Peru Nu Shaak | Guava ki Sabzi | Guava Curry | Amrood ki Sabzi

Guava ki Sabzi recipe with step by step photos. I had mentioned before that my stay in Mumbai has widened my knowledge and introduced me to various new cuisines. I had tasted this Peru Nu Shaak for the first time at one of my most famous restaurants known as Swati Snacks in Mumbai. Their menu is quite wide and very unique and more traditional Gujarati cuisine and their Panki is one of my favorites till date but everything on their menu is quite good. I liked this Guava ki sabzi very much when I had tasted there for the first time and it had become routine to order this Guava sabzi in that restaurant apart from Panki and few other varieties.

I had even tried to recreate it at home by exploring more about it in internet but somehow I forgot the recipe.Recently I got a craving for this sabzi but I vaguely remembered the ingredients that went in to make this curry.Most of the recipes available online use curd as the base but the version I am talking about is different and is very simple in flavors but quite distinct in taste.While surfing I landed upon this recipe which was similar to the one I wanted and had adpated the recipe and prepared it in my way and I had already prepared it a couple of times already.I want to record the recipe in my blog so that I would not forget it again and I will also post another variation with the curd sometime soon.

If you are a guava lover you must try this delicious curry.A little quantity of sugar is added to enhance the taste of the curry, the sweetness of the guava is cut down by the spices and gives a very balanced taste of sweet and spicyness in the gravy.

Here is how to make Peru nu shaak recipe with step by step photos:

Guava ki Sabzi | Amrood ki Sabzi Recipe:

Serves 2 | Author: Prathibha

Prep time: 5 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins | Total time: 25 mins

Cuisine: Gujarati | Category: Side dish

Ingredients:

1 big semi ripen Guava

1 tsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp Red chili powder

1/2 tsp Garam masala

a sprig of Curry leaves

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1/4 tsp Asafoetida

Salt,to taste

1.5 tbsp Oil

Method:

• Wash and cut the guava and remove the seeds and cut into cubes and keep them aside.
• Heat oil in kadai/pan and crackle mustard seeds and cumin seeds and add curry leaves and asafoetida and fry until the curry leaves wilt.

• Reduce the flame or remove the pan off the flame and add the spices - turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chili powder and mix the spices nicely taking care that they are not burnt and return the pan on to the flame.

• Now add the chopped guava pieces and coat the guava pieces nicely with the spices and then add salt and fry for 2-3 minutes and add 3/4 -1 cup of water to it depending on the consistency you want and cover it and let it cook until the guava pieces are cooked but not mushy.It will take roughly 8-10 mins.

• Add garam masala and sugar to it and mix and cook for another 2 mins.Switch off the flame.

Serve it hot with rotis/phulkas/bhakris.

Notes:

1. The addition of sugar is optional if you do not like but it enhances the taste of the curry and hence I strongly recommend not to skip it.
2. The curry thickens as it sits and hence add the water accordingly.Do not make it very thin, it should be slightly thick-ish and pourable kind.
3. Use semi ripen guavas for the best taste, do not use very ripe ones.

Technorati Tags: guava ki sabzi, peru nu shaak, amrud ki sabzi, guava curry, guava sabzi, gujarati recipes, gujarati side dishes, marwadi recipes, side dish for rotis, guava recipes, rajasthani recipes

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Khaman Dhokla Recipe | Instant Dhokla | Besan Dhokla Recipe

Dhokla is a popular Gujarati snack and is also called as Khaman Dhokla which is pretty well known all over India and is widely available every where.Dhoklas are nothing but fluffy savory steamed chickpea flour cakes which are eaten with green chutney and meeta chutney. Usually the dhoklas that are available in the market are extremely soft and fluffy,almost like a sponge but the homemade ones are slightly dense compared to the market ones but it is no less in taste otherwise.Dhoklas are almost oil free low calorie and also protein rich snack.

Dhoklas can be prepared easily at home with the ingredients easily available in the pantry and I highly recommend to use eno instead of cooking soda to get fluffy dhoklas.Also the key secret for fluffy dhoklas is one has to put the prepared tin(with batter) quickly in the steamer as soon as the eno is mixed in the batter, the more you delay the more you loose the fluffiness of dhoklas.

