Name: Vegan Peri Peri Potato Wedges | Baked Potato Wedges
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 2 people
Ingredients: 04 nos. large potatoes; 4-5 cups water (for boiling ); salt to taste (plus extra 1/4 tsp. added while boiling); black pepper powder to taste; 3 tbsp olive oil (or refined oil/ vegan butter ); 1 tsp peri peri spice mix; sea salt as topping (optional ); chopped parsley as garnish (optional )

20
Nov
2015

Litti Chokha Bhune Tamatar ki Chutney aur Dhaniya Lehsun ki Chutney

categories: Breakfast, Festive Recipes, Indian Breads, Indian Snacks, Main Course, North Indian Recipes, Regional Indian Cuisines, Street Food, Vegetarian Recipes

Litti Chokha is a very common street food in Bihar and parts of Uttar Pradesh too! And we basically hail from U.P….so it’s obvious that our love for this kind authentic food is very strong😁

I remember visiting my Grandma’s place during winters…sitting On the terrace and enjoying the chilly weather while my Granny and my aunts would make these yummy Littis and Chokha..so warm and full of flavour!

Spicy chutneys would accompany them…Bhune Tamatar Ki Chutney and a fiery Dhaniya aur Lehsun ki Chutney! I can’t forget the flavours..the filling of the Litti would be so rustic and earthy. Every bite would taste different 👌☺️

These recipes have been in my family for ages and are passed on to every generation! Although the recipe is pretty much the same in every family in the region.

Here’s my Mother’s recipe which she learnt from her Mother..my Granny😘 …I am sure you will love it.

Yield: serves 2-3 persons (8-9 Litti)

Equipment: a large mixing bowl, measuring cups/ spoons, 3-4 extra mixing bowls, ladles and spatulas, a pair of tongs, a wired roasting rack, a baking tray, a cooling rack.

Ingredients for Litti:

2 cup wholewheat flour

Salt to taste

2 tbsp warm ghee

1 tsp carrom seeds (ajwain)

Water as required to knead the dough

Method:

Take all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, add the ghee and mix everything well. Then using little water at a time, make a semi stuff dough. Cover it and set it aside while we continue with the stuffing.

Ingredients for Stuffing:

1 cup sattu (roasted chickpea flour, available in stores. But we use only homemade)

Salt to taste

Oil from mango pickle to taste

1 tbsp chopped green chillies

1 tsp chopped coriander leaves

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 tbsp lemon juice

A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

3 tbsp raw mustard oil (use any other oil if you like, but mustard oil gives the authentic taste)

1/2 tsp grated ginger

Method:

Mix all the above ingredients well in a bowl. Set it aside for the sattu to absorb the flavours.

Assemble the Litti:

Divide the dough in equal parts. Flatten each part a bit and fill a tbsp orso of the filling like we do for Parathas. Make sure the outer layer isn’t too thick else it won’t cook through. Seal the Litti well. Repeat for the entire batch of dough. Set the stuffed Litti aside. You can cook them in a Tandoor. But I do it this way…check the below pic…it’s self explanatory. Cook all the Littis this way on each side for about 4-5 mins in low flame.

That’s the Litti done! 👌👌

Ingredients for Chokha:

3 nos. boiled, peeled & mashed potatoes

Salt to taste

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tbsp chopped green chilli

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

2 tbsp mustard oil (use it raw, or heat it well…cool & then add it)

Method:

Mix all the above ingredients in a mixing bowl. Set it aside. It’s always served at room temperature. Not hot.

Ingredients for Bhune Tamatar ki Chutney:

4 nos. tomato (roasted)

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 tsp chopped green chilli (roasted)

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Salt to taste

2 tbsp mustard oil (use it raw or heat it well…then cool & add it)

Method:

You can roast the tomatoes in the tandoor or open flame (my mom does it on an open flame). I do it in the oven, so preheat the oven to 200’c. Prick the tomatoes a few times, apply oil on them ..do the same with one green chilli too. Place these on a greased or foil lined baking tray. Bake for 35 mins using both upper and lower heating coils/ rods at 200’c.

