Methi Thepla

Methi thepla is a common Gurjurati food  made from fresh methi/ fenugreek leaves with some spices and wheat flour. Tastes great and of course good for health.This recipe I got from my friend Rinkle . She makes delicious theplas. 

 Perfect recipe to take with you if you are travelling. Stays good for 2-3 days and goes well with pickle and curd. 

I love to eat it with mango chunda or sweet mango pickle. So friends here is the recipe..

Ingredients:

1 cup  Wheat Flour
1/4th cup gramflour/ besan
1 cup finely chopped Fenugreek Leaves
2-3 tablespoon Curd or you can add buttermilk for kneading the dough
1/4th teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin- coriander powder
1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
1 tblsp sesame seeds
1 tsp ajwain/ carrom seeds
2 teaspoons Oil for kneading the dough
oil required for shallow frying
Salt
Water

Directions:

Take a large bowl. Mix wheat flour, gram flour, oil, salt and all the ingredients given above. Add water as needed in small quantities and knead smooth, soft dough.
Cover dough with clean muslin cloth and leave aside for 10-15 minutes.
Now divide the dough it into lemon size round shape balls.


 Take one dough ball, press it in between your palms, coat its all sides with wheat flour. Roll the thepla to a round of about 5-6 inches in diameter. Heat griddle over medium flame and place raw methi thepla on it. When tiny bubbles starts to rise on top surface, flip it over, spread 1/2-teaspoon oil evenly around its surface and cook until light golden brown spots appear on both sides. 
Transfer it to a plate. Follow same process for remaining dough balls and cook them in a similar way.  Hot Methi theplas are ready to serve. Serve them hot with mango pickle or curd.

Vada pav

Vada pav is a vegetarian fast food dish native to the Indian state of Maharashtra. A simple creation involving a deep fried potato patty with some coriander and spices..Place the hot vada in between the pav. 
Whether you are travelling to Shirdi Sai or Mumbai or any part of Maharashtra your trip would be incomplete without having a bite at this popular snacks..Its been few years we moved out of Pune but my taste bud always looks for it and when ever I get a chance I prepare for evening snacks for it ends up as dinner too :)
Follow the recipe and make your own Vada Pav

For batata vada:

2-3 large size potatoes boiled and mashed
asafoetida- a pinch
mustarad and cumin seeds- 1tsp
curry leaves a few
2 garlic pod chopped
2 green chillies chopped
few coriander leaves chopped
red chilli powder- 1tsp
turmeric powder- 1tsp
salt to taste 
oil- 1-2 tblsp


for outer cover

3/4 cup besan/ cheak pea flour
1tblsp rice flour (optional)
water as required ( Batter should be thick not runny)
salt as required
ajwain/ carum seeds 1tsp
Pinch of baking soda
1tsp red chilli powder
pinch of turmeric

Oil for deep frying the vadas

Dry garlic chutney
6-8 Pav Buns
2tblsp oil/butter for roasting the buns

Method:

Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin and mustard seeds.let it splutter.
Add curry leaves and asafoitida. 
Add chopped garlic,chili and saute for a minute. Add turmeric , red chilli powder to oil. immediately add the mashed potatoes to it. adjust salt. saute for 5 mins on low-medium flame. add chopped coriander leaves and mix properly. Let it cool.

Now make lemon size balls from the potato mixture.


Take a bowl. Mix all the ingredients given  for preparation of outer Covering. Add water slowly and mix with hand or hand beater. This batter has to be thick.

Now Frying vada:

Dip the potato balls in batter and add it to hot oil.
Fry the vadas in medium to high flame till the vadas become golden brown in colour .Now vada for vada pav is ready.
  

Heat a pan or Griddle. Cut them in half. Apply oil or butter to both side of the bun . Now roast the buns. Apply Garlic chutney in between the buns (You can also add green chutney or dates and tamarind chutney to the pav ).

Place vada pav. add chopped onions . Gently press using your palm and serve with garlic chutney and tomato ketchup.

Your vada pav is now ready to devour.

Batata Vada

Batata Vada  is a popular Indian vegetarian fast food in Maharashtra, India. It literally means potato fritters. The name "Batata" means potato . It consists of a potato mash patty coated with chick pea flour, then deep-fried and served hot with savory condiments called chutney. They can be placed within  pav or bun. You simply can not have just one... So here is the step wise recipe of Batata Vada..

For Batata vada:

2-3 large size potatoes boiled and mashed
asafoetida- a pinch
mustarad and cumin seeds- 1tsp
curry leaves a few
2 garlic pod chopped
2 green chillies chopped
few coriander leaves chopped
red chilli powder- 1tsp
turmeric powder- 1tsp
salt to taste 
oil- 1-2 tblsp


for outer cover

3/4 cup besan/ cheak pea flour
1tblsp rice flour (optional)
water as required ( Batter should be thick not runny)
salt as required
ajwain/ carum seeds 1tsp
Pinch of baking soda
1tsp red chilli powder
pinch of turmeric

Oil for deep frying the vadas

Dry garlic chutney
6-8 Pav Buns
2tblsp oil/butter for roasting the buns

Method:

Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin and mustard seeds.let it splutter.
Add curry leaves and asafoitida. 
Add chopped garlic,chili and saute for a minute. Add turmeric , red chilli powder to oil. immediately add the mashed potatoes to it. adjust salt. saute for 5 mins on low-medium flame. add chopped coriander leaves and mix properly. Let it cool.

