Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Shenga Hindi | Spiced Peanut Powder | Dry Peanut Chutney : Easiest chutney pudi ever!!


I prepared 4-5 types of chutney powders for our long trip. We are currently having fun & I scheduled couple of posts before starting our trip. Will share more about our trip later.

Shenga hindi is a very versatile powder which could be consumed with almost anything. This chutney powder stays good for a long time. Like any other nuts, peanuts are also rich in protein & contains "good fat".





Ingredients:
Roasted peanuts : 2 cups, (refer notes)
Garlic cloves: 10-12 nos, (refer notes)
Red chili powder: 1 tbsp, adjust according to your needs
Salt: As needed
Sugar: 1/2 tbsp


Method:

Add all the ingredients mentioned above to a food processor & pulse till you get a coarse powder.
Can it get any easier than this?!




Notes:

  • I bought the unsalted roasted peanuts & used them. If you do not have the roasted peanuts, it is very easy to make them at home. Dry roast the peanuts till they turn golden brown.Once cool completely, rub the peanuts  between your palm to remove the skin. Discard the skin & roasted peanuts are ready!
  • I used 10 big garlic cloves. The garlic cloves available in USA are quite big compared to the ones available in India. If you have small cloves, I suggest using 20-25 pods. 

Monday, April 8, 2013

Muthiya | Muthia | Steamed whole wheat & greens dumpling : Gujarati Cuisine

Muthiya has all the goodness & nutrition needed. It has loads of greens, whole wheat, and jowar flour. To top it all, it is steamed & not deep fried. Any greens of your choice could be added. In case you do not have leafy vegetable, you could add grated carrots/ grated bottle gourd/ grated cabbage. I tried hard for good pictures, but could't do justice for the dish with the pictures :( 


Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Serves: 2-3


Ingredients:
For the muthiya:
Wheat flour: 1.25 cups
Jowar flour/Sorghum flour: 1/2 cup
Besan/Gram flour: 1/4 cup
Chopped dill leaves: 1.5 cups, loosely packed
Chili powder: 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
Green chili paste: 1 tsp
Yogurt: 1/4 cup
Oil: 3 tbsp
Sugar: 1 tsp
Baking soda: 1/2 tsp
Salt: As needed
Water: As needed, to make the dough

For the seasoning:
Oil: 1-2 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Sesame seeds: 1 tbsp


Method:
Mix all the ingredients mentioned for the muthiya (except water) in a large bowl. 

Add sufficient water & make a dough out of it. (The dough should be cutlet or patty consistency).
Make dumplings out of it & steam it for 15-20 mins on medium-high heat. 

Turn off the heat & let the steamed dumpling cool completely. Observe: the steamed dumplings have expanded in size 

(I'm stressing again, cool completely.., else it will crumble while cutting them!)
Cut the steamed dumpling into 1 inch bites.
Prepare the tempering/seasoning. Heat oil in a broad pan. When oil is hot, add in the mustard seeds. When mustard seeds crackle, throw in the sesame seeds & let it turn golden brown (Take care not to burn the seeds!)Add in the cut dumplings & mix it gently. Cook it till it is slightly brown & crisp.
Serve it with a dip/chutney/sauce of your choice.



Notes:
The ratio of greens to flour is 1.5: 2. You could play around with any other flour of your choice. I sometimes add corn meal too.
You could add a fistful of left over rice to make the muthia's soft.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Tomato Thokku | Tomato Chutney

When I am in no mood to cook elaborate meals, I make some thokku or gojju which stays good for couple of days. They are very versatile & tastes great as a side dish with many things. They kick up your taste buds too.My son loves mixing the tomato thokku with plain rice, my hubby eats it with chapathi or paratha (Indian breads). I use it as a side dish for idli, dosa, or akki rotti :)


Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins


Ingredients:
Tomatoes : 7 nos, medium sized
Oil: 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Curry leaves: 6-8 nos, torn
Fenugreek seeds: a pinch
Turmeric powder: a big pinch
Chili powder: 1 tsp
Jaggery: 1/2 tbsp
Taramind concentrate: 1tsp
Salt: As needed



Method:
Finely chop the tomatoes & keep them aside.

Heat oil in a broad pan. When oil is hot, throw in the mustard seeds.

When mustard seeds splutter, add in the torn curry leaves & fenugreek seeds.

When fenugreek seeds turn golden brown, add in the tomatoes & mix well.

Throw in the red chili powder, tamarind concentrate, salt, & jaggery.

Mix well & cook the tomatoes on a medium heat for another 20-30 mins, until the tomatoes are soft & mushy.
Turn off the heat & serve it warm or at room temperature.

Notes:
I kept the thokku little watery instead of making it very thick, since my family prefers it that way!
You could cook for some more time to get a very thick gojju/thokku.

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