Skip to content

Semolina squares

Steamed semolina and gram flour squares with a mustard tempering

Soft, spongy steamed squares of semolina and gram flour, made tangy with sour yogurt and raised with fruit salt, then finished with a mustard, sesame and asafoetida tempering, coconut and coriander. A quick farsan for tea or a light breakfast. Serve with green chutney.
Total time
35 min
Difficulty
easy
Serves
6
One step at a time, big text, timers, read-aloud. Your screen stays on.

Ingredients

Serves6

For the batter

For raising the batter

For the tempering

  • 1 ½ tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds
  • ¼ tsp asafoetida

For garnishing

Shop this recipe on Amazon

What you'll need

Fresh ingredients (2)

Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.

Method

0/7 done
  1. Step 1: Mix 6 oz semolina, 2 ½ oz gram flour (besan), 9 oz sour yogurt, 1 tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp ground turmeric, 2 tsp sugar and 1 ½ tsp salt with enough 1 cup warm water to make a thick batter.

  2. Step 2: Bring water to the boil in a steamer and grease a 25 cm tray.

  3. Step 3: Add ¼ cup warm oil and 1 tsp fruit salt (Eno) to the batter and stir thoroughly until it rises.

  4. Step 4: Spread the batter in the greased tray straight away.

  5. Step 5: Steam for 15 minutes on high heat. Remove, cool and cut into squares. Arrange on a serving plate.

    15 min
  6. Step 6: Heat 1 ½ tbsp oil in a small saucepan and add 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp sesame seeds and ¼ tsp asafoetida.

    1 min
  7. Step 7: Pour the tempering over the squares. Garnish with 2 tbsp fresh or desiccated coconut and 2 tbsp fresh coriander and serve with green chutney.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
280 kcal
Protein
8 g
Carbs
34 g
Fat
13 g
Fibre
3 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does semolina squares take?
About 35 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish.
What can I use instead of sour yogurt?
Sour cream or buttermilk, same amount.
What can I use instead of ginger paste?
Grated fresh ginger, same amount.

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.

Rate this recipe

Sign in to rate and review this recipe.

Sabudana khichdiSago with peanuts and potato

Sabudana khichdi is the dish that sees Maharashtra through every vrat (fast), from Navratri to Ekadashi, but it's so good that people eat it any day of the week. Soaked sago pearls are tossed in a pan with crushed roasted peanuts, cubes of potato, cumin and green chilli until each pearl turns glassy and separate, then finished with lemon and coriander. It's soft, chewy, nutty and gently hot. Fasting rules vary from family to family, so check yours; this version uses rock salt and no asafoetida, onion or garlic. Traditionally it's cooked in ghee; use ghee instead of oil if you aren't keeping it vegan. Chef's tip: soak the sago in just enough water to cover by the height of the pearls themselves, no more; too much water is the reason khichdi turns into one sticky lump.

by KrazyBadal 2 views

Taiwanese grilled corn

At Raohe and Shilin night markets the grilled-corn stalls are easy to find: look for the queue and the smoky, sweet smell. Cobs are par-cooked, then turned slowly over charcoal while the cook brushes them with a dark glaze of sacha sauce, thick soy paste, garlic and chilli, layer after layer, until the kernels are sticky, slightly charred and deeply savoury. It is eaten hot from a paper sleeve while walking the market. Sacha (shacha) sauce, a Taiwanese barbecue paste, usually contains dried fish and shrimp; vegetarian sacha is sold in Asian shops. Contains soy, wheat and fish. Chef's tip: brush thin coats and turn often; one thick coat burns before the corn chars.

by KrazyBadal 2 views

Bagara bainganBaby aubergines in peanut sesame sauce

Bagara baingan is a Hyderabadi wedding dish of small aubergines cooked whole in a dark, tangy gravy of roasted peanuts, sesame, dried coconut and tamarind. Unlike a Gujarati stuffed brinjal, the aubergines here are only quartered at the base and fried until silky, then left to soak up a thin-but-rich sauce that is finished with a tempering, the 'baghar' that gives the dish its name. It's sour, nutty and gently spiced, and is served with biryani, bagara rice or plain rice. Chef's tip: choose small, glossy purple aubergines that feel heavy for their size; soft, light ones are full of seeds and turn mushy before the gravy has a chance to cling.

by KrazyBadal 2 views