'Indian Sweets and Snacks' - A Recap

Readers who follow my blog might me aware that I am a part of blogging marathon group where we sign up to post recipes each month. April and September months are meant for month long marathons where we post recipes each day with set themes, barring Sundays. I have been part of these mega marathons since it started excepting a few owing to my India trips. I posted some traditional sweets and snacks from India this September. Before posting round up of those recipes, below are links for my previous mega marathons with the mentioned themes. If interested, click on those links and you will find about 26 to 30 dishes in each category.

Apr 2019 A - Z Indian Biryani / Pulao / Khichdi Series
Apr 2018 A - Z Indian Street Food
Sep 2016 A - Z Indian Rice Dishes
Apr 2016 A - Z Andhra Cuisine
Sep 2015 Buffet on the Table
Apr 2015 Fire up Your Oven (Baking Recipes)
Sep 2014 Around the World in 30 Days (International Recipes)
Apr 2014 Indian Food Odyssey - Recipes from 30 States
Sep 2013 A - Z Event with 4 Set Themes
Apr 2013 Event with 4 Different themes


This September's marathon was based on Indian sweets and snacks, divided between four themes. This marathon was a learning curve with some surprises thrown in, indeed. I would have never thought that I would even try making the tricky khandvi or the tedious khakras from Gujarat, at home. For a person who doesn't even make urad dal vadas to avoid deep frying, Uttar Pradesh's dahi gujiyas were a revelation. I had no idea such a recipe even existed where a batter would act as an outer covering for stuffing a gujiya instead of a flour based dough and more surprising was that I enjoyed it with full gusto. Neither I had an inkling that I get to try and enjoy a delicious treat sitting in my home, that was originally created for the officers of British Raj in Ooty, a hill station in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. There was this snack from Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh, a spicy sev that was created to satiate the Mughal emperors and now boasts a GI tag to it's name. What was new and extremely pleasing in the sweets category was a simple yet flavorful kheer made with coconut water, coconut milk and the tender coconut meat which has become now my 'favorite' kheer. The black eyed peas based dumpling, pandoli was an interesting addition to my idli repertoire. Apart from these, if you are interested to see what other delicious Indian snacks I got to try this marathon, check out the below links.


The first week was meant for sweets and I went ahead with simple yet festive treats keeping in mind Navratri and Diwali festivals. What conjures up in my mind when I think about an Indian sweet is a laddu / burfi / kheer / halwa, or a stuffed sweet rather than dairy based sweets. My mind automatically associates the latter category or the deep fried varieties like jalebis / jhangri kind to a sweet shop / bakery somehow. I included a recipe from each of the above categories along with the ever popular jamun recipe, a dry one this time. 

Malaadu / Hurigadale Unde (South India)

Dry Gulab Jamun (North India)

Coconut Burfi / Kobbari Mithai 

Almond Halwa / Badam Halwa

Elaneer Payasam (Tamil Nadu)

Godhuma Sojjappalu (Andhra Pradesh)

The second week's theme was to pick some traditional snacks from one particular state. I did not have to think much and blindly picked Gujarat, a state in the western part of India that happens to be the land of farsans aka snacks. The local cuisine not only has a wide range of deep fried snacks that have become popular among the Indian diaspora but also can boast about guilt free ones. I went ahead with the latter category picking the healthy, traditional snacks that can be enjoyed by everyone, including diabetics. Five of those dishes are steamed snacks and most of them can be enjoyed as a mini meal too. 

Damni Dhokla (Gujarat)

Doodhi Muthia / Lauki Muthia (Gujarat)

Dal Pandoli (Gujarat)

Sev Khamani (Gujarat)

Methi Khakhra (Gujarat)

Pressure Cooker Khandvi (Gujarat)

The third week was a free choice and we could pick whatever we preferred. I went ahead with some more guilt free, regional snacks that were mostly quick fix ones as well. None were deep fried except the kalmi vada chaat, where I used the vadas that were fried as part of the final week theme.

