Spinach and Fenugreek Steamed Dumplings (Palak Methi Na Muthia)

The original name for steamed dumpling of spinach and fenugreek leaves in Gujarati is Palak Methina Na Muthia. This is the very common Gujarati dish. One can find these in any kitchen from North Gujarat to South Gujarat. There are many versions as well, usually made from Cabbage, Bottle Guard, Lilva, Moong, and fresh pegion peas etc. Flavor of spinach and methi together is simply great, and cilantro adds to taste. This can be served as snack or appetizer. I love to eat them any time as long as I have mint-cilantro chutney, cup of tea to wash 'em down... hmm yum yum yum... :))

Ingredients:-

• 4 cups Spinach, finely chopped
  
• 1 1/2 cups Fenugreek Leaves , finely chopped
  
• 1/4 cup Cilantro, finely chopped
  
• 1 tsp Ginger Paste
  
• 1 tbsp Green Chilli paste
  
• 1 tsp Garlic Paste
  
• 2 tbsp Whole Wheat Flour
  
• 2 tbsp Besan
  
• 1 tbsp Semolina
  
• 1 tbsp Rice Flour
  
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
  
• 1 tsp Dhania-Jeera Powder
  
• 2 tsp sugar
  
• 1 tbsp Yogurt
  
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
  
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Oil for greasing
  

-- For the Tadka/Tempering

• 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
  
• 1/4 tsp Asafoetida
  
• 1/2 tsp Sesame seeds
  
• 1 Small Green Chille, chopped
  
• 3-4 Curry Leaves
  
• 1 tbsp oil
  

Method:-

-- For Dumplings

1. Mix all the ingredients in large bowl with little water until there are no lumps. Batter should be very thick.

2. Set the batter aside for 10-15 minutes. Stir well, taste again, and adjust seasoning.

3. In the meantime, preheat steamer or pressure cooker with some water in it. Grease deep dishes or pressure cooker containers with oil.

4. Pour the batter in it and steam for 15-20 minutes on high heat.

5. Turn down the heat on low for another 5 minutes. Let the steamer cool a little and then open it.

6. Take the dumplings out of the steamer, and let deep dish cool a little more.

7. Cut the muthias into diamonds or squares.

8. Heat oil in small sauce pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chilli, sesame seeds, and hing. Turn of the gas when they start to sizzle.

9. Give tadka to the cut muthias.

10. Serve hot with chutney.

Enjoy...

Tips :-

1. Insert a toothpick in the centre to check if dumplings are cooked properly and if it comes out clean, they are cooked.

2. If you are using pressure cooker, please do not use whistle or pressure cooker ring.

This is my entry to Flavours Of Gujarat hosted by Nayna Kanabar - Simply.Food



Enjoy...

Paneer Koftas In Nakhrali Gravy

"Now, what is this Nakhrali Gravy"? DH asked. It took me some time to explain him the title. Let me try here, if unsuccessful I'll have to change the name. Nakhrali is a Gujarati word, meaning like a Nakhrewali in Hindi, like heroine of masala bollywood movie. English translation is coquetry. As it takes time to find a way to coquetry girl's heart, it'll take time for you to find out special ingredient in this recipe. Ultimately, you'll realize that its not the ingredient but cooking method that makes this recipe special and very tasty. Instead of cooking gravy ingredients in pan, I grilled (barbecued) them. One will think that is not so special but when you taste the gravy I am sure you'll agree that grilling really gives a wonderful twist to same old gravy recipe.

Ingredients:-

-- For Koftas

• 1 cup Paneer, grated
  
• 1/4 cup Potato, boiled and mashed
  
• 3 tbsp Bread Crumbs
  
• 1/4 tsp Cumin Powder
  
• 2 Green Chilli, chopped
  
• Pinch of Turmeric Powder
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Oil For Shallow Fry
  

-- For Gravy

• 2 Onions, cut into big pieces
  
• 2 Big Tomatoes, cut in 4 pieces
  
• 1 Red Bell Pepper
  
• 1 Green Bell pepper
  
• 2-3 tbsp Scallions,
  
• 5 Garlic Cloves
  
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
  
• 1/4 tsp Ginger, grated
  
• 1 tsp Garam masala
  
• 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
  
• 1 tsp Cumin powder
  
• 1 tsp Tomato Paste
  
• 1 tsp Anardana Powder
  
• 1/4 tsp Kasuri Methi
  
• 5-6 tbsp Evaporated milk or Heavy Cream
  
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  
• 1/4 cup Vegetable Stock
  
• Cilantro, chopped
  
• Salt to taste
  

Method:-

-- For Koftas

1. In a bowl mix all the ingredients. Make small balls out of it. Refrigerate the mix for 1 hour.

2. Heat oil in pan and shallow fry the koftas.

-- For Gravy

1. Preheat grill or griddle.

2. Season onion, tomato, garlic, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, scallions with salt, black pepper, and olive oil.

