Jain Pav Bhaji [no onion, garlic, potato]

Jain Pav Bhaji has a bhaji (curry) made with raw banana or plantain. Jain Pav Bhaji is made without potatoes, onions, ginger or garlic. The bhaji is served along with buttered pav.

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Yay! It's friday and I had an awesome evening. I logged off early for the day as I finished my work early. Which was a delight after several days of stress. I decided to take some time off for myself.

And when I want to relax and enjoy some me time, I visit food markets. Yes, nothing can excite me more than seeing the options in food and props out there. A true blue food blogger at heart. So I went to FoodHall and window shopped a lot there. Finally picked up some great looking sourdough bread and some exotic flavored cream cheese for my breakfast tomorrow. So looking forward to the morning, I can't wait for the night to fly through.

Going forward to my recipe of the day - Jain Pav Bhaji. Pav Bhaji is a popular street food that most probably originated out of Mumbai or just got super popular in Mumbai. Hence, its mostly called Mumbai Pav Bhaji. The "Bhaji" refers to a spicy curry made with mashed vegetables that is usually served with lots of butter and chopped onions and a quarter of a lime to be eaten along with a fluffy light square bread called "Pav". The bhaji is usually made of potatoes and other mixed vegetables like capsicum, carrot, onions, tomatoes etc. But this recipe is unique because it does not use any root vegetables, which are the base of a regular Mumbai Pav Bhaji.

The first "dharma" or principle of Jainism, an ancient religion in India, preaches non violence. While I was aware of Jainism, marrying a Jain guy brought me closer to this way of life. I started noticing life more where I would never have. I now make sure I look down when I walk in gardens and on garden paths, just so that I don't stamp an ant or a caterpillar. But life, in Jainism is not limited to animals or insects, it also extends to vegetables and fruits. Those who follow the religion strictly refuse to eat anything that grows below the ground. Vegetables like garlic, ginger, onions, potatoes, carrots etc. Since uprooting the plant to eat the root, actually kills the plant as well as the microorganisms that thrive underground. While my new family isn't extremely strict and follows this diet only on festivals and other good occasions, there are a few friends who live their daily lives avoiding the root vegetables.

In the past when I thought of a Jain Pav Bhaji, I always thought it was Pav Bhaji that was made without onions and garlic, it never struck me that Potato is also a no-no. This time when Raj brought a lot of home grown raw Bananas from my in-law's place, I decided to do something different with them and attempt a Jain Pav Bhaji. I had never expected it to taste so similar to the regular Mumbai Pav Bhaji. I never missed the flavor of the garlic or the onions, it tasted the same as always.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are upto.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

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Video Recipe

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Jain Pav Bhaji Recipe

Jain Pav Bhaji has a bhaji (curry) made with raw banana or plantain. Jain Pav Bhaji is made without potatoes, onions, ginger or garlic. The bhaji is served along with buttered pav.

Recipe Type:  Snacks
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     40 minutes
Total time:     50 minutes
Yield:                Serves 3-4

Author:                Anupama

Ingredients:

2 Raw Banana
3 Tomatoes
1 cup Cauliflower Florets
0.5 cup Green Peas
0.5 Capsicum
2 Tbsp Oil
2-3 tsp Pav Bhaji Masala
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 Lime
Handful of Coriander leaves
Salt to taste
Water as required
Butter to serve (Optional)

Method:

