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HI INDIA NEWS DESK
By Zofeen Maqsood
CHICAGO, IL- From Moong dal dhokla in strawberry compote to tandoori olives with cranberry sauce, this Holiday season get ready for Christmas Cooking with an Indian Twist
Holidays are all about good food and family time. For decades, in America, immigrant communities continue adding their ethnic and cultural food identities to create a unique fusion comfort food.
This holiday season if you are wondering how to cook up a spread that speaks American X-Mas but is inspired by Indian spices and cooking then we got you covered.
Hi India, spoke to Aurora, Illinois based passionate home chef, recipe developer and You Tuber Nidhi Bothra to create for us a few recipes that will take up your holiday spread to gourmet level but also warm your hearts with the memories of motherland.
Moong Dal Dhokla Bites with Strawberry Chili Compote, Chimichurri Sauce and Herbed Yogurt
Recipe: https://naturallynidhi.com/moong-dal-dhokla-bites/
Ingredients
Moong Dal Dhokla Batter or Use Instant Dhokla Mix:
▪ 1 cup yellow moong dal (petite split yellow lentils)
▪ 2 green chilies , roughly chopped
▪ 1 inch ginger , roughly chopped
▪ water , as needed for grinding
▪ 2 tbsp yogurt
▪ 1 tbsp besan (gram or chickpea flour)
▪ 1 1/2 tsp sugar
▪ 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
▪ 1 tsp lemon juice
▪ 2 tsp oil , hot plus more for greasing
▪ 1 tsp fruit salt (eno)
▪ salt , to taste
Moong Dal Dhokla Tempering:
▪ 1 1/2 tsp oil
▪ 1 tsp mustard seeds
▪ pinch asafetida powder (hing)
▪ 2 green chilies , slit
▪ 6 curry leaves , torn in half
▪ 1/4 cup water
▪ 1/2 tsp sugar
▪ pinch salt
Strawberry Chili Compote:
▪ 1 cup strawberries, finely chopped
▪ 2 1/2 tbsp sugar
▪ 1 tsp lemon juice
▪ 1/2 tsp lemon zest
▪ 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
▪ pinch salt
▪ 1/2 tsp corn starch
▪ 2 tbsp water
Herbed Yogurt:
▪ 1/4 cup hung curd or Greek yogurt
▪ 1 tbsp cream cheese
▪ 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
▪ 1/2 tsp black pepper
▪ 1 tsp italian seasoning
▪ garlic salt , to taste
Chimichurri Sauce:
▪ 1/4 cup cilantro , roughly chopped
▪ 1/4 cup parsley , roughly chopped
▪ 2 tbsp olive oil
▪ 1 tsp oregano
▪ 2 cloves garlic
▪ 2-3 pcs cashews
▪ 2 tsp red wine vinegar or normal vinegar
▪ 1 tsp red chili flakes
▪ salt , to taste
Toppings:
▪ pomegranate seeds
▪ feta cheese
▪ pumpkin seeds
▪ pistachio , slivered
▪ olives , finely chopped
▪ red chili flakes , if needed
▪ microgreens
Instructions
Moong Dal Dhokla:
1. Wash the moong dal under cold water a few times. Then, soak it in warm water for an hour. Once soaked, drain the water.
2. Transfer the soaked dal to a blender and grind with green chilies and ginger. Slowly add water as needed to get the desired consistency. The dhokla batter should be thick and smooth.
3. Transfer the paste to a bowl and add in yogurt, besan, sugar, turmeric powder, hot oil, and lemon juice. Mix well for 5 minutes to aerate the batter.
4. Preheat your steamer.
5. When your steamer is hot and you are ready to steam the dhoklas, add in salt and fruit salt and mix gently.
6. Pour the batter into the greased steamer tray.
7. Steam the dhoklas in the steamer for 12 minutes on high flame or until the dhokla is cooked.
8. While the dhoklas are steaming, we will make the temper. Heat oil in a small pan, add in mustard seeds and asafetida powder (hing). When they start crackling, add in the green chilies and curry leaves and sauté. Then, add in water, sugar and salt. Boil for 1 to 2 minutes and switch off the gas. Keep it aside for 10 minutes.
9. Once the temper cools down, strain it into a bowl.
10. Now, slowly spread the temper evenly on the dhoklas,1 tbsp at a time. Make sure that the dhoklas don’t get soggy. Use only as much temper as needed to cover entire dhokla. Keep them aside for 15 minutes.
11. Now, cut the dhoklas into your desired shape. I used a cookie cutter to cut them in round shapes.
Strawberry Chili Compote:
1. In a small pan on medium flame, add in the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, red chili flakes, salt and 2 tbsp water. Bring it to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the strawberries become soft and the liquid starts to thicken.
2. Add in 1/2 tsp corn starch mixed with 2 tsp of water to the compote. Bring it to a boil and turn off the heat. Your Strawberry Chili Compote is ready!
Herbed Yogurt:
1. Mix together all of the ingredients.
Chimichurri Sauce:
1. In a food processor or blender, add in all of the ingredients. Pulse several times, stopping and scraping down the sides frequently, until the mixture is finely minced. Don’t blend it too much as we want some body and texture to the chimichurri. If it gets too dry, add some oil to it slowly, 1/4 tsp at a time. Your Chimichurri Sauce is ready! You can store this in a fridge for up to a week.
Assemble Moong Dal Dhokla Bites:
To serve, warm the dhoklas and then add on the accompaniments and garnishes as you wish! I like to spread on a dollop of one of the sauces (strawberry chili compote, chimichurri sauce or herbed yogurt) and sprinkle on some of the toppings.
Cheese Stuffed Tandoori Olives with Cranberry Sauce
Recipe: https://naturallynidhi.com/cheese-stuffed-tandoori-olives/
Ingredients
Tandoori Olives:
▪ 2 cups green olives
▪ 3 oz parmesan cheese , sliced into small pieces
▪ 2 tbsp all purpose flour
▪ 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
▪ 1/2 cup hung curd or greek yogurt
▪ 1 tsp red chili powder
▪ 1/2 tsp mango powder (amchur)
▪ 1/2 tsp black pepper
▪ 1/2 tsp chaat masala
▪ 1/2 tsp cumin powder
▪ 1/2 tsp oregano
▪ 1/2 tsp rosemary , minced
▪ salt , to taste
▪ 2 tsp mustard oil
▪ 1 tsp thyme
▪ 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
▪ oil , for frying
Cranberry Sauce:
▪ 1 cup cranberries
▪ 1/4 cup orange juice
▪ 1/3 cup sugar
▪ 1 tbsp orange zest
▪ 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
▪ pinch salt
Instructions
Olives:
▪ Stuff the center of your olives with a piece of parmesan cheese. Add in your all purpose flour and toss gently to coat the olives.
▪ In a separate bowl, whisk together ginger garlic paste, yogurt, red chili powder, amchur, black pepper, cumin powder, chaat masala, oregano, rosemary, salt, mustard oil, and thyme.
▪ Add your olives into the yogurt marinade and gently mix to coat them completely.
▪ Individually or in small batches coat your olives in the panko breadcrumbs and fry until nice and golden brown.
▪ Serve these Cheese-Stuffed Tandoori Olives with a festive cranberry sauce and dig in!
Cranberry Sauce:
▪ Combine the orange juice, sugar, orange zest, salt, and cinnamon together in a pan, and bring it to a gentle boil.
▪ Add in the cranberries and boil them until they begin to burst. Keep it on the thinner side as the sauce will thicken later.
Switch off the gas and take it off the stove. Mix well and let it cool down before serving.