Oh- the spinach dip was supposed to be made with yogurt, but it turned out our yogurt had a little more “life” than I was hoping for. Instead I tried making it with sour cream and loved it so much I can’t imagine it any other way. It tastes great with the potatoes and rice and even the spinach-hating DH ate it without complaint. I added some fresh, salted, sliced tomatoes- this meal made me so very happy.

Dal Pakora and Cilantro Chutney
Madras Style Green Beans
Wholegrain Gluten-Free Indian Flatbread Recipe
Baked Gluten-Free Samosa Recipe- vegan and Chebe versions

Archana’s Mom’s Jeera Aloo Cumin Potato Recipe Main Course  Potatoes  Indian

Ingredients 5 or 6 potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes 3 tbsp. peanut oil or favorite oil 1 whole minced onion 1 tbsp peeled and microplane grated fresh ginger 1 tsp black mustard 2 tbsp. jeera (whole cumin seeds), separated into 1 1/3 tbsp. and 2 tsp. 3 fresh kari/curry leaves 1 tsp coriander powder 1/4 tsp. turmeric generous sprinkling of salt Directions Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a nonstick or cast iron pan on medium heat. Add your minced onion and grated ginger and let begin to cook and turn translucent. Then move onion and ginger away from the center of the pan and add one more tablespoon to the center of the pan. When the oil is hot, add your mustard and 1 1/3 tbsp. jeera, letting it begin to pop. (Reserve the additional 2 tsp. of cumin seeds). Add the kari leaves, coriander and turmeric and mix into the mustard and jeera. As it heats, combine with the onion and ginger. Toss in the cubed potatoes and fold in the spices. Let brown for a few minutes. Then add a small amount of water to the pan and cover. Let cook for ten minutes or so and then take off lid, turning over potatoes to brown other side. Add a little more water. Cook for 10 more minutes or until potatoes are cooked through. Then take off lid and make another small space in the center of the pan. Add another tbsp of oil to the center and add your extra 2 tsp. cumin seeds. Let them brown and start to pop and then spread them out on the bottom of the pan beneath the potato mixture. Let potatoes get brown and crispier for another two minutes, and then turn them one more time and let them get crispy on the other side. Serve with your favorite rice, an Indian style salad (salted fresh veggies with fresh lime wedges), and a refreshing raita.

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Ingredients from Archana’s Mom. Proportions from me. Please do not replicate anywhere without my persmission! Thanks! Recipe ID:  1331 Added:  December 8, 2008 Last Modified:  December 8, 2008

Tia’s Indian Spinach Sour Cream Raita Recipe Sauces & Condiments  Dairy  Indian

Ingredients Huge handful or two of fresh spinach 1/2 cup lowfat or nonfat sour cream (I like Daisy’s) 1 tsp toasted cumin seeds sprinkle of paprika or chili powder sprinkling of salt (optional) Directions Cook fresh spinach in microwave with a splash of water until cooked. Remove, drain and chop. Combine in a small bowl with the sour cream and freshly toasted cumin seeds, along with a sprinkle of paprika. Fold together and serve immediately.

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Inspired by various recipes online, but my creation. Please do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1332 Added:  December 8, 2008 Last Modified:  December 8, 2008

Here’s a pictorial guide to making Dal Vada:

First soak chana dal overnight. Then drain, rinse, and grind it in a food processor with garlic and ginger until it’s a nice, smooth dough.

Then mix in all the other ingredients, including cilantro and red onion. Form into little balls, flatten, and deep fry until cooked all the way through and deep golden brown.

And, here’s a video for a similar recipe using combined dal:

And, if you want another video, here’s a great video showing in great detail how to make authentic dal vada

By the way, channa dal is a dal that I really enjoy. It’s a yellow lentil similar to yellow split pea, but a little larger. It almost looks like a dried corn kernel. It’s fantastically low on the glycemic index, and tasty too. You can do lots of things with channa dal. If you’ve got channa dal left in your pantry after making this yummy recipe, try one of these recipes:

Channa dal with Spinach Recipe
Sukhi Channa Dal Recipe
Another Channa Dal Recipe
Spicy Channa Dal Recipe

Enjoy!
You can also try my Mint Cilantro Chutney Recipe
with this dal pakora recipe
if you have some mint on hand. Enjoy!
And, here’s my post describing the dinner party in Bangalore where I first enjoyed this recipe.

