Category: Recipes

Crème Brûlée | Make It A Day Ahead

Post author By onewholesomemeal
Post date March 2, 2020
No Comments on Crème Brûlée | Make It A Day Ahead

I decided to end my mini-hiatus from the blog with an easy recipe for Crème Brûlée. Yes, I am using dessert as a peace offering for disappearing on you.

This year the plan was to shoot and share at least one recipe (if not more) every week. It’s March and I could not have fallen flatter on my face (if I can take liberties with the English language)! Forget sharing a recipe per week, I think I have not shared one in more than a month. A perfect example of “Man Proposes, God Disposes!”

It Is Okay To Take A Creative Break

I do not like to make excuses and am more in the category of – How do we make the best of the situation and get things done? But the more I try and do it, the more I realise that sometimes we are unkind to ourselves. We set unrealistic expectations and always try to swim against the tide. It is sometimes okay to let it be and go with the flow, don’t you think? So, while I could have pushed and pushed myself some more and posted recipes regularly, I am sure it would have impacted my quality and my sanity. The past couple of weeks my hands have been full homeschooling two children. Plus make sure they are engaged, entertained, the house was running smoothly and everyone at home kept their sanity. With all the tasks on hand, I decided to step back and take a creative break.

Instead, I chose to focus and stay in the moment, not to multitask, and to put all my energies into helping my family (and myself) get over these challenging times. Trust me no amount of crash courses in patience and perseverance could have prepared us for times like these! I am not trying to preach this life to others, but sharing my experience with what is working for me. Most importantly, because as my readers, I feel you all have the right to know the reasons behind my mini disappearing act.

Onward And Upward

I truly hope that I can come back to sharing and posting regularly soon enough. And that the testing times our global village is facing comes to an end. While we are at that, let us take a moment to be grateful for all the things that we have taken for granted thus far. Simple things we did not think twice before doing or enjoying which in the current times feel like a true luxury (threading my brows for example)! On a lighter note, let me share an anecdote on the topic. The other day I was catching up with a friend over the phone (cannot remember when I caught up with one in person last) and the conversation somehow turned to our current “brow status”. Yes, that is the kind of cool conversation I have with my “brows” or do I mean “bros”. She went on to say – I do not have two eyebrows anymore, they have grown and become one! Totally empathising and living the same scenario I had to share my depressing status – Mine looks like The Very Hungry Caterpillar! Now, I leave it to your imagination to figure who is living the worse nightmare.

Crème Brûlée To the Rescue

From brows to dessert. Today I share with you the recipe for this delicious Crème Brûlée. I had to go through my fair share of recipes online and some cookbooks to finally create this one. It was a commissioned work for which the client had shared a recipe too but when I am making something for a client that I am not very confident of, I try and not leave anything to chance. And hence all the research which benefitted the client and now all of you. While the measurements in my recipe are not exactly the same as her’s, I do recommend watching Sally’s video recipe to make a Crème Brûlée. It will help you get a hang of the method.

A few things to keep in mind:

Do not substitute castor sugar with regular sugar for best results.
Tempering the egg yolks is a critical step.
It is very easy to over bake a Crème Brûlée. Bake it until the centre is a tad wobbly while the edges are set.
Using a kitchen torch is recommended. I did as I had one handy. In case you do not have one, please have a look at three alternative ways you can do it.

With the above steps taken care of, it is a great make-ahead dessert that comes together in a jiffy.

Yum

Crème Brûlée

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 6

Ingredients

Heavy Cream- 4 cups
Vanilla Bean, scraped- 1 or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Castor Sugar- 1 cup, divided
Egg Yolks- 6
Hot Water- 8 cups or as needed

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 160 degrees centigrade
On low heat bring heavy cream to a gentle boil (until you see bubbles start to form), then turn off heat
While the cream is boiling, whisk 6 egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until well blended and the mixture has lightened in colour. This would require approximately 10-12 minutes of continuous whisking
When the cream is warm (and not boiling hot), take about 1/2 a cup of it and gradually add to the egg yolk-sugar mixture, mixing gently
Continuing to whisk the mixture, add the remaining heavy cream gradually and not all at one go
Pour the mixture into six 8 ounce ramekins and place the ramekins into a large roasting pan making sure you have spaced them out well enough to be able to bring them out of the pan when still hot
Pour hot water into the roasting pan so that it comes halfway to the ramekins and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the sides are set but the centre is still a tad wobbly
Remove the ramekins from the baking tray, bring to room temperature and refrigerate overnight
Next day, bring the ramekins out of the refrigerator and let them sit out for 30 minutes
Then sprinkle the remaining half cup caster sugar, dividing it equally amongst the six ramekins and spreading evenly
Using a blow torch caramelise the sugar to form a crispy top
Let it sit for 5-7 minutes before digging in.

