RAG Demo

Tag: Vegetarian

  • Ven Pongal

    Ven pongal, also called khara pongal, is a savoury Tamil breakfast made by cooking rice and moong dal together until soft and creamy, then tempering with ghee, black pepper, cumin, ginger, cashews and curry leaves. It is made on the festival of Pongal and offered in temples, but it is equally an everyday comfort breakfast.

    The texture is soft and porridge-like, while the flavour is mild yet aromatic, with the warm heat of black pepper and the richness of ghee. Cashews add crunch, and ginger and curry leaves provide freshness. It is wholesome, easy to digest and deeply satisfying. It is ideal for cold mornings.

    Ven pongal is served with coconut chutney, sambar and medu vada. Temple-style pongal uses generous amounts of ghee, which makes it especially rich. In many homes, pongal is made on weekends when there is time to enjoy a slow breakfast. It is also offered at temples, where it is served on leaves as prasadam.

    At a glance

    RegionTamil Nadu
    CuisineTamil
    DietVegetarian
    CourseBreakfast
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time35 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice / moong dal / ghee / black pepper

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup raw rice
    • 1/2 cup moong dal
    • 5 cups water
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 4 tbsp ghee
    • 1 tsp black peppercorns, lightly crushed
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
    • 10 cashews
    • 15 curry leaves
    • A pinch of asafoetida

    Method

    1. Dry roast the moong dal in a pan on low heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and slightly golden.
    2. Wash the rice and dal together and pressure cook with water and salt for 4-5 whistles until very soft.
    3. Mash the rice and dal lightly with a ladle until creamy. Add a little hot water if it is too thick.
    4. Heat ghee in a small pan on medium. Add cashews and fry until golden.
    5. Add pepper, cumin, ginger, curry leaves and asafoetida and cook for 30 seconds.
    6. Pour the tempering over the pongal and mix well. Serve hot.

    Tips

    • Roasting the moong dal adds a nutty flavour.
    • Pongal thickens as it cools; add hot water to loosen.
    • Be generous with ghee for temple-style richness.

    Serve with

    Coconut chutney, sambar and medu vada.

  • Sabudana Vada

    Sabudana vada is a fasting-day favourite from Maharashtra, made for Navratri, Ekadashi and Mahashivratri, though most people eat it far more often than that. Soaked tapioca pearls are mixed with boiled potato and coarsely crushed roasted peanuts, seasoned with green chilli and cumin, and fried into flat, round patties. Every bite is crunchy.

    A good sabudana vada is crunchy outside and soft, chewy and slightly springy within, with the peanuts giving a nutty crunch. The pearls turn translucent and form little crisp bubbles on the surface while frying. Because the ingredients are fasting-friendly, the vada uses rock salt and avoids onion and garlic.

    It is served hot with a sweet curd dip or a green chutney made without onion. Pune eateries sell it all day with a cup of tea, and it is one of the dishes that make people look forward to fasts. Leftover sabudana khichdi can also be mashed and shaped into vadas.

    At a glance

    RegionMaharashtra
    CuisineMaharashtrian
    DietVegetarian
    CourseSnack
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time20 minutes
    Total time40 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientssabudana / potato / peanuts / green chilli

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup (160 g) sabudana, soaked 5-6 hours
    • 2 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed
    • 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed
    • 2 green chillies, finely chopped
    • 1 tsp grated ginger
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • 1 tsp lemon juice
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 1 tsp sendha namak (rock salt)
    • Oil for deep frying
    • 1 cup curd whisked with 1 tsp sugar, to serve

    Method

    1. Soak the sabudana as for khichdi: rinse, then cover with water just to the level of the pearls and leave for 5-6 hours. Drain completely and check that the pearls squash easily.
    2. In a bowl, combine the sabudana, mashed potato, peanuts, chillies, ginger, cumin, coriander, lemon juice, sugar and salt.
    3. Mix well with your hands until the mixture holds together. If it is too soft, add a little more crushed peanut.
    4. Divide into 12 portions. Wet your palms and shape each into a ball, then flatten into a patty about 1/2 inch thick.
    5. Heat oil to medium-hot, about 170 C. Test with a small piece; it should rise steadily without browning instantly.
    6. Fry 4 vadas at a time for 4-5 minutes, turning, until crisp and golden brown all over. Drain on paper.
    7. Serve hot with the sweetened curd.

