Soya Kebabs

Soya Kebabs are a very healthy and tasty appetizer.  Soya granules contain 54.2 grams of protein, which exceeds the amount of protein found in meats, eggs, milk and wheat. Soya protein contains all the amino acids needed by the body, and is an excellent replacement for meat-based proteins. Animal proteins are generally higher in saturated fats. Soya granules can be beneficial to the growth of strong bones and teeth in children.   Soya granules when added with potatoes and other vegetables make an excellent dish liked by adults and children as well.

Ingredients:

3 medium potatoes(boiled), 1 cup Soya granules, 1 carrot,  ½ green pepper(capsicum), 1 small onion, 1 garlic clove,  ½ tsp coriander powder,  ¼ tsp garam masala,  ½ tsp dry mango powder, salt to taste,  ½ cup bread crumbs, 1 green chili(optional), 1 tbsp sooji or semolina.

Method:

Boil Soya granules for 5-6 minutes.  Squeeze out all the water from the granules by pressing them between your hands.

Peel off and grate carrot, chop onion and green pepper into fine bits and crush garlic.

In a food processor, add Soya granules, carrot, green pepper, garlic, onion, green chili, bread crumbs, semolina, coriander powder, garam masala, dry mango powder and blend to a grainy consistency.

Now mash potatoes separately and add with the grainy mix to form a smooth and pliable dough.

Make small round kebabs of this dough and fry them in a non sick pan till they turn crispy and light brown.

Serve hot with ketchup or green chutney.

Note: Recipe of green chutney is in one of the previous blogs.

Raw papaya vegetable mix

Papaya is not just a delicious fruit; it contains abundant health benefits and medicinal values.  It is a refreshing diuretic with excellent antioxidant properties.  Papaya is unbeatable against almost all infections of the body whether internal or external.  It contains a very important active ingredient called Papain, which has the same effect on the digestive system that pepsin does for digestion.  Papaya also contains an active ingredient called fibrin that is rarely found outside animal body or human body. Fibrin is easily digestible and is particularly helpful in providing normal clotting of the blood in both internal and external wounds.

Papain enzyme present in green or unripe papaya is much more beneficial for our body than the ripened papaya fruit.  In fact,  green papaya juice helps in correction of bowel irregularities in a relatively short time including indigestion, constipation, acid reflux, heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome, stomach ulcers, and other more serious gastrointestinal disorders. Both papaya and its seeds contain anti-amoebic and antiparasitic activities.  When a crushed green papaya is applied as an adhesive substance to any laceration, wound, or cut on the skin, it helps in immediate cessation of blood and closes the wound so that it can heal quickly.
 It is advisable to eat a papaya after eating a fully loaded meal including meat, chicken, and fish for immediate elimination of fat.

Ingredients:

Raw or green papaya 1 medium size, 2 large onions, ½ inch piece of ginger, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 green chili (optional), 3 small tomatoes, 1½ tbsp of cooking oil, ½  tsp of yellow mustard seeds (methi dana),  ½  tsp of cumin seeds, a pinch of asafoetida, 1 tsp turmeric powder, salt to taste, ½ tsp red chili powder(optional), 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp garam massala or curry powder, a few drops of wine vinegar, ¼ tsp of dry mango powder,  ¼ cup fresh green coriander leaves washed and chopped.

Method:

Peel off and cut raw papaya into small cubes.  Raw papaya has some kind of sticky stuff on the peel so make sure to wash it first before peeling it off.  It would be better to wear kitchen gloves while peeling off the skin.

Peel off onions, ginger and garlic and cut into small pieces. If you do not like ginger pieces coming in the mouth, grate the ginger.

Heat the oil, put asafoetida and after 10 seconds add mustard seeds and cumin seeds to the oil.  Once they turn light brown, add ginger, onion and garlic in that order and reduce flame to low.  When onion mix turns light brown, add turmeric and salt to it.  After 30 seconds, add cubes of papaya to this mix and cover the lid. Keep stirring from time to time till papaya pieces turn soft.

In the meanwhile puree the tomatoes into a mixer and add it to the papaya mix. Cover it again for a couple of minutes.  Add chili powder, coriander powder, dry mango powder and mix well.  Once all these spices blend well, add wine vinegar and garam massala or curry powder. Cover it for another minute or so.  Now add chopped green coriander leaves to garnish and turn off the flame. Keep the lid covered till you are ready to serve with chapatti or Nan.

Easy Taco Dip

Taco dip originated in Mexico and it is a meal in itself.   Those nibblers in your party will enjoy this as well.  .  When served with corn chips or tortilla chips taco dip makes a good appetizer for any get together.  This taco dip is less fattening as I haven’t used sour cream in it.  I have used hung yogurt which is a healthy alternative.  This dip is very easy to make. Since I use salsa to perk it up, guests don’t shy away from taking second and third helpings till all is gone.

Ingredients:

1 cup(8 oz) cream cheese,  1 cup hung yogurt or fat free sour cream, 2 cups salsa, 1 tsp chives, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp seasoned salt, 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce, 2 large tomatoes diced, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup black olives

Method:

Combine cream cheese, hung yogurt, salsa, spices and lemon juice and mix well with an egg beater.

Spread on the bottom of the large shallow glass dish.

Top with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and black olives.

Serve with baked tortilla chips.

 Note: You can put taco seasoning instead of other spices and lemon juice.

Sooji Ladoo

Ladoo is a ball shaped sweet popular in every region and state of India.  It is made of flour, sugar and other ingredients like ghee, nuts and flavors.  It is often served at festivals and other occasions like birth and marriage etc.  Ladoo comes from the Sanskrit word “ladduka” meaning a small ball.  Common flours used for ladoo include besan(chickpea flour), rava or sooji(semolina) and nuts.

This Diwali we got lots of almonds as gifts.  I wanted to make use of those.  So I tried making the rava ladoo which was very easy to make.  it came out to be tasty as well as nutritious.

