Foodieland Wishes All the Readers a Happy New Year and Prosperous New Year
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foodieland_magazine
(Cover Page Courtesy: Mr. Kulin Thakore)
T
he Great Indian festive season is back, and with a bang as always. It is once again time to decorate your homes & streets. I always get excited on the prospect of viewing cities with a buzz and activity during these festive times. As always with all Indian festivals, Diwali is incomplete without food (which also happens to be the prime focus of foodieland!! ď Š ).
(Image: Traditional Diwali Snacks Plates)
Diwali, globally known as the “Indian festival of lights�, is the most glamorous and popular among all Indian festivals. Diwali has ceased to be a festival celebrated by one community or a particular set of states in India; it is now a national phenomenon
encompassing our country, irrespective of our caste, tribe, state of location, etc. Diwali is a unique festival wherein the authenticity and rituals are still a part of our modern day festive celebrations. It is that time of the year when the shops are lined up with popular, mouth watering sweets such as ladoos, kaju katri, barfis, rasgulla, anjir-kaju rolls, dry fruit halwas, and what not. And yes, you are free to indulge with samosas, kachoris, bhajiyas and all the “calorific delicacies” that you always enjoy. These days, along with Desi delicacies, Videsi and Modern Food is also served. Indeed, some of our fans (including your host) have repeatedly complained about weight gain post Diwali. :D
Diwali is a festival typically associated with meet and greet. It is common place to distribute sweets and delicacies not just among family and friends, but also at workplace. It is also the time of Gujarati New Year (Bestu Varas), which I call it “gorging day” (my mouth works from morning till late night). At the same time, many generous folks resort to charity especially during Diwali time, which enables the not-so-privileged people also enjoy this festival. Foodieland sincerely salutes such acts of generosity.
(Image: (above) A Plate full of Ghughra(Gujiya) (below) Khandvi : A Traditional Gujarati Snack)
In this edition of Foodieland, we will take you through some of the popular recipes and delicacies that you can try our hand out this festive season and also few ideas to serve to your guests!! As always, we consider it our responsibility to ensure that our fans get the
best out of our food articles. Your suggestions and critics are most welcome. Foodieland wishes you a happy, safe Diwali, and an equally prosperous New Year ahead!!
Cholafali: Ingredients: 2 cups gram flour 2 cups mathia flour (alternately, mix 1 cup each of powdered urad dhal and powdered moong dhal) 2 tablespoons ghee 1/8th of a teaspoon bi-carbonate of soda (cooking soda) Salt as required (dry roast the salt until warm prior to adding to the flours. Do remember to add lesser salt than required as you will be sprinkling black salt mix on top) 4 tablespoons oil for pounding the dough and to grease the surface on which you will roll the dough. Oil for deep frying For sprinkling on top: 3 teaspoons red chilli powder 3 teaspoons black salt Method: Sieve together the flours and soda-bi-carb, to mix well. Heat the pan in which you will deep fry the cholafalis. When the pan is warm, drop the salt in it and toss for a few minutes. When the salt has been roasted, add it to the flour mix.
Add the ghee to the flour, mix well. Add very little water and make stiff dough. The dough should be so stiff that you may feel it crack. Rest the dough for a few minutes.
Clean a portion of the kitchen floor / counter top (or better if you have a granite mortar).
Divide the dough in smaller portions. Using a pestle beat the dough down on the clean surface adding few drops oil every now and then. Repeat the fold / beat/ grease/ fold operation until the dough feels light and elastic and acquires a lighter shade. Repeat with the entire portion of the dough.
Keep this dough covered while you pinch out small balls off it and roll out thin discs.(No flour is used for dusting the surface. ) You will have to grease the surface with very little oil and roll as thinly as possible. Keep the rolled discs also covered to avoid drying by exposure to air. Keep the oil for deep frying on. Cut out strips off the dough.
Deep fry the strips, few at a time in hot oil. They have to puff well. Fry them until they are crisp.
Remove from the oil with a slotted ladle and transfer to a dish. Mix the black salt and red chilli powder in a bowl and sprinkle the chilli-salt mix on top immediately while they are warm.
Ghooghra (Gujiya): Ingredients:
250 gm. Maida
50 gm. Semolina (suji) 50 - 75 gm. Ghee (Refined butter) 1/4 teaspoon Salt For filling milk)
250gm. Khoya (solidified
100gm. Sugar powdered 10 - 15 Almonds chips 50 gm. Suji 10-15 Raisins 50gm freshly grated dry coconut Cooking oil for frying Method: Cut the dry fruits to small pieces. Avoid bigger pieces as they will pierce through the covering of Gujia causing the filling to spill out during frying. Take a wok and keep it on low heat. Roast suji in it till suji is golden brown. Add khoya in the wok and cook for 5-10 min. Remove the wok from heat. Add sugar and cook for a min. on low heat and mix thoroughly. Add suji and grated coconut. Mix and cook for one min. Add dry fruits and mix thoroughly and switch off the gas. Add cardamom powder and mix thoroughly. Keep aside for cooling. If the dough is not firm then the Gujia will not come out crisp. Make small balls from the dough. Roll them to 4
inches diameter round chapati. Fill 2-3 teaspoons of the filling in the center of the chapati and fold it from both ends as such that it looks like semi circle. Press it nicely by your palms so that trapped air is removed. Seal the edges nicely by applying water. Turn the edge to give it a good look. Gujias are ready to fry now. Heat oil in wok for frying Gujias; once the oil is ready, fry the Gujia on low flame with continuous swirling and twirling motion of spatula. When golden brown from all sides take them out and cool before storing.
Sweet Cutlet: Ingredients: 1 cup Wheat Flour 2 tbsp Maida 50 g Jaggery 3 Tbsp(approx.) Milk 3 Bananas 6 tbsp Oil Salt (to taste)
Method: Combine wheat flour, Maida, jaggery, and banana. Mix and form smooth dough, using little Milk. Shape the dough into oval cutlets.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the cutlets until golden brown. Serve hot with green chutney.
Palak Pudina Farsi Puri: Ingredients For paste 100 gms chopped spinach 2 tbsp chopped mint 3 chopped green chilies 1″ ginger 2 tbsp chopped coriander 1/4 tsp salt For dough 1 bowl plain flour(maida) salt to taste 1/2 tsp chat masala 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp pepper powder) 1 tbsp fresh cream / malai 2 tbsp oil
Method 1. For paste, mix all ingredients; add water to make medium thick paste. 2. For dough, mix all the ingredients & mix properly. 3. Add prepared paste to it to make regular puri dough. 4. Divide the dough into equal parts. 5. Roll out into small puris. 6. Deep fry in heated oil until light brown on a medium flame. 7. Sprinkle chat masala when hot.
Fried Yam Ingredients 1/2 Kg Yam 1 tbsp Ghee ½ tbsp Green chili Paste ½ tbsp Red chili Powder 1 tsp Jeera Salt to test Oil to fry
Method Clean yam then cut it into cubs. Put it into Pressure Cooker with water and cook. Put oil in one pen. Add jeera, green chilli paste. Add cooked yam into it. Add red chili powder and salt. Cook till yam gets pink. Serve hot with curd.