*IMPORTANT REMINDER: The Adopt-a-gluten-free blogger deadline is July 7th. Please send me the URL of your post about your adopted blogger, photo, and description of the recipe NO LATER than this date, as I will be flying to Japan on the morning of July 9th. If you don’t get your entry in by this date, you may not be included in the roundup until (retroactively) in early August… You can email me at seamaiden399(at)gmail[dot]com. Thanks guys and can’t wait to see your posts!

Chana Dal Pakora or Dal Vada Recipe- revised Main Course  Alternative Grains  Indian

Ingredients 250 gm (8.8 oz) Bengal Gram (Channa/ Chana Dal) 1 1/2 medium red onions, finely chopped 1 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves 2-3 finely chopped green serrano chili 2-3 cloves (Loung?) 1 stick (1 inch) cinnamon bark (dalchini) salt to taste Cooking Oil for deep frying 50 gm.(1.75 oz( Ginger (finely crushed but Not paste) 1/2 or 1/4 head of garlic (finely crushed) Chutney to serve- mint or cilantro chutney is lovely. Mint AND cilantro chutney is also nice. A red tomato chutney or even ketchup offers a nice contrast. Directions Directions Soak 250 gm. (washed) Bengal gram for 5-6 hours. Strain the water and grind the strained dal along with crushed garlic, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon bark. It’s hard for the food processor to break up the cinnamon bark, so make sure to start with it. You may have to break up pieces by hand. Put the ground mixture in a bowl and mix finely chopped onions, fresh cilantro leaves, salt, and green chilies. Mix it well with spoon or by hand. Make round, flat patty shaped balls and deep fry on medium flame in oil heated on medium heat. If the oil is smoking, it’s too hot! I find that it is very easy to burn the first few while trying to get the temperature right, but you’re shooting for a cooking period of about 2.5 minutes, then turn for 2.5 minutes more. If you fry them too fast, the inside will be raw, so you really want that type of extended frying period. *Tip: Before you start frying, set up a cooling area with an (edged) cookie pan and a cooling rack. You can line the cookie pan with paper towels if you like, but place the fritters on the rack when they’re done. Then the oil can drip down but the fritter won’t get soggy like it would on a paper towel. Notes Notes This is a South Indian recipe that our friends (originally from Northern India) had been introduced to by their son’s caretaker. They liked it so much they adopted the recipe- and after weeks in India drooling over all the gluten containing fried snacks I couldn’t have, it was a thrill for me to enjoy this in their home. I begged them to make it again when we visited their house a second time- and it was just as wonderful as I remember! Probably my favorite thing I ate over the entire duration of our trip. :) I finally made this recipe in my own kitchen on the first day of summer because my local Celiac support group was having a potluck with an “indian foods” theme. I wanted to bring all my favorite recipes that I discovered while visiting India, so I made this recipe, as well as homemade rasgulla and aloo jeera. It was all sooo yummy! And everyone gobbled up the Dal Vada, because as DH put it- of course everybody wanted gluten-free fried goodness. :)

Rating:  10 Original Source:  Friends in India. THANK YOU! Recipe ID:  1253 Added:  June 20, 2008 Last Modified:  June 21, 2008

Cilantro Chutney Recipe Sauces & Condiments  Vegetables  Indian

Ingredients 1 1/2 chopped, de-seeded serrano chili 3 tbsp lemon or lime juice 3/4 inch ginger 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 1/2 tsp cumin 2 tsp. oil dash of asafoetida/hing (use one made from Rice Flour, like Whole Foods) 1 very large bunch chopped cilantro or 2 medium bunches 1 tbsp sugar (or less, taste and adjust to your preference) Directions Combine everything in a food processor except for the cilantro and sugar. Add the cilantro a bunch at a time and combine. Add 1 1/2 tsp sugar, taste, and add more if you like. You can also add more salt or lemon juice if you prefer. Notes These are perfect frozen in ice cube trays and defrosted as needed. It’s best to freeze them as soon as possible after making the sauce to preserve color and flavor. Manjula suggests combining 1 part chutney to 3 parts yogurt for a dip, 1 part chutney and 2 parts cream cheese for a sandwich spread (Me: how about with cucumber slices? Yum!), or even as a component of a vinaigrette.

