Achaari mathri

I can never get over the flavor of achari mathris of Kaleva in New Delhi. My stock was nearing to an end and I tried my best to replicate the produce.  Not having to accept defeat, I broke open one mathri and started writing all the flavors that hit me. 

I made few additions on it and came with something close to the flavor I wanted. Give it a try and I am sure you would find it impossible to resist the temptation of not having more.

Ingredients:

2 cups plain white flour

1/2 cup sooji /semolina

1 1/2  tsp salt

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

4 tbsp ghee or oil

2 tbsp mustard oil

1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp sour pomegranate seeds (anardana)

1 tsp carom seeds /ajwain
1/2 tsp fennel seed powder/ saunf

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tbsp crushed coriander seeds /sabut dhaniya

1 tbsp crushed black peppercorns

a pinch of asafoetida

½ tbsp chilli or mango pickle

Method:

Put all the dry ingredients and mix together.

Add 6 tbsp of oil ( 4 tbsp ghee or oil plus 2 tbsp mustard oil).
Add lemon juice in water.

And make a stiff dough with warm water.  Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.

Roll and make mathris.  You can see the detailed method of making mathris from my earlier post on  Methi masala mathri.

Take the mathris put them on an absorbant paper.
Store them in an air tight container.

My Notes:
Do not skip adding raw mustard oil.
If you do not have any pickle at hand, increase the amount of lemon juice to 1 1/2 tbsp.

Tofu burgers/tikki

I include tofu in most of my everyday cooking. It is a good substitute for vegans and also apart from being a very good source of protein has zero cholesterol. I had been planning to make tofu burgers since long. Once I made them mixed with boiled potatoes, they were quite good but then I wanted to avoid using potatoes. I had to blend them with something or they just disintegrate while cooking.
I added soaked and boiled black horse gram and the result was quite awesome. It had the added advantage of fiber.

Ingredients:
2 cups boiled horse gram (kala chana)
1 cup mashed tofu
7-8 soaked black mushrooms
1 big onion, chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp roasted and pounded peanuts
1 tsp chana masala
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
2 green chillies
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp ginger paste
1-2 green chopped chillies
9-10 mint leaves
2 tbsp coriander leaves
1/2 tsp kala namak or Himalayan black salt
2 tbsp oil
salt to taste

Method:
Take around 3/4 cup dried horse gram, soak them till they swell. Boil them till they are soft.
You can as an alternative use pre-boiled gram. You should have around 2 cups of boiled black horsegram.

Soak black mushrooms in water for around half an hour.
Pat tofu between kitchen towel to remove excess water. If the tofu has too much water put a weight over it for some time.

Heat oil, add cumin seeds, bay leaf. Add chopped onions and saute till soft.
Grind black mushroom into a paste. You can chop them into small pieces if you want.

In a bowl, mash black horse gram, add crumbled tofu.
Add all ingredients from roasted peanuts to black salt.

Mix properly, check for seasonings.

Make burgers depending on the size you want them.

Oil a non stick pan. Heat it and put your burgers/tikki on to the pan.
Do not disturb them at this time. They will break.
Flip to the other side when the underside becomes brown and crisp.

Remove to a plate.

I like eating it with a combination of sweet chilli sauce and spicy mint chutney.

My Notes:
You may substitute black horse gram with boiled and mashed red kidney beans or black beans.
Freeze the left overs. They become excellent mini meals. Just thaw, heat and eat!
Adjust the spice level to your taste.

Moong besan khaman dhokla

Having made besan dhokla many times, inspired me to mix besan and moong flour together this time. The result was quite satisfying. The dhoklas were soft, light and spongy.

Somehow, khaman seems to have made a mark as one of the favorite dish in our house.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chickpea flour, besan
1/2 cup yellow moong flour
2 tbsp semolina
1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
water to make batter
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp eno fruit salt

for tempering:
4 tbsp oil, I used only 2 tbsp
3-4 green chillies, slit
a good pinch of asafoetida
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp sesame seeds
coriander leaves, chopped


Method:
Sift both the flours properly to remove any lumps.
Add salt, semolina, turmeric, sugar and mix properly.

Add sufficient water to make a batter of dropping consistency.
Add ginger-green chilli paste.

Check consistency...

Leave the batter to rest for about 10 minutes.

Add lemon juice and mix.

Fill water in the steamer and put it on heat.

Grease a container and put it inside the steamer. Cover with lid.

While the water is about to come to a rolling boil, add eno fruit salt with a little water.
Whisk thoroughly. The batter will foam up and become almost double in volume.

Pour batter into the container.

Cover the steamer with lid. Set timer to 8 minutes and let the batter cook.
Switch off the flame and let the dhokla remain in steamer.

Meanwhile, prepare the tempering.

