Ragda Patties

Another tasty savory from Aamchi Mumbai!!! This is a very famous road side chaat  which is a combo of  "Mattra" (White peas) and Potato patties flavored with spices and chutneys. This dish is a complete meal in itself and is quick and easy to prepare. With garnishing of  onions and tomatoes, enriching its flavor and color, it is a must try chaat!!!


Picture presentation taken from www.chezshuchi.com (This recipe has been explained nicely along with pictures in this site) 

This preparation is for 4 persons
Ingredients:
For patties:
3 large boiled potatoes
3 bread slices(discard the bread sides)
1 teaspoon salt
oil for shallow frying
For ragda:
1.5 cup white peas(mattra)
1 large tomato nicely chopped
1 large onion nicely chopped
1 green chili finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon asafeotida
1 teaspoon coriander powder(dhania)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric poweder(haldi)
1/2 teaspoon  garam masala
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder(laal mirch)
1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder(jeera powder)
1 teaspoon chaat masala
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon black powder(kaala namak)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds(jeera)
1-2 tablespoon nicely chopped coriander leaves
salt according to taste
2 tablespoon oil/ghee
For garnishing:
1 large tomato slices
1 large onion slices
1-2 tablespoon namkeen sev( salty gram flour fried thin strands)
1-2 teaspoon Meethi chutney
1-2 teaspoon coriander chutney
pinch of chaat masala

Method:
for patties:
In a bowl, mash/grate potatoes.

mashed potatoes,bread and chopped coriander

Add all the other ingredients and mix well. Apply a little oil to your palm and make about 8 balls out of this mixture.
Press each ball and shape them into a circle of a little thickness.

Potatoes patties ready  for crisping

Heat  oil for shallow frying in a frying pan. Place each patty on the pan and shallow fry them from both sides on low-medium flame.

patties shallow fried

Crisped patties from one side

When done place the patties on an absorbent paper to remove the excess oil.
Patties are ready.
For ragda:
Wash and soak the white peas overnight. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to this.

soaked whit peas

Boil the peas in a pressure cooker till they are properly cooked(it takes about 15-20 minutes (with a single whistle on high and others on low flame). Keep it aside.

boiled mattra

In a kadahi(wok), heat ghee/oil and add asafeotida and jeera.When the jeera starts to crack add green chili and onion .Saute it for 2 minutes.

sauteing onions

Add tomatoes and saute again for 2-3 minutes on medium flame. Add all the spices and saute again for a minute.

tomatoes sauteing

Now add the boiled peas and mix well . Add salt, lemon juice and chaat masala. Mix well.

white peas with the masala

Ragda for the chaat is ready!!!


For serving:

Place two patties on a plate. Break them from the center.
Put 1-2 table spoon of  ragda on it. Put both the chutneys on top of this.
place the slices of tomato and onion on it and finally the namkeen sev.
sprinkle a pinch of chaat masala for the final touch.

Ragda Patties

Tasty and tangy Ragda Patties is ready!! serve them hot!!
Optional notes:
Patties can be made plain or can be made with filling of cottage cheese, lentils , mashed green peas or munches. These can be prepared in advance and stored in fridge for further use.
If the binding of the patties is not occurring properly, add more bread slices.
Ragda too can be made in advance and stored in fridge for further use.
One can have the chaat with or without garnishing too, tomato and onions enhances the taste and color of the dish.

Healthy Fruit chaat

This chaat is the most easiest and healthy snack which could be served at any time of the day. Only made with variety of fruits one can have this chaat even during fasts. My son had helped me in the preparation for this chaat  and we enjoyed it as much as having it and preparing it. 

Make this healthy savory and enjoy it with family........


