A Hint of Spice

My earliest memories of Chole Bhature is of the one I ate at a popular eatery in Bhopal Known as "Manohar Dairy". Since it was long ways from our place ...we did not go there very often,but whenever we passed it,I was sure we ill go inside and have Cholle-Bhature with Lassi(in summers) or Masala Chai(in winter).Yummo!!!
Cholles were traditionally cooked in Iron vessels which imparted it the dark brown color.I use tea leaves for imparting it the color.Some other tips regarding cholle are at the end of this post.Enjoy cholles with tikkis,bhaturas, kulcha,Naan or simply topped on a slice of bread or Pav.Serve with pickled Onions & Achaar

This time the cholles are accompanied with Crisp, but spongy bhaturas are . Bhatura dough was made using leavening agents like soda, curds and leaving it for hours to ferment before they could be rolled out and deep fried.This recipe of bhature is one that I got from my friend Sonal...when in a hurry and want to impress friends ,use pillsbury buttremilk biscuit to make bhatures.(Sneaky...right!!). Remember to eat bhatures hot!






Cholle
Ingredients
1 cup chick peas (Kabuli chana), soaked overnight (see Tips below)
1 tblsp Chana Daal
1 tea bag or teaspoon tea leaves, tied in a muslin cloth (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ajwain seeds (Carom)
1 onion finely chopped
1 green chillie chopped finely or adjust the heat as per your taste
2 medium size tomatoes finely chopped or 2 – 3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp Garam Masala powder
12 mm. (1/2") piece ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 teaspoons chana masala
2 teaspoons red chilli powder
2 teaspoons amchur (dry mango powder)
1 tablespoon coriander (dhania) powder
2 tablespoons oil
Salt to taste



Directions
1.Soak the chole overnight and boil cholle and chana daal with a tea bag. Discard the teabag and keep the water for the curry.
2.In a thick bottomed pan, heat oil and temper it with ajwain seeds. Add green chillies, and garlic and saute it.
3. Then add the onion and fry till they start turning brown.
4.Then add the ginger and tomatoes and the dry masala and cook it all together for about 8-10 minutes.
5.Take 1 -2 tsp of boiled cholle and mash them roughly and add it to the masala to make the curry thicker.
6.Finally add the masala to the cholle and let it cook for 10 mins till it turns thick.
'njoy!!!



Bhature

Ingredients
Pillsbury buttermilk biscuit
Oil to fry
All purpose flour to roll the dough

Directions
1.Keep the Buttermilk biscuit dough roll in fridge or outside so that it softens up and is easy to work with.
2.Take the dough out.It is already shaped in ball shape.
3.Heat oil in a frying pan...enough to fry the bhatures.
4.Roll out the dough using all purpose flour.
5.Fry the bhatures in hot oil until golden brown.
6.Serve hot bhaturas with Cholle and Pickled Onions.

This was my entry for the event Breakfast Foods in the orkut community IHM.

This Goes to Superchef for her event My Legume Love Affair and to Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook.

This is also going to Pari for her Combo Event.Congratulations Pari on your 100th post.I am also sharing this recipe with Nithu from Nithu's Kitchen for her event CWF-LB :Chickpeas and also with Kiran.












Tips
1.If you are in a hurry,instead of soaking chick peas you can use the canned Garbanzo beans.Remember to rinse the canned beans under running water to remove excessive salt.
2.If you do not have tea bags and don't want the hassle of tying tea leaves in a cloth for boiling,you can boil tea leaves in water and then use that strained water to soak the chick peas.
3.I used ajwain seeds for tadka because it has a digestive qualities.
4.Never saute ginger alone in oil.It burns.Always saute it with tomatoes since they can saute at low temperature.

Every year in late december I start looking for some special recipes I can make on our Anniversary ,which falls in late January.You all must be thinking why plan so long?Well,Planning is my middle name.When people say they are planning on a vacation to our place I start my menu planning.....hmmm.Well,this year I decided to make something easy and quick for our anniversary breakfast.It is so easy it feels like cheating.:)It was inspired by Semi Homemade by Sandra lee
(Please excuse the pictures.They did not turn  up as good as I wanted.)

