Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Tandoori Cauliflower Pulao | Tandoori Gobi Rice Recipe

This tandoori style gobi rice recipe is a complete wholesome meal with a myriad of textures and flavours. Moreover, it is surprisingly easy to put together! So let’s get started.

Today many people making better lifestyle choices. This includes decisions to go gluten-free, become a vegetarian or vegan, and sometimes all three. As a result, apart from the mock meat choices, some veggies are fast becoming favourites. Some examples are eggplant, avocados, sweet potato and last but not least, cauliflower or gobi! Now, you have all kinds of cauliflower recipes like gluten-free cauliflower pizza and cauliflower rice for people watching their calories.

I have been meaning to try both recipes but for one reason or another haven’t been able to. But I am so glad I tried this tandoori cauliflower and nuts pulao. This gobi rice recipe is easy, make ahead meal in case you are planning any gatherings. You can make and refrigerate it a day ahead. Or just prepare the tandoori gobi. The roasted tandoori cauliflower is bursting with flavours. Its crispy chewiness complements the softness of perfectly cooked buttery long-grained basmati rice while the nuts impart a lovely crunch. One really doesn’t need anything much apart from some plain yogurt or raita on the side to make this a complete meal.

Tips To Make The Perfect Gobi Rice Pulao:

  1. Use long-grained basmati rice for best results.
  2. Wash well and soak the rice for half an hour before cooking.
  3. Avoid cooking rice in the microwave or pressure cooker. This helps keep the grains intact and avoids excessive moisture. So you have no clumpy rice.
  4. Also, add a few tablespoons of oil or butter to the rice water while it is boiling. This helps to keep the grains intact and avoids clumping.
  5. After you drain the rice spread it out on a flat baking sheet lined with buttered baking paper. This keeps the rice grains intact. Also, the grains continue to cook for sometime after being drained. Laying them out helps in even cooking and avoids clumping.
  6. Cut the cauliflower florets a little bigger than bite-size as they will shrink while roasting. Very small-sized florets would not impart much texture to the pulao.

Tandoori Cauliflower Pulao | Tandoori Style Gobi Rice Recipe

Ingredients:  

For Tandoori Cauliflower Marinade 

  • Medium sized cauliflower – 1 
  • Hung curd – 2.5 cups
  • Ginger-garlic paste – 1/2 tbsp
  • Red Chilli Powder – 1/2 tsp
  • Tandoori Chicken Masala or Garam Masala – 1/2 tsp
  • Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
  • Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
  • Amchoor Powder – 1/2 tsp
  • Ajwain or Carom seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Kasoori Methi – 1tsp
  • Besan – 2 tbsp
  • Lemon juice – 2 tsp
  • Vegetable Oil – 1 tbsp and some extra
  • Salt – 1.5 tsp or as per taste

For Gobi Rice Recipe With Nuts

  • Basmati Rice (washed and pre-soaked in water for half an hour) – 1 cup
  • Water – 4 cups
  • Mint leaves, julienned – 1.5 tbsp
  • Small Red Onion, slivered – 1
  • Green chili, slit in half – 2
  • Lemon juice – 2.5 tbsp
  • Tandoori Chicken Masala – 1 tsp
  • Coarsely Chopped Cranberries -1 tbsp
  • Coarsely Chopped Raisins – 1 tbsp
  • Red Chilli flakes – 1/4 tbsp
  • Coarsely Chopped Almond – 1.5 tbsp
  • Cashews halved vertically – 1.5 tbsp
  • Coarsely Chopped Pistachios – 1 tbsp
  • Dried Bay Leaf -1
  • Star Anise – 1
  • Green Cardamom – 2
  • Saffron – 4-6 strands
  • Milk – 1tbsp
  • Pomegranate arils – 1.5 tbsp
  • Vegetable Oil – 2 tbsp
  • Ghee or Butter – 1 tbsp
  • Salt – 2 tsp or as per taste

Instructions:

