.....From My Palate

Holi Recipes

Khasta Matar Kachori

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Welcome Back! New improved look of my blog has creatively recharged me to dive in and explore the infinite number of recipes I wanted to share with you. Recipes that I always wanted to try or already tried but never got a chance to take pictures and post. Yes! there are times when I cook and wanted to share it with the world but didn’t get a chance to take pictures. Cooking, styling food, taking pictures, editing, writing, and the list is long….all this work sometimes dampens my spirits and makes me lazy, and furthermore, I get little time to sit and enjoy the food with my family.

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But right now my spirits are high and creativity is bubbling inside me, pushing me harder towards the kitchen. Weather is also looks like working for me by making the day appropriate for the dish. Cloudy day with partial rain now and then, warm weather with sun playing hide and seek…confusing but making me sure to go back to my roots by cooking Chatpati Khasta Kachori Aloo.

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Kachori aloo is a popular holiday breakfast (with garma-garam Jalebis) in Uttar-Pradesh. On all my visits to India I make sure I have this breakfast at least once with my family. It brings back so many fond memories of the past.

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Kachoris are flaky deep fried delights that goes well with aloo ki sabji. I made matar ki kachoris instead, keeping in mind the likeness of my younger one. I sent the pictures to my mom on WhatsApp, to let her know that I am creating same memories in US too!
Thank you Mom.

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Khasta Matar Kachori
Author: Bhawana
Ingredients
  • Dough
  • 2 cups All Purpose Flour
  • 2 tbsp. Suji (Semolina)
  • 1 tsp. Besan (Gram Flour)
  • 1/4 cup Oil
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
  • Warm water to make dough, as needed
  • Oil to fry
  • Peas Filling
  • 1 1/2 cup Peas, shelled.
  • 2-3 Green Chilies, chopped
  • 1 tsp. Ginger, grated
  • 2 tbsp. Oil
  • 1/2 tsp. Cumin Seeds
  • 1/4 tsp. Asafetida
  • 1/4 tsp. Turmeric Powder
  • 1 tsp. Coriander Powder
  • 1/2 tsp. Fennel Seed Powder
  • Red Chili Powder to taste
  • 1/4 tsp. Garam Masala Powder
  • 2 tsp. Besan (Gram Flour)
  • 1/2 tsp. Amchur Powder
  • Salt to taste
Instructions
Dough
  1. Mix flour, salt, baking soda, besan and suji.
  2. Add oil and mix it well.
  3. Now add warm water as needed and knead it to a firm and smooth dough.
  4. Cover it with wet cloth and keep aside for 30 minutes.
Filling
  1. Boil peas until soft (if using fresh peas).
  2. Drain and mash them coarsely with the back of the spoon
  3. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and asafetida powder.
  4. Add green chilies and ginger. Now add all the masalas and peas.
  5. Mix it well and add besan.
  6. Keep sauteing the mixture until all the water evaporates and the mixture is dry.
  7. Take a small portion of a dough and roll it in to a smooth ball.
  8. Flatten a ball with a palm and place the stuffing in the middle, cover and seal the ends.
  9. Roll it lightly with a rolling pin.
  10. Deep fry kachoris on medium/low flame till golden brown on both sides.
  11. Drain and serve hot with aloo ki sabji and chutneys.

Gujiya – Happy Holi

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holi

Holi is the festival full of fun (total masti) with no rules. This is the one festival we celebrate without taking shower and in clothes we don’t want to wear any more!
Holi is the festival to celebrate, victory of good over evil. Days before the festival people start gathering wood at open spaces to make a pyre with a effigy of Holika on top. Holika, sister of King Hiranyakashyapu who tricked Prahalad into the fire,Holika was burnt to death and Prahalad was saved. On choti holi every year this ritual signifies the triumph of good over evil. Loud music, delicious food and most important the spirit of togetherness defines this festival.
Colors is the most important part of holi other than gujiya. Holi is incomplete without Gujiya and colorful gulals.

To me, holi is more about array of food than playing with water and wet colors. Without much thinking about the calories and weight issues I like to celebrate Holi enjoying all delicious delicacies this festival is famous for…Gujiya, Shakarpare, Sev, Chakri, Kanji, Thandai, Dahi Vada, Chaat, Pakodas, just to name a few…

gujiya

Ingredients

For the dough:

    • 2 cups Maida (Refined flour)
    • 1/2 cup Ghee (Clarified butter)
    • Warm Water to mix

For the filling:

  • 1 cup Khoya
  • 1/4 cup Sugar
  • 1 tsp Green Cardamom Powder
  • Almonds, Pistachios, Cashew nut, Chironji nut – finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp Roasted Semolina
  • 2 tsp Coconut powder
  • Ghee/Oil for deep-frying

Method

Rub 1/4 cup ghee into the flour and knead into a stiff dough with warm water.
Leave to rest for at least half an hour.

