Ragda Patties - A Mumbai street snack

My husband (M) was born and lived his childhood days in Mumbai. He has some wonderful memories of food, from there. Few of them are kulfi from the street cart vendor, pani puri, gola ice (the Indian popsicle which is a cross between granita and popsicle) and ofcourse, Ragda patties. I have never tried it in India, but have tried in a few Indian restaurants here in California. According to M, none of it tastes as good as what he had in Mumbai as a kid. I thought, 'May be we should try it at home sometime'.

I am a big time planner. I plan my menu for the next week by Friday, make a list based on that menu and then shop for groceries. This way, I don't shop a lot (which I tend to) and by end of the week my refrigerator is almost empty and ready for re-stocking. One day, while planning the week's menu, I remembered ragda patties and asked M if he would help me make it that Sunday. He agreed and I shopped for the ingredients. This dish comes in two parts - 'Ragda', which is cooked dried peas (white or green) with onions, tomatoes and spices, while 'patties' is a plain old potato patty. Instead of using just potatoes, I insisted on using carrots, peas, cilantro and soy granules too. We invited few friends for our Sunday chat indulgence. We had dosa, ragda patties, pani puri, spinach rice and rasgulla (brought in by Smita) and most of all had lots of fun!! We gave ourselves an hi-fi as M thought that the ragda patties tasted very close to those in his memories. One more thing to add here is, this is the first good food picture I have shot indoors under artificial lights with my point and shoot! We have recently purchased a DSLR - hoping to shoot better pictures soon.

Recipe for ragda:

• Soak dried peas (I chose white) for 4-6 hours. Cook it with water and turmeric powder until soft, preferably in a pressure cooker.
• In a saucepan add 2-3 tsp of oil. Saute finely chopped onions, ginger paste, garlic paste and finely chopped tomatoes. Add the cooked peas, salt to taste, red chilly powder, garam masala powder and required amount of water, cover and bring to boil. Then simmer for 5 minutes.
  

Recipe for patties:

• Steam potatoes, peel and mash them. Add salt and red chilly powder to taste and mix well.
  
• Prepare soy granules (I like granules to chunks as they are smaller in size and blend in better) as directed in box.
• Grate carrots, thaw/ drain peas, if using frozen/ canned, finely chop onions and cilantro
• Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a sauce pan, saute onions, carrots and peas. Add salt and red chilly powder to taste and mix well. Add very little water and cook covered for a minute. Heat until all water evaporates and the mixture is dry. Add potatoes, soy granules and cilantro and mix well.
• Make patties, roll over bread crumbs and pan fry in a non-stick pan.

Serving suggestion:
Serve patties and ragda separately. Additionally serve finely chopped onions, grated carrots, finely chopped cilantro and lemon wedges for garnishing. Green (mint - cilantro) chutney and sweet (tamarind - date) chutney always accompany any Indian chat.
To assemble, place 1 0r 2 patties on a place, smash them slightly with a spoon, add ragda on top, add your choice of chutneys, then top off with your favourite garnishes and enjoy!!

Wrapped with fun

What do I call this wrap? 'Mediterranean wrap'?, as I used Mediterranean ingredients and Middle-Eastern flat bread? Or 'Creme cheese wrap'? when I smear creme cheese on the base? Or 'Masala wrap'? when I use 'Indian' ingredients? I think, 'As you like it wrap' might be appropriate as you can throw in anything you love.

'Wrapped with fun'... Yes!! This is one preparation we absolutely have fun with, every single time. Want a recipe which is quick, healthy and the whole family can have fun at dinner time? This is the one!! My creative friend Purnima told me about the creme cheese and sun-dried tomato wrap that she makes for her office potlucks. I derived my inspiration from there and prepared it for my son's first birthday party (for the first time). All our guests enjoyed it a lot and asked me for the recipe. It is so simple and quick, that with a little help even my 2 1/2 year old son can make it :)

I bought 'Lavash' (Middle-Eastern flat bread) from my local 'Trader Joe's (whole wheat option available). This flat bread is rectangular and that makes it easier to wrap. I would smear either creme cheese (for kids), or humus or pesto (for adults) on the bread. Then I would sprinkle any of my favourite ingredients on top, wrap it up and cut it into halves and enjoy. This time, I used sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil (oil squeezed out), chopped fresh spinach, basil chiffonade^*1 and sliced green olives. I sprinkled some chilly flakes for a little extra punch (lots on my hubby's). As I stated earlier, you can virtually use any ingredient. I guess, any kind of cooked and shredded meat would go well too (We are vegetarians and hence have not tried this option - but guessing it would work).

You can put the ingredients in separate bowls and let your family assemble their own wraps at the dinner table. Have family fun and less work for you at the same time. Isn't that nice?



*1 - Chiffonade is just a fancy term for thin shredded strips (generally used for herbs). Before cutting basil chiffonade, you may want to sprinkle a few drops of vegetable oil on the leaves and gently rub to evenly coat the leaves. This will prevent them from darkening. Stack several basil leaves and roll them into a tight tube length-wise. Slice the leaves width-wise into narrow pieces to create long thin strips.

