Gola Bhaat With Kadhi - Varhadi Thali#SundayFunday

This is the specialty of Vidharbha, which is the north-eastern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra, I learnt this ‘Gola Bhaat’ from my husband's aunty, who's a fantastic cook. It's a slightly lengthy process but worth the effort, to enjoy something different. 

This is a gluten free meal. If you don't want to enjoy it with kadhi then even vegan's can enjoy this meal. My daughter enjoyed this minus the kadhi.
In the gola/balls adding yogurt is optional, but, adding it gives a softer gola /balls. 
1 Cup Measurement = 250 ML
Serves 3
Ingredients

For The Gola / Balls / Dumplings
1 Cup Coarsely Ground Besan/Gram Flour
1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves
1 Teaspoon Coriander powder
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin powder
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
¼ Teaspoon Ajwain Seeds
½ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 Teaspoon Red Chilly Powder
1 Tablespoon Heaped Roasted & Coarsely Powdered Peanuts
1 Tablespoon Heaped Roasted Dry Coconut
A Pinch Asafoetida
1 Tablespoon Yogurt - optional
2 Tablespoons Heaped Oil
4 Curry Leaves - finely chopped

For The Rice/Bhaat
1 Cup Rice - I used Wada Kolam
2½ - 2¾ Cup Water
½ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 Teaspoon Salt or to taste
A Pinch Asafoetida
1 Tablespoon Lemon juice
For the Tadka
2 Tablespoon Heaped Oil
½ Teaspoon Mustard seeds
3 Cloves Garlic - slit
2 Dried Red Chillies
A Sprig Curry Leaves

For The Kadhi
½ Cup Yogurt - slightly sour
Water as required
1 Teaspoon Heaped Besan/Gram Four
1½ Tablespoon Heaped Oil
½ Teaspoon Mustard seeds
5 Grains Fenugreek Seeds
2 Cloves Garlic - finely chopped
¼ Teaspoon chopped Ginger
1 Sprig Curry Leaves
2 Green Chillies - slit
¼ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
A Pinch Asafoetida
Method
For The Gola / Balls / Dumplings

In a large bowl, mix together the besan and all the given dry ingredients well, add yogurt and oil and mix well with your hand. Now knead to make a slightly stiff dough, add more oil if necessary a teaspoon at a time( do not add water to make the dough, it will make the duplings/gola's hard. Add oil since this will make the dumplings/gola's soft). 

Cover the dough with a damp cloth and keep aside for 10 - 15 minutes. 

Then make small marble size gola's/dumplings from the dough. In the meantime lets start with the rice.   

For The Gola Bhaat

Wash the rice well and soak it for 20 minutes. After the soaking time drain all the water. 

In a mud handi/trezal , add 2½ cups water, salt, turmeric powder, lemon juice, asafoetida and the rice.
Bring this water to a rolling boil, lightly stirring it, when it comes to a boil add oil, again lightly stir it. Reduce the flame to medium high and let the rice cook till 50% done only or till it water is just a little above the rice. 

Now arrange all the gola/dumplings, lightly press them with a spatula . Cover with a lid add ½ cup water on the lid and let this cook on medium low flame till the rice is fully done , yet each grain should be separated. Open the lid every 2 minutes and lightly stir it with a spatula. 

The Gola Bhaat is done... 

When the rice is cooked keep it covered till we make the Kadhi to enjoy with it.
For the Tadka

Heat oil in a tadka pan, add mustard seeds when they crackle add the garlic, when the garlic changes color add the dried red chillies, stir it lightly , switch of the flame add the curry leaves. 

Pour this over the rice and we are ready to serve. 
To Make the Kadhi

Whisk the yogurt well in a large bowl. Add the besan and whisk it well so that no lumps are formed.
Add 1¼ cup water and whisk it again ,salt to taste, turmeric powder.
Heat oil in large pot/kadai, add the mustard seeds , when the crackle, add the fenugreek seeds, when they start to brown add the chopped ginger, garlic and asafoetida, sauté till it starts to change color, add the curry leaves, slit green chillies, turmeric, fry for a minute. Take this off the flame and add the yogurt besan mixture, whisk it well. Place this back on the flame and on medium high keep whisking continuously till it comes to a rolling boil, reduce the flame to medium low, let it simmer till it thicken a little for about 15 to 20 minutes. 