    Tips

    • Too much moisture in the sabudana causes the vadas to burst. Drain well and let it dry.
    • Fry in medium-hot oil; very hot oil makes them dark outside and raw inside.
    • For a lower-oil version, cook them in an appe pan with a little oil.

    Serve with

    Sweet curd or a green chutney with peanuts.

  • Ukadiche Modak

    Ukadiche modak are the steamed sweet dumplings offered to Lord Ganesha, said to be his favourite food. During Ganesh Chaturthi, Maharashtrian and Konkani homes make them by the dozen, traditionally twenty-one as the first offering. The name comes from ukad, the cooked rice flour dough that forms the delicate shell.

    Inside is saran, a filling of freshly grated coconut cooked with jaggery, cardamom, nutmeg and sometimes poppy seeds, until sticky and fragrant. The shell is thin, soft and slightly translucent after steaming, pleated into a peak that looks like a closed lotus bud. A spoon of ghee is poured over each modak before eating.

    Shaping takes practice, but moulds are widely available for beginners. Modak are best eaten warm on the day they are made, as the rice shell firms up when it cools. Steaming them on turmeric or banana leaves adds a gentle aroma. Fried modak, made with a wheat flour shell, are a popular alternative in some homes.

    At a glance

    RegionMaharashtra
    CuisineMaharashtrian
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time45 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time75 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice flour / fresh coconut / jaggery / ghee

    Ingredients

    For the filling (saran)

    • 2 cups freshly grated coconut
    • 1 cup (180 g) grated jaggery
    • 1 tsp ghee
    • 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
    • A pinch of grated nutmeg
    • 1 tsp poppy seeds, lightly roasted (optional)

    For the dough (ukad)

    • 1 cup fine rice flour (preferably ambemohar or basmati)
    • 1 cup water
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp ghee
    • Turmeric or banana leaves for steaming (optional)
    • Ghee to serve

    Method

    1. Heat ghee in a heavy pan on medium-low, add coconut and jaggery and stir. The jaggery will melt and the mixture will turn wet.
    2. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the moisture evaporates and the filling looks glossy and comes together. Add cardamom, nutmeg and poppy seeds. Cool.
    3. Bring the water, salt and ghee to a rolling boil in a pan. Lower the heat and add the rice flour all at once, stirring quickly to combine.
    4. Cover and leave on the lowest heat for 2 minutes, then turn off and keep covered for 5 minutes to steam.
    5. Transfer to a plate and, while still hot, knead with a bowl of cold water beside you for dipping your hands. Knead for 4-5 minutes until perfectly smooth and soft. Keep covered with a damp cloth.
    6. Take a lime-sized ball, oil your fingers and press it into a thin cup about 3 inches across, keeping the centre slightly thicker. Pinch the edge into 9-11 small pleats.
    7. Place a spoonful of filling inside, gather the pleats together and press them to a point at the top. Place each finished modak on a damp cloth.
    8. Line a steamer plate with leaves or a damp cloth, arrange the modak, and steam on medium-high for 12-15 minutes until the shells turn slightly glossy and translucent. Serve warm with ghee.

    Tips

    • Knead the dough while it is hot; cold dough cracks when shaped.
    • Use fresh coconut, not desiccated; the moisture keeps the filling soft.
    • Dip modak briefly in cold water before steaming to prevent cracking.

    Serve with

    A spoon of warm ghee poured over each modak.

  • Thalipeeth

    Thalipeeth is a rustic, savoury multigrain pancake from Maharashtra, made from bhajani, a flour of roasted grains and lentils such as jowar, bajra, rice, wheat, chana dal, urad dal and coriander seeds. Families roast and mill a batch of bhajani every few months, so thalipeeth can be made at short notice for breakfast or a light dinner.

    The dough is mixed with chopped onion, coriander, chilli and spices, then patted thin directly onto the tawa or onto a wet cloth, with a few holes poked in it so oil can seep through. It cooks slowly under a lid until the base is crisp and dark golden and the top is cooked through. The flavour is nutty and earthy, with a toasty aroma from the roasted grains.

    It is eaten hot with a dollop of white butter or ghee, fresh curd and a spicy thecha or lime pickle. During fasts a version is made with sabudana and rajgira flour instead. Leftover vegetables or grated cucumber can also be added to the dough, and many homes make thalipeeth with whatever is in the fridge.