Slit green chillies, remove seeds if desired. Add to hot oil and let them saute' for sometime.

Add a good pinch of asafoetida, sesame and mustard seeds.

Pour the tempering on to the dhoklas.

When cool, cut into squares.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and dessicated coconut, if desired.

Notes:
You can substitute green moong flour for the skinned moong flour. It will give a slightly green color to khaman.

Kotu / kuttu khaman dhokla

Khaman is one of the most popular breakfast dish in our house. With Navratris, I thought of making Kotu/ buckwheat khaman for a change. I usually make kotu dosas and have them them potato curry.

Kotu / kuttu / buckwheat is a pseudocereal. This means it does not belong to the grass family from which all our grains as wheat, millet, rice etc come from. People especially in North India do not take cereals while fasting. Since, it is not a cereal, it can be easily consumed during those days.

This power packed buckwheat also has plenty of fiber along with iron and zinc. In Japan, soba noodles and guksu in Korea are made from this flour. The benefits of this seeds are innumerable. Without going into its benefits, let me focus my attention on my post.

Ingredients:
1 cup kotu flour
2 tbsp sawaa ke chawal
1/2 tsp ginger-chilli paste
fasting salt to taste
2 tbsp roasted pounded peanuts
7-8 cracked black peppercorns
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp eno fruit salt
water to make the batter

for tempering:
2 tsp oil
a pinch of asafoetida
2-3 green chillies
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp sesame seeds
chopped coriander leaves
dessicated coconut

Method:

Mix flour, sawaa ke chawal (I made them into a powder), sugar, ginger-chilli paste, salt in a bowl.

Add sufficient water to make a flowing batter.  I forgot to add cumin seeds, pounded peanuts and cracked peppercorns earlier. Mix everything properly. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
If, the batter absorbs a lot of water, add a little more.

Put the steamer on heat and let the water come to a boil.

Grease a plate with oil. I prefer to put the plate in the steamer so that it becomes a little hot.

Add lemon juice to the batter and mix.
Now add eno fruit salt and beat into a homogenous mixture.

Pour the fluffy mixture onto the greased plate.....

Cover and let it steam for 7-8 minutes. Do not open the cover and let them remain inside the steamer.

Meanwhile, prepare the tempering. Heat oil, add asafoetida and slit green peppers.

Add sesame seeds and mustard seeds. Switch off the heat.

The dhoklas should be cooked by now.

Pour the tempering over the dhoklas.

Sprinkle dessicated coconut and chopped coriander leaves. Leave the dhoklas to cool. Do not be in a hurry to cut them or else they will stick to your knife.

When cool, cut into wedges and enjoy.

I like to have them with a very simple sengdana chutney (peanut chutney).
I make it by mixing pounded roasted and skinned peanuts, salt, sugar, chilli powder and cumin seeds powder.

You can also pour some whipped seasoned curd over it. Sprinkle chilli powder, roasted cumin seeds powder, a drizzle of coriander chutney, sweet tamarind chutney and enjoy your kotu chaat!

Masala onion murukku

My 50th post today ! It feels like just some time back that I started to blog. There are so many issues on my head and whatever I feel like sharing with you all, I write. For hitting my half century, I thought of posting some thing sweet.  My friend said she wanted some savoury so here are masala onion murukkus.

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour or maida

To be added to flour after steaming:
1 cup rice flour
2 tbsp butter or hot oil
hing or asafoetida
1/2 tsp jeera
20 peppercorns, crushed
1 tsp black sesame seeds
hot water to knead
1 medium sized onion grated or made into a paste
1 tsp green chilli paste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder, optional

Method:
Put all purpose flour or maida in a cloth.  Steam it for 10 minutes. Do not let the cloth touch water.

Remove the steamed flour.  It would have formed into a lump.

 Let it cool completely. Break it into pieces.

Sieve the cooled steamed flour. Add rice powder to this flour.

Add salt to taste, cracked black pepper, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, hing or asafoetida.

I grind onions and green peppers together into a paste.
Add onion paste, add and some hot water to make into a soft pliable dough. My green peppers were hot so I skipped adding red chilli powder. Taste your peppers before adding them.

The onion paste has some amount of water so add hot water a little at a time.
Do not add too much water or it will become sticky.

Oil the inside of murukku maker, fill with dough. I used a star shaped disc.

I am not confident on making these murukkus directly on oil so, I make them first on a plastic sheet.

Start with a point and start piping in a spiral manner. 

When the required numbers are made and the oil moderately hot....

Lift the plastic sheet with one hand and slide it on to the fingers of other hand. 

Quickly put them in hot oil.

Cook till golden brown in color.

Put on absorbant paper and store in an air tight container when cool.

Enjoy crisp onion flavored murukkus with tea or coffee :)