Black Chickpeas & Peanuts Hummus

          Hummus is a traditional dip from the Middle Eastern regions where it is served along with Arabic bread and / or grilled meat. It can also be relished as a spread on toasted bread and parathas. Healthy, nutritious and yummy, they can be had with veggie crudites, tacos, croutons or chips for a light snack. 

          It is usually made of boiled kabuli chana (white chickpeas), that is blended to a smooth paste along with tahini (sesame seeds), garlic and olive oil, being the few main ingredients. But today I would like to share my version of a black chickpeas & peanut hummus that was equally delicious. So you know now what to dish out when you have hunger pangs and when time is a constraint. 

• 1 cup black Chickpeas, soaked overnight
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1-2 green chilies
• 1/4 cup roasted sesame seeds
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. pepper powder
• 2-3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1-2 tsp. lime juice
• 2-3 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Pressure cook the chickpeas in sufficient water for 5-6 whistles. Drain and blend the boiled chickpeas along with the peanuts, sesame seeds, garlic, green chilies and some water into a smooth paste.

          To it add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Serve as a dip along with veggie crudités or chips. They can also be served as a spread on toast or parathas.

      

Tadke Wali Chana Dal Raita (Tempered Bengal Gram in Yoghurt Sauce)

          Raita is an amazingly healthy and an yummy side dish made of yoghurt to which veggies /  fruits / herbs are added. It is an essential accompaniment to Biryani, pulao, khichdi, jeera rice or any type of Indian bread. 

          There are various types of raita that you can dish out. But today let me share an unusual raita prepared with boiled chana dal. I added a tempering to it which took it to another level. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 1 cup chana dal (Bengal Gram Lentil), soaked overnight
• 1 cup yoghurt, whisked well
• 2-3 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 tsp. urad dal (split black gram)
• 1 tbsp. chana  dal (Bengal gram)
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 slit fresh green / red chilies

          Pressure cook chana dal in 1 cup water for one whistle. Drain and keep aside. In a bowl, mix together chana dal, yoghurt, salt and coriander leaves.

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds. After it stops spluttering, add the urad dal, chana dal, curry leaves and the chilies.

          Sauté for a few seconds and switch off the flame. Pour this tempering over the prepared raita and enjoy as a side dish with pulao, plain biryani, khichdi, jeera rice or any form of Indian bread.

                    Pressure cook chana dal in 1 cup water for one whistle. Drain & keep aside.

                                Mix chana dal, yoghurt, salt & coriander leaves.

                  Heat oil & temper with mustard seeds. Then add urad dal, chana dal, curry
                  leaves & chilies. Sauté few seconds & switch off the flame. 

                                 Pour this tempering over the raita. 

                          Enjoy with pulao, plain biryani, jeera rice, khichdi or Indian bread.

Mixed Dal Modak (Ganesh Chaturthi special)

          Modak is a sweet dumpling that is offered to Lord Ganesha. Without it celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi is incomplete. There are many types of modak available. They are traditionally prepared with rice flour and with a coconut-jaggery stuffing. 

           But today I would like to share a modak recipe made out of mixed lentil powder. Very easy to prepare, they can be made in a very short time. The end result are these yummy modak that can be offered to Lord Ganesha on this festive occasion. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 1 cup mixed dal powder (masoor, chana, urad, moong & tuvar dal)
• 1/2 cup sugar, powdered
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
• 2 tbsp. ghee
• 2-3 tbsp. milk or as required
• chopped nuts / sugar crystals to garnish (opt)

          Take equal quantities of each of the lentil and soak them overnight. Next day, drain and sun dry them. Then powder and keep in an airtight container for later use.

          In a pan, heat ghee and stir fry 1 cup dal powder for a minute or two till you get a nice aroma coming through.

          Switch off the flame and add the powdered sugar and cardamom powder. Mix everything well and let it cool down.

          Add milk little at a time to make it moist. Divide into equal portions and give a modak shape to each portion.

          Sprinkle some sugar crystals / chopped nuts and offer to Lord Ganesha. 

                  Heat ghee & stir fry dal powder for 1-2 min. or till you get  a nice aroma.

                            Switch off flame & add powdered sugar & cardamom powder. 

                                  Mix well & let it cool down.

                    Add little milk to make the mix moist. Divide into equal portions & give a 
                    Modak shape to each portion.

                     Sprinkle some sugar crystals / chopped nuts & offer to Lord Ganesha. 

Panch Phoron Flavoured Stuffed Khandvi in Pressure Cooker - Fusion Style

          Khandvi is a very delicious Gujarati savoury snack, best relished with green chutney. This involves a lot of stirring the batter till you get the desired consistency. So today let me share an easier method by cooking in a pressure cooker. This not only saves your time but is also hassle free. 

