Healing Herbs: Kothimbir Vadi

Kothimbir Vadi

"We are what we eat. We don't doubt that fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts contain a range of vitamins, minerals and cancer, yet the nutrient content and medicinal properties of herbs are often overlooked.”

- UK's leading organic herb grower Jekka McVicar

Do we really underestimate the healing power of herbs? I doubt. As far as Indian cooking is concerned herbs play vital role in any regional cooking. Ayurveda, an ancient Indian medicinal form, emphasises on the healing power of herbs and spices. Since generations many families in India have been following knowingly or unknowingly the concept of cooking with medicinal herbs and spices. While growing up I have seen my mother using herbs in many avatars. She starts her day with herb infused teas and ends by taking fresh herbs and spices for its medicinal use. In between, the herbs are used in recipes not just as garnishes but good handfuls for enhancing flavours and also for their healing power.

One such herb which I use quite often is fresh Coriander which imparts a bold sage and tangy citrus effect to many dishes in ethnic kitchens. It is almost impossible to see food in Indian restaurants and home without it. It makes its presence felt in a form of dried aromatic seeds or ground powder or in its vibrant green leafy form. It is said that Coriander was named after the bedbug, because it emits the same unpleasant odour as its namesake. What?? Unpleasant odour??? I strongly disagree as the heady aroma of roasted coriander seeds and chopped fresh coriander leaves is one pure pleasure for all your senses. May be that’s the reason I end up adding little extra handful of coriander leaves and extra pinch of coriander powder in almost all the dishes I cook. After all it is a wonder herb for acid indigestion or upset stomach.

While browsing through Nupur’s One Hot Stove for T&T, I came across this recipe of Kothimbir Vadi. One look at them and I had serious cravings for this delicious vadis. And another point that got my full attention was the fact that Coriander is the main lead in this recipe instead of playing a cameo role as a garnish. This recipe is a best example as how simple herb can be used as main ingredient and yet will not end-up tasting herb-y (I know it’s not even a word, but couldn’t think of anything else ;). Other main equipment needed for this recipe is a steamer. I used pressure cooker without the “weight” and fried them in little oil till they turned golden and crisp. And boy! What a tasty vadis they turned out to be. Aromatic, crisp from outside and soft from inside, they were devoured in no time at all. We had them as an evening snack with cup of coffee and also as a side dish with Sabudana Kichidi the very next day. Thank you Nupur, for introducing us to another wonderful Marathi dish. Off this delightful crisp vadis goes to dear Kayln who is hosting this week’s WHB a.k.a. Weekend Herb Blogging.

Kothimbir Vadi

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Kothimbir Vadi (Steam Cooked & Fried Savoury Coriander Cakes)

Prep Time: 5-10 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Serves: 4-6
Recipe Source: One Hot Stove

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Ingredients:
2 packed cups Coriander Leaves, finely chopped (I also used their stems)
1 cup Gram Flour/Besan
¼ cup Mixed Flours (I used Whole Wheat Flour + Millet Flour)
1 tbsp Rice Flour
4-5 Green Chillies, finely chopped (adjust acc to taste)
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 tbsp White Sesame Seeds (Nupur used 1 tsp)
1 tsp Poppy Seeds
½ Lime Juice (Nupur used 2 tsp, I am little partial to tangy taste)
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Sugar
¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida
¼ tsp Baking Soda
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl except the oil. Add little water at a time to get a thick batter. Make sure that you remove any lumps former. The batter I made was that of any Pakoda/Bhajji batter consistency.
Grease a flat bottomed vessel with oil and pour batter into it. Steam it using a traditional steamer or pressure cooker without its weight for around 20-30 mints over a medium heat. The skewer inserted in the middle should come clean when it’s cooked properly.
Let it cool properly before you un-mould it. Cut it into desired shapes. I cut them into wedges. Now you can either serve it as it is or continue with next step.
Heat about ½ cm of oil in a pan and arrange these slices. Cook on both sides till they turn golden brown and crisp.
Serve these Kothimbir Vadis as snacks with any chutney or sauce of your choice or as side dish with Rice and Dal and enjoy.

Kothimbir Vadi

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Reminder: MBP-Street Food

MBP-Street Food ends on 30th of June, 2008. Start patrolling the blogs and cook your favourite Street Food that your tummy begs and heart desires and spread link love.

Deadline: 30th June, 2008

Please go through the guidelines and include all the required information in your post and mail when sending me your entry. Don't forget to add Your Name, Your Blog Name, Name of the Dish you cooked, Perm Link of the entry, Perm Link of original recipe along with the gorgeous Photo of final dish.

Click Here or on the logo to find out more information on this event.

