Chickpeas Sundal

This is another popular variation of the 'Peanut Sundal' recipe posted earlier. Unlike the peanut sundal which is an instant variety, this requires overnight soaking of the chickpeas or garbanzo beans. However one can use the canned variety to omit this step.

A perfect snack for the summers with its high protein content, this is a hit with kids. Read on for the super easy recipe:

Preparation Time - 15 mins ( including 10 mins standby time )

Ingredients -

1 cup chickpeas/kabuli chana/garbanzo beans
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 tsp skinless urad dal (black lentil)
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1-2 dry red chilli
4-5 curry leaves
1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
1-2 tbsp grated coconut ( though I have skipped it )
a dash of lime juice
coriander leaves for garnishing
a few slivers of raw mango (optional but it really adds a lot of flavor)

Preparation - Wash and soak the chickpeas for 8-9 hours or overnight.

Cooking - Boil the soaked chickpeas in salted water till tender. (I used a pressure cooker and gave 3 whistles on medium flame). Drain off excess water and keep aside.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add mustard and urad dal. Fry till urad dal starts to turn a little brown.

Add curry leaves, broken red chilli and asafoetida. Fry for 10 seconds.

Add the boiled chickpeas and stir fry for 4-5 minutes.

Add the coconut, mix in and remove from flame.

Add coriander leaves and lime juice when serving.

Peanut Sundal (Verkadalai Sundal for Navratri)

Sundal is a quick stir-fried snack made with white chick peas or garbanzo beans. The beans are soaked overnight and cooked till soft but not mushy. This dish can also be prepared with peanuts, horse gram, whole green moong and kala channa. While the seasoning is kept minimal and the same for each preparation, they taste quite different as each legume has its own distinct flavor.

While the recipe is said to originate from Tamil Nadu, it is quite common to locate a street-side vendor selling a variety of sundal anywhere in South India. It is also used as a prasad or 'neivaidyam' during the Navratri fasting.

It was the ease to preparation and the protein content that made me try this as a 4 o' clock for my kid. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 15 mins ( including 10 mins standby time )

Ingredients -

1 cup peanuts (with skin)
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp skinless urad dal (black lentil)
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1 dry red chilli
4-5 curry leaves
1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
1 tbsp grated coconut ( though I have skipped it )
a dash of lime juice
coriander leaves for garnishing

Cooking - Boil the peanuts with a little salt till tender. (I used a pressure cooker and gave 4 whistles on medium flame). Drain off excess water and keep aside.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add mustard and urad dal. Fry till urad dal starts to turn a little brown.

Add curry leaves, broken red chilli and asafoetida. Fry for 10 seconds.

Add the boiled peanuts and stir fry for 4-5 minutes.

Add the coconut, mix in and remove from flame.

Add coriander leaves and lime juice when serving.

Note - While some like it hot, I prefer to have it at room temperature.

Dahi Lau ( Lauki ka raita )

'Kitne ka hai Bhaiya ?', I asked the neighbourhood vegetable vendor. 'Chalis de do madam', he replied with a grin. Forty rupees a kilo for the very humble lauki, I exclaimed. There was a time when my mom used to run after us to feed us lauki-chana or lauki santula and we would go to any lengths to avoid it. But I guess the growing years and Baba Ramdev's claims about this wonder vegetable has turned me into a new leaf. This vegetable is touted to have myriad health benefits ranging from curing heart diseases, lowering blood pressure, curing jaundice,treating gastrointestinal disorders and improving liver function. With 96 percent water and just 12 calories per 100 grams, it is very helpful if you are on a weight loss diet.

Just like another superfood 'Spinach aka Palak', I keep trying to incorporate it regularly in my meals. So, here is another lauki recipe:

Preparation Time - 10-15 mins

Ingredients -

• 3 cups (peeled and diced) bottle gourd/lauki/doodhi
• 1 cup fresh yogurt/curd 
• 1 small onion (optional)
• 2-3 green chillis
• a pinch of asafoetida
• 3 tbs freshly grated coconut
• 1/2 mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• a sprig of curry leaves
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp oil

Preparation - Boil the bottle gourd in a pressure cooker with a little salt for 1 whistle. Remove from flame and keep aside to cool. Do not throw away excess water.

Chop the onion into small pieces.

Take the yogurt in a mixing bowl and add salt, chopped onion and coconut. Beat lightly.

Cooking - Heat oil in a small pan. Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Allow to splutter and then add the broken green chilli and curry leaves. Add asafoetida after 30 seconds and switch off flame.

Add the tempering to the beaten curd along with boiled bottle gourd pieces and some of the excess water. Mix well.

Serve with rotis or rice and dal.

Note - This is a popular item during Navratri but without the onions.

Suji Nadia Ladoo ( Semolina coconut ladoos )

Preparation time: 30 mins

Ingredients: 1 medium sized coconut ( grated ), 1 1/2 cups bombay rawa/suji, ghee ( 2-3 tbs ), sugar ( 1 1/4 cup ), water ( 1 cup ), cardamom powder ( 1/5 tsp ), dry fruits ( 1/3 cup, optional ).

Cooking: Heat 1 tbs ghee on a pan. Add the suji and roast for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Remove from pan when it reaches a light brown colour ( khova colour ).
Add another tbs of ghee to the pan. Now add the grated coconut and roast for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Remove from pan and keep aside.

