a commonsense approach to eating well, living well and travelling
There are several regional variations of kadi. This one is with onion pakodis but you can substitute spinach for the onion. In the South, they use vegetables like choko or okra to make kadi.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE PAKODIS
150g onions, diced
3 tablespoons chick pea flour (besan)
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
Pinch of baking powder
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying
These are great to eat straight from the oven. Make them for a fun lunch for the kiddies.
INGREDIENTS
450g high grade flour
1tsp sugar
300ml warm water
30g butter (melted)
7g instant yeast
Olive oil or melted butter for brushing
By now you may have guessed that I am trying to introduce you to more South Indian home cooking. This is another popular homemade snack from Andhra. These are crunchy, gluten free and really very moreish even if I say so myself.
INGREDIENTS
½ cup heaped rice flour plus more for dusting
2tsps channa dhal (split chick peas), soaked in water for ½ hour
1 heaped tsp cumin seeds
Indians have a love affair with Chaat. Be it Lucknow or Mumbai Chowpatty or anywhere else on the sub-continent, everyone loves chaat. Taking basic and humble ingredients and with judicious uses of condiments and garnishes, chaat becomes memorable. The street vendors generally specialize in one chaat and it is a pleasure watching them pile the mouthwatering delicacy onto your plate.
Growing up in Visakhapatnam, by the Bay of Bengal, (they were plenty of street vendors on the beach mostly unregistered and unlicensed) we were never permitted to have Bhel puri or Pani puri at the street stalls even though we yearned for it. When older cousins visited for summer holidays, we would indulge, and it would be our little secret!
Depending on what chaat you can make, it can be an entrée or a starter or you can plan the entire menu around chaat. Whatever you wish to serve, I reckon it will become a family favourite.
Ragda Patties colloquially referred to as Ragda Pattice is made from potatoes and dried peas. Of course, top with tamarind and date chutney, coriander chutney, and garnish with chopped onion, coriander and sev.
What is the origin of the pattice?
It is suggested that Indian chicken and Mutton Pattice also called Pattie and puffs is a ‘desi’ variant of the Cornish Pasty introduced to the colonies by the British. It is not hard to imagine how the word Pasties evolved into Pattice in the subcontinent.
For the pea stew, you can use tinned chick peas I suppose or even split chick peas could work. I used dried white peas you get in an Indian store.
FOR THE RAGDA
INGREDIENTS
200 grams dried white peas (safed vatana)
a couple of pinches of turmeric powder
Salt to taste
METHOD:
Soak the dried white peas overnight. Discard the soaking liquid, rinse. If you are using a pressure cooker, put the peas in the pressure cooker, add two cups water and cook for 15 minutes on low heat after the first whistle.
If you are using stove top method, put the peas in a heavy bottomed saucepan and pour 3 cups of water. Bring it up to the boil and allow to simmer and cook for 45 minutes to an hour.
In a saucepan, boil a cup of water. Add the cooked peas into the water. Mix in the salt and turmeric powder and keep it at a gentle simmer.
FOR THE PATTICE
INGREDIENTS
400g boiled potatoes, finely grated
½ teaspoon hot chilli powder
½ teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons corn flour
Salt to taste
1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil to pan fry
METHOD
Combine all ingredients for pattice and knead a little to make a smooth mixture. Divide potato mixture into 12 equal portions. Shape into patties about 6 centimetres in diameter. Rest patties in refrigerator for half an hour.
Heat a fry pan and working in batches, fry the patties a few at a time. Keep warm.
FOR THE CHILLI CHUTNEY
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup tomato ketchup
¼ cup Sriracha sauce
1-2 tablespoons malt vinegar
METHOD
Mix all ingredients for the chilli chutney. Taste and adjust according to personal preference.
FOR THE TAMARIND SAUCE
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons store bought tamarind puree
2 tablespoon date puree
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon hot chilli powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
150ml water
Salt to taste
METHOD
Put all ingredients except salt in a saucepan and bring it to a gentle boil. Add salt and simmer for five minutes. Taste to adjust seasoning.
FOR THE CORIANDER CHUTNEY
1 cup coriander stems, roots and leaves washed and roughly chopped
3 -4 green chillies, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
½ teaspoon cumin seed powder
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
1 -2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
Puree all the ingredients except the lime or lemon juice. Then add the juice and stir well. Will keep in fridge for a day or two.
