Samosa

Samosa is a savoury trinagular shaped snacks and a hot favourite for indians with hot tea.

It is eaten almost during any season, But preferred more during monsoons with the chilly breeze, hot steaming chai and fresh hot crispy samosas.

The Filling can be of your choice. (vegetables, potatoes, mutton kheema, chicken etc) For bengalees "aloo samosa/shingara" is the most common. On special occasions we make chicken or mutton samosas. I have used boneless chicken here, but if you wish, you can use kheema (minced chicken) that will same a lot of time.

INGREDIENTS:

OUTER COVER :

• 2 cups of maida
• 1tsp kalonji or kalojeera or nigella seeds
• 1 tsp ajwain
• salt 2tsp
• pinch of soda
• 1/2 cup oil
• water to knead

VEG FILLING :

• boiled potato 4
• greanpeas 1/2 cup
• cumin seeds 1tsp
• pinch of aesofotida or hing
• haldipowder 1/2 tsp
• mirchipowder 1tsp
• garammasala powder 1tsp
• ghee 1tsp

NONVEG FILLING :

• 1 Big onion
• 1tsp of ginger garlic paste500 gms boneless chicken
• 1 tsp pepper powder
• 2 tsp salt
• juice of 1 lemon
• little green peas (0ptional)
• haldi powder 1 tsp
• mirchi powder 1 tsp
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 cup of water
• 1 tsp ghee
• coriander leaves ( 2 tsp )

PROCEDURE:

FILLING FOR SAMOSA

• Fry one big onion
• Add gingergarlic paste and cook till raw smell goes away
• Then add 500 gms of chicken along with salt and pepper
• Cook for sometime and add the lemon juice.
• Cook for 10 minutes and keep on muddling those pieces
• Then add the greenpeas...cover and cook for another 10 minutes.
• At this point add the haldi and mirchi powder
• Mash it well and add 1 cup of water
• Cook till it gets dry.
• Add garam masala and a spoon og ghee...Mix well

• Sprinkle coriander leaves and mix well.
• keep the filling aside to cool down.

OUTER COVER OF SAMOSA

• In 2 cups of maida or flour mix kalonjee, ajwain and salt mix well

• Then add apinch of soda and mix it properly
• Now add half cup of oil and knead well for 2-3 minutes.
• Then slowly add water and knead properly for atleat 5minutes.
• Make small dough balls and keep it aside.
• Sprinkle some flour and make rounds around 6 inches with a rolling pin
• Divide it into 2 halves
• Brush water on the borders

• Fold it like a cone and fill 1Tbsp of chicken filling

 

• Press the bottoms and lock it by pressing it with fork or using your fingers.

• HEAT OIL AND TURN THE FLAME TO MEDIUM

• Fry the samosas in medium flame.
• ONE SIDE TAKES AROUND 5 MINUTES

• Never cook in high flame. it will get burned and crispyness will not come.

VIDEO RECIPE HERE: 

Vada Pav

I want to dedicate this marathi snack to my friends in Mumbai. It can be eaten at any time of the day, But on rainy days, when the weather is sultry and cool, vada pav tastes awesome during those times :) It's should be hot, fritter outside should be crisp (with the brown, crumbly tentacles of batter still attached), all encompassing with a gentle yield, Inside the filling must be the right blend of spices with herbs elevating the mashed potato. 

You can serve with green or red chutney.

The vada (batata vada)- The fritter

• 4-5 large potatoes, boiled and mashed
• 1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
• 2-3 chopped green chillies
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onions
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 8 curry leaves
• Asafoetida (or) Hing: 1 pinch.
• Juice from one medium size lemon
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp of ginger & garlic paste (optional)

 For the fritter:

• 1 cup besan (chickpea flour)
• 1/2 cup rice flour 
• 11/2 tsp  salt
• 1 tsp coriander seed powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp chilly powder.

Mix all the above ingredients with water. Consistency should not be be runny and should be thick enough to coat the Alu tikkis evenly.

Method:

1)Mash the potatoes well and add the chopped onion, corriender and mint leaves. Add the salt according to your taste.

2)Take 2 tbsp of oil in a pan and heat it up. Into the oil add the mustard and cumin seeds and let them splatter, 

3)Now add a pinch of hing into the oil and fry the curry leaves.

4)Lower the flame and add the potato mixture.Mix it well and turn off the stove.

5)Now add the lemon juice and mix it well. Let it cool down for 10 minutes.

