Crave Bits

Tag: chaat

  • Street Food Made Easy Part-2

    Street Food Made Easy Part-2

    Okay, for those of you who have read the previous edition to this article, I am not going to bother with an explanation regarding what street food is, how it tastes, what are its benefits and the like. However, for those who are reading about street food for the first time, this article will surely prove to be a pleasant surprise. And dare I say both for the tummy and the mind!

    Street food can be of various types. It can include heavy or light food items as per your hunger pangs. Well, in this article, I would like to satisfy those among you who prefer the former category.

    Often while returning from work or from school or from college, you find your stomach rumbling. Really loudly! Well, what to do? You know that having food from the street is not really the safest bet for your health. But what is the alternative then? It is really simple actually. Just make those street food items which you have been craving for God know how many days at your own home! Follow the recipes given below to get the most satisfying and sumptuous results with the utmost amount of ease on your part. I assure you that you will not be disappointed in the least. Simply read on to find out more!

    (1) Dahi Papdi Chaat:

    PapriChaat

     

    Dahi Papdi Chaat is a very popular north Indian (Maharashtrian) street food item. Chaat essentially means a Hindi word which literally means ‘to lick’. It is now used to describe a whole range of savoury snacks and fast food items across Indian and in some places abroad as well. Papdi refers to the special crisp fried dough wafers which are made in a special way by using refined white flour and oil (mustard usually) as the main ingredients.

    Ingredients:

    •Crisp Papdis: 24.
    •Whisked Yoghurt: 1 ½ cups.
    •Salt: According to taste.
    •Sugar: 1 tbsp.
    •Boiled and Chopped Potatoes: 2 medium sized.
    •Blanched Sprouted Green Gram: ½ cup.
    •Red Chilli-Garlic Chutney: ¼ cup.
    •Green Chutney: ½ cup.
    •Sweet Tamarind Chutney: ¼ cup.
    •Roasted Cumin Powder: 1 tsp.
    •Chaat Masala: ½ tsp.
    •Red Chilli Powder: ½ tsp.
    •Fresh Coriander Leaves: According to use.
    •Sev: As required.
    •Peeled Pomegranate (Anar): 2 tbsp.

    Preparation:

    •Add salt and sugar to the yogurt and whisk further till it has arrived at a smooth consistency. Keep the mixture in the refrigerator till use. In the meantime, arrange the Papdis on a medium-sized plate.
    •Place some of the chopped potatoes over each Papdi. Over that, put some boiled sprouted moong. Drizzle a little Red Chilli-Garlic Chutney, Green Chutney and Sweet Tamarind Chutney over those.
    •Sprinkle cumin powder, chaat masala, a little red chilli powder and salt. Top it all up with the chilled yogurt mixture.
    •Drizzle some more of the Sweet Tamarind Chutney and the Red Chilli-Garlic Chutney. Then add the coriander leaves, Sev and the pomegranate pearls on top at the end.
    •Serve immediately.

    Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes.

    Serves 4.

    (2) Pav Bhaji:

    PavBhaji

    Pav Bhaji is an exceedingly popular Maharashtrian street food item that traditionally originated in the Mumbai cuisine. While the Bhaji part of the dish is a traditional Indian name for a vegetable dish, the Pav or Pau or Pao was the Portuguese word for bread (small rolls). Pav Bhaji is native to Mumbai and has now become popular in almost all the metropolitan areas in India especially in those of central and western Indian states such as Gujarat and Karnataka.

    Ingredients:

    •Turmeric Powder: ¼ tsp.
    •Pav Bhaji Masala Powder: 1 ½ tbsp.
    •Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 ½ tbsp.
    •Finely Chopped Tomatoes: 3 medium sized.
    •Tomato Sauce (Optional): 4 tbsp.
    •Lemon Juice (Optional): 1-2 tsp.
    •Finely Chopped Onion for Garnishing (Optional): 1 small sized.
    •Coriander Leaves for Garnishing: According to requirement.
    •Butter/Oil for Bhaji: 1 tbsp.
    •Additional Butter for Pav: According to requirement.
    •Pav (Buns): 6 to 8.

    Preparation:

    •Add the butter or oil in a pan and heat it up. Add the chopped onions and fry till they turn translucent. Then, add the ginger garlic paste and fry till it gets fragrant.
    •Add the chopped tomatoes, the turmeric powder and then sprinkle salt. Continue to fry till the tomatoes turn soft and mushy.
    •Add the chilli powder, extra salt and Pav Bhaji Masala powder. Mix well and fry for another 2 minutes.
    •Pour water so that it is just enough to cover the vegetables.
    •Add the coriander leaves. Mix well and mash the curry if you desire a smooth Bhaji.
    •Cook till the consistency of the gravy becomes thick.
    •Slit the Pav buns horizontally leaving one edge intact.
    •Heat the butter on a pan. Open the buns and toast it for a minute or two. If you like to make it spicier, sprinkle some Pav Bhaji Masala Powder on the inner side.
    •Garnish with onions and serve either hot or warm.

    Preparation Time: 25-30 minutes.

    Serves 3-4.

    So, there you are. I am sure that you must be salivating by now if you have read through the recipes and seen the pictures. Especially if you are on an empty stomach! Well, then. Why the wait up? Go to the kitchen and start cooking. Nobody is going to stop you from devouring these delicious food items once you are done!

    Happy snacking folks!

  • Unparalleled Taste of the Awadhi Cuisine

    Unparalleled Taste of the Awadhi Cuisine

    The sumptuous meal that the city of Awadh has to offer is nothing short of magical. The royalty and the grandeur of it will leave you mesmerized. It will leave an everlasting impression on your taste buds. You’ll always want some more of it. You will get the Nawabi feel in every bite you take. Such is the magnificence of the Awadhi cuisine. The city is notably famous for the dum style of cooking. It originated in Awadh, or the present day Lucknow. This style of cooking goes back to the 16th century. The food is cooked over a slow fire in a closed container.  With the increased time of cooking, the entire flavour of the spices and herbs used, is released into the dish. This gives a distinct taste to the Awadhi cuisine. Sometimes cooking dough is used to seal the mouth of the container in which the dish is being prepared. This leads to aroma of the spices to seep through the dough, thus providing it with a flavour.

    Dumpukht

    Awadhi Dumpukht

    Not just the style of cooking, but also the way in which the meal is spread out elaborately, will make your mouth water. The presentation of the food has a royal touch to it. When you sit down to eat, it will appear to you that you’re a king and everyone on the table is waiting for you to take the first bite! In the olden times, the spread was laid out in the centre and it was necessary for everyone to sit around and eat together. Such a spread is known as Dastarkhwan. It consists of a variety of dishes like kebabs, korma, biryani, roomali rotis, nihari kulchas, sheermal etc. Such practices can still be observed around the city. The menu of the Dastarkhwan changes with the seasons.

    Dastarkhan

    A typical example of the spread: Dastarkhwan

    The menu of winters is very different from that of spring. In winters, heat giving, rich meat is preferred. During spring, various kinds of crispy snacks are prepared. Similarly during summers, a variety of dishes and desserts are prepared using raw mangoes. Sewaiyan is another sweet dish which can be often seen in the houses during the pious months of Ramzan. The dishes that form a major part of the Awadhi platter are Kebabs, Biryani, Korma and a variety of breads. Kebab is the identity and pride of Lucknow. Kebabs are made from meat, fish or vegetables that are grilled on a chulha. Lucknow boasts a wide variety of Kebabs, namely, Kakori Kebabs, Seekh Kebabs, Galawat ke Kebabs, Ghutwa Kebabs, Shami Kebabs, and Boti Kebabs etc. Vegetarian kebabs are made using yam, kidney beans, jackfruit (kathal), peas and taro (arbi). The most famous shop for kebabs in Lucknow is the Tunde Ke Kabab. It is a 100 year old shop which serves the best kebabs in the city. It boasts of using 160 different homemade spices which is their trade secret. The who’s who of Bollywood come all the way to try out these kebabs. The list of the fans is endless. So many of the Bollywood biggies fly out the khansamas (cooks) from here to cater their functions. This is surely a feat to be proud of.

    Galouti kebab.png

    Galouti Kebabs

    Lakhnawi biryani is another dish that is famous worldwide. It is a special preparation of basmati rice with species, curd, meat and/or vegetables. It uses the method of layering. The meat and the rice are cooked separately. They are then layered on top of each other and baked. Vegetarian biryani is also very common.
    Biryani

    Biryani

    The various types of breads that are eaten are chapatis, pooris, parathas, naans, roomali roti, tandoori roti and sheermal (sweet naan). Korma is the curry used which is made by braising meat or vegetables in case of navratan korma. The Awadhi desserts have the perfect kind of sweetness and taste that is required after a meal. Kulfi is one such dessert which is famous among the masses. It is made from rich milk and cream. Prakash Ki Mashhoor Kulfi is the oldest known shop for kulfi. They offer the best falooda kulfi in the city. A type of halwa which is specially prepared in Lucknow is the sohan halwa.  Different cereals like gram flour, sooji, wheat etc. are used to prepare halwa. It is heavily garnished with rich dry fruits. The barfi, jalebi and rabri are some other desserts to look up to. After the meal, consumption of Paan is quite common. An evening without Paan is thought to be incomplete. Paan is made from betel leaf which is garnished with saffron, spices, silver foils and other condiments.

    Falooda Kulfi

    Falooda Kulfi By Prakaksh ki Mashoor Kulfi

    After boasting of the nawabi Awadhi cuisine, Lucknow still has a lot to show off in terms of street food. Be it Idris ki biryani or Shukla ki Chaat, be it Rahim ke Kulchey Nihari or Royal Café k paani-batashe, every single one of them is worth a try. And when you try them once, you’re surely going to be a fan. The originality of the taste will hold you spellbound. Paapdi chaat, tikki chaat, dahi bada, paani poori, sev poori etc., the names are enough to tickle your taste buds. Where else can you get eight different types of paani for the paani puri at one stall? That’s right, in this magical city which has a cuisine so quintessential!

    Shukla ki Chaat 

    Aaloo Tikki by Shukla ki Chaat

    The mouth-watering delicacies that this culture offers are just too many to name. Piece of advice, go try out some Awadhi cuisine, you are missing out on a lot. Trust me, you’ll be thankful!