Ingredients:

1 cup sooji or rava or semolina, 1 cup powdered sugar,  ½ cup ghee,  ½ tsp cardamom powder, ½ cup roasted almonds, ½ cup milk

Method:

Roast sooji in a heavy pan and put it aside.

Now melt ghee in a pan, add roasted sooji and sugar and stir it well.

Add chopped roasted almonds and cardamom powder and turn off the flame.  Mix it well and take out the mixture in a deep flat dish.

Let it cool off...  Now take a small portion of the mixture, add one tsp of milk and make a ball.  Repeat the same process till all ladoos are made.

These ladoos can stay out of refrigerator for a week.

Sandesh : a healthy sweet

All over India, the gastronomic culture of Bengal is well known for its affinity towards sweets, especially rosgolla and sandesh. Most Bengali sweets are made of milk turned into Chenna, sugar, spices, fruits, nuts, coconut and now a days even chocolate.   Sweets are an essential component of Bengali hospitality.  Bengalis send sweets to friends and family on every meaningful occasion.

The word “sandesh” means a message.  In olden times when a message or invitation was sent in Bengal, this special sweet was always sent along.

Being a light sweet, Sandesh is healthy as it supplements a good source of protein, carbohydrate and sugar thereby providing energy.  Sandesh comes in more than a hundred varieties.

I made this Bengali sweet on the occasion of Diwali.  Once I successfully made it, I realized this was the easiest sweet I have ever made.  I feel it is worth sharing it with my blog readers.

Ingredients:

Milk 1 ½ liter, 1 tbsp white vinegar, 2 tbsp water, ¾ cup plus one tsp sugar, a few strands of saffron, 1 tbsp milk, a few drops of yellow color.

Method:

Boil milk in a heavy pan.  When it reaches a boiling point pour vinegar and water mixture on this boiling milk and stir it lightly with a big spoon.  Lower the flame.  When milk starts cuddling, turn off the flame.  Let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Now drain it through the cheese cloth and hang it on your sink tap so that all water drains up in an hour.

Soak saffron in a tbsp of  milk and let it sit for a while.

When all water drains up, take out the cheese or chenna and mix it well in the food processor for eight minutes by adding sugar to it.  Add yellow color and saffron mix milk.

Cook on a very slow flame in a heavy pan stirring continuously with a wooden spatula.  Make sure not to overheat the chenna mix as it might turn grainy and leave fat.  It should be neither too dry nor too moist.  Should be like a soft dough.

Immediately make small balls or any other shape you like.  Garnish with crushed pistachio or any other way if you like.

Apple Crumble

Apple crumble is one of the old time favorite pies.  It originated in England during the Second World War due to the strict rations of foods.  During those hard times ingredients were not enough to come up with a traditional apple pie.  So what the people back then did was to create a crumble, since there were not much ingredients required. The only thing needed were sugar, butter and a little flour. Someone has rightly said necessity is the mother of invention.   During the hard times, the creativeness of the English people paved the way for apple crumble to become one of the popular desserts for times to come  In the fall or autumn when apples are in plenty, apple crumble became a favorite dish.  It is a very simple dish to make and that is one of the reasons of its popularity.

Ingredients:

3 Big Apples cored and sliced, ½ cup white sugar, 1 ½  tsp white flour, ½ tsp cinnamon powder,  ¼ cup water.

For Crumbs:

½ cup cooking oats, ½ cup corn flakes, ½ cup white flour, ½  cup brown sugar, 1/8 tsp baking powder, 1/8 tsp baking soda, ¼ cup melted butter or canola oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degree F or 180 degree C.

Place the sliced apples in a  medium size pie dish.

Mix the white sugar, 1 ½  tsp flour, cinnamon powder and sprinkle over apples. 

Pour ¼ cup water evenly over this.

Combine the oats, corn flakes(crush these a little with your hand), ½ cup white flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter or canola oil.

Crumble evenly over the apples.

Bake for 45 minutes or slightly golden in color.

Mexican Bean Salad

Beans are a healthy food that  play an important role in Mexican cuisine. Beans are naturally rich in soluble fiber, iron and dietary protein. Regularly consuming beans can lower bad LDL cholesterol and reduce overall heart disease risk, according to the U.S. Beans Council.  Healthy beans common in Mexican cooking include black beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans and kidney beans.

Beans are loaded with nutrients like Vitamin B, Calcium and Potassium that our bodies need.  For example Vitamin B is necessary for healthy brain and nerve cells, for normal functioning of the skin, nerves and the digestive system.  Similarly Calcium is needed for strong bones and teeth and it helps us keep our body more alkaline rather than acidic.  Potassium helps reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.

I have used black beans, soya beans, corn and black eyed beans that day as they were readily available in my kitchen pantry.  Generally I use kidney beans, chick peas, corn, green beans and navy beans for the Mexican salad.  So it depends on your choice and availability of things.  Most important thing is to use different variety of beans to add to the nutritional value and the taste.

Ingredients:

2 cups black beans, boiled and drained, 2cups kidney beans, boiled and drained, 2 cups green beans chopped, boiled and drained,  1 green bell pepper(chopped), 1 red bell pepper(chopped), 1 ½ cup corn kernels boiled and drained,  1 medium red onion chopped finely,  ½ cup olive oil,  ¼ cup red wine vinegar, 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 2 tbsp white sugar(powdered), 1 tbsp salt, 1 clove crushed garlic, ¼ cup cleaned and chopped fresh cilantro, ½ tbsp ground cumin, ½ tbsp ground black pepper,  1 dash of hot pepper sauce, ¼ tsp red chili powder.

Method:

In a large bowl, combine beans, bell peppers, corn, and red onion.  In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, salt, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and black pepper. Season to taste with hot sauce or chili powder.  Pour this olive oil dressing over the vegetables and mix well. Keep in the refrigerator before serving.  Serve cold.