Cool them well, remove the peel from the tomatoes. Mash them roughly, chop the roasted chill too. Mix tomatoes with all the other ingredients well. Set it aside. Chutney is ready. (The roasted garlic is not used in this chutney, but do roast some. We will need it soon. Also, remove the green chilli & garlic pods within 15 of the baking time to avoid burning them. Continue to roast the tomatoes for the rest of the time)

Ingredients for Dhaniya aur Lehsun ki Chutney:

1+1/2 cup clean and chopped coriander leaves

4-5 nos roasted and peeled garlic

1 nos chopped green chilli

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 cup sliced onion

Salt to taste

1-2 tbsp water

1 tsp lemon juice

Method:

Grind all the ingredients in a blender, except the lemon juice. Add the juice post the chutney is ready. Mix well. That’s it!

(My Granny always made the chutney on a Sil-Batta, ‘Sil’ is a traditional stone board and the ‘Batta’ is a heavy stone batten which crushes the ingredients…you get an awesome taste of the traditionally pounded chutney 😊)

Now, serve these together as shown in the pic below along with some onions and mooli (radish) and some green chillies..👌👌😋 break open a Litti…put some Choka over it..and dip it in the Chutneys..and do not forget to bite into one of the chillies…I am drooling again😜

Hope you liked this traditional touch from my kitchen….it’s a must try for everyone….😀
Love,

Shreya💗

12
Nov
2015

Masala Puris with U.P. Style Aloo Dum / Spicy Indian Fried Flat Bread with North Indian Style Potato Side Dish

categories: Festive Recipes, North Indian Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes

Happiness is making perfect puffed, round Puris! 😀💕 And mopping it up with spicy Aloo Dum…!

I love Puris! Well, who doesn’t?! 🙌 Ever since we were kids, Puris were a staple during festivals, weddings, poojas… for breakfast or lunch boxes.. Basically, what I mean is that Puris are very accommodating…LOL!

So I made these for my Holi lunch with a spicy, rustic & flavourful Aloo Dum …in U.P. Style (potatoes cooked with onions and earthy spices in mustard oil) ….that’s because we are from U.P. Besides, for me, no festivities are quite over until I have Puris 💖 😬

So this time I made Masala Puris ( wheat flour along with some Indian spices ) to go with my Aloo Dum, the recipes of which obviously I have learnt from my mom! Who else?! And her Aromatic Garam Masala spice mix for the Aloo Dum! ❤️ and served them with some Dahi Wadas! Super duper hit pairing and my hubby was floored! 😍 We certainly did over eat ..hehe! Anyhow…time for the recipe 😛

Here’s my Mother’s recipe…

Yield: 15-17 Puris & 2 servings of Aloo Dum

Equipment: 2-3 large bowls, blender, 2 woks, 1 large ladle, 1slotted spoon, rolling pin, knives & peelers, measuring cups / spoons, kitchen towel

Ingredients for the Puris:

2 cups wholewheat flour

3 tbsp oil

1 tsp each red chilli pwd, cumin pwd

1 tsp crushed kasuri Methi

1 tsp crushed coriander seeds

1/4 tsp amchur pwd

1/2 tsp turmeric pwd, hing (asafoetida), ajwain (carrom seeds)

salt to taste, water to knead the dough

oil for frying the Puris

Method:

In a large mixing bowl mix together all the dry ingredients first. Add 3 tbsp oil to the dry ingredients and make a semi stiff dough using water. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and set aside for a minimum of 30 mins.