    


1 can (13.9 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated orange flavor sweet rolls with icing (8 rolls)
Orange Marmalade or any other Jam or Jelly flavor you like
Heart shaped cookie cutter

DIRECTIONS
1.Heat oven to 400 degree Faranheit.
2.Spray some cooking spray on a cookie sheet or a rectangular piece of aluminium foil.
3.Take out the individual sweet rolls and roll them on a surface dusted with flour.
4.Cut out the rolls in desired shape....I used the heart shaped cookie cutter.
5.Repeat the same for all the 8 rolls.
6.You may be left with some dough from each of the rolls after cutting in the desired shape.
7.Using wet fingers ,make some grooves or indentation for the filling.
8.Bake the heart shaped biscuits in the oven  for 8-10 mins till golden brown.
9.Serve them warm with a filling of orange marmalade or any other jelly.I preferred orange marmalade,because firstly I had some of it made at home and secondly it goes with the orange flavored dough.
10.The pillsbury orange flavor sweet rolls  comes with icing.Drizzle it over the biscuits if you like them extra sweet.
11.Serve this with a side of sausages and fried eggs.Don't forget your espresso
'njoy!!!
           
Sending this recipe to Priya for her St.Valentine's Day Event.

According to wikipedia Espresso Coffee is "espresso; is a concentrated coffee beverage brewed by forcing hot water under pressure through finely ground coffee."You get Espresso machines here in US to make espresso styled coffee and they range anywhere from $40 to $ 250 and sometimes even more.

                          My earliest memory of drinking espresso was in India when I was around 8-9 years old.It was the time parents used to ensure kids don't get any caffine(I know my parents and relatives around us were very committed to no caffine rule).So,how did I get to taste the heavenly espresso?Well I was my Dad's Favorite(Yes bhai I finally admitted it) and we had gone to the wedding reception of one of his colleagues.They had so many entrees ...I cannot even list them,but my eyes and nose were all set for taking a sip of the cup in which foam was at the top.I just wanted to see...what was so special about it?Well,my Papa let me try it,and trust me I was hooked.The came the quest of having it at home,which was a difficult task because according to ma "you should drink milk at this age,not coffee or tea".But my gaurdian angel of coffee ha ha ha (what a phrase) was at my side and one of my relatives made this espresso coffee at their place without the big bulky machine.I was entralled.How can just a cup and a spoon make such delicious coffee?Well try the following recipe and believe me you will love it.

 
 
 
 


INGREDIENTS
For 1 cup of Joy!!!
1 Tablespoon Instant Coffee Powder (adjust the quantity according to your taste)
2 Tablespoons Sugar(adjust acc. to taste)
1 Cup Milk(2%) (or 3/4 cup Whole Milk + 1/4 Cup water)

DIRECTIONS
1.In a bowl or cup put the coffee and sugar  and add few drops of water,just to make the combination of coffee and sugar moist and crumbly and not completely drowning in water.
2.Beat  it with a fork or spoon.If you have a hand electric beater ,even better.If not,just use a plain and simple sppon to beat the coffee and sugar combo to incorporate as much air as possible.At one point this combination changes color from Dark brown to a light golden brown.












3.While you are beating the air out of coffee ,boil 1 cup of milk on stove top or heat it very well in microwave.
4.Pour the milk on coffee sugar combination and mix it quickly.
'njoy !!!!

TIP
1.You can experiment with spices in your coffee.Try mixing a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg to the coffee and sugar before you beat them.
2.You can also try ground cardamom powder(elaichi )powder  in the espresso.
3.Experiment with Vanilla essence(2 drops) to change the flavor.
4.Over christmas I served this espresso with candycane syrup to get into that festive spirit.Remember to reduce the sugar you add to coffee.