Masala vadai

Food sometimes makes me wonder... How can some dishes from two different cuisines, belonging to different parts of the world, be so similar? Like tortilla and roti , Thai curry and kuruma, ingera (Ethiopian bread) and dosa, Chinese dumplings and kozhukattai.... I once saw an episode in discovery channel titled 'The real Eve', which talks about the first woman of the world who was from Africa and all of us are her descendants. Does this similarity in food prove that theory??? Anyways, today's recipe is an addition to above list of similarities. Masala vadai (or vada), an authentic south Indian dish which is very similar to the Middle Eastern falafel.

Masala vadai is deep fried channa dal (skinned, split and dried garbanzo beans) balls with spices. It is a must at our home during Diwali. My mom is such an expert at making it, that not just us at home, but all our friends love it too. Recently, when my husband's friends came home for dinner, I made this (for the first time) for appetizer.

Ingredients:
Channa dal - 2 cups
Onion - 1 large, finely chopped
Cilantro - 2 tbsp, finely chopped (optional)
Curry leaves - 2 - 3 strands, chopped
Green chillies - 3 - 5 (or to taste), finely chopped or ground
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Garlic paste - 1 1/2 tsp
Sonf (fennel seends) - 1 tsp coarsely ground
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:
Soak channa dal for about 2 to 3 hours. Grind into a coarse paste with very little water. A chopper (if you have one) works better than blender or mixie. Add all the other ingredients (except oil) and mix well.

Heat oil in a frying pan or kadai for deep frying. Take a small lime sized ball of the channa dal mixture, flatten slightly on the palm and slide into the hot oil. Fry on both sides until golden brown. Remove into a plate lined with paper towel. Enjoy the crispy treat hot, warm or at room temperature. You can also serve with coconut chutney or tomato ketchup on the side.
Note: Start the frying process as soon as all the ingredients are mixed in, else the mixture will become watery making it difficult to handle and the vadai will end up oily.

Roti!!!

How long has it been since I wrote anything here!!! I've missed you all and the blogging...
Hmmm... Lets see... I went to India, came back to the US, found a new place to live, moved into the new place, took up a new job, started sending my son to pre-school, went to India again for my sister's wedding, came back, welcomed my sister here, helped her a little bit to settle down and now taken a small break from work.... So, got back to blogging about my favourite thing - FOOD!!! and hoping I'd continue....

Mondays are roti days. Since I've been working, have not been able to make roti at home. I'd just pick up some from a restaurant on my way back home. Since I'm on a break now and was at home today, I decided to make it myself...

Actually, making roti has always been a challenge for me. It was one of those unconquered territories! My mom, a great cook (and my cooking inspiration) is a bad roti maker too! worse than me - can you believe that? Being rice eaters, this never made our everyday food any less delicious.

Roti, screams 'Indian'. When I call my self an Indian cook, I am supposed to make good (if not great) rotis. I set out on this mission... Made them over and over... not very successful or consistent in making the perfectly soft rotis. My MIL makes wonderful rotis and (unlike me) she never feels they were labour-intensive. This time when I was in India, I carefully observed her making rotis every time. When I got back this time, I replicated her method - viola!!! soft and great tasting rotis every time. Mission accomplished!!

Tonight, I used multi-grain atta (Pillsbury) and couple of table spoons of flax seed powder. I added chopped fresh basil from my garden, salt and couple of teaspoons of oil. Kneaded the dough with fingers, (new technique learnt - don't use the palm and don't put excess pressure while kneading) rolled the rotis and cooked them on a hot griddle. We really enjoyed our dinner and I felt a great sense of accomplishment.

Mirchi ka salan

The first time I had 'Mirchi ka Salan' was at a restaurant near my office in Chennai with friends and absolutely loved it. I ordered it again the next time I went there. One day, my colleague in the US, Latha, brought it for lunch and I thought I'll make it at home, but that did not happen. I am in Chennai now at my mom's place. My mom had bell peppers which she wanted to cook the same day. She was going to cook drumstick leaves and she said she is going to add bell peppers to that. I love bell peppers and felt it would be a weird combination with drumstick leaves. So, I told her I'll make something with the bell peppers and the first thing that came to my mind was 'Mirchi ka salan'.

Mirchi ka salan is a Hyderabadi side dish that is served with rice and biriyani. It is prepared with mild varieties of peppers like Anaheim, Poblano, bell peppers, banana peppers and sometimes Jalapenos. In Chennai, it is generally prepared with 'Bajji molagai'. The original recipe uses a flat-bottomed copper vessel and is covered with dough while cooking over low heat to enrich the flavours. The roasted and ground spices makes it so aromatic and it has a wonderful nutty flavour from sesame seeds and peanuts.