Lentil Pilaf

This is an age old recipe.  In medieval times this was called mujadarra, means a dish of the poor.  This used to be a favorite dish of misers yet everyone served it.  In medieval times when this dish was served in the Middle East, host often commented:” Excuse the food of the poor.”  To this the unanimous reply was :”Keep your food of kings and give us megadarra  (or mujadarra) everyday!”

The proportion of this lentil and rice pilaf varies with every family.  I used it equal amount of rice and lentil while many use two parts of lentil and one part of rice.

 

Ingredients:

1 cup black-brown lentil, 1 cup rice, salt to taste, cumin seeds 1 tsp, 2 onions, oil for frying onions

Method:

Wash and soak lentil for half an hour. 

Cook lentil in a big pan, add five cups of water, salt and cumin seeds.

It will take at least an hour for lentil to turn tender and cooked.

Now put the lentil through a colander but place this colander on another pan to save the water of the lentil in which it was cooked.

Wash rice well.  Cook rice in the left over water of the lentil.  If rice is one cup add two cups of lentil water.  Salt and cumin aroma of cooked lentil will come in this rice as well.

Cut the onions julienne and fry them in a very hot oil until they are dark brown and sweet, almost caramelized.

Once rice is cooked, take out the cooked rice a bowl, add a tbsp of cooked lentil and mix with the rice, now spread the rest of the lentil as a top layer on the rice.

Now garnish this lentil and rice pilaf with caramelized fried onion.

This dish can be served hot with plain yogurt.

Note : if you want to add color to the dish you may fry red and yellow peppers and garnish along with onions.

Kashmiri Kahwa

Kashmir is known to be a paradise on earth and  it's a popular tourist spot in the North of India. The valley is painted is varied colors by our creator.  Snow capped mountains of Sonmarg to beautiful Chandanwadi and Bettab valley near Pahalgam to gondola ride in Gulmarg, Kashmir is a pristine beauty.  Its flowering meadows to its sparkling  rivers everything is near perfect in Kashmir. 

Last week I took my dream vacation in Kashmir with a group of 25 ladies.  No matter where we went, we tried the traditional green tea called Kahwa and pretty much got hooked to it. 

When for the first time I had the Kahwa at the houseboat in Dal Lake I asked the guy who served, why there were no spices or almonds added to it. His answer surprised me as he said:”Only Kashmiri Pundits add those spices and almonds.”  I saw this as a cultural difference between not just two kinds of Kahwas but also in the culture of this beautiful valley.

Kahwa is a traditional green tea consumed here.  Making Kahwa is an art in itself which one can experiment with by adding the amount of spices.  For example saffron kahwa has a golden hue while cinnamon kahwa is little brown in color.  Here is the recipe for a  Kahwa.

Ingredients:

2 cups water,  ¾ tsp sugar,  1 small piece of cinnamon, 2 green cardamoms, 4 almonds cut into half,  3or 4 strands of saffron,  ½ tsp kahwa leaves.

Method:

Boil water in a pan, add cinnamon, 2 almonds and green cardamom.

Close the lid to contain the aroma.  Boil for 2 or 3 minutes.

Rub kahwa leaves between your palms and add to the boiling water.

Lower the flame to medium and let it boil for 2 more minutes.  Add saffron and turn off the flame.  Let the lid remain closed.

In the meanwhile crush two almonds and put them in a cup or glass.

After one minute pour tea or kahwa in this cup.

Enjoy the aroma and the taste of kahwa.

Minestrone Soup

Minestrone literally means big soup.  It is a thick soup of Italian origin made with seasonal vegetables by adding pasta or some other carbohydrate to make it more substantial. Common ingredients include beans, zucchini, onions, squash, celery, carrots, tomatoes and stock. There is no specific recipe for this soup as it varies from family to family. But one thing is common it is always made with seasonal vegetables.  It can be vegetarian as well as non vegetarian. In case of non-vegetarian soup, chicken broth is added while vegetable broth is used for vegetarian minestrone.  However, in Roman times the base of minestrone used to be bean broth.  Minestrone is one of the cornerstones of Italian cuisine and is almost as common as pasta or pizza.

As I was traveling North America for last two months, I discovered everyone in my family was a good cook.  In fact everyone made some or other dish with finesse and the result was very satisfying.  The Minestrone soup was made excellent by my sister in law.  She did not mind me sharing this recipe with the world.

Ingredients:

1 big onion, 1 big carrot, 1 stick of celery,  12 green beans, 1 whole zucchini, 3 tomatoes, 2 cloves of garlic, ½ bell pepper(optional), ¼ cup chopped parsley, ¼ cup pasta or barley,  1 bullion cube, 2 cups of vegetable stock, ½  tsp of pickling spices, ¼ tsp red pepper flakes,  1 tbsp olive oil

Method:

Heat oil in a big pan, put pickling spices, red pepper flakes and add chopped onion, chopped celery, carrots and crushed garlic.

Sauté these vegetables but make sure they do not turn brown.

Add green beans, one cube of bullion and vegetable stock.

If you want to add barley do it now but if you want to add pasta make sure that you boil the pasta and keep it aside.  Add pasta at the end so that it tastes better.

Let it simmer for a five-seven minutes and then add zucchini and bell pepper towards the end so that they do not turn mushy. Now give it a boil and then reduce heat and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Add chopped parsley and let it simmer for a couple of  minutes more.

Enjoy your soup with Italian bread dipped into extra virgin olive oil.

(Note: Pickling spice consists of bay leaf, black pepper, coriander seeds, fenugreek and dill seeds).

Kitty's Lamb and Chicken Burgers

For last two months I have been traveling.  My cousin, Kitty, who lives in North America is a very good cook.  Most of the time in our family they have been making red meat burgers but here my cousin told me her secret recipe of lamb and chicken burgers with right touch of spices.  Although I am a vegetarian, I could not resist watching her make these burgers, which turned out to be very yummy as per all the connoisseurs  of burgers present in her house. Here I would like to share Kitty’s secret recipe with all of you.