https://onewholesomemeal.com/creme-brulee-make-it-a-day-ahead/

Tags Desserts

Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Spinach and Tofu with Peanut Chutney Powder

Post author By onewholesomemeal
Post date January 31, 2020
No Comments on Spinach and Tofu with Peanut Chutney Powder

My motto right now, stay calm and keep cooking. Happy to share this delish spinach and tofu with peanut chutney powder, despite all my worries.

Ideally, I like to start my posts with something positively philosophical or interestingly funny. Today’s post however is neither, because if I can be truly honest with you, after more than three sleepless nights in a row, I got out of bed feeling neither positive nor funny! On the contrary, I woke up puking my gut out (sincerest apologies if that is too much information)!

Accept and Flow in 2020

Why so much drama mama, you might wonder? Well! Last few days, my life here in Hong Kong has been nothing close to anything that I had ever remotely imagined. Yeah right! Who was I kidding! When has anyone’s life panned out as expected ever! Just a few weeks ago, as my husband and I sat enjoying (a very very rare) date night/anniversary dinner at one of our favourite restaurants, we made some promises to – learn from the year that had gone by, appreciate each other more, try and walk in each other’s shoes a bit before jumping to conclusions and be fully present during the precious time we were together as a family – in short, accept and flow! 2019 had been a tough year and we were all but ready to put that behind us and embrace the new year!

WuFLu Wrecks All Plans

Little did we know that destiny had mega plans to put our plans to test, a bit too soon, may I say. Just as I was gearing to dig into some juicy work projects and enjoy the beautiful Chinese New Year with the family, all hell broke loose. Out of nowhere the Wuhan Pneumonia or what most media folks are now terming as WuFlu started to spread like wildfire in China. While most Hong Kong folks do not consider themselves a part of China, geographically speaking we aren’t all that far! Ever since the news of this deadly, possible pandemic was out (coinciding perfectly with the CNY holidays), most people in Hong Kong (me included) got into panic mode! And could we be blamed? Some of us had lived through SARS and the rest had heard some horrific stories about it. But then none of us had expected to go through an equally testing phase yet again!

Not The Best Time To Catch The Common Flu!

We got to know of the outbreak sometime around Thursday last week, January the 23rd to be precise. We hoped all will be well, not knowing the extent of spread. Come Saturday morning and every newspaper and social media group was rife with discussions and news about this possible pandemic. Cooped up indoors, I spent every waking hour either talking or reading about this new strain of the virus. I was hoping for some positive piece of news. But there was none. By Sunday evening, cabin fever had got to me and I started to imagine every possible symptom in me. And almost as if I had willed it, by Tuesday evening both me and my kids started to show symptoms of the common cold.

As things are in such circumstances, I dreaded the worst and almost saturated them with home remedies and gallons of vitamin C. By the evening of 30th January my eldest started to get better, but the youngest not so much. Headache (one of the possible symptoms of the illness) seemed to have become my new best friend ( which could have been more because of anxiety and non-stop screen time) and littlest was taking a turn for the worst. He coughed all night. I could not sleep. I shed some tears and imagined all possible dreadful outcomes. While weighing my decisions to inform the family or not if something was to happen. In the morning I got out of bed, could not stand steady. I found my way to the bathroom and puked my innards out. I am not the coolest head to be around but this even for someone like me was unprecedented. Melodramatic as it may sound, it did help to clear my head and the husband helped to make a pediatrician appointment.

Stay Calm And Keep Cooking

Now, as I sit here typing this blog post, we are back home from the ped after being reassured it is not a scary infection. With some neurfen and panadol and plenty of TLC, it should wear off in a few days’ time. Trouble seems huge until a greater one strikes. Suddenly caring for a sick toddler or managing and entertaining two young children, cooped indoor 24/7 seems way easier than it did a few days back. I keep going back to the moment when the doctor said it was nothing to worry about. I could not have been more grateful at that moment. The scare of this dreadful epidemic is far from over and we still stand in the eye of the storm. However, I now understand that all the negative news needs to be taken with a pinch of salt and all my energy needs to be focussed on staying safe rather than imagining probable outcomes. And most importantly, keeping faith in the power of positive thinking!