Ingredients:
Bell peppers - 1 lb cut into large cubes
Oil as required
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Juice of a small (1/2 lime sized) piece of tamarid

To grind set 1:
Onion - 1 large diced
Tomato - 1 large diced
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Garlic - 4-5 cloves

To grind set 2:
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Red Chilies (whole) - 5 - 6 or to taste
Sesame seeds - 1 tsp
Peanuts - 2 tbsp

Method:
Dry roast cumin, coriander and sesame seeds separately and grind all set 2 ingredients together. In little oil saute cubed bell peppers until slightly wilted, remove and set aside. In the same vessel heat some more oil and fry ginger, garlic, onion and tomato. Cool, grind and set aside. Heat little oil, add curry leaves and once the spluttering stops, add mustard seeds and allow it to crackle. Lower the heat and then add ground set1 paste and mix well. Next, add ground set2 powder, salt, turmeric powder and tamarind juice, mix well and bring it to boil. Now add the sauteed bell peppers and allow to boil for 30 seconds, remove from heat and enjoy hot with rice.

Mainland China in Chennai

Situated in Sterling Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai, 'Mainland China' kind of hides behind Quality Inn. It is an upscale restaurant, surely not an affordable place to eat very often, but a perfect place for special days and celebrations. I have dined there few times in the last five years with family and friends and was never disappointed. As the name clearly suggests, they serve Chinese cuisine. The names of the dishes in the menu and the food presentation are authentic Chinese, but the food is of course Indianised Chinese which makes it more delicious. The decor and lighting are really good too - perfect for a quiet little celebration. They have weekend lunch buffet with a great variety of Veg and Non-veg dishes (including steamed dumplings - which my mom loved a lot). It used to cost around Rs. 250 per person few years ago and I'm sure it is a lot more expensive now.

Recently, I took my parents, sister and my aunt and uncle who were visiting from Singapore, there for dinner. The food was really good and the service was exceptional as usual. My uncle was really impressed with their service. I was surprised to see that the restaurant was almost full on a regular Tuesday night, that too towards the end of the month. We ordered Pepper lemon vegetable soup, Sweet corn soup, Crispy chilli corn and Crunchy spinach (was not in the menu card - suggested by our waiter) for starters. The soups tasted amazing and was not loaded with corn starch as done in most Chinese restaurants. The starters were crunchy and had unique flavour. For main course, we ate Vegetable fried rice, Crispy noodles with sweet and sour vegetable, Exotic vegetable clay pot and Pepper lamb curry. All the dishes tasted great except the lamb. My uncle and aunt felt that the lamb was imported frozen lamb and hence was tough and not as tender as Indian mutton. We ordered Date pancake with Vanilla ice cream for dessert. It took really long to get our dessert to the table and we were getting a little restless at the end. As expected, the pancake was fantastic. We paid about Rs. 2300 for six people - which is expensive yes, but truly worth it. I would rate Mainland China with 4 1/2 stars out of 5 (1/2 star less because of the lamb and long wait for the dessert).

Paneer Burji

We are in India right now and the first three weeks have been very busy with festivities. We have gotten out of jet lag, finished my dad's 60th birthday at Thirukadayur, went to Thirupathi, celebrated Karthigai deepam and have finally settled down. I have some breathing room before the preparations for my bil's wedding would start and decided to utilize that in my blog.

Paneer Burji is a very simple and easy dish and can be served as a side dish with roti or separately as a breakfast entree. It is very nutritious and high in protein. 'Pal curry' (Curried milk), as my mom would call it, is made when she has excess milk or when she suspected the milk would turn sour soon. She would boil the milk, curdle it using lemon juice or curd, separate out the curds from whey water by filtering through a 'veshti' (dhoti) cloth and hang it to drain the excess water. Then she would crumble the paneer with her fingers and use it in the curry. As a kid, I somehow never liked this dish and that thought stayed in my head. When I prepared it at home for the first time, I was apprehensive about the taste. I took the first spoon expecting it to taste bad. I was surprised by how much I liked it. I realized that our tastes grow with us and our horizons widen each day.

My version here uses store bought paneer for ease, and can be substituted with home-made paneer. I made this recently as a side dish when we had invited a couple of Murali's (husband) colleagues home, for dinner. We loved it so much that the four of us finished all the burji made from about a pound of paneer (apart from the other dishes). My little son liked it too - which was an additional plus.

Ingredients:
Paneer - 400 gms pack grated
Onion - 2 finely chopped
Tomato - 3 finely chopped
Green chillies - 4-5 or to taste
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Cilantro - 2 tbsp finely chopped (optional)
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste

Method:
Heat oil over medium heat, add cumin seeds and fry until brown. Add onion and green chillies and fry for a minute. You can add little salt at this stage to bring out the sweetness of onion. Now add ginger paste and garlic paste and fry until the mixture turns light brown. Keep stirring to avoid burning. Now add tomatoes and fry for 2 minutes. Add salt (include salt for paneer too), garam masala powder, turmeric powder and add little water and cook covered for 5 minutes. Now add the grated paneer and mix well until heated through. Add cilantro mix well, remove from heat and enjoy hot.