DAHI BATATA SEV PURI

DAHI BATATA SEV PURI


Visitors to India are often struck by the fascination we Indians have for street food. In every town or city there are spots where vendors gather to sell their tasty wares of what can broadly be called, "Chaat" which include Pav Bhaji,, Ragda Patties, Corn Sev Puri, etc. These days we often make these at home with a higher standard of hygiene!

One such dish is Dahi Batata Sev Puri which as the name suggests has curds, (Dahi), potatoes, (Batata) and Sev ( crisp savoury made of gram flour). The taste of this dish is enhanced by the chutneys used. While there can be many chutneys to choose from, I have used from my blog the hot and spicy Green Chutney  (made with Mint and Coriander), complemented with the tangy sweetness of the Kajur Imli (Dates and Tamarind) Chutney.

The puris and nylon sev are store-bought, available as they are, in any departmental store. You can choose to make this as spicy or sweet as per your taste by adding the required amount of chutneys.

Ingredients:

• Puris, 24

• Medium -sized Potatoes, 2
• Small-sized Onion, 1
• Green Chutney, 1/2 cup
• Dates and Tamarind Chutney, 1/2 cup
• Chilled Fresh Curds, beaten, 3/4 cup
• Chilli Powder, 2 tsp
• Roasted Cumin Seeds Powder, 2 tsp
• Black Salt, 2 tsp
• Sugar, 1 tsp or as per taste
• Nylon Sev, 1/2 cup, or as required
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, for garnish,       

Method:

Wash and boil the potatoes. Once they are cool enough to handle, peel and chop them. Keep aside.
Chop the onion and keep aside
Whisk the chilled curds and the sugar. Keep aside.

Keep 6-7 puris in a plate. With the thumb, make a hole in the centre of each puri. 

Stuff each puri with a few pieces of potatoes, chopped onion, 1 tsp of green chutney, 1 tsp of sweet chutney, and 1 tbsp of curds

Sprinkle chilli powder, cumin powder, black salt, and nylon sev on top of each of the puris

Garnish with chopped coriander and serve immediately

Repeat with the rest of the ingredients for the other puris

RAGDA PATTIES

RAGDA PATTIES

This is a common street food which is as popular in Mumbai as it is in Ahmedabad. Both Maharashtra and Gujarat abound with all kinds of street food and Ragda Patties is one amongst them.
This is made of two parts, the patties which are made of cornflour and potatoes and the ragda made of peas, onions and spices, which is poured on it.

The accompanying chutneys are an integral part of the dish and add zing to the ragda patties. Apart from coriander chutney, we use tamarind chutney but today I have used Dates & Tamarind Chutney. The recipes for the chutneys are also given below.

I have adapted this from a book by cookery expert, Nitaji Mehta. The ingredients listed are to serve 4,

Ingredients: 

To Make the Patties:

• Potatoes, medium-sized, 6
• Cornflour, 1 tbsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 4 tbsp

To Make the Ragda:

• Safed Vatana (Dried White Peas), 1 cup, soaked overnight 
• Hing, (Asafoetida) a pinch
• Rai, (Mustard), 1/2 tsp
• Onion, finely chopped, 1 
• Curry Leaves, a few
• Ginger Garlic paste, 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Haldi, (Turmeric Powder) 1/2 tsp
• Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Dhania (Coriander) Powder, 2 tsp
• Jeera (Cumin) Powder, 1 tsp
• Garam Masala, 1/2  tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 and 1/2 tbsp
• Nylon Sev, for garnish
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, for garnish
• Onion, finely chopped, for garnish

Method:

To prepare the Patties:

Wash, boil and mash the potatoes
In a bowl mix the boiled and mashed potatoes with salt and cornflour

Make equal sized lemon sized balls and flatten them into patties

Heat 4 tbsp of oil in a tawa and shallow fry the patties till they are brown and crisp on both sides

To prepare the Ragda:

Drain the water from the peas that have been soaked overnight
In a pressure cooker, cook the peas with 1 and 1/2 cups of water for one whistle duration

After the first whistle, cook on low flame for 10 minutes and switch off the gas.
After the cooker cools, remove the boiled peas and keep aside.

