Bhel Puri (Low Calorie Snack)

Ingredients required

• 1 tea cup puffed rice.
• 1/2 cup roasted grams (Chana).
• 2 teaspoons besan ki sevai.
• 1 teaspoon Green chutney
• 2 teaspoons Sweet chutney
• 7 teaspoons finely cut mixed fruits (any fruits of your choice) 

Directions to prepare Bhel Puri 

• To make Green chutney: 
• Refer the article on http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/green-coriander-and-mint-chutney.html
• To make Sweet chutney:  
• Refer the article on http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/sweet-tamarind-chutney.html
• To make Bhel Puri:
• Take all ingredients in a big bowl mix well . Bhel Puri is ready. :)
• Since Bhel Puri  has very little amount of sevai and no ground nut so it has less calories, also fruits and green chutney not only make it tastier but nutritious .
• Tip(s)
• For those who are not calorie conscious, roasted ground nuts and crushed crispy wheat flour puffs can be added to enhance the taste and to make it crunchy.

Badeel (Low calorie Snack/Appetizer)

Badeel

My daughter's would be in laws were to visit our house for the first time so I wanted to make something Authentic Kumauni. And what did I make in snacks?? oh yes Badeel!!! They were an instant hit with all of them specially my daughter's would be Mom in law as she is fitness and weight conscious, hence calorie conscious. Now 5 yrs. after my daughter's marriage, she makes it when ever her in laws are at her house, and it is totally relished.
Ingredients required

• 250gm. Chana dal washed and soaked for 3-4 hrs.
• Salt to taste
• Chilly powder to taste.
• Cooking oil 100 ml (for frying)
• 2-3 Green chilies finely cut.
• 1/2 tea spoon Turmeric powder
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds(1/2Teaspoon for seasoning , 1/2 Teaspoon for garnishing)
• 1 Tea spoon Mustard seeds ( 1/2 Teaspoon for seasoning, 1/2 Teaspoon for garnishing)

Directions to prepare Badeel

• Grind the soaked dal to smooth paste .

Dal paste

• Take oil in a kadhai and heat.
• When the oil is hot add , mustard seeds, cumin seeds,green chilies into it.

Green chillies, cumin mustard seed in hot oil

• When the seeds start spluttering and the green chilies turn slightly darker, or slight change in their color is observed, add the following and mix thoroughly:
• Dal paste
• Turmeric powder
• Salt
• Chilli powder



Dal paste with salt, turmeric powder, and seasoning 

• If the mixture sticks to the kadai then sprinkle some water occasionally.

•  When the mixture changes the color and starts leaving the sides of kadhai then sprinkle 1/2 cup of water to it.

• Cover and cook on low flame for 5 min.

Cooked mixture ready to be taken on a plate 

• Grease a plate, take the mixture in it and flatten the mixture nicely by patting .

Cooked dal mixture on a plate ready to be patted flat

Cooked dal mixture flattened on a plate

• When the mixture is cooled cut it to required size pieces.

•  Shallow fry them will little amount of oil place on a serving dish.

• Heat 1 teaspoon of oil, add the following and let them splutter (tadka) : 
• Mustard seeds
• 2-3 red dry chilies 
• Spread the hot oil with spluttered mustard seeds and chilly pieces on to the pieces in the plate.

Badeel

• As they have no starch, or fatty substance, they are low in calories and high in protein.

Enjoy Badeel as hot snacks  with Dhaniya/ Pudina ( mint leaves) chutney/raw amngo chutney or red Chili sauce 

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/green-coriander-and-mint-chutney.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/hariyali-chutney-raw-mango-chutney.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.in/2011/09/red-and-green-chilly-sauce.html

Tips:

• Do not add too much water while grinding.Lentil

• Take non-stick wok to reduce the amount of oil. 

Suggested Variation:  

•  The flavor can be changed by adding fresh coriander/ methi/ mint/ powder of dry methi leaves/finely cut onions to the dal paste. 

• Chana dal can be replaced by lentil , Tur dal ( Arahar dal ) or moong dal .

Sukha Mutton (Mutton without gravy)

Sukha Mutton

 Dry mutton is a wonderful dish of mutton cooked in minimum oil. It used to be my specialty and when ever my friends in hostel wanted to have mutton I used to be busy in hostel kitchen of course annoying the cook as he used to find it really annoying to see me messing around in the kitchen . But he also used to agree that I make delicious dry mutton. We girls used to bribe him with one large portion of dry mutton for allowing me to work in the kitchen. What a wonderful time we had then!

