Dudhi Na Muthiya A Gujarati Delicacy (Steamed Bottlegourd Dumplings)

Hey Everyone!

I know I have been away for a very long time and to be honest I had been planning to start posting again regularly for almost 6 months now but for some or the other reason it just kept on delaying. Still I won't make promises that I will post every single day but yes I will definitely try to post atleast once a week :)

Being a total gujju I absolutely love the simple ethnic dishes from gujarati cuisine. Lots of these dishes bring back happy memories of childhood days and hence are quite close to my heart. One such dish would be Dudhi Na Muthiya aka Steamed Bottlegourd Dumplings! Muthiya (Steamed Dumplings) are very famous in gujarati cuisine and are made with a lot of different vegetables, some common would be Bottlegourd and Fenugreek leaves! Muthiya's are usually eaten as a snack along with homemade chutney or even sprinkled with some fresh coriander and sev! 

 Today I'll be sharing with you all recipe for Bottlegourd dumplings which are steamed and hence quite healthy!...so lets get cracking :)

Ingredients:-

-> 250gm bottlegourd grated

-> 1.5 to 2 cups of whole wheat flour (atta)

-> 1/4 cup of chickpea flour (besan)

-> 1 tsp red chili powder

-> 1 tsp turmeric powder

-> 1 tsp coriander powder

-> 2 tbsp curd

-> 2 tbsp oil

-> Salt to taste

-> 2 tbsp sugar

-> 1/2 lime juice

For seasoning:-

-> 1 tbsp oil

-> 1 tsp mustard seeds

-> 1 tsp cumin seeds

-> 1 tsp sesame seeds

-> 1 generous pinch of asafoetida (hing)

-> 1 green chili finely chopped

-> 8 to 10 curry leaves

Procedure:-

• In a clean bowl mix together grated bottlegourd, curd, oil, salt, sugar, red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and lime juice. 
• Once the sugar as melted add in whole wheat flour and besan and make soft dough without adding any extra water since bottlegourd itself is has huge water content
• Oil your hands and take small balls of the dough, shape them into logs
• Steam the logs in a steamer for 20 to 30 mins, until they are cooked
• Turn off the gas and let the steamed bottlegourd logs cool down completely
• Once they are cooled cut them into small pieces as desired.
• Heat the oil in a pan for seasoning, once its hot add in green chilies, cumin seeds, asafoetida, mustard seeds, sesame seeds and curry leaves.
• Once the seeds start to crackle add in the muthiyas.
• Cook them for 5 to 7 mins until they turn light golden brown
• Muthiyas are ready to serve! Serve them hot with coriander chutney or sprinkle some fresh coriander and sev on top

I hope the recipe was helpful, if you make dudhi muthiyas do share how they turned out for you :)

Until next time take care and stay healthy!

Love,

Kanda Sev Tameta Nu Shaak - A Gujarati Speciality

Dear All,

I enjoy simple pleasure in life, from walking on sand without footwear to sipping filter coffee during rainy season, from reading a romantic novel to watching a kid playing with balloons and from having roadside pani puri to cook for someone special and watching them eat, I bet there is no site more satisfying.  My mom is blessed in having a daughter who is not at all fussy in eating, oh yeah I am talking about myself :-) Of course we all have choices but I dont remember being fussy about any food or not liking a vegetable...of course there are exceptions and karela is not a vegetable in my dictionary!

I too am blessed to have D who is not at all fussy in food habbits, poor guy majority of my experiments in switzerland were done on him and what choice he had?  Today's dish is one of his favorites and I still remember the expression on his face when I served this curry. Sev in curry? I am sure he must have thought I am nuts but after tasting..lets just say he chew on his own thoughts :) After Bharela Kanda (Cilantro stuffed onions) this is one of my favorite dishes as well, its quick and extremely  tasty! 

Serves 2
Kanda Sev Tameta Nu Shaak
Ingredients:-
2 medium onions, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup Sev (increase or decrease acc to taste)
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp coriander seeds powder
1 tsp cumin seeds powder
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste

Procedure:-

• Heat oil in a pan, add in asafoetida, mustard seeds and cumin seeds, as it starts to splutter add in chopped onions and tomatoes.
• Cook on slow gas for about 2 to 3 mins, add in 1 cup water and rest all masalas - turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, salt and sugar.
• Cover and cook for 10 mins, until onions and tomatoes are cooked properly.
• Finally just before serving add in sev and mix lightly, serve immediately with rotis or phulkas.
• Enjoy this delicious and tasty dish whenever you want, lunch or dinner, its perfect on both the occasions!