3. Grill all the veggies until they are tender. (Peel the skin of roasted bell peppers)

4. Blend grilled veggies with ginger, red chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, tomato paste, anardana powder, cumin powder, with vegetable stock.

5. Heat oil in sauce pan, brown cumin seeds in it. Add blended ingredients.

6. Bring the gravy to boil, taste and adjust seasoning. Turn down the heat to low and add evaporated milk, and kasuri methi.

7. Cover pan with lid and simmer for 3-4 minutes.

8. Turn off the heat and add chopped cilantro.

9. Add koftas in the gravy and serve.

Enjoy...

This is my entry to Letz Relishh – Paneer hosted by Jayanthy Kumaran - Tasty Appetite



Also sending Paneer Coconut laddu



Mini Paneer Chilli Paratha



Paneer Tikka Pulav




also sending this entry to Visual Treat Event hosted by Sanyukta.



Enjoy...

Fennel Cooler

I am big fan of fennel seeds. One thing you'll definitely find in my purse is fennel seeds. Fennel seeds are not just mouth freshener; they have medicinal uses as well and are very helpful for our gastrointestinal system. My dad used to drink fennel seeds water every morning to help relieve some acidity problems.

Use fennel seeds in tadka for the Dry aloo subji, it will be super flavorful. Fennel seeds powder can be used to in spice cake for a unusual kick in the taste.

This is the recipe for my favorite drink in hot summer days. I usually soak fennel seeds in water overnight but if you don't want to wait whole night, you only have to soak them in water for a couple of hours for similar flavor. I also prepared ginger and mint infused syrup in advance and to my surprise they taste delicious together.


-- For Mint-Ginger Syrup

Ingredients:-

1 cup Sugar
2 cups Water
1 tbsp Ginger, grated
10-12 Fresh Mint Leaves

Method:-

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil on over medium-high heat, stir occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved and the syrup is slightly thickened.

2. Let it cool completely, and pour this syrup through a sieve into jar.

-- For Fennel Cooler

1. Soak 4-5 tbsp of fennel seeds in 2 cups of water for 3-4 hours or overnight. And pour this water through a sieve into the bowl. Discard seeds.

Ingredients:-

1/2 cup Fennel Seeds Water
1/4 cup Mint-Ginger Syrup or to taste
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1 cup Sprite
2-3 Fresh Mint Leaves
3-4 Ice Cubes
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
Pinch of Black Salt

Method:-

1. Blend all ingredients in the blender.

2. Serve chilled.

Enjoy...

Kesar Mawa Peda

"Happy Raksha Bandhan" to you all. Pedas are the most famous sweet in India. Pedas are distributed when announcing marriage, birth of a child, a new home, a new car and all other happy occasions plus at festivals like Diwali. Mawa/Khoya, cardamon, Kesar(Saffron) are the traditional ingredients for the peda. The pedas at sweet shops in India take long time to make since the milk is boiled for hours to prepare Mawa/Khoya, the main ingredient. This is a super quick recipe with Khoya readily available in Indian stores and the use of Microwave makes it even faster.

For the holy festival of Rakhi, here's peda recipe. Enjoy this day :))


Ingredients:-

• 1 cup Mawa, grated
  
• 2 tbsp Condensed Milk or to taste
  
• 1/4 tsp Freshly Powdered Cardamom
  
• 5-6 Saffron stigmas, soak in 1 tbsp milk
  
• Almonds, Slivered
  

Method:-

1. Mash Khoya with your palms in Microwave-safe bowl

2. Add Safforn and milk, cardamom powder, and condensed milk. Mix well.

3. Microwave for 2 minutes, stirring well after every minute.

4. Let it cool little bit and make peda in your desired shape and put them on parchment paper.

5. Put slivered almonds on top of pedas.

6. Serve at room temperature.

Enjoy...