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Inspired by Manjula’s recipe but completely different proportions. Recipe ID:  1257 Added:  June 25, 2008 Last Modified:  June 26, 2008

Yours,
Sea

When we arrived at the restaurant, it seemed nice, with cute fish in a stone water garden in the entrance. (See if you can find fish #3…) We sat down at a long wooden table covered in magenta brocade strips, and had some bottled water while we waited for all twenty-something guests to arrive. The table filled with people, and count was taken of the “veg” and “non-veg” guests. I love how easy the veg-distinction is here! Slowly the food began arriving- starting with a nice, fragrant tomato shorba (soup). See my previous post for some tomato shorba recipes. It seemed like a nice, safe thin broth, and when we asked, they said they didn’t use flour for thickening it, so I had some and enjoyed the light, delicately spiced broth. This was no thick, gloppy American Campbell soup- it was a million times more subtle and delicious, with a hint of cumin and other spices I could only guess at. Next they brought snacks, which is when I became nervous- a variety of things, many appearing lightly breaded or floured- baby corn in a light batter with red chilis, flat fried disks topped with fresh vegetables and cheeses, potato cubes covered in masala (?) but also perhaps flour and fried- a host of bites that looked like they might contain wheat. I decided not to risk them, and hoped that the future would bring me something I could eat. One thing that surprised me was that they used one plate for this process- the servers would come by and pile servings of each dish on your plate. You could refuse by waving your hand, but several dishes were served to me before I could see them properly, so I ended up with several potentially wheaty things on my plate. I gave a little white moat of plate space around each slightly risky food until it became obvious that everyone cleared the remnants that they didn’t want onto a small plate to the left and then got new food piled on the same plate. After having some of a simple Indian style salad (no lettuce, just fresh veggies sprinkled in salt and chili pepper), I asked for a new plate and got one, which I guarded with my life, or at least, a flutter of hands, until more friendly food came along. One thing to keep in mind about salads is that tap water in India is quite likely to contain bacteria that international visitor’s bodies may not be used to, so raw veggies may pose a risk (of some intestinal distress) if they have been rinsed in said water. I’ve been risking the veggie salads, but not lettuce- the Lonely Planet recommends soaking lettuce and possibly raw veggies in iodized water for 20 minutes before consumption. I’d rather skip the lettuce, and cross my fingers about the (preferably peeled) raw veggies, myself. You may wish to be more cautious. I’ve also been dining exclusively in hotels and mid-to high-range restaurants, so a village experience may be different. The condiments shown as the main photo here include a green sauce (mint or cilantro, I would guess), a numbingly spicy red chutney and some lovely pearl onions- I coveted them but was concerned about the water issue. I should also mention the lovely papadum that was served with the condiments at the beginning of the meal- I avoided it out of a concern for the asafoetida/hing seasoning often used with papad (see comments and previous post), but it looked very crisp and appetizing. If you would like to try papad at home, I found at least two British brands of papad that is labeled Gluten-Free in my local Whole Foods. Look for Sharwood’s or Patak’s gluten free papadum in import markets or health food stores in your area. Also see Maeve’s tips in the comments on how to prepare them! (Thanks, Maeve!)