    At a glance

    RegionMaharashtra
    CuisineMaharashtrian
    DietVegetarian
    CourseBreakfast
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time40 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientsbhajani flour / onion / jowar / coriander

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups (240 g) thalipeeth bhajani flour
    • 1 large onion, finely chopped
    • 1/2 cup chopped coriander
    • 2 green chillies, finely chopped
    • 1 tsp red chilli powder
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
    • 1/4 tsp ajwain
    • 1 tsp salt
    • About 3/4 cup water
    • Oil for cooking
    • White butter or ghee to serve

    Method

    1. Combine the bhajani, onion, coriander, chillies, spices, sesame, ajwain and salt in a bowl and mix well. The onion will release some moisture.
    2. Add water gradually and knead into a soft, slightly sticky dough. Divide into 6 portions.
    3. Grease a cold, heavy tawa or wet a clean cotton cloth or a sheet of plastic. Place a portion of dough on it and pat with wet fingers into a round about 6 inches across and 1/4 inch thick.
    4. Make 4-5 holes in the thalipeeth with your finger, one in the centre and the rest around it.
    5. If patted on cloth, flip it onto a hot tawa and peel the cloth away. Place the tawa on medium heat and drizzle 1/2 tsp oil into each hole and around the edges.
    6. Cover and cook on medium-low for 4-5 minutes until the underside is crisp and dark golden.
    7. Flip, drizzle a little more oil and cook uncovered for 2-3 minutes until spotted brown. If patting directly on the tawa, let it cool slightly with a splash of water before making the next one.

    Tips

    • Patting on a cool tawa is easier; heat it after shaping. Cool the tawa with water between batches.
    • No bhajani? Mix equal parts jowar, bajra and besan with a little rice flour and roasted coriander-cumin powder.
    • Bhajani contains wheat; leave it out of your mix for a gluten-free version.

    Serve with

    White butter, thick curd and shengdana or green chilli thecha.

  • Sabudana Khichdi

    Sabudana khichdi is the most popular fasting food in Maharashtra, eaten on Ekadashi, Mahashivratri, Navratri and on weekly fast days. Tapioca pearls were introduced to India in the nineteenth century and became permitted upvas food because they are not a grain. Every Maharashtrian kitchen has an opinion about how to get the pearls soft but separate.

    Properly made, the khichdi is a pile of glossy, chewy, translucent pearls coated in coarsely ground roasted peanuts, with soft cubes of potato, green chilli heat, cumin and a squeeze of lemon. It should never be gluey. The trick lies in soaking: just enough water to barely cover the pearls, then a long rest so they absorb it.

    Apart from fasts, it is a much-loved breakfast in Pune and Mumbai, sold at small eateries with a bowl of curd on the side. Eat it hot, as it hardens as it cools. A small piece of cucumber or a few grapes on the side is a traditional fasting-day pairing. Ground peanuts are essential, both for flavour and for keeping the pearls apart.

    At a glance

    RegionMaharashtra
    CuisineMaharashtrian
    DietVegetarian
    CourseBreakfast
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time15 minutes
    Total time25 minutes
    Serves3
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientssabudana / peanuts / potato / green chilli

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup (160 g) medium sabudana
    • Water to soak
    • 1/2 cup raw peanuts
    • 2 tbsp ghee
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 2-3 green chillies, chopped
    • 8 curry leaves (optional, some families skip during fasts)
    • 1 medium potato, boiled and cubed
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 3/4 tsp sendha namak (rock salt)
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • 1 tbsp grated fresh coconut (optional)

    Method

    1. Rinse the sabudana 2-3 times, rubbing gently, until the water runs clearer. Drain and add water just to the level of the pearls, not above. Cover and soak for 6 hours or overnight.
    2. Check: a pearl pressed between your fingers should squash completely with no hard white centre. Fluff with a fork; the pearls should be separate and dry, not sitting in water.
    3. Dry roast the peanuts in a pan on medium for 5-6 minutes until the skins blister. Cool, rub off the skins and pulse to a coarse powder.
    4. Mix the soaked sabudana with the peanut powder, sugar and salt. The peanut coats each pearl and is what prevents stickiness.
    5. Heat ghee in a wide non-stick pan on medium. Add cumin, and when it splutters add green chillies and curry leaves for 20 seconds. Add the potato cubes and saute for 2 minutes.
    6. Add the sabudana mixture and toss gently. Cook on low-medium for 5-7 minutes, stirring lightly every minute, until most pearls turn translucent.
    7. Turn off the heat, squeeze in lemon juice and fold in coriander and coconut. Serve immediately.

