TOFU MUTHIA | THE WINNER OF ‘ONLY’ EVENT OF FEBRUARY | TEA TIME SNACKS | VEGAN | DAIRY FREE

Hi All!!

Finally I’m back again with a new post, it seems like ages that I sat in front of my laptop and typed some thing..I must confess, I’m still recuperating…don’t worry I was not unwell, it is just that my kid was writing his final exam papers and I felt that it was my exam..so basically I’m recuperating from an exam fever..

Today’s post was something I have been wanting to try and post since a long time. Last month too I had decided to try this but somehow it never happened and I just kept postponing it till today. I woke up in the morning with the aim that I have to make this and share it with all my readers.

Muthia, originally is a Gujarati preparation made originally using Methi and chickpea flour but today a number of versions of Muthia are made. The word Muthia is derived from the way it is made, from the 'gripping' action of the hand and the small dumplings/fritters have clear imprints of the fingers over them. It can be steamed as well as fried but I decided to make a fried version to treat my kid, post his exams.. My readers would know that fried item itself is a treat for my kid as I do not indulge that easily in frying..

I’ve been trying to incorporate Tofu in our diet in many ways, some of the recipes which I’ve posted here are the Rizala which is a rich curry, Pink Beet Fit Paratha & a Masala Tofu Pizza. Since my last month’s theme was Vegan Cooking I wanted to post something innovative and interesting that time and one fine day, I  had this vague thought of making Muthia using the Tofu. The thought was so strong and it had made such a strong impression on my mind, that I was not able to come up with anything interesting after that. It was as if the Tofu Muthia had enchanted me, and the spell finally broke today..

I’ve already posted in my review of the rice bran oil that the oil is light and the food absorbs less of this oil, so I used the rice bran oil to fry the Muthia and the end product was crispy, crunchy and also got fried consuming very less oil. The Muthia was very tasty and I had a hard time to keep my kid away from it while I clicked the pictures. In fact he finished almost the entire batch in a go and I was mighty happy with myself and grinning as the experiment turned out a hit and not only that, I fed my kid a fiber and protein rich preparation!!

Preparation Time:10mins

Cooking Time:3-4mins Of Frying /batch

Makes: 14-15pieces

Serves:4

Ingredients

200gms Tofu/ Soya Paneer

4-5tbsp Chopped Coriander

1tbsp grated & squeezed bottle gourd/ lauki

1-1/2tsp white sesame seeds

1tsp poppy seeds

salt to taste

3green chilies

an inch piece ginger

4-5cloves of garlic

2tsp rice flour

6-8tsp roasted chickpea flour/besan

a pinch of baking soda (optional)

Rice Bran Oil for deep frying

Method

Wash the tofu and pat it dry using a clean kitchen towel or tissue paper. Grate it finely.

Mix all the ingredients except both the flours, sesame and poppy seeds, leave aside for 5mins. This step is important as the salt causes the water to ooze out from the veggies making it moist.

Now add the rice flour, the flour makes the Muthia crispy.

Add just enough chickpea flour that it binds all the ingredients, to confirm this just press the mix in your fist and see that it forms a rough shape. Adding excessive flour will make the Muthia dense.

Add sesame and poppy seeds, mix.

Divide the mix into 14-15 parts and take each portion on the palm and close the four fingers over it. Squeeze the fist lightly to shape the Muthia with the impressions of four fingers over it.

Deep fry on a medium flame till golden in color. Remove on a kitchen towel.

Serve hot with Tomato sauce.

These Muthia’s can make a great tea time snack or can also served as a starter.

This post is a part of Healthy & Tasty Recipe Contest with Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil & BlogAdda.com .

Tips To Making Good Muthia
Do not add excessive flours else it makes the preparation dense.
Do not squeeze the Muthia tightly, it should be pressed lightly.
Adding soda is optional but it makes the Muthia light.
Tofu is quite bland, so keep the spice level high to balance the flavors.
Different vegetables can be added, just ensure that the veggies are devoid of excessive water/moisture, squeeze out the water before adding.

Coming to the winner announcement. based on PJ’s roundup where she has grouped recipes sent by the each participant. There are a total of  15 participants, so using the random.org I’ve picked the winner. Please remember, the giveaway is only for the Followers of Foodelicious.

The entry at no.5 in PJ’s roundup is of Sharanya of Sara’s tasty buds. Congrats Sharanya, you win the cookbook by Tarla Dalal, please confirm to me that in which way you follow my blog publically and once you have confirmed that, mail me your address in India with proper landmark, pin code and phone/cell number to cookingoodfood@gmail.com within two days else I will pick a new winner.

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Soya Shami Kebab… For Vegetarians Who Want To Indulge In Non Veg Delicacies, Step Wise

Hello!

Today I’m back with my favorite, the kebab. My regular readers would know my love for the kebabs. There was a time when I used to post kebab recipes very regularly and I did realize that I have not posted any, in the last few months. So like getting back to active blogging I tried to get back to making some kebabs too..

