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Friday, August 24, 2012

Rice Khatta Dhokla with Green Chutney

Dhoklas are traditional Gujarati food. There are many variations of dhokla: it can be made with besan / kadalai maavu / garbanzo flour, lentils, peas etc. Khatta dhoklas are made with ground rice and urud dal. Khatta means sour in Gujarati language, we have to add khata dahi / yogurt / curd, which gives it a slight sour taste.  
katta dhokla
Rice Khatta Dhokla
* Green chutney recipe is at the bottom of this post.
* To make this dhokla with (instant) rice dhokla flour follow this recipe: Khatta dokla made with rice dhokla flour

Ingredients: 
3/4  cup               rice
1/4  cup               urud dal / black gram /  ulunthu
1"                        ginger   
2                         green chillies
1 tsp                    oil / ghee 
1/2  cup               yogurt / curd / dahi
1  pinch               aesofoetida
1/2  tsp                coarsely ground black pepper / red chilli flakes
1/2  cup               warm water
1/4  tsp                fruit salt / uno salt
salt to taste
To temper:
1/2  tsp               mustard seed  
1/2  tsp               urud dal
3                        dry red chilli
1  tbs                  oil
few                     curry leaves

khatta dhokla
dhokla with chutney
Method:
1. Soak the rice and the dal separately for 2-4 hrs. Grind / blend it coarsely with some water.
2. Add the warm water, salt and yogurt to the batter and leave it overnight / 6-8 hrs to ferment.
3. Grind the chilli and ginger into a paste, mix it to the fermented batter along with aesofoetida. Check for salt.
4.  Add uno salt to the dhokla batter and add a few drops of water over it (it will bubble).
4. Grease a round metal pan / thali with ghee or oil, pour the batter into it.
5. Sprinkle the black pepper or the green chilli flakes over it. Keep the pan in an iddly or dhokla cooker and steam it for 10-15 mins or till the middle part of the dhokla gets firm. Take the dhokla out of the pan.
6. Heat oil in a tadka pan, add the mustard seeds and urud dal. When the mustard splutters add the red chillies and curry leaves and fry till it gets crispy.
7. Pour the seasoning over the dhokla and cut it diagonally. Enjoy eating it with green chutney. 


Chutney
Chutney:
2 tsp           oil
3                red chilli
1 clove       garlic
1 cup         shredded coconut 
2 handful   mint/ coriander leaves
 1. Heat  oil in a pan and add 3 dried red chillies and 1 clove of garlic and fry till it gets crispy.
2. Add 1 cup if shredded coconut and fry for few minutes, now add  2 handful of mint or coriander leaves and fry till the leaves starts to wilt. 
3. Add salt and 1 tsp of lemon juice, grind it in a blender and serve with the dhokla.
Tips for taste:
1. We can fry the dhokla pieces in the seasoning for a crispy snack.
2. Use a pan with a lid to steam dhoklas instead of cookers.
dhokla
dhokla batter
khatta dhokla
add uno salt and water on it...
   2. Use a pan with a lid to steam dhoklas instead of cookers.
KHATTA DHOKLA
steam dhoklas in a covered pan
khatta dhokla
dhokla 
                                  ENJOY:)     
                                              
                                      





Wednesday, August 22, 2012

How to extract coconut milk and coconut cream

We can buy coconut milk in cans from the grocery stores. I use it occasionally in my indian cooking. Most of the time i use the fresh home made coconut milk. Many south Indian gravies have coconut milk as its base ingredient. 

thick coconut milk extract...
To make thick coconut milk:
1 cup - fresh, frozen or dry shredded coconut

1. If it's frozen, thaw it first. For dry shredded coconut soak it in 1/2 cup warm water for at least 10 mins before grinding.

2. Add 2 tbs of warm water to the coconut, grind it in a blender or mixer, squeeze the milk through a strainer or cheese cloth.

To make thin milk:  

Add 1/2 cup of warm water to the squeezed coconut pulp and grind it again and strain it. This milk will look diluted. 

To make coconut cream:
1. Keep the thick milk in the refrigerator. 
2. The liquid will get separated  
with a thick cream on top and thin liquid in the bottom.
3. Scoop out the cream and use the liquid as thin milk in a recipe or blend them together and use the thick milk in a recipe which calls for coconut milk.
  
coconut pulp....
coconut milk
thin coconut milk extract....