Beetroot Rava Dhokla (Steamed Beetroot Cakes - Gujarati Style)

 

          A very quick, nutritious and a healthy snack item, these Beetroot Rava Dhoklas are a great options for breakfast or as a tea-time snack. They can also be had as a light dinner, can be packed for a lunch box meal or for after school snack. Choice is yours. These dhoklas are not only appealing but appetizing too. So surprise your loved ones by preparing these yummy visual treats by checking out the step by step pictorial recipe.

• 1 cup Rava / Semolina / Sooji
• 1 cup beetroot puree
• 1/3 cup yoghurt
• 1 tbsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• 2 green chilies, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. eno fruit salt
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 tbsp. fresh coconut, grated

           In a bowl, mix together rava, beetroot puree, yoghurt, salt, lime juice, ginger, cumin powder, 1 tbsp. oil and green chilies. 

          Add enough water to form a thick batter. Keep aside for 15-20 minutes.

          Just before steaming, add the eno fruit salt and 1 tsp. water to activate it. Mix well. 

          Pour this batter onto a greased container / cake tin / steel plate and steam for 15-20 minutes.

          Allow it to come to room temperature. Then invert it over a plate and cut into desired shapes. 

          Heat remaining oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilies and sesame seeds. Sauté for a few seconds. 

          Add 2-3 tbsp. water and switch off the flame. Pour this tempering over the dhoklas.

          Garnish with fresh grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves. Serve for breakfast or as a tea time snack.

In a bowl, mix together rava, beetroot puree, yoghurt, salt, lime juice, ginger, cumin powder, 1 tbsp. oil & green chilies. 

Add enough water to form a thick batter. Keep aside for 15-20 minutes.

Just before steaming, add the eno fruit salt & 1 tsp. water to activate it. Mix well. 

Pour this batter onto a greased container / cake tin / steel plate & steam for 15-20 minutes.

Heat remaining oil in a pan & temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilies & sesame seeds. Sauté for a few seconds. Add 2-3 tbsp. water & switch off the flame. 

Allow it to come to room temperature. Then invert it over a plate & cut into desired shapes. Pour the tempering over the dhoklas. Garnish with fresh grated coconut & chopped coriander leaves. 

                      Serve for breakfast or as a tea time snack.

Semolina Khandvi / Sooji Ki Khandvi (Gujarati Tea Time Snack)

 

          Khandvi is a traditional Gujarati snack that is served for breakfast or as a tea time snack. It is generally light, healthy and melt in the mouth rolls made of gram flour and yoghurt and tempered with few spices. Making it is a little time consuming as it involves a lot of stirring the batter till you get the desired consistency. However, the end result is simply delicious. 

           But in this recipe I gave a slight twist by making it with semolina and in a much easier method. It turns out absolutely yummy and worth a try. This not only saves time but is also hassle free. So treat your family and friends to Semolina Khandvi. Serve them with or without chutney for breakfast, snack or as a lunch box meal.  So check out an easy step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this melt-in-the-mouth delicacy.

• 1 cup semolina
• 2 tbsp. multi grain flour
• 1/2 cup yoghurt
• 1 + 1/4 cup water 
• 1 tsp. nigella seeds
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. red chili flakes
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
• 2-3 tbsp. idli podi 
• 3-4 tbsp. fresh grated coconut

Tempering - 

• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp. white sesame seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves, chopped

         Grind the semolina in a mixer grinder into a fine powder. Transfer to a bowl.

  

         Add multi grain flour, yoghurt, salt to taste, nigella seeds, chopped green chilies, chopped coriander leaves, red chili flakes and 1 & 1/4 cup water. Mix well to prepare a batter of pouring consistency. Cover and keep aside for 15 minutes. 

         Pour 1-2 ladleful of the batter into a greased steel plate / cake tin. Spread by rotating the plate. 

         In a kadai, bring some water to a boil. Place a stand over it and then arrange the steel plate on it. 

         Cover the kadai with a lid and steam on a medium flame for 3-4 minutes only. Allow it to cool. 

         Remove it carefully onto a plate and then sprinkle some idli podi and coconut uniformly over it. 

         Cut into 1" strips and then gently roll over tightly from one end to the other. Transfer the rolls to a plate. Make more rolls with the rest of the batter. 

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter. Then add the curry leaves and sesame seeds. Switch off the flame and sauté for a few seconds. 

          Transfer the rolls / Khandvi into the pan and gently sauté them so that they are well coated with all the spices. 

           Arrange neatly on a serving plate and serve with green chutney and idli podi. 

Note - 

1.  Instead of the multi grain flour that I have used as a binding agent, you can add whole wheat flour or plain flour. 

2.  I have used Andhra special Nalla Karam Podi. However you can go ahead and add any other idli podi of your choice. 

          To the semolina, add multi grain flour, yoghurt, 

salt to taste, nigella seeds, chopped green chilies, chopped coriander leaves,

 red chili flakes and 1 & 1/4 cup water. Mix well to prepare a batter of pouring consistency.

Pour 1-2 ladleful of the batter into a greased steel plate / cake tin. Spread by rotating the plate. 

In a kadai, bring some water to a boil. Place a stand over it & arrange the steel plate on it. Cover the kadai with a lid & steam on a medium flame for 3-4 minutes. Allow it to cool. 

                 Remove it carefully onto a plate.

             Sprinkle some idli podi and coconut uniformly over it. 

Cut into 1" strips & roll over tightly from one end to the other. Transfer the rolls to a plate. 

Heat oil in a pan & temper with mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter. Then add the curry leaves & sesame seeds. Switch off the flame & sauté for a few seconds. 

