Cholafali Recipe ~ Gujarati Farsan Diwali Special | How to make Chola Fali Step By Step Recipe | Indian Cooking Challenge for September

When it came for the time to decide for this month's Indian Cooking Challenge, I completely got off the trend and forgot that Lataji had given me the recipe, and also a pictorial post for us to know ahead on how to make these Cholafali, a Gujarati Farsan specially made for Diwali. I was happy in selecting this as I wanted something special for Diwali for the readers.

Hope you will enjoy making this snack for this Diwali. We have been interacting on this savory for as long as two months, since Lataji told me about her Gujju friend. I was so happy when she offered to make it ahead so that we can have enough notes to get it right ourselves. I must thank Lataji for doing this snack ahead for us, as I ended up looking at the post during my preparation of this snack.

I did a quick check on the net wanting to check if there were other versions of this interesting snack and quickly landed in Preeti's space, who has a recipe with a different measurement. So I decided we can have two different proportions as a choice.

I ended up buying ready made flour for Urad dal and Moong Dal. But on sieving the flours I realized the Moong dal should have been made from Split yellow dal and not from whole skinned Moong dal, as it had that typical raw smell. Though I am just assuming on this. I adapted from Lataji's version and had asked Amma to help me making this.We went by the instructions to the T, however we felt the dough could have been little more softer in our case as it was extremely hard to pound it. Again I could be wrong on this.

The first time I let it rest for just couple of minutes, though later we realized that it needs about 10 mins of resting. Also the oil was not enough, so we ended up dusting with All purpose flour and rolled out very thin. When the dough was wee bit soft and rested for 10 -15 minutes, we were able to get puffed up cholafali, else it did turn crispy though they didn't puff up. Pounding was done about 10 mins on each ball.

 Ready made flours - Gram flour/ Besan , Urad dal flour, Moong Dal flour.

 Dry roasting the salt in the same pan in which the cholafali will be fried.

 All the flours taken in a bowl along with Salt

 Cooking soda added to the flour

 And everything sieved together.

 Only after getting this we realized it should have been yellow moong dal flour which will not have the skin on.

 Add the ghee

 Crumble everything together.

 Slowly sprinkle water and knead to a stiff dough.

 It was this stiff and cracking. Yet the moong dal had some gluten and it was not exactly that brittle.

 This is after resting it for 10 mints and adding few more drops of water.

Pounding it to your heart's content.

 We were able to get this transparent sheet like dough only after dusting it with little all purpose flour and rolling out.

 This was the second batch that puffed up very well.

 A mix of kali namak / Black salt with chili powder.

 Fried batch from the first slot.

 From the second slot.

 Even though these didn't puff up, they were very crispy and Konda loved it.

Cholafali | Chola Fali

Adapted from Lataji's version of Cholafali

Ingredients Needed:

Gram flour / Besan - 2 cups
Mathia flour - 2 cups  (alternately, mix 1 cup each of powdered urad dhal and powdered moong dhal)
Ghee - 2 tbsps
cooking soda - 1/8th tsp
Salt as per taste
Oil - 4 tbsp
Oil for deep frying

For sprinkling on top:

Red chilli powder - 3 tsps
Black Salt / Kala Namak - 3 tsps


Notes: The salt to be added should be first dry roasted in the pan that you are going to deep fry the cholafali. This way it will not absorb lot of oil during frying. Make sure you don't add too much as you will be sprinkling black salt on the fried snack.

Original recipe says we need to use 4 tbsp for pounding and to grease the surface. We had the need to dust the dough with Maida before rolling out thin sheets. So one will ultimately check out the dough that's formed.

How to Make Cholafali / Chola Fali

In a wide bowl, take all the flours along with the roasted salt and soda. Sieve it together and mix well.

Add the ghee to the flour. Mix well.

Now start adding very little water and knead to a stiff dough. At this stage the recipes says it should be so stiff that you may feel it crack. But I think you can add few more drops of water and knead again.

Rest the dough for 10 - 15 minutes.

Clean a portion of the kitchen floor / counter top for pounding the dough.

Before starting to pound, knead the dough again. Then divide the dough in smaller portions. Using a pestle, beat the dough down on the clean surface adding few drops oil every now and then. Repeat the fold / beat/ grease/ fold operation until the dough feels light and elastic and acquires a lighter shade.