 Ingredients:

Lamb minced 1 lb., chicken minced 1 lb., 1 big onion, 9 cloves of garlic, 1 cup green coriander washed, and chopped, 1 tsp cumin, 2 tsp coriander seeds,1 medium size green chilly,  ½  bell pepper, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt to taste.

 Method:

Chop onion, green chilly and bell pepper finely.  Crush garlic. Ground cumin and coriander seeds.  Mix all these ingredients with minced lamb and chicken and mix very well. Add olive oil and salt.  Now make burger size patties.  Grill them on medium heat for 5 or 6 minutes.  If they are overcooked they will turn dry.  It makes  9 to10 patties.

You can eat these patties either in a burger bun with mayo, mustard and ketchup etc.  If you want to eat these as kababs you can enjoy them with green chutney.

Steamed Snack of Oats

Ever since I have discovered the health benefits of Oatmeal, I am obsessed with this grain.  I tried to look or invent recipes using the oats.  Here I have made this snack which you can have either for breakfast or with your cup of evening tea or coffee.  Since oats and semolina is used for steaming this tasty snack, it is quite filling as the soluble fiber in the oatmeal absorbs a considerable amount of water which slows down the digestive process. That is the reason I ate this for my supper and I didn’t feel any hunger pangs till next day breakfast.

Ingredients:

1 cup oat meal, ½ cup rava(semolina), 1 cup yogurt(plain), ½ cup water,  ½ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/ 2 tsp sugar, 2 tsp lemon juice, 1 ½ tsp eno fruit salt,  1 cup green chutney.

 Method:

Grease a 7 inches round flat and keep it aside.

Roast rolled oats in a pan, when they cool off ground them in a mixer.

Roast semolina and let it cool off.

Now put oats and semolina in a pan, add yogurt, water, salt, sugar, turmeric, lemon juice and mix well to make a smooth batter. Add fruit salt and immediately pour half the mixture into the greased mould. Spread a layer of green chutney on this and pour the other half of the mixture on this.

In case you are not too crazy about green chutney made of coriander and mint leaves, you may sauté some vegetables like grated carrots, finely chopped green pepper (bell pepper) or any other vegetable of your choice and fill it in the middle instead of green chutney.

In a big pan pour one cup of water, place a small bowl filled with water in the middle of it and place on the medium heat flame.  Now place the dish with batter on the small bowl and cover the big pan. Let steam cook the batter for 17 minutes. Turn off the flame and cool off the yummy snack.  Cut into small rectangles. Take these out and place them in a plate.

Enjoy with ketchup if you like.

Note: See Green Chutney recipe in Papri Chat blog.

Mathari (salted snack)

Mathari is a very traditional North Indian snack.  It is usually made of white flour and is deep fried.  During winter evenings this goes perfectly with a cup of tea.  Once you start eating this it is very hard to stop yourself.  It was a must preparation in every household in those times when saltines or crackers were not available in India. In olden times parents of groom or bride used to hire a caterer just to make the mathari to be given to guests with other sweets. The best part of the mathari is, it can be preserved for a month when kept in an airtight container.

Mathari always reminds me of my childhood days when we took the train journeys and my parents always kept mathari to be eaten with tea sold in the terracota cups at the railway platforms.

Ingredients:

2 cups white flour, 1 cup semolina, 1 cup wheat flour, ½ cup cooking oil, 2 ½ tsp salt,

1 ½ tsp caraway seeds (ajwain), 1 tsp of dry fenugreek leaves(kasuri methi), 1 pinch of baking powder, pastry cutter or sharp knife,  oil for deep frying or oven for baking.

Method:

Place all the ingredients in a big bowl and make very stiff dough by adding a small amount of water at a time.

Divide the dough into large balls and with the rolling pin make a thick chapatti.

Cut into 2 inch wide and 3 to 4 inches long strips.

 Perforate every strip with a fork a few times. This perforation process stops them from fluffing while frying.  Fluffed up pieces tend to get soggy when cold.  On a warm day, keep these perforated pieces covered with damp muslin cloth.

Heat the oil to medium.  The trick to crispy mathari is to fry them slowly on medium heat.  When you put a mathari piece in the oil, it should sizzle and rise to top slowly not fast. That is when you can make sure that oil is ready for frying.

Fry in small batches till golden brown.  Take them out on a paper towel so excess oil is soaked.  It should be hard when cool.

Enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee while watching your favorite TV show.

Note:

If you are not crazy about fried food, you may bake the mathari in a pre heated 

 Oven of 180 degree C (300degree F) for 20 -30 minutes till they turn golden brown.

Manchurian Idli

Rava (Semolina) Idli is a very light but wholesome meal.  In South India it is generally served as breakfast but in North India folks are very happy to have it as lunch or even as evening snack.  I recently learnt from a friend how to make use of leftover idli by turning that into a new dish called Manchurian idli.  I raised my eyebrows when I heard the name of  this dish.  Idli is a typical Indian dish but Manchurian means something Chinese delicacy. I must admit the end result was very yummy.  So here is my recipe for a Manchurian Idli.

Ingredients for Idli:
Rava 1 cup, yogurt 1 cup,  1/2 cup water approximately, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp eno fruit salt, 1 tsp oil for greasing the idli moulds (small moulds preferably).

Method for Idli:
Take rava, yogurt, water, salt  in a bowl and mix well.
In the meanwhile prepare idli moulds by greasing them.  Now add eno fruit salt to the mix and pour immediately a spoon full in each idli mould if it is a big mould but if it is a small mould put only ½  tsp in it.  On the gas stove put a heavy bottom pan or pressure cooker with half a cup water in it.  In this pan or cooker put your prepared idli mould. Cover it well with a lid but in case of pressure cooker don't put the weight on it so that there is room for steam to pass.  Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Take it out of the pan for cooling.  Now take out every idli piece out of the mould. Once you are ready to eat or serve then turn this idli into Manchurian as everyone likes it warm.

