Urad Dal Kachori: UP Vali Kachori: Aloo Ki Subji And Kachori

Aloo Ki Subji will be one dish that is popular in every household of India. However every state has got its own way of cooking it and serving it with. It’s served humbly with paratha or roti; served as a side with rice and dal. It is also paired with puri and batura, but the most royal match is when it is dished up with Kachori.

Those of you dont know, Aloo Ki Subji and Kachori combination is very popular in UP (Uttar Pradesh). From Ganga ghats in Banaras to Krishna’s home in Mathura to temples in Rishikesh and Haridwar this meal has stolen many hearts. It is a wholesome vegetarian meal, mostly served as breakfast or brunch near the temples and pooja places as a street food.

The simplicity and filling attributes make this dish very popular. Spicy and yet modest aloo ki subji is served with Urad Daal Stuffed Kachori. What makes it filling and perfect for breakfast are two things. a)Urad daal is heavy to digest, so you feel full very quickly. b) The kachori is made with maida (all purpose flour) and is deep fried. These two features make it so perfect for brunch as well.

What is kachori? Kachori is like puri but stuffed. The kachori we are talking here is different from Rajasthani Kachori also called as club kachori. Kachori in rajasthan are smaller and puffed up-served with chutney or as a chaat with dahi (yogurt) and meethi chutney. However these UP vali kachori are flat kachoris and are stuffed with urad dal instead of moong dal.

Aloo ki subji is also called as Mathura Ke Dubki Vale Aloo, Haridwar Ke Rassewale Aloo, Banerasi/Benarsi Aloo. Same way the kachori is called as Khasta Kachori, Kasta Bedvi Kachori.

Ingredients:

For Dough

1 cup all purpose flour/maida

2 tablespoons semolina/suji

Salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

4 tablespoons oil

Water as needed

More oil for frying

For Stuffing

1 tablespoon oil

Pinch asafoetida/heeng

1/2 cup white lenthils/urad daal

1 green chilli chopped

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds/jeera

1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds/saunf

1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds/sabut dhaniya

1 teaspoon grated ginger/adrak

1 tablespoons coriander leaves chopped

1/4 teaspoon garam massala powder

1/2 teaspoon coriander powder/dhaniya powder

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder/haldi

1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder/lal mirchi

Salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon black salt/kala namak

Method:

For dough-

Mix all the ingredients listed under dough category. Mix slowly water and start to form smooth dough. Let it rest for 30 minutes.

For stuffing-

Soak the dal for atleast 3 hours in the water. Then drain the water, wash the dal and keep aside.

Grind the dal coarsely with saunf and coriander seeds.

Heat oil in a pan. Add in it jeera, heeng. Let it crackle. Mix in turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder, green chilli, adrak, garam massala and coriander powder. Mix for 10 seconds.

Mix this above massala mix in grinded dal. Mix well.

Mix in salt, black salt and coriander leaves.

Assembly-

Take a lemon sized ball of the dough, roll it out a bit. In the centre add in 2 teaspoon of stuffing. Take the edges of the rolled out dough and seal the edges.

With the roller pin (belan) flatten the stuffed ball.

Heat oil in wok, when hot, throw one kachori at a time. With the help of a spatula apply bit pressure and try to puff it. Flip and cook on the other side as well.

When you see it has become red. Serve.

Notes:

Feel free to use whole wheat flour/atta as well.

You can make moong (yellow mung) dal kachoris same way. Moong daal is bit lighter to digest.

Fry the kachori on mdeuim heat.

Ajwain Massala Puri

So many festivals are around isn’t it? Last week we had Ganesh festival, before that Krishna Janmasthmi and before that Rakshabandhan. Festive spirits are in full swing in our home too. Those of you follow me on instagram would have seen my janmashthmi pooja pic- my way is to keep things simple.

Honestly, in India bringing Ganpati at home has become a status symbol. People show off their wealth in form of ganpati celebrations- how big the ganpati is; does it have any silver, gold or diamonds embellished on it? How much are they spending on prassad? So I was talking over the phone with my mom and she said that little kids of our neighbourhood have also welcomed Ganpati in our colony, its a small Ganpati statue that they got with their own pocket money and right from decoration to inviting people for sthapna and arti was done by those kids- isn’t it what festivals are about? Simple yet strong emotions and no show off.

So with other festivals approaching like Navratri, Karva Chauth and Diwali I have began cleaning the house little by little each day. Rubbish removal is a big task, what to throw and what to keep is huge dilemma for Mr. Husband. But my funda is clear-anything that I haven’t worn or used in last two years should go to charity.