Dissolve the sugar in the water and bring to boil in a wok. Let it boil till the sugar reaches a stringy consistency. ( Test this by taking a little of the liquid, cool it to a tolerable temperature and keep a drop of it between the thumb and forefinger. When you try to separate the fingers, a fine thread of the liquid appears )

Add the cardamom powder and coconut to the sugar syrup. Reduce the flame and mix it for 2 mins. Now add the suji in small batches and stir rigourously to mix all the ingredients. Remove from the flame once the mixture thickens enough to form balls/laddoos ( ideally its better to do it a little before it becomes this thick so the mixture further solidifies on cooling ) .

Keep aside till the temperature drops a few notches and it becomes tolerable to work with your fingers.

Spread a nice amount of ghee on your palm and fingers. Take a little amount of the mixture and gently shape into laddoo.

Spread a little ghee on your hands after every 2-3 laddoos as it prevents the mixture from sticking to your fingers. Makes 20 medium sized laddoos.

Store in a airtight container when completely cool. Keeps fresh for 1 week.

Note: Adding more ghee while roasting the semolina adds to the flavour.

Muga Khichudi ( Whole green moong khichdi )

Cooking Time Required: 15-20 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Rice
• 1/2 cup whole moong/ split moong (with skin)
• 1-2 dry red chilli
• 1/2 tsp fennel ( optional )
• 4 tbsp freshly grated/finely chopped coconut
• 2-3 pinch cumin seeds
• 3-4 bay leaves
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 1 green cardamon
• 2 cloves 
• 1 tsp ghee
• 1 pinch turmeric
• 1 tsp sugar
• salt to taste

Preparation: Soak the whole green moong overnight. Or if using the split variety, for 2-3 hours.

Wash the rice and moong and keep aside to drain excess water.

Cooking: Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker. Add the fennel seeds, cumin seeds,
cardamon, cinnamon, cloves, broken red chilli and bay leaf.

Fry for 30-40 secs till the fragrance of the spices fills the kitchen.

Add the washed rice and moong along with the coconut and stir fry for 3-4 mins. Pour
3-4 cups of water along with salt, turmeric and sugar.

Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles.

Serve warm/cold with curd or raita . (Excellent option for lunchbox)

Sabudana Khichdi

Sabudana Khichdi is a Maharashtrian recipe which is usually prepared on fasting days like Navratri. The recipe makes use of roasted and coarsely grated peanut powder which can be omitted in case one is allergic to peanuts. I used sesame instead when I make it for my hubby who suffers from peanut allergy.

The big tapioca pearls are preferable for this recipe as they turn out to be fluffier. But the soaking time required is more. When in a hurry, go for the smaller grains.

To cut down on the cholesterol, one can replace the ghee with refined oil and just add 3-4 drops ghee after cooking for that distinct flavour.

Cooking Time Required: 10-15 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup large Sabudana / Tapioca pearls
• 1 medium sized potato
• 2 green chillis
• 1 inch ginger
• 1/2 tsp roasted and crushed peanuts 
• 3-4 tbsp freshly grated coconut  (optional)
• 1/3 tsp cumin seeds 
• 1 tsp ghee
• 2 tsp oil
• salt to taste ( use pink salt during fasting )
• chopped coriander leaves 
• 1 tsp lime juice

Preparation: Chop the potato and green chilli into small pieces.

Wash and soak the sabudana for 3-4 hours. Drain well and keep aside. [ Soaking and cooking time will vary with the variety used ]

Cooking: Heat the ghee and oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds followed by the green chilis and finely minced ginger. Add the chopped potatoes and fry till potato pieces become almost cooked.

Add the soaked sabudana along with salt. Sprinkle a little water if required and cook for 3-4 mins.

Garnish with the crushed peanuts, chopped coriander leaves, lime juice and grated coconut.

Serve with sweetened skimmed yogurt. A healthy snack/meal is ready.

Instant Sabudana Kheeri

Cooking time required: 5-8 mins
Cost of preparation: 15-20 rupees

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Sabudana/Sagu
• 1 1/2 milk 
• 3 tsp raisins
• 2 tsp cashews 
• 3-4 tsp sugar 
• 1/2 tsp ghee 

Preparation: Soak the sabudana for 2-3 hours.

Cooking: Heat the ghee in a saucepan. Add 1 tsp sugar and allow it to turn brown.

Next add the raisins & cashews. Stir fry till the raisins swell.

Add the milk and soaked sabuadana.

Boil for 5-6 mins while stirring at short intervals as it tends to stick to the bottom of the pan.

Serve hot.

Note: One can also add a little cardamon/saffron for the flavouring.

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Lauki ki Burfi ( Lau burfi )

Cooking Time Required: 15-18 mins
Cost of preparation: 15-20 mins


Ingredients:

• 2 cups lauki/bottle gourd pulp
• 1-2 tbsp sugar (adjust as per taste)
• 2 tsp ghee  
• 1 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
• 4-5 almonds

Preparation: Ground the lau into a smooth paste in a mixer-grinder. Do not throw away any excess water.

Cooking: Heat 1/ tsp in a wok. Cut the almonds into small pieces and add to the wok. Fry lightly and remove from wok.

Pour the remaining ghee into the wok. Add the lau/lauki paste. Cook till the ghee leaves the sides of the wok ( takes about 8-10 mins ).

Add the sugar and condensed milk at this stage . Cook for 2-3 mins till the sugar gets dissolved.
Add the fried almonds and remove from the fire. Allow to cool down slightly.

Take a steel thali/plate and spread the paste into a uniform layer having a thickness between 5-8 mm. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Remove from the fridge and cut into desired shape. Serve .

Note : This makes for 4-5 burfis.