fastindianrecipes.com

bajre ki roti

Bajre ki roti is made a lot in Rajasthan. They eat it with a piece of gur and it is liberally smeared with pure ghee. Initially you may find it difficult to make bajre ki roti by patting between your palms so I have shown an easier way by using polythene bag or plastic sheets. This way even a novice can make bajre ki roti.

Recipe of bajre ki roti

1 cup bajra atta (millet flour)

Salt to taste

Ghee (clarified butter)

rolling out bajre ki roti

1. Mix bajra atta with salt. Add warm water little by little to knead bajra flour into medium soft dough. There is no need to knead the dough too much.

2. Take a ball from the dough, wet your palms and pat this ball between your palms to make 4-5 inch roti. OR alternately tear a polythene bag into 2. Place 1 half on the rolling surface and place the ball on it. Cover it with the 2nd half of polythene bag.

3. Roll it into as thin round as you can. Remove the above polythene, take the roti on your right hand removing from the lower polythene.

4. Place it on a hot non-stick griddle (tava). Cook bajre ki roti from both sides till browned.

5. Remove it from the tava and smear it with ghee. Serve bajre ki roti hot with some gur (jaggery).

methi mathri

Methi mathri or methi mathi’s recipe was somthing I wanted to post for quite some time now. I made them few days back and took the pics but somehow it got delayed. Methi mathri is a perfect tea time snack and kasoori methi gives a wonderful taste to the already delicious mathri.

Recipe of methi mathri/ mathi

2 cups maida (all purpose flour)

2 tbsp oil + for deep frying

1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) - crushed between palms

rolled out methi mathris

1. Take maida, salt, baking soda, ajwain and kasoori methi in a bowl. Add 2 tbsp oil and mix with your hands. Rub the mixture with your fingers so that oil evenly coats maida.

2. Little by little, add warm water so as to knead the all purpose flour into a stiff dough. Let the dough rest for 1/2 an hour.

3. Take walnut (akhrot) sized balls from the dough and roll out on an oiled surface into thin rounds. With the help of a fork, pierce these rounds or mathis here and there so that they don’t puff up upon frying.

4. Heat sufficient oil in a kadhai/ wok or a frying pan. When the oil is hot enough, turn the heat to medium. Wait for 2 minutes, and then start putting these rolled rounds or mathris in oil.

5. Fry them on medium heat turning as needed till they begin to give a cooked look. For the final touch, increase heat so that they become golden brown. Fry the mathri in batches.

6. Drain on an absorbent paper using a slotted spoon (pauni/ chaari). Let them cool down completely before storing them in an airtight container. They stay fresh for long.

Note- Do not fry the mathri in very hot oil because then they will remain soft and not crisp.

aloo ka halwa

Aloo ka halwa or potato halwa is an unusual dessert. If you are making it for the first time, you will be surprised that how good it tastes. Potato halwa is also eaten in some fasts. If you roast it really well, it will not give a potato taste but some unique taste. Try it and be ready for surprise!

Recipe of potato halwa

1 cup boiled, peeled and mashed potato

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp elaichi (cardamom) powder

1/4 cup milk

4 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

Toasted nuts like cashew nuts and raisins

1. Mash the boiled potatoes while still warm. Heat ghee in a kadhai/ wok. Add mashed potato and roast on a low heat.

2. Keep stirring the halwa as it tends to stick to the bottom. Roast for 10-15 minutes.

3. Add milk and sugar. Again keep roasting till sugar dissolves and halwa thickens to desired consistency. Turn off the heat.

4. Add elaichi powder and garnish potato halwa with toasted nuts.

Note- The more you roast the aloo ka halwa, the better it will taste. Take medium sized potatoes for this halwa.

moong dal halwa

Moong dal ka halwa is a Rajasthani sweet, Marwari in particular. Now it is popular everywhere. You can find moong dal halwa in winter in Indian wedding buffets and many parties. It is quite heavy so a small serving usually suffices. It is very delicious and best enjoyed hot in a cold winter night.

