1,000 Indian Recipes (99 page)

Namkeen Gujjia

Makes 10 to 12 pieces

A specialty of Uttar Pradesh, a state adjacent to New Delhi in northern India,
gujjias
are made with the same batter as for the
Punjabi-Style Fermented Urad Bean Croquettes
, but are crescent-shaped, are always stuffed with a nut and raisin filling, and are usually served in a pool of yogurt.

1 cup dried white urad beans (dhulli urad dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

5 to 7 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed

¹
⁄
₄
to
¹
⁄
₃
cup water

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground asafoetida

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon baking soda

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

3 tablespoons shelled and coarsely ground raw pistachios

2 tablespoons chopped raisins

1 tablespoon shelled and coarsely ground raw almonds

1
¹
⁄
₂
to 2 cups peanut oil for deep-frying

1 (10-inch-square) piece of muslin or 4 layers cheesecloth

1 small 3-inch diameter bowl

1 (10-inch-square) piece of plastic wrap

1.
Soak the dal overnight in water to cover by 2-inches. Drain. In a food processor, process the ginger and green chile peppers until minced. Add the drained dal and the water as needed, and process to make as smooth as possible. Mix in the cumin seeds, asafoetida, baking soda, and salt. (The batter should be thick and slightly grainy. If it seems thin, add some chickpea flour. You should actually be able to pick up this batter with your fingers to stuff it and shape it.)

2.
Transfer to a bowl, cover, and keep in a warm, draft-free place about 8 to 10 hours to ferment. Then, with a whisk or a fork, whisk the batter to incorporate air into it and make it fluffy, about 3 minutes.

3.
In a small bowl, mix together the pistachios, raisins, and almonds. Then, heat the oil in a large wok or skillet to 350°F to 375°F on a frying thermometer, or until a pinch of batter dropped into the hot oil bubbles and immediately rises to the top.

4.
Have ready another small bowl of water. Wrap a small piece of plastic wrap tautly around a 3-inch bowl and brush lightly with oil. Place
¹
⁄
₂
tablespoon of the batter on the wrap and, with lightly moistened clean fingers, spread it into a 3-inch semicircle. Place about 1 teaspoon of the nut mixture in the center of the semicircle. Cover the filling with another tablespoon of the batter and lightly press the top batter into the bottom, sealing in the filling, maintaining the shape. With your hands or a slotted spoon, slide the semicircles carefully into the hot oil. If the batter sticks to your fingers, dip your hands in the bowl of water as you go along.

5.
Deep-fry, adding as many semi-circles as the wok can hold at one time without crowding, turning occasionally until they are crisp and golden on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes. With a slotted spatula, transfer croquettes to paper towels to drain. Repeat the process with the remaining batter. Transfer to a platter and serve hot.

Steamed Fermented Rice Cakes (
Iddli
)

Iddlis
are soft and spongy, 2
¹
⁄
₂
-inch discs, made from a fermented rice and lentil batter. They are generally pure white in color and are eaten with a coconut chutney and a
sambar
(soupy split pigeon peas), though some people, like my daughter Supriya, love their mild-tasting
iddlis
straight.

Iddlis
are typically made in special molds. Imagine compartmented egg-poaching trays, set one on top of the other, each one about 2 inches apart, fitted onto a central stem (also called a tree) with a base that stands about 1 inch high to allow room for water. Each standard
iddli
compartment is concave-shaped, and about 2
¹
⁄
₂
inches in diameter. There are smaller compartmented trays, as well.

However, you can use ramekins, egg poachers, and even cup cake molds, and steam them in a steamer or in a large pan, resting them on a steamer basket to keep them about
¹
⁄
₂
inch above the water.

Traditional Steamed Fermented Rice Cakes

Iddli

Makes 16 to 20 pieces

These are the basic
iddli
cakes, of which there are many variations. Most of the variations come from the use of different
dals
(legumes), grains, and herbs and spices. The process of making the actual
iddli
cakes remains the same. So essentially, if you can make one type of
iddli
, you can make them all.

