Soy Chunks Dhanshak, Brown rice and Kachumber

Dhanshak is a Parsees all time favorite and must have Sunday Lunch. Its not at all complicated just a long list of ingredients but it will be done in no time. Generally it's with Mutton (Lamb /Goat) or Chicken too. So give that feeling I made it with Soy chunks along with vegetables. 

Dhan mean grains so it has rice and different lentils, shak means vegetables so mix of grains and vegetables and you have a feast. Its traditionally served with brown rice, kachumber and kababs too. 

For brown rice traditionally they brown the sugar so that gives the nice brown color but I dont like the sweet so I added soy sauce and that was giving me umami while it was cooking and flavor was spot on. 

so let's start

Dhan Shak Ingredients : 

Pulses

2 cup Tuver dal - split  chickpea yellow lentils

1/2 cup masor dal - red split lentils

1/4 cup Chana Dal 

1/4 cup Mung dal - Yellow Split lentils

Vegetables :

1 cup diced pumpkin or sweet potatoes

1/2 cup greens - either methi , spinach, kale

handful chopped mint leaves

1 green onion chopped

2 chopped tomato

1 potato cut in big chunks

1 large red onions sliced thinly

1 cup chopped eggplant

2 green chilies or as per our spice level

1 cup soaked and dry soy chunks

handful chopped coriander leaves

Spices : 

1 tbsp. Turmeric Powder

1 tbsp. Cumin and coriander powder

1 tbsp. Ground ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp. Kashmiri red chili powder

1/2 tbsp. Red Chili powder

3 tbsp. oil 

Salt as per taste

Method :

Wash all lentils and soaked separately at least for 2 hours. 

Before use it , wash again and keep it aside. 

Heat a pressure cooker and add oil in it. 

Fry the onions until its brown , then add green chilies, and ginger garlic paste, cook till raw smells goes away. Then add all spices and mix it and cook for a minute on low flame.

Add all the vegetables and mix it with the spices. Check the seasoning as per your taste.

 Leave some coriander leaves for garnished. 

Add dal in it and add enough water to cover the dals and vegetables. Pressure cook till 3 whistle. 

Let the air pressure goes normally. 

By the time let's make the rice. 

Rice Ingredients :

2 cup rice

1 chopped  red onion

1 Bay leaf

2 green whole cardamom pods

3 cloves

1 tsp. cumin seeds

salt as per taste , we are going to use soy sauce too so don't add more taste

instead of water, you can use vegetable stock for more flavor

1 tsp. Soy sauce , if you want to use sugar, then skip this and 2 tsp. sugar

1 tbsp. oil

Method :

Wash and soak the rice for 2 hours too. 

In a big pan, add oil and fry the onions till its brown. 

If you are adding sugar, take out the onion and in the same pan add sugar and caramelized it. 

Add a cup of hot water and melt the sugar and then add the fried onions back.

If you are not using sugar then after frying the onions, Add rice in it and stir for about 5 minutes. 

Add the whole spices in it and cook for a minute. 

Now add 3 and half cups of warm water / stock and salt. 

Once it comes to boil, lower the flame and cook the rice  till the water is absorbed and its cooked. 

ALWAYS , allows the rice to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. 

Let's make kachumber : 

Kachumber (Red onion, tomato and cucumber salad)

1 medium red onions finely sliced or matchstick slices, what ever way you prefer, make sure you do the same way for tomato and cucumber too

1 tomato chopped

1 small green chili chopped

salt  as per taste

Lime juice as per taste

1 tsp. olive or vegetable oil

fresh chopped mint and coriander leaves

Method:

Chopped all vegetables and herbs and all the salt, lime juice and oil and mix it and serve it with the dhan shak platter 

Rice 

Kachumber 

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. 

