Guest Post Series: Besan ki Phulki (a GF snack), by Shaheen Ali

I hope you all liked Shobana Rao's Lobia Suva Bhaji Subzi last week!
My guest today is a young, dynamic & bubbly person who is a die-hard foodie, Shaheen Ali! She hails from a gastronomic family and started her blog Spoonfork&food in 2014 to document and share her experiences with food. Her amazing photography skill makes her blog a visual treat! Her blog recently celebrated it's second anniversary and even better, it just moved to it's new abode! Now that is what I call growth! Shaheen is a young mother with one son. She lives in India with her family.

Like me, she is a physical therapist by profession and understands the importance of eating healthy! Today, she is sharing with us a popular snack from Uttar Pradesh ( a Northern Indian state), Besan ki Phulki. This is a gluten-free snack made with chick-pea flour and served with a spiced, tangy yogurt-based sauce. Shaheen has made this traditionally fried snack healthier by cooking it in the appe pan. Do check this recipe out and also head to Spoonfork&food to check out all the other wonderful recipes and feast on it with your eyes!

Besan ki Phulki is a typical refreshing and flavorful snack of Uttar Pradesh. It's gluten free and makes an amazing snack option for weekend brunch parties. The dish can also be teemed up with mutter ki chaat. Though the original recipe asks for a deep fry technique, but to make it more healthier I opted for Appe Pan. Yes ! with just a few drops of oil, the phuklis get ready in no time and is a blessing to all the weight watchers like me. 

Preparation Time : 5 mins 

Cooking Time : 15 mins 

Total Time : 20 mins 

Course : snack

Cuisine : North Indian 

Yields : 4 servings 

Equipment Required : Appe Pan / Panniyaram Pan

Ingredients :

• Phulki
• 1 1/4 cup chickpea powder/ besan
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup water
• Pinch Of Baking Soda
• Spiced Yogurt
• 600 gms yogurt, whisked
• 1 tsp black rock salt
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 finely chopped green/red chili
• Few drops of oil for pan frying

Steps : 

1. Place all dry ingredients for phulki in a large bowl and stir to mix. Start adding water gradually and whisk to make a smooth batter. Make the batter till pancake like consistency.

2. Whisk yogurt with black rock salt, garlic and green chili until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. 

3. Heat few drops of oil in each section of Appe pan and drop 1/2 teaspoonfuls of batter gently into each  without overcrowding, close the lid and fry over medium heat for 2-3 mins or until light golden brown. Flip and repeat.

4. Remove the first batch and place them in the serving bowl and top with little yogurt. 

5. Again pan fry the second batch and place them over the topped yogurt. Repeat the same till all the yogurt is consumed.

6. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander, chopped green chilies and also some sev if you prefer. You can also use pomegranate pearls to garnish. 

7. Chill for about an hour and serve as a snack in your brunch parties. 

Enjoy!

I am bringing this delicious dish of Shaheen's to all my friends at Throwback Thursday#40, Fiesta Friday#121  and Saucy Saturdays#47! 

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Coconut-Ginger Chutney/Dip

As food bloggers, we are always taking pictures of our food. There are many posts that we want to post, many that are drafts and then there are pictures that were taken but never got written about! This would have been one of them!! I have been meaning to write this post for a while now but never got around to it!

Until now!! A friend of mine contacted me on Whatsapp asking for the recipe of coconut-ginger chutney. Her asking me reminded me of the pictures I had. I decided to complete this post. It is also just in time for the Super Bowl! Why not make a switch from the calorie-laded dips to a much healthier, low-calorie dip?? It goes perfect with croquettes, sandwiches, fritters to name a few dishes.

Most South-Indian breakfasts are incomplete without the chutney/dip.The most common chutney is the coconut-ginger chutney. This is served  with most dosas and idlis. It is also served with vadas, samosas, bhajias, fritter,dhoklas, upma, so on and so forth. It is very easy to make. I am bringing this to Throwback Thursday#22, Fiesta Friday # 103 and Saucy Saturdays. Angie's Fiesta Friday is being co-hosted by two of the very talented blogger friends, Sonal @ simplyvegetarian777 and Petra @ Food Eat Love.

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients :

Freshly grated coconut: 1 cup
Green chillies: 1-2 medium-sized
Ginger: 1/2 inch piece
Dried tamarind: dime-sized piece
Salt: to taste
Water: 1/2 cup

For tempering:
Coconut oil: 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 small sprig

Method:

Grind together all the ingredients listed above except the one under "for tempering", in a food processor or blender, until smooth as a paste.

Take it in a bowl.

Tempering:

Heat 1/2 tsp coconut oil on medium heat. Add mustard seeds. 

Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the curry leaves. Turn off the flame . 

Add the tempering to the chutney. 

Serve with your choice of idli/dosa/ chapati, or even rice.

Cooking made easy:

Coconut-ginger chutney can be made in bulk and frozen for up-to 2 weeks. It stays fresh in the refrigerator up-to 4 days, after which the coconut turns rancid.

Frozen grated coconut can be used instead of freshly grated coconut. Just use warm water while grinding instead of cold water.

