french toast pudla

You all know how much I love pudla and how much I love breakfast.  One, because it's delicious and healthy, but secondly, it's low in carbs!   I love the idea of French Toast, so I thought why not use pudla batter in its place?  So much for the carbs lol.

The end result was so good!  I used a 7 Grain bread and dipped it in the pudla batter and then pan fried it on medium-low for about 4 minutes on each side.  The bread stayed quite crispy.  It was so comforting and filling.   I'll be making this all the time now!

Basic pudla batter used here:

• 1 cup besan (AKA gram flour/chickpea flour found at any Indian store)
• Add 3 spoons of plain yogurt and enough water to make a pancake batter consistency
• Add salt, pepper, 1/2 tspn of turmeric and chili powder
• Optional - Add a teaspoon of ajwain (carom seeds)
• Optional - Add in a diced tomato, onion, serrano and 1-2 cloves of garlic

Toads in a Hole (vegan)

So you all have heard of toads in a hole right? This is the same thing but a little Indianized and veganized. These are very quick and easy and are lovely for breakfast or brunch. If you have a cast iron griddle, you could do a big batch at one time. They are so much fun to make!

To start off, make your basic pudla batter (this is enough for about 4-6 slices of bread) : 1 cup of gram flour or chickpea flour, salt, black pepper, red chili powder, a tablespoon of lemon juice and whatever else you want to add. I used diced tomatoes, garlic, onion, cilantro and ajwain in mine. Mix all this with enough water to make a pancake batter consistency.

Then take a slice of bread and use a knife to cut out a hole in the middle or just use a cookie cutter. Place in a warmed skillet or griddle with a tablespoon of oil. Keep the heat on low. Fill the holes with the batter and don't move around until set, it should take about 3 minutes on each side.

Oh, those little pieces are the rounds bits from making the holes. I had a little bit of batter left over so I dipped them in the batter like French toast and put them on the griddle to cook up as well. Enjoy!

Methi na thepla

Methi na theplas are one of the breakfasts we look forward to on the weekends. i've never been much of a person who craves donuts and pastries for breakfast, i'd much rather have something hot and spicy. methi na thepla are like whole wheat tortillas made with fresh fenugreek leaves.

i usually make enough to last for the next few days worth of breakfasts. it is best to store them in a ziploc and reheat them for 15 sec in the microwave.

i am giving a basic method, if you don't have access to fenugreek leaves fresh or frozen, just use any grated squash such as dudhi (opo squash) or zucchini. you could even use grated carrots and cabbage. use what you got, this is all about your own family's preference.

methi na thepla

serves 6

prep time: 10 min

cook time: 30 min

vips:

• 2 cups of whole wheat flour mix together with:
• 3 tablespoons oil
• salt
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ajwain (caraway seeds)

then add to the flour:

• 1 cup fenugreek leaves, washed & chopped, or if frozen, thaw first
• 3 tablespoons yogurt
• crush together: 3 green chilis, an inch of ginger, 2-3 garlic cloves (optional)
• add enough water to make a soft pliable dough and let rest for at least 30 min

the play:

• after the dough has rested for 30 min, make into 12 small round balls and keep covered
• take one ball of dough and roll out to about 6-8 inches, use extra flour for dusting
• heat a tawa or a flat pan and on medium heat, cook the thepla on one side for a minute or two
• flip thepla over and brush with oil and cook for 1-2 more minutes
• flip again and brush other side with oil
• cook until brown spots appear on both sides and is cooked through (approx 2 min on each side)

Listening to: soft groovy sounds of Stan Getz, 'I'm late, i'm late' off his album, Focus (1997, original recording, 1961).

apricot cherry tea bread

maybe you have deduced from the lack of chocolate recipes on this blog, that i much rather prefer fruits and nuts in my desserts than chocolate. i'm sure in some circles that would make me an outcast of sorts. well, i'm not ready to retire my passion for fruit, and to celebrate the arrival of spring, i made this lovely tea bread.

first off, lets get one thing straight - this is a tea bread as opposed to a muffin or a cake. this is dense as it is an actual dough, and it holds up well to toasting if you are so inclined. and since this is a real dough, do not beat it and mix it to death. just stir gently. if you mix it too much, it is going to be tough and hard. not to mention it will have a very unappetizing texture. nice way of saying, 'NASTY'.

oh, by the way, i don't measure things when i bake either. i just sort things out as i go along and just wing it. of course, i'm not making Lauderee financiers or anything. in which case, i would most assuredly break out my severely underused measuring cups and spoons.

you can find the original recipe here.

