Chocolate Peda

I miss Indian sweets and snacks. I wish there was Grands or Krishna sweets in LA. This is a foolproof recipe for chocolate pedas which does not involve any cooking or microwaving. I have not added any sugar or butter. You can make these guilt free pedas in no time. So what are you chocolate lovers waiting for? Try this and let me know!


Yields 4 pedas.

Ingredients:
Ovaltine/sweetened cocoa/any chocolate drink powder(I used ovaltine)-4 tbsp
Milk Powder-4 tbsp
Almond powder-4 tbsp
Marie Biscuits-2 small(powdered)
Evaporated milk-2 tbsp

Method:Mix all the ingredients together and make a soft dough.

If the dough is sticky, add 2 drops of oil.
Divide the dough into 4 portions and shape them any way you like.

This is my 2nd entry to my own event: 15 minute Cooking - May 20th

Also sending it to For the Love of Chocolate - April 30th

Note: If you don't have evaporated milk, you can use milk(boiled and cooled). But pedas will perish soon. You may have to refrigerate them.
Since these are uncooked, I would not overeat. 2 or 3 max :)

Chapathis

Pair this earthy flatbread with potato masala, meat or legumes.

CHAPATHIS

2009 Cardamom Kitchen LLC All Rights Reserved

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 teaspoon salt

Butter or ghee (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine 1 cup flour and salt in a bowl. Add oil and blend with your fingers.

Slowly pour in water and mix to form a large ball of dough.

Divide dough into 6 pieces and form into balls.

Dust a cutting board with a thin layer of remaining flour. Pat one ball into a disk. Roll into a flat, circle about 1/16 of an inch thick. Repeat with remaining dough.

Heat a cast iron skillet on medium-high. Place a circle of dough on skillet. Turn when bubbles form on the side that is touching the skillet.

Remove bread from skillet when bubbles have formed on second side. Coat with a thin layer of butter or ghee. Repeat with remaining dough.

Potato Masala

Millions of Americans love to sink a fork into the mealy, fluffy pleasure of mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving. (Sorry turkey. It's really all about the sides.) The rest of the year, potatoes are treated as a bother. Who takes time to cloak them in foil for baking? Or they are branded with a scarlet C - CARBS! However the real health risk may lie in the way they're commonly consumed - as sky-high mountains of fries or prairies of hash browns, loaded with grease? Egads!

As children, we ate baked potatoes once a week, as a side dish with barbequed beef. It was my dad's contribution to family meals. My mom used them in potato masala. On occasion, she paired the masala with dosa (a sour crepe made of lentils and rice flour). However, we usually ate it with chapathis (whole wheat flat bread). If you want to reignite your passion for potatoes, consider trying her potato masala recipe included below. It provides flavor, which we all crave, without all the grease.

POTATO MASALA

2009 Cardamom Kitchen LLC All Rights Reserved

Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/8 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 tablespoon urad dhal

2 cups diced onions

2 tablespoons minced ginger

1 small jalapeno, cut lengthwise

1 cup chopped tomato

3 cups thinly sliced Russet potatoes

3/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin seeds

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oil in a saute pan on low heat. Add the mustard seeds and cover. When mustard begins to pop, add the urad dhal. Cook unil the urad dhal turns brown.

Increase the heat to medium. Add the onions, ginger, and jalapeno and stir. Cook until the onion become translucent.

Stir in the tomato and cook until it begins to soften.

Add the potatoes. Cook for 3 minutes.

Add the water, salt, turmeric, and stir.

Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes).

Remove the jalapeno. Gently stir in the cilantro.