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Reminder: WBB-Summer Feast

For this edition of WBB, your challenge is to cook anything with summer fruits and vegetables. Yes, the theme is WBB-Summer Feast. Go to your town/city’s Farmer’s Market and pick fresh season’s produce and make your favourite breakfast or brunch and join in the Summer Feast.

Deadline: 31st July, 2008

Please go through the guidelines and include all the required information in your post and mail when sending me your entry. Don't forget to add Your Name, Your Blog Name, Name of the Dish you cooked, Perm Link of the entry, Perm Link of original recipe along with the gorgeous Photo of final dish.

Click Here or on the logo to find out more information on this event.

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Cooking Therapy: Methi Thepla

Methi Thepla with Yogurt, Priya Garlic Pickle & Mango Slices

My friend was surprised when I told him I find cooking very relaxing and therapeutic. How can getting out pots and pans, chopping and grinding, sautéing and stirring be considered therapeutic, especially when you have to not only cook, but also wash, wipe and put them away was his question. Well, cooking becomes just a task or chore when you think it that way. For me cooking is more than day to day chore. While I find chopping vegetables and fresh herbs quite relaxing, the heady aroma of roasted spices makes me slow down and enjoy little pleasure of life has to offer. The steam coming out of pots and pans gives me free facials every day and the flexibility of adding or substituting any ingredients of my choice gives me a sense of freedom. The colour of various fresh leafy, green, yellow, red, orange and multi-colored fruits and vegetables fascinates me and makes me happy. The process of transforming raw, solitary ingredients into a savoury amalgamation of flavour, taste, smell, texture and colour is always magical. And the ultimate pleasure is when you are rewarded by ohh’s and ahh’s, mmm… its so good, comments coming from the people you love busily licking the food you cooked. This kind of therapy is inexpensive, fun and also tasty! Well, not every task or chore gives you this kind of pleasure. Do you think I am right? What makes you relax and enjoy?

These days I am having real rough time at office. With project deadlines to meet I feel emotionally drained and exhausted by the time I reach home. I find solace in my kitchen with my HD next to me. By the time we finished cooking our dinner I was calm and relaxed and enjoying the moment. Food cooked was simple; Methi Thepla served with bowl of cool Yogurt, Garlic Pickle and sweet Mango Slices. Simple task as picking the leaves from big bunch of fresh Methi/Fenugreek Leaves can be therapeutic and cheer you up and punching and rolling of dough can take away all the frustration and leave you content. Now that’s something I prefer rather than sitting in one dark corner and sulking!!!

Here is the recipe for simple Guajarati flat bread called Methi Thepla which is one full meal by itself. You can serve it alone or accompanied with just Pickle or Yogurt and hence without any doubt it serves as an excellent travel food. Fresh Methi/fenugreek leaves are mixed with few spices and wheat flour to form stiff dough and rolled out and roasted. Uses or Methi/Fenugreek Leaves are many as they are high in iron and minerals content. Read more about them here and here. This is my entry for Valli’s Roti Mela and Priyanka’s SWC-Gujarati Cuisine. Methi Thepla also goes to Susan's Beautiful Bones, an event focused on bringing awareness about Osteoporosis.

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Methi Thepla (Gujarathi flat bread made with fresh Fenugreek Leaves)
Prep Time: 15-20 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Makes: 15 medium sized Theplas

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Ingredients:

3 cups Wheat Flour/Atta (I used Pillsbury Chakki Atta)
½ cup Gram Flour
1 packed cup fresh Methi/Fenugreek Leaves (just the leaves, no steams)
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Powder
2-3 Green Chillies, very finely chopped or minced
½ tbsp Garlic, very finely chopped or minced
½ tbsp Ginger, very finely chopped or minced
½ tsp Red Chilli Powder (Optional)
1 tbsp White Sesame Seeds
1 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
Warm water as needed

Other Ingredients:
Wheat flour for dusting
Rolling Pin
Ghee/Oil for roasting

Methi/Menthe Soppu/Fresh Fenugreek Leaves

Method:

Pick just the leaves from a bunch of methi/fenugreek leaves and wash thoroughly.
Mix in all the ingredients listed above and form stiff dough by adding little water at a time. Keep it aside covered for about 20-30 minutes.
Knead the dough again for about one minute and make large lime sized balls.
Roll the balls on wheat flour covering it well and press it down with hand. With the help of a rolling pin, roll it into circle to form a roti with ½ cm thickness. Dust off the excess flour.
Mean while heat a griddle/tawa and place the thepla on it. Cook on both the sides at medium to low heat till both the sides are cooked well and few brown spots start to appear.
You can apply the ghee/oil if needed and serve these Methi Thepla hot with chilled Yogurt & Pickle or with a curry of your choice and enjoy.

