Ganapati Bapa Mourya

Channa Chat

The main ingredient of Channa Chat is Chole, which is also known as Chickpeas. Chickpeas are part of the diverse legume family.  Among all the types of legumes, Chickpeas are the most popular beans being used on wide range of delicacies around the Globe such as Hummus & Falafels in Middle East and Chole Curries in Indian Subcontinents. The dishes prepared out of Chickpeas are not only delicious but also offers numerous health benefits.

Channa Chat is basically a Snack & sometimes can be used as side dish. This particular dish is prepared without oil.

Health Benefits:

Chickpeas are an excellent source of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. Soluble fibers help to reduce and maintain the cholesterol level in the body and insoluble fibers promotes the digestive health. Together with fiber, they contain significant amounts of folate and magnesium. These two nutrients offer protection against cardiovascular diseases. Chickpeas are also rich source of calcium, which helps to strengthen our bones.

Ingredients:

·         Chickpeas (Kabuli Chana) – 2 Cup

·         Potato – 2 (Medium)

·         Onion (Large) – 1

·         Tomato (Medium) -2

·         Green Chili – 2 (as per taste)

·         Chana Masala – 1 tsp

·         Chat Masala – 2 tsp

·         Tamarind Pulp – 4 tbsp

·         Salt as per taste

·         Coriander Leaves – 1 String

Preparation Method:

Ø  Soak Chickpeas for 6-8 hours or overnight; boil Chickpeas & Potatoes until they are tendered; for quick boiling, you can always use Pressure Cooker; Strain and Keep aside.

Ø  Peel and Cut Potatoes & Tomatoes in small cube; Chop Onion, Green chili & Coriander Leaves; keep aside.

Ø  Soak Tamarind in hot water for a minute; Crush the Tamarind and strain.

Ø  Take a big Bowl and add Boiled Chickpeas, Chana Masala, Chat Masala, and Tamarind Pulp and mix well.

Ø  Then add Potato cubes, chopped Tomatoes, Onion, Green Chili, Coriander Leaves, and Salt and mix well.

Ø  Now the “Chana Chat” is ready.

Prawn Curry (Thai Style)

Prawns are the most popular seafood that being used around the globe. Since they are versatile, they have been used on wide range of delicacies. The dishes made of Prawn are not only delicious but also very healthy in nature.

Today’s version of “Prawn Curry” has been prepared based on Thai cooking techniques…

Health Benefits:

Prawns are good source of protein, which helps in overall growth and development of our body. They are rich in Selenium and Selenium is likely to protect us from the growth of cancer cell. Prawns are also low in cholesterol content and high in vitamin B12 that helps to protect the walls of blood vessels because of that the cardiovascular health of a person can improve. Prawn calories are low as compared to the calories of any other red meat with numerous several other nutritional contents which make it tastier and healthier option then other food stuff.

Ingredients:

·         King Prawn – 10 pcs

·         Chicken Eggs (beaten) – 2 nos

·         Onion (Sliced) – 2 (Medium)

·         Garlic (Chopped) – 5 cloves

·         Cooking Milk – ½ cup (preferably Falcon brand)

·         Soya Sauce – 1 tbsp

·         Oyster Sauce – 1 tbsp

·         Curry Powder – 2 tbsp

·         Thai Red Chili Paste – 1 tsp

·         Salt as per taste

·         Sugar – ½ tsp

·         Cooking Oil  – 2 tbsp

 Preparation Method:

Ø  First of all clean and devein the Prawns but leave head & tail intact & Keep aside.

Ø  Heat Oil in a Pan; add Sliced Onion; Chopped Garlic & sauté for 2 minutes.

Ø  Add cleaned Prawns & fry them till they turn red. Then add milk, Curry Powder & Sugar; Cook it for 2 minutes in  medium flame.

Ø  While cooking the Prawn, beat the eggs in a pot; add Chili paste, Oyster Sauce, Soya Sauce, Salt; mix them well & Pour it in the Pan: again mix everything thoroughly & then cook it around 2 minutes in a high flame.

Ø  Now the “Prawn Curry” is ready; Serve it hot.

Prawn Curry is well served with Steamed Rice.

Ragda Patties

Ragda-Pattice is a popular Mumbai Street food that commonly sold on various Chat Stalls served with Chutney & Yogurt. This dish comprises two parts such as ‘Ragda’ basically a dried spicy yellow pea curry & ‘Patties’ are Potato Cakes made of boiled mashed potatoes with various spices. This is such a delicious dish that it has so many variations available throughout India.

