Hara Chana Jajaria

Hara Chana Jajaria step by step instructions:

Hara Chana (fresh green chickpeas), commonly known as lilwe (lilve); is available in abundance during winters. In Udaipur (Rajasthan), a sweet prepared from it, known as “jajaria” is very famous.
The procedure of making jajaria is lengthy but it’s certainly worth the taste. When we roast the ground hara chana in ghee for around 1 hour or more depending upon the quantity of hara chana, the end product is crumbly in texture. It is a dried up mixture. This mixture can be stored in the freezer for around 6-7 months and hence you can enjoy jajaria or mithai any time you want.
I am in a habit of storing this mixture as we both are great lovers of jajaria. Jajaria can be made from corn also. Check out my “Bhutte ka Jajaria” recipe. I am sure you will love this one even.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:

For the hara chana mixture:
Hara chana (lilwe, fresh green chickpeas): ½ kg (~2 ½ cups)
Ghee: ¼ cup + 2 tbsp
Water: 3 cups
Sugar: 2/3 cup

For making jajaria:
Hara chana mixture: 1 cup (100 gms)
Mawa (Khoya): ¾ cup (80 gms)
Green cardamom: 6 (skin removed)
Mace: 2 strands
Nutmeg: a small piece
Almond (Badam): 8-10 (cut into slivers)

Method:
To make the hara chana mixture:
1. Wash the hara chana and remove all the water.

2. Grind the hara chana. Make sure not to make a smooth paste. Let the mixture be a bit coarse.

3. Heat ¼ cup ghee in a non-stick pan. Put the mixture in the ghee. Mix well.

4. Keeping the flame on slow only, let the mixture cook for about 45-50 minutes or until the mixture resembles crumbly texture. Keep stirring occasionally. During the cooking procedure, you will observe that first, the mixture will become like soft dough. Then slowly it will convert into a crumbly texture. Add the remaining ghee after half an hour.

5. After the time limit, you will observe that all the moisture has gone away and you are left with a crumbly, grainy mixture.

6. This mixture can be stored in the freezer for about 6-7 months.
7. With this mixture, you can make hara chana mithai and jajaria both.

To make jajaria:
1. Take sugar and water in a pan. Bring it to a boil. Let it boil for a minute.

2. Now add the hara chana mixture and mawa or khoya. Mix well. Let it boil.

3. Powder the green cardamom, nutmeg, and mace. You can even add saffron. It also gives a wonderful taste to the jajaria.

4. Add the powdered spices to the boiling jajaria. Cook for other 5 minutes or until you achieve the desired consistency for the jajaria.

5. Garnish with almond slivers and serve hot.
6. Yummy “Hara Chana Jajaria” is ready!

Tips:
1. Half kg of hara chana yields around 205 gms of hara chana mixture.
2. I prefer using non-stick pans to avoid the mixture sticking to the bottom of the pan.
3. We do not grind hara chana into a fine paste because if we use a normal pan then very fine paste sticks too much on the pan. Also, jajaria made from coarse paste is much tastier than the one made from the fine paste of hara chana.
4. The hara chana mixture and the water ratio works perfectly for me. You can change the ratio as per your requirement.

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

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Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Cauliflower Pizza step by step instructions:

Everyone loves pizzas. The pizza base is generally made up of wheat flour or all-purpose flour. But have you ever tried making the base out of cauliflower? It tastes yum! Do give it a try, a very healthy option and I am sure the kids would also enjoy it a lot.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Cauliflower: 300 gms
Water: 2 cups + 3 tbsp
Powdered Flax seeds: 1 tbsp
Oregano: ½ tsp
Red chili powder: ¼ tsp
Pizza sauce: 2 tbsp
Capsicum: 1 tbsp (thinly sliced)
Onion: 1 tbsp (thinly sliced)
Tomato: 1 tbsp (thinly sliced)
Processed Cheese: 1 cube (~15 gms, grated)
Oil for greasing the griddle
Salt as per taste

Method:
1. Mix 3 tbsp of water with flaxseeds and let it rest for about 8-10 minutes.

2. Grind the cauliflower florets into a grain like texture.

3. Boil 2 cups of water in a pan. Add salt. Add the ground cauliflower to it.

4. Let the cauliflower cook for about 6-7 minutes.
5. Drain out all the water and let the mixture cool.

6. Now squeeze all the water from the cauliflower by tying it in a cloth.
7. Mix together cauliflower, salt, flax seed paste, red chili powder, and oregano.

8. Apply oil and heat a griddle/tawa.
9. Evenly spread the mixture onto the tawa.

10. Let it cook on one side for about 7-8 minutes on slow flame. Then flip it and let it cook on the other side also for about 5-6 minutes. Be very careful while flipping it as the crust is very soft and might break.

11. The cauliflower crust is ready.
12. Take the pizza sauce and spread it evenly on the crust. Put onion, tomato, and capsicum upon it. And then spread grated cheese all over it.

13. Cover it and cook for about 10 more minutes or until the cheese melts.

14. Yummy “Cauliflower Crust Pizza” is ready!

Tips:
1. Do not grind the cauliflower too fine.
2. You can even microwave the cauliflower for about 4 minutes and then squeeze out the excess water.
3. Instead of grinding you can finely grate the cauliflower.

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

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Layered Veggie Paratha

Layered Veggie Paratha step by step instructions:

Well, a more appropriate name to it would be “Indian veggie lasagna”, as it is prepared in layers. One layer of roti, then veggies, then a roti layer again; and the process goes on. And finally, we have to bake it.
I baked it in convection mode of my LG microwave.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Green peas: ½ cup (75 gms, boiled)
Carrot: 1 (50 gms, finely chopped, boiled)
Red bell pepper: 1 medium (140 gms, finely chopped, boiled)
Yellow bell pepper: 1 medium (142 gms, finely chopped, boiled)
Tomatoes: 2 medium (145 gms, finely chopped)
Onion: 1 medium (84 gms, finely chopped)
Oil: 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds: ½ tsp
Red chili powder: ½ tsp
Oregano: ½ tsp (optional)
Black pepper as per taste
Salt as per taste
Whole wheat flour: 1 cup
Milk: 1 cup
Cottage cheese (Paneer): ¾ cup (125 gms, crumbled)

Method:
1. Knead smooth dough by mixing whole wheat flour, salt and ½ cup milk. Keep aside for half an hour.

2. Heat oil in a kadai. Add cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds.
3. Add onions and fry until translucent.

4. Add tomatoes and cook for about a minute.

5. Add the boiled vegetables (green peas, carrot, red and yellow capsicum). Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add salt, red chili powder, black pepper, and oregano. Mix well.

6. Make 6 equal balls of the dough.

7. Take one ball and roll into a thin circle.

8. Heat tawa. Semi-cook the roti from both the sides.

9. Similarly, cook all other rotis.

10. Grease a baking dish.
11. In a big plate pour milk.

12. Dip one roti in the milk and keep the roti in the baking dish.

13. Spread the veggie mixture over it.

14. Again dip another roti in the milk and keep it over the veggie layer.
15. Now spread cottage cheese.

16. Again cover it with milk-dipped roti.

17. Repeat the process with the remaining rotis and veggie mixture.

18. Preheat the oven, at 180 degree Celsius.
19. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
20. Cut into 4 equal parts and serve hot with chutney, ketchup etc.

21. Healthy “Layered Veggie Paratha” is ready!

Tips:
1. Veggies can be chosen as per one’s choice.
2. Dipping the rotis in milk keeps them soft after baking.
3. Instead of whole wheat flour, you can opt for other flour also like maize, all-purpose flour etc.

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

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