Blogging Marathon # 15

You will find Dana-methi mirchi by default in the menu of all Rajasthani marriage functions.  Beside culinary uses, the Fenugreek seeds has many medicinal benefits. Since the ancient times, Fenugreek seeds has been used to increase milk production in nursing mothers. You can read more about it’s benefits here and here.

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped green chili
• 2 tablespoon fenugreek seeds(dana methi)
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 2 pinch asafoetida (hing)
• 1/4th teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon dry raw mango powder (amchur powder)
• 2 tablespoon oil
• salt to taste

Method

1. Soak the fenugreek seeds for 3-4 hrs.
2. Heat the oil in the pan.
3. Add mustard seeds and hing.
4. Add green chili's. Fry it for 2 minutes.
5. Add turmeric powder, salt and fenugreek seeds and cook it for a minute.
6. Add dry mango powder. mix and switch off the gas.

Note-

• If you are in a hurry, instead of soaking the fenugreek seeds, you can boil them for 10-15 minutes and drain.
• If you can’t handle the hotness of green chili. Boil the chopped green chili for 2 minutes or microwave it in the bowl of water for a minute and then drain. It will reduce the hotness of chili.
• This chili will be good at room temperature for 2-3days outside the refrigerator.

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Blogging Marathon # 15

Lasan ki chutney is indispensible part for Rajasthani cuisine. This hot fiery garlic chutney represent the colorful, courageous and spirited people of Rajasthan. This chutney is made in Rajasthan year around but it is especially relished more in winter because of its high heat intensity. Rajasthani people like to eat it with dal-bati and bajra ki roti (millet flour flatbread). Read about the medicinal benefits of garlic here.

Ingredients

• 2        pods of whole garlic
• 6-8     Fresh red chilies
• 1        tomato
• 1/2     teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1        teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/4th  teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/4th   teaspoon garam masala (optional)
• 2        tablespoon oil
• salt to taste

Method-

1. Peel the garlic cloves.  Crush half of the cloves with the belan (rolling pin) and half in the mortar and pastel or if you are in hurry grind it in the food processor but try to keep it coarse.
2. Make paste of the red chili's.
3. In a pan heat the oil and add cumin and mustard seeds
4. Add garlic and sauté till it changes it color to light brown.
5. Add red chili paste and other spices.
6. Add finely diced tomato.
7. Cook for 8-10 minutes or till it takes the consistency of chutney.

Notes-

• If fresh red chili's are not available you can use soaked dried red chili's.
• You can also use half red capsicum + 2 teaspoon red chili powder instead of 6-8 fresh red chili's.
• Store in a container and refrigerate. It will remain fresh for more than a month.

This thali includes in a clockwise direction from-

Lasan ki chutney [garlic chutney]

Kairi ki Launji [raw mango chutney]

Panchkuta [ Rajasthani special sabji of dried berries]

Dahi Vada [black gram lentil dumplings in a yoghurt with tamarind chutney]

Raab [corn yoghurt]

Karba [rice and grapes yoghurt]

Aate ka Halwa [ wheat flour dessert]

Khazaa [all purpose flour fried crackers]

Mithudi [all purpose flour and jaggery fried cookies]

Methi parantha [Fenugreek tortilla]

Poori [Wheat flour fried tortilla]

The above picture is of special festive meal made on the occasion of a festival of Shitala Ashtami. This meal is cooked one day in advance since on the day of the festival no cooking is done.

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Blogging Marathon # 15

Mirchi ka kuttaa is a hot and sour chutney consisting of crushed green chilies.  Kuttaa means crushed in Rajasthani  language, this is one of the favorite accompaniments of Rajasthani  meals. The green chili makes it spicy while crushed mustard seeds, dry mango powder and lemon gives the sour taste. This is a side dish enriched with vitamin C.

Ingredients

• 1 cup crushed green chili
• 1/2 pod of Garlic
• 1/2 tea spoon Mustard seeds
• 1 tea spoon crushed Mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dry Mango powder (aamchur)
• 2 tablespoon oil
• Pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• salt to taste

Method

1. Crush the garlic in the mortar and pestle or with the rolling pin on the chopping board. Keep aside.
2. Heat the oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and asafoetida followed by crushed garlic. Sauté it, till it changes its color to the light brown.
3. Add Crushed green chilies. cook  it for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add turmeric powder, salt, crushed mustard seeds and cumin powder  and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add dry Mango powder or alternatively switch off the gas and add  1 tablespoon lemon juice.
6. Store it in a container and refrigerate. Use it as needed. It will be good for 15-20 days or more in the refrigerator.
   

Note

• You can crush the mustard seeds in a spice or coffee grinder or with the help of rolling pin on the board.
• If you do not have the traditional mortar and pastel you can crush the green chili's with the help of steel glass. This is very easy handy tip given by my kakisa (aunt) and it is very helpful to me here in the United States.

Check out the photos of silbata ( traditional stone grinder) which my mom uses back home.

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Blogging Marathon # 14

This sweet is a special offering to God Shiva and Goddess Parvati on the occasion of a very famous Rajasthani festival GANGAUR. GAN means SHIVA and GAUR means PARVATI.

The festival commences on the first day of chaitra month, the day following Holi and continues for 18 days. On the evening of the seventh day after Holi, unmarried girls carry 'Ghudlias' (earthen pots with holes all around in which a lamp is lit) on their heads and they go from house to house and singing devotional songs. (This ritual is observed to celebrate the triumph of Rao Santhal, ruler of Jodhpur,Rajasthan over the cruel Mir Ghudley Khan, who had carried away 140 young girls celebrating the festival of Gangaur, in 1548 AD. The burning lamp symbolizes maharaja's valor and chivalry).

