Best with besan

Besan or gram flour is very handy to turn out delectable dishes in a jiffy. Here are a few recipes to try:

Golden Burfi

Ingredients:

Besan —  2 cups, cashew powder or paste — 1 cup, coconut gatings —  1 cup, sugar — 2 cups, cardamom powder — ¼ tsp, ghee — 2 tbsp.

Method: Heat some ghee and fry the besan till it turns light brown and a fine aroma develops. Keep this aside. Mix sugar, cashew paste and coconut gratings. Cook till the ingredients have blended well. Add the besan and stir. Cook till the mix leaves the sides of the pan.

Add cardamom powder, mix well and pour it over a plate; flatten it to a square of ¾ inch thickness. Cut  it into the desired shape while the dough is still warm.

Masala Roti

Ingredients: Besan — 2 cups, wheat flour  — 2 cups, fine sooji — 1 tbsp, methi leaves — 1 cup, onion —  1 (finely chopped), green chillies/coriander leaves — a few (finely chopped), jeera powder, til seeds — a teaspoon each, salt — to taste, oil — for shallow frying

Method: Heat two tablespoons of oil and fry the onion and methi leaves till they turn brown. Add the besan and fry it lightly for a minute. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook it for 10 minutes before allowing it to cool. Make a soft dough with sufficient water and knead well. Roll out rotis of five-inch diameter and fry them on a tava, on both sides till they are brown, with a teaspoon of oil all around. Serve with chutney/tomato sauce.

Dry Curry

Ingredients: Besan — 2 tbsps, rice flour—  1 tbsp, potato — 3 (diced), onion — 2 (diced), oil — 3 tbsps, salt and chilli powder — to taste, mustard seeds/ gram dal, urad dal — ½ teaspoon each, asafoetida — a pinch, turmeric —¼ tsp, curry leaves — a few (chopped), lime juice (optional) — to taste,  coriander leaves — a few chopped.

Method: Heat oil and fry the mustard seeds, gram dal and urad dal. When they turn light brown, add the curry leaves, asafoetida and turmeric. Add the onion and potato pieces and sauté till they are almost tender.  Now add the besan and rice flour, and mix well and fry it for a few more minutes, till the ingredients are well blended. Add lime juice, mix well and serve with garnished with coriander leaves. They taste best with rotis/chapatis.

Optional: Sambar powder can be added instead of chilli powder and lime juice, substituted with tamarind pulp.