Tip :- Use melon baller, smallest ice-cream scoop or measurement spoon to shape pedas to avoid greasing the palms with butter or ghee.

I am sending this peda to two events "Celebrate Sweets ~ Pedha " with Jagruti



and

“KIDS DELIGHT” with Pari Vasisht

Kabab Curry (Thai Style)

Kababs and any currys separately are crowd pleasure and always hit at parties; but together they make one wonderful dish. If you are a vegetarian like me, it is almost impossible to find vegetarian kabab curry; so I usually make kabab curry at home with tomato based gravy. I wanted something different this time and thought of marriage of Thai and Indian flavors. Spicy kabas with coconut based curry makes this dish thai, delicious, and different.

Ingredients:-

--For Kabab

• 1/4 cup Whole Moong, mashed (Soak in the water for an hour and pressure cook it)
  
• 1 Big Potato, boiled and mashed
  
• 1 cup Cabbage, finely chopped
  
• 1/2 cup Mix Vegetables, boiled (Peas, corn, carrot)
  
• 8-9 Garlic Cloves, minced
  
• 1 tbsp Ginger, grated
  
• 3-4 Green Chilli, finely chopped
  
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
  
• 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
  
• 1 tsp Amchur Powder (Dry Mango Powder)
  
• 1 tsp Cumin Powder
  
• 2 tbsp Fresh Cilantro, chopped
  
• 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
  
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil + Extra for shallow frying
  
• Salt to taste
  

--For Curry

• 8-9 Cashew +1 tsp Magajtari/Magtari Seeds, (Soak in water for 1 hour and paste it)
  
• 1 Large White Onion, grated
  
• 1 Garlic Clove, minced
  
• 1/4 tsp Ginger Grated
  
• 14 oz Coconut Milk
  
• 3 tbsp Tofu, mashed
  
• 1/3 cup Water
  
• 1 Small Thai Green Chilli, chopped
  
• 1 Pinch, Cayenne Pepper
  
• 1 Pinch Sea Salt
  
• 2 Pinch Sugar
  
• 1-2 Thai Basil, finely chopped
  
• Regular Salt to taste
  

--For Serving

• Kasuri Methi
  
• Boiled Yellow Corn, and Greean Peas
  

Method:-

--For Kabab

1. Heat oil in pan, saute onion, ginger, garlic, green chilli, and cabbage for 8-10 minutes.

2. Combine this sauted onion and cabbage with other ingredients in food processor. Pulse the food processor first for 3-4 times and then process on lowest speed for 20-30 seconds till everything mixed well.

3. Shape the mixture in quarter-size oval shape about half-inch thick and .

4. Heat oil on flat griddle, cook kababs until they get golden crust all over or cook each side for 2-3 minutes.

--For Curry

1. Heat oil in sauce pan, saute onion, garlic, ginger, green chilli, and sea salt until they are soft.

2. Add cashew paste, mashed tofu, cayenne pepper, salt, coconut milk, thai basil, sugar and little water.

3. Simmer this curry on medium low heat for 10-15 minutes. WIth hand blender pulse this curry for 3-4 time.

4. Turn off the heat and pour curry in the serving bowl.

5. Add koftas in curry, some yellow corn , pinch of kasuri methi, and green peas on top. Serve Hot.

Enjoy...

Tip: The use of cashew & majagtari seeds paste with mashed tofu make this curry extra thick so I added little water to reduce consistency, but the taste is almost the same and one can do away with water in case you like extra thick curry.

This is my entry to Show me your curry hosted by Divya of Dil se.




also sending this entry to Visual Treat Event hosted by Sanyukta.

Pani-Puri Rice

Were your surprised reading the name of the recipe??? DH was very much so.

The idea for this experiment came from Pani-Puri flavored noodles. I bought pani-puri flavored noodles from Indian grocery store, and tried those but they didn't have Pani Puri taste at all. After a while when I had some leftovers from overnight pani-puri feast, including pani, potato filling, and some chutney and I thought if Nissin can sell pani-puri flavored noodles when noodles hardly carry any panipuri flavor, rice would actually soak it better. Hence, I cooked the rice in panipuri pani and fresh masalas. The rice soak up all the masalas and taste was just AMAZING!!! Tangy, spicy, minty in same bite. I thought when you refer to something as panipuri flavored, it should actually have all these tastes. All three combined make authentic panipuri taste.

