Healthy Bhel Puri

(Happy Birthday Dhan)

Today is my younger sister’s birthday and to celebrate this occasion I wanted to make something that she likes the most.

Since she is miles and miles away I cannot offer this to her at least I can post this snack here for her to savor!

Back home during our childhood, I and my sister frequently used to visit a roadside stall name Masi’s bhelpuri , which still sells the same bhelpuri to this day! Since my sister loved this very much I have attempted to recreate the magic that the stall’s bhelpuri offered…

The specialty of this particular stall’s recipe was that it included fruits,grated beet on top thus making it nutritious and chatpata.. On weekend’s one had to wait for at least an hour to lay your hands on the lovely snack. There was no parking near by and the roads used to get crowded. The stall became so popular that motorists started avoiding the street during weekend evening hours.

The ingredients have no fixed measurement, I just eyeballed them. You could use as much or as little you want. But still to give you a fair idea, I am measuring some of them.

Ingredients

3 cups Bhel puri mix ( It’s a mix of thin sev and murmura)
¼ cup Onion chopped
¼ cup Tomato chopped
½ cup Apples chopped (yes apples…this is the healthy part )
3-4 Grapes cut in halves
¼ cup Pomegranate
Beet root grated (yep!!! to garnish)
2 tbsp Ketchup
1 to 2 tsp Sweet tamarind chutney (alternatively you could use Trupti’s apple butter chutney)

1 tsp Green chutney
1 to 2 tspYoghurt
Cilantro leaves

Method

• Take a little more then half of your bhel puri mix and add ketchup,sweet tamarind chutney,green chutney, yoghurt ,onion,tomatoes,apple,grapes,pomegranate and mix
• Add the above mix into your serving bowl and add the remaining bhel puri mix
• Garnish it with cilantro and grated beet root….and there you have it friends…..Bhel Puri!!!
  
  

Note: You could also add chaat masala while garnishing.

Chole Masala aka Kabuli Channa Curry

If you guys are craving for some dhaba style chole then you have come to the right place. Chole is a popular punjabi delicacy. Call it chole, kabuli channa or chickpeas ... whatever you may call, this is one lip smacking dish which is enjoyed by everyone. You can have this along with bhature, roti, naan, puri, rice or even bread! Usually chole is accompanied with bhature and if you would like to have an easier way out to make bhature...go south , its tortilla to the rescue. Just have to fry those medium size babies in oil and there you have it.... instant bhature...and they taste good.

Ingredients
1 cup Chole
4or5 dried Amla (dried nellika or gooseberry)
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 large red Onion
3 ripe Tomatoes (blanched or canned ones)
1 1/2 tsp Ginger
1 1/2 tsp Garlic
1 big Green chili (or 2 small)
1 tsp Chili powder
1 tsp Corriander powder
1/3+1/4 tsp Turmeric
1 tbsp Chole masala
1 tsp Tomato ketchup (secret ingredient :))
Salt to taste
few Cilantro leaves
1 tbsp Oil

Method

• Soak chole in water overnight or to cook the same day soak them in warm water for atleast 5-6hrs
• Pressure cook chole with 1/3 tsp turmeric,dried amla,sufficient water and salt upto 3 whistle, open after 10 mintues when all the pressure is released
• Drain the chole, reserve the liquid and don't forget to remove the amla
• Chop up onion, blanch the tomatoes(heat sufficient water in a saucepan with tomato and let it come to a boil,switchoff the stove and let it cook in the water for 6-8min) or you could also use canned whole tomatoes and chop them
• Finely chop ginger, garlic and green chili or crush them all together into a paste in a pestal
• Heat oil in a deep saucepan and add cumin seeds
• When the cumin seeds change color add chopped onion to it and saute till they are brown
• Add the Ginger-garlic paste to it and saute for couple of minutes
• Add all the dry powders to it and saute for a minute and then add the chopped blanched tomatoes and salt
• Saute the tomatoes till they are soft and mushed up, add the secret ingredient ketchup and mix
• Add the chole to the mixture and mix gently so that chole are properly coated in the mixture
• Add the reserved water depending on the gravy you need, check and adjust the seasoning
• Simmer the stove and cook covered for 5-6 minutes and garnish it with cilantro leaves
• Serve it with bhature, puri or chapatti with sliced onion and lemon wedge by the side and there you have it friends.....Chole Masala!!!

