Dhokla Matarghasti

Question: What does a Gujju do when you hand her an innovative mould?
Answer: She makes dhokla in it :)

Absolutely.... when I received my Amazon order of shot glass mould, I definitely wanted to try something different in it. I have seen videos on Facebook where everyone make ice or chocolate or cookie shot glasses filled with vodka, whipped cream, or milk. I wanted to experiment and make an appetizer, a gujju appetizer. Although my recipe is not new, but the idea is. Since these moulds are meant for baking, putting my imagination into practice was totally worth it.

Dhokla Matarghasti... let's see the meaning of this dish :)

Dhokla is a steamed cake, a delicacy from Gujarati cuisine. The mixed batter is poured in a mould or a plate and allowed to cook over boiling water. The steam helps to rise the batter and cook the dough to produce soft and moist savory cake. It is a healthy, nutritious, and protein rich breakfast and snack in Gujarati culture. Many of the cultures have adapted this technique of cooking and dhoklas are loved by most of the people around the world. And so are most Gujaratis!! :) Here is my recipe of traditional khaman dhokla.
Matar are green peas in Hindi. I somehow wanted to use this word in my tittle to indicate the peas stuffing for these shot glasses.
Matarghasti means fun. I was not aware of this term until I heard a song with Matarghasti in it. Bollywood lovers have guessed it right... Here is the song full of fun :) It is a peppy dance number which I listen to during my workout at the gym. Also, I love how the male actor, Ranbir Kapoor has mimicked a legendary actor Dev Anand's dance moves and style. I feel he has done a great job!

Okay, so let's come back to the recipe...I think I did enough Matargashti above! :)

Ingredients to make around 10-12 dhokla shots:
1 cup besan/ chickpea flour
1+1/2 tbsp. semolina/fine rawa
1/2 tsp. citric acid granules
4 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
Pinch of turmeric powder
3/4 cup water
1 tbsp. Eno fruit salt + 1/4 cup water

For filling:
1 cup fresh of frozen green peas (slightly blanched)
1 cup grated cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
2 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 small green chili chopped
1 tsp. salt

Cilantro to garnish.
Shredded coconut to garnish.

Method:

• Mix chickpea flour, semolina, citric acid, sugar, turmeric, salt together and make a smooth dough with 3/4 cup of water. Whisk well for sugar and citric acid granules to dissolve. Leave it aside for 5 minutes.
• Add Eno fruit salt and 1/4 cup of water and whisk well. The batter will froth and become light and airy.
• Grease the mould well.
• Add batter to each mould.
• Gently place in a microwave and microwave on 100% setting for 1:45 minutes.
• Gently remove from the microwave and let it cool for 5 minutes. 
• Carefully and gently remove each dhokla shot glass. It is delicate so handle with care.
• Place dhokla shot glass on a plate. Sprinkle very little water to avoid dhokla from drying.

Prepare a filling:

• Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and saute onions and green chilies.
• Add peas and salt, and mix well.
• Turn off the heat and leave it aside for some time to cool slightly.
• Add grated cheese and mix well.

Before serving:
Fill each dhokla shot glass with peas filling and garnish with cilantro and shredded coconut.

 Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Click on the image to check these moulds.

Mix chickpea flour, semolina, citric acid, sugar, turmeric, salt together and make a smooth dough with 3/4 cup of water. Whisk well for sugar and citric acid granules to dissolve. Leave it aside for 5 minutes.

Add Eno fruit salt and 1/4 cup of water and whisk well. The batter will froth and become light and airy.

Grease the mould well.

Add batter to each mould.

Carefully and gently remove each dhokla shot glass. It is delicate so handle with care.

Place dhokla shot glass on a plate. Sprinkle very little water to avoid dhokla from drying.

Fill each dhokla shot glass with peas filling and garnish with cilantro and shredded coconut.

Have some Matargashti!!