Tip for healthy living:

Coconut that was once believed to be the cause of increasing cholesterol, now has been believed to have several health benefits due to the presence of good fats in it.

Food for thought:

Faces that have charmed us the most escape us the soonest. Walter Scott

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Muga Saaru Upkari ( Mung Bean Soup) ; Meatless Monday

Today is Dr. Martin Luther King's Birthday. He believed in looking beyond himself. He worked for the betterment of black people . I decided to do something altruistic today too and bring to you a warm, hearty, protien-rich gluten-free, vegan soup and some information to face the flu season.

Did you know that January is Soup Month?? Well, I didn't know either, until recently! It does make sense though: not only is it winter and cold, it also happens to be flu season! Kids go back to school after the Christmas holidays and come home sick!! Is it any surprise that we seek comfort foods like soup??

Where I come from, soup is also used as a side with rice. So you could mix the soup with the rice and eat. Well, it would then be rice-bean soup! ;) Just kidding!  The soup-like sides that we make are called Saaru- Upkari in konkani. If I were to literally translate it then the word " saaru" means gravy and " upkari" means " sauté". So it could technically translate into a sauté with gravy. In reality is a soup. We make saaru-upkari of almost all kinds of beans. The bean of choice is cooked with 4-5 times water until tender. It is then tempered with either garlic and red chillies or red chilli powder or mustard, curry leaves, asofoetida and red chillies or chilli powder. Believe me when I say that it is delicious and a true comfort food. It can be eaten with rice as a side or as is like a soup with some bread. This makes for a filling weeknight dinner; both to cook and to eat!

Servings: 2-3

Ingredients:

Dry Mung beans: 1 cup
Water: 4 cups to soak and 3 cuks to cook.
Salt: to taste

For tempering:

Coconut oil: 1/2 tsp ( any cooking oil may be used).
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig
Asofoetida powder: a pinch ( if using solution: 3-4 drops)
Red chilli powder: 1/4 tsp ( can be adjusted as per individual spice level).

Method:

Soak the dry mung beans in water for 4-5 hours or overnight. Drain the water, add fresh water ( 3 cups) and cook in the pressure cooker on medium flame until you hear 2-3 whistles. If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can cook it on the stove top on medium flame until the beans reaches the desired tenderness. The mung beans should be well-cooked but not over cooked. Open the pressure cooker only after all the pressure has been released. Add salt and mix well.

Tempering:

Heat coconut oil in a frying pan/skillet on medium heat.Add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves and asofoetida powder. Turn off the flame and add chilli powder.

Add this mixture to the pot with the cooked mung beans. Mix well.

Serve hot as a side with rice of your choice or serve in a bowl as a soup with some crackers!

Enjoy !

I am bringing this to Throwback Thursday#22, Fiesta Friday # 103 and Saucy Saturdays. Angie's Fiesta Friday is being co-hosted by two of the very talented blogger friends, Sonal @ simplyvegetarian777 and Petra @ Food Eat Love.

Cooking made easy:

I usually plan my meals the previous day and put the desired amount of dry beans in water either at night before I go to bed or early morning before I leave for work. But in case you forget or suddenly have an urge to make mung bean soup for dinner, just soak the mung beans in hot water for an hour , keeping the pot closed and cook it in the pressure cooker.

This soup can also be made in a slow cooker.

Tip for healthy living:

Taking a leaf from Dr. Martin Luther King's book, I am going to do something altruistic and share with you some myths regarding the flu that is prevalent during the winter.These are not my views.This was shared by Christian Pickard from Bankers Healthcare Group.

I would however emphasize that the best way to keep cold and flu at bay is by observing good hand hygiene! Wash your hands every time you touch something that you think is unclean. When you are outside do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth. Imagine that you are wearing a face-mask!

Food for thought:

Life's most persistent and urgent question is " What are you doing for others??" Dr. Martin Luther King

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Gluten-free Tabbouleh; Meatless Monday

I was introduced to Tabbouleh during my stay in the Middle East. It is a staple in their diet. It is a refreshing salad.It is usually made with parsley & Bulgar wheat. Some add mint to this salad while others don't. I had a big bunch of fresh parsley from the rooftop garden at my work.

I decided to make Tabbouleh. But, I, as a rule, avoid gluten. I therefore decided to modify this salad and make it gluten-free. Instead  of Bulgar wheat, I used cauliflower! Yes, believe it or not, cauliflower!! It came out delicious!

My husband loved it and so did all my colleagues at work. You must try it. I used this recipe as the base and made my gluten-free substitutions.

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients :

Cauliflower florets: 2 cups
Flat leaf parsley: 1 big bunch
Tomatoes: 2 medium-sized, diced big.
Cucumber: 2 medium, deseeded and diced. I used Persian cucumber.
Onion: 1 small, diced fine.
Lemon juice: 1/4 cup
Lemon zest: 1 tsp
Extra virgin olive oil: 1/4 cup
Salt: as per taste
Freshly ground black pepper: 1/2 tsp

Method:

Wash the cauliflower florets and dry them using a paper towel. Using a food processor, shred them until they look like tiny grain of broken wheat. Take the shredded cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl. Cook it in the microwave for 1-2 mins. Keep aside.

Take the lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, salt and pepper in a little jar . Close the lid of the jar and shake well. Keep aside.

Wash the parsley thoroughly. Air dry it. Separate the leaves from the stems and keep aside. Using a sharp knife, chop the leaves as finely as you can. Do not use the food processor for this step ( I used it for part of the leaves and was not happy with the result! I was being lazy!:()

Take the chopped parsley in a bowl. To it, add the chopped tomatoes, onion and cucumbers. Mix well.

You can either mix in the shredded cauliflower and then mix in the dressing or you could arrange the parsley mixture as the base, place the shredded cauliflower in the center and drizzle the dressing on top. I prefer the former as the flavors of the dressing and the parsley blend nicely into the cauliflower transforming it into one flavorful dish!

It tastes even better the next day!

Enjoy!

I am bringing this to some of my favorite blog parties: Throwback Thursday, Angie's Fiesta Friday # 102   and Saucy Saturdays! Two of my favorite blogger friends are co-hosting the Fiesta: Elaine @ foodbod and Julie @ Hostess at Heart!

Cooking made easy:

One of the best way to clean herbs is to soak them in water that has a few drops of vinegar in it. Remove the leaves and spread it on paper towels or dish cloth and leave it there for sometime.

Tip for healthy living:

Parsley is a potent herb that has several health benefits. It is rich in several vitamins like Vitamin C, B12, K & A. It is supposed to support the immune system. It is even purported to have anti-cancer properties. In the middle eastern countries it is believed to be an aphrodisiac.

Food for thought:

Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great. John D. Rockefeller

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Buckwheat-mushroom Rice Ramen ; Lotus Foods; Meatless Monday

I am a proud Meatless Monday blogger and an avid supporter of the Meatless Monday movement. I believe in eating healthy and this can be mainly achieved through a predominantly vegetarian diet. I also avoid gluten. So, when people from the Meatless Monday campaign reached out to me to try these new Gluten-free organic rice products from Lotus Foods, I willingly agreed. 

Soon, I received a package from Lotus food that contained these three items and some literature regarding them:

1. Buckwheat Mushroom Rice Ramen
2. Jasmine organic brown Mekong flower Rice
3. Heirloom Forbidden Rice

I saved the instant rice for a rainy day when I will need cooked rice in a real hurry. I decided to make the noodles and the organic brown rice this weekend.

I have been eating rice noodles instead of wheat noodles for a while now. However, I haven't found the right one that would cook without turning into mush on me yet. I always have to be extra vigilant and make sure that I don't soak them for too long in the hot water. I have tried buckwheat noodles and didn't really care for the taste. These buckwheat-mushroom noodles were just perfect! I followed the instructions on the packet ( just like you would do when you make Ramen noodles) and made them. I didn't want it soup style, so I drained the water once the noodles were cooked. I like lots of vegetables in my meals, so I sautéed some vegetables and onions separately and mixed them with the drained noodles. I have added one chopped green chilli with the vegetables and used only the seasoning provided with the noodles. It was light, flavorful and delicious. I got two meals from one packet. The noodles remained al-dente. One could barely say that these are buckwheat-rice noodles! I would definitely make it again. This would be perfect for weeknight dinners when you don't want to slave in front of the stove. The whole dish was ready in 15 minutes.

Disclaimer: I am not being paid to do this review.

Buckwheat-Mushroom Rice Ramen with Vegetables

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

Buckwheat-mushroom rice ramen ( from Lotus Foods) : 1 packet
Water: 2 cups
Onion: 1, small, sliced thin
Shredded carrot: 1/2cup
Shredded broccoli stems: 1/2 cup
Cauliflower florets: 1/4 cup
Green chilli: 1, chopped fine
Tender Green peas: 2 tbsp
Olive oil: 1 tsp
Salt: a pinch

Method:

In a frying pan, heat 1 tsp oil. Add chopped onions and sauté until it starts to sweat. Now add the green chilli bits, green peas and cauliflower florets. Cook it on low for 2 mins. Add in the shredded broccoli stem and shredded cabbage and sauté for a couple of mins. Add salt and mix.Do not add too much as the seasoning will have salt in it.

In a saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add the noodles in, simmer and cook for 4 minutes.

Drain the noodles and add it to a different bowl. Sprinkle the seasoning on the noodles and mix well.

Put the cooked vegetables on top of the noodles and serve it or mix it with the noodles and serve it.

Serve hot.

Enjoy.

I am bringing this to Throwback Thursday, Angie's Fiesta Friday & Saucy Saturdays. Loretta @ Safari of the Mind and Petra @ Food Eat Love are co-hosting the Fiesta.

Cooking made easy:

For the noodles, I made use of the vegetables that I had in my refrigerator. Pretty much any combination of vegetables can be used for these dishes. You can add more or less veggies as you wish. There is no hard or fast rule.

Tip for healthy living:

Any carbohydrate rich dish can be made healthier by the addition of vegetables.

Food for thought:

Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. Phillips brooks.