Rava Kesari Recipe: Traditional South Indian Semolina Sweet Dish

The dish made from large arbi, also known as kanda, is distinguished by its excellent taste. This article presents a simple recipe for preparing Kanda Chokha in the Bihari style, which is perfect to serve with hot rice and dal.

Bihari cuisine is known for its authentic taste and unique style. Among the traditional dishes of the region, chokha holds a special place. Although chokha is usually made from potatoes, eggplant, or tomatoes, it is worth trying chokha made from large arbi (kanda). This dish is also known as Arbi Bharta.

This chokha is prepared by frying arbi with garlic, green chili, and sesame oil, resulting in a very aromatic and spicy flavor. Furthermore, its preparation is quite simple. It pairs excellently with hot rice and dal, as well as roti or paratha.

How to make Kanda Chokha?

To prepare, you will need 500 grams of large arbi (kanda), 1-2 tablespoons of sesame oil, 4-5 cloves of garlic, 2-3 green chilies, salt to taste, 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice or sesame paste, 2 finely chopped onions (optional), and 2 tablespoons of finely chopped coriander.

First, the large arbi must be thoroughly washed and peeled. Then, it needs to be lightly fried over low heat. The arbi can be baked directly on the stove, in a pan, or in an oven. The frying process continues until the outer part of the arbi is nicely browned and the inside is soft.

After the fried arbi has cooled slightly, the skin must be removed. The arbi is placed in a bowl and mashed thoroughly. Finely chopped garlic, onion, green chili, and salt to taste are added to this mixture.

Next, 1-2 tablespoons of sesame oil are added to the mixture and mixed well. Sesame oil gives Kanda Chokha a special flavor. If you prefer a spicier and tangier taste, you can add lemon juice or a little sesame paste. Finally, finely chopped coriander is stirred in and all ingredients are evenly mixed. Your delicious Kanda Chokha is ready.

Kanda Chokha is especially tasty with hot rice, but it can also be served with roti or litti. If you like spicy food, you can increase the amount of green chilies. To change the flavor profile, ground cumin can be added.

If you are tired of ordinary turaai dishes, try preparing it in the Maharashtrian style. This turaai bhaji, prepared using green chili, garlic, and roasted peanuts, has a unique taste. It can be served with roti, chapati, paratha, or dal-chawal.

The addition of peanuts and garlic radically changes the taste of turaai. Although many people may not like the taste of burdock, pumpkin, and turaai, especially considering that turaai always turns out bland and simple, the Maharashtrian cooking method might surprise you.

In Maharashtra, turaai is cooked in a special way called Dodkachi Bhaji. To prepare Dodkachi Bhaji, turaai, green chili, garlic, and roasted peanuts are used. These ingredients give even a simple vegetable an excellent taste and a light crunchy texture. Notably, this dish does not require a large amount of spices. It is served with roti, chapati, paratha, or dal-chawal.

To begin, thoroughly wash the turaai and remove the skin. Then, cut it into small pieces and set aside. The green chili and garlic also need to be cut into large pieces. The roasted peanuts should be crushed into coarse crumbs; it is important not to turn them into a fine powder, as the coarse crumbs retain crunch and flavor in the dish.

Heat oil in a pan, then add rai seeds and jeera, allowing them to sizzle. Next, add the chopped green chili and garlic and fry on medium heat until the strong aroma of garlic appears. After that, add the chopped turaai to the pan and mix well with the green chili and garlic. Cook the turaai for several minutes on medium heat. Since turaai contains a lot of moisture, it releases it during cooking, so no extra water needs to be added initially.

Cover the pan and let the turaai cook for some time, stirring occasionally so that the vegetables do not stick to the bottom. When the turaai becomes soft and most of the liquid evaporates, add the crushed roasted peanuts. Mix the peanuts thoroughly with the turaai and cook for another 2-3 minutes. During this time, the peanut flavor completely permeates the turaai, improving the texture of the dish. Garnish the finished vegetable with finely chopped green onion and turn off the gas.

The finished Maharashtrian turaai is prepared as a delicious snack, which is recommended to be served hot with roti, chapati, or paratha. It also pairs excellently with dal-chawal. If you are tired of eating the same type of turaai, you can try this Maharashtrian recipe.

If you are tired of monotonous food like simple dal and roti all week, then this weekend is a good time to prepare something special and aromatic. Regardless of the season or the desire for a special weekend breakfast, crispy khachori with green beans will be an ideal choice.

When the filling of fried beans, seasoned with asafoetida, fennel, green pepper, and other spices, is placed in a crispy semolina shell and fried, its aroma fills the entire house.

Serving these hot, spicy, and juicy khachori with rich potato ragout creates such a delight that it is impossible to stop. Below is a simple way to prepare khachori of restaurant quality.

For the khachori dough:

2 cups semolina (or 1 cup semolina + 1 cup wheat flour)

1/4 cup clarified butter or vegetable oil (for moina)

1/2 teaspoon ajwain

Salt to taste

Cold water (for kneading the dough)

For the bean filling:

1.5 cups green beans (fresh or frozen)

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)

1 teaspoon cumin (jeera)

1 tablespoon fennel (chopped)

1 tablespoon whole coriander (coarsely ground)

1-2 green peppers and 1 inch ginger (grated)

1 tablespoon chickpea flour (besan) (to absorb moisture and enhance flavor)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric and red pepper powder

1 teaspoon amchur powder and garam masala

Salt and black salt to taste

Oil for frying

Preparing the dough: In a bowl, mix the semolina, salt, ajwain, and moina oil. Rub well with your hands until the flour starts to form a lump. Then gradually add cold water and knead a soft and elastic dough. Cover it with a damp cotton cloth and leave it for 20 minutes.

Preparing the filling: Lightly crush the green beans in a blender without adding water to obtain a coarse crumble. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan. Sauté cumin, asafoetida, ground coriander, fennel, ginger, and green pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of chickpea flour and fry on low heat for one minute. Then stir in the crushed beans and all dry spices (turmeric, red pepper, amchur, garam masala, salt), frying for 4-5 minutes until the mixture dries out. Let the filling cool and form small balls.

Shaping the khachori: Take a piece of dough, stretch it at the edges to form a bowl shape. Place a ball of filling in the center and carefully seal the edges, thoroughly enclosing the filling. Press with your fingers to give the item a flat shape.

Frying: Heat the oil in the pan to a low or medium heat (the oil should not be too hot, otherwise the khachori will not become crispy). Place the khachori in and let them float gently. When they start to expand and take on a light golden color, increase the heat to medium and fry on both sides until a crispy and golden crust is achieved.

Serving: The finished, crispy, and hot khachori with green beans should be served with spicy and juicy potato ragout and green paste.