Patra

Patra is one of well known Gujarati farsan. Very popular among gujaratis and non-gujaratis as well. Parta is made in many ways either steamed or shallow fried. Parta also known as aloo vadi in marathi is termed as elephant leaves or colocasia in english. Leaves are generally 5 to 6 inches long. Parta has to prepared with some acid ingredient like lemon or tamarind to dissolve chemical present in it called calcium oxalate monohydrate else it gives itchy feeling in mouth. I know its too much of gyaan, but it also has great health benefit. It's highly rich in antioxidant, good for skin:)

Ingredients:

Patra leaves - 10 to 12

For batter:

Besan flour  2 cup
Rice flour 1 cup
wheat flour 2 tbsp
jower flour  2 tbsp(optional)
Tamarind pulp - 4 tbsp
Jaggary 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
garam masala 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Chilli powder 2 tsp
Chilli ginger paste 1 1/2 tbsp
Sodium bicarbonate 1/4 tsp

Oil 3 tbsp to shallow fry.

Method:

1. First we have to prepare batter to roll patras. For that make all of above ingredients to make batter. Batter should be thick like shown in pic below. Add 1 tbsp oil.                                                                                    
   
2.  Now we have to roll partras. First wash each leaves of parta and dry it with cloth. Also clean your platform table or you can also use back side of big dish to roll patras.
3. Starts applying batter on patras as shown below stepwise.                      
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Roll it and keep aside.
5. I am going to shallow fry patras today, for that take a pan and add oil. Cut patra rolles in to half and put them in to pan. Sprinkle around 2 tbsp water and cover the pan. Let it cook on one side till colour of patra changes to brown. It will take around 10 mins.
6. Now turn patras upside down, again sprinkle 2 tbsp water and let it cook for another 15 mins.
7. Patras will be nicely cooked with both sides having crunchy taste. It taste best with chai and green chutney.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Wheat flour laddo

I made this laddo as prasad to Ganeshji, but they have become a great hit in my family. My 10 month old DS is just in love with them. Yesterday I was clicking pics of laddos for post and he saw me. Then what, he started saying "mum" "mum" " mum". He recognized that this is same "mum" which we gave him day before. I had to stop photography and had to feed him first. He loved them soo very much that if I keep on giving him one whole laddo he would have had it. But he is still a baby. After giving him about half a laddo, I started saying finish finish and his face became small like he was asking for some more....Aahhh.. but cant give him more. 

These laddos are quiet healthy and opt for expecting ladies and BF moms. Even good for weaning babies. Best part is they get ready quickly and very tasty. Not much efforts required and you have wonderful dessert to serve. 

Ingredients:

1 cup Wheat flour

1/2 cup sugar powder

1/4 cup ghee 

1 tsp cardamom powder

1/4 cup dry grated coconut(optional)

2 tbsp ghee roasted dry fruits

Method:

1. Add ghee to pan and then shift wheat flour to it. Roast flour this it starts leaving ghee or you see that mixture becomes liquidy. This process will take around 10 to 15 mins. While roasting continuously keep on stirring flour so that it will get cooked evenly.
2. After ghee starts leaving, roast for another minute or two till you see flour becoming slightly golden in colour. Add coconut at this stage. 
3. Now take pan off gas stove and allow it to cool for 10 mins.
4. Mean while crush roasted dry fruits. If you want you can take them without roasting. But roasting them will give nice crunchy texture to laddos.
5. Now add sugar, cardamom and dryfruits and mix well. 
6. Make laddos with hand and store them in air tight container. Can be kept without refrigerating for 10 days.  

Mushroom masala

Mushroom is a versatile vegetable. It makes good appetizer, main course, side dish, dip, great topping and alot. I love everything made out of mushroom. Mushrooms even look so beautiful. Monsoons bring lots of fresh mushrooms in market. So every now and then I cook either mushroom burji or mushroom mutter or mushroom masala. So today let's cook mushroom masala.  Its very simple gets ready with few easily available ingredients at home. 

Ingredients :

2 cups mushrooms diced
2 large onions
1 large tomato
5 to 6 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tsp jeera
1 bay leaf
1 inch cinnamon

1 tsp everest garam masala( or any garam masala of your choice)

2 tbsp coriander

1 and 1/2 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Method: 

1. Chop onions and tomato finely. Blend ginger and garlic in mixture grinder.
2. Take oil in pan, add jeera once oil is heated. Add bay leaft and cinnamon. Now add onions and let it cook till onions are partially cooked.
3. Add tomato and cook till mixture leaves oil. 
4. Next add chilli powder, turmeric, ginger garlic paste, garam masala and stir mixture till spices are cooked. 
5. Add chopped mushroom and mix well. 
6. Cover the pan with lid and let it cook for 5 mins. After five mins you will see that mushrooms have become tender. Now add 1 and half cup water, salt and coriander and cook for another 10 mins. 
7. Transfer the curry in to serving bowl and serve it with hot home made parathas.