I love to make this during night time as I enjoy having this curry hot with some rotis, its perfect for a winter evening!  If you enjoy Gujarati cuisine then you will love this as well, try and let me know.

This dish is off to Flavors of Gujarat event by Nayna.

Until next time, take care and have a relaxing weekend!

Methi Na Thepla - Indian flatbread made with fenugreek leaves

Dear Foodies,

I have received so many requests and emails to share some of the famous Gujarati recipes, so i thought lets start with one of my very favorite gujarati dish Methi Na Thepla translated as Indian flatbreads made with fenugreek leaves. The moment we hear the word Gujarati some of the dishes automatically are associated with it like Theplas, Dhoklas, Khakra, Oondhiyu to name a few. Being gujarati myself I have born and brought up in a household where theplas and dhoklas are made almost every week. I cant even imagine my life without them! 

These are life savior when it comes to travelling and shelf life. I dont remember a single vacation or a trip when we didnt prepare these. When had with batata nu shaak (Potato curry) its unbeatable combo! Even when I left for swiss, my mom had prepared 200 theplas , not that I eat a lot but lot of my colleagues had requested to get these for them from india. If prepared properly and refrigerated these go on for almost a month. Due to higher shelf life people going abroad always take theplas with them to survive for the initial few weeks. I make methi na theplas every week, they are very healthy, delicious and you can have them with absolutely anything curd, pickle, potato curry or jam!

Recipe Source: My Mom
Yields 10 - 12 theplas depending upon the size
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh fenugreek leaves finely chopped
1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour (atta)
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander seeds powder
1 tsp cumin seeds powder
lemon sized ball of jaggery
Salt to taste
Water as required

Procedure:-

• In a clean bowl, mix together fenugreek leaves, salt, jaggery, coriander powder, red chili powder, cumin powder and turmeric powder. All in 2 tbsp of oil and mix well using your hands for 5 to 8 mins until jaggery has disolved. The mixture should be oily. Cover and leave for 15 mins.
• After 15 mins, add the whole wheat flour in this mixture and knead into a soft dough using water as required. The dough should have consistency similar to roti dough.
• Make lemon sized balls and using a rolling pin roll them into circles.
• Cook theplas on non stick pan using little oil on both the sides. Make sure the heat is medium, if you cook them on slow heat the theplas will become very crispy and hard, if you cook on high heat they will get browned too soon without being cooked.
• Serve them hot with curd, pickle or potato curry. 

Let me share a very funny incident with you all. Back in school days we along with my cousins family visited Rajasthan. We visited many cities along with Jaipur, Ajmer, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Udaipur. One day we were visiting a fort in Jaisalmer and below is the conversation I had

Uncle: Chalo chalo bacha log, lets get down and move towards the fort.
Me: Grrr..(We had skipped morning breakfast and it was decided to have it at the fort itself)..let me finish my thepla, i'll join u all later.
Uncle: Ok you can take it with you but I will not leave u in the car alone.
Me: Oh...pls ..I'll be fine
Uncle: NO!!!
Me: Ok fine..lets go
(Leading the way by my uncle we started walking towards the fort, I was busy enjoying my theplas which was rolled up with some lemon pickle...mmm just thinking of it got my mouth watering!! Behind my parents and aunt were following, suddenly uncle shouted)
Uncle: Be careful here, its marble flooring and someone has spilled water on it.
Me: I shouted back to my parents and aunt, be careful everyone the water is wet !!!!

Frankly even after i blurted out I still couldnt get it, my uncle came by my side and said casually "water is always wet dear". Hearing this everyone started laughing and I felt like why doesnt the earth open up and take me within :(( Till this date he teases me and I still cant forget that horrid incident!! But all in all it was one of the most memorable trip I have had, what a beautiful place rajasthan is, havent visited? What are you waiting for, plan your next trip there!!