In a kadhai, heat 1 and 1/2 tbsp of oil and when it gets hot add the mustard and let it splutter

Then add the asafoetida, chopped onion and saute for a couple of minutes

Add curry leaves and ginger garlic paste

Stir fry till onions turn light brown and the raw smell of the ginger garlic goes

Add turmeric, chilli, cumin and coriander powders and mix well
To this add the boiled peas and salt along with one cup of water

Bring this to a boil and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes

Finally add garam masala, mix well and remove from fire

To Serve:

Place 2 fried patties in a plate

Pour 4 tbsp of ragda over it

Pour a spoonful of green coriander chutney and a spoonful of tamarind chutney * Recipes given below

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves, finely chopped onion, and nylon sev

Recipe for Green Coriander Chutney:

• Fresh Coriander Leaves, chopped,  1 and 1/2 cups 
• Green Chillies, 4, or to taste
• Lemon Juice, 1 tsp
• Ginger, 1/2 " piece
• Namkeen Sev, 2 tbsp
• Sugar, 1/2 tsp
• Salt, to taste

In a small mixer jar, grind all the above ingredients to a fine paste with 2-3 tbsp of water.

Recipe for Dates and Tamarind Chutney ( Khajur Imli ki Chutney) : Makes 2 and 1/2 cups

• Dates ( Khajur) deseeded, 1 cup
• Tamarind ( Imli) deseeded, 2 tbsp
• Grated Jaggery, 1/2 cup
• Chilli Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds Powder, 1 tsp
• Salt, to taste

Method:

Clean and wash the dates and tamarind

Add the grated jaggery and 1 cup of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles

Once the cooker cools, transfer the contents to a mixer and blend it to a smooth paste

Strain the mixture through a sieve

Add 1 cup of water, chilli powder, cumin seeds powder and salt and mix well

Use as required.
The remaining chutney can be stored refrigerated for future use.

CORN BHEL

CORN BHEL

There are so many varieties of street food for you to relish in India. Bhel Puri is one of the most popular of them. In this, puffed rice and papdis are tossed with chopped potatoes, tomatoes, onions and mixed with different kinds of chutneys. Other popular street food include Sev Puri, Pav Bhaji, Ragda Patties, and different types of Chaats.

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for Corn Sev Puri  (which is a more healthy version of the Sev Puri), and Pav Bhaji.

I came across this healthy version of Bhel Puri in which we use Sweet Corn kernels. This recipe is adapted from Corn Bhel by Tarlaji Dalal.

You will find recipes for Green Chutney and Sweet Chutney used in this recipe elsewhere in this blog. The Green Chutney is made with Mint and Coriander while the Sweet Chutney is made with Dates and Tamarind.

Ingredients:

• Cooked Sweet Corn kernels, 2 cups
• Large-sized Onion, 1
• Tomato, 1
• Pomegranate Arils, 1/4 cup
• Green Chutney, 2 tbsp
• Sweet Chutney, 1/4 cup
• Chaat Masala, 1 tbsp * Used store-bought Catch brand
• Lemon Juice, 1 and 1/2 tbsp
• Chilli Powder, 1 tsp, or to taste
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 1/4 cup
• Papdis, coarsely crushed, 1/2 cup
• Salt, to taste
• Nylon Sev, for garnish

Method:

Boil the sweet corn cob and when it cools, remove the corn kernels. Keep aside
Prepare the Green Chutney made of Mint & Coriander Leaves
Prepare the Sweet Chutney made of Dates (Khajur) and Tamarind (Imli)
Chop the onion and finely chop the tomato
In a large bowl, mix together and toss all the ingredients mentioned above
and garnish with nylon sev
Serve immediately

CORN SEV PURI

CORN SEV PURI

Today's dish is a take off on the famous Mumbai snack of Sev Puri.  This version is healthier than the conventional Sev Puri that is commonly available as street food.  We loved the taste of the Corn Sev Puris and I am sure you will enjoy it too.

The recipe actually called for the use of papdi which are small, flat mini-puri like discs made of plain flour.  I have instead used store-bought Mathris from Haldiram as the base for the Corn Sev Puri. As you know mathris are made of wheat flour and are popular in Rajasthan

This is adapted from Corn Sev Puri by one of my favourite cookery experts the late Tarlaji Dalal. The ingredients listed are to make 4 plates. Both kids and adults will love this yummy snack which will virtually disappear in minutes.

