Delicious crispy spicy masala puri which is not only easy to make but taste amazing too.

In Gujarat it is known as Gujrati masala puri and in Maharashtra it is known as Tikhat Puri.

This dish can be served in breakfast with chunda or sweet pickle or in lunch with curd or aloo sabji.

I have a fond childhood memory of my mom making these puris and carru it along with us on our long bus journey to native place.

Ingredients:

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour.

1/4 cup Besan.

2 tbsp Rava.

1/2 Turmeric Powder.

1 tsp Red chilli Powder.

1 tsp Dhana Jeera Powder.

1/2 tsp Carom Seeds.

1/4 tsp Asafoetida.

1 tsp Kasoori Methi.

1/2 tsp Sugar.

2 tbsp hot Oil.

Salt to taste.

Water as required to make poori dough.

Oil for deep frying.

Method:

In a wide bowl, place whole wheat flour,besan,rava, carom seeds, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, dhana jeera powder, asafoetida, kasoori methi, sugar and salt.

Add hot oil and mix well into the flour mixture. Slowly add water to form a slightly firm dough.

Cover and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Now divide the kneaded poori dough into approx 15 portions. Shape them into round balls.

Coat the working surface as well as the rolling pin with a little oil. Coat each ball with a little oil (do not dust with flour) and roll into a flat 4″ round shape with 1/4″ thickness.

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Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel or kadhai till hot. If you place a small piece of dough in the oil, it should sizzle up. Reduce heat to medium and place a rolled puri into the oil and with very gentle pressure press with the back of a slotted ladle till it puffs up.

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Flip over the poori and allow to cook for a few seconds till it attains a light golden shade. Place the poori over an absorbent paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Prepare pooris with the rest of the balls and serve warm with aloo bhaji, pickle or any curry of your choice.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

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Crispy Macroni Snack is an easy to make completely unique snack recipe.To prepare this crispy Macaroni Snack Macaroni is cooked and dried completely and coated in a flour mix,Then it is deep fried and tossed with aromatic and flavourful seasoning. Finally allow this to cool completely and store in an air tight jar.Trust me it’s very addictive!

Ingredients:

1 cup Macaroni.

1/2 cup Corn Flour.

1 tsp Red Chilli Powder .

Salt to taste.

Oil for deep frying.

Method:

Take a deep saucepan and combine two cups water,2 tbsp oil and salt.Bring it to boil and add Macaroni.Cook it for 10-12 minutes.

Drain well.Keep aside.

Sprinkle corn flour and salt,Mix well.
cornflour should coat the macroni well.

Heat oil in a pan and fry the Macaroni till crisp and light brown in colour.

Remove on absorbent paper.

Sprinkle red chilli powder and toss it well.

Let it cool completely,store in airtight jar and serve as desired.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

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Dhapate is a traditional Maharashtrian recipe,made using 3 types of flour,it is made in Maharashtrian homes since several generations and instantly connects one to childhood memories.

This multigrain roti is made by mixing all the grain flour along with spices and vegetables.

This dish gets its unique name Dhapate( Pat or slap) from the way it is shaped by patting the dough with wet hand.

This is almost similar to Thalipeeth only difference is in thalipeeth bhajani is used which is roasted and here plain flours are used.

Traditionally dhapate are served with green chilli thecha.

Ingredients:

2 cups Jowar Flour.

1 cup Wheat Flour.

1/2 cup Besan.

1 tsp Coriander Powder.

1/2 tsp Red chili Powder.

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder.

1/4 tsp Ajwain.

1 tbsp Garlic and Green Chilli Paste.

1/4 cup Onion finely chopped.

2 tbsp Coriander Leaves finely chopped.

Oil to shallow fry.

Method:

In a bowl take jawar flour,add wheat flour, besan, coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder,ajwain,salt, garlic-green chili paste, chopped onion and coriander leaves,mix everything well together.

Add a little water at a time and knead the dough like chapatti dough.Cover and let it rest for 10 mins.

Place a clean plastic sheet on a rolling board.Brush the sheet with little oil to avoid the dough from sticking.

Take a small ball of dough and make it even and smooth, place it over the plastic sheet.

Start patting gently to form a circle around 6″ in diameter,if the dough sticks to your hand grease your fingers with water or oil.

Heat up a griddle on medium heat.
Transfer the dhapata on the pan and make a small hole on the centre,brush oil on upper side and in the centre.

Spread a little oil along the edges too.
After cooking for about 2 minutes from one side flip it over spread oil on other side too and cook well from other side.

Remove in a plate,same way make more dhapate from the remaining dough.

Serve hot with green chilly thecha and curd.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

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This is a quick and easy to make spicy dish,Ladi pav stuffed with spicy stuffing made of onion,tomatoes and capsicum,flavoured with pav bahaji masala,topped with cheese for richness… Available on all pav bhaji stalls.

