Goad Dashmi / Sweet Flatbread Recipe

Goad Dashmi is a sweet flatbread from Maharashtrian Cuisine. It is basically a jaggery flavored roti made with whole wheat flour and chickpea flour (besan). It is a preferred travel food owing to its good shelf life. The recipe is quick and simple. Goad dashmi is soft, mildly sweet in taste and can be served as a breakfast with Lemon or Gooseberry / amla pickle or at lunch with some vegetable stir fry. Goad dashmi also serves as a healthy finger food for toddlers.

There is a savoury version of dashmi as well in which a blend of spice powders is added to the flours. I like savory dashmi more than this sweet one. Anyways, I will share its recipe sometime later.
For this month, it was turn of my home state, yes..Maharashtrian Cuisine was the theme on  Shhhhh Cooking Secretly Challenge, Facebook group. My partner for the challenge was, Jayashree Trao . She is a versatile cook and blogs at Evergreendishes. Do check out her space for some brilliant stuff. Jayashree gave me milk and wheat flour as my 2 secret ingredients and i made these delicious goad dashmi using the ingredients. In return, i gave her peanuts and jaggery and she cooked lip smacking stuffed okra using her set of ingredients.

                                           

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4 - 5

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour / aata
• 1 1/2 tablespoon chickpea flour / besan
• 1/4 cup jaggery powder
• 1/3 cup milk or as required
• 1 tablespoon ghee
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
• Pinch of salt

Method:

1. In a bowl take jaggery powder and add milk to it. Stir until the jaggery dissolves completely in the milk.

2. In another bowl, take whole wheat flour. Add chickpea flour, salt and cardamom powder to it. Next add the ghee and work the flour to resemble bread crumbs.

3. To this add the jaggery milk mixture little by little and knead into a semi soft dough. Add more milk if required.  But do not make the dough sticky.

4. Cover the dough and set aside for about 20 minutes or for an hour if not in hurry.

5. Knead the dough again for 2-3 minutes. Now divide it into 5 equal portions. Roll out each dough ball using a rolling pin. If the dough is properly kneaded. You wont require flour or oil to roll out the dough ball. The rolled out chapati should be even and not too thick or too thin.

6. Roast the chapati on heated skillet on medium flame until it is cooked well from both sides. Remove it on a plate and smear with ghee. Repeat the same with rest of the dough balls.

7. Serve the goad dashmi with pickle of your choice. If you wish to take dashmi while you are travelling pack it in muslin cloth in an air tight container after it has cooled down completely.

 Recipe notes:

• Apart from cardamom powder, you may add a pinch of nutmeg powder as well to flavor the goad dashmi.
• The dashmi stays good up to 3-4 days. 
• Goad dashmi is soft, mildly sweet in taste and can be served as a breakfast with lemon or gooseberry (amla) pickle or at lunch with some vegetable stir fry.
• It also serves as a healthy finger food for toddlers.
• Do not skip milk in this recipe as it makes the dashmi soft and makes it all the more delicious.
• Thick cream may be added to the dashmi instead of milk to give it a rich taste.
• Powdered sugar may be added instead of jaggery as a sweetener in this recipe.
• Goad dashmi can be served with Gooseberry Pickle, Lemon Pickle, Spicy raw mango pickle, Green chili pickle.

If you ever try this recipe, do share your feedback with us in the comment section below. Follow us on #Facebook  #Instagram ,  #Twitter and #Google+  for more recipes and new updates. 

For more flatbreads from Maharashtrian Cuisine, check out the following recipe links from my blog.

• Puran Poli

                                    

• Gulachi Poli

                                   

• Bhajaniche Thalipeeth

                                  

• Bajrichi Bhakri

                                 

• Gavhache Dhirde

                                 

Peruvian Green Rice

Traditional Peruvian green rice made and served with the chicken or duck is a signature dish of Peru. Here, I am sharing a vegetarian version of this classic pilaf where stir-fried mushrooms replace the chicken lending a deep and an earthy taste to the dish. The rice is served with salsa criolla, which not only gives a crisp texture but also makes the dish refreshing. The green rice gets its green color and flavor from fresh cilantro. The rice here is cooked in vegetable stock, unlike the traditional recipe which uses chicken broth and beer. The Peruvian green rice loaded with the healthy goodness of vegetables is an easy one-pot meal, ready under 30 minutes. Though it is a complete meal by itself, here I have paired it with mushroom stir-fry and topped with salsa criolla making it all the more filling, nutritious and appealing.

