Pani Poori - Chat

Pani Pooi - A Indian food chat item popular for it's easy and fun element. People of India intend to mostly have which are sold on streets or food corners. It's also called as Golgappa - Gol means crisp sphere and Gappa means eaten one at a time.Also, called as Puchka in western and eastern parts of India. Bataasha in Uttar Pradesh, Gup-Chup in parts of Odisha and few parts of Jharkand.
It's rare that people make it at home. Making time is much less than assembling and putting them together. It's easy why not try it when procedures are put on!!!

Serves - 4 people and 30-35 Pooris
Making for the chat can be segregated into 4 different parts.
I.  Pooris
II. Theekhi Chutney or Pani
III.Meethi Chutney or Sweet Chutney
IV.Potato stuffing

I.  Pooris

• 1/2 cup - Maida
• 4 tbs  - Fine Sooji/Rawa/Semolina (or you can ask for Bombay Rawa)
• 1 tbs - Ghee/Clarified Butter/Nei
• Salt
• 1 cup - Water (Approx)
• Oil - For deep frying

Method:Vidhiee:
1. In a bowl mix in maida,rawa,ghee,salt with water and knead well.
2. Make the dough bit tight and rest it for half hour. Covering it with damp cloth.
3. After 30 mins make small balls of the dough which was kneaded.
4. Flatten them into a medium thick round shape. To get perfect round shape cut the flattened dough with a cookie cutter or a round small lid of a container.
5. Meanwhile, in a heavy bottom pan heat oil.
6. Remember, that oil must be hot if not the pooris would absorb the oil and become soggy.
7. Once, the oil is hot drop in the pooris about 5-7 at a time depending upon the size of your vessel.
8. Turn it on to other side for it cook well. Do not make them dark brown.
9. Drain excess oil and transfer onto a absorbent paper.
10. Once they cool store them into a sir tight container.

II. Theekhi Chutney or Pani

• 1 - Bunch of Pudina leaves
• 1/2 cup - Coriander leaves
• 1 tbs - Lemon juice
• 1/2" - Ginger
• 2 - Green chillies
• 1 tbs - Amchhoor powder/Dry mango powder/Mangai podi
• 1/2 tbs - Black salt / Sanchal
• 1 tbs - Jeera powder
• 1/4 tbs - Black pepper powder/Kalimirch/Milagu podi
• Salt to taste
• 1 ltr water

Method/Vidhiee:
1. In a blender grind in the pudina, half of coriander leaves,ginger,green chillies,lemon juice.
2. Add it into the water and mix all dry powders to it.
3. Refrigerate the pani for 2-3 hrs before serving.

III.Meethi Chutney or Sweet Chutney

• 1 1/2 cup - De-seeded Dates/Perincha pazam/Kajhur
• 1/2 cup - De-seeded tamarind/Imli/Puli
• 1/2 cup - Jaggery grated
• 1/2 tbs - Red chilly powder
• 1 tbs - Jeera powder
• 500 ml- water to boil
• 250 ml - Water to mix paste
• Salt

Method/Vidhiee:
1. Boil or pressure cook the dates,jaggery and tamarind in water.
2. Once the dates and tamarind have turned soft cool them down and blend them in a blender.
3. Strain the mixture to get a fine smooth liquid.
4. Take as much you require and mix with water. Rest store it in fridge in an air tight container.
5. In water mix jeera powder,red chilly powder, salt and paste.
Your sweet chutney is ready.

IV.Potato stuffing

• 2 - Medium sized potatoes
• 1 - Green chilly
• 1 - Big red onion
• Salt to taste
• Water to boil potato
• Chat masala if preferred

Method/Vidhiee:
1. Boil the potatoes in water.
2. Peal the skin off and mash them well.
3. Finely chop onion,green chilly and coriander leaves
4. Add them to potato that were mashed.
5. Add required salt and mix well.