Methi Thepla

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Note:
Special thanks to Prema of My Cookbook and Srimathi of Few Minutes Wonders for passing me "The Yummy Blog Award". I really appreciate it girls :)

Other Indian Flat Breads on Monsoon Spice are

• Mooli/Radish Paratha
• Aloo/Potato Paratha
• Gobi/Cauliflower Paratha
• Double Decker Paratha
• Tofu Stuffed Kulcha
• Butter Naan
  

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Reminder:

MBP-Street Food ends on 24th of June, 2008. Start patrolling the blogs and cook your favourite Street Food that your tummy begs and heart desires and spread link love.

Deadline: 24th June, 2008

Please go through the guidelines and include all the required information in your post and mail when sending me your entry. Don't forget to add Your Name, Your Blog Name, Name of the Dish you cooked, Perm Link of the entry, Perm Link of original recipe along with the gorgeous Photo of final dish.

Click Here or on the logo to find out more information on this event.

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With Love: Khandvi

Microwave Khandvi

We meet hundreds and thousands of people all around the globe but there are only few who leave their foot prints in our heart. One such person is Trupti of The Spice Who Loved Me. We both started our food blogs together and I can’t remember who was the first one to leave a note in our blogs. With in few days we were exchanging mails and chatting for hours on internet. Her love and passion for Gujarati food was evident when ever she posted a recipe in her blog and it was her simple recipes with detailed descriptions which attracted hundreds of amateur cooks like me to try and create wonderful Gujarati fair. It was always her blog which helped me to cook and impress my Gujju friends. She is a very special friend of mine whom I am missing a lot while writing this post. Although she no more blogs due to some personal reasons, I wish her all the luck and happiness. Dear T, this is to you and our friendship which I treasure.

Khandvi is Gujarati delicacy made using Gram Flour/Chickpea Powder and flavoured with tempering of pungent mustard, spicy green chillies, sweet coconut grates and aromatic coriander leaves. Although I had tasted Khandvi made by my PG owner, I never ventured into making it at home thinking it’s far from my reach to get those seductive spirals. Then one day while browsing for recipes I came across this Microwave Khandvi and I could no more resist the temptation. The ingredients listed and the method sounded simple enough to give it a go. I gathered all the courage I could muster and prayed before venturing into making it. It was fun watching thin batter turn thick paste when cooked in microwave without wasting my elbow grease and then spread them thinly on my glass chopping board (I thanked my Amma at that moment for teaching me Dosa making skill;). The best part was to cut them into thin stripes and roll them without much fuss!!! Yes, I did it and I feel like I am on top of the world (Oh, all you Khandvi experts can stop making faces and rolling their eyes :P). Here I proudly present fluffy, soft, melt in mouth and sinfully delicious Microwave Khandvi which goes to RCI-Gujarat hosted by lovely Mythili of Vindu.

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Microwave Khandvi
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 15-20 mins
Makes: About 20 pieces

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Ingredients:
For Batter:
1 cup Besan/Gram Flour
3 cups Sour Butter Milk/1 cup Sour Yogurt+2 cups Water
1-2 Green Chillies, ground to paste
½ inch Ginger, ground to paste
A big pinch of Hing/Asafoetida
A big pinch of Turmeric Powder
Salt to taste

For Tempering:
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
2-3 Green Chillies, finely chopped
1 tbsp Fresh Coconut grates
1-2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp Oil

Khandvi - Work-in-Progress

Method:
Take gram flour, turmeric powder, chilli and ginger paste, hing and salt to taste in a microwave safe bowl and mix well. Add butter milk to the mixture and mix well with a egg beater or spatula taking care that no lumps is formed. The batter should be thin and flowing without any lumps.
Place the bowl in a microwave and cook at high speed for 5 mins. Remove the bowl and mix the contents well.
Mean while, keep ready 2-3 steel plates or glass chopping board as I have used and a spatula to spread the batter. Don’t grease them with oil.
Place again in a microwave and cook uncovered for another 5 mins. Mix well and check if you can spread them thinly on the back of steel plates or glass chopping board. If the mixture is still runny, place it again in microwave and cook for another 2-4 mins.
Spread the thick batter quickly on the back of steel plates or glass chopping bowl. Spread it as thinly as possible.
Let it cool for 2-3 minutes. Then slice them with knife into 2 inch long stripes and roll each stripe neatly. Place each rolls in a serving dish.
For tempering, heat oil in a skillet and add mustard seeds to it. When mustard starts to pop and splutter, add chopped green chillies and sauté it for few seconds.
Spread them evenly over rolled Khandvi. Serve them immediately garnished with coconut grates and chopped coriander leaves and enjoy.

