green chilli (ground)

Oil

Yoghurt

Water

Method

1. Mix all the ingredientstogether to make a hard dough.

2. Roll the dough into a  ‘sausage’ shape and steam it or fry  it in a very little oil on a very low fire.

3. When it is cooked, slice it in small places and add a vaghar.

Note: Any vegetable may be added.

HANDVO

Ingredients

Rice

Mung dal

Tuva dal

Fresh ginger, green chilli

Haldi

Red chilli powder (optional)

Rai seeds

Til seeds

Whole dry red chillies

hing

Yoghurt

Method

1. Soak rice, mung dal and tuva dal (1: ½ : ½ ) in water until soft. Drain and grind to a paste. Add sufficient yoghurt to make a thick paste. Keep this overnight to ferment. 

2. Add ground green masla(fresh ginger, green chilli), salt, and haldi, add red chilli powder if liked.

3. Put the paste in a non-stick pan and add two spoons of oil. Mix well.

4. In another small pan heat, ½ cup of oil, add dry red chillies, rai seeds and a pinch of hing. Remove pan from heat and immediately add 2 large spoonfuls of till seeds (sesame).

5. Pour the mixture on top of the prepared paste.

6. Place pan over moderate heat. Do not cover. Cook for at least half-an-hour

7. Serve hot or cold.

Note: Onion or marrow (dudhi) can be added if liked.

IDLI

   

Ingredients

Rice

Urad dal

Salt

Method

1. Soak the rice and urad dal (2:1) for two or three hours (or until very soft). Grind to a coarse. Thick paste and add salt and two spoonfuls of yoghurt.

2. Keep for a further 24 hours, at the end of which the paste will have fermented and will be very thick.

3. Put a little of the paste in each box of the idli pan and steam for 20 to 30 minutes. 

SWEET RICE

Ingredients

Rice

Cloves, cinnamon stick,whole cardamom

Bay leaf

Saffron

Sugar(1 largespoon per person)

Ghee

Water

Sultanas , cashew nuts

Method

1. Wash and drain rice

2. Put a little ghee into a pan. In another pan keep some water boiling – say, two to two-and-a-half times the amount or rice – to which has been added sugar and saffron.

3. Add the cloves, cinnamon stick, whole cardamom to the ghee and fry until golden.

4. As the rice, stir and cook until the rice has a little golden colour.

5. Add prepared sweetened water, bring to the boil, lower flame and simmer until the rice is soft – about seven minutes. 

KHICHADI

This  is a very nourishing dish made with rice and different dals (mung is the most popular) which  is easily digested.

Ingredients

Rice

Dal (mung or tuvar)

Haldi powder = turmeric (pinch)

Water, pinch of salt

Note: if using mung dal: half rice and half dal, if using tuvar:three –quarter rice and one-quarter dal.

Method

1. Bring to the  boil water two-and-a-half to three times the quantity of dry (if you require a more wet knichadi, four to four-and-a-half times as much water.

2. Add washed rice and dal.

3. Add a little haldi powder and salt, bring to boil, lower flame and simmer. Gently until grains are soft.

4. A spoonful of ghee can be added and the dish kept warm in the oven.

VEGETABLE BIRYANI

(pilau)

= a vegetable dish with rice

Ingreidents

Rice

Vegetables – any chopped

Oil

Jeera, methi

Rai seeds

Fresh green chilli and ginger

Haldi, jeera and dhania powders

Hing

Water and salt

Method

1. Wash rice and drain. Soak a little.

2. Put a little oil in a pan, add methi seeds and when browned add jeera and rai seeds, fry until they crackle.

3. Add a small pinch of hing.

4. Add rice and chopped vegetables, stir and cook for a further few minutes until rice is golden, shirring to prevent sticking.

5. Add boiling water (about three times the about of rice), haldi, jeera and dhania powders – salt to taste.

6. Bring to the boil, lower heat, cover pan and simmer very slowly until all the water has been absorbed .Keep warm in the oven. 

VAGHARELA RICE

This dish is made from left – over rice (freshly cooked rice can of course be used is wished).

Ingredients

Cooked rice

Haldi powder

Oil

Jeera and dhania powders

Rai seeds

Methi seeds

Fresh chopped dhania leaves

Hing

Fresh ginger and green chilli (or red chili powder)

Method

VERSION 1

1. Put a little oil in a pan, add cooked rice and stir. Add fresh crushed green chilli and ginger and haldi powder, jeera and dhania powders.

2. In another pan fry methi seeds in about three spoonful of oil, when brown add rai seeds and cook until they crackle, add a pinch of hing.

3. Add the prepared rice. Mix well over a medium heat and cook until the rice is heated through.

4. Sprinkle with fresh chopped dhania leaves and cover.

VERSION 2

When frying methi and rai seeds, add thinly sliced garlic , fry until golden brown . Continue as for version 1.

VERSION 3

Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and some coconut during the final stage of cooking.

VERSION 4

After frying the rice, add buttermilk and simmer until it is absorbed. 

