Alu Patties

It was Divu's Pizza Party before his school reopened. Divu is my 6 year old friend. So there was no way I could miss this party. There were 4 more friends of his along with their moms'. The party was in full swing with these lil monsters running all over the house. Toys were all over the place with little or no place to walk. One could hear intermittent fights about sharing toys and about deciding which game they wanted to play. The girls tried to boss over the guys and these boys refused to listen ..... guess that's how it is everywhere !!

Anju (Divu's mom) was busy in the kitchen preparing pizza ...... sorry let me correct myself. She was busy preparing customized pizza for everyone. The kids demanded cheese pizza .... that was the perfect time when they could escape their mom's feeding them with any green stuff. Mom's were no less demanding ..... including myself. I wanted one topped with bell peppers, mushroom and onion with extra cheese.

But when it was time for 'Alu patties', everybody jumped in. We all made a bee line at the table to grab one. They were baked to perfection. That was the only time when the all the noise subsided and everyone was busy eating. But this was not for long. The kids went back playing and fighting. And mom's got busy asking the recipe for 'Alu Patties'. I made my trip to Anju's kitchen to grab my custom pizza.

Alu Patties are perfect for parties and get together. They are hassle free to prepare and you can never go wrong with them. Thanks Divu for the invite :-)

Preparation Time 30 minutes
Serves - 4

Ingredients
Puffs Pastry Sheet - 1 packet
Boiled Patoto - 3-4
Finely chopped Onions -1 Cup
Red Chilli powder per taste
Turmeric powder per taste
Salt per taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

Method of Preparation

Thaw the Puff Pastry sheets for 30-40 minutes before
making the patty in room temperature. Thawing time also depends
upon the room temperature.

1 Mash the Boil Potato .
In a pan heat oil and sauté the onions and add turmeric, chilly powder and salt.
2 Mix the mashed potato and keep the prepared filling aside.
3 Set the oven to 400 degrees F.
4 Lay the Pastry sheets flat. If the sheets are thawed too much and becomes little sticky, use the all purpose flour
or maida to dust your hands a little.
5 Cut the single pastry sheet in small 9 squares. (So out of 1 packet you will be able to make 18 patties).
6 In the middle of the square put 1tbsp filling and fold the pastry square from middle in triangle shape.
7 Seal the ends of the filled triangles by applying little pressure on the edges.
8 Lay the filled triangles on the greased baking tray.
9 Once the oven is preheated to 400 degree, put the baking tray in oven and bake the patties for 12-15 minutes. Make sure to flip the patties in between so that they are evenly baked from both sides.
Serving Tips
Serve hot as snacks/starters or as breakfast . Serve with tomato sauce, chilly sauce or green chutney.
Variation
You may add green peas along with potato to make it more healthier. You may make any filling of your choice. Also you may egg wash them before baking them. This gives a nice golden color to it.
Other Names
All purpose flour/Maida, Green Chutney/Coriander sauce/cilantro sauce.

Poha Cutlets

It was Ridhi's Birthday and Neetu had prepared cutlets for starters. I had a bite and kept wondering what those cutlets were made of. Could never think of Poha cutlets !! They tasted great. She had promised to share this secret recipe with me soon.

Two days back I got a call from Neetu. She invited me to catch up with her with my favorite cutlets.

I enjoyed eating every bite ..... I hope you will enjoy preparing and eating these cutlets as much as I did.

Preparation Time 30 minutes

Serves - 4
Ingredients
Soaked Poha - 2 cups
Boiled Potato - 4
Bread Slices - 4
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
Green Chili - 4
Ginger - 2 inch
Chopped Cilantro - 1/3 cup
Semolina for rolling
Salt per taste
Oil for frying
Method of Preparation
1 Mash the boiled potatoes. Grate the ginger. Finely chop chilies. Moisten the bread slices with little water.
2 In a mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients (Soaked Poha + Mashed Potatoes + Bread slices + grated ginger + chopped chilies + chopped cilantro + lemon juice + salt)
3 Knead all the ingredients to form a dough.
4 Pinch out small balls and roll them into your desired shapes.
5 Roll them on Semolina.
6 Heat oil in a kadhai. When hot, deep fry the cutlets.
7 Fry till golden brown. Remove to a paper towel.
Serving Tips
Serve hot with your choice of sauce or chutney.
Notes
Make sure the poha is well soaked in water till soft. Drop a small ball into hot oil first. If it breaks then add some corn flour to bind it. (It will only break if there is excess moisture).
Variation
You may add red chilie powder instead of chopped green chilies. Add kasuri methi as an alternative to coriander leaves.
Rolling on semolina only adds to the texture and is optional.
Other Names
Poha - Beaten Rice, Semolina - Suji, Coriander - Cilantro

Coconut Chutney Sandwich

If you thought that Coconut Chutney only goes well with Idli and Dosa, then think again !!
Ever imagined of Coconut Chutney Sandwich ! Well neither did I until I tasted this yummilicios Coconut Chutney Sandwich by Deepika. It just left me craving for more.

