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6. Flip cheele back to the first side. Place a little bit of tomatoes, onions, ginger, green chiles, and cilantro on one half of the cheele. Fold over. Gently press the filling.

7. Serve hot with Cilantro Chutney (page 185).

NOTE: If desired, make all the plain cheele first. Reheat and fill the cheele just before serving.

Refrigerate the mung bean batter for up to 3 days, and make fresh cheele, as desired.

FREEZING DIRECTIONS: Leftover dough can be frozen for up to 6 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. If necessary, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water for desired consistency before making cheele. You can also freeze the prepared plain cheele for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature, reheat in a preheated pan, and fill as above.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING:

Calories: 172; Total Fat: 5 g (Saturated Fat: 0.5 g); Carbohydrate: 24 g; Protein: 9 g; Fiber: 2 g

Sodium: 201 mg

VARIATION: If desired, add grated firm tofu in the filling.

GF, LF

Buckwheat-Zucchini Pancakes

Kuttu Cheele

PREP: 5 minutes

COOK: 15 minutes

MAKES: 6 servings

SERVING SIZE: 2 cheele

Indian cooks use buckwheat primarily when they want to avoid grains (such as during fasts); buckwheat dishes are typically wheat-free and gluten-free. These cheele are soft and taste best when eaten fresh. Serve them with a sweet chutney, like tamarind or mango chutney, or pour some maple syrup over them, if desired.

1 cup buckwheat flour (kuttu atta)

⅞ cup water

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ajwain, optional

2 teaspoons sugar

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

½ cup boiled potatoes, finely mashed

1 cup grated zucchini

2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

1. In a medium bowl, mix buckwheat, water, salt, ajwain, sugar, and cayenne pepper. Stir in mashed potatoes and grated zucchini. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Heat iron griddle on medium-high heat or use an electric griddle heated to 400ºF. Lightly oil the griddle and wipe off the oil. Pour ¼ cup of batter onto the hot griddle and spread to a 3-inch circle. Add small amounts of oil on all sides and on top of the cheele. (You can cook several cheele at a time, based on the size of your griddle.)

3. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until edges appear brown and the cheele comes off easily. Turn them over and cook for 1 minute.

4. Serve hot with chutney of choice.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING:

Calories: 122; Total Fat: 5 g (Saturated

Fat: 0.5 g); Carbohydrate: 17 g; Protein: 3 g;

Fiber: 2 g; Sodium: 326 mg

Bean Burgers

Dal-Vada Burgers

PREP: 10 minutes

COOK: 15 minutes

MAKES: 4 servings

SERVING SIZE : 1 sandwich

Sandwiches are an easy way to enjoy a meal without a plate. Although not traditional Indian food, sandwiches are enjoyed by everyone today. If you like veggie burgers made with beans, you’ll love these. This is my version of a bean burger that is easy to make and fun to eat.

1 (16-ounce) can chickpeas

¼ cup scallions (white and green parts), finely

chopped

½ cup carrots, peeled and grated

2 teaspoons ginger, peeled and grated

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons green chiles, finely chopped, or

to taste

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice

2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

2 tablespoons bread crumbs

2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

4 whole wheat hamburger buns

4 tomato slices, garnish

4 onion slices, garnish

Cilantro Chutney (page 185), optional

Tomato ketchup, optional

1. Drain and rinse the canned chickpeas. In a food processor, grind the beans until smooth.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine ground beans, scallions, carrots, ginger, cumin, salt, green chiles, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, cilantro, and bread crumbs. Mix well.

3. Oil your palms and make 4 patties. Set aside.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add patties and grill for 5 to 7 minutes on each side until golden brown. (If needed, add a little more