Spicy Potato Sticks
Do you find yourself craving for some fried goodies or sweets ?? I do, most of the times. But I do not always give in to the temptation. I grab a cucumber or munch on roasted almonds or max, I bite into a small piece of dark chocolate.
Yesterday, I made some spicy potato sticks just like that. They always taste great right? So I ate quite a bit & now I am guilty …
You Will Need:
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4 -5 large potatoes
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Salt as per taste
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1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
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Oil for deep frying
Method:
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Wash & dry the potatoes. Halve the potatoes & cut them into 1/2 inch sticks.
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In a vessel, pour ice cold water & 3 tsp salt. Soak potato sticks for 30 mins. Drain & place potatoes on paper towels & pat dry.
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In a large bowl, mix together salt & red chilli powder. Add potato sticks. Toss to coat well.
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Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. When the oil is hot, deep fry the potato sticks in batches until golden brown. This should take about 3-4 mins.
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Remove with a slotted spoon.
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Let them cool & store in a air-tight jar.
Munch on these whenever you feel like. Enjoi !!!
If you are not counting calories, go make them now …
Corn on the Cob
I always always associate Corn on the Cob or Bhutta in typical Bambaiyya language with some very warm childhood memories.
There are a zillion times when we friends have ran down the street to have our Bhutta on a gloomy monsoon evening & the Bhuttawallah ( Corn on the Cob Vendor ) was always round the corner, roasting corn cobs on a charcoal grill.
If you cannot find a Bhuttawallah in your neck of woods, Make them at home. This is really as simple as it can get.
As I don’t have a charcoal grill at home, I steamed the corn cobs & roasted them directly over the stove top.
You Will Need:
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2 Corn Cobs
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Kosher Salt
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Lemon - sliced into quarters
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Black Pepper Powder
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Red Chilli Powder ( Optional )
How To:
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Peel back the husks & remove the excess corn silk
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Steam the corn cobs in the microwave or on stove top for about 5-6 minutes.
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Meanwhile, Mix together kosher salt & red chilli powder in a small bowl. If red chilli powder is too HOT for your taste, replace with Black pepper powder. I added about 1/2 a tsp of black pepper powder. Set aside.
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Once done, Pat dry & Grill the corn cobs over medium heat for 10-12 mins. Keep turning them frequently.
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I roasted the corn cobs over the stove top. This is very quick & it gets done in about 3-4 minutes.
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When some of the kernels are browned, dip a quarter of the lemon slice into the salt & pepper mixture, apply it evenly on the corn cobs
Eat while it is still warm & relive your childhood memories. Enjoi !!!
NOTE: You could even oven roast the corn cobs or roast them over a griddle.
Roasted Almonds
Do you know, Almonds (one of the few good nuts, we can eat ) are healthy. They are a terrific source of proteins & unsaturated fats. My hands instantly reach out for a handful of almonds when I am hungry.
While I mostly nibble on plain, raw almonds, An interesting way of eating almonds is probably roasting them with some spices.
The other day, I was in the mood for something crunchy. So instead of reaching out for that pack of forbidden potato chips, I went ahead & quickly roasted some almonds. Roasting really does bring out that nice nutty flavor in them.
Here’s what I did
You Will Need:
- 2 cups unblanched, unsalted almonds
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- 1 tbsp Kosher salt
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Method:
- Pre heat the oven to 350F/180C
- Mix all the ingredients until the nuts are well coated
- Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet
- Toast for about 8-10 mins
- Let it cool for about 15 minutes before serving
Munch with some Coffee/Tea . . . Enjoi !!!
This gets done in about 20 minutes in total. They are a great accompaniment to tea/coffee. They go great with some cool cocktails too.
I wanted to keep this simple & bring out that nutty flavor, so I just added some cumin powder for that spice touch. Next time I would consider adding some ground pepper or paprika. Or maybe next time, I will add some lemon juice for that citrusy flavor. Does that sound good?
Channa Chaat/Chickpeas Chaat
The other day I was going through my Blog’s Archive & I realised that I really haven’t posted much of Chaat recipes. Not that I don’t like chaat, But its just that I really don’t make it at home that much. I always feel its more convenient to eat Chaat outside since, for some chaats, you need sooo many ingredients that too a pinch of this & a pinch of that. I don’t know about the rest of you, But I think its a pain to make Chaat at home.