Tandoori Cauliflower Recipe

  1. Prepare hung curd by placing regular yogurt in a muslin cloth and placing it on a sieve over a bowl. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours so 70% of the whey drains
  2. In the meantime separate the cauliflower florets into medium size (keeping them as uniformly sized as possible for even baking) and soak in boiling salted water(turning off the heat once the water comes to boil) for 5-7 minutes
  3. Drain water and run cold water over the florets, pat dry on a kitchen towel and keep aside 
  4. In a separate bowl whisk together all the ingredients for the marinade (including the hung curd); the marinade should not be too runny or coating the cauliflowers  evenly would get tricky 
  5. Check for seasonings and adjust as per taste 
  6. Marinate for approximately 2 hours or overnight in a refrigerator 
  7. To bake, preheat the oven to 200 degrees
  8. Prepare a baking tray, lining it with foil and brushing some oil on the tray
  9. Neatly line the marinated florets on the tray and brush some more oil on them
  10. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the florets are cooked through; halfway through the process, turn over the florets for even baking
  11. Keep aside once done while you prepare the rice

Gobi Rice Recipe with Nuts

  1. Toast the chopped nuts, raisins, and cranberries in 1tsp ghee and keep aside 
  2. Heat 1 tbsp milk, add saffron strands, and keep aside
  3. Prepare a wide baking tray, lined with foil and keep aside
  4. In a bowl, whisk together lime juice, 1/2 tsp salt, tandoori chicken masala, and chilli flakes and keep aside
  5. Bring 4 cups water to boil in a deep wok, reduce the flame to medium and add bay leaf, star anise, and green cardamoms and 1.5 tsp salt
  6. Then add the pre-soaked rice and 2 tbsp vegetable oil and give it a gentle stir
  7. Let the rice cook in this flavoured water on a low flame till it is 90% done, i.e. it isn’t completely soft and does not squish easily between two fingers 
  8. Turn off heat and using a strainer, scoop out the rice and evenly spread it on the baking tray; keep aside 
  9. In a thick bottomed wok, heat 1 tbsp ghee or butter and add onions, mint leaves, and green chilies. Then cook on a medium flame till the onions are nice and brown
  10. Add the cooked flavoured rice along with saffron milk and baked cauliflower florets and give everything a very gentle mix using a wooden spatula
  11. Add the tandoori-lime vinaigrette followed by toasted nuts, dried fruit and mix well slowly and gently; check for salt and adjust as per taste
  12. Garnish with mint leaves and pomegranate arils and enjoy as is or with a side of beetroot raita.

Watch below the video recipe for Tandoori Cauliflower and Nuts Pulao:

 

 

Tandoori Cauliflower & Nuts Pulaao | Tandoori Gobhi Pulaao

Prep Time: 3 hours

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 4 hours

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients

    For Tandoori Cauliflower Marinade
  • Medium sized Cauliflower - 1
  • Hung curd- 2.5 cups
  • Ginger-garlic paste- 1/2 tbsp
  • Red Chilli Powder- 1/2 tsp
  • Tandoori Chicken Masala or Garam Masala- 1/2 tsp
  • Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
  • Coriander Powder- 1 tsp
  • Amchoor Powder- 1/2 tsp
  • Ajwain or Carom seeds- 1/2 tsp
  • Kasoori Methi- 1tsp
  • Besan- 2 tbsp
  • Lemon juice- 2 tsp
  • Vegetable Oil - 1 tbsp and some extra
  • Salt- 1.5 tsp or as per taste
  • For Nuts Pulaao
  • Basmati Rice (washed and pre-soaked in water for half an hour) - 1 cup
  • Water- 4 cups
  • Mint leaves, julienned - 1.5 tbsp
  • Small Red Onion, slivered - 1
  • Green chilli, slit in half - 2
  • Lemon juice- 2.5 tbsp
  • Tandoori Chicken Masala- 1 tsp
  • Red Chilli flakes - 1/4 tbsp
  • Coarsely Chopped Almond- 1.5 tbsp
  • Coarsely Chopped Pistachios - 1 tbsp
  • Coarsely Chopped Cranberries -1 tbsp
  • Coarsely Chopped Raisins- 1 tbsp
  • Cashews, halved vertically - 1.5 tbsp
  • Dried Bay Leaf -1
  • Star Anise -1
  • Green Cardamom- 2
  • Saffron- 4-6 strands
  • Milk- 1tbsp
  • Pomegranate arils- 1.5 tbsp
  • Vegetable Oil- 2 tbsp
  • Ghee or Butter - 1 tbsp
  • Salt- 2 tsp or as per taste

