Pizza dough

• 1 tsp yeast (dried, we use Surebake’s active yeast)
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ Cup warm water
• 1 Cup flour

Method
Mix yeast, sugar and water together. Leave to sit in a warm place for about 7 minutes (until yeast and sugar has dissolved). Add flour and mix to make a firm dough (adding extra flour as necessary). Roll out and now you have your pizza base. I usually bake the base for about 10 minutes at 180oC (350oF), but this is not essential. Then add your toppings according to your taste. I usually spread tomato sauce or tomato paste on first, then add grated cheese, ham (or grilled & chopped bacon), mushrooms, diced tomatoes, pineapple and anything else that takes your fancy. 

Pizza sauce

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup celery, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 small bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed
Change Measurements: US | Metric

Directions:

Prep Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 1 1/2 hrs

1. 1 In a large skillet, melt butter with the oil. Add the onion, celery and garlic and saute until soft and transparent.
2. 2 Add tomato sauce and tomato paste and stir until smooth.
3. 3 Add remaining ingredients and bring to slow simmer.
4. 4 Simmer for 30-60 minutes (or not at all depending on your taste and time frame).
5. 5 Remove the bay leaf and spread the sauce on your prepared pizza dough.

Dal Dhokli

One of the things that separates Gujarat from Kathiawad for me, is dal dhokli. I tasted it for the first time in Ahmedabad. Our neighbor, Hema aunty, would make it in large volumes and distribute it to all the neighbors. And it was always mouth-watering. Putting manners aside, it was always "Wow, thank you!" rather than "No, thank you!".

Dal Dhokli is a meal by itself for Gujaratis, or for the rest of us, a scrumptious side dish, to go with Gujarati snacks.

Serves 4


Ingredients

For The Dhokli dough

2 cup whole wheat flower (aata)  
1 cup chick pea flour (besan)  
1/4 tspn asfoetida (heeng)

1/4 tspn carom seeds (ajwain)
1 tbspn oil

salt to taste

For The Dal

1 cup tuver (arhar) dal  
1 tbspn oil
1 tspn mustard seeds (rai)  
1 tspn fenugreek seeds (methi) 
6-8 curry leaves (kadi patta) 

3 slitted Thai peppers 

1 tbspn grated ginger
2 cloves

2 tbspn peanuts
2 dried red peppers

1 tspn turmeric powder (haldi powder) 

2 tspn cumin powder (jeera powder) 

2 tspn coriander powder (dhaniya powder)
1/4 tspn asfoetida (heeng) 
2 kokum, soaked - optional
1 cup jaggery (gur) 

1/2 tspn red chili powder

1 tbspn lemon juice

salt to taste 

2 tbspn ghee

For garnishing

4 tbspn finely chopped onions

4 tbspn finely chopped cilantro

1 tbspn lemon juice

 

Preparation 

1. Combine the Dhokli ingredients in a bowl and knead into a firm dough using enough water.
2. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions and roll out like parathas, about 4 mm thick.
3. Cut into diamond shapes - dhoklis, and set aside.
4. Finely chop the onions and cilantro for garnishing.

Instructions

1. Ideally, the dal needs to be soaked for 4 hours, and then pressure cooked with an equal measure of water for 20 minutes with turmeric and salt. 
2. If the dal is not soaked, pressure cook with twice the measure of water for 40 minutes with turmeric and salt.
3. Blend the dal with a hand blender into a homogenous pulp.
4. Heat the oil, and add mustard seeds (rai).
5. Add fenugreek seeds (methi) and carom seeds (ajwain). 
6. After half a minute, add curry leaves, chopped peppers and grated ginger, cloves and peanuts.
7. Stir for a minute.
8. Add the spice powders, and stir for a minute.
9. Sprinkle the spice powders on top.
10. Add the blended dal, an equal measure of water, and stir slowly.
11. Add asafoetida (heeng), kokum, red pepper powder, lemon juice, and salt.
12. Let the dal come to a boil, stirring occasionally.
13. Add the dhokli, and take the dal off the heat. 
14. Cover for 20 minutes. 
15. Take off the heat. 

Serving

1. Just before serving, heat the dal but don't bring it to a boil. 
2. Stir occasionally and gently so the dhokli does not break.
3. Sprinkle chopped onions, chopped cilantro and add lemon juice.

 

 

Strawberry Lassi

Makes 8 cups

Growing up, this used to be a summer delight. With easy access to mango puree in the stores, this is now a regular drink. It can be mixed with a spoon for a traditional texture, or machine-blended for a smooth texture. I recommend making this a couple of hours before serving and refrigerated in serving cups.

Ingredients 

• 2 cups plain yogurt
• 2 cups mango pulp
• 4 cups ice
• 4 tbspn sugar
• 1 tspn salt

For the garnishing

• 1 tspn cardamom, ground
  
• 1 tspn almonds, pistachios, finely chopped

Preparation (5 minutes)

1. Set aside pulp.
2. Finely chop almonds and pistachios. 

Instructions (5 minutes)

1. Blend the ingredients for 3 minutes.
2. Mango lassi is best made a couple of hours before serving. If refrigerated for more than 4 hours, it needs to be blended again before serving.

Garnishing (optional)

1. Pour into cups and sprinkle the garnishing on each cup.

Serving

1. Goes well with Indian, Asian and Western appetizers. 
2. If the Mango lassi is made to be served within a couple of hours, it can be poured into cups and garnished and refrigerated, ready to be served. 

Puran Poli (stuffed sweet roti)

Akhrot ka Halwa

Makes 4 cups of akhrot ka halwa, or Walnut Halwa.

This is a popular dessert, served preferably warm but tastes equally good when cold.

Ingredients

• 2 cups coarsely ground walnuts
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 cup milk powder
• 1 cup milk
•  1/2 cup ghee
• 1 tspn cardamom powder

Preparation (15 minutes)

1. Crush the walnuts coarsely in a blender. 
2. Finely crush the cardamom.

Cooking (20 minutes)

1. In a non-stick pan, heat the ghee for a minute.
2. Add walnut powder, and stir for 10 minutes. Walnuts burn easily, so keep a sharp eye for the mix turning dark brown and reduce the heat immediately.
3. Add milk powder and stir for 5 minutes.
4. Add milk and stir till the paste gets a thick gel-like consistency, and the ghee starts coming off the pan.
5. Take off the heat and set aside. 

Serving

1. Place in a serving bowl, and serve.
2. Serve hot, or refrigerate and serve cold.