There are various versions of Dhoklas like Moong dal Dhokla, Palak Dhokla, Khatta Dhokla, Rava Dhokla, Corn Dhokla, Sandwich Dhokla.You can check out Moong Dal Corn Dhokla which I have posted earlier where I have used moong dal and corn instead of besan.

Check out few low fat Snacks recipes for Kids Tiffin box:

• Bread Besan Toast/Eggless French Toast
• Cabbage Muthia
• Maggi Noodle Cutlet/Noodle Tikki
• Masala Cocktail Idlis | Milagai Podi Mini Idlis
• Moong Dal Corn Dhokla
• Mooli Muthia/Steamed Radish Dumplings
• Vegetable Chops | Stuffed Beetroot Cutlets
• Tadka Bread Snack with Yogurt Dip

Khaman Dhokla | Instant Dhokla Recipe:

Serves 3-4 | Author: Prathibha

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins | Total time: 30 mins

Cuisine: Gujarati | Category: Snacks/Breakfast

Ingredients:

1 cup Chickpea flour(Besan)

1 tsp Rava(Sooji)

1 cup thick Buttermilk or Water

1 tbsp Sugar

1 tsp grated ginger

1/2 tsp Green chili paste

1/4 tsp Citric acid or 1 tsp Lemon juice

Salt,to taste

1 tsp Oil

1 sachet Eno

for tadka:

1 tbsp Oil

1 tsp Mustard seeeds

a sprig of Curry leaves

2-3 Green chilies,slit

1 tbsp white Sesame seeds

1.5 tsp Sugar

Salt,to taste

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp Lemon juice

to garnish:

2 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves

2-3 tbsp grated fresh Coconut

Method:

• In a bowl mix chickpea flour,salt,sugar and add buttermilk(or water) and mix it nicely using a whisk without any lumps.

• Now add rava,grated ginger, green chili paste, lemon juice, oil and mix it nicely again.
• Keep the steamer ready and grease a flat bottomed round vessel(with edges) with oil and keep it ready. Switch on the steamer or cooker(without whistle) with water of 1 inch level and let it get hot.

• Now add eno to the chickpea mixture and whisk it nicely, you will see a nicely foamed up batter now. QUICKLY pour it into the prepared vessel and put it in steamer/cooker and let it steam for 15 mins on HIGH flame.You can even steam this mixture in a greased microwave safe bowl in the microwave for 8-10 mins depending on the powder of the microwave.
• Check the doneness of dhokla by inserting a tooth pick in the dhokla , if it comes clean then it is ready else cook for bit long.Switch it off and let it cool.

• Now gently run a knife around the edges of dhokla and turn it on to a plate(with edges).Gently tap on the vessel so that the steamed dhokla cake can slip out of the vessel easily.
• Meanwhile prepare the tempering.Heat oil in a small tadka pan and crackle mustard seeds and then add green chilies,curry leaves and sesame seeds and fry until the chilies wilt and then add water.

• Add salt and sugar to the water and once it comes to a boil add lemon juice and remove it from flame.
• Now pour the tempering along with water all over the dhokla uniformly using a spoon.

• Add grated coconut and coriander leaves generously and cut it into 1.5 inch squares like shown in the picture by cutting the edges.
• Let them sit for half an hour for the pieces to absorb the water and become fluffy.

Serve them with Green chutney and Meeta Chutney.

Notes:

1. Besan itself gives a lovely yellow color to the dhokla and hence it is not necessary to add the turmeric powder to it.Sometimes the turmeric powder and eno reacts together and gives few red spots in the dhokla, so better to avoid it.
2. If you are using butter milk you can reduce the lemon juice added to the mixture.
3. Instead of eno use 1/4 tsp good quality cooking soda to it and prepare.
4. You can even microwave the mixture in microwave which is a quick process.
5. I add a pinch of hing to any of the besan based dishes to avoid gas and hence I add it in the batter.

Technorati Tags: dhokla recipe, khaman dhokla, besan dhokla recipe, gujarati dhokla recipe, gujarati snacks, snacks recipes, tea time snacks, healthy snacks recipes, low fat snacks recipes

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Chivda Recipe | Thin Poha Chiwda | Janmashtami Recipes

Poha Chivda is a very common and popular snack in Maharasthra and Karnataka.It is a low fat snack and also is very easy to prepare at home.It is a weekly affair for me to prepare some low fat snacks which I can pack for TH and also for me to munch along with my tea and this Poha Chivda fits the bill.I prefer to prepare Chivda varieties like Sago Chivda, Poha Chivda, Murmur Chivda over the deep fried snacks for our regular snacks as they are less in fat content. As it is poha chiwda you can try this for Krishna Janmashtami festival which is nearing by.

