spices(masale)

Sambar powder
Role of spices in Indian cooking is very important.With different combinations of various spices the taste of a dish changes .Dal cooked in different part of India varies in taste just because of the spices added in it . Southern part of the country makes sambarwhich is tuar dal cooked with a special masala called sambar powder.let us make sambar powder.although it is available in market butthe aroma of freshly grounded sambar powder is uncomparable.

                                       
Ingredients required.

Whole coriander seeds    1/4


Dried   red chillies         15

Methi seeds           1/4 cup

Mustard seeds      1/4 cup

Chana Dal            1/4 cup

Urad dal               1/4 cup

Curry leaves         A bunch

All these ingredients should roasted in a pan one by one as the time taken for each one is different.Chana dal takes longer time and curry leaves and chillies take very less time.
Let these cool and then grind in grinder to make fine powder.Store in an air tight container.

Tips

Amount of chillies can be varied according to taste.

Akha teej (Akshay Tritiya ) ka khana

Celebrate akshay tritiya with traditional marwari  food

      

Hindu Calender is full of festivals and celebration.The main part of all celebration is the food. Dishes prepared on these festivals are significant of the seasons and the crop  of these seasons.Akha Teej is celebrated in the month of Baisakh .This year akhateej falls on 6th of may.As the new wheat crop arrives during this time so most dishes are made out of wheat.Akha or akshay means whole or unbroken.Fresh gawar beans are just arrives at this time.Food prepared on that day is mostly with whole ingredients.like gawar beans,red chillies, badiye and kachari are all unbroken.

1 Kheech

The important dish is kheech of wheat.It is prepared by removing the husk from wheat and then by dry grinding of wheat.Thisi s the broken wheat minus husk.Earlier days it was prepared manually in a stone grinder.But now it can be prepared with  electric kitchen grinder.Ready to cook kheech  is available at all grocery shops in marwar on akhateej..Those who are living outside can make it at home or can do with lapsi or dalia that is broken wheat.

                                                   

Cooking of kheech

In a pressure cooker pour 6cups of water and 1 tablespoon salt.Water to kheech ratio is 1:6.Add 1 cup kheech and stir intermittently till it starts boiling.Now cover it and put the weight.After one whistle lower the flame and let it cook for 20 to25minutes.When it is cool then open and it is ready to serve .Serve it with 1 or 2 teaspoon of ghee.As it needs more water for cooking therefore either use bigger cooker or cook in   a thick bottomed vessel.the small cooker will try to spill water outside with every release of pressure and will make a mess out of it.

2 Gawar Badiyon ka saag

Ingredients required

                                                 

1/4 cup badiyen (Made out of moong dal)

Fresh gawar beans

4 whole red chillies

5 dried kachari

1/4 cup yogurt

1 teaspoon each of turmeric powder and dried coriander powder and salt

2 tablespoon ghee

a pinch of hing

Wash gawarfali.In a pan pour 2 cups of water switch on the burner and when water starts boiling add badiyen,gawar,chillies,kachari.Let it boil for 10 minutes.When badiyen are tender and starts floating on water remove from fire.

In another pan add ghee and hing and when it is hot enough then pour turmeric and coriander powder and yogurt.Add salt also.Stir it and add boiled ingredients from previous pan .Let it boil for 5 minutes till all the ingredients are cooked well .Remove from fire .It is ready to serve.

3 Bati


This is also a wheat preparation.Bati represents the marwari food.This is the baked  wheat dough dumplings .

Ingredients required

1 cup wheat flour

8 tablespoon ghee

1/2 teaspoon salt

In flour add 4 tablespoon ghee and salt and rub thoroughly.

Now knead the dough.Make small balls out of this dough.Flatten the ball and press from the centre.

Now bake .Baking can be done
either in

electric oven
or
gas tandoor
or
traditional oven made with charcoal.

Bake these batis till  golden brown.

Dip these batis in ghee and serve

4   Churma

For churma take these batis before dipping into ghee .Break into pieces .Grind in a grinder.
Mix sugar powder ,cardamom powder and nuts of one's choice

5  Gulab (galwani)

Ingredients

    

Wheat flour

jaggery

ghee.
Mix jaggery in water and boil it for 5 minutes.Strain it through a sieve to remove dirt of jaggery.Let it cool.
In a pan put ghee and add flour and stir till it turns golden brown.

Now add this roasted flour in jaggery water and mix well.now put this vessel on fire and stir it till it starts boiling.Stop stirring and let it cook for five minutes.Gulab is ready to serve.Add cardamom powder.


Tips :-

Although it is summer time but kheech tastes good when it is served hot.

Dal Dhokali

                                                                  

This dish is very popular in Gujarat and Rajasthan.The ingredients are same as for simple dal roti.But with little bit spices and variation it gives a yummy taste.And best part is that you do not need all the gajettes for roti making like belan and chakala.


Ingredients required

1/2 cup moong dal green

1 cup wheat flour

2 teaspoon salt

1 tea spoon red chilli powder

1 /2 teaspoon ciriander powder

1/4 tea spoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon jeera(cummin seeds)

2 pinches of hing

3 tablespoon ghee

2 table spoon finely chopped green coriander leaves

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped green chillies

1/2 teaspoon ginger julliens
      few mint leaves chopped

1/4 teaspoon of garam masala (optional)
Wash dal with water and put in pressure cooker .Add salt + chilli powder,haldi powder and dhania powder and a pinch of hing.Add 1/2 tablespoon and cook dal till it gives two whistles.

Let the cooker get cool.

Making of dhokalies.

In a bowl mix wheat flour + salt + 1 teaspoon chilli powder + a pinch of hing.+ 2 tablespoon of ghee.

Mix well and then knead the flour with a consistency of paratha dough.Divide the dough in 30 pieces.

Make small balls and flatten in the centre.With finger make a whole in the centre.The whole is made for better steaming in the centre

.Open the cooker add 2 cups of water and let it boil.When it starts boiling then add dhokalies in it .Cover it and cook it again till 2 whistles.Switch off the flame.

Open when pressure is lowered..Add remaining ghee and coriander,ginger,green chillies and mint .

Serve hot with papad and salad.


It tastes good in all seasons.But marwri likes it on a rainy day.


Tips

Salt and chilli powder can be adjusted according to personal taste.

Amount of ghee prescribed is as per calorie concious does it can be varied.

Gujarati dal dhokali is made with Arhar dal and shape also is different.The dough is rolled into roti and then cut into small diamond shape .