Recipes by Arpana Bhawania
Millets are nutritious and tasty. At my restaurants, Arpana’s Chai Nashta, Margosa Spice and Trooft, I have introduced many dishes with healthy alternatives like almond milk and millets.
BAJRA METHI CHILLA
Bajra Methi chilla
Ingredients
• 1 cup pearl millets flour (Bajra atta)
• 1 cup fenugreek (methi)
• Half inch ginger
• 8-10 garlic pods
• 4-5 green chillies
• A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
*Curd
• Salt to taste
• Oil
• 1 tea spoon sesame seeds
• 1 tea spoon eno
Method
• In a bowl, combine bajra flour, methi leaves, ( dahi), grated ginger and garlic, turmeric powder, green chillies, hing, sesame seeds and salt.
• Mix and gradually add water to make a batter. The batter should not be too thin. The consistency should be such that it can drop from the spatula, and you can easily spread it with a ladle.
• Cover the batter and let it rest for about 15-20 minutes.
• Add eno to the batter just before making the chillas. Mix well. Do not keep the batter for long after adding eno.
• Heat a non-stick tawa (flat pan) – medium heat. Spread about a teaspoon of oil on the tawa. . Pour a spoonful of batter and spread the batter gently with the back of ladle. Do not make it too thin.
• Once the top cooks a bit, spread oil on it, reduce the flame, and cook till the top portion begins to look completely cooked.
• Now flip it over, press gently, and cook the other side. Cook till both sides of the chilla (flat bread) turn golden brown.
• Serve hot with green chutney.
Stuffed Ragi Idli
Ingredients
1 cup semolina (rawa)
1 cup finger millet flour (ragi atta)
Salt to taste
1 cup curd
1 cup water (add as required)
¼ tsp baking soda/cooking soda
250 gms potato
Curry leaves
2-3 Green Chillies
Method
• Dry roast the rava on medium flame for 2-3 minutes.
• Cool completely before you begin to make the idli.
• Transfer the dry roasted rava to a large mixing bowl.
• Add ragi flour, salt and curd to the mixture.
• Add water as required, depending on the curd consistency.
• Mix well and allow to soak for 30 minutes.
• While soaking, prepare the stuffing, mash boiled potatoes
• Add a pinch of hing, salt as per taste, half teaspoon turmeric (hald)i, half teaspoon red chilli powder, finely chopped green chilli and coriander, and curry leaves
• Mix all the stuffing properly and make small tikkis
• After 30 minutes, mix well and add water if required to get the required consistency.
• Just before steaming add a pinch of baking soda, and mix well till it turns frothy.
• Brush the plates with oil and pour the batter immediately into the idli plate.
• Add the potato tikki over the batter, and cover the tikki with some more batter.
• Steam the idli for 8-10 mins on medium flame.
• Allow it to rest for 5 mins then unmould.
• Serve hot with coconut chutney and sambar.
Note:
• We can also temper the idlis with a tadka of mustard (rai), curry leaves, green chillies, onion and tomato. This makes it very tasty.
Ragi Methi Khasta Kachori
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Ragi atta (finger millet flour)
- ½ cup wheat flour
- 1/3rd cup, makai atta (corn)
- 1 cup fenugreek methi (Chopped)
- 1 teaspoon Chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon Ajwain seeds
- 1/3rd Teaspoon haldi (turmeric)
- 3/4th teaspoon oil
- Salt as per taste
- 1 pinch hing
- Oil to fry
Method:
- In a bowl, mix the three flours and add chopped methi
- Add chilli flakes, ajwain, salt as per taste ,turmeric powder and hing
- Mix 1 tbsp oil , gradually add water to make a dough
- Dough should be a bit thick . Cut into small dough balls to make kachoris
- Heat oil in the pan at medium heat, it should not get overheated.
- Add kachori and cook it till the color becomes light pink
- Serve with aloo ki sabzi and green and sweet chutney
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Arpana Bhawania is an entrepreneur who owns three restaurants and a boutique.