This recipe is not much different from the pav bhaji recipe but is served differently…

Ingredients:

4 Ladi pav

4 tbsp Butter

1 tbsp Jeera

2 tbsp Ginger garlic paste.

1 cup chopped Onion.

1 cup chopped Tomatoes

1 cup chopped Capsicum.

½ tsp Chilli powder.

1 ½ tsp Pav Bhaji Masala.

¼ tsp Turmeric powder.

1 tbsp Lemon Juice.

4 tbsp Chesse grated

2 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped.

Salt to taste.

Method:

In a pan,heat 2 tbsp butter,add jeera seeds,when they crackle add onions and ginger garlic paste.

Sauté for 30mins.Now add capsicum and tomatoes,add chilli powder,turmeric powder,pav bhaji masala and salt,stir for a minutes,add ½ cup of water,cover and cook for 8 mins,stirring and mashing in between.Add lemon juice and mix well.

Divide in 4 portion and keep aside.

Heat ½ tbsp butter on a griddle,add little pav bhaji masala and chopped coriander leaves,

slit Ladi pav and roast on both the sides till crisp.

Stuff one portion of prepared masala in the pav,sprinkle some cheese and roast for a minute.

Close with other side of pav and roast for another minute,finish all the four pav’s this way.

Remove in the serving plate,top up with remaining stuffing,sprinkle grated cheese and chopped coriander leaves.

Serve immediately.

Happy Cookind!!!

Sameera.

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This idli fry is the way we get it in the South Indian restaurants in Mumbai. the idli are cut into strips and then deep fried till crisp.
Here I have cut them into half.
To make this dish, its advisable to use leftover idlis which have been refrigerated,or else they will break in the oil while frying and absorb a lot of oil .
If you don’t want to deep fry then you can also pan fry or shallow fry the idlis,I have posted that recipe before

Ingredients:

6 Idlis cut into half.

Oil for frying.

Method:

Cut the refrigerated idlis into half.
Heat oil in a kadai,addd the idli and deep fry till light golden or slightly more.

Ideally, the fried idli ieces should be crisp from outside and soft from inside.
Remove on absorbant paper and serve immediately with chutney or ketch up.

Tip:Chilli powder or Pav bhaji Masala can also be sprinkled on fried idlis before serving.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

These crispy triangle samosas are perfect for kitty parties and even for evening snacks.Its one of the most common dish easily available in college canteens and railway stalls.The name comes from Irani cafes where they are made from ages.

These samosas stuffed with chicken mince are also very popular….

Me and my son both are a big fan of these crispy triangles…

Ingredients:

12 readymade Samosa Pattis.

Oil for frying.

For Stuffing:

1 cup Onions finely chopped

3/4 cup Jada Poha.

1 tsp Chat masala.

1/2 tsp Dhana Jeera powder.

1/2 tsp Chilli Powder.

2 tbsp chopped Coriander Leaves.

2 tbsp grated Cheese (Optional).

2 tbsp Maida.

Salt to taste.

Method:

In a bowl mix together poha,onions,chilli powder,dhana jeera powder,chopped coriander leaves ,chat masala and mix well.Add grated cheese (optional) Keep aside.

In a small bowl add 1tsp of maida mix with some water and make a paste keep aside.

I use switz samosa pattis which are easily available in market,they are frozen,so 1 hour prior remove them from fridger to get them to room temperature.

Place a strip on working counter.

Now fold one side of this strip to form a cone.

Give one more turn.

To form a cone.

Fill in the stuffing .

Press it in with your finger.

Keep on folding in a triangle.

Now apply maida paste on last portion left then close the edge.

To form a samosa.

Make all the samosas in the same way.

Keep them in fridge for 15 mins.

The above technique of making samosa can also be learned from the diagrams shown on the cover of the Patti.

In a pan add oil to deep fry,now fry samosas on medium heat till golden brown from both the sides.

Drain on absorbant paper.

Serve hot with sauce or chutney of your choice.

Tip:Secret of making proper samosa lies in proper sealing of the edges or else the stuffing will start coming out while frying.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera.

French fries, or simply fries ,chips or finger chips (, are long strips. of potatoes deep fried and mildly flavoured with salt and pepper.
There are various ways of making hotel style and McDonald style french fries,but this is a very simple way of making home style french fries…

I have a fond childhood memory attached to this dish, during those days every Sunday a hindi movie was telecasted on Doordarshan and my mom used to make a big batch of these finger chips to snack on with the movie..

So here goes the simple recipe…

Ingredients:

3 Big size long Potatoes.

Salt and Pepper as per taste.

Oil for deep frying.

