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!!!

Sesame Fingers with Schezwan Sauce

When you invite friends over you want everything to fall correctly and taste right!! Some recipe are not only easy to prep but super tasty, and they can wow your guests. This is one of those recipes that can never go wrong. 

Although this is one of the appetizers that I make for indo-chinese parties, it can surely fit into your potluck or finger food or cocktail party or for fun ladies party too. These finger like appetizers are made of veggies and a rolled in sesame seeds for flavor and texture. In this recipe I have used white as well as black sesame seeds, but you could use any. I feel black sesame seeds provide extra nutty flavor and texture to this appetizer. Use veggies of your choice...you can select veggies and the quantity too. There is no fixed ratio of veggies in here.

Ingredients (to make 15-20 fingers)

3 cups minced veggies of your choice (cabbage, beans, carrots, onion, spring greens)

2-3 cloves garlic

1 inch ginger

1+1/2 tsp. salt

2. tsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. vinegar

1/2 cup maida (all-purpose flour)

1/2 cup rice flour

1/4 -1/2 cup sesame seeds (black or white or both)

Oil for frying

• Roughly chop veggies and put them in a food processor. Add ginger and garlic too and mince all the veggies.
• Remove in a bowl.
• Add salt, soy sauce, and vinegar. Mix well and leave veggies aside for 10 minutes to sweat and release moisture. 
• Add all purpose flour and rice flour to make soft dough. You can use less or more flour depending on the moisture content in the veggies.
• Shape as fingers and roll in sesame seeds.
• Deep fry each finger on medium heat till it is golden brown and nicely done.
• Remove on a paper towel.
• Serve with schezwan sauce.

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Veggies

Roughly chop veggies and put them in a food processor. Add ginger and garlic too and mince all the veggies.

Remove in a bowl.

Add salt, soy sauce, and vinegar. Mix well and leave veggies aside for 10 minutes to sweat and release moisture.

Add all purpose flour and rice flour to make soft dough. You can use less or more flour depending on the moisture content in the veggies.

Shape as fingers and roll in sesame seeds.

Deep fry each finger on medium heat till it is golden brown and nicely done.

Serve with schezwan sauce.

Enjoy!!!

Mango Ice Cream

As the aroma of fresh waffle cones spread...not just kids but adults too are tempted to enter the place. Yes, it is the ice cream shop or the fancy word is Ice Cream Parlor. :) You get to taste so many colorful delicious flavors before choosing one. WOW what if I just taste and say I don't like any... and that is exactly why ice cream places do not let you taste it or would just have limited tasting policy :) I am always sure I want a Mango flavored, but still it is fun to get a taste test.

Ice cream is not a new concept. I have had my parents telling me about the traditional ice cream churner: a container filled with ice cream mixture is placed and rotated around ice and salt mixture to make creamy frozen mixture called ice cream :) I remember the concept of ice and salt creating freezing mixture...we learned that in school right?? Yes, ice cream making is actually science. :)

I remember every summer vacation mummy would have freezer full of mango ice cream for us. Just mango milkshake which was frozen and delicious. Even if it was a slightly icey...who cared...slushy mango ice cream on hot summer day was all we wanted!

So finally with hot summer days and mango in season, it was time to whip my favorite flavor. Check out my other ice cream recipes.

Ingredients (Serves 8-10)

1 cup milk

2 cups whipping cream

1/2 cup sugar

4-5 mangoes (around 6 cups) (fresh mangoes or frozen mangoes)

• Boil milk. Add sugar and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool slightly. 
• Add whipping cream and stir well. 
• Freeze the mixture in a freeze proof container.
• Peel and chop mangoes.
• When the ice cream mixture is frozen. cut into pieces and churn it in a food processor with chopped mangoes. the mixture should be creamy, fluffy, and slushy. Is the mixture melts. Freeze it and churn it again to get a light ice cream.
• Freeze the mixture.
• Remove from the freezer and let the ice cream rest for few minutes before serving.
• Serve as is or with chopped mangoes.

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Boil milk. Add sugar and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool slightly. 

Add whipping cream and stir well.

Freeze the mixture in a freeze proof container.

Peel and chop mangoes.

When the ice cream mixture is frozen. cut into pieces and churn it in a food processor with chopped mangoes. the mixture should be creamy, fluffy, and slushy. Is the mixture melts. Freeze it and churn it again to get a light ice cream.

Freeze the mixture.

Remove from the freezer and let the ice cream rest for few minutes before serving.

Serve as is or with chopped mangoes.

I Scream, You Scream, We all Scream for
Mango Ice Cream!!!