ASSEMBLE IN INDIVIDUAL BOWLS
In a shallow bowl, spoon the ragda. Arrange the potato patties. Spoon the tamarind and chilli chutney. Dot the coriander chutney. Ideas for additional garnishes could be finely chopped onion or sev (from Indian store) and serve. Serves 4.
There is something very moreish about a well-made quiche. The creaminess from the savoury custard provides a textural contrast with the crisp pastry base. I made this with store bought shortcrust pastry and it worked perfectly, saving time. I used a loose bottom 24 centimetre flan tray
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE PASTRY
400g block of frozen short crust pastry (store bought), thawed as per instructions on packet
Extra flour for dusting
Butter to grease the loose bottom flan tray
FOR THE CUSTARD
3 large eggs
50ml whole milk
150ml cream
Pinch of ground nutmeg
FOR THE FILLING
Continue reading “CARAMELIZED ONION& SPINACH &WALNUT QUICHE”
Koftas are fried dumplings usually made with vegetables like bottle gourd or paneer or meat and cooked in a rich tomato and cream sauce. Everyone loves the rich creaminess of malai kofta. I wasn’t sure if a vegan version would be good enough. Surprisingly this version got the tick from the family. I don’t favour vegan cheese or vegan cream. I always feel it has a lingering after taste. That’s why in my no cream, no paneer version, I made with cashew nuts and tofu. Trust me, no one would be able to sniff the tofu and will convert even the worst sceptic.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE KOFTAS
300g firm tofu
100g potato, boiled, peeled and grated
1tbsp onion powder
2tsps sesame seeds
½tsp chilli powder
½tsp turmeric
3tbsps potato flour
Small handful of sultanas soaked
Oil for deep frying the koftas
I reckon you can make fritters with just about anything – a case in point are my pea fritters. They have edamame beans as well as kale – so I feel this is a complete meal. They are quick and easy that is take less than 45 minutes from start to finish.
INGREDIENTS
250g frozen peas, divided (thawed)
150g edamame beans, thawed
2-3 cloves garlic
1 red onion, finely chopped
50g kale, chopped
20 mint leaves
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking powder
30g corn flour
30g rice flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil for pan frying
METHOD
Put the edamame beans and 100 grams of the frozen peas in a food processor along with garlic, mint and kale. Add salt and pepper. Process for a minute or so until it is more than coarsely ground but not too smooth. Mix in the remaining peas and pulse for a few seconds so the peas are broken but still retain most of the shape. Remove to a bowl. Stir in the finely chopped onion and set aside.
Whisk the eggs with the corn flour, rice flour and baking powder. Fold in the pea mixture. Heat a pan and add a tablespoon of mixture to the pan in batches. Spoon a little oil on each fritter so it does not stick to the pan. Press down to flatten slightly and continue frying both sides on medium heat for 2-3 minutes until brown on both sides. Depending on size of your pan, you can do three to four fritters at a time. Repeat until all mixture has been fried. Makes 12 fritters. Serve with tomato relish.
Dhansak is the most well-known Parsi dish. The Parsis fled to India from Persia to avoid religious persecution in the 13th century. Quite a few Parsis settled on the Western Coast in Gujarat as well as in Mumbai.
It is often eaten on Sunday lunch and the word Dhansak literally translates to rice and vegetables. It is a stew of sorts and don’t be put off by the many ingredients – it comes together easily and you will have plenty of leftovers. I made a vegetarian version by simply omitting the chicken and replacing the chicken stock with vegetable stock.
INGREDIENTS
1.2kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut in half)
150g red lentils
50g split mung beans
100g channa dhal (split chick pea)
50g tamarind pulp
7cms piece of ginger, peeled and chopped fine
6 plump garlic cloves, peeled and chopped fine
300g onions, chopped
200g pumpkin, peeled and chopped
150g eggplant, chopped
150g potato, chopped
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 cup coriander leaves
20 leaves fresh mint
4tbsps vegetable oil or ghee
2tsps dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
300g tomatoes, chopped
1tbsp brown sugar
6 green chillies
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1tbsp coriander powder
2tsps Dhansak masala (available in Indian grocer or recipe given below)
1tbsp Parsi sambar masala (recipe given below)
2 cups chicken stock or water
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste
METHOD
Rinse all the lentils and soak in water for half an hour. Soak the tamarind in 50ml hot water.
In a large cooking pot, put the soaked lentils along with onions and other vegetables, turmeric, half of the ginger and garlic, a couple of tablespoons of coriander leaves and half the mint leaves. Pour in a couple of cups of water and simmer until the lentils are very soft. You may add additional water if it is drying out.