Nuchinunde with Hingu oil - Steamed Lentil dumpling with Asafetida oil

So This recipe is basically from Karnataka , and its healthy, less oil and steamed so what not to like about it. Its basically Gujju's deep fried dalwada answer by South in a Steamed version, Since it has lot of lentils, it usually eaten with Asafetida oil , you can have it with coconut chutney or Majjige huli , which is again curry based on coconut milk with vegetables similar process to Gujarati kadhi but added coconut milk and vegetables. I had it with hingu oil since it was fast and new way to had it. 

I was craving for dalwada but was not interested in deep fried version so this was so long on to do list so made it and enjoyed it, it was good while it was out of the steamer as well as cold too. 

To crush the dals, it totally up to you to finely crushed or coarse. I like it little coarse so I keep it that way. 

You can adjust the spice level as per your liking.

Keep in mind you are working with lentils since once you soaked it , it will double in size so you can adjust the quantities as per your need. 

Ingredients for lentil dumpling: 

1/2 cup Chana dal

1/2 cup split mung dal with chilka

1/2 cup coconut

2 tbsp. fresh coriander leaves

few fresh curry leaves

1 inch ginger finely chopped

2 green chilies slit

1 tsp whole jeera

pinch of hing

Salt as per the taste

Half white onion cut it in cubes

Ingredient for Hing oil

3 tbsp. oil

1/2 tsp hing

Method 

In a bowl take the dal and washed it nicely till the water is clean

then add enough water and soak for 4-5 hours.

Drain off the water from the dal and transfer to the grinder, along with all the ingredients mentioned in ingredients for dumplings

Without adding water make a coarse paste.

Now heat the steamer with water and grease the plate with oil on which you are going to put the balls.

Mix all the ingredients and make a cylindrical shape.

Place it in the steamer leaving enough space in between the balls.

Steam for 15 to 20 minutes or until its cooked completely.

When its done, take it out and enjoy with any chutney, majjige huli or the way I had it hingu oil 

Recipe for the hingu oil - In small pan, add the oil, when  oil is warm, add hing in it and mix it and shut off the gas and take the oil in bowl. and enjoy it with Nuchin unde. 

Soy Chorizo Pulav - Kheema Pulav - Vagan

We get this vegan chorizo and its my favorite to use it in different dishes, I love As Khema Masala  or  Soy Chorizo and Jeera Rice - Vegetarian. , Soy Chorizo and Vegetables stuff Enchiladas, So this is another dish which comes quickly . I made it in pan but you can use pressure cooker or instapot too. I just wanted to see all the steps that's why I used the pan. Its just basic pulav recipe when you crave for non veg food but can not have it, this types of dish comes very handy to give you satisfaction. Just put all your whole spices first, sauté onion with ginger garlic paste, powder masala, chorizo, frozen peas , rice, mint leaves and done. If you like you can add little yogurt in the gravy to give nice savory taste. 

I used soy chorizo since I have it, but you can use soy granules which is available easily. 

Ingredients :

1 cup soy chorizo

1 cup rice if you have time you can soaked it for 30 minutes

2 tbsp. Ghee

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp black peppercorns

2 chopped tomato

2 inch cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

2 dry red chilies

1 medium onion thin long slices

1  tbsp. ginger garlic paste

1 green chili slit

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 or 2 tbsp. red chili powder - depend on your spice level

handful of mint leaves 

salt as per taste

1/2 cup frozen peas

water as needed mostly one and half cups

Few coriander leaves for garnish

Served with kachumber  and slice of lemon

Method : 

In a pan, add ghee, then add Jeera and whole spices, sauté for 30 seconds or till cumin cooked. 

Add onions and cook till its brown, add ginger garlic paste, slit chili in it and add tomatoes in it. 

Cook till tomatoes and paste cooked. Add powder masala and mix well.

Add chorizo and rice and cook for a minute. 

Add water and mint and peas and mix it together. 

Add salt and cover and let it cook till the water is gone and the rice is cooked, make sure its separated grain not like khichdi and mushy. 

Serve hot with kachumber and lime slice.