Aloo Chana Chat

Street food is one of the important things I miss in US!!! I am a big fan of all the mouth watering chat dishes.Whenever I walk by any chat stall, I can hardly resist the temptation. Aloo Chana Chat is one such tasty,tangy and easy to make dish.

Ingredients:

1 cup kabuli chana soaked for 5-6 hours

4 medium sized potatoes boiled

1 onion finely chopped

1 tomato finely chopped

coriander leaves finely chopped

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 green chilly finely chopped

1 tsp chat masala

1 tsp red chilli powder

salt

Method:

1. Peel boiled potatoes and cut into small cubes.
2. Pressure cook kabuli chana.
3. When kabuli chana is hot add all the ingredients and mix well. It is this simple :)

Tip : You can also add mint/pudina chutney.

Preparation time : 15 minutes.

Cabbage Paratha

Cabbage is one of the least preferred vegetables for most of us. Many people avoid eating cabbage sabji for its smell. If you are not  a big fan of any vegetable the best solution is making Paratha :) Cabbage paratha tastes great and its very easy to roll. When I first started making parathas, rolling it was a challenge. But cabbage paratha is the most easy one.

Ingredients:
1 small cabbage grated
3 cups of what flour
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp dhania powder
1 tsp jeera powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
Oil/Butter/Ghee for frying
Salt

Method:

1. Mix salt and wheat flour. Knead the dough by adding water little by little. Make non sticky soft dough. Keep this dough covered for 20-25 minutes.
2. Add cabbage to heated pan. Fry for a minute.
3. Add chilli powder, dhania powder, jeera powder, garam masala and salt to cabbage. Mix well and fry for 4-5 minutes. Fry till this filling becomes dry.
4. Make sure filling is not mushy so that we can roll parathas easily. Let filling cool down for few minutes.
5. Take a handful of dough and roll it into a thick small roti.
6. Put some filling in the center. Bring all the edges of roti together so that it forms a flattened ball shape with all the filling covered properly.
7. Roll it into a round paratha applying flour as required.
8. Place paratha on heated griddle/tava. Apply oil/butter as per your choice. Cook on both the sides.

Preparation time : 30minutes

Dum Aloo ( Baby Potatoes in gravy)

Last weekend during our weekly grocery shopping, I spotted baby potatoes. These small potatoes are so inviting, I do not miss opportunity to buy them. Baby potatoes immediately remind me of 'Dum Aloo'. It makes a pretty heavy lunch. Traditionally in this recipe, potatoes are cooked under pressure ( Dum in hindi)  so the name 'Dum Aloo'. I do not cook in the traditional way but this simple recipe tastes great.

Ingredients:
6-7 baby potatoes
1 big onion finely chopped
1 tomato finely chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic
1/2 inch ginger
1/4 cup grated coconut
6-7 cashews
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 cloves
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
4-5 curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp curd
1 tbsp milk
Oil
salt

Method:    

1. Boil baby potatoes in cooker. Peel them. 
2. Fry potatoes in 2-3 tsp hot oil till they turn golden. This gives them nice crispy structure. Prick potatoes with fork so that they can absorb gravy.
3. For Making Gravy-
   
   
   
   • Fry cumin seeds,coriander seeds, cloves, cinnamom stick till nice aroma comes out.
   • Fry cashews and coconut for 2-3 minutes.
   • Heat 2-3 tsp oil in kadhai. Fry onion till it turns golden brown. Add garlic,ginger and tomato. Fry till tomato turns soft.
   • Grind all these ingredients adding red chilli powder, salt and water.
   
   
4. Heat 3-4 tsp oil in deep kadhai. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter add curry leaves and turmeric.
5. Add gravy which we have prepared earlier. Fry for a minute.
6. Add 1 cup water. Add potatoes..
7. Blend curd in milk and add it
8. Let it simmer for 15-20 minutes so that potatoes absorb gravy nicely.

Serve with fulka/chapati.

Preparation time : 30 minutes.

Kandyachya patichi bhaji (Green onion/ Spring onion vegetable)

Green onion ( Kandyachi pat called in marathi) is famous for its use in most of the Chinese dishes. It adds a great flavor to any salad. Apart from its use in such dishes, it can be cooked in a really tasty vegetable. I learnt this recipe from my mom. It comes very handy when I want to make something real fast. Green onion does not take much time to cook or cut. So its my go to vegetable when I am in hurry.

In this recipe I use 'Goda Masala'. Goda Masala plays a big role in Maharashtrian cooking. It looks similar to Garam Masala and adds wonderful taste and aroma to curries and dals. You can easily get it in grocery stores across Maharashtra and north Karnataka. I was very happy to see it in Indian store here in US. If you can't find it you can use Garam Masala as a substitute in this recipe. The taste will be little different but it will be equally delicious.

