Perfect Chaat for Holi!

Hello Friends .... had been offline for more than 10 days.... shifting home, settling down etc.

Now that I am back in time for Holi, let me share an absolutely "must have" chaat for the festival.

Yes, it is the recipe for Papri Chaat....

PAPRI CHAAT                                                                 Serves 4 - 5

Ingredients

Papri – about 20 pieces

Bhalla -  10 ( refer to my Dahi Bhalla recipe)

Boiled Potato(peeled and cut into small pieces) – 1 cup

Boiled Channa / Chickpea – 1cup

Moong / Green Gram Sprouts – 1 cup

Sev Bhujia – 1cup

Dahi / Curd (beaten) – 2 cups

Green Chilli (finely chopped) – as per taste

Green Chutney – 1cup

Tamarind Chutney – 1 ½ cup

Red Chilli pdr – to taste

Cumin / Jeera pdr – 2 tblsp

Black Salt – to taste

Chaat Masala – to taste

Salt – to taste

For the Papri                                                                                    Makes 20

Refined Flour – 1cup

Salt – a pinch

Ajwain – ¼ tsp

Oil – 3 to 4 tblsp and for deep frying

Method

1. Add a pinch of salt and ajwain to the refined flour. Mix well.
2. Add 3 tblsp of oil to the flour and mix it in using your finger tips till the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Press a fistful of the mixture to check. If it holds the shape, then you are on the right track. Else, add another tblsp of oil and mix it in and check again.
3. Bring the mixture together by adding very little water.
4. Knead the dough well for a couple of minutes. It should be firm and stiff.
5. Roll out large circles (¼ inch thick) of the dough. Use a dusting of flour to help you do this.
6. Cut into circles (traditional) or squares (like me). Prick holes on the surface using a fork.
7. Heat oil in a deep pan. Lower the flame. Fry in batches on low heat till the Papri is firm and done to a light golden colour.
8. Remove on tissue, cool and store in an airtight container.

For the Chaat

1. Arrange the Papris on a plate. On each Papri, place a small mashed bhalla, some boiled potato, some boiled channa and some sprouts.
2.  Drizzle with beaten dahi, Green chutney and Tamarind chutney.
3. Sprinkle salt, black salt, cumin pdr, red chilli pdr, chaat masala and green chilli.
4. Top with some sev bhujia and serve.

 *If you refer to my Dahi Bhalla recipe for making the bhalla, then make sure that the bhalla balls need to be smaller in size for this recipe (marble sized). They only need to be fried, soaked in water, squeezed lightly and used.

* A simple tamarind / imli chutney can be made by mixing tamarind pulp with sugar and a pinch of salt. You must build it to your taste by adjusting the sugar so that it is tangy.

* A simple green chutney can be made by grinding together a bunch of coriander leaves, few cloves of garlic, a few green chillies and some mint/ pudina leaves in a mixer.

* For a low fat chaat option try making the chaat by replacing papris with cream cracker biscuits!

Please feel free to post your comments and suggestions....

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2012

Weekend breakfast plan ...

Weekend mornings are for being lazy ... reading newspaper supplements ... sipping large mugs of hot beverage ... planning how to spend time....

A light, flavourful breakfast with lots of vegetables would certainly fit in well with the scheme...

POHA (Flattened Rice) POLAO                                                   (Serves 2)

Ingredients

Poha – 1 cup heaped

Vegetables

Carrot, Bean, Potato (chopped finely) – ¾ cup

Peas shelled – ¼ cup

 Onion chopped finely – 1 medium

Ginger grated – ½ tsp

Green chilly chopped – as per taste

Coriander leaves chopped – for garnish

Garam Masala – ¼ tsp

Coriander pdr – ½ tsp

Crushed Pepper – ¼ tsp

Sugar – ½ tsp

Salt – to taste

Vegetable Oil – 1tblsp

Method

1. Wash and soak the poha in water for about 7  min. Drain and keep aside.
2. Steam/par boil the chopped veggies and peas till half done.
3. Heat oil in a pan. Add onions and fry till lightly coloured.
4. Add the vegetables, green chilli and ginger, stir fry for 1min.
5. Add the coriander pdr and crushed pepper. Season with salt. Stir lightly to mix well.
6. Add the poha and season with salt. Sprinkle the garam masala pdr and sugar.
7. Lower the heat. Lightly combine the ingredients.
8. Sprinkle with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Adding sugar may be optional.

