Microwave Greenpeas Dhokla

Dhokla,as we know, is the famous dish from the state of Gujarat made with chickpea flour/ besan.A batter is made and it is steamed.After which a seasoning of mustard,asafoetida is poured over.The dhokla is then sliced and then served garnished with grated coconut, coriander leaves.There are several varieties of Dhokla like khamman dhokla, Khatta dhokra, Rasia dhokra, cheese dhokra, etc.

I made dhokla with green peas and besan in the microwave.It was super quick and was very fluffy.The color was very appealing and it tasted great as well.

Here is what you have to do...

Puree 1 cup green peas, 4 green chillies and 1" piece ginger using very little water.

Transfer the puree[for 1 cup peas you will get 1/2 cup puree] into a bowl and add  1/2 a cup besan/ chickpea flour and salt to taste

 

 Mix well and add a little water to get a batter of dropping consistency.

 Add 5grams[1 small sachet] Eno fruit salt and add 1 teaspoon water over it.It will start bubbling.Mix gently.

 Immediately transfer into a greased microwave proof dish and swirl it around so that it spreads evenly. Microwave covered for 5 minutes on high powder.Let it stand for 1 minute inside the microwave.

 Do a tooth prick test.If it comes out out clean the dhokla is ready.Else cover and microwave for a few more minutes till done.

In another microwave proof dish, combine-1 teaspoon oil,1 teaspoon mustard,1 chopped green chilli and microwave for 1 minute.Pour over the dhokla and spread it out with a ladle/ spoon

 Let it cool.Mark squares with a knife.Remove carefully from the plate.

 Serve garnished with grated coconut and coriander leaves.

A mouth watering and nutritious snack ready in minutes...This comes in handy when you want something warm on a cold day but also want to refrain from indulging in fried snacks...

Serve dhokla as such or with a spicy chutney/ dip of your choice.

Note:

• Generally sugar is added when dhokla is prepared but I did not add it since the peas were slightly sweet.In case you have a sweet tooth ,you can add sugar while combining peas puree and besan.
• The cooking time will vary depending on the quantity and the MW oven brand used, voltage.So start checking from the third minute itself.If cooked for too long the taste will not be good and the dhokla will shrink and not be spongy.

Bon Appetit...

Indian Tomato Soup[Microwave version] |Tamatar Ka Shorba

A couple of weeks ago,tomatoes were being sold at astronomical prices.The vegetable that has become indispensable in our cuisine had become unaffordable to many.We were using very less tomatoes at home and the dishes seemed to have lost their taste.

Then suddenly, last week, they became so inexpensive that the vendors at the farmers market had a lot of surplus.The price reduced further and everyone around here are buying them in bulk!

When I visited the farmers market this week,I picked up my share,in fact,more that I could handle and am using them to make preserves and soups.

Here is an Indianized version of the tomato -Tamatar Ka Shorba.After going through many variations and varieties,I put in what I had and made this in less than 10 minutes in the microwave.This is yet another simple soup recipe that can be put together in a jiffy.

I used:

Ripe tomatoes-4
Bay leaf-1
Ginger- garlic paste-1 teaspoon
Roasted cumin powder-1 teaspoon.
Red chilli powder-1/4 teaspoon
Salt and pepper to taste
Coriander leaves to garnish

1. Blanch tomatoes.
2. Peel and puree after it cools .
3. In a deep microwave proof dish,put in  pureed tomato,all the ingredients [except pepper powder and coriander leaves], enough water [to get the consistency of your choice] and microwave on high for 5 minutes or till it starts bubbling.
4. Remove the bay leaf and serve hot garnished with pepper powder and coriander leaves.

Quick and yum Tamatar Ka Shorba

Note:

There are many variations like adding lemon juice or a paste of chickpea flour etc.This is my version which I found to be quick and tasty.

Bon Appetit...





Catch me cooking @ Seduce your tastebuds

Microwave Jeera Pulao

Jeera Pulao is a famous rice dish from North India.It is a simple and tasty variation.You can enrich it by using butter instead of oil and adding a few cashews as garnish and serve it as such or with any gravy.It goes well with vegetable kurma.Usually rice varieties are served with yogurt based side dishes called Raita and some crispies.


Jeera Pulao is usually prepared with the fragrant Basmathi rice but for a change I made it with brown rice.You can follow the same method with the regular/ Basmathi rice but just adjust timings. [Brown rice takes a longer time to cook].Also the quantity of water used may vary with the variety of rice used.This Jeera Pula was a little chewy but delicious and definitely healthy.

I used:

Brown rice - 1 cup
Jeera / Cumin seeds- 2 teaspoons
Onion-1 finely sliced
Green chillies-3 ,slit
Ginger garlic paste- 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves- a few
Clove-1
Cinnamon- a small piece
Cardamom- 1
Bay leaf-1
Oil- 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

1. Wash and soak brown rice for half an hour.Drain and keep aside.
2. In a large microwave proof bowl,put in oil,cumin seeds,onion,ginger garlic paste,curry leaves, cloves, cardamom,cinnamon and bay leaf.
3. Mix well and microwave on high for 3 minutes or till onion is translucent.Stir once in between.
4. Into the same bowl add 3 cups of water,salt and the rice and cover and cook for 20 minutes or till the rice is done.Stir a couple of times in between.
   
5. Let it stand in the microwave for 2 more minutes.

Serve as such or with a raita[Raita varieties can be found here] / crispies like pappadam or chips / vegetable kurma .

Piping hot Jeera pulao!!!

Incidentally this happens to be the 200th vegan post in my blog.Do take a look at the other Vegan varieties at Seduce Your Tastebuds.

Happy cooking....