It was a great opportunity to catch up with this super busy mom over a cup of tea and some coconut chutney sandwich.
She is very creative person and has a nag for art, craft and photography. Not to forget, she is a great cook too ! To take a sneak peak of her creative side peep here.
Preparation Time - 10 minutes
Ingredients
Fresh Shredded Coconut - 1 Cup
Roasted Peanuts - 1 Cup
Fresh Chopped Coriander - 1 Cup
Plain Yogurt - 1/2 Cup
Sugar - 3 tsp
Salt - 1.5 tsp
Green Chilie - 2
Juice of one lemon
Bread for Sandwich
Method of Preparation
1 Combine all the ingredients and blend in a mixer to form a smooth paste. It should be like a spread. So use water only if needed.
2 Cut bread into desired shape. Spread butter on one side and chutney on the other. Place the slices togeather to make a sandwich.
3 Refrigerate and store the chutney for 4 - 5 days.
Serving Tips
Use this spread for cold sandwiches. Good for lunch box and picnics.
Notes
Do not use excess water while grinding, else the consistency will be watery.
Variation
You may also add cucumber and tomato slices.
Other Names
Coriander - Cilantro, Plain Yogurt - Curd

Diya (Deepika's daughter) loves this sandwich so sending this as an entry for Kids Delight . I am sure the lil ones will love this.

Daal Masala Vada

The sky turned grey and I heard the pitter patter of the rain drops. As I looked through the window, I saw the lush green trees swinging to music of the rain.
I decided to make something before J was back in the eve and set the table for a cozy rainy eve.It was the perfect time for a hot cup of ginger tea and a spicy snack over some chit chat.
Preparation Time 30minutes
Serves - 4
Ingredients
Split Yellow Chana Daal - 1 cup
Onion - 1/2 Cup finely chopped
Green Chilis - 4
Curry Leaves - few
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic - 4 cloves
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
Method of Preparation
1 Soak Chana Daal for 30 minutes
2 Coarsely grind the Chana Daal along with green chilis,curry leaves, ginger and garlic.Make sure you dry grind it.
3 Mix with finely chopped onions
4 Add Salt to the batter and mix well.
5 Heat oil in a Kadhai on medium- high heat.
6 Make small patties from the Daal Batter and deep fry till cooked.
Serving Tips
Serve Hot. Sprinkle some Chat Masala on the Vada. Serve with Tomato Ketchup and Chili Sauce.It is a great snack with hot tea/coffee.
Notes
Ensure that you do not make the batter watery, else it will not bind to form patties. In case the batter is little watery,add gram flour(besan) to correct the consistency.
Variation
Add Cumin and Corriander powder to the batter if you wish.
Other Names
Masala Vada - Daal Vada/ Piaji.

Baigani ......... Eggplant Fritters

There is a big tamarind tree opposite our house. One of my favorite pass time was staring at that tree for hours. I would look at it and my imagination would take a flight of fantasy. Many a times that tree would look like a big black monster .... the huge trunk representing the face and the branches looked like unkept hair !! It was home to many birds ..... every year I would see a lot of cranes and crows making their nest there. Some how I never got bored staring at it..... I could do that for hours.

One evening when I was in my world of fantasy ......... I was woken up by a loud voice. My mother was asking me to run to the terrace to pick up the washed clothes from the cloth line. The sky had turned grey and there was a mild cool breeze. It could rain any time. I hurried towards the terrace like an obedient child and started picking the clothes. It had begun to drizzle. I handed over the clothes to my mother and ran towards the veranda. I didn't want to miss watching the rain. Pitter Patter ..... it had started to come down and the aroma of the parched earth had spread every where. Sooner the small water droplets had turned into big blobs .... there were tiny winy rainbows on each water bubble before they bursted in a fraction. I climbed on the big cane chair on our veranda .... and sat there watching the downpour.Like the tamarind tree this chair was also permanent ..... I had never seen anyone move it around.

