चाकोळ्या / वरणफळ - Chakolya/Varanfal

Chakolya/Varanfal is a one-dish comfort meal with a combination of spicy amti and wheat flour dumplings cut into diamond shapes. It's a very tasty, healthy and easy to make dish. Great to cook on lazy days when not in a mood to cook rice and vegetables.

Ingredients:

For Chakloya:

2 cups Wheat flour
1 tbsp Red chilly powder
1/4th tsp Hing
1/4th tsp Turmeric
1 tbsp Ajwain seeds (Ova)
1 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water for Kneading the dough.

For Amti:

2 cups Turdal
2 Cinamon stick
5 Cloves
3 Black pepper corns
2 Dry Red chillies
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds
5-6 Curry leaves
1/4th tsp Hing (Asafoetida)
1/4th tsp Turmeric powder
1 tbsp Red chilly powder
2 tbsp Cumin-Coriander powder
2 tbsp Gul (Jaggery)
4-5 Kokam 
Salt to taste
1 Cup Coriander leaves(Kothimbir) 
2 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Homemade ghee (Sajuk tup)

Method for Chakolya:

In a broad bowl add all ingredients required except water.

Mix all ingredients and check for the seasoning. Now slowly add water and knead the dough.

The dough should not be very soft or very hard. After kneading apply little oil to the dough. Cover and keep aside for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes again knead the resting dough for a minute. Now take a golf size portion of the dough and using dry wheat flour roll round like roti. 
Using a cutter cut into diamond shapes of the rolled dough and keep aside. Drizzle dry wheat flour onto the diamond shaped cut chakolya so that they don't stick to each other.

Note: Roll out chakolya at the last moment when you are about to put them into the amti.

Method for Amti:

Wash and cook turdal in pressure cooker. When dal is cooked mash it properly to a smooth paste.

In a pan add oil. When oil is heated add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, black pepper corns, dry red chilly and curry leaves. Mix well.(Be careful while stirring as black pepper corns tends to splatter).

Now add hing and cooked turdal. Add 2 cups of water and mix well. You will need to adjust the consistency of the Amti as after adding the chakolya the Amti will become thick. So as per your preference add water and adjust the consistency.

Now to the turdal add rest of the ingredients and cook for 10 mins on medium flame. Let the Amti boil properly so that all the flavours of spices are nicely incorporated.

Now one by one add the chakolya. Keep stirring in between as the chakolya tends to stick at the bottom of the pan. Cook for another 5 mins till raw taste of wheat flour is gone. Add coriander leaves mix well and switch off the flame.

Cover the Amti for 2 minutes. chakolya/varanfal is ready.

Serve hot. Garnish with a tablespoon of homemade tup/ghee.

Tip: You can use tamarind pulp instead of kokam.

By: Anjali Purandare