Bajra Dosa

For those of you bored of eating the regular dosa, this 'health dosa' can be made in a jiffy besides providing all the health benefits of Bajra.

Bajra (also known as Pearl Millet /Black millet/ Small millets) is comparitively high in protein and also has good amino acids balance (source - wikipedia).

Ingredients:

Whole Black Lentils (Urad Dal) - 1 cup (soaked overnight)

Bajra flour - 3 cups

Grind the soaked lentils in smooth paste. Mix the bajra flour. Add water so that it attains the dosa batter consistency. Add salt to taste. Spread the batter on a pan. Add oil and roast.

Serve with chutney.

Vegetable Makhanwala

Well, here it is... 'Vegetable Makhanwala'. I also would call it 'Avial' of North Indian Cusine due to its whitish look and the medley of vegetables.

I picked up this recipe from my mom primarily cause I like the taste and way it looks. The one's that i have had in the restaurants have less of cream & more of red tomato gravy. I prefer that it to look like its name - 'full of makhan (cream)'.

The ingredients list goes as follows:

Onions - 2

Garlic - 2 to 3

Green chillies - 2

Tomato - 1

Carrots - 1/2 cup (cut lengthwise)

French Beans - 1/2 cup (cut lengthwise)

Green Peas - 1/2 cup

Potatoes - 1/2 cup (cut lengthwise)

Bell pepper - 1/2 cup(cut lengthwise)

Fresh cream - 100 gms

Milk - 1 cup

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

1. Pressure cook the vegetables except bellpepper for 2 whistles.

2. Blend tomato and set aside.

3. Blend onion, garlic and green chillies.

4. Heat oil in a pan. Fry onion-garlic-chillies paste. Add bellpepper pieces. Add turmeric & red chilli powder.

5. Add blended tomato & stir.

6. After a few seconds, add cooked vegetables & stir.

7. Add fresh cream, milk and mix well.

Few points:

1. You can increase the quantity of tomatoes if you want the gravy to look on the reddish side.

2. You can garnish the above dish with fried cashews, almonds & raisins.

3. The quantity of cream is on the higher side but it tastes really creamy (Doesn't matter if it's an occassional indulgence :-))

Golpapdi

Here's another dessert from the land of Gujarat. Of late, I have been making lot of desserts and most of them for the first time. Golpapdi is one such dish. I have always enjoyed those made by my gujarati neighbours. Its a perfect tea time snack - mildly sweet and slightly crunchy like a cookie.

I picked this recipe from Tarla Dalal's baby cookbook. According to her, its always a hit with teething babies (I havent tried it on little K yet. These days he tries to gum every possible stuff - from his toys, our shoulders to my big toe!).

Golpapdi is full of energy, carbohydrates, calcium, iron and Vitamin A. Beware of the quantity of ghee though :)

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour - 1 cup

Ghee - 3/4 cup (unmelted)

Jaggery - 1 cup (grated)

Cardamom (Elaichi) powder - 1/4 tsp

Dessicated coconut - 1 tsp (Optional)

Poppy seeds - 1 tsp

1. Grease a thali / plate / tray with ghee. Sprinkle poppy seeds and set aside.

2. Melt ghee in a pan. Add whole wheat flour. Stir till the mixture turns golden brown in color and loses its raw smell.

3. Remove from flame. Add jaggery, cardamom powder and dessicated coconut. Stir well immediately.

4. Once it mixes well (and jaggery melts) pour it into the greased thali and spread it evenly with the help of a ladle or base of a small bowl.

5. Cut into diamond shaped pieces while still warm.

6. Store in air tight container.