Instructions

    Making Tandoori Cauliflower
  1. Prepare hung curd by placing regular yogurt in a muslin cloth and placing it on a sieve over a bowl. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours so 70% of the whey drains
  2. In the meantime separate the cauliflower florets into medium size (keeping them as uniformly sized as possible for even baking) and soak in boiling salted water(turning off the heat once water comes to boil) for 5-7 minutes
  3. Drain water and run cold water over the florets, pat dry on a kitchen towel and keep aside
  4. In a separate bowl whisk together all the ingredients for the marinade (including the hung curd); the marinade should not be too runny or coating the cauliflowers evenly would get tricky
  5. Check for seasonings and adjust as per taste
  6. Marinate for approximately 2 hours or overnight in a refreigerator
  7. To bake, preheat the oven to 200 degrees
  8. Prepare a baking tray, lining it with foil and brushing some oil on the tray
  9. Neatly line the marinated florets on the tray and brush some more oil on them
  10. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the florets are cooked through; halfway through the process, turn over the florets for even baking
  11. Keep aside once done while you prepare the rice
  12. Making the Pulaao
  13. Toast the chopped nuts, raisins and cranberries in 1tsp ghee and keep aside
  14. Heat 1 tbsp milk, add saffron strands and keep aside
  15. Prepare a wide baking tray , lined with foil and keep aside
  16. In a bowl, whisk together lime juice, 1/2 tsp salt, tandoori chicken masala and chilli flakes and keep aside
  17. Bring 4 cups water to boil in a deep wok, reduce flame to medium and add bay leaf, star anise and green cardamoms and 1.5 tsp salt
  18. Then add the pre-soaked rice and 2 tbsp vegetable oil and give it a gentle stir
  19. Let the rice cook in this flavoured water on a low flame till it is 90% done, i.e. it isn’t completely soft and does not squish easily between two fingers
  20. Turn off heat and using a strainer, scoop out the rice and evenly spread it on the baking tray; keep aside
  21. In a thick bottomed wok, heat 1 tbsp ghee or butter and add onions, mint leaves and green chilies; cook on a medium flame till the onions are nice and brown
  22. Add the cooked flavoured rice along with saffron milk and baked cauliflower florets and give everything a very gentle mix using a wooden spatula
  23. Add the tandoori-lime vinaigrette followed by toasted nuts, dried fruit and mix well slowly and gently; check for salt and adjust as per taste
  24. Garnish with mint leaves and pomegranate arils and enjoy as is or with a side of beetroot raita.
https://onewholesomemeal.com/tandoori-cauliflower-pulao-tandoori-gobi-rice-recipe/


And before you leave, do not forget to check out some more delicious rice recipes:

https://onewholesomemeal.com/cheesy-veggie-rice/

Kimchi Flavoured Brown Rice

Brown and Wild Rice Citrus Salad

https://onewholesomemeal.com/methifresh-fenugreek-leaves-pulaao/

Beetroot Pilau, A Healthy Weekend Dinner

 

Categories
Afternoon Snack | 3pm Meal Breakfast | 8am Meal Mid-Day Snack | 10 am Meal

Mango Milkshake Recipe With Healthy Options

And last but not least in the Mango Trilogy – Mango Milkshake! If you are a South Asian, is there a possibility that you have not heard of Mango Milkshake?

Food has a way of bringing back the most precious memories, don’t you think? A freshly made glass of Mango Milkshake for example. It transports me back to my summer holiday break when sultry afternoons would become more bearable with the air cooler blowing mogra scented cool breeze (yes, I belong to the Desert Cooler era ;)), a stack of books issued from the library, and a chilled glass of Mango Shake to go with it!

I tried to recreate that magic again when I finally received the first batch of Alphonso Mangoes of this season. And it did not disappoint. Oh! What bliss is that magical glass of mango milkshake! Now, technically milkshakes are made with ice creams, vanilla, or chocolate most commonly. However, there are some alternatives to using just ice cream to make it a tad healthier.

