Bhel Puri Recipe | Mumbai Style Bhel Puri

Bhel puri is one of the most popular chaats that is available in various variations all over India. There are several versions like Sookha Bhel puri, Mumbai style Bhel Puri, Delhi style Bhel Puri, kolkata style Jhalmuri, Karnataka style Churmuri, Beach style Bhel puri to name a few. I love all the variations as everything tastes good on its own.Today I am posting a typical Mumbai style Bhel puri and whats makes it different from the typical Delhi style Bhel puri is the addition of Lahsun(Garlic) Chutney in Mumbai style Bhel puri.

In Mumbai you find these Bhel puri- Sev Puri waala, Sandwich waala in every nook and corner of the city. Though I was bit hesitant to try at the road side chaat waalas, I have tried various chaats from many famous chaatwalas and loved the taste of it.I have already posted a dry version of Bhel puri known as Sookha Bhel puri in case you want to check it out.There are no hard and fast rules for the addition of ingredients in the bhel puri, one can prepare according to their personal preference.

If you love chaats, check out few other chaat recipes here in my blog:

• Aloo Chana Chaat
• Bangarpet Pani Puri
• Bhel Poori-Sookha waala
• Canape Sev Poori
• Dahi Bhalla
• Dahi Papdi Chaat
• Dahi Puri, Sev Puri
• Delhi style Golgappa
• Pav Bhaji
• Ragada Pani Puri Mumbai style
• Ragada Patties

Bhel Puri | Mumbai Style Bhel Puri Recipe:

Serves 2 | Author: Prathibha

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 10 mins | Total time: 20 mins

Cuisine: North Indian | Category: Snacks/Chaats

Ingredients:

2.5 cups Puffed Rice

1.5-2 tbsp Green Chutney

2-2.5 tbsp Meetha(Date-Tamarind) Chutney

1-1.5 tbsp Lahsun(Garlic) Chutney(recipe follows)

2-3 tbsp roasted Peanuts

1/3 cup fine Sev

8-10 Papdis,slightly crushed

1 large Potato, boiled,peeled and diced

1 small Onion, finely chopped

1 Tomato, finely chopped

2-3 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves

3/4 tsp Red chili powder

1 tsp roasted Cumin powder

1 tsp Chaat masala

Salt,to taste

for Garlic Chutney:

1 whole Garlic

2 tbsp Red chili powder

juice of 1/2 Lemon

Salt to taste

Method:

to prepare Garlic(Lehsun) chutney:

• Separate the garlic cloves and peel the skin and blend with red chili powder,lemon juice,salt and 2-3 tbsp of water to a smooth paste.You can refrigerate this chutney and use it upto 15-20 days.

to prepare Bhel puri:

• If the puffed rice is not crispy heat it in a kadai on low flame until they turn crisp,switch off the flame and keep it aside.

• Keep all the ingredients like chopped vegetables, chutnies and masalas handy before you proceed to make the bhel puri.

• In a large bowl add finely chopped onions, boiled potato, tomato, coriander leaves(reserve few for garnish), green chutney, meeta chutney, garlic chutney, salt, red chili powder, cumin powder and chaat masala and mix nicely until everything is mixed.

• Now add crushed papdis and roasted peanuts and give a stir and then add the puffed rice and mix nicely and serve it in serving bowls immediately.Taste the bhel puri and adjust the seasoning accordingly.

Garnish with generous amount of sev and coriander leaves and serve with papdis.You can use papdis to eat the bhel like a spoon.

Notes:

1. Add papdis, peanuts and puffed rice to the vegetable mixture and mix just before serving otherwise it will turn soggy.
2. There are no hard and fast rules for the quantity of ingredients in the recipe, you can play around according to your taste buds.
3. You can even add few pomogrenate  kernels while garnishing.
4. The addition of Lahsun chutney(Garlic chutney) makes it typical Mumbai style Bhel, you can avoid it to make a North Indian Delhi style Bhel puri.
5. You can even add a handful of steamed moong sprouts or boiled kala chana to the bhel for a variation.
6. If you like it more tangy you can add a bit of lemon juice while preparing the bhel puri.