And Now The Recipe For Spinach And Tofu With Peanut Chutney Powder

This was definitely not the best preamble to this easy-peasy and deliciously nutritious recipe. But given the uncertain times, we live in, I felt it was pertinent. Spinach and tofu flavoured with peanut chutney powder! Simple recipes are always the best! This one is my go-to during winters when we want something quick and flavourful. The peanut chutney is the bomb!

There are quite a few popular versions of this peanut podi or chutney that use coconut. The version I share here does not. I am a huge podi fan and I cannot choose between the two.

I have another saag-tofu recipe on the blog and this one is a spin-off on the same, except its much spicier thanks to the Peanut Chutney Powder, minus tomatoes. You can however control the spice level by reducing the number of red chilies in the powder. I do not recommend it as both spinach and tofu are great at balancing the spice. Please use the firmest variety of tofu available in the market for the best results. So, without further ado, here is the recipe.

Yum

Spinach Tofu with Peanut Powder Chutney

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 95

Serving Size: 3-4

Ingredients

For Peanut Chutney Powder

Peanuts with skin, shelled- 1 cup
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Coriander seeds- 1 tsp
Vegetable Oil- 1/2 tsp
Dried red chilies- 12-15
Garlic,peeled- 1 head

For Spinach-Tofu stir fry

Spinach, finely chopped- 5 cups
Hard Tofu cut in desired size pieces-1.5 cups
Garlic, finely chopped- 2 teaspoons
Cumin- 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder -1/2 teaspoon
Green chilies-2 (optional)
Mustard oil-1.5 teaspoon
Salt-1 teaspoon or as per taste
Peanut Chutney Powder- 3 tbsp or as per taste
Toasted coconut slivers for garnish

Instructions

For Peanut Chutney Powder

Dry roast the peanuts lightly in a thick bottomed frying pan over medium heat, turn off the heat and peal off the skin by rubbing them between the palms of your hands
Dry roast the cumin and coriander seeds over medium heat until light brown, turn off the heat and keep aside
Add 1/2 tsp vegetable oil to the same pan and roast the dried red chillies for a few minutes on medium heat till they turn a shade darker, add garlic and stir fry for another 2-3 minutes
Bring all roasted ingredients to room temperature and grind in a high speed blender to a coarse powder so it retains its texture; over blending might "cook" the peanut and make the blend slightly sticky as fats release

For Spinach-Tofu stir fry

Heat oil in a thick bottomed skillet and stir fry tofu till light brown; drain excess oil from the tofu on a kitchen towel and keep aside
To the same pan, add cumin seeds, garlic and turmeric and stir till the spices start to crackle. Be careful to not burn them or it would make the dish bitter
Add spinach,cover and cook till almost done; Then uncover and let the excess water dry out on a low flame; stir intermittently
Add tofu and salt ,mix well and simmer for another 2-3 minutes
Turn off heat, add the peanut chutney powder and mix well; garnish with toasted coconut slivers and serve with hot phulkas or daal and rice

https://onewholesomemeal.com/spinach-and-tofu-with-peanut-chutney-powder/

Tags Indian Food Recipes, Quick-Fix Meals, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes

Lunch | 1pm Meal Most Popular Posts

Vegan Beetroot and Tofu Burger

Post author By onewholesomemeal
Post date January 22, 2020
No Comments on Vegan Beetroot and Tofu Burger

Vegan Tofu Burger — Vegan Beetroot and Tofu Butter

While I am very excited that I cracked this Vegan Beetroot and Tofu Burger recipe and cannot wait to share with you, I also have an urge to share something else as important.

We live in difficult times. Phones are smarter than people and our planet is in the wrong hands. Most of us continue to live in the optimism bubble that the human race is going to find a way. Maybe it will and everything will be alright eventually. But we need to take some preventive steps nonetheless. Unfortunately very few of us are actually doing so

My Two Bits

We as a family are committed to taking baby steps too. We almost never use single-use plastic-shoppings bags, straws, water bottles. This year we are also committed to reducing our meat consumption. Red meat at home was always a no-no, and now even white meat is consumed once a week. And I am always looking for ways to make delicious, meat-free meals at home.

Finding The Middle Path

The boys love a good burger. The could have it thrice a day, seven days a week. And I usually do not stop them from enjoying a regular burger when we are out, but at home, it is mostly veg or at the most chicken. And over time I have realised that burgers are a great way to conceal veggies and make it a complete meal!

