A rustic rajasthani thali : Bundi ki kadhi, jowar pyaz ki roti and lahsun chutney

I am a great fan of simple, rustic meals rustled up with just a handful of ingredients. Rajasthan is one of the few states in India where the people excel at making the most of whatever they get, which I first learnt on my visit to a village called Rajgarh in Alwar,Rajasthan.

I was a fussy teenager then and accepted the homely meal that was offered to me in the village only out of politeness, planning to pick up a packet of Uncle Chips after our visit was over. After the first couple of reluctant bites, I realized how very enjoyable that meal was and promptly requested for seconds:-)

I have tried to recreate that same meal as my entry to RCI Rajasthan, with Bundi ki kadhi, jowar pyaz ki roti, lahsun chutney, kairi chutney and a simple dal srved with pyaaz. This kadhi can also be made completely oil free, if instead of tadka we just add cloves, methi and hing to the besan mixture.

Bundi ki Kadhi

Ingredients

1 cup sour curd

3 tbsp besan

1/2 tsp each chilli and turmeric powder

4 cups water

salt to taste

1 tsp oil

5 cloves, 1/ tsp methi seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds and a pinch of hing

1 tsp ghee

To serve:

2 tbsp readymade bundi

chilli flakes (optional)

Method

Beat the curd and besan together and add the salt, turmeric and chilli powders. Add the water and keep aside. Heat the oil in a thick bottomed saucepan, add cloves and methi ( watch out-those things pop !). Take the pan off heat and pour the curd besan mixture. Keep it back on the flame and bring it to a slow boil, stirring continously. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down and let it simmer for 20 minutes or till it almost reaches the consistency you want, it will thicken on cooling. Add boondi now and when ready to serve, give a tadka with ghee, cumin and hing. Sprinkle crushed chilli flakes on top for that quintessential Rajasthani look :-)

Jowar pyaaz ki roti

Yield : 4 to 5 rotis

(Based on a recipe from the Rajasthani section in Tarla Dalal's website)

1 cup jowar flour

1/ cup spring onion, chopped

salt to taste

1 tsp oil

* The recipe calls for a chopped green chilli which I skipped

Make a soft dough with all the above. Roll it out into a 4 to 5 inch roti between two sheets of plastic ( I used a zip lock bag that had been cut open on three sides) using a rolling pin. Cook both sides on the tava. Top with butter/ghee ( optional)

Lahsun chutney

10 to 12 cloves garlic

5 tbsp chilli powder

salt to taste

a few drops of lemon juice

Grind all the above, sprinkling water if necessary. (I used a M&P so did not need water)

Kairi chutney

1/2 of a small raw mango, coarsely chopped (I do not peel)

2 cups of fresh cilantro

2 to 4 green chillies

1/4tsp 'raw' cumin

salt to taste

Grind everything together using a little water.

Thanks to Padmaja , the host of RCI Rajasthan, I remembered that simple but extremely satisfying meal, and also from now I will surely be experimenting with different flours to make roti.

Express Paneer Biryani

On Sundays we usually eat out. But today we wanted to :

a. stay in

b. eat good Indian food

c. not exert too much

This express biryani was just the thing to rustle up in a jiffy and the aromatic spices really hit the right notes. And it took all of 30 minutes to make, aside from the 20 minutes for soaking the rice, which I do not like to skip even when cooking in a fast forward mode.

Ingredients:

1 katori basmati rice

200 gms paneer (i used frozen)

1 katori peas (also frozen)

1 medium onion, chopped finely

1 large tomato pureed with 2 cloves garlic, 1 inch ginger and 1 green chilli

1/3 packet Shan bombay biryani masala

1.5 tbsp curd

2 tbsp oil

1tsp ghee/butter (optional but recommended)

Method:

1. Wash and soak the rice,defrost paneer and peas

2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and fry the chopped onions till golden brown

3. Add tomato puree and cook until it leaves oil. Add paneer & peas

4. Add biryani masala and a pinch of salt and mix.

5. Take the cooker off the flame and add curd stirring constantly till it is incorporated nicely.

6. Keep the cooker back on the burner and add the drained rice. Mix well and add 2 cups of water.

7. After two whistles and turn off the gas.

8. Open the cooker when the steam releases, drizzle 1tsp ghee/butter and gently mix. Serve with raita, chutney and salad.

P.S : In my hunger-driven frenzy, I did not bother to turn the rice over gently , which made the it a bit mushy. Luchily, the taste was largely unaffected.