          I gave a slight twist to the original recipe by adding some panch phoron powder for a bit of a Bengali flavour. The end product was a simply amazing concoction of flavours. You can relish with a dash of kasundi as an accompaniment. So check out an easy step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this fusion Gujarati-Bengali style stuffed Khandvi.

• 1 cup gram flour
• 1-2 tsp. panch phoron powder (equal quantities of fennel, cumin, fenugreek, mustard & nigella seeds)
• 1-2 green chilies
• 1" ginger
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• salt to taste
• 2-3 tbsp. yoghurt
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2-3 tbsp. yoghurt
• 1-2 tbsp. mustard oil

Tempering - 

• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• pinch of asafoetida
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
• 1/2 cup coriander leaves, chopped
• 2 tbsp. kasundi to serve (opt)

            Grind together green chilies and ginger into a fine paste. Mix together besan, turmeric powder, panch phoron powder, salt and the ground paste.

           Add the yogurt, mustard oil and water. Whisk well so that there are no lumps.  Pour into a bowl and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles.

          Open the lid and immediately spread it on a steel plate, tray, corelle plate, counter top or 
melamine plate (there is no need to grease).

           Sprinkle the coconut and coriander leaves.  After it cools down a bit, cut into strips with a knife or pizza cutter.

          Gently roll them from one end to the other & transfer to a serving plate. Heat oil in a pan and temper with cumin seeds. Add the asafoetida and sesame seeds. 

          Toss well and switch off the flame. Pour the tempering over the arranged khandvi. Garnish with the remaining coconut and coriander leaves.

           Enjoy as a tea-time snack, breakfast or as an appetizer along with kasundi.

                 Grind green chilies & ginger into a fine paste. Mix besan, turmeric powder, 
                 panch phoron powder, salt & ground paste.

                   Add yoghurt, mustard oil & water. Whisk well so that there are no lumps.

             

                                Pour into a bowl & pressure cook for 2-3 whistles.
                          

                 Open the lid & immediately spread it on a steel plate, tray, corelle plate, 
                 counter top or melamine plate.

                                Sprinkle coconut & coriander leaves. 

                   After it cools, cut into strips with a knife or pizza cutter. Roll them from 
                   one end to the other & transfer to a serving plate. 

                  Heat oil & temper with cumin seeds. Add asafoetida & sesame seeds. Toss 
                  well & switch off the flame. 

                   Pour tempering over the khandvi. Garnish with remaining coconut
                   & coriander leaves. Enjoy as a tea-time snack, breakfast or as an
                   appetizer along with kasundi.

                  

Achari Khaman Dhokla (Steamed Gram Flour Cake - Fusion Style)

         Khaman Dhokla is a traditional Gujarati steamed savoury snack which is healthy, wholesome and yummy. They can be served as a tea-time snack, for breakfast or for a light dinner. It is an instant version prepared with besan (gram flour), yoghurt and few other flavouring agents. It is steamed to perfection and is tempered with mustard seeds and is then served, garnished with fresh grated coconut and coriander leaves. 

          How cool is that? But wait. There's a twist to this recipe. I added some pickle masala to give a new achari flavour - a la fusion style. So get going and dish out this amazing nutritious snack in a new avatar for your loved ones by following an easy step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 1 cup gram flour / besan
• 1 tbsp. semolina / sooji
• 1/2 cup yoghurt
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. ginger-green chilies paste
• 1 tbsp. pickle masala 
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp. eno fruit salt

Tempering - 

• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds
• 2 fresh red / green chilies, slit
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• pinch of asafoetida
• 2 tbsp. freshly grated coconut
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          In a bowl, mix together all the above mentioned ingredients (except eno) with required quantity of water to form a batter of pouring consistency. Keep aside for 30 minutes.

          Just before steaming, add eno fruit salt along with 1 tbsp. water and gently fold it in. Pour into a greased steel container or plate and steam for 15-20 minutes. When cool, cut into desired shapes.

         Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds. After it stops spluttering, add sesame seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida and fresh red / green chilies. Sauté for a few seconds and add 1/4 cup water. 

          Switch off the flame and pour this tempering on the steamed Dhoklas. Garnish with coconut and coriander leaves. Serve with green chutney. 

                                  Sift besan.

                  Mix besan, salt, sugar, ginger-green chilies paste, pickle masala & pickle oil.

                                  Then add yoghurt,

                                  semolina & 1 cup water or as needed,

       

                                  turmeric powder,

                                  eno fruit salt & 1 tbsp. water.

                      Pour into a greased steel container or plate & steam for 15-20 minutes. 

                                  When cool, cut into desired shapes.

                       Heat oil & temper with mustard seeds. After it stops spluttering, add 
                       sesame seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida & green chilies. Sauté for a few 
                       seconds & add 1/4 cup water. 

                     Pour this tempering on the Dhoklas. Garnish with coconut & coriander 
                     leaves. Serve with green chutney.