The Impossible Burgers are a current rage here in Hong Kong (and I presume the rest of the world too) and la familia loves it. And because I love a good challenge, I decided to create it at home :))

Using the ready to use impossible meat was a possibility. I wanted to try something different, however. So, I used some other special ingredients. And boy it tasted gooood! The fussy family polished it off for lunch and wanted the same thing for dinner too! Mission (Im)Possible was well accomplished!!

The star ingredient was of course finely grated beetroot. I have another version of beetroot tikkis or cutlets on the blog, but this time I decided to switch things around a bit and also played with flavours. I also gave a desi (Indian) twist to it. Two ingredients that greatly impacted the texture were hard tofu (the variety one uses for frying) and boiled mashed green peas. I also added boiled potatoes, breadcrumbs, and roasted chickpea flour as binders. And threw in some spinach(which I cooked with onions and garlic) to make the patty healthier and wholesome. Raw onions release water when they come in contact with salt , making the patty soggy and hard to bind, hence I cooked the onions with garlic until translucent. And last but most importantly, I added Chettinad Spice Mix to flavour things up a bit. I did mean it when I said, the simple way doesn’t come easily to me :))

Yum

Vegan Beetroot Burger

Prep Time: 60 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 6-8

Ingredients

For the patty

Beetroot, finely grated- 1 cup
Carrot, finely grated -1/4 cup
Boiled and mashed green peas- 1/2 cup
Spinach finely chopped cooked with onion and garlic- 1/3 cup
Potato, mashed - 2/3 cup
Tofu, mashed - 1/2 cup
Finely chopped onion-1/2 cup
Finely chopped garlic- 1 tbsp
Roasted Chickpea flour- 1/2 cup
Breadcrumbs- 1cup
Coriander (dhaniya) powder- 1 tsp
Chettinad Masala- 3 tsp ( feel free to swap it with garam masala or cajun spice as desired)
Salt- 1 tbsp or to taste
Oil for shallow frying

For the burger

Burger buns- 4
Butter to warm the buns in
Lettuce
Tomato
Onions
Mild or Smoked Cheddar Cheese Slices
Other vegetables or accompaniments of choice you enjoy in your burger

Instructions

Boil two medium sized potatoes, mash and keep aside
Boil green peas, drain water completely, mash and keep aside
Roast the chickpea flour on a low flame, stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes till a nutty aroma releases; be careful not to over roast and burn, just enough until the flour slightly change colour
In a thick bottomed pan add some oil and to it add garlic ; stir on a low flame until light brown and fragrant , then add onion and cook till translucent
Add chopped spinach to the above mix and cook till tender; keep aside to cool
In a wide and deep bowl add all ingredients of the patty and mix well; taste for salt and adjust if needed
Form into discs almost as big or a tad smaller than your burger bun and refrigerate for 30 minutes
Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the patties until golden and crispy, flipping sides halfway through
Lightly toast the burger buns on both sides in a pan with melted butter
Assemble your burger and enjoy with your favourite dip!

https://onewholesomemeal.com/vegan-beetroot-tofu-burger/

Tags Fusion Indian, Quick-Fix Meals, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes

Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal Most Popular Posts

Litti Chokha | Traditional Bihari Recipe

Post author By onewholesomemeal
Post date January 14, 2020
6 Comments on Litti Chokha | Traditional Bihari Recipe

“So, you are a food blogger? What part of India are you from?”

“Bihar”

“Aah! Then you must teach me how to make litti chokha!”

Remarks like this are the reason I have not shared one of the most loved recipes from my home state Bihar! It is almost like saying that Italians eat only pizza. Or that tapas are an everyday feature at the table in a Spanish home! This and many other similar stereotypes and expectations made me almost pledge to never share this recipe. The fact that being a Bihari in India comes with its own share of woes and discriminations, and I had suffered a fair share of them studying and working outside of my home state. This baggage did not help either.

So What Changed?

Well! Let me first share with you a little secret about my personal journey. I have always been a sensitive person. Since I started blogging, it was very hard to deal with constant judgment and brutality. Something that bloggers are perpetually subjected to. I am not exaggerating but most of the brutality came from people who know me. I was already dealing with my own demons already. This added burden did not help. I started to question my decision to blog. Nothing good seemed to be coming out of it. In fact, things were only going south – not many followers on the blog, not much remuneration, and definitely no peace of mind! Then why was I doing what I was doing?

