Chanajor Salad / Flatten black chickpea salad

Chana jor is a very popular street snack in India , also very popular during train travel too. Vendors come inside the train during travel or while train stops at station, they all come with their variety of snacks. We have been eating this snack since childhood. But to do a very healthy twist instead of just onion and tomatoes and spices, I add cucumber, red capsicum, lettuce and make a healthy salad. Its filling and delicious and chatpata for evening snack or quick lunch. I made it for lunch and it was very filling.

Will see you all after a short break. till then enjoy.


Ingredients:

2 cups Chana Jor (mashed Chickpeas)
1 small red onion finely chopped
1 tomato finely chopped
1 cucumber finely chopped
1/2 head of lettuce
1 green chili finely chopped
chat masala as per taste or sometimes chanajor packet has its own masala
lime juice

Method:

Chop all the vegetables  and chat masala and put it in bowl.

At the time of serving only, add chana jorgaram in salad and serve immediately.
Add lime juice is its not chat pata .

I sprinkled masala peanuts on top for some more crunch.
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Dhaba Dal

Traveling in India is fun, specially those dhaba food, which is not at all hygienic but still you can not resist the smell and temptation to eat those yummy dishes. Its become part of our diet too, like when we make something we try to recreate that dish , how it taste when we had it at this dhaba when we went there. Those are some sweet and yummy memories we all have. All regions have their own specialty food stalls on highways. Highway on Western and Northern India you find lot of Punjabi food dhaba and every dhaba's dal is awesome, so today I am sharing that dal recipe. Let me know if you like it or not.

Ingredients :

1 cup split black gram / urad dal
4 cups water
1/2 tsp. Turmeric powder
salt to taste

Cook the dal with turmeric and salt in it.

For Tadka mix :
1 Tbsp. jeera
1 1/2 Tbsp. dhaniya seeds
1 tsp. fennel seeds or saunf
1 tsp. whole cloves
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp. Kashmiri red chilli powder
1/4 tsp. ground mace (Javitri powder)
1 tsp. turmeric powder
Salt to taste

Dry roast these spices and make a fine powder. you can store these in air tight container too.

For Tempering :

1 tsp. butter /oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. ginger garlic paste
1  green chili slit
1 small onion chopped
1 small tomato chopped
1 tbsp. tomato puree
2 tsp. Tadka mix
lime juice as per taste
slices of ginger on top

Method:

In a deep pan, take a tablespoon of  butter/ oil , fry the cumin seeds, ginger and garlic.

Then add the onions till they turn translucent. The add green chili, chopped tomato. cook for few minutes and then add tomato puree and tadka mix.

cook till oil floats on top.

Pour in the cooked dal and mix it very well. check for the salt and adjust the seasoning.

Top it up with lime juice and slit ginger.
Inspired from here.

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http://caroleschatter.blogspot.co.nz/2014/04/Lentils-pulses-recipe-links-Food-Friday.html

 

Ratatoullie from the movie "Ratatoullie"

My kids love Remy. So when ever this movie is on TV no matter how late it is they have to watch it and tape it too. so they can watch it any time later on. They know their movies by heart but the simple joy they get every time watching movie its price less. So its been a long time since I promised my son that I will make this dish for him. One day I told him that for diner I am making this and he was so happy whole day. In the evening when I told him that I am now starting to make the dish, he stand with me and watch the whole process and asked thousand questions about the dish, movie and what not. He is very good asking questions, there is no end of it. I make this dish as individual portions size but you can make it in one big casserole too.

Ingredients :

1 yellow squash
1 green zucchini
1 purple eggplant
1 red pepper
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1 cup tomato puree
2 tbsp olive oil,
pinch of dried herbs
Salt and pepper

Method:

preheat the oven at 375.

Put tomato puree in the bottom of the dish and add garlic and onion and 1 tbsp. olive oil with salt and pepper in it. Mix it very well.
Thinly slice or cut vegetables in circle and arrange them on top of the tomato puree mixture.

