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.

Teen Patti Crackers With A Bhut Jolokia Dip

Diwali time is about gatherings with friends and family. And gatherings are never complete without endless snacks. But that is no excuse to indulge in oily and fried stuff. That is something that has been on my mind ever since the festive season started and the guests started pouring in.

I had a few recipes saved in the drafts when the Jiwa Gluten Free flour from Plattershare arrived in the courier. Made from brown rice flour and multiple grains, it has a nice flavor and texture that works well for most of my recipes. Hence, all my healthy (read 'baked') snacks now have a nice gluten-free twist to them .

This is the first among the snacks I have created for Diwali. Now Diwali happens to be synonymous with a game of Teen Patti ! These healthy gluten free crackers with a beautiful card suit symbol pricked out in each of them are just apt for the occasion. Pair it with a tantalizingly hot Bhut jolokia dipping sauce with figs and caramelized onions and you have just ensured an evening to remember !

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 45 mins

Ingredients -

For the crackers -

• 1 cup Jiwa Gluten Free flour
• 3 tsp melted butter
• 1/4 tsp salt ( i prefer using even less )
• 2 tsp finely chopped garlic chives
• Warm water for kneading
• Extra butter for brushing the crackers 

For the Bhut Jolokia Bhut -

• 1/2 of a dried Bhut jolokia chili
• 5-6 ripe figs
• 1 large red onion
• 3-4 tsp Balsamic vinegar
• 3-4 tsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp olive oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - For making the cracker dough, take all the flour, butter, chopped garlic chives and salt in a mixing bowl.

First mix the dry ingredients thoroughly and then add enough water to make a soft dough. Let it rest for 20 mins.

Flour the working surface and roll out the dough into a thin sheet. 

Cut it out into squares with the help of a cutter. Prick out the sides to prevent them from puffing up during baking.

Prick out the card suite designs on the crackers. Apply a fine layer of melted butter to the surface using a brush.

Cooking - Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Place the crackers on a baking tray and pop in. 

The crackers should be done in 10-14 mins depending on how thin you have rolled them.

Remove from oven and keep aside till cool.  

For making the chunky dipping sauce - place the dried bhut jolokia chili in a cup and cover with hot water. Let it stand for 20 mins.

Wear gloves and chop the chilli into very fine bits for using in our recipe. Wash gloves, knives, chopping board and even the hands.

Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a saucepan.

Cut the onion into thin long pieces. Add to the olive oil and saute on a low temperature till it starts turning golden.

Now add the bhut jolokia chili to the onions and keep sauteing till onion gets completely caramelized. Switch on the exhaust or keep the windows open to avoid the strong fumes.

Chop up the figs and add to the caramelized onions. Add a little salt over them.

Once the figs soften, add the balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and 1/ cup hot water to the saucepan. Adjust the salt.

Let the ingredients simmer on a low flame till it thickens to the consistency of a jam.

Remove from flame and let it cool down .

Serve the crackers with the dipping sauce.

Like Minds Eat/Share Together @ Plattershare (Plattershare Feedback Campaign)

When you have been blogging for a close to a decade, nothing surprises you any longer. Bloggers come and go, some reach new heights while other switch to new avenues. Somewhere in the last 2-3 years, I have been closely monitoring the emergence of many recipe sharing platforms or recipe aggregators as one calls them. And having been a part of quite a few of them, I know that they are doing really well and helping people pursue their passion for cooking/food.

But working with Plattershare has proved to be something else ! Well I can say that because I have had the opportunity to interact with Kirti Yadav (one of the two founders) more than a few times. Take passion and cross it with vision. That's a deadly cocktail one would say. But I can safely say that it sounds more like her. From spotting food trends to cherry picking cooking talent for Plattershare, she does it all with a smile. God knows how she manages it with a kid ( I know that from my personal interactions with her which make really me feel like a team member ). She is a great inspiration and I loved the way she kept motivating and driving me as worked on a story for Black rice and it's recipes.

The best thing that attracts me to Plattershare has got to be the 'Food stories' because at times just a picture of a recipe is just not enough ! One likes to read a bit of history or something more that stimulate the grey cells. The second thing is the neatly structured recipes that come with a rating. Like all good cookbooks, they mention the preparation/cooking time and servings. A definite boon when planning for a party or gathering.

And finally, it has to be the overall structure of the website that reminds me of my favorite social media platform. One can just post a pic, add a recipe or when feeling more inspired, go for a full length story. And that kind of variety makes the browsing part rather interesting !

Does something so good needs to be bettered ? Well, when necessity fuels invention, one might build the refrigerator but when ambition fuels inventions one ends up with dreamy stuff like an ice-cream sundae !! So, why not !

The first thing that comes to my mind is related to regional cuisine. A basic search feature that allows one to search recipes by region/state/country may sound elementary but it is really useful for people who are new to cooking to want to explore recipes by region.

The second useful feature that I can think of is to have a separate tag/section for 'signature recipes', recipes that are exclusively developed by a particular chef/blogger. The biggest irritant that I have faced during my blogging days is that of plagiarism. And I sincerely hope that Plattershare does something about it !

Being on Plattershare has been a wonderful experience in every way.

Steamed Veggie Appams ( Collaboration with Plattershare & FarmztoFamiliez )

A great day begins with a great breakfast ! For someone like me, it is the most important meal of the day as I really get hungry in the morning. And any compromise on the quality/quantity has serious ramifications like dizziness ( due to low sugar levels ), migraine and even acid reflux. That is apart from struggling with low energy levels throughout the day.

But making a hearty breakfast for the family takes time and one tends to neglect doing it during the morning rush. That is when the 'Ready to Prepare' products like FarmztoFamiliez which their wide range of traditional batters come into the picture. They are specially designed to ease out the congestion in our everyday routine without computerizing on health and nutrition.

These easy to prepare 'Steamed Veggie Appams' is prepared from the FarmztoFamiliez 'Ready to Prepare' Appam batter that was delivered to me in collaboration with Plattershare. Freshly ground and free from preservatives, it has all the goodness and taste that one expects from a home made one. While it certainly delivers those crispy and perforated appams, I choose to make a healthier version by mixing it with veggies and steaming it.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 35 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 1/2 cup appam batter
• 1 cup mixed vegetables cut into small pieces ( broccoli, carrot, beans ) 
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 small onion 
• 1/3 inch ginger (grated) 
• 2 garlic cloves (grated) 
• 1 chopped green chili (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp thick coconut milk 
• 1/4 tsp white pepper powder 
• 1 tsp sugar 
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp canola oil

Preparation - Adjust the consistency of the appam batter by adding salt, sugar and the coconut milk. (One can also add a little water instead of the coconut milk if required)

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the chopped onions, green chili, ginger and garlic.
Saute till raw smell goes off.


Add the chopped vegetables along with the curry leaves. Sprinkle a little salt and cook till half done.
Add the white pepper powder and mix. Remove and keep aside.

Switch on the stove . Put water in the steamer and get it to a boil.

Take a steamer plate and pour half of the appam batter over it. Spread the veggies in a uniform layer. Top with the remaining appam batter.

Let it cook for about 15 mins or till firm.

Remove from the steamer and let it come down to room temperature .

Cut into pieces and serve with tea and chutney / ketchup or even just as it is .