My Dhaba: 06/05

Poori recipe

Poori is a very common breakfast dish. How do you make pooris at your home? This is how we make it at My Dhaba. Find below the recipe. Let me know your feedbacks.

Poori recipe:

Ingredients:
Wheat flour – 1 cup
Salt – ½ teaspoon or as desired
Oil – 2-3 tablespoons
Warm water – ½ cup or as required to make a tight and kneadable dough

Method: Blend all ingredients together and knead well to make it a tight dough. Add water in steps. Set aside the dough covered for 5 minutes. Make this into smooth round even-sized balls. Flatten the balls using a roller one by one to make it round and flat of medium thickness. Deep fry the poori in oil until the poori pops up fully and becomes lightly brown. Carefully turn it over and brown the other side. Remove it and drain on paper towels. Repeat the procedure for all pooris. Serve hot. Enjoy!

Baghare Baingan recipe (Baingan masala)

Baghare Baingan recipe (also called Baingan masala)

Ingredients: Eggplant – ½ kb, small and round
Onion – 2 small
Coconut (desiccated) – 2 tablespoons, grated
Ginger – 1 inch piece
Garlic – 3-4 pods
Peanuts – 2 tablespoons
Coriander seeds – 1 tablespoon
Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
Poppy seeds – 1 tablespoon
Sesame seeds – 1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder – 1 tablespoon or as desired to taste
Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
Tamarind extract – 3 tablespoon
Green chilli – 3-4, splited into half length-wise
Salt – 1 tablespoon or as desired to taste
Sugar – ½ teaspoon
Cilantro/coriander leaves – a bunch, chopped, for garnishing
Oil – 3-4 tablespoon

Method: Wash and cut the eggplant into quarters length-wise and fry them in oil till well-browned and soft. Drain and set aside. Roast peanuts and grated coconut lightly in a hot pan taking care not to burn it. Drain and set aside. Roast coriander, cumin, poppy, and sesame seeds in the same pan taking care not to burn. Powder all these ingredients finely. Blend onions, garlic, ginger and coconut into a smooth paste and fry the mixture until browned. Add turmeric and powdered spices and fry a little. Add tamarind juice, green chillies, red chilli powder, salt to taste, and some water. Cook for 2 minutes. Then add fried eggplant and cook for 3 minutes on a low flame or simmer till gravy thickens. Take care not to break the eggplants while stirring. Garnish with cilantro/coriander leaves. Serve hot. Enjoy!

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: Baghare Baingan (Baingan Masala)

Baingan recipes

Baingan (eggplant) has been the all-time favorite vegetable in our family and so is at My Dhaba. There are quite a large number of baingan recipes. Let me feature our selected few favorites.

Aloo Baingan recipe

Ingredients:
Eggplants – ½ kg, 3-4 nos, cut into medium pieces
Potatoes – 2 medium size, peeled and cubed
Onion – 1 medium size, finely chopped
Tomato – 1 medium size, finely chopped
Ginger – 1 inch piece, peeled and crushed
Garlic – 2-3 cloves, peeled and crushed
Green chilli – 1-2, small, slit into halves
Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
Cummin powder – 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
Salt – 1 teaspoon or as desired
Oil – 1 tablespoon
Coriander leaves – for garnishing

Method: Dice the eggplant and potato into a bowl with cold water (to avoid it turning brown). Pop the mustard seeds up heating the oil in a large pot. Add garlic, ginger, and green chilli and stir for one minute. Add onions and saute until tender. Add tomatoes and fry until oil starts to separate. Add all the spices and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add potatoes and fry for 4-5 minutes. If required add a little water at this time. Add eggplant and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add in 2 cups of water and simmer for approximately 25-30 minutes. When potatoes and eggplants are fully cooked, garnish with coriander leaves. Enjoy! Good side dish for roti, rice, paratha, etc.

Your feedbacks on these and/or about your experiments and variations with baingan recipes are appreciated.

Chana-stuffed parantha (parotta) recipe

Today at My Dhaba, let me share with you the chana stuffed parantha recipe. It is an excellent breakfast or dinner choice. Enjoy! Hope you like the taste of it. Let me know your feedbacks.

Chana-stuffed parantha (parotta) recipe

Wheat flour - 2 cups
Channa - 1 cup, soaked 4-5 hours
Ginger - 1 inch size, grated
Green chillies - 5-6
Chilly powder - 1 teaspoon
Garam masala - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil - 2 tablespoon
Ghee - 6 tablespoon
Salt - 1 teaspoon or as desired.