PILAU RICE

Indgredients

Rice (basmati preferably)

haldi powder

(of saffron,

Either powdered or whole)

Whole cinnamon stick

Whole cardamoms and cloves

Sliced cashews and almonds

Bay leaves

Whole jeera seeds

Oil

Salt

Water

Method

1. Put a little oil in plan and add few cloves, the cinnamon stick, bay leaves. Cook until all the Ingredients are a dark golden brown.

2. Add jeera seeds and immediately add rice, stir well and fry until the grain is slightly cooked. Add the haldi (or saffron) powder and mix well. Add nuts.

3. Add boiling water (three times the amount of rice ) and bring to the boil, reduce the flame its lowest point, cover and cook until the grain has absorbed the water.

4. Keep warm on a very low flame or in the oven. 

PLAIN BROWN RICE

Preparation

Soak  overnight, with a little wholewheat if preferred .

Method

1. Cook slowly with plenty of water at least 3 ½ times water) on low flame.

2. Add cinnamon and bay leaves before cooking. 

PLAIN RICE

Preparation

Soak rice in room temperature water; the length of time will depend on the grace age of rice – the older the grain, the longer the soak.

Method

1. In a suitable pan bring fresh water to the boil and add rice – one handful each (if you are having bread etc.) or two if you are not. (The amount of water is generally 2 ½ times the amount of rice depending on  how long it has been soaked and the age of the rice – experience will solve this question.)

2. Once the rice has started to boil not add any extra water.

3. Lower heat and simmer very slowly until the grains have absorbed all the water. A spoonful ghee may be added at this point and the rice left on a very low flame, or in a warm oven. 

RICE

                  PLAIN

                  BROWN

                 PILAU

                  VAGARELA (fried rice)

                  BIRIYANI

                  KHICHADI

                   SWEET

THEPLA

(Plain)

This is another popular dish in Gujarat, and is eaten in the early morning and/or in the evening.

The dough is made in the same way as that for chapati.

Method

1. Take a small piece of dough and roll it out puri-size not too thick. Spread a little oil on the surface, fold the rolled-out dough in half, spread a little oil on that side and fold. Roll out the dough until it is puri-size once more.

2. Cook on a hot griddle or heavy iron pan in the same way as that for paratha, until the bread is a dark golden colour. (Ghee may be used instead of oil.) 

PARATHA

(Stuffed)

This Paratha can be made with various fillings – the most usual being potatoes or dals. The dough is made exactly the same as for a plain paratha, but it should not be too or hard or the filling will split out of the sides of the finished paratha.

POTATO FILLING

Boil and mash potatoes, making sure there are no lumps. To this you may add several ingredients according to taste), for example, a green masala with fresh green chillies and fresh ginger, or  a dry masala with red chilli powder and garam masala and dry spices, or you can use both together if you wish, Fresh or dry garlic can also be added.

Learn more »

PARATHA

(Plain)

This bread is very popular in Northern India. It is much heavier and thicker than the chapatti and almost twice the thickness of bhakri, and very sustaining. Generally, in the north of India oil is not used in the making of the dough which results in a somewhat less soft and more ‘rubbery’ texture.

Ingredients

75% wholewheat flour

Oil

Water

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MASALA PURI

The masala (Spiced) puri is usually eaten for breakfast in India, or with afternoon tea. It is a very tasty puri and can be kept for a week or two without spoiling.

Ingredients

75% wholewheat flour

Oil

Water, salt

Red or green chillies

Fresh or dry ginger

haldi(turmeric) powder

Small pinch of hing (asafoetida)

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Eat curd will reduce diabetes . Research

PURI

This is yet another very popular bread all over India. Generally it is considered a rich man’s bread because it needs deep oil for frying, it is light in appearance and taste. However, it is not as healthy as chapatti of bhakri.

        (The oil used for deep-frying can vary from pure ghee to any vegetable oil ---- according to taste, and pocket)

Ingredients

75% wholewheat flour

Oil

Water, salt

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BHAKRI

Another Popular bread in India. It is nourishing, easily digested and usually eaten in the evening. It is like a chapati, only two or three times thicker.

Ingredients

90% or 100% Wholewheat flour

Oil or ghee

Water, salt

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Foods Which Increase Strength

Black gram ( urad ) , ripe mango , ripe banana , cocunut, dates , kachadi , wheat, jalebi, sesame seeds, pomegranate, milk, basundi , potatoes, fresh butter, chapati,lapsi,urad dal vada,sting beans

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CHAPATI

This is the most popular of Indian breads, It is nourishing and healthy as, unlike some other breads, it is eaten immediately it is ready and should always be freshly made . It is not fermented and is very quick to make . It can be made from 75% wholemeal wheat flour and is dry-roasted on a flat pan, or griddle . It is normally rolled thinner than any other bread and is easily digested .

Ingredients 

75% wholemeal wheat flour

any kind of oil or ghee

water, salt

Method

1. Put the flour in a small bowl and add a little oil . Mix well and add a little water to make a medium dough, Knead lightly with slightly oiled hands .

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