Spinach and Bottle Gourd Handvo

Life is hectic and tiring these days with my 4-month old. The time passes by very fast, which leaves me hardly any time for the blog :((. But when he smiles, all the tiredness, all the fatigue goes away in an instant. Every morning I wake up thinking that today I am going to post at least a new recipe. I even make drafts but cannot fine tune them. Anyways enough with time problems, finally, I have one easy and quick recipe if you plan a little ahead.

Handvo is very popular Gujarati snack. It looks beautiful and tastes great, but basically it is lentil flour cake, which also smells very nice. It is perfect with tea, coffee, or cold drink. It is easy recipe for picnics or long trips. It stays in fridge for around a week. It is usually made with bottle gourd but could be substituted with squash. I used spinach and pigeon peas for a little more flavor. Traditionally, Handva flour is prepared with many types of lentils which are grounded and mixed, but in modern times, it is flour is readily available in Indian stores.

Ingredients:-

• 3 cups Handvo Flour, store bought
  
• 1 Medium Bottle Gourd, grated
  
• 2-1/2 cups Chopped Spinach
  
• 1/2 cup Pigeon Peas, boiled
  
• 3 cups Yogurt
  
• 3 tbsp Penuts
  
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric
  
• 2 tbsp Dhania-Jeera Powder
  
• 3 tbsp Green Chili-Ginger paste
  
• 2 tsp Red Chili Powder
  
• 2 tbsp Sugar
  
• 4 tbsp Sesame seeds
  
• 1-1/3 tsp Eno Fruit Salt
  
• 1-1/2 tbsp Lemon Juice
  
• 1/2 cup Water
  
• Salt to taste
  

-- For Tadka

6 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
3-4 Curry Leaves



Method:-

1. In large bowl, mix handvo flour, yogurt, grated bottle gourd and water. Leave overnight to ferment.

2. Add green chili-ginger paste, turmeric, salt, sugar, dhania-jeera powder, penuts, pigeon peas, spinach, red chili powder and 1/4 cup water leave for 2-3 hours.

3. Preheat oven on 375 F.

4. In the mixture, add Eno and then add lemon juice so that it covers the Eno. Let it bubble and mix well lightly clockwise (in one direction).

5. Grease deep baking dish and pour handvo mix. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

6. Heat oil in small pan, add mustard seeds and curry leaves.

7. Give tadka on top. And bake for 40-45 minutes.

8. Serve with tea, coffee, cold drinks, pickle or with any meal as a side dish.

Enjoy...

Tip: Please keep in mind if you have extra water, it will be okay but less water would be bad since handvo will end up dry.

Surti Khaman

Khaman is most popular Gujarati snack. Gujjus can't imagine Gujarati thali without Khaman as a side dish. One popular misunderstanding is khaman dhokla is one in the same thing, but it isn't. Main difference is Dhokla is made out of rice and urad daal, while Khaman is usually made of Chana Daal or Chana Daal flour. There are many varieties in Khaman but main two types are: Nylon Khaman and Vati Dal Khaman.

Nylone khaman is made with besan (Chick Pea flour)and is made instantly. Vati Dal Khaman is made with Chana dal, and it takes a litte more time to cook. Nylon khaman is mostly popular in North Gujarat, and Vati Dal Khaman is more popular in South-Gujarat. This recipe is taken from Surti version of Vati Dal Khaman, hence the name.


Ingredients:-

• 3 cups Chana Dal
  
• 4-5 tbsp Besan
  
• 1 cup Yogurt
  
• 2 cups Water
  
• 3 tbsp Green Chilli-Ginger paste
  
• 4-5 Garlic Cloves, grated
  
• 4-5 tbsp Sugar
  
• 1-1/2 tsp Eno Fruit Salt
  
• 3 tsp oil
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Cilantro, chopped
  

-- For Tadka

3 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1-2 Whole green Chilli
Pinch of salt

Method:-

1. Soak Chana Dal in water for 12 hours.

2. Soak besan and yogurt mix for 5-6 hours.

3. Grind soaked chana dal coarsely.

4. Mix coarsely-ground chana dal with besan and yogurt mix. Add green chilli paste, oil, salt, sugar, and garlic.

5. Leave this mixture in the sun for 7-8 hours for fermentation.

6. Take steamer and boil water on high.

7. Grease containers.

8. Add Eno and mix well.

9. Pour batter into the containers.

10. Steam Khaman for 20 minutes without pressure.

11. Open steamer after 10 minutes and let it cool for 3-4 minutes.

12. Cut khaman into squares.

-- For Tadka

1. Heat oil in pan.

2. Add mustard seeds, When they crackle,add green chilli and pinch of salt.

3. Give tadks to the khaman.

4. Sprinkle chopped cilantro and Serve with chutney and sev.


Enjoy...