Poha Chivda(Chiwda)can be prepared in two ways, one variety is prepared with the thick poha variety which is deep fried and mixed with various deep fried nuts and spices.The other variety is prepared with the very thin poha variety almost of a paper thickness,which is just roasted along with the nuts and spices.I like to add lots of dry fruits like cashew nuts and raisins which makes it even more delicious.While the addition of saunf(fennel seeds) in the tempering is optional for chivda I prefer to add it as I like the refreshing taste it gives to chivda. You can even jazz up the chiwda with kala namak (black salt) and chaat masala for a variation, today I am posting a basic chiwda recipe.Sometimes I eat it for breakfast by topping it with a ladle of curd mixed with spices and finely chopped onions.If you have not tried your chivda like that, try it, its tasty and makes a simple chaat too.

Check out various Chivda  and Low fat Snack varieties in my blog here.

• Avarekalu Mixture | Hyacinth Bean Snack
• Sago Chiwda | Puffed Sago Snack 
• Spicy Oven roasted Chickpeas 
• Spicy Puffed Rice/Karam Borugulu 
• Spicy Phool Makhana | Roasted Lotus Seeds

Also check out the complete list of recipes for Sree Krishna Janmashtami here.

Thin Poha Chivda Recipe:

Shelf life:1 month

Prep time:5 mins | Cooking time:25 mins | Total time:30 mins

Cuisine:Maharasthrian-India | Category:Snacks

Ingredients:

5-6 cups very Thin Poha(Chivda poha)

12-15 Cashew nuts,split into halves

1/3 cup Ground nuts

1/4 cup Fried gram(Chutney dalia)

1/4 cup thin Dry Coconut slices

1/4 cup Raisins

8-10 Green chillies

20-25 Curry leaves

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/4 tsp Lemon Salt(Citric acid crystals)

1 tsp Sugar(optional)

2 tsp Fennel seeds/Saunf(optional)

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Mustard seeds

2-3 tbsp Oil

Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash and pat dry green chillies and curry leaves.Cut green chillies into very thin long strips.
• Dry roast poha in a big kadai on low flame for 3-4 mins until it is crisp.Remove it to a wide dry bowl.Alternatively you can keep it in sun for 2-3 hrs.
• Heat oil in a kadai and fry ground nuts, cashew nuts, dry coconut slices, thinly slit green chillies , curry leaves , fried gram and raisins separately.Fry each variety separately until done and then remove with a slotted spoon and add to the roasted poha.Deep fry the raisins until they just bulge,do not fry them for long otherwise they will become tough.Deep fry the green chillies until they are crisp and also they should maintain their green color.
• Now in the same oil crackle mustard seeds,cumin seeds and fennel seeds and remove the kadai from the flame and quickly add turmeric powder, salt, lemon salt and sugar to the oil and mix and add all the fried ingredients along with roasted poha and return the kadai back on the burner and mix it nicely until it is mixed.Taste it and adjust the seasoning if required.Switch off the flame.
• Let it come to room temperature and then store it in air tight container.You can store this upto a month.

Serve chivda as a snack with a cup of tea/coffee.

Notes:

1. If you like it slightly chatpata, you can add 1/2 tsp Kala namak(black salt) and 1 tsp Chaat masala along with turmeric powder to the oil.
2. I prefer to roast each ingredient separately as each ingredients take different time to get roasted.So in this way they get roasted perfectly.
3. Always dry roast poha on a very low flame otherwise they will shrink and loose their shape.
4. You can replace poha with murmur(puffed rice) and follow the same process to make Murmur chivda.
5. The addition of fennel seeds give a refreshing taste to chivda,if you do not like it you can skip it.