    Tips

    • Too much soaking water is the main cause of sticky khichdi. If the pearls feel wet, spread them on a plate for 15 minutes before cooking.
    • Cook on low heat and stop as soon as the pearls are translucent; overcooking turns them gluey.
    • Varieties differ: some sabudana needs only 3-4 hours of soaking, so do the squash test.

    Serve with

    A bowl of chilled curd or a glass of sweet lassi.

  • Puran Poli

    Puran poli is the festive sweet bread of Maharashtra, made for Holi, Gudi Padwa, Ganesh Chaturthi and Pola, the bullock festival. Chana dal is cooked with jaggery until it becomes a thick, fragrant paste called puran, which is wrapped in a very soft dough and rolled thin. Karnataka has obbattu, Gujarat has vedmi, but the Maharashtrian poli is known for being paper-thin.

    The dough is made very soft and pliable with plenty of oil, often with maida mixed into wheat flour so it stretches without tearing. Inside, the puran is sweet, smooth and perfumed with cardamom and nutmeg. Each poli is roasted dry on a tawa until speckled and then brushed with ghee.

    It is eaten warm with a generous pour of ghee or with a cup of milk. The dal water is never thrown away: it becomes katachi amti, a thin, spiced dal served alongside. Making puran poli is a family effort and a skill passed down through generations. Leftover polis are often eaten the next morning.

    At a glance

    RegionMaharashtra
    CuisineMaharashtrian
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time40 minutes
    Cook time60 minutes
    Total time100 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientschana dal / jaggery / wheat flour / ghee

    Ingredients

    For the puran

    • 1 cup (200 g) chana dal, soaked 2 hours
    • 3 cups water
    • 1 cup (200 g) grated jaggery
    • 2 tbsp sugar
    • 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
    • 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
    • 1 tsp ghee

    For the dough

    • 1 cup (120 g) fine whole wheat flour
    • 1/2 cup (60 g) maida
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric
    • A pinch of salt
    • 1/4 cup oil
    • Water as needed

    For rolling and roasting

    • Rice flour for dusting
    • Ghee to serve

    Method

    1. Make the dough: mix flours, turmeric and salt, add water gradually and knead to a very soft, sticky dough. Pour 2 tbsp oil over it and knead for 5 minutes until it absorbs. Add the rest of the oil, cover and rest for at least 1 hour.
    2. Pressure cook the soaked chana dal with 3 cups water for 3-4 whistles until it mashes easily between your fingers but is not mushy.
    3. Drain the dal in a colander for 10 minutes, saving the water for katachi amti.
    4. Put the dal and jaggery in a heavy pan on medium heat. The jaggery will melt and make it loose. Stir continuously for 15-20 minutes until it thickens; it is ready when a spoon stands upright in the centre.
    5. Add sugar, cardamom, nutmeg and ghee. While still hot, pass the mixture through a puran yantra or mash smooth with a masher. Cool completely, then divide into 12 balls.
    6. Oil your hands, take a lemon-sized piece of dough, flatten it into a cup and place a puran ball (about twice the dough's size) inside. Bring the edges up, seal and pinch off excess dough.
    7. Dust generously with rice flour and roll gently, without pressing hard, into a thin 8-inch circle. Rotate often and dust again if it sticks.
    8. Roast on a medium-hot tawa for about 1 minute until light brown spots appear underneath, flip and roast the other side. Do not add ghee while roasting. Brush with ghee and serve warm.

    Tips

    • If the puran is not cooked thick enough, it will ooze out while rolling. Do the spoon test before turning off the heat.
    • A very soft, well-oiled dough is the key to thin polis; rest it for at least an hour.
    • Polis keep for 2-3 days and can be warmed on a tawa.

    Serve with

    A spoon of ghee, warm milk, or katachi amti on the side.

