Dhokla can be eaten for breakfast or as a main course or as a snack. It is fluffy spongy and porous and a signature dish of gujarati cuisine. I served the dhokla with a sweet, spicy, tangy ginger tamarind chutney.
Ingredients
- 1 cup chickpea flour/besan
- 1/2 cup curd
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 green chillies fine chopped
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp cooking soda or baking soda
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 sachet eno powder
- salt to taste
For tempering
- 1 tsp oil
- 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp sesame seeds
- 1-2 springs curry leaves
- 1 tbsp grated coconut
- 2 chopped green chilli
- pinch of asafoetida/hing
- 1/4 cup water
Procedure
Mix the besan with curd and water until it is lump free with a consistency like idli batter, it should not be too flowy.Now add turmeric powder and soda and mix nicely, let is rest for 20 min
After 20 min the batter will rise, to this mix oil, lemon juice, salt, sugar, chopped green chillis and mix nicely. Meanwhile prepare your steamer or pressure cooker (place a bowl with water and then a plate which will hold the batter, I used baking tray instead of a plate).
Once the water starts bowling prepare the batter by mixing the eno to it nicely and pour into the plate immediately, because of adding eno you will find lot of bubbles in batter.
Steam for 5-7 minutes, remove the lid of pressure cooker and check with tooth pick, if it comes out clean your dhokla is ready for tempering. Switch off the gas and let it cool for 5 min, in the meantime prepare your tempering
Heat oil in a pan, add sesame seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves, chopped green chilles, when mustard start spluttering remove from gas and add 1/4 cup water to this and pour this tempering over the prepared dhokla and also sprinkle the grated coconut.
Let it rest for five more minutes and cut it into a desired shape and size and serve with tamarind chutney or hari chutney
Ginger Tamarind Chutney
Ingredients
- 1 lemon size tamarind
- 1 lemon size jaggery chunk
- 2 green chilli
- 1 spring curry leaves
- 1 tsp chopped coriander/cilantro
- 1/2 inch ginger
- 1/4 tsp jeera/cummin seeds
- pinch of turmeric
- pinch of asafoetida
- salt to taste
Make a smooth paste of all the above ingredients if required add little water and serve
Note:
1. Batter should not rest even for a min after adding the eno
2. If you prefer more sweetness in your dhokla then while preparing the tempering add 1 tsp of sugar to it.
Summer is the only season we can get mangoes and that is the best part about summer !!So lets make something special when the sun shines.
A mousse in french means foam and this mango mousse is a soft,light, fluffy and creamy delicious treat which will simply melt in your mouth.
Ingredients
- 200 gms mango puree ( I used fresh banganapalle mangoes )
- 200 gms heavy whipped cream ( I used nilgiris fresh cream )
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp gelatin powder
- 3 tbsp water
Procedure
Mix the gelatin with water nicely.
Heat mango puree and sugar in a pan until warm.Add the gelatin mix nicely till it completly dissolves. Remove from the flame and let it cool.
Now whip the cream till peaks form, gently fold the above cooled mango puree to the whipped cream until it nicely blends
Now pour it into a serving dish and refridgerate for 1 hr.
Serve chilled
Note:
1. If you are using canned mango puree then dont add sugar.
2. Gelatin mix should be added to warm mango puree and immediately stirred it should be switched off as soon as possible while it is warm. If it becomes hot then gelatin will loose its property and the mousse will not set.
3. Only when the gelatin mixed mango puree is fully cooled then only it should be added to the whipped cream otherwise the cream will melt and you will not get the correct consistentcy for the mousse
4.If you set the mousse in small portions then it can be served as it is
If you are looking for a quick and healthy snack with a preparation time less than ten minutes !! then this would be the perfect recipe. I had made stir fry earlier with oyster mushrooms too and that has made me a big fan of mushroom stir fry.
Ingredients
- 1 cup slided button mushroom
- 1 tbsp freshly chopped celery
- 1 tsp chopped garlic
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Procedure
Heat oil in pan, add celery, garlic and fry for 30 sec , add mushroom and cook on a high flame for 3-4 minutes .Add salt, oregana and black pepper powder and stir nicely until mushroom is cooked with with a red tinge. Serve hot
Note:
- Always cook mushroom in a high flame otherwise lot of water will retain in the pan.
- You can also stuff this mushroom between a slice of bread and enjoy like a sandwich
Many people do not like eggplant and there is a mystery how to use them to make flavorfull curries. The wonder of indian spices is a vegetable like eggplant can become a exotic dish.
This dish is tradionally known as Kalonji Barvan Baingan. Kalonji/Nigella is a dark and mysterious spice that adds flavorful surprise to this dish that will make eggplants taste superb.
The recipe courtesy goes to vah reh vah . His excitement inspired me to try this wonderfull eggplant curry
Ingredient
- 12 small eggplants/brinjal/baigan of equal size
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1/4 tsp cummin seeds/jeera
- 1/4 tsp mustard seeds/sarso
- 1/4 tsp nigella seeds/kalonji
- 1/4 tsp fennel seeds/saunf
- 1/8 tsp fenugreek/methi
For stuffing
- 4 red chilli
- 1 tbsp coriander/dhania seeds
- 1 tsp mustard seeds/sarso
- 1/2 tsp cummin seeds/jeera
- 1/2 tsp nigella seeds/kalonji
- 1 tsp fennal/saunf
- 1/2 tsp ajwain/caraway seeds
- 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds/methi seeds
- 1/2 tsp tumeric powder
- 1 tsp amchur powder
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- salt to taste
Dry roast red chilli, coriander, mustard, cummin, kalonji,methi,ajwain,saunf till the nice aroma will come ,then cool it and make fine powder .
Add turmeric powder,amchur powder,chilli powder and salt and mix properly .Then add little water to this mixture so it binds mildly.
Wash the eggplants ,cut the stem little bit and then cut through the eggplant with a pluse sign upto the stem as shown in the pic.Stuff the eggplants with the prepared stuffing carefully
Heat oil in the frying pan and add cummin,mustard,kalonji,saunf,and methi seeds and fry till cummin splutters ,once it splutters arrange the stuffed eggplants in the pan and cover the pan with a lid and cook in the low flame .Roll the eggplant occasionally to ensure it cooks on all sides.
Once it soft and cooked on all sides add the remaining leftover masala with some salt and stir softly , cover and cook for another min and swith off the flame
Enjoy you stuffed eggplants with hot steamed rice or rotis