Ice cream alternatives one could use:

  1. Whipping cream- full fat or low fat based on your preference in combination with milk.
  2. Almond milk
  3. Oat Milk
  4. Soya Milk
  5. Full fat or reduced-fat milk
  6. Combination of ice cream, milk, and whipping cream in 3:2:1 ratio

Some useful tips in making a Mango Milkshake par excellence :

  1. Use varieties of mango which are very pulpy and juicy. No “pulp fiction” aka fibrous, juice only, no pulp kinda varieties. That would lead to a very watery milkshake with only a mild mango flavour. If you are looking for a creamy, loaded with mango flavour milkshake, then use Indian varieties like Alphonsoes, Dussehri or Malgova. Read here to find out more about Indian mango varieties. If you are unable to find any of these then your next best bet is canned mangoes. But never and I repeat never use fibrous varieties for Mango Milkshake
  2. Use only ice to thin out the milkshake and not water
  3. When using vanilla ice cream, you do not need to add sugar as both the ice cream and mango should be sweet enough
  4. If you do decide to add sugar, try swapping it with raw sugar, it enhances the flavours manifold
  5. When using just milk to make the mango milkshake, using pure vanilla essence for flavour is recommended

So, with these tips under our belt, we are all set to make the best Mango Milkshake in town!

Ingredients :

  1. Milk (you can use any kind) – 1 cup
  2. Vanilla ice cream-2 large scoops or swap it with one cup milk
  3. The pulp of two medium-sized mangoes
  4. Chopped nuts (optional)
  5. Sweetener of choice – As per taste 
  6. Ice cubes- 1 cup

Method:

  1. In a high-speed blender blend all ingredients till smooth
  2. Garnish with some more chopped nuts if desired and serve chilled 
  3. You could add more ice cubes if desired, right before serving.

Mango Milk Shake

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 2 tall glasses

Ingredients

  • Milk (you can use any kind)- 1 cup
  • Vanilla ice cream-2 large scoops or swap it with one cup milk
  • Pulp of two medium sized mangoes
  • Chopped nuts (optional)
  • Sweetener of choice - As per taste 
  • Ice cubes- 1 cup

Instructions

  1. In a high speed blender blend all ingredients till smooth
  2. Garnish with some more chopped nuts if desired and serve chilled
  3. You could add more ice cubes if desired, right before serving
https://onewholesomemeal.com/mango-milkshake-recipe-with-healthy-options/


And before you leave, do not forget to check out some more delicious mango recipes:

https://onewholesomemeal.com/custard-apple-mango-pudding/

Mango Yogurt Oats Parfait To Start Your Morning

Beaten-Rice Yogurt Mango Parfait

https://onewholesomemeal.com/custard-apple-mango-pudding/

 

 

Categories
Afternoon Snack | 3pm Meal Breakfast | 8am Meal Mid-Day Snack | 10 am Meal

Aamrakhand | Alphonso Mango and Yogurt Dessert

Summer and mango are synonymous with each other in the Indian subcontinent at least, don’t you think? What is also very well-loved in the subcontinent is yogurt. And Alphonso mango and yogurt are a match made in heaven.

Keeping in the spirit of Mango Mania here is another recipe that involves the King of Fruits. Amrakhand is a spin-off on Shrikhand which is typically made with hung curd flavoured with cardamom and sugar. It is a popular Indian dessert in the western states of Gujarat and Maharashtra and tastes great with piping hot pooris and chapatis.

Aam is Hindi for Mango and that is how the dish gets its name. Amrakhand combines the goodness of yogurt and alphonso mango and creates the perfect summer dessert which when enjoyed on a muggy summer afternoon, is just heavenly! This recipe was one amongst the few others that I had shared on Sassy Mama Hong Kong last year celebrating summer desserts.

A few tips to keep in mind:

  1. if using regular yogurt or homemade curd, make sure to tie it in a cheesecloth and place it in a strainer over a bowl and refrigerate overnight so excess water is drained. If not overnight, at least for 3-4 hours.
  2. as I mentioned plain greek yogurt is a quicker alternative. If using that, place the yogurt in muslin and let it hang for 30-45 minutes to remove excess water
  3. fresh Alphonso mangoes work best for this recipe, but if that is unavailable, use canned mango pulp; if using the latter, discard the water and use just the pulp
  4. honey works great as a sweetener instead of brown sugar but it does alter the taste of the final dish
  5. using coconut greek yogurt adds an interesting dimension to the dish. In fact, you can also add freshly grated coconut while blending the yogurt and alphonso mango puree if you would like to
  6. use of saffron strands is optional

Ingredients for Aamrakhand:

  1. Hung curd or greek yogurt (water drained completely)- 2 cups
  2. Pureed Mangoes -1 cup
  3. Brown or raw Sugar (powdered) or Honey- 1 tbsp or as per taste depending on the sweetness of the mango pulp
  4. Saffron-3-4 strands steeped in 1 tbsp warm milk
  5. Freshly pound cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp
  6. Slivered nuts(pistachios/almonds) and mango cubes for garnish- As desired