Final platting of the Pani Pooris
If, you are serving for many add in the potato stuffing inside the pooris and garnish them with Omma Podi/ Ajwain Sev on top and serve them in a plate. Accompanied by 1 cup of Thekha pani and 1 cup of Mithi Chutney.
You need to dip the puri's into the theka pani and then add on mithi chutney before it slides on into your mouth.

Tips:

• You can add even sprouts to the stuffing without potatoes and have.
• Some even add garlic powder to the thikhi chutney.
• Make sure you store the pooris in an air tight container.
• Always have the pani chill. For it you can add in ice cubes to thikhi chutney
• Remember the Thikhi chutney must be very thin.

Baked Penne Cauliflower in Mozzarella Herbed White Sauce

It's been more than a month i dashed on to my dear blog page... It is really true that making food is directly proportional to your moods.. Well am not here for any philosophical write up. Let's move on to the new add on.

Serves 4

• 200 gms    - Penne Pasta
• 100 gms    - Cauliflower Florets or Broccoli Florets
• 50   gms    - Mozzarella cheese
• 10   gms    - Butter
• 20   gms    - Maida
• 500 ml       - Boiled milk
• 50   gms    - Tomato hot chilly sauce
• 3     tbs      - Mixed dried herbs
• 500 ml       - Water
• 1 1/2 tbs    - Salt
• 2 tbs          - Olive oil

Method/Vidhiee:
1. In a heavy bottom pan add in the water, salt and bring it to boil.
2. Add in the penne pasta. olive oil and cauliflower or even broccoli once the water boils.
3. Boil till the pasta turns soft. Drain and keep aside.

To make White Sauce..
1. Add the butter in a pan. If, you are using salted butter reduce the salt to pasta while boiling.
2. Add in the maida and stir well. Keep the flame at low.
3. Slowly add the boiled milk with the help of scooped spoon.
4. Stir vigorously and try avoiding lumps.
5. Stir with a whisker. Add in the dried herbs and whisk well.
6. Make it a semi liquid form.

To make the baked dish...
1. Take in a baked dish which is deep.
2. Grease the dish with butter.
3. Add in the Penne pasta one layer. Upon it add the white sauce layer. Then hot chilly sauce.
4. Repeat this process until the pasta is filled up to the top of the dish.
5. Remember to end the layer with tomato hot chilly sauce.
6. Grate the mozzarella cheese as the final layer.

7. Bake the dish in microwave high for 8-9 mins (Mins and degree varies according to your Owen)












Enjoy the hot steamy baked pasta...


Tip to note:
Try making the white sauce side by side while boiling the pasta.
Avoid cooling of the pasta after draining.
You can use Parmesan cheese instead of mozzarella cheese.

Sakkarai Pongal/Sweet Pongal Re-posted

Pongal one the major harvest festival of south India. Especially in tamilnadu farmers celebrate it with great joy as its their earning which comes out of an year hard work. They make dishes out of new harvested rice.
One such dish is SAKKARA PONGAL or Sweet Pongal.
As a tradition at villages they make in MANN PANNAI (mud pot) tieng  yellow banana, turmeric leaves, flowers, sugarcane around pot. At my home we have tradition to tie the same thread with all the materials above around a VENGALLAI PANNAI (Bronze Pot).

Well there is no occasion needed to make this Pongal!!!

Ingredients:
Raw White Rice - 1 cup
Split yellow moong dhal/ Paytham parupu/ Moong dhal - 1/2 cup
Channa dhal/ Split gram dhal/Kadalai Parupu - 100gms
Gudd/Jaggery/Vellam - 1cup
Ghee/Clarified butter/Nei - 1/4cup
Kaju/Cashewnuts/Mundhiri parupu - 20gms
Kanja drakshai/Kismis - 10gms
Elaichi powder/Elakai powder - 1tsp
Milk - 1cup
Water - 3cup (for boiling)