Ingredients
For Stuffing:-
3 Mooli (white radish or in US we see it sometime as Daikon)
Salt to taste
2 tblsp coriander leaves
2 green chillies,finely chopped
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp oil
For Dough
2 cups Wheat flour
Salt To taste
Water As needed
Oil for pan frying muli paranthas


Directions
1.Peel and Grate the mooli finely.
2.Sqeeze the juice out of the grated mooli as much as possible.(Drink it fresh with a pinch of salt.It's good for health.)
3.Heat 1 tsp of oil in a nonstick pan and then add the jeera and coriander seeds.Let them splutter for few seconds.Then add the finely cut green chillies.
4.Add the grated mooli to the nonstick pan and the seasonings .Let it cook for few minutes,till the mooli is slightly cooked and starts turning a little pink in color.
5.Then add the green coriander to the masala.
6.Now make a tight dough using the wheat flour and salt a little water.
7.For making the parathe,roll out a small ball of dough like a roti.Put the mooli masala in the center of the roti and gather the sides together and roll again in a small ball.
8.Roll in dry flour,dusting off the extra,flatten into a circle.Use the rolling pin gently and sprinkle a little dry flour if the paratha sticks to the work surface. The paratha will be about 3mm thick.
9.Heat a griddle and reduce the fire. Brush a little oil on the griddle and roast the paratha on one side on reduced heat. Flip over and roast the other side.
10.Roast both sides well till golden dotted with brown specks and remove.
11.For kids (also adults who don't worry about fat content) apply a little ghee on parathe before serving.
12.Serve with fresh yogurt and pickle.
'njoy hot!!!!!

Tip 1:-You can also make the radish parathe(red radish) exactly the same way.Tastes really good.
Sending this to Sandhay for her event Indian Flavored Flatbread and to Cilantro who started the event Global Kadhai.

Ingredients
1 cup chilled milk
1/4 cup condensed milk
1/4 cup almonds
pinch of elaichi powder
1/4 cup ice crushed
few strands of saffron



Directions
1.Soak the saffron strands in 1 tsp of cold milk.
2.Place the almonds in a bowl & pour boiling water over.
3.Leave for half an hour.
4.Chop half the almonds finely & place the other half in a blender.
5.Place the milk,condensed milk,elaichi powder & ice in the blender.
6.Blend till well mixed & then mix the saffron thread mixed with cold milk.
7.Blend once again and serve garnished with chopped almonds.
'njoy!!!

This is an ideal beverage to serve on a hot summer eve.
This goes to Suma for her Breakfast Event and also to Indira for starting the wonderful roundup.

Aloo tikki is a savory appetizer which can be eaten as is or in many different ways...Aloo Tikki Chaat,Cholle Tikki,Vegetable Burger(if the patties are little bigger),or as cocktail snack(if the patties are really small).One dish many ways to serve....yummmm.


As you can see above the tikki's are heart shaped...this was what I made for valentine's day.My DH just loves anything spicy..though we are trying to cut down on spicy and oily food...but I guess once in a while is allowed.Right???Anyways coming back to the recipe

Ingredients
6-8 medium sized potatoes-boiled and peeled
1-2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
salt according to taste
3-4 tblsp bread crumbs (see tips below)
Oil for Pan frying the tikkis( notice pan frying and not deep frying)
heart shaped cookie cutter-if you want to make tikkis in that shape(optional)

Directions
1.Mash the boiled potatoes and mix salt,red chilli and Garam masala.
2.Add the bed crumbs and mix well with mashed potatoes.
3.Shape the tikkis in round shape or if you want any other shape,keep the cookie cutter on the pan in which you plan to pan fry the tikkis and press the potato masala in the cookie cutter.Remove the cookie cutter and make the rest of the tikkis the same way.
4.Using Oil spray ..spray some oil on the pan and let it heat well.Once it is very hot put the tikkis in it and bring the heat to medium-medium low.
5.Wait patiently...less oil means cooking on low heat and for a little more time but the results are wonderful.
6.Once golden brown,flip and let it cook on other side.
7.Serve hot with cholle for cholle tikki.Top with finely cut onions,imli chutney,coriander and sev.
8.Alternately serve with yogurt poured on top of tikkis with imli chutney,coriander chutney,onions and sev for Aloo-Tikki Chaat.
'njoy!!!

Tips
1.If you don't have bread crumbs readily available..no problem.For every medium sized potato take a sandwich bread slice...any kind will work ..white bread,wheat bread.Soak it in water for few seconds and then mash it potatoes.It will do the work of binding.
2.If you dont have bread or bread crumbs...no problem again .If you have murmure (also known as puffed rice/kurmure/murmure/mamra) grind them coarsely in the mixer and mix with the potatoes.They work well.

Sending this recipe to Priya for her St.Valentine's Day Event and to Akila for her Event Dish Name Starts with-A