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My earliest memories of Chole Bhature is of the one I ate during my college years at a popular eatery at the Chandigarh Secretariat.
I discovered that the chick peas and spices were simmered together for hours resulting in a delicacy that many relish even today!The typical colour derived is by adding tea leaves to the dish and cooking in an iron pot.

My version however, is ready in minutes and is as delicious.
As mentioned earlier Chole and Bhature are the inseparable duo.Chole can also be eaten with rice or any kind of roti or naan.

For the Chole you will need:
  • Chick peas (Kabuli chana)-2cups.Boiled after being soaked overnight or you may use ready to eat canned chick peas instead.
  • Boiled potato-1 medium sized
  • Onions chopped-2 medium sized
  • Tomatoes chopped-2 medium sized
  • Ginger finely chopped-1"
  • Chopped green chillies-1tsp
  • Turmeric powder-1/2tsp
  • Red Chilli powder-1/2tsp
  • Dhania(corriander)powder-1tsp
  • Chana masala(any brand)-2tbsp
  • Tamrind pulp-1tsp(this can be substituted with amchur powder)
  • 1 tea bag or 1tsp tea leaves, tied in a muslin cloth -(optional)
  • Salt-to taste
  • Oil-3tbsp
For garnish:
  • Chopped corriander leaves-2tbsp
  • Onion rings
  • Lemon wedges
Heat oil in a pan.
Add onions and salt and saute till light brown.

Add the chopped ginger and green chillies and saute well.
Add the tomatoes and saute till they get mashed.
Add the chilli,turmeric and corriander powder and saute till the raw smell goes away.

Add the chickpeas and a cup of water and let it boil for about 3 mins.
Now add the tamarind pulp and the Chana masala.You can reduce or increase the quantity of it to suit your taste.
Close the lid and let ir boil for another 3 mins till it reaches the desired consistancy.

I like the Chole to be semi-gravy.
Garnish with chopped corriander leaves ,onion rings .
Serve hot with a dash of lemon juice on it along Bhature and pickles


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Bhaturas are crisp on the outside and spongy within.Unlike pooris, Bhaturas are elongated in shape and the dough is allowed to ferment for 4-5 hrs before rolling out the Bhaturas.Even when cold,they dont get rubbery,and are as tasty.
Ideally Chole Bhature is the perfect combo.If accompanied by achaar, you could have it with practically any veg side dish.
I shall share the chole recipe in my next post.
So here is the recipe for the Bhaturas...

Ingredients for the Bhaturas:
  •  2 cups all-purpose flour(maida)
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup yoghurt
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • Oil for deep frying
Method:

Mix the ingredients together and knead with water till a uniform dough is formed.
Cover and let it rise for 4-5 hours.
Knead again till the dough is smooth.
Divide the dough into equal lemon sized balls.
Heat oil  in a large, deep pan, on medium high.
Flour a clean, dry rolling surface and place one ball on it. Roll out into a 6" elongated shaped bhatura(you could even roll it out in a circular shape)
 To test if the oil is hot, drop a small ball of dough into it. If the ball quickly rises to the surface oil the oil and sizzles, the oil is ready.
Add a rolled-out Bhatura to it gently.
In few seconds, turn gently with a slotted spoon. Wait few more seconds and press gently in the center of the Bhatura with the slotted spoon. This will make it  puff up. Keep frying and turning gently till both sides are golden.

Drain on paper towels.
Serve hot.


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Have you tried one of these yet?
I laid my hands on them as soon as I spotted them at the supermarket.


Have a look-the regular mandarin vs the mini or baby mandarin !

They are sweeter than the regular mandarins and very cute.
 They are only around 3cm in height but deliciously juicy and very sweet!! You can actually put the whole mini mandarin orange into your mouth with just one bite .
You could eat four to five of these mini-oranges at one go, and yet feeling not satisfied and wanting for more .

I was very amused to see the cute dwarfed tree of the baby mandarins.The maximum height that these trees grow upto is only 1 meter.



ShareThis is my first time gardening.I had planted little methi seeds in my own little patio garden in my apartment and I got lovely green tender methi leaves. I had been wanting to use those tiny leaves and this was my chance.
I think that methi grows very fast. After 12 days of planting, here is a picture of my current plants.



so finally my methi leaves were ready.I bought some fresh french beans and here I was ready for my methi beans.
Personally I like to semi-cook the veggies in the microwave with very little water.This way the colour of the veggies remain as beautiful.