1. Cut the raw bananas into 3 large pieces. Add 2 cups of water and pressure cook until completely cooked.
2. Drain and allow the bananas to cool.
3. Cut the cauliflower into florets and boil them along with the green peas until cooked. This can either be pressure cooked or in a open pot.
4. Drain and keep aside.
5. Once the bananas are cool, peel the bananas and roughly mash them.
6. Puree the tomatoes in a mixer/blender.
7. Heat oil in a large frying pan. You can also use a kadhai or a large tava.
8. Once the oil is hot, add in the pureed tomatoes and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Keep stirring to prevent the tomatoes from burning.
9. Add in the turmeric powder and the pav bhaji masala. Pav bhaji masala is pretty spicy, so I recommend adding it by the spoonfuls and adjust according to taste.
10. Mix well and add in the mashed bananas, boiled cauliflower, peas and finely chopped capsicum.
11. Using a potato masher, mash the vegetables. Mash as per the consistency you want. If you want a chunky bhaji, mash roughly.
12. Add a little water and continue to mash until you get the desired consitency.
13. Add salt to taste and mix well. Add in the red chilli powder if using. You can also add more pav bhaji masala at this point. Mix well.
14. Cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes. Stir occassionally.
15. If the bhaji gets too dry, add a little water. If it is too watery, cook it longer so that the water evaporates.
16. Turn of the heat and add in the lime juice to taste.
17. Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves.
18. Add a generous spoonful of butter to each plate while serving. Skip this step if making for a vegan crowd.
19. Serve with butter toasted Pav.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Raw Banana Kofta Curry

Mangalore Banana Buns

Doddapatre Tambuli

Read more ...

Dalma Recipe | How to make Dalma | Oriya Dalma Recipe [Video]

Dalma is a popular mix vegetable dal based curry from the region of Odisha in India. A variety of vegetables are simmered along with dal to give a delicious curry that is usually served with steamed white rice.

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Caution, this is not a Summer Recipe. But I still love it and can eat it anytime. 

The curiosity all started with a restaurant in Bangalore named Dalma. I would cross it and wonder what the name means. I had no clue it actually referred to this very popular classic Odia or Oriya dish. And then we met, me and Dalma, the curry, not the restaurant. The restaurant is still a mystery, never stepped in there.

Dalma was introduced to me by my neighbor who had an Oriya cook. He was fond of cooking his traditional cuisine once in a while and I loved it the first time I ate it. Unfortunately, I never took the recipe from him, but my neighbor who watched over him at times, gave this recipe to me. I have read online that there are different recipes of Dalma, some use coconut, some use onions, some use neither. I believe each region has adapted the dish to what is available locally. The coastal belt uses coconut while the interior regions do not. 

The Odia folks love Dalma so much that it is also served as a part of Chappan Bhog in Puri's Jagannath Temple.

Dalma is a very simple mix vegetable curry that is also very healthy. The dal is full of veggies and barely has any oil. The only oil used is that in tempering. Dalma is a hearty and wholesome curry that is usually served with Rice or Roti. If you plan to serve it with roti, add less water to keep the curry thick. Each variation of the recipe may use different vegetables, use what you can get your hands on. Vegetables that need time to cook are added in the beginning and once they are partially cooked, the faster cooking vegetables are added. The Oriya cook used to cook the dal in the same pan and while the dal was still cooking, he added in the veggies. I just sped up the process by using already cooked dal. Some folks may also use Chana Dal instead of Toor Dal or a mix of both. 

Wishing you a warm and comforting weekend with Dalma!

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are upto.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Dalma Recipe | How to make Dalma | Oriya Dalma Recipe

Dalma is a popular mix vegetable dal based curry from the region of Odisha in India. A variety of vegetables are simmered along with dal to give a delicious curry that is usually served with steamed white rice.

Recipe Type:  Curry
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Total time:     60 minutes
Yield:                Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked Toor Dal (Pigeon Pea Lentils)
1 Drumstick, peeled and chopped
1 Raw Banana, peeled and diced
1 big Potato, peeled and diced
10-12 Beans, diced
0.5 cup diced Pumpkin
2 Brinjals, diced
1 Tomato, roughly chopped
1 Onion, sliced
2 Tbsp Mustard Oil
1 Tbsp Panch Phoran (whole spice mix)
1 Bayleaf
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 Tbsp chopped Coriander Leaves
Salt to taste
2-3 cups Water
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Add cooked toor dal (lentils) to a deep pan or kadhai. Add water as required and 1 tsp turmeric powder. Mix well.
2. Add in the drumsticks, raw banana, pumpkin, potato and beans.
3. Add salt to taste. Cover and cook until the vegetables are half cooked.
4. Add in the brinjal and cover and cook until the vegetables are almost cooked.
5. Add in the chopped tomato and cook until all the vegetables are cooked.
6. Adjust seasoning if required. Remove from heat and keep aside.
7. To make the tempering, heat mustard oil in a pan and add the panch phoran spice mix.
8. Once the spices splutter, add in the bay leaf and sliced onions.
9. Fry until the onions are translucent.
10. Add in red chilli powder and the cumin powder and saute for 1 minute.
11. Add the Dalma to the tempering and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
12. Add water if required.
13. Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves.
14. Serve hot with rice or roti.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Pancharangi Dal

Ghugni Masala

Undhiyu

Read more ...