The idols of Shiva and Parvati made of clay and wood are worshipped. These divine entities are called as 'Isar' and 'Gangaur'.

[These paper Mache idols are made by my husband’s grandma narayani devi]

On this day maiden and married ladies worship Goddess Parvarti for getting good husband and for the Health ,welfare and long life of their husbands respectively. They apply mehandi on their hands and dress up themselves beautifully.

[Mehandi art by me]

The festivals conclude with the procession of idols on the 18th day. Ladies sing song about farewell of Gauri from her parent's home to her husband's home.

               [Gauri procession idol placed in the Mehrangardh Jodhpur fort]

Now coming back to FAL. Gauri had these fal while leaving her parent's home that's why this offering is made to her on this festival.

Ingredients

• 1 cup wheat flour
• 1 cup jaggery
• 1/4 th cup water
• 1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)
• Ghee or oil for frying

Method

1. In a pot mix jaggery with water and boil it till it melts.
2. Take the wheat flour in a big bowl.
3. Add a tablespoon of ghee and Mix it with fork.
4. Add the jaggery syrup to the wheat flour as required and knead the dough.
5. Make small cherry size balls of the dough and pinch the ball with thumb and fingers to give the pyramid like shape.
6. Fry it in the ghee or oil till it turn golden brown.

Variation

• You can make any shape out of the dough.
• You can add sesame seeds to the dough.
• Instead of jaggery you can use sugar.

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BM#6 Day 6

Papad is known as Papadum in english. Papad is  made from the various lentils. Papad recipes vary from region to region. I call it as a savior curry or 5 minutes curry. Whenever I come back home from a long trip and don't have any fresh vegetables in the home, and also bored of eating outside food and frozen food. This curry saves my day. I also like to make this curry when it is raining outside. Try it, its something different and easy to cook.

Ingredients

• 5 papad (papadum)
• 1/4 cup curd
• 2 cups water
• 1 tea spoon minced garlic
• 1/2 tea spoon minced ginger
• 1 green chilly
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• pinch of hing (Asafoetida)
• salt to taste(keep in mind,papad has already salt in it)
• coriander(cilantro) for garnishing
• 2 tablespoon oil.

Method

• Break the papad into small pieces.
• Add all the spices except cumin seeds and asafetida in the curd. Beat them and make a paste.
• Boil 2 cups of water.
• Heat the oil in the pan. Add cumin seeds. Add asafetida , ginger, garlic and chilly. Fry it for a minute.
• Add papad pieces. fry for 30 seconds.
• Add curd paste. Fry for 1 minute.
• Add warm water.Boil for 3-4 minute.

• Garnish with cilantro.
• Serve hot with roti (wheat tortilla).

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BM#6 Day 5

One of the distinctive features of the Rajasthani cuisine is the use of the dried beans, berries, vegetables and the sun-dried eatables made from lentils and whole grain.This curry is made from sun-dried badi (dried lentil dumplings), kachri (vegetable from the cucumber family grown especially in desert region) and  dried gawarfali(cluster beans). In Rajasthani language Akshya tritya is known as Aakha Teej, Akkha means whole in marwadi so on Akshay atritya, marwadi  people like to cook every thing whole like this sabji . Read more about rajasthani cusine here.

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole badi / dried lentil dumplings
  
• 2 cup dried gawar fali / cluster bean
  
• 8-10 dried kachri (a vegetable from cucumber family)
  
• 1/2 cup thick fresh beaten curd
  
• 1 tea spoon cumin seeds
  
• 1/4 + 1/4 tea spoon turmeric powder
  
• 1 tea spoon chilli powder
  
• 2 tea spoon dhania / coriander powder
  
• 1 pinch of asafetida
  
• 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
  
• 1 handful chopped cilantro / coriander
  
• 1 tablespoon oil
  
• salt to taste

Method

• Soak the dried gavar fali/cluster beans for 2 hrs.
  
• In a pot take 4 cups water and let it boil.
  
• Add gawar fali,1/4th tea spoon turmeric powder and let it boil for 10 minutes.
  
• Add badia and kachri to the same boiling pot along with the kachri.
  
• Boil till the badia, falia and kachri gets cooked, approx.10-15 minutes.
  
• In a curd add salt, turmeric powder,red chilli powder,dhania powder and beat it.Keep aside.
  
• Heat oil in a separate pan.Add cumin seeds,asafetida and crushed garlic.

• Add spices mixed beaten curd.
  
• Cook till the curd leaves the oil.Approx.3-4 minutes.
  
• Add boiled badi, kacheri and gawar falia.

• Let it cook with curd gravy for 5 minutes.
  
• Serve hot with kheech (wheat/millet porridge) or bajra (millet) roti.

Note

You can use fresh cluster beans and kachri also in this recipes. If you are using fresh vegetables,boil badia only for 10 minutes rest the process is same.

Have another look at  kachri  photo here and here .

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Ingredients (serves 2)

• 2 cups wheat flour
• 1/4th cup gram flour(optional)
• 2 tablespoon melted ghee (clarified butter)
• 1/2 teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
• salt to taste
• water as required.

Method

• Add ghee in the wheat flour. Mix it with fork.
• Add salt and ajwain.
• Now knead the flour with the water and make a stiff dough.
• Knead till smooth and make a round 1 or 2 ball out of it.*
• Roll it to make 1- 1.5 cm thick roti.
• Place it on the hot griddle on low heat.

• When the color changes on the top and tiny bubbles appear, turn it over (approx. time 1 min).

• Now pinch the roti on upper side in a circular motion.

• Let the lower side get crisp. Once it get crisp use the mesh stand* to roast the pinched side over very low flame/coil/induction gas.

• Smear the roti with lots of ghee and serve with the dal of your choice.

Note: