Kala Chana nu shaak | Desi Chana | Black Chickpea recipe | Healthy Protein packed vegan meal | Dry Kala Chana

This Gujarati kala chana nu shaak is one of my favorites!! It is so easy, so healthy yet so tasty!! I enjoy making it and I love eating it!! It can give you a healthy dose of protein.. The combination of this kala chana curry the way my mom makes it with kadhi and bhakhri is simple yet deliciously filling!

It tastes good on it's own too. This is just a little different than Kondakadlai Sundal (Chana Sundal)..
The day your fridge is empty or your energy level is low, make this simple gluten free & vegan curry and see your mood soar!! Just don't forget to soak it overnight :)

In north India this simple chana are made on the 8th day of Navratri festival (Kanjak) and offered to young girls, considered as Goddesses, along with halwa & puris!! Delicious!! My little girl and her papa loves it with Puri (puffed Indian bread) and that is how it is often eaten at my place!!
Sometimes I make a healthy chane ki chaat by adding finely cut onions, tomatoes, chaat masala and green chutney to it!

Kala Chana | Deshi Chana | Black Chickpea curry | Healthy protein packed vegan meal

Kala Chana | Deshi Chana | Black Chickpea curry | Healthy protein packed gluten free meal

Ingredients:

1 Cup Kala chana / Deshi Chana / Black Chickpeas soaked for at least 8 hours.
Salt to taste
1/ teaspoon Green Chilli and ginger paste (Adjust according to taste)
1.5 teaspoon dhania jeera powder (Cumin coriander seeds powder)
1/2 wedge of lemon (Optional - but I love adding it)
2 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds / rai/ sarson
pinch of hing

Method:

1) Pressure cook Chana (chick peas) with salt till tender. It's really important to cook it properly. To check if it is properly cooked, take a cooked chana and squeeze it between your thumb and a finger. It should squeeze easily. If it doesn't then you should cook it further.
2) In a kadai (pan/wok) heat 2 tablespoon of oil and add mustard seeds (rai) to it.
3) Once rai (mustard seeds) crackle, add a pinch of hing to it.
4) To this immediately add properly cooked chana without water.
5) Add green chilli and ginger paste and dhania jeera powder and mix well.
6) Let it cook for 5-10 minutes, or till no water is visible.

Squeeze lemon juice before serving.

Kala Chana | Deshi Chana | Black Chickpea curry | Healthy protein packed vegan meal

+techie ZM

Vegetable Cheese Roti roll | Quick meal | Vegetable cheese tortillas | Peanut butter rolls | Lunch box recipe

What do you do when you are crazy hungry but have almost no time to whip up something? What happens when you have to have your breakfast on the go? Add to this the fact that you want to eat healthy yet craving for something yummy! For those of you who have such questions (just like me), I have found an answer!!

The quickest, healthiest roll that can act as breakfast, lunch, snack or even light dinner!! Oh and not to mention tastiest!! You can pack it in the lunch box of your little one and rest assured that it will come back empty!!

These rolls are complete food with cereal, dairy protein and veggeis! Add to it goodness of peanut butter, freshness of herby green chutney or tanginess of tomato ketchup and you have got a winning combination on your hand. 

The great part about these rolls is that they are amazingly flexible. You can make them with rotis (Indian flatbread) or use ready made tortillas. You can make a vegan version of it by replacing cheese with tofu!! If you have nut allergy then use regular butter or other vegan butter!!

Check out the beauties.. 

Vegetable Cheese Rolls | Quick meal | Peanut butter rolls | Lunch box recipe

Vegetable Cheese Rolls | Quick meal | Peanut butter rolls | Lunch box recipe

Ingredients (for one roll):

1 roti /  1 tortilla ( If you want to make it gluten free, use glutenfree tortilla)
1/2 teaspoon peanut butter/ regular butter ( I use FebIndia's crunchy peanut butter without added sugar)
2 pinches of salt
2 pinches of black pepper
1 tablespoon green chutney or tomato ketchup
2 tablespoon grated cheese of your choice (Cheddar, cottage cheese/paneer, ricotta will go great) use tofu for a vegan version.
1/2 small finely cut onion
1/2 small finely cut tomato
1/8 cup finely cut or shredded vegetable of your choice (Cucumber, carrots, Zuchhini, bell peppers/Capsicum, Broccoli can be good choices)

Method:

1) On your work surface put your roti/ tortilla.

2) Spread peanut butter on that.

3) In a bowl mix all other ingredients.

4) Spread them on top of the roti.

5) Roll and cut if needed. If planning to carry as an on the go meal, pack it in a cling wrap or foil.

And you are good to go!!

Vegetable Cheese Rolls | Quick meal | Peanut butter rolls | Lunch box recipe

Vegetable Cheese Rolls | Quick meal | Peanut butter rolls | Lunch box recipe

+techie ZM 

Dal Tikki | How to make moong daal tikki | Leftover Green grams recipe | Indian pancakes

What happens when you have left over moong dal from the night and in no mood to make parathas for breakfast?! You google and zero in on a dal tikki recipe!! But what happens when you have a peanut sized memory?! You can't remember the recipe when you finally get making it (except for the fact that it had moong dal and may be besan in it) and then you come up with something that will be made in house forever as you and your family loved it!!

Yeah, this is what happened to me few months back, but as I was very busy, couldn't share the recipe.. Finally sharing it now!! It is so amazingly crispy and yummy, even the biggest moong dal haters (my hubby) love it!! It gives a protein packed start to your day and is so healthy!! These tikkis are naturally vegan, gluten free and low on oil (& calories too)!!

You can make this from any other leftover dal/sambhar too!! Check your fridge, do you have any leftover? then get making this!!
Oh and in case you don't have leftover and still want to make it then just pressure cook split green gram ( dhuli moong dal - mogar) with salt, turmeric and red chili powder and use it.

Before that have a look at how crispy and yummy and heavenly golden they look like!!

Ingredients:

1 cup leftover moong daal (cooked) - Any other dal will do too, adjust as per available leftover dal!!
2 Tablespoon of besan (Chick pea flour)
1 teaspoon green chili, ginger and garlic paste
2 tablespoon Idli rava (rice semolina) - if you don't have this then use regular semolina/ sooji/ rawa
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon chaat masala (Optional)
pinch of hing (Asafoetida - optional)
1 small onion finely cut
1 small tomato finely cut
Any other veggie that you want to sneak in (it should cook fast)
Oil for shallow frying

Method:

1) Mix everything in a mixing bowl.
2) Heat a non stick tawa/ skillet / griddle. Once it is hot enough grease it with oil.
3) Make small tikki (flat pancake) shapes in your palms and drop them on the tawa.
4) Let it cook thoroughly on one side, once it cooks flip it and cook thoroughly on other side too. You can make 2-3 tikkis (or as much as your tawa/ skillet can take) at a time.

Serve hot with green chutney or tomato ketchup!! This also makes for a great snack, starter or lunch box food!!

If you want to use even less oil then you can make these cuties in pancake popper (paniyaram pan / appa patra/ aebleskiver pan)!! I am happy to report that I've tried that and it too tastes great!!

Dal tikki | Indian pancakes

Dal tikki | Indian pancakes

+techie ZM