Now, as with most things in my life, by some cosmic intervention, a few things happened almost at the same time which helped to pull me together and bring my mind and soul to a safe place:

I was recommended a book on Goodreads called the Power of Subconscious Mind and I started reading it
A friend who had just completed some sessions happened to speak about her therapist to me
And most importantly in one of the rare moments of optimism I reminded myself why had I started a blog in the first place – for the pure love and joy of sharing!

To deal with constant judgment, remember this – People’s opinion of you is a reflection of their character (and life experiences) and not yours. So, every time I am faced with opinions and unkind remarks I just remind myself of this. I stay true to myself and focus on my goal, no matter what 🙂

It’s in 2020. So Let’s Start New.

Why am I sharing all this with you when I should be focussing on more important matters like the recipe for Litti Chokha? Well! First things first, blogging or not, we all go through significant ups and downs in life. But not all of us are infused with copious amounts of endorphins to deal with these ebbs and flows and take it in our stride. Many of us find ourselves at sea and overwhelmed, to say the least, dealing with these. So, since my job is to share I took the liberty to share the above with you the things that worked for me and helped me cope. I sincerely hope that at least one if not all of these help you too. Do remember that no matter how much love of family and friends you are surrounded by, there is nothing more important and effective than self-love. So, be it seeing a therapist, taking a few hours every day to be with yourself or just reading a self-help book, take the plunge, without any guilt or second thought. We all need constant reminders- one cannot pour from an empty vessel!

And Finally Litti Chokha!

Coming back to the recipe, there are four parts to it – making the litti, baingan bharta (eggplant mash), aloo bharta (mashed potatoes), and tomato chutney. While together it might sound like a lot of work, when you start putting it together you will realise it really isn’t hard. Just a little bit of planning and patience goes a long way. Here are a few tips to help you make the perfect litti chokhas.

Littis: They should not be disjointed when they come out of the oven hard. If you like them soft and crumbly, double the amount of ghee while kneading the dough. The best way to enjoy them is piping hot. Use two hands to break them and then dunk it in some melted ghee and mix with the bharta/chutney. Traditionally the litti stuffing was some oil, lime juice, and salt. Today however you will find various takes on the stuffing. Here I am sharing the one we enjoy as a family.

Baingan Bharta: Whether you roast it on an open flame or on an iron tawa placed on an open flame, do slit them halfway in the centre. Not all the way to the end splitting it into two! Insert 6-8 pods of garlic. Roast the baingan and garlic together. Later use the garlic for flavouring both the bhartas and chutney. Yumm!!

Aloo Bharta: You can boil potatoes in a pressure cooker and then further roast in a preheated oven for 5-10 minutes to add that smoky flavour. It would taste great both ways.

Tamatar Chutney: Peel the skin of the tomatoes and roughly chop the tomatoes. Mix this with other ingredients of the chutney using a fork or blend together. It just changes the consistency, the former is lumpy and latter is liquid but it doesn’t effect the taste.

With my pro-tips up your sleeves, you are sure to rock this recipe 🙂

Yum

Litti-Chokha (Chickpea flour stuffed Dumplings with Aubergine Mash)

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 3-4

Ingredients

For Litti Dough

Whole wheat flour- 2 cups
Ghee- 1.5 tbsp
Salt- 1.5 tsp or to taste
Water- 1 cup approx (to knead the dough)

For Litti Stuffing

Sattu (roasted gram flour)- 1 cup
Ajwain (carom seeds)- 1/2 tsp
Saunf ( fennel seeds)- 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice- 2 tsps
Onion, finely chopped- 1.5 tbsp
Coriander leaves, finely chopped- 1.5 tbsp
Mustard Oil ( or oil from homemade mango or red chilli pickle)- 2 tsps
Finely Chopped Ginger- 1 tsp
Finely Chopped Garlic- 1 tsp
Salt - 1.5 tsp or as per taste
Water- 2 tbsp approx to bring the stuffing together

For Baingan Chokha/Bharta

Baingan -1 (large variety)
Garlic pods roasted - 2-3
Green chilies roasted- 1-2 or as per heat level desired
Mustard oil- 1 tsp
Chopped coriander leaves- 1 tbsp
Salt-1.5 tsp or as per taste

For Aaloo Chokha

Medium sized potatoes- 2
Green chilies roasted- 1-2 or as per heat level desired
Finely chopped onions -1.5 tbsp
Mustard oil- 1 tsp
Chopped coriander leaves- 1 tbsp
Salt-1.5 tsp or as per taste

