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KHANDVI



    I love making old classics from scratch, but sometimes they don’t go as planned. I tried my hand at Khandvi a while ago, which is a typical Gujarati rolled snack made with gram flour, yoghurt and green chilli paste. It’s so addictive as the rolls melt in your mouth so beautifully, coating your palate with its unique earthy and fresh flavours. The first time I tried making Khandvi resulted in a structural disaster, which I later found out was because the consistency was too thin while cooking it. It made the batter too loose and sticky, and didn’t dry up enough to form beautiful rolls.


    Though I gave up on it then, I was curious to make it again, and boy was it such a success! Not only did the rolls take shape just as expected, the shape also enriched the eating process as it held the freshly grated coconut filling I added in its layers.


    The flavour profile of Khandvi is tough to describe if you’re not familiar with Gujarati cuisine, but seriously you should definitely take up the challenge and make it for yourself.

    Let me know how it goes - whether you master the shape, the flavour or both - tag me in your pictures!💛


    PREP TIME: 10 minutes

    COOKING TIME: 20 minutes

    PASSIVE TIME: 15 minutes MAKES: 40-50 rolls




    INGREDIENTS


    For batter:

    • 1 cup besan/gram flour

    • 1 cup yogurt, room temperature

    • 2 cups water

    • 3/4 tsp salt or to taste

    • 1 tsp turmeric powder

    • 1 tsp green chilli paste

    • 1 tsp ginger paste


    For garnishing :

    • 1 sprig curry leaves

    • 1 tbsp oil

    • 4-5 green chillies, split in half lengthwise

    • 1 tsp mustard seed

    • 1 tsp sesame seeds

    • Pinch of asafoetida

    • 2 tbsp coconut, freshly grated

    • 1 tbsp coriander, chopped


    METHOD


    1. In a small grinder, add ginger and green chillies along with 1 tbsp of water and blend into a paste.

    2. In a bowl, sift besan, add yogurt and little water. Mix together with a whisk to make the paste. Now add salt, turmeric, green chilli and ginger paste. Gradually adding water, whisk to make a lump-free smooth batter.

    3. Transfer the batter in a non-stick pan, cook on low heat stirring constantly until it is thick enough to a spreading consistency. It should not be too thick or too loose. Check cook's notes.

    4. Immediately on clean kitchen bench top, spread the batter very thinly with the offset spatula or knife. Let it cool completely, about 10-15 minutes.

    5. Sprinkle, freshly grated coconut and coriander.

    6. Remove the uneven edges by running a knife around the cooled spread batter. Cut it into strips about 6 x 3 inch long. Roll up the strips by gently lifting from one end. Repeat with other strips and arrange the khandvi rolls on a platter.

    7. Heat oil in pan, add mustard seeds, let them splat. Add curry leaves, asafoetida, green chillis and sesame seeds..toss it for few seconds, pour over the khandvi. Serve with mint and coriander green chutney.

    COOK'S NOTES

    • Its really important to make the perfect consistency of the batter. It should not be too thick or too loose. To check the right consistency, when you drop the batter with spoon it should drop in gradual intervals. If it drops quickly then your batter is too thin. If it stays on spoon, it is too thick.

    • It can be prepared ahead of time and can be served later with fresh garnishing.


    QUINOA AND AMARANTH STUFFED BELL PEPPERS


      Sometimes it’s tough to brainstorm new recipes that are tasty, but also provide all the great nutrients you want to nourish your family with. I made these Quinoa and Amaranth Stuffed Peppers for lunch yesterday, and maybe this is the answer you’ve been looking for! Its quite a regular dish in our home as its a family favorite and of course low in carbs and full of nutrition. It’s been flavoured with wonderful herbs like mint, parsley and coriander, alongside some pistachios for a nutty crunch and raisins for slight sweetness. The peppers, when baked in the oven, take on a lovely sweetness which bind the whole dish together!


      It’s topped with a dash Parmesan, but you can replace it with vegan cheese or omit the cheese entirely to make it vegan. This dish is an absolute wonder as its not only a vegan dish packed with nutrition but its gluten-free and Keto friendly too!


      I bet you know all about how fantastic quinoa is, and amaranth is equally packed with qualities. It’s a wonderful superfood, and amongst other seeds and grains, it has one of the highest protein quantities, is great for those who have arthritis, is rich in essential oils that are especially good for controlling cholesterol, and many other vitamins and minerals.


      All of the ingredients in this dish are super healthy and nutritious, but what’s really wonderful is that they’re all encapsulated inside easy-to-serve individual portions of the pepper halves. You can either serve it as a main or as a side.


      And those hands you see serving the dish - that’s my son, very sweetly he accepted to become a hand model for me 😄 Or maybe he was very eager and was trying to snatch one of the peppers?? Hmm... we’ll never know!


