Steamed Muthia

Ingredients

·       Oil  (3-4 tbsps) Bottle gourd (doodhi), grated  (2 cups)

·       Onion, grated  (1 cup)

·       Bengal gram flour (besan)  (1/2 cup)

·       Whole wheat flour (gehun ka ata)  (1/2 cup)

·       Semolina (sooji)  (1/4 cup)

·       Mustard seeds (sarson)  (1/4 tsp)

·       Asafoetida (hing)  (¼ tsp)

·       Sesame seeds (til)  (¼ tsp)

·       Lemon (nimbu) juice  (1/4 cup)

·       Green chillies (hari mirch) and ginger (adrak) paste  (1/4 cup)

·       Haldi/Turmeric Powder  (¼ tsp)

·       Fennel seeds (saunf)  (¼ tsp)

·       Cumin seeds (jeera)  (¼ tsp)

·       Salt  (to taste)

·       Sugar  (1/2 tsp)

·       Coriander leaves (hara dhaniya), for garnish  

·       Coconut grated, for garnish  

Steamed Muthia with bottle gourd or fenugreek leaves

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Method

·       This recipe needs a steamer or an oiled sieve which can be kept on a vessel of boiling water to steam the muthias.

·       Mix grated doodhi, onion along with wheat flour, besan (Bengal gram flour) and semolina together. Semolina is added to give the snack a crunch and hold it together well.

·       Add in spices including turmeric powder, green chilli and ginger paste, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, asafoetida, sugar, salt, lemon juice and 1 tbsp of oil and mix the dough well.

·       Shape a lemon-size portion with your hand until it binds well. Alternatively, the muthia dough can be rolled into a cylinder of one-inch diameter, rolling it between a hard surface and the palm of the hand. Then cut it at ¼ inches intervals, to form slices or disks.

·       Steam the cut muthias for about 15-20 minutes and allow them to cool completely.

·       To temper the muthias, heat 2 tsp oil, add mustard seeds and asafoetida, once the mustard seeds splutter, add the muthias carefully, tossing them lightly.

·       Cook until the edges are brown in colour, and serve warm with a sprinkling of grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves and chutney of your choice.

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Feel my Pulse

As much as I love to have variety in my food, my heart yearns for a large bowl of dal with plain white rice. Once a week I make a family favorite – Traditional Gujarati sweet and sour tur dal which I like to serve with plain white cooked rice, roasted papad and a salad of finely chopped cucumber, onion, tomato, cilantro and dressed with the juice of fresh lime & salt…….that’s all that’s needed, to feed my soul.

This dal can morph into another dish called Dal Dhokli instantly! The recipe is exactly the same, excepting that I add small bite sized pieces of cooked/uncooked chappati and boil it in the dal for a few minutes prior to serving, making it an excellent dish to be served on cool winter nights or on days when one feels low and needs an instant boost (i.e., when retail therapy is not condusive).

Gujarati sweet and sour tur dal

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked tur dal
3-4 tsp peanuts, skin removed
1 medium sized tomato, finely chopped
1-2 green chilies, slit
1 dried red chili (optional)
6-8 cloves
1-2 inch piece of cinnamon
1 tsp cumin seeds
¾ tsp mustard seeds
A pinch of asafetida
½ tsp turmeric
2- Kokum skins, or 1 tsp tamarind paste, or juice of 1 lime
2-4 tsp jaggery/brown sugar, depending on your taste
Few curry leaves
2tsp chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp oil
1 tsp ghee or unsalted butter
Salt to taste

Method

Wash tur dal well and add 4-5 cups water, turmeric and peanuts. Cook this in a pressure cooker for 15-18 minutes or in a dutch oven for 30-45 minutes or until the dal has completely disintegrated. Whisk the mixture and set aside.

In a another cooking pot add oil and ghee and bring to a smoke, add dried red chili, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilies (in the exact order) and allow the seeds to sputter. Add the chopped tomato and cook until pulpy (about 1-2 minutes). Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Add the dal mixture the kokum skins/tamarind juice if available. Allow this to simmer on a med-low flame for about 15 minutes, add the jaggery and cook for a few more minutes. Remove from fire, add lime juice and coriander leaves. Serve warm with rice or roti’s.

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This recipe has been submitted for the event – Delicious Dal’s from India, hosted by Suma of Veggie Platter