Method: Knead wheat flour to make dough with thick consistency. Make it into even-sized round balls of 2-3 inches in diameter and keep aside. Cook channa in pressure cooker with salt. Meanwhile, in a tawa, put oil and fry chllies, ginger, and garam masala for about a minute and add channa. Fry channa for 4-5 minutes and channa is done. Let it cool for a minute. After that mash it well and make round balls. Place the channa balls in the middle of wheat flour balls. Close it on the top and on the sides. Flatten the channa-filled wheat balls in a flat surface. Roll to make thin circular parantha. You can also roll it out with a roti roller. Heat a heavy saucepan, griddle, or a dosa tawa. Put ghee on top of the paranthas and place it on the griddle and cook one side until small bubbles appear. Turn the parantha and cook similarly on the other side. Cook for approximately two minutes being careful not to burn it. Serve hot with your favorite sauce or chutney; tomato chutney, baingan masala, etc., go well with it.

Watch this space. Many side dish recipes are on the way.

Roti (Chappathi) recipe

Let us discuss today about making some soft and delicious roti or chappathis.

Roti (Chappathi) recipe - plain and simple.

Wheat flour - 3 cups, plain
Oil - 1/4 cup; substitutes - ghee or butter.
Butter - 2 teaspoons
Hotwater - as required for the dough

Method #1: Mix the wheat flour and oil. Add water. Knead the dough with hands gently and evenly until it becomes supple, soft, and elastic. Make the dough into even-sized balls about 1-1/2 inch thick. Flatten the balls in a flat surface. Sprinkle some flour. Roll to make a circular roti. You can also roll it out with a roti roller. Heat a heavy saucepan, griddle, or a dosa tawa. Place the roti on the griddle and cook one side until small bubbles appear. Sprinkle some oil along the edges (optional). The roti will pop up. It takes approximately 15-20 seconds. Turn the roti and cook similarly on the other side being careful not to burn it. Cook for approximately one minute. Stack the rotis on a plate and lightly butter on one side. Serve hot. Enjoy!

This is a work in progress. Watch this space to find different methods of making rotis. Let me know your feedbacks on this and/or your experiments and variations while making rotis at your home.

Special masala chai (tea) recipe

Here is My Dhaba's special masala chai (tea) recipe in 3 different methods to prepare it. Enjoy! Do you know of any other masala tea variations?

Special masala chai (tea) recipe:

Water – 3/4 cup
Milk – 1/2 cup
Tea powder – 1-1/4 teaspoon
Ginger – 1/4 inch size, freshly chopped and crushed
Cardamom – 2 pods
Clove – 1
Black pepper – 1-2 big size (optional)
Cinnamon stick – 1/4 inch size (optional)
Sugar – as desired or enough to make the tea sweet

Method #1: Crush all of the spices together and immediately mix it with water and milk in a saucepan and bring slowly to boil. Add tea leaves and turn up the heat when boiling. Add sugar. Swirl it around until it reaches the desired strength. Drain on a strainer into small glasses or tea cups.

Method #2: Boil the water. Stop the heat source. Add tea leaves and crushed spices to the boiling water in a tea decanter. Cover it for 3-4 minutes allowing the tea to brew. Drain into tea cups. Add milk and sugar to taste.

Method #3: Boil the water. Add tea leaves and reduce heat. Do not stop heat source. Add the crushed spices. Cook slowly for one or two minutes. Add milk and cook a little more. Drain and serve. Sugar as desired.

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: Special masala chai (tea)

Have you tried these kitchen tips?

Kitchen tips - have you tried any of these tips? Hope it helps. Let me know your feedbacks.

Adjust salt - Add roasted rice powder.

Avoid breaking of egg shells while boiling - Put a hole with a pin on the rounded portion of the egg.

Avoid breaking of eggs while cutting – cut with a knife dipped in hot water.

Avoid overflowing of boiling milk - Apply some oil on the sides of the vessel in which you boil milk.

Bread too soft to cut into pieces - Hold the knife close to a flame and then slice the bread with it.

Chopped raw bananas and potatoes turning black - put the pieces in a bowl of water.

Cook dal well - Add a little sesame oil while cooking.

Crispy dosas - Add a teaspoon of tur dal gram and some fenugreek seeds while soaking rice.

Crispy potato or banana chips - Sprinkle salt water over them while frying.

Curd too sour - Add 4 cups of water and after one hour, remove the water collected on top.

Curry too salty - Garnish it with some grated coconut mix with cumin powder.

Increase the taste of meat and vegetable curries – Add a little barley powder.

Keep away the insects - Put some neem and turmeric pieces or garlic flakes in the container where you store rice or grains.

Moisture-free flour – Add a bay leaf to the flour container.

