Archives for Jan 5, 2022

Sweet Deep-fried dumplings (Karanji)

Jan 5, 2022 by Chinmayi Kulkarni Leave a Comment

Karanji or Gujiya is a sweet snack and is a big part of festivals like Holi, Diwali, and Ganesh Chaturthi in India. These half-moon-shaped fried pastries are stuffed with a mixture made of desiccated coconut, sesame seeds, nuts, raisins, and vibrant spices.

Good for Vata and Pitta Dosha

Prep Time: 40 Min
Total Time: 1 Hour 20 Min
Serves: 4-5 person(approx)

Ingredients

For stuffing:

½ cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
1 tbsp white sesame seeds
1 tbsp almonds
1 tbsp cashew nuts
1 tbsp raisins
½ tsp cardamom powder
3 tbsp sugar, powdered
½ tbsp ghee

For outer cover:

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tbsp ghee
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup milk

Method

For stuffing:

Melt ghee in a pan.
Add desiccated coconut and saute until it turns slightly golden. Keep aside.
Now, roast sesame seeds in a pan until golden. Keep aside.
Coarsely grind or chop almonds, cashew nuts, and raisins together.
Add nuts to the sesame and coconut mixture.
Add powdered sugar and cardamom and mix well. Keep aside.

For making the crust :

Take flour in a bowl and add melted ghee and some salt.
Knead the dough by adding milk in small parts.
Cover it with a moist cloth and let it rest for 20 minutes.

For stuffing karanji

Take the dough and make a lemon-sized ball then roll it evenly into a five-inch diameter circle with a rolling pin.
Place it into a karanji maker and add a tablespoon of stuffing in the middle of the rolled dough.
Close the karanji maker and press it tightly to seal. Make sure there is no stuffing at the edges while closing.
If a karanji maker is not available, place the flattened dough in your palm, add stuffing then apply some water on the edges and seal the edges together. Make sure the stuffing does not come out and pinch the edges to it the desired shape.
Make all the karanjis in the same way and cover them with a moist cloth so they don’t dry.

For frying karanji

Heat ghee in a pan for deep frying the karanjis.
Gently add 2-3 karanjis and fry them until they are and crisp.
Remove and place on paper towel to remove excess oil.
Store in an airtight container.

Serving Suggestion

Once cooled, serve or store karanji in an air-tight container.

Notes

Make sure you don’t overstuff the flattened dough as shaping the karanjis will become difficult. They may also break while frying.
Don’t place too many karanjis in the oil at the same time, as they won’t fry properly and could break.
You can substitute sugar with jaggery.

Check out the Ayurvedic benefits of ingredients used in this recipe

Cardamom | Ghee | Raisin | Himalayan Salt | Cashew

Stuffed brinjal curry

Jan 5, 2022 by Chinmayi Kulkarni Leave a Comment

This stuffed brinjal dish is from the southern region of India. The stuffing is made with desiccated coconut, finely ground peanuts, and spices. This ground masala is then stuffed into small tender brinjals and then cooked.

Good for all doshas

Prep Time: 15 Min
Total Time: 45 Min
Serves: 4 person(approx)

Ingredients

For brinjals:

250 gms small purple brinjals
½ tsp salt or as per taste
Water

For curry:

3 tbsp oil
⅔ cup water
Salt as required
2 -3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
½ tbsp tamarind

For the masala stuffing:

2 tbsp peanuts
1 tbsp coriander seeds
½ tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
¼ tsp methi seeds (fenugreek seeds)
3-4 dry red chilis
½ tsp turmeric powder
1-2 tbsp tamarind extract
Salt to taste

Method

For brinjals:

Wash and rinse the brinjals
Slit each brinjal horizontally and vertically from the base, keeping the stalks intact.
Soak for 20 minutes in water with salt.
Drain and keep aside.

For masala stuffing:

Soak tamarind in warm water for 15 minutes.
Squeeze the soaked tamarind to extract the pulp. Keep aside.
In a pan, heat 1 tbsp oil.
Add mustard, and when it begins to pop add urad dal, chana dal, cumin seeds, methi seeds, and coriander seeds.
When they turn light brown, add peanuts.
Add red chilis and when they change color turn off the flame and keep aside.
When the spices have cooled down, add salt, turmeric powder, tamarind extract with water and grind them together into a smooth thick paste. The filling is ready.

For curry:

Fill each brinjal with the masala stuffing and keep aside.
Heat 3-4 tbsp of oil in a pan.
Add the stuffed brinjal with 4-5 tbsp of water and ½ tbsp tamarind extract.
Add salt to taste, cover and let it cook for 20 minutes.
You can also pressure cook the brinjals for 5-6 whistles.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Serving Suggestion

Serve this stuffed brinjal curry with roti or rice.

