Ajwain Pakora Chaat

There are few plants and shrubs that do not need much care. They are easy to grow and with proper water and sunlight they would grow like a weed. I am sure everyone knows how easy it is grow and propagate mint plant/herb. The same is true for Ajwain plant (A tropical.Indian herb similar to thyme). They grow fast like weeds and can propagate easily. From a small little stem that I had ordered online from an Indian plant website last year, I now have a big plant growing in my backyard. I cut and propagate the stem cuttings at various spots in my yard and also in pots to gift my friends. Ajwain plant leaves have a strong fragrance and keeps pests and bugs away. Low to partial sunlight is just perfect for them so the spot where no other summer plants would grow is perfect for my ajwain plant. They adapt themselves well in the conditions they are put in.

Growing up, I have seen ajwain plant at home. With so many medicinal properties that it carries, this is a plant that is seen in most Indian houses. Ajwain plant mainly aids in digestion and releaves from cold and cough...herbal remedies. My parents always said that ajwain pakoras are delicious too, but I don't remember tasting it ever. And now that I have the this beautiful huge plant growing, I had to make Ajwain leaf Bhajias.

Few months back my friend, SM invited us over for chai party (Indian tea party), and she made yummychaat with palak/spinach leaves. Oh I can't say enough how yummy it was. Some gossip and some chaat...perfect recipe for Indian girl friends meet right?? :) HAHA!!! So while I loved the palak pakora chaat that she made...I tried it with Ajwain Leaf Pakoras when I had few of my friends over for Summer Gola Party. Chilling in the backyard with chilled gola and chatpaty chaat is just delicious. And to add to that my friend made some yummy Plum Panna (fresh plum drink) from her backyard produce.

Ajwain pakora chaat is a delicious dish that is easy to prep and serve. It is fun to lay out the chaat ingredients in your fancy platters and let yours guests make their chaat while you can sit and chit-chat with them. It is a perfect party or a girls meet food!

Ingredients (serves 4)
To make pakoras:
15-20 broad Ajwain leaves
1 cup besan/chickpea flour
1 cup rice flour
1+1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. red chili powder
Water to make the dough,
Oil for frying

To assemble the chaat
Spicy cilantro chutney
Date and tamarind chutney
1 Cup plain yogurt (beaten with a pinch of salt)
1  cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup chickpeas (soaked and boiled)
Chopped cilantro
Sev for garnishing

To make pakoras:

• Wash, clean and dry freshly harvested ajwain leaves
• Mix flour, salt, and spices together. Add around 3/4 to 1 cup water to make a smooth batter.
• Heat oil in a deep pan.
• Dip each ajwain leaf in the batter and deep fry in hot oil. Flip it till it is lightly golden on both sides.
• Remove on a paper towel to absorb excess oil
• Lay all in a serving plate. 

To assemble chaat:

• Place 2-3 ajwain pakoras in the serving plate.
• Top with some boiled chickpeas, onions, tomatoes.
• Add some beaten yogurt and chutneys to suit your palate (or let your guests self serve themselves)
• Garnish with crisp sev and chopped cilantro.

Here is my Ajwain plant.

Beautiful broad leaves to make a perfect base for chaat.

Look at the Thela or Indian Cart full of Ajwain Leaves! :)

Wash, clean and dry freshly harvested ajwain leaves

Mix flour, salt, and spices together. Add around 3/4 to 1 cup water to make a smooth batter.

Heat oil in a deep pan.

Dip each ajwain leaf in the batter and deep fry in hot oil. Flip it till it is lightly golden on both sides.

Remove on a paper towel to absorb excess oil

Lay all in a serving plate.

Place 2-3 ajwain pakoras in the serving plate.

Top with some boiled chickpeas, onions, tomatoes.

Add some beaten yogurt and chutneys to suit your palate (or let your guests self serve themselves)

Garnish with crisp sev and chopped cilantro.

Enjoy this delicious Chaat!!!

Fruitilicious Pani Puri

Met my friends today for chaat party. Yes, we are all chaat lovers...it is sweet, spicy, tangy... basically chatpata just like all my girl friends!! :) And while we had thought to meet for a summer chaat party, there has to be chilled pani puri on our menu.

If you remember my two year back post on Guava Pani Puri, it was the recipe created for chaat party with my same girl friends. They had loved the sweet, spicy and tangy flavor of Guava Pani so it was now time to create something different. With fruits available in my refrigerator and few fresh fruits growing in my yard, it was easy to make this quick and delicious pani.