Apricot cherry tea bread

makes 1 loaf

prep time: 15 min

bake time: 45 min

vip's:

• 3 oz dried apricots, chopped
• 1/4 cup dried cherries
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg, slightly beaten (i used Ener-G egg replacer)
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated orange peel
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/ 4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans

the play:

• preheat oven to 350º F
• grease 9x5-inch loaf pan
• cook apricots & cherries in water in a covered medium-size saucepan for 10-15 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Drain; reserve 1/4-1/2 cup liquid. Set aside to cool
• cream together butter and sugar (i used a fork). By hand, gently mix in egg replacer and orange peel and vanilla extract
• sift together flour, dry milk, baking powder, soda, and salt. (i used a wisk instead of sifting)add to creamed mixture alternately with reserved apricot liquid and orange juice
• stir apricot & cherry pieces and pecans gently into the batter
• place batter in loaf pan
• bake for 40-45 minutes or until bread springs back when lightly touched in center
• cool 5 minutes in pan. remove from pan and completely cool on wire rack before slicing

Listening to: 'Ain't no way', by the original diva number one, Aretha Franklin, off her album, Lady Soul (1968). Love it, love it, love it!

appey and cardamom tea

for breakfast i made these appey, is that what they're called? i got the wonderful pan on my trip to india. it's a nonstick but extremely heavy, at first i thought it was cast iron, but it turned out to be nonstick.

it's really easy if you have dosa batter ready, if not you can use one of those instant dosa packets. i'm not going to give a recipe because it's just chop and drop. get the batter ready and add chopped red onion, green chillies, a bit of ginger and a sprig of curry leaves.

heat the pan, add a drop of oil into each hole and add about a tablespoon or two of the batter, cover. flip when the bottoms are brown. this should take about a 3-4 minutes on each side.

serve with a cup of delicious cardamom chai and you'll be set for the day.

Listening to: 'Song of Love/Narayana' by Kula Shaker from album, Strange Folk (2008)

whole wheat veggie wrap

saturday mornings are meant to be savored slowly, lazily and of course hungrily. this weekend, i made a quick stirfry using red potatoes and a yellow pepper i had in the fridge. they came together in a whole wheat wrap. the kick to the dish comes from the jalapeno and cilantro.

whole wheat veggie wrap

serves: 4
prep time: 10 min
cook time: 15 min

vip’s:

• 4 whole wheat tortillas
• 4 red potatoes, washed & chopped into cubes
• 1 yellow bell pepper, washed & chopped
• ½ onion, diced
• 2 jalapenos, washed & chopped – use per your personal preference
• few sprigs of cilantro, washed & chopped
• juice of half lemon
• pinch of mustard seeds & cumin seeds
• tspn cumin & coriander powders
• salt

the play:

• heat a wide sauté pan and add 2 tbspn olive oil, add mustard & cumin seeds; let pop
• add potatoes, bell pepper, onion & salt, stir & cover for 10-13 min on low heat until potatoes are cooked thru. The last 5 min, add the jalapenos.
• add cilantro & lemon juice, stir and let cook 2 more minutes

to serve:
in a flat pan, add a drizzle of olive oil and cook the tortilla on both sides till lightly brown, add the potato mixture and roll like a wrap, serve warm.

Listening to: the soulful groove of India Arie; "ready for love" from, Acoustic Soul (2001)

gujarati breakfast: dhoklas

there's this big myth surrounding gujarati food, that they all contain sugar. however, i'm on a mission to dispel this myth. anywho, i've seen far more south indian, konkan and rajasthani recipes call for jaggery than i have ever seen in gujarati food so there! ok ok, i know you don't believe me yet, but as for myself - i don't add sugar or jaggery in my savory recipes unless it is absolutely required. and i wouldn't know about the gujarati restaurants in india because i'm always busy eating chinese, but maybe some of them do add it and so people assume this is so for the entire gammet.

so, enough of me defending the state of my state cuisine, lol. all i can do is share my family recipes with you here and give you a glimpse of the going ons in my kitchen.

i would like to send this recipe over to lovely mythili over at Vindu, for RCI - Gujarat!

dhoklas (steamed pieces of ground rice and lentils) are made frequently in the gujarati household as a breakfast item. they are quite simple but because they take a little more time than pouring a bowl of cereal, these are usually reserved for the weekends.

let's get on with the dhoklas. and while we're at it - start this in the morning. the rice and lentils need to be soaked together for a couple of hours and then left to ferment overnight. basically, it is like making idli's or dosa. i made 2 trays; one tray sprinkled with red chilli powder and the other with freshly cracked black pepper - important!

dhoklas
serves 4-5
prep time: 2 hours soaking time and 1 day fermenting time
cook time: 15 min

• wash & soak: 2.5 cups rice, 1 cup mixed dals and a tspn of fenugreek seeds for 2-3 hours
• grind in a blender with a little water until smooth, should be like pancake batter
• cover and place in a warm place like the oven to ferment overnight
• in the morning, add: 1 tspn of baking soda or Eno and salt to taste
• grease 2 trays or thalis and pour the batter equally into both
• sprinkle one with red chilli powder and the other with freshly cracked black pepper
• steam on high for 15 min
• cool for 15 min, and cut into small squares
• serve with jeeralu** and dip in peanut oil - optional

Notes:

* i usually use chana dal as this is what most gujarati cooks would use, but as recent dal prices have skyrocketed, use whatever you have on hand... a mixture of urad and chana dal would be nice.

** jeeralu is a salty and tangy spice mixture available in most indian grocery stores, if you want it and can't find it, email me and i'll be glad to send you some... alpa_v at yahoo dot com.