This dish is off to Flavors Of Gujarat event by Nayna

Dudhi Chana Nu Shaak - A Gujarati Speciality (Bottlegourd and Bengal gram curry)

Dear All,

I know I have been away for quite some time, but now I am back!! Taking a break was never my decision, neither was i lazy but right now there is just too much on my plate to handle. December being the month of marriages for the next three weekends i'll be busy attending marriages and other wedding functions. I love all the "rasams and rivaaz" that take place during the wedding, all the colorful decorations, the mehendi rasam and how can we forget dandiya :-) Family functions are also the occassions where all the singles in the family are targetted especially if you have crossed the average age of getting married which is again defined by the society :-((( It just doesnt stop here, even after you get married they'll be behind you to start a family..ah well I can dedicate a whole post on this!!  December is also the month of my birthday, when is it? any special plans? you'll come to know :-)

Lets get back to today's recipe, Dudhi Chana Nu Shaak is very common in every gujarati household. During my school days mom used to prepare this along with Kadhi every wednesday. Dont know what was with wednesday but i remember enjoying it to the very last bite. There is a saying in gujarati "Dudhi khaaiye toh Budhi aave" which literally means "If you eat Bottlegourd than you'll get good brains". The best part is that it doesnt take much time to prepare, you can put everything in the cooker and it will be ready in less than 10 mins, dont believe me? scroll down and try out for yourself :-)

Dudhi Chana Nu Shaak
(Bottlegourd and Bengal gram curry)
Ingredients: Serves 2 to 3
500 gms dudhi, peeled and diced
1/2 cup Chana dal, washed
2 tsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
a generous pinch of Asafoetida (Hing)
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp sugar
Salt to taste
1 cup of water

Procedure:-

• Heat the oil in cooker, add in  mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida and turmeric powder.
• As soon as the seeds start to splutter add in cubed bottlegourd pieces and the rest of the masalas (salt, sugar, red chilli, cumin and coriander powder)
• Saute for around a min.
• Now add in the chana dal and water (IMP - Bottlegourd leaves lots of water so be careful while adding water.)
• Mix well and pressure cook it for 5 to 6 whistles.
• Serve hot with rotis or chapatis.

Can any curry be more simpler? Do try out and let me know your experience. Wishing you all a very happy and pleasant weekend, enjoy, relax and have fun :-) Till next time tia!!

Guvar Dhokli Nu Shaak - A Gujarati Delicacy (Cluster Beans Curry)

Dear All,

A dear friend of mine sent me a message "We all are part of a puzzle of someone else's life. You many never know where you fit in, but someone else's life may never be complete without you !!" How true is this? When we look back in past, we meet many people and as we meet them their lives get connected to ours. Sometimes we find them as our friends, colleagues, bosses etc I truly believe that we learn something from our each interaction. We learn and feel every emotion happiness, anger, trust, courage, patience. All this is very important for us to become a better human being and truly enriches our lives. I am not sure if I am part of a puzzle of someone else's life but I sure know that I will try to fit in :-)

Todays dish is long pending, it was initially requested by Sangeeta and I had promised her I will post the recipe very soon. Due to unavailability of cluster beans in swiss i couldnt post the recipe earlier. Guvar Dhokli Nu Shaak as said in gujarati is one of my favorite curries to an extent where i can eat this all alone without rotis and believe me its very tasty and fulfilling. I am sure every gujarati must have tasted this atleast once in their life. Its very regular in my house and is enjoyed by all. I would urge everyone to try out this dish once and experience the difference :-)

Recipe Source: My Mom

Ingredients:

250 gms Cluster Beans chopped (Guvar)

a generoud pinch of asafoetida (Hing)

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

Salt to taste

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp oil

For Dhoklis:

1 cup chickpea flour (Besan)

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

a pinch of baking soda

2 - 3 tbsp oil

Procedure:-

• To make dhoklis, mix everything together and make a smooth dough. Avoid adding water to the dough and use more oil if required.
• Make small round balls and flatten them with your hands. Remove 4 to 5 dhoklis and keep them aside.
• In a pan heat about a tsp of oil, add in asafoetida, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and let them splutter.
• Now add in the cluster beans, washed and chopped. Add rest of the masalas and 1/2 cup of water.
• Cover and cook for 7 to 8  mins.
• Once 90% done, slowly add in all the dhoklis one by one. Cover and cook for another 5 mins.
• Smash the dhoklis which we had kept aside and stir in the curry, add in water if required. This helps to make the curry thick in consistency.
• Make sure you donot frequently stir the curry as it may break the dhoklis.
• Serve immediately with hot rotis.

Weekend if very near so here's wishing you all a very happy and relaxing weekend. See you all next week.

