Puran Poli (stuffed sweet roti)

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. 

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.

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). 

Slitted spicy baingan (brinjals) in a microwave

Slitted spicy baingan can be made in the microwave. This recipe is for 18 brinjals.

Ingredients

• 1 tspn finely chopped ginger
• 1 tspn finely chopped garlic
• 2 tspn coriander powder
• 2 tspn 
• 1 tspn turmeric powder
• 2 tspn salt
• ½ tspn citric acid
• 1 tspn sugar 
• 18 brinjals

For tempering

• 1 tspn mustard seeds
• 1 tspn sesame seeds
• 2 tbspn oil

For garnishing

• ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
• ½ cup finely grated coconut

Preparation

1. Mix the ingredients in a bowl. 
2. Slit the brinjals vertically from one end without cutting them in two halfs. And make another vertical cut from the other end, at right angles to the first cut.
3. Stuff the brinjals with spice mix.
4. In a glass bowl, add the ingredients for tempering.
5. Place brinjals.
6. Sprinkle the remaining spice mix in the bowl.
7. Cover the bowl.
8. Cook in a microwave for 3 minutes. 
9. Take the bowl out, and turn the brinjals.
10. Repeat steps 8 and 9 three times. 
11. Keep aside.

Instructions

1. Heat the oil, and stir the onions on medium-high heat till they are pink.
2. Add the peppers and powdered spices and stir till the oil separates from the onions. 
3. Add grated ginger and grated garlic and saute for another minute.
4. Add cashew paste and stir well. - optional
5. Add salt to taste. 
6. Add chopped tomatoes, and stir for two minutes. - optional
7. Add the chopped spinach and stir on low-medium heat for another two minutes. 

Garnishing

1. Sprinkle grated coconut and finely chopped cilantro. 

Serving

1. Serve hot with any flat bread - nan, roti or paratha hot from the pan.

Parantha (pan-fried flat bread)

Makes 8 paranthas.
I use whole-wheat flour for daily cooking. Parathas are traditionally made with a mix of equal measures of maida (refined flour) and aata (whole-wheat flour) - making them whiter in color.

Ingredients

• 2 cups 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. Brush lightly with oil, and fold into a semi-circle.
5. Brush lightly with oil, and fold into a quarter-circle.
6. Roll it to get a triangular parantha. 
7. Take a few drops of oil in the pan, and place parantha. 
8. Add a few drops of oil at the edges of the parantha. 
9. Press down lightly with a flat spatula on different points of the parantha.
10. Turn the parantha after a minute, and pan-fry to cook completely. 

 

  Serving

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

Sarson ka saag (Mustard greens)

Makes 6 cups of sarson ka saag.
I prefer the taste and texture of finely chopped vegetables to blended vegetables. Blending is more popular - it gives a more refined look to the presentation and reduces prep time.
Being lacto-vegetarian, I use ghee where it is traditionally used, as in this recipe. 

Ingredients

• 4 tbspn vegetable oil
• 1 tspn rai (mustard seeds) 
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 medium Thai peppers, finely chopped
• 1-1/2 tspn coriander powder 
• 1-1/2 tspn cumin powder
• 1 tspn turmeric powder 
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tbspn ginger, grated
• 8 cups finely chopped mustard greens (sarson) - can be blended instead
• 3 cups finely chopped spinach - can be blended instead

Preparation (20 minutes)

1. Grate garlic, ginger.
2. Cut peppers, and finely chop onions, mustard greens and spinach - or blend to save time.

Instructions

1. Heat the oil, and add mustard seeds and wait till they pop.
2. Add the onions, and stir on medium-high heat till they are pink.
3. Add the peppers and powdered spices and stir till the oil separates from the onions. 
4. Add grated ginger and grated garlic and saute for another minute.
5. Add salt to taste. 
6. Add the finely chopped mustard greens and stir on low-medium heat for another two minutes.  
7. Add the finely chopped spinach and continue to stir for another five minutes.
8. Add 1 cup of water, and stir for another two minutes.
9. Take off the heat.  

Garnishing

1. Sprinkle cilantro on top.

Serving

1. Serve hot with makki ki roti (corn roti) hot from the pan, and refrigerated lassi (yogurt shake).
2. Any flat bread - roti, paratha, nan will do in place of Makki-ki-roti.