For Tomato Chutney

Medium sized tomatoes- 2
Garlic pods roasted - 2
Green chilies roasted- 1-2 or as per heat level desired
Mustard oil- 1 tsp
Chopped coriander leaves- 1 tbsp
Salt-1.5 tsp or as per taste

Instructions

Making Litti Dough

In a deep and wide mixing bowl,place all ingredients; do not add water yet
Between the palm of your hands rub the flour-salt-ghee mix for 5-7 minutes
Then add little water and combine the dough; add water gradually to make sure the dough is of right consistency- soft and pliable and not very hard. Cover and keep aside

Preparing Litti Stuffing

In another deep bowl bring all the stuffing ingredients, except water together and mix well with your hands
Add 1 tbsp water and mix well. The mixture should not be too dry but also not very wet, just sightly clumpy. You can test it by pinching some mixture between your fingers and if it almost holds shape it is good to go; add some more water if its very dry and powdery

Rolling,Stuffing and Baking Litti

Pull out a small ball of dough and roll between your palms as you would when making rotis
Then roll out these balls to make almost a 4-6 inch roti, then place about 2 tbsps of the stuffing mixture in the centre
Seal the edges by bringing them in the centre and pressing together
Then gently roll them between your palms to make a ball
Proceed similarly for the remaining dough
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil
Place the stuffed littis on the tray and brush them all over with ghee
Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes or until the exterior is slightly charred and baked well
Also, halfway through the process , flip the littis over for even baking; brush them again with some more ghee

Making Baingan Chokha

Slit the baingan/eggplant halfway (and not all the way till the end), press 6-8 garlic pods inside and roast on open flame or an iron tawa placed on the flame till the exteriors are charred and black and the white inside is cooked through;keep turning the eggplant while roasting so it is evenly done
Roast 4-6 green chilies alongside
Then peel off the skin, remove the stem and pull out the garlic pods
Peel the garlic pods and keep aside
In a bowl mash together two garlic pods, roasted green chilies as per taste, mustard oil, salt and roasted eggplant using a fork until well combined
Garnish with chopped coriander

Making Aaloo Chokha

Boil potatoes in a pressure cooker until done
Roast these boiled potatoes over flame on an iron tawa or in an oven at 200 degrees for 10 minutes; you can also skip the roasting step if you are pressed for time
In a bowl mash together roasted green chilies as per taste, mustard oil, salt and boiled/roasted potatoes
Garnish with chopped coriander

Making Tamatar Chutney

Poke holes into tomatoes and roast on an iron tawa , turning sides till the skin is nice and charred and tomatoes cooked through
Peel the skin, chop into cubes and mix well with the remaining ingredients using a fork or you could blend all ingredients except the coriander to make a more homogeneous thick liquid
Garnish with coriander
Serve hot littis with a side of ghee, chokhas and chutney. Winter is truly incomplete without this meal!

https://onewholesomemeal.com/litti-chokha-traditional-bihari-recipe/

Tags Bihari Recipes, Indian Food Recipes, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes

Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Rajasthani Gatte Ki Sabzi With Paneer

Post author By onewholesomemeal
Post date December 19, 2019
1 Comment on Rajasthani Gatte Ki Sabzi With Paneer

Come winters and the body starts to crave comfort food like never before. And it is okay to pay heed once in a way without overdoing it. This Rajasthani gatte ki sabzi is your saviour!

Gatte ki sabzi, originally from Rajasthan has now found popularity across India and there are quite a few versions made. Two of the more popular kinds are:

Cooked in a light yogurt-based sauce or
A slightly spicier version in a rich onion-tomato gravy

In both versions, the gatte (chickpea flour dumplings) are steamed and not fried. I love both versions personally and relish them with some hot ghee rice or ghee phulkas.

Inspiration From A New Cookbook

Now, let’s get to the actual recipe for gatte ki sabzi with paneer. I know, I had you at paneer, isn’t it? So, I have recently invested in some Indian cookbooks by renowned authors like Madhur Jaffrey and Pushpesh Pant amongst others. The other day I sat turning pages of one of those cookbooks – The Indian Vegetarian Cookbook by Pushpesh Pant. While ogling at the breathtaking food photography, I came across the Stuffed Dumpling Curry (Bharwan Gatte). And just like you, I was curious.

I am well-traveled and have tried a lot of different kinds of dishes across India but never this one. Needless to say, I had to try it out and if you can take my word for it these are nothing like the usual gatte ki sabzi. For one, they are fried and not steamed. In addition, the mildly flavoured paneer stuffing takes it to the next level. And as the book aptly states –

If these Rajasthani dumplings are well made, they are lighter than air. Elsewhere plain dumplings are made with a spicy batter.