And then, as the mains began arriving, my patience was rewarded. (Honest, I have patience! really! ;)) After some non-veg false starts, it was time for some lovely veg “curries.” First was a delicious potato-green pepper dish in a veg “gravy”- no flour, just vegetable stuffs making a delicious sauce. I don’t know how they made it, exactly, but here are some recipes that may help you approximate this tasty dish. Apparently the Hindi for Green Pepper is “Simla Mirch”, and as you will recall from my last post, Potato is “Aloo”. So, here is a Sookha Aaloo Simla Mirch Recipe (Sookha=dry) and a Aloo-shimla mirch sabzi. I liked this dish so much I actually asked for seconds. *blush* Next came a delicious Mutter Paneer (mutter=green peas) in a yummy tomato gravy, as seen in the picture on the left. If you want to make some at home, try this Mutter Paneer Masala Recipe or perhaps Mutter paneer Recipe with Cashews. If you are dairy intolerant (or vegan), I would try Amy’s Kitchen trick and use tofu for your paneer and unsweetened plain soy milk for the cream. If you are allergic to cashews or other nuts, be very careful when eating out as many gravies seem to contain cashew to make the gravy more rich and flavorful. And last, but definitely not least, was a delicious dal makhani, or at least that’s what I think it was. Whatever kind of dal (lentil/pulse dish) it was, it was unexpectedly delicious! I’m not generally that crazy about dal, to be dreadfully honest. Both the green dal (mung) and yellow dal (toor) seem to me to be lacking personality on their own, and I’ve had many a plain ayurvedic type recipe that just didn’t quite thrill me. Also, dal is often seasoned with small amounts of asafoetida for digestibility and flavor- it’s a small amount, but better to avoid in case the said spice is cut with wheat flour, as it often is. However, this time I couldn’t help myself from trying a bite- and it was amazingly good. Unfortunately the meal was served with North Indian style breads (unfortunately quite popular here in the South, it seems), but there was a pulao rice dish served at the very end of the main meal. I would have loved some plain steamed rice, but even without the meal was quite good. Next time I think I would ask for some, though, as it would have made a very good meal absolutely perfect. What I have discovered is that it is quite possible to eat out (relatively) safely in India- curries are a generally safe, delicious option- and I’ve learned so many new recipes and gotten so many new ideas that I can’t wait to go home and experiment in my own kitchen.

English-Hindi Ingredient Dictionary

According to Wikipedia cookbook “Idli is a round, fluffy bread roughly eight centimetres in diameter. Idli is made from ground rice or rice flour mixed with ground urad dal, salt, methi (fenugreek seeds) and water. The mixture is allowed to ferment prior to being steamed in an idli steamer. They are traditional to Southern India and are most often eaten with sambar.”(Wikipedia Cookbook Entry for Idli)

I was ecstatic when I realized that South India had many naturally gluten free offerings. First I tried the buttery, crisp dosa crepes filled with an assortment of fillings like masala potato filling. After my success with the dosa, I tried the other offerings like idli and uppatham. I was so crazy about dosa that I ended up rarely ordering the steamed idli rice cakes, as I found them a bit plain. However, on another message board I’m on I read about stuffed idli with a flavorful filling like tomato chutney steamed inside the disc. I was intrigued, so I gave idli another shot using some premade fermented idli batter from a local indian market in Mountain View, California. I was thrilled to find that these stuffed idli were delicious, especially served with spicy sambar soup and a homemade Cashew Nut Chutney, a mint chutney, or a coconut green chili chutney. It was easy to make the idli using my idli mold* that I had bought at the City Market in Bangalore, India, but you could also use an egg poacher for larger idli. I put the mold with idli batter, Trader Joe’s tomato chutney, and more idli batter covering the filling, into a steamer basket in a large soup pot and steamed the idli for around 12 minutes. Then I carefully placed them on a wire rack to cool and enjoyed these tasty snacks with sambar and chutney. Even DH, who sometimes find Indian food too spicy for his taste, gobbled them up. They were terrific reheated briefly in the microwave as a little snack, too. After having such good success with premade idli batter, and a few experiments with powdered idli batter, I was eager to try making idli from scratch. After consulting an expert on all things fermented on the Yahoo Vegetarian GF board, I set out on my first experiment.

*Note: the dish pictured above may actually be intended for appam, but it works FABULOUSLY for idli if placed in a steamer basket.*

The first time I made the recipe, I soaked the urad dal for the same amount of time as the rice, and it acquired a “beany” fragrance. It wasn’t a bad smell exactly, just a little strong. I went ahead and used it for my recipe and found that the later fermentation covered the smell a bit, and the taste was fine. However, I adjusted the recipe to avoid this issue. After soaking, I achieved a very pleasing texture with the batter using a food processor, although traditionally a Wet Grinder is used to make perfect Idli. However, with my strong Kitchenaid food processor, I was able to achieve the texture of a thick coconut chutney, if that makes sense. I’m relieved, as my former experiment with homemade dosa batter was very chunky- but that was about 8 or more years ago. Basmati doesn’t swell and soften like a short grain, glutinous rice, so next time I will try another rice. Actually, I picked up some Idli rice from our local Indian market after I started my experiment, so next time I may try this recipe using idli rice.

