Moong Dal Sheero

Wishing all my Gujarati friends and family a Very Happy Hindu New Year! Today is the day after Diwali and is a big day for all business people in the Hindu community. This days marks the first day of the Hindu Calendar. Luckily Diwali this year fell on a Sunday and I was able to invite few of our relatives over. We had a small and very close Diwali get-together. Moong dal halwa was one of the desserts I thought of making for the occasion. Moong dal sheero is favorite of everyone in my house.

Moong Dal or Mug ni Dal no Sheero in gujarati or Moong Dal Halwa in hindi is a sweet made of yellow moong dal and is perfect in fall and winter months. This sweet is served warm with lots of delicious nuts. Moong dal which is rich in protein when fried in ghee and cooked in milk is nutritious and helps keeping the body warm and prepares it for winter. My mom says that some amount of ghee is healthy... it lubricates our joints and keep them moving just fine. And now even the nutritionists and western world have said that Ghee is Good! I believe everything in limit is good. So don't be scared of this delicious sweet. Enjoy it!

Usually Moong dal Sheero/halwa has ghee floating on it but my recipe uses the adequate amount of ghee without excessive floating. If you like more ghee or want to impress your guests you can surely use more.

Ingredients. (Serves 4-6 people)
1 cup yellow moong dal
1/2-3/4 cup ghee
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. saffron
1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
Slivered almonds and pistachios to add inside and for garnishing

• Soak 1 cup of moong dal in 3 cups of water for 3-4 hours. After soaking moong dal turns soft and lighter in color. This will almost double in size. You could use a smaller cup size or 1/2 cup measurement to make this recipe keeping all the proportions the same. 
• Remove all water and grind moong dal into a coarse paste.
• Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan. I used 1/2 cup but you can even use 3/4 to 1 cup ghee if you like the ghee floating on the halwa.
• Add moong dal paste to hot ghee and fry on a low heat. This will take around 45 minutes to an hour on low heat but you need to be patient. The end result will be awesome. While you fry moong dal in ghee you will notice or might feel the amount of ghee being less in the recipe as moong dal absorbs the ghee to fry in. It will  start releasing the ghee once it is cooked so do not worry. At first the frying mixture might look lumpy and difficult to fry but then it turns grainy and dry, and then eventually slightly moist and turns color and gives cooked aroma.
• Slowly add milk and slightly powdered saffron and mix well. This might splatter at first so be careful. Stir till the milk is absorbed by moong dal.
• Add sugar and mix well. As sugar melts, the mixture might appear runny. Cook till the mixtures dries out and leaves the sides of the pan. 
• Add cardamom powder and few slivered almonds and pistachios. Mix well.
• Remove in a serving bowl and garnish with slivered almonds and pistachios.
• Serve while it is hot. You could heat it again before serving.

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Soak 1 cup of moong dal in 2 cups of water for 3-4 hours. After soaking moong dal turns soft and lighter in color. This will almost double in size.

Remove all water and grind moong dal into a coarse paste.

Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan

Add moong dal paste to the ghee and fry on a low heat. This will take around 45 minutes to an hour on low heat but you need to be patient. The end result will be awesome. While you fry moong dal in ghee you will notice or might feel the amount of ghee being less in the recipe as moong dal absorbs the ghee to fry in. It will  start releasing the ghee once it is cooked so do not worry. At first the frying mixture might look lumpy and difficult to fry but then it turns grainy and dry, and then eventually slightly moist and turns color and gives cooked aroma.

Slowly add milk and slightly powdered saffron and mix well. This might splatter at first so be careful.

 Stir till the milk is absorbed by moong dal.

Add sugar and mix well. As sugar melts, the mixture might appear runny.

Add cardamom powder and few slivered almonds and pistachios.

 Cook till the mixtures dries out and leaves the sides of the pan.

Remove in a serving bowl and garnish with slivered almonds and pistachios.

Have a Wonderful & Healthy Year!!

Champakali Lanterns

Diwali is here and it brings lot of wonderful memories too. Although these Champakali or lanterns are mostly made during diwali, these are made very often in our house. The effort that would go in rolling and folding to form these lanterns to the aroma that spreads in the house while frying them...everything is incredible. Not just my sister and I, but even my husband now loves these champakalis made by mom. She would parcel a big box of these specially for my husband during my India trips. She always insists I carry these for him. :)

This recipe is really simple. This is how my mom makes it and we love it :) You could always do the variation or add a different flavor to it too.

Ingredients:
1 cup maida/all purpose flour
1 tsp. ghee
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chilli powder
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds (optional)
1 tbsp. plain yogurt.
Water for making the dough
Oil for frying

In a bowl mix, flour, salt, turmeric, chilli powder, cumin seeds, ghee, and yogurt, Mix the ingredients well.
Add little water at a time to form a stiff dough.
Knead the dough well for 3-4 minutes.
Cover and keep it aside to 20 minutes.
Divide the dough into 15 equal parts.
Press each portion with the palm and roll into a disc. Using a knife, make few vertical and parallel lines.
Roll it gently taking care not the press the center on the disc.
Pick each gently and place on a paper. Let it rest for few minutes.
Pick few rolled champakalis in medium hot oil till they are golden brown.
Remove on a paper towel. It is very important to get these beautiful lantern shapes.
Let it cool and store in an airtight container.
Enjoy!

In a bowl mix, flour, salt, turmeric, chilli powder, cumin seeds, ghee, and yogurt, Mix the ingredients well.

Add little water at a time to form a stiff dough.

Divide the dough into 15 equal parts. Press each portion with the palm and roll into a disc. Using a knife, make few vertical and parallel lines.

Roll it gently taking care not the press the center on the disc.

Pick each gently and place on a paper. Let it rest for few minutes.

Pick few rolled champakalis in medium hot oil till they are golden brown.

Remove on a paper towel.

Happy Diwali!

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!