Puran Poli

Puran poli-a delicacy prepared on any festive occasion in Maharashtra. Its one of the favorite dishes of my family. My little one loves it a lot so I used to buy the readymade frozen puranpoli for her and this is the first time I attempted to make one on my own. Turns out that it is really simple and easy to make and realize that fresh homemade ones are better than the readymade frozen ones. My job became easlier when I got this recipe from my MIL.... I know many of you must be good at this but since it was my first time and the poli turned out good, so thought of sharing this with you all, my friends.

I am posting this for this month's JFI hosted by Kay and this is the first time I am taking part in the event.

Ingredients
1 cup Channa dal or Tuver dal
1 cup Jaggery
1 tsp Cardamom powder
½ tsp Nutmeg powder
2 cups Wheat flour
1- 1/2 tsp Oil
1 cup Water
Salt to taste
Ghee

Method

• Knead a smooth dough similar to one for making chappati, using wheat flour, oil, salt, and sufficient water, keep aside
• Pressure cook Channa dal with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt upto 3 whistles
• If you have water in excess pour them out and keep it aside
• Now add jaggery to this dal and stir continuously on low flame
• Add cardamom and pinch of nutmeg to the mixture and continue stirring
• If the mixture becomes too stiff you could add reserve water to it or if its runny continue stirring it. The mixture should be like a loose dough which could be spreadable.

(Channa dal mixture)

• Take a lime size dough and roll it as you would for chappati but medium thickness and then spread the dal mixture on the chappati.

(Spread dal mixture on rolled out dough)

• Now roll out another lime size dough into a chappati and place this rolled dough on the previously rolled dough and seal the edges with water.

(place the second rolled out dough on the earlier spreaded mixture)

• Once again rollout the rolled dough gently so that they adhere to each other and are sealed properly
• Place the puranpoli on a heated tava, after a few minutes when you see it puffing turn it and after a minute on the other side start pressing the puran poli with the back of a spoon turning them, it will puff up. This make the puran poli soft
• Place it a plate and spread ghee on both the side......and there you have it friends Puran poli!!!!
  
  

Note:

You could have puran poli just like that or with any curry. I like it with Rajma and I use the reserved water from the cooked dal to cook rajma.

Alternatively you could also make them by rolling the dough in small circle as in puri then adding the tbsp of dal mixture in the center making a bundle and rolling them again using a little flour.

Tomato Pachadi

This is one of my favorite pachadi's, Tomato pachadi. I love the way it looks, those red tomatoes popping out of the rosy curd. Sometimes when i have to cook for one I just make this pachadi and have it with rice for a quick and easy meal. One can also make this just as an additional dish for the dinner table. This is my granny's recipe. I remember granny making this pachadi for me whenever i was not in a mood to eat what was cooked that day and i would have it with rice and fish fry by its side...yummy!!!

Ingredients

3 Tomatoes (medium size)

1 cup Yogurt
1 tsp Mustard seeds
3-4 Small onions (pearl onions)
1 Dry red chili
few Curry leaves
1/2 tsp Chili powder
Oil
Salt
Pinch of hing (Optional)

Method

• Wash and quater the tomatoes and slice the small onions
• Heat oil in a sauce pan and add mustard seeds
• When it starts to splutter add the onions, dried red chili and curry leaves
• Add a pinch of hing (if using) and then add the quartered tomatoes, red chili powder and stir
• When the tomato become soft and you see oil separating, switch off the stove
• Add the yogurt and salt to it and mix
• If the gravy is too thick you can add little water .....and there you have it friends, Tomato pachadi!!!

Thepla - Methi Paratha

Methi paratha is a versatile dish which can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, snack or even dinner.It tastes good as it is, however it tastes better with dahi(yoghurt) or chundho(sweet mango achar). These parathas are good for 3 days if kept outside, but won't last till then :). Methi leaves are available easily during winter and i hope you enjoy this dish too!!!

Ingredients
one small bunch of Methi leaves(mine came up to 1cup packed)
2 1/2 cup Wheat Flour (you can use bajra flour or can do 50/50)
2 tbsp Besan (Gram flour)
1 1/2 tbsp Oil
2 tbsp Til
1 tsbsp Ajwain
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Chili powder
1/3 tsp Turmeric
1/2 cup Yogurt
1 inch Ginger
3 large Garlic cloves
3 green chili
handful of Cilantro
Salt to taste

Method

• Clean ,wash and chop methi leaves
• Make a paste of ginger,garlic,green chili and cilantro leaves
• Add the ginger paste,methi leaves, oil, til, ajwain, cumin seeds, chili powder, turmeric, yogurt to a mix of wheat flour and besan and knead to form a dough
• Or you can put all the above ingredients into the food processor and knead a dough that would be easy too
• If the dough is runny or too sticky add flour as needed or if its dry add yogurt or water
  
  
• Make lemon size ball and then roll it as you do for chapatti, but not too thin.
  

