Dahi Vada

Hello everyone..  Back with the Dahi vada recipe.  This is a pretty simple and a delicious recipe.  Lentil balls which are deep fried, then soaked in warm water and then finally immersed in the mildly sweetened curds with a drizzle of green coriander chutney and date n tamarind chutney.  When we were in Lucknow, we used to enjoy going to Hazratganj to have these yummy dahi vada's.  Though of course, every place has their unique style n ways of making this yum dahi vada's.  So here's how I made this. 

INGREDIENTS:

    1 cup = 200 ml

Black gram lentil/ urad dal	1/2 cup
Salt	3/4 to 1 tsp ( for vada's n a pinch curds)
Oil	For frying
Curds	1 cup (whisked)
Sugar	1 1/2 tbsp
Roasted cumin powder	1/2 tsp
Chilli powder	1/2 tsp
Green coriander chutney	1 tbsp or as per taste
Date n tamarind chutney	1 tbsp or as per taste
Warm water	To soak the vada's

METHOD:

1.       Wash well and soak the urad dal/lentils for for 3 1/2 hrs with enough water.  Water should be well over the urad dal.
2.       Grind the lentils to a very fine paste, with very little water.  Transfer the batter to a clean bowl.
3.       Whisk the batter with a balloon whisk or a fork for a good 8-10 mins.  This makes the batter light n fluffy.  Add salt and mix well.
4.       Heat oil in a pan n once it is hot, lower the flame to medium.  Wet your fingers slightly and take the batter and drop small balls into the oil.   
5.       Fry them, till they are golden brown, ensuring that you fry them on low medium flame.
6.       In another bowl, add lukewarm water.  Once the vada's are fried add them directly to the warm water and let them soak in the water for about 20 minutes.
7.       While they are soaking in the water, prepare the curds.  In a bowl add the curds and whisk well.  Add in the sugar n mix till the sugar dissolves.  Add a pinch of salt n mix again.  Keep it in the fridge to chill.
8.       After 20 minutes, remove them (the vadas) and squeeze out the excess water very carefully.  You don't want to break the vada's.
9.       Transfer the vada's to the prepared curds and sprinkle over the cumin powder, chilli powder and drizzle the coriander and date n tamarind chutney.
10.   Refrigerate the dahi vada.  Enjoy the chilled dahi vada's.

NOTES:

 

1.       I got 20 vada's with the above mentioned recipe, this size.  I would say these serve 5-6 people.  Now that surely depends how many you would like to have.  Believe me, it's really addictive, so you could well say 3 to 4 people too.
2.       Frying them on low to medium flame is absolutely important as they need to cook well inside too.  Frying on high flame will make the vada's go brown from the outside and remain uncooked from the inside.
3.       Do not soak more than the time mentioned as it will result in oily vada's.
4.       Adjust the sugar according to your taste in the curds.
5.       You could add cashew pieces and raisins in your batter.  That's how we used to get the ones we had in Lucknow.

Moong Dal Kachori

Hello everyone.. I know there has been a real big long silence from my side.  Hmm I know, excuses do sound lame, but I really had so many things going on that I just couldn’t get myself, to get going on any posts/recipes on the blog.  Now I have made a promise to myself, that I would be posting at least one recipe per week.  Coming to today's recipe, I decided on coming back with mouth-watering yum chaat recipes.  Planned on having a hi-tea of sorts.  So made a combination of, Moong dal Kachori and Dahi Vada. 

Moong-dal Kachori is a crisp lentil filled puri.  So here's my recipe, which is not just mouth-watering but simple to make too.  With just a few variations, you can make this chaat in two three ways.  What are we waiting for, let's get started on the same. I wanted this to be a video post.  But just couldn’t do so as I had so many things going on at the same time.  Will surely try and update it with the video sooner or later.

INGREDIENTS:

For the kachori dough: 1 cup 200 ml

All purpose flour/maida	1 cup
Salt	1/2 tsp
Hot oil	1 tbsp
Water	To knead (just about 1/2 half a cup)

For the filling:

Split green gram lentil/moong dal	1/3 cup
Turmeric powder	1/4 tsp
Cinnamon stick	1/2 inch
Cloves	3-4 nos
Green cardamom	2 nos
Coriander seeds	1/2 tsp
Roasted Cumin seeds powder	1/2 tsp
Cashews	4 nos (chopped)
Raisins	6-7 nos (chopped)
Cumin seeds	1/2 tsp
Oil	1 tbsp
Amchur Powder (Dry Mango powder)	1/2 tsp
Asafoetida	1/4 tsp
Fennel seeds/saunf	1/2 tsp
Sugar	1/4 tsp
Salt	3/4 tsp or as per taste
Oil	To fry