Have a good weekend!

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2012

Dahi Vada - an all time family favourite....

There are various recipes for Dahi Vada or Dahi Bhalla using different pulses/dals.
Vadas are also shaped differently ... doughnut, cylinder, disk or balls.
 The most important aspect of a successful Dahi Vada dish however, remains theVADA and how it is treated.

 I am sharing a very easy to make recipe which is bound to win you accolades!

DAHI VADA (DAHI BHALLA)                                               Makes 20

Ingredients

Urad Dal (Black gram) without skin – 10 tblsp

Fresh Curd – 800 gm

Hing (Asafetida) pdr – ¾ tsp

Green chilli chopped – to taste(optional)

Jeera (Cumin) pdr – 2 tblsp

Red chilli pdr – to taste

Black salt – to taste

Salt – to taste

Sweet Tamarind Chutney – 2 cups

Oil – for deep frying

Method

1. Wash and soak the dal/lentil in adequate water for about 45 min to 1 hr.
2. Drain the water and grind it to a very thick paste using little or no water.
3. Transfer it to a large bowl and add hing, salt and chopped green chilli(optional) to it.
4. Using a cream/egg beater work the paste till it is light and fluffy. Alternatively you could use a hand held beater or your hand to aerate the paste.
5. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Lower the flame and put in a ball of paste into the oil. (You could use your fingers or soup spoons to do this.)
6. The ball should puff up to the size of a golf ball. Fry on medium heat till lightly golden in colour. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
7. Keep a large bowl of water ready. Take out the balls from the oil and drop them in this bowl.
8. They take about a minute to soak. Remove the balls one by one and squeeze lightly to remove excess water.
9. Arrange them in a dish. Beat the curd to a smooth paste (should be thick to coat the back of a spoon).
10. Drizzle the balls with the curd to cover them liberally. Sprinkle jeera pdr, black salt and red chilli pdr.  Now spread some Sweet Tamarind Chutney over the vadas using a spoon.
11. Serve chilled or at room temperature.



    



Soaking in water....



Frying in oil...



Enjoy the dish!

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2012

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

A special day meant to celebrate - right at the begining of the week may pose a challenge.

So, to have a little food celebration at home, I made a Mexican Vegetable and Chickpea casserole served with a Chilli Garlic Noodle.

Sharing this recipe gives me  much joy. Hope that you will give it a try and get back to me.

MEXICAN VEGETABLES AND CHICKPEA CASSEROLE

WITH CHILLI GARLIC NOODLES                                 Serves 2 - 3

Ingredients:-

For the Casserole

Carrot – 1 medium

Zucchini – 1 medium

Broccoli – 1 medium

Button Mushrooms - 6

Onion – 1 large

Tomato – 4 to 5

Chickpea (boiled) – 1 cup

Garlic – 4 cloves  

Parsley (chopped/dry) – 2 tsp

Coriander leaves (chopped) – 2 tsp

Red chilli flakes – 1 tsp

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Pepper (freshly crushed) – ½ tsp

Salt – to taste

Potato (boiled and mashed) – 2 big

Tabasco/Capsico – as per taste

Cream – 1 tblsp

Olive oil – 2 tblsp

For the Noodles

Egg/Veg Noodles – 150 gm

Red chilli flakes – ¾ tsp

Garlic – 2 cloves (chopped)