Microwave Khandvi

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Note:

Few things worth remembering when making Khandvi are
While preparing the batter make it lump free as it will help you to evenly spread.
Keep at least 3 steel plates or smooth surfaced utensils ready before you spread the batter as it is important to spread the batter before it cools down and it is difficult to spread cooled batter thinly and evenly.

Other Popular Gujarathi Recipes in Monsoon Spice

• Aamras
• Moong Kichidi

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Mangalore Aloo Bonda

Well...The winter has started to crawl slowly... The days are shortening... Sun is hiding behind the black-gloomy clouds. This is not a best part of the time for me. I'm not sure if its just me who feels this way. But no denying the fact that winter has its own charm...

Yesterday was one of those days...Dark, dingy and gloomy... By the time me and my hubby reached home it felt like 9 O'Clock at night, when actually it was just few minutes past 5. Both of were craving for something hot and spicy. I didn't have all that energy to start cooking after tiring day in office and long walk back home. But my fridge didn't put me down. I had potato bhaji which we had prepared for Masala Dosa for our breakfast and first thing came to my mind was Aloo Bonda. As the stuffing for Bonda is same as Bhaji for Dosa, all I had to do was prepare just batter and fry them.

Mangalore Aloo Bonda

Well... Aloo Bonda are deep fried balls made of potatoes, dipped in spicy gram flour batter. Aloo Bonda is similar to a samosa in that it's a fried spiced potato fritter-y thing. That's where the similarities end. The Aloo Bonda is a stunner when dipped into the coconut chutney. They are very popular in my home town Mangalore. When it comes to popularity, this street food is as popular as any other chats and chatpatas. In every nook and corner you will find Aloo Bonda Gaadi with Gaadiwala busy making these amazing hot bondas and dozens of people slurping hot cup of 'Kaapi' and enjoying Bondas.

Aloo Bonda

Ingredients:
2 medium Potatoes, cooked, peeled and mashed
1/2 tsp of Cumin Seeds
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Urad Dal
3-4 Green Chillies, chopped finely
1/2 tsp Ginger, finely chopped
1 small Onion, finely chopped (optional)
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
2 tbsp chopped Coriander Leaves
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
Oil for Deep frying

For Batter:
1 cup Gram Flour/Besan
1 tbsp Rice Flour
1/4 tsp Baking Soda(optional)
2 tsp Red Chilli Powder

Chai ke saath...Aloo Bonda

Method:
Heat about two tbls of oil.
Add mustard seeds and when the seeds start to crackle, add the cumin seeds, green chili, salt, ginger and garlic and fry for few seconds.
To this add chopped onion and turmeric powder.
When the onions tuen transparent add mashed potatoes, coriander leaves and lemon juice. Mix well and turn off the heat.
Let the mixture cool and then shape them into lemon sized balls.
Make a thick batter with Besan/Gram flour, rice flour, salt, red chili powder, baking soda and water.
Dip the potato balls into the batter and carefully drop in the oil.
Turn it every four minutes and remove from oil when it turns golden brown.
Serve with tamarind or green chutney or tomato sauce.

Aloo Bonda Filling

Variations:
Add few pieces of Cashew nuts with mashed potatoes. They make a big difference.
You can also add cooked green peas to it.
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Onion Bajjis(Pakoda)

“Life is an onion and one peels it crying”

-French Proverb quote

Onions

Autumn is moving towards winter... Im starting to feel the chill in the air. Sun is playing i-spy with me. I'm still looking for him... I know he is there, up in the black clouds hiding from me... Have anyone seen him? Let him keep hiding. Im sure he cant resist the spicy, delicious smell of Onion Bajjis im gonna make... Mmmmm.... They smell great...and tastes superb!!! Oh... There is he... Peeping from that big black cloud... Ha ha ha... I know he will be out and bright in no seconds... He cant resist the competition with the lovely golden yellow of bajjis. Oh... Where are they? There were 8 of them...now all gone:)

Onion Bajjis(Pakoda)

Ingredients:
1 big onion, sliced thinly
1 tsp ajwain seeds
1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
2 tbls fresh coriander leaves, chopped finely
1 tbls of red chilli powder
1-2 green chillies(optional)
1/4 cup of besan(Gram flour)
Salt to taste
Little water
Oil for deep frying

Ingredients

Ready for deep fry

Method:
Mix all the ingredients(onions-salt) adding little water at a time
Take spoonful of mixture and deep fry in oil in a medium flame till they become crisp and golden brown.
Serve hot with tomato sauce or any chutney with tea.

Golden Onion Pakodas

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