Since, the theme of ‘Only’ event for this month is Soya hosted by Preeti, I wanted to indulge in a soya kebab. Texturally, soya has  quite a close resemblance to meat and that comes to the advantage of the vegetarians who want to indulge into non-veg delicacies, in a vegetarian way. I’m amongst them and hence I do use soya to replace meat.

Today I have indulged into a very popular kebab,  the Shami Kebab. Shami kebab literally means Syrian kebab (Sham) in Arabic. This kabab almost appears like a patty or cutlet which is pan fried and served with mint or coriander chutney, sliced onions and lemon juice. It is a nutritious and healthy kebab. This kebab is extremely popular in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

A typical shami kebab  is made of minced mutton, ground Bengal gram (chana dal) and spices. It can be made with any meat either the beef, chicken or mutton but a traditional Shami Kabab made from mince meat are round patties filled with spicy surprises and the tangy `kairi’ or raw green mango. The uniqueness of this kebab is the masala which is a zealously guarded family secret and prepared by women in the royal family. Shami kebabs are royally prepared during the Iftar parties during the Ramzan season or on Eid days along with sheer kurma.

There are various theories regarding it’s origin.  i) Some are of the opinion that these kebabs were introduced to South Asia during the Mughal Era by Muslim emigrants from the Middle East. They had employed cooks from all over the Muslim world to serve in the royal kitchens. Some of the cooks were from Syria as well. ii) The second theory states that the word Sham is evening in Hindi and Urdu and Sham-e-Awadh means an evening in Lucknow of yore since the time of Nawab regime. iii) The third theory says that  Shami Kababs had originated from the famous village of Sham Churasi in the Hoshiarpur district of Punjab. ( Reference Wikipedia and VahReVahChef)

Since it is authentically made using meat, this is my take on making a veg and vegan version. I’ve avoided the use of clarified butter in cooking the kebabs but those who do not mind indulging in more calories, do not hesitate to use the ghee. The veg kebab might not be as succulent  as the non veg version as soya does not have any fatty tissues to it plus it can not be ground as fine as the meat, but flavor wise this kebab rocks. It is almost as good as a meat kebab.

Soya Shami Kebab

Soaking Time: 1hour

Preparation Time:20mins

                    Cooking Time:2-3mins per Kebab

Makes: about24

Serves:6

Ingredients

20oz Soya Granules
1 medium onion roughly chopped
1/2cup soaked Bengal Gram/ Chana dal
2tbsp coriander powder
juice of half lemon
a large pinch garam masala
2tsp red chili powder
2tbsp oil
oil for shallow frying
cornstarch
1-2 bread slices/bread crumbs

Whole Spices

2red chilies
5-6 green cardamom
1black cardamom
2 small pieces cinnamon
8-10 black peppercorns

 

 

Method

Soak the soya granules for 15-20mins and Bengal Gram for an hour, in water. Drain the water from the lentils. Take a muslin cloth and transfer the soya granules to it. Press and squeeze out all water.

Heat oil in a pan and add all the whole spices. Keep the flame low, so that all flavors infuse into the oil.

Add the chopped onion and sauté.

Add the soaked and drained Bengal gram, mix.

Add the soaked and drained soya granules and mix on high flame to remove all the remaining water.

Add the garam masala, chili powder, coriander powder and salt. Mix and cook for two more minutes.

Cool and add bread slice and lemon juice.

Remove all whole spices and put them in the mixer and grind. Add the soya mix and grind to a smooth paste. While grinding add one or two slices of bread. This helps in binding. Add 2tbsp oil to the mix, this helps to avoid the dryness of the soya and makes the kebab more succulent.

Add the cornstarch to small portions of the mix at a time. Add enough cornstarch so that the kebabs do not disintegrate while frying. The quantity of cornstarch will completely depend on the moisture content in your mix, hence have not specified the quantity.

Take small lemon size portion of the mix and with oiled hand make patty with smooth edges. Shallow fry in medium hot oil. While shallow frying ensure that the pan has enough oil to submerge half the height of the patty. Fry on both sides and remove on a kitchen towel.
Serve hot with green chutney, onion slices, lemon wedges and some chaat masala, sprinkled on top. Else roll it inside a roti with some chutney and onion for a filling kathi roll.

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Rizzala Tofu With Saffron Rice…my vegetarian take on the curry made by the Nawabs Of Bhopal (step wise)

Hello all!

Feels like I’m finally getting back to regular blogging. I have behaved myself and have posted again within two days of my last post on rosemary-onion Focaccia, hmm keeping fingers crossed. I hope things stay in my favor and I get back to active blogging..

I wanted to make this recipe in the last month, when the theme of the month for the ‘Only’ Series was Royal Cooking. But because of the health constraints, could not..so decided to start the soya obsession for my event  ‘Only’ Cooking With Soya,  with this preparation. It is guest hosted by Preeti this month. Also reposting Jackfruit & Soya Burger for the event.

