Namakpara

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup wheat flour
1/4 cup semolina
1/4 tsp ajwain
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chilly powder
A pinch of hing
Salt to taste
2 tbsp ghee
Oil to fry

METHOD:

- Combine initial 8 ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
- Add ghee to the mixture and mix to form crumbles.
- Knead a soft dough using lukewarm water and keep it aside for 10-15 mins.
- Heat the oil in a deep frying pan on medium flame.
- Roll a big roti (medium-thick) and cut into strips or diamond shape.
- Deep fry them until golden brown color on both the sides.
- Drain excess oil by putting them on kitchen tissues and cool down to room temp.
- Store in an air-tight container.

SJ's NOTE:

- Maida or a combination of maida & wheat flour can be used for dough.
- To make this crunchy snack more flavors, you can add kasoori methi as well.
- For quite a new version, Indian spices can be replaced by dried oregano & chilly flakes.

Vadapav / Bataka Vada / Aloo Bonda

An iconic street food... An Indian burger... A popular n cheapest fast food... An irresistible vegetarian sliders !!! No matter how much I say about this lip-smacking plate, it's never enough :) 

Makes: 4

INGREDIENTS:

For Vada:

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3 boiled potatoes

1 tbsp chopped coriander

1 tsp amchoor

1/2 tsp red chilly powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp garam masala

A pinch of hing

Salt to taste

For Batter:

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2 tbsp besan

1/8 tsp red chilly powder

1/8 tsp turmeric powder

A pinch of hing

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp Eno Fruit Salt

4 bread buns (ladi pav)

2 tsp garlic chutney

Oil to fry

METHOD:

- Take all the ingredients of vada in a bowl and mix well.

- Make 4 balls of equal size out of it and keep it aside.

- Mix all ingredients of batter in a small bowl and make a smooth batter using water as required.

- Heat oil in deep frying pan on medium flame.

- Dip each ball prepared out of boiled potatoes in this batter and deep-fry it.

- Roast bread buns on flat-tava using few drops of oil.

- Apply very less garlic chutney on both the sides. 

- Put fried vada (well known as Bataka Vada / Aloo Bonda) in each of them and press it a little.

- Serve hot with Mint-Coriander chutney.

Bhakharwadi

Originally from Maharastra but pretty much famous in Gujarat... Spicy and bite-sized... Deep-fried munching that can be easily found at any farsanwala??? Anyone can guess.... it's "Bhakharwadi"!!!

I always found making it in-house is a tiresome job to do in kitchen!!! And I know... everyone thinks the same. I never knew it was that easyyyyy :) Just gave it a try and you can see the result here...

Makes: 25 (medium-sized)

INGREDIENTS:

For Dough--

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1/4 cup Wheat Flour

1/2 cup Besan

1/4 cup Semolina (fine)

Salt to taste

A pinch of Hing

1 tsp Oil

For Filling--

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1/2 cup Desiccated coconut

2 tbsp Lemon juice (or tamarind paste)

1/2 tsp Red chilly powder

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

2 tsp Goda Masala (1/2 tsp Garam Masala with 1/2 tsp sesame seeds can be used as an alternative)

1/4 tsp Cumin powder

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1 tbsp Fennel seeds (freshly ground)

1/2 tsp Besan

2 tsp Lemon juice

Oil to fry

METHOD:

- Mix all 3 flours, salt, oil and hing in a bowl. Knead a not-so-soft dough using water and keep aside for around 15 mins.

- Take all the ingredients of filling in a bowl and mix well. This mixture will be a little moist due to lemon juice.

- Make 3 equal sized portions of dough and roll each of them using wheat flour for dusting.

- Take each one of them on flat surface one after another and follow the below given process:

• Spread the filling mixture on it and press it gently to make it stick on the surface.
• Start rolling it from one side to other tightly and make a stiff roll.
• Make a slurry of besan and lemon juice and seal the open edge with it.
• Cut the extra part from both the sides and then cut the roll into pieces keeping the size equal.
• Take a drop of slurry and apply on both the open sides of piece.

- Heat the oil in deep frying pan and fry 5-6 pieces at time till crisp and golden brown.

- Cool down to room temp and store these "Bhakharwadis" in air-tight container.

Linking this recipe to Jagruti's Cooking Odyssey and UK-Rasoi:

Kitchen Tidbits

Have you ever thought of your eating-habits??!!! I had/have a few weird ones related to food, I try managing in unfavorable situations though... 

- I love eating with spoons! Strange...? Yes.. I keep a spoon handy even when it's simply a roti-subzi on plate :P

- My near-dear ones suggest me not to eat rice if no-spoon is available and there are too many people around... :( A reason behind that is... I fail every time in eating rice with my finger-tips, without spoiling it! And yeah... I get successful when I let all my fingers to do the same job :P

- I always love having pizza/pasta without ketchup as a topper! My view... it spoils the flavors of toppings and cheese :)

- I love 'Sankalp' and every time I go with family, I love ordering a new typo Uttapam! My dad will see excitement on my face while ordering it... And he'll see me again when I'm half-done with it :P I can never finish the whole Uttapam! 

- Whenever I had my exams on shoulder, the only sigh of relief I used to get was the food-breaks. I enjoyed bhel, omelette with a cuppa kavah! Maggi was all-time a backup plan... :)

- I always hate sugar in any Indian Gravy! May be 'coz I feel, it ruins the richness of Indian Spices :) Or possibly the other reason is, I don't like sweetsssss.... I keep low sugar-level even in my 'Cakes & Bakes' experiments! :P

You might get "???!!!!" too many question n exclamation marks in your mind... But lemme ask you, are you possessive about YOUR kitchen??!!! Well, I am... 

- I keep all kitchen tools, appliances, containers n rest of all items where I want them to be... My husband keeps suggesting few good things to make my work easier in kitchen and yes, I implement it.

- I always loved spices that I use in my recipes, to be arranged my way! Even my mum wasn't supposed to change its place... Later on, I used to keep my special spices in separate box at in-laws too... & believe me, nothing is changed yet! :P

- I always prefer keeping my kitchen pantry up-to-date and I am very selective in case of grocerry! I get so irritated when someone else suggests me changes in my pantry!!!!!!!!! Huh... never acceptable.

- I always feel a little scared when I want to make something that I have never tasted... but that doesn't change my mindset to eat-out first :) I will experiment for sure... but will ask my husband for a quick n honest review after the first bite itself :P

- I love my food-containers & dining sets!!! :D Each piece of them is very special to me... 

It's now time to head for another cooking session.... :)

That's me, my food and my kitchen!!! How about you?? ADD YOURS TIDBITS IN COMMENT SECTION HERE...