Technorati Tags: indian chaats varieties, chaat varieties, street food, mumbai street food, bhel puri recipe ,mumbai style bhel puri ,bhel chaat ,party recipes

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Talimpu Annam | Tempered Rice | Phodnicha Bhaat

It is rare to have left over rice at my place and whenever it does, it is usually when guests come over and I end up making more rice than required. I am sure many of us do not prefer to reheat left over rice, instead we can convert it into a simple Rice variety which is more interesting to eat. Left over rice works like a charm to prepare Chinese Veg Fried Rice, Garlic Rice and this Simple Tempered Rice.But there are no hard and fast rules that one should prepare this rice from left over rice, you can even prepare it with freshly cooked rice,but make sure you have cooled down the rice before preparing this, otherwise it will become mushy.

In South, we prepare this tempered rice in a way similar to lemon rice but we use onions in the recipe which adds a nice taste to the rice.Tempered Rice can be called as 'Talimpu Annam' in Telugu and 'Chitranna' in Kannada,you can even call it simple Fried Rice.In Maharasthra,they prepare a similar version called Phodnicha Bhaat with few minor variations in tempering. One can improvise the recipe with the addition of vegetables to the recipe but I love it when it is made very simple with lot of onions. The crunch of onions and the tangyness because of the addition of lemon juice makes this rice extremely tasty.If you have left over rice,do give this simple rice recipe a try,I am sure you will love it.

Talimpu Annam | Phodnicha Bhaat Recipe:

Serves 2

Prep time:5 mins | Cooking time:10 mins | Total time:15 mins

Category:Indian | Cuisine:Rice - Main course/Breakfast

Ingredients:

3 cups Cooked Rice(left over rice)

2 medium Onions,finely chopped

1 big Lemon

3-4 Green chillies,slit

2 tbsp chopped Coriander

a sprig of Curry leaves

2-3 tbsp Groundnuts

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tbsp Chana dal (optional)

1 tsp Urad dal (optional)

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

Salt to taste

2-3 tbsp Oil

Method:

• Use left over rice for the recipe.In case if you are cooking the rice fresh,pressure cook rice(1 cup rice: 2 1/4 cups water) or how you cook your regular rice until it is soft and fluffy.The rice should be comparatively softer to eat and it should not be like how we do for pulav/biriyani. Cool the rice completely.
• Squeeze the lemon and separate the seeds and keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a kadai and crackle mustard seeds and add ground nuts and fry over medium flame until they are golden brown.
• Add chana dal, urad dal and green chilies and fry until they turn golden brown and green chillies wilt.
• Add curry leaves and onions and fry until the onions turn pink in color.
• Add turmeric powder and add the rice(left over or cooled rice) and salt and mix nicely and fry for 1-2 mins until the rice becomes hot.Switch off the flame.
• Add squeezed lemon with out seeds and coriander to it and mix well.

Serve it hot with chips or fryums.

Notes:

1. In South India, we add urad dal and chana dal in the tempering. In Maharasthra, they do not add urad dal and chana dal for Phodnicha Bhaat and if you like you can add 1/4 tsp Cumin seeds and a pinch of asafoetida in the tempering.
2. If you like garlic you can roughly chopped garlic in the tempering or 1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste for a variation.
3. You can avoid ground nuts in the recipe and green peas can be used instead. 

Technorati Tags: talimpu annam, phodnicha bhaat, how to use left over recipe, simple fried rice, onion lemon rice, onion fried rice, left over rice recipes, easy rice varieties

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How to make Roasted Cumin Powder | Homemade Jeera Powder

When it comes to basic spices and pastes used for cooking, I never purchase them. I usually prepare the basic spice powders like cumin powder, coriander powder, Garam masala etc and various south Indian masala powders at home. I have not still ventured into the preparation of various masalas like Pav bhaji masala, Chole masala, Kitchen king masala etc at home as I am a bit lazy in preparing them. But I will definitely try recreating the same masalas at home one day and would love to post them in my blog.

I always wonder why some one would buy these basic powders like cumin powder and coriander powder while the preparation of the same is very simple and easy and does not take much time. More over the freshness, fragrance of these home made powders is not at all comparable to the store bought powders. Roasted Cumin powder is a very important basic spice in Indian kitchen as it plays an important role in day to day curries and gravies and also plays a key role in Indian Chaats.