Transfer the rolls / Khandvi into the pan & gently sauté them so that they are well coated with all the spices. 

Arrange neatly on a serving plate & serve with green chutney and idli podi. 

Mixed Veg. Muthia (Steamed Veggie Dumplings)

 

           This is a very popular Gujarati snack which is served either steamed or fried. Healthy and nutritious, they are perfect for an evening tea-time snack or can be enjoyed as an appetizer with sauce or green chutney. The addition of mixed vegetables provides the required amount of iron, vitamins and dietary fiber to this dish. I also added some flaxseeds and chia seeds to make it extra healthy. So it is a complete wholesome snack. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it. 

Dough - 

• 1/2 cup each of grated bottle gourd, cauliflower, carrot & bell peppers
• 1/4 cup each of fresh grated coconut & chopped coriander leaves
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup gram flour
• 1/2 cup semolina
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 2 green chilies, chopped
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp. sugar (opt)
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1-2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tbsp. flaxseeds
• 1 tbsp. soaked chia seeds
• 1 tbsp. crushed kasuri methi
• 1 tsp. roasted coriander powder
• 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder

Tempering - 

• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida 
• 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves 
• 1 tsp. Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Dough - In a large bowl, mix together all the grated veggies along with some salt and keep it aside for 5-10 minutes. 

          Then add all the flours and the remaining ingredients. Make a dough by adding required quantity of water. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.

          Apply oil to your hands and divide the dough into equal portions. Make long cylindrical rolls from each portion and steam on a greased surface for 20 minutes. When cool, cut into roundels, about 1" thickness.

          Tempering - Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds and cumin seeds. After it stops spluttering, add the asafoetida, curry leaves, sesame seeds and chili powder. Sauté for a few seconds. 

          Add the steamed muthias and mix everything well so they are well coated. Switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve as a tea time snack or as an appetizer with ketchup / green chutney. 

                                   Mix together all the grated veggies along with some salt.

                                  Keep it aside for 5-10 minutes. 

                                   Add all the flours 

                                  and the remaining ingredients. 

                       Make a dough by adding required quantity of water. Cover & let it 

                       rest for 10 minutes.

                     Apply oil to your hands & divide the dough into equal portions. Make long                                         cylindrical rolls from each portion.

                                  Steam on a greased surface for 20 minutes. 

                                  When cool, cut into roundels, about 1" thickness.

                       Heat oil & temper with mustard seeds & cumin seeds. After it stops 

                       spluttering, add the asafoetida, curry leaves, sesame seeds & chili 

                       powder. Sauté for a few seconds. 

                                 Add the steamed muthias & mix well so they are well coated. 

Garnish with coriander leaves. 

                   Serve as a tea time snack or as an appetizer with ketchup / green chutney. 

Spinach (Palak) Paatra

 

          Paatra, a popular Gujarati Snack is also known as Aloo Vadi in Maharashtra and Pathrode in Mangalore. The method of making it, is almost the same. Traditionally, Paatra is prepared using Colocasia leaves that is liberally smeared with a spiced gram flour paste, rolled, steamed, sliced and then shallow fried. 

          However, in this recipe, I substituted it with few spinach leaves. For a healthier option, you can have them steamed. No matter what, it just tastes yummy. You can enjoy this healthy snack as an appetizer / snack with some chutney / tomato sauce or as a tea-time snack too. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare my version of this recipe.

• 10 fresh spinach leaves, preferably large in size, washed & pat dried
• 1 cup gram flour 
• 2 tbsp. semolina
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1`tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tbsp. fresh grated coconut 
• 1/2 tsp. tamarind paste
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• pinch of baking soda
• 1 tsp. coriander-cumin powder
• 2-3 tbsp. mint leaves, chopped
• 1 tbsp. oil
• water as needed

Tempering - 

• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds 
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• 1/2 tsp. chili flakes
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 tbsp. fresh grated coconut

          Make a semi-thick paste with the gram flour and all the other ingredients (except the spinach leaves).

          Take a spinach leaf and smear some paste over it. Take another leaf and place it on the first one. Smear some of the paste on it too, in the same manner. 

          Similarly smear the paste on more leaves depending on the size of the leaves. If the leaves are large then 2 leaves are enough. If not, work with 4-5 leaves. 

 

         Fold them securely. Make similar rolls and steam them for for 20 minutes. When cool, cut them into 1/2 inch slices.

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds. After it stops spluttering, add cumin seeds, sesame seeds, asafoetida and the curry leaves.

          Sauté for a few seconds and add the sliced Paatra. Give it a toss and stir fry on a low flame till they are crisp and light golden in colour on both sides. 

          Garnish with coriander leaves and fresh grated coconut. Serve as an appetizer with chutney / tomato sauce or as a tea time snack.

                   Make a semi-thick paste with the gram flour and all the other ingredients 

                   (except the spinach leaves). 

                                 Take a spinach leaf and smear some paste over it. 

                                  Take another & place it on top of the first one. 

                                  Smear some of the paste on it in the same manner. 

                                 Fold them securely.

                                  Make similar rolls and steam them for for 20 minutes.

                                  When cool, cut them into 1/2 inch slices.

                     Heat oil & temper with mustard seeds. Then add cumin seeds, sesame seeds,                                     asafoetida and the curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds.

                   Add the sliced Paatra and give it a toss. Stir fry till they are crisp and light

                   golden in colour on both sides. 

                                  Garnish with coriander leaves and fresh grated coconut. 

                       Serve as an appetizer with chutney / tomato sauce or as a tea time snack.