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.