Rajma Tikki

Oh it was so much fun to create something new for dinner! A meal that is nutritious, delicious, and protein rich, with traditional flavors, but still presented differently. While I had soaked some rajma to make north Indian style rajma masala to go with rice, I ended up turning the same rajma and rice dish into these little cutlets or tikkis.

I know people do make rajma kababs...never made those but would love to some day. Maybe I did the same in this recipe...made rajma kababs while adding some cooked rice as a binder. Grains and lentils compliment each other well to make a complete protein meal. I have explained about complete proteins in one of my earlier recipes. Keeping this concept in mind rajma & rice tikkis were made. Of course, you could add bread, or breadcrumbs, or sooji/rawa/semolina as a binder too. These are so easy to make, and I would say that it makes a great picnic, travel, or school lunch meal. For vegetarians who wish to increase the protein intake for breakfasts, this recipe is perfect for a tasty, healthy, and quick breakfast with everything prepped ahead of time or a day before.

Ingredients (makes8-10 tikkis)
1/2 cup rajma
1 cup cooked rice
1/2 cup chopped onion
2-3 clove garlic
1/4 inch ginger
1-2 green chilies
1-2 tbsp. rajma masala (I like MDH rajma masala)
1 tsp. salt
1tbsp. red chili powder
Ghee or oil for shallow frying.

• Soak 1/2 cup rajma in 2 cups of water for 6 hours or overnight. 
• Pressure cook till you hear 4-5 whistles of for 45 minutes. Turn of the heat and let the pressure cooker cool. 
• Remove water from rajma.
• In a food processor of chopper add onions, garlic, ginger, and green chilies and mince them finely. 
• Add boiled rajma and grind it well to form a rough paste. (do not over grind and make it smooth).
• Add cooked rice, rajma masala, salt, red chili powder and grind them again till it is mixed.
• Try to form tikkis or cutlets. You should not need any binder. If it seems dry, add 2-3 tbsp. water and grind it again and make tikkis. 
• Shallow fry using oil or ghee. I used ghee to fry tikkis as rajma and rice goes really well with the flavor and aroma of ghee.
• Serve tikkis with sliced onions and chutney.

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Soak 1/2 cup rajma in 2 cups of water for 6 hours or overnight.

In a food processor of chopper add onions, garlic, ginger, and green chilies and mince them finely. 

Pressure cook till you hear 4-5 whistles of for 45 minutes. Turn of the heat and let the pressure cooker cool.

Add boiled rajma and grind it well to form a rough paste. (do not over grind and make it smooth).

Add cooked rice, rajma masala, salt, red chili powder and grind them again till it is mixed.

Try to form tikkis or cutlets. You should not need any binder. If it seems dry, add 2-3 tbsp. water and grind it again and make tikkis. 

Shallow fry using oil or ghee. I used ghee to fry tikkis as rajma and rice goes really well with the flavor and aroma of ghee.

My spriralizer to make spiral onions to serve these tikkis.

Serve tikkis with onions and chutney.

Yummylicious!!!

Mushroom Tikka

My friends came over.. they wanted to see my Tandoor and try some food made in it. Now that I have gotten enough practice of using it well, I was more confident to invite them over and show off my Tnadoor skills. They all came, all excited and with their signature dish to share. I was in charge on only few of the Tandoori items. It was a feast... paneer makhni, signature karela, masala rice, yummy kheer and icecream. OMG it was a blast. We sat in my backyard, under the shade of my Avocado tree and enjoyed all the delicious food while I bragged about our homemade DIY Tandoor. :)

My friends are my guinea pigs. :) There are so many recipes that I try out for the first time, and only after it is approved by the panel of judges (my friends) that it lands up as a post on my blog. Some of the recipes are still to be typed and published. This one was a hit...an instant hit... It was all gone before I could click a picture. Luckily I had my friends send few pictures that they took and wow they are so brilliantly captured, that I am pleased and thrilled to say that I have wonderful friends and will be glad to host them again :)

While I have grilled mushrooms a lot with paneer tikka, and we love it...this time it was a new marinade and grilling over charcoal heat of my Tandoor. Thanks to SV for sending me the picture that I have used as a cover photo. Brilliant isn't it? This marinate for mushrooms is mint flavored...yogurt and mint with mushrooms is a delicious combination and super easy to make too.

Ingredients
10-15 button mushroom.
1/2 cup mint leaves
1-2 green chillies
1/4 inch ginger
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 cup hung plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp. salt

Thinly sliced onion rings or onion spirals so serve mushroom tikka.

• In a blender blend mint leaves, green chilies, ginger, salt, cumin seeds with little water.
• Add the mint paste to hung yogurt and mix well.
• Clean wipe mushrooms and remove the stalk. 
• Mix mushrooms well into the marinade. If left for a long time, mushrooms will sweat moisture and that is all right.
• Use a 2 prong skewers and gently insert mushrooms in it. One prong skewer is not very easy to turn to cook mushrooms well. as mushrooms shrink, they can break from the skewer and fall off. 2 prong skewers hold mushrooms well and can cook well on all sides.
• Grill mushrooms over charcoal heat or in the oven. If placing in an oven, put skewers on a high pan so that mushrooms do not touch the bottom of the pan. If they touch the bottom of the pan, they can get soggy. Heat the oven to 500F temperature and grill mushrooms till done and golden brown. You might need to flip it too. 
• When done, place on a bed of sliced or spiral onions.
• Also, sprinkle a bit with chaat masala. and then serve. 

In a blender blend mint leaves, green chilies, ginger, salt, cumin seeds with little water.

Add the mint paste to hung yogurt and mix well.

Clean wipe mushrooms and remove the stalk. 

Mix mushrooms well into the marinade.

Two prong skewers for Mushroom tikka. 

Check this Amazon link http://amzn.to/2ufqvrr

Use a 2 prong skewers and gently insert mushrooms in it. One prong skewer is not very easy to turn to cook mushrooms well. as mushrooms shrink, they can break from the skewer and fall off. 2 prong skewers hold mushrooms well and can cook well on all sides.

Grill mushrooms over chacoal heat and flip it when it gets slight color.

Spiralizer to make onion spirals.

 When done, place on a bed of sliced or spiral onions.

Let's get grilling!!!

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!!!