Raw Banana Kofta Curry Recipe [Video]

Raw Banana Kofta Curry is a spicy, sweet and tangy coconut based curry with fried raw banana (plantain) dumplings. This curry is vegan and gluten free.

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We are mid way through January already!! I must say, time literally flies. It feels like just yesterday it was December and I was getting all excited for the New Year, and today we are already well into it. So did you start all that you planned to do in 2019? I'm still dragging my feet on my checklist. 

In other news, I've been at home an awful lot lately, mainly because of some trade union strikes last week that stopped public transport and we were all forced to work from home, and I had some personal commitments that made me still work from home for a few days here and there. While you would think being home and cutting out all that stress of travel, I'd be more productive in the kitchen. But the truth is, when I'm home I'm super lazy. Sometimes, I make instant noodles or just buy bread to mop up leftover curry. 

I finally decided it was time to stop being lazy and cook up this amazing Raw Banana Kofta Curry that I had in my mind for so long. I found this recipe in a magazine at the doctor's. I actually dread doctor visits. I can probably count the number of visits I've made in the last 2 years on the fingers of one hand. Raise you hand if you dread doctor visits like me! While I waited for my turn for my annual checkup, I leafed through a magazine on the coffee table and this recipe kind of jumped at me. I made Raj take a quick photo and stored it away. Finally I got around to making it, thankfully.

This Raw Banana Kofta Curry is spicy, sweet and tangy! Flavor explosion in your mouth.

The curry or the gravy is what gives all the flavor. Tomato and Tamarind impart the sourness to the curry, the jaggery adds sweetness, the high count of red chillies gives the curry heat and color and the coconut milk just mellows down everything with it's rich creaminess. My mouth still waters when I reminisce about this curry, it was SO delicious. This curry really had the balance of sweetness, sourness and heat. Take the ingredients below as more of a direction than rigid quantities. Your palate may prefer the curry being less sweet and more tart. Adjust the ingredients to your liking. Start with less jaggery and tamarind and add more as you go along. The red chillies are deseeded so that the curry is not too hot but still has the vibrant color. You can leave the seeds in for a spicier curry.

The Raw Banana Koftas are really easy to make. They taste good just by themselves too. So you can make more and serve them as snacks at tea time. The original recipe called for raisins but I replaced them with cashew nuts. Add any nuts you like into the koftas. I also added in grated Tofu instead of the grated Paneer, because I had tofu in the fridge. The koftas can be either shallow fried or deep fried. You may even try to bake it. Add the koftas just before serving to retain the crispness of the koftas.

Raw Banana Kofta Curry is best served hot with naan or rotis.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are upto.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Raw Banana Kofta Curry

Raw Banana Kofta Curry is a spicy, sweet and tangy coconut based curry with fried raw banana (plantain) dumplings. This curry is vegan and gluten free.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     40 minutes
Total time:     50 minutes
Yield:                Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

For the curry:

10-12 Dry Red Chillies
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
0.5 tsp Peppercorns
2-3 tsp Jaggery or Sugar
1 large Tomato
1 tsp Tamarind Pulp
1 cup thick Coconut Milk
2 Tbsp Kasuri Methi
2 Tbsp chopped Coriander Leaves
3 tsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
Salt to taste
Water as required

For the Koftas:

2 raw Bananas or Plantain
10-12 Cashew Nuts, chopped
1 cup grated Tofu or Paneer
1 Tbsp chopped Coriander Leaves
Salt to taste
Oil to fry koftas

Method:

