Mathri / Salted Crackers

My husband bought haldiram mathri last week from the Indian store. The mathri was very tasty and all the mathri's got over in an hour. Since last week we have been reminiscing about the mathri's, so I thought of making a container full of them to last longer than an hour. I also took some of them when I was having a potluck lunch with my friends. Everyone loved the mathri's.

Ingredients
2 cups flour (I used 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 cup flour----makes around 50 matharis)
1 tablespoon methi or fenugreek powder
1 teaspoon chili powder or as desired
1 1/2 teaspoon ajwain or caraway seeds
2 teaspoon oil
salt for taste
oil for frying

Method
Mix fenugreek powder, the flours, chili powder, salt, chili powder, 2 teaspoon oil and ajwain. Mix in water to make a tight dough like the chappati dough. Break small balls of the dough with your fingers and stretch it to make thin 2-inch diameter discs. Punch some holes with a fork so that the mathri won't puff like a puri while frying. Fry it in hot oil on medium heat till golden brown and crisp. Store in an air tight container. Serve with tea as snacks.

Bread Upma / Bread Upkari

Bread upma is a different and jiffy way to serve bread for breakfast. It also makes a great tiffin recipe.

Ingredients
10 bread slices
1/2 onion
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds or jeera
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
4-5 curry leaves or kadipatta (optional)
4 tablespoon coriander leaves
1 teaspoon urad dal or split black gram
2 green chilies
1/4 cup curd (optional)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon oil
salt for taste

Method

Cut the bread into 1/2 inch cubes. Heat oil in a skillet. Add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds splutter, add the cumin seeds, turmeric power and urad dal. Fry till the urad dal till pink. Add the kadipatta and slit green chilies. Add chopped onion and fry till the onion is pink. Add the sugar and curd and mix well. Add salt as per taste and mix well till the masala mixes with the bread. Add the bread cubes and cook covered for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle some water to soften the bread. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2-3

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Tamarind Date Chutney / Meethi Chutney

Ingredients
1 cup deseeded dates
1/4 cup deseeded tamarind
1/4 cup gur or jaggery or molasses
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt for taste

Method
Boil the dates, tamarind and jaggery in one cup of water for 20 minutes. Grind it with salt and chili powder into a smooth paste.

Mint Chutney

Mint Coriander chutney can be used for all chaats and appetizers like pakodas or bhaji's.

Ingredients
1 cup coriander leaves
1/4 cup mint leaves (fresh or dried)
1/2 teaspoon jeera or cumin seeds
2 green chilies
1/2 teaspoon chopped ginger
1/2 teaspoon amchur powder or dry mango powder
salt for taste

Method
Wash the coriander leaves and mint leaves. Grind all the ingredients with 1 cup of water. Serve chilled if serving with chaats or at room temperature id serving with pakodas or bhajis.

Cabbage Sabzi/ Patta Gobi Sabzi

We spent the first day of our long winter vacation shopping for ear covers, water proof pants and other skiing accessories. We were preparing for our Tahoe vacation and the monstrous job of packing clothes was still left to be taken care of. Such was the situation when the question of "what to make for dinner" arose. I scanned the fridge for vegetables which would cook fast and saw a cabbage head lying there. I decided to make this subzi which had very often adored our tiffin boxes in the school and college days.

Broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage are part of the cruciferous family of vegetables. They contain high quantities of vitamin C and I have also read about them possessing cancer fighting properties. Here is the quick recipe for cabbage sabzi.

Ingredients
4 cups shredded green cabbage
2 potatoes
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
pinch of asafoetida
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon amchur or dry mango powder
4 tablespoon cilantro or coriander leaves
1 tablespoon oil
salt for taste

Method
Wash and peel the potatoes. Chop the potatoes into small cubes. Heat oil in a skillet and add cumin seeds. Add asafoetida and turmeric powder. Add potato cubes and cook covered till the potato is soft. Add the shredded cabbage and cook covered for 3-4 minutes. Cooking the cabbage for a long time will turn it soggy and cause the cabbage to loose its crunchyness. Add chili powder, cumin powder, amchur and garam masala. Mix well. Add salt as per taste. Garnish with coriander leaves and enjoy the sabzi hot with roti.


Preparation time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2-3