Bafauri (Chattisgarh / Madhya Pradesh)

Soy Beans Guggillu / Sundal (South India)

Jhal Muri (West Bengal)

Roasted Phool Makhana

Kalmi Vada Chaat

Spicy Corn Chaat

The fourth week was meant for eight traditional Indian snacks that were agreed upon beforehand by the participating team. The snacks chosen were from four corners of the country and a few proved to be new and delectable surprises to me.

'Aakukoora' Pappu Chekkalu (Andhra Pradesh)

Baked 'Millet' Handvo (Gujarat)

Ratlami Sev (Madhya Pradesh)

'Jowar' Kothimbir Vadi (Maharasthra)

Kalmi Vada (Rajasthan)

Ooty Varkey (Tamil Nadu)

Dahi Gujiya (Uttar Pradesh)

Vegetable Chop / Bhejetebil Chop (West Bengal)

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#104.

Comments

C ~ Corn - Fenugreek Greens Pulao / Makai - Methi Pulao

Here is a quick and tasty pulao made with juicy, succulent corn and my personal favorite, fenugreek greens aka methi. This pulao can be made with corn alone if preferred or replace the greens in the recipe with other vegetables like potato / capsicum / peas or even soy chunks or paneer. I like the combo of corn and fenugreek where the strong flavor of the latter is balanced by the hint of sweetness from corn kernels.

The recipe again is made to serve two adults. My son is away at college while my daughter won't touch these rice dishes with a barge pole. There was no point in making large servings though the recipe below can be doubled or tripled easily. I used fresh corn to make this pulao. This can be a quick lunch box recipe and if one has cooked basmati rice or leftover rice, this can be prepared in a short time. I cooked rice separately since I did want my corn to retain some bite. I have given both methods of cooking below. This is a kid - friendly recipe and one can add green chillies as needed. The chillies I used here were hot. This can be served with a spicy raita if the pulao is mildly hot. Or it can be made more spicier by adding more chillies and can be served with plain yogurt.

Ingredients: (Yield - 2 servings)
1/2 cup Basmati rice
1 cup or more roughly chopped fenugreek greens / methi
1 cup corn kernels (I used one ear of corn.)
2 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. cumin or caraway seeds (jeera / shahjeera)
2 cardamom pods
2 cloves
2 one inch piece cinnamon
1 bay leaf
1 star anise
2 or more spicy green chillies
1 big onion
1 tsp. ginger - garlic paste or grated ginger - chopped garlic
1.5 tsp. salt
3/4 cup water

Prep work:
1. If using fresh corn, peel off the husks and the silky threads. Use a sharp knife to cut down along the cob, to remove kernels.
2. Thinly slice the onions and green chillies.
3. Wash and roughly chop the fenugreek greens.

This is what I did:
1. Rinse the rice in two or three changes of water and pressure cook for 3 whistles adding 3/4 cup water. (I didn't soak the rice in water before cooking.) Let it sit for few minutes after the valve pressure is gone. 
2. Heat oil directly in a pressure cooker or a pan. Add cumin / caraway seeds. When they brown, add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf, star anise and saute for 30 seconds. Add green chillie, onion and salt. Saute until onion is cooked to golden brown. Then add garlic - ginger paste and saute until raw smell disappears.
3. Next add chopped fenugreek greens and corn. Saute the vegetables until the fenugreek greens is cooked well, about 5 to 7 minutes. By the time corn would be done as well with very slight bite to it.
4. Next add the cooked rice and if it is still warm, leave it for few minutes. Gently fluff it with a fork or spoon and mix gently to combine. Let it sit for few minutes for the flavors to mingle.

