Rajasthani Gawarfali Sabji

Gawarfali (Cluster beans) is a Rajasthani dish.  I was introduced to this by one of my Rajasthani colleague. I found out that these are rich in protein, fibers, minerals and vitamins. Moreover it is free from cholestrol and is beneficial in heart ailments and diabetes. The recipe I am sharing here is easy to cook and best in taste.

Ingredients: Serving for 2

1. Gawarfali : 250 gram
2. Onion: 1 medium sized chopped
3. Tomato: 1 medium sized chopped
4. Garlic: 2 pods (fined chopped or grated)
5. Ginger: 1 inches (fined chopped or grated)
6. Cumin seeds (Jeera): 1 tsp 
7. Red Chilli powder: As per taste
8. Turmeric powder (Haldi): 1 tsp
9. Dry mango powder(Amchur): 1 tsp
10. Salt : As per taste
11. Oil: For cooking

Method for Preparation:

1. Take gawarfali and wash it properly and cut it to small pieces (after taking out the side thread).
2. Take a pan, add oil and heat it.
3. When oil is heated,add cumin seeds and let it be cracked.
4. Now add grated garlic and ginger in oil and saute it for 1 minute.
5. Now add chopped onion and saute it for 1 minute. Here one pinch of salt can be add in onions to cook it fast and enhance the taste of onion.
   
6. Now add chopped gawarfali and saute it for 2 - 3 minutes on high flame.
7. Add chopped tomato, turmeric powder, Chilli powder, salt and saute it
   
8. Add half cup water and cover it for 10 minutes or until cooked.   
   
9. Remove the cover and add dry mango powder and cook for 2 minutes on low flame
   
10. Take it out in serving bowl and serve it with hot chapati, paratha, crispy poori or normal poori
    
    
    
    
    

Tips

1. Garlic and Ginger can be used as grated, fine chopped or as a paste too.
2. You can use combination of Dry mango powder (amchur), salt, red chilli as per your taste to make it more spicy as Rajasthani dishes are spicier than other dishes.

Flowing Checkerboard Cookies

Flowing Checkerboard Cookies are easier to bake than the Checkerboard Cookies. As checkerboard Cookies are generally made with measurements and take time to cook while you don't need much precision for cooking the Flowing version. Last but not the least taste wise both are same. I will suggest that instead of getting daunted by the measurements involved in making perfect Checkerboard Cookies, we can start with Flowing Checkerboard Cookies.

Ingredients-

1. All pupose flour (Maida) - 2 cup 
2. Butter soft - 150 gm
3. Sugar Powder - 200 gm
   
4. Salt - 1 Pinch
5. Cocoa Powder - 2 tsp
6. Vanilla Essence- 2 tsp
7. Milk for kneading the dough

Method of Preparation-

1. Take a bowl, add butter and sugar. Whisk it with electric beater or hand beater until butter and sugar mixture forms a cream texture. 
   
2. Add all purpose flour in this cream texture and whisk it till it becomes crumb texture. You can see the below picture to understand the crumb texture.
   
3. Add 2-3 spoon milk and knead it to a soft dough and divide it into two approximately equal parts. Add milk slowly as per the requirement for kneading. 
   
4. Take one part of the two and add cocoa powder and knead with milk. If you added more milk be mistake then you can add bit of more cocoa to absorb it.
   
5. Now wrap both the parts with plastic wrap and keep it in fridge for 30 minutes. You can see the brown dough in the picture below is after wrapping and the white dough is before wrapping.
   
   
   
6. After 30 minutes take the both pieces out and divide them in 2 parts each. All the four parts should be of approximately similar size.
   
7. Take one part of white dough, cover it with plastic wrap and roll it with rolling pin. Keep it side.
8. Repeat the same process with one part of brown dough and place it over the already rolled white dough to make it 2 layer.
   
9. Now again roll the second white dough as per step 7 and place it over the brown dough in the previous step as third layer.
10. Again roll the brown dough and keep it on the top of white dough and make it 4 layer.
    
11. Cut the edges to make rectangular shape and the roll the excess edges in any shape or size of your choice. you can also use cookie cutter for your choice of shape.
12. Again wrap the layered dough with plastic wrap and chill in fridge for 20 minutes.
    
13. Now take the layered dough out of fridge and cut it in four equal parts. Keep one part over the other such that the brown side and white side are alternate as shown in picture below.
    