      Please do write the feedback and post comments in the comments section below the recipe. It means the whole world to me to know someone out there is trying out my recipes. You can tag me on my Instagram page: instagram.com/simranskitchenoman/

      PREP TIME: 30 minutes COOKING TIME: 20 minutes

      BAKE TIME: 1 hour SERVES: 5-6




      INGREDIENTS


      • 8-10 small to medium size bell peppers/ capsicum (red and yellow mixed)

      • 3/4 cup quinoa

      • 1/2 cup amaranth

      • 1 medium red onion, chopped

      • 2 fat cloves garlic, chopped

      • 1 inch piece ginger, chopped

      • 1-2 green chillies, chopped

      • 1 large tomato, chopped

      • 1/4 cup virgin olive oil

      • 2 tbsp golden raisins

      • 1/4 cup pistachios, roasted and chopped

      • 2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

      • 2 tbsp mint, chopped

      • 2 tbsp parsley, chopped

      • 1 tsp salt

      • 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground


      For Topping:

      • 20g parmesan cheese, finely grated

      • 2 tbsp parsley, chopped

      • 2 tbsp virgin olive oil

      METHOD


      1. Preheat the oven at 240°-250°C.

      2. Cut the bell peppers in half, keeping the stalk intact. Remove seeds and core.

      3. In a large baking dish, drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil and coat the base well. Place the bell peppers in it facing the cut side up. Cover with the aluminium foil and bake it in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

      4. Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing. In a medium saucepan, cook quinoa adding one and a half cups of water. Once it come to boiling point reduce the heat. Cook on low heat until fluffy and soft, about 12-15 minutes.

      5. In another small saucepan, cook amaranth seeds adding 1 1/4 cup of water. Once it starts boiling reduce the heat and cook on low flame until soft, about 15-20 minutes.

      6. In a wok, warm remaining olive oil, add onions, ginger, garlic and green chilli. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until onions are translucent, add chopped tomatoes and salt, sauté until they collapse, about 3 minutes.

      7. Add cooked quinoa and amaranth, stir to mix. Add pepper, stir and taste seasoning, add if need more. Remove from heat, add chopped pistachios, raisins, coriander, mint and parsley.

      8. Now remove aluminium foil from the empty baked bell peppers, drain out the water accumulated from each pepper. Using a table spoon, fill the bell peppers with the stuffing.

      9. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and parsley on top of each pepper, drizzle with olive oil and bake further for 25-30 minutes at 240°C, until lightly charred and wilted, and soft to touch.

      10. Serve as a main or as a side along with other grilled proteins.

      COOK'S NOTES


      • I used superfoods like quinoa and amaranth for the stuffing but you can always make these stuffed with cooked rice. Use the same method, just replace the quinoa and amaranth with cooked rice.

      • It can also be stuffed with meat stuffing to make it a non-vegetarian version.

      • I used smaller or medium sized bell peppers to cook faster and enjoy the thinner charred skin than the larger peppers. But you can use any peppers even the longer sweet pointed red peppers goes so well in this dish.

      • Pistachios can also be replaced with any nut of your choice, sometimes i make this with pine nuts, which are my favourite.


      MINT AND LIME WATERMELON GRANITA


        It’s summer, and anyone who’s lived in Oman or the Middle East knows how hot and draining it can get. It’s especially important to keep hydrated and cool, so I thought of making this easy and delicious recipe that can be enjoyed and will surely beat the heat. Granita is an Italian semi-frozen dessert that is agitated and scraped as it freezes. The ice crystals that result afterwards are deceptively flavourful, and in this case with the fresh and summery ingredients, they quench your thirst too.


        I absolutely love granitas, they remind me of the Indian “baraf gola” (ice ball) which were the favourite of any kid who needed a refreshing boost from playing in parks and playgrounds all through the hot day!


        I remember waiting eagerly as the vendor would prepare baraf golas in front of us, scraping a giant ice block, shaping it onto a stick and drizzling the delicious flavoured syrup on top... I’m just salivating remembering some of my favourite flavours: Kala khatta, lemon lime, and orange!



        Decided to renew the lemon lime flavour by pairing lime with the delicious and refreshing mint, as well as watermelon.


        The best part is that it can be kept in the freezer and spiked to make into an icy cocktail for those days where you really need to unwind and get an energy boost!


        Seriously the flavour combination is such a winner, and the dessert is so beautifully simple, adored by kids and grown ups! Definitely try it out. Please do write the feedback and post comments in the comments section below the recipe. It means the whole world to me to know someone out there is trying out my recipes. You can tag me on my Instagram page: instagram.com/simranskitchenoman/

        PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOKING TIME: 5 minutes

        FREEZE TIME: 10-12 hours SERVES: 4




        INGREDIENTS


        • 700g watermelon chunks, skinned and deseeded

        • 1 cup water

        • 1 cup sugar

        • 4-5 mint sprigs

        • 2 tbsp lime juice



        METHOD


        1. Make sugar syrup by boiling the water sugar and mint in a saucepan for 5 minutes. Once sugar is dissolved remove from fire and leave to cool. Discard the mint sprigs.

        2. Place watermelon chunks, cooled sugar syrup and lemon juice in a blender. Blend in to a smooth juice. Strain it through a fine sieve.

        3. Transfer to a loaf tin and freeze for 2-3 hours. Once little set, scrape down with the fork. Keep scrapping with fork after every two hours for 3-4 times.

        4. Serve them in glasses or ice-cream cups garnished with mint or use it to make mojitos or cooler drinks or serve as a slushy.

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