Technorati Tags: thin poha chiwda recipe, poha chivda recipe, maharashtrian style chiwda, low fat chiwda recipe, easy poha chiwda recipe, karnataka chiwda, poha recipes for janmashtami, poha recipes, atukula recipes for krishna jayanti, thin poha recipes, gokulashtami recipes, sri krishna jayanthi recipes, diwali savories, indian diet snacks

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Methi Thepla Recipe | Gujarati Methi Theplas

The moment I think of Gujarati cuisine I get remind of methi theplas and dhoklas. I prepare methi theplas quite often as they are very easy to prepare,I usually prepare theplas for dinner and preserve few to have for the breakfast next day.As these theplas stay good for long,it is an ideal dish for traveling.You can eat them with a pickle and plain yogurt.

I have posted Methi paratha recipe long back which is very different from this recipe.We prepare them in few variations - we stir fry the methi with other ingredients and mix the dough with it or add the methi leaves directly to the dough like how we do for methi theplas.These kind of theplas and parathas  are easy to prepare when compared to stuffed parathas.They make a simple meal and hence I prefer to make them when I am in no mood to cook elaborate meals.

Check out other easy parathas recipes - Cabbage paratha and Methi Paratha.

Gujarati Methi Theplas Recipe:

yields:9-10 theplas

Prep time:30 mins | Cooking time:20 mins | Total time: 50 mins

Cuisine: Gujarati - Indian | Category: Breakfast/Snacks

Ingredients:

2 cups Whole Wheat flour

1 cup Besan(Chickpea flour)

2 cups Methi(Fenugreek) leaves

1 tbsp Aam ka achar masala(optional)

2-3 tbsp Curd
1 tbsp. Sesame seeds

1 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Red chili powder

1 tsp Cumin powder

1 tsp Ginger-Green chili paste

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

2 tbsp Oil

Salt to taste

Oil/Ghee,to roast theplas

Method:

• Chop methi leaves finely and add salt and leave for 5 mins.Squeeze the extra water from the methi leaves completely,this will remove the bitterness of the leaves.However this step is optional.
• Take a big bowl and add wheat flour and besan along with all the masalas and mix well.
• Add oil and curd and rub and mix the flour nicely.
  Now add methi leaves, sesame seeds, aam ka achar masala with little water and knead till the dough is smooth and soft.If the dough becomes sticky sprinkle some more flour and knead again.
• Grease your hands and knead it again until it gets the elastic texture.cover it and leave it for 20-25 mins.
  Make medium size balls of the dough and roll it to a disc of  6'' in diameter by dusting it in between with the dry flour .
  Heat a thick tawa and place the rolled thepla on the tawa and let it cook slightly on one side.Turn it to the other side and apply 1tsp oil/ghee and roast and then turn it again and apply oil(ghee) and let it roast on both sides till it forms the brown spots.
• Prepare all the theplas in the same manner and stack them in a roti basket.

Serve the theplas hot/warm/cold with Pickle and yogurt.I served mine with Mixed Vegetable Achar.

Notes:

1. The addition of aam ka achar(mango pickle masala) is optional,but I recommend to use it if you have it in hand.
2. These theplas stay good for 2 days and hence it is ideal for traveling.Spread them until they come to room temperature and then pack them.
3. You can follow the same process to prepare lauki thepla by replacing methi leaves with grated bottle gourd.You need to squeeze the water slightly from bottle gourd and then mix with atta.
4. You can add 1/2 tsp Carom seeds(ajwain) or a pinch of hing while making the dough.I usually add either of them to avoid indigestion because of the usage of besan.
5. Gujarati people add sugar in their dough.I do not add ,but if you would like to add ,add a tsp of sugar while mixing the dough.

Technorati Tags: how to make methi thepla, gujarati snacks, gujarati methi thepla recipe, gujarati recipes, easy paratha recipes, methi recipes

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Moong Dal Corn Dhokla Recipe | Gujarati Snacks

I love Gujarati snacks for the fact that most of them are low calorie recipes. Dhokla falls under that category.There are many versions of Dhokla like Khaman Dhokla, Khatta Dhokla, Sooji Dhokla, Moong dal Dhokla, Corn dhokla, Sandwich Dhokla, Palak Dhokla etc and  I absolutely love all the versions.The most common one is Khaman Dhokla which I would like to post it some time later.

