Devour these tiny bundles of joy that sleek into your mouth, the most popular nashta of Gujarat "khandvi"...
An Insight Into the traditional Gujarathi recipe Khandvi:
Khandvi is a classic Indian dish, which originated in the state of Gujarat and it is famous all across the country for its deliciousness and delicate form. Predominantly, North Indian cuisine has a plethora of dishes bursting with well balanced and complementing flavors. If we look into the gastronomic history of India, we could see the rich culinary heritage dating back several hundred years. It includes a great deal of varied dishes that illustrate the incredible culinary skills of India and khandvi is one of the amazing dishes that North Indian cuisine has to offer. Khandvi is a fantastic dish that comes with undeniable goodness and enchanting appearance as it has a golden yellowy, slime finish with captivating flavor. It is made with a perfect blend of gram flour and curd in an appropriate proportion which is spruced up with the zing of ginger and green chili finally sauteed with mustard and sesame seeds that gives an attractive colorful finish overall.
Much adorned by the localites, this exquisite khandvi has the pride of winning hearts of the people worldwide with its delightful look, mushy soft fascinating folds and of course its indisputable taste. Food and tourism being the two main attractions of Gujarat, this heavenly state attracts approximately about five crore people per year from all over the globe. Apart from the historic monuments, festivals, colors and cultures, tourists are also inclined much towards the Gujarathi Cuisine which has galore to offer. Anyone who visits the state will never return without tasting dishes like khandvi, khakra, dhokla, pathra, dabeli, dhokla, muthiya,undhiyu, handvo, khamnan,kansar, fafda and jalebis.. The list goes on endlessly where one would float on a foodie heaven while enjoying the places as well, and would never want to come out of the blissful world. Every year lakhs of people gather for the Uttarayan festival which is popularly called as international kite festival, either to participate or to enjoy the fest.
A Brief Note On Khandvi:
Khandvi is a steamed dish made of gram flour and curd that is cooked, rolled and seasoned with sesame seeds while the garnish is being done with coriander leaves and green chilies. The most interesting part of khandvi is its attractive shimmery yellow folds which is unique of its kind, that makes us irresistible at the very first sight. Besides being luscious, khandvi is a nutritious breakfast to kick start your day and a healthy dish to snack on in the evening after a long day as it is made of gram flour and curd. There are quite a few versions of khandvi which may vary from region to region, though the basic ingredients remain the same. For example, there are plain khandvi and stuffed khandvi which are equally fascinating and salubrious as well. Similarly, at some places they use arrowroot powder and amaranth powder in place of gram flour to make yummilicious khandvi, which have abundant health benefits. For example, arrowroot flour is gluten free and boosts metabolism besides being rich in vitamin B9, calcium, potassium, magnesium and sodium. Likewise, amaranth has high quality protein and also has iron and fiber. It also contains anti oxidants and has anti inflammatory properties. These recipes are being prepared during the days of vrat (fasting) during the festivals like dhussera and sankaranti with such thoughtfulness and care and it is our responsibility to seek out to such nourishing recipes from our ancestors and live healthily and happily.
Try out this interesting recipe of khandvi for a weekend brunch and enjoy it with your family.
Ingredients Required To Make Khandvi Recipe :
How To Make Khandvi Recipe :
Take two or three normal stainless steel thali (plates) and turn them upside down and grease them thoroughly on all sides with oil or ghee.
Churn the curd with a cup of water and keep aside. Blend the measured quantities of green chilies and ginger into a coarse paste and drop it in the curd along with the required salt.
Also, tip in a pinch of turmeric powder and asafoetida powder each.
Finally toss over a cup of besan and whisk altogether. Stir in for a while until the batter becomes smooth.
Heat a thick bottomed kadai and pour in the khandvi batter and keep it in medium flame. Let it cook for about ten minutes approximately. Keep stirring throughout the process so as to avoid the formation of lumps.
