Onion, cucumber, tomato raita

All of us know how effective yoghurt is in fighting the summer heat.  And as we move towards summers I’d like to share a recipe that will help you beat the summer heat to some extent with ingredients such as cucumber, onion, mint and fresh coriander – a combination that is sure to help you protect yourself and your loved ones from heat wave.

Ingredients:

125 ml                  Yoghurt (dahi)

¼                            Cucumber (finely chopped)

1 small                  Tomato (finely chopped)

1 small                  Onion (finely chopped)

1 small                  green chilli (optional) (finely chopped)

Salt (according to test)

1 pinch                 Red chili powder

¼ Tsp.                   Mint powder

¼ Tsp.                   Cumin powder

10 gms                 Fresh Coriander (finely chopped)

Water

Procedure:

1. Take yoghurt and beat it into a thin mix.  Add a little water.
2. Add salt, red chili powder, mint powder and cumin powder.
3. Add finely chopped cucumber, tomato, onion and chilli and mix.
4. Garnish with finely chopped fresh coriander.

You can add other vegetables such as finely chopped carrots or capsicum.

Serve as a side-dish with rice-dal, pulao, puris or chappatis. 

Namak-ajwain wala parantha ((Fried flat Indian Bread with bishop weed)

As I’ve already explained how much I love paranthas and a bit of history, I won’t go into the whole story all over again.  Paranthas have several varieties and today I’m going to share one with ajwain or bishop’s weed as it is called in the Anglophone world.  I’ve already discussed the benefits of this medicinal plant in Masala Puri recipe.

Ingredients:

1 Cup    Wheat flour

1 Tsp     Ajwain (bishop’s weed)

1 Tsp     Salt

Water

Ghee (clarified butter) or Oil


Procedure:

Mix ajwain and salt.

Knead flour so that when you make a hole in it with your finger, it doesn’t stick to your finger.

Take a small part of it and roll it into a small ball and ensure that there’s no crack in the ball.

Roll this ball in dry flour and flatten it.

Use rolling-pin and flatten the circle further till it is around 4-5 inches in diameter.

Take ½ tea spoon oil and oil the flattened dough.

Sprinkle the ajwain and salt mix on it.

Fold it four times as shown in images.

Roll it in some dry flour and flatten it upside down i.e. the last fold should face the plate.

Use rolling pin to further flatten it and make it into a bigger square.

Put the girdle on fire.

When it is hot, put the flattened square dough on the girdle.

Once it is cooked on one side (it will become somewhat yellowish brown), turn it over and put oil on the cooked side.

After some time, turn it over again and if the other side is cooked oil it as well otherwise turn it back till it is cooked.  Once it is cooked, turn it over and oil the other side (that you’ve not oiled earlier).

After around 1 minute turn it over and let it cook for some time.

Serve it with pickle or/and vegetables or/and plain yoghurt and/or raita and/or dahipakodiyan.

I hope that you loved it as much as I do.  Enjoy your meal!

Wadi Chawal (Rice with spicy nuggets made of lentils)

I love wadis and like many Punjabis nothing can beat those from Amritsar or as we lovingly call them Amritsari Wadis.  A wadi is made of Urad Dal (Maanh ki daal) and spices. 

Today I’m going to share a recipe that I make when I’m really tired or don’t feel like cooking or really hungry and have forgotten to cook or…

A wadi is quite spicy so there is actually no need to add any spice, so if you can’t handle a really spicy fare, please limit yourself to just salt and don’t add the optional ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 Tsp               Cumin (Jeera)

1 Table spoon Sunflower oil              

1 1/2                Wadi

20 gms.           Rice 

1 medium        Onion or Shallot (cut length-wise)

1 small pc.       Ginger (cut in small cubes)

2-3                  Whole red chillies (optional)

Salt (according to taste)

Red chillies (according to taste) (optional)

Water

250 ml Oil

Procedure:

1.                  Wash rice well and let it soak for 10-15 minutes.

2.                  Heat oil and add wadi to it. 

3.                  Heat till it is light brown.  Add cumin and red chillies.  

4.                  Lower the gas flame.

5.                  When the cumin starts spluttering, add ginger. 

6.                  When the ginger is somewhat red, add onion.

7.                  When Onion is cooked (not brown), add rice and cover it with water.

8.                  Put enough water so that it doesn’t stick at the bottom of the  pot.

9.                  Let it cook for approximately 15 minutes.

10.              You can break the wadi once cooked.

11.              Serve with plain yoghurt or raita or Dahi Pakodiyaan.

Personally, I love the spicy version and for me, this combination is a healthy wholesome meal but it’s all a matter of taste.  I hope you’ll enjoy it.

Bon appetit!

Beat the heat with Dahi-pakodiyan

All of us know how effective yoghurt is in fighting the summer heat.  And as we move towards summers I’d like to share a recipe that will help you beat the summer heat to some extent with ingredients such as mint and fresh coriander – a combination that is sure to help you protect yourself and your loved ones from heat wave.

Ingredients :

20 gms                 Pakodiyan (or boondi as it is called in some regions)

125 ml                  Yoghurt (dahi)

Salt (according to test)

1 pinch                 Red chilli powder

¼ Tsp.                   Mint powder

¼ Tsp.                   Cumin powder

10 gms                 Fresh Coriander (finely chopped)

Water

Procedure:

Take yoghurt and beat it into a thin mix.  Add a little water.

Add salt, red chilli powder and mint powder.  Mix.

Add pakodis and mix.

Add cumin powder and mix.

Garnish with finely chopped fresh coriander.

Serve as a side-dish with pulao, puris or chappatis. 

Pakodis are made of besan (chickpea flour) and are quite nutritious.