Also check out my upcoming posts.



1.Spinach and Bottlegourd Hondvo




2.Oven Roasted Chatpate Chane and Almonds





3. Mughlai Corn Curry





Enjoy...

Fresh Corn Chevdo

This is my mom's one of the best recipe. She won first prize for this one in a side dish competition. This is a spicy corn dish. The inspiration for this was dry corn chevda available in market. As much as I love dry corn chevda, it is a little unhealthy because fried dried corn flakes. I use white corn but one can use sweet yellow corn as well. With sweet corn, there is no need for sugar. I think white corn gives it it better taste though.

Highlights of this dish are Sev and Milk. The milk make this side dish smooth, creamy, and helps it to cook fast. Sev helps in turning down heat from chevdo.

Ingredients:-

• 6 Fresh White Corn, grated
  
• 3 Medium potato, grated
  
• 4 tbsp Green Garlic, chopped
  
• 2 tbsp Ginger-Chilli Paste
  
• 1/4 tsp Sugar(Optional)
  
• 1 cup Milk
  
• 5-6 tbsp Oil
  
• 1/4 Mustard Seeds
  
• Pinch of Turmeric
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Sev
  
• Lemon Wedge
  
• Cilatro, chopped
  

Method:-

1. Heat oil, add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add grated potatoes.

2. Cover pan with lid and let the potatoes cook for 3-4 minutes on mediun heat.

3. Add corn, ginger-chilli paste, salt, milk, and turmeric. Mix well.

4. Cover pan with lid again and cook chevdo for 10-15 minutes on medium heat. Stir frequently.

5. When chevdo is completely cooked, add sugar and mix well. Turn down the heat on low and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.

6. Take out chevdo in serving platter and sprinkle sev on top of chevdo.

7. Serve hot with lemon.

Enjoy...

This is my entry to Visual Treat Event hosted by Sanyukta.

Spinach Tomato Dal

This is simple, tasty, and healthy dal recipe. It is high in vitamin c (tomato) , protein (lentil), and fiber(spinach) from this dal. This item is very good for the pregnant women. I used cherry tomatoes, which infuses the unique sweetness to the dal. I grilled cherry tomatoes a little for serving. It is a simple thing but will look very trendy and will add more a little more flavor to the dal.

Ingredients:-

1 cup Moong Dal
2 cups Spinach, chopped
1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes, chopped plus extra for grilling.
1/4 tsp Turmeric
1/4 tsp Asafetida
1 tsp Red Chili Powder
1/2 Ginger-Garlic Paste
1/2 tsp lemon Juice
Salt to taste
Cilantro, chopped

-- For Tadka

2 tbsp oil
1/2 Mustard Seeds
3-4 Curry leaves
2 Dry Whole Red Chilli
Pinch of Asafetida



Method:-

1. Cook moong dal in 2 cups of water with spinach, and tomatoes in pressure cook.

2. Whisk lightly after cooked.

2. In cooked dal, add more water and all the other ingredients.

3. Boil for 4-5 minutes.

-- For Tadka

1. Heat oil, add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add
curry leaves.

2. Turn down the heat. Now add whole red chili and pinch of Asafetida.

3. Pour tadka in the dal.

3. Sprinkle chopped cilantro and serve piping hot.

Serving Tip :-

1. Heat little oil in flat pan and grill halves of cheery tomatoes. Serve this tomatoes on top of the dal for more exotic look and flavor.

Enjoy...

Hariyali Paratha

First of all, I have news to share with all of you. I and my DH blessed with baby boy last month.. This will explain my prolonged absence from blog world. I hope to resume to active duty with this new blog entry. So lets us get to it right away.