As explained by Camellia Panjabi, “Rizzala is a little known Muslim style curry found in only two cities of India-Calcutta and Bhopal. It’s origin is possibly the latter, where it is a curry  found only in the homes of the Muslim aristocracy. A fresh herb curry, this can best be described as a green korma”.

I’ve read two versions of the Rizzala, one obviously by Camellia and the other is by The King Of Sailana, Shri. Digvijay Singh. Even King Digvijay Singh claims that the origin of the curry is from Bhopal. It was made by the begum of the Nawab of Bhopal, hence has an aristocratic origin.

It is basically an aromatic green curry/ korma, whose aroma and unique flavor lingers for a long time. Both the authors have used coriander as the main leaf for preparing curry. While the Sailana king, advices usage of clarified butter/ ghee in making curry, Camellia, asks for regular oil with a final tadka/ tempering of clarified butter. The Sailana king uses curds in the curry while Camellia has opted for lemon juice. The major difference comes in the addition of cashew nuts, suggested only by Camellia. I realized while cooking, why Camellia opted for oil and not ghee..loads of calories get added with the cashew nuts. This curry is definitely a rich curry and definitely not for the weight watchers (that includes me too, LOL) but if eaten  in small quantity, should not be a problem.

I have adapted my preparation using Camellia’s recipe. This is originally a non-veg curry made either with mutton or chicken. I’ve replaced the mutton with it’s closest veg resemblance..tofu. I’ve explained a few advantages of eating Soy products here and I’ll highly recommend all women to read it.

I made a mild saffron rice to go with the curry. The rice complimented the curry really well..The light yellow color of the rice gives a beautiful contrast to the green of the curry.

Rizzala Tofu

            Serves:5-6

Preparation Time:15mins

    Cooking Time:45mins

 

Ingredients FOR RIZZALA TOFU

400gms Tofu/ Soya Paneer

1/2cup Cashew nuts/ Kaju

4-6 green chilies

4medium/ 2large onions/ Pyaaz – sliced

1-2  handful Coriander leaves/ 1- 2 mutthi dhania patta ( I used 1)

1/2cup Mint leaves/ Pudina

1tbsp coriander pwd/ dhaniya pwd

1/2tsp cumin pwd/ adha chammacch jeera pwd

4 plum garlic cloves/  4 moti lahsun ki kaliyan -finely chpped

1-1/2 inch ginger piece/ dedh inch adrak ka tukda -finely chopped

60ml cream/ malai

5tbsp oil

1tbsp ghee

2tsp lemon juice

1/2tsp sugar

salt to taste

Whole spices/ sabut masale

6 cardamom/ elaichi

2 bay leaves/ tej patta

1-1/2 inch stick cinnamon/ dedh inch dalchini ka tukda

1 blade of mace/ javitri

Ingredients For Saffron Rice

1cup long grain rice

a large pinch of saffron / kesar

salt to taste

2 cups water

1tbsp ghee/ clarified butter

4 cloves/ laung

Method For Rizzala Tofu

Soak the cashew nut in warm water for half an hour.

Heat 3tbsp of oil and sauté the onions on a medium flame till brown in color but not burnt. Keep stirring on frequent intervals to avoid the burning and enhance even browning, best is to spread the onions while cooking. Once done, move the onions to one side of the pan to remove the excess oil.

Wash the coriander and mint leaves, ensure that the leaves are fresh, this helps give the beautiful light green color.

Grind together the cashew nuts, brown onion, coriander-mint leaves and green chilies. Adjust the chilies as per your taste, or how hot you like.

Heat the remaining 2tbsp oil on low flame and add the whole spices except the mace. Also add finely chopped ginger and garlic. Keep the flame low during this process so that all the flavors seep into the oil.

Add the cubed tofu and sauté on high flame so as to sear it lightly. This takes about 2-3minutes. Do this step carefully as it helps the tofu imbibe the aroma and flavors of the spices added earlier.

Reduce flame and add coriander and cumin powder, mix properly and cook for a minute.

Add the onion-cashew-leaves paste and mix. Also add salt to taste, sugar and lemon juice, mix thoroughly.

Add about a cup of water and cook for about 2-3minutes and then add the cream. Remove from fire.Do not overcook, else it destroys the green color.

Finally just before serving, heat a table spoon of ghee and add a mace leaf, cook on low flame for 2minutes. Remove the mace and add the ghee to the curry.

Serve hot with saffron rice.

Method To Make Saffron Rice

Wash and soak rice for 15-20mins. Drain the water.

Soak saffron in half cup warm water. Boil the remaining water.

Heat a table spoon of ghee and add the cloves, keep the flame low as ghee heats up fast.

On a medium flame sauté the rice in ghee for 3-4mins and then add boiling water & salt to taste. Reduce the flame and let the rice cook with a lid on, open on one side, for the steam to pass.

Once the rice is almost done add the saffron water and let the rice cook completely.

Serve hot.

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