After few times we realized that we had to dust it with all purpose flour and we did it. I am not sure how authentic this step is, but it surely helped us get the rolled out sheet very thin and off the surface.

Repeat with the entire portion of the dough.

Keep this dough covered while you pinch out small balls off it and roll out thin discs.

It is advised to keep the rolled discs also covered to avoid drying by exposure to air. Since we fried in batches, the rolled out pieces were fried right away.

Keep the oil for deep frying on.

Cut out strips off the dough.

Meanwhile, mix the black salt and red chilli powder in a bowl and keep ready.

When the oil is hot, deep fry the strips, few at a time in hot oil.

Depending on how well you have pound and rolled out, the cholafali will puff well. Fry them until they are crisp.

Remove from the oil with a slotted ladle and transfer to a dish.

Check for the crispness and sprinkle the chilli-salt mix on top immediately while the falis are warm.

Serve them as a snack and enjoy!


Notes:

The dough has to be stiff but still pliable. This is got by pounding well.

Beating it down well ensures that the falis puff well.

Make sure you roll out very thin, as thick strips will tend to become soggy.

Do not add more than the required amount of oil. Else it will end up being very oily. To make sure you are able to handle it well, you can dust it with little flour.

Preeti's version of Cholafali

Ingredients

Besan / Chana dal flour / Gram Flour - 1 cup
Urad dal flour - 1/2 cup
Oil - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Cooking soda - a pinch
Normal salt & Black salt to taste

How to make cholafali

Boil 1/2 cup of water and add oil, salt and soda into it.

Take the flours in a bowl, when water gets warm, slowly add to the flour and knead a dough. Keep aside for 15 minutes.

Make small balls of dough and roll out very thin rotis of it.

Cut it into thin strips. Deep fry in oil on medium flame.

Sprinkle red chilli powder and black salt on it. Store it in a airtight container.

Serve it with mint chutney.

Even though in between the process we felt we got struck with the recipe, we managed to get it done very well. I mostly think of making half the measurement that's given. This was the first time I felt I should make the entire measurement given, knowing and seeing how well it had been in Lataji's pictures. Anyway I was so happy that Konda loved this so much that she has been taking this for her snacks daily.

Everybody at home, knows that I am into my ICC experiments when I make such elaborate preparations. They were curious to know which state I was doing this time. There was even expressions that said why should I want to try such hard and unknown dishes. Well I guess after tasting such a tasty dish, I am sure they will not complain again.

Plus even though we got so much of it, it's completed now. This is surely something that you must try. Though I know this needs practice over years. 

To all my ICC members, please link your Cholafali post to Mr. Linky.

Gujarati Dal from Sukham Ayu | Indian Cooking Challenge for January | How to make Gujarati Dal Step By Step Recipe!

I was really very late in choosing a recipe for this month's Indian Cooking Challenge. I almost thought I will give a month's break when I happen to talk to Pratibha. Over our conversation when she happened to ask about Indian Cooking Challenge, it struck me that I could choose a recipe from their book. When I asked her for a simple yet an authentic dish from their book, Pratibha was most generous to share this Guajarati Dal from their Award Winning book, Sukham Ayu - a vegetarian cookbook of easy & healthy recipes. This is a dish that Jigyasa remembers from her childhood days and one that evokes wonderful memories.

I was immediately all for it and asked her to send me the recipe details right away. I could sense the excitement from all the members when I had announced this challenge. Apart from this I also had another exciting news on hand, which I said will be shared today

I am so excited to share that Pratibha and Jigyasa are happy to gift a copy of Sukham Ayu to One lucky dip Winner.

Once all the members post this challenge on their blogs, the authors will check the participating blogger and select one by doing a Lucky dip. I will be announcing the winners once this is done. The book will be shipped to the winner. I will contact the winner through email for their mailing address.

Disclaimer: I have not received any compensation in doing this review. I have only received an electronic copy of the recipe and all copyright lies with Jigyasa Giri & Pratibha Jain, Authors of Sukham Ayu. The recipe is reproduced here, though in my own words,  with the Authors permission.

Coming to the recipe, as expected I waited for the last weekend to try out this recipe but wanted to remain true to the ingredients and went in search to get those items that I didn't have. Like the recipe called for Kokum, Dried Dates and yam etc. I have never cooked with Yam till now and I thought I should really take this opportunity to try it out. I couldn't find Kokum but got Yam and dried dates.

