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.

Eggless Banana Bread



For years and years, I failed at baking anything right. And when I stopped eating eggs, I thought I would not learn to bake in this lifetime. But thanks to people making eggless cakes and breads for me, I am inspired once again to try baking, eggless baking this time.

Makes one half-loaf of banana bread.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, or maida 
• 4 bananas, mashed
• 1 cup milk (whole milk preferable for taste)  
• 1 tspn melted butter
• 1 tspn baking soda 
• 1/2 cup sugar  
• a pinch of salt
• 1 tspn vanilla essence
• 1 cup walnuts - optional
• butter and salt for greasing the bread pan (8" x 4" x 5" deep)

Preparation

1. Mash the bananas into a pulp.
2. Add melted butter and beat the mixture for a minute.
3. Add flour, milk, sugar, salt and mix for another minute.
4. Add baking soda, walnuts and vanilla essence and mix for a minute.
5. Lightly grease the bread pan and sprinkle some flour on it.

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pour the mix into the bread pan.
3. Bake for an hour.
4. Poke with a tooth pick to see if it comes out clean, then take it out.

 Serving

1. Let the bread come down to room temperature,
2. Slice and serve. 

Methi na thepla (Pan-fried flatbread with methi or fenugreek leaves)



In the days of yore, when I lived in India, there was one year when I had malaria every month. Seems my blood was much sweeter than anyone else's around, and I ended up being the monthly banquet for the mosquitos. And malaria meant quinine tablets that killed the sense of taste. Each time I recovered from the fever, my neighbor, Hema aunty, would make theplas for me every day to bring my appetite back. Of all the theplas, my favorite were methi na theplas (theplas made with fenugreek leaves). Since methi is usually available fresh in the winter, dried methi leaves sold in stores can be used to make theplas at other times of the year. Or even better, chop fresh methi leaves and freeze for use through the year.



methi na thepla

Theplas are popular as a snack with tea, or as food packed for travel, and as such are made very appetizing with grated ginger, finely chopped green peppers, grated garlic and finely chopped cilantro. They are usually served with butter, yogurt, chhundo (sweet pickle), achar (spicy pickle) and cilantro chatni (spicy sauce).  Traditionally, theplas have ingredients like sesame seeds, and crushed mustard seeds. And along with salt and the hot green peppers, always add lemon juice and half a teaspoon of sugar to get the mingling of tastes typical in Gujarati cuisine.

Theplas are also sometimes referred to as chandki when grated or finely chopped vegetables are mixed in the dough - grated cabbage, grated squash, blended corn and finely chopped methi (fenugreek leaves). Methi theplas are very popular for health reasons - it is an excellent way to eat iron-rich bread. 

Theplas can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, and lightly pan-roasted or microwaved just before serving.

 

Makes 20 theplas.

Ingredients

• 3 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 tbspn vegetable oil for dough
• 1-1/2 cup water 
• 1 cup finely chopped fenugreek leaves, or 1/2 cup dried chopped fenugreek leaves
• 1 tspn grated garlic (optional) 
• 1 tspn grated ginger
• 1 tspn grated or finely chopped green peppers
• 1 tbspn finely chopped cilantro
• 1 tspn lemon juice
• 1/2 tspn sugar
• 1 tbspn oil as shortening
• salt to taste
• vegetable oil for pan-frying

Preparation

1. Make a dough by mixing all the ingredients and oil, and slightly more than 1/2 cup of lukewarm water.
2. Cover the prepared dough with a damp cloth for 15 minutes. 

Instructions

1. Heat the pan. Using a non-stick pan minimizes the need for oil.
2. Make twenty balls of dough.
3. Dip the dough ball half-way in oil.
4. Roll the dough ball into a circular thepla, about 6 inches in diameter. 
5. Keep the heat at medium-high.
6. Place the thepla on the pan.
7. After about a minute, turn the thepla and pan-fry to cook completely. 

 

  Serving

1. Serve with butter, yogurt, chhundo (sweet pickle), achar (spicy pickle) and cilantro chatni (spicy sauce)
2. When served as a meal, it goes well with spicy potato curry. 

Makki ki roti (pan-roasted corn flatbread)



Nothing brings a smile to my face like the mention of makki ki roti and sarson ka saag - the best meal on a winter evening with people warming their hands by the fire, as one roti after another is served hot from the tawa, to be eaten with makkhan and gur, and pyaaz and mirch on the side please.