Note: if you don’t have small idli moulds, you need to divide every piece of big idli into four parts before making it Manchurian.

Ingredients for Manchurian:

Onion 1 medium, carrots 2 medium size, cabbage shredded 1 cup, green pepper or capsicum 1 small size, soy sauce 1 tsp, tomato ketchup ½ cup, mustard seeds 1 tsp, cooking oil 1 tbsp, salt to taste.

Method:

Cut onion julienne, carrots into thin strips and green pepper into small pieces.

Heat oil in a pan, put mustard seeds, when they stop spluttering, add onion till they turn light pink.  Add carrots, green pepper, salt, soy sauce and sauté for 2 minutes. Now add ketchup and idli and mix well.  Manchurian Idli is ready.  Serve warm.  

Pani Puri(Gol Gappa)

Pani Puri or Gol Gappa is an Indian street food which is loved by all age groups across the country. Gol Gappa has the same place in the Indian Food as Hot dog is in American, Tacos is in Mexican and Pizza is in Italian food.  In other words one can’t think of Gol Gappa or other chaats not being a part of  the spread during any wedding or such social function.
Gol Gappa has a myriad of flavors and textures – sweet, salty, tangy, spicy, soft and crispy, which epitomize Indian food.
Here I am writing about a tongue tickling crowd pleaser snack. It is known by different names in the different regions of the country. It is called Gol Gappa in North India, Pani Puri in West & South India and Puchka in East India. This street food sensation adds a flavorful punch to the palate.  

Ingredients for Puri or Gol Gappa:
1cup white flour, ½ cup semolina, ½ cup wheat flour, 1 tsp salt, pinch of baking soda, water for making stiff dough, oil for deep frying, round cookie cutter.

Method:

Mix all the flours, baking soda and salt in a big pan. Add room temperature water little by little to knead stiff dough. Cover it with a damp muslin cloth and keep it aside for 20 minutes.

Now make small equal sized balls of the dough. Do remember to keep them covered with damp muslin cloth.

With the help of rolling pin, roll out thin chapattis. Cut out small rounds with the help of a round cookie cutter or lid of any container. Make sure that these round small chapattis or puris are also covered with damp cloth

Heat oil in a pan. Please make sure that the oil is hot before frying otherwise the puris will soak in excess oil and will not puff. Put a small testing puri. If it comes up fast then the oil is enough hot.
Put 2 or 3 puris in the oil and fry them with the help of a slotted spoon.

While frying, pressing them gently in the center will allow them to puff up. Our aim is to puff up every puri.   Now flip them over and let them cook. Take them out on a paper towel when they are light brown and crisp. Don't let them get dark in color. 

Let them cool. Later you may store them in an airtight container.

Instant Spicy Water

Ingredients:

Jal jeera mix 3 tblsp, water 6 cups, mint leaves ½ cup (fresh or dry), lemon juice 2 tsp,

Black salt to taste,1 tbsp brown sugar, 1tsp red pepper, 1tbsp boondi(optional)

(Jal Jeera Mix pack is available at any Indian Grocery store)

Method:

Mix all the ingredients well in a big jar and put in the refrigerator for cooling.

 

For Assembly:

Ingredients:

3 boiled potatoes semi mashed, 1 cup chick peas boiled and drained, green chutney and sweet chutney (see the recipe in Papri Chaat blog)

Method:

Make a small hole on a puffed up puri by tapping gently in the centre on the crisp side. Fill it with potatoes and 2 or 3 chickpeas with some green chutney, sweet chutney and some chilled spicy water prepared earlier. Stir the water before using so that all the spices get mixed.

You have to eat the gol gappa as soon as it gets filled with the spicy water. The best way to serve is to keep them filled with all the dry ingredients and offer guests small bowls filled with spicy water.  Let them dip their gol gappas into the spicy water themselves and eat immediately.

Instant sweet and sour Mango pickle

Be it aloo parantha(stuffed potatoe bread), dal chawal(lentil and rice) or even a tandoori roti with meat, nothing complements these dishes better than a helping of pickle.  Pickles always add that extra flavor to a meal.  Of course market is full of variety of pickles but there is so much fun in making your instant sweet and sour mango pickle. In our house this mouth watering pickle is eaten even on a sandwich or idli.  

.

Ingredients:

1 cup raw mangoes, 5 tbsp brown sugar, ½ tsp fennel seeds, ½ tsp onion seeds(kalonji), ½  tsp turmeric powder, 1 pinch of asafetida, 2 tbsp mustard oil, salt to taste, ½ tsp coriander powder, 2 tsp white sugar 

Method:

Peel the skin of the raw mangoes and discard the seeds or stone. Cut mangoes into small pieces.  Take 5 cups of water in a big pan, add  ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp turmeric, 2 tsp sugar and bring it to a boil. Add mangoes to it and turn off the flame after 30 seconds.  Leave it covered for a couple of minutes. Now mango slices are blanched.  Drain out the water.

Heat the oil in a pan and add asafetida,  fennel, onion seeds, salt and  ¼ tsp of turmeric.  Stir it well till you get a sweet aroma.  Add blanched mango pieces and brown sugar.  Mix everything well so that mango pieces and spices get well blended.  Remove from the flame and enjoy.

Oatmeal Cookies with white chocolate and cherries

Oats have a well-balanced protein than other cereals. Oats contain plant chemicals which have been associated with protection from disease like cancer. They contain a good balance of essential fatty acids, which are linked with longevity and general good health. Oats are high in amino acids which are essential proteins that help facilitate optimum functioning of the body. Oats are a good source of essential vitamins such as thiamin, folic acid, biotin and vitamin E. They also contain zinc, selenium, copper, iron  and magnesium.
Little wonder that oatmeal and this multigrain cookie can hardly be called a cookie as it has all the healthy nutrients essential for breakfast.  In my house all other cereals are forgotten when I bake these yummy cookies. Not just the breakfast even the post supper dessert is cold milk and this cookie.