This preparation is for 3 persons
Ingredients:
1 large red apple
1 banana
1 cup pomegranate fruit seeds
1 cup black grapes
1 cup halved strawberries
 2 teaspoon powdered sugar
 2 teaspoon chaat masala
1 tablespoon lemon juice
a pinch of black pepper powder

Method:

Wash and clean all fruits properly. Peel and cut all fruits into small pieces.
In a bowl add all the fruits and put sugar, chaat masala, pepper powder and lemon juice.

Mix all nicely and serve them in serving bowls.
Optional notes:
One can use as many amount and variety of fruits depending upon the season and availability.
Use only fresh and clean fruits.
Do not store the leftover chaat in fridge. The taste and smell of fruits will not be good later.
One can store the cut fruits in fridge(except banana) in a zip pouch or air seal packs in advance for later use.
Prepare this chaat during serving time only , serve and consume immediately.

Paneer tikka(griddle roast)

Paneer tikka( crispy marinated cottage cheese)is a very special vegetarian savory . Usually it is prepared on a barbecue or a grill but here i had made it on a tawa. Try this simple and easy to make snack, which one can have for main course meal too!!!!
Picture presentation taken from www.chezshuchi.com (This recipe has been explained nicely along with pictures in this site) 


This preparation is for 4 person
Ingredients:
250 grams cottage cheese(paneer)
1 medium green capsicum
1 medium onion
1 medium salad tomato
For marinade:
1 cup yogurt(hung curd)
1 teaspoon kasuri methi(dry fenugreek leaves)
1 teaspoon chaat masala
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder(jeera powder)
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt according to taste
Butter/ghee for roasting
Other items:
wooden sticks/skewers
Method:
Cut paneer and the vegetables in equal and diced shape

Vegetables and paneer 

Prepare marination:
In a bowl take the hung curd(tie the normal curd in a muslin cloth for about an hour to drain the water out of the curd).

Hung curd

Add all the spices and other ingredients of marinade into the hung curd and mix well.

Spices and herbs for marinade

Add all the vegetables and paneer into this curd mixture and blend well so that each vegetable and paneer piece is coated with it.

Marinated vegetables and paneer

Refrigerate these marinaded vegetables for half an hour.
Place these vegetables and paneer on the wooden skewer in an uniform arrangement(first capsicum,then
onion,then tomato and paneer, reverse the arrangement till the top of the skewer). Prepare 4-5 sticks like this.

Vegetables and paneer skewed on a wooden stick

Heat the tawa(griddle), put little ghee/butter on it and place each stick on this heated tawa . Let the vegetables and paneer roast from each side, rotate the sticks when done from one side.

Roasting paneer tikka on a tawa

Serve paneer tikka with onion rings, sliced cucumber and special curd and coriander chutney(recipe will be posted soon).!!!

Optional notes:
One can also add a teaspoon of Green chutney to the marinade to make the tikka more tangy and tasty.
One can make this tikka in conviction mode of microwave(at 190 degree for 15-20 minutes) or in the grill mode of a common oven( 200 degree for 10 minutes).

Lachcha tokri

lachcha tokri chaat

This chaat is prepared with the basket of grated potatoes and delicious filling of peas,corn and pomegranates. A great chaat for family get together!!!


This preparation is for 5 tokris
Ingredients:
For making the basket:
3 medium size potatoes
1(a little more) table spoon rice flour
2 tea strainers
1 big round shaped spoon
oil to deep fry.
Method
Peel and thickly grate the potatoes.
Put them in cold water for about 5 minutes. Drain and place the grated potatoes on a dry cloth and pat dry them for 5 more minutes. Sprinkle the rice flour and mix well with the potatoes.

Divide the potatoes into five equal portion. Place each portion inside the tea strainer and spread it well along sides of the strainer wall to get a round shape. With the help of round spoon press firmly .

placing the grated potatoes into the strainer

Place the strainer directly into the hot oil and let the potatoes fry till they turn into golden brown on medium flame.

frying the tokri

Remove the strainer with help of tongs and place the strainer inverted and tap to let the basket come out of it.
Repeat the technique to make more baskets.

lachcha tokri

You can prepare them in advance and store them in an air tight container.
For filling:
1 cup peas
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup pomegranate fruit seeds
1 cup curd
1 tablespoon sweet chutney
1 teaspoon chaat masala
salt according to taste
1 teaspoon ghee
Method: 
In a pan heat ghee and add  peas&corn.Saute them for 2 minutes, cover with a lid and on low flame let them cook for 10 minutes. Add salt according to taste.