After cooking(boiling) the rice in pani puri's pani, I warmed up the other leftovers in rice and served it. Basically, you can use all leftovers like white peas ragda, boiled potatos, black chana, mint chutney, and pomegranate.

Me and DH love to eat this rice with little sip of pani puri's pani.

-- For Fresh Pani Puri Masala

Ingredients:-

• 2 cups Fresh Mint Leaves
  
• 1/2 cup Fresh Cilantro
  
• 5-6 Green Chilles or to taste
  
• 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
  
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
  
• 1-1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds
  
• 1 tbsp Amchur
  
• 1-1/2 tsp Black Salt
  
• 1-1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
  
• Piece of Ginger
  
• Juice of 1 Big Lemon
  
• Salt to taste
  

Method:-

1. Blend all ingredients in the blender and make puree.

2. Pour this puree in deep vesel and add 7-8 cups of water.

3. Add piece jaggery and bring it up to the boil. Taste and adjust seasoning.

4. Cool down the pani and stain well. Serve Chilled.




--For Pani Puri Rice

Ingredients:-

• 1 cup Basmati Rice
  
• 2 cups Pani Puri's Pani
  
• 2-3 tbsp Fresh Pani Puri Masala
  
• 1 Small Green Chilli, chopped
  
• 1/4 tsp Cumin Seeds
  
• 1 tbsp Oil
  
• 3-4 Mint Leaves, chopped
  
• 1 Pinch Roasted Cumin Powder
  
• Salt to taste
  

-- For Serving Ingredients

• Mint Chutney
  
• Pani of Pani Puri
  
• 1/2 cup Potato-Chana filling
  
• Pomagranate Seeds
  
• Pani Puri Masala, store bought
  

Method:-

1. Heat oil in sauce pan, add cumin seeds and green chilli.

2. When they turn liitle brown, add pani of pani puri, little salt, cumin powder, mint leaves, fresh pani puri masala, and rice. Bring it to boil, turn down the heat on medium low, cover with lid, and cook until rice is done. (Absolutely no picking when rice is cooking. It'll cook perfectly fluffly in 20- 25 minutes.)

3. Take some rice in bowl, and mix some warm potato-chana filling, mint chutney, pomegranate. Sprinkle little pani puri masala on top.

4. Serve with Pani Puri ka pani to sip with it.

Enjoy...

Tip: For best pani-puri flavor, make pani with your homemade masala rather than store-bought.

Penne All'Arrabbiata

Penne Arrabbiata is a Roman dish, and it is referred to as"Angry Penne" in Italian (Source - Food Network) because use of hipping tbsp of red chili flakes. Fresh chilies are rarely used in Italian dishes. Italians prefer dried red chillies. Most of the restaurants have this Penne Arrabbiata in their menu. I tried this in many Italian restaurants, but for this particular dish I love to go to Mi Piace in Pasadena, CA. I find their sauce a perfect balance of spicy and tangy. Arrabbiata is easy to make at home so lets get your aprons ready.

Ingredients:-

• 1 lb Penne Pasta
  
• 1 cup Red Onion, finally chopped
  
• 3-4 Garlic Cloves, crushed
  
• 1/4 cup Red Wine
  
• 16 Oz canned Diced Tomatoes,
  
• 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
  
• 1/3 cup Olive Oil
  
• 1 tbsp Red Pepper Flaks
  
• 1/4 tsp Dry Oregano
  
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Chopped Fresh Basil
  
• Parmesan Cheese
  
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  

Method:-

1. Cook penne pasta according to package directions. Drain well and drizzle little olive oil if you cook pasta in advance.

2. In the mean time, heat oil in sauce pan. Saute onion, and garlic for 8-10 minutes on medium low heat until they are soft. Stir occasionally.

3. Add diced tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, red wine, red pepper flacks, salt, pepper, and oregano. Stir well.

4. Cook on medium high heat for 5-6 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

5. In Serving bowl, transfer cooked pasta. Ladle Arrabiata sauce over the pasta.

6. Sprinkle parmesan cheese, chopped basil, little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and serve.

Enjoy...

Tip :- If you don't like your sauce sour, use 1 tsp to 1 tbsp regular white sugar in it. The sugar balances out the tangyness of the tomatoes.

Also Check out my upcoming posts..

Pani Puri Rice



Kabab Curry



Enjoy...