Black Chickpeas Curry

Nalla Senagala Kura

Ingredients:

Black Chickpeas 2 cups
Tomatoes 2
Potatoes 2 small
Onion 1
Green Chiles 2
Cinnamon 2 inch stick
Green Cardamom 1
Black Cardamom 1
Cloves 3
Cumin Seeds 1 tsp
Bay Leaf 1
Coriander Powder 1 tbsp
Cumin Powder 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder a big pinch
Ginger Garlic Paste 1 tsp
Cilantro few sprigs
Salt to taste
Oil 1 tbsp

Method of preparation:

Soak raw black chickpeas in water overnight.
Refresh in fresh water and pressure cook in 3 – 4 cups of water for 3 whistles.
Reserve a cup of leftover water from cooked chickpeas for further use.
Wash and finely chop tomatoes.
Peel and chop potatoes into small cubes.
Peel and finely chop onion.
Remove stems, wash and finely chop green chiles.
Wash and roughly chop cilantro.

Heat oil in a pan, add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin seeds and bay leaf.
After few seconds, add chopped onion and little salt.
When onion starts to brown a little on edges, add coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric, ginger garlic paste, chopped green chiles, tomatoes and potatoes.
Stir fry for a minute or two and add cooked black chickpeas and reserved water.
Add salt and some more water if required.
Cook on low flame for 10 – 15 minutes or until the gravy thickens a bit and oil starts to seperate.
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with steamed rice or roti.

Notes: If the gravy is too thin, mash few of the cooked black chickpeas with the back of the spoon to thicken it.

Rice Puttu

Rice Puttu.

Puttu is a steamed rice cake from Kerala. Here, rice flour is used to make puttu. Traditionally, rice is soaked, dried in open air and then ground into fine powder. The powder is then made wet with water and filled in the puttu kutti (puttu maker). It is then steamed for the rice puttu. Alternatively, steam the rice flour in the regular idly moulds.
Makes: around a serving of Rice Puttu.

Ingredients:

Rice Flour 1 Cup
Water 3/4 Cup app.
Shredded Coconut 3 tbsps
Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

Dissolve around quarter tsp of salt into 3/4th cup of water.
Sprinkle water little by little into the rice flour and turn the rice flour into wet powder.
Divide the wet rice flour mixture into 3 portions.

Fill half of the bottom vessel of the puttu maker with water.
Take the cylindrical portion of the puttu maker.
Slide the perforated disk into the bottom part of the cylinder.
First add a tbsp of the shredded coconut to the cylinder.
Then layer it with one third of the rice flour mixture.

Add another tbsp of the shredded coconut on top of the rice flour mixture.
Repeat the layers two more times starting with the rice flour mixture.
Tap the cylindrical portion of the puttu maker couple of times if necessary.
Place the top portion of the puttu maker on the bottom vessel and cover with a perforated lid.

Place the puttu maker on medium high heat and steam for around 8 minutes.
Remove the cylindrical portion and push the perforated disk to slide the puttu onto the plate.

Alternatively, fill the idly mould with shredded coconut and then the rice flour mixture.
Steam the filled idly tray for 6 – 8 minutes.
If possible choose idly moulds that have perforations in them for better steaming.

Serve rice puttu with a gravy curry like kadala curry.
Notes: Make sure not to make the rice flour into dough by adding more water.

Suggestions: Don’t press the rice flour into the cylinder, in which case the steam doesn’t come from the top of the vessel but rather escapes from the bottom of the top part.
Variations: You can also mix the shredded coconut into the rice flour, which yields a rather loose puttu.
Other Names: Rice Puttu, Rice Flour Puttu, Puttu.

Kadala Curry

Kadala Curry.

Kadala curry is a delicious gravy curry made with black chickpeas which is popular in Kerala. Black chickpeas are soaked and pressure cooked till soft. Gravy is prepared with ground spice paste and chickpeas are cooked in the gravy till they absorb all the flavors.
Makes: around 4 Servings of Kadala Curry.

Ingredients:

Black Chickpeas 1 Cup
Ginger Garlic Paste 1/2 tsp
Onion 1/2
Turmeric Powder a pinch
Cilantro few Sprigs
Salt to taste
Oil 1 tbsp

To Grind:

Coconut 2 tbsps
Coriander Seeds 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp
Whole Red Chiles 2
Black Peppercorns 6 – 8
Cloves 2
Cinnamon 1/2 inch Stick
Onion 1/2
Oil 1 tsp

Method of preparation:

Remove stems, wash and slice the green chiles.
Finely chop the onion.
Wash and finely chop the cilantro.
Soak chickpeas in water overnight or for around 5 hours.
Refresh chickpeas with fresh water and pour water to soak them.
Pressure cook the chickpeas for 3 whistles along with few pinches of salt.

Heat oil in a pan, add cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, red chiles, coriander seeds and cumin seeds.
Fry for couple of seconds, add chopped onion and fry till it turns translucent.
Remove from heat and add coconut.
Cool all the ingredients to room temperature and grind them into fine paste adding enough water.

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, ginger garlic paste, chopped onion, green chiles and turmeric powder.
When onion turns translucent, add cooked chickpeas, ground coconut paste, around a cup of water and salt.
Boil till the sauce thickens and remove from heat.
Garnish with cilantro and serve kadala curry with puttu, idiyappam etc..
Notes: Make sure to cook the chickpeas well.