Ingredients:

2 bunch of green onion

4-5 tbsp besan (bengal gran flour)
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp goda masala ( or 1/2 tsp Garam Masala)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp turmeric
4-5 tsp oil

Method:

1. Wash green onions properly and cut it's green leaves into 1/2 inch pieces. ( Do not use onions at the root in this recipe.)
2. Heat oil in kadhai. ( Preferably take non stick kadhai). Add mustard seeds. When they start spluttering add jeera , turmeric. 
3. Add green onion and fry for a minute.
4. Add 1/4 cup of water. Let green onions cook for 4-5 minutes.
5. When all the water evaporates, turn the heat low. Add besan, sprinkling it over green onions little by little. While sprinkling take care that besan does not form lumps.
6. Add red chilli powder, goda masala and salt.
7. Stir properly. If all green onions are not covered with besan, add some more besan. Mix besan and green onions properly.
8. Once everything is mixed properly, let besan cook for another 5 minutes till its raw smell goes away. While it is cooking, keep stirring in between so that besan does not stick to the kadhai.

Enjoy with fulka/chapati.

Preparation time : 20-25 mins.

Dali Saar (Dal)

Dali saar is one of the most favorite dal in all Konkani homes. I like it for its simplicity. It is easy to cook and full of flavor. Its a recipe which even a new bee in cooking can do comfortably. Dali Saar with rice and any dry sabji or pickle is very satisfying meal with minimal effort!!

Like other dals, basic ingredient in this dish is toor dal. It is little watery hence the name 'Saar'.So if you are big fan of rasam, you will enjoy this dish equally.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup toor dal
1 big tomato chopped
4 green chillies cut lengthwise
5-6 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp chopped coriander
6-7 curry leaves
1 pinch of hing
1 tea spoon jeera powder
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp ghee
Salt

Method:

1. Pressure cook toor dal with 1 1/2 cups of water,chopped tomato,green chillies,turmeric and hing.
2. Once cooked, beat dal properly.
3. Add another 1/2 cup water to get little watery consistency.
4. Heat this adding jeera powder,salt and chopped coriander leaves.
5. Let this simmer for 5-6 minutes. Bring it to boil. 
6. For making tadka, heat ghee in small kadhai. Add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds splutter, add jeera, curry leaves, garlic.
7. When garlic turns brown, add this tempering to dal. 

Serve hot with rice.

Preparation time: 20 mins

Aloo Palak (Potato in spinach gravy)

  Palak (Spinach) is one of my favorite vegetables. It is one of the most versatile vegetable. You can use it in soup, rice, dal, pakode and everything will come out delicious. Aloo Palak is no exception.

Ingredients:
3 medium sized potatoes
1 big bunch of Spinach finely chopped
1 big onion finely chopped
1 big tomato finely chopped
 3 tbsp ghee
1/2 inch ginger
2 green chillies
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp dhania powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp turmeric

Method:

1. Cook finely chopped spinach, adding 1/2 cup of water for 5-10 minutes.
2. Grind together ginger, cooked spinach and green chillies.
3. Boil Potatoes in pressure cooker and peel them. Cut them into small pieces.
4. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in kadhai and fry potato pieces for 4-5 minutes till it turns slightly golden brown. Keep these pieces separately.
5. Heat remaining ghee in the same kadhai. Add mustard seeds.
6. When mustard seeds splutter add jeera and chopped onion.
7. Fry onion till it turns golden brown. Then add chopped tomato and fry for 3-4 minutes.
8. Add haldi, dhania powder, red chilli powder, garam masala. Fry for 2-3 minutes.
9. Add spinach and fried potato pieces. Add little bit of water.
10. Let this simmer for 5-7 minutes.

Enjoy hot aloo palak with rotis.

Preparation time : 45 mins
Serves : 2

Chana saar upkari ( Black chikpeas curry)

Winter is around the corner. We all get craving for something hot when temerature starts dropping. Today's recipe is ideal for such situation.Chana saar upkari is a Konkani dish. Hot chana saar upkari along with rice is comfort food for all the konkanis around the world!! It is an awesome combination of soup like curry and  side dish made of black cheakpeas.

Ingredients:
1 cup black chana
3-4 green chillies
9-10 curry leaves
pinch of hing (asafoetida)
6-7 red chillies
1/4 cup of grated coconut
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp tamarind extract
4 tsp oil
1 tbsp ghee

Method:

1. Soak black chana overnight in water.
2. Add 4 cups of water in soaked chana and pressure cook them.
3. Retain the water used to cook chana. We are going to use this water to make saar. Take this water in vessel.
4. Grind together 5-6 red chillies, coriander seeds, 3 tbsp grated coconut, 2 tbsp cooked chana, tamarind extract by adding little water.
5. Add this masala in the water we have separated. Heat this till it boils. Let it simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Add salt to taste.
7. For seasoning, heat ghee in kadhai. When it is hot add 5-6 curry leaves and hing.
8. Add this seasoning to saar.

     For upkari:

1. Heat oil in kadhai. Add mustard seeds.
2. When mustard seeds spluter add green chillies, 1-2 red chillies.
3. Add curry leaves and hing. Fry for a minute.
4. Add cooked chana.
5. Add 2 tbsp grated coconut and salt to taste.
6. Add half cup of water and let upkari simmer for 5-10 minutes.
7. Switch of the heat when all water is evaporated.

Enjoy hot saar and upkari along with rice

Preparation time : 45 minutes