Preparation Time: 30 min. (Marination time not included)
Cooking Time: 60 min
Servings: 5 large servings 

Ingredients required

• 1Kg Mutton 

Mutton washed and drained

• 1/2Kg Onion, finely cut.

Finely cut Onion

• 1 teaspoon garlic - ginger paste.

Ginger-Garlic paste

• 2-3 Bay leaves

• 2-3 cloves

• 3-4 corns of black pepper

• 1 black cardamom

Spices for Sukha Mutton

• 2 green cardamom

• 1/2 inches of cinnamon stick.

• 3-4 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder

• 2 Teaspoon Garam Masala

• Salt to taste

• 1ml. Ghee / Olive oil / any cooking oil if being cooked in non-stick wok, 20-25 ml. if cooked in normal wok.

• 2 Teaspoon Ghee (Clarified butter)

Ghee (Clarified butter)

Ingredients Required For marinade :

• 1/2 tea spoon turmeric powder

• 1 table spoon paste of raw papaya

• 3-4Teaspoon Thick Curd or 1/2 table spoon lemon juice

• 2 Tea spoon Red chilly powder

• 1/4 coffee spoon nut meg powder  

Spices and curd for marinade

Direction For Marination Of Mutton:

• Mix 

• Papaya paste

• Red chili powder

• Curd / lemon juice

• Nutmeg powder

All ingredients of marinade in a bowl

• Beat nicely to creamy consistency. 

Marinade for Mutton

• Mix this marinade with mutton nicely.

• Keep covered for 3-4 hrs.  

Marinated Mutton

Direction For Making Sukha Mutton:

• Take 1ml ghee / cooking oil in a kadhai and heat.

• When hot add all following ingredients:

• 2-3 Bay leaves
• 2-3 cloves
• 3-4 corns of black pepper
• 1 black cardamom
• 2 green cardamom
• 1/2 inches of cinnamon stick.

Spices being cooked in 1 teaspoon of ghee in non-stick pan

• Cook the above for 1/2 min.

• Then add onions and cook till light brown on color. It takes atleast 15 min.

Onions added to the spices and ghee

Onion cooked to brown color

• Add ginger garlic paste and cook for a min.

• Add mutton to the kadhai and mix nicely.

Marinated mutton added to the onion and spices mixture

•  Bring the flame to high and cook for 2 min.

• Add salt to taste, red chili powder bring the flame to low and cook with regular turning and stirring for 10 min.

Mutton and spices mixed and being cooked on low flame

After 10 min. of cooking on low flame

After 20 min. of cooking on low flame

•  Cover and cook on low flame till tender. Keep stirring regularly. 

Covered and being cooked on low flame

• If water is required sprinkling little amount at a time.

• Keep stirring every now and then so that the spices are evenly mixed and mutton is also evenly cooked.
• It will take approximately 45.min. minimum for the mutton to cook once added to kadhai.

• Add  garam masala  and 2 teaspoon ghee.

• Mix nicely and cook for a min.

• Take out in a serving bowl.

Sukka Mutton

• Decorate it with thick cream (optional), herbs /cherry tomatoes or simply rings of onion.

Tips: 

• For healthy cooking olive oil is best, but this dish tastes best when cooked in Ghee.

• Mutton should be washed thoroughly.

• Most of the cooking should be done on low flame to ensure spices and mutton mixing properly.

• Regular stirring and turning of mutton is must for even cooking of mutton.

• Non-stick container should be taken for cooking otherwise ghee / oil requirement becomes more.

Suggested Variation:

• If you want to cook it faster you can cook after 10 min. of cooking in pressure cooker.

• If cooking is done in pressure cooker then after pressure comes cook on low flame for 10-105min depending. let it cool by it self.

• Once the cooker is cooled open and keep it on high flame on gas, with continuous stirring till all water evaporates.

• Jeera (Cumin)powder can be added along with garam masala.

• Raw papaya can be avoided if not available. Raw papaya makes cook mutton faster.

• 1/4Teaspoon Black pepper powder can be added along with garam masala.

• 1/2Teaspoon amchur powder (Dry mango powder) can be added to mutton along with garam masala.

Patode/ Arbi ke Patte ki Vadi/ पतोड़े (Taro Leaf Spirals)

Patode with Red Chili Sauce

Patode are savories made from arbi ka patta and besan. Some prefer it deep fried but while deep frying the nutrients are lost and lots of fat and calories are added to it, so I prefer it shallow fried in minimum amount of oil. In Maharashtra it is known as Aloo chi Vadi.