6)When it is cool enough, roll the mixture that you just made into small rounds and then flatten it in between your palms. 

                            

7) Heat oil in heavy bottomed wok until a small drop of batter dropped in, rises sizzling to the surface very quickly (level of heat).

8) Now gently dip the potato cutlets into the batter and cover the potato balls with batter on all sides and then drop them into the hot oil,m one by one. Don't put too many at a time.

9)Let it fry in medium flame until golden brown.

10)Drain the excess oil using tissues and serve hot with chutney  and pressed inside bun breads (pav).

  

~Enjoy it while watching the rain~ Happy Summer!

Serve these tasty fried cutlets inside the pav breads with green chutney and a hot cup of Tea.

What is vada paav!

Dahi vada

The temperatures are soaring high this summer in many parts of the world. In this summer spell make sure to keep yourself Cool and well hydrated. 

Dahi vada is a sweet and spicy yogurt snack which is very popular in the North India and is perfect in the summer heat. It is a definite snack during get togethers & many festivals like holi, diwali etc.

Dahi vada is best enjoyed topped with tamarind and green puree (chutney).

Ingredients for Vadas:

• 1 cup of urad dal : 200 grams (black gram lentils without skin)  

• 3 green chillies
• 1 inch ginger
• 1 tsp  cumin seeds 
• 1 tsp of aniseed (Saunf)
• Pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• Salt, sugar (according to taste)

                                         

• 2 tsp of water for batter 
• 5-6 raisins
• 5-6 cashews chopped    
• Oil for frying                                                                         

Method:

• Soak the lentils (urad dal) overnight (or) for at least 6 hours.
• Drain the water and grind the lentils with green chillies, ginger, cumin seeds,saunf, and hing
• Grind it with little water to get a thick consistency.        

• You can add ground raisins and cashews in the batter and stir it well (this is optional)

                                 

• Mix the batter vigorously until it is light and fluffy. Add salt and sugar according to your taste.
• Heat oil in a frying pan and make balls from the above batter, then deep fry them on medium heat till they are crispy and golden brown. Don't fry the balls (vadas) over a high flame if you are not deep frying it, ( I did not deep fry) so that the inside gets cooked well and is not raw.

• While the vadas are still warm soak them in water for 15 minutes
• Vadas will increase in size as seen in the picture.

• Press the soaked vadas between your palms to remove the excess water. Press it gently otherwise it might end up breaking the lentil fritters (vadas)

• Keep these aside in a plate and let's prepare the yogurt in which the Vadas have to be dipped and served.

Ingredients for curd(spicy curd):

• Homemade curd/ yogurt : 2 cups
• Roasted cumin and red chilly powder: 1 tsp each
• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 tsp of sugar 
• 1 tsp of rock salt

 Method:

• Add 2 tsp of sugar, little salt, and roasted cumin and chilli powder into the curd.
• Now beat it hard till the curd gets a smooth texture. 
• Add half a cup of water to 250 ml of curd. Ratio might differ depending on the consistency of your curd.
• Now in a bowl serve two Vadas and pour the curd from top

Garnish with a tsp of coriander chutney and a little tamarind chutney, red chilly powder, chaat masala and roasted cumin powder, (recipe for the green and tamarind chutney is given below).

Green chutney (puree) 

Grind together the following ingredients in a mixer grinder and it's done:

• 1 cup mint leaves
• 1 cup coriander leaves
• 3-4 green chillies 
• 4-5 pods of garlic
• 4 tsp of fresh lemon juice
• Salt
• 11/2 tsp of water

Make a smooth paste and transfer the paste into a bowl. It can also be eaten with snacks. A more spicier version of this can also be made with cumin seeds and peanuts, but this is the version I used for dahi vada.

Tamarind chutney (puree)

• Soak tamarind in water overnight in a small bowl. Then squeeze the pulp, strain and keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, lower the flame and fry some cumin seeds.
• Add a pinch of hing (asafoetida) ginger powder and chilly powder.
• Now add the tamarind pulp and cook for 3 mins.
• Add jaggery and salt and cook for another 5 mins.
• Stir and cook till paste has a comparatively thicker consistency.
• Turn off the stove and let it cool.

You can preserve this chutney in an airtight container for a couple of months in refrigerator. And use it as per your requirement by taking out the the amount you need and mixing it with water.

The above pictures of chutneys are Only for reference, Pic Credit of Chutneys to the respective owners. Thanks.