Method to Make the Perfect Mango and Yogurt Dessert:

  1. In a deep bowl place the hung curd and pureed mangoes and blend on a low speed using a hand blender or a regular whisk
  2. Add sugar, cardamom powder, and saffron steeped in milk (including the milk) and mix well
  3. Spoon the mixture into serving bowls (small tequila shot glasses work great here) and refrigerate for an hour or two
  4. Garnish with chopped nuts and mango cubes and serve chilled.

Aamrakhand|Summer Dessert with Yogurt & Alphonso Mango

Prep Time: 5 hours

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients

  • Hung curd or greek yogurt (water drained completely)- 2 cups
  • Pureed Mangoes -1 cup
  • Brown or Raw Sugar (powdered) or Honey- 1 tbsp or as per taste depending on the sweetness of the mango pulp
  • Saffron-3-4 strands steeped in 1 tbsp warm milk
  • Freshly pound cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Slivered nuts(pistachios/almonds) and mango cubes for garnish- As desired

Instructions

  1. In a deep bowl place the hung curd and pureed mangoes and blend on a low speed using a hand blender or a regular whisk
  2. Add sugar, cardamom powder and saffron steeped in milk (including the milk) and mix well
  3. Spoon the mixture into serving bowls (small tequila shot glasses work great here) and refrigerate for an hour or two
  4. Garnish with chopped nuts and mango cubes and serve chilled
https://onewholesomemeal.com/aamrakhand-alphonso-mango-and-yogurt-dessert/

Aamrakhand

Categories
Mid-Day Snack | 10 am Meal

Moong Dal Halwa | Tips To Get It Perfect

Halwa or Halvah or Halva. No matter how you spell it, there is no denying that it brings back a gush of sweet celebratory memories for most of us. I am yet to meet someone from the Indian subcontinent who does not enjoy one or more kinds of halwa. And if you are new to this phenomenon called halwa, let me give you a brief glimpse.

What Is Halwa?

Halwa, much like its Persian/Turkish/Middle-eastern cousin is a sugary, fudgy pudding associated with (but not limited to) celebrations. As per popular belief halwa originally traveled to South Asia with the Mughals who themselves were from Persia. Now, this fact about its origin itself is highly debatable but what is beyond doubt is that the Indians made this dessert their own. The recipe was adapted to make halwa out of even vegetables like gourd and pumpkin. Carrot, semolina, moong dal, and whole wheat flour being some other popular varieties. What is also not debatable is that based on time on hand and level of expertise, there is a halwa for every occasion and every individual.

The semolina or suji halwa recipe I have on the blog is one of the quickest to put together and so is the atta halwa. Carrot halwa is seasonal in nature but our favourite goto dessert on chilly winter evenings when red carrots are abundantly available. But this Moong Dal Halwa, if I may say, is like no other, not in taste and definitely not in the amount of effort that is needed to put it together. All worth the effort in the end though. It truly is unique, tastes divine, and not for the faint-hearted.

Get Your Moong Dal Halwa Right!

I do not make it very often as it needs full attention for almost an hour and there is no multitasking and parallel processing while cooking this deliciousness. It is also quite heavy on the calories. But each time I do, we savour it and enjoy it guilt-free. And that is how my friend you might want to too :))

So, a few points to keep in mind before you venture to cook Moong Dal Halwa:

  1. Do not be in a rush. Remember good things take time and patience is the key. Always!
  2. Warning. All the non-stop stirring is a good arm workout. Be ready!
  3. Do not go easy on the ghee. Not with this halwa. Trust me the results can be disastrous. You can adjust the sweetness to your taste of course.
  4. We use yellow split moong daal for this recipe, not to be confused with green moong bean.
  5. When grinding the soaked moong dal make sure you do not make a smooth paste. The halwa makes and tastes best with danedaar (slightly coarse) moong dal paste.
  6. Ideally, soak moong dal overnight to make halwa. Split yellow moong takes 4-5 hours to soften. This is enough time to soak. You can also soak it in hot water to speed up the process. Make sure to wash it very well before soaking and once or twice before grinding into a paste.
  7. Keep the flame low the whole time; the dal can burn very quickly on a high flame.
  8. Do not use too much water to make the paste, just enough to grind it; I used approximately 4 tbsp.
  9. Relax and breathe and enjoy the process of making the halwa as much as you enjoy the end product. If it was not for all the elbow grease, the process is quite mediative and a task in mindfulness. At the end of each step, the contents in your pan will gently guide you to move to the next step. As someone wise once said one cooks with all five senses. You will know what I mean when you start to make this halwa 🙂