Here are the Ingredients:


  • Finely chopped beans-1cup

  • Chopped methi leaves-1cup

  • Chopped onions-1tbsp

  • Chopped tomato-1tbsp

  • Chilli powder-1/2tsp

  • Turmeric powder-1/2tsp

  • Dhania powder-1/2tsp

  • Salt-to taste

  • Oil-1tbsp
Semi-cook the beans and the methi leaves in the microwave for about 3-4mins.
Heat the oil in a pan.
Add the onions,salt and saute till transparent.
Add the tomatoes and saute.
Add the chilli powder,dhania powder and turmeric.
Saute well till oil separates.
Add the veggies and saute well on high flame.

So here I am...





ShareIt was already half past eight and my dinner wasn't ready.Rice was made but had nothing to go with it.I was terribly bored with the dals and the non veg stuff.
Finally I remembered the Kadhi Pakoda that my husband loves.The urge to relish the yummy kadhi was so much that I in no time I was ready with all the ingredients and set.



Here are the Ingredients:

For the pakodas:

  • Chana dal-1cup
  • Zeera-1/2tsp
  • Chopped green chillies-2tsp
  • Chopped corriander leaves/methi leaves-1tbsp
  • Chopped onions-1tbsp
  • Salt to taste
Soak chana dal in water for about an hour.If in a hurry,soak it in warm water.15mins should be enough.
Grind the chana dal coarsely.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Heat oil in a kadhai.
Take a lemon sized ball of the batter and flatten it between the plams n slide it into the oil.
Deep fry all the pakodas in a similar manner.





Variation:
A shortcut for the pakodas is to use besan with the remaining ingredients and fry the pakodas.


Ingredients for the kadhi:
  •  yogurt-1 1/2 cups
  •  Onions-1small
  • Tomato-1small
  • Grated coconut-1tbsp
  • Zeera(cumin)-1/2tsp
  • Turmeric powder-1/2tsp
  • Salt-to taste
  • Red chilli powder-1tsp
  • Chopped corriander leaves-1tbsp

Grind the onions,tomato,coconut and zeera together.
Pour this into a deep pot.
Add the chilli powder,turmeric powder and salt
Beat the yogurt and add it to the mixture.
Switch on the flame and let the mix boil for 2 mins.Switch off flame.
Add the chopped corriander leaves.

Add the fried pakodas .Let them soak for about 15mins.

Finally its time for the tempering
  • Mustared seeds-1/2tsp
  • Curry leaves-few
  • Dry red chillies-2
  • Hing-a pinch
  • Oil
Pour the sizzling tempering onto the kadhai.Serve hot.





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I guess, a lot of people grow up with an aversion towards vegetables. I have seen moms trying all her skills to make kids eat veggies daily. Well, it’s not only kids who run away from vegetables; many grownups avoid fresh vegetables simply because they often lack taste
It is a very handy recipe when you are trying to finish up the vegetables lying in your fridge. These vegetable cutlets are lot healthier than the deep fried ones and they have a wonderful taste.

Ingredients:

  •  Finely chopped beans-1cup
  • Finey chopped carrots-1/2cup
  • Green peas-1/2cup
  • Boiled and mashed potatoes-1cup
  • Finely chopped onion-3/4th cup
  • Red chilli powder-1/2tsp
  • Black pepper powder-1/2tsp
  • Turmeric powder-1/4tsp
  • Chat masala-1/2tsp
  • Chopped corriander leaves-1tbsp
  • Salt-to taste
  • Oil-to shallow fry
  • Bread crumbs
  • Eggs-2 or (4 tsp Maida (all purpose flour) made to a thick paste with sufficient water)
  Method:
  • Boil all the vegetables with a little water until tender. I prefer cooking it in the microwave.7minutes on high power should do the job. Drain water
  • Heat oil in a pan.
  • Add the onions, salt and sauté till transparent.

  •  Add the veggies and continue to sauté till soft.
  • Add turmeric, chilli powder, chat masala,pepper powder and more salt if required
  •  Add the mashed potatoes and continue to sauté for a few minutes.

  • Switch off stove and let it cool.
  • Mash the misture lightly with a masher/wooden spoon.
  •  Add coriander leaves, bread crumbs and a beaten egg. (Vegetarians can avoid the egg and increase the quantity of bread crumbs instead)

  • From this mixture, roll out small balls and pat them to the shape of cutlets.
  • Dip each cutlet in beaten egg mixture and drop these cutlets in a plate filled with bread crumbs.(vegetarians can dip it into the maida solution)
  •  Toss it over and make sure that it is well coated with a layer of bread crumbs
  • Let the cutlets sit for about 15mins.
  •  Heat some oil in a pan sufficient for shallow frying.

