Pomegranate Khandvi Lasagne

Khandvi is probably my favorite Gujarati dish to make and eat. Making perfect paper thin, translucent khandvi is true art, I believe. And I must admit I can’t make it the way my mum does. Nonetheless, I can make it, well enough to satisfy a greedy craving.

Traditional khandvi can get boring after a while and Masterchef has only taught us to elevate traditional dishes to something where imagination is given a chance to appear as an art. Khandvi is basically a result of 3 ingredients — gram flour, buttermilk, salt and sometimes turmeric.

Our second week in the Masterchef Kitchen started with a Mystery Box challenge which had pomegranate, water chestnut, cucumber, physalis (cape gooseberry), lentils and walnuts. In addition, a regular support pantry with flours, sugars, dairy and basics.

I decided to turn that typical yellow khandvi batter to something more fun like purple (or pink?)! And then screw the typical rolling and taking the easy way out — simply stacking sheets of khandvi that would resemble a lasagne.

             They loved the idea but were hesitant if I would complete the dish in time

But I did.
And I was happy to hear the judges say “this dish is a masterstroke!”

And present me the Star of the week!
Now do you have a reason to not make this dish?! I guess not. So here you go!

Pomegranate Khandvi Lasagne

For the Pomegranate Khandvi Sheets:
1/2 cup gram flour
1/2 cup yogurt
1 cup fresh pomegranate juice
salt and red chili powder to taste

1) Mix everything using a wire whisk to form a smooth batter. Rest for 20 minutes.
2) Cook it in nonstick pan stirring constantly so no lumps form.
3) Once it’s very thick, spread it on the counter into a thin layer using a palette knife and then cut it in squares.

For the Water Chestnut & Walnut Filling:
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 green chili, finely chopped
8 canned water chestnuts, chopped
4 tablespoons walnuts, lightly roasted
salt and pepper to taste

1) Heat oil in a pan.
2) Sauté onions and green chili till translucent.
3) Add in water chestnuts and sauté till cooked well.
4) Lastly add in walnuts and mix. Season with salt and pepper and keep aside.

For the Cape Gooseberry Sauce:
15-20 cape gooseberries
1 tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in water
Salt and pepper to taste

1) In a pot of boiling water, add in cape gooseberries, cover and boil till softened.
2) Grind them in a blender to a smooth paste.
3) Heat oil and sauté garlic. Add in the paste and reduce it on low heat.
4) Add in cornstarch slurry and keep cooking untilthe sauce is somewhat thickened.
5) Season with sugar, salt and pepper.

To Assemble the Khandvi Lasagne:
1) Brush some sauce on a plate.
2) Place a sheet of khandvi in the cutter. Spread some sauce. Spoon some filling over. Place another sheet and continue to form the layers until you have 4 sheets of khandvi and 3 layers of filling.