Spinach Dhokla ~ Healthy & Savory Steamed Indian Cake

Having a good homemade breakfast made with fresh ingredients is a key to achieve healthy body. Before I used to rely on cereals and white breads smothered with nutella for my quick breakfasts but now no more of that junk to start my day. Instead I prefer healthy breakfast with does take some time and effort to prepare,  but my body is loving this change. I am mostly full till lunch so no more mid morning binge eating, my digestive system is back on track, I feel energetic and the most important thing...I am loosing weight :) 

Including green vegetables in the breakfast is the best way to add fiber in the diet. And weekly three to four times I include greens in some form or the other... green chutney...or a simple stir fry with rotis is the easiest way to sneak some greens into the body. But occasionally I make this Spinach Dhokla for a change. Dhoklas being steamed are very healthy and light on the stomach. And as gram flour ( besan ) is the main ingredient it makes a wonderful gluten free option as well. Have it with a spicy coconut chutney to kick start the day. 

Ingredients:

Gram Flour (Besan) - 1 Cup

Spinach Puree - 1 Cup

Curd - 1/4 Cup ( Well Beaten )

Water - 1/4 Cup or Less

Ginger - 1 Inch Piece

Green Chillies - 2 or 3

Oil - 2 Tbsp

Lemon Juice - 1 Tbsp

Sugar - 1 Tbsp

Salt - To Taste

Fruit Salt - 1 Tsp

For Tempering:

Oil - 2 Tbsp

Mustard - 1 Tsp

Sesame Seeds - 2 Tsp

Curry Leaves - 2 Sprigs ( Optional )

Asafoetida - A Generous Pinch

Water - 3 Tbsp

Procedure :

• Make puree of spinach by blanching the leaves along with stalks and grind it fine in a mixer along with ginger and green chilies . Puree should be around 1 cup. I used a medium sized spinach bunch. Do not throw away the stalks as they add more fiber.
• In a wide bowl take gram flour and add spinach puree, curd and oil. Mix well. Add water according to requirement. The batter should be of dropping consistency, neither too thin nor too thick.
• Now add in salt, sugar and lemon juice and mix well so that there are no lumps in the batter.
• Let the batter sit for around 15 minutes. Meanwhile grease a steamer plate and keep ready. 
• I steam the batter in my rice cooker. But any kind of steamer will work fine. Even a pressure cooker without putting whistle can be used.
• Now add fruit salt ( Eno ) in the batter and mix well once without much beating. Immediately pour the batter in the greased plate and keep it for steaming. 
• Steam on high in the steamer for around 15-20 minutes, check by inserting a knife in the middle of the cake. If the knife comes out clean the dhokla is ready...else steam further for 5 minutes.
• Take out the plate from the steamer and let it cool for 10 minutes before inverting the dhokla onto another plate.
• Prepare tempering by heating oil in a frying pan. Add asafoetida and mustard, once mustard starts crackling add in sesame seeds and curry leaves. Take out pan from the fire and carefully add water in the tempering. The oil will start spluttering so being careful is important. Adding water is necessary as it helps in keeping the dhokla soft and moist.
• Spread this tempering on top of the dhokla and cut the dhokla into square pieces.

Vegetable Barley Soup

I have grown up with a love hate relationship with soups. My mother never made soups for us at home...basically the whole concept of soups was very alien to her. Being a Tamilian and growing up in Kerala she never had exposure to any international cuisines. The only soup made at her house was good old rasam. So we were denied the pleasure of sipping warm soups.

 I grew up in a small town in M.P and had only North Indian friends who used to boast about tomato and sweet corn soups made by their mothers. And so my tastebuds so much more wanted to be soaked in the sourness of tomato soups and sweetness of sweet corn soups. Then finally that day came when my mom did make soup...the first ever soup of my life..tomato soup. I liked that but did not love it. Felt that something is missing, but never complained.

Then one day we went to a newly opened restaurant, I ordered sweet and sour soup. When I tasted it I got the shock of my life, it was bad...really BAD. Wasted the whole bowl and my soup tastebuds went dormant for a while.

After coming to Dubai I dined in finest of restaurants and loved the variety of soups in the menu. But it's only very recently that I started to make soups at home and am loving it. With the winters slowly creeping in a bowl of warm soups with some roasted papad is all what I need for my dinner.

Ingredients:

Pearl Barley - 1/4 Cup ( Soaked for 7-8 hours )

Tomato - 1 ( Blanch, peel the skin and chop finely )

Carrots - 3 tbsp finely chopped

Green Peas - 2 tbsp

Onion- 1 medium sized 

Ginger- 1/2 inch piece 

Garlic- 2 cloves 

Green Chilies- 2

Coriander- Chopped for garnishing

Salt- As required

Pav Bhaji Masala- 1 tsp (Optional )

White Pepper Powder- 1/4 tsp 

Olive Oil- 1tbsp

Procedure:

• Clean the soaked barley two,three times in fresh water. 
• Boil the barley in around 3 cups of water till it gets cooked well. Strain the barley but do not discard the water. We will use it as stock for the soup.
• I used my chopper to chop onion, ginger, garlic and green chilies together. Heat oil in a wok and add these chopped veggies. Slightly fry these till raw aroma fades, no need to brown the veggies.
• Now add in chopped tomatoes, carrots, green peas and fry these till all the vegetables get tender. 
• Add salt and pav bhaji masala. Mix everything and add in the boiled barley. 
• Add the barley stock and required amount of water. Boil the soup for 3-4 minutes. Add in white pepper powder. Take out the soup from the heat..
• Garnish with chopped coriander. Serve the soup warm. 

Sending this to Priya's Fast & Quick Healthy Dishes Event hosted by Life With Spices.