The birds on the tree continued their loud chattering ..... I thought they were getting uncomfortable with the sudden downpour or may be their mothers were yelling at the disobedient ones asking them to get inside the nests. My imagination took wings till I saw some kids from our neighbourhood come out on the roads with umbrellas, splashing water at each other and jumping into small puddles of water. They talked loudly as they walked past our house. I felt jealous of them and wondered how liberal and good their parents were !!

I went inside and carefully pulled out an old newspaper from the pile. I started making paper boats and was waiting for an opportunity to float them. Just to my rescue there was someone who came to our house with an umbrella. He had come to visit my grandpa.

I noticed everyone inside the house were busy. It was a golden opportunity for me. I took his umbrella and sneaked out of the veranda into our garden. I too jumped in the small puddles trying to imitate the kids who had walked past and rowed my paper boats. But moments of happiness don't last long.I had to hurry back. Else I was afraid mom would hold me by my ears and drag me inside !

I scurried back to my favorite spot and started watching the family of birds chattering away. I saw my mother walk up to me with a plate of Baigani. She looked concerned seeing me a little wet. She held me softly and ruffled my wet hair as I munched the fritters with some ketchup.

Preparation Time - 30 minutes

Serves - 4

Ingredients

Chopped Eggplant - 3 cups

Gram Flour - 1/2 cup

Coriander Powder - 1 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

Method of Preparation

1 Cut Eggplant into thin long slices. Wash and keep aside.

2 Sprinkle salt, red chili powder and coriander powder on them.

3 Add the Gram Four over it. Sprinkle some water to make a thick batter that sticks around the Eggplant pieces.

4 Heat oil in a kadhai. Drop the Eggplants and fry till cooked.

Serving Tips

Serve hot with your choice of ketchup

In Odisha, people eat by mixing puffed rice

Variations

You may prepare a batter of gram four separately and dip the eggplant and then fry.

To make it more crunchy, add some rice flour.

Other Names

Baigani - Bringjal Fritters, Eggplant Fritters, Eggplant - Bringjal/ Baingan ,Coriander - Dhania

Chat Pat Papdi

How was your weekend ? I intermittently got on the internet to see what was cooking in the kitchen of my fellow bloggers. There were a whole variety of things ..... everything drool worthy. I just looked at the pictures and wondered if I could eat out of it. I got a little over excited and motivated seeing the variety of food from my lovely blogger friends.
I too wanted to prepare something different ....... Pani Puris crossed my mind ! I got on the internet to check the recipe for it. I remarked 'Oh this is so easy, I can make it' !! It was not until I rolled the puri's out and put them in the oil. The first one didn't puff up ....... 'May be the oil needed to be more hot' I thought as I waited for some more time to place the second one. The Puris' refused to pop up ....... May be one in every 5 Puri would Pop up. I would jump like a kid, for that was a moment of achievement for me !! But I am not the kind of person who would accept defeat ...... If not Pani Puri, it can be something else !! How about chat pat Papdi ........ does this name sound fancy enough to make you drool !!
Preparation Time - 60 minutes
Makes - 30
Ingredients
For the Papdi ( I wish I could write Puris :) )
Semolina - 1/2 cup
All Purpose flour - 1/2 cup
Oil - 2 tsp
Warm water for kneading
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
For Stuffing
Boiled Mashed Potatoes
Cumin Powder
Curd
Chat Masala
Salt
Sugar
Chopped Cilantro
Chopped Onions
Sev - Store bought
(I am not writing the specific amount for the ingredients for the stuffing as you can eye ball it.)
Method of Preparation
1 Mix Semolina and All Purpose Flour in a bowl. Add salt. Add 2 tsp oil. Use warm water to prepare a soft dough. Keep it covered with a moist cheese cloth for 20 minutes before rolling out.
2 Pinch out a ball of the dough and roll it to a flat bread like shape. Take a sharp edge bottle cap and cut out small puris (papdis) from it.
3 Heat Oil in a Kadhai. When hot drop them and fry till golden brown.
For the stuffing
Mix cumin powder, salt and chat masala to the mashed potato as per taste. In another bowl take some yogurt and mix cumin powder and chat masala. Stuff the potatoes into these papdi's. Drizzle yogurt on it. Garnish with chopped onions, cilantro and sev.
Serving Tips
Serve as an evening snack or a starter.
Notes
Don't get disappointed if something doesn't turn up the way you wished (like my Puri's). Instead make best use of what you get :)
Variation
Choose your own stuffing. I would be glad to get suggestions from my readers for this.