1. Cut the edges of the raw bananas and dice them roughly. Boil them with a pinch of salt until soft.
2. Peel the bananas and keep aside.
3. Deseed the dry red chillies and add to a mixer/blender. You can keep the seeds in if you want the curry to be very spicy.
4. Add turmeric powder and black peppercorns to the mixer and grind until you get a coarse powder.
5. Add 2 tsp of jaggery or sugar along with the tamarind pulp and chopped tomato to the blender.
6. Add a little water and blend until you get a smooth paste.
7. Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds.
8. Once they splutter, add the masala paste and cook for 7-8 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
9. Add 1 cup of water and a little salt and allow the curry to boil.
10. Once the water has evaporated, add in the thick coconut milk and allow it to come to a boil.
11. Adjust salt and sugar as required.
12. Once the curry has reached a rolling boil, add in the dried kasuri methi.
13. Allow it to simmer for 3-4 minutes.
14. Remove from heat and add in chopped coriander leaves and keep aside.
15. Mash the boiled raw bananas and add in the chopped cashew nuts, grated tofu or paneer, chopped coriander leaves and salt.
16. Mix well until combined and shape into koftas.
17. Heat oil in a shallow pan for frying koftas.
18. Add the koftas to the pan and fry until all sides are browned. You can also deep fry the koftas.
19. Add the koftas to the curry and mix well.
20. Serve hot with rotis or naan.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Lauki Kofta Curry

Raw Banana Fry

Banana Blossom Cutlets

Read more ...

Mangalore Buns Recipe | Banana Buns Recipe [Video]

Mangalore Buns or Banana Buns are deep fried slightly sweet puris flavored with ripe bananas.
These Mangalore buns are vegan and are popularly enjoyed as breakfast or tea time snacks.

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Hi Peeps, how are you doing? All set for the holiday season? Plans made with family?

Holidays with family are the best, aren't they? You create so many memories that you can feel nostalgic about in the future. Most of my favorite memories are of vacations with my family. This dish of Mangalore Buns features prominently in one of my childhood vacation memories.

Memories....

Early in the 90's Indian Railways started changing all meter gauge trains to broad gauge and that meant that trains were no longer accessible to the general public. Until then, we always traveled by train to my grandma's house, a tiny village near the city of Mangalore. Then started the days of bus travel. Since the village was so tiny, there was no direct bus from Goa. We had to alight at the closest point and wait for a connecting bus, all at 5am in the morning. While waking up that early was a torture, there was a silver or rather golden lining there. Before the first connecting bus arrived, a small restaurant would open its doors and start selling breakfast and these golden Mangalore Buns were always on the menu. My mom introduced us to these buns, and what an introduction it was. My love affair with these Mangalore Buns started back then!

Till today, when we are around Mangalore, we go in search of tiny restaurants that make fresh buns. If you want to know some of my favorite places, ask me in comments.

What is not to love? The buns are banana flavored and deep fried. They are more like Banana Puris. Mildly sweet with specks of cumin all over, they are just super delicious. Mangalore Buns are one of the only sweet breakfast that I enjoy, otherwise, I'm a savory breakfast girl. Mangalore Buns are commonly served with a simple coconut chutney and a piping hot sambar.

Traditionally, all purpose flour or maida is used to make the Mangalore Buns. But I usually use 50% all purpose flour and 50% wholewheat flour (atta). I've made it also with 100% wholewheat flour and it did not absolutely take away from the flavor, the texture however wasn't as spongy and the bins were slightly flat. I still did not mind that, they still tasted amazing. The dough can be rested overnight if the temperature is lower, else you can rest it in the fridge in warmer weather. These buns are a perfect way to use overripe bananas that you may have discarded otherwise. Ripe to overripe bananas work best in this recipe. Serve the buns with chutney or just plain.

Go ahead, make them this holiday season, and create your own special memories.

Fun fact - No matter whether it is just one bun or multiple, it is always called "buns". 

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are upto.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Mangalore Buns Recipe | Banana Buns Recipe

Mangalore buns are banana flavored deep fried buns made from either all purpose or whole wheat flour. These vegan buns are a popular breakfast around the city of Mangalore.