Pictures To Help You Along The Way

So, we start by giving the soaked moong dal one final wash before we grind it into a coarse paste with a few tablespoons of water as we go. For one cup moong dal, I used approximately 4 tablespoons of water.

Then we heat ghee (one cup melted) in a heavy-bottomed wok. Reduce the flame to low and add the dal paste to it. Now let the arm workout begin! Keep roasting with constant stirring until ghee starts to separate on the sides and the texture is no longer pasty or clumpy. In fact, just before adding the milk and sugar solution, the halwa looks quite crumbly. Below you can see the various stages of roasting the dal:

Have a look at the video of the roasted daal. It is now ready for the milk and sugar solution.

The Finishing Touches

Heave a sigh of relief as you are very close to the end. Well done for all the patience and hard work so far! Also, a pro tip. If you like, you can freeze this mixture at this stage and thaw it later for the subsequent steps. A great make-ahead dessert too, isn’t it?

Now, while the dal is roasting, bring 2.5 cups full-fat milk diluted with half a cup water to boil. Turn off the heat once it’s boiled and add sugar as per taste. I added a little more than one cup of sugar. Mix until well combined. Remove a few tablespoons of hot milk in a bowl and to it add a pinch of saffron (10-12 strands) and keep aside.

When the dal is well roasted as shared in the images above, add the boiling hot milk and sugar mixture to it and continue to cook on a low flame till it starts to clump together and ghee starts to separate from the side. Also, add the saffron milk, cardamom powder, slivered almonds, pistachios, and raisins.

Moongdaal Halwa


Moong Daal Halwa

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 60 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 6-8

Ingredients

  • Split yellow moong daal, soaked for at least 4-5 hours- 1 cup
  • Water- 1/2 cup and some extra
  • Full fat milk- 2.5 cups
  • Sugar- 1 cup or as per taste
  • Saffron-One pinch (10-12 strands)
  • Ghee, melted- 1 cup
  • Cardamom powder- 1/4 teaspoon
  • Slivered pistachios- 8-10
  • Slivered almonds- 8-10
  • Raisins or sultanas- 8-10

Instructions

  1. Grind the soaked moong daal into a coarse paste using minimal water
  2. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan and add the moong daal paste; continue to cook on a low flame, stirring regularly
  3. Continue cooking till the raw smell of the dal disappears, it turns crumbly and ghee starts to separate
  4. While the daal is roasting, bring 2.5 cups full fat milk diluted with half cup water to boil; turn off heat once its boiled and add sugar
  5. Remove a few tablespoons of hot milk in a bowl and to it add a pinch of saffron (10-12 strands) and keep aside
  6. When the daal is well roasted, add the boiling hot milk and sugar mixture to it and continue to cook on a low flame till it starts to clump together and ghee starts to separate from the side. Also, add the saffron milk, cardamom powder, slivered almonds, pistachios and raisins.
  7. Serve hot, topped with more slivered almonds and pistachios.
https://onewholesomemeal.com/moong-dal-halwa-tips-to-get-it-perfect/

Categories
Breakfast | 8am Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Palak Missi Roti | Indian Bread Recipe

Not as popular as the naan or kulcha, the Palak Missi Roti, is an Indian bread that is easy to make at home.

Indian cuisine is incomplete without bread. Unlike their global cousin, Indians make their bread fresh, ready to be consumed. There are many different kinds. Each type of Indian bread complements a different kind of meal very well. You get to decide how heavy or healthy you want the bread to be!

All The Types Of Indian Bread

There are gluten-free flours like ragi (finger millet) and bajra (pearl millet) which have low GI Index. Therefore they help you feel full longer. They are great for people fighting diabetes and obesity. Then there are regular wholewheat flour rotis or chapatis which are the most common form of bread eaten across most Indian households. They are perfect accompaniments to almost any kind of meal. These breads are a great midway (read – the right balance of health, taste, and indulgence) between slightly drier millet rotis and a tad too indulgent but one of the most popular versions of Indian bread – naan. Naan is made with refined or bleached flour. While the health-conscious may not approve of it, the taste conscious more than compensate for their lack of approval. Maybe that is the reason you find naan most commonly in Indian restaurants. It is not an everyday bread in an Indian home.