  • Pav Bhaji

    Pav bhaji began in the 1850s as a quick, cheap lunch for textile mill workers and cotton traders in Mumbai, who needed something hot and filling during long shifts. Vendors mashed leftover vegetables with tomatoes and spices on a large flat tawa and served them with bread rolls. Juhu beach and Girgaum Chowpatty stalls made it famous across the country.

    The bhaji is a thick, spicy mash of potatoes, cauliflower, peas, capsicum, onion and tomato, cooked down in butter with pav bhaji masala until everything melts together. It is bright red from Kashmiri chilli and rich from the butter. The pav is split and toasted on the same tawa with butter and a pinch of masala until crisp at the edges.

    It is evening food, eaten at the beach, at fairs and at family get-togethers. Serve it with raw onion, lemon wedges and another knob of butter on top. Leftover bhaji becomes a filling for toasted sandwiches. Juhu stalls also offer cheese pav bhaji and khada pav bhaji, where the vegetables are left in chunks rather than mashed, but the classic smooth version remains the favourite.

    At a glance

    RegionMaharashtra
    CuisineMaharashtrian
    DietVegetarian
    CourseStreet food
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time35 minutes
    Total time55 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientspotato / tomato / butter / pav

    Ingredients

    For the bhaji

    • 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
    • 1 cup cauliflower florets
    • 1/2 cup green peas
    • 1 small carrot, chopped (optional)
    • 4 tbsp butter, plus more to finish
    • 1 large onion, finely chopped
    • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 1 green capsicum, finely chopped
    • 4 large tomatoes, finely chopped
    • 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
    • 2 1/2 tbsp pav bhaji masala
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric
    • 1 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice
    • 3 tbsp chopped coriander

    For the pav

    • 8 pav
    • 3 tbsp butter
    • 1/2 tsp pav bhaji masala
    • 1 tbsp chopped coriander

    To serve

    • 1 onion, finely chopped
    • Lemon wedges

    Method

    1. Pressure cook the potatoes, cauliflower, peas and carrot with 1 cup water for 3 whistles until very soft. Mash coarsely with a potato masher, keeping the cooking water.
    2. Heat 4 tbsp butter in a wide, heavy pan or tawa on medium. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until soft and pale gold. Add ginger-garlic paste and stir for 1 minute.
    3. Add the capsicum and cook for 3 minutes until it softens. Add the tomatoes and cook for 6-8 minutes, mashing, until they break down into a pulp.
    4. Stir in chilli powder, pav bhaji masala, turmeric and salt and cook for 2 minutes until the butter starts to separate and the masala smells fragrant.
    5. Add the mashed vegetables with their water. Mash everything together vigorously with the masher for 4-5 minutes, adding hot water to keep it at a thick, spoonable consistency.
    6. Simmer on low for 10 minutes, stirring and mashing occasionally, until the colour deepens and it tastes cohesive. Finish with lemon juice, coriander and a spoon of butter.
    7. For the pav, melt butter on a tawa with pav bhaji masala and coriander. Slit the pav, press them cut side down into the butter and toast for 1 minute, then flip and toast the outside until crisp.

    Tips

    • Kashmiri chilli gives the signature red colour without too much heat. A teaspoon of beetroot is the vendor trick for deeper colour.
    • Keep mashing as it cooks; the smooth, homogeneous texture is what distinguishes good pav bhaji.
    • Do not skimp on butter at the end; it carries the masala flavour.

    Serve with

    Butter-toasted pav, chopped onion, lemon wedges and a cube of butter on top.

  • Shrikhand

    Shrikhand is the strained-yogurt dessert of Maharashtra and Gujarat, made by hanging curd until it becomes chakka, a dense, cream-cheese-like mass, then beating it with sugar and flavourings. It is the centrepiece of Gudi Padwa lunches in Maharashtra and appears at weddings and festivals across both states. Amrakhand, with mango pulp, is the summer variation.

    The texture is smooth, thick and spoonable, cool on the tongue and gently tangy beneath the sweetness. Saffron gives a pale gold colour, cardamom and a little nutmeg add warmth, and chopped pistachios or charoli bring crunch. Good shrikhand is never grainy; passing it through a sieve after sweetening is what gives that silky finish.

    Shrikhand-puri is the classic pairing, with the hot, puffed puris used to scoop up the cold dessert. It is also served as a side in the festive thali next to batata bhaji and masale bhaat. Made at home it keeps well chilled for four days. Elaichi, kesar and mango versions are also sold in tubs across Maharashtra.

