Madra - Chickpeas in Yogurt Gravy

Himachal Pradesh, one of the north state of Indian subcontinent is such a beautiful state which offers a wide range of lip smacking as well as savory food items. The cuisine of Himachal Pradesh has a significant influence of the Punjabi and Tibetan style of food. The people of Himachal Pradesh prefer very spicy food items. However in their daily and regular routine most of the citizens have north Indian dishes that are easy to make and very tasty to eat.

The meals are mainly rich in lentils, rice, meat and green leafy vegetables. Nevertheless these are yummy treats, full of flavored, textured and cultured goodness. Himachali cuisine has a unique aroma and flavor due to the usage of a lot of ghee, yogurt, cardamom and of course, slow flame cooking style. Well, this is Monday again ! The theme for 129th Foodie Monday Blog Hop is decided as 'Himachal Pradesh Cuisine'. So among all the delectable Himachali cuisine, I have contributed madra of Chamba district for the theme.

A most popular Himachali dish, madra comes from the high altitudes of the Chamba district. Basically chickpeas (kabuli chana) or kidney beans (rajma) are cooked slowly in a gravy of yogurt (hung curd). So madra is also known to be a kadhi like dish. It is one of the most widely-renowned dishes in the hills. The curry is full of pahadi flavors, mustard oil, onions, garlic and ginger. But I have prepared this madra without using any onion or garlic and mustard oil. Also another chickpea curry already I have posted in my blog using capsicum as  Chole Capsicum Masala which is cashew based curry.

The yogurt play the key role in this dish, particularly always have to keep eye on not to cuddle the curd after adding to the dish. Some rice flour is also used in this dish to make the gravy a bit thick. This dish, madra is a perfect side dish for plain roti, paratha, poori or simple steamed rice as well. Madra is a must prepared dish in Himachal Pradesh’s traditional function named as dham. So lets go in details method of preparation of this most delectable madra, a delicacy of Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh.

Preparation Time : 10 mins  |  Cooking Time : 25 mins

Ingredients :        

Ingredients	Measurements
Chickpea (soaked)	1 cup
Yogurt / hung curd	2 cup
Rice flour	1 tbsp
Cinnamon	1 inch
Black cardamom	1 no
Black Pepper	4-5 no
Clove	3-4 no
Cumin seed	1 tsp
Asafoetida (hing)	1 pinch
Kashmiri red chili powder	2 tsp
Coriander powder	1 tbsp
Garam masala powder	1 tsp
Turmeric powder	½ tsp
Oil	3 tbsp
Ghee	2 tsp
Salt	As needed
Water	As needed

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Method :

1. First roughly crush cloves, black pepper, black cardamom, cinnamon and keep aside.
2. In a pressure cooker, add all the soaked chickpeas / kabuli channa, salt, water and cook until chickpeas are properly done.
3. Now in a pan, heat oil.
4. Add cumin seeds, asafoetida and allow to splutter.
5. Add all the roughly crushed whole spices and fry for 4-5 seconds.
6. Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and red chili powder. Give a quick stir.
7. Then add boiled chickpeas, salt and mix everything well.
8. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
9. Turn off heat.
10. Now in a mixing bowl beat curd and rice flour to form a smooth texture.
11. Add this yogurt mixture to the cooked chickpea pan and mix everything well.
12. Again turn on heat and place the pan over low heat.
13. Add ghee, give a stir and cook for 8-10 minutes.
14. Turn off heat and serve hot with roti or paratha or steamed rice !

Notes :

• Rice flour is added to thicken the gravy a bit. But this addition is optional.
• The chickpeas used here is the normal ones. If there is any hurry, then just used canned chickpeas.

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Mysore Masala Dosa

Dosa is a type of pancake from the Indian subcontinent, made from a fermented batter. It is somewhat similar to a crepe in appearance.  Among all varieties though the masala dosa is famous in different parts, but still mysore masala dosa is unique and stands apart. The dosas in other parts are mainly thin and crunchy whereas the mysore masala dosa is crisp one having red or brown on outside and spongy soft on inside.

Basically a thick red chutney is smeared inside the dosa before the potato masala is filled. Also a small amount of butter is spread before filling the potato masala over the dosa. Finally the dosa gets folded, ready to be served hot with sambar and coconut chutney as accompaniment. This mysore masala dosa is a perfect south Indian snacks and must be liked by everyone. If preferring for kids, just minimize the addition red chili in the red chutney. 

You may have interest to check out some other dosa recipes as

• Instant Rava Dosa 

• Stuffed Spinach Rava Dosa without All Purpose Flour (maida) 

So lets go in details method of preparation of mysore masala dosa.

