Kulle ki Chaat

A couple of years ago, I worked on one of the most fun projects of my career, for a client. It involved mapping the food landscape of India – as broad a brushstroke as you’ll ever see. Essentially it involved, among other things, mapping the history of India’s culinary evolution, understanding regional cuisines across the four regions, decoding the philosophy, medical beliefs and social developments that shape India’s food behavior and, most importantly for us, getting to go on foodwalks across many cities, eating at some of the most interesting and experimentative restaurants ( Indian Accent, for example) and getting paid for it!

One of the most memorable outings was a food walk in Old Delhi with Sohail Hashmi. He is a history buff who really knows his Purani Dilli backwards, from how it looked in the time of Shah Jahan to its streets, architecture, the life of people, legends and the many nooks and crannies that guard its delicious food secrets. Among the more exotic things we got to taste – fruit sandwiches invented for the traditionally vegetarian bania families that visited Old Delhi to go wedding trousseau shopping, which consist of white bread layered with various fruit, a thin layer of paneer and a special secret chutney/ masala that brings it all together. Mithai and chocolates in virtuoso shapes or flavor combinations, which are now sent out to invitees along with wedding cards. The most exquisite double-ka-meetha I have ever had, behind Matia Mahal – crisp on the surface, soft and spongy underneath and the perfect level of sweetness, laced with saffron. Freshly baked nan khatai biscuits sold on a cart. In fact, it’s really difficult to pace yourself so you have enough appetite for all the goodies that you come across, and both times I’ve been there, I’ve missed out on the famous dahi vadas as I was too full.

Kulle ki chaat is a special chaat made up primarily of stuffed veggies and involving no frying so at first we were skeptical – how good could it be? But one bite and we were converts. It’s really simple to put together, crisp and cooling and so delicious one thinks of health benefits only later!

Ingredients:
Base

Tomatoes - 2

Cucumber - 2

Potatoes - 2

Papaya - 1

Pineapple – 1 (Optional)

Filling

Boiled chickpeas - handful

Boiled potatoes – 2, cubed tiny
Half a cup of pomegranate seeds

Chaat masala to taste

Handful of coriander leaves, chopped fine

Juice of 1.5-2 limes

Cut the cucumber vertically into halves, then into 1.5 inch chunks, hollowing out the seeds. You can also try cutting it into cylinders and hollow out most of the seed core, leaving a thin layer at one end as a base. Tomatoes – chop off a slice from the top and then scoop out the inside. With potatoes – boil some mid-sized potatoes until just soft but not too soft. Chop in half and scoop out some of the boiled potato from the center, leaving a bowl to be filled. Chop the papaya and pineapple into 1 inch thick slabs.

Mix the cubed potatoes, boiled chickpeas, coriander leaves, pomegranate seeds, chaat masala and lime juice in a separate bowl. Spoon in to the hollow veggies/ onto the fruit slabs.

Serve immediately - as a snack, pre-meal salad or drinks accompaniment -

and bask in a healthy halo!

Healthy Chaat - MLLA 23, Weekend Herb Blogging

I love chaat. I can have it any time of day/ year...but the only thing that is a hindrance is that most forms of chaat are made of fried goodies - aloo tikki, papdi, fried potatoes...Given my constant attempts at losing weight and at eating healthy, that does pose a problem.

But recently while having some failed dahi wadas at a friend's house, I had a brilliant inspiration. The things that are really fabulous about chaat and that make it so tongue-ticklingly fab are the contrast of flavours - sweet, sour, spicy and salty - and textures - crisp, soft, mushy all at once. How about recreating that in a calorie-friendly form?

So here's what I came up with, and it was a huge success at a lunch party - so cuccessful that it's become standard lunch fare for me in this hot Delhi summer.

Recipe
Ingredients:
Green chutney
Date-tamarind chutney ( sonth)
Yogurt
1 chopped onion
1 cup sprouted moong beans
Chaat masala ( optional) - 1 tsp

Mix the sprouts with the onions. Add the chutneys and yogurt and mix well ( check if salt level is right, you might need to add some). Top with chaat masala, if desired and garnish with a few green grapes cut in half, or pomegranate bits. You can also add a sprinkling of sev if you like.

Green Chutney
Given my love for green leafies, I love chutneys that are green. This one is simple and a winner - I always have some on hand in the fridge and the freezer, and it goes with everything - toast, sandwiches, rotis, pakoras, chips...

1 handful coriander( just chop off the root end of the stalk, but you can use the rest of the stalks)
1 tbsp raw peanuts (I prefer using the ones with skin on)
3-4 garlic pods, peeled
Juice of 1 lime
2-3 green chillies, depending on how hot you like it

Just blitz until it becomes a smooth mix and add salt to taste

Date-Tamarind Chutney
Chaat cannot be made without this tongue-tantalizing chutney, which blends the sweet thickness of dates with the tartness of tamarind to form the perfect Indian melange of sweet, sour, salty. I got this recipe from Tarla Dalal's chaat cookbook. This can be stored in the fridge for upto 1 month.

Ingredients
2 cups dates deseeded
1/4 cup tamarind deseeded
1 cup jaggery, grated ( or use brown sugar)
1 teaspoon chilli powder
a pinch asafoetida (heeng)
Salt

Wash the dates and tamarind and place them in a saucepan. Add the jaggery, chilli powder, asafoetida, salt and 4 cups of water and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool and strain the mixture through a sieve. Use as required. Store refrigerated.

The measurements given here should work - remember that the taste has to be aggressively sweet-sour.

This is my entry for MLLA23, hosted by the original creator of this wonderful event, Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook , and for Weekend Herb Blogging # 232, hosted by Lynnylu.

Delhi 6 Salad

I have been tripping on the score of this movie for the past few days. ARR has done a superb job and this is truly one of his stand-out efforts. I liked much of the music in Jaane Tu but felt it wouldn't stand the test of time. Similarly, in Ghajini I only thought the Guzarish song was special. But here he cracks it and lets you know why he is the Maestro! I am in love with this city of mine, Delhi, and the title song of the movie catches a wonderful mood – the hot, nothing-stirs summer afternoons, long lazy scooter rides around India gate watching urchins splash in the fountain pools, the jamun trees swaying in the monsoon breeze and raining fruit down on passersby, Janpath and the myriad stalls there, the winter mornings of hot mugs of chai and the sun on your shoulders…

Another very Dilli thing is the wonderful varieties of chaat one gets here - tongue-tickling, a melange of sweet, sour, spicy and salty and each bite an adventurous explosion of flavours on your tongue. So when I told myself I had to come up with something Dilli 6-ish, I went for a bold burst of flavour - salty, tart, flavoured with spices and zingingly fresh. Here it is:

Ingredients:
Teaspoon cumin seeds
Handful coriander leaves and stalks
3 garlic cloves, peeled
Half cup plain yogurt
Few stalks of mint leaves
Rock salt to taste
Pound the cumin seeds, coriander leaves and stalks, mint, garlic and rock salt together in a mortar until everything forms a smooth paste. Beat into the yogurt with a fork until well-mixed. Pour onto a bowlful of your favourite mix of salad vegetables – sprouts and spring onions, garbanzo beans and tomatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, spring onions and bell peppers…And enjoy to the tunes of the song which can be found here!

PS. My photo of the salad sucks so here are some pics of Delhi…
PPS. Did I mention I used to live in the Red Fort? Yes, in this life!