Fish Croquettes

How was your weekend ? We (myself n J) went to the beach, made sand castles, collected conches and pebbles, played frisbe ,read a book,listened to our favorite music ......... overall our weekend was great !!

It was wonderful taking a break from the routine life. These sweet nothings of life bring us so much joy.And celebrations are incomplete without great food and drinks. I prepared fish croquettes and it was a terrific combination with some great wine. Now I am fully rechared ready to begin another week.
Preparation Time - 60 minutes
Serves - 4
Ingredients
Fish Fillets - 2 Medium size
Potato - 1 Big
Semolina - 1 tsp
Corn Flour - 1 tsp
Green Chillies - 3
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Finely Chopped Onion - 1/2 cup
Egg white of 1 egg
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Salt per taste
Oil for frying
Method of Preparation
1 Wash the fish fillets and wipe dry (I used Tilapia). In a non stick pan fry the fish for 2 minutes for each side (Till the meat looks opaque and white). Keep aside and let it cool. Crumble the fish using a fork.
2 Boil and mash the potato.Finely chop the green chillies.
3 In a mixing bowl combine all the ingredients (fish+potato+salt+egg white+chopped onions+ginger garlic paste+garam masala + green chillies+semolina+corn flour) to form a dough like thing.
4 Pinch out small portions and give it a desired shape.
5 Take some semolina and spread it on a dry plate. Roll the pinched out portions on the semolina.
6 Heat oil in a kadhai or deep bottom pan. When hot, deep fry the croquettes.
7 When uniformly brown, remove and place on paper towel to soak excess oil.
Serving Tips
Serve Hot with Ketchup or your favorite sauce.
Notes
Make sure that the oil is properly hot, else the croquette may break in the oil.
Variation
Instead of frying the fish fillet, microwave them for 3 -4 minutes (depending on the power of the microwave).

Use any fish fillet of your choice.

You may also add little lime juice to the fish croquette mixture.
In case you want it spicier, add more green chillies or red paprika powder.
Other Names
Fish Croquettes - Fish Cutlets, Fish Chop, Macha Chop, Macher Chop.

Chana Garam

If you have travelled by train in India anytime, you are sure to bump into a hawker selling Chana Chat(popularly known as Chana Garam). As a student I used to travel sleeper class between Hyderabad and Bhubaneswar and there was a specific station where hawkers selling this chat would hop on the train. In a bat of an eyelid they would chop all the vegetables and mix it with the boiled Chana and hand it over to you in a paper cone. And not to forget they top it with a small piece of tender coconut. If the guy is little friendly he may give you an extra piece of the coconut too.

The Chana Dal sitting on my pantry self had been pleading me for a while to take it and make it a part of my menu and may be my blog if I get little generous. The Chana Dal brought back so many old memories that it became difficult for me ignore it any further.

Preparation Time - 20 minutes

Serves - 2

Ingredients

Chana Dal - 1 Cup

Onion - 1/2 Cup finely chopped

Boiled Potatoes - 1/2 cup cubed

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Green Chillies - 2

Tomato Chopped - 1/2 cup

Chat Masala - 1 tsp

Lemon juice - 2 tsp

Curry Leaves - few

Salt per taste

Oil for cooking

Method of Preparation

1 Soak the dal for few hours. Add salt to the water and pressure cook it till soft.

2 In a frying pan add about 2 tsp of oil. When hot add mustard seeds to sputter. Add chopped green chillies and curry leaves. Add onion and saute for 2 - 3 minutes

3 To this seasoned oil, add the boiled dal and mix well.

4 Remove to a mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients ( boiled potatoes + tomato + Chat Masala + Lemon juice) and mix well.

Serving Tips

Serve hot.

Variation

You may also add chopped cucumber, carrots,cilantro and freshly cut tender coconut.

Other Names

Chana Garam - Chana Chat, Chatpata Chana

Nankhatai

The Indian Cookie ......

The sweet aroma of cardamoms and sugar filled the air. I was baking cookies for the first time .... and I could not hold my excitement. I opened the oven and screamed ... 'J come over .... just check out my cookies'. While they were still hot and soft, I handed over one of them to him and looked at his face with anticipation.He finished this one and wanted one more .... I got my answer !!

