RAG Demo

Tag: Winter food

  • Siddu

    Siddu is the comfort food of the Himachal hills, particularly the Kullu, Mandi and Shimla regions, where long, cold winters call for warm, filling food. Families make it on snowy days and festivals, and in recent years roadside stalls on the Manali highway have made it popular with tourists as well.

    The dough is wheat flour leavened with yeast and left to rise in a warm corner, then filled and steamed. Fillings vary from village to village: crushed walnuts and poppy seeds with green chilli and coriander, soaked urad dal ground with spices, or sweet versions with jaggery. Steamed siddu is soft, fluffy and slightly chewy, with a nutty, savoury centre.

    It is torn open and served with a generous pour of ghee, along with green chutney or dal. Leftovers are often pan-fried the next morning for breakfast. Siddu can be made a day ahead and re-steamed, and the walnut filling keeps in the fridge for several days. The steaming takes about twenty minutes, so plan for the dough to rise before you start, ideally in a warm kitchen.

    At a glance

    RegionHimachal Pradesh
    CuisineHimachali
    DietVegetarian
    CourseBread
    Prep time120 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time145 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientswhole wheat flour / walnuts / poppy seeds / ghee / yeast

    Ingredients

    For the dough

    • 2 cups whole wheat atta
    • 1 tsp instant dry yeast
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 tbsp oil
    • About 3/4 cup lukewarm water

    For the filling

    • 1/2 cup walnuts
    • 3 tbsp khus khus (poppy seeds), soaked 1 hour
    • 2 green chillies
    • 3 tbsp chopped coriander
    • 1/2 inch ginger
    • 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
    • 1/2 tsp amchur or anardana powder
    • 1/2 tsp salt

    To serve

    • 4 tbsp ghee, melted
    • Green chutney

    Method

    1. Dissolve sugar and yeast in 1/4 cup lukewarm water and leave 10 minutes until frothy.
    2. Mix atta and salt, add the yeast mixture and oil, and knead with the remaining water into a soft, smooth dough, about 8 minutes. Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours until doubled.
    3. For the filling, drain the poppy seeds and grind with walnuts, green chillies, coriander, ginger, cumin, amchur and salt to a coarse, thick paste with no added water.
    4. Punch the dough down and divide into 6 balls. Roll each into a thick oval about 12 cm long.
    5. Spread a heaped tablespoon of filling on one half, fold over, and seal the edges by pinching firmly. Shape into a slightly flattened oval bun.
    6. Cover and rest the filled siddus 15 minutes so they rise again.
    7. Steam in a greased steamer or idli-stand over boiling water on medium-high for 18 to 20 minutes, until puffed and firm. A skewer inserted into the dough should come out clean.
    8. Cut each siddu open across the top, pour in ghee and serve hot.

    Tips

    • Keep the dough soft; stiff dough makes dense siddus.
    • A urad dal filling (soaked dal ground with ginger, garlic and spices) is the other traditional option.
    • Brush the steamer plate with oil or line it with a banana leaf so they do not stick.

    Serve with

    Plenty of ghee, green chutney or a bowl of dal.

  • Ulava Charu

    Ulava charu is an old, rustic dish from the Krishna and Guntur districts of Andhra Pradesh, made from horse gram, a hardy lentil grown in dry areas. Traditionally the horse gram was boiled for hours and the cooking liquid strained off, then simmered down with tamarind and spices. It is believed to warm the body and was popular in winter, and it has since become a speciality of upscale Andhra restaurants.

    The charu is dark brown, thick and glossy, with an earthy, nutty, slightly smoky flavour balanced by the sourness of tamarind. It is mixed with hot rice and finished with a spoon of fresh cream or butter, which mellows the tang. Some people eat it like a soup. It is also sold in jars at some Andhra sweet and pickle shops.

    At a glance

    RegionAndhra Pradesh
    CuisineAndhra
    DietVegetarian
    CourseSoup
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time90 minutes
    Total time105 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientshorse gram / tamarind / onion / garlic / cream

    Ingredients

    For the horse gram stock

    • 1 cup horse gram (ulavalu), soaked overnight
    • 6 cups water
    • 1/2 tsp salt

    For the charu

    • 2 tbsp oil
    • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
    • 2 dry red chillies
    • 1 sprig curry leaves
    • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
    • 6 garlic cloves, crushed
    • 2 green chillies, slit
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp red chilli powder
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
    • lemon-sized tamarind, soaked in 1 cup water
    • 1 tsp grated jaggery
    • salt to taste

    To serve

    • fresh cream or white butter
    • finely chopped onion

    Method

    1. Pressure cook the soaked horse gram with salt and 6 cups water for 10-12 whistles on medium heat, or simmer in an open pot for 2-3 hours, until very soft.
    2. Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl, pressing the beans lightly. Keep the cooked horse gram for a sundal or salad. Grind 2-3 tbsp of the cooked beans with a little stock and add to the liquid for body.
    3. Squeeze and strain the tamarind to get thick extract.
    4. Heat oil in a heavy pan. Splutter mustard seeds, then add cumin, fenugreek and red chillies. Add curry leaves, onion, garlic and green chillies and fry on medium heat for 5 minutes until golden.
    5. Add turmeric, chilli powder, coriander and cumin powder and fry for 30 seconds.
    6. Pour in the horse gram stock and tamarind extract, add jaggery and salt, and bring to a boil.
    7. Simmer uncovered on low heat for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reduces to a thick, dark, glossy consistency that coats the back of a spoon.
    8. Serve hot over rice, topped with a spoon of cream or butter and chopped onion.

    Tips

    • Long, slow reduction is what develops the deep colour and flavour; do not rush it.
    • The charu keeps well for 3-4 days in the fridge and thickens further.
    • Horse gram must be well soaked and fully cooked; it is a very hard lentil.

    Serve with

    Hot rice with fresh cream and onions, or as a soup with a dollop of butter.