Ingredients:

For Ragda

·         Dried Whole Yellow Peas – 1 cup

·         Onion (Chopped) – 2 nos

·         Tomatoes – 3 nos

·         Ginger-Garlic Paste – 1 tsp

·         Coriander Powder – 1 tsp

·         Cumin Powder – ½ tsp

·         Garam Masala - ½ tsp

·         Green Chilly (Chopped) – 1 nos

·         Red Chilly Powder – 1½  tsp

·         Coriander Leaves (Chopped) – ½ bunch

·         Salt as per taste

·         Cooking Oil  – 2 tbsp

For Patties

·         Potatoes (boiled) – 4 nos

·         Ginger-Garlic Paste – ½ tsp

·         Coriander Powder – ½ tsp

·         Cumin Powder – ½ tsp

·         Garam Masala - ½ tsp

·         Chat Masala – ½ tsp

·         Bread Crumbs – 1 tbsp

·         Salt as per taste

·         Cooking Oil  – 2 tbsp

For Garnishing

• Tamarind chutney
• Indian yogurt (Curd)
• Green Chutney (Coriander and Mint Leaves)
• Chopped Onion and Coriander Leaves
• Sev

Preparation Method:

     For Ragda Preparation

Ø  Soak the Dry Peas overnight. Then boil it in pressure cooker till the peas are tender.

Ø  Heat Oil in a Pan; add Ginger- Garlic paste, Chopped Onion and sauté the mixture till they turn light brown.

Ø  Then add Red Chilly Powder, Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder, Turmeric Powder, Garam Masala and mix well.

Ø  Add Chopped tomatoes and cook around 3-4 minutes.

Ø  Then add boiled peas; Chopped Green Chilly; Salt & mix well.

Ø   Add one cup of water and cook till the gravy is thicken.

Ø  Finally add Chopped Coriander leaves and mix well. Now the Ragda is ready.

For Patties Preparation

Ø  Take bowl & mashed the boiled potatoes

Ø  Add Ginger-Garlic paste, Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder, Garam Masala, Chat Masala, Salt and mix well with the mashed potatoes.

Ø  Add bread Crumbs with the mixture & mix well to form a dough consistency.

Ø  Then make small and thick patties out of the mixture.

Ø  Now heat oil in a griddle and shallow fry the Patties both side till golden brown. Now Patties are ready.

       For Serving

Ø  Place the Patties in a Plate; add Ragda over the Patties along with Yogurt, Tamarind Chutney, Green Chutney, Chopped Onion, Chopped Coriander leaves & finally add one or two spoon of Sev .

 

Paneer Bhurjee

Paneer is basically a homemade, unsalted fresh cheese made out of Milk and being commonly used on number of Indian delicacy. The use of Paneer in India exists since back 6000 BCE. The dishes made of Paneer are always comes under exotic dinning and served during special occasions. Now days Paneer is easily available in the Super market or Sweet Stores.  Paneer can be used on wide range of dishes & Paneer Bhurjee is one of them.

Health Benefits

Paneer is very delicious in nature and provides numerous health benefits. It is an excellent source of calcium that helps build bones & teeth stronger. It also helps reducing the development of insulin resistance syndrome by which the obesity, hypertension & type 2 diabetes mellitus can be controlled. Paneer are easy to digest, hence people of all ages can use it without any hesitation. It is a rich source of protein and calcium & very good for growing children. It also helps preventing to reduce the back and joint problems. In nut-shell Paneer contains all minerals that is necessary to maintain a good health.

Ingredients:

·         Paneer (Grated) – 1 Cup

·         Capsicum (Chopped) – ¼ Cup

·         Green Peas (Frozen) – ¼ Cup

·         Onion (Finely Chopped) – 1 (Large)

·         Green Chili (Finely Chopped) – 2

·         Tomato (Chopped) – 1 (Medium)

·         Ginger – Garlic Paste – 1 tsp

·         Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp

·         Sambar Powder – ½ tsp

·         Salt as per taste

·         Meat Masala – ½ tsp

·         Cooking Oil – 3 tbsp

Preparation Method:

Ø  Heat Oil in a Pan; add Chopped Green Chili & Onion and sauté for a minute.

Ø  Add Ginger – Garlic Paste and fry till its raw smell goes off.

Ø  Add Chopped Capsicum and Green Peas and sauté for around two minutes.