The recipe is straightforward and I have stuck to the original version, with minor tweaks. Preparing the chickpea dough, preparing the stuffing, stuffing the dough, frying, and dunking it into the yogurt sauce. It all takes approximately 30-40 minutes to put together. With some rice or chapatis, this is a complete meal perfect for lunch. Add a side of salad and one doesn’t really need anything else.

Handy Tips For The Perfect Rajasthani Gatte Ki Sabzi

The most important step is getting the chickpea dough right. The recipe suggests using 4.5 tbsp yogurt, 6 tbsp water, and 4 tbsp ghee My suggestion is to add them gradually while kneading the dough to avoid getting it too soft. Sifting the chickpea flour is also very important to avoid any lumps. Once you have the right consistency dough, the rest of the recipe is a cakewalk. Another pro-tip. Grease your palms while shaping the dumplings as the chickpea mixture tends to get quite sticky.

Refer to the below short video to the recipe- it will come in handy 🙂

Yum

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Ingredients

FOR THE DUMPLINGS
Besan(chickpea flour)- 2 cups
Baking soda- 1 tsp
Chopped fresh root ginger- 3 tsps
Finely chopped coriander leaves- 1tbsp
Plain Yogurt- 4.5 tbsp
Ghee- 4 tbsp
FOR THE STUFFING
Paneer(cottage cheese)- 1/2 cup
Fresh green chilies, finely chopped and de-seeded -2
Chopped fresh root ginger- 1 tbsp
FOR THE SAUCE
Plain Yogurt, whisked-2 cups
Ground Coriander-5 tsp
Kashmiri Red Chilli- 2 tsps
Ghee- 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1tsp
Fenugreek seeds (methi) - 1tsp
A generous pinch of asafoetida
Cardamom (elaichi) powder- 2 tsp
Ground Cinnamon (daalchini)- 1/4 tsp
Ground Turmeric (haldi)- 1 tsp
Ground Mace (javitri)- 1.25 tsp
A generous pinch of dried methi (fenugreek) leaves
Chopped coriander- 1 tbsp

Instructions

Sift the besan, baking soda and salt in a deep bowl
Add ginger, chopped coriander, ghee and yogurt and 6 tbsp water and knead to make a firm, but pliable dough. Divide into small balls, approximately 20-24
In a separate bowl, mix all the stuffing ingredients and divide into equal portions
Flatten the chickpea flour balls in the centre of your palm with your thumb , creating a small depression where the stuffing would go
Grease your palms,place a small portion of the stuffing into the middle of each, pull together the edges and seal, form into balls again; then form into croquette shaped dumplings by rolling between your greased palms
Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan for deep or shallow frying as desired, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a kitchen towel to absorb excess oil
For the sauce, put the yogurt into a bowl, add the ground coriander,chilli powder, salt and mix well
Heat ghee in a thick bottomed wok, reduce to medium flame and add cumin seeds followed by fenugreek and stir till the seeds start to sputter; be careful not to burn the fenugreek as it will then impart a bitter taste to the curry
Add asafoetida and stir for 30 secs or so, remove from heat and add the yogurt mixture
Turn on the heat and cook on a medium flame for 7-8 minutes till the fat separates
Add about 2.5 cups water, turmeric powder and salt as per taste and bring to boil
Reduce the flame to low and add the fried dumplings; cover and simmer for about 10 minutes ,
Stir occasionally, until the gravy is a thin sauce consistency
Finally, add the green cardamom, cinnamon, mace and dried fenugreek leaves powders, mix and adjust the seasoning
Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with ghee rice or fulkas

https://onewholesomemeal.com/rajasthani-gatte-ki-sabzi-with-paneer/

Tags Indian Food Recipes, One-Pot Meals, Vegetarian Recipes

Afternoon Snack | 3pm Meal Mid-Day Snack | 10 am Meal

Dahi Bhallas | Authentic Indian Street Food

Post author By onewholesomemeal
Post date October 23, 2019
No Comments on Dahi Bhallas | Authentic Indian Street Food

As I mentioned in my earlier post, Diwali at home is incomplete without a sumptuous dose of Indian Street food. This time it was all about the Dahi Bhallas.

