Farhe(Rice Dumplings with yellow lentil stuffing)

Farhe is a snack from UP(Uttar Pradesh) the political heart of India, which is made as an offering to God on some festivals like karwachauth and bhayia dooj.Farhe is basically rice dumplings cooked with gram dal stuffing.

Ingredients

Rice Flour 2 cup

Chana/Gram dal 1 cup

Salt

Onion 1

Green chili 1-2

Oil 2 tbsp

Method

1. Wash and soak chana dal overnight.In the morning drain and grind the dal using very little water.Add some salt in it.

2. Take rice flour in a big bowl and knead it into a dough using little water at a time.

3. Make small lemon size balls out of this dough and flatten it into a circle using your hands.

4. Put a spoonful of dal inside this circle and fold the circle into a semi circle.

5. Now there are two ways to cook these dumplings.First method is steaming them and second method is put the balls in boiling water.

6. I used the second method.Boil water in a big pot and pour the dumplings in batches.Let them cook in water for 5 minutes and then take out.Allow them to cool.

7. Now with a sharp knife cut each dumpling in thin slices.

8. Heat oil in a pan/kadhayi and add in it chopped onion and green chili.Fry till golden in colour.Now add the dumpling slices,some salt and cook for 4-5 minutes.

9. It's ready to serve with green coriander chutney.

Radish Leaves Sabzi

This is a dry sabzi/veggie made of radish leaves which is very healthy and easy to cook.Radish leaves contain Calcium,Phosphores,Vitamin C and Protein.I have seen two ways to make this.At my in-laws place the chopped leaves are cooked directly using oil and garlic but my mother makes it slightly differently.So here is the recipe which I got from my mother.

Ingredients

Radish Leaves 1 Big bunch

Radish 1

Onion 1 small

Carom Seeds/Ajwain 1/2 tsp

Salt

Asafoetida 1 pinch

Turmeric pw 1/2 tsp

Red Chili pw 1/2 tsp

Mustard Oil 2 tbsp

Method

1. Wash and chop the radish leaves.Peel,wash and cut radish in small pieces.

2. Pressure cook these leaves and radish in half cup of water.

3. Take out and let them cool down.Now squeeze the water from these leaves pressing between your palms(you can use this water for dal or kneading dough).

4. Heat oil in a pan/kadhayi and add carom seeds,asafoetida in it.

5. Add chopped onions and fry it till golden in colour.Now add turmeric and chili powder in it.

6. At this point add the boiled leaves,radish,salt and mix well.Let it cook for 5 minutes on low flame.

7. Serve it hot with roti/chapati.

Sago Vada

Sago/Sabudana Vadas are dumplings made of sago and potatoes.You can have it like a snack or during fasting.

Ingredients

Sago/Sabudana 1 cups

Boiled Potato 2 Medium

Salt

Red chili pw 1 tsp

Oil For deep frying

Method

1. Soak sago in water(just enough to cover the sago) for 30 minutes.Now drain off excess water.

2. Peel and mash potato.

3. In a bowl mix mashed potatoes,sago,salt and red chili powder.

4. Apply a little oil in your hands and make small balls out of this mixture.Pat them gently with your fingers to flatten them.

5. Heat oil in a pan/kadhayi and deep fry these vadas till golden in colour from both sides.Take out and place on a kitchen paper towel.

6. Enjoy hot sago vadas with your favourite chutney/sauce.

Note: Just to enhance the taste you can also add green chillies,coriander leaves in the mixture.

Methi(Fenugreek Leaves) Paratha

When it comes to parathas( kind of Indian bread) I am always game.We use methi(fenugreek) as an herb and as a spice.It has a nice aroma and is very healthy as the green leaves contain Potassium,Calcium and Iron.They are rich in fiber and also contain Vitamin C and K.So try and enjoy these yummy parathas keeping all these good things in mind.So eat healthy and stay healthy.

Ingredients

Methi/Fenugreek Leaves 1 bunch

Atta/Whole wheat flour 2 cups

Cumin Seeds 1 tsp

Green Chili 1-2

Salt

Oil

Method

1. Wash and finely chop the methi leaves.

2. In a big bowl take flour,chopped leaves,chopped green chillies,salt,cumin seeds and mix all these with your hands.

3. Now knead this into a medium-soft dough using little water at a time.Keep aside for 20-25 minutes.

4. Make balls little bigger than you make for roti/chapati.Roll it into a small circle using dry flour.Apply little oil on it and fold it along the diameter to form a semi circle.Again apply some oil and fold it to make a triangle.Roll it in a triangular paratha using dry flour.