This is a simple recipe which I am posting for Beginners. It doesn't need much effort to prepare this Cumin powder at home and it will definitely enhance the taste of your food.

If you are interested check out the preparation of other spice powders at home:

• Bisibelebath Masala
• Garam Masala Powder - Punjabi Style
• Garlic Chili powder | Velluli Karam | Goddu Karam
• Kurala Podi/Multi purpose Curry Powder
• Maharastrian Ghati Masala
• Rasam Powder - Andhra style
• Sambar Powder - Andhra style
• Sambar powder- Karnataka style
• Vangibath Masala Powder 

Homemade Roasted Cumin powder:

Shelf life:1-2 months

Grinding time:2 mins | Roasting time:5 mins | Total time:7 mins + cooling time

Cuisine: Indian | Category: Spices - Kitchen Basics

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Cumin seeds(Jeera)

Method:

• Clean the cumin seeds and dry roast in a pan over medium flame until you get a nice aroma and they start turning nice brown in color by stirring it occasionally. Take care that you do not turn them black otherwise it will give bitter taste to powder. They will also start popping once they turn the brown color. Switch off and let it cool.
• Grind it into a powder in mixer or spice grinder. I do not grind it to a very fine powder, I keep it slightly coarse as it adds a nice taste to chaats or any other curries. If you want you can grind it to a fine powder or keep few bits of cumin seeds here and there.
• Allow the powder to cool for sometime and store it an air tight glass container.

Use it in Chaats, Gravies and Curries as mentioned in the recipe.

Notes:

• Use a clean and dry spoon always or keep a spoon in the container itself.
• Do not turn the cumin seeds black otherwise it will give bitter taste to powder.
• I always prepare in small quantities so that the freshness of the spice would not be lost.
• This much quantity would easily be sufficient for a month for me. But it depends on the family size and usage as well.

Technorati Tags: roasted cumin poder, jeera powder, how to make jeera powder, kitchen basics, Indian kichen essentials

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Cucumber Sandwich | Easy Sandwich Recipes

Sandwiches are one of the easiest breakfast options.At our place, I prefer the grilled sandwich varieties whereas TH prefers fresh sandwich and hence most of the time I end up preparing a fresh Vegetable sandwich and pack it for him and grill the same for me. I prefer making fresh sandwiches for parties as they can be cut into ribbon size or bit sized sandwiches which are great to serve as finger food.They are not only easy to prepare but also looks inviting too.

Coming to today's post,Cucumber sandwich recipe is very simple and even a kid can prepare it.I make it in two ways- sometimes using cream cheese and sometimes using hung curd and I love both the versions.As the hung curd version is more healthy I prefer to use it more often and I also reduce the butter content for a regular sandwich. When I prepare for parties or pack for lunch box I give a good coat of butter though otherwise the sandwich becomes soggy. 

Check out Mumbai style Vegetable sandwich recipe here.

Cucumber Sandwich Recipe:

Serves 2

Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time:nil | Total time:10 mins

Cuisine: International | Category: Breakfast/Appetizers

Ingredients:

6 Bread slices

1 large Cucumber

1/2 cup Hung Curd or Sour cream

1/3 cup Mint leaves,finely chopped

1/2 tsp Pepper Powder 

1/2 tsp Chili flakes (optional)

Butter,softened

Salt to taste

Method:

• To prepare hung curd you can hand thick yogurt in a muslin cloth for 3-4 hrs.Add 1/2 tsp lemon juice to it and beat lightly.
• Mix the hung curd (or sour cream) with salt, pepper powder, chili flakes and chopped mint leaves and keep it ready.
• Peel the cucumber and slice them thinly in a slicer either horizontally to get thin discs or vertical to get thin strips.Alternatively if you have good knife skills slice them thinly.
• Apply butter generously to one side of bread and repeat for all the bread slices.
• Now apply a coat of sour cream mixture liberally on the butter ladened bread slices.