Peeling almonds quickly - Soak it in warm water for a minute.

Peeling garlic flakes easily - Wash and soak them in cold water for about an hour.

Pickles getting spoilt - Add turmeric.

Puddings or desserts smell of egg - Add a little powdered lemon rind to avoid this.

Reduce gas trouble from dal - Add some refined oil or garlic.

Retaining original colour of green peas – Add a pinch of sugar while boiling.

Salt getting damp - Add a pinch of corn flour to the jar of salt to prevent it.

Soft chappathis - Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda while mixing the dough.

Soft Dosas – While grinding, add some boiled rice to white gram and rice.

Soft paneer - After extracting butter from milk cream, add a little milk or curd to the residue and boil to get soft paneer.

Soft sauce - add some paneer.

Steam potatoes well - Add some vinegar in the boiling water before steaming.

Store boiled eggs for a longer time - Store the shelled eggs in a bowl of cold water in a refrigerator.

Store fresh leafy vegetables for a long time - Wrap those in news papers.

Store rice flour and basin for a long time - Keep it in a polythene cover in refrigerator.

Substitute for cream - Add in a mixture of butter and milk in the soup of gravy.

Thick cream - Cover the milk vessel with a thin muslin cloth and refrigerate over night.

Tasty chappathis – Mix equal proportion of wheat flour and barley powder.

Tasty pooris - Add one tablespoon semoline for each 100g wheat flour.

Remove the boiled egg shell easier - Keep boiled eggs in cold water for 5 minutes.

Retain spinach’s green colour - Add a pinch of sugar.

Pineapple Lassi

Pineapple Lassi recipe

Ingredients:
Curd/Yogurt - 1 cup
Pineapple - 1 cup, fresh preferred, peeled and diced
Sugar - 2 tablespoons
Cinnamon powder - 1/4 teaspoon (optional)
Ice - crushed, 1/2 cup
Water - 1/2 cup or as required

Method: Blend all and serve.

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: Pineapple Lassi

Orange Lassi

Orange Lassi recipe

Ingredients:
Curd/Yogurt - 1 cup
Orange - 2, fresh preferred, peeled
Sugar - 2 tablespoons
Cinnamon powder - 1/4 teaspoon (optional)
Ice - crushed, 1/2 cup
Water - 1/2 cup or as required

Method: Blend all and serve.

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: Orange Lassi

Mango Lassi

Mango Lassi recipe

Ingredients:
Curd/Yogurt - 1 cup
Mango pulp - fresh preferred, 1/2 cup
Sugar - 3 tablespoons
Ice - crushed, 1/2 cup
Water - 1/2 cup or as required

Method: Blend all and serve chilled.

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: Mango Lassi

Sweet Lassi

Sweet Lassi recipe

Ingredients:
Curd/Yogurt (Sweet) - 1 cup
Sugar - 3 tablespoons
Ice - crushed, 1/2 cup
Rosewater - 4 drops
Water - 1/2 cup or as required

Method: Blend all and serve chilled.

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: Sweet Lassi

Lassi recipes

At My Dhaba, let me feature Lassi first, which is the most popular chilled yogurt drink of the people in especially northern part of India. It is a very healthy and nutritious milk shake. The main ingredient in any lassi is yogurt or curd. The thickness of it depends on the ratio of yogurt to water. Try the following recipes which are flavored differently. Enjoy!

Let me know your feedbacks on these and/or about your experiments and variations with lassi flavors.

Salt Lassi recipe

Ingredients:
Curd/Yogurt (thick) - 1 cup
Salt - a pinch
Cummin seed - 1 teaspoon, roasted and powdered (optional)
Ice - crushed, 1/2 cup
Water - 1/2 cup or as required

Method: Beat all in a blender until light, smooth, and frothy. Serve it chilled in a tall glass garnishing with a dollop of thick yogurt.

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: Salt Lassi

My Dhaba

I have been thinking of starting this new blog for months. My Dhaba was going back and forth in my mind. Finally, here we go.

Part of the purpose of "My Dhaba" blog is to share and receive wealthy information on Health and Indian Home Cooking with a mission to make it easy and fun for a layperson. During my north Indian travels on both buses and trains, I was very much fascinated by the small open eating places on the road side, offering inexpensive and quality dishes, especially in Punjab, Haryana, Jammu Kashmir, Delhi, and Rajasthan areas.

Hope my investment of time on this is worth the effort. Feel free to drop me your feedbacks and/or about experiments and variations on Indian home cooking.

Jim Rohn's quote - "Be a collector of good ideas, but don't trust your memory. The best collecting place for all your ideas and information that comes your way is your journal."

Wikipedia on Dhaba.