    At a glance

    RegionMaharashtra
    CuisineMaharashtrian
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time0 minutes
    Total time20 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientscurd / sugar / saffron / cardamom

    Ingredients

    • 1 kg fresh full-fat curd (yields about 450 g chakka)
    • 3/4 to 1 cup powdered sugar, to taste
    • A generous pinch of saffron soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk
    • 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
    • A small pinch of grated nutmeg
    • 1 tbsp chopped pistachios
    • 1 tbsp charoli (chironji) or sliced almonds

    Method

    1. Line a large sieve with a clean muslin cloth and set it over a bowl. Pour in the curd, gather the corners and tie into a bundle.
    2. Hang the bundle from a tap or place the sieve with a weight on top in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours, or overnight, until the curd is thick and no longer drips. It should hold its shape like soft paneer.
    3. Scrape the chakka into a bowl. Add the powdered sugar and mix with a spatula until the sugar dissolves completely; the mixture will loosen at first.
    4. Push the mixture through a fine sieve or a puran yantra with the back of a spoon. This step removes any lumps and makes it silky.
    5. Stir in the saffron milk, cardamom and nutmeg. Taste and add a little more sugar if needed.
    6. Fold in half the nuts, transfer to a serving bowl and top with the remaining nuts. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

    Tips

    • Hang the curd in the fridge, not on the counter, or it will turn too sour in warm weather.
    • Use powdered sugar rather than granulated so it dissolves without leaving grains.
    • Keep the drained whey; it is excellent for kneading chapati dough or in kadhi.

    Serve with

    Hot puris and batata bhaji, as part of a Gudi Padwa thali.

  • Dal Dhokli

    Dal dhokli is Gujarat's one-pot comfort meal, made by cooking strips of spiced wheat dough directly in thin toor dal. Rajasthan has a similar dish called dal ki dulhan, and Maharashtra makes varan phal, but the Gujarati version is distinctly sweet-sour, with jaggery, kokum or lemon, and peanuts that soften in the dal. Sunday lunch and rainy evenings are its usual occasions.

    The dhokli are rolled from wheat flour seasoned with ajwain, turmeric and chilli, cut into diamonds and dropped into the bubbling dal. They swell, turn tender and release a little starch that thickens the broth. The dal itself is light, fragrant with cloves, cinnamon and curry leaves, and finished with a spoon of ghee.

    It needs nothing else, though most families serve it with a squeeze of lemon, chopped onion and papad. The dish thickens a lot as it stands, so serve it hot and freshly made. Adding a handful of chopped peanuts, a few cashews or drumstick pieces is common in some homes, and leftovers are reheated with a generous splash of hot water.

    At a glance

    RegionGujarat
    CuisineGujarati
    DietVegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time35 minutes
    Total time55 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientstoor dal / whole wheat flour / peanuts / jaggery

    Ingredients

    For the dal

    • 3/4 cup toor dal, washed
    • 3 cups water, plus 2 cups more later
    • 1/4 cup raw peanuts
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 1 tomato, chopped
    • 1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
    • 1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
    • 2 tbsp grated jaggery
    • 3-4 kokum petals or 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
    • 1 1/2 tsp salt

    For the dhokli

    • 1 cup (120 g) whole wheat flour
    • 2 tbsp besan
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric
    • 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
    • 1/4 tsp ajwain
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 tbsp oil
    • Water to knead

    For the tempering

    • 2 tbsp ghee
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1/2 tsp methi seeds
    • 3 cloves
    • 1 inch cinnamon
    • 2 dried red chillies
    • A pinch of asafoetida
    • 10 curry leaves
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander

    Method

    1. Pressure cook the toor dal and peanuts with 3 cups water and turmeric for 4-5 whistles on medium heat until the dal is very soft. Let the pressure drop naturally.
    2. Meanwhile, mix all dhokli ingredients and knead into a firm, smooth dough, slightly stiffer than chapati dough. Rest for 10 minutes.
    3. Whisk the cooked dal smooth, leaving the peanuts whole. Add 2 cups water, tomato, ginger-chilli paste, chilli powder, jaggery, kokum and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
    4. Divide the dough into 3 balls and roll each into a thin round about 8 inches wide. Cut into 1 1/2 inch diamonds with a knife.
    5. With the dal at a rolling boil on medium-high, drop the dhokli in a few at a time, stirring gently so they do not stick together.
    6. Lower the heat to medium and simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the dhokli are cooked through and no longer taste of raw flour when bitten. Add hot water if it gets too thick.
    7. Heat ghee in a small pan, crackle mustard seeds, then add methi seeds, cloves, cinnamon, red chillies, asafoetida and curry leaves. Pour over the dal dhokli, garnish with coriander and serve hot.