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup cooking oil, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla essence, ½ white flour, 1 ½ cup wheat or multi grain flour, 2 cup oat meal(ground), ½ cup rolled oats, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp salt,  1 cup white chocolate chips or chunks, 10 cherries canned or frozen.

Method:
Cream together oil, sugar and brown sugar with egg beater(electric egg beater if possible).  Add eggs and vanilla and beat some more till it is creamy  and smooth.
Mix flours, oatmeal, rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Put these into the creamy mixture only three or four tsp at a time. Take a strong wooden spatula to mix the flours with the creamy blend. Now add white chocolate to the mixture.  At last cut cherries into small pieces and mix with the rest of the dough.
Make golf ball sized cookie dough balls and place them two inches apart on a non greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degree F (220degree C) in a pre heated oven.
Enjoy with a cold glass of milk.   

Corn Salad

Corn on the cob or corn kernels make a great snack.  Corn is full of nutrients necessary for our body.  One serving of corn is packed with calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc. The high amount of fiber present in corn helps lower cholesterol levels and also reduces the risk of colon cancer. Corn, if consumed in moderate quantities, has been seen to be beneficial for those suffering from diabetes.

Being rich in folate, corn helps the generation of new cells, especially during pregnancy.

Those suffering from anemia have shown positive effects after consuming corns.

Corn has been found to be helpful in treating kidney problems, including renal dysfunction. Regular consumption of corn, in moderate quantities, has been associated with better cardiovascular health.

Here corn has been turned into a delicious salad with only one tsp of olive oil and lemon juice. On any summer evening you can use this colorful salad as an appetizer or as a side dish.

Ingredients:
1 ½ cup of boiled corn, 1 medium onion , 1 cucumber, 1 tomato, juice of one medium lemon, 1 tsp olive oil,  5 black olives sliced(optional), 1 tsp chaat masala, salt and pepper to taste.

Method:
Drain water of the boiled corn and put it in a glass bowl.
Chop onion, cucumber, tomato into small pieces and add to the corn bowl.
Sprinkle chaat masala, salt and pepper on the corn. Add slices of black olives.
Drizzle olive oil and juice on the top and toss it well.
Chill it for half an hour in the refrigerator before serving.

Oil Free Lemon Cake

This cake is baked without any oil and yet you don’t notice that this is oil free sponge. Lemon glaze makes it real yummy. This makes a perfect coffee cake.

 
Ingredients:
½ cup sugar, 3 eggs, 1 cup white flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp lemon essence,  juice of one medium lemon, ¼ cup water, 2 tbsp sugar

Method:
Take a big pan fill it with hot water. Take another bowl and put ½ cup sugar and eggs in it and place this bowl in the hot water pan. Beat eggs and sugar till they are creamy in the consistency. Take the bowl out of the hot water pan.
Add white flour little by little and mix well with a wooden spatula. When flour is well blended, add lemon essence and mix again.
Grease a small cake mold, pour the cake batter and bake at 200 degree C(300 degree F) for  35 minutes or till wooden stick comes out clean.
Take it out of the oven and leave in the mould for 10-15 minutes. Take it out on the wire rack and let it cool off.
After an hour, take juice of lemon, ½ cup of water and 2 tbsp of sugar in a small pan and cook over a medium flame.  Pour this mixture over the cake.  Before serving sprinkle some powdered sugar for decoration.

Bitter Gourd cooked two ways

Stir fry bitter gourd
Bitter gourd is the most bitter of all culinary vegetables.  It’s a tropical vegetable probably originated in South-East Asia.  Although bitterness of this vegetable might turn some folks away but it can sweeten the life due to its disease preventing and health promoting compounds.
Bitter gourd is popularly called Karela in India.  It is very low in calories but very rich in dietary fiber.  Bitter Melons are rich in iron, beta carotene, twice the calcium of spinach and, twice the potassium of bananas, and contain Vitamins A, C, B1 to B3 and Phosphorus.
As for its medicinal value, Bitter Gourd has been reported to have hypoglycemic (blood sugar lowering) or other actions of potential benefit in treating diabetes.  It has anti malaria properties also. Bitter gourd is a blood purifier and hence works well in case of minor skin disorders.
Such nutritional vegetable when cooked  loses its bitterness to a large extent.  Bitter gourd known as karela in Hindi is a very popular side dish on any dinner table in India. It is cooked in two ways, as a stir fry chips with onions and as stuffed karelas. 
Stir fry chips is a dry vegetable and this is a quick and easy version which is often made in our house, when we do not have enough time for making stuffed karelas.  The ingredients used are similar in both these recipes, except for the method of cooking.

Ingredients:
5 or 6 medium bitter gourd(karela), 3 or 4 medium onions chopped julienne, 1 tsp coriander powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp red pepper, 1 tsp amchoor powder(dry mango powder, salt to taste, 2 tbsp mustard oil, 1 clove of garlic.
Method:
Cut bitter gourd into chips(not too thin) and put them in a plate and sprinkle some salt and toss it.  Leave this aside for 5-6 hours. On a hot summer day you may leave this in the sunlight for one hour of so.  This process helps in taking the bitterness out of karelas.
When you are ready to cook, wash these salty karela chips under the running water, squeezing them in between so that salt and bitterness both get washed away.
Heat oil in a pan, put a clove of garlic, when garlic turns black, take it out and discard it.
Bring flame to medium and stir fry the karela chips for 5-7 minutes or till they turn reddish brown. Take them out of the pan.
Now sauté the onion in the left over oil in the pan.   When onion turns golden brown, add fried karelas to it.
Add coriander powder, turmeric, red pepper, amchoor powder and salt. Cover the pan for two minutes. Uncover and serve hot with parantha, or chapatti.




