Dahi Vada

The best thing about this dish is that this is the most perfect fusion of north Indian and south Indian culinary. The crispy yummy vadas of south, in the creamy thick curd with very earthy flavors of the north. Uummmm....thats just perfect!! Now this is not so difficult to make until you get the vadas perfect..

Ingredients:

For the vadas:

• 1/2 cup each of Urad Dal & yellow Moong Dal
• 8-10 - Black peppercorns
• Salt to taste
• Refined oil for deep frying
• 1/4 kg - thick curd(beaten)
• 1/2 tsp - Dry roasted Zeera powder
• 1/2 tsp - red chilly powder
• 1/3 cup - Chopped Coriander leaves

For the chutney:

• 25 gms - Tamarind
• 25 gms - Jaggery or gur
• 1/2 cup - Water
• 1/2 tsp - Red Chilly powder

Method:

• Soak the dals in water overnight. Strain the water and grind it to make a fine batter. Make sure you add very little water. If it is a thin batter, the vadas would not be fluffy.
• Let it ferment for 4-5 hours(for summer) or more.
• PS: If you do not have yellow moong dal you can take 1 cup of urad dal and soak overnight and grind it and use immediately. No need to ferment the batter in this case
• Add the Salts and peppercorns.
• Heat oil in a pan and spoon the batter into the hot oil and fry on low heat until golden.
• Put the fried vadas immediately into lukewarm water for 5 minutes and squeeze it gently and refrigate it if time permits.
• Mix the tamarind, jaggery, chilly powder in water until the jaggery dissoves. Strain and keep aside.
• Serve the vadas on to a platter.
• Add salt and a pinch of sugar into the beaten chilled curd and pour over the vadas.
• Pour the chutney on it in the desired design.
• Garnish with red chilly powder, zeera powder, coriander leaves and salt to taste

Paapdi Chaat

Ohhh chaats!! who doesnt like it.. I used to relish on those road side chaat shops so much once upon a time!! But since the day I was struck with jaundice in Bangalore, I developed this phobia towards it. But then came in my zeal to try out chaat at home!! You know its so easy to prepare chaats at home if you get the basics correct. So next time you go into one of those chaat walas, notice what all they put in. I've at times asked out of sheer curiosity and ofcourse shamelessly too, "Bhaiyya yeh kya cheez daala apne?"

Ingredients:

For the papdi:

• 1/2 cup - maida
• 1/4 tsp - carom seeds or ajwain
• 1/4 tsp - zeera
• Water to knead the dough
• Salt to taste
• Oil to fry

For the topping:

• 2 - Potatoes, boiled and chopped
• 1/2 cup - Cooked Chick peas
• 2 tsp - Tamarind-Jaggery chutney
• 2 tbsp - Coriander Leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup - Chilled Curd
• 1 tsp - red chilly powder
• 1/2 tsp - dry roasted zeera powder
• A Handful of sev
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Make a dough of maida, ajwain and zeera. Knead well and make small papdis. Prick it with a fork and fry it in oil. Strain and slightly crush them and arrange on a plate.
• Spread chopped boiled potatoes and chole on it. Make sure you add salt before your spread it on the papdis
• Add salt into the curd and pour the curd on top.
• Pour the chutney on top and sprinkle red chilly powder, zeera powder and chopped corianderleaves
• Sprinkle sev generously on to it and serve.

Easy Paani Poori / Gool Gappe

Ingredients:

• 1 packet - Puchka or poori

For the pani:

• 1 lemon sized ball of tamarind
• 3 cups - water
• 1 tbsp - Corainder leaves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp - Red chilly powder
• 1 tsp - Chaat Masala
• 1/2 tsp - Dry roasted Zeera powder
• 1/2 tsp - Black salt

For the masala:

• 2 Big - Potatoes, boiled and mashed
• 1/2 cup - Dry peas, cooked and slightly mashed
• 1 - Big Onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup - Coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp - Chilly powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Boil the water with the tamarind for few minutes. Strain it and chill the water.
• Once chilled, mix all the ingredients. The measure of ingredients may vary from person to person. Some people like it extremely spicy thus add lots of chilly powder and at times, green chilly paste. You may add pudina paste if you like the flavor. I ike it sour so I put lots of chaat masala and aamchur too.
• To make the masala, mix all the ingredients into the cooked and mashed potatoes and peas.
• Make holes on the pooris. Fill the masala and dip it into the water and gulp!!

Aloo Tikki Dahi Chaat

Ingredients:

For the tikkis:

• 2-3 Nos - Potatoes, boiled and mashed
• 1 - Big Onion, finely chopped
• 3 Nos - Green chillies, chopped
• 1/3 cup - Coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp - Chilly powder
• 1/2 tsp - Coriander powder
• Salt to taste
• Butter or vegetable oil to shallow fry (according to your choice)

For the chat:

• 1/2 cup - Dry peas soaked for minimum 1 hour
• 1/2 tsp - Turmeric Powder
• 3/4 cup - Curd, prefer chilled
• 1/3 cup - Onion chopped
• 1 tbsp - Corainder leaves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp - Red chilly powder
• 1/2 tsp - Dry roasted Zeera powder
• Black salt / Salt to taste
• a Handful of Sev

Method:

• Mix all the ingredients for the tikki and keep aside.
• Heat butter or oil( I prefer butter coz it gives a special flavor) in a pan just enough for shallow fry. Make flat patties/tikkis and shallow fry it in a pan till golden brown.
• Arrange it on a serving plate
• Mix salt in the cooked peas and mash it slightly and top it on to the tikkis.
• Beat the curd well with salt. Add a pinch of sugar if it is too sour. Pour it on to the plate with tikkis.
• Sprinkle black salt, chilly powder, and zeera powder on top of it.
• Spread the chopped onions and coriander leaves too.
• Sprinkle lots of fine sev on top and serve.