Instant Khatta Dhokla Recipe

I don't have a steamer so I have used a microwave for this recipe. If you have a steamer then you can use the same recipe. In a steamer it may take around 15-20 minutes to cook the Dhokla.
Ingredients:
1/2cup rice flour
1/4cup chickpea flour (Besan)
3/4cup rava/semolina/suji
1/4cup yogurt(make sure it is sour)
1/4tsp citric acid (Use this just in case the yogurt is not very sour)
Salt and sugar to taste
Ginger paste,as per taste (I have used almost 2tsp ginger paste)
Green chili paste,as per taste (I have used 1tsp chili paste)
1tsp eno (fruit salt)
1tsp sesame seeds
2-3tbsp oil
1/2tsp kashmeri red chili powder
Tempering Ingredients:
1/2tsp mustard seeds
2tbsp oil
A pinch of asafoetida
Method:
In a bowl mix the rice flour,chickpea flour and the rava together. Make sure you sieve the chickpea flour before adding it to the bowl.
Add salt,sugar,ginger-chili paste,yogurt,and oil. Mix all the ingredients well.
Add little water at a time to make a batter. The consistency of the batter is shown in the video below.

Take a flat bottom microwave dish and grease it well. 
Now add the fruit salt/eno to this batter and mix well.Pour the batter instantly in the dish,sprinkle red chili powder and sesame seeds. Let the dhokla cook on 60% power for 7-10 minutes in the microwave. The time can vary for different microwaves so keep a close eye. A toothpick inserted at the center of the dish should come clean once the Dhokla is cooked.
For the tempering heat oil in a tadka pan, add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to splutter add the asafoetida. Pour this evenly on the Dhokla.
You can garnish with coriander leaves before serving.
Instant Khatta Dhokla is ready.

Nariyal Ke Laddu (Coconut sweet made with jaggery)

Nariyal Ke Laddu made with a different variety of jaggery.

I have always loved eating nariyal ke laddu. I was born and brought up in Kolkata and this is a common Bengali sweet. Bengali's prepare this sweet dish at the time of Lakshmi Puja or Lakkhi Puja as they say in Bengali. This laddu is distributed as Prasad. My Bengali neighbour would always send this to my house as Prasad and I would be the first one to eat it. I never thought of preparing this sweet dish in Kolkata as grating the coconut is not my cup of tea. However, here in Dubai the Supermarkets sell fresh grated coconut so now I can make as many Nariyal ke Laddu's and eat:) This Ganesh Chaturthi prepare the Nariyal Ke Laddu and impress your family
Ingredients:

1 grated coconut
1/2 cup milk
Pinch of cardamom powder (Optional)
200gms jaggery, best if you can get date jaggery (Gur) 
Method:
Pour the milk in a thick bottom pan. Add the jaggery to this and cook on slow heat until the jaggery melts and mixes well with the milk. Try and find good quality Jaggery. 
Now add the grated coconut. Cook on slow heat and stir occasionally. 
Add a pinch of fresh cardamom powder.
When the mixture is thick and sticky(shown in the picture below) remove the pan from heat and let it cool completely. Do not over cook or else the mixture will dry. Just in case you have over cooked then add little milk and cook to get the right consistency.

Now take small quantity of the mixture to form small round balls. 
Nariyal Ke Laddu is ready to serve. 
This recipe serves around 14 small Laddu's. 
I just wanted to mention that it is a high calorie recipe so count the numbers when you are eating 

Nariyal Ke Laddu made with a different variety of jaggery.

Rava Idli

Rava Idli with green coconut chutney

Ingredients:
3/4 cup white urad daal
1 cup idli rava
Salt to taste
Water as per requirement
Method:
Wash and soak the urad daal for 6 hrs. After 6 hrs grind the daal to make a thick paste.
Add the idli rava to the daal paste along with salt, add 1/2 cup water and mix well to form a batter.
Keep this batter overnight for fermentation. The consistency of the batter is shown in the video. If required,add more water to get the right consistency.

In a pressure cooker pour 1 cup water. I don't have an idli holder so I use small bowls or katori.
Lightly grease the katori or idli holder. Now fill half of the katori with the idli batter. You can even fill 3/4 katori but I prefer filling it half.
Keep the idli holder in the pressure cooker. Cover the lid without the cooker whistle and steam the idli's for 13-15minutes. If you are using a katori, like I do, then keep one katori in the cooker,cover it with a small plate then keep the next katori and cover that too.Repeat the process depending on how big your pressure cooker is. I can put 3-4 katori's at a time in my pressure cooker as shown in the picture below.

Open the cooker lid after steaming. Take out the idli holder or katori from the cooker and let it cool.
Once it cools remove the idli from the holder or katori using a butter knife.

Serve hot idli's with coconut chutney and sambar.
Served around 14 small idli's for me.
Tips!
Cut the idli in two halves and shallow fry it in a pan. Fry until brown and crisp. Frying in ghee(clarified butter) gives a better taste. This goes well with tea.

Rava Idli for Breakfast

Pav Bhaji (Indian Street Food)

Photo by Amit Agni

Ingredients:
1cup cauliflower,cut in small pieces
1cup cabbage
1/2 cup capsicum
3 green chilies
7 garlic,chopped
1 inch ginger
2 medium size tomatoes
1/4 cup green peas
1cup mashed potato
1 medium size onion,chopped
11/2 tbsp pav bhaji masala
1 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp chaat masala
Salt to taste
1 lemon
2 tbsp butter,room temperature
Butter for garnish
Chopped coriander for garnishing
Method:
Boil the cauliflower,cabbage,capsicum,peas together. Add 1/4cup water and pressure cook the vegetable until 4-6 whistles. Once the pressure cooker cools mash the vegetables. Boil the vegetables more if you think they are not mash-able.
Puree the tomatoes along with the green chilies and ginger.
Heat the butter in a pan. Ensure you don't burn it. Add the chopped onions. Fry until onions are translucent. Add the chopped garlic. Fry till the raw flavours are gone.
Add the tomato puree. Cook till the oil starts separating. 
Now add the mashed potatoes. Cook for a minute.
Add the mashed vegetables. Cook for another minute. Add the red chili powder,salt,chaat masala,pav bhaji masala and mix all the ingredients well.
Add 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook on low heat for 10-15minutes or until the bhaji starts to boil.
Add lemon juice as per taste. Garnish with chopped coriander. 
Serve with a dash of butter.
Pav Bhaji is a street food in India.
Tips!
This bhaji goes well with Pav which is a bread made specially for this bhaji.
Try adding 6-7 small mint leaves for that extra flavour. Add the leaves when you puree the tomato along with the chilly.
Serve Pav Bhaji with chopped onions and a slice of lemon.

Nankhatai (Indian Cookies Recipe)

Photo by Niti Agni

Ingredients:
1/2 cup all purpose flour (Maida)
1/3 cup gram flour (Besan)
1/3 cup semolina (Rava/Sooji)
1/2 cup powdered sugar (I have added 1tbsp more)
1/4tsp fresh cardamom powder
1/4tsp fresh nutmeg powder
2tbsp grounded cashew nut (I have used cashews for taste,you can skip this if you want)
3-4tbsp of ghee/clarified butter, keep the melted ghee in the fridge and use it when it has a butter like consistency(butter when it is at room temperature) 
1/2tsp baking powder
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Cream the ghee and the sugar together till you get a nice smooth consistency.
Sieve together all purpose flour,gram flour,semolina,and baking powder.
Add the flour mix with the creamed butter. Add the cardamom and nutmeg. Mix well.
Now divide the mixture in equal proportion to form small balls. I have used a tablespoon as shown in the picture below, to give the cookies shape and with that size I have made around 24 nankhatai's
Place the cookies in a baking tray lined with foil or parchment paper. I have used parchment paper.
Bake it for 10 minutes in the center of the oven. Oven time varies for different ovens but it should be ready in 10-15min. Nankhatai does not have browning on either sides. 
Remove from oven and let it cool in the baking tray for 10minutes. Now place it on a cooling rack to cool it completely. I don't have a cooling rack so I use the grill tray that I have got with the microwave.
Nankhatai is ready to serve.
Tips!
If you don't prefer the taste of semolina then just add 1/2cup all purpose flour and 1/2cup gram flour.
You can also decorate the Nankhatai with pistachio or cashew by placing it on top of the cookie before baking. Just press the pistachio or the cashew on the top part of the Nankhatai and then bake.
I have used ghee but you can even use unsalted butter for this recipe. 
Make the dough as shown in the picture below. 

The mix

The dough

Nankhatai