Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Ajwain Massala Puri



So many festivals are around isn’t it? Last week we had Ganesh festival, before that Krishna Janmasthmi and before that Rakshabandhan. Festive spirits are in full swing in our home too. Those of you follow me on instagram would have seen my janmashthmi pooja pic- my way is to keep things simple.

Honestly, in India bringing Ganpati at home has become a status symbol. People show off their wealth in form of ganpati celebrations- how big the ganpati is; does it have any silver, gold or diamonds embellished on it? How much are they spending on prassad? So I was talking over the phone with my mom and she said that little kids of our neighbourhood have also welcomed Ganpati in our colony, its a small Ganpati statue that they got with their own pocket money and right from decoration to inviting people for sthapna and arti was done by those kids- isn’t it what festivals are about? Simple yet strong emotions and no show off.

So with other festivals approaching like Navratri, Karva Chauth and Diwali I have began cleaning the house little by little each day. Rubbish removal is a big task, what to throw and what to keep is huge dilemma for Mr. Husband. But my funda is clear-anything that I haven’t worn or used in last two years should go to charity.


So talking about festivals, one of the most common and must have food is Puri and Aloo ki Subji. I have made Palak Puri before for diwali to give it a healthy twist. Today’s post is about Ajwain Massala Puri. Poori-signifies celebration and happiness in most of the India and no big event or occasion is complete without puris- be it on birthdays, anniversaries, parties or as a  prassad during festivals.

Dough of flour and salt is rolled out in small circles and then deep fried in oil. While deep frying, it puffs up like a round ball because moisture in the dough changes into steam which expands in all directions. Ajwain and massala puri is great even when served with hot cup of chai. These are great travel snack as well, it says well for 2-4 days and can be relished with just pickle as well.

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cup wheat flour
3-4 green chillies-finely chopped
1/2 inch ginger piece/adrak-grated
2 teaspoons carom seeds/ajwain
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder/haldi
Salt as per taste
Water as needed
Oil for frying + 2 tablespoons

Method:
Heat a pan and roast carom seeds till it becomes fragrant.
In a mixing bowl add flour, turmeric powder, salt, 2 tablespoons oil, carom seeds, green chillies and ginger. Mix and add water slowly to form the dough. Dough should be firm.
Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. After that, punch the dough for another 1 minute.
Heat oil in a kadai/wok. On a dusted work surface, make medium sized pooris, neither thin nor thick and fry them in hot oil. Drain the pooris on paper napkins to remove excess oil.



Notes:
The puri dough is tight compared to the dough for parathas or rotis.
You can also add sesame seeds (til) in the dough.

Serving suggestions:
Puris goes well with almost all dry curries.
To make the Punjabi thali serve it with paneer butter massala, aloo choledal makhani and green chilli pickle.
For gujarati thali, serve it with aloo tamatar nu shaakgobi mutterkhamman dhokla and keri nu ras.

Friday, August 25, 2017

Oven Roasted Chickpeas: Indian Style



Oven Roasted Chickpeas. Highly addictive! Roasted in oven, this protein loaded tiny chickpeas turns into salty snack- perfect nibble or a companion for any drink.

Recently folks from Ugly Drinks sent me a box of their new range of sparking water- Triple Berry, Orange, Lime &Lemon and Tropical. Yes, you don’t see Lime & Lemon in pictures below because it went straight in my tummy ;-)


To be honest, I haven't seen any drink as genuine as Ugly Drinks. They keep it real, with no sugar, no sweetener, no calories and absolutely nothing artificial. If you like sparkling waters that have no fat or salt then you HAVE to give them a try. I tried Tropical one and I was hooked- too good to be true. Perfect flavor and clean sparkling/bubbly taste.

Talking about today’s recipe. These are very Indian in taste, spicy kick from red chilli powder and bit of tang from lemon is dangerously great. Feel free to play around with spices, you can use cumin powder, red chilli flakes and even Italian herbs.


Now some tips on how to make them crunchy:
-Do not use too much oil. It will just make them soggy and mushy.
-Use a large baking pan. Do not overcrowd the pan.
-Whether you are using canned chickpeas or freshly boiled ones, do dry chickpeas on towel properly.
-Mix the spices properly. Toss the spices and leave it on chickpeas for atleast 5 minutes (just like any marination).


Ingredients:
1 can chickpeas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method:
Preheat the oven at 200C
Drain the chickpeas on a strainer. Wash thoroughly under running water.
Dry the chickpeas on a towel. Chickpeas should look dry and pale.
In a large mixing bowl, mix oil and salt. Toss well. Leave this for 5 minutes.
In a making pan, roast the chickpeas for 20-25 minutes. Stir the chickpeas in between to avoid burning.
Chickpeas are done when they have slight dark colour and crisp on the outside.
Throw in red chilli powder and lemon juice. Mix well so that chickpeas are coated well with spices.



Notes:
Chickpeas will be very crunchy when hot. Once it cool down it will lose its crispiness but will taste good.
Throw these chickpeas in salad or pulav for some extra crunch.


Disclaimer: I was not paid or told to write positive review. The post is based on my experience and is unbiased. Thanking Ugly Drinks for sending cans to review.

Friday, August 4, 2017

The Coconut Collaborative: Little Lemon Temptations-Lemon


Talk about summer flavours and the citrus lemons is the first thing to pop in my mind. Back in India we never use lemons in dessert; I became a lemon dessert enthusiast only after coming to the UK. It all started in a tiny petite cafe where I tried a lemon cake for the very first time. The secret love affair with lemony dessert grew stronger when I baked this Lemon Bundt Cake at home-perfect summers treat!


Today, let me introduce before you another lemon dessert luxury-The Coconut Collaborative's brand new dessert - Little Lemon Temptations. These perfect pots of goodness are made with coconut cream and real lemon juice for that extra zing, making for a delicious and creamy dessert.

Honestly these are just amazing and you do not need to have a sweet tooth to enjoy this tantalizing tartness of a dessert made with lemon. Look how cute they are- perfect size pots; I carried it sometimes in my office bag to help me boost my energy and uplift my mood.



Like me if you like coconut and lemons then this dessert is surely going to cheer you up. Great taste, beautiful creamy texture and health benefits of coconut. Another good news-this is dairy free, free from gluten & soya and its vegan- what else can you ask for.

If are not a lemon fan, no worries, there are so many different choices-Go grab yours.


Disclaimer: I was not paid or told to write positive review. The post is based on my experience and is unbiased. Thanking The Coconut Collaborative  for sending Little Temptations-Lemon  for review.