Sprinkle olive oil on top  then salt and pepper and dried herbs and put it in the oven.
Bake it for 30-40 minutes, until vegetables have released their water and clearly cooked but not mushy. They should not be brown at the edges, and you should see that the tomato sauce is bubbling up around them.
Serve it with crunchy bread, couscous or just plain pasta.

Ready to go in the oven

Ready to eat

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Kadai Vegetables Dry

This is also perfect lunch or diner dish from North Indian or say Punjabi Cuisine. It has its own spices going on in it and you can control the vegetables you and your family like. Here in Indian Restaurant they put each and every vegetables which they get in the market and mix it in it. but the main star of the dish is grounded spices. If that's perfect then no matter what vegetables you put in , it's going to taste awesome. You all like my Kadai  Paneer very much, this is same as that only I added few other ingredients in it.

On other note, I got this    surprise gift from Amrita from accessiblediary BlogSpot. Thank you so much for the gift, my parents will send this to me very soon.

Ingredients:

To grind :

5-6 black peppercorns
3 cloves
1/2 tsp. Jeera / Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. coriander seeds
1/2 tsp. Fennel seeds
1/2 tsp. kasori methi
2 dry red chilies
1 Kashmiri red chili

Roast these masala on slow flame and grind it when its cold. you need coarse powder.

Other Ingredients:

Mix Vegetables (carrot, beans, cauliflower, green and red capsicum, corn, green peas, soya chunks)
1 onion chopped
2 tbsp. tomato puree
salt to taste
2 tsp. oil or butter or ghee
2 tsp. grind masala
1 tsp. ground ginger and garlic paste
1 tsp. ground green chili paste
1 tsp. red chili powder
1 tsp. turmeric powder
chopped ginger slices and coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

Heat a kadai , add oil /butter / ghee. when its hot add onion in it. Cook till its changes it color.
Add both the paste and mix it , add tomato puree, 2 tsp. ground masala, red chili powder, turmeric powder and cook till its leaves oil.
Add vegetables in it. Sprinkle little water till its cook.
If you need gravy add more water and cook till vegetables are cooked.
when its done, serve hot , garnished with chopped ginger and coriander leaves, with your favorite naan, roti or paratha.

 

You can add paneer, tofu,  moong vadi too.

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Missi Roti / Yellow Spilt Chickpea Bread

I had my eye on this dish since very long. Never had a chance to make this roti. So one night I make sure that I soak chana dal so next day for our breakfast I can make this roti. It is ideal for lunch or diner too, have with gravy dish or just with pickle or yogurt its perfect for light lunch too. Its best combination of protein and carb in one bite. You can use your leftover chana dal also to make this roti. Never waste your food , make something out of it and you will amazed by your own creations.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup soaked and boiled chana dal (make sure it stays whole)
1 cup of WW flour
1/4 cup chickpea flour (Besan)
salt to taste

For tempering :

1 tsp. oil
Pinch of hing
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. garam masala powder
1 tsp. turmeric powder
salt to taste.
fresh coriander leaves chopped

Method:

Heat a small pan, add oil in it. Add hing and all powder masala and salt and then add chana dal and cook for 2-3 minutes till its coated with masala.
Turn off the gas and add coriander leaves and mix it. let it cool so you can handle it.
In a big bowl add both flours, chana dal mixture, salt and 2 tsp. of oil
Make dough for roti.
Make 8-9 balls and keep it aside.
Heat griddle and make rotis as you make it.

Roll the dough in circle and cook on griddle on both side. Apply oil on one side and make little crispy and cook on both side. Done with all balls.
Serve hot rotis with hot cup of tea  or for lunch with pickle or yogurt or for diner with your gravy dish.

If you are using leftover chana dal, mix it in flour and knead the dough and make rotis. you can add kasoori methi and finely chopped onions too.