Dahi Bhallas (also called Dahi Vadas) are a North Indian dish prepared with yogurt and lentils. The choice of lentils, I have learned varies. Some make it with a mix of split moong lentils and split and dehusked black gram lentils, while others use just dehusked black gram lentils. Whatever the combination, remember to soak it overnight. To prepare the batter, grind the lentils to make a smooth paste and flavour with mild spices before frying it. Finally, dunk the fried bhalla or vada into sweet and salty yogurt.

How Do You Keep It Light

Despite being fried they are surprisingly light on the tummy. This is because of the science behind the cooking and balance of ingredients used. Once the batter is prepared, it is whisked by hand until it turns light and airy. This helps in making the final vadas really light. The other step that really helps is dunking the freshly fried hot vadas into yogurt thinned out with water making sure the excess oil is washed off. Remember to poke some holes into the vadas with a toothpick so the yogurt water is soaked up well. I also add hing (or asafoetida) into this water which aids easy digestion. Ajwain (or carrom seeds) is another great digestive aid that you can add to the batter.

The above are all the basic key ingredients for dahi vadas. To indulge, you can add some finely chopped green chilies, sultanas, cashews and fresh coriander. It takes the taste to the next level. The recipe and tips I have shared here are all thanks to my mother who I have to say makes the best dahi vadas ever. And no, this isn’t a biased opinion! Everyone who has ever eaten them agrees. I still remember her frying them on a low flame. I waited patiently to grab the fluffy vadas before they got dunked into yogurt. How divine they would taste. Once they had rested in their yogurt pool for a few hours, she would add the roasted red chili and cumin powder, sweet tamarind chutney, a dash of spicy ketchup, and finely chopped coriander. Uff! The flavours were exquisite and you have to try it to believe it.

Yum

Dahi Wadas or Dahi Bhallas (Classic Indian Street Food)

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: Makes 12-15 wadas

Ingredients

Urad Daal Washed (Split Black Gram de-husked)- 1cup, soaked overnight
Hing (Asafoetida)- 1 pinch
Ajwain (Carom seeds)-1 tsp
Chopped Raisins- 1tbsp
Chopped Cashews- 1 tbsp
Finely Chopped Green Chilies- 1/2 tsp
Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves- 2 tbsp
Roasted Red Chilli powder-1 tsp
Roasted Cumin powder- 1 tsp
Tomato Ketchup- 2 tbsp
Sweet Tamarind Chutney- 2 tbsp
Yogurt-2 cups
Water- 1cup
Salt as per taste
Oil for deep frying

Instructions

Thoroughly wash the urad daal and soak overnight or for 4-6 hours in 1.5 cups water
Wash and grind the daal to a smooth paste. Only add a little extra water if needed for the mixer to move smoothly. Usually some water used for soaking the daal remains and that is enough for grinding but if the blender blades get stuck, add a 1-2 tbsp more. Refer to the video above to see the consistency of the batter
Using clean hands, fluff up the batter for 5-7 minutes till it starts to feel lighter than when you started
Add chopped green chilies, 1/2 tbsp coriander, ajwain seeds and salt and mix well. Do not add all the salt at this stage as you would be seasoning the yogurt with salt later as well
Add chopped raisins and cashews and mix
Mix 1 cup yogurt with 1 cup water, salt and hing , mix well and keep aside
Heat oil in a thick bottomed wok and once the oil is really hot, reduce the flame to medium and add almost 1tbsp dollop of batter and fry till light golden. Keeping the flame on medium is critical as frying on a high flame just cooks the exterior, leaving the inner part uncooked
Once done, transfer on a kitchen towel and using a toothpick poke some holes in the wadas
Dunk these wadas into the prepared yogurt-water solution and let it sit for at leat 30 minutes. Then gently press them between your palms and squeeze out the liquid making sure not to press too hard and break the wadas
In the meantime take the remaining 1 cup yogurt, add salt and mix well. If it is too thick use some yogurt-water mixture from the previous step to thin it out. Be careful not to thin it out too much like the earlier mixture in which you dunked the wadas. This yogurt-salt mixture needs to be thick enough to coat the wadas well to serve
Then take a deep and wide serving dish and place the pre-soaked wadas into them neatly next to each other. Discard the yogurt-water mixture , you can use it to make buttermilk
Next spoon over the thick yogurt-salt mixture over the wadas to coat them well, then sprinkle roasted cumin and red chilli powder followed by tamarind chutney and tomato ketchup
Garnish with finely chopped coriander and serve

https://onewholesomemeal.com/dahi-bhallas-authentic-indian-street-food/

Tags Indian Food Recipes