Valpapdi Ma Dhokli

I just had a most satisfying lunch of Valpapdi ma dhokli with Ghadichi PoLi. Those Gujju flavors do something to me. A boring day at work gets spiced up. Everyone is still on Christmas leave and not much to work on. My lunch has been fruit salad and juice for sometime now. This chill weather makes me want something really comforting and the cafeterias on my campus don't have much. One day I gave way to a huge Latte and sugar doughnut for lunch. The next day I knew I should carry food from home.

Dad had kept the Valpapdi cleaned and destringed, ready for use. On previous 2 days potatoes gave company to bhendi and gavar so Valpapdi would not go with them. I recollected Jugalbandits recipe of Fansi Dhokli (French beans with spiced dumplings). Since it was a work day morning and my laptop was packed into my bag. I went ahead and cooked from memory.

This is what I did...

I had made chapati dough ready so took a small ball about one chapati ball. Mixed the ajwain in it. I did not add any other spices or seasonings to it. Rolled it into a rope and diced into bits.

Then went around making my usual Valpapdi with onions and tomatoes. First heated the oil. Fried the onions to translucency. The Valpapdi followed in. The dhoklis went in after a couple of minutes after the Valpapdi. Stirred well let it cook for 5 mins. As the veggies got dryer sprinkled some water about 1/4 cup. The jaggery had to be added in generous amounts about 1 teaspoon for a 1/4 kg Valpapdi. Covered the pan and let it cook till the dhoklis looked glazed and the Valpapdi felt tender. Mixed in the salt, red chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder. Covered and cooked for another 8-10 mins.

Done. Offered to God along with Ghadichi poli. Packed a box for lunch.

Just stopped swooning after lunch. Clearly the ajwain dhokli is the star performer in this Valpapdi.