5. Heat a tava/griddle and cook the paratha on medium flame.Apply oil on both sides and press it gently with a spatula so that it cook evenly.

6. Repeat the process to make all the parathas.Serve hot with Pickle,curd or any kind of sauce.

Sending this to the event Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by Haalo of Cook (almost) Everything.

Paneer Bhurji

Paneer Bhurji is one of my favourite as you can prepare it in a jiffy and it tastes great with any combo.It can go along with any Indian bread or as a side dish with any meal.Make paneer at home and enjoy this easy and yummy recipe.

Ingredients

Paneer/Indian cottage cheese 150 gm

Onion 1

Tomato 1

Green Coriander leaves

Garam masala 1 tsp

Red chili pw 1 tsp

Turmeric pw 1/2 tsp

Salt

Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp

Oil 2 tbsp

Method

1. Crumble paneer roughly with your hands .I used home made paneer( See how to make paneer at home) and I did not want the proper pieces so I skip the point to keep it under heavy weight.Chop tomatoes and thinly slice onion.

2. Heat oil in a pan/kadhayi and add cumin seeds in it.Let the seeds crackle then add onions and fry them for 2 minutes.

3. Now add tomatoes,salt and all the spices.Fry it till the oil separates the spices.

4. At this point add paneer,salt and mix all the ingredients softly.Let it cook for another 4-5 minutes.

5. Finally garnish with Chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with any Indian bread(roti/chapati,parathas,naan or pooris).

Dahi-Vada

This is a very famous lentil dumplings in yogurt snack in India.It is commonly known as dahi vada ,dahi bada or dahi bhalla.It can also be served as a side dish.You can make it in advance and store them for your upcoming party/get-together.

Ingredients

Urad Dal/Black Gram(split without skin) 1 cup

Ginger grated 1 tsp
Green Chili chopped 1 tsp

Plain Yogurt 2 cup

Salt

Red chili pw 1 tsp

Roasted Cumin pw 1-2 tsp

Chaat Masala

Oil for deep frying

Method

1. Wash and soak urad dal in water for 6-7 hours or overnight.

2. Grind dal using very little water to make a thick batter.Now mix salt,grated ginger,chopped green chili in it and beat it well.

3. Heat oil in a kadhayi/pan and pour spoonful of this mixture in it or make small round balls using your hands.Oil should not be smoky hot.Dip spoon/hand in water every time you make a vada so that the batter comes out easily.

4. Fry the vadas from both sides till it is golden in colour.Take out and keep aside on a kitchen paper towel.Let them cool.

5. Soak your vadas in water for 15 minutes then take them out and gently press between your hands to remove excess water.

6. Beat the curd/yogurt and add some water in it to make it a little bit watery consistency.Add a very small amount of salt in curd and mix it.

7. Arrange the vadas in a bowl and pour the curd on it so that all the vadas will be covered evenly.

8. Sprinkle some chat masala,red chili powder and cumin powder on it.Now cover it and refrigerate it for 15 minutes before serving.

9. Finally serve the vadas with green and tamarind chutneys.

Note: 1. Add little salt in the dal batter otherwise it will make the batter watery.

2. You can add some salt or sugar according to your taste in the water in which vadas are soaked.

3. You can put the vadas in a zip lock bag and freeze them.

Sending this for the event Cook For Yourself by Radhika of Saurastra Kitchen.

RasMalai

On this diwali first time I tried this rasmalai recipe and believe me it was awesome.Just a little effort and you will get a delicious rasmalai ready.This recipe is adapted from North Ki Rasoi Se by Rupali Jain.

Ingredients

Rasmalai/Rasgulla 1 can

Evaporated Milk 1 can

Sugar 3 tbsp

Pistachios 15(nearly)

Saffron 1 pinch (optional)

Cardamom pw 1 pinch

Method

1. Separate the rasmali/rasgulla from the sugar syrup.

2. Gently press them between your hands and soak in warm water for 5-10 minutes.

3. In a microwavable bowl take evaporated milk,saffron,cardamom powder,sugar and mix them.Now microwave it on HIGH power for 3 minutes.

4. Take the rasmali/rasgulla out of water and squeeze a little between your hands.Put them in the hot milk.

5. Garnish with the chopped pistachios.Let it cool and then keep it in refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.

With this post I would like to share my rangolis which I made this and last diwali with you all.