What Goes Into Making A Missi Roti

Now, coming to the recipe I am going to be sharing today. Missi rotis are made with wholewheat and chickpea flour, flavoured with salt and spices. That is the basic version. I tend to add grated/finely chopped vegetables as well to mine to make them healthier and a complete meal. Enjoy it with a side of yogurt or raita. And if you have time on hand you can make a nice spicy curry to go with it too! Because of the chickpea flour, they are not as soft as chapatis but have more of a crispy texture. They are best enjoyed with a yogurt-based dish or curry. Eating them with a dry dish isn’t recommended but do go ahead if that is your cup of tea 🙂

Tips to Get Your Rotis Perfect!

Since we want nice and flaky rotis that are crisp but not too hard, the most important step is to add fat (ghee/oil) to the chickpea and wheat flour mix. To incorporate the fat into the flour, give it a nice rub between your palms (or your fingers.

Post that you can add all the remaining ingredients together and knead them, adding water gradually. One needs to be careful about not adding water liberally to avoid the dough getting soggy. I used a little less than one cup of water. Once the dough is soft and pliable I covered it with damp muslin and let it rest for 30 minutes. If you are running short of time, you could just leave it for 15 minutes.

Missi Roti- Rotis made with wholewheat and chickpea flourMissi Roti- Rotis made with wholewheat and chickpea flour

Next, I divided the dough into small balls and roll them out like you would a regular chapati. See here a video tutorial on how to roll a chapati. Don’t worry if the rotis do not turn out perfectly round as that is perfectly normal. Just make sure they are nice and even so they cook evenly. Then place the rolled out roti on a hot tawa on medium-high heat and cook gently pressing down the sides till tiny bubbles start to form on the surface of the roti. Then flip it over and follow the same procedure. Add ghee or oil and cook for another few seconds. Flip and repeat for both sides to cook well. You should see brown spots like in the image below.

Missi Roti- Rotis made with wholewheat and chickpea flourMissi Roti- Rotis made with wholewheat and chickpea flour

Serve right away with a side of yogurt and chutney or a spicy curry. They even make a light and filling breakfast with a side of chutney or ketchup.


Missi Roti | Chickpea-Wholewheat Flour Roti

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 6-8

Ingredients

  • Whole-wheat flour- 1 cup
  • Chickpea flour- 1 cup
  • Ajwain or carom seeds- 1 tsp
  • Red chilli powder- 1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder- 1 tsp
  • Hing or asafoetida- 1.5 tsp
  • Finely grated ginger- 1.5 tsp
  • Onion, finely chopped- 1/4 cup
  • Spinach, finely chopped- 1/4 cup
  • Coriander, finely chopped- 1 tbsp
  • Ghee- 1 tbsp and some extra for frying the rotis
  • Salt- 1.5 tsp or to taste
  • Water, for kneading- Approximately 1 cup

Instructions

  1. In a wide and slightly deep bowl add wholewheat and chickpea flours with ghee
  2. Bring the mixture together by rubbing it between the palm of your hands
  3. Then add the remaining ingredients, add one tablespoon water and start to knead the dough; continue the process with very gradual additions of water until the dough is soft and pliable
  4. Cover with moist muslin and let it rest for 15-20 minutes
  5. After 30 minutes, form small balls and roll out the rotis
  6. Then place the rolled out roti on a hot tawa on medium-high heat and cook gently pressing down the sides till tiny bubbles start to form on the surface of the roti, then flip it over and follow the same procedure
  7. Add ghee or oil and cook for another few seconds and then flip and repeat till both sides are cooked well and you see brown spots like in the image above
  8. Serve right away with a side of yogurt and chutney or a spicy curry.
https://onewholesomemeal.com/palak-missi-roti-indian-bread-recipe/

Chickpea flour and Wholewheat rotis

Categories
Breakfast | 8am Meal

Suji Halwa | Semolina Pudding

Sooji Halwa recipe to mark my over 2 years as a blogger. Today I talk about this journey.

