Methi Valor (Fenugreek Leaves with Indian Broad Beans)

Valor is known as 'Indian Broad Bean' in English. In Hindi, I have heard two more names for it: "Papadi and Sem ki Phalli, " ;-).

Fenugreek leaves combine greatly with beans. The combination of both the veggies gives a perfect finger-licking taste.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Fenugreek Leaves: 1 cup (washed and finely chopped)
Indian Broad Beans: 100 gms (washed, remove the corners, split into two and chop finely)
Onion: 1 small (finely chopped)
Tomato: 1 small (finely chopped)
Ginger Garlic paste: 1/2 tsp
Cooking Oil: 1 tbsp
Asafetida: a pinch
Mustard Seeds: 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds: 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder: 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder: 1/4 tsp
Sugar: a pinch
Chaat Masala: 1/8 tsp
Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add asafetida and mustard seeds. Let the seeds crackle.
2. Add cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds.
3. Add onion and fry till translucent.
4. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell has gone off.
5. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt. Mix well.
6. Now add and fry the tomatoes until the oil separates.

7. At this point of time add fenugreek leaves and beans. Mix well.

8. Cover the pan with lid and cook for approximately 15-18 minutes on low flame, stirring occasionally.

9. Add sugar and chaat masala, mix well.
10. Serve hot with chapatis, rotis, paranthas etc.

Tips:
1. I have taken the quantity of both fenugreek leaves and beans; same. You can change the proportion as per your taste.
2. While cooking, if the veggie starts to stick at the bottom of the pan, add a tbsp of water and then cook again.
3. Adding sugar to any green vegetable tries to retain the green colour of the veggie.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Lilwe (fresh green chickpeas) ki Khichdi

Yay, after so many months had an opportunity to eat Lilwe (we call fresh and soft green chickpeas as lilva in Udaipur, Rajasthan). My mother was here in Bengaluru for few days and had brought hara chana from Rajasthan. So without wasting a single day I made this mouth watering khichdi with hot besan kadi.
If you are lucky enough to get it in your city please do try this simple and quick recipe.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Rice: 1 cup (washed and soaked in a cup of water for half hour)
Green Chichpeas: 1 ½ cup
Ghee or clarified butter: 2 tbsp
Asafetida: 2 pinches
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Black peppercorns: 10
Clove: 5
Cinnamon: 1 inch stick
Bay leaf: 1
Coriander powder: 2 tsp
Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
Red chilly powder: ½ tsp (Optional)
Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Remove water from rice.
2. In a pressure cooker heat ghee.
3. Add asafetida and cumin seeds.
4. Fry for a few seconds.
5. Add cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Again fry for a few seconds.
6. Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilly powder and salt.
7. Add in the chana. Mix well.

8. Now add rice. Mix well.

9. Add 3 cups of water. Close cooker lid.
10. Take 3 whistles. One on high and the remaining two on low flame.
11. Let the cooker cool by itself.

12. Serve hot with Besan kadhi.

Tips:
1. Wash the chana well before using.
2. I made plain besan kadi without any fritters.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Chocolate Dry Fruits Fudge

Hello food lovers!!! Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. There were many things hovering over my mind (something in heart shape and related to hearts only ;-)) but finally ended up making our favorite and the delicious chocolate fudge.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Condensed Milk: 400 gms
Dark Chocolate: 250 gms (broken into pieces)
Almonds and walnuts: ½ cup (roasted and chopped)
Butter: 100 gms
Powdered Sugar: ½ cup
Sugar confectionary: 1 tbsp

Method:
1. In a non stick pan add pieces of dark chocolate, condensed milk, butter and sugar.

2. Heat it on a low flame while stirring continuously.

3. After some time you will observe that the chocolate has started to melt.
4. After around 20-25 minutes you will see that the mixture has started to leave the sides of the pan and has come together.

5. At this point of time add the dry fruits.
6. Mix well.

7. Take a tin and line it with cling.
8. Pour the fudge mixture in the tin.
9. Tap it gently and smoothen the top with the help of spoon.
10. Put some sugar confectionary over it.

11. Put it in fridge for 1-2 hours and let cool.
12. After that cut into square pieces and serve. (I inverted the fudge onto plate; it came out easily. That's why you can see the cling on the top. And then flipped it again)

13. Serve at anytime of the day :)

14. They store well in air tight containers for up to 2 weeks when kept in fridge.

Tips:
1. Always keep the flame from slow to medium.
2. The quantity of sugar can be adjusted as per your taste.
3. I did not have parchment paper so used cling wrap. It is also good enough.
4. The quantity of dry fruits can also be adjusted as per your choice.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Stuffed Bread Cups

Isn’t the name of the recipe so cute? ;-). Actually, some names are so good to hear that we just feel like tasting that food immediately.
Today I made black chickpeas for my breakfast. But wanted to do some modification and made these yummy bread cups.
You can stuff the cups with any filling of your choice.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Bread slices: 6
Masala Black chickpeas: 7-8 tbsp
Cheese: 1 cube grated (25 gms)
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp finely chopped
Butter or ghee: 1tbsp

Method:
1. Preheat oven at 180 deg C.
2. Remove the sides of the bread and roll them with rolling pin into very thin slices.

3. Grease the muffin moulds.
4. Apply butter on the bread slices.
5. Keep the slices in the moulds and shape them.

6. Fill in the masala black chickpeas. Put grated cheese and coriander leaves on top.

7. Keep in oven and let it cook for about 20-22 minutes.

8. Remove the bread cups from moulds.
9. Enjoy them hot with tomato ketchup or chutney.

Tips:
1. Take out the cups from the moulds with the help of butter knife.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Masala Black Chickpea

Kala chana/chola more commonly known is full of protein and is very tasty too. I hope you all will enjoy this simple recipe.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Black chickpeas: 1 cup (soaked overnight)
Tomato: 1 large (cut into small pieces)
Onion: 1 large (cut into small pieces)
Oil: 1 tbsp
Asafetida: 1 pinch
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Coriander powder: 2 tsp
Red chilly powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
Coriander leaves: 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
Salt as per taste

Method:
1. Cook the chana with salt, turmeric powder and 1 ½ cups of water in pressure cooker for 10-11 whistles on low flame.

2. In a kadai heat oil.
3. Add asafetida and cumin seeds. Fry for a few seconds.
4. Add onions and fry till translucent.

5. Add coriander powder and red chilly powder.

6. Add tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are mushy.

7. Add the boiled chickpeas with more 1/2 cup of water.

8. Cover the kadai and let the chickpeas cook till all the water has been absorbed or for around 10-15 minutes.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Tips:
1. You can add ginger garlic paste for added flavors.
2. You can increase/decrease the quantity of water depending upon how you want it to be.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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