This is healthy and flavor-full paratha recipe, however the taste is very different from regular paratha. The Green and Pigeon peas together make it a unique in texture, color, and taste. The texture is very soft, the color is green with tinge of regular parathas.

Ingredients:-

• 2 cups Wheat Flour
  
• 1 cup Pigeon Peas, boiled
  
• 1/2 cup Green Peas, boiled
  
• 1/4 cup Cilantro and Mint
  
• 3-4 Green Chilli
  
• 1 Small peace of Ginger
  
• 1 tbsp Dhania-Jeera Powder
  
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
  
• Pinch of Asotida
  
• Salt to taste
  

Method:-

1. Mix Pigeon peas, green peas, cilantro, mint, ginger, green chilli, dhania-jeera powder, asefotida, salt and lemon juice in blender to make it a puree.

2. Mix all the ingredients into the large bowl.

3. Knead the soft dough using little water. Keep aside for 1 hour.

4. Make lemon-sized balls from the dough.

5. Roll them with rolling pin.

6. Heat non stick skillet on medium-high heat.

7. Cook paratha on hot non-stick skillet.

8. Flip the thepla after one side is cooked a little bit, apply little oil on it.

9. Then flip to the other side and apply little more oil on that side, cook both sides until cooked.

Enjoy...

Tip: Use cooking spray to control the amount of oil which goes into it.

Microwave Tandoori Aloo

Recently I was cooking potato in microwave and experienced that red potatoes are easy to cook this way than any other type of potato because of less starch content. One another very good quality about red potato is that they hold their shape very well after they are cooked. Being from South Gujarat, I grew up eating "Matla Undhiyu." Matla Undhiyu has host of ingredients, some of which are very hard to find here in US. So I thought of this recipe which will suffice my craving for Matla Undhiyu without some of the ingredients. This is very quick and easy recipe and can be served as snack in the afternoon or side dish for any meal.

Ingredients:-

• 7-8 Baby Red Potato
  
• 3-4 Garlic Cloves
  
• 1 Small Piece of Ginger
  
• 1/4 tsp Ajwain
  
• 1-1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
  
• 1 tsp Dhania-Jeera Powder
  
• 1 tsp Kasuri Methi
  
• 1 tsp Chat Masala
  
• Pinch of Hing
  
• 3 tbsp Oil
  
• 2-3 tbsp Cilantro, chopped
  
• Salt to taste
  

Method:-

1. Wash potatoes and let them dry.

2. Pierce the potatoes 2-3 times with fork.

3. Place bowl of water in the middle of the microwave.

4. Arrange all the potatoes around the bowl on the microwave plate. If you have microwave without glass plate, place the bowl of water in a microwave-safe serving plate and potatoes around it.

5. Cook the potatoes for 5-6 minutes or until they are soft and cooked.

6. Cut the potatoes into halves.

7. In the mean time, blend all the other ingredients into the smooth paste using little water or oil.

8. Heat oil in microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds.

9. Mix paste into the oil and heat for 30-40 seconds.

10. Stir and add potatoes into the bowl and cook 2-3 minutes.

11. Mix one more time and serve hot with lemon wage.

Enjoy...

Pizza Bianca

Pizza Bianca is thin crusted pizza dough with herb, sea salt, and cheese. It is usually served as an appetizer or a side dish. Italians loves pizza bianca with their sea-food stew. It's perfect with any kind of soup as well. This is semi-home made, since I bought the pizza-dough from store. It saves a lot of time for parties.

Ingredients:-

• Pizza Dough, store bought
  
• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  
• 1 tsp Sea Salt
  
• 1 tsp Herbes de Provence
  
• 3 tbsp Parmesan Cheese, grated
  
• 3 tbsp Cheddar Cheese, grated
  

Method:-

1. Preheat oven on 450 degree F.

2. Roll out the dough on flat floured surface to thin crust.

3, Transfer dough to the cookie sheet. Pierce the dough all over with fork.

4. Apply olive oil, salt, and Herbs De Provence.

5. Sprinkle Parmesan and cheddar cheese on top of pizza.

6. Bake until it's golden.

7. Serve with your favorite soup.



Enjoy...

-- p.s.: Here are some of the soups that I tried with it.

Garbanzo and Zucchini Soup.

Bistro Style Tomato Soup

Navy Bean And Pasta Soup