• Arrange the sliced cucumber pieces evenly on one slice and cover it with another bread slice.Repeat the same to prepare other 2 sandwiches.
• Press the sandwich slightly with your hands and cut the edges of the sandwich using a serrated knife.
• Cut into halves or strips or bite sized pieces.

Serve it with the remaining sour cream/tomato ketchup.

Notes:

1. You can use Cream cheese instead of sour cream or hung curd in the recipe.
2. Mixed dried herbs can be used instead of mint leaves in the recipe.
3. If you like cheese,line a cheese slice on cucumbers while making the sandwich.

Technorati Tags: cucumber sandwich recipe, cucumber cream cheese sandwich, sandwich recipes, cucumber sour cream sandwich, easy sandwich recipes, sandwich recieps for parties, bite size sandwich recipes, breakfast sandwich recipes, no cook sandwich recipes 

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Cup Corn Recipe | Sweet Corn Recipes

Monsoons are here and is the right season for fresh corn and sweet corn varieties.I absolutely love the corn roasted on the charcoal and liberally sprinkled with salt,chili powder and lemon juice.It is an absolute treat in this rainy season to eat hot corn.While I prefer the charcoal grilled corn TH prefers  boiled corn.Hence I end up making both the types to balance the taste buds.I am not a fan of frozen sweet corn and love to use the fresh corn always.

We find these steamed corn stalls in malls,theatres,markets and many public places.We get various kind of flavors in it ranging from Indian,Mexican,Italian,Thai etc.The most classic one is a plain steamed corn with butter,salt and pepper which tastes absolutely delicious.However I like to jazz it up with Indian flavors and I hence I love to add Chaat masala to my cup corn.This is a basic recipe and you can improvise it according to your requirements.

If you love Corn you should check other Snacks recipes with Corn.

• Canapes with Italian Corn filling
• Corn Bhel
• Sweet Corn Sundal
• Stuffed Peppers with Corn
• Savory Corn meal Muffins

Check out other Corn Recipes here.

 

Buttered Cup Corn Recipe:

Serves 2

Prep time:5 mins | Cooking time:20 mins | Total time:25 mins

Cuisine:Indian | Category:Snacks

Ingredients:

2 Sweet corns on the cobs

1 tbsp Butter

1/4 tsp Pepper powder,freshly ground

1/2 tsp Chaat masala

juice of 1 small Lemon

Salt to taste

Method:

• Remove the kernels from the fresh corn.I usually cut one line of corn vertically with the knife,you can easily peel the other corn kernels using the knife by running it in the line.Alternatively you can just cut them using the knife or use frozen sweet corn.
• Add salt and water to it and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles until the corn becomes slightly soft,alternatively you can cook it in microwave for 6-7 mins.
• Once the pressure subsides drain the excess water and when it is still hot add butter to it and mix well.The butter melts immediately and coats the corn nicely.
• Add pepper powder,chaat masala,salt and lemon juice and mix well.As chaat masala and butter already has salt,so add less salt.Taste it and adjust the seasoning according to your wish.

Serve it hot as a snack or a side to your meal.

 

Notes:

1. You can add chopped coriander leaves to the cup corn if you want.
2. You can play with the spices used in the cup corn.You can used mixed herbs or roasted cumin powder or red chili flakes or smoked paprika if you wish.
3. If you like cheese you can add 2-3 tbsp grated cheese and mix and then microwave it for a minute.This is ideal for kids.
4. You can add finely chopped tomato,onion and coriander to the above recipe and prepare corn salad.

Technorati Tags: cup corn chaat, how to make cup corn, various cup corn flavors, steamed corn recipe, sweet corn recipes, steamed corn chaat, butter corn, monsoon recipes, kids recipes

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Totapuri Mango Chutney | Easy Chutney Recipes

Totapuri mango is one variety which can be eaten raw as it is slight sweet and sour in taste.It is usually sold in front of parks,schools etc where the vendors would drizzle a liberal amount of masala(salt,chili powder with a hint of sugar) on the mango pieces and I must say that the combination is a bliss!!I am sure many of you would agree.

In Bangalore, we get really good ones which tastes better than the ones we get in Mumbai.But when ever I find them in market I usually buy them to relish them raw with salt and chili powder or prepare this mango chutney or instant pickle.You can even use totapuri mangoes in salads,bhel puri etc.