This is how it is usually done:
1. Rinse and soak the rice in water and keep it aside.
2. Heat oil directly in a pressure cooker or a pan. Add cumin / caraway seeds. When they brown, add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf, star anise and saute for 30 seconds. Add green chillie, onion and salt. Saute until onion is cooked to golden brown. Then add garlic - ginger paste and saute until raw smell disappears.
3. Next add chopped fenugreek greens and corn. Saute the vegetables for a couple of minutes.
4. Drain the rice and add it along with 3/4 cup of water.
5. a) If using pressure cooker, cook for 3 whistles and turn off the stove. When the valve pressure is gone, fluff and serve.
 b) If the pulao is being cooked in a pan instead of a cooker, add 1/4 cup more water. Cover and cook on low flame until rice is done, about 18 - 20 minutes. Taste and see whether rice is cooked. If the rice is not cooked yet, sprinkle some water and let it cook for some more time.
c) If you don't want to brown the bottom of the pressure cooker by directly cooking in it, a pan can be used to cook until step 4 and the contents can be transferred to a pressure cooker or a electric rice cooker and finish cooking. 

So far in my Biryani / Pulao / Khichdi series,
A for Ambur Biryani
B for Basanti Pulao / Misthi Pulao

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#99

An InLinkz Link-up

Comments

Mexican Corn Salad ~ Esquites

What I intended to be a brief pause in blogging to coincide with my kids' summer holidays and our trip to India ended up being a longer break than I planned. When even my daughter has started wondering recently why I haven't been doing 'my cooking' thing anymore, I realized it was high time to take care of my virtual home and so here I am finally. 

Today's recipe 'esquites' is a simple yet popular fare from the streets of Mexico. It happens to be a vibrant hued corn salad with the undertones of smoky (thanks to charred corn kernels), spicy and tangy flavors. The word 'esquites' comes from the Aztec word 'izquiti' which means toasted corn. According to wiki, there seems to be another variation to this salad's preparation where the corn kernels are first boiled and then sauteed in butter with onions, chilies, epazote and salt. Then it is served hot in small cups and topped with lime juice, chili powder or hot sauce, salt and mayonnaise. 

I didn't follow any recipe in particular since all the versions I found online were basically the same. This is a slight different take over Indian "corn chaat' recipe. In this method, corn kernels are sauteed until charred all over and then tossed with other ingredients to create a flavorful medley and then served warm. Mexicans use a cow milk based cheese called cotija in this preparation. Feta cheese happens to be a great substitute for this hard, crumbly and salty cheese. Similarly substitute sour cream for mayonnaise if you don't consume the latter.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. oil (I didn't use any.)
2 ears fresh corn
1 tbsp. mayonnaise / sour cream
1 tbsp. finely crumbled feta cheese / cotija cheese 
1/4 cup finely chopped scallion greens
2 tbsp. finely minced cilantro
1/2 tsp. finely minced garlic
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced
Salt to taste
Chili powder to taste
Lime / Lemon juice to taste

Directions:

* Remove the husks and the silks from each ear of corn and remove the corn kernels with a knife. Heat a tbsp. of oil in a nonstick skillet over high heat. Add corn kernels and salt to the skillet. Toss a couple of times to combine and cook without moving until charred on one side, about 2 minutes. Toss corn, stir and repeat the process until it is charred on second side as well. Continue tossing and charring until it is uniformly charred all over.

(The above stove and iron skillet method is what traditionally used to prepare the corn for esquites. However I directly toasted the corn on stove-top directly placing one ear of corn using tongs against the flame, until it was slightly charred uniform through out. And removed the corn kernels using a knife.) 

* Transfer the toasted corn kernels to a mixing bowl. Add sour cream, cheese, scallions, cilantro, jalapeno. garlic, lime juice, chili powder and salt if not used before. 
* Toss the ingredients to combine. Taste and adjust any seasonings if needed. Serve immediately.



This goes to blogging marathon #93 with the theme of recipes from countries that start with the same alphabet, "Pick one alphabet - 3 countries". My choice of alphabet this week is 'M' and my first post is from Mexico. Check out the page here to read what other marathoners are cooking.

Comments

Makai Methi Kebab

These kebabs make a guilt free and delicious evening snack. These are pan fried instead of deep frying and using a non stick tawa would help to ensure that only a little amount of oil is used in the preparation. This low calorie treat is easy to make and can be served with ketchup or green and sweet chutney or any other sauce you may prefer.