I followed the recipe to T other than changing some measurements

Step by Step to make Gujarati Dal

Pressure cook the toor dal with turmeric and few drops of oil

Churn it with a lentil masher

Soak the Dried Dates in hot water for 10 mins

Remove the seeds and halve them. You can use the water that it was soaked it.

Chop the Drumsticks, Yam, have the Jaggary, Green Chilies, Ginger ready.

Add all this to the cooked dal along with water.

Then add Coriander and Cumin powder.

Next goes the raw groundnut into the dal.

Ingredients for the tempering

Dhal cooking in the final stage.

GUJARATI  DAL
Source : Sukham Ayu, (reproduced here with Authors permission)

For cooking the dal

Split red gram / Toor Dal - 3/4 cup
Turmeric powder ½ tsp
Few drops of oil

For making Gujarati Dal:

Dry soft kokam - 4-5 pieces / Tamarind pulp - 2 tbsp ( I used Tamarind pulp)
Jaggery  - 1 tsp
Hard dry dates, halved   - 4 (opt)
Drumstick - 2
Yam  - 4-5 pieces, 1 inch cubes
Raw Groundnuts - 1 tbsp
Green chillies, slit - 4
Ginger, grated -  1 inch piece
Coriander powder  - 1 tsp
Roasted Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves to garnish
Salt to taste

For tempering:

Ghee  - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds  - 1/2 tsp
Dry red chillies - 2 long
Asafoetida powder a pinch
Curry leaves 5-6


Method to prepare:

For cooking the dal:

Wash the Toor dal and take it in a pressure cooker, add enough water to cover the lentils, add turmeric powder and oil. Pressure cook for 4 -5 whistles or till the dal is well cooked. Once the pressure falls, churn the dal well.

For making the dal.

Soak the dried dates in hot water for 10 mins.

Since I felt I might not be able to cook this dal for long as it is expected too, I pressure cooked it for 1 whistle for the drumstick, dates, yam to get cooked.

So remove the lid, add all the other ingredients (except garam masala, coriander leaves and tempering). Add 1 cup of water and simmer for another 15 mins, stirring occasionally.  At this stage I felt that I might not have enough time to cook for that long so I pressure cooked and them simmered.

For doing the tempering:

Heat a pan with ghee, add mustard. When it splutters add fenugreek seeds, cumin, red chilies, asafoetida and curry leaves

Pour this tempering into the simmering dal. Continue to boil for another 5 mins. Remove from stove, garnish with garam masala and fresh coriander leaves. 

Serve this with Rice or Roti

Notes:

When I started with boiling the dal with all the ingredients, I felt the dal might be too thin. But it was quite thick and creamy when I finished cooking. On hind sight I need not have pressure cooked the dal with all the ingredients as I ended up cooking for a while. Anyways I was happy the dal turned out so well.

All the vegetarians at home really enjoyed and kids will love to eat this with rice. Though we normally add raw groundnuts to dishes like pulusu which is mostly without dals, adding this to a dal was really so wonderful.

I loved munching on those dried dates and will surely look out to get my hands on Kokam to make this dal again with it.


To all my ICC members, please link your Gujarati Dal post to Mr. Linky.

Check out the 25 bloggers running the next 7 days for the Blogging Marathon!

Azeema, Bhagi, Champa, Gayathri Anand, Gayathri Kumar, Harini, Jay, Kamalika, Meena, Mina, Padma, Pavani,  PJ, Priya Mahadevan, Priya Suresh, Rujuta, Santosh, Saraswathi, Savitha, Shanavi, Smitha, Sowmya, Suma, Usha, Veena 

Khandvi ~ A tempting Snack from Gujarat | | Indian Cooking Challenge for December | How to make Khandvi Step By Step Recipe!

For Indian Cooking Challenge this month we are going to travel to Gujarat to taste another specialty dish from its fold, the Khandvi!. I remember being enchanted with Khandvi! It has been since the days of those initial days of hosting Microwave Easy Cooking Event, when I got this entry. I was mesmerized with the look and how appealing it was all to see. Then came the Dhoklas which again tempts one as nothing else does.

I was very keen on attempting at Khandvi for a long time. But every month somehow it gets missed. This time I again asked Lataji to get me a dish and she promptly presented me with two recipes for Khandvi, one that her friend shared it with her and another one from Anupama Krishnamurthy of Mitho Limdo.