Ponk Wada

It is the season of freshly harvested Jowar Sorghum, and away from our country we do get freshly frozen PONK. While everyone back home is enjoying these fresh and in various recipes, we too should enjoy it away from home. :) Here is my post on PONK that I had posted few years back. Check the post to know what Ponk is. I will also have more recipes with PONK as the main ingredient published soon.

While we call it PONK is Gujarat, it is HURDA in Maharashta, and Ponk or Hurda parties are very popular in this winters. I too will be hosting Undhiyu and Ponk party in by backyard soon and I am surely excited about it!

During ponk get-together and party variety of food with ponk is prepared. Freshly harvested Ponk is the star, and one of the popular recipes is Ponk wada. It is a pakora/pakoda/fritter with main ingredients ponk. Inspired by regular ponk wada, I made these crispy wadas using ponk or fresh jowar sorghum and jowar flour. I did not make it like a typical besan or chickpea flour pakora or bhajia. This gave it a different texture making it more delicious. I also used spicy sev noodles which s a perfect side with ponk in the dip. Ponk and Sev go hand in hand, and I won't separate them. I served ponk wada with sev dip and lemon wedges  and left over sev noodles by the side. The combination of all these was just delish, and you gotta try it!!!

Ingredients (serves 3-4 people)

1 pack Deep food Ponk (it comes with pack of Ponk and a Pack of sev noodles)
1/4 cup finely chopped onions (optional)
1/4 tsp. minced garlic (optional)
1 tbsp. finely chopped green chilies
1 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1/2 cup jowar flour
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. salt
Oil for frying

For the dip
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp. garlic chutney
2 tbsp chopped onions
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sev noodles

Method

• Thaw frozen Ponk. 
• In a bowl mix onions, garlic, green chilies, cilantro, and salt. Mix well and leave it aside for 5 minutes.
• Add the entire packet of ponk (slightly more than 1/2 cup).
• Add Jowar flour.
• Add around 1/2 cup water to make a thick batter.
• Make small wada or patties and deep fry in medium hot oil till they turn golden brown and crisp.

To make the dip.

• Mix all the ingredients in plain yogurt.

Serve with lemon wedges and leftover sev noodles.

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Thaw frozen Ponk.

In a bowl mix onions, green chillies, cilantro, and salt. Mix well and leave it aside for 5 minutes.

Add the entire packet of ponk (slightly more than 1/2 cup).

Add Jowar flour.

Add around 1/2 cup water to make a thick batter.

Make small wada or patties and deep fry in medium hot oil till they turn golden brown and crisp.

Onion and Garlic Sev Dip

Serve with lemon wedges and leftover sev noodles.

 See you all in the New Year with some creative recipes. 

Till then have a fantastic last day of 2016!!

Fiery Aloo Chaat

I enjoy making appetizers, and most importantly dressing it up and plating it right for the occasion. It is fun and creates excitement for everyone!!

Everyone knows Aloo Chaat and different forms of aloo chaat, and all of them would be delicious. My recipe today is inspired by the the street food vendor or the bhel wala near our house. With the yummy bhel and sev puri that he offered on his menu, he also served a dish called 'Atom Bomb'. Not many people knew about it. He would take a large boiled potato, scoop it, add chutney and spices to it and stuff it back in. The two halves of the potato were joined in with the stuffing and served with more chutney. Atom Bomb is the look and the spicy flavor of the dish... fiery hot and spicy was the key to making Atom Bomb! When I started prepping for this recipe I realized that it would be fun for my upcoming party and it would be even better if I serve it with a delicious welcome drink. I like the concept of drink and appetizer combo. Spicy appetizer with a chilled drink is fun and even pairs well.

The drink as well as the appetizer is not fancy, but my plating is. Taking the idea of food and the drink straight from the Streets to Serenity. Aloo Chaat & Kalakhata Sharbat are street food specials and they pair up really well. Chatpata spicy Aloo and Chatpata Sweet kalakhata... just yummy... and they get a makeover in my recipe! This is a treat for chaat lovers!!

