Bhareli Dungli / Bharva Pyaaz / Stuffed Onions

Bhareli dungli / Stuffed onions are a delicious side which pairs well with traditional Gujarati meals. The onions stuffed with besan are slow cooked to make the onions soft and sweet and the besan adds a crunch outside. One of my favorite combinations is baingan bharta with khichdi, bajri rotlas, yogurt and these onions. They also taste good with some moong daal and rotis.

Ingredients:

12 small onions, about an inch in diameter

1 cup besan, split yellow chickpea flour

1 1/2  teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin coriander powder (dhania-jeera)

1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

Salt

Clean and peel the onions. Make a slit on the top of the onion, make another slit perpendicular to it on the opposite side.

Mix the besan with the spices, salt and sugar and one tablespoon of oil. Mix well. Taste and adjust for salt and spices as well.

Fill as much of the besan mixture into the slits without splitting the onions. There may be some extra besan, save it.

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add the remaining oil. Add the cumin seeds next and when they begin to crackle, add the onions. Cook on low heat on the top till it becomes golden and then cook on the other side. Do not stir or shake the onions too much, it will cause the layers to peel. When the onions are almost cooked, add any remaining flour and cook till it is cooked and browns a little. 

Serve hot!

Greek Style Zucchini Fritters with a Mint dip

I have been a fan of Kevin's blog for a long time. While I am a long way from the Bahn mi burger or the Okonomiyaki, these fritters were right up my alley. I had some fresh zucchini (for which I paid a bomb here in Nagpur) and feta in the fridge and the resultant combo was yum. I added a green chili for some additional spice to the recipe.

Fritters:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups freshly grated zucchini

1/3 cup chopped coriander

4-5 leaves mint chopped fine

1 1/2 tablespoons crumbled feta

1 small onion (or spring onion), finely diced

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 green chili, finely diced

Oil as needed 

Salt

Black Pepper

Mix all the ingredients except the oil. The moisture from the zucchini will provide binding, if not add a little additional water to form the batter. Heat a non-stick pan and add a teaspoon of oil to it. Form small patties and fry till golden brown. Flip and cook the other side. It should take about 5- 6 minutes per fritter. 

Serve hot with the mint dip. 

Mint dip:

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup greek yogurt (or regular yogurt strained to remove some of the water)

3-4 mint leaves, finely chopped

Salt 

Black pepper

Mix all the ingredients together and serve immediately. 

Barbeque Vegetable Burgers with Coleslaw

I am a big fan of barbeque flavor. I can have it sandwiches, pizza and burgers. Burgers are a favorite too and are made whenever we miss US a little bit more than usual. I have been wanting to post these burgers for a long time. Its a tasty and moist vegetable patty with some barbequed onions and peppers and some creamy coleslaw all encased in a fluffy bun. In India you get some delicious eggless spiced mayonnaise's too. You can use a burger mayo with cabbage as well instead of the coleslaw. Be sure to wash the vegetables properly. Peel the beets and carrots before grating them. Portions below make 12 burgers.

Ingredients:

12 burger buns
3 tomatoes sliced thin
12 cheese slices

For the patty:

1 cup grated beetroot
1 cup grated carrot
4 large potatoes (about 4 cups of mashed potatoes)
1 + 2 tablespoons oil
1 medium onion
1 inch knob of ginger
2 teaspoons chili paste
2 tablespoon chopped jalapenos (for a tangy spicy kick)
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
Salt
Black pepper

For the topping:

2 large onions, sliced
2 large green peppers, julienned
1/2 cup barbeque sauce (or more if you like)
1 tablespoon oil
Salt
Black Pepper

Coleslaw:

4 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon chili sauce (for added heat)
Salt

Heat a thick bottomed and add a tablespoon of oil. Add the onions and peppers and cook them on low heat till the cook down completely, about 10-15 minutes and then add the salt pepper and barbeque sauce. 
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for the coleslaw. Keep it refrigerated till you are ready to use it.  

To make the patty:

Boil the thoroughly washed potatoes in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles. Let it stand for 5 minutes on low flame and then cool. When cooled, peel and mash the potatoes. Keep aside.
In the mean time, heat a tablespoon of oil in a large vessel and add the onions, chili paste and ginger to it. Next add the grated carrots and beets. Add salt, chili powder and black pepper. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water and cover. Cook on medium stirring occasionally for 15 minutes. Now add the mashed potatoes, oregano, jalapenos and mix well. Check for salt and spice. The color will be reddish because of the beets. Cool, make equal portions and form patties.
Heat a non-stick pan and add a couple of drops of oil to it. Cook the patties on the pan till they turn golden on each side. If you are making these for company, semi cook them and then finish them when you are ready to assemble the burgers. 

To Assemble:

Cut the burger buns and warm on a griddle / pan. On the base of the burger bun, put about 1 tablespoon of coleslaw. Next the tomatoes, then the patty followed by the cheese and finally a tablespoon of the barbequed onions and peppers. The patty and the onions will start to melt the cheese... Put the top of the bun and serve hot!

Pineapple and Cheese Skewers

These are my new favorite restaurant appetizers. They are fun to eat, they look delicious, they taste fresh and they are so easy to make at home as well. I tried my first plate about 3-4 months ago and ever since I have always been ordering them. They are typically served on a bed of crushed ice, I guess to prevent the cheese from melting, but it doesn't freeze the cheese or make it too cold to eat. Try it and let me know. I have used Amul cheese here but feel free to use cheddar cubes or some pepper jack for some heat.

Ingredients:

3 Amul cheese cubes, cut into 4

2 thick slices pineapple

12 pieces maraschino cherry

10-12 pieces of ice

Remove the core of the pineapple slice and cut it to make 8 pieces, like you would cut a pizza. Take a toothpick and skewer a piece of pineapple through it. Next skewer the cherry and finally the piece of cheese. The flat surface of the cheese square lets it stand on a platter. 

Put the ice in a Ziploc and cover with a tea cloth. Crush with a pestle or a rolling pin. Put the crushed ice on a serving platter around the skewers. Serve immediately!
If you want to make these in advance just keep them in the fridge (not more than 2 hours) and serve with crushed ice when guests arrive.