Use a stick blender and liquidize until it is creamy. Season with salt.
Make Parsi sambar masala mix by mixing 1tsp fenugreek powder, ¾ tsp mustard powder, ½ tablespoon chilli powder and ¾ teaspoon ground pepper.
Make Dhansak masala mix by combining 2tsps garam masala, ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder and a couple of pinches of ground nutmeg.
While the lentils are cooking, heat the ghee or oil in a large Dutch oven or saucepan. Fry the remaining chopped ginger, garlic, coriander leaves, mint leaves, dried fenugreek leaves, Parsi sambar masala, dhansak masala and cumin and coriander powders. Fry continuously for two minutes. Add the green chillies and tomatoes and fry for a further two minutes. Toss in the chicken thighs, increase heat to high and sauté for a few more minutes.
Squeeze the tamarind pulp out of the soaked tamarind.
Add the lentil mix to the chicken along with the chicken stock, a cup at a time to check on consistency. Add the brown sugar, tamarind water and salt. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Squeeze lime juice and serve with steamed basmati rice. Serves 8 as a main.
We all love masala vadas and these are my mum’s speciality. I think she makes the best and the smell wafting from the kitchen is very telling of the spice and crunch that is to follow. You can say they are a bit like falafel in the sense that they are made with 2-3 different kinds of lentils. I have tried making these a few times and until now, they were a flop. The trick is to soak for three hours or so, not grind it too much (pulse a few times) and lastly keep the lentils separate. Follow my tips and you can have mouth-watering vadas at home.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup urad dhal
½ cup channa dhal (split chick peas)
½ cup red lentils
2tbsps finely chopped ginger
2-3 red or green chillies
200g onion chopped
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying
METHOD
Combine the channa dhal and red lentils. Rinse well and soak for three hours. Rinse the urad dhal well and soak in a separate bowl for three hours.
After soaking, wash well (a sieve works well) and using a food processor, grind the urad dhal with salt. Pulse and try to grind without adding water. If you must add only a spoonful at a time. Remove and set aside.
In the same food processor bowl, grind the channa dhal and lentils along with chillies and ginger. Add salt to taste and pulse. The lentils should be combined and half of them will be left whole and this is okay.
Heat oil to 180 degrees C (or if you add a small piece of lentil, it should spring up to the top immediately) in a kadai or a small sauce pan. Section the urad dhal and lentils mix into three equal portions. In a separate small bowl, combine one section of urad dhal and lentils mix. Mix in a third of your chopped onions.
Wet the palm of your less dominant hand and shape a small lime sized mix into a patty or vada. You can also use a banana leaf or a plastic sheet instead of your palm. You want them fairly thin – too thick means they will take longer to cook and also won’t be as crunchy. Slide the vada very gently and carefully into the hot oil. Repeat with the remaining. Fry till golden (can take up to two minutes on each side) and serve hot. Makes about 30 medium sized ones.
When you feel like a no fuss, one pot dish for dinner, this is perfect as it is easy and tasty too. You can replace the kale with spinach.
INGREDIENTS
450g Israeli couscous
50g red onion, finely chopped
4 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
100g of kale or cavalo nero, rib removed and finely chopped
2tbsps currants
2 sundried tomatoes in oil, finely chopped
5tbsps extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp za’atar seasoning
1 tsp ground sumac
3 cups hot water
4tsps lemon or lime juice
2tsps harissa
Salt and pepper to taste
4 large eggs
METHOD
In a small bowl combine the lime juice with harissa. In another small bowl, combine the sumac with za’ atar. Set aside.
In a large sauce pan over medium, heat 4 tablespoons of oil until shimmering. Add the couscous and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, 3-4 minutes.
Pour in ½ cup of the hot water and cook, stirring, until most of the water is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Repeat this 3 more times. On the fourth time, add the garlic, kale, currants, salt and pepper. Mix in well after adding the last half cup of hot water. You should have cooked the couscous for a total of 15 minutes or so and the couscous has a bite but cooked. Taste and check for seasoning. Stir in the sundried tomatoes and onion and continue cooking for a further minute. Turn the heat off and keep warm.
In another fry pan over medium, add a teaspoon of oil. Crack an egg and cook for about 3 minutes until the whites are set but yolks are runny. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
Divide the couscous among four bowls. Top with a fried egg and add a generous sprinkling of sumac mixture. Drizzle the harissa mixture too. Serve immediately. Serves 4.