    
    
    
    
14. Plastic wrap the layers together and chill it for 10 minutes. After taking out from the freezer, again cut the layered dough in pieces and keep them in baking tray as shown below
    
15. Preheat the oven at 170 deg C and bake the cookies for 15 minutes. Don't forget to put the excess edge rolled earlier in step 11 along with the cookies.
    
16. After baking take them out , let the cookies cool so that they can achieve desired texture.
17. Once cooled keep the cookies in airtight container. Serve them as royal snacks. These cookies will be loved by both children and elders alike.
    

Tips

1. This is easier way to cook the checkerboard cookies instead of precision based cutting.
2. While cutting the dough in layers instead of sliding the knife, cut by pressing the knife in the dough. Also use the butter knife.

Panchmel Dal

Panchmel Dal is Rajasthani dish which is full of protein and nutrition, rich in taste and easy to cook if you follow my recipe step by step. This is combination of 5 dals and hence the name panch mel. This can be served with Baati or simply roti and chawal.

Ingredients for 4 servings-

1. Arhar Dal - 1/4 cup
2. Moong Dal- 1/4 cup
3. Chana Dal - 1/4 cup
4. Urad Dal - 1/4 cup
5. Masoor Dal - 1/4 cup
6. Onion - 1 medium size chopped
7. Tomato- 1 medium chopped
8. Ghee - 5-6 tsp
9. Garlic- 3 pods fine chopped
10. Ginger - 1 inch fine chopped
11. Jeera (Cumin Seeds) - 1 tsp
12. Garam masala - 1 tsp
13. Curry patta powder - 1 tsp
14. Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp
15. Turmeric powder (Haldi) - 1tsp
16. Salt - as per taste
17. Dry Red Chilli - 1 piece
18. Heeng (Asafoetida) - 1 pinch
19. Water - 400 ml

Method of Preparation

1. Take all dals together, mix it properly, wash it and soak for 2-3 hours.
2. Take a pressure cooker and add 2-3 tsp ghee.
3. Heat the cooker, add jeera and let it crack.
4. Add curry patta powder, dry red chilli in the cooker and saute it for 10-15 seconds.
   
5. Add chopped garlic and ginger and saute again for 30 seconds.
6. Add onion and tomato and saute for 1 minute.
   
7. Add 1 tsp salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and saute for 30 seconds.
8. Now add mixture of soaked dals in the cooker and saute for 2-3 minutes.
   
9. Add salt and water to the cooker and close the cooker and wait for 1-2 whistles. No. of whistles depend upon the individual pressure cooker
   
10. After the whistles, put off the flame and wait for the cooker pressure to susbide.
11. Put this dal in serving bowl and temper with ghee, heeng and curry patta.
    
12. Serve it with rice, chapati or bati. You can eat the dal as it is by adding ghee to it.

Tips

1. If curry putta powder is not available then you can use fresh curry patta also.
2. Panchmel dal with bati is perfect combination.
3. You can add ghee at the time of serving to enhance the flavour and aroma.

Crispy Poori

 Poori can be served  with aloo sabji, chole, kofta, halwa along with raita. Poori Sabji is one of the all time favourite festival or special occassion dish. Poori Halwa is distributed as prasad during pooja. Poori Sabji can be used as holiday brunch or in a proper meal.Here I am sharing my special favourite Crispy Poori Recipe.

Ingredients: Serving for 4

1. Wheat flour : 2 cups
2. Rice flour : 1 cup
3. Bread Crumbs : 1/2 cup 
4. Milk : 1 glass
5. Salt : 1 tsp
6. Oil : 4 tsp for mixing in flour, For frying - as per requirement
   

Method of Preparation:

1. Take wheat flour, rice flour, bread crumbs, salt and oil in a large bowl.
2. Mix all ingredients properly so that whole mixture becomes like crumb texture.
3. Knead it with the help of milk and make tight dough.
   
4. Cover it with wet clothe and leave it for 20 minutes.
5. Divide whole dough into 12 - 13 small portion
6. Make a round shape of all small portion of dough.
   
7. Add some oil to small portion of dough and roll it in circular shape with the help of rolling pin. It will flatten out. If you have never done rolling earlier, you should be careful that rolling is uniform in all directions so that same thickness of Poori is there.
   
8. Repeat above step 6 and 7 with all other small portion of dough
9. Now take a frying pan, Add oil for frying poori and heat it on high flame.
10. When oil is hot add rolled poori in frying pan and move it slowly in circular motion with help of spoon or ladle.
    