Honestly, I don’t know how it is this long! Blogging is hard work. It requires a lot of sweat with very little gratification that trickles in its own sweet time. No wonder so many bloggers start and give up much too soon. And by soon I do not mean 2-6 months. I feel people try for a good year before they decide it isn’t their cup of tea and hang their boots. Here is an interesting article by Marketing Land which shares interesting insights into the reasons why people give up blogging.

Passion is the Driver

I don’t deny having second thoughts about my blogging journey. It was not (and is still not) easy persevering and waiting patiently for the “fruit”. But if I can be honest and if I can say it without mincing any words, I would say this – you are in the wrong profession if you are blogging just for gratification and limelight! Yes, kind words never hurt and a few encouraging pushes go a loooooooong way (trust me they do!). It makes this labour intensive, highly competitive world a tad easier to battle. One needs to be TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY driven by pure passion and joy! Passion for your niche, for what you do, and the joy of sharing.

Blogging is a Way to Share and Express

For me, the first one came a little later. As I gradually dug deeper into the world of cooking and photography, what I found challenged and mesmerised me even more. What kept me going in the initial days was the sheer joy of sharing my recipes, my ideas, and my opinions! I did not care how many people actually read my posts and responded. It was enough even if a few read and resonated with what I shared. And the best part? I could say and share it all from the comforts of my work desk without trying to please people or be diplomatic. And for an ambivert (with strong introverted tendencies) who never learnt the art of sugar coating, this was HEAVEN! So, yes that’s that!

What did not excite me however or was more of a dark spot so to speak is the ability to gauge my audience. And it took a considerable amount of trial and errors…loads of trials and 1.5 years worth of errors to finally able to get a fair understanding. But that is something which comes with time and one shouldn’t beat oneself if you do not have it all figured on day one. These things take time my friend and trust me once you kinda discard the impatient side of your personality, great things will happen. Good things happen to people who wait!

Simple, Easy Recipe for Suji Halwa

So, yes when I started blogging I created these fancy recipes which I thought would leave my audience begging for more. But guess what! It didn’t! What I realised much later is people are looking for simple, easy, and day to day recipes. They would lap it up even if it is not Michelin Star quality. So, slowly and steadily I am populating my blog with simple recipes like the one I am going to share today – Suji Halwa or Semolina Pudding. It is one of the easiest Indian desserts to whip up, with simple ingredients in your pantry but then again it has taken me a few attempts and trying different techniques to finally get a perfect recipe. The key to a good suji halwa is:

  • well roasted (but not burnt) suji or semolina
  • 1:1:1 ratio for suji:sugar:ghee ( I mean why would you eat halwa at all if it is not rich and sinful!)
  • not overcooking the halwa once sugar solution is added. If you dry it out too much it gets even drier once it has cooled off and that is a huge nay! nay!

Let’s proceed and make some yummy and luscious halwa. For my other dessert recipes, go here.

Sooji Halwa

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 4-6 people

Ingredients

  • Sooji/Rawa/Semolina- 1 cup
  • Melted Ghee-1 cup +some extra
  • Sugar (I used brown sugar)-1 cup
  • Chopped nuts and dried fruits of choice (I used raisins, cashews, almonds and pistachios)- 1/2 cup
  • Cardamom powder-1 tbsp
  • Water-1 cups

Instructions

  1. In a thick bottomed preferably cast iron wok add half a tablespoon ghee and on a low flame, with continuous stirring roast the sooji until it just about turns golden and emanates a nutty aroma; transfer to a plate and keep aside
  2. In a sauce pan bring 4 cups water to boil and to it add sugar and mix till it makes a homogenous solution; turn off the heat and keep aside
  3. To the same wok add ghee and when it is hot, reduce the flame and add chopped nuts and raisins and fry till slightly golden
  4. Add the roasted sooji and cardamom powder and stir so the ghee, nuts and sooji are mixed well together
  5. To the above mixture add the sugar solution making sure it is hot when you add it
  6. Very carefully, maintaining a safe distance stir the mixture till it starts to come together ; at this point the mixture splatters a lot so keeping a safe distance is important
  7. Continue to mix till it reaches a porridge consistency and very little water remains; we do not want the halwa to dry out too much at this stage as once it cools down it dries out more and doesn't taste very good
  8. Finish off with a dollop of ghee and serve hot
https://onewholesomemeal.com/suji-halwa-semolina-pudding/