Spicy Lasuni Papad Ka Paratha...

 Papad ka Paratha is an unique dish sold in Gali Paranthe Wali or Paranthe Wali Gali, a narrow street in Chandi Chowk of Purani Delhi; where different types of Parathas are sold. This paratha is made with Urid dal papad. The papad is fried and crushed and stuffed into a dough and then it rolled out into a disc and deep fried. 

I have made this paratha with a twist... 

I had some green garlic leaves growing in a pot. I ground the garlic leaves and used it in the stuffing along with the roasted crushed chilli papad and some more fresh garlic.  This gives a garlicy flavour to the dish. 

For the Suffing 

Ingredients 

4 roasted Chilli Papad 

4 Garlic cloves coarsely ground 

3 tbsp Green Garlic leaves paste 

1/2 tsp Chaat Masala 

1/2 tsp Dried Mango powder 

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder 

1/2 tsp Chilli powder 

1/8 tsp Asafoetida powder 

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder 

Method 

Take a mixing bowl , crush the roasted papad. Add rest of the above ingredients and mix it well. 

To make the Paratha 

Ingredients 

Semi hard Dough made with 3 cups of Whole Wheat Flour 

Stuffing 

Ghee to shallow fry the Paratha

Method 

Take a big lemon size portion of the dough. Roll it into a ball. With the help of your fingers and thumb; make a deep hole in the centre. Add 2 tsp of the stuffing in the centre. Close the edges of the dough. Press the dough. Apply little ghee on the dough and roll it out in to a round disc. Heat a skillet. Place the disc on the skillet. Cook the paratha by pressing it. Pour 1 tbsp of ghee and cook it for a minute. Turn the paratha. Add another tbsp of ghee and cook it till golden bubbles appear on both the sides. Remove and serve it hot. 

Masaledar Omelette Sandwich....(Mumbaia Istyle)

Hungry kiya... Make this road side Mumbai Egg Toast Sandwich. Mumbai street food has it's own style. I tried imitating the style and innovating this sandwich. I am sure you will enjoy making it. It taste akdum jhakas (super duper) 😉

Ingredients 

4 pieces of Bread

1 Egg

1 tbsp Onion chopped 

1 Green Chilli chopped 

1 small size Potato boiled and sliced 

1 Tomato sliced 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Sandwich Masala 

2  tbsp Green Chutney 

1 tbsp Tomato Ketchup 

1 sliced Cheese 

3 tbsp Butter or Ghee

Method

Break an egg in a mixing bowl. Add salt,  chopped onion and green chilli. Beat it well. 

Take a skillet. Add 2 tbsp melted butter or ghee. Let it heat up. Lower the flame. Pour and spread the beaten egg.  Place 2 pieces of bread on the Omelette. Let it cook for few seconds. Cut the Omelette from the centre and turn the bread. The Omelette will be facing upwards. Apply green chutney  on both the Omelette pieces. Place the potato slices and then the tomato slices on the chutney. Sprinkle some sandwich masala powder. Cut the sliced cheese into 4 parts. Place the cheese slices on the tomato slices. Take 2 pieces of bread and cover the sandwich. Press and toast the bread. Sprinkle some more butter or ghee on the bread. Turn the bread and toast it till it is brown on both the sides. Remove it from the skillet and cut it into triangle. Spread some more chutney and drizzle with tomato ketchup. Serve it hot. 

Sandwich Masala Powder

Ingredients

8 Cloves 

1 medium Cinnamon stick 

15 Pepper corn 

1 tsp Fennel seeds 

2 tsp Cumin seeds 

1 StarAnise 

1 tsp Black Salt 

2 tsp Rock Salt 

1 tsp Dried Mango powder 

Method

Roast the above ingredients except Rock Salt, Black Salt and Dried Mango powder. Let the spices cool down. Add all the ingredients in a grinder and grind it in to a powder. 

Home Style Kacchi Chicken Biriyani....

This Biriyani is very simple to make with all the ingredients easily available at home. It is cooked in a cast iron pot with marinated chicken and half cooked rice. The chicken is infused with smoky flavour by burning a charcoal piece and placing it over the chicken and covering the lid. Once the biriyani is made, cover the pot and let it stand for an hour before serving. Serve it with raita. 

For Marinating the Chicken

Ingredients

500 grams Chicken pieces 

1 medium size Onion paste 

3 tbsp Ginger - Garlic - Chilli - Coriander leaves and Mint Leaves paste

3 tbsp Fried Onion crushed 

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp Cinnamon powder 

1/ 4 tsp Cloves powder 

1/4 tsp Cardomom powder

1/8 tsp Nutmeg powder 

1/2 tsp Cumin powder 

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

3/4 tsp Chilli powder 

1/4 tsp Pepper powder 

3/4 cup Curd

1/4 cup Saffron Water mixed with pinch of Saffron colour 

Method 

Add all the above ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix all the ingredients together. Keep it aside atleast for 2 hours or more. 

To make the Rice

Ingredients

250 grams Basmati Rice washed and soaked for 30 minutes 

2 Bay Leaves 

1 small piece Cinnamon 

2 Cloves 

2 Cardomom 

Salt to taste 

Method 

Take a deep bottom pot. Add half liter of water let it simmer. Add salt, cloves, cinnamon , cardamom and bay leaves. Let it simmer for a minute. Add the rice and let it cook till it is 50 % done. Drain out the excess water. 