Pani Puri is a crisp puffed puri/waffer stuffed with moong and potato stuffing and dunked into sweet and tangy pani. The entire puri is then eaten for burst of flavors and textures. And, I promise you will be addicted to this one.

Fruitilicious is a delicious fruit cocktail pani: a combination of traditional pani with sweetness and flavors of fresh fruit juice. My family and my friends loved it...you gotta try this.

Ingredients: (serves 6-8)
1 whole fresh pineapple
2 fresh apples
2 cups black grapes
2 cups fresh blackberries
4-5 plums
6-8 fresh mint leaves
1 tsp. raw cumin seeds
2 green chilies
1/2 inch ginger
3-4 tbsp. sugar (if needed depending on the sourness of the fruit) OR 5-6 dates for sweetness
1-2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
2-3 tsp. rock salt (or to taste)
1 tsp. amchoor powder (dry mango powder)
3-4 cups ice

• Remove the skin of the pineapple and chop it into large chunks. 
• Remove seeds of apple and chop it into large chunks.
• De-seed plums and keep it aside 
• Wash grapes and blackberries.
• Finally add all the prepped fruits into a blender with mint, cumin, ginger, and green chilies. Blend well. Use a strainer to strain the mixture and remove the pulp.  
• Add 3-4 cups of ice to the fruity mixture.
• Add sugar, salt, rock salt, and amchoor powder. Mix well. Give it a taste test and add salt or rock salt if needed.
• Let it rest for 30 minutes to an hour in the refrigerator before serving.
• Serve with crisp puris and moong chana and potato mixture.

Check out my Pani Puri recipe to make homemade puri and regular mint pani

Also, check Guava Pani Puri recipe here.

Fruitilicious Pani Puri

Masala Kandh/Ratalu

Just before winter starts, yams, and sweet potatoes, and other root vegetables rule farmer's market in India. Streets full of vendors with veggies pilled in a large basket or just a cloth is not a rare sight. Women get out of the house to shop fresh veggies and prepare delicacies for their family... of coarse winter is the time to indulge in food. :)

Although most vegetables are no longer seasonal, but available year round, we still enjoy the flavors of the food in that season. Like spicy, hot, and delicious Undhiyu in preferred and enjoyed more in winters rather than summer. So while it is not summer in California yet, I found our favorite purple yam/kandh/ratalu. This underground root vegetable is purple, is pretty, and delicious too :)

Purple yam brings me memories of Rajasthan...our trip to Shrinathji/Nathdwara, 100 km away from Udaipur where we specifically go to worship our God. This small town of Nathdwara has colorful shopping and delicious food experience.  Below are pictures of our family trip to Nathdwara. Sorry about posting so many, but the train experience, the food, family fun... is making me mostalgic. You will also see pictures of food carts, cows in a shed where we specifically go to feed and worship them, little hand carts and rickshaws as means of transport.

The expression from my dad reveals everything about Masala Kandh/spicy purple Yam

So while I do bring Kandh Masala from Rajashthan, here is my attempt to create my own too. This masala or spice mix is so versatile that it can be added onto any roasted, grilled, or fried veggies to make it deliciously chatpata.

Kandh Masala or Spice mix

1 tbsp. red chili powder 

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. fine pepper powder

1/4 tsp. rock salt

Mix all these well and store this spice mix in a glass jar.

To make Masala Kandh

Purple Yam/kandh

Kandh Masala or spice mix

Lemon juice

Opitonal: Fried Chilies

• Peel kandh. Wash it well and pat dry it. 
• Cut into 1 inch thick slices.
• Fry slices in hot oil for 3-4 minutes. This is just partial frying to partially cook them. Let it cool.
• Cut into cubes and re-fry till they form crisp. You could also bake in a 400 F oven for 20 minutes.
• Remove fried cubes in a bowl and add spice mix and juice of a lemon.
• Mix well and serve immediately.
• For authentic feel, serve in a leaf bowl (duna) and a pick :)

Here are few pictures.

Peel kandh and wash it well and pat dry it.

Fry slices in hot oil for 3-4 minutes. This is just partial frying to partially cook them. Let it cool.

Cut into cubes and re-fry till they form crisp.

Remove fried cubes in a bowl and add spice mix and juice of a lemon.

Mix well and serve immediately.

For authentic feel, serve in a leaf bowl (duna) and a food pick :)

Fried chilies are optional.

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