Add coriander leaves and it's ready to serve. 

Serve this with papad, pickle and salad. When you eating mash the gola/dumplings lightly and mix it with the rice, pour the kadhi. 

Enjoy... Nagpur Varhadi Thali!! 
My Notes
If the yogurt is not slightly sour add a teaspoon of lemon juice, whisk it nicely check for sourness or add more. 
Labels: Nagpur, Maharastrian Cuisine, Rice, Kadhi, Yogurt, Besan, Main course, Thali, Sunday Funday, Vegetarian, Gluten free, Vegan, Pulao, Dumplings

For Sunday Funday our theme is "Yogurt".    

• Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken Thighs by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Dahi Kachumber (with Yogurt) by Palatable Pastime
• 2 Ingredients Mango Yogurt Smoothie by Cook with Renu
• Gola Bhaat With Kadhi - Varhadi Thali by Sneha’s Recipe
• Lemon Yogurt Cake, Eggless by Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Creamy Avocado Yogurt Dip by Food Lust People Love
• Strawberries with Minted Yogurt by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Potato & Radish Dahi Kadhi#Soupswappers

This Potato & Radish Dahi Kadhi/Aloo Mooli Kadhi is potato and radish sticks in yogurt without onion/garlic. Make radish sticks along with potato and no one will know what they are eating. This is an interesting way to put such veggies into ones diet. The radish has a pungent taste when once it is incorporate in the kadhi which is on a thinner side like a shorba, the smell and pungent taste vanishes. It taste great, it's rich and delicious and this served only with steamed rice. 

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Heaped Besan/Gram flour 

2 Cups Thick Slightly Sour Yogurt
1 Large White Radish
1 Medium Potato
1 Teaspoon Salt  or to taste1 Teaspoon Sugar  

2 Green chilies
1 Inch Piece Ginger
1 Stick Cinnamon
3 Cloves 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin seeds 

1/2 Teaspoon Mustard seeds

4 Grains of Fenugreek seeds
A Pinch Asafoetida
A Sprig Curry leaves
3 Button Red Chilies
1 Tablespoon Ghee 

1 Tablespoon Oil

Method

Coarsely grind the green chilies and ginger.

Peel potatoes and radish. Cut into similar-sized thick sticks. Keep them immersed into water to prevent discoloration.

In a mixer jar add the besan, a cup of water. Blend it well, making sure no lumps remain, add the coarsely ground ginger and green chillies to this and and run it for a minute.

Whisk sour yogurt with 3 - 4 cups of water, salt and sugar, keep aside.

In a kadai/large, heat oil and ghee, add the cumin, mustard and fenugreek seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves. When they crackle, add red chilies, asafoetida powder and curry leaves. Stir and add potato and radish sticks, sauté potato and radish sticks for a minutes on high heat, then reduce the heat to low and cover it for 2 - 3 minutes till the radish and potato turns light golden. Add the besan mixture and stir well it comes to a rolling boil. Reduce the flame to low, cover and let is cook till oil surfaces and the it thickens and till the rawness leaves the besan. Stir regularly while the besan cooks. 

Take the pan off the heat. Mix the yogurt and keep stirring continuously till the yogurt is completely incorporated. Keep it back on high flame and stir continuously till it comes to a rolling boil. Reduce the flame to low and let it simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or till the kadhi reduces to half the quantity. Keep stirring in between to make sure it does not burn at the bottom of the kadai. 

When done serve this with steaming hot rice, pickle, a delicious and comforting meal.

I love to drink this, take a bowl full...slurp & Enjoy!!  

Labels : Soup, Soup Swappers, Kadhi, Potato, Vegetarian, Main course, Yogurt, Radish, Healthy, Gluten free, No Onion No Garlic

November 2020 event for Soup Swapper's this month our host is  Camilla Mann  from http://culinary-adventures-with-cam.blogspot.co, and the theme is Let's showcase a soup made with roots! 