    Tips

    • Keep the dal boiling when adding the dhokli; if it is merely warm, the pieces turn gummy and clump.
    • Roll the dough thin. Thick dhokli stay doughy in the centre.
    • The dish keeps thickening; thin it with boiling water before serving leftovers.

    Serve with

    A squeeze of lemon, chopped onion, roasted papad and a spoon of ghee.

  • Handvo

    Handvo is a savoury cake from Gujarat made with a fermented batter of rice and mixed lentils, folded with grated bottle gourd and baked until the outside turns into a crunchy, sesame-studded crust. Traditionally it was cooked in a special handva cooker, an aluminium pot with a central chimney that sat over a sand base, but a heavy pan on the stove or an ordinary oven works well.

    The inside is soft, moist and slightly tangy from fermentation, flecked with vegetables, while the top and bottom are dark golden and crisp. A little sugar balances the sourness, and the tempering of mustard, sesame and curry leaves poured into the pan becomes part of the crust. Edges darken almost to brown, and that is how it should look.

    Handvo is eaten for breakfast, tea or a light dinner, cut into wedges and served with green chutney and tea. Leftovers are excellent the next day, toasted on a tawa, which makes it a sensible weekend dish to cook in a large quantity. Vegetables can be changed with the season: grated cabbage, corn or methi all work well alongside the lauki.

    At a glance

    RegionGujarat
    CuisineGujarati
    DietVegetarian
    CourseSnack
    Prep time25 minutes
    Cook time40 minutes
    Total time65 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice / toor dal / bottle gourd / sesame seeds

    Ingredients

    For the batter

    • 1 cup rice
    • 1/4 cup toor dal
    • 2 tbsp chana dal
    • 2 tbsp urad dal
    • 2 tbsp moong dal
    • 1/2 cup sour curd
    • 1 cup grated bottle gourd (lauki), lightly squeezed
    • 1/4 cup grated carrot
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • 1 tbsp ginger-green chilli paste
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 1 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda or 1 tsp Eno

    For the tempering

    • 3 tbsp oil
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
    • 1/2 tsp ajwain
    • A pinch of asafoetida
    • 10 curry leaves
    • 1 dried red chilli

    Method

    1. Wash the rice and dals and soak for 5-6 hours. Drain and grind with the curd and minimal water to a coarse, thick batter. Cover and ferment overnight in a warm place.
    2. Mix the bottle gourd, carrot, coriander, ginger-chilli paste, turmeric, chilli powder, sugar and salt into the fermented batter. It should be thick and drop off the spoon in clumps.
    3. Just before cooking, sprinkle the soda over the batter, add 1 tbsp water on it and fold in well.
    4. Heat the oil in a heavy 8-9 inch non-stick or cast iron pan on medium. Add mustard seeds, and when they pop add sesame, ajwain, asafoetida, curry leaves and red chilli. Let the sesame turn light gold, about 30 seconds.
    5. Pour the batter over the tempering and spread it evenly about 1 inch thick. Cover and cook on low heat for 15-18 minutes, until the top looks set and the bottom is deep golden and crisp.
    6. Slide the handvo onto a plate, flip it back into the pan and cook the other side, uncovered, on low for 10-12 minutes until crisp. A skewer should come out clean.
    7. Rest for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges. Oven method: pour batter into a greased tin, top with tempering and bake at 180 C for 40-45 minutes.

    Tips

    • Squeeze only some water out of the lauki; the rest keeps the inside moist.
    • The low flame is essential. On high the crust burns before the thick centre cooks.
    • Ready-made handvo flour from Gujarati stores can replace the soaked grains; mix with curd and ferment 6-8 hours.

    Serve with

    Green coriander chutney and a cup of masala chai.