Mehtod/Vidhiee:
1. Soak dhals & rice for 1/2hr in water.
2. Take a heavy bottom vessel/pressure cooker.
3. Add water and then milk. Bring them to boil.
4. During Pongal days when the milk boils and the froth falls out of the pot people say PONGAL O PONGAL (PONGAL name generally is derived from this froth which falls out of pot).
5. Once the froth falls add the rice and the dhals.
6. Keep stirring till the rice and lentils cook.
7. Keep adding water as and when required sot that the rice & lentils cook.
8. Once they are cooked (means you get to smash them well) time to add powdered jaggery.
9. Stir them well. Let the jaggery melt.
10. Add ghee to the rice mixture and keep stirring without taking out the hand.
11. Meanwhile in another small pan fry the cashewnut,coconut pcs and kismis in ghee.
12. Once the rice, lentils and jaggery becomes like a poridge add the cashew and kismis.
13. Keep a note the Pongal has to be semi solid as when they cool it would become thick and hard.
14. So its ok if the pongal is bit watery.
15. Add elaichi powder and stir well.
Serve hot or cold. Enjoy it!!

Note: You can make the same in pressure cooker. Add 1 portion of water and 3 portions of water to 1 cup rice and 1 cup lentils. Bring them to pressure cook (4 Whistles). Once the pressure is released add jaggery mash and mix well. Add ghee, nuts, kismis, coconut pcs, elaichi powder.

Thengai Paruppu Poli/Boli - Re-posted

This sweet dish is made on BHOGI festival the day before PONGAL in south of India.
Bhogi is celebrated by burning the old things which are no more in use and the next day is the harvest festival Pongal when new things are bought for the home. But, considering the current global warming it is clever not to burn but to bow and give to the needy people around.
POLI is also called as BOLI in some areas. It is made up of only Parupu Poli (Channa dal poli), Thengai Poli (Coconut poli), Masala Poli (carrots, beans, potato salty Poli).
Today i have made a combination of Thengai and Parupu Poli.

Ingredients:
Maida - 2cups
Salt -1/2tps
Water - 1 1/2cup
Refined Oil - 2cup
Ghee/Clarified Butter - 1cup
Elaichi/Elakai/Cardamom - 3-4
Thengai/Coconut - 1/4cup scrapped freshly
Kadalai paruppu/Channa Dal - 1/4cup
Vellam/Jaggery/Gudd - 1/4 cup
Plastic thin sheets - 2
Yellow food colour - a pinch

Method/Vidhiee:
1. Knead the maida by adding salt to it with water. Add Yellow food colour.
2. Make into a dough and add refined oil 1/2cup and knead well.
3. Cover it with a plastic sheet tightly.
4. In a mixer jar add coconut,jaggery,cardamom (pods broken and the flavour inside need to be added)
5. Meanwhile boil the channa dal to 3/4 consistency where you can mash them by a spoon.
6. Once the channa dal is done strain them and add to the mixie jar.
7. Grind them so that all the particles get broken down but, donot make them into paste.
8. Grind them corasely but not any pc that would hamper the process.
9. Now remove the sheet from the kneaded dough and mix the jaggery coconut mixture with it well.
10. Traditionaly the jaggery mixer is stuffed inside the dough by flattening them into a chappati, rolling them and again flattening them.
11. Here, i have used the method of mixing both the jaggery mixture and dough.
12. Now heat a tawa in a low flame.
13. Take one of the plastic sheet and grease them with oil.
14. Take a medium size ball of the mixed dough and flatten them with your hands or fingers on the sheet.
15. Starting from thinning the ends and then again flattening the centre to the end.
16. Be sure that the edges are thin as when you cook them they tend to turn thick.
17. Now gently take the flatten dough and put on to the pan.
18. Cook on both sides till light brown spots are seen.
19. Now add 1tps of ghee and cook on one side and another 1tps on other side.
20. Traditionaly the POLI floats in ghee when on tawa which is now immposible as the ghee prices are high and so to our health :)))
21. Hence, add ghee as per your wish.

Serve hot with adding 1/2tps of ghee or white butter on top.