Makes 8 makki rotis.

I mix whole-wheat flour with corn meal to make soft makai rotis.


Ingredients

• 1 cup makki aata (corn meal)
• 1 cup aata (whole-wheat flour)
• 1 tbspn vegetable oil for dough
• 1 cup water 
• a pinch of salt
• vegetable oil for pan-frying

Preparation

1. Make a dough with the flour and oil - this should need slightly more than 1/2 cup of water.
2. Cover the prepared dough with a damp cloth for 15 minutes. 

Instructions

1. Heat the pan. Using a non-stick pan minimizes the need for oil.
2. Make eight balls from the dough.
3. Take a dough ball and roll it into a circle. 
4. Take a few drops of oil in the pan, and place makai ki roti. 
5. Press down lightly with a flat spatula.
6. Turn the parantha after a minute, and cook completely. 
7. If the dough is made right, the makai roti will puff up.

 Serving

1. Serve hot with stir-fried vegetables or curry. 

Plain Thepla (pan-fried wheat flatbread)

Makes 20 theplas.

I use whole-wheat flour for daily cooking.  Theplas are popular as a snack with tea, or as food packed for travel, and as such are made very appetizing with grated ginger, green peppers and garlic. They are usually served with butter, yogurt, chhundo (sweet pickle), achar (spicy pickle) and cilantro chatni (spicy sauce).  Traditionally, theplas have ingredients like crushed mustard seeds, sesame seeds, finely chopped cilantro. And along with salt and peppers, add lemon juice and half a teaspoon of sugar to get the typical mingling of tastes in Gujarati cuisine.

Theplas are also sometimes referred to as chandki when grated or finely chopped vegetables are mixed in the dough - grated cabbage, grated squash, blended corn and finely chopped methi (fenugreek leaves). Methi theplas are very popular for health reasons - it is an excellent way to eat iron-rich bread. 

Theplas can be stored in the refrigerated for 2-3 days, and lightly pan-roasted or microwaved just before serving.

Ingredients

• 3 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 tbspn vegetable oil for dough
• 1-1/2 cup water 
• 1 tspn grated garlic (optional) 
• 1 tspn grated ginger
• 1 tspn grated green peppers
• 1 tbspn finely chopped cilantro
• 1 tspn lemon juice
• 1 tspn sugar
• 1/2 tspn crushed red pepper to taste
• 1 tbspn oil as shortening
• salt to taste
• vegetable oil for pan-frying

Preparation

1. Make a dough with all the ingredients and oil - this should need slightly more than 1/2 cup of water.
2. Cover the prepared dough with a damp cloth for 15 minutes. 

Instructions

1. Heat the pan. Using a non-stick pan minimizes the need for oil.
2. Make twenty balls of dough.
3. Roll the dough ball into a circular thepla, about 6 inches in diameter. 
4. Take a few drops of oil in the pan, and place thepla. 
5. Add a few drops of oil at the edges of the thepla. 
6. Turn the thepla after a minute, and pan-fry to cook completely. 

  Serving

1. Serve with butter, yogurt, chhundo (sweet pickle), achar (spicy pickle) and cilantro chatni (spicy sauce)
2. When served as a meal, it goes well with potato curry. 

Muthiya

I had always eaten muthiya in undhiyu - till I ate muthiya as a snack at Pritiben's place, and realized here was a healthy snack I actually loved.

Muthiya is basically steamed dumplings made of a flour mix - aataa (whole wheat flour), sooji (cream of wheat) and besan (chick pea flour). Any grated or finely chopped vegetable can be added to the flour mix to form the dough - chopped spinach, grated squash, grated zuchhini, grated cabbage, finely chopped methi (fenugreek leaves).

Chopped green onions and grated garlic can be added to the dough, but I prefer to add them instead to the chatni (sauce). The sauce gets tangier and can be used for dipping for other deep-fried food as well.


Makes 6 cups of muthiya.

