NAAN

Naan is a round flatbread made of white flour(maida). It bears a resemblance to pita, but is softer in texture. Naans are traditionally cooked in a Tandoor.  It can also be made in your oven at home. Serve this delicious bread hot, with Non Veg or any Punjabi gravy. The dough for Naans needs to be made in advance so factor that into the preparation time.

The first thing which we use to order in restaurants in Mumbai was this hot from tandoor naans. The best combination I like is paneer makhanwala and hot naans. This is the best naan ever I had, fresh from our own oven.

Ingredients:

2 cups All purpose flour

1 tsp Yeast

¾ cup Warm water

¼ cup Milk

2 ½  tsp Yogurt

1 tsp Sugar

Pinch of Baking Powder

1 tsp Salt

For Butter Naan: Melted Butter

For Garlic Naan: Minced Garlic

For Chat Naan: Chat Masala

Method:

In a bowl mix warm water and yeast. Add milk to it and keep it for 10 minutes. In a mixing bowl, mix all dry ingredients and yogurt. Add yeast mixture and knead into dough. Keep this dough aside for four hours. The dough will rise. Pre- heat the oven at highest or 500 F for 20 minutes. Now make balls and roll into naan oval shape or simply pull it to form shape. Bake it nearest to flame in oven for 3 minutes or till u get golden brown spots. Flip it to bake both the sides equally. Apply butter to both the side. Serve it hot.

For garlic naan, sprinkle some of the minced garlic on top and roll before baking it. For chat naan, sprinkle some chat masala on top once baked. Enjoy!!!

TANDOORI ROTI

Who doesn’t like Punjabi food. Punjabi food is popularly known for its Tandoor cooking. Food cooked in this special oven –Tandoor is such heavenly. I had gurdwara near my office, every time when I forget my Tiffin I use to rush for their free meals. Lentils cooked in buttery sauces and hot from Tandoor rotis. Hah!!! I am just missing those days. Fascinated for Punjabi food, I made this Tandoori rotis in my toaster, and guess what…it was perfect as it is cooked in Tandoor. Tandoori rotis with dal makhani in your plate a straight way to heaven.

You Need:

Utensils:

Mixing bowl

Iron skillet

Toaster

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup Whole wheat flour

2 tsp Curd

½ Sugar

2 tsp Clarified butter

Salt

Water

Method:

Mix the above ingredients to form a soft dough. Keep this dough for atleast half an hour aside. Now make small balls (Size of chapatti dough ball) and roll round shape of puris. Roast it on pre- heated pan on both side. Don’t cook it completely, keeping it little bit kuccha (half cooked). Now do the same with other balls too. Place the half cooked rotis in toaster and on medium heat toast it. It will rise like puri and have golden spots as cooked in Tandoori. Remove the rotis brush ghee. Tandoori rotis are ready.

BOMBAY VADA PAV

Vada Pav or Indian burger comes from lands of Amchii Mumbai. Being from Mumbai how can I resist making Vada Pav. This popular street food snack is a big hit in Mumbai and all over India. It has a record of being highly consumed fast food by poor as well as riches on daily basis. This snack is such a easy to kill your hunger with a satisfaction while working, while travelling, can be consumed for breakfast, lunch, dinner..anytime. I love this snack with hot cup of tea. I don’t remember when I had it for the first time or how much did I consumed till now. This such a staple food for Mumbai locals.

I still remember I use to have Rs 2 vada pav during my school days, now because of its popularity it ranges from Rs 5 to Rs 30. Also now there is an exclusive chain for this popular fast food ‘Jumbo Vada Pav ’ to feed Mumbai locals.

This version of Vada Pav goes to my memories of college days. I use to everyday grab this snack from the famous Parle college Vada Pav walla. I once asked him as to how you make this mint chutney so thick without using coconut, and he shared with me his amazing famous Vada Pav recipe. So this recipe is the combination of all the memories of famous Vada Pav of Mumbai.

This recipe is divided into Batata Vada, 3 chutneys, Assembling Vada Pav.