After the idli batter sat out overnight, it was a little gloopy, but didn’t achieve a nice sourdough tinge like pre-made idli batter I’ve bought before… Due to the cooler climate here in the bay area, I let the batter ferment for about two days and eventually it acquired a faint pleasant sourdough aroma. I stirred it fairly regularly. I read in several sources that in climates cooler than the recipe’s native South India, you can turn on the oven light (NOT the oven) and leave the batter in the oven overnight to achieve good fermentation. According to my Australian source in the know, you can also add a dab of kefir or a pinch of yeast and a ½ teaspoon of yogurt to encourage fermentation if desired. Whatever you do, don’t use chlorinated water to grind your rice and urad dal, and if it gets a little “off” smelling, stir it. It is much like sourdough starter in this way. You can also add 1 tsp of fenugreek seeds to aid fermentation and add flavor. I added a teaspoon of nigella seeds for flavor this time.

For me, the idli itself is only half of the recipe. The chutneys used as filling and accompaniment are equally important, adding flavor and personality. Trader Joe’s tomato chutney is really good, but because it is produced in a factory that also produces wheat products, I’ve been trying to find a recipe to make it from scratch. I haven’t found the perfect recipe, but when I do, I will definitely blog about it. You can search for your own Chutney Recipe, if you like. Let me know if any are especially tasty. Although sometimes I make a cashew chutney, this time I made a Recipe for Peanut Chutney that I found online. It was delicious! Most nuts would probably work for this recipe, if you are allergic to peanuts.

Here are some additional recipes for idli:
A Sampling of South Indian Bread Recipes, with Photos
Idli Recipe
Carrot Idli Recipe
Spicy Idli Podi Accompaniment
Kerala Red Rice Idli

And if you are craving a sweet steamed rice pastry… try this Kerala ila ada and kozhukkatta Steamed rice sweet recipe from Live to Eat.

*note: rava usually refers to semolina cream of wheat, so be careful when ordering dosa or idli, or using “Rava” that it is not made of wheat.

Interested in my other gluten free Indian recipes? Check out my post for
masala potato filling

Pushpas Idli or Dosa Batter Side Dish  Rice  Indian

Ingredients 1 cup of Raw Rice (I used the non-traditional basmati) 3/4 cup of urad dal Chlorine Free water (enough to make a rather thick batter) optional seasonings: 1 tsp nigella 1 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi) Un-iodized salt, to taste Tomato chutney for filling Mint, coconut, nut etc. chutney for dipping Sambar soup for serving Directions Soak rice and seasonings (not including salt) in 3 cups of water for about eight hours and soak urad dal separately in 1 and half cup of water for about four hours. throw away the water in which rice and urad dal was soaked. Grind urad dal to make a thick paste with your chlorine free water, adding a little at a time. Add rice and grind again till both are mixed. The consistency should be similar to prepared idli batter found at your local Indian market. Add your salt, to taste. Keep the batter outside the refrigerator for 8 hours (or more if in cool climate). If it is cold, turn on the light to your oven and put the batter in the oven. If the batter starts to smell unpleasant, stir it. If needed, once it has fermented you can refrigerate the batter and use it as needed. Bring to room temperature before using. To prepare your idli, spray an idli mold or egg poacher with non-stick cooking spray and fill it half full with batter. Then put a small amount of the chutney in the center of the batter. Cover the filling with batter. Then place the idli mold into your steamer and steam for 10-15 minutes, or until center is firm. Carefully cut around the idli with a sharp knife and remove to a wire rack to cool. Eat while warm or heat in microwave for 10 seconds when cold. You can freeze them or refrigerate with good results.

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Adapted from recipe shared by Pushpa in Comments Recipe ID:  1129 Added:  August 28, 2007 Last Modified:  September 6, 2007