 Source: Tarla Dalal
Ingredients: (Yield 8 kebabs)
1 cup makai / corn kernels (I used frozen.)
1/2 cup boiled, peeled and mashed potato
1/2 cup methi / fresh fenugreek greens
2 tbsp. cilantro leaves
1 tsp. chopped green chili
2 tbsp. rice flour
Salt to taste
1 tbsp. oil
 
Method:
* Cook corn kernels in microwave for a minute or two adding a tbsp. of water. Drain and coarsely pulse them in a food processor.
* Wash and roughly chop the fenugreek greens.
* Now combine all ingredients except oil in a mixing bowl. Divide the mixture into 8 portions and pat them into discs.
* Place them on a large non stick pan and shallow fry them using the oil until they turn golden brown on both sides.

 
This goes to Blogging marathon #70, under the theme 'Cooking on a Tawa'. Check here to find out what the other marathoners are cooking as part of the BM.

Comments

Black Bean Quesadillas

 
A quesadilla pronounced 'qay-sah-dee-yah' is a corn or wheat tortilla with a savory filling containing cheese and other ingredients. Quesadillas originated in Mexico and the dish has evolved over the years due to the experiments resulting in variations. The common filling used is Oaxaca cheese and other ingredients like cooked vegetables and cooked meat can be added as well. A quesadilla is folded in half to form a half  moon shape and cooked on a griddle. Another version popular in U.S. is where the filling / cheese is sandwiched between two flour tortillas and cooked on both sides until cheese melts. Then quesadillas is cut into wedges and served. Quesadillas are often served with salsa, guacamole and chopped onion. 
I used a black bean, corn, cheddar cheese based filling for my quesadillas. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare this quick and filling quesadillas if the beans are ready. For a quick fix version, canned beans and store bought salsa can be used. The filling can be prepare ahead and can be refrigerated to prepare a quick, impromptu meal.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked / canned black beans
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup salsa + extra for serving
2 tsp. taco seasoning
1/4 cup minced cilantro
3/4 cup melting cheese of your choice (I used cheddar cheese.)
Salt to taste
Six 8" whole wheat tortillas
Oil to toast

Method:
* Rinse if using canned beans. Mash coarsely the beans if desired. Combine beans, corn, salsa, cilantro and taco seasoning in a bowl. Add salt if needed.
* Spread about 1/2 cup bean mixture on half of each tortilla. Sprinkle about 2 tbsp. cheese over the bean mixture. Fold the tortillas in half and gently press to flatten them.
* Heat 1/4 tsp. oil on a non stick skillet over medium heat. Add quesadilla and cook until it turns golden brown, flipping once. Repeat the steps with the remaining quesadillas.
* Serve the quesadillas warm with salsa.

This is my entry under "Tortilla based dishes" for BM #53. Check the blogging marathon page to see what my fellow marathoners are cooking today.

Comments

Biscuit - Corn Chaat

This recipe is inspired from a 'Khana Khazana' episode, aired long ago. The idea of using a non fried base like these salty crackers makes this chaat more attractive and guilt free. The crackers add a nice, crispy texture to this chaat and this chaat variation make great one bite snacks. These can be assembled in a jiffy, if you have chutneys and sev ready beforehand or using store-bought stuff.

Ingredients:
15 round salty biscuits (I used Ritz crackers.)
1 boiled and mashed potato
1/4 blanched corn kernels
1 onion, finely chopped (Preferably red onion but I used white onion here.)
Salt to taste
Chaat masala as required
2 tsp. red garlic chutney (I didn't use any.)
3 to 4 tsp. green chutney (Keep it on thicker side.)
2 to 3 Tbsp. date -tamarind chutney
1/4 cup chopped raw mango
1/4 to 1/2 cup fine sev
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
Minced cilantro to garnish
 
Method:
* Mix mashed potato, corn, onion, salt and chaat masala. (I added red chili powder also in this step.)
* Arrange biscuits / crackers in a single layer on a serving platter. Place about a tbsp.of potato mixture and 1 tsp. of mango pieces over each biscuit / cracker. 
* Next, spoon a little quantity of three chutneys over the mixture. (The quantity of chutneys used depends upon one's preference.) Finally garnish with sev, red chili powder (if it was not used in the first step) and cilantro.
* Serve immediately. 