Ingredients

• 1 cup aata (whole wheat flour) 
• 1 cup besan (chick pea flour)
• 1/3 cup sooji (wheat semolina)
• 1 tbspn rai (mustard seeds) 
• 1 tbspn til (sesame seeds) 
• 2 packed cups finely chopped (spinach, fenugreek) or grated (cabbage, squash, zucchini)
• 1 tbspn finely chopped green peppers
• 1 tspn jeera powder (cumin powder) 
• 1 tspn dhania powder (coriander powder)
• 1 tbspn lemon juice
• 1 tspn sugar
• salt to taste
• oil for dough  

 Seasoning

• 1 tspn rai (mustard seeds)
• 1 tspn til (sesame seeds)
• 2 tbspn vegetable oil

Preparation (10 minutes)

1. Mix the ingredients with water to make a medium hard dough. It should take about 1-1/2 cups of water.
2. Cover with a damp cloth, and leave aside for 5 minutes.

Instructions (25 minutes)

1. Make 6 inch logs of about 1-1/2 inch diameter. 
2. Steam for 20 minutes.  
3. Heat the oil, pop rai and til and sprinkle over the muthiya.

Serving

1. Warm before serving.
2. Serve with a tangy, hot sauce. Tomato sauces go well with muthiya.

Sheero / Sooji-ka-Halwa

Makes 4 cups of sheero, or sooji ka halwa.

This is a popular dessert, warm or cold, and is made as prasad for Satyanarayan pooja.

Ingredients

• 2 cups sooji (cream of wheat)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tbspn cardamom, crushed
• 1 tbspn almonds, finely sliced - optional
• 1/2 tspn saffron - optional

Preparation (15 minutes)

1. Finely slice the almonds and crush cardamom.
2. Mix the saffron in 2 tbspn milk.   
3. In a non-stick pan, roast the sooji on Medium heat for 10 minutes till it is fragrant, stirring constantly.

Cooking (20 minutes)

1. In a non-stick pan, heat the ghee for a minute.
2. Add sooji and cardamom, and stir for 10 minutes.
3. Add sugar and stir for 5 minutes.
4. Add milk and stir for 5 minutes. 
5. Take off the heat and set aside. 

Serving

1. Place in a serving bowl, and sprinkle sliced almonds and pour the milk with saffron on top.
2. Serve hot, or refrigerate and serve cold.

Cabbage Edemami

Makes 6 cups of cabbage edemami.
This is a direct lift-off from my state-in-law, Gujarat's vegetable: kobij-vatana-nu-shaak. This fusion recipe is faster because of longer cabbage slices, more solid because of a big proportion of potato, and I use Edemami beans for their protein content.   

Ingredients

• 2 tbspn vegetable oil
• 1 tspn rai (mustard seeds) 
• 2 medium Thai peppers, finely chopped
• 1-1/2 tspn coriander powder 
• 1-1/2 tspn cumin powder
• 1 tspn turmeric powder 
• 8 cups sliced cabbage - max 1-1/2 inch long, negligible thickness
• 2 cups chopped potato - cross-sections of french fries
• 1 cup edemami 

Garnishing

• 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro

Preparation (10 minutes)

1. Chop the potato.
2. Slice the cabbage.
3. Chop peppers.
4. Defrost edemami beans, if frozen.

Instructions (10 minutes)

1. Heat the oil on High, and add mustard seeds and wait till they pop.
2. Change heat to Medium.
3. Add the curry leaves, and chopped peppers, and stir after one minute.
4. Add potato and stir for two minutes. 
5. Add grated ginger, spice powders, salt to taste and stir every minute for another three minutes.
6. Add edemami, stir and keep on heat for two minutes.
7. Take off the heat.  

Garnishing

1. Sprinkle cilantro on top.

Serving

1. Serve hot with chapati (corn roti).
2. Any conventional Indian flat bread - roti, paratha, puri will do in place of chapati.

Aloo Poha (Bataka Pawa) - flattened rice and potatos

Thanks to the unhealthy love for potato and rice in our household, Saturday morning breakfast is invariably aloo poha (aloo - potato, poha - pressed rice). It is undeniably appetizing, to be enjoyed with a cup of hot adrak-fudina chai.

I personally do not like the flavor of cinnamon with bataka pawa as it is popular known in Gujarat, but it is a popular garnishing. Also, I avoid onions in my cooking. Onions enhance taste but I can vouch for the fact that the onion-less recipe is equally yummy.


Make aloo poha breakfast for 4.