Anyways, in India, Chaat is easily available in every nook & corner than you can ever imagine & I bet that you somehow will never be able to replicate the taste of your favourite Chaat waala. Don’t you guys agree with this?
Shankar & I are Huge fans of chaat. We love gorging on everything from Bhel puri to Sev Puri to Paapdi Chaats to Paani Puris .. Slurrp !! Shankar’s favorite is Masaal Puri which is a speciality of Bangalore/Mysore. I really haven’t seen this kind of Masaal Puri anywhere, not even in places like Mumbai or Delhi . .
Whenever I make chaat at home, I always venture into something that is simple & is rather healthy like the Sprouts Chaat or Corn Chaat or something similar.
This evening, I tried my hands on Channa Chaat/ chickpeas chaat. I had soaked chickpeas for making another dish, which I conveniently forgot, so these chickpeas were lying in the refrigirator for quite a while & I also had some Mamra/Puffed Rice at hand. I summoned a few other basics & Voila, this was ready in minutes.
After all the chit-chat about Chaat, will head to the recipe,
Ingredients:
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2 handfuls of channa/chickpeas - soaked overnight or for 5-6 hours & boiled. ( Canned chickpeas will do)
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1/2 red onion - finely chopped
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1 1/2 cups of Mamra/Puffed Rice/Kadale Puri
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1 small tomato - finely chopped
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2 tbsp - grated carrots
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2 green chillies - finely chopped
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1 tsp lemon juice
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1/2 tsp salt (Puffed Rice is alredy salty)
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1/2 tsp Chaat Masala
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A few sprigs of cilantro - for garnish
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2 tsp Sev (optional )
Method:
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In a large bowl, combine together chickpeas, puffed rice, onions, tomato, carrots & chillies
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Add in lemon juice, Salt & chaat masala.
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Mix well & garnish with finely chopped cilantro & Sev ( I didn’t add Sev )
Enjoy with your evening cuppa !!!
NOTE:
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You can add sprouted chickpeas as well, It will make it even more healthy.
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Try adding a few finely chopped raw mango for that extra tangy taste.
This goes to JFI-Chickpeas & to My Legume Love Affair, Seventh Helping, Hosted by Srivalli which is a brainchild of Susan
This will be my last post from Zurich. Although, we always knew that this was going to be a rather small phase in our lives, I cannot help admitting that I had gotten really attached to this place. Awesome place & Awesome People.
Will catch you guys real soon from a place we call HOME !!
– Chao !!
Oatmeal Cookies
Iam sure baking has begun in most households. Christmas baking must be such fun. I think baking is therapeutic.Christmas brings back memories from school. Since, I studied in a convent school, This was one big event for us.
Cookies are one of the fastest & easiest to make. It such a joy to eat home made cookies along with a HOT mug of coffee. I baked some oatmeal cookies over the weekend. This was the first time I was baking with oatmeal & was a little sceptical about the result. It turned out better than expected.
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
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1 cup brown sugar
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1 cup white sugar
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1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
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3 cups oats ( I used Quaker Quick )
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2 eggs
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1 cup shortening
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1 tsp baking soda
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1 tsp salt
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2 tsp cinnamon powder
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1 tsp lemon juice
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1 tsp vanilla extract
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1/2 cup chopped cashews (optional)
Method:
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Preheat the oven to 350 F/175 C
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In a large bowl, cream together brown sugar, white sugar,vanilla extract & shortening. Add one egg at a time, beat well after each addition.
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In another bowl, sift flour, baking soda, salt & cinnamon
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Add this gradually to the first mixture & mix well. Add chopped cashews & add oats towards the end. Cover & chill the dough for an hour.
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Drop teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto a greased baking sheet. Flatten each cookie with a large fork dipped in sugar. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes.
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Allow the cookies to stand in the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack & let it cool completely.
Store in air-tight jars. Enjoi !!!
NOTE:
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Use either quick or old-fashioned oats. DO NOT use instant ones.
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You could use butter instead of shortening
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Try substituting cashews with raisins, walnuts or macademia nuts.
The cookies were crisp & chewy. We loved it. The fact that oatmeal is used made it a little guilt free.
We are off for a much needed holiday this weekend. I am all excited. Will be back soon. Merry Christmas to everyone out there. Have loads of fun.
- Chao
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