11. When it turns in fluffy then turn it other side and cook till light brown.
12. Take it out and put it on kichen towel to absorb the excess oil.
    
13. Repeat same process with other rolled pooris
14. Serve it hot with your favourite sabji or curry or chhole or kofta.

Tips

1. Dough should be tight otherwise the pooris will absorb more oil.
2. Semolina (Rawa or Suji) can be used in place of rice flour, if rice flour is not available.
3. This poori tastes great with Aloo tamatar gravi sabji.

Cucumber Mint Lemonade

Cucumber is rich with vitamina and minerals. Cucumber is hydrtaing agent. Like watermelon its 95 % water and it rehydrates the body. It keeps the body cool and detoxify.Cucumber has antioxidants and it has anti cancer properties.

Cucumber Mint lemonade is a refreshing drink which will rejuvenate you during hot summer months. It is a natural cooler and re hydrates the body. It is very easy to prepare and takes less than 20 minutes.

Ingredients- For 2 glasses-

1. Cucumber : 1 long
2. Mint : 10 - 12 leaves
3. Sugar : 1/2 Cup
4. Black Salt : 2 tsp
5. Chat Masala : 1 tsp
6. Lemon Juice : 2 tsp
7. Ice Cubes : 4 - 5
8. 
   

   Water : 2 glass

Method of Preparation

1. Take mint leaves in grinder mixer jar and make pouring consistency mixture.
2. Using water strain this mixture in a bowl.
   
3. After straining the mixture, take cucumber, peel it and cut the cucumber in small pieces. Big pieces sometime are not properly grinded. By cutting them we can ensure that they are properly grinded.
   
4. Put the cucumber pieces in mixer grinder. Add sugar, black salt, chat masala and grind them in to paste. 
5. Strain this paste in mint bowl strained in step 1 and 2.
   
6. Add water and lemon juice to the bowl and stir it
7. Now take serving glass, pour this drink into glass,put  ice cubes and garnish with lemon piece and mint leaves
8. Cucumber Mint Lemonade is ready to serve and refresh you. Enjoy.

Tips

Add sugar, salt and lemon juice as per your taste buds to make it sweet or sour or tangy.

Moong Chilla

Moong Chilla is very healthy and nutritious breakfast. Moong is rich in Protein, fibers, vitamins and minerals and combined with the yummy taste Chilla will be really fulfilling breakfast. This is also a very good option for Lunch box for kids.

Ingredients

1. Green Moong - 1 cup
2. Green chilli - 2 
3. Garlic - 2 pods
4. Ginger - 1 inch piece
5. Salt - As per taste
6. Oil - As per requirement
7. Water - for soaking moong and for batter

Method for Preparation:

1. Take the green moong and wash it properly.
2. Soak the green moong in water for at least 4 -6 hours (Preferably overnight).
3. Take soaked moong in mixer grinder Jar and add garlic, ginger, green chilli and salt and grind it after adding water to make a fine paste. 
   
4.  Take the paste in a bowl and add water to make the batter of pouring consistency.
   
5. Take a pan put 2-3 spoon oil and heat it.
6. Pour batter on the pan and spread it in circular shape with the help of spoon or flat bottom bowl (Katori)
   
7. Sprinkle oil near the edges of  Chilla and when  it starts turning golden flip it over. 
8. Sprinkle oil again and  cook the other side also till it is golden brown color.
   
9. Take the chilla out of pan and serve it with any chutney you like. 

Shelf life-

1. The batter can be saved upto 3-4 days when kept in refrigerator.

Tips

Moong Dal Chilla tastes great with Mint curd Chutney, Mint Curd Chutney recipe already shared in my blog.

Mint Curd Chutney

Mint Curd Chutney is very easy to make and gives a refreshing taste in summer. Chutney is very popular in Indian cuisine. This chutney can be used with any snacks and appetizer.

Ingredients:

1. Mint leaves: 10 to 15 
2. Curd : 100 gram
3. Green Chilli : 2 nos.
4. Garlic : 1 pod
5. Salt : As per taste

Method for Preparation:

1. Take Mint leaves, green chilies and garlic in mixer grinder jar and make a paste using water.
   
2. Take curd in bowl and whisk it. Then strain mint paste in curd bowl. Add salt and mix it with the help of spoon
3. Mint Curd Chutney is ready to serve.You can have it with your favourite snacks or appetisers or just to add an extra flavour to your lunch or dinner.

Shelf Life:

It can be consumed up to one week when store in refrigerator.