Peas and corn 

In a bowl add curd and chaat masala, beat well. Add the peas,corns and pomegranate seeds. Mix well. Add the sweet chutney and mix well it too. add salt according to taste.

curd mixture

Place the tokri in a plate, sprinkle little chaat masala on it. Fill it with a spoon full of prepared filling.
Garnish it with boondi(round shaped fried droplets of gram flour batter mostly used in for making boondi raita)and serve.

Crispy lachcha tokri is ready!!!
Optional notes:
One can prepare and store the baskets in advance. One can also make filling of aloo chaat, paneer or dahi bhalle.
you can add chili powder or can add chopped green chili if more spicy taste is desired.
Instead of rice flour one can also use cornflour.

Bread Pizza

"Pizza", a great dish originally from Italy. It is one of the most eaten and liked fast food all over the world. Here is a varied  version with bread. Enjoy the crispy base with  any topping of vegetables, meat chunks or cheese. Easy to make and loads of fun in eating it!!

Ingredients:
For base
6-8 bread slices(either flour or wheat)
For topping:

1 large tomato(cut into small pieces)

1 large onion(cut into small pieces)

1 cup shredded cabbage

1 large green capsicum(cut into small pieces)

1/2 cup button mushrooms( cut into very small pieces)
1/2 cup corn kernels

2 table spoon Pizza topping sauce

1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoon cheese spread(any flavour)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder(kaali mirch)
 3-4 tablespoon Tomato sauce(to spread on the base)
salt according to taste
for garnishing:
grated cheese(mozzarella or cheddar)
tomato ketchup
Method:
In a bowl mix all the vegetables with other ingredients and seasonings.

Vegetable and seasonings mixture

Preheat the oven at 200 degree
Place bread slices on high rack and preheat them too for 5 minutes.
Spread a teaspoon of tomato ketchup first and a tablespoon of topping evenly on each crisp bread slice and top it more with grated cheese.

Pizza topping and grated cheese

Place them in oven and let it bake for 15 minutes at 220 degree.
Crispy Bread pizza is ready. serve them hot with tomato ketchup.

Optional notes:
One can make variations in topping with other vegetables like olives,jalapeno or red bell pepper.
 Also one can add paneer(cottage cheese) to get varieties of toppings for the pizza.
You can make and refrigerate the topping mixture for a day, for this do not add salt otherwise vegetables will tend to loose water.

Dahi Bhalle

All time favorite,this curd dish is enjoyed by every one

Ingredients:


For Bhalle:


1/2 cup split green gram (Moong daal(yellow))
1/2 cup split black gram (urad daal)
1 pinch of asafeotida( hing)
1 green chilli
1 teaspoon ginger(chopped)
1/2 cup dry fruits(cashew nuts,almonds,raisins,walnut) coarsely crushed
2 tablespoon grated coconut
1 teaspoon charoli (chironji)
oil for deep frying

For garnishing:


curd (beaten properly)
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder(lal mirch)
1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder( jeera powder)
pinch of black salt(kaala namak)
1/4 teaspoon chaat masala
 coriander leaves chopped
2 tablespoon sweet chutney


Method:


for bhalle:

Soak both the daals (moong and urad ) overnight, separately. In morning, grind both daals separately. Grind chilli and ginger also. In a bowl mix the pastes of the daals together along with ginger chilli paste. Now with the help of a hand blender, blend the paste till it becomes fluffy. To this, add dry fruits, coconut, chironji and hing. Mix them all properly. Heat oil in a kadahi .  When heating of oil is appropriate, take a tablespoon full of this paste and put it in oil. Repeat this process for making all bhallas. Fry bhallas on medium flame till they turn  golden yellow in colour.