  

• Place the paratha on a heated tava, after couple of minutes when you see it puffing turn it and apply 1/2 tsp of oil on it and turn them again and apply oil on the other side too pressing the paratha with the back of a spoon

Light Snack - Onion Poha

Poha!!! hmm... this brings back the memories of my good ol' school days. I still remember, forgetting my tiffin box deliberatly so that i could have a chance to eat poha from our school canteen. It was my fav, topped with sev and murmurra. The softness of poha, crunchiness of sev and murmurra, tanginess of lime and sweetness of sugar, all these diverse flavors come together and you have a snack that's simply irresistable.

To this dish i have added grated carrot and lemon zest. The zest adds extra zing while the strands of carrot make it little more colorful!

Ingredients

2 cups poha
1 medium onion
2 green chilies
2 tbsp grated carrot
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/3 tsp chili powd
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp mustard
half lemon
1 tsp lemon zest
few curry leaves
salt to taste

Garnish
Handful of cilantro
Thin Sev & Murmura (Puffed rice)
(you could also use bhelpuri sev which is combo of both)

Method

• In a colander Wash poha silghtly with water 2-3 times.
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, when it splutters add green chili, curry leaves and onions and saute till the onions are translucent
• Add turmeric,chili powder,sugar and salt to poha, mixing gently and seperating it with fingers so that they dont stick
• Add poha, grated carrot , lemon zest, lemon juice, lower the heat and cook with the lid on for 6-8 min. In between stir, so that it does not stick to bottom of the pan.
• Serve garnishing it with some sev and murmura and cilantro leaves….Tadaaa!!!! there you have it friends.

Irresistible-Pav Bhaji

Pav-Bhaji is a traditional fare which is enjoyed by one and all. Back home on weekend evenings one could see the streets lined up with pav-bhaji stalls and people relishing this lip-smackin' dish. The aroma of the butter and masala over the hot griddle , vendors shouting out loud to attract people, loud blaring horns of the passing vehicles and the chaos in and around the place lends a whole new meaning to the dining out experience.

Here I may not be able to experience the same however I can definitely enjoy the aroma and taste of pav bhaji.

Ingredients
2 Medium Onion
1 Small potato
1/2 cup Green Pepper cubed
1/2 cup Green peas
1 small carrot
3 Tomatoes
4 Cloves of Garlic
1" Ginger
2 Green chillies
1 tsp Ketchup (optional)
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp red chili powder
2 tbs Pav Bhaji Masala
Salt to taste
Half lemon
Small lump of jaggery or pinch of sugar

Garnish

Handful of Cilantro leaves
Lemon
Onion chopped

Method

• Boil the green peas with little salt
• Boil the Potato in a small vessel and mash it along with green peas
• Blanch the tomatoes and chop them
• Chop finely green pepper, carrot and onion
• Finely chop and crush mixture of garlic, ginger and green chillies in a pestle
• Heat oil in a wok and saute' the onions till they are translucent
• Add the ginger-garlic paste, when the aroma of ginger starts coming, add carrot and green pepper and saute till onions are brown
• After couple of minutes add turmeric , coriander, chili powder and Pav Bhaji masala and stir continuously for a minute
• Add blanched tomatoes and saute till the oil separates (You can also add 1tsp of ketchup if you like)
• Add mashed potatoes, green peas, jaggery, salt and mix. After couple of min add 1 cup water (you may add more water if you need extra gravy)
• Simmer on medium flame for 10 min. Then add lemon juice and mix
• Slightly heat the pav on a griddle with some butter
• Serve the hot pav bhaji and top it with chopped onion and cilantro and lemon wedge its side

Note:

For pav you can use white brat bun, which is similar to hot dog bun and cut it into two and slit each side ways.

You can also apply some garlic-chili paste on the bread or pav before heating it on griddle. You can make garlic-chili paste by crushing 3-4 garlic cloves with some salt,2-3 dry red chillies,1 tsp oil, lemon juice,and sugar to taste. This gives the pav extra flavor.