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Kitchen Classics

CHHOLA BATURA

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the chhola:

• Chickpeas 1 cup
• Ginger, grated 1 tsp
• Garlic, crushed 1 tsp
• Chilli, green, finely chopped 1 tsp
• Onion, finely chopped 1 pc
• Cumin seed (jeera) 1 tsp
• Chilli powder, red 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder ¼ tsp
• Coriander powder 1 tsp
• Fresh tomato puree ½ cup
• Chana masala 1 tsp
• Oil 3 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Fresh coriander leaves for garnish

For the bhatura:

• Flour, plain 2 cup
• Semolina (suji) 2 tbsp
• Baking powder ½ tsp
• Yoghurt 3 tbsp
• Salt ½ tsp
• Oil...........................for deep frying

For serving:

• Onion, sliced 1 pc
• Lemon wedges to taste
• Mango pickle to taste

Method

For the chhola: Pressure cook chickpeas with salt (5 to 6 whistles) until soft. Drain and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds. When the seeds crackle, add ginger and garlic, sauté for 1 minute. Add green chillies and onion and sauté till the onion is golden brown.

Add chana masala, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, fresh tomato puree, salt and sauté for 3-4 minutes on medium heat.

Add chickpeas, mix and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

For bhatura: Combine flour, suji, baking powder, yoghurt, oil and salt; knead mixture into a firm, smooth dough with sufficient water. Cover with wet muslin cloth and rest dough for half an hour.

Divide dough into equal portions and roll out each portion into a circle.

Deep fry in hot oil till bhaturas puff up and both sides are light brown in colour.

Serve hot with chhola, sliced onion, lemon wedges and pickle.

VADA PAV

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Ginger, grated 1 tsp
• Chilli, green, chopped 1 tsp
• Mustard seed (rai) ½ tsp
• Asafoetida (hing) ¼ tsp
• Curry leaves 7-8 pc
• Tumeric powder a pinch
• Oil 2 tbsp
• Potatoes, boiled, mashed 2 cup
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep

Frying

For the batter:

• Bengal gramflour (besan) ½ cup
• Salt to taste
• Water ¼ cup

Other ingredients:

• Pav 4 pc
• Chutney, green
• Chutney, sweet
• Chutney, dry garlic
• Chilli, green, fried 7-8 pc

Method

Heat oil in a non-stick kadai, adding mustard seeds. When the seeds crackle, add asafoetida(hing) and curry leaves and sauté on medium flame for a few seconds.

Add green chillies and ginger and sauté again for a few more seconds.

Add potatoes, turmeric powder and salt, mix well and cook for a minute. Remove from the flame and keep aside to cool.

Divide mixture into equal portions and shape each portion into a round ball. Dip each vada into the prepared besan batter and deep fry in hot oil till they are golden brown in colour. Drain on absorbent paper and keep aside.

Slit the pav horizontally, apply green chutney, sweet chutney and dry garlic chutney (to taste) on both the sides of the pav and stuff with a hot vada. Serve with fried green chillies and all the chutneys.

TAVA PULAO

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Ginger-garlic paste 1 tbsp
• Chilli, green, finely chopped 1 tsp
• Onion, chopped ¼ cup
• Capsicum, chopped ¼ cup
• Turmeric powder ¼ tsp
• Cumin seed (jeera) ½ tsp
• Butter 3 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Rice, cooked 2 cup
• Green peas, boiled ¼ cup
• Coriander leaves, chopped 2 tbsp

For the raita:

• Yoghurt, fresh 1 cup
• Onion, chopped ¼ cup
• Tomatoes, chopped ¼ cup
• Chilli, green, finely chopped 1 pc
• Mint/Coriander leaves, chopped 1 tbsp

Method

Heat butter on a large tava (griddle), adding cumin seeds. When the seeds crackle, add ginger-garlic paste and sauté on a medium flame for 2 minutes.

Add the green chillies and onions and sauté again till the onions turn light brown in colour.

Add capsicum, tomatoes, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt and cook on a medium flame for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add cooked rice, green peas and coriander leaves, mix well and cook on a medium flame for another 2 minutes and leave aside.

Mix all raita ingredients.

Serve the pulao hot with the raita.

• Food and Dining