Now, make 15 – 17 equal portions of the dough and using the rolling pin, roll the dough in circular shape of about 3-4″ diameter. Do this for the entire batch. Next, heat the oil in the wok on a high flame, the oil needs to be very hot for frying t he Puris. Now check the heat of the oil by dropping a bit of the dough in the oil, if it immediately springs back up in the oil, start frying the Puris. Drop them one by one into the oil and gently nudge them to puff up and flip them over on the other side. They should each take about less than 30 secs if the temperature is correct. They need to turn light golden and puff up completely! That’s it…they are done! Best served piping hot! 😀

Ingredients for the Aloo Dum:

3 nos large potatoes peeled, washed & cubed

1 nos each bay leaf, black cardamom

1″ pc cinnamon stick

1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida)

1 tsp Aromatic Garam Masala pwd

salt to taste

8-9 tbsp mustard oil (optional, use whatever oil you prefer)

For the masala paste:

2 nos large onions peeled and sliced

1 nos tomato

5-6 nos garlic cloves peeled

2″ pc ginger peeled

2 nos green chillies

1 tsp each of coriander pwd, cumin pwd, red chilli pwd, turmeric pwd

2-3 tbsp water for blending

Method for the Aloo Dum:

Heat the oil in a wok until smoking point and then cool it down a bit (mustard oil). Shallow fry the cubed potatoes until crisp and golden. Set them aside. Save the oil.

Make a paste of the above mentioned ingredients for the masala using little water. Reheat the oil left in the wok after frying the potatoes and add the whole spices. Sauté for a min and proceed to add the paste. Cook the paste on a low flame for 12-15 mins or until the oil separates from the spice paste. Now add salt and aromatic Garam masala. Sauté once again for a few mins & then add the fried potatoes to the wok and mix everything gently and keep sautéing for another 7-10 mins. You may add some water to correct the consistency of the gravy although I prefer keeping it on a semi dry side. Once done, turn off the stove..and garnish as you prefer. Serve with hot Puris! ☺️

Hope you will try these recipes soon and fall in love with the flavours!!

Love,

Shreya 💞

05
Nov
2015

Paneer Lababdar & Wholewheat Tava Naan

categories: Indian Breads, Main Course, North Indian Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes

I am a big of restaurant style gravies for various dishes. They are thick, luscious and really very flavourful. Specially Paneer (Indian cottage cheese). Paneer Lababdar is one such dish, it has a decadence of its own! And when paired with some Wholewheat Tava Naan, this combination is truly something to die for!

If you too are fan of such dishes, then do try Reshmi Paneer or Dhabewala Palak Paneer 👌😉..easy peasy, mouthwatering dishes!!

The texture of Paneer Lababdar is very creamy and soft and that is why it’s very popular in restaurant menus… Indians love their Paneer…and loving this dish comes naturally to everyone. I too have often ordered this at restaurants alongside some Butter Naan or Tandoori Rotis (Indian flat breads). But since the Naan served in restaurant is usually made of Maida (APF), I always make a Wholewheat version at home…without any yeast or baking soda. Completely healthy! It’s soft and stays fresh for a couple of hours without turning chewy!! 💃

The recipe I have used is very easy and doesn’t require much prepping. I have made it many times…and it always turns out super delicious! You can say, it can make a perfect party meal if you’re having guests…they will fall in love with your cooking skills😁

Lets start the recipe…

️Yield: serves 2

Equipment: a non stick pan, a blender, measuring cups/ spoons, a rolling board, rolling pin, a pair of kitchen tongs, a small saucepan, a pan for making the naan, a large bowl.

Ingredients for Paneer Lababdar:

For the sauce:

2 nos tomato chopped

4-5 nos cashew nuts

2″ piece ginger

4-5 pods garlic

2 nos cloves

2 nos green cardamom (choti elaichi)

1/2 cup water

For the main dish:

200 gms cubed paneer

2 tbsp grated paneer

1 nos onion finely chopped

1 nos bay leaf

1″ cinnamon stick

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander pwd

1/4 tsp turmeric pwd

1 tsp degi mirch

1/2 tsp Garam masala

salt to taste

1/4 tsp sugar

a pinch of asafoetida

2 tbsp butter (optional)

1 tsp oil

2 tsp fresh cream (I used Amul, you can avoid cream if you wish)

1 tsp kasuri Methi crushed

Method:

For the sauce:

In a saucepan, add water along with chopped tomatoes, garlic, ginger, cashew nuts, cloves & green cardamom. Bring these to a boil until the tomatoes have cooked and become soft. Add 2-3 tbsp more water if needed to cook them. Once done, cool these and make a fine purée. Set it aside.