• Autumn Soup with Freshly Dug Potatoes and Prawns by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Carrot and Ginger Soup by Magical Ingredients
• Colombian Chicken and Potato Soup (Ajiaco) by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Creamy French Red Lentil Soup with Ham Stock by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Danish Potato Soup by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Potato & Radish Dahi Kadhi by Sneha's Recipe
• Puree of Celery Root Soup by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Russian Ragu Iz Ovoshej by Pandemonium Noshery
• Sausage, Potato and Sauerkraut Soup by Palatable Pastime
• Savory Root Vegetable Soup by Making Miracles

Gujarati Kadhi with Steamed Rice- A Traditional Gujarati Cuisine

Gujarati Kadhi is one of the most famous recipes of Gujarati cuisine. This kadhi requires patience. The kadhi only tastes good when  it's kept simmering over low flame for at least 20 or 25 minutes, so as to let all the flavors seep, set in, just stirring in between is required. My daughter loves this kadhi because of the sweet and mild sourness. She relishes it with steamed rice.

Ingredients
500 Ml Butter milk - slightly sour
2 Tablespoons Chickpea flour / Besan
3 Green Chillies - slit
1/2 teaspoon Ginger - chopped finely
1 Tablespoon Sugar
Salt to taste

For Tempering / Tadka
1 Tablespoon Ghee
1/4 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1/4 Teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
1/4 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
2 Cloves
1 Cinnamon stick
4 Peppercorns
2 Bay Leaves
2 Dry Red Chillies
7-8 Curry Leaves
1 Tablespoon Coriander Leaves - chopped

Method

Blend buttermilk and chickpea flour until smooth using hand blender. Make sure that there are no lumps in the mixture.

Transfer prepared mixture to a medium size deep pan and bring it to boil over medium flame.

Add green chilly, ginger,  sugar and salt to taste. Stir to mix well and cook on low flame for approx 10 to 15 minutes. It should be runny. If required add 1/2 cup more water.

Meanwhile, prepare the tempering. Heating ghee in a small tempering pan. Add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds, when they start to crackle, add cinnamon, cloves, cumin seeds, dry red chilli and curry leaves; sauté for 30-40 seconds on low flame.

Take tempering pan away from flame and pour tempering over kadhi.  Stir well.  After adding tempering, let it boil for 15 minutes, keep stirring after every few minutes. Turn off flame and garnish it with finely chopped coriander leaves. 

Traditionally it is served with steamed rice or khichdi. This can also be served it with pulao.  Here I, have served it with Steamed Rice, Masala Papad, Sitaphal Basundi, Baked Cheesy Capsicum, Fried Stuffed Chillies ( store bought), Slices of Cucumber and pickle.

For the Masala Papad
Ingredients

Large Papad  - as required
1 Onion - finely chopped
1 Tomato - de - seeded, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Coriander leaves - finely chopped
1/4 Teaspoon Chat Masala
Red Chilly powder and salt to taste

Method

Roast one large papad in the microwave for 2 minutes. One minute on each side.  Mix together  onion, tomato, coriander leaves, chat masala, red chilly powder  and salt.  Spread this on the roasted papad when serving or else the papad will become soggy. 

For the Steamed Rice
Ingredients

2 Cups Rice
8 - 10 Cups Water 
1 Teaspoon Salt

Method

Wash the rice and keep aside

In a large vessel, bring the water to a boil, add salt and rice, lightly stir it.  Let it boil on medium low flame till done. When cooked, Strain the rice in a colander to remove all the excess water and serve hot.

My Notes:

Kadhi prepared with this recipe is white. If you would like to have it a yellow, then add a pinch turmeric powder.

This is Week 2 - Day 6 of the Marathon theme Indian States. 

Labels: Gujarat, Main course, Vegetables, Complete Meal, Blogging Marathon, Kadhi, Soup, Vegetarian

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 56

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