So talking about festivals, one of the most common and must have food is Puri and Aloo ki Subji. I have made Palak Puri before for diwali to give it a healthy twist. Today’s post is about Ajwain Massala Puri. Poori-signifies celebration and happiness in most of the India and no big event or occasion is complete without puris- be it on birthdays, anniversaries, parties or as a  prassad during festivals.

Dough of flour and salt is rolled out in small circles and then deep fried in oil. While deep frying, it puffs up like a round ball because moisture in the dough changes into steam which expands in all directions. Ajwain and massala puri is great even when served with hot cup of chai. These are great travel snack as well, it says well for 2-4 days and can be relished with just pickle as well.

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cup wheat flour

3-4 green chillies-finely chopped

1/2 inch ginger piece/adrak-grated

2 teaspoons carom seeds/ajwain

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder/haldi

Salt as per taste

Water as needed

Oil for frying + 2 tablespoons

Method:

Heat a pan and roast carom seeds till it becomes fragrant.

In a mixing bowl add flour, turmeric powder, salt, 2 tablespoons oil, carom seeds, green chillies and ginger. Mix and add water slowly to form the dough. Dough should be firm.

Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. After that, punch the dough for another 1 minute.

Heat oil in a kadai/wok. On a dusted work surface, make medium sized pooris, neither thin nor thick and fry them in hot oil. Drain the pooris on paper napkins to remove excess oil.

Notes:

The puri dough is tight compared to the dough for parathas or rotis.

You can also add sesame seeds (til) in the dough.

Serving suggestions:

Puris goes well with almost all dry curries.

To make the Punjabi thali serve it with paneer butter massala, aloo chole, dal makhani and green chilli pickle.

For rajasthani thali pair it with mangodi mutter, aloo pyaz ki subji, marwadi lehsun ki chutney and marwadi Bharwa Bhindi.

For gujarati thali, serve it with aloo tamatar nu shaak, gobi mutter, khamman dhokla and keri nu ras.

Happy Diwali 2013 :-)

Wishing you and your family a very *Happy Diwali*

Happy Cooking and Happy Eating

(image source 1,2)

Cook With White Event Announcement And 2 Giveaways

Cook With Yellow was great success, I got 150 entries and yummy yellow recipes(*Clap*Clap*Clap*). Many of you asked when is the new event happening, So here it is Cook With White Event. I chose white as theme colour this time, as the period of festivals is going to commence. We have ganesh chaturti, navratri, onam, karwa chauth, durga puja and dushehra falling in these months, and that is why many of us will cook sweet and savoury dishes that are made with white stuff –milk, rice, flour, semolina etc.etc.

Yes all you have to do is cook with white ingredients’.   Yup! Put on your thinking caps and cook anything white. Here is the collection of my recipes which were cooked with white things- Milk Powder Churma, Rice Pudding, Naankhatai, Baked Salt Crackers, Paneer Pudhina Tikki.

Rules for the event-

• Cook with anything white. White ingredient must be the main one and not just used in garnishing.
• Looking for fresh entries thus try out new recipes. So, no archived posts will be entertained. Your post has to between September –October 2013.
• Multiple entries are welcome and appreciated. Sweet, savoury, drinks anything can be included.
• The event has to be linked back as Cook With White announced at Merry Tummy. (Compulsory)
• Usage of logo is optional but I would be happy if you could use it, as it helps spread word.
• You have to like Merry Tummy's Facebook Page, Follow me on Twitter and Follow Merry Tummy. (Compulsory)
• Only after your first entry, share the event details at facebook page.(I want more people to know about the event). Keep your this post public in Facebook so that I can see it.(Compulsory- have to do only once)
• Please use the linky tool to link your recipes below. (Mention the name of the dish you make and not your name.)
• Else Send a mail to agrawal.shweta.n@gmail.com with the subject line as Cook With White  and with the following details:
• Your Name
• Recipe Name
• Blog Name
• Recipe URL (Please send the Recipe URL and not the blog URL)
• Picture of the dish (If it is not on the blog)
• Non bloggers are most welcome to participate. Just send me the recipe details with the picture to the above mentioned email. (I will post your recipes at my FB page and will not be able to include in roundup, however you are eligible for the giveaway)

Giveaway- As this is festive season, I am going to have 2 giveaways (I am soooo Excited). I will choose two lucky people through random.org. I will then ask the winners to choose from cookware, bakeware, cook books or kitchen accessories as prize. Once again, the giveaway is open for people who can give Indian address :) There will also be certificates for top contributor, best innovative recipe, best recipe, best click and participation award. 

Hope you all will like the theme. Think white, think festive. Send in the tasty dishes ladies :)

Cook with yellow roundup HERE

Cook with yellow winner announcement HERE