Ingredients 

For the poha

• 6 cups poha (pressed rice)
• 1 tspn coriander powder 
• 1 tspn cumin powder
• 1 tspn turmeric powder 
• 2 medium potato, finely chopped 
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped - optional
• 2 tspn lemon juice 
• 1 tspn sugar 
• salt, to taste

For the tempering

• 2 tbspn vegetable oil 
• 3 medium Thai peppers, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup peanuts 
• 1 tspn mustard seeds
• 6-8 curry leaves, chopped
• 1-2 mid-sized sticks of cinnamon - optional

For the garnishing

• 1 tbspn cilantro, finely chopped 
• 1 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup sev,  finely chopped - optional
• lemon slices, finely sliced
• 1 cup coconut, grated

Preparation (10 minutes)

1. Chop the peppers, cilantro.
2. Slice the lemon.
3. Chop the white onions and red onion fine.
4. Chop potato fine (cross-sections of french fry sized).
5. Wash the poha in cold water, strain immediately and set aside.  
6. Chop the cilantro.

Instructions  (10 minutes)

1. Heat the oil in a pan on High, and add curry leaves.
2. After a minute, add mustard seeds and allow them to pop.
3. Add peanuts, and stir for a minute.
4. Add the sliced peppers, and white onion, and stir for 2 minutes on Medium heat
5. Add the potato, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, salt.
6. Stir for 5 minutes, till the potato is done.
7. Add poha, take off the heat and stir lightly for 2 minutes.
8. Put the pan back on the heat, and stir for 1 minute.
9. Add lemon juice and sugar and stir.
10. Take off the heat.  

Garnishing

1. To each serving, add a fine slice of lemon, cilantro, red onions on top. 
2. Sprinkle sev. 

Serving

1. Serve hot.  

Puri

Makes 20 puris.


Ingredients

• 2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 tbspn vegetable oil for dough 
• 1/2 tspn ajwain
• 1 cup water 
• a pinch of salt
• vegetable oil for deep-frying

Preparation

1. Make a dough with the flour, oil and salt - this should need slightly less than 1 cup of water.
2. Cover the prepared dough with a damp cloth for 15 minutes. 

Instructions

1. Heat the frying pan with oil on High heat.
2. Make four logs from the dough.
3. Divide the log into dough balls - this allows all puris to be the same size.
4. Take a dough ball and roll it into a circle. 
5. Brush lightly with oil, and flip and roll it slightly.
6. Lower the heat to Medium and put puris in.
7. If the puri does not immediately rise to the top, the oil is not hot enough. If the puri turns brown in splotches immediately, the oil is too hot. 
8. As the puri immediately rises to the top, hold it down under the oil for one second. This fluffs it up.
9. Put the puri on a paper napkin to absorb the excess oil. I line the puri serving container with 2-3 layers of paper napkins so that any excess oil is absorbed well before serving.

  Serving

1. Puris are best served within minutes of frying.
2. They go well with all vegetables and curries, especially with potatos and tomato curry.
3. In Gujarat, where puris originate from, they are served with all vegetables, and are a mandatory accompaniment to undhiyu, keri nu ras (mango pulp) and shikhand (sweetened thick yogurt). 

Malaai Lassi

Makes 8 cups

This is a variation of the traditional lassi. This rich, thick and creamy, drink was a special treat. 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 

• 4 cups plain yogurt
• 2 cups fresh cream, or sweet cream
• 2 cups ice
• 4 tbspn sugar
• 1 tspn salt

For the garnishing

• 1 tspn cardamom, ground
  
• 1 tspn almonds, pistachios, finely chopped
• 1 tspn cashew, finely chopped
• 1 tspn rose petals, finely chopped - optional

Preparation (5 minutes)

1. Finely chop rose petals, cashews, almonds and pistachios. 

Instructions (2 minutes)

1. Blend the ingredients for 2 minutes.
2. Malaai 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 appetizers and meals. 
2. If the Malaai 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. 

Chhaas

Makes 8 cups

This is traditionally served with khichadi in Gujarat, but goes well with any spicy Indian meal. It is very refreshing, especially in the Indian summer. Chhaas is a good appetizer and digestive aid. It is served best within a couple of hours of being made.

I prefer the traditional chhaas with the rough texture that comes from blending by hand, using a spoon.