For the main dish:

Heat butter and oil in the pan (skip butter if you are calorie conscious, use a little extra oil instead), add the asafoetida, bay leaf and cinnamon stick, sauté them for a minute. Then add chopped onions and cook until it turns golden brown.

Once it’s golden brown, add the tomato-cashew purée and mix well. Keep cooking these together until the oil separates from the purée. This will take about 7-8 mins. Next add the coriander pwd, cumin pwd, degi mirch & turmeric pwd. Sauté them for about 5 mins. Also add salt, sugar & 1/4 cup water (if required) at this stage. Mix well and cook for another 5 mins on low flame.

Next, add the cubed paneer & the grated paneer. Stir well but carefully so that the paneer cubes remain intact. Cook for 5 mins. Now, add the crushed kasuri Methi, garam masala & fresh cream. Stir well. That’s it…serve it hot with Wholewheat Tava Naan ☺️👌

Ingredients for Wholewheat Tava Naan:

2+1/2 cup wholewheat flour (gehu ka atta)

water as required to make the dough

salt to taste

1 tsp ghee

4-5 tbsp water for sticking the Naan on the pan

1 tsp kalonji (onion seeds)

some loose wholewheat flour to dust

Method:

In a large bowl, add wholewheat flour and use a little water at a time to make a soft dough. Grease the dough with ghee well and let it rest for 30 mins.

Keep the pan to heat on low flame.

Next, make large balls using the dough (about the size of an orange, I could make 6 such balls), dust the ball with some flour. Using the rolling pin and board, roll this ball in oblong shape and about 5-6 mm thick. Sprinkle some kalonji seeds and press well with the rolling pin. Now, apply some water on the other side of the naan which isn’t covered with kalonji, and put the watered side down on the pan.

Cook for about 2 mins on medium flame, then using the kitchen tongs, remove from the pan and cook it on open flame on both sides like we cook phulkas/ rotis. Ensure the heat isn’t too high, else the naan will turn dark in colour but remain uncooked within it. That’s it, the naan will be ready in just 3-4 mins. Do the same for the remaining dough. Apply some butter before serving these hot! 👌😬

Perfect meal is ready! My hubby enjoys this so much😘

Love,

Shreya💞

Adapted from Veg Recipes Of India

12
Aug
2015

Vegan Peri Peri Potato Wedges | Baked Potato Wedges

categories: Breakfast, Cakes & Bakes, Continental, Glutenfree Recipes, Kid Friendly, party menu, Starters, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes

Vegan Peri Peri Potato Wedges | Baked Potato Wedges are one of most loved potato dishes ever. They are super crisp on the outside and so soft on the inside. I will share my go-to recipe that comes together in minutes!

These Vegan Peri Peri Potato Wedges | Baked Potato Wedges come together in with just 5 main ingredients apart from the potatoes themselves. That is how easy it is to make the most delicious potato wedges! And trust me, they disappear even before you properly set them on the table. I agree though, they are best eaten piping hot because that is when they are crisp and melt in the mouth yum!

I have made Vegan Peri Peri Potato Wedges | Baked Potato Wedges completely vegan. They are light and not at all oily or greasy. Although the fried wedges taste so good and crispy too, but I personally like the baked version for they are light, easy to do and so much less greasier.

The biggest plus about making your potato wedges is that you can customize the flavor to your liking. I make a variety of wedges but these Vegan Peri Peri Potato Wedges | Baked Potato Wedges are my favorite. My hubby and me, we are total potato lovers and keep innovating ways to make them more delicious!!

You too can experiment with your favorite flavors and bake these or simply fry* them, as you like. I will share the recipe for both versions.

Let us begin.

Wash the potatoes well. Scrub off any dirt/ mud and slice them into thick wedges.

Dip them in chilled water for 30 minutes. This step is crucial for crisp wedges.

