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Showing posts with label gluten free recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gluten free recipe. Show all posts

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Chocolate Chili Anar ( Gluten Free Recipe )

#BurstAPataka ??
Nooooo. The air pollution has already hot stratospheric levels and is choking the life out of our poor lungs.

#BeAPataka ???
Easier said than done. Being the mommy of a ever curious five year old, I need to ensure anything and everything inflammatory is kept out of sight and hearing. Pataka or otherwise......

#EatAPataka ??
Aah ....now we are talking sense. Like really !! And chilli flavored treats are just the thing that I have in mind.
For the uninformed, Capsaicin in chillis not only speeds up the metabolism but also ensures that a smaller portion makes us feel full. Even from my experience, the latter holds good especially when it comes to desserts. Doesn't that sound like a blessing in disguise ?But the real reason I love a hint of chilli in my dessert is that it kind of intensifies the flavor.

The Chocolate Chilli Anar is a wonderful twist to our very own "Gujjiya" or "Karanji", which is must have Diwali delight. The all purpose flour is swapped with a gluten free flour and the coconut stuffing is infused with a heady mix of dark chocolate and bhut jolokia chili. Moreover, it is baked instead of being dunked in hot oil which ensures that we stick to the 'healthy snacks' resolution. The conical 'anar' shape is just perfect for the ongoing Diwali festivities.

Thank you Plattershare for this wonderful opportunity !!

Read on for the recipe -
























Preparation Time - 40-45 mins

Ingredients -


For the outer layer -


  • 1 1/2 cup Jiwa Gluten Free flour
  • 2 tsp ghee
  • 1/6 tsp salt or as per taste
  • water for kneading into a tight dough



For the stuffing -


  • 1 freshly grated coconut 
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1 dried Bhut Jolokia chilli
  • 1 tsp ghee
  • 2 pinch salt
  • 2 tsp brown sugar



Preparation -

For making the stuffing -

Pour the ghee a saucepan.

Add the bhut jolokia to the ghee and wait till the ghee is sufficiently hot. Do not let it smoke else the chili's heat will cause burning sensation in eyes, nose and throat.

Add the coconut and keep stirring lightly till it turns light brown.

Remove the chili and add the choco chips to the pan. Keep the flame to a minimum.

Once the chocolate has melted, add brown sugar and salt. Mix everything together.

Remove from flame and keep aside till bearable to touch.

Pinch out small portions of the stuffing and shape into conical mounds.


For the outer layer - 

Take the flour, ghee and salt in a mixing bowl. Rub everything together till it is mixed evenly.

Add water little by little and make a tight dough. Let it rest for 30 mins.

Take small portions of the dough and roll it out . Cut out ribbons with the help of a knife.

Make small round discs with the remaining dough.

Final assembly - 

Place a mound of the stuffing on each disc. Take the ribbons and wrap it around the mound to give it the look of an anar.

Repeat the process for making more such 'anar's.

Baking - Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

Place the 'anar's on a baking tray and pop it into the oven.

Let them bake for  12-14 mins or till done.

Remove from the oven and let them cool down.

Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.

Friday, June 24, 2016

Quinoa Pudding ( A healthy take on 'Chaula Khiri' from Odisha )

Rice kheer or Chaula Kheeri is one of the most frequently prepared dishes at home. If not for a festival, I find myself cooking some for guests or even on husband's request. And I prefer doing it the hard way. Slow cooked to a rich creamy texture and caramelized flavour, the taste is something just out of the world. But at times, the effort and time required proves to be just too much and I end up with a delicious kheer but a grumpy mood to go with it.

That is precisely why I ended up trying to cook Kheer with quinoa as soon as I got my hands on this wonder grain. I wanted to find out if I could save time by doing so and yes, I had guessed it right. The grains being smaller tend to acquire that melt-in-the-mouth texture quite faster as compared to Basmati rice or even the small grained 'arua chaula' that we use in Odisha. Have not used any thickening agents like milk powder, khoya or condensed milk to keep it as healthy as possible.

Quinoa being a superfood, has a high amount of protein, fiber, manganese, magnesium, iron and B2. Apart from the fact that it is gluten-free, it is also one of those food grains that remain non-GMO (GMO stands for Genetically modified and while it may be the only answer to a billowing population and the only hope of abating global hunger, I can't help being scared of what Frankensteins one might be consuming). It is the grain of choice for diabetics as it has a low glycemic index. Plus people trying to lose weight will benefit from eating quinoa as it makes one feel fuller and also takes time to get digested.

