Gajar Halwa Truffles

Had enough of the same cakes and cookies  for Christmas, try something new and easy and loved by everyone. 

Make the way you make gajar ka halwa, once its cool down, make small balls and dip them in  melted dark chocolate and voila, you have carrot halwa truffles. 

You can make halwa as    Vegan - Pressure cook - Gajar Halwa (Carrot Porridge) or Carrot Halwa Roulade, final result will be awesome as it is.

Once its done, dip them in and cool it in freezer for 30 minutes and then enjoy.

Ingredients for melting chocolate

1/2 stick of butter

1/4 cup chocolate wafers or chocolate chips ( I used milk chocolate, you can what ever you like)

Method

Make small balls of cold carrot halwa. 

Using the double boiler, add butter and chocolate chips in bowl, when its melted, with the help of fork, dip one ball in chocolate and coat from all sides and take it out on parchment paper.

Finish will all and then put the balls in freezer for 30 minutes.

Take it out and enjoy.

Vegan Thai Peanut Curry

I loved Thai flavors for their sweet, spicy, sour taste in one bite , make lot of different kind of curries too. But when I made this peanut curry , that was it, it was easy , quick and flavorful. You need minimum ingredients with maximum flavor. I made it vegan and tofu but you can use your favorite protein in it.

I have used the vegetables I had it on hand but again you can have it your favorite vegetables too. Its a one pot meal, make the curry base, add your protein and vegetables and its done , have it with your just plain rice and your lunch or diner is ready. Peanut sauce is very easy and handy since we all have peanut butter at home and to make this curry it comes handy

Ingredients : 

To Marinate Tofu

1 block of tofu

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp. Turmeric powder

1 tsp. Roasted cumin powder

1 tsp. Paprika

1 tsp. Brown sugar

For the curry

3 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 onion sliced length wise

1 inch piece of ginger finely chopped

3-4 asparagus cut in pieces

few florets of broccoli

4 bulbs of bok choi, cut in big chunks

7 spring beans cut in pieces

1 cup vegetable stock

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 tsp. sugar

1 tbsp. Tamari sauce

1/2 can of coconut milk

to garnish fresh coriander leaves, fresh lime juice

2 tbsp. of oil

Method :

First we have to marinate tofu. so cut the tofu in small bite size pieces. In one plate, add all the spices from the ingredient mentioned in the  list. Add the tofu and mix it with the spices and leave it on side till we prepare the vegetables. 

Meanwhile, prepare the curry base, in one bowl, add peanut butter, stock, sugar and tamari  sauce and add little water to make paste. Warm water will help to dissolve the peanut butter

Once vegetables are ready, lets cook the tofu. Heat the pan, add 1 tbsp. of oil, add the tofu in single layer in pan and cook it from all the side and keep it aside.

For the curry, clean the pan with paper towel and add 1 tbsp. oil in it. 

When its warm, add ginger , garlic and sauté for few seconds, then add all your vegetables in it and cook it. 

Now add the peanut butter mix , tofu and mix it. 

Add coconut milk and mix it and depend upon the thickness of your coconut milk and curry, add more if needed.

Just cook till everything is incorporated nicely , taste  it and adjust the seasoning. shut it off.

Before serving add fresh lime juice and fresh coriander leaves and serve it warm with hot white rice , brown rice or noodles , what ever you like

Air Fried Methi na Muthia - Gluten Free

Muthia is a yummy snack from verities of vegetables you can make it from. Each one has its unique flavor, but the texture more over same. You can either steam it or deep fry it  specially this one. Because methi na muthia is mostly used in undhiyu which is a winter specialty in Gujarat and since methi is in season during winter, hence the use of it in cooking is. This muthia you can make it as regular steamed muthia and have it as a snack, or deep fried it or better , now with the new gadget , air fried it. It takes hardly 10 minutes and its ready. You can eat it as it is or use in undhiyu or muthia with lilva and val na dana nu shak, I used it in eggplant , lilva nu shak.

Ingredients :

2 cups of washed and chopped methi leaves

1/2 cup bajri flour

1/2 cup juvar flour (if you want you can take whole wheat instead of Juvar)

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

1 green chili finely chopped

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

Pinch of Turmeric powder

1/4 tsp each baking soda and powder 

Salt to taste

1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder

Juice of one lime / lemon

2 tbsp. oil

Water as needed to make the dough

1 tbsp. sugar - optional  

Method : 

In a bowl,  add methi leaves, both flours, Turmeric powder, chili powder, salt, ginger, garlic, chili, juice, oil and baking soda and powder.

Mix nicely and try to knead it so you don't need to add too much water.

Now add little water at a time to make it all combined and it comes out as a dough. 

Now take small portion of it and shape into small oval shaped, its totally up to you how long or small you want to make it. But we are air frying so keep everything same size and portion to cook it at same time.

Once all done, put it in air fryer plate, spray the oil on both sides.

Set the fryer on 400 for 10 minutes and  put the tray in it

Flip it in between from every side so it cook evenly. If you don't get the color, keep it longer for few minutes since all air fryers are different. 

Use it as it is with chutney or save it to make it undhiyu or what ever your heart desires. 

Momos Munchurian

Everyone loves momos and Manchurian so why not to combine them? Well I did it and it taste as awesome as it sounds. When you are writing the recipe its sounds too much but in reality, take your favorite stuffing, put it in wrapper since here in US we have readymade wrappers so no need to knead the dough and make the wrapper. Steamed it and put those momos in your favorite Manchurian sauce. Simple as it its. 

I used very light soy sauce that's why it never look like brown sauce the way it is outside, its my personal choice because of salt contents but if you are using dark soy sauce , your sauce will be perfect just like laariwala. 

So let 's make it 

For Momos : 

15 ready made wrappers

1 cup roughly chopped cabbage

3 carrot

few pieces of garlic

3 stalks of green onions

1 inch piece of ginger

salt as per taste

1 tsp sriracha

1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar or regular vinegar

To make momos:

Take cabbage carrot, ginger, garlic, green onions and put it into the blender, make a finely chopped mix. 

Take it out and add salt, srirach and rice wine vinegar and adjust the seasoning and keep it aside. 

Now take one wrapper, apply water on sides and put tbsp. of stuffing in the middle and make as per your liking shape. 

Make all or make till your steamer can handle it. 

Steam it on high flame for 15 minutes. 

Take it aside 

Ingredients for Sauce

1 onion chopped in cubes

1 each red and yellow capsicum in cubes

1 carrot  oval shapes

1 stick of celery

2 tbsp. finely chopped ginger, garlic and green chilies

2 tbsp. soy sauce or tamari sauce 

1 tbsp. chili sauce

1 tbsp. vinegar

2 tbsp. tomato ketchup

1 tbsp. sesame oil

2 tbsp. oil

sriracha as per taste

2 tbsp. cornstarch mixed with water

Process : 

Heat oil in pan, add ginger, garlic and chilies and sauté for few seconds.

Add all the vegetables and mix it together and cook it for 2-3 minutes. Just cook it for 2 minutes only you don't want to overcook it. 

Add all the sauces and mix it. 

Add water as per your liking to make the gravy, if you like dry you don't need to add water. 

But if you are eating with rice then add water , when its boiled , add cornstarch mixed water to thicken the sauce. 

Add momos in it and mix it nicely. 

Serve hot with rice. I had it with vegetables stir fry on side too.