#InternationalFeast is the #172nd theme for #FoodieMondayBlogHop. This interesting theme was suggested by Mayuri di who blogs at Mayuris-jikoni.com. Do check out her versatile blog for recipes from all over the globe. As per the theme, we had to cook food from an International cuisine. We could choose any country with the starting letter of our name. For me, it had to be a country beginning with P letter. I chose the country Peru. What I loved about this theme was that we could explore a new International cuisine. I read through many sites on the Internet to know about the food culture and tradition of this beautiful country.
                                          
Peru is a country in South America that's home to a section of Amazon rain forest and Machu Picchu, an ancient Incan city high in the Andes mountains. It is made up of a variety of landscapes, from mountains and beaches to deserts and rain forests. Peru is regarded as one of the best countries of the world for food lovers and Peruvian food as one of the world's vibrant cultural fusions. The staples of indigenous Peruvian cuisine are corn, potatoes and chillies. Quinoa is their ancient crop.Sea food is found in abundance and hence no doubt, their national dish, ceviche (raw fish, lime juice, chilli, onion, coriander and perhaps a side of yams and corn) showcases fish at its freshest. Source

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients for the green rice:

• 1 cup long grain rice 
• 1 medium bunch of fresh cilantro/coriander
• 1 onion 
• 1 carrot
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1 red chili
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup green peas
• 1/4 cup sweet corn
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• Black pepper to taste
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoon oil

Ingredients for the Mushroom stir-fry

• 8-10 mushrooms, rinsed and sliced
• 1 tablespoon oil
• Salt to taste
• Black Pepper to taste
• 1 onion sliced

Ingredients for the Salsa Criolla

• 1 red onion, thinly sliced 
• 1/4 red bell pepper strips
• 2 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Black pepper to taste
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tomato cut into thin strips

 Method:

1. Clean the coriander leaves, discard hard stems if any and rinse well under running water. Transfer it with 1/2 cup water to a grinder jar and grind till you get a smooth green paste. Keep aside. Next peel, wash and cube carrot, peel and chop the onion finely. Peel and mince the garlic. De-seed the bell pepper and cube it. Slit the red chili and chop it lengthwise. Rinse the rice couple of times in water and drain.

2. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds to it. Once the seeds crackle, add minced garlic followed by chopped onion and slit red chili. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.

3. Next, add in the veggies and stir fry for another 1-2 minutes. Now add the green paste and rice and mix everything well. Add vegetable stock and season the rice with salt and black pepper to taste. Give a quick stir. Allow the mix to boil on medium heat. Now simmer and cover cook the rice until all the water is absorbed and rice is cooked well. This will take around 15-17 minutes.

4. While the rice is getting cooked, we will prepare the Mushroom stir fry and Salsa Criolla. 

• To make Mushroom Stir-fry, heat oil in a pan. Add sliced onion followed by sliced mushrooms. Season with salt and black pepper and stir fry on medium to high heat while stirring continuously for 4-5 minutes. 
• To make Salsa Criolla, blend all the ingredients under the list for salsa in a mixing bowl well.

After about 15 minutes, check the rice. If all the water is absorbed and rice is cooked well, put off the flame. Fluff the rice using a fork. Serve the delicious Peruvian green rice with mushroom stir-fry and top it with refreshing salsa criolla.

  Recipe Notes:

• To make the green paste, spinach leaves may also be used along with cilantro. This will add more green color and nutrition to the rice.
• The original recipe of salsa criolla used 1 tablespoon olive oil. I haven't used it.
• You may use soy meat curry or stir-fry in place of mushroom stir-fry or totally skip its use.
• The original recipe uses chicken stock. To make a vegetarian version, i have used vegetable stock instead. You may use any as per your choice . You may add plain water if you do not have a stock ready at hand, though taste and nutrition wise, use of vegetable or chicken stock is recommended.
• Original Peruvian green rice uses Aji Amarillo paste, which is a peruvian chili paste. I have used slit red chili ( bhavnagri variety) instead which is less spicy as i intended to serve this rice to my little one. You may use a spicy variety of chili in slit form or as paste to adjust the spice levels of the dish as per your taste. 
• I have roughly followed the recipe from here.
• If using frozen green peas, add them towards the end of cooking the pilaf.

If you ever try this recipe, feel free to share your feedback with us in the comment section below.  Follow us on #Facebook  #Instagram ,  #Twitter and #Google+  for more recipes and new updates.

For more recipes from International Cuisine, do check the following recipe links from my blog.