Ingredients: ( for 4 plates)

• Mathris, 24
• Nylon Sev, 3/4 cup
• Fresh Pomegranate, 1/4 cup

For making the Tomato Chutney:

• Fresh Tomato Pulp, 1 and 1/2 cups  # see tip below
• Oil, 1 and 1/2 tbsp
• Carom Seeds, (Ajwain) , 1/3 tsp
• Asafoetida, (Hing) a pinch
• Garlic Paste, 3/4 tsp
• Chilli Powder, 3/4 tsp
• Sugar, 3/4 tsp
• Salt, to taste

For making the Corn Topping:

• Boiled Sweet Corn Kernels, 3/4 cup
• Onions, finely chopped, 1/3 cup
• Tomatoes, finely chopped, 1/4 cup
• Green Chillies, finely chopped, 1 and 1/4 tsp
• Lemon Juice, 1 and 1/4 tsp
• Chaat Masala, 1 and 1/4 tsp
• Salt, to taste

For Garnish:

• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 4 tbsp

Method:

We first start with the Tomato Chutney:

Heat oil in a non-stick pan and when it gets hot add the carom seeds. Once they crackle, add the asafoetida and garlic paste

Mix well and saute on medium flame for 30 seconds

Add the tomato pulp and mix well
Stirring occasionally cook on low flame for 4 to 5 minutes

Now add the chilli powder, sugar and salt

Mix well and cook on medium flame for 1 minute

Switch off the gas, transfer the tomato chutney to a bowl and keep aside.

We then prepare the Corn Topping:

In a large bowl, mix well together all the ingredients specified under this head, and keep aside.

Putting It Together:

Place the mathris - 6 at a time- on a serving plate

Top each mathri with 2 tsp of the corn topping and 1 and 1/2 tsp of the tomato chutney

Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of pomegranate and 1 and 1/2 tsp of sev on each of the mathris

Repeat this for the remaining 3 more sets of mathris 

Serve garnished with finely chopped coriander leaves

# Tip :

Boil water in a pan and place 4 medium sized tomatoes in it for 2-3 minutes

Switch off the gas and drain the water
Once they cool, peel and de-seed the tomatoes
Blend them in a mixer to form a smooth pulp
This yields 1 and 1/2 cups of tomato pulp

PAV BHAJI

PAV BHAJI

If you have lived in Mumbai or even visited, you couldn't have resisted tasting what originated as an extremely popular street food, pav bhaji. As the name suggests, it is made up of pav, ( small loafs of bread in Marathi) and 'Bhaji", a mish-mash of assorted vegetables. In Mumbai lingo, "maska pav" points to liberal use of butter in this dish, which is a lip-smacker.

I have included this as a snack, but we often have it as a quick meal.

Ingredients:

• Pavs   8
• Butter 4 tbsp

To prepare the Bhaji:

• Potatoes, boiled and mashed, 1 1/2 cups
• Cauliflower, finely chopped 1 cup
• Green Peas 1/2 cup
• Carrots chopped 1/2 cup
• Capsicum, finely chopped 1/2 cup
• Tomatoes, chopped  2 1/2 cups
• Turmeric Powder 1/2 tsp
• Chilli Powder 1 tsp
• Pav Bhaji Masala 1 1/2 tbsp
• Ginger Garlic paste 1 tsp
• Butter 4 tbsp
• Salt, to taste

Serve with:

• Onion, large sized, chopped 1
• Lemon Wedges 4
• Coriander chopped 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Boil the cauliflower, peas and carrots till they are soft. Drain out the excess water.
2. Heat the butter in a large pan, add the onion and capsicum and saute for 2 minutes. Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute till the onion softens.
3. Add the tomatoes and simmer till the oil separates.
4. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, pav bhaji masala ,and salt and cook for 2-3 minutes. 
5. Add the boiled vegetables and potatoes. Mash this thoroughly using a potato masher, adding 1/2 cup of water if required. Mash till the vegetables are fully merged together.

For the Pav:

• Slice each pav into two horizontally. Apply butter as required. 
• Heat a large tawa and cook the pav on both sides till they are lightly browned.

Serve the hot bhaji topped with onion and coriander. Serve the hot pav with lemon wedges.