Rava Kesari Recipe: Traditional South Indian Semolina Sweet Dish

The dish made from large arbi, also known as kanda, is distinguished by its excellent taste. This article presents a simple recipe for preparing Kanda Chokha in the Bihari style, which is perfect to serve with hot rice and dal.

Bihari cuisine is known for its authentic taste and unique style. Among the traditional dishes of the region, chokha holds a special place. Although chokha is usually made from potatoes, eggplant, or tomatoes, it is worth trying chokha made from large arbi (kanda). This dish is also known as Arbi Bharta.

This chokha is prepared by frying arbi with garlic, green chili, and sesame oil, resulting in a very aromatic and spicy flavor. Furthermore, its preparation is quite simple. It pairs excellently with hot rice and dal, as well as roti or paratha.

How to make Kanda Chokha?

To prepare, you will need 500 grams of large arbi (kanda), 1-2 tablespoons of sesame oil, 4-5 cloves of garlic, 2-3 green chilies, salt to taste, 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice or sesame paste, 2 finely chopped onions (optional), and 2 tablespoons of finely chopped coriander.

First, the large arbi must be thoroughly washed and peeled. Then, it needs to be lightly fried over low heat. The arbi can be baked directly on the stove, in a pan, or in an oven. The frying process continues until the outer part of the arbi is nicely browned and the inside is soft.

After the fried arbi has cooled slightly, the skin must be removed. The arbi is placed in a bowl and mashed thoroughly. Finely chopped garlic, onion, green chili, and salt to taste are added to this mixture.

Next, 1-2 tablespoons of sesame oil are added to the mixture and mixed well. Sesame oil gives Kanda Chokha a special flavor. If you prefer a spicier and tangier taste, you can add lemon juice or a little sesame paste. Finally, finely chopped coriander is stirred in and all ingredients are evenly mixed. Your delicious Kanda Chokha is ready.

Kanda Chokha is especially tasty with hot rice, but it can also be served with roti or litti. If you like spicy food, you can increase the amount of green chilies. To change the flavor profile, ground cumin can be added.

If you want to try something more sophisticated and flavorful than ordinary everyday lentils, you can make Punjabi Dal Tadka. This soup is made from chana dal and tur dal, and the addition of grated garlic, cumin, and dried red chilies significantly enhances its taste. Below is a simple instruction on how to prepare this dish at home.

Dal is an integral part of Indian cuisine and is often cooked in most homes. Punjabi Dal Tadka is distinguished by its spicy and aromatic flavor because spices are added to it, and a mixture of garlic, cumin, and dried red chilies is poured over the top. It is served with roti, naan, paratha, or rice. Next is a detailed description of the ingredients and the cooking process.

For the Dal:

1/2 cup chana dal

1/2 cup tur dal

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

For the Gravy:

2 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste

1 finely chopped onion

1 finely chopped tomato

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1/2 cup water from the dal

1/2 teaspoon dried methi

1 finely chopped green chili

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

For the Tadka:

2 tablespoons oil

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

2 whole dried red chilies

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped ginger

1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

2 tablespoons finely chopped green cilantro

To begin, the chana dal and tur dal should be thoroughly washed and soaked separately for about two hours. After that, both dals are placed in a pressure cooker together with turmeric, salt, and water, and cooked until they reach 3-4 whistles, until the dal is completely soft.

Next, heat the oil in a pot and fry the cumin. Then add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for a few seconds. After that, add the finely chopped onion and cook until light golden brown.

When the onion is browned, add the tomatoes, salt, coriander powder, green chili, and garam masala. Mix all the ingredients well and simmer until the tomatoes become soft and the spices are fully cooked. Then add the dried methi and mix.

After this, pour in half a cup of water from the dal and the cooked lentils. Add a little water as needed and cook the dal on low heat for 5-7 minutes so that the spice aromas penetrate well into the dal.

Now proceed to prepare the tadka for the dal. For this, heat the oil in a small pan. Add cumin, finely chopped garlic, ginger, and whole dried red chilies to it, frying until golden brown. Finally, add red chili powder and green cilantro.

Pour the ready tadka over the hot dal. Thus, Punjabi Dal Tadka is ready. It is served with cumin rice, plain roti, tandoori roti, naan, or paratha.

If you are tired of monotonous food like simple dal and roti all week, then this weekend is a good time to prepare something special and aromatic. Regardless of the season or the desire for a special weekend breakfast, crispy khachori with green beans will be an ideal choice.

When the filling of fried beans, seasoned with asafoetida, fennel, green pepper, and other spices, is placed in a crispy semolina shell and fried, its aroma fills the entire house.

Serving these hot, spicy, and juicy khachori with rich potato ragout creates such a delight that it is impossible to stop. Below is a simple way to prepare khachori of restaurant quality.

For the khachori dough:

2 cups semolina (or 1 cup semolina + 1 cup wheat flour)

1/4 cup clarified butter or vegetable oil (for moina)

1/2 teaspoon ajwain

Salt to taste

Cold water (for kneading the dough)

For the bean filling:

1.5 cups green beans (fresh or frozen)

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)

1 teaspoon cumin (jeera)

1 tablespoon fennel (chopped)

1 tablespoon whole coriander (coarsely ground)

1-2 green peppers and 1 inch ginger (grated)

1 tablespoon chickpea flour (besan) (to absorb moisture and enhance flavor)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric and red pepper powder

1 teaspoon amchur powder and garam masala

Salt and black salt to taste

Oil for frying

Preparing the dough: In a bowl, mix the semolina, salt, ajwain, and moina oil. Rub well with your hands until the flour starts to form a lump. Then gradually add cold water and knead a soft and elastic dough. Cover it with a damp cotton cloth and leave it for 20 minutes.

Preparing the filling: Lightly crush the green beans in a blender without adding water to obtain a coarse crumble. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan. Sauté cumin, asafoetida, ground coriander, fennel, ginger, and green pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of chickpea flour and fry on low heat for one minute. Then stir in the crushed beans and all dry spices (turmeric, red pepper, amchur, garam masala, salt), frying for 4-5 minutes until the mixture dries out. Let the filling cool and form small balls.

Shaping the khachori: Take a piece of dough, stretch it at the edges to form a bowl shape. Place a ball of filling in the center and carefully seal the edges, thoroughly enclosing the filling. Press with your fingers to give the item a flat shape.

Frying: Heat the oil in the pan to a low or medium heat (the oil should not be too hot, otherwise the khachori will not become crispy). Place the khachori in and let them float gently. When they start to expand and take on a light golden color, increase the heat to medium and fry on both sides until a crispy and golden crust is achieved.

Serving: The finished, crispy, and hot khachori with green beans should be served with spicy and juicy potato ragout and green paste.