Recipe of moong dal halwa

1 cup dhuli moong dal (split, skinless green gram)

1 cup sugar

1 cup ghee (clarified butter)

1/2 cup water

Chopped and toasted nuts like cashew nuts, raisins and almonds

1. Wash and soak moong dal in hot water for 2 hours. Drain.

2. Grind moong dal to a coarse paste using very little water. Set aside.

3. Heat 1/2 cup water in a pan and add 1 cup sugar to it. Cook till sugar dissolves and you get syrup of 1 thread consistency (ek taar ki chashni). Keep aside.

4. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan/ kadhai. Add moong dal paste. Fry on a low heat till moong dal turn golden brown and aromatic.

5. Add sugar syrup (chashni) to the moong dal and mix well. Cook on a low heat till they blend well. Turn off the heat.

6. Serve hot moong dal ka halwa garnished with chopped and toasted nuts.

bharwa mirchi

The mirchi or peppers used in this recipe is thick, large one which is not very hot. These peppers are also known as ‘Bhavnagri Mirch’. This mirchi is widely available. This recipe of bharwa mirchi is absolutely lip smacking and me and my husband’s favorite. Since we remove fiber and seeds from the mirchi, their heat is considerably reduced and hence can be eaten by those of you who don’t like very hot food.

Recipe of bharwa mirchi (stuffed peppers)

200 gms bhavnagri mirchi (large peppers)

1/4 cup besan (gram flour/ chickpea flour)

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)

2+2 tsp oil

mirchi (peppers)

1. Make a vertical slit on one side of peppers. Remove all the seeds and fiber from inside. This reduces heat of mirchi.

2. Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and add besan. Roast besan, stirring, till nice aroma comes out of it. Add all the spices and salt and roast for 1 more minute. Take out besan mixture from the pan.

3. Let the besan mixture cool down a little. Stuff this mixture into the peppers.

4. Heat 2 tsp oil in the same pan and place stuffed peppers in it. Lower heat and cover the pan with a lid.

5. When the mirchi gives a roasted appearance from underneath that is look brownish, turn over and cook from other side also. Cook till roasted from both sides. Serve hot with parathas.

Mathri

Yesterday I was craving for some home made savory snack with my evening tea. I remembered mathri which I was pretty good at making even before marriage. My hubby had asked me to make mathri several times but I was worried about the calories as it is a deep fried snack. Yesterday I thought what the heck! Don’t I eat other high calorie stuff bought from the market? So I went ahead.

Recipe of mathri (mathi)

2 cups maida (unbleached all purpose flour)

1 tsp salt or to taste

1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)

2 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp baking soda

Oil for deep frying

1. In a bowl, mix maida, salt, baking soda and ajwain. Add 2 tablespoon oil and rub mixture between your hands so that oil is evenly mixed in the all purpose flour.

2. Add warm water little by little so as to knead it into stiff dough. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

3. Take walnut (akhrot) sized balls from the dough and roll out into a small rounds. Prick these rounds here and there with a fork so that mathris don’t puff up like poori.

4. Heat oil in a kadhai (wok) or a deep frying pan and when the oil is hot enough, turn the heat to medium. Wait for a minute.  Fry these rounds in the oil turning as needed.

5. When the mathris give a cooked look and rawness disappears, increase heat so that they become reddish brown. For further batches, keep the heat to medium when frying and increase for the final touch. Drain on an absorbent paper by a slotted spoon. Serve when they cool down and store the rest in an airtight contianer. They stay fresh for weeks.

Mathi

Churma

Churma is a very popular sweet from Rajasthan. Churma or churma ladoos are made in most households in Rajasthan on big and small occasions. As you start eating this sweet, it grows on you. Churma satisfies your sweet tooth completely and makes you feel connected to your rich heritage.

Recipe of churma

1 cup atta (whole wheat flour)

3 tbsp sooji (semolina/ rawa)

6-7 tbsp powdered sugar (vary according to taste)

4 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

1/2 tsp elaichi (green cardamom) powder

Mixed chopped nuts like almonds, raisins

Ghee for frying

1. Mix atta, sooji and ghee. Adding warm water, knead it into stiff dough.

2. Take small balls (pedas, muthias) from the dough and deep fry in ghee. Heat should be medium for frying. Fry till brown. Shape of the balls is not important. When fried, drain by a slotted spoon.

