Snacks: Namakpara

Ingredients:

1. 2 cup Maida
2. ½ tspn Ajwain
3. 1 tspn salt
4. 4 tbspn oil
5. ¾ cup water

Procedure:

• Sieve the maida and add salt, ajwain(half crushed), oil, and knead it with water by keeping the dough little hard and keep it aside for 15 mins.

• Make 7 seven round balls of the dough and roll each into round shape and then slice into 5 vertical lines and then slice it again horizontally 5 lines to get diamond shape.

• Deep fry these pieces under medium heat till it turns pinkish brown or light brown.

Note:

• Knead the dough little hard.

Vegetable: Stuffed Tidsa (Punjabi Tinda)

Ingredients:

1. Small Tindas - 5
2. Crushed Peanut - 2 tbspns
3. Tomato - 1
   
4. Red Chili Powder (Mirchi) - 1/2 tsp
5. Salt (Namak) - 1/4 tsp
   
6. Turmeric (Haldi) - 1/4 tsp
   
7. Dry Mango Powder (Amchur) - 1/4 tsp
   
8. Vegetable Oil - 3 tsps
9. Mustard Seeds (Rai) - 1/4 tsp
   
10. Cumin Seeds (Jeera) - 1/4 tsp
    

Preparation:

• Wash the tindas and then just scoop out small hole on the top and bottom and try to remove the seeds and the pulp.

• Crush the pulp and remove the seeds from it.

• Grate the tomato and keep aside.

• Grind the peanuts to coarse powder.

Procedure:

• Take a tbsp of oil and once its warm add mustard seeds, jeera and a pinch of asafoetida powder to it and once it starts to splatter. Add peanut powder, turmeric powder and roast it for a minute and then add grated tomato, tinda pulp, red chili powder,salt and dry mango powder to it and stir until the water evaporates and its a thick paste, let it cool down.

• Now take the tindas and fill this mixture inside the tindas.

• Take a tbsp of oil in the pan and add turmeric powder to it once its warm put the stuffed tindas in it . Let it cook for around 10 mins with a lid on the top with a steam outlet, but keep stirring every 3 mins,till the tindas turn soft.

• Now garnish it with fresh chopped coriander and serve this with roti.

Indian Bread: Methi Thepla (Fenugreek Leaves)

Ingredients:

1. Wheat Flour (Atta) - 3 Cups
2. Curd (Dahi) - 1 Cup
3. Red Chili Powder (Mirchi) - 1 Tsp
   
4. Turmeric (Haldi) - 1/2 Tsp
5. Coriander Powder (Dhaniya) - 1 Tbspn
   
6. Carom seeds (Ajwain) - 1/4 Tsp
   
7. Cumin Seeds (Jeera) - 1/4 Tsp
8. Asafoetida Powder (Hing) - 1/4 Tsp
9. Salt - 1 Tsp
10. Vegetable Oil - 1 Tbspn
11. Freshly Chopped Methi Leaves - 1 Cup

Procedure:

• Take the wheat flour and add salt, oil, freshly chopped methi leaves, red chili powder, asafoetida powder, beated curd, coriander powder, freshly ground ajwain and jeera to it and then knead the dough well with little water.

• Divide the dough into small balls and roll it round with the help of dry flour, keep it little thick then the rotis.

• Heat the griddle and then roast it with a tsp of oil on both the sides. It will turn little reddish brown.

• You can serve this hot with Tomato Chutney, Pickle, Yogurt, Tomato Sauce, Kadi, Tea

Tips: This can also also be prepared with kasoori (dry) methi after soaking in water.

Vegetable: Karari Bhindi (Okra)

Ingredients:

1. Fresh Okra (Bhindi) - 250 Gms
   
2. Oil - 1 Tbspn
   
3. Salt - 1/2 TSpn
   
4. Red Chili Powder (Mirchi) - 1/4 Tsp
5. Dry Mango Powder (Amchur) - 1/4 Tsp
6. Cumin Seeds (Jeera) - 1/4 Tsp
7. Mustard Seeds (Rai) - 1/4 Tsp
   
8. Asafoetida Powder (Hing) - 1/8 Tsp
9. Mixed Spices (Garam Masala) - 1/4 Tsp
   
10. Freshly Chopped Coriander (Kothmir)
    

Procedure:

• Wash and dry the okra and then chop into small round pieces

• Deep fry the cut okra till it becomes crispy and then strain it on a paper towel to remove the excess oil

• Heat 2 Tsp of oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, red chili powder

• Add the fried okra to it and add salt, mango powder and little mixed spices to it

• Stir to mix all the ingredients well and garnish with chopped coriander and serve

• Serves 1 person, increase the measurement to serve more people
  

Notes:

• Indian names for ingredients are mentioned in the brackets
• Tbspn = Table Spoon
• Tsp = Tea Spoon

Jain Recipes - Introduction

Jainism is an ancient religion originating from India. The last god of Jainism was Lord Mahaveer. The most important principal of Jainism is "non-violence" which governs the life of all Jains. Non-violence has to be practiced in both physical and mental form, even hurting someone's feeling is violence. Jainism is about respecting life of every living being on the earth.

Jains follow very strict food choices because of the principle of nonviolence. Jains refuse food obtained with unnecessary cruelty. The Jain diet also excludes most root vegetables, as they believe this destroys entire plants unnecessarily. Most Jains eat fruits, vegetables, rice, wheat, pulses, spices etc.

The recipes in this blog are all Jain recipes, they do not include any animal meat, eggs, seafood, and root vegetables such as onion, potato, garlic etc. They do include dairy products such as milk, yogurt etc.

I hope that you will enjoy all these recipes listed here.