To make the Biriyani 

Ingredients 

Marinated Chicken pieces 

Rice

2 Big size Potatoes cut into big chunks and fried 

2 tbsp Onion fried 

1 tbsp Almond flakes 

1 tbsp Raisins 

6 Apricots

3/4 cup Ghee 

3/4 cup Milk 

1/2 cup Hot water 

1/4 cup Saffron water 

Few drops of Kewda essence (Optional) 

1 Charcoal piece

Method 

Take a cast iron pot. Add the marinated chicken. Lay the fried potatoes and apricot over the marinated chicken. Sprinkle almond flakes and raisins. Take a bowl. Add milk, hot water, half of the ghee, remaining saffron water and kewda essence. Keep it aside. Smoke the charcoal piece. Put it on a small plate. Place the plate over the chicken and add a tsp of ghee. Quickly cover the pot for 2 minutes. Remove the cover. Remove the charcoal plate. Drizzle the remaining ghee over the chicken. Spread the rice over the chicken. Pour the milk over the rice. Garnish with fried onions. Cover the pot. Place the pot on a low flame. Cook it for 45 minutes to an hour. Check if the chicken is cooked. Let it stand for an hour before serving. Serve it hot with raita. 

P. S. If you don't have cast iron pot then use normal pots. The cooking is done evenly and the bottom does not burn in the cast iron pot. 

Baked Sautéed Achari Vegetables.....

This dish can be served as a side dish or a meal by itself. This dish is an Indo -Wester fusion dish. 

I have used Indian spices in the baked vegetable dish and given it a twist. This is an experiment in my kitchen. The cheese has well combined with the Indian spices. It gives a sharp taste of the achari spices as well as the creamy texture the cheese. Instead of using all purpose flour, I have used sattu. Do try it and experience it yourself. 

For the Spice powder 

Ingredients

1 tbsp Coriander seeds 

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds 

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds 

1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds 

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds 

1/2 tsp Carom seeds 

1/4 tsp Asafoetida powder

8 Red Dry Chillies

Method 

Grind all the above ingredients in to a powder. This powder can be stored in a clean glass bottle and can be used to make pickles or any achari vegetables or meat. 

For the Sautéed Achari Vegetables

Ingredients 

8 Mushrooms cut into 4 pieces 

1 big size Onions cut into cubes 

1 Green Capsicum cut into cubes 

1 medium size Brinjal cut into medium size cubes 

1 small size Broccoli cut into small florets 

1 small size Carrot cut into thick strips 

1 mediumsize Sweet Potato cut into wedges 

8 Garlic cloves crushed 

1 tbsp AcharI Masala powder 

1/2 tsp Mustard powder 

1/2 tsp Chilli powder 

Salt to taste 

2 tbsp Mustard Oil 

Method 

Take a pan. Add oil. Let it heat. Add the garlic. Sauté it for few seconds. Add the sweet potato, carrot and onion. Sauté it. Cover and cook for 2 minutes, stirring it occasionally.  then add the brinjal, capsicum, broccoli and mushrooms. Stir fry the vegetables. Cover and continue to cook  till the vegetables are done. Add the salt, mustard powder and achari masala. Stir it. Switch off the flame. Keep it aside. 

For the Cheesy Sattu Sauce 

Ingredients 

1 cup Processed Cheese grated 

3 tbsp Sattu / Roasted Chickpea flour 

3 tbsp Butter 

1 cup Milk 

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp coarsely ground Fennel seed powder 

1/2 tsp Mustard powder 

Method 

Take a pan and add butter. Let the butter melt. Add the Sattu and roast it for few seconds on low flame. Gradually add the milk... stirring it continuously. As the sauce thickens, add the cheese. Stir it for few seconds. Switch off the flame. Add salt, mustard powder and fennel seed powder. 

P. S. If the sauce has thickened up add 1/2 of milk and heat it up once more. 

To Assemble

Take a baking tray. Add the vegetables and pour the sauce from top. Sprinkle some more cheese from top and sprinkle with coarsely ground fennel powder. Bake it in a preheated oven for 15 minutes at 200 degrees celcius. Remove it and serve it hot. 

Paan Chocolate Cake Truffles..

If you are a paan lover, and want to enjoy dessert with an Indian touch, then this is an ideal Diwali sweets for you after a sumptuous meal. This is made with chocolate cake sponge and the ingredients of the paan are added into the cake crumbs. It is mixed and kneaded into a dough. The dough is then divided into small balls which are dipped into melted chocolate and garnished with sweet fennel balls. Just pop one and you will pop in another... Sinfully delicious..... 🎊✨🎉💥😃

To prepare Paan Chocolate Cake Balls

Ingredients 

15 small Betel leaves cut into pieces 

1 1/2 cup of Chocolate Cake crumbs

2 tbsp Gulkand 

3 tbsp Chocolate Ganache

1 tbsp Sugar coated Fennel seeds mukhwas 

1 tsp chopped Glazed Cherries 

1/2 Paan masala ( pinch of Nutmeg powder, pinch of Cinnamon powder, pinch of cloves powder , pinch of Cardamom  powder and pinch of fennel powder )

1 tbsp of each  dried Rose petals and Desiccated Coconut  ( I did not use )

Method 

Take a grinder, add the cake crumbs, chocolate ganache, gulkand and betel leaves. Grind it into a paste. 

Or 

Add the cake crumbs into a grinder and grind it into a finer crumbs. Remove it into a mixing bowl add the chopped betel leaves, gulkand and chocolate ganache and follow the rest of the process. 

Add the paan masala, chopped glazed cherries, sugar coated fennel seeds mukhwas, rose petals and desiccated coconut. Knead it into a dough. Make small balls from the dough.

To make the Truffles 

Ingredients 

1/4 packet of Pure Dark Chocolate 

2 tbsp Sugar coated Fennel seeds 

Paan Chocolate Cake Balls 

Method 

Melt the chocolate in the microwave and cool it down to room temperature. Dip a cake ball into the melted chocolate. Remove it and keep it on a chocolate / small cupcake liner or a parchment paper. Sprinkle some sugar coated fennel seeds. Repeat the same process. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Serve it.