"Dabeli Wrap"

"Dabeli" is one of my favorites 'Anytime' food. I can have it anytime and every time all day long:)
You can read more about "Dabeli" and how to make it/ recipe here-
http://my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/2009/11/chatpata-chaat-kutchi-dabeli.html

Now, we had made Dabeli just a couple days ago....and had left over of all the fixings. To make one more meal....I turned to the "Babus Wrap" idea. Don't know Babu's wrap??? You can find them in the Indian grocery stores frozen section.They come in many varieties- Aloo Chat, Pav Bhaji, Dabeli etc. Not that we buy that often....but I like the idea of eating a 'handy' wrap with your favorite stuffing!

 So..I put together my own "Dabeli Wrap" for dinner and it was delicious...and yet so handy to eat! It will be a nice variation on the regular Dabeli!
1) Spread the Tamarind-date chutney on the tortilla.
2) Add the all the dabeli fixings- potato stuffing, onion, cilantro, peanuts, sev, pomegranate etc.
3) Roll it up and toast it on few drops of oil till 'toasty'
Done!!

"Treats for Diwali":Spicy 'Spinach-Garlic' Sev

For couple years now, I have been making Spicy-Crispy sev...and it is one of our favorite Diwali snacks. To do something different this year, I decided to modify my mom's recipe to make this 'Spicy Bright Green " Spinach and Garlic sev! The bright green color is so dramatic and contrasts so well with the other colorful Diwali snacks and sweets! Kids love to snack on this green little finger food...

Ingredients:
2 and 1/2 cup Besan/ Gram flour
3tsp Rice flour
2-3 handfuls spinach ( boiled and pureed to 1 cup) I used baby spinach
3 cloves garlic
3-4 green chilies
4tsp hot oil
1tsp Ajwain/owa
2 tsp ground Cumin powder 
1/2tsp red chili powder
1/2tsp Garam masala powder
Salt
Oil to fry


Sev maker

Method:
1) In microwave safe bowl, place spinach and sprinkle some water.Steam with light lid for 2 mins.Let it cool.Drain water(you can use it to add to soup/rice etc). Puree the Spinach along with garlic, chilies.The puree should come to 1cup.
2) Heat 4 tsp oil.Mix together besan, rice flour, owa, spinach garlic  puree,spices, salt, red chili powder and the hot oil. Knead into a firm dough.This dough is firmer than chapati dough.Firmer dough is necessary for crispy sev. Add little water if necessary to make dough. Divide the dough into 3 equal parts.
3) Oil the Sev maker from inside. Put the 'Sev jaali' on. Thinnest will give crispier sev, but it will be hard to squeeze out the dough. I used 2 jaali sizes.Place the dough in the Sev maker.
4) Heat oil in a big frying pan. Keep the heat to low-medium. Squeeze out the sev in circles in the oil and on both sides.Do not let it brown.It should remain bright green, but still cooked and crispy.

For a prettier presentation, I kept the Sev circles intact, but you can break them up into small pieces!

'Treats For Diwali'- Alu Bhujia Sev/Potato Sev

Making Sev wasn't on my 'To Do' list for Diwali.But in the enthusiasm yesterday,I decided to give it a try. I wanted to make 'Aloo Bhujia Sev' similar to 'Haldirams'. This one came pretty close, but not quite the same. When I was hunting for recipes, I did not exactly find what I was looking for. So I decided to try it with my 'instincts'.The experiment was successful and we had this crispy,crunchy,spicy sev!

Recipe for Aloo Bhujia Sev:

Ingredients:

1&1/2 cups Gram flour

1tbsp Rice flour

1 cup boiled mashed potato

1tsp garlic paste

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4tsp black pepper

1/2tsp chili powder

1/4tsp owa/ajwain seeds

2 pinch asafoetida

1/4tsp Chat masala+ 1/2 tsp for sprinkling on top

salt to taste

4tsp hot oil+ oil for frying

Method:

1) Mix, gram flour,rice flour,mashed potato,chili powder,turmeric,owa,1/4tsp chat masala,black pepper,garlic paste,asafoetida,salt and 4tsp hot oil.Knead into a soft dough with warm water.

The dough is very sticky.Oil hands to make it manageable.

2) Oil the 'Sev press' and use the 'thin' sev sieve/jaali.

3) Heat some oil in a deep-pan on low flame.

4) Press the sev dough directly into hot oil.Fry on low flame.This is necessary to crisp the sev.

5) When the dough crisps up, drain well and remove from oil.Sev burns easily and continues to cook a little when a take it outside.So remove promptly.

6) Sprinkle with chat masala as soon as the sev comes out from oil.

7) Drain on paper towel

8)Store in airtight container.

Tip:

I was talking to my friend 'V' few minutes ago,and she said they add mint juice and green chillies to Haldiram's Alu Bhujia. Oh Well....may be next year I will make exact replica of 'Haldiram's Aloo Bhujia"!

"Chatpata Chaat"- Basket Chaat

Who doesn't like chaat?? It's mouthwatering tasty, sweet-sour,spicy,crunchy ....with so many textures and tastes going in one dish it's hard to resist.....and too tempting!

'Basket chaat' is especially dear to me.It takes me back to days..when 'M' and I were dating (the Indian way! )There was this place on FC road..'Maan meet'....(has anyone else been there?) which served all kinds of Lucknowi chaats.'M' and I went there ..well to 'hide' from everyone else and also for the 'Basket chaat'.They used to make their baskets with sev molded into baskets.

I am sure all the Puneites are nostalgic about this chaat.I know my friend 'A' is.....just last week she was asking me about the recipe.....

My mom read the recipe somewhere and tried it.She made the baskets differently though..with rava and maida.I like to make the way she makes it....and here is her recipe.

For the Crispy Baskets-

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup rava

1/4th tsp salt

1tbsp hot oil

Oil for frying

Method:

1) Mix Rava,all purpose flour,salt, hot oil and knead well.The dough should be 'hard' and not soft.

2) Roll out into thin circle.Place the circle on a steel bowl/mold/vaati.Make the dough fit snugly on the molds outer side.

3) Fry the dough along with the mold in hot oil. Remove the mold gently after the dough is set in oil.

4) Fry both sides of the basket on low flame till golden brown.Drain on paper towel.

5) Store in airtight container after cooling.

For Filling

Filling in Basket chaat is pretty versatile.You can add whatever you like..like boiled potato/corn/ chick peas/soya chunks etc etc.

Season the above with salt,chili powder,cumin coriander powder,chaat masala.

For Tamarind-Jaggery-Mint Chutney

1)Dissolve 1/4 cup jaggery in 1/2 cup water.Add 1/2-1 tsp tamarind paste.Mix

2) Add 1tsp mint paste,salt,chili powder,chaat masala.Stir.

Assembly of the Basket Chaat:

1) Place the basket in serving plate.Fill with boiled mashes potato/corn/chick peas filling.

2) Top with finely chopped onions,tomatoes,sev/farsan, tamarind chutney,cilantro.

3) Dig in!