  •  Fry these cutlets on both sides on medium low till they are well done and crisp.
  • Tip: Prepare a single cutlet with coating first and fry to check if the veggies have bonded well. If the cutlet appears to be breaking off, add a little more bread crumbs to the veggie mixture.
  •  Serve hot with ketchup.



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Last Evening I tried making the classic bhel from the ingredients available in my kitchen.No hassles of making khatti -meethi (sweet n sour)chutney or boiling potatoes for that matter.
And I ended up in a plateful of healthy food which can be a guilt free eating experience.

So here it is...


Ingredients:


Puffed rice or poha(white or brown)-1large bowl
Chopped Onions-2tbsp
Chopped tomatoes-1tbsp
Grated carrot-1tbsp
Finely chopped cucumber-2tbsp
Red chilli powder-1/2tsp
Corriander powder-1/2tsp
Hot sauce or chilli sauce-1tbsp or to taste.
Lemon juice-of one lemon
Ginger garlic paste-1/4tsp
Chopped corriander(cilantro)-1tbsp
Crushed potato chips or tortilla chips or baked chips-3tbsp
Any sabzi from the kitchen(I added the aloo,gobi,matar sabzi made for dinner)-2tbsp
Roasted groundnuts-1tbsp
Sev or any mixture available-1tbsp
Salt -to taste(taste prior to adding salt as the hot sauce contains salt in it)


Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl except the puffed rice.
Finally add the puffed rice and give it a quick mix .
Garnish with chopped corriander and sev and serve immediately.

Note:Weight watchers may omit the sev and chips.





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Ingredients:
Whole wheat Bow tie pasta(farfalle) -1small bowl
Green capsicum(bell pepper)-1
Red capsicum-1
Onion-1
Chilli flakes-1tsp
Finely cut ginger-1/2tsp
Finely cut garlic-1/2tsp
Finely cut tomatoes-1cup
Salt-to taste
Tomato sauce-1tbsp
Organo-1/2tsp
Basil leaves-optional
Sesame seeds-optional

Method:
Half fill a large pan with cold water and add salt. Bring to the boil. Add the pasta; stir to make sure it is separated. Bring back to the boil and turn down the heat slightly so the water boils fairly vigorously. Partially cover and leave to cook for about 20 minutes until just soft. The whole wheat pastas take longer to cook. Make sure you keep checking on them frequently whilst cooking.
As soon as it is cooked, drain and then put it back into the hot pan to keep warm


While the pasta is cooking, peel and slice the onions and capsicums and set to one side.

Put a wok or a heavy pan on a high flame and add a table spoon of oil. Add the onions and capsicums and stir fry or sauté for 2 minutes and remove them on to a plate.
Add a tbsp of oil to the same wok and add the chili flakes,cut ginger& garlic and saute.
Now add the tomatoes,salt  and fry until well mashed.To this add the cubed paneer.
Now to this mixture add the whole wheat pasta and fry well.
Add the capsicum and onions now so that they remain crisp.

Variation:Shredded chicken may also be added to this dish.
Finally add  tomato sauce and organo.Garnish with basil leaves and sesame seeds.

and Viola....here it is!

It goes really well with a fresh green salad, and, with a glass of something chilled.











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Adzuki beans or Lal chori dal is a rich source of both fiber and protein.These beans have a wonderful nutty flavor when cooked and are easily digestible.


Lal Chori Dal are easily available, but feel free to substitute any variety of whole dal or bean such as kidney beans (rajma), black-eyed beans, whole urad dal, whole green moong dal... basically any whole dal or bean variety will work well for this particular recipe. If you are using a dal or bean in dried form, you will need to soak them overnight in enough water to cover.

• Lentils are 100% natural
• Low in fat, zero cholesterol

• An excellent source of protein and fiber
• Extremely nutritious and very easy to prepare

Ingredients:
 Lal chori dal-1cup
onion chopped-1small cup
Curry leaves-1string
Coriander leaves-handful
Mustard seeds-1tsp
Dry red chiliies-4
Red chilli powder-1/2tsp
Juice of half a lemon
Salt-to taste
oil

Soak the dal overnight or for about 8-10 hours in enough water. Boil sufficient water and add the beans in it and allow it to cook. It takes about 15-20 minutes to cook. Separate the water completely from the cooked beans.
Take a heavy bottom pan. Add oil.



Add the mustard,curry leaves, red chillies and onion.sauté until the onion turns transparent. Add salt and chilli powder and mix well.
Add the cooked beans to the onion mixture and stir well. Check for taste. Add more salt if required. Finally squeeze the juice of lemon, chopped coriander and mix well.



Serve hot with rotis/phulkas or with rice.


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