Friday, October 2
Aloo tikki chaat..
Few weeks back invited some of my friends for dinner, so thought of making chat in starters, and guess what, they came out perfect (though they turned out to be too filling). For making tikki chat, if you think of making everything from scratch, than indeed we feel it's a long long process, but as i already had my tamarind as well as green chutney ready in my fridge, and one of the dish in the main course as chole itself, so it was a lot easier... :). Even though, if it needs to be done at one go, still its worth the effort.
Ingredients:
For Aloo Tikki:
Potatoes 5 large
Bread Slices 2 -3
Garam Masala pwd ½ tsp
Roasted Jeera/Cumin Pwd 1 tsp
Coriander Powder ½ tsp
Corn Flour 1 tbsp+
Oil, for shallow frying
Salt to taste
For Date and Tamarind Chutney:
8 10 deseeded dates
2 tbsp tamarind pulp
1/4 cup jaggery
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp cumin powder
Salt to taste
Chole
Green chutney
Curd, beaten till smooth
Cumin powder
1 tbsp sugar
Finely chopped Onions
Fine sev to garnish
Red chilli powder
Chopped coriander leaves.
Method:
1. Prepare green coriander chutney
2. Prepare tamarind chutney.(better make both chutney's one day in advance)
Bring tamarind pulp to a boil. Add date paste and jaggery.
Then add red chilli powder , cumin powder and salt to taste. Adjust the spices and consistency, switch off the gas and let it cool. This can be stored in the air tight jar in the fridge for later use.
Alternatively, grind all the ingredients, along with little water, to make a thick chutney.
3. Make spicy Chole.
4. Yogurt Filling:
Beat the curd till its smooth without any lumps(add a bit water ,if too thick). Now mix in roasted cumin powder, sugar and salt to taste.
5. Aloo Tikki:
Boil potato till tender, peel and mash well(or better grate them for even consistency).
Remove the edges of bread slices. Dip the slices in water and squeeze them between your palms to remove the water. Crumble them with hands and add to the mashed potatoes. Also, bread crumbs can be directly added to mashed potatoes.
Mix in all the spices ; garam masala, roasted cumin powder, coriander powder, salt to taste and corn flour and mix well. Adjust the corn flour as required, it helps in binding and hence proper shape of tikki's.
Take a small lump and make a small ball. Press it down to shape it into round shape (about 1 cm thick ) to amke a tikki.
Heat tawa/griddle , put about 1 tsp oil, and shallow fry all the tikki's on medium to low heat on both the sides till they turn golden brown in color.
Repeat with all the tikkies and place them in a paper napkin to remove excess oil.
Assemble and Serve:
Place 2-3 hot Aloo Tikkies on serving plate.
Pour about 2 ladles full of Chole. Then add about 2 tablespoons of spiced yogurt.Then drizzle about a spoon each of Sweet Date-Tamarind Chutney and Green Chutney.
Finally garnish with chopped onion, sev and chopped coriander leaves.
Sprinkle a bit of red chilli powder and cumin power on top of it and serve immediately.
Tips:
Instead of bread slices can add one cup Bread Crumbs too
For oil consicious people, can also bake the tikkies till they turn gold and crisp on both the sides
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Sunday, May 17
Tangy Pav Bhaji
Pav Bhaji is one the most famous street food , savoured in all parts of india. Basically its a fast food dish native to maharashtra.
And which is the best Pav-Bhaji? Its the one where pav bhaji wala bhaiya is there, with his huge cast-iron pan in front of him. And all around are bowls of chopped veggies and an alarming number of packets of Amul butter, and Masala'a .Whatever is the order, he 'll put appropiate amount of veggies, boiled potatoes, loads of buttere, n all the masala's and then mash , and saute it to give a sizzle and fill the place with heavenly aroma. Then serve it with pav, roasted in again loads of butter and raw onions and lemon pieces.
Its done and it goes into the tummy melting in the mouth...
Now, there's no comparision for that Pav Bhaji, but quite a aroma and taste can also be reached at home. Try this.. (I know that the picture is not all duing justice to the yummy bhaji, but that much only i could do manage with the saved portion..)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped cauliflower,
1/2 cup chopped french beans,
1/2 cup green peas,
1 cup finely chopped capsicum (green peppers),
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots,
4 potatoes,
4 medium sized tomatoes,
3 medium sized finely chopped onions,
3 tbsp Pav bhaaji masala(Everest reccomnded),
4 5 green chillies,
4-5 garlic cloves,
1 inch ginger,
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (optional),
chopped coriander leaves,
salt to taste
Pav (a kind of bun)
1 pack salted butter (Amul butter is recommended)
Method:
Boil potatoes and mash them.Set aside.
Boil all the finely chopped vegetables separately.
Mash the boiled vegetables to form a coarse pulp using Pav bahji masher.
In a pan, melt 2 tbsp butter. Add cumin seeds (optional), finely chopped ginger, garlic and green chillies.