Moong dal Corn Dhokla is also known as 'Mexican Dhokla', though I am not sure why it is given that name. Usually in Mexican Dhokla, a layer of potato slices are arranged on the batter and is steamed together which adds a nice look to the Dhokla and is a nice variation from the regular one.I have not added potato slices to it as I was in a hurry as I prepared this for DH's breakfast box.The addition of corn adds a slight hint of sweetness and also a bite in between as we add the whole corn kernels in the batter.If you are looking for healthy options for Kid's Tiffin box, I would definitely suggest you to try this once as it is a healthy and protein packed snack.

Check out few low fat Snacks recipes for Kids Tiffin box:

• Bread Besan Toast/Eggless French Toast
• Cabbage Muthia
• Maggi Noodle Cutlet/Noodle Tikki
• Masala Cocktail Idlis | Milagai Podi Mini Idlis
• Mooli Muthia/Steamed Radish Dumplings
• Vegetable Chops | Stuffed Beetroot Cutlets
• Tadka Bread Snack with Yogurt Dip

Moong Dal Corn Dhokla Recipe:

Serves 3-4

Prep time:15 mins | Cooking time:15 mins | Total time:30 mins + soaking time

Cuisine: Gujarati-Indian | Category: Snacks

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Moong dal(yellow lentils)

1/2 cup fresh Corn kernels

2 Green chillies

1 tsp Ginger,grated

1 tbsp Chickpea flour(Besan)

1 tbsp Oil

2 tbsp Sour Curds,beaten

1 tsp Sugar

1 tsp Eno (Fruit Salt)

1/4 tsp Citric acid crystals

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tbsp chopped Coriander,to garnish

2 tbsp grated fresh grated Coconut,to garnish

Salt to taste

to temper:

2 tsp Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Sesame seeds

1 Green chilli,slit

a sprig of Curry leaves

a pinch of Asafoetida(Hing)

Method:

• Wash and soak moong dal for 2-3 hrs.Rinse and drain the excess water.
• Grind soaked moong dal with 1/3 cup corn kernels, ginger and green chillies to a fine batter.
• Take the mixture into a bowl and add besan(chickpea flour), rest of corn kernels(roughly 2 tbsp), sugar, beaten curd, citric acid crystals, turmeric powder, salt, sugar and oil and mix nicely.The batter consistency would be some what similar to idli batter.
• Just before steaming add eno to it and mix nicely.The batter would be frothy.Immediately pour into a greased flat steel vessel or dhokla container to 1 inch thickness and steam it for 12-15 mins after the steam starts coming out.I use my pressure cooker to steam it and I remove the whistle from it.
• Cool it a bit and run a sharp knife in the edges and carefully unmold the dhokla into a plate.
• Heat oil in a small tempering pan and crackle mustard seeds and sesame seeds.
• Add green chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida and fry until the chillies wilt and spread the seasoning all over the dhokla.Garnish with grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves.
• Cut it into squares or triangles of required size.

Serve it with Green Chutney and Meetha Chutney.

Notes:

1. You can avoid corn kernels in the recipe and make it with just moong dal. Increase the dal quantity to 1 cup in that case.
2. If you want you can arrange a layer of thinly sliced potato slices on the batter before steaming.It is called Mexican Dhokla if prepared in this way.

Technorati Tags: moong dal dhokla, dhokla varieties, easy snacks recipes, gujarati snacks, low fat steamed snacks, corn dhokla recipe, corn recipes, monsoon recipes, kids recipes, kids tiffin box recipes

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Cabbage Muthia | Gujarati Snacks Recipes

My knowledge of Gujarati Cuisine was limited to only few varieties like Dhoklas , fafdas, khakras etc before marriage.I got a better exposure of Gujarati cuisine after shifting to Mumbai.There are numerous Gujarati restaurants and farsaan shops and I always manage to find something new every time I visit.Now I am completely in love with the Gujarati food ranging from their snacks like dhoklas, khandvi, pankis, theplas etc to the full fledged thali.

I was introduced to muthia by a friend after my marriage and she prepared lauki muthia in a microwave and I am hooked to it's taste from that time. I have posted a version of Muthia - Mooli Muthia,which is a healthy version using jowar flour and today I am posting the recipe of Cabbage Muthia which is prepared in a traditional way.