I let the cookies cool down and stored them in a cookie jar. I noticed J scurrying to the kitchen more often ... only till I discovered a clean cookie jar sitting on the self.He had finished it all in a day !

Preparation Time - 30 minutes

Ingredients

All purpose flour - 1 cup

Semolina - 2/3 cup

Gram Flour - 1 cup

Cardamom - 5

Powdered Sugar - 2/3 cup

Salt - 1 pinch

Butter - 1 stick

Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp

Milk for kneading

Method of Preparation

1 Combine semolina, gram flour, all purpose flour and baking powder. Mix well and keep aside.

2 Keep butter in room temperature to make it soft.

3 Crush the cardamom and mix with the flour mixture(semolina + All purpose flour + Gram Flour)

4 Once the butter is soft add powdered sugar to it and mix well to form a thick butter sugar mixture.

5 Slowly add the Flour mixture to this butter and sugar. Knead it to make a dough (like atta). If required add little milk to make a soft dough.

6 Pinch out small balls from the dough and flatten it a bit. You can stick a dry fruit to it if you wish.

7 Grease a cookie sheet with some oil or butter. Place the cookies on it. Make sure there is at least an inch gap between the cookies as they expand while baking.

8 Pre heat oven to 350 degrees F . Place the cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

9 Remove cookie sheet and allow it to cool down. Remove cookies from the sheet and store in an air tight container.

Notes

Make sure the dough is soft.

Do not heat the butter to make it soft. Allow it to be in room temperature and mix sugar only when it softens.

Ensure that there is space between the cookie while baking else they will stick to each other.

Do not flatten the cookie much. They expand and flatten by self when baking.

Variation

You may try using oil instead of butter.

Use sugar as per taste.(less or more).

Other Names

Cookies, Gram Flour - Besan,All purpose flour - Maida, Semolina - Suji,Cardamom - Elaichi

Sweet Corn Chaat

I cleaned the kitchen, lit the candles and set the table for dinner. My friends were coming over this eve for a casual dinner and chit chat. I felt something missing ..... yes, it was the appetizer !! I quickly looked at the clock .....I had only 30 minutes for my friends to arrive. I panicked .... went up to the kitchen and scanned the refrigerator .... I had some ready to eat samosas but that was not what I could serve them .... those greasy looking monsters (samosas). My friends belong to the category of healthy eaters ..... they count their calories as they eat. (Hope they will not kill me for this).

I wanted something quick,easy and different (after all it was a golden opportunity to show off !! .... I didn't want to leave any chances to demonstrate my culinary skills ! ).

Eureka !! I knew what I was going to serve ..... Sweet Corn Chaat !

Preparation Time - 20 minutes

Serves - 4

Ingredients

Sweet Corn Kernels - 2 cups

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Boiled potato - 1

Chopped Onions - 1/2 cup

Tomato - 1

Cucumber - 1

Green Chillis - 2

Lemon juice - 2 tsp

Chat Masala - 2 tsp

Olive oil - 1 tsp

Butter - 1/2 tsp

Salt to Taste

Method of Preparation

1 Boil Potatoes and cut into small cubes. Finely chop tomatoes, cucumber and green chillis.

2 Heat oil and add cumin seeds and chopped green chillis to sputter. Add chopped onions and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add a pinch of salt. Add the Corn Kernels and mix well. If the kernels get watery fry for 5 minutes to remove unwanted moisture.

3 Remove to a separate bowl.Add butter when still hot. Mix boiled potatoes, cucumber and tomatoes to it. Also add lemon juice and chat masala. Give it a rough stir to mix the ingredients well.

4 Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Serving Tips

Serve warm

Variation

Use frozen corn kernels for a quick fix appetizer. You may also use the fresh ones. Fresh always tastes better !

If you want it more spicy, add more green chillis.

Adding potatoes makes it wholesome. You may add more of cucumber and tomatoes instead of boiled potatoes.

Use any oil if you do not have olive oil.

Instead of lemon juice and chat masala, use any store bought Italian dressing as well.

Other Names - Sweet Corn Salad.

Pav Bhaji

Mousi - Let's go shopping this evening. I want to buy a nice Saree for the party.

Me - Hmmm (trying to get some attention).......... sounds a bit difficult for me, I may have friends coming over this eve.