Notes

Use small brinjals for uniform cooking and more flavor.
You can adjust the spice as per your choice.
Adding oil is necessary for the rich flavor.
You can also add onions to the masala while frying for an enhanced flavor.

Check out the Ayurvedic benefits of ingredients used in this recipe

Sweet Lentil Fritters (Poornam boorelu)

Jan 5, 2022 by Chinmayi Kulkarni Leave a Comment

Poornam boorelu, also known as Sweet Lentil Fritters, is a popular, traditional sweet dish made during festivals and other special occasions. A sweet lentil-based filling is made into balls and dipped in a pancake-like batter, and fried until golden. These fritters have a crisp outside and a soft, sweet filling inside.

Good for Pitta and Kapha Dosha

Prep Time: 30 Min
Total Time: 1 Hour
Serves: 16-20 pieces

Ingredients

For batter:

1 cup rice
½ cup Urad Dal
5 cups water
Salt to taste

For stuffing:

1 cup Chana Dal
2½ cups water
1 cup jaggery
½ tsp green cardamom powder
¼ cup shredded coconut (optional)
Oil for deep frying
1 tbsp ghee

Method

For batter:

Wash and rinse rice and urad dal separately.
Take 2-3 cups of water & separately soak rice and urad dal for 5-6 hours.
Now Drain the soaked rice and urad dal and grind them separately into a smooth pancake-like batter.
Add salt and mix well. Cover and let it sit for some time.

For stuffing:

Wash and rinse chana dal and pressure cook it with 2.5 cups of water on a medium flame for 6 to 7 whistles.
Strain the chana dal and keep it aside to cool.
When it is cool, grind the chana dal with cardamom and jaggery to make a smooth paste.
You can add little water if necessary.

For boorelu:

Melt ghee in a pan
Add chana dal and jaggery mix and cook on low flame, stirring continuously. You can also add grated coconut as per your taste.
When the mixture starts leaving the sides Switch off the heat and keep it aside to cool.
Make medium-sized balls of this mixture, cover, and keep aside.
Add oil to a pan for deep frying.
Dip the chana dal balls in batter so that it is coated with batter evenly.
Then gently add the balls to medium hot oil. Fry 3-4 at a time.
Fry the balls until they are golden and crisp from all sides.
Remove and place on a tissue paper or paper napkin to absorb excess oil. Serve warm.

Serving Suggestion

Sprinkle shredded coconut and serve it when warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Ensure that the stuffing is neither too moist nor too dry. The mixture tends to become get sticky & watery when the jaggery melts.
Heat the mixture in a non-stick saucepan until the excess water is dried and the mixture thickens.
Make sure that the batter has a thick creamy consistency.
If you don’t have time to soak the rice and dal for the batter, then try using store-bought flours. Add ¾ cup rice flour & ¼ cup urad dal flour with water.
Mix it well to make a thick pancake-like batter. Cover and leave it for 1-2 hours before using.
Make sure the oil is medium hot before adding boorelu for frying. You can store Boorelu for 1-2 days in an airtight jar at room temperature.
The lentil filling can be refrigerated in an airtight jar for up to 3 days.
The batter can be made in two days advance and refrigerated.

Check out the Ayurvedic benefits of ingredients used in this recipe

Cardamom | Ghee | Himalayan Salt

Tamarind rice (Pulihora)

Jan 5, 2022 by Chinmayi Kulkarni Leave a Comment

Pulihora or tamarind rice is a popular south Indian dish commonly made at festivals. The rice is flavored with tamarind, turmeric, curry leaves, coriander, ginger, and green chilies. Yellow lentils, roasted sesame seeds powder, and mustard seeds can be added additionally to make the flavor richer.

Good for Vata and Pitta Doshas

Prep Time: 10 Min
Total Time: 30 Min
Serves: 4-5 person(approx)

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard + 1 tsp mustard for garnish
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp chana dal
2 tbsp peanuts or cashew nuts
2 dried red chili
A pinch of hing (asafetida)
2-3 sprigs of curry leaves
2 chilis, slit
1½ cup tamarind extract
½ tsp turmeric
1½ tsp salt
4 cups cooked rice

Method

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
When the seeds begin to pop add urad dal, chana dal, peanuts, dried red chili, thing, curry leaves, 2 green chilies, and slightly sauté. You can also add chopped cashew nuts.
Add tamarind paste, turmeric powder, and salt.
Mix well and let it cook covered for 5-7 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Remove from flame when oil starts separating from the thickened tamarind extract. Keep aside.
Dry roast 1 tsp mustard for 2-3 minutes.
When it cools down blend to a fine powder.
Add cooked rice to the tamarind and spice mix, add salt and mix well.
Sprinkle the mustard powder over the rice and serve.

Serving Suggestion

Can be served with curd for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner.

Notes

Add curry leaves and dry red chilies after frying other spices.

Check out the Ayurvedic benefits of ingredients used in this recipe