Stuffed Bitter Gourd (Bharwa Karela)
This recipe has been in my family for generations.  The stuffing of the karela makes this a real yummy dish. I remember when I made it for the first time for a party at my sister’s home, my brother in law put them away and refused to serve them to guests.  He said he would eat only two per day and that way they will last for at least 10 days.

Since these karelas are cooked in mustard oil, they can last 10 days easily in the refrigerator.  For this recipe you need karelas which are palm size. 
Just scrape the ridges of the karela very lightly and put a slit in the middle length wise. Rub some salt on these and put them aside for 4-5 hours or in the scorching sun for two hours.  When you are ready to cook these wash them under the running water.  Squeeze every piece of karela gently to wash off salt and bitterness.


Ingredients for stuffing:
2 medium unripe mangoes, 1 ½ tsp coriander seeds, 2 tsp anise, ½ tsp turmeric powder, 2 green chilies(optional), salt to taste,  1 tsp mustard oil, 1 clove of garlic

Method for stuffing:
Peel off raw mangoes, make small slices of the pulp part and discard the stone.
Grind together mango slices, coriander seeds, anise, turmeric, green chilies and salt in a blender.
Heat mustard oil and put a clove of garlic till it turns black. Discard the garlic and cook the stuffing blend on the slow flame for five minutes or so. Put it aside.

Ingredients :
Washed karela, ½  tsp of cumin seeds, 1 tsp of garam masala or curry powder, 2 tbsp of mustard oil, 1 clove of garlic

Method:
Heat oil in a pan, put a clove of garlic and discard it when it turns black.
Reduce flame to medium and stir fry karelas till they turn reddish brown.
Turn off the flame and take karelas out in a plate. Let them cool off for a couple of minutes.
Now fill these karelas with the prepared stuffing, pressing at times with your thumb so that more stuffing can fit in.
Once all the karelas are stuffed, turn on the flame on slow. Put karelas into the pan and cook them for five minutes or so. When they turn little stiff, sprinkle garam massala and turn off the flame.
Enjoy with Nan, Parantha or tandoori roti.

Aam Panna(Unripe mango drink)

Mango is called the food of Gods in Hindu mythology.  It is not just the taste but the presence of essential nutrients which bestow the title king of fruits to Mango. Ripe mango is eaten as it is but the raw mango can be used for preparing numerous dishes. Unripe or raw mango is a good source of vitamins B and C which is beneficial in maintaining good health and immune system.

Raw mango is beneficial in treating gastrointestinal disorders. It guards you from the negative affects of excessive hot temperatures. Heat stroke leads to extreme exhaustion and weakness which can be treated with raw mango drink called “panna”.  It is very easy to make this delicious drink. 

Ingredients:
4 medium raw mangoes, water 5 cups, sugar 8 tbsp, black salt 1 ½  tsp, roasted cumin powder 1 tsp., Mint leaves 5 or 6(optional)

Method:
Wash and peel off raw mangoes.  Boil them in a pressure cooker for 5-7 minutes.
Once they cool off, take out the pulp from the stone of the mango and blend it well in a blender.
Cook this on a slow flame by adding sugar and salt . Turn off the flame and add cumin powder.
When it cools off, bottle it and put in the refrigerator
While serving put crushed ice, ½  glass of panna drink. and pour some cold water over it.
Decorate with two mint leaves. 
Now put your feet up, fill your glass with this refreshing drink on a hot summer day and just chill.
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Aloo Chaat

When I was a little girl, my Mom would not let me eat Aloo Chaat from the street vendor, as I was prone to tonsil problem .  Once in the sixth grade, I was caught red handed by my Mom when I was having this in my recess period from the street vendor. Little did I know that Mom would visit my school that very moment.  After the scolding session my Mom made the best Aloo Chaat at home.  Since then this dish holds a very special place in my heart and I call it my comfort food.

Aloo Chaat  is a street food from North India.  It is prepared by frying potatoes in oil by adding spices and other ingredients.. The word "Aloo" means potatoes in Hindi and the word "Chaat" is derived from Hindi word "Chatna" which means licking.  In fact this savory dish is so delicious that it is hard not to relish it and lick your fingers or even your spoon.

It is a good snack or an appetizer which can be served as a potato salad or a light meal. It is made from boiled and fried cubed potatoes served with  spicy yogurt and green and sweet chutney. There is hardly anyone in India who is not familiar with this yummy dish. It is a versatile dish that can be prepared in varied ways in different regions across the country.

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Ingredients:
4 big potatoes or 5 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled and cut into small cubes, 1 ½ tbsp cooking oil,  medium size heavy  non stick pan,  2 cups plain yogurt, ½ tsp black salt, ¾ tsp roasted cumin powder, ½ tsp coriander powder, ½ tsp paprika or red pepper, ½ tsp garam masala, ½ tsp chaat masala,

Method:
Heat oil in a non stick pan and fry cubed potatoes till golden brown and crispy. If we use heavy non stick pan for frying it will consume less oil. After frying take potatoes out on a paper towel so that extra oil get soaked.
Take yogurt in a bowl and whisk it by adding water and all the spices. Take out fried hot potatoes in a plate, drizzle a tbsp or two of yogurt on the top.
Now sprinkle a tsp of green chutney and 2 tsp of sweet chutney on the top and garnish with pomegranate and serve.
Note: Recipe of green and sweet chutney is in the Papri Chaat blog.

Black Chickpeas Salad

Black chickpeas also known as Bengal gram is one of the most nutritious of legume family. It is very high in protein and it is one of the earliest cultivated legumes, almost 7500 years old remains have been found in the Middle East.
Chickpeas make nutritious and healthy diet. It reduces cholesterol, prevents constipation and helps prevent digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome. Daily consumption of Chickpeas reduces risk of coronary heart disease and iron deficiency; helps stabilize the blood sugar levels. 100g of Chickpeas has 364 calories. Calories from fat are 51.
Black chickpeas make a very good vegetarian or vegan dish. In India it is cooked as a curry with potatoes. I have made salad out of cooked black chickpeas which is delicious as well as nutritious.

