Recipe for Nepalese Mita Chawal-Gud: Rice Flour and Palm Sugar Dessert Without Sugar or Mascarpone

If you are looking for a healthy and crispy snack to satisfy light evening hunger, chickpea mathri can be an excellent choice. This article presents a simple homemade recipe for this dish.

When it comes to traditional Indian snacks, people often recall savory and crunchy mathris. Usually, their preparation requires a large amount of high-grade flour and oil. However, these ingredients can be replaced with healthier alternatives. Chickpea mathri is such a wonderful option.

The specialty of this dish is that it does not require deep frying. This mathri, made from oatmeal, poha, and chickpeas, is rich in protein and fiber. It is easy to prepare in an air fryer or oven, and it can be stored for up to a week.

Ingredients for Chickpea Mathri

To make chickpea mathri, you will need the following set of ingredients: half a cup of oatmeal flakes, three-quarters of a cup of poha, one cup of chickpeas soaked and boiled overnight, three to four tablespoons of oil, one teaspoon of chili flakes, one teaspoon of kalonji or black cumin, salt to taste, a pinch of baking soda, and water as needed.

During the festival of Nag Panchami in the month of Sawan, there is a special tradition of offering the deity of snakes foods that it likes. According to religious beliefs, it is very auspicious to present thick rice porridge and hot, fluffy flatbreads as offerings on this sacred day.

However, problems often arise: the flatbreads do not rise properly, they quickly become stale, or they absorb a lot of oil during frying. Additionally, when preparing the porridge, cases may occur where it turns out too runny or burns at the bottom of the pot. If you want to prepare an ideal, creamy porridge and airy, crispy flatbreads for Nag Devata, we present several simple and useful kitchen secrets.

To make the flatbreads, you need to knead a sufficiently dense dough. A soft dough tends to absorb more oil, and the flatbreads will not rise. When kneading the dough, it is recommended to add 1-2 teaspoons of semolina and 1 teaspoon of ghee as a thickening agent. Adding semolina helps the flatbreads remain fluffy and crispy for a long time.

After kneading the dough, it should be covered with a damp cotton cloth and left for 10-15 minutes. When frying the flatbreads, the oil must be very hot. If you place the flatbread in cold or insufficiently hot oil, it will start absorbing fat and will not rise. As soon as the flatbread enters the oil, it needs to be gently pressed with a spoon, and it will immediately rise like a balloon.

The following ingredients are required for this dish: 1 liter of high-quality cream, 1/4 cup of soaked Basmati rice, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom powder, saffron, and finely chopped nuts.

To begin cooking, place the milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan to heat. When the milk boils, add the pre-soaked and lightly crushed rice. Cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes. After the rice and milk become uniform and thicken, stir in the sugar, cardamom powder, saffron, and nuts, and cook for another 2 minutes before turning off the heat.

For the flatbreads, you will need: 2 cups of wheat flour, 2 teaspoons of semolina, 1 teaspoon of ghee, water (as needed), and oil for frying.

Add the semolina and ghee to the flour, then knead a dense dough. After the dough rests for 10 minutes, form small balls. Roll out the flatbreads slightly thicker (too thin flatbreads will not rise). Fry the flatbreads in very hot oil in a pan until golden brown on both sides.

The cities of Delhi and Mumbai are known for their street food, and people in both places greatly enjoy eating Pav Bhaji. However, besides Mumbai and Delhi, the city of Surat in Gujarat also serves Pav Bhaji, which differs from the usual version and has a green color.

If you are tired of Mumbai's Pav Bhaji, you should try the famous Heriali Pav Bhaji from Surat. This dish is made from fresh greens such as spinach, coriander, and mint, and it looks not only delicious but also very striking. Various vegetables, oil, and spices for Pav Bhaji are also included, making its taste even more exceptional. In Surat, it is also called Green Ghotala Pav Bhaji.

Thanks to the large amount of green vegetables, this dish is not unhealthy compared to other types of fast food. Moreover, it can be prepared at home using little oil and maintaining cleanliness. It can be offered to children for breakfast because they are attracted by its bright color.

How to make Heriali Pav Bhaji?

Certain ingredients are required to prepare Heriali Pav Bhaji. After cooking, it is recommended to serve hot Heriali Pav Bhaji with fried buns (pav) smeared with butter. To enhance the flavor, you can sprinkle grated cheese and a little red chili. This green and spicy dish is perfect for an evening snack, a party, or a special weekend dinner.

There is a simple trick to prevent the oil from burning when preparing Heriali Pav Bhaji: be sure to mix the butter with a small amount of vegetable oil. Adding oil helps prevent the quick burning of butter and preserves the rich buttery taste in the bhaji itself.