Mousi - Ahhh, come on ....... The Sale ends today, I won't get that extra 10% discount tomorrow. Moreover I like your company. What if we plan for dinner as well along with shopping.

Me - Sounds good to me ..... I have heard of a new Pav Bhaji joint near the shopping arcade. How about trying out some spicy road side food.

Mousi - Road side food (Raising an eyebrow) ..... Ok we can check that out.

Hope you all enjoyed my conversation with my Mousi(Mother's sister). Well we went out and shopped till we dropped. We headed to the Pav Bhaji Junction and I could see people waiting for their turn to taste this new dish in town. We ordered for two plates of Pav Bhaji. I saw the man pour a ladle of the curry to a big iron tawa (pan) to heat it. We perched on the wooden bench on the side of the cart waiting for our turn to taste it. The Pav Bhaji seller greased the Pav (Bread) with a generous amount of butter and handed over the sizzling curry with Pav. We loved the taste of it every bit. Till date I make it a point to visit this spot when ever I get a chance.

Preparation Time - 30 minutes

Serves - 8

Ingredients

Potato - 3 large

Carrot - 2 cups chopped

Beans - 1 cup chopped

Cauliflower - 1 cup chopped

Capsicum - 1

Onion - 1

Tomato - 2

Green Chilli - 4

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp

Everest Pav Bhaji Masala (Any Store bought) - 5 tsp

Butter - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method of Preparation

1 Cut all vegetables into small pieces (potatoes,cauliflower,capsicum,carrot,beans).Wash and keep aside.

2 Pressure cook all the vegetables by adding a little salt to it. Make sure you add just enough water to cover the vegetables while pressure cooking.

3 Once the vegetables are soft and thoroughly cooked let it cool down. Smash all the vegetables to make a paste out of it.

4 Add butter to a pan and let it melt. Add chopped green chillis and cumin seeds to it. Wait for the cumin seeds to sputter. Add the finely chopped onions to it and fry till golden brown. Add turmeric and red chili powder to it. Now add the finely chopped tomatoes. Keep stirring and frying it till it comes to a sauce like consistency.

5 Add the cooked vegetables and mix well. Add the Pav Bhaji Masala and stir well. Simmer for 10 -15 minutes to see that the curry is of thick consistency and all the spices mix well.Be aware that the mixture can spurt up as it boils, so keep a lid on it while you are not actively stirring it.

Serving Tips

Warm butter on a tawa (pan), and fry the bread (you can get pav bread from any indian store or use the bread of your choice).Sprinkle some pav bhaji masala on the butter if you want a spicier version.

Garnish the bhaji(curry) with finely chopped onions and coriander leaves . Add a dash of lemon juice to make it more tangy.

Add more butter to get a better taste ( come on you can do it ..... stop counting your calories).

Variations

You may add peas to the curry as well. Use frozen cut vegetables instead of chopping vegetables. You can always choose your combination of vegetables, but make sure the quantity of potato is dominant in the curry.

Tit Bits - This dish is staple to Maharastra. The origin of this dish is traced to the heyday of the textile mills in Mumbai. The mill workers used to have lunch breaks too short for a full meal, and a light lunch was preferred to a heavy one, as the employees had to return to physical labor after lunch. A vendor created this dish using items or parts of other dishes available on the menu. Roti or rice was replaced with pav and the curries that usually go with Indian bread or rice were amalgamated into just one spicy concoction-the 'bhaji'. Initially, it remained the food of the mill-workers.

This is a great recipe for feeding big groups.

Jhatpat Ghughuni

I love everything about my home town Bhubaneswar ....... one of them being the street food. Last time when I was there I went to my favorite place 'Market Building', the oldest shopping arcade........I can spend the entire day there without getting tired. This time when I was there I realized that not much had changed about that place ......... only some of the old familiar faces had more wrinkles. I saw a swarm of people at the same old rickety corner of the arcade. I could see the same old board 'Ghuguni Bara',only the paint had faded and there was more rust on it.Every time I visited Market Building I had seen that spot crowded ..... it has been the favorite hangout for street food lovers. Though I was a bit concerned about the hygiene, I too plunged into the crowd. Strange but I relish the taste of street food more than any posh Bistro.

I named this recipe as Jhatpat Ghuguni because it can be prepared in no time ! Ghuguni is another comfort food of the Odiyas'. The main ingredient for this is dried yellow peas.