Without much ado, read on for the recipe -




















Preparation Time - 1 hr

Ingredients -

  • 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 2 ltrs whole milk
  • 8-10 pepperorns
  • 2-3 green cardamom
  • 4 tbsp sugar ( adjust as per taste )
  • 1 tsp ghee

Preparation - Wash the quinoa under running water. Let it soak for 30 mins.

Cooking - Bring the milk to boil in a large pan. Keep stirring it at regular interval so that it does not catch at  the bottom and the layer does not form on top. Switch off after boiling for 15 mins and keep aside.

Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker. Put about 1 tsp sugar in it and wait for it to turn brown. Before it starts to smoke, add the rinsed and drained quinoa to the pressure cooker. Roast it for 5 mins to give it brownish shade and also to ensure that it's typical smell goes off. Now add 1 cup water and close the lid. Cook on medium flame for 2 whistles.

Keep it aside till steam escapes.

Now add the cooked quinoa to the boiled milk. Cook on a low flame for about an hour or till you reach the desired consistency. (remember that it get still thicker after cooling down)

Add the powdered peppercorns and cardamom to the kheer and give it a stir. Keep aside till it coold down.


















Serve at room temperature or even chilled.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Pumpkin Kidney Beans and Quinoa Salad ( Vegan Lunch Diaries )

In the gastronomic world dominated by upstarts and gorgeous vegetables like the zucchini, purple corn and red cabbage, the humble pumpkin hardly finds any takers. But if you have been following my blog for sometime now, my fascination with the rather out of shape member of the squash family won't come as a shocker to you. I love the vegetable to an extent that one would always find some stocked in my fridge. While it is a rather common ingredient in most of the curries/dal in Odisha, I love to cook the vegetable just by itself. A simple pumpkin fry would do on most days, the spicy Sri Lankan Pumpkin curry is a must-have when I am in a mood to indulge myself.

With kiddo following in my footsteps, our family's love for this vegetable is now widely recognized. Just to ensure that he does not get teased about it, I now have a mission to give this down-market vegetable a sexy new makeover. And this vegan salad recipe, a complete meal in itself, is the first thing that came to my mind. Filling to the core and bursting with fiber, this is something that one must give a try.

Read on for the recipe -


















Preparation Time - 20 mins


Ingredients -

  • 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 1/2 cup boiled kidney beans ( or use canned ones )
  • 1 cup pumpkin slices
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp chili flakes or crushed pepper
  • salt to taste
  • a sprig of cilantro


Preparation - Take the vinegar, olive oil, sugar, chili flakes/pepper and salt in a bowl to prepare the dressing.

Chop the onion into thin slices and add to the dressing. Keep aside for 20 mins.

Cooking - Wash and cook the quinoa with 1 cup water and a tiny pinch of salt in a saucepan. Once the water is absorbed, fluff it up .

Sprinkle a few drops of oil on an iron skillet. Once it starts to smoke, throw in the pumpkin slices . Sprinkle a tiny amount of salt and cook them on high till brown spots begin to appear. Flip them over and cook on the other side as well. Once they are done ( not mushy ), remove and keep aside.

Add the boiled kidney beans, the pan-seared pumpkin and the dressing to the quinoa. Toss gently.

Garnish with a sprig of cilantro. Serve at room temperature.




Thursday, September 4, 2014

Sajana Sagaa Kharada (Drumstick leaves Curry)

Drumstick leaves or 'sajana sagaa' as we call it in Odisha happens to be one of my favorite greens. Make into a simple stir fry or cook it with dal and veggies, it tastes awesome. While it has a slightly bitter taste but the aroma is sure to make one hungry. Drumstick leaves and flowers are of great value as sources of carotene, calcium, phosphorus and vitamin C. According to Ayurvedic texts, these leaves have the potential to cure almost 300 types of ailments. With 90 nutrients and 46 antioxidants, these small leaves literally pack a punch. They are usually given as a tonic to young children, pregnant women and lactating mothers to keep them healthy.

I had been missing it for a long time since I never see it being sold in the local vegetable shops/stores in Bangalore. That's why I was overjoyed to find a thelawala selling the greens near my building. I quickly purchased a bundle at rupees 10.