To serve:

Curds	1/2 cup
Water	2 tbsp (to add into the curds)
Sweet n tangy tamarind chutney	1/2 bowl/cup
Potatoes	Cut into  small cubes and fried or shallow fried
Sev	1/2 cup

For sweet & tangy tamarind chutney:

Date n tamarind chutney	1/2 cup
Water	1/4 cup
Oil	1 tsp
Cumin seeds	1/2 tsp
Fennel seeds	1/2 tsp
Chilli powder	1/2 tsp
Roasted cumin powder	1/2 tsp
Ginger	1/2 inch (finely chopped)
Onion	1 small (finely chopped)

 METHOD:

1.       Wash & soak the split green gram lentil for 2 hours.
2.       In a bowl add in the all purpose flour, salt and hot oil.  Rub the oil into the flour.  Add in water little at a time and knead the dough into a fairly tight dough.  Cover it with a damp cloth and keep aside.
3.       In a pan add in the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, coriander seeds and dry roast the spices for 2 minutes on low flame.  Once cool, powder them using mortar & pestle.
4.       In a pan add a tbsp of oil and let it heat up.  Once hot, add in the cumin seeds let them splutter, add the asafoetida.  Add in the fennel seeds, turmeric powder.
5.       Drain the water from the lentils.  Transfer the lentils into the pan.  Add in very little water so as to cook the lentils.  This should take 10-15 minutes.  The lentils should be soft when pressed in between your finger.
6.       Add in the spice powder and sauté for a few seconds. Add in the roasted cumin powder and Amchur powder.  Mix well so that the spice powder and cumin powder coats the lentils.  Add the chopped cashews and raisins.  Add the salt and sugar.  Mix well.
7.       Let the mixture cool completely.
8.       Heat oil in a pan to fry the kachori's.  Once the oil is completely hot.  Lower the flame.  Make  8 medium sized balls of the dough & roll them to a size of the puri.  Fill the rolled dough with the prepared lentil filling.  Join the ends of the puri and make it into a ball and keep aside.  Do the same with the rest.
9.       Roll the kachori's to the size of a puri.  Drop the kachori's into the hot oil.  Once they start to come up turn them to fry them on the other side.  Fry them in the oil with the flame on low.  Frying them on low flame, not only ensures that the kachori's crisp up but also cooks them through. (My sister gave me this tip)  
10.   Fry the kachori's till they are golden brown on both sides.
11.   For the chutney:  In a pan add oil.  Once hot add in the cumin seeds and the fennel seeds.  Sauté them for a minute.  Add in the ginger, chilli powder, roasted cumin powder.  Mix well.  Add in the date n tamarind chutney and mix well.  Add the water and mix again.  Bring it to a boil.  Switch of the flame and add in the onions.  Let the chutney cool to room temperature.
12.   To serve.  Place a kachori in a plate or bowl.  Break them in the middle.  Add the potatoes, pour the curds,  add the chutney and the onions.  Sprinkle with sev and serve.

NOTES:

1.       The measure I have given serves 3-4.
2.       You could serve with 2-3 variations.  Which is, like the one I have mentioned.  The other way you could serve is.  Break the hot kachori and just pour about a tbsp or two of the sweet and tangy chutney along with potatoes and or sev as toppings.  Tastes equally good.
3.       You could also make spicy chole (chickpea) curry.  Pour the curry over the kachori along with the chutney, onions and sev.  There you go, one dish and you can have it with so many variations.  Just play around with your ideas.
4.       Be sure to whisk the curds before you serve it.  You sure don’t want lumpy curds over your kachori.    
5.       The kachori filling should be dry.

Will be putting up the dahi vada post soon.

Green Coriander Chutney

A nice and versatile chutney recipe.  This chutney can be used, for a lot of recipes.  Here in this case I am using it for chaat, can be put on sandwiches or you can make green pulav using this wonderful chutney.  So let me tell you all how I make this chutney.

INGREDIENTS:

Coriander leaves	1 cup
Green chillies	5-6 nos
Garlic	1 clove
Salt	1/2 tsp
Water	To grind
Lime juice	1/2 tsp

METHOD:

1.       Clean the coriander and wash it well.  Wash the green chillies.
2.       Add very little water and grind to a fine paste.
3.       Transfer it to a serving bowl.  Add lime juice and mix well. Adjust salt, if needed.
4.       Use as required.
        NOTES:
1.       Please use the green chillies according to your taste and the pungency of the chillies.