Preparation Time - 20 minutes

Serves - 2

Ingredients

Yellow Peas - 1 Cup

Mustard Oil - 1 tsp

Chopped Onions - 1/2 cup

Cumin Seeds - 2 tsp

Dry Red Chili - 2

Lemon Juice - 1tbsp

Coriander leaves - few strings

Chopped Tomato - 1/3 cup

Salt to taste

Method of Preparation

1 Soak the yellow peas in warm water for minimum 4 hours.

2 Pressure Cook the peas with salt added to it till cooked. Make sure the peas are soft.Remove and drain water.Smash the peas roughly using a spoon.

3 Dry roast the Cumin and Red Chili. Grind them together to make a powder.

4 Add mustard oil and lemon juice to the drained peas and mix well.

5 Add the cumin-red chili powder and mix well.

6 Add chopped onions and tomatoes. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve.

Serving Tips

Serve hot as a snack.

Notes

When the cumin seeds and Red Chili is hot, grind to make a powder in the pestle. It can be easily powdered when hot.

Variations

Use Olive oil instead. If you like it more spicy add chopped green chilis.You may add boiled potatoes to this recipe.

Other Names

Dried Yellow Peas - Yellow Matar,Vatani White.

Broccoli Fritters

Kids always dream of quickly growing up to become adults for reasons more than one. I too felt so when I was a kid - I hated eating anything green !! But now when I am an adult I not only buy my own but decide to eat it as well. And that's the irony !!
Usually I eat broccoli in salads. I decided to experiment making fritters with it ....... surprisingly it came out great. I can eat my veggies now and I love them !
Preparation Time - 20 minutes
Serves - 4
Ingredients
Broccoli - 1 medium size (1/2 pound)
Gram Flour - 1 cup
Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
Method of Preparation
1 Chop the florets of the Broccoli to medium size pieces. Wash and keep aside
2 In a mixing bowl combine the rest of the ingredients (gram flour + Cumin Powder + Coriander Powder + Red Chili Powder + Ginger Garlic paste + Salt). Slowly pour water to make a thick batter.
3 Heat oil on medium heat.
4 Dip the florets of Broccoli to coat them with this batter and deep fry till cooked.
5 Remove and keep on a paper towel for excess oil to get soaked.
Serving Tips
Sprinkle Chat Masala on it and serve hot with Tomato Ketchup
Notes
Make sure the batter is thick in consistency. Else it will be difficult to coat the florets.
Other Names
Gram Flour - Besan,Coriander Powder - Dhania Powder,Cumin Powder - Jeera Powder.

Sweet Corn Bullets

It was a rainy evening and I was craving to have something nice and spicy with a cup of tea. Like always the most difficult task for me was to decide what to prepare. I remembered having Corn in my fridge, so I thought of making something out of it. I began my experiment with corn and surprisingly it came out well. So thought of penning it down here for all of you to enjoy.

Relish this snack with family and friends over a cup of tea.

Preparation Time - 30 minutes

Serves - 4

Ingredients

Corn Cobs - 2

Potato - 2

Onion - 1 medium

Green Chilli - 3

Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1 tsp

Lemon Juice - 1/2 tbsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp

Garlic Cloves - 3

Grated Ginger - 1/2 tsp

Cilantro chopped - 1 tbsp

Corn Flour - 1tsp

Salt to taste

Oil for cooking

Method of Preparation

1 Remove the husk, silk and chop off the corn kernels into a bowl.

Mash them a little if they are soft else grind them a little without making into a paste. Peel, wash and finely chop onion.Finely chop the garlic cloves Remove stems, wash and finely chop green chilies.

Boil Potatoes

2 Take 2 tsp of oil in a pan, lightly fry the chopped garlic cloves, grated ginger and corn kernels for 2-3 minutes.

3 Mash Potatoes and mix with the fried corn. Add the rest of the ingredients to it and mix well to make a paste.

4 Take 2 inch sized ball out of above corn mixture and flatten it a little with the fingers.

5 Take a non stick pan and pour little oil. Heat oil till medium hot.

6 Cook the cutlets on the pan on both sides till they look golden brown.

Serving Tips

Serve hot with tamarind chatni or tomato chili Ketchup.

Notes

If the paste seems little dry, sprinkle some water.

Variation

Instead of frying them on the pan, you may shallow fry it in oil and soak the excess oil on an absorbent paper.

Fresh corn kernels taste good, but if they are not readily available try with frozen corn kernels instead.

Other Names

Cilantro - Coriander Leaves