Falafel

I would recommend soaking the Kabuli chana or chickpea overnight and using it to prepare the falafel dough. Secondly, I have added baking soda and it helps to make it light and fluffy. However, it is completely optional and you can ignore it safely, but the snack may turn dense. Lastly, falafel as a snack can be served with hummus and tahini sauce. However, it also tastes great with green chutney and mint mayonnaise and is used as a patties for stuffing between breads.

INGREDIENTS

1½ cup chickpeas, soaked

½ onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic

4 green chilies or to taste

1 bunch coriander

½ tsp chili powder

½ tsp pepper powder

½ tsp coriander powder

½ tsp cumin powder

½ tsp baking soda

2 tbsp sesame

1 tsp salt

oil, for frying

 

METHOD

 soak 1½ cup chickpeas overnight and drain off the water.

Transfer the soaked chickpeas into a mixer jar.

Add ½ onion, 3 cloves garlic, 4 chilies and 1 bunch coriander leaves roughly chopped.

Pulse and grind to a coarse texture. You can also use a food chopper to blend.

Transfer the mixture to the large bowl.

Add ½ tsp chili powder, ½ tsp pepper powder, ½ tsp coriander powder, ½ tsp cumin powder, ½ tsp baking soda, 2 tbsp sesame and 1 tsp salt.

Squeeze and mix well making sure all the spices are well combined.

Take a ball-sized mixture and shape using a cookie cutter. You can shape to your choice.

Deep fry in hot oil, keeping the flame on medium.

Do not touch the falafel until it starts to float by itself.

Stir occasionally, and fry uniformly until the falafel turns golden and crunchy.

Drain off removing excess oil.

Enjoy Crispy Falafel with hummus.

 

 

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com  for info on cancer and health related topics

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs.

Bharwa Lauki /Stuffed Bottle Gourd

 Ingredients

• 1 Bottle gourd (lauki)
• 2 Onions , chopped
• 2 Tomatoes , finely chopped
• 1 tsp Red Chili powder
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Coriander Powder
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 4 tbsp Oil
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp Kasturi Methi
• Salt , to taste
• 3 sprig Coriander  Leaves  finely chopped
For Paneer Bhurji(stuffing)
• 1 cup paneer crumbled
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 Onion , finely chopped
• 1/2 Green Bell Pepper (Capsicum) , finely chopped
• 1 Green Chili , finely chopped
• 1 tsp Coriander Powder
• 1 tsp Red Chili flakes
• Salt , to taste
• 1 tsp Fresh cream
• Directions
  

• To begin making the Bharwa Lauki , we will first prepare the stuffing of Paneer Bhurji.

• In a deep pan, heat a tablespoon of oil and add cumin seeds and let it crackle. Now add the chopped onions and saute it till they become soft and transparent.

• Once it is done, add the capsicum, crumbled paneer, salt, coriander powder, red chili flakes and mix it properly. Cook it for 1-2 minutes more and set it aside to cool down.

• The next step is to make the stuffed Lauki.

• Peel the bottle gourd and boil it in a large vessel with a tablespoon of salt and let it boil till the gourd is properly cooked. The vessel should be big enough to hold the full gourd.

• Now let the gourd cool down. Once it is done, cut the ends of gourds to remove the pith inside it using a long spoon or a fork. 

• Heat 2 tablespoon oil on a pan and place the hollow gourd on it. Cook it till the skins turns brown and it crisps up. Keep turning the gourd until it is golden brown from all the sides.

• Now fill the paneer bhurji in the bottle gourd and slice it into 1 inch thick slices. After cutting it into thick slices, place the slices back on the pan to cook. Cook them till the both the sides turn brown.

• The final step is to make the creamy gravy.

• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Once they crackle, add the chopped onion till they become soft.

• Now add the chopped tomatoes and saute till they are properly cooked. Once it is done, add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt to taste, the leftover bhurji and the pith of the gourd that you  have kept aside. Cook them properly.

• Once the oil starts separating, use a hand blender and make a paste of the mixture in the pan itself. Now add 1 cup of water and let it cook for a couple of minutes.

• Add sugar, kasturi methi and slices of the gourd and boil it till the gravy thicken and garnish it with the chopped coriander leaves and cream.

• Serve the Bharwa Lauki along with roti, raita, some dal with gravy for a complete meal.

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  https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

  https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

  https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com  for info on cancer and health related topics

  https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs.

Lauki Thepla Bottle gourd roti/ flatbread

Prepare Bottle Gourd Mixture

First, rinse, peel and grate the bottle gourd (lauki) in a bowl or parat/large plate. Use ¾ cup grated bottle gourd. You can also add about 1 cup grated bottle gourd.

IMPORTANT: Before your grate, check the taste of the bottle gourd by eating a small tiny piece. If it is bitter, discard it. Bitter tasting bottle gourd is toxic and is harmful to the body and should never be consumed.

Add the following list of herbs and spices to the grated bottle gourd:

1 tsp ginger-green chili paste (or crush 1 small green chili and 1 inch peeled ginger in a mortar-pestle)

½ tsp coriander powder

½ tsp cumin powder

½ tsp red chili powder

¼ tsp turmeric powder

¾ tsp salt  OR salt to taste

Mix the ingredients very well with the grated bottle gourd. Set aside, covered, for 5 minutes. The bottle gourd will release its juices.

Next, add 1½ cups whole wheat flour and 3 tbsp gram flour (besan).

If you don’t have gram flour, skip. Just make the thepla with whole wheat flour.

You can also add 1 cup whole wheat flour and ¼ cup bajra flour (pearl millet flour), ¼ cup jowar flour (sorghum flour) and 3 tablespoons gram flour.

 Mix everything, very well with a spoon.

Add 2 tablespoons curd (yogurt) and 1 tablespoon oil.

If making a vegan or dairy free version, then add 2 to 3 tablespoons water, instead of curd.

Mix and begin to knead into a dough. Add more curd, if required, while kneading.

Make a smooth soft dough.

Make medium-sized balls from the dough

On a dusted rolling board, take each ball and begin to roll it.

Sprinkle some more whole wheat flour, if required, while rolling.

 Place the rolled thepla on a hot tawa or a flat skillet or a griddle. Keep the heat to medium or medium-high.

 When you see air pockets, flip the flatbread using a spatula.

When thepla is half-cooked smear some oil all over.

Flip again and spread some oil on the other side too, in case you want to take the theplas for lunch then smear more oil for it to remain soft for a longer time,

Flip once or twice till the thepla is well cooked. Make all theplas in batches one by one this way. You can add less oil, if you prefer, while roasting the thepla.

Place the roasted thepla in a roti basket or a hot-pot/casserole so that they stay warm and soft.

Serve Lauki Thepla hot, warm or at room temperature with a mango pickle or curd or mango chunda or mango chutney

 

Tips

Quality of bottle gourd: Fresh, tender, juicy bottle gourd is the best in this recipe. If your bottle gourd has a sour or bitter taste, trash it. A bitter tasting bottle gourd is unsafe to consume and can lead to severe health complications.

Choice of flours: Gram flour (besan) can be skipped, if you do not have it. Simply add 1¾ cups of whole wheat flour, if you decide to omit gram flour. To make these flatbreads healthier and fiber-rich, make them with some millet flours like sorghum or pearl millet flour.

Use of curd (yogurt): Use fresh yogurt and not the sour one. If you do not have curd, then replace it with buttermilk or water, adding as required to make a soft dough.

Spices and seasonings: You can make these theplas spicy, if you prefer. Increase the quantity of green chilies and red chili powder

 

 

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com  for info on cancer and health related topics

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs.