Spinach Dhokla

Inspired from Tarla Dalal
Ingredients:
Besan Flour(Bengal gram flour) - 1 cup
Semolina (Rava) - 1 1/2 tbspns
Sugar - 3 1/2 tsps + 1/4 tsp

Ginger - 1 tsp, chopped finely or Ginger Powder - 1/2 tsp

Lemon Juice - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Spinach - 2 cups

Water - 2 cups + 1/4 cup

Curd/Yogurt - 1/4 cup
Eno Fruit Salt - 1 1/2 tsp
Oil for greasing - 1/4 tsp

For Tempering;

Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Sesame Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Green Chilies - 2, chopped finely (optional)

A pinch of Asafoetida (hing)

Curry Leaves - 2 to 3

For Garnishing

Cilantro/Coriander - 2 tbspns, chopped

Method:
Boil 2 cups of water and add the spinach. Now add 1/4 tsp of sugar to the water. Let it cook for 2 minutes. Now strain the spinach. Puree it in the mixer with little water (use the cooked water for pureeing). It yields approximately 1 cup puree.

Combine all the ingredients together, except the fruit salt in a bowl and mix well to make a batter.

The batter should be of dropping consistency, neither too thin nor too thick. Just before steaming, add the fruit salt. When the bubbles form, mix gently. Keep the steamer ready.

Pour the batter immediately into a greased plate. Steam for 12 to 15 minutes or till the dhoklas are cooked. Keep aside.

Heat the oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds. When the seeds crackle, add the sesame seeds, green chilies and asafoetida, mix well and sauté on a medium flame for a second, while stirring continuously.

Remove from the flame and pour the tempering over the dhoklas. Cool slightly and cut into equal pieces. Serve it with green chili chutney garnished with coriander.

Coconut Walnut Chutney

Inspired from here
Ingredients:
Walnuts - 1/2 cup
Fresh/Frozen Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup

Green Chili - 2
Dry Red Chili - 2
Curry Leaf - 1 Stalk
Red Lentil/Masoor Dhal - 2 tbspns
Garlic - 1 Large or 2 Small Cloves, roughly chopped (optional)
Tamarind - 1 Marble Size
Oil - 1 tbspn
Salt as needed

For Seasoning:

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tbspn
Curry Leaf - a few
Asafoetida/Hing - a pinch
Oil - 1 tsp

Method:

Keep all the ingredients ready. In a tbspn of oil, lightly brown the red lentils. A minute later add the roughly chopped garlic cloves, both the chilies and a stalk of curry leaf. Add the walnuts and saute them for a minute. Switch off the stove and add the coconut and tamarind. Mix and let it cool. Add salt and grind them to a smooth paste. Season the chutney with the above seasoning ingredients in a tsp of oil. Pour over the chutney. Enjoy with Idli or Dosa.

Papaya Halwa

Inspired from here

Ingredients:

Ripe Papaya - 3 cups, chopped into cubes

Sugar - 1 1/2 cups (adjust according to your taste)

Milk - 1 cup

Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp

Cashew Nuts - 2 tbspns

Raisins - 1 tbpsn

Ghee - 2 tbspns

Method:

In a pan add the milk and let it boils. In a separate fry the cashews and raisins in a tbspn of ghee and keep it aside.

Mix the papaya cubes and sugar in a non stick pan and cook well (approximately 15 minutes). Now mash the papaya sugar mixture well with the back of the ladle. Keep stirring the mixture and add more sugar if needed. Now add the boiled milk in the papaya sugar mixture and keep stirring for about 25-35 minutes until it forms a sticky halwa consistency and starts to leave the sides of the pan. The milk and water content completely evaporates and looks glossy.

At this stage add a tbspn of ghee and mix well and add the cardamom powder. Add the fried cashews and raisins to the halwa.  Switch off the stove. Grease a plate and transfer the halwa to the plate.

Strawberry Lemonade

Serves 2

Inspired from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

Strawberries - 1 cup, chopped 

Superfine Sugar - 4 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons superfine sugar

Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice - 1/2 cup

Ice Cubes - 8

Seltzer water

Method:

Sprinkle 2 tsps of sugar over the chopped strawberries and let them rest for 1 hr. Puree strawberries in a blender. It yields approximately 6 tbspns puree. Combine the puree, sugar and lemon juice and mix it well until the sugar dissolves. Set out two glasses, and spoon half of the juice into each glass and add ice.. Top off the glasses with seltzer water. Add more sugar if desired.

Sending this Recipe to Archana's Summer Fiesta Food Event

Spinach and Corn Pulao/Spinach Rice

Serves 2

Inspired from here
Ingredients:
Basmati rice - 1 cup
Spinach-2 cups, chopped finely
Corn - 1/2 cup, frozen
Onions - 1 cup, chopped finely
Bay leaves - 2

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbspn

Green chilies - 2, slit lengthwise

Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp

Red chili powder* - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Peas - 1/4 cup(optional)

Oil - 1 tbspn

Ghee - 1 tbspn

Water - 1 1/2 cups

*Adjust according to spice level

Method:
Soak basmati rice in water for 20 minutes and drain it. Heat ghee in a pan and fry it for 3-4 minutes and keep it aside. 

Heat oil in a pan and add the bay leaves and cumin seeds. Then add the green chilies followed by the onions. Fry till the onions turn translucent and add the ginger garlic paste. Fry it for 2 more minutes and add the chopped spinach and saute until the spinach wilts. Then add the turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder and salt. Now add the frozen corn and peas.

Saute till the veggies becomes soft and finally add the garam masala and fry for 2 more minutes. Add this mixture to the rice and add 1 1/2 cups of water and keep it in a rice cooker.

Serve hot with raita or chips.

Peanut Butter,Oats and Banana Milk Shake

Serves 1

Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk, any kind you like
1 tbspn peanut butter (you can use crunchy if you like)
1 tbspn ground golden flaxseed or rolled oats
2 tsps honey 
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch salt
1 large banana, peeled, chopped into 6 pieces, and frozen

Method:

Add all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth.

Pour the smoothie into a glass and serve immediately, while it is super thick and creamy.

Sending this Recipe to Archana's Summer Fiesta Food Event