Garlic Knots

• 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

• 6 medium cloves garlic (30 g), grated on a rasp grater

• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume

• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 0.5 ounce; 13 g), divided, plus more for serving

• 22- to 24-ounces (624 to 680 g) store-bought fresh pizza doughor homemade New York-style pizza dough, at room temperature (see notes)

• 2 ounces (56 g) Gruyère cheese, finely shredded (about 1/2 cup)

• 1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese (28 g, about 1/4 cup), plus more for serving

• Homemade or store-bought pizza sauce for serving, optional

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add olive oil, garlic, crushed red pepper, and salt; cook, stirring often, until fragrant and butter mixture turns a light golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of parsley. Set aside and let cool until just warm, about 15 minutes. 

2. On a lightly floured surface, divide dough into 2 even pieces. Working one piece at a time, roll or stretch into an oblong about 8 inches long and 4 inches wide. With a bench scraper or knife, cut crosswise into 12  (8-inch long) strips that are about 1 ounce or 28 g each. Tie each strip into a knot. Transfer 1/3 cup garlic-butter mixture to a large bowl; leave remaining garlic-butter mixture in saucepan and set aside. In bowl with reserved garlic-butter, gently toss knots in garlic-butter until evenly coated, letting excess butter drip back into bowl. In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, arrange knots in a single layer evenly spaced apart. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let proof at warm room temperature until dough springs back very slowly to the touch, and almost doubles in size, about 1 hour. 

3. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position, and preheat oven to 400°F (205ºC). Remove plastic wrap from knots, and discard. Bake knots until edges start to brown, 20 to 22 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle evenly with Gruyère and Parmesan. Return to oven, and continue to bake until cheese is fully melted and just beginning to brown in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer skillet to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, reheat remaining garlic-butter mixture in small saucepan over low heat until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in remaining 2 tablespoons parsley. Transfer to a serving bowl. 

5. Sprinkle garlic knots with additional Parmesan and parsley. Serve with warmed garlic butter and pizza sauce, if using.

Special Equipment

Small saucepan, 10-inch cast iron skillet, wire rack

Notes

Because of how intensely flavored these garlic knots are, this is one case where store-bought dough (which is often under-seasoned) works just as well as homemade. So feel free to take the easy road here and use pre-made pizza dough—you won't be sacrificing any flavor.

We have given a range in dough about (22 to 24 ounces) to accommodate variability in weight dough weight is sold in. If using 22 ounces

Make-Ahead and Storage

Prepared garlic butter can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Garlic knots can be prepared through step 2 before proofing, covered loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 12 hours. Proceed with the recipe as directed, and increase the proofing time at room temperature to 90 minutes. 

Leftover baked garlic knots can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. To reheat, preheat your oven to 350°F. Wrap bread loosely in aluminum foil and bake at 350°F (175℃) until warmed through and cheese is melted, 10 to 15 minutes.

Kala Vatana Usal

For cooking black peas

• ▢ 1 cup black peas (kala vatana)

• ▢ 2 cups water or as required

• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt or as required

For making coconut masala

• ▢ 1 tablespoon oil

• ▢ ⅓ cup thinly sliced onions

• ▢ 5 to 6 garlic cloves – small to medium-sized, peeled and roughly chopped

• ▢ 1 inch ginger peeled and roughly chopped

• ▢ 1 cup fresh grated coconut or ½ cup fresh coconut + ¼ cup desiccated coconut

• ▢ 1 to 2 dry red chillies – the malvani masala i used does not have red chillies it, hence I have added these

• ▢ ⅓ to ½ cup water – for grinding coconut masala

More Ingredients

• ▢ 2 tablespoons oil

• ▢ ⅓ cup chopped onions

• ▢ 1 tomato small-sized, optional

• ▢ 1 to 1.5 tablespoons malvani masala

• ▢ ½ teaspoon turmeric powder

• ▢ ½ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder – optional

• ▢ 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder – optional

• ▢ 1 to 1.5 cups water or add as required

• ▢ salt as required

• ▢ 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves – for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

• Start the previous night before. Pick and clean the black peas. Wash the peas in running water for 3 to 4 times.

• Soak the peas in water for 8 to 10 hours. You could also use sprouted black peas.

• The next day, discard the water from the soaked peas. Rinse the peas a few times with fresh water.

• Boil the black peas with ½ teaspoon salt and 2 cups water in a 3-litre pressure cooker for 10 to 12 mins till they are completely cooked and tender.

• The peas should get softened well. Drain the cooked peas in a strainer and set aside.

• Now on a small frying pan or tawa heat up 1 tablespoon of oil. Add ⅓ cup of thin onion slices and sauté stirring often till they become light golden.

• Add in the chopped garlic and ginger and sauté for a few seconds.

• Add the coconut. Mix well and roast for a minute.

• Next add the dry red chillies. Remove the seeds if you prefer from the chillies. Mix again.

• Roast the entire masala till the coconut turns golden. Roast on a low heat and keep on stirring often so that the masala does not stick to the pan or get burnt.

• Set the pan aside and let the masala cool. In a grinder transfer the roasted masala ingredients.

• Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the boiled black peas to it together with ⅓ to ½ cup of water.

• Grind to a smooth and fine paste. Add more water if needed.

• In another deep bottomed pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Sauté ⅓ cup of chopped onions till they soften.

• Add turmeric powder and malvani masala.

• Add the ground masala paste. Now you can add the tomatoes also.

  You don’t have to sauté the masala paste for a long time as we have already done that earlier when the masala ingredients were sautéed.

  Mix everything well and sauté the entire masala for 2 minutes on a low heat. The masala splutters so keep on stirring it.

• Add 1 to 1.5 cups of water depending on the consistency you want in the curry.

• Bring to a rolling boil the first time and then lower the flame and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Take care that the usal does not spill while boiling.

  Make it as per your choice of consistency. If you like more gravy, add some more water.

• Add salt and check the seasonings. Once the curry is cooked well, you will see specks of oil floating on top of the gravy.

  When done add the chopped coriander leaves.

• Serve Kala Vatana Usal hot with Malvani Vade, rice puri or wheat poori. You could also serve Kala Vatana Sambar with plain steamed rice.

NOTES

• Use black peas that are within their expiry date. Older or aged peas will take a long time to cook. 

• If you want to make the recipe for Ganesh Chaturthi festival, then do not add onions and garlic.

• This recipe cannot be scaled as is. 

• You could omit adding dry red chillies to the coconut masala paste. 

• The black peas can be cooked in a stovetop pressure cooker or in the Instant Pot.

• If you do not have Malvani masala add the following listed spices after you sauté ginger and garlic and before adding the coconut.

  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)

  • 1 thin strand of mace (javitri)

  • 1 small stone flower (dagad phool)

  • 1 small star anise (chakri phool)

  • 1 teaspoon poppy seeds (khus khus)

  • 1 cobra saffron (nagkesar), optional

  • 1 triphal, optional

  Later add 1 teaspoon of garam masala when the curry is simmering.

Mango Chutney

Raw mango – 1/2 cup, diced

Coconut – 1/4 cup, grated

Green Chilli – 4

Cilantro

Ginger – a small pc

Peanut – 1 tbsp. roasted

Salt

Oil – 1 tsp

Mustard – 1/2 tsp

Urad dhal – 1 tsp

Asafetida powder

In a blender add raw Mango, Coconut grated, Green chilli, Cilantro, Ginger, Peanut and required Salt. Grind to a smooth paste.

Temper Mustard, Urad dhal and Asafetida in hot Oil and add to the above chutney.