Since it has green leaves thus it is rich in Iron and besan makes it rich in protein, so why spoil it by deep frying when better taste and nutrition can be gained by shallow frying.

Patode are very good starters / appetizers. They can also be used as side dish to main course.  Why I love making it? Because my family loves it and it is nutritious with no fat, very less calories. Should there be more reason for me to want to make Patode the moment I spot fresh green leaves of arbi ?

Preparation Time:10min.

Cooking Time: 40 min. 

Servings: 20-25 pieces.

 

Ingredients required

• 6 Fresh leaves of Arbi (Taro leaves)

Arbi ke Patte (Taro Leaves)

• 100gm. Besan ( horse gram powder)

Besan

• 1 Red Chili Powder

Red Chili Powder

• 1/2 tea spoon Turmeric powder
• 1 tea spoon Salt ( or to taste)
• 1 tea spoon Amchoor powder ( dried mango powder) 
• 1/2 tea spoon Garam masala powder 
• 1 tea spoon Olive oil or any cooking oil of your choice
• Water to make paste of  Besan and boil patode.

Directions to prepare Patode

• Wash and towel dry the Arbi leaves.
• Cut the stalk from the leaves. Keep the leavers with out stalks in a dry plate and stalks to be discarded.

Washed dried Arbi leaves with stalks removed

Stalks of Arbi leaves to be discarded

• Take besan in a bowl and add turmeric powder, salt, chili powder, garam masala and 2 tea spoon oil to it.

Spices and oil added to the besan

•  Add water slowly with continuous mixing till a smooth uniform paste is formed.

Paste of Besan and spices

• The paste should neither be too thick nor too thin . It should be of spreadable consistency.
• Take one leaf and keep the lower side of leaf facing up on a plate.

The side on which besan paste is to be applied

•  Put 3 tea spoon of paste on the leaf.

Paste on the lower side of the leaf

•  Spread the paste evenly on the leaf.

Besan paste spread on the lower side of the Arbi leaf

• Keep another Arbi leaf with the lower side of leaf facing up so that the besan paste is sandwiched between them.

Second leaf put on the leaf with besan 

• Apply 2 -3 tea spoons of besan paste on the second leaf.
• Start folding from upper pointed end of the leaf till you reach the base so that a roll of Arbi leaf with besan paste is formed.

Roll of Arbi leaf with Besan

• Fold the open ends carefully and closer with tooth picks.

Sides closed by tooth picks

• Repeat the same procedure with rest of the leaves and besan paste.
• Boil water in a broad mouthed container and cover it sieve.
• Place the rolls on the sieve and allow them to be steam cooked for 10 min all the time the gas should be on high flame. till they change the color and become hard.( the besan paste should become solid when cooked).

Patode rolls being steamed

• Turn over the rolls and steam them for another 10 min. ( the gas should be always on high flame)

Rolls being steamed after turning over

• Poke the steamed rolls with a tooth pick if it comes out clean it means rolls are cooked.

Checking with tooth pick

• The rolls will become firm after getting steamed cooked. 

Steamed cooked rolls

• Cool the rolls and cut them to 1/2 inches thickness.

Steamed cooked rolls cut to pieces

• Take a thick bottom flat plate (Tawa) / Pan and put 1/2tea spoon olive oil on it and heat on high flame. 

Tawa with olive oil being heated

• When the tawa is hot place the cut pieces of rolls on it and cook on medium flame till golden brown on one side.(approximately 10 min.)

Pieces of rolls being shallow fried on a nonstick tawa with minimum oil

• Turn them over and sprinkle 1 ml. oil and cook on medium flame till golden brown on the other side also.

Patode cooked to golden color on both sides

• Serve and eat hot Patode with Coriander-mint chutney / Red or green chili sauce / Hariyali chutney.

Patode with Red chili sauce

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.in/2011/09/red-and-green-chilly-sauce.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/green-coriander-and-mint-chutney.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/green-chilly-sauce.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/hariyali-chutney-raw-mango-chutney.html

Tips:

• Towel dry the leaves nicely.

•  Add water slowly to avoid the besan and spices paste from becoming thin.

• Use always non-stick pan this will reduce the use of oil.

• Olive oil is healthy medium to cook so use it

 Suggested Variations 

• The number of leaves can be increase the number of leaves can be increased depending upon the thickness of roll you prefer.
• Finely cut coriander leaves and green chilies can be added to the besan paste. This will change the flavor as well as increase the nutrition value of Patode because green chilies are rich in calcium and Vitamin C, and coriander leaves in Iron.