Once they have dipped for over 30 minutes, drain the water .

Boil about 4-5 cups of water in a large sauce pan. Add 1/4 tsp. salt.

Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add the drained wedges.

Let them boil for approximately 7-8 minutes. We need not have to cook them. The wedges must not break.

Once these wedges have boiled, drain them again. Pat them dry using a kitchen towel.

In the meanwhile, preheat the oven @220’c for 10 minutes.

In a large baking sheet/ tray, spread the par-boiled wedges.

Drizzle oil, salt, black pepper powder and peri peri seasoning. Give everything a good toss.

Now, bake them for 35-40 minutes @220’c. I did take the tray out half through the baking time and give a light stir to ensure everything is cooking evenly.

After about 35 minutes, they will have turned golden brown and crispy all over. They will also have cooked to perfection on the inside. If not, bake them for another 5-10 minutes.

Serve these wedges piping hot with any dip of your choice. I have not bothered with plating them and all, because they will turn limp quickly so they are really best enjoyed fresh out of the oven!

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Vegan Peri Peri Potato Wedges | Baked Potato Wedges

Crispy, super delicous and easy to make, these are hands down The Best Vegan Peri Peri Potato Wedges | Baked Potato Wedges you will ever try.

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 2 people

Author Shreya Ashish Tiwari

Ingredients

04 nos. large potatoes
4-5 cups water for boiling
salt to taste plus extra 1/4 tsp. added while boiling
black pepper powder to taste
3 tbsp olive oil or refined oil/ vegan butter
1 tsp peri peri spice mix
sea salt as topping optional
chopped parsley as garnish optional

Instructions

Wash the potatoes well. Scrub off any dirt/ mud and slice them into thick wedges.
Dip them in chilled water for 30 minutes. This step is crucial for crisp wedges.
Once they have dipped for over 30 minutes, drain the water .
Boil about 4-5 cups of water in a large sauce pan. Add 1/4 tsp. salt.
Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add the drained wedges.
Let them boil for approximately 7-8 minutes. We need not have to cook them. The wedges must not break.
Once these wedges have boiled, drain them again. Pat them dry using a kitchen towel.
In the meanwhile, preheat the oven @220'c for 10 minutes.
In a large baking sheet/ tray, spread the par-boiled wedges.
Drizzle oil, salt, black pepper powder and peri peri seasoning. Give everything a good toss.
Now, bake them for 35-40 minutes @220'c. I did take the tray out half through the baking time and give a light stir to ensure everything is cooking evenly.
After about 35 minutes, they will have turned golden brown and crispy all over. They will also have cooked to perfection on the inside. If not, bake them for another 5-10 minutes.
Serve these wedges piping hot with any dip of your choice. I have not bothered with plating them and all, because they will turn limp quickly so they are really best enjoyed fresh out of the oven!
Optional topping and garnish as mentioned in the ingredient list above.

Recipe Notes

Baking time may vary as every oven is a tad bit different so please adjust factor that too.

Do not over boil the wedges, they will fall apart.

*To make a fried version - after par- boiling, first deep fry the wedges until golden and crisp. Then season with the spices and salt. Serve piping hot.

Love,
Shreya

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30
Jul
2015

Bombay Pav Bhaji | How to Make Mumbai Style Pav Bhaji

categories: Breads, Indian Snacks, Kid Friendly, Main Course, party menu, Street Food, Vegetarian Recipes

Bombay Pav Bhaji | How to Make Mumbai Style Pav Bhaji is a fast food or street food dish. It is basically a thick vegetable curry served with a soft dinner roll (pav). Pav Bhaji has originated from Mumbai but has now gained a lot of popularity all over India! However, there are many versions of the Pav Bhaji but the most authentic and the most delicious is the one from my Mumbai!

