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!!

Rustic Tikhat Pav Bread

Misal with Pav is not a new concept. In fact beans and carbs go really well to form a balance diet that can be nutritious and filling. In my attempt to included protein to my vegetarian diet, beans work wonders. And in this cold winter climate, spicy Misal curry is just delicious. Went to gym on Sunday (which is very unusual for me)... with a great workout of cardio and weights. And then a healthy lunch of protein rich mixed bean misal. Being a Sunday I planned to bake fresh pav to go with Misal. Baking, probably you might feel is too tedious of a work to do... but believe me, it is work for yeast and not for you. It is just some preparation that is needed, and while yeast does the rising process, you could multitask with a trip to grocery store or workout at the gym or just sit back and relax. Baking is not tedious, plus with the delicious end result... it is totally worth it.

Misal is a spicy bean curry and is accompanied by Mumbai Laadi Pav Bread (click for the recipe). But this time I made some rustic bread using claypot lined with banana leaf from our backyard. Banana lead is a part of our culture. Banana leaf is used for cooking as well as for serving. It is rustic as well as appealing to our eyes. This pav bread is also incorporated with the spices that I use for cooking Misal. Tikhat in Marathi means spicy and hot. I added hot spices (onion and garlic masala) from the recipe into the pav bread dough to match with theis Maharashtiran curry. It pairs really well and is fun too.

Ingredients (10-12 claypot pavs) Check my Pav Bread recipe for pictures and videos.

1+1/4 cup water

2 tbsp. sugar
1 pack yeast (2+1/4 tsp.)
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 cups all purpose flour/maida
Extra flour for kneading the dough
1 tsp. Salt 

3-4 tbsp. Onion Garlic Masala (Kanda Lasoon Masala)
Slightly more butter or oil spray for greasing and dusting the pan or pots.

• Start with 1+1/4 cup warm water (100F) in a large bowl. Add 1 packet Yeast, (2+1/4 tsp.) and 2 tbsp. sugar. Mix and let the mixture rest for 5 minutes.
• Add 3 tbsp. melted unsalted butter, 1 tsp. salt and 3 cups all-purpose flour.
• Mix together to make a sticky dough.
• Lightly dust your clean counter. Empty the dough and knead it for 8-10 minutes. This is the most important stage to develop gluten, and make the dough elastic. It is okay to use around 1/4 cup flour while kneading (if needed).
• Keep the dough in a greased large bowl. Cover and let it rest for an hour.
• Use a tray or baking box 9"X13" to arrange and bake pav breads. Grease and dust it with flour.
• After an hour the dough should have doubled in size. Knead the dough again for 8-10 minutes. Mix onion and garlic masala to it and knead it to mix well. Divide into 10-12 parts, and make balls to place in greased clay pots lined with greased banana leaf.
• Leave it aside or keep in slightly warm oven to let the dough proof for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• (It is okay to keep it a little longer too. Maximum 1 1/2 hour.)
• Proofing is the process just before baking. The dough is allowed to rest to double in size.
• Bake in a 450F preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or till they get lightly browned.
• When you first remove the pav from the oven they might feel hard on the top. Do not worry. They will be super soft as they cool down.
• Remove and let them rest on a cooling rack.
• Let the pav bread completely cool on the rack. Serve with the clay pot. Let the person eating remove pav from the pot and enjoy with misal.  

Ingredients to make Misal for 4-5 people. (Click here for my mixed sprout misal recipe)

1/4 cup of each bean. This time I used moong, methi, brown chana, and soybeans (You can use any beans of your choice: matki, white peas, rajma, green chana, brown chana, green peas, methi, moong)

1 cup chopped onion

2 tbsp. oil

1 tbsp. onion and garlic powder

4-5 chopped tomatoes

1-2 tbsp of misal powder or garam masala powder

Salt to taste  

To make rassa or tarra (optional) This is to add spice and shine to the misal.

1 tbsp. oil

2-3 tbsp. onion and garlic powder

Water

Salt to taste

To Serve

Chopped onions

Misal farsan

Plain yogurt (dahi) or plain Greek yogurt.

Freshly chopped cilantro

• Soak dried beans and peas overnight or for 6-8 hours.
• Add some salt and turmeric powder and enough water to soak all the beans and pressure cook soaked beans in water until you hear 2-3 whistles.
• We will use this water for Misal to not waste the dissolved nutrients.
• In a heavy bottom pan, saute finely chopped onions in 2 tbsp. of oil till they soften.
• Add 1 tbsp of onion garlic masala. Fry for 2-3 minutes
• Add finely chopped tomatoes. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes till tomatoes get soft and mushy.
• To the onion and tomato gravy, add 2 tbsp. of misal powder or garam masala and salt
• Add boiled beans with left water. Cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes.