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Kathiyawadi style Adad ni Dal / Split white gram lentils - World Diabetes Day

Diabetes is one of the most devastating illnesses, as it affects many organs in the body. Diabetes complications include heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, blindness, kidney disease, nervous system disease (neuropathy), and  amputation. A total of 25.8 million children and adults in the U.S. – 8.3% of the population have diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes (previously called Adult-Onset) is preventable, yet, in 2007, diabetes was listed as the underlying cause on 71,382 death certificates. This means that diabetes contributed to a total of 231,404 deaths. (American Diabetes Association, www.diabetes.org)

To avoid or keep diabetes in control avoid all white food, like white rice, bread, sugar and so on.

Do exercise regularly and try to eat once a week bitter gourd, this vegetable is very useful to kick diabetes away. Keep in mind if your family have history of this , you might get it so try to avoid it by eating healthy diet and exercising.

Thanks Swathi for this wonderful Awareness event.


So keeping this in mind I am sharing this dish , which is very popular in western part of India.
India has famous four regions, in those four also we have lots of different cuisines. Same way in Gujarat (western part of India) also. Northern Gujarat called Kathiyawad. People and food of kathiyawad is so famous that on highways along side dhaba you find kathiyawadi food too. These people love to eat spicy yet tasty food. In Ahmedabad, there are very famous restaurant who serves only kathiayawadi food. If you know, our food dish called Thali. It contains  rice, dal, kadhi, puri, roti, pickle, farsan (snack), sweet, buttermilk. Same way Kathiyawadi thali is not finished if you don't have this particular dal in it. If you can find green garlic use that to give authentic taste.

Ingredients :

1/2 cup Adad ni dal (While split gram lentils)
1/2 cup chana dal (yellow dry split chickpea)
1 cup finely chopped tomato
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. Jeera (cumin )
2 tsp.. Finely chopped garlic (the more garlic, its taste better)
1 tsp. Finley chopped ginger
1 tsp. finely chopped green chilies
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsp. oil
salt to taste
fresh coriander leaves chopped

Method:

Clean and soak the dals in water for 1 hour.
Pressure cook dals with turmeric powder, salt, tomatoes and 3 cups of water.
Cool it and keep it aside.
Heat a pan , add oil in it. Add Jeera in it.
When it changes the color, cook onion, ginger and garlic and green chilies.
Add dal in this masala and cook till it thickens.
Adjust the seasoning and garnish with coriander leaves.
Perfect accompanied for this dal is Bajri na rotla and garlic chutney and potato curry.

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Sweet and Spicy Lemon Pickle / Limbu nu Athanu

Ok this pickle is my most favorite one in childhood. I can have roti and pickle for my lunch and diner. My mom used to make this in big batch in pickle season and we eat year around. Coming to US I didn't made in that big batch but at least that much I make so I can enjoy and cherish for  days. This is not instant pickle, you have to wait at least two weeks to eat it but outcome is amazing. Before even writing this post I already finish two slices of lemon from jar. You have to put slices in salt and turmeric powder for at least good seven days or depend upon how fast the skin turned its color. Best time to make this in summer so it works fast. But hey anytime is pickle time for me. I didn't had time in summer so didn't made it but I can use fall sun which I can use for my pickle. Use new red chili powder for nice color, old one makes dull color. So Keep this things in mind before you make.

Ingredients :

8 big Limes or lemons
2 cups of grates jiggery (depend upon sourness of lemons, you can decrease or increase sweetness)
1 table spoon red chili powder
1 tsp. turmeric powder
salt to taste

Method:

Cut limes in half and then again half. If its big then make it 3 slices.
Add salt and turmeric powder and shake it well.

Keep the lid on and put it in sun.

Day 1


Day 3

shake it every day  3-4 times.

Day 5 , see how skin changes it color

At day 7 , add grated jiggery and red chili powder. leave it again in sun till it melts in sun heat.

It will take how hot the sun is. Mine took 3 days to melt.

Once its melted , take it out in glass bottle and enjoy with your diner or lunch.

Pickle is now ready to eat.

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