Click the links below for the recipes.
Date-Tamarind Chutney'
Sev (Omit carom seeds from the recipe.)

This goes to BM #48, under "Chaats" theme. Check here to see what my fellow marathoners are cooking during Blogging Marath on #48.

Comments

Corn Dhokla

 

Dhokla is a mildly savory, vegetarian dish that originated in the Indian state of Gujarat. Well made dhoklas are usually soft and spongy and can be a great meal for anytime of the day, though they are usually treated as a great snack / breakfast. This traditional, guilt-free dish can be made in two ways - The first one is using a fermented batter which of course involves some preparation ahead and the other way is a quicker version where batter is instantly fermented using Eno fruit salt. A paste of ginger - green chillies, salt, turmeric powder and baking soda (in case of fermented batter) are added to the fermented batter and poured into a greased thali and steamed. Thali being a stainless steel plate with high edges. A seasoning of toasted mustard seeds, sesame seeds, green chillies is poured over the steamed dhokla and then garnished with cilantro and coconut. 
 
Dhoklas are nutritious and filling besides being delicious. They are usually cut and served as small squares along with green chutney and sweet chutney. If not for the chutneys that are served as side dishes, the dhoklas are mild on their own and can be served for little ones as well. Though "chickpea flour/besan" based dhoklas are the most popular among the instant variety kind, there are other interesting variations to choose from.
For instance, like this no-ferment, instant version corn dhokla, I came across at Tarla dalal's website. I like toasted corn but somehow not a great fan of corn in cooked dishes. I had so some initial reservations regarding this recipe as I was not sure how this dhokla would smell / taste because of the corn used and how they would turn out in terms of texture. However it turns out that I was fretting over nothing. These dhoklas are really good as the recipe promises and a quick one to put together. Unless someone mentions, one wouldn't know these are corn based ones and so if one is looking for ways to sneak in some corn in their cooking then this is a perfect dish.
 
Ingredients: (2 - 3 Servings)
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup semolina / rava
2 - 3 green chillies or as per taste
1/2 cup yogurt / curds
Salt to taste
1 to 1.5 tsp Eno fruit salt
1 tsp lime / lemon juice
Oil / ghee for greasing the bowl
Ingredients for garnishing:
2 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp of coriander leaves

Method:
* Blend corn kernels, green chillies and yogurt to a smooth paste and transfer it to a mixing bowl.
* Next add semolina, salt and about 1/2 cup of water to the grouns paste and mix well. Leave the mixture to rest for about 10 - 15 minutes.
* Just before steaming, sprinkle fruit salt, lime/lemon juice and a tbsp of water over the batter. Mix the batter gently when you start noticing the effervescence. 
 
* Immediately pour the batter into a greased thali (a stainless steel plate with deep edges) / circular cake tin of about 6 - 7 inches in diameter.
* Shake the thali gently to the spread the batter evenly.
 
* Place the thali in a steamer and steam on medium flame for about 15 - 20 minutes or until a tooth pick / a knife inserted comes out clean. If using a pressure cooker to steam dhoklas, remember to not put the whistle on.
* Cool slightly and run a knife around the edges of the cooked disc.
 
* Reverse the thali / dish you used to steam onto a wide plate and gently tap it. The cooked dhokla would unmold itself.
* At this point, you can pick any one of the options below to garnish, though I would greatly recommend the second one. Toasted sesame seeds and mustard seeds add a nice crunch to the spongy dhoklas.
1. Just garnish with minced cilantro and 2 tbsp of fresh shredded coconut if you wish and slice into squares.
2. Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds and sesame seeds. When mustard seeds start to crackle, turn off the stove and pour the contents over the steamed disc evenly. Next garnish with minced cilantro and cut into squares before serving.

  

These are on their way to

1. BM# 43 under "Dhoklas" theme.

2. Srivalli's "Kids' Delight" event, hosted by Harini this month with the theme "Healthy Snacks" 

Comments