3. When the fried balls have cooled down, grind them in a mixer to a coarse powder.

4. Mix powdered sugar, chopped almond, raisins (kishmish) and elaichi powder. Store this churma in an airtight container. It stays fresh for a few days.

moong dal chilla

These moong dal chillas have me drooling. I make them frequently in our breakfasts as me and my husband both love them. My husband insists on onion, tomatoes so I have found an easy way out. I grind them along with soaked moong dal which gives the chilla a unique flavor and makes it easy to make.

Recipe of moong dal chilla

1 cup dhuli moong dal (split, skinless green gram)

3 green chillies

1 medium onion

1 tomato

Salt to taste

1 tsp coriander seeds- crushed coarsely (optional)

Oil for roasting

1. Soak mung dal for 2 hours. Drain and grind along with rest of the ingredients except oil. Add little water to get pouring consistency. Beat well.

2. Heat a non-stick tava (griddle). Smear it with oil. Turn the heat to low. With the help of a tablespoon, put 2 tablespoons in the centre of the tawa.

3. With the help of the tablespoon, spread the batter outwardly in the round, circular motion into a thin round. Now turn the heat to medium.

4. Pour some oil over the chilla and after about 3 minutes; turn over the cheela so that other side also gets cooked. use a wide, thin spatula for doing this. After 2 minutes remove the moong dal chilla from the tava. Similarly make other chillas from rest of the batter. Serve hot with green coriander chutney.

Note- Always spread chilla on a low heat and cook on medium heat. You can skip pouring oil over the chilla or do with few drops to reduce the calories. 1st chilla takes longer to cook than rest of the chillas.

reverse side of chilla

Besan wali arbi

Besan wali arbi or besani arbi is a dish from Rajasthani cuisine. You can increase the quantity of amchoor to turn it into ‘khatti arbi’. This is a very tasty side with roti or paratha made frequently by me as it is liked much by my family.

Recipe of besan wali arbi

250 gms arbi (arvi/ colocasia/ taro root) – boiled, peeled and cut into rounds

1/2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)

A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

1 tsp ginger- garlic paste

1/2 tsp red chilli powder (cayenne pepper)

Salt to taste

2 tsp besan (gram flour)

3 tbsp curd (yogurt)

3/4 tsp coriander powder

3/4 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1 tbsp oil

1. Mix together curd, besan, red chilli, coriander and garam masala powders and amchoor. Keep aside.

2. Take a non-stick pan and heat oil in it. Add ajwain and when they splutter, add hing.

3. Add arbi and roast on medium heat till golden brown.

4. Add ginger-garlic paste and salt and cook for about 3 minutes.

5. Add curd- besan mixture and cook on medium heat till almost dry. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with phulkas.

Besani arbi

Meetha pooda

Meetha pooda or sweet pancake is made in many parts of India including Punjab and Rajasthan. In Punjab, it is served as breakfast. You can also make it as an anytime sweet.

Recipe of meetha pooda (chilla)

1 cup whole wheat flour (atta)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp saunf (fennel) powder

2-3 green cardamom (hari elaichi) - crushed

Ghee (clarified butter) or oil to shallow fry

1. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients except oil or ghee. Add water slowly mixing with other hand. Add enough water to make lump free batter of consistency thicker than that of pakoda (fritters). Beat well.

2. Heat a non- stick tava (griddle). Grease it and turn the heat to low. Pour a ladlefull or 2 tablespoon batter in the center of the tava.

3. Spread it gently in the outward circular motion like you would do for a chilla or an omellete. Spread it with the back of a ladle (karchhi). Turn the heat to medium.

4. After 2 minutes, drizzle some oil or ghee on the pooda. Remove it with the help of a wide, thin spatula and turn over.

5. Cook the other side also for 2 minutes and remove from the tava. Your meetha pooda is ready. Similarly make other poodas from rest of the batter.

Always spread the pooda on low heat and cook it on medium heat.

If the first pooda sticks to the tava, don’t get disheartened. It usually happens with the first puda. As the tava get seasoned, rest of the meetha puda will turn out fine.