Chaat – Bhel Puri a.k.a crunchy colorful spicy salad

Background:

Quick and easy. My favorite snack and at times dinner. Packs in goodness of colorful veggies and the crunch of desi sev and puris. Lends itself to infinite customization and can be made with as many or as less ingredients on hand.

Stuff you will need:

2 cups bhel mix or a combo of thin sev, murmura (pori) or even mixture
2 tbsp date/tamarind sauce (available at Indian stores)
2 tbsp mint or coriander chutney
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp chaat masala
2 carrots peeled and grated
2 handfuls sprouted whole moong
1 small onion peeled and chopped fine
1/2 inch ginger peeled and grated
1 green chilly chopped fine
2 medium tomatoes chopped fine
1 potato steamed and cubed
Coriander – chopped fine to garnish
Salted peanuts – a handful

How to make it?

In a large bowl combine all the chopped and grated veggies. Add the peanuts. Add the sauces and the chaat masala. Mix well. Add the 2 cups of bhel mix. Fold in. Mix well and serve garnished with chopped coriander.

Serves two

Special notes:

2 tbsps of thick yogurt may be added to give a different taste to the dish. Get creative by adding colorful peppers chopped well. Or pander to a sweet tooth by adding chopped apples or green apples.

Godhuma Dosai – Wheat flour crepes/pancakes with green chillies and ginger

Background:

Days when I have had enough of quick and easy upmas and pongals, I turn to this favorite. Easy enough to whip up and a novel change from the rice based dishes, K and I love it with a side of peanut chutney

Stuff you will need:

Wheat flour – 2 cups
Rice flour – 1 cup
Salt – 1-1/4 tsp
Asafoetida – 1 tsp
Buttermilk – 3/4 cup
Cumin seeds – 2 tsp
Black pepper – 2 tsp – broken into halves
Water – 6 cups
Green chillies – 1 – chopped
Ginger – 1/2 inch cube – chopped
Oil to shallow fry

How to make it?

Mix all ingredients and blend well with a hand blender. Let it sit for 30 minutes. On a flat tava or pan spread a few drops of oil and then ladle out two scoops of the batter in a random fashion. The batter being watery will form unusual patterns. DO NOT try spreading like you would do a dosai. Add drops of oil along the sides and cook on medium high heat till edges brown and the surface looks cooked. Turn over using a flat spatula and let cook for a couple of minutes before transferring to a plate.

Serve hot with chutney

Makes 15 crepes

Special Notes:

Curry leaves are optional. Experiment with Wheat flour/Rice Flour proportion to make dosais softer or crispier. Rice flour makes it crispy while Wheat Flour makes it softer.  To make peanut chutney roast peanuts and grind with salt, a pea sized bit of tamarind,2 read chillies and some water.

Eggless Dates and Walnut cake – Flavorful and nutritious

Background:

I bake this cake whenever I am in the mood for a bread like cake that goes well with chai/coffee or as an evening snack or even may be as breakfast. I got this recipe from my friend Akay who I believe in turn got it from another friend who in turn got it off Aayi’s recipe blog. I have tailored it to suit my tastes and is usually a hit whenever I take it to a party. Since it is egg-less, it is appealing to sworn vegetarians

Stuff you will need:

Dates 20 – 20
Milk 3/4 cup (I used 2% milk)
Sugar 1/2 cup
All purpose flour (Maida or wheat flour) 1 cup ( I have tried it with atta and it does come out well)
Oil 1/2 cup (I used canola oil)
Baking soda 1 tsp
Walnuts 1-2 handfuls broken

How to make it?

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Warm milk for a minute in the microwave. Soak the dates in milk while prepping other ingredients like breaking walnuts or measuring out flour. Mix the baking soda with flour. Grind milk, dates well in a mixer. In a mixing bowl combine oil, sugar, the date milk mixture well. Slowly add flour and baking powder mix into the wet ingredients ensuring no lumps and an even batter. If the batter is too tight loosen with little warm milk. Once done fold in the nuts and pour into a greased baking pan and bake at 350 for 40 -45 minutes or till a knife inserted comes out clean.

Remove from over and cool before cutting into slices. Serve warm with tea or coffee.

Serves five.

Special Notes:

Experiment with adding cinnamon or cardamom or even vanilla. Add a handful of raisins for a different taste and texture.

Pakoras/Bhajji – Deep Fried Vegetable Fritters

Background:

Snowy, icy bad weather days lend themselves to hot pakoras and spiced sweet chai. Today was one such day and I made molagai bhajji. These mildly spicy light green colored peppers make excellent fritters.

Stuff you will need:

Mild green colored peppers – 8 cut into half or into thirds
Bengal gram flour – 1/2 cup
Rice flour – 1 cup
Maida – 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder – 2 tsp
Asafoetida – 2 pinch
Baking soda – 1 pinch
Curds – 1 ladle
Refined Oil

How to make it?

Heat oil in a shallow pan enough to deep fry. Mix all ingredients together with water to make a nice batter that coats evenly (not too thick, not to watery).  Dip peppers after slightly salting them into the batter. Coat nicely and drop into hot oil sliding them by the side. Remove when golden brown to a plate lined with tissue paper to drain excess oil.

Serve hot with ketchup

Serves two

Special Notes:

Potatos, Onions, Green plantain, Eggplant, Green peppers can be made into bhajjis in a similar fashion.