Ingredients:
12 big baby potatoes (baby potatoes that are on a larger side and well shaped)
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup crisp puris that are crushed or broken to pieces
2 tbsp. spicy bhel chutney (Click here for the recipe)
2 tbsp. spicy garlic chutney (Click here for the recipe)
2 tbsp. sweet date and tamarind chutney (optional) (Click here for the recipe)
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. of chaat masala
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Crisp Sev to garnish

• Boil potatoes in enough water,  2 tbsp. salt, and 1 tbsp. turmeric powder.  Boil for around 15-20 minutes such that potatoes cook well still maintaining its shape. Do not over cook them. 
• Let the potatoes cool. Cut potatoes into halves. Peel them and leave them aside.
• Scoop the center of the potato and collect the scooped potato in a large bowl. 
• Add chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, chaat masala, crushed puris/papdis, and chutneys. Mix well. Taste the mixture. It should be spicy or to your choice. :)
• Stuff this mixture into each scooped potato. 
• Sprinkle Sev on top.
• Serve!

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Boil potatoes in enough water, salt, and 1 tbsp. turmeric powder.  Boil for around 15-20 minutes such that potatoes cook well still maintaining its shape. Do not over cook them. 

Let the potatoes cool. Cut potatoes into halves. Peel them and leave them aside.

Scoop the center of the potato and collect the scooped potato in a large bowl.

Add chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, chaat masala, crushed puris, and chutneys. Mix well. Taste the mixture. It should be spicy or to your choice. :)

Stuff this mixture into each scooped potato.

Sprinkle Sev on top.

Serve! 

I used Port wine sippers that are tiny glasses to serve Port Wine to serve kalakatta sharbat.

You could use shot glasses with sharbat and place each aloo chaat on it!

It's Party Time!

Crispy Corn Fritters

Mumbai rains, an unforgettable experience! Heavy rains for almost the entire monsoon season brings smile on the face of poor farmers. Yes, monsoon plays a very important role in Indian economy, and every year we hope mother nature blesses us with good rainfall. The sight on cooling rains is very appealing and pleasing... small frogs and tadpoles with croaking sound start to emerge in puddles of water. Plants grow greener, healthier, and taller than what they were before. This sight is surely soothing to eyes and relaxing to the mind.

Yes, monsoon also brings delicious food to enjoy. In my last post I shared a popular monsoon favorite, boiled peanuts, since they are abundantly harvested then. But one cannot forget corn that is found everywhere on the streets of Mumbai and other places in Maharashtra. Charcoal roasted corn on the cob is the favorite of every Mumbaite. and we like it seasoned with salt, pepper, and lime juice. But when corn is available in plenty, we don't just have it on the cob but relish it in so many different ways. One of the recipes is crispy corn fritters. At home we would just call it a makai na bhajiya or makai pakoras. This is nothing fancy. A very simple recipe that brought back lot of childhood memories for my dad. While I was in India last month, I had opportunity to make and enjoy corn fritters. They are so quick and easy to make. This was our popular tea time snack!

Ingredients: (serves 2-3 people)
1+1/2  cup corn kernels
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. red chili powder
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 finely chopped green chili
1 tsp. sugar
2 tbsp. rice flour
2 tbsp. chickpea flour/besan
Oil for frying

• In a food processor coarsely grind 1+1/4 cup corn kernels. 
• Mix 1/4 cup whole corn kernels.
• Mix salt and all other spices.
• Mix the flour in and sprinkle some water (if needed) to form a thick batter.
• Mix well.
• Heat oil for frying.
• Drop small portions of the batter in hot oil and fry till they are golden brown. 
• I like irregular shaped pakoras and small ones as they get nice and crisp.
• Enjoy with chutney or as is.

 Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

In a food processor coarsely grind 1 cup corn kernels.

Mix salt and all other spices.

Mix the flour in and sprinkle some water (if needed) to form a thick batter.

Drop small portions of the batter in hot oil and fry till they are golden brown.

Happy Rainy Day!!