As always I am giving both the recipes, though I referred Lataji's .

Recipe 1
Source : Lataji's Khandvi
Yields - 18 pieces

Ingredients Needed:

Gram flour / Besan - 1/3 cup (heaped)
Curds / Yogurt - 1/3 cup slightly sour, beaten
Water - 1 cup
Salt as per taste
Sugar - 1 tsp (opt)
Ginger Green Chilli paste - 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Asafetida / Hing - 1/4 tsp
Cooking Oil - 3 tbsp

For tempering

Cooking Oil  - 2 tsps
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Sesame seeds 2 tsps

For Garnishing:

Grated Coconut - 2 tbsps
Fresh Coriander Leaves, chopped -  2 tbsps

Method to prepare:

Keep a thali or a flat plate well greased ready before proceeding to cook.

In a bowl, take the gram flour, salt, ginger-chilli paste, beaten curds and water and mix well.

The batter should be of smooth thin batter, free of lumps.

Add the sugar, asafetida and turmeric powders also at this stage.

Heat oil in a thick bottom pan and add the prepared batter.

Cook the batter, stirring continuously until well cooked.

You can know it is cooked with the batter turns a light brown tinge, glaze from the oil and will not stick to the walls of the pan.

The batter should still be in a semi liquid state, tipping more towards solid state.

Over cooking will result in a mass that will not spread evenly.

Transfer the cooked batter quickly on to the flat greased plate and with the ladle spread the batter to a thin sheet over the surface.

This has to be done very fast as the batter will thicken as it cools and become difficult to spread.

Using a knife make strips of this sheet. Roll each strip into spirals.
Place them in a separate dish.

If the batter has been cooked evenly and correctly, the strips will easily roll and not crack in the middle.

Heat another pan with oil, Splutter mustard and sesame seeds. When they crackle pour them over the rolled khandvis.

Garnish with a generous sprinkling of fresh, grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves.

Lataji's Notes:
Some recipes suggest more of curds but Lataji's friend used only equal quantity to the gram flour

When the batter is almost ready to be spread, it might coagulates in tiny masses.
Allow this to cool just about manageably warm. Too much cooling will thicken the mass and render it become unable to roll.

Recipe 2 

Source : From Anupama Krishnamurthy's Mitho Limdo

Anupama explains that making Khandvi involves 5 steps - Mixing, cooking, spreading, rolling and Tempering (vaghar).

She advises to have a clean and dry surface to spread the batter ready before we even attempt at making. Kitchen counter with granite will work perfectly, or else you can use a greased thali plate.

Makes - 30 rolls in 35 mins

Method to prepare:

For the batter:

Besan / Gram flour - 1 cup
Salt as per taste
Turmeric ¼ tsp
1 cup water + 2 cups sour buttermilk OR 1.5 cups sour yoghurt/dahi +
Water - 1.5 cups
Oil - 1 tbsp
Red chili powder - 1/4 tsp
1 green chili + ½ inch of grated ginger; both made into a very fine paste

For Tempering

Oil - 3 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 2 tsp
Asafetida / Hing - 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder - ½ tsp
Sesame seeds - 1 tsp

For garnish

Coconut, grated or dry coconut powder  - 1.5 table spoon
Finely chopped Coriander - 2 table spoons

Please refer Anumpa's notes for the method.

Step By Step to Make Khandvi

Take 1/3 cup of the besan

Add ginger and green chili paste

Add turmeric powder and curds

Add abt 3/4 cup of water and mix well.

 Beat till you get a liquid like this.

 Heat a non stick pan with oil

 On a medium flame, pour the batter to the pan.

 Constantly keep stirring.

 Till you get this glaze look on the top

Keep a big plate greased with oil ready, pour the batter over it.

Using a greased ladle immediately spread it evenly.

Allow it to cool for 5 minutes, before making marks with knife vetically like above.

From one side, roll forward.

 Continue rolling till you get roll like this.

In another pan heat oil, splutter mustard, sesame seeds, pour over the rolls. Finally add the grated coconut, coriander leaves.

To all my ICC members, please link your Khandvi post to Mr. Linky.



Check out my Blogging Marathon buddies in action! Priya Suresh, Jay, Monika, PJ, Priya Vaasu, Azeema, Reva, Ayeesha, Veena & Soumya.