Fada Ni Lapsi ( Broken Wheat )

Lapsi is a popular Gujarati dessert. It is comprised of roasted and cooked broken wheat sweetened with gur (jaggery) and flavored with cardamon powder. It is a traditional recipe loved by adults and children alike. This is one of the sweets we make during the festival of Diwali and also on any auspicious occasion. Lapsi is one of my favorite sweets and I have it with red chora (also known as red chori, red cow peas, etc). Here is a very simple and easy recipe to make Lapsi.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup broken wheat (dalia/ fada)
• 1 cup jaggery (gur)
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamon powder
• 3 tablespoons blanched and sliced almond
• 1/4 cup ghee
• 3 cups of water (if you are using bigger size broken wheat, then use four cups of water)

Directions:

1. Boil three cups of water in a pan with grated jaggery until the jaggery melts. Strain to remove any residue and set aside.
2. Heat ghee in a pan or kadai and add the broken wheat. Sauté for a few minutes on medium-low heat.
3. Roast the broken wheat until you get an aroma and the color changes to golden brown.
4. Pour in the boiled jaggery mixture along with cardamom powder. Stir continuously. Cover with a lid and cook on medium-low heat until the water evaporates and ghee oozes out from the sides of the pan.
5. Garnish with blanched and sliced almond. You may also use pistachio if you prefer.
6. Serve hot with red chora.

Notes:  You may also cook using a pressure cooker on medium flame for four whistles.

Stuffed Sweet Peppers

For this dish, you should get sweet peppers - not bell peppers/ capsicum. This will affect the taste quite a bit. Sweet peppers are softer and sweeter than bell peppers. These stuffed sweet peppers make for a nice accompaniment to any Indian meal and you may also stuff the sweet peppers with cheese, paneer, or potatoes to make a perfect appetizer dish as well. In the following recipe, I will describe making stuffed sweet peppers with everyday spices and gram flour. The taste of your meal will amplify serving these stuffed sweet peppers!

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 8 sweet peppers (red, yellow, orange and/or green in color - variety will look more appealing)
• 2 tablespoons roasted gram flour
• 2 teaspoons dhanajeera/ cumin, coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• Pinch of hing/ asafoetida 
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon amachur/ mango powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon whole fennel
• 4 tablespoons of oil plus 1 tablespoon for masala
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Wash the peppers and pat dry. Make a slit lengthwise in a pepper keeping it joined on the other side. Cut all peppers similarly. (Removing the stalk is optional)
2. Roast the gram flour on low flame in a nonstick pan until it gets fragrant. Remove the flour from the pan to a bowl. Add salt, garam masala, dhana-jeera powder, turmeric powder, mango powder, garam masala and one teaspoon oil. Mix well.
3. Stuff the slit peppers with this masala from the open side. Press it gently thereafter to compact.
4. Add oil in a pan/(kadai) on medium-low heat.  Once hot, add mustard seeds. When they start to crackle, add cumin seeds and fennel seeds. Then, add hing and place the stuffed peppers on the pan and cover. Cook for 2-3 minutes on low flame.
5. Keep tossing and flipping until all sides are cooked. Then, take them out onto a plate.
6. Serve the stuffed peppers with your meal(s) and enjoy!

Gatta Nu Shaak

Gatta nu shaak is made using a yogurt based gravy and dry masalas to create a mouth-watering dish. It is a traditional dish from the Indian state of Rajasthan. The gram flour gattas are steamed prior to being cooked. This entree will complement any meal. You may enjoy this dish with roti, batti or plain rice.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

For Gatta:

• 1 1/2 cups gram flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon reds chilli powder
• Pinch of asafoetida 
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon dhana-jeera powder
• 1 teaspoon roasted and crushed dhana (coriander seeds)
• 1/4 teaspoon roasted and crushed whole black pepper 
• 2 1/2 teaspoons oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves, chopped 
• Salt to taste

For Gravy:

• 1 1/2 cups yogurt
• 2 tablespoons ghee or oil
• 1 tablespoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dhanajeera powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 dry red chilli
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• Pinch of asafoetida 
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
• 1 cup water
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mix gram flour, red chili powder, turmeric powder, dhana-jeera powder, crushed coriander seeds, crushed black pepper, oil, asafoetida and salt. Mix well add a little water to make it into a dough. 
2. Divide the "dough" into balls and roll out into thin rods similar to a long cylinder. Repeat for the remaining dough. 
3. Place water to boil ( 6 to 7 cups) gently dip the ghattas and keep boiling. Cover pot half with lid. Boil it for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice in between. Add more water if required. 
4. Remove gatta from pot and slice it into 1/4" thick pieces. Save the drain water for later use.
5. Make a paste of masalas in 1/2 cup water.
6. Heat the ghee or oil in a pan, add seeds, when they crackle , add hing and dry red chilli. add masala paste and stir for 2 to 3 minutes.. Add  yogurt and stir continuously till boil resumes and whiteness of curds is gone. 
7. Add saved water (approximately 1 cup )) and bring back to boil. When boiling, add gatta and simmer on low for 10 minutes or till gravy is a little thick. Add 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves ans simmer for one minutes. ( you can also use dry mint powder, instead of fresh mint )
8. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. 
9. Serve hot with rotis, batti or rice. 

Stuffed potato Bati

This stuffed version of bati is not that popular in the restaurants of Rajasthan, but it is made at home quite often. I only used potatoes in the bati for this recipe, but you may also use green peas. Gram flour with spices or paneer stuffing.  Since this is a stuffed bread, you don't really need any accomplishments with it. A dollop of ghee on top does a superb job. I have served this bati with daal to my friends. You may have this bati for breakfast and may also serve it with fresh yogurt, pickles or with hot tea any time of the day.