Read on for the recipe -




















Preparation Time - 25 mins

Ingredients -

  • 5 cups of drumstick leaves
  • 1/2 cup diced pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup diced potato
  • few cubes of raw banana
  • 1 medium sized onion (chopped into thin long slices)
  • 5-6 garlic flakes
  • 1/4 cup lightly roasted moong dal/yellow lentil
  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1-2 dry red chillis
  • 3 tsp oil
  • 2 pinch turmeric
  • salt to taste
  • 7-8 fried boris for garnishing


Preparation - Pluck the drumstick leaves from the stem while carefully checking for any insects/eggs.
Wash thoroughly under running water. Keep aside for the water to drain

Cooking - Transfer the lentils along with pumpkin, potato, raw banana, salt and turmeric to a pressure cooker. Add 2/3 cup water and cook for 1 whistle on medium flame. Keep aside for steam to escape.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the mustard seeds and broken red chilis followed by the onions. Fry till onion turns translucent.

Add the drumstick leaves and stir fry on medium high for 4 mins. Now add the contents of the wok, mix together and allow to cook for another 5-6 mins. Check if the greens are cooked else cook for 2-3 mins more.

Add the crushed garlic and the crushed bori. Remove from flame.

Serve hot with white rice and dal.



















Note - In Western Odisha, a similar dish is prepared but without the veggies and the badi.

Monday, August 4, 2014

Shakarkand ka halwa (sweet potato halwa)

Shakarkand or sweet potato is a rich source of fiber with almost twice as much fiber as compared to other potato varieties. Thus they are digested slowly and do not spike sugar levels as is the popular belief. Also they are rich in Beta-carotene, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C and Vitamin E. They are also loaded with manganese. All there nutrients make it good for the heart/arteries, regulating sugar levels and ofcourse a low-cost 'beauty food'. Yup, it is the combination of Beta-carotene, Vitamins C and E which go into the making of the beauty capsules for hair, skin and nails.

I like to have boiled sweet potato as an evening snack at times or even make it into a sweet-sour gravy. But very recently that I go to know that it can be made into a delicious halwa. This is Tarla Dalal's recipe which I have followed with some minor changes. This halwa is also consumed on fasting days especially during the ongoing Shravan month.







Preparation time - 20 mins ( including 10 mins standby )

Ingredients -


  • 1 medium sized sweet potato
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 tsp ghee
  • 2-3 tsp chopped dry fruits ( almonds, pistachios, cashews, walnuts )
  • a pinch of saffron
  • 3 tsp sugar ( or to taste...I prefer less )


Preparation -  Wash and clean the sweet potato. Boil in a pressure cooker ( with 1 cup water )for 3-4 whistles . Keep aside till steam escapes. Peel and grate it.

Cooking - Heat the ghee in a wok. Add the nuts and fry for a minute. Remove and keep aside.
Add the grated sweet potato and fry till it is a little brown.

Add the milk, saffron and sugar at this stage. Mix till the milk is absorbed and it forms a creamy mixture. It should start leaving the sides of the wok once it is done. Finally add the nuts and remove from flame.

Garnish with a few strands of saffron and nuts. Serve hot or cold ( both taste good ).



Brown Rice Pongal

Have been trying to incorporate either brown rice or cracked wheat (daliya) into my diet at least 4 times a week. While I have got the hang of daliya, brown rice is still not my cup of tea ( or grain ). I find it tough to like brown rice but I still keep trying various recipes. This one however is something that I really loved. A typical Ven Pongal made with brown rice, the flavour of ghee, curry leaves, asafoetida and jeera is just sufficient to mask that unappealing smell of brown rice. The heat from the chilis is also a plus. Hopefully I can now stick to having brown rice twice a week without failing.

Read on for the easy recipe -

















Preparation Time - 15 mins


Ingredients -

  • 1/2 cup brown rice
  • 1/3 cup yellow moong dal
  • 1 broken red chili
  • 1/2 green chili
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 pinch carom seeds
  • 5-6 curry leaves
  • 2 generous pinch asafoetida
  • 1 1/2 tsp ghee
  • salt to taste
  • 3 cups hot water


Cooking - Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker.  Add red chili, green chili, cumin, carom seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida. Fry for 30 seconds.

Wash and add the brown rice and moong dal. Fry for 2-3 minutes or till a fragrance comes.

Add the hot water and salt. Close lid and cook for 4 whistles.  Allow steam to escape before opening.

Serve hot with roasted papad and yogurt.



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