When the mixture gets cooked completely (i,e) it starts to thicken and gets separated from the kadai and that is the point where you have to turn off the stove.
Now take the greased plates and keep them ready. Pour in the cooked khandvi batter as soon as you turn off the stove. Use a katori to spread the batter in circular motion and spread it evenly using the bottom of the katori.
Let it rest for about five minutes approximately.
After a while take a sharp knife and make long stripes with one and a half or two inches space. (as if you would do to make any burfi )
The roll each strip from one direction to another as if you would roll a thin paper. Similarly roll up all the stripes you have made and arrange them in a plate or a vessel.
Heat the kadai again and tip in a little oil and when it is heated just throw in some mustard seeds and when it crackles, just add some sesame seeds along with a pinch of asafoetida powder. Turn off the flame immediately and add to the rolled khandvi.
Garnish with some lush green coriander leaves and freshly grated coconut and serve it for breakfast.
Tips To Follow:
* Stick to the ratio of 1:2 while mixing the besan and dhahi (after churning) to get the best result.
* Sieve the besan before use in order to get rid of tiny lumps (if any)
* You can even crush the raw ginger and chilies using a mortar and pestle. (I always do that way as it gives me an authentic feel).
* Let the curd be reasonably sour so that it gives a good tangy taste when mixed with besan.
* You can use thick ceramic or melamine trays, stainless steel trays, baking trays, lids of stainless steel dabbas or even plain marble to spread the khandvi batter. Choose whichever is suitable for you to make it easy.
* Spreading the batter while it is still hot is the key point to have in mind while preparing khandvi. In case, if it does not roll up, you can reheat the batter for a minute or two and spread it again.
* Similarly, the consistency of the batter should neither be too thick nor be too thin.
* Mostly, it will take about five to eight minutes approximately to reach the rolling consistency. You can just check with a knife from any corner just to ensure whether it comes out smooth before you start the actual rolling.
* And while rolling the khandvi strips, do it tightly so that it stays intact while you eat.
* In some regions of Gujarat, they stuff the khandvi rolls with grated coconut and coriander leaves instead of garnishing and you can prepare it either way.
* If you want to spruce up the khandvi further, spill out some grated chilies on top along with a few drops of lemon juice.
* It is generally served as such or with mint or garlic chutney. Kids would love to have it with tomato ketch up and it is served both hot and chill as it tastes astounding in both the ways.
Ingredients
Directions
Take two or three normal stainless steel thali (plates) and turn them upside down and grease them thoroughly on all sides with oil or ghee.
Churn the curd with a cup of water and keep aside. Blend the measured quantities of green chilies and ginger into a coarse paste and drop it in the curd along with the required salt.
Also, tip in a pinch of turmeric powder and asafoetida powder each.
Finally toss over a cup of besan and whisk altogether. Stir in for a while until the batter becomes smooth.
Heat a thick bottomed kadai and pour in the khandvi batter and keep it in medium flame. Let it cook for about ten minutes approximately. Keep stirring throughout the process so as to avoid the formation of lumps.
When the mixture gets cooked completely (i,e) it starts to thicken and gets separated from the kadai and that is the point where you have to turn off the stove.
Now take the greased plates and keep them ready. Pour in the cooked khandvi batter as soon as you turn off the stove. Use a katori to spread the batter in circular motion and spread it evenly using the bottom of the katori.
Let it rest for about five minutes approximately.
After a while take a sharp knife and make long stripes with one and a half or two inches space. (as if you would do to make any burfi )
The roll each strip from one direction to another as if you would roll a thin paper. Similarly roll up all the stripes you have made and arrange them in a plate or a vessel.
Heat the kadai again and tip in a little oil and when it is heated just throw in some mustard seeds and when it crackles, just add some sesame seeds along with a pinch of asafoetida powder. Turn off the flame immediately and add to the rolled khandvi.
Garnish with some lush green coriander leaves and freshly grated coconut and serve it for breakfast.