1,000 Indian Recipes (142 page)

Authors: Neelam Batra

Crispy Chickpea Batter Drops
are very easy to make at home and have a long refrigerator life. You can also buy them in Indian markets in different flavors. One brand to look for is Haldiram.

Traditional Raita with Softened Chickpea Batter Drops

Bheegi Boondi ka Raita

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Here is a traditional
boondi
raita, made by briefly soaking freshly made chickpea batter drops in boiling water and then draining and squeeze-drying them before adding them to yogurt. Hot water not only softens the
boondi
, but, more importantly, pulls out the oil, making it a healthier dish.

2
¹⁄
₂cups
Crispy Chickpea Batter Drops (Boondi)
or store-bought

1 teaspoon dry-roasted and coarsely ground cumin seeds (
Dry-Roasting Spices
)

2 cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

¹⁄
₄cup lowfat milk

3 cups boiling water for soaking the boondi

¹⁄
₂teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹⁄
₂teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¹⁄
₂teaspoon ground paprika

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon finely chopped scallion, green parts only

1.
Prepare the boondi drops and cumin. Then, in a serving bowl, whisk together the yogurt and milk until smooth.

2.
Soak the boondi in boiling water, about 1 min-ute, then transfer to a fine-mesh strainer and drain. Press lightly on the boondi to squeeze out all the excess water.

3.
Add the boondi to the yogurt, then mix in the salt, black pepper, and half the cumin. Garnish with the remaining cumin, paprika, cilantro, and scallions, and serve.

Raita with Crispy Chickpea Batter Drops

Sookhi Boondi ka