Recipe Type:  Breakfast
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     2.5 Hours (includes dough resting time)
Cook time:     20 minutes
Total time:     3 Hours
Yield:                Makes 10-12

Ingredients:

2 ripe Bananas
0.25 cups Curd (Yoghurt)
3 cups All Purpose Flour or Wholewheat Flour
3 Tbsp Powdered Sugar
0.25 tsp Salt
A pinch of Baking Soda
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
Oil to fry

Method:

1. Mash the bananas with powdered sugar until smooth.
2. Add in the cumin seeds, whisked curd, baking soda and salt. Mix well.
3. Add in the flour and knead into a stiff dough.
4. Apply a little oil on the dough to prevent it from drying. Cover and rest for 2-4 hours. The dough can be rested overnight too. If the weather is warm, rest in the fridge.
5. Dust the kitchen counter with some dry flour.
6. Pull out a ball of dough and roll it out on the dusted counter.
7. Heat oil for deep frying.
8. Carefully drop in the rolled out buns and fry on medium high heat until one side browns.
9. Flip over and fry until the other side browns.
10. Remove from oil and place it onto a absorbent kitchen towel to cool.
11. Serve hot or at room temperature with chutney.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Banana Bread

Cucumber Pakoda

Menthe Pathrode

Read more ...

Bircher Muesli | Overnight Oats

When temperature soars, a cold breakfast is welcome. This Bircher Muesli or Overnight Oats made with rolled oats, apple juice and yogurt is exactly what a cold breakfast should taste like...

I'll be completely honest, I was never one for a cold breakfast. Hot hot breakfast is what I am used to, and sometimes, I'll satisfy myself with food that is at room temperature. But chilled, just out of the fridge was something that never tempted me. Those rare times I eat cereal, I eat it with warm milk. But a couple of years ago when I went for a training to Hyderabad and was served cold Muesli in the buffet breakfast, I may have just converted a little bit. I still cannot eat cold breakfast every single day but when temperatures soar the way they have begun soaring, a cold breakfast is a relief!!

The first weekend I was back from the training, all I wanted to try was this Bircher Muesli... I couldn't wait to go out and buy rolled oats. I did go out, only to realize that the market is flooded with quick cooking oatmeal but there was no rolled oats anywhere. Gourmet super markets carried imported brands but they were super expensive. Finally, I tried making the muesli with oatmeal. While the taste was spot on, the texture really wasn't. Soaking oatmeal overnight gives it this pasty soft texture that is a total turn off. So if you really do make it with oatmeal, I highly recommend a shorted soaking time, maybe 2-3 hours.

Then I found this super affordable brand of Rolled Oats here. And luckily for me, just last week I found it stocked in an Organic store in Bangalore. Bircher Muesli it had to be.

This Bircher Muesli is till date the ONLY cold breakfast I eat. This muesli is all apple-y and yogurt-y, a flavor combination that tastes fresh and warm while being cold, um huh, you understand? If you are not a yogurt person, just replace it with milk and if you are looking for a vegan option, Almond milk goes great, but for me, it has to be fresh slightly sour yogurt.

This is a simple, no-cook recipe. But then, simple food always tastes the best, doesn't it?

To make this Bircher Muesli, soak the oats overnight in apple juice. In the morning add yogurt, lots of chopped nuts and lots and lots of chopped fruits. Sugar or honey for sweetness. Now this is something you can add or skip and it won't change the taste one bit - Basil Seeds. Basil seeds are the same family as Chia but are much more economical to purchase. They swell up when soaked in water just like chia seeds. You may know them as Falooda Seeds or Sabze ka beej. I soaked a few tablespoons of it in a cup of water and allowed it to swell while I cut fruits and chopped nuts. Once they had swelled up, I added them to the muesli. 

Use this recipe as a guide to make your perfect Bircher Muesli or Overnight Oats. I added fruits that my family loves and what are in season here - Apples, Pears, Bananas and Pomegranate (of course, pomegranate). You can use whatever you have. I'm a total "nut" case too, so I always have a variety of nuts and dry fruit stocked up to snack on. Use what is locally available to you.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto. 