• Spanish Chickpea and Spinach Stew

                                

• Poached Pears from French Cuisine

                                

• Vegetarian Nasi Lemak from Malaysian Cuisine

                                

• Pineapple Fried Rice / Thai Cuisine

                       

• Sweet Corn Tomato Bruschetta / Italian Cuisine

                                 

• Egg-less Baked Dughnut

                                 

                       

Shepu Palakchi Bhaaji / Spinach and Dill leaves curry

Shepu palakchi bhaaji is a flavorful and nutritious leafy green vegetable curry from the Maharashtrian cuisine. Shepu refers to dill leaves, palak is spinach and bhaaji means curry in Marathi, so basically, shepu palakchi bhaji is a curry with spinach and dill leaves as the base. Cooked split pigeon peas (arahar / tuvar dal) are also added, which gives a desired texture to the curry and makes it filling, healthy and delicious. The recipe of this gluten-free, vegan, protein and iron-rich curry is easy to follow and takes just half an hour to cook. Serve it with chapati, Bajra roti or steamed rice and some salad for a comforting lunch or dinner.

Before moving to the recipe, let have a look at the health benefits of Spinach and dill leaves.

Spinach is a leafy green vegetable loaded with nutrients and antioxidants. It contains high amounts of carotenoids, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, folic acid, iron, and calcium. Consumption of spinach is believed to improve eye health, help in cancer prevention and aid regulate blood pressure levels. Source
Dill is a herb with fern-like, soft leaves which are sweet in taste. Its seeds and leaves are used in seasoning and in dips and as salad dressings. It lends a distinctive flavor to the dishes its been added. It is a rich source of vitamin A, protein, carbohydrates, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. health benefits of dill include an ability to sooth the stomach and improve digestion
Source

                           

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup spinach leaves (palak), washed and chopped finely
• 1/2 cup dill leaves( shepu / suwa), washed and chopped finely 
• 1/4 cup split pigeon peas (Arahar / Tuvar dal)
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 2 green chilies slit lengthwise
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chickpea flour/Besan
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoon oil

Method:

1. Rinse the split pigeon pea and soak it in enough water for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, clean the spinach and dill leaves. Discard the hard stems. Wash them thoroughly in clean water to get rid of dirt and mud. Chop them finely and add to a pressure cooker along with the soaked dal. Add around 1 cup of water and pressure cook the leafy green and lentil for 2 whistles and then simmer for another 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.

2. Open the lid, and whisk the cooked leafy green and lentil or mash it with the back of the spoon.

3. Heat oil in a pan on low to medium flame. Add cumin seeds and allow them to splutter. Next tip in slit green chilies, followed by minced garlic cloves. Saute until the raw smell of garlic is no more. Now add finely chopped onion and saute until it is soft. At this stage, add the chickpea flour and stir fry the mix on low flame for a minute or so.

4. Add red chili powder and garam masala, stir fry the spices for few seconds. Add the cooked lentil and greens and adjust the consistency of the curry by adding water. I added about 1 cup water to the curry. Lastly add salt to taste, give a quick stir and allow the curry to boil. Simmer and cook for another 10 minutes and put off the flame. Keep stirring in between to ensure the curry does not catch the bottom of the pan.

 5. Serve the delicious shepu palak chi bhaaji with jawar or Bajra Roti, chapati or steamed rice.

                            

Recipe Notes:

• You can use split Bengal gram (chana dal) instead of split pigeon pea in this curry. 
• Soaking the lentils is optional, but it certainly saves cooking time.
• Some people add roasted peanut powder in this curry, I have not added.
• You may add finely chopped tomatoes as well in this curry if you wish. I do add it sometimes.
• You can make this curry using both the leafy green or either of them, but the taste will differ. I personally love the taste of this combo.
• You may skip adding split green chilies if serving to kids.

This recipe is submitted to the # 171st #FoodieMondayBlogHop with #Saagsaga as the theme for this week. 

                                              

If you ever try this recipe, feel free to share your feedback with us in the comment section below.  Follow us on #Facebook  #Instagram ,  #Twitter and #Google+  for more recipes and new updates.

For more similar recipes, do check out the following recipes from my blog

• Sarson Ka Saag

                                           

• Kandyachay Patichi Bhaaji / Spring Onion Curry

                                         

• Methi Matar Malai

                                          

• Makai Palak

                                             

• Palak Paneer

                                             

• Methichi Patal Bhaaji / Fenugreek leaves curry

                                             

• Chane Ka Saag / Chickpea leaves stir fry