To make Rassa or Tarra:

In a tbsp of oil, fry 2tbsps. of onion and garlic powder and 1 tbsp of red chilli powder for 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cup of water and pinch of salt and bring it to boil.

To serve:

Pour some misal into a bowl. Add some rassa over it. Serve with Dahi, Chopped onion, and farsan mixture.

Here is step by step pictorial recipe:

 Mix onion and garlic masala to pav dough and knead it to mix well. Divide into 10-12 parts, and make balls to place in greased clay pots lined with greased banana leaf.

Leave it aside or keep in slightly 90-100 F warm oven to let the dough proof for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

(It is okay to keep it a little longer too. Maximum 1 1/2 hour.)

Proofing is the process just before baking. The dough is allowed to rest to double in size.

Here is my misal cooked in claypot.

I used soaked moong, methi, brown chana, and soybeans.

All soaked overnight and pressure cooked.

Bake in a 450F preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or till they get lightly browned.

Let the pav bread completely cool on the rack. Serve with the clay pot. Let the person eating remove pav from the pot and enjoy with misal.  

Enjoy Flavorful Pav with Misal Curry!

Dahi Batata Puri

Dahi which is yogurt, Batata is boiled potato, Puri is crisp puffed wafer... this recipe is favorite of most people in India and it falls in the family of Chaats. Chaats...a street food that is the combination of sweet, sour, and spicy and is just delicious. I don't think I am doing justice by describing it. You need to taste it to experience the flavors of this Mumbai Chaat. Our Chaat party would be incomplete without Dahi Batata Puri. It is our dessert after Pani Puri. :)

A delicious snack, an amazing appetizer, a perfect bite size hors d'oeuvre, Dahi Batata Puri is game for everything and is an all time winner. I have prepared this ample number of times and was wondering why haven't I posted it on my blog yet. I finally got my answer...I did not have a perfect platter to serve or present it. And now that I have one...couldn't wait to use it.

Do you see this beautiful, handmade, wood burnt spoon? It was a gift from an artist friend from Art Heart and Souls. A personalized gift for my kitchen!!! OMG I love it!!! This is a food safe product and I am so excited to use it to serve dips and appetizers in it. I had to showcase my favorite Chaat in my favorite serve ware :)

Ingredients to make 30-40 dahi batata puris (serves 4-5 people)

30-40 puffed puris store bought or here is my recipe to make them at home)

3 boiled potatoes (finely chopped)

1/2 cup moong  beans (soaked for few hours or overnight ans boiled in water with some salt)

1/2 cup black/brown chana (soaked for few hours or overnight ans boiled in water with some salt)

1/2 cup boondi (farsan boondi is optional. It can be used in the absence of moong and chana.)

Salt

2 tbsp. cumin powder (dry roast cumin seeds and powder them)

2 tbsp. red chili powder

1 tbsp. Chaat masala (tangy spice mix)

1 cup date and tamarind chutney (click for my recipe)

1 cup Mint Cilantro Chutney.

3 cups plain yogurt

2 cups thin sev noodles ( found in Indian Grocery Store)

Chopped cilantro to garnish

To make Mint and Cilantro chutney

1 cup cilantro, 1/2 cup mint leaves, 1 tbsp. peanuts, 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds, 2-3 green chilies, 1/2 tsp. salt lime juice.

Grind well with little water.

In a bowl mix boiled chopped potatoes, boiled moong, boiled chana, and boondi. Add 1+1/2 tsp. salt, 1+1/2 tsp. cumin powder, 1+1/2  tsp. red chili powder.

Whisk yogurt with 1+1/2 tsp. salt to form a smooth mixture. Leave it aside.

Crack puris gently with your fingers of a handle of a spoon. Lay it on a plate.

Fill each puri with around 3/4 to 1 tsp. filling.

Pour around 3/4 to 1 tsp. sweet chutney and 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. coriander chutney in each puri.

Pour Yogurt into each puri.

Sprinkle cumin powder, red chili powder, and chaat masala over all the puris.

Garnish 1 tbsp. of thin sev over every puri.

Garnish with cilantro.

Enjoy immediately!!

In a bowl mix boiled chopped potatoes, boiled moong, boiled chana, and boondi. Add 1+1/2 tsp. salt, 1+1/2 tsp. cumin powder, 1+1/2  tsp. red chili powder.

Whisk yogurt with 1+1/2 tsp. salt to form a smooth mixture. Leave it aside.

Crack puris gently with your fingers of a handle of a spoon. Lay it on a plate.

Fill each puri with around 3/4 to 1 tsp. filling.

Pour around 3/4 to 1 tsp. sweet chutney and 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. coriander chutney in each puri.

Pour Yogurt into each puri.

Sprinkle cumin powder, red chili powder, and chaat masala over all the puris.

Garnish 1 tbsp. of thin sev over every puri.

Garnish with cilantro.

Enjoy this Lip-Smacking Chaat!!!