For the filling:

  • Saute khoya in a pan over medium heat till it slightly changes color.
  • Keep aside for a while, when it cools, mix in the sugar, cardamom, all chopped nuts, roasted semolina and coconut powder.
  • Make balls of the dough and roll out into 1 cm / 1/8 in thick rounds (like small puris).
  • Take a round, wet the edges with water and place a piece of filling over one half.
  • Fold the other half over and press the edges together to seal.
  • Either use gujiya maker or make a design by pinching and twisting all along the sealed edges.
  • Make all the gujiyas in this way. Heat ghee/oil in a kadahi. Fry gujiya on medium/low flame till light golden in color.
  • Fish out and leave to drain on absorbent paper.
  • Serve hot or at room temperature and can be stored in air-tight containers.
  • Enjoy gujiyas with your family and friends. Happy Holi.

Linking it to the event :  Lets cook with seeds

Lets cook with seeds

 

Mathari – Indian Salted Crackers

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Mathari is a popular snack in north India. These deep fried Indian crackers mostly served with mango pickle. In the time, when snack defines varieties of cookies, cakes and other processed and packaged food. Traditionally in India snack is a food, cooked with the things easily available at home. Shakarpare, Mithi Mathari, Chivda, Besan ke Sev are the name of the few snacks in the list. Mathari is popular because it is easy to store for longer period. It’s salty, crunchy taste with spicy sour pickle tingles your taste bud in to instant action. Even now mathris are the must item on many festivals. Holi, Karwachauth, Diwali just to name a few.

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups Maida (All-Purpose Flour)
  • 1/2 cup Atta (Whole Wheat Flour)
  • 1/4 cup Sooji (Semolina)
  • 1 teaspoon Salt or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ajwain (Carom Seeds)
  • 1 tablespoon Kasuri Methi (Fenugreek Leaves) , dried & crushed
  • 4 tablespoons Oil
  • 3/4 cup lukewarm Water (use as needed)
  • Oil to fry(You can add crushed black pepper, red pepper pd, anardana pd for masala Mathari)

Method

  • Take all-purpose flour in big bowl.
  • Add whole wheat flour, sooji, ajwain, kasuri methi, salt and oil. Mix it well.
  • Knead it into a stiff dough with a help of lukewarm water little at a time.
  • Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
  • Knead it slightly and make small balls from the dough.
  • Roll the balls into small thick rounds and prick them with a fork all around, so they will not puff up while frying.
  • Heat oil in a deep pan and fry mathris in small batches on low heat.(first add them on medium heat and after few seconds lower the flame).
  • Fry till they become golden in color, drain on a kitchen towel when done.
  • Serve with mango pickle when cooled.

Holi Hai!!!!

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Its already Late so without any further delay, I’m posting my recipes for Dear Purva’s event – “Holi Hai !!”

Thank U Purva for hosting this colorful event. Looking forward for colorful round-up.


GUJIYA

For Filling

Ingredients

  • 1 tin Evaporated Milk
  • 1/4 cup Sooji (Semolina )
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Coconut, grated
  • 2 tbsp Almonds, chopped
  • 2 tbsp Cashew Nuts, chopped
  • 2 tbsp Raisins
  • ¼ tsp Green Cardamom Powder

Method

  • Roast sooji on medium flame till it changes color.
  • Mix in all the other ingredients for the filling.
  • Cook on medium / slow flame, stirring occasionally, till the mixture is dry.

For Dough

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Maida (All-Purpose Flour)
  • 4 tbsp Oil
  • Oil for frying
  • Water

Method

  • Rub oil into maida. Add water and make into stiff dough.
  • Knead the dough till pliable. Keep aside covered for 10-15 minutes.
  • Knead dough once again. Divide the dough in to small balls.
  • Roll each ball into a flat round like a thin puri.
  • Place one tbsp of the filling. Fold over and shape into gujiya sealing the edges with little water.
  • Deep fry in hot oil till golden brown.

TIP-To seal, you can use gujiya mould or press with ends of a fork or simply twist with hand.


CHIVDA

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Thin Poha
  • Roasted – Peanuts, Almonds, Cashew nuts, Coconut slices, Pinenuts
  • Raisins (all nuts- to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
  • Few Curry Leaves
  • 1/2 tsp Haldi (Turmeric Powder)
  • 1 1/2 tsp Sugar
  • Amchoor Pd/salt/Kala Namak (to taste)
  • 2 tbsp Oil
  • Oil to fry
  • Red chili/green chilies – to taste

Method

  • Fry poha in a hot oil (It will puff as soon as you put it in a oil). Be careful as it splutter lot of oil.
  • Keep it aside to cool down.
  • Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. when it start to crackle add curry leaves, turmeric pd, chilies.
  • Add all the nuts, sugar, salt, amchoor pd and kalanamak.
  • Add fried poha and mix it well.
  • When poha is all even colored taste it and add what ever is needed.
  • Crispy Crunchy snack is ready.

This recipe goes to Event- Lets go nuts with almonds hosted by Tasty Treats <
Thank you.

My Holi 2009