Ø  Then add Grated Paneer, Salt, Meat Masala, Sambar Powder, Turmeric Powder & cook for 2  mins.

Ø  Finally add Chopped Tomatoes; cover and cook for 5-7 minutes & then mix well.

Ø  Now the “Paneer Bhurjee” is ready. Serve hot.

Paneer Bhurjee is well served with Roti, Naan, Paratha and even Rice.

Kalakand (Milk Cake)

Kalakand is an exclusive milk based sweet dish that traditionally made out of concentrated Milk with fresh Paneer cooked with Sugar to a thick consistency. This is an exotic dessert that is quite popular among Indians and served during festivals and special occasions. As per wikis Kalakand has been originated from Braj in Uttar and then spread all over India because of its wonderful taste. Making Kalakand needs two major steps that explained after ingredients…

Ingredients:

·         Milk – 8 Cups (4 Cups for Panner & rest 4 Cups for making Sweet)

·         Sugar – ½ Cup

·         Lemon Juice – 3 tbsp for Paneer

·         Ghee – ¼ tsp (For Greasing the Plate)

Preparation Method:

Paneer Preparation

Ø  First take 4 Cups of Milk in a Pan and bring it to boil in a medium flame.

Ø  Once the Milk gets boiled reduce the heat and add the Lemon Juice slowly; keep stirring until the milk is completely curdled & then turn off the heat.

Ø  Take a water strainer & cover it with a clean Muslin or cheese Cloth. Then pour curdles in it & keep it under a running water; hang the curdle dough till the water is completely drain out.

Ø  Now the Paneer is ready; Crumble it & keep aside.

Kalakand Preparation:

Ø  Take a heavy bottom Pan; add the rest 4 Cups of Milk and bring it to boil.

Ø  Keep boiling till the milk reduced to approx 2 Cups.

Ø  Add the Paneer and mix well with milk; then add Sugar and cook the mixture till it achieves dough like consistency.

Ø  While cooking, keep in mind that the mixture needs to be stirred continuously; otherwise it will stick to the Pan.

Ø  Then take a Plate and grease with little Ghee and spread the prepared Kalakand with a thickness of at least ½ inch.

Ø   When it gets cooled, finally cut it in square shape and serve.

Tomato Chutney

Tomatoes are kind of vegetables that commonly used on all type of cuisines and people of all ages like to have it in their intake. A good thing about it is that they are widely available throughout season fresh. Because of their great flavor and texture it can be used on wide range of food stuffs. If fresh, it can be used on daily cooking stuff or can also be stored for long by means of Ketch-up or Pickles. In a short they are very delicious fruits and being loved all over the Globe.

Unlike, Tomatoes are  part & partial of most of the delicacy in India. One of such popular type is called Tomato Chutney, which is basically a side dish that sits well with all kind of dishes. In terms of preparation this could be one of the easiest receipe to think.

Health Benefits

Tomatoes are kind of vegetables which offer enormous health benefits. They are low in calories and with huge amount of Vitamins, Fibers and Mineral that essential for maintaining a good health. Tomatoes also contain dietary lycopene contents, a kind of powerful antioxidant that helps in fight against cancer. According to the studies of American Medical Association, daily consumption of tomatoes decreases the oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes.

Ingredients:

·         Tomatoes (Chopped) – 5 (Medium)

·         Garlic (Chopped) -  2 (Large)

·         Green Chili (Slit Lengthwise) – 2

·         Curry Leaves – Few

·         Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp

·         Cumin Seeds – ½ tsp

·         Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp

·         Salt as per taste

·         Sugar – 1 Pinch

·         Cooking Oil – 2 tsp

·         Coriander Leaves (Chopped) –1/2 tbsp (Optional)

Preparation Method:

Ø  Heat Oil in a Pan; add Mustard Seeds, Cumin Seeds, when they crackle.

Ø  Add Slit Green Chili, Chopped Garlic, Curry Leaves and sauté for a minute.

Ø  Then add chopped Tomatoes, Salt, Sugar and Turmeric Powder; mix well.

Ø  Cover and cook till the tomatoes are tender & gravy gets thicken. The consistency of the gravy should be as per your own choice.

Ø  Finally add Chopped Coriander Leaves and mix well.

Ø  Now the “Tomato Chutney” is ready.

Tomato Chutney is well served with Rice, Pulao, Paratha and Puri, Plain Dosa.