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life is there on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email (How convenient!!)

Bircher Muesli | Overnight Oats

Bircher Muesli or Overnight Oats is a cold breakfast made by soaking rolled oats in apple juice overnight and adding yogurt, nuts and fruits in the morning.

Recipe Type:  Breakfast
Cuisine:            International
Total Time:     20 minutes (excludes soaking time)
Yield:                Serves 5-6

Ingredients:

2 cups Rolled Oats
2 Tbsp Basil Seeds 
400 ml Apple Juice
3-4 Tbsp chopped Nuts (Almonds, Pistachios, Walnuts)
4 cups whisked Yogurt
3 Apples
2 Bananas
1 Pear
1/2 cup Pomegranate seeds
1 cup Water
Powdered sugar to taste

Method:

Soak the rolled oats in apple juice overnight.
In the morning, peel and grate 2 apples and add to the oats.
Add whisked yogurt and powdered sugar to taste.
Soak the basil seeds in 1 cup of water and allow them to swell up and then add to the muesli.
Top with chopped fruits and nuts and serve.

Read more ...

Undhiyu | Gujarati Undhiyo Recipe | Gujarati Mix Vegetable Curry [Video]

Undhiyu Recipe with step by step video instructions. Undhiyu is a mix vegetable Winter curry from the western state of Gujarat. It is a lovely green curry made from fresh coconut, coriander leaves and other aromatics and spices. The choicest of the winter vegetables are added along with the quintessential Muthia or Muthiya. This winter special is best enjoyed with hot Puris.

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Food is how I celebrate and this mix vegetable Gujarati Undhiyu is just that. A celebration in your mouth. Full of seasonal winter vegetables and spices. A warming bowl of curry. I made this last week. Somehow it took me a week to get this published. I cooked some other amazing dishes like this Vegan Zucchini Kale Lasagna that I was really excited to post about, and somehow this celebratory bowl just took the backseat. Not that this is any less amazing, but I was super excited to have tried my hand at making vegan cheese that I had to bring it out to the world just as quickly as I could. 

Back to my all-time favorite Gujarati curry - Undhiyu. While one thinks of India as a predominantly vegetarian eating country, it happens we are all wrong. Apparently a lot of India actually caters to the non vegetarians, but there is one state that never lets down vegetarians - Gujarat. The western most state of India is full of flavorful vegetarian food. From Dhokla to Handvo and similar scary sounding dishes that actually explode with flavor in your mouth to this super delicious Undhiyu. Undhiyu in it's humblest form is actually just a simple mix vegetable curry that is made using seasonal winter vegetables and a masala paste made using coconut, fresh coriander leaves and a few spices.

I had forgotten how much I liked Undhiyu until recently my sis's sis in law got us some. I couldn't get enough of it. I could have eaten the entire pot full of curry, but hey, I'm not that rude, I had to leave some for the rest. I HAD to make some of my own that I need not share with anyone, except of course Raj. I can rarely sneak food without him knowing, after all, he does the dishes. I love that man.

Traditionally, Undhiyu uses the following vegetables:

• Potato
• Baby brinjal or eggplant
• Purple yam
• Yam
• Raw banana or plantain
• Fresh Toovar or Pigeon Peas (Togarikalu)
• Fresh Surti Papdi or Hyacinth Beans (Avarekai / Avarekalu)

A lot of this can be substituted if it is not the season or not available in your area. I could get most of it, except the purple yam. I'm yet to find it in Bangalore. I used Arbi. You can replace it with any variety of yam. The fresh toovar or pigeon peas can be replaced with fresh green beans. The surti papdi can be replaced with green beans and the surti beans can be replaced with Edamame. Don't worry about having the exact ingredients, just use what is available.