Then add 2 chopped onions, sauté till transulent and then add chopped tomatoes and cook till done.
Add the pav bhaaji masala and mix. Let it cook.
Now add mashed potatoes and add boiled vegetables.
Lastly add some butter again(it gives a nice aroma).
Finally add salt to taste.
Add water as required.
Cook till the bhaaji thickens.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Next give slits to the buns horizontally, i.e, keeping the base intact. On a hot griddle, melt butter. Arrange all the buns on the pan. Roast both the sides as well as the inner surfaces of buns with butter, pressing it slightly.
Serve these buns(pav) and hot bhaaji with chopped onions and a piece of lemon.
Tips:
Choose proper buns, do not buy the sweet ones or can have burger instead.
Use butter generously while making pav bhaaji.
Light roast the buns. Let them remain buttery and soft.
You can use any veggies of your choice.
Variations:
For an even spicier result, make masala pav...melt some butter in a skillet. Sprinkle pav bhaji masala in it, then fry the bread in this spicy butter until sizzling and golden.
Masala onion: Heat some butter, add a pinch of pav bhaaji masala and salt. Put the chopped onions, lemon juice and mix. Serve this masala onion with pav bhaaji.
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Sending this to WYF:Quick meal
And also to Sunday snacks: Chaats, at All Thingz Yummy!!
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Saturday, May 9
Bhel puri
Chaat is something that is loved by all. And now being away from India, we carve for them a lot more. So this very simple chat, Bhel Puri has become one of the most loved evening snack in our house. Its so flexible in its ingredients, that it can be enjoyed anytime, with whatall available in the kitchen(only puffed rice should be there) . Apart from Bhel popular Chaat's that we we relish are Aloo Tikkis (garnished with onion, coriander, hot spices and a dash of curd), bhel puri, dahi puri, panipuri, dahi vada, papdi chaat, and sev puri. Bhel puri is a a puffed rice dish with potatoes and a tangy tamarind sauce. It is prepared across India, and is known by different names ,Churu Muri in Bangalore or Jhaal Muri in Kolkata.
Ingredients:
4 5 flat crispy puris
200 gms puffed rice (kurmura / murmura/ murrah),
3 tbsp plain sev (thin one),
1 teaspoon chilli powder,
1 potatoes (boiled),
1 big red onion,
1 tomato
1 small bunch coriander leaves,
2 3 green chillies,
Lemon juice or raw mango (optional),
1/4 cup any spicy mixture,
2 tsp cumin powder,
salt to taste
Sweet tamarind chutney
Green chutney 
Method:
Prepare the green and sweet chutneys.
Chop onion, potato, tomato and raw mango finely. Chop coriander leaves and green chillies. Set aside.
Mix together puffed rice and sev, salt and chili powder ,cumin powder and the mixture. I usually use Haldiram's 'Navratan' or 'Mixture' one, but can use any.
Before serving, mix chutneys to taste, chopped veggies and the murmura in a bowl.
To serve, put some bhel in individual plates, top with some more sev and chutneys (if desired) n serve immediately with crispy puris.
Tips:
There's no hard n fast rule for making Bhel's. If u don't have chutneys, you can skip them.
Can also add grated coconut or Musturd oil, to give it a unique flavour.
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Sending this to Sunday snacks: Chaat, along with pani puri at All Thingz Yummy!!
And also to 15 minutes cooking @spices etc
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Friday, January 2
Street Food : Pani Puri
Firstly, wishing all my readers and blogger friends a very Happy New Year 2009. Mostly everyone starts anything new with some sweet only. But for me ,its something spicy (as i don't have a sweet tooth). And my first post for this year is the one that i like the most, our Favourite Indian Chat Pani Poori.
Pani Puri or Puchka or Gol Guppa, is the best street food .This in one of the most popular chaat in India. The taste of Pani and the varoius fillings vary from region to region. Like in Gujrat ,you will get a little sweet, whearas in Kolkata we have them really spicy (tears should come out.. hehe).
Everybody has his/her own recipe for pani puri. But one that i will never forget is the pani puri cart near Madhavan park, Jayanagar, Bangalore.Once we had it there and we were so addicted to it , atleast twice we went to jayanagar, just to have them and come back.I really really miss it so much.
Making them at home really brings back all the memories..(I'm thinking and drooling...)
So here goes the recipe. One more thing,i couldn't take the snap nicely ,as my hubby was standing just behind me,and as soon as i clicked these 2.....they were gone.
Ingredients:
About 40 50 puris’s(store bought or home made)
For the Pani:
3 cups water
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup coriander leaves
4 5 green chilli
1 inch ginger(optional)
½ tsp of chilli powder
2 tbsp tamarind pulp
1 tsp black salt
1 tsp roasted cumin powder
1 tsp chaat masala powder
Salt to taste
For the filling:
a)1 cup boiled and mashed potatoes
1 tsp chilli powder
Salt to taste
b)Boondi
c)Moong bean sprouts( Salted)
d)Yogurt
e)Copped onions...