Date & Tamarind Chutney

This is a chutney, which can be used for all the chaat's you want to make.  Like, bhel puri, sev puri, papdi chaat, pani puri and the list of the chaat's go on & on.  This chutney can be made and stored in the refrigerator.  If stored well, it can stay for a month in the fridge.  With just a few ingredients this chutney can do wonders.

INGREDIENTS:

Dates	20 pitted
Tamarind	Size of a lime
Jaggery	1/4 cup+1 tbsp
Ginger powder	1/2 tsp
Coriander powder	1/4 tsp
Cumin powder	1/4 tsp
Chilli powder	1/2 tsp

METHOD:

1.       Boil the tamarind, dates and jaggery together for 10 minutes.  Dry roast the coriander and cumin seeds and powder them.
2.       If using dates with seeds, remove seeds once they are boiled.  Grind the boiled mixture to a fine paste.
3.       Strain the mixture/chutney in a vessel.  Keep this vessel and heat on low flame and bring it to a boil. 
4.       Add the ginger powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and chilli powder.
5.       After it bubbles, switch off the flame.  Let it cool.  Use as desired.

Chaat's

Write up will follow soon:

Ragda Pattice

 

With the unseasonal rains, paying us a visit.  Wow must say it was a slight relief from the bad summer heat.  Not to mention, I got into the mood of making a whole lotta chaats.  Rains and chaats or pakodas/fritters, go so well together.    Chaats are a tangy snacks as you all are aware of.  I had earlier posted papdi chaat.  It's been long since I posted a chaat recipe.  So when it poured yesterday, this is what I got to making.  Ragda is a gravy dish to be put over the potato cutlets (pattice), which is made with dry white peas.  By soaking the peas overnight and cooking them to perfection with minimal spices.  The outcome is just great.  A wonderful snack for the evening, dinner or just when your mood asks for one.  So here goes how I made this mouth-watering ragda pattice.

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 1 hr, plus soaking time
Cooking time: 45 mins

INGREDIENTS:

For the pattice/cutlets:

Potatoes	5 big or 6-7 medium
Salt	1 tsp
Dry bread crumbs	1/2 cup
Oil	To shallow fry

 For ragda (white peas gravy):

White peas (dry)	1 cup
Oil	2 tsp
Cumin seeds	1/2 tsp
Asafoetida	1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder	1/2 tsp
Chilli powder	1 tsp
Cumin powder	1/2 tsp
Coriander powder	1/2 tsp
Dry mango powder	1/2 tsp
Salt	1 tsp or as needed
Water	To cook the peas
Coriander leaves	To garnish

 To serve the ragda pattice:

Date & tamarind chutney	As required
Green coriander chutney	As required
Sev	As required
Chaat masala	1 tsp
Onions (finely chopped)	1 medium

METHOD:

1.       Soak the peas overnight.  Next morning cook them with enough water in a pressure cooker until soft.  (approx 5-6 whistles)
2.       Wash the potatoes and cook them in a pressure cooker until soft.  Once cool peel the skin and grate the potatoes.  Add salt and blend well.
3.       Once the peas cool down a bit.  Remove them from the cooker.   In a kadai (wok) add oil.  Once the oil is hot add the cumin seeds.  Once they puff up add the asafoetida,  add turmeric powder and chilli powder.  Sauté for just a second, not more as it will burn (all this should be done on low flame).  Add the cooked peas.
4.       Add the coriander and cumin powder.  Mix well.  Add salt and some more water, about a cup of water.  Mash the peas very lightly.
5.       Shape the grated and blended potato mixture into the desired shape for the cutlets.  I shaped them into cute hearts and tear drop cutlets.  You could make them round any shape you would like to give it.  Coat these cutlets with bread crumbs and keep aside.
6.       Heat a griddle and pour about a tbsp of oil and place the cutlets and shallow fry them till they get a golden brown colour in each side.  It should take about 5-6 mins on each side on a medium flame.
7.       Finely chop onions and keep it ready along with the chutney's. (Chutney recipe given in Papadi Chaat)
8.        To serve, place the cutlets/pattice in a plate.  Top them with ragda, add the chutney's over it depending on how spicy and sweet you like it.  Top this with the sev and onions.  Add a dash of chaat masala.  Serve hot.

You could serve it like this

 

 

Or you could serve it like it is usually served. Rustic way