²
⁄
₃
cup parboiled (converted) rice, sorted, washed in 3 or 4 changes of water

¹
⁄
₂
cup dried white urad beans (dhulli urad dal), sorted, washed in 3 or 4 changes of water

4 tablespoons water

¹
⁄
₂
cup semolina

¹
⁄
₄
to
¹
⁄
₂
cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon baking powder

1.
Soak the rice and the dal in separate bowls overnight, in water to cover by 2 inches. Drain. In a blender or a food processor, grind the rice, adding about 2 tablespoons water until smooth yet somewhat grainy. Transfer to a bowl and grind the dal with about 2 tablespoons water until as fine as possible.

2.
Mix the dal into the rice, along with the semolina, yogurt, and salt. With a whisk or a fork, whip well to incorporate air into the batter and make it fluffy, about 1 minute. Cover the bowl and set it in a warm, dry place about 8 to 10 hours to ferment.

3.
Grease the iddli molds (or coat with non-stick spray) and keep them ready. Add the baking powder to the fermented batter and whisk well to make it fluffy. Little bubbles of air should be visible on the sides. Add more water if the batter seems too thick. Then pour
¹
⁄
₄
to
¹
⁄
₃
cup batter into each mold and place the iddli trays on the stand.

4.
Put about 1 inch of water inside a pressure cooker or large pot, and place the iddli stand in the pot. Cover the pot, leaving the vent open if you're using a pressure cooker or the cover askew if you're using a regular pot, to allow the steam to escape. Cook over high heat until the iddli are soft and spongy, about 10 to 12 minutes. Allow the steam to escape from the sides, but do not remove the lid of the pot for 10 to 12 minutes.

5.
Let cool, then remove each iddli from the mold with a spoon or clean fingers. Pry lightly with a knife or a small spatula if they get stuck. Serve.

Instant Steamed Semolina Cakes with Yogurt

Sooji ki Iddli

Makes 16 to 20 pieces

This is one of my Santa Monica friend Bharti Dhalwala's winning recipes. Eno is the brand name of a product marketed as an antacid powder. It's a mixture of baking soda and citric acid and is popularly called a fruit salt (because of the citric acid). Besides its marketed use as an antacid, Eno has, over the last 50 years or more, become a necessity in southern and western Indian kitchens. It is used in all the steamed and baked cakes, but you can use citric acid and baking soda.

2 cups semolina

2 teaspoons melted butter

4
¹
⁄
₄
cups (18 ounces) nonfat plain yogurt

8 to 10 fresh curry leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₄
cup water

1
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoons Eno fruit salt or
³
⁄
₄
teaspoon each of baking soda and citric acid

1.
Place the semolina and butter in a wok or skillet and roast, stirring over medium heat about 5 minutes. The semolina should not turn golden; if it does, lower the heat or remove the pan from the heat. Transfer to a large bowl.

2.
In a food processor, process together the yogurt, curry leaves, and salt. Add to the semolina. With a whisk or a fork, whip well to incorporate air into the batter and make it fluffy, about 1 minute. Add about
¹
⁄
₄
cup or more water, as needed. Allow to rest about 1 hour.

3.
Grease the iddli molds (or coat with non-stick spray). Mix the fruit salt into the batter; it will bubble immediately. Quickly, before it subsides, pour
¹
⁄
₄
to
¹
⁄
₃
cup of the batter into each mold and place each tray on the stand.

4.
Put about 1 inch of water inside a pressure cooker or large pot, then place the iddli stand in the pot. Cover the pot, leaving the vent open if you're using a pressure cooker pot or the cover askew if you're using a regular pot, to allow the steam to escape. Cook over high heat until the iddli are soft and spongy, about 10 to 12 minutes. Allow the steam to escape from the sides, but do not remove the lid of the pot 10 to 12 minutes.