  

Gobhi Paratha

Gobi paratha is one of our favorite sunday brunch menu. Achar and mint raita is served with it and it makes delicious combination just perfect for sundays.
( Bear me with pictures.. will come up with better pic soon) 

Ingredients :

2 cups wheat flour

1/4 cup maida(optional)

1 tbsp curd

1 tbsp oil

For Stuffing :

2 cups gobi finely chopped

1/2 cup potato finely chopped

2 green chilles

1 tsp jeera 

1 tsp amchoor powder

1 tsp oil

Method : 

1. Take wheat flour and add curd and oil to it. Knead dough just as we make for any paratha. Adding little maida while making dough will ensure that paratha doesn't break from sides while rolling them. So adding it is completely optional.
2. Give rest to dough for 30 mins.
3. Mean while prepare stuffing. In a pan take oil and add jeera. Allow it to sizzle and then add chopped green chilli.
4. Add potato and gobi to it. Add turmeric and salt and cook it till gobi is nicely cooked. Add salt to taste.
5. Cooked it without lid so that excess water gets evaporated. Finally add amchoor powder. Switch off the gas and mash its partially using spoon.
6. Take suffing in to another bowl and cool it for 15 mins.
7. Now take small piece of dough and roll small roti. Put 1 tbsp stuffing on it and make stuffed kachori. Now roll kachori to make paratha out of it.
8. Put this paratha on frying pan and cook one side, turn it and add oil and cook it on another side. Cook it till nice golden brown spots are seen on both side. 
9. Serve hot paratha with butter on top of it with achar and raita....:) 

Onion Kulcha

I have tried many north indian recipes at home, but always found something missing with final result. Finally got to know what was it when I made these onion kulcha with dal tadka at home. Combination was just awesome and my family just loved it. Its simple and tastes just like one made in tandoor served in dhaba or hotels. So here we go...

Ingredients :

1 cup  whole wheat flour

1/4 cup maida

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp curd

3 tbsp milk

Water

salt to taste

1 tsp oil

For stuffing:

1 cup onion

Salt to taste

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tbsp chopped coriander 

Method :

• Mix maida, wheat flour and baking powder. You can also use only maida instead if wheat, but I prefer using wheat as it is healthy option.
• Mix curd and milk to it. Milk will make kulcha really soft.
• Add salt and water and knead dough like we do for day to day parathas.
• Add Oil and knead it again and give it rest for minimum 45 mins.

• Mean while take onions and to it mix chilli powder and coriander. Add salt just before you want to roll kulchas.

• Now roll small roti's out of small potion of dough and stuff onion mixture to it and roll it again to form medium size kulcha. 

• Simultaneously take a aluminum kadhai and keep it on gas stove to heat it on high flame. Once kadhai is hot, you are ready to cook kulchas.

• On one side of kulcha apply little water and shift it to kadhai with water side down. Now reduce flame and let it cook for around a min. You will kulcha automatically leaving sides of kadhai when cooked on one side and will be slight golden brown.

• Now you don't have to cook other side on kadhai, but directly on gas flame. Place kulcha on medium flame and cook on other side till you see dark brown spots on it. Turn it so that even other side gets some brown spots and will get smoky taste.

That's it, kulcha is ready to serve. Apply butter and serve it with your dal or sabji or eat it just like that. 

My First post : Kopra ni biscuits or Coconut Macaroons

Passion for cooking and love for eating variety of food... Well that's me and today this is my first post. Idea of penning down my recipes developed long back, but work and home used to keep me busy. Now since I have taken break from work, I want to fulfill my long dreamed thought of creating " The Spicy Gujarat". 

I had lots of fresh coconut at my home and I just didn't wanted it to get spoiled or eat it anyway. Adding it to any curry was not a option as my hubby doesn't like it that way. So I started searching for some recipe which should be easy and most importantly ingredients should be easily available at home. Then I found these  coconut macaroon. 

I had Coconut macaroons or Kopra ni biscuit long back as a kid when my papa use to bring them from famous bakery in Valsad and me and my brother just loved them.But all recipes were either using condense milk or egg, both of them not available at home. But after looking at Coconut Macaroons picture I desperately wanted to prepare them. So here goes my recipe with no egg or no condense milk..Just sweet and simple..My innovation.

Ingredients :

1. 1 1/2 cup  Fresh Coconut grated in mixture bowl.
2. 2 tbsp fresh home cream
3. 1/4 cup sugar
4. 1 tsp vanilla essence
5. 3 tbsp maida or all purpose flour

Method :

Preheat oven at 200 degree for 10 mins. 

Meanwhile mix all ingredients in a bowl.  You can adjust sugar as per taste. Dough consistency should be too firm. It should be thick enough to make  small dumplings of irregular shape. 

Grease cooking sheet with butter and arrange macaroons. Macaroons can be lines close enough as this cookies will not rise. 

Bake in oven for 20 mins at 200 degree till macaroons turn golden brown.