Whole wheat flour nankhatai

I remember, as a kid I could not hide my excitement when one of my aunt, who was my mom's friend, visited us. I would bug mom and ask when was that aunt visiting because yeah...she would bring sweets, especially nankhatais whenever she came home. Mom's generally don't allow kids to eat a lot of sweets and my mom was no exception. Now, that I am old enough now to decide for myself, I do sometimes relish home-made nankhatais. I used to make them with all-purpose flour and they came out delicious. But after having a daughter, I limited my all-purpose flour usage and have started making nankhatais using whole-wheat flour/chapati flour. 

Whole wheat flour/chapati flour - 1 cup
Unsalted butter/ghee                 - 1 stick or 1/2 cup
Baking powder                         - 1/2 tsp
Baking soda                              - pinch
Salt                                            - 1/4 tsp
Powdered sugar                         - 1/2 cup or granulated sugar+1tsp starch
Cardamom powder                    - 1/2 tsp
Pistachios/Almonds/Cashews     - Coarsely crushed

Method:
Preheat the oven to 325 F.
Combine whole wheat flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl.
Beat the butter and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
Add salt, cardamom powder and mix it well.
Add flour and mix it well.
Let it rest for 15 minutes
Divide the dough into 18-20 equal balls.
Then flatten them a little bit by tapping.
Arrange them in a baking tray. Garnish with pistachios or cashews or almonds to your liking.
Bake them for 12-15 minutes.
Cool them on a wire rack.
Store these eggless biscuits/nankhatais in an air-tight container.

Coriander chilli chutney

Ingredients

1 bunch of coriander
2 serrano peppers
2 tsp lemon juice
salt to taste

Method

1. Grind all the above ingredients to a fine paste.
2. Refrigerate it. This coriander chutney stays good for one week.
3. Use this coriander chutney on chaats, salads, or with fried appetizers

PS: Add mint to this recipe to make Mint coriander chutney.

Sweet-tangy tamarind chutney recipe

Ingredients

Tamarind pulp - 1/2 cup
Jaggery/molasses - 1 cup
Salt
Black salt (optional) pinch
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
water 1/2 cup

Method

In a pan boil tamarind pulp, water, and jaggery together to desired consistency.
Add salt, chilli powder.
Let it cool and store in refrigerator
It stays good for about a month.
Use this tamarind chutney for chaats and salads.

Easy authentic Coconut burfi/naral wadi recipe

Ingredients:

Fresh grated coconut - 1 cup
Sugar                        - 1 cup
Milk                         - 1 cup
Cardomom powder  -2 tsp
Saffron                     - 5 strands (optional)
Pistachios or almonds to garnish


Method:

1. Put a pan on medium heat.
2. Add milk, sugar, and coconut. Add saffron (optional)
3. Keep on stirring frequently so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
4. Let it cook until it starts leaving the sides of the pan. The mixture will turn golden.
5. Add elaichi powder.
6. Coat a dish with butter or ghee.
7. Pour the mixutre and dab it flat with a spoon. Garnish with almonds or pistachios. Cut into desired shapes and let it cool.
8. Remove the burfis and relish these coconut burfis.

Stage one

                                                                       When done

                         

Puran Poli

I just loved Puran Poli's made by mom. Of course, who does not love food cooked by one's mom.

I woke up today thinking of Puran poli made by mommy and thought of making it for today's Diwali special lunch for my husband and my little daughter.

Recipe..

For Saran:

1. Cook 1.5 bowl of chana daal in pressure cooker (if you presoak the daal, you will reduce the cooking time) I did not soak it so it took 12 whistles (10 on high and 2 on slow gas)
2. Mash the daal properly using a food processor or hand mixer but do not add water any water.
3. Add 1 bowl of jaggery to the daal.
4. Cook the daal and jaggery mixture called "saran"in an open pot until you can made round balls easily from the saran. Stir the saran frequently whilst cooking.
5. Add nutmeg and elaichi powder. Mix it well.
6. Remove from gas and make lemon sized balls from the saran when cool and keep them aside.


For cover:

1. Take 2 cups of wheat flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and add 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour and knead into a soft dough.
2. Add little oil and knead it further to get a very soft dough.
3. Keep it aside for 20 minutes.
4. Roll into lemon sized balls.



Making the rotis.

1. Take the lemon sized ball of the dough and roll it into a small puri. Now put the saran ball into the puri and pull the ends together.
2. roll into a thin roti.
3. put the roller pin on the side of the roti and roll it over the roller pin.
4. Lift the roller pin and put it on a preheated pan and let the roti cook from both sides.
5. Apply ghee and serve it with potato bhaji or any bhaji or enjoy as it is.