Bhallas are ready for garnishing

For garnishing:

Soak bhallas in luke warm water(including 2 teaspoon salt) for 10 minutes before garnishing.Softly press and drain out the water from bhallas .Keep aside. Take the beaten curd and add a teaspoon of chaat masala, mix well. Now dip bhallas in this curd mixture for about 5 minutes so that it can absorb little curd. Place a single or a pair of bhallas in a plate, pour 2 table spoon of blended curd over it. Now sprinkle each seasoning (mentioned  above) for garnishing on top of the curd layer. Take a tablespoon of  sweet chutney and pour it on top. Lastly put some coriander leaves for finishing touch.

Delicious Dahi Bhallas are ready.

Optional notes:


One can make bhallas with single daal also(either moong daal or urad daal). The urad daal preparation is called Dahi vadas. One can also make variations in garnishing, like one can add roasted peanuts, pomegranate seeds, rose petals ,saffron strands and chopped cherries.
Do not soak the bhallas for a longer period of time in water otherwise it will break while pressing.

Idli chaat

Ingredients:


7 to 8 pieces of left over Idlis(rawa or plain)
1 large onion
1/4 cup Peanuts
2 teaspoon Mustard seeds(rai)
1 tablespoon Chaat masala
1 teaspoon  white split gram(Urad dal white)
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
2 tablespoon oil/ghee

Method:


 Cut idlis into quarter squares  .In a kadahi, Heat oil/ghee and add mustard seeds. Add the urad dal and saute it till it turn golden in color.  Next, add peanuts and roast them a little. Add onions and saute them too. Now add idlis and stir fry them. Add the seasonings and toss the idlis .

Yummy Idli chaat is ready .

Enjoy this chaat with tea or have it  for breakfast.

Optional notes:
 This snack could be made in various forms, with chutneys or more spices. A good starter for family parties.

Bharwaan Aloo Tikki

 This preparation will make 6 tikkis


Ingredients:


For tikkis:


6 medium sized potatoes (boiled)
2 tablespoon cornflour
2 teaspoon salt
ghee/oil  for shallow fry

For filling:


1/2 cup boiled peas
1/2 cup any left out munches(cornflakes mixture,khatta meetha, moong dal etc)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds(jeera)
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder(dhania powder)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder(haldi powder)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper powder(lal mirch)
1/4 dry mango powder(aamchoor)
1/4 cumin powder(jeera powder)
1/2 teaspoon rock salt(kaala namak)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon ghee/oil

For garnishing:


4 tablespoon curd
tamarind chutney/sweet chutney
coriander leaves chutney
1/2 cup sliced tomatoes
1/2 cup sliced onions
cumin powder
red pepper powder
chaat masala

Method:


Filling preparation:


In a grinder,crush the munches into a powder. Heat a pan, add ghee/oil. Put hing and cumin seeds.When these start crackling, add peas and spices. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add powdered munches and saute for 2 more minutes. Remove the mixture and let it cool.

Tikki preparation: 

In a bowl take mashed/grated potatoes. Add corn-flour and salt to the meshed potatoes. Make 6 balls from meshed potatoes. Add a teaspoon of (peas-munches) filling in each ball. After this shape the balls into round tikkis. Shallow fry the tikkis on both sides on low-medium flame.Yummy tikkis are ready.

Garnishing:

Take curd,beat it well.Add chaat masala to it. Place (a single or) a pair of Aloo tikki on a plate, Break the tikkis from center,put a table spoon of beaten curd on it. Add a teaspoon of both (Tamarind/sweet chutney & Coriander) chutneys. Place slices of tomatoes and onions (based on taste) and lastly the seasonings.

Bharwaan tikkis are ready to serve.