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.