Coming to today's post,this is a very simple and quick chutney made up of totapuri mangoes.Please make a note that you cannot substitute Totapuri mango with any other variety in this recipe.You can prepare this chutney in two ways - you can grind it in whipper mode to retain tiny bits of mango pieces or you can grind it into a smooth paste.It tastes good either ways.I like to prepare coarse chutney with mango pieces which is best suitable with Curd rice and I make it smooth if I want to use it as a dip or serve with any breakfast variety.This chutney is not suitable to mix with rice,if you want to prepare mango pacchadi for rice,check out my Mango-Coconut Pacchadi recipe which tastes best with rice.

Check out few recipes using totapuri mangoes in my blog.

• Steamed Babycorn-Raw Mango Salad
• Bellam Avakaya/Sweet Mango Pickle 
• Maavinkay(Raw mango) Chitranna
• Ground nut(Peanut) Sundal with raw mango
• Moong Sprouts Salad with Raw Mango

Totapuri Mango Chutney Recipe:

shelf life: 3-4 days
Preparation time: 10 mins | Cooking time: nil | Total time: 10 mins
Recipe Cuisine: Indian | Recipe Category: Chutney|Pacchadi
 

Ingredients:

1 Totapuri raw Mango

4-5 Green chillies

1 tsp Sugar

Salt to taste

to temper:

1 tsp Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

5-6 Curry leaves

a pinch of Asafoetida(strong rock variety)

Method:

• Wash and peel the skin of mango and chop it into small pieces roughly.
• Grind the mango pieces with green chillies,salt and sugar in the mixer to a coarse paste.Check the taste and adjust seasoning if required.Here you can grind it in two ways- you can grind it in whipper mode to retain tiny bits of mango pieces or you can grind it into a smooth paste with the addition of little water if needed.It tastes good either ways.
• Heat oil in a small tempering pan and crackle mustard seeds and add curry leaves and asafoetida and switch off the flame.Add this tempering to the mango chutney.

Serve it as an accompaniment with khakras/rice/roti/ Curd rice/dosa/paniyaram etc.

Notes:

1. Use only totapuri mango variety for this,other varieties would not suit for this chutney.
2. This chutney is a nice blend of flavors,hence taste the chutney once when you grind and adjust the salt,sugar and spicyness of chutney.
3. You can prepare the chutney in two ways- you can grind it in whipper mode to retain tiny bits of mango pieces or you can grind it into a smooth paste with the addition of little water if needed.It tastes good either ways.I like to prepare coarse chutney with mango pieces which is best suitable with curd rice and I make it smooth if I want to use it as a dip or serve with any breakfast variety.
4. This chutney is not suitable to mix with rice,if you want to prepare mango pacchadi for rice,check out my Mango-Coconut Pacchadi recipe which tastes best with rice.
5. You can store it in an air tight container for 3-4 days in refrigerator.

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Aamras Recipe | Easy Mango Desserts

Aamras needs no introduction. It is popular in the states of Gujarat, Maharasthra and Rajasthan and is prepared during festivals and occasions.Aamras is nothing but sweetened and flavored thick Mango pulp and usually served along with Puris or Chapati. It can be separately served as a desert too.It is almost mandatory at our place to prepare the combo of Poori - Aamras at least once during the mango season. I though prepare it quite often and enjoy it as a dessert or eat it with chapati instead of poori , as we do not prefer eating oily food quite often. Another best way to serve Aamras is to serve it with Vanilla ice cream or whipped Cream-it makes an easy and light dessert during Summers.

Aamras is the best way to have mango in its pure form , in my view. Using a good quality mango is a key for making good Aamras. Mango varieties like Alphonso and Kesar suit best for Aamras.One can choose between the two or mix both for a better taste.

In Karnataka, we prepare Seekarane which is a version similar to Aamras but uses more milk in the preparation.I have already posted the recipe of Seekarane,you can check it here.

Check out few ripen Mango recipes in my blog.For complete list of Mango recipes click here.