Muthias are steamed dumplings which is a good low fat snack which can be served at breakfast time or can be served as a tea time snack.I usually prepare them in large quantities and store them in refrigerator for 2-3 days and prepare the snack with it whenever required.I sometimes saute or shallow fry the muthias and add to the tomato- onion gravy to make a nice side dish or I also use them in kadhis.They taste nice in any of the forms.
Check out Cabbage Pakora recipe if you are interested.

Cabbage Muthia Recipe:

Serves 2

Preparation time: 15 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins | Total time: 35 mins + cooling time

Recipe Cuisine: Gujarati - Indian | Category: Snacks

Ingredients:

2 cups grated Cabbage

1/2 cup Besan(Chickpea flour)

2 tbsp Whole wheat flour

1 tsp Green chili paste

1 tsp grated Ginger

1 tsp Carom seeds(ajwain,optional)

2 tsp Kasuri methi

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

a pinch of Lemon Salt(citric acid)

a pinch of Cooking soda(optional)

1 tbsp Oil

1/2 tsp Sugar

Salt to taste

for Tadka:

1 tbsp Oil

2 Red Chilies broken

1 tsp Sesame seeds

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

2-3 Green chillies,slit

few Curry leaves

Coriander leaves,to garnish

Method:

• Take the grated cabbage in a bowl. Add all the rest of the ingredients(except the ingredients for tadka) and mix until it forms a very soft dough like texture.The water from cabbage would be enough to make the dough,if you need you can sprinkle some water to make it to a smooth dough,softer than the roti dough.If your dough becomes very soft add a couple of tbsp of besan to it and mix well.
• Make small oblong balls with the dough and place them on a greased steamer and steam them for about 20 mins.
• To check it whether its done use the toothpick method.Just prick them with the tooth pick,if it comes out clean then it is done otherwise it needs to be cooked for longer time.
• Let them cool completely. Cut them into bite sized pieces and keep them ready for the tadka.
• Heat oil in a nonstick pan and crackle mustard seeds.Add the slit green chillies,red chilies and fry them together.Add curry leaves and sesame seeds and let them splutter.
• Once the seeds start to splutter add the cut dumplings and reduce the flame to low and toast them for about 7-8 mins stirring often so that all sides gets crispy.
• Garnish with Coriander leaves.I did not use it,actually I forgot it.You can even add grated coconut for garnish if you want.

Serve them hot/warm with Green chutney and Meetha Chutney.

Notes:

• Prepare the mixture before you are ready to steam otherwise the dough will leave water if kept for long time.If the mixture becomes too soft add some more chickpea flour to it.You can even add a tbsp of fine rawa to the mixture.
• You can store the muthia in refrigerator for 2-3 days and can temper when needed.
• I add a pinch of cooking soda as it will make the muthia soft and fluffy.You can even use 1/2 tsp eno(fruit salt) instead of  cooking soda.It is entirely optional.
• I add carom seeds when I prepare anything with chickpea flour as it will yield in easy digestion.You can skip if you want.

Variations:

• You can use finely shredded radish or grated bottle gourd or grated zucchini instead of grated cabbage and follow the same process.
• You can also use jowar flour instead of besan(chickpea flour) for a healthy option.
• You can replace kasuri methi with the freshly chopped fenugreek leaves.

Technorati Tags: cabbage muthia,how make steamed muthia,gujarati snacks,low fat snacks,monsoon snacks recipes,low calorie snacks,gujarati snack varieties,cabbage muthiya recipe,easy snacks recipes

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Aamras Recipe | Easy Mango Desserts

Aamras needs no introduction. It is popular in the states of Gujarat, Maharasthra and Rajasthan and is prepared during festivals and occasions.Aamras is nothing but sweetened and flavored thick Mango pulp and usually served along with Puris or Chapati. It can be separately served as a desert too.It is almost mandatory at our place to prepare the combo of Poori - Aamras at least once during the mango season. I though prepare it quite often and enjoy it as a dessert or eat it with chapati instead of poori , as we do not prefer eating oily food quite often. Another best way to serve Aamras is to serve it with Vanilla ice cream or whipped Cream-it makes an easy and light dessert during Summers.

Aamras is the best way to have mango in its pure form , in my view. Using a good quality mango is a key for making good Aamras. Mango varieties like Alphonso and Kesar suit best for Aamras.One can choose between the two or mix both for a better taste.