And the list is endless, entirely depends upon yor taste buds.
For Date and Tamarind Chutney:
8 10 deseeded dates
2 tbsp tamarind pulp
1/4 cup jaggery
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp cumin powder
Salt to taste
Method:
For Pani:
Grind together Mint leaves, Coriander Leaves, and Green chillies (also you can add about a inch ginger)in a grinder or hand grinder finely.
Mix all the ingredients for making pani along with this green mix, and cool it in refrigerator or add some ice to it.
Check for the taste and adjust the flavours as necessary.
For Chutney:
Grind all the ingredients, along with little water, to make a thick chutney.
For Filling:
Mix salt n red chilli in potatoes and set aside rest ingredients in separate bowls.
Serving the Puchka’s/Pani Puri’s:
Tap the Puri at the center(on the thin fragile side) lightly to make a small hole in it.
Stuff the puri with about 1 tbsp of the various desired fillings .
Now add 1 big drop of the Tamarind Chutney.(those who like only spicy and not sweet,like me, can avoid adding it)
And finally dip filled puri into the chilled pani and there it goes... the crispy-spicy-sweet puri crushing into your mouth. YUMMY...
Tips:
1) If you find your Puri's a bit soft, don't worry, just microwave them for half a minute, oil will sizzle and they will be hot. Let them cool and they are ready,crispy again.
2) Stir the pani well before dipping the puri's, else as you can see from the snaps too, the spices tend to settle at the bottom.
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Sending this to FIC: YELLOW hosted by sunshinemom at Toungeticklers.
And also to Just for u at Sindi Rasoi.
And also to Sunday Snacks - Hot n Spicy at All Thingz Yummy!!
And to Sunday snacks: Chaat
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Friday, December 26
Home made Puri's for pani puri
Here is a street food that is wildly popular all over India although it might be called by different names; gol-gappa in Northen India, puchka in Bengal, and pani-puri in Maharashtra. The mere name of it makes me drool. We are so fond of it, but after coming to singapore,we really miss it a lot. Though here too we get Pani puri in resturants, but the real fun is having them in (so called unhygenic) road side carts only.
We tried the Haldiram's and other brands ready packs for it. But the problem was ,the puri's were a bit small and limited and sometimes oil smelled too.
So i thought better to try making them at home, one day before and have a heartful,the next day. So, here goes the puri's.
Ingredients:
1 cup sooji (semolina)
1 tbsp maida
salt to taste
Method:
Take semolina, add salt to taste.
Add a little luke warm water(not much),maida and make a stiff dough
Knead the dough nicely for about 5 7 minutes,taking a few drops of oil in hand.
Let the dough stand for atleast 15 minutes.
Then roll the dough into very very thin sheets(as thin as possible) and cut into rounds with a cutter, or cap of any jars.
Lastly deep fry in low to medium flame.(do not hurry,else it wouldn't be crisp)
It puffs up nicely.
Let them cool fully and then can store in a airtight container.
Use them to serve pani poori.
1 cup sooji yielded about 50+ puri's for me. Mine all puri's puffed well, but wasn't as round as market ones, which is as i believe was because i had used blunt jar caps insted of a proper cutter. Though they nice to taste and very crisp to eat.
If some of your Puri's don't puff nicely, do not worry ,just make Papdi chat out of them and enjoy..
I'll post the recipe for pani ,its chutney as well as its stuffings soon.
UPDATE: Can check the whole spread here.
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Sunday, March 16
Dahi Wada
Ingredients :
Wadas
Udad dal (Black gram dal) 1 cup
Moong dal (Green gram dal) 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
For the Dahi (yogurt)
Dahi (yogurt) 5 cups(You can use homemade yogurt or low-fat yogurt from the market)
Green chillies, chopped 1 tsp
Ginger grated
1/2 tspcurry leaves
7-8Mustard seeds
1/4 tspAsafoetida pinch
Salt to taste
Sugar 4 tsps (yogurt should taste little sweet)
Method :
For Wadas
Soak the two dals for 7-8 hours or overnight.
Grind it to a smooth paste with very little water
Add salt to taste. Heat oil for deep frying in a kadahi and add spoonfuls of dal batter (in oval shapes) and fry until the wadas are golden brown.
Drop the hot wads in a bowl of cold water and leave for about 3-4 minutes.
Take each wada out from water, squeeze the water out and set aside.
For making dahi:
Blend the yogurt with little water until it is smooth.
Add sugar, salt, green chillies and ginger.
Make a tarka (seasoning) of mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves and add to yogurt.
Keep the yogurt in refrigerator until it is chilled.
Serving the wadas
Arrange the squeezed wadas in a deep dish. Pour the yogurt on the wadas such that all the wads are covered well by the yogurt. Sprinle red chiili powder, roasted jeera powder and black salt (sanchal).Serve with sweet tamarind(imli) chutney.
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