So, some might ask, what exactly is a Bombay Pav Bhaji | How to Make Mumbai Style Pav Bhaji ?! Well, it is the most wonderful pairing of humble veggies with some everyday spices, all mashed together to make a thick gravy kind of a concoction. This is the bhaji. The pav is nothing but a basic dinner roll. The Bombay style dinner rolls are called pav. They are not sweet like the dinner rolls in the West but they do have a really good flavor. The bhaji is incomplete without the classic Bombay pav. Here is the link to make your own classic Bombay style Pav.

These right here are the Best Homemade Laadi Pav ever! The same have been used for my made from scratch Bombay Pav Bhaji | How to Make Mumbai Style Pav Bhaji.

The pav needs to be absolutely soft, melt in the mouth kinds and very fresh when serving with the bhaji. No other city in India or elsewhere has a version of this pav that even comes close to the classic Bombay style Laadi pav. If you are a Bombayite like yours truly, you’ll know exactly what I mean. When this pav is smeared with some butter and flash toasted on the hot gridle. the aroma and the later, the flavor is top notch! It is the most tempting aroma ever. The pav turns slightly crisp on the edges and soaks up all of the butter, it literally oozes that butter as your tear the pav for every bite!

Coming to the bhaji for the Bombay Pav Bhaji | How to Make Mumbai Style Pav Bhaji, it is made with some very basic ingredients, nothing fancy at all. Some veggies are boiled and mashed, Then a curry based of sorts is made with some spices, mashed veggies go into it and all of it comes together as the bhaji. Served with a dollop of butter, squirt of lime and some chopped onions is how we enjoy this dish! Needless to say it happens to be my favorite street food ever, I do make it at home too and it does turn exactly like the ones from my favorite street vendors! Follow my recipe to the T and you will nail the color and the flavor! 🙂 I perfected my recipe taking a bit of it from my mom and the rest from the actual vendors at Juhu Beach 😉
PS- I hate greens peas in my bhaji so I skip it.

Let us start with Bhaji, because the recipe for Homemade Laadi Pav is here.

For the bhaji –
Soak 6-7 long destemmed and deseeded Kashmiri red chilies in hot water for 15 minutes. Grind them with some water and the cloves of garlic. Set this paste aside.

Take 1 glass of water in a pressure cooker, add salt, then large cubes of the potatoes and the florets of cauliflower. Cover and let it cook for until 2 whistles. Once done, let the pressure release on it’s own.

Mash the boiled veggies properly and set them aside.

In a large, flat pan or wok, heat butter and oil together.

Add asafoetida (hing). Let it splutter for a few seconds. Add the chopped onions along with green chili and cook them until they are translucent. It will take about 4-5 minutes on medium flame.

Next add the chopped capsicum. Season with salt and turmeric powder. mix well.

Cover and cook until the capsicum turns mushy. Add the chopped tomatoes. Add the Kashmiri chili – garlic paste. Mix well. Cook until the butter separates from this mixture and the tomatoes are completely cooked. That will take about 8-9 minutes.

Next, take a potato masher and mash this mixture thoroughly. Try to mash them as much as possible.

Add the pav bhaji masala and mix again. Let all of this cook away covered for the next 5 minutes.

Add the mashed veggies next and some chopped coriander leaves. Use a the potato masher to mix everything well. Continue to mash as the veggies cook away with the masala. Add some water if needed to correct the consistency nd continue to mash and mix it all well. Cook for about 2-3 minutes more.

Add some more butter. Mix it well and turn off the heat.

Serve it piping hot with the pav.

For the perfect Pav –
Heat butter in a pan, place the pav slit from between on the melted butter. Sprinkle some red chili powder and some chopped coriander on the pav as it flash toasts in the butter.
Serve it piping hot with the bhaji.

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Bombay Pav Bhaji | How to Make Mumbai Style Pav Bhaji

Buttery, soft melt in mouth Mumbai style dinner rolls a.k.a Pav is served with some flavorful, mildly spiced and buttery curry of mashed veggies a.k.a bhaji. It is the most popular street food from Mumbai. I am sharing my recipe for the most authentic Bombay/ Mumbai Style Pav Bhaji ever.

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch Box, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine Maharashtrian

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 2 people

Author Shreya Ashish Tiwari