Ingredients

• 4 cups plain yogurt
• 4 cups chilled water
• 2 tspn sugar
• 1 tspn salt
• 1/2 tspn jeera (cumin seeds), roasted
  
• 1/2 tspn adrak (ginger), grated 
• 1/2 tspn mirch (green peppers), finely chopped 
• a pinch of heeng (asfoetida)

For the garnishing

• 1 tspn cilantro, finely chopped - optional
  
• 1/2 tspn sanchar (black salt) - optional

Preparation (5 minutes)

1. Grate the ginger.
2. Chop the peppers, and cilantro.  
3. Roast the cumin seeds. 

Instructions (2 minutes)

1. Blend the ingredients for 1 minute.
2. Chhaas is best made a couple of hours before serving. If refrigerated for more than 4 hours, it needs to be blended again before adding the tempering.

Garnishing (optional)

1. Sprinkle black salt and cilantro on the chhaas.

Serving

1. Goes well with spicy foods. 
2. If the chhaas is made to be served within a couple of hours, it can be poured into cups and garnished and refrigerated, ready to be served. 

Masala Chhaas

Makes 8 cups

This is traditionally served with khichadi in Gujarat, but goes well with any spicy Indian meal. It is very refreshing, especially in the Indian summer. Chhaas is a good appetizer and digestive aid. It is served best within a couple of hours of being made.

I prefer the traditional chhaas with the rough texture that comes from blending by hand, using a spoon.

Ingredients

• 4 cups plain yogurt
• 4 cups chilled water
• 2 tspn sugar
• 1 tspn salt

For the tempering

• 1 tspn vegetable oil
• 1/2 tspn rai (mustard seeds)
  
• 1/2 tspn adrak (ginger), grated 
• 1/2 tspn mirch (green peppers), finely chopped  
• 3-4 curry leaves, chopped
• a pinch of heeng (asfoetida)

For the garnishing

• 1 tspn, cumin seeds, roasted and crushed - optional 
• 1 tspn cilantro, finely chopped - optional
  
• 1/2 tspn mint leaves, finely chopped - optional
• 1/2 tspn sanchar (black salt) - optional
• 1/2 tspn chaat masala - optional

Preparation (5 minutes)

1. Grate the ginger.
2. Chop the peppers, curry leaves, cilantro and mint.  
3. Roast the cumin seeds and crush them.

Instructions (5 minutes)

1. Blend the ingredients for 1 minute.
2. Chhaas is best made a couple of hours before serving. If refrigerated for more than 4 hours, it needs to be blended again before adding the tempering.

Tempering

1. Heat the oil.
2. Add mustard seeds.
3. When the mustard seeds pop, take off the heat.
4. Add ginger, peppers and asfoetida.
5. Add the tempering to the chhaas.

Garnishing (optional)

1. Add black salt and chaat masala to the chhaas.
2. Pour chhaas into cups and sprinkle the cilantro and mint, and crushed cumin on each cup.

Serving

1. Goes well with spicy foods. 
2. If the chhaas is made to be served within a couple of hours, it can be poured into cups and garnished and refrigerated, ready to be served. 

Mango 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. 

Edemami Rice

Healthy rice recipe - goes with any soup or curry. Edemami can be substituted with lima beans as per taste.

Ingredients 

• 2 cups Basmati rice
• 1 cup frozen edemami beans
• 1 tspn ghee, or butter
• water for washing, soaking and cooking 
• salt, to taste

For the tempering

• 1 tspn vegetable oil 
• 1 tspn cumin seeds
• 2-3 cloves
• 2-3 peppercorn

Preparation (10 minutes)

1. Soak rice for 10 minutes in lukewarm water and wash clean.
2. Add 1 cup of water to the edemami beans in a bowl, and microwave on High for 3 minutes.

Instructions (15 minutes)

1. For tempering, heat the oil in a pan, and add cumin seeds, cloves and peppercorn.
2. When the cumin seeds pop, add the edemami beans and stir for a minute.
3. Add the rice, ghee and salt, and stir for 2 minutes. 
4. Add 6 cups of water and cook in the open pan for 10 minutes.
5. Take off the heat, and cover.

Garnishing (optional)

1. Sprinkle fried finely sliced onions on top. 

Serving

1. Serve hot.