Suggestions: If the kadala curry is not spicy enough, stir in some red chile powder during the end of the cooking process.
Variations: You can also pressure cook the chickpeas without soaking, which takes longer to cook. You can also add chopped tomato along with onion.
Other Names: Kadala Curry, Black Chickpeas gravy curry.

Fried Eggplant

Begun Bhaja.

Begun bhaja is a famous Bengali dish made with eggplants. Eggplants are thickly sliced and coated with spices. The eggplant slices are then either deep fried or shallow fried till cooked. Begun bhaja is typically served with steamed rice or dal.
Makes: 5 Slices of Fried Eggplant.

Ingredients:

Italian or American / Globe Eggplant 1
Turmeric Powder 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder 1/2 tsp (optional)
Salt to taste
Mustard Oil 1 tbsp

Method of preparation:

Wash, remove ends and chop the eggplant into quarter inch thick slices.

Mix together turmeric powder, red chili powder (if using), salt and spread it on a plate.
Dip each eggplant slice into the powder and rub it on each side.

Heat oil in a flat pan on medium heat, carefully arrange the eggplant slices.
When one side of the egglant slices turn brown, slowly turn on other side.
Let the other side turn brown before removing from heat.
Serve fried eggplant with steamed rice or with dal.
Notes: Make sure to cook the eggplant well.

Suggestions: Make sure to chop the eggplant into thick slices. If eggplant is not cooked properly, cook them covered on low flame for couple of minutes before frying.
Variations: Also use black pepper powder in place of red chili powder. Green chile can also be placed on pan along with eggplant slices for some spice. Rice flour or corn flour can be added to the rub for a crunchier version.
Other Names: Begun bhaja, Fried eggplant, Begoon Bhaja.

Potato Fritters Chaat

Potato fritters are prepared by dipping the sliced potato in gram flour batter and deep frying them in oil till golden in color. Then the potato fritters are stuffed with finely chopped onion, spices, herbs and peanuts. Finally lemon is squeezed to finish it off. Serve potato fritters chaat immediately.
Makes: around 5 Potato Fritters Chaat.

Ingredients:

Potato 1
Besan 1/2 Cup
Onion 1 Large
Roasted Peanuts 2 tbsps
Whole Red Chile 1 Small
Red Chile Powder 1 tsp
Cilantro few sprigs
Salt to taste
Lemon 1/2
Soda bi Carb a Pinch
Oil for deep frying

Method of preparation:

Peel, wash and slice the potato into thin circles.
Make sure the circles are not too thin and soak them in cold water until required.
Peel and finely chop the onion.
Clean, remove hard stems and finely chop cilantro.
Grind the red chile and a tbsp of chopped onion into coarse paste with enough salt.
In a small bowl, add red chile onion paste and stir in potato slices and leave aside for few minutes.

Heat oil in wok on medium high heat for deep frying, add few pinches of salt.

In a mixing bowl, add besan, few pinches of red chili powder, salt and soda-bi-carb.
Add sufficient water little by little to make thick flowy batter almost having honey like consistency.
Dip each potato slice in besan batter making sure the batter is coated on both the sides of the potato.
Remove the dipped potato slice from the mixing bowl and slowly drop into hot oil.

Potato slice should sizzle once it hits hot oil else oil has not reached required temperature.
Repeat the same with other potato slices.
Fry on both sides until light golden brown and remove the potato fritters on to kitchen napkin.
Once warm enough to handle, slit each fritter in the middle making sure not to cut it into half.

In a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly chopped onion, roasted peanuts, cilantro, salt.
Stuff the potato fritters with spoonful of the prepared chopped onion mixture.
Squeeze few drops of lemon juice on each stuffed potato fritter.
Layer a big pinch of red chile powder and little salt on each potato fritter.
Serve potato fritters chaat as a snack with few wedges of lemon on the plate.
Notes:Make sure potato fritters are fried properly before removing from heat.

Suggestions: If the fritters come out too thin, make sure the besan batter is thick enough. If the fritters are little hard to touch, add pinch of soda bi carb to the batter and try again.
Variations: Layer a pinch of chaat masala on top of the stuffed potato fritters if desired.
Other Names: Potato Fritters Chaat, Alu Bhaji, Aloo Bajji

Quick Corn Chaat

Quick Corn Chaat.

This is a quick and tasty chaat with corn. Use boiled corn and briefly stir fry it with chaat masala powder. Garnish with cilantro and serve warm corn chaat immediately.
Makes: around a Serving of Quick Corn Chaat.

Ingredients:

Corn Kernels 1 Cup app.
Chaat Masala 1 Tbsp
Amchur Powder 1 tsp
Red Chile Powder a Pinch
Salt to taste
Oil 1/2 tsp

Method of preparation:

Boil the corn or steam it till its soft.
Use a knife to chop off the corn kernels from the cob.
If using canned corn, wash the corn and strain it.

Heat oil in a pan, add corn and fry for a minute.
Stir in chaat masala, amchur powder and salt.
Fry for couple more seconds and remove from heat.
Sprinkle red chile powder and garnish the corn chaat with cilantro.
Notes: Make sure corn is cooked well before adding the spice powders.

Suggestions: Make sure to use minimum oil and make sure not to burn any of the spices.
Variations: You can also add mustard seeds or cumin seeds to the oil before adding corn.
Other Names: Quick Corn Chaat.