• Mango Salsa
• Mango Fudge | Mango Burfi
• Mango Juice
• Mango Milkshake
• Mango Pound Cake
• Mango Ice-cream
• Mango Kulfi
• Mango-Tadgola(Thatinungu) Kheer
• Shrikarini/Seekarane..a simple mango delight

Aamras Recipe:

Serves 2 

Preparation time: 10 mins | Cooking time: nil | Total time:10 mins

Recipe Cuisine: Indian | Recipe Category: Desserts

Ingredients:

2 ripen Alphonso Mangoes(or kesar or a mix of both)

3-4 tbsp Sugar
2-3 tbsp Milk (optional)

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder

Method:

• Wash and peel the skin of mangoes and cut into pieces.
• In a blender add chopped mangoes,sugar and cardamom powder and blend to a fine puree.
• If needed add milk and blend again to a smooth consistency.Now check the sweetness and add more sugar if needed.You can make it slightly thin or thick according to your preference,I prefer to make it very thick.
• Refrigerate it for 1-2 hrs before serving.

Serve it with hot Puris or Chapati or as a dessert after your meal.Serve Aamras with  vanilla ice cream,it tastes very nice.

Notes:

1. I usually prefer to use alphonsos for it,but you can even use kesar or a mix of alphonso and kesar.
2. The addition of sugar depends on the sweetness of mangoes,so add accordingly.
3. The addition of milk eases the process of blending into a smooth puree.But make sure you do not add more milk as it will make the consistency thinner like milkshake.
4. You can even add saffron while blending the mangoes.
5. If you like dry fruits,you can add roasted cashew nuts,badam and pistachios to it and mix.
6. You can also mash the mango pulp with hands and avoid the process of blending but the resultant puree would not be smooth.
7. Sugar can be substituted with Jaggery in the recipe.
8. Another best way to serve Aamras is to serve it with Vanilla ice cream or whipped Cream,it makes an easy and light dessert during Summers.

 

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Mango Juice | Easy Summer Drinks Recipes

I had plans to post Mango recipes this year, but I could not do so because of my laziness.Somehow I managed to prepare a few mango recipes last week and I would post them in the coming weeks.So stay tuned for various Mango Special recipes in my blog and prepare them before the mangoes fade away from the markets.
Mango Juice is an easy recipe which I thoroughly enjoy during the mango season.Given a chance if I am asked to prepare a beverage with mango,I would prepare either Mango Milkshake or Mango Lassi as both of them are my absolute favorites.I usually stock the mango fruit pulp in my freezer all the time and if you have the mango pulp at hand you can prepare this juice in no time. 

Check out few ripen Mango recipes in my blog.For complete list of Mango recipes click here.

• Mango Fudge | Mango Burfi
• Mango Milkshake
• Mango Pound Cake
• Mango Ice-cream
• Mango Kulfi
• Mango-Tadgola(Thatinungu) Kheer 
• Shrikarini/Seekarane..a simple mango delight

Mango Juice Recipe:

(serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 ripen Alphonso Mango(any variety would do)

2-3 tbsp Sugar

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder(optional)

Ice cubes,to serve

Method:

• Wash and peel the skin of mangoes and cut into pieces.
• In a blender add chopped mangoes,sugar and cardamom powder and blend to a fine puree.
• Add chilled water(approx 1 cup) and blend again to a smooth consistency.Now check the sweetness and add more sugar or water if needed.You can make it thin or thick according to your preference,I prefer to make it slightly thick.

Serve it in a glass with ice cubes on top.

Notes:

• I like the flavor of cardamom in the drink,you can skip it if you want.
• Always add chilled water so that you can serve the drink immediately or you can refrigerate the jucie for few hours before serving.
• Use sweetened mango varieties like alphonso,kesar,badam etc and fibrous variety is not suitable for juice.If you use fibrous variety strain the juice before serving.
• I usually dip the mangoes in water for few hours.It is believed that this process reduces the heat impact of mangoes on our body.
• You can add juice of 1 small lemon and few mint leaves while blending to make mango lemonade.This would be a refreshing change to your usual drink.
• The amount of sugar depends on the sweetness of mangoes,hence add it accordingly by tasting the juice in between while blending it.

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