Olive oil – 1 ½ tblsp

Salt – to taste

Method

1. Slit the carrot and zucchini length wise and then slice thickly
2. Cut the broccoli into florets (should not be too small). Halve the button mushrooms.
3. Parboil the carrot and wash the broccoli in hot water.
4. Chop the onion (not too fine), garlic, coriander and parsley (if fresh).
5. Remove the tomato skin by blanching and then blend them to a puree.
6.  Peel the potatoes, dice them and boil them till just done.
7. Mash the potato, add the cream and season it with salt while still hot. Fill in a piping bag with a broad nozzle. Keep aside.
8. Heat olive oil in a pan. Add the onion and garlic and stir till the flavour comes out.
9. Add the carrot, zucchini, mushroom and chickpea. Sprinkle the chopped/dry parsley, chopped coriander, chilli flakes and cumin pdr. Add the tomato puree and mix well.
10.  Add the broccoli,  a dash of Tabasco and season with salt and pepper. Combine with the vegetables.  
11.  Remove into a baking casserole. Pipe the potato paste over the vegetables to cover them. Drizzle with 1 tblsp of olive oil.
12. Bake at 180°C preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes or till the potato gets a slight golden brown colour.
13. Boil the noodles.
14. Heat olive oil in a pan. Add the chopped garlic and chilli flakes.
15. Add the noodles, season with salt and toss to combine well.
16. Plate the casserole vegetables in a well of noodles. Serve hot.

Tip for non-vegetarians .... you could add bite sized pieces of stir fried chicken breast seasoned with salt and pepper to the cassarole.

Enjoy the dish!

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2012



GREEN PEAS CUTLETS...

KORAI SHUTIR PEETHA  (Green Peas Cutlets)                                      (Makes 10 -12)

Ingredients

Boiled Potato (Medium size) – 5

Shelled Green Peas – 2 cups

Ginger paste – 1 tsp

Fennel seed (saunf) Powder – 2 ½ tsp

Flour – 4 to 5 tblsp

Vegetable Oil – 1 tblsp and for deep frying  

Salt – to taste

Sugar – 1 tsp

Fresh Bread Crumbs – optional

Method

1. Peel and mash the boiled potatoes while still warm. Keep aside.
2. Grind the peas coarsely – avoid adding water.
3. Heat a thick bottom / non-stick frying pan slightly. Add a tblsp of oil.
4. Pour the pea paste into the pan. Maintain a low heat while stirring continuously so that the paste does not stick to the pan. It could take about 10mins.
5. Once the moisture has evaporated and the paste has turned a darker shade of green, add salt to taste.
6. Add the ginger paste and fennel seed powder. You could add a tsp of sugar at this stage (optional).
7. Combine the ingredients well. Take off the heat and set aside to cool.
8. Season the mashed potato with salt. Divide it into 10 – 12 compact balls (press with fingers while forming balls).
9. Take a ball, mould it into small bowl. Fill this with a heaped tsp of the pea paste. Now carefully seal the paste into the potato case.

10.       Applying pressure shape it into a flattened cake.

11.       Roll it in dry flour and set aside. Repeat for the remaining balls.

12.       Deep fry the cakes / peetha in moderately hot oil till golden in colour.

13.       Serve with a sweet tamarind chutney.

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2012

The hustle bustle of the kitchen .... the aroma of food....eating together....all very pleasant memories. My grandmothers on both sides of the family were accomplished "kitchen queens" in their own right. Nani was vivacious while Dadi was the elegant one. I loved to spend time in their kitchens during vacations, listening to their stories and watching them create their magic. Each had her own distinctive style and method and I must admit that the sights, sounds, aroma and tasting sessions had a deep impact on me and I carry them fondly with me. My mother too is an excellent cook - she would put up new and exciting menus for us and never shied away from learning and trying out new recipes! It was she who let me explore my skills in the kitchen and allowed me to cook and learn with her on holidays.
After marriage, cooking for my husband (who is the subject of my food experiments and also the harshest critic) honed my skills. Now, my son and his demand for "special" something to eat keeps me on my toes and my mind ticking in the kitchen.
With the world moving towards takeaways and in the era of diminishing family kitchens, I wanted to share those memories and my thoughts on food and recipes with everyone....