This dish is off to Flavors Of Gujarat event by Nayna

Traditional Gujarati Kadhi

Kadhi its a very special dish for me as its my favorite and my mom's best dish, although i love all dishes she prepares :) Kadhi has rich and creamy consistency along with sweet and sour taste. Kadhi is best served with hot mildly spiced khichdi drizzled with lots of ghee :) You can add different veggies too.....my mom's specialty is adding grated potatoes which i have skipped here.

I have prepared this kadhi using the traditional way which my mom and aunts used to prepare. My mom is originally from Porbandar which is a small city in Saurashtra now part of Gujarat. Porbandar is well known as Mahatma Gandhi's birth place. During our summer vacations back in school we always used to visit my masi (mom's elder sis) who lives in porbandar. We all children used to gather and have so much of fun, playing cards and having ice golas were the most important part of our day to day activites :) Porbandar being on the sea side is always very cooler even during summer, evenings are pleasant and nights are cold. During these nights we used to enjoy having hot khichdi kadhi along with onions and buttermilk. Simple and satisfying meal after playing so hard the whole day :) Sending this dish to Village Special Recipes event hosted by Shama and to Festive Food : Summer Treat event by Priti.

The recipe below will serve 4.

Ingredients:
1 cup yogurt
3 tbsp besan or chickpea flour
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
2 green chillies chopped finely or sliced in middle
1 tsp grated ginger(I used ginger paste)
1 tsp sugar or small piece of jaggery(I used jaggery)
3 cups of water


For Tempering:
1 tsp oil
1 tsp ghee
2 whole dry red chillies
1 generous pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
7-8 curry leaves
1 small piece of cinnamon
4-5 whole cloves
Coriander leaves for garnishing





Procedure:

• Mix together curd, besan, salt, turmeric, ginger, jaggery and water in a bowl.
• Using a hand blender mix it well.
• Heat the kadhi on medium heat until it comes to simmer, boil it for 2 to 3 mins.
• For tempering in a seperate vessel, heat oil and ghee, when hot add in cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, red chillies, asafoetida, cloves, cinnamon and curry leaves.
• As soon as the seeds start to splutter and you get a nice aroma add these to the kadhi mixture.
• Cook the kadhi on medium heat for about 5 to 8 mins.
• Garnish with coriander and serve hot with khichdi

This dish is off to Flavors Of Gujarat an event by Nayna

Masala Khichdi

Khichdi, its one of the most simplest and easiest to make. You can never go wrong in making khichdi. I remember when i had started cooking way back when i was in school one of the dishes I learnt first was khichdi. Its said to be mild for stomach and considered to be a comfort food. Most of the doctors suggest to eat khichdi in sickness. Khichdi is very famous in gujaratis and we prepare it almost once or twice a week. Its best for bachelors and when you need something in jiffy as this dish can be prepared in minutes. Traditionally khichdi is prepared using Toor Dal and Rice and its mildly spiced with salt and turmeric powder. Spoonfuls of ghee is drizzled over it and served with Kadhi. I know lot of you out there must be thinking about the extra calories, but believe me its all worth it :) I have prepared this dish using split green gram lentils and added whole spices and masalas, hence the name Masala Khichdi. The recipe below serves 2. This is my fourth entry to Single Serving Recipes event started by Sahaja of SpicyRasam. Ingredients: 2/3 cup rice 1/3 cup split green gram 1 big red onion chopped finely 2 tbsp peanuts 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp red chillie powder 1/2 tsp garam masala powder For tempering: 1 tbsp oil 1 tsp cumin seeds 3 whole cardamon pods split into half 1 stick cinnamon 3-4 whole black peppers 1 bay leaf 2-3 anise flowers 2-3 cloves 2 dry red chillis broken into half 1 pinch asafoetida

Procedure:

• Wash the rice and green gram together, keep it aside.
• In a pressure cooker, heat the oil add cumin seeds, elaichi, black peppers, cinnamon, dry red chillies, bay leaf, star anise, cloves and asafoetida.
• When cumin seeds start spluttering, add in peanuts and saute for about 2 mins.
• Now add in onions, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala and salt. Saute the mixture for about 5 mins.
• Add the rice and green gram along with 2 1/2 cups of water. Pressure cook on medium for about 3 to 4 whistles or until cooked.
• Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with curd.

The best part about this dish is that you can eat it just as it is without any side dish, its a whole meal in itself. I like mine with pickle and curd.

Variations: You can also add in some veggies like carrots, green peas cauliflower etc to give it a healthier touch.