Sonth aur Gond ke laddu (ginger & gum)(postnatal dish)

Winters in marwar are very mild.Still people keep complaining about it and drags out the quilts and blankets by the end of diwali..Menu for lunch and dinner also changes and so the sweets and snacks.Ginger which is considered as very usefull either  fresh or dried is used in making laddus.These laddus are made for nursing mother as it is a part of  postnatal diet programm.

Let us make these laddus.

              

   Ingredients required                                                                                                                

Ginger powder     1 cup                                                                                                                 

Sugar powder        2 cup                                                                                                                        

Ghee or clarified butter          2 cup                                                                                                                 

Gond powder      1/2 cup                                                                                                                                       

Almonds powder   1/2                                                                                                                                      

Dried coconut powder      1/2 cup                                                                                                                              

Whole wheat flour      1 cup                                                                                                                              

                                    Ingredients 

Keep a thick bottomed pan   on flame and add ghee.Now add wheat flour and stir till it roasted and gives an aeroma.Switch off the flame and add gond powder .It will start popping up.                                                  

                         

Gond getting popped up

                      Now add almond and coconut powder.Stir well .Now add sugar powder and ginger powder and mix the mixture well.Now make laddus out of this mixture by pressing it in between palm.

Tips:                                                                                                                                                            

Do not make fine powder of Gond ,almonds and coconut .Let there be some what granules to get a nutty taste                                                                                                                                   

These laddus have a long shelf life as there is no moisture in it.

   

Pav Bhaji

This is not at all a marwari dish .I can say it is an Indian dish as it is being liked throughout the country.The reason being the nutritive value and the easy to prepare.
                       
It is fun to make this dish during winter as all vegetables required for this dish  are easily available .One can make it  with    whatever  vegetables are available.But the flavour of capsicum and tartness of tomato is a must.

                                                                   Ingredients  

Ingredients required:  for four people
Potato   2
tomato  4
lauki or white gourd known as dudhi in mumbai  250 gms
green peas  shelled  1/2 cup
carrots   2 medium size
cauliflower  1 cup florets
capsicum  2 medium size
french beans 1/2 cups
green coriander leaves     1 cup finely chopped

lemon 2
butter   1 cup
cummin seeds  1 teaspoon
salt   according to taste
pavbhaji masala  2 table spoons(Easily available in Indian grocery stores )
pav  2 loaves     (available in bakery and grocery shop)

                                             

       Wash and cut all the vegetables .Capsicum  and tomatoes should be cut in small pieces.Wash and chop coriander leaves finely

In pressure cooker cook all the vegetables except capsicum and tomatoes  till two whistles.  In a pan put oil  butter and add cummin seeds and capsicum.Saute for five minutes and then add tomatoes and again stir it till tomatoes are tender.now remove the lid of the cooker and mash the vegetables with a potato masher and mix it in the pan with capsicum and tomatoes.Now add salt and pav bhaji masala and mix well .Let this mixture cook for next five minutes.Now switch off the flame and squeeze lemon juice.Pav bhaji is ready to serve.
For serving:
Put  a tava or griddle on stove and put some butter and immediately put the pav pieces to be toasted with butter.In a  plate serve the pav and bhaji .Garnish this bhaji with a dollop of butter and finey chopped coriander leaves along with a lemon piece.
Tips

Lemon should be squeezed after removing from flame otherwise it will give bitter taste.
Coriander leaves should be used at the time of serving to restore the taste and color.

Khaman Dhokla

Like most all Gujarati snacks (such as Patra and Khandvi), the most important aspect of Dhoklas is their seasoning.  Yes, it is important to know how to make Dhoklas soft and spongy but without the right garnish, dhoklas will just be soft and spongy idlis, not dhoklas.  So before you commit to making a batch of dhoklas, check your refrigerator and pantry and make sure you have the ingredients necessary for garnishing and if not, make sure it will be available by the time the dhoklas come out of the cooker. 

Ingredients
For the Dhokla cakes:
1 cup chana dal
1/2 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons grated jaggery
3 green chillies (to grind in with the dal)
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

For Seasoning and garnishing
1tablespoon mustard seeds
15 curry leaves
3 green chillies
Freshly chopped cilantro (to taste)
Soak chana dal in water for 6 hours. Now grind in a paste with yogurt and jaggery and green chillies. Cover and keep the paste in a warm place for 10 hours. Add salt. In a big vessel heat water when water starts boiling then in one table spoon oil add baking soda and turmeric and stir to make a smooth paste and add this paste in the fermented dough. Grease a plate with a high border and pour the dough. Keep the plate in the vessel with boiling water taking care that water does not enter into the plate. Cover the vessel and let it steam for 8 to 10 minutes. Switch off the flame and let it cool for next 10 minutes.  Dhokala stands are also available in the market which are easy to use.

                              

Remove the lid take out the plate.Let it cool for 20 minutes and then cut into required size.

                                        Steamed Dhokala Plate

 Put all the pieces in a big plate.
Seasoning:
In a big spoon add two table spoon of oil and when it is heated add mustard seeds, curry leaves cut longitudinally in halves and the whole green chillies.  When it starts sputtering, pour the seasoning over the dhokla cakes and toss all pieces gently so that every piece gets equally seasoned. Add the freshly chopped cilantro.  Serve dhokalas with dhaniya chutney and Imli chutney.

Tips:-

Never cut hot dhokalas let these cool otherwise desired shape will not be obtained.