Ingredients:
Black chickpeas 1 ½ cup, 1 medium onion, 1 medium size cucumber, 1 medium tomato, 1 lemon, 1 tbsp cooking oil, ¼ tsp asafoetida,  1 tsp cumin seeds,  1 tsp coriander powder, ½ tsp dry mango powder(Amchoor), 1 big green chilly(optional), salt  to taste.

Method:
Soak black chickpeas overnight. Next day boil them in a pressure cooker.  By soaking them overnight it will take almost half the time in boiling.  They should be really soft and tender when you press between finger and thumb, once cooked.
While chickpeas is boiling, peel and chop cucumber and onion into small pieces.  Cut tomato and green chilly finely.
Once chickpeas is cooked and excess water is drained, cook them.  Heat oil in a pan, add asafoetida and cumin seeds.  When cumin stops spluttering,  add boiled chickpeas, coriander powder, mango powder and salt.  Cook for a couple of minutes or till all the excess water evaporates. Stir them and take them out in a glass bowl.  Mix chopped onion, cucumber, tomato, green chilly and juice of a lemon. Toss it and enjoy as an appetizer or as a side dish.

Papri Chaat

Papri Chaat is a street food from North India and most people love its magical, addictive flavor. It is a comfort food which is made from papri chips (fried dough), plain boiled chickpeas and potato, spicy yogurt, sweet and green chutney, garnished with pomegranate and pickled ginger.

It's a perfect appetizer for any dinner party and actually quite easy to make.  You can prepare it even a day before and just assemble it on the day of the party. It's sweet, tangy and savory flavor not just warms the palate but makes it a fun food.

This past week, we had some guests over for dinner and  I assembled the papri chaat  in a jiffy.  People were quite impressed how I made everything so fast. The secret was that I had prepared green and sweet chutney two days before and prepared the tortilla a day before.  That morning I cut the triangles of the tortillas and fried them.  I prepared the yogurt just half an hour before the guests arrived.  Basically only assembly was needed.  Folks loved it so much that almost every one asked for the second helping.

Ingredients for Papri:
¾ cup wheat flour, 1 ¼ cup white flour, ½ tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp caraway seeds(ajwain), 4 tsp cooking oil for the dough, ½ cup water, oil for deep frying.
Method:
Mix flours, salt, baking powder, caraway seeds, 4 tsp oil. Make crumbs with your fingers.  Once it becomes crumbly, add water little at a time to knead into a stiff dough.  Cover it and put it aside for 20 minutes.  Divide dough into 6-7 small balls.  Take every ball, flatten it and roll into a chapati or tortilla with rolling pin. Heat the griddle on medium flame and cook all the chapatis lightly from both the sides. Once they become cool, wrap them flat in an aluminum foil and refrigerate them overnight.  Next day, cut each chapatti into small triangles and deep fry them like nacho chips. Put these fried chips on paper towel so excess oil is soaked.  

Ingredients for Yogurt sauce:
2 cups plain yogurt, ¼ cup of water, 1 tsp roasted cumin seeds powder, 1 tsp black salt(or any table salt), red pepper ¼ tsp, garam massala(curry powder) ½ tsp, coriander powder ¼ tsp, chaat masala ¼ tsp.
Method:
Beat yogurt and water and put all the spices. For making roasted cumin powder, take 3 tsp of cumin seeds, roast them on medium flame.  Once they turn dark brown, turn off the flame.  When they cool off, grind them into a fine powder. You can bottle them and use them for a long time.

Ingredients for garnishing:
2 medium potatoes, ½ cup chickpeas(garbanzo beans), 1 pomegranate, ginger medium size, 1 tsp salt, 2 small lemons.
Method:
Boil potatoes, peel them and cut into cubes. Soak chickpeas overnight and next day boil them, drain the water and keep them in a box, Peel off pomegranate and take out the seeds and box them.  Peel off ginger, cut into thin small slices, put these into a bottle, squeeze lemon juice on these slices and add salt.  Shake it and keep it aside.
This ginger pickle helps digest the papri without causing any acidity or stomach issues.

Ingredients for Green Chutney(Sauce):
1 cup of fresh coriander leaves, cleaned and washed, ½ cup fresh mint leaves cleaned and washed,  1 medium onion peeled and cut into slices,  1 medium tomato, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 green chilies, 2 tsp plain yogurt, 1 tsp salt, juice of one medium or two small lemons, ¼ tsp sugar.

Method:
Grind all the ingredients in a mixer.  Taste the salt.  If you eat more salt add as per your taste. Transfer it into a covered bowl or Tupperware.  This green chutney can be preserved for one week easily in a refrigerator.

Ingredients for Sweet Chutney:
½ tsp dry ginger powder,  2 ½  tbsp dry mango powder, 1 ½ cup water, 2 tbsp brown sugar, ½ tsp white sugar,  1 tsp black salt, ¼ tsp red pepper, ¾ tsp  roasted cumin powder, ¼ tsp coriander powder.

Method:
Mix all the ingredients and cook on a medium flame till a boil.  Stir it so that sugar blends well.  Cool it and bottle it. 
This sweet chutney is also called saunth  as the most important ingredient in this is dry ginger powder, known as saunth.  This sweet chutney can be preserved in the refrigerator for two to three weeks.

Assembly of Papri Chaat:
Once papri chips are cool, set them in a plate.  Place boiled potatoes and chickpeas on the top of the papri.  Pour one or two tbsp of spicy yogurt. Now drizzle one tsp of green chutney and two tsp of sweet chutney on the top of the yogurt sauce.  Garnish with some pomegranate and pickled ginger pcs.
Enjoy.