Apart from the vegetables, steamed balls made of gram flour or besan, spices and methi leaves (fenugreek leaves) called Muthia are also added for more flavor and texture. Methi leaves add a nice salty fragrance to the dish. But if you cannot find methi, feel free to replace with dill leaves, coriander or any fragrant greens. You can also buy ready made muthia in some places, like Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

Undhiyu gets all its flavor from the green masala. The green masala is made by blending together fresh coriander leaves, fresh coconut, ginger, garlic, green chillies, sesame seeds, coriander powder, cumin powder, sugar, salt and lime juice. This masala is then stuffed into brinjal, and into baby potatoes if you use them. Then just heat oil in a pressure cooker and layer the vegetables and leftover masala and cook for 1-2 whistles until done. A pressure cooker drastically cuts down the cooking time making it a very quick cooking dish. However, if you don't own a pressure cooker, just use a covered flat bottomed saucepan or pot, preferably deep.

Undhiyu is generally eaten with either roti or puri.

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Video Recipe

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Undhiyu | Gujarati Undhiyo Recipe | Gujarati Mix Vegetable Curry

Gujarati Undhiyu or Undhiyo is a vegan mix vegetable curry made with seasonal winter vegetables, methi muthia and a coriander based masala.

Recipe Type:  Curry
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Total time:     75 minutes
Yield:                Serves 4 to 5

Author:                Anupama

Ingredients:

The Vegetables:

5-6 Baby Potatoes
5-6 small Brinjals
1 raw Banana
1 small Sweet Potato
0.5 cup fresh Toovar or Pigeon Peas or Green Peas
0.5 cup fresh Surti beans or Hyacinth Beans or Edamame
8-10 fresh Surti Papdi or Green Beans

For the green masala:

1 cup chopped Coriander
1 cup grated Coconut
1 Tbsp Garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp Ginger, chopped
2-3 Green Chilli
2 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder (Optional)
1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
1 tsp Sugar
0.5 lime
Salt to taste

For the methi muthia:

1 cup Methi leaves, tightly packed
1 cup Whole wheat flour (atta)
0.5 cup fine Semolina (rava / sooji)
1 Tbsp Gram flour (Besan)
1 tsp Cumin Powder
2 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Sugar
Pinch of asafoetida (hing)
2 tsp Red chilli powder
0.5 tsp Turmeric powder
3 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required
Oil to fry

For the tempering (tadka):

4-5 Tbsp Oil
0.5 tsp Carom seeds or Ajwain
1 tsp Cumin seeds or Jeera

1 cup Water

Method:

To make the methi muthia:

1. Add the coriander powder, cumin powder, hing, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, sugar, salt and 2 Tbsp oil to the chopped methi leaves and mix well.
2. Add in gram flour (besan), whole wheat flour, semolina (rava / sooji) and 1 Tbsp of remaining oil and knead into a stiff dough with water.
3. Heat Oil in a deep pan for frying.
4. Shape the muthia into small logs and deep fry until done and browned.
5. Keep aside until required.

To make the green masala:

6. Grind together all the ingredients for the green masala. If the mixture is too dry and difficult to grind, add only 1 tsp of water to help grinding. Adding too much water will make the consistency of the masala too loose.

To make the Undhiyu:

7. Peel the raw banana and cut into large chunks.
8. Chop the sweet potato into chunks.
9. Chop the surti papdi or the beans into 1" pieces.
10. Make a criss cross lengthwise slit on the brinjal and the baby potato.
11. Stuff the brinjals and potatoes with the masala.
12. Heat 4-5 Tbsp oil in the pressure cooker.
13. Add carom seeds (ajwain) and cumin seeds.
14. Once they brown slightly, add the surti papdi, surti beans and the fresh toovar or their replacements.
15. Add one third of the leftover masala and mix well.
16. Now add the raw banana and sweet potato.
17. Sprinkle over one third of the green masala. Sprinkle over 2-3 pinches of salt and 1-2 Tbsp oil.
18. Now layer the stuffed vegetables on the top along with the muthia.
19. Add the remaining masala and sprinkle a pinch of salt.
20. Add 1 cup of water from the side. Cover and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles or 8-10 minutes.
21. After the pressure settles, open the pressure cooker and gently mix the curry without breaking the stuffed vegetables.
22. Garnish with lots of fresh grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves before serving. Serve hot with roti or puris.

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