Method:

Rinse the potatoes well in water and peel them.
Now slice each potato in slices having 1 cm thickness. Before slicing, you can remove the top and bottom part of the potato to get a square or rectangle shaped potato.
Then begin to cut them in sticks having 1 cm width, rinse these potato sticks for a couple of times in water to get rid of the starch.
In a bowl add some water and salt,keep the potatoes soaked in it.
Just before frying drain the potatoes in a colander.
Rinse the potatoes with running water. Drain all the water.
Then place them on clean kitchen cotton napkin.
Place the second half of the napkin above and press, pat and dry the potatoes. The potatoes have to be completely dried before you begin to fry them.
Heat oil in a kadhai. Keep the flame to medium-low or medium.Now add the potatoes in the oil. You can fry in two to three batches. Do not over crowd the kadhai.
Fry till the potatoes get cooked,and slightly golden in colour from outside.
Remove with a slotted spoon. place them on paper tissues again to remove the extra oil.
While still hot, sprinkle with some salt and pepper powder,toss the bowl to mix them well.
Serve immediately with some any dip or sauce of your choice.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera

Hot, buttery, salty, crunchy — movie theater popcorn is as much a part of the cinema experience as the movie itself..

Due to lockdown,missing the movies in theaters as well as pop corns,so why not make it at home..

This is the easiest method of making popcorn,it not only pops almost every kernel, it also prevents the kernels from burning…

Ingredients:

2 tbsp Butter.

1 cup Popcorn Kernels.

Salt to taste.

Method:

Heat butter in a thick-bottomed pan on medium high heat. 

Put 3 or 4 popcorn kernels into the butter, wait for the popcorn kernels to pop.

When the kernels pop, add the remaining popcorn kernels in an even layer.

Cover the pot,the popcorn should begin popping soon, and all at once. Once the popping starts,gently shake the pan by moving it back and forth over the burner.

Once the popping slows to several seconds between pops, remove the pan from the heat,add salt to taste,mix well.

Remove in a serving bowl and serve immediately.

After cooling completely,Pop corns can be stored in air tight container for days.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

 

Roasted Corn rubbed with spices and a dash of lemon is an irresistible treat!

Bhutta is one of my favorite snacks.In India, we enjoy this grilled corn during the rainy season,it is a very popular street food where the vendor comes with his cart that’s loaded with corn. He grills the corn on a small stove fueled by charcoal until it’s nicely charred. He uses a freshly cut lemon to spread a special spicy and tangy masala evenly all over the grilled corn and serves the hot corn on a bed of husk….

This year due to lockdown,we are gonna miss this fun…so recreated the same at home.

Ingredients:

4 Corn Cobs/Butta.

1 Lemon sliced into half and seeds removed.

1 tsp Red chili powder.

1 tsp Salt.

1 tbsp Butter.(Optional)

Method:

Remove the corn husk and strings from the corn.
Roast the corn on the open gas flame (gas stove) at medium high heat. Move it around every 30 seconds or so, so the corn gets roasted evenly. You will hear some kernels pop. All the kernels will blacken to varying degrees.

Mix all the spices in a bowl. Use a half lime to dip in the spice mix to pick up the spices and rub all over the corn, making sure to squeeze lime juice while doing so.

Serve hot!

Tip:Butter can also be rubbed on hot corn cob for additional flavor.

Happy Cooking!

Sameera.

Bhutte ka kees is a popular as well as delicious street food snack from Indore. some cities in India are famous for their street food and Indore is one of them.

Usually local desi corn is used to prepare this dish,but I have made it using sweet corn.
Tastes awesome when served with drizzle of lime juice on top..

Here goes the recipe…

Ingredients:

3 Corn Cobs.

2 tbsp Oil.

1/4 tsp Mustard Seeds.

1/4 tsp Cumin Seeds.

A pinch of Asafotida.

8-10 Curry Leaves.

1 tsp Ginger and Green Chillies paste.

1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder.

1/4 tsp Red Chilli Powder.

1/2 tsp Coriander Powder.

1/2 cup milk/water.

1/2 tsp Sugar.

Juice of half Lemon.

1 tbsp Freshly Grated Coconut.(Optional)

1 tbso finely chopped Coriander leaves.

1 tbsp Sev.

Method:

Remove the husks from 3 corn cobs.
Now using a grater, grate the corn kernels. You can also slice off the corn kernels with a knife and then coarsely grind them in a mixie or grinder.

Heat oil in a kadhai. Keep the flame to a low and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds and let them crackle,add a pinch of asafotida.
Then add curry leaves and ginger- chilli paste,
turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder.Mix well.
Now add the grated corn and mix well. Saute it for a few minutes.

Then add water,if you are using Desi corn use milk instead of water.

Season with salt as per taste. Mix again.If using desi corn you can add sugar as per your preference. For sweet corn, you can skip sugar.

Cover the pan with a lid and simmer the corn mixture till it thickens. Stir occasionally.
Add lemon juice and mix well. Consistency should be slightly thinner than upma.

Garnish with sev and chopped coriander leaves.

Grated coconut can also be used for garnishing.

Happy Cooking!!
Sameera.