In Karnataka, we prepare Seekarane which is a version similar to Aamras but uses more milk in the preparation.I have already posted the recipe of Seekarane,you can check it here.

Check out few ripen Mango recipes in my blog.For complete list of Mango recipes click here.

• Mango Salsa
• Mango Fudge | Mango Burfi
• Mango Juice
• Mango Milkshake
• Mango Pound Cake
• Mango Ice-cream
• Mango Kulfi
• Mango-Tadgola(Thatinungu) Kheer
• Shrikarini/Seekarane..a simple mango delight

Aamras Recipe:

Serves 2 

Preparation time: 10 mins | Cooking time: nil | Total time:10 mins

Recipe Cuisine: Indian | Recipe Category: Desserts

Ingredients:

2 ripen Alphonso Mangoes(or kesar or a mix of both)

3-4 tbsp Sugar
2-3 tbsp Milk (optional)

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder

Method:

• Wash and peel the skin of mangoes and cut into pieces.
• In a blender add chopped mangoes,sugar and cardamom powder and blend to a fine puree.
• If needed add milk and blend again to a smooth consistency.Now check the sweetness and add more sugar if needed.You can make it slightly thin or thick according to your preference,I prefer to make it very thick.
• Refrigerate it for 1-2 hrs before serving.

Serve it with hot Puris or Chapati or as a dessert after your meal.Serve Aamras with  vanilla ice cream,it tastes very nice.

Notes:

1. I usually prefer to use alphonsos for it,but you can even use kesar or a mix of alphonso and kesar.
2. The addition of sugar depends on the sweetness of mangoes,so add accordingly.
3. The addition of milk eases the process of blending into a smooth puree.But make sure you do not add more milk as it will make the consistency thinner like milkshake.
4. You can even add saffron while blending the mangoes.
5. If you like dry fruits,you can add roasted cashew nuts,badam and pistachios to it and mix.
6. You can also mash the mango pulp with hands and avoid the process of blending but the resultant puree would not be smooth.
7. Sugar can be substituted with Jaggery in the recipe.
8. Another best way to serve Aamras is to serve it with Vanilla ice cream or whipped Cream,it makes an easy and light dessert during Summers.

 

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Mooli Muthia | Steamed Radish Dumplings...FF-TT # 5

This week's entry for my 'Family food-Tasty Thursdays' series was sent by Chaitra . She also added a small note with the recipe and pictures.

Chaitra says in her own words 'This recipe is based on the cabbage Muthiya on Manjulas kitchen. That recipe is our house favorite and I have made a ton of times. I and my husband love mooli,so wanted to try it with mooli. I use Jowar here as the earthy flavor of jowar tames the pungent flavor of mooli. Hope you all like it as much as we do.'

Mooli Muthia Recipe:
(Serves 2-3)

Ingredients:
2 cups grated Mooli/Radish
1 tbsp Whole wheat flour
1/2 cup Jowar flour
1/2 tsp Green chili paste
1 tsp Jeera powder
1 tsp Ajwain
1 tsp Saunf powder
a pinch of turmeric
a pinch of lemon Salt
1 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

for Tadka:
1 tbsp Oil
2 Red Chilies broken
1 tsp Sesame seeds
Cilantro for Garnish

Method:

• Take the grated Radish in a bowl. Add all the rest of the ingredients(except the ingredients for tadka) and mix until it forms a very soft dough like texture.
• You might need to add a little more or less of Jowar flour depending on the freshness of radish.
• Make small balls with the dough and place them on a greased steamer and steam them for about 20 mins.
• To check it whether its done use the toothpick method.Just prick them with the tooth pick,if it comes out clean then it is done otherwise it needs to be cooked for longer time.
• Let them cool completely. Cut them into bite sized pieces and keep them ready for the tadka. Heat oil in a nonstick pan. Add the red chilies and sesame seeds together.
• Once the seeds start to splutter add the cut dumplings and reduce the flame to low and toast them for about 5 mins stirring often so that all sides gets crispy.

Serve them hot/warm with green chutney.

Notes:

• Make the mixture before you are ready to steam otherwise the dough will leave water if kept for long time.

Variations:

• You can use finely shredded cabbage or grated bottle gourd or grated zucchini instead of grated mooli and follow the same process.
• You can also use besan(chickpea flour) instead of jowar flour.

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