          Soaking Time : 5 hrs   |   Fermenting Time : 8 hrs

Preparation Time : 20 mins   |   Cooking Time : 25 mins

Ingredients :        

Ingredients	Measurements
For dosa batter
Rice	2 cup
Poha / flattend rice flakes	½ cup
Urad dal	½ cup
Methi seed	¼ tsp
Water	As needed
For red chutney
Channa dal	2 tbsp
Onion (roughly chopped)	1 no
Garlic cloves (roughly chopped)	3 no
Ginger (roughly chopped)	1 inch
Kashmiri red chili	4-5 no
Salt	½ tsp
Oil	2 tsp
Water	As needed
For potato masala
Potato (boiled)	3 no
Onion	1 no
Ginger (finely chopped)	1 tbsp
Green chili	2 no
Mustard seed	¾ tsp
Curry leave	1 sprig
Turmeric powder	1/8 tsp
Oil	1 tbsp
Salt	As needed

Method :

1. Soak rice, poha, urad dal, methi seeds all together for 5-6 hours with enough water.
2. Then drain the water and put everything in a blender jar.
3. Blend to make a fine paste by adding water little by little. 
4. Transfer all the batter to a mixing bowl (large size comparatively to the amount of batter).
5. Add salt and mix well.
6. Cover the bowl loosely and keep aside 7-8 hours or overnight for fermentation.
7. Once the batter fermented well, mix gently using a ladle and then keep aside.
8. In a pan heat oil. Add in mustard seeds, curry leaves and allow to splutter. 
9. Add chopped onion, green chili, ginger and fry for 1 minute.
10. Add the turmeric powder, salt and give a quick mix.
11. Next add boiled and roughly mashed potatoes and mix well. 
12. Cook for 2-3 minutes over low heat.
13. Turn off heat, transfer the potato masala to a plate and keep aside to cool.
14. Next in the same pan, heat oil again.
15. Roast channa dal, roughly chopped ginger, garlic, onion, Kashmir red chili well.
16. Continue till golden brown channa dal.
17. Cool down completely and then blend to a thick paste by adding little water. 
18. Transfer this red chutney to a small bowl.
19. Add salt, mix well and keep aside.
20. Now heat a griddle or tawa (dosa tawa) and pour a ladleful of batter. 
21. Then spread the dosa batter with circular motion starting from center towards the edges of the griddle.
22. Once the top side cooked a bit, add 1 tbsp of the prepared red chutney on the dosa and spread it nicely all over the dosa with the back of a spoon.
23. Then spread some butter and finally put some potato masala.
24. Spread little and fold the dosa.
25. Serve immediately this mysore masala dosa hot along with sambar and coconut chutney as accompaniment !

Notes :

• Generally mysore masala dosa is slightly thick unlike normal dosa, so no need to spread too thin. 
• Adding butter gives nice brown color to the dosa as well as enhances the taste.

This 'mysore masala dosa' is contributed for 41 Healthy Wellthy Cuisines where the theme is 'Desh ke Rang'.  Here are more similar recipes shared by our Healthy Wealthy Group members as Dhuska, Pudina Lachha Paratha, Banana Fritters, Mohanthal / Chana Dal Barfi,  Dal Baati Choorma.

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Strawberry Smoothie - 3 Ingredients Smoothie

Strawberries are in season now. Have you prepared anything using this or not yet this time ?

If not, then I have come up with a thick, creamy and delicious smoothie using strawberries which is prepared within 10 minutes and involves only 3 ingredients.

Well among all variety of berries, strawberries are the most popular berry fruit in the world. But, yes this is a seasonal fruit. The juicy heart-shaped strawberries which is known as "Queen of Fruit" have much more to offer as health benefits beyond sweetness and flavor. As we know that any fruits, particularly berries and those with exotic colors are rich in antioxidants which means that they are huge boosters of our health. Strawberries are no exception to this rule too. In addition to this, strawberries are good source of a number of vitamins (like vitamin C, folate, potassium, manganese, dietary fiber and magnesium), minerals, antioxidants, flavonoids etc. and the presence of these compounds make this fruit very beneficial for our health. 

Along with strawberry, Greek yogurt is also used in this smoothie. Greek yogurt is nothing but a thicker, creamier version of regular yogurt. Greek yogurt is higher in protein and calories than regular yogurt. It's also lower in carbs and slightly lower in calcium. So if you are focusing for healthy diet, then just include Greek yogurt instead of regular / plain yogurt in diet. But still, the regular yogurt can be used to prepare this strawberry smoothie. The amount of honey can be totally omitted if the strawberries are so much ripe and sweet in taste. Making this healthy and nutritious strawberry smoothie is the best way to  enjoy strawberries during this season. 

This refreshing strawberry smoothie takes only a few minutes to prepare and is ideal as a nourishing start to the day in an easy and delicious way. This is one of the easiest way to incorporate Greek yogurt into our diet. The high protein strawberry smoothie involves three ingredients and is a best choice during morning when there is hurry. This smoothie is a perfect breakfast drink and one healthy treat for kids too. In any parties, also this strawberry smoothie can be served as a delicious and refreshing beverage. So below is the details method of preparation.

Preparation Time : 10 mins  |  Cooking Time : 0 mins

Ingredients :        

Ingredients	Measurements
Strawberry (ripe) (frozen)	4 cup
Greek yogurt	1 & ½ cup
Honey	1 tbsp

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Method :

1. Remove stems of the frozen strawberries if any present and then put in a blender jar.
2. Add in Greek yogurt and honey.
3. Blend everything until smooth puree consistency.
4. Pour this prepared smoothie in serving glasses and serve immediately !