Listening to: 'mansard roof' by Vampire Weekend from their album, Vampire Weekend, 2008

healthy cereal chevdo

I have this little problem you see, everyday right around 10am and 3pm i just get ravenous. i get so hungry like i haven't been fed in days. like a tiger fed up waiting for mama deer to go away. the weird thing is that this occurs only during the work week. on the weekends, i'm fine. what's up with that? does this happen to anyone else? i hardly ever snack and rarely have chips and cookies around, but man, this worktime hunger is killin' me.

so instead of loading up on stuff i don't need like candy bars and pop tarts, this weekend i bought three different types of cereals to make chevdo, a gujarati version of a snack mix. i've heard it being compared to chex mix. that must be its step brother.

now i know before some of you start getting testy, let me go on and say that cereal is probably not one of the healthiest foods out there. all that disgusting corn syrup and hyrdogenated fats they put into the stuff could clog the arteries of a 5 year old. however, if you try to avoid some of the more sickly sweet, over-the-top stuff, this can be relatively healthy. and nowadays there are some good options out there.

so here's the recipe, it makes one big batch, don't ask me how many servings because i don't know. lets just say this should last you for 2-3 weeks if you eat it M-F like me. this is made in proper gujarati form by my fabulous mom. i got the delectable cranberry idea from Bee and Jai over at the lovely blog, Jugalbandi. thanks guys :)

Healthy cereal chevdo

serves - your guess is good as mine

prep-cook time: 15 min

VIP's:

• 3 cups kashi 7 grain flakes
• 2 cups kix
• 2 cups wheat chex
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts and or dalia and or cashews
• 1/2 cup cranberries or cherries or raisins
• 6 chopped chillies
• 6 sprigs curry leaves
• 6 tbpn oil
• 1/2 tspn each of red chili powder, nimbu ka phool (ascorbic acid) and sugar

the play:

• heat the oil and add chillies and curry leaves and stir for 2-3 minutes
• add the nuts and dried fruit and stir for another couple of minutes
• add the chili powder, nimbu ka phool, sugar and stir until mixed well
• add the cereals and mix lightly for 3 more minutes
• cool completely and store in an airtight container

Notes: if you've never worked with nimbu ka phool or ascorbic acid, it's a wonderful ingredient in that it provides a sour tangy taste just like lime or lemon juice but in a dry format. i also use it when making vegetable cutlets and alu or gobi parantha when i don't want any added wetness or moisture.

Listening to: one of my favorite songs that take me to the streets of paris - "Lilly" by Pink Martini from their 2nd album, Hang on Little Tomato (2004). now if only i could get Pierre Herme to deliver that dang ispahan to me... drool.

take your baby to the disco and 10 minute donuts

On my way to work this morning i was listening to the radio and they were talking about this new club in houston. now would be the time to sit down folks. it's a baby disco. yes, i am not shittin you. it is what you think it is. this new generation club got started in the U.K. and is now ready to take on America. parents can now take their little ones clubbin' - in the afternoon. there is a bar for the parents where they serve drinks. there is an area where they serve snacks and non-alcoholic drinks for the kiddies. let's just hope. they play old school disco. groovy. so, for all you parents that want your children to be skanks and playaz-in-training, there is now a place for you in houston.

no, i don't have parasites of my own in case you're wondering.

on to the 10 minute donut. maybe for the post club munchies. so my parents used to own several donut shops a long time ago. on my first day working there, i tried every donut, cookie, eclair, crueller and artificial drink. needless to say i made myself gag. i couldn't stand the taste of them or the smell of them. i wanted nothing to do with donuts for a long time. years went by. and then slowly, once in awhile i started craving them. i got this recipe/method from a lady i used to work with and am passing it on to me of the wonderful blog, words are all i have.

the 10 minute donut
serves: let's just say 6
prep time: 5 min
cook time: 5 min

• heat some oil for deep frying (350 deg)
• take a can of biscuits (ya, so shoot me), not the flaky grand kind and separate out the biscuits
• then take a mini cookie cutter or something the size of a nickel and cut out pieces from all the biscuits.
• mix up some cinnamon and sugar and put in a paper bag
• put some powdered sugar into another paper bag
• deep fry the donut holes until golden brown
• put some into each paper bag and shake until covered with cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar thoroughly
• place in serving bowl and enjoy warm with a cup of cafe au lait

Note: i don't know if canned biscuits are available in india yet. in the U.S. they are found in the refrigerated section near the butter and cheese. if you cannot find canned biscuits where you are, please email me at alpa_v at yahoo dot com and i will email you another recipe.

browse http://www.babylovesdisco.com/ while you're satiating your tummy. pics to come...

Breakfast tacos

We went to an all weekend wedding event. After eating Indian food for the last 3 days, we had enough. It was time for a Mexican inspired breakfast.

• saute chopped onion in olive oil until translucent
• add a chopped potato and a sliced red bell pepper
• season with salt, pepper, ground cumin and ancho chili powder or red cayenne to taste
• after potatoes are cooked through, add 1 1/2 cups refried beans or one can vegetarian refried or black beans
• heat through
• serve with warm tortillas, salsa, cheese and guacamole