Preparation time: 30 minute
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of whole wheat flour
• 2/3 cup of ghee plus additional for soaking at end
• Salt to taste

For stuffing:

• 2 potatoes, boiled and mashed
• 1/4 cup green peas boiled and mashed (optional )
• 1 green chili, chopped
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dhanajeera powder (cumin-coriander powder)
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mango powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Garam masala
• 1 tablespoon fresh green coriander leaves, chopped
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Mix flour, ghee and salt. Rub the mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add water and make a dough using approximately 3/4 cup of water.
2. For the stuffing, mix potatoes (if you are using green peas, then add peas too), all the spices including coriander leaves and chopped green chili. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Divide the dough into eight portions and shape them into small balls.
3. Stuff each ball with stuffing and roll them into balls again. Bake them in the preheated oven for about ten minutes. Lower the temperature to 375 degrees and continue to bake for another thirty to thirty five minutes .
4. Take out of the oven, press the bati lightly and soak in a bowl of ghee for at least one hour. Remove from the bowl before serving with dal. (Check the recipe for moong ni photrawali dal on my blog.)

Stuffed Potatoes snd Onions Shaak

Stuffed potatoes and onions shaak is a Gujrati dish made with potatoes, onions and common spices. The potatoes and onions are stuffed with a masalas comprised of besan (gram flour), coconut, sesame and other spices which are subsequently pressure cooked. You may enjoy this dish with roti or bhakri and kadhi. It even goes well with Bajra rotla (Recipe) too.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 8 small sized potatoes, peeled 
• 4 small sized onions, peeled
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard/ rai seeds
• 1 teaspoon jeera/ cumin seeds
• 2 tablespoons coconut, grated 
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 3 teaspoons red chili powder
• 2 1/2 tablespoons dhana jeera powder
• Pinch hing/ asafoetida  
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 1/2 tablespoons besan/ gram flour
• 2 tablespoons green coriander leaves, chopped 
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients - grated coconut, turmeric powder, red chili powder, dhana jeera powder, sesame seeds, besan and salt. Mix well and keep aside. 
2. Slit the potatoes into 4 equal portions and the onions into 4 equal portions using a sharp knife. Do not cut through.
3. Stuff each potato and onion slit with a little of the preparing filling. Keep the remaining filling aside.
4. Next, in a pressure cooker, combine the stuffed potatoes and onions. Then, add 1/4 cup of water and mix gently. Pressure cook for 4 whistles.
5. Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid. Keep aside as this process occurs. 
6. Heat oil on a non stick pan. Then, add the mustard and cumin seeds. When they crackle, add hing and the cooked potatoes and onions. Add the remaining filling, 1/4 cup water and cook on medium flame for two to three minutes. 
7. Garnish with fresh green coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Bajri Methi Na Vada/ Pearl Millet Vada

Bajri methi na vada is a simple and delicious snack recipe. It is made from a mix of bajra and wheat flours. I've previously made these vadas adding fenugreek/ methi leaves and also without methi leaves. Both are equally good! Bajra flour is healthier than wheat flour. Although they are deep fried, bajra na vadas are perfect for the monsoon season in India when light meals are in order. You may serve the vadas along with mint chutney and/or a steaming hot cup of masala chai. Enjoy this with your family or even serve it at a kitty or tea party with your friends. Enjoy!

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

• 1 cup bajra flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 3 green chilis finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 3/4 cup chopped fenugreek/ methi leaves
• 1/4 cup sour yogurt  
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons oil (for flour)
• Salt, to taste
• Oil for frying 

Directions: 

1. In a bowl, combine both types of flour. Then, add the chopped methi leaves and green chilis, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, sesame seeds, salt, oil and yogurt.
2. Mix well while adding a little water, as needed, to bring it together. Knead it into a stiff dough. At this stage, be careful not to add too much water. 
3. Set the dough aside in the same mixing bowl and cover it. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
4. Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying over a medium heat. While the kadai is warming up, divide the prepared dough in small marble sized portions.
5. Take each ball and roll it between your palms to make it smooth. Then, flatten each ball out with your fingers. Make sure the edges are not cracked. Prepare the rest of the vadas .
6. When the oil is hot enough, add the vadas one by one into the hot oil. Fry them in small batches. 
7. Deep fry until golden and crispy on both sides. Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb the excess oil. 
8. Once they are cool, store in an air-tight container. Serve the vadas with chutney and/ or hot tea.

Bajra Ni Puri

Bajra ni Puri is one of the more simpler recipes on my blog. It is very tasty and perfect as a snack with tea or coffee. You may have it in the morning, during brunch or afternoon tea time. It tastes really good with fried green chili as an accompaniment. I learned this recipe from one of my good friends (Parul Parekh). The puris are made with aromatic spices such as coriander and fennel seeds. Bajra Puri is a snack dish, but absolutely amazing in taste and healthy as it does not absorb much oil during the cooking process. You may eat them with any vegetables as well. Suggested additions to the puri dough may be fenugreek leaves, spinach leaves or any other leafy vegetables - this recipe does not consider them. Enjoy this recipe with some hot tea!

Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

2 cups bajra (millet) flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Pinch of turmeric powder

Pinch of asafoetida/ hing

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons oil 

Oil to fry

Spices:

2 teaspoons coriander seeds 

1 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Roast all the spices, on medium heat, in a pan. Then, grind them coarse and keep aside. 
2. In a bowl, combine bajra flour, wheat flout, salt, turmeric powder, hing and oil. Knead to a soft dough consistency with the help of warm water, added as needed. 
3. Keep the dough aside for 15 minutes. Knead again and then roll into small thick puries (circular shape). 
4. Heat oil on a skillet and deep fry the puries until they are light golden brown.
5. Serve with green fried chilis, pickle or garlic chutney. I enjoy Puri plain with hot tea.