Notes :

• Sweetness is adjustable by varying the amount of honey depending upon the ripeness of strawberries.
• Since at our house we prefer the grainy and thick texture of the smoothie, so I have not strained the puree after blending. If any smooth texture needed, then just after blending strain the puree to get the desired texture of smoothie.

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This 'Strawberry Smoothie' recipe is contributed for 128th Foodie Monday Blog Hop where the theme is '3 Ingredients Recipe'.

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Stuffed Spinach Rava Dosa without All Purpose Flour (maida)

Dosa, a type of pancake is made from a fermented batter which is a typical part of the South Indian diet and popular all over the Indian subcontinent. Among all varieties, rava dosa is a type of dosa which can be prepared so quick and easily, that means no fermentation is needed like the normal ones.

Already there is a recipe shared of instant rava dosa. This time, I opted some healthy ingredients. So instead of all purpose flour (maida) whole wheat flour is used and the dosa is flavored with spinach. Normally rava dosa are crisp and have some netted texture. Any spices or ingredients is directly added to the batter and then the batter has to be poured on the pan or tawa from certain height (3-4 inch height over the pan). This pouring method helps in the netted texture of the dosa. But without adding other ingredients to the batter, I just kept the batter as it is by adding only the spinach puree. Then a mixture of some boiled potatoes, grated beetroot and carrot, onion are prepared and used as stuffing in this spinach rava dosa.

If you are preferring no-onion-no-garlic, then do omit the use of onion and follow rest procedure. Some accompaniment like sambar or any preferable chutney can be served with this stuffed spinach rava dosa. Also since some stuffing are already there, so these can be enjoyed as it is simply. Always serve hot these dosa, otherwise the crispness will be missed. This spinach rava dosa is a healthy one since made of wheat flour and the goodness of spinach. So below is the details method of preparation of this deliciously crispy and healthy stuffed spinach rava dosa without maida.

Preparation Time : 15 mins  |  Cooking Time : 20 mins 

Ingredients :        

Ingredients	Measurements
For Dosa
Rava / Semolina / Sooji	½ cup
Rice flour	½ cup
Wheat flour	2 tbsp
Curd	1 tbsp
Spinach leaf	½ bunch
Ginger	¼ inch
Cumin seed	½ tsp
Salt	As needed
Water	As needed
Oil	As needed
For Stuffing
Potato (medium)	2 no.
Onion (small)	1 no.
Beetroot (grated)	2 tbsp
Carrot (grated)	2 tbsp
Green chili	2 no.
Turmeric powder	1 pinch
Mustard seed	1/8 tsp
Urad dal	½ tsp

Method :

1. First smash all boiled potatoes coarsely by hand and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
3. When the mustard seeds start spluttering, add urad dal and stir for a minute.
4. Then add chopped onion, chopped green chilies, curry leaves and turmeric powder. Saute for around 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Add coarsely mashed potatoes, grated beetroot and carrot, chopped coriander leaves, salt and mix well.
6. Switch off the flame and allow the stuffing to cool.
7. In a mixing bowl, take sooji / rava / semolina, wheat flour, rice flour, salt and mix well.
8. Next add curd and water and again mix well using a hand whisk till no lumps in the batter. Keep aside for 15 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, wash and clean the spinach leaves well.
10. Then boil water in a sauce pan. Add spinach leaves to the boiling water and wait until all leaves wilt.
11. Switch off flame and take out spinach leaves to a blender jar.
12. Add chopped ginger and blend to a smooth puree.
13. Now add cumin seeds, spinach puree to the dosa batter. Mix very well.
14. The batter should be very thin as of running consistency, otherwise add some more water to adjust the batter consistency.
15. Now heat a non-stick dosa pan on high flame.
16. When the pan is hot enough, then first stir the batter in mixing bowl, take a ladle full of batter, pour here and there from about 3-4 inch height over the pan.
17. Do not spread the batter like normal dosa batter.
18. Sprinkle ½ to 1 teaspoon of oil on top of the dosa and cook on medium flame till it turns golden.
19. Keep the stuffing in the middle of the dosa and fold the sides to make a triangle shape or just fold one side to make a semi circle shape.
20. Switch off the flame and serve these stuffed spinach rava dosa hot immediately with accompaniment as sambar or any preferable chutney or as it is !

Notes :

• The batter should be very thin as of running consistency. 
• Each time just before making the dosa, stir the batter very well in the mixing bowl and then only take ladle full of batter from it. 
• Crispiness of dosa depends upon the consistency of the batter. So thinner the batter, crispier the dosa. 
• Also the batter tends to get thick, so add water as well as salt to the batter for the needful consistency. 
• The pan or tawa should be hot enough while pouring the batter over it. 
• Prefer to use non-stick pan to make this rava dosa, so that no oil greasing is needed. But if you are using the cast iron tawa, then before pouring the batter first grease the tawa with oil well. 
• Always cook this dosa on medium flame instead of high flame. 
• Onion can be avoided if preferring for no onion and no garlic version.

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