Batata Vada:

Ingredients:

For Filling :

3 Large Potatoes (Cooked and Mashed)

1 tsp Mustard Seeds (optional)

Pinch of Hing

5 Cloves Garlic (finely chopped)

2 Inch Ginger

5-6 Curry leaves

1 tsp Turmeric

½ tsp Chilli Powder (optional)

3 -4 Green Chillis (finely chopped)

Salt for taste

Cilantro(Coriander) chopped.

Oil

For Covering:

1 cup Besan (chick peas flour)

½ tsp Chilli Powder (optional)

½ tsp Turmeric

¾ cup Water

Pinch of Baking soda

Salt to taste.

For deep frying:

Oil

Method:

For the filling: In a wok, heat oil add mustard seeds, hing, curry leaves, chopped chillies, ginger , garlic and sauté for a minute. Add turmeric, chilli powder, salt. Add the mashed potatoes. Add cilantro and mix well. The filling is ready.

For the cover: In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for covering together and keep it aside for atleast half an hour. Consistency of batter should not be too watery or too thick.

For frying the Batata Vada: In a wok, heat oil for deep frying. Now make balls of the filling and dip into the covering batter coating the filling all over and deep fry till they get brown. Batata Vada is ready.

Mint Chutney:

Ingredients:

8 – 10 Mint Leaves

½ Bunch of Coriander Leaves

2-3 Green Chillis

½ tsp Chat Masala

1 Slice of bread

Salt for taste

Method:

Toast the bread on pan to remove its moisture, till it becomes dry. Make small pieces of this dry bread . Grind all the ingredients together into paste. Green chutney is ready.

Tamarind chutney:

Ingredients:

1 Lime size Tamarind ball /2 ½ tsp  Tamarind extract

4-5 Dates

Small piece of jaggery/ 2 tsp Sugar

Method:

Soak all the ingredients in hot water for a hour. After a hour, Grind it into paste. Tamarind Chutney is ready.

Bombay Red Chutney:

Ingredients:

5-6 Cloves of Garlic

½ cup of Grated Dry Coconut/ Desiccated Coconut

¼ cup Peanuts

3 -4 tsp Chilli Powder

Salt to taste

Method:

In a pan, dry roast Garlic, Dry Coconut, Peanuts till coconut turns brown. After it cools, grind into powder. Add chilli powder and salt. Mix well. Red Chutney is ready.

Assembling Vada Pav:

Cut the Pav (Indian Bread) between. Apply butter both the sides and toast it on hot pan( as it is done for Pav Bhaji) till they turn slight golden. Apply Green chutney on one side, Tamarind chutney on other side. Now Place the Vada on the tamarind chutney side. Sprinkle some red chutney powder on the green chutney. You can also apply ketchup and sprinkle some fine sev, if you like. Place some sliced onions. And close it to form a burger. Enjoy the famous Vada Pav with hot cup of tea!!!!

BEETROOT THEPLAS

The beetroot is considered as one of the best vegetable. This vegetable is a good tonic food for health.  It is a rich source of natural sugar. It contains sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulphur, chlorine, iodine, iron, copper, vitamin B1, B2, C and P. The protein factors or amino acids are good in both quality and quantity.

This recipe goes back to my school friend who use to bring in her tiffin. We use to fight for this theplas as they are not only tasty, but healthy too. At my place, my mom use to make awesome halwa with this beetroots or just a simple salad. Thanks and courtesy to my sister-in-law who reminded me of this preparation. Though I forgot to ask her the recipe, I made my version of the beetroot theplas, and they turned out awesome. What a good way to have this healthy vegetable.

You need:

Utensils:

Pan

Mixing bowl

Ingredients:

1 Beetroot (grated)

2 cups Whole wheat flour

1 tsp Ginger garlic paste

½ tsp Cumin powder

½ tsp Coriander powder

½ tsp Turmeric Powder

½ tsp Chilli Powder

½ tsp Garam masala

½ tsp Amchur powder

½ tsp Cumin seeds

½ tsp Sesame seeds

½ tsp Ajwain

½ tsp Sugar

Salt to taste

Oil

Method:

In a mixing bowl, mix  all the ingredients and knead into dough. Now roll into rounds, and roast it on both the side on a pre- heated pan. Brush oil and roast them till they get golden spots. You can eat it hot with a simple curd.