Now make lemon size balls from the potato mixture.

Take a bowl. Mix all the ingredients given  for preparation of outer Covering. Add water slowly and mix with hand or hand beater. This batter has to be thick.

Now Frying vada:

Dip the potato balls in batter and add it to hot oil.
Fry the vadas in medium to high flame till the vadas become golden brown in colour .

Your Vada is ready..you can have it with tomato ketchup and garlic chutney or simply place in pav and enjoy.

Dry Garlic chutney

Garlic chutney is made from fresh garlic, dry coconut, groundnuts and red chilies,
For vada pav, garlic chutney is must have ingredient.





Today we will learn how to make garlic chutney ...so friends here is recipe...


Ingredients Required:
Dry coconut powder - 1 cup 
1/4th cup sesame seeds
1 tbsp roasted peanuts
Kashmiri Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
Garlic cloves - 8 nos
Salt - as needed
sugar- 1tsp (optional)

Method:

Grind the above ingredients and make sure to keep it coarse.
Your chutney is ready to use..
Now add it to a airtight container. You can store upto 2 wks in a refrigerator.

Bhel Puri

Bhel puri  is a savory Indian snack made out of puffed rice, papdi, sev, crunchy  veggies , tangy  sauces and addition of raw mango (finely chopped) in bhel puri enhances the flavor. My family  always love having this for snack or for dinner.. Healthy easy to prepare, perfect in taste and spice just  loved it..Just follow the recipe and make your own bhel Puri in few minutes...

Ingredients:

Puffed rice/ murmura - 2 cups ( for making the masala murmura u need 1-2 tblsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, handful curry leaves, asafoetida, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 1tsp chilli powder, this procedure is completely optional but I bet u will love  after making bhel with these masala coated bhel))

Green chutney - 2 tsp
Tamarind and date chutney - 3-4 tbsp
Onion - 1/2 cup finely chopped
Tomato - 1/2 cup finely chopped
Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup finely chopped
Lemon juice - as per requirement
Chaat masala - 1 tsp
madras mix mixture (Optional)
Roasted Peanuts  - 1/4th cup
raw mango- 2 tblsp finely chopped (If it is a mango season otherwise u can skip it)
Papdi - 8-10 nos broken roughly
Boiled potato (Optional) - 1 cup chopped into chunks
Sev - 1/2 cup

Method:

Heat 2 tblsp oil a big Kadhai or pan. Add mustard seeds when they starts crackling add the curry leaves, asafoetida, turmeric powder, chilli powder and immediately add bhel. Saute for 5-6 min on a low- medium flame till the masalas are well coated with the bhel. Now switch off the flame and let it cool completely.
 I Like my bhel in this way..The strong smell of asafoetida and the crispiness of bhel is just irresistible. 

Take a large bowl so that you shall be able to mix all the ingredients.

Add murmura , peanuts, papadi, madras mix, lemon juice,chaat masala ,chopped onions, tomatoes, raw mangoes and coriander leaves and mix well. 
 add diced boiled potatoes. Now add green chutney and tamarind chutney. Just remember, the tamarind chutney should be thick, not watery. Mix them well. Now sprinkle some sev on the top.
 
Serve immediately . Enjoy your homemade bhel Puri..Yummm....

How to make Paneer at home

PANEER is an indian cottage cheese prepare from milk. Super easy and simple to make..will be ready within 25-30 mins & you can make your own recipes from that. Do prepare it at home & you will never think of getting frozen one from store.  So here is the step by step recipe of homemade paneer.

Ingredients:

Milk- 1/2 gallon whole milk
1/4 cup vinegar

Method:

Pour the milk into a  saucepan and  Bring it to boil. when the milk starts boiling
Add the vinegar. Remove the milk from heat and stir in the vinegar. 

The milk starts begin to curdle immediately and  separate the curds and whey.
Now strain through a cheese cloth. Gather the cloth with curd, Now show it to the running cold water. Squeeze to remove the excess whey.

Take a large plate. On the top place a strainer. Now transfer the curds (still in the cheesecloth) to the strainer. Keep a heavy object on top of it. I kept a pressure cooker filled with water. Leave it to set for 20-25 min.

Take it out from the bundle and your paneer is ready. Cut it into cubes and use it. 

Chocolate Pudding..

Just finished making this yummy chocolate pudding.. R U a bournvita Lover??? If yes then here is a super easy, delicious recipe for you all. Just 3 ingredients and you are done...









So friends here is the recipe/..
1/2 cup roughly crushed biscuits (Parle-G or Tiger mostly preferred)
1/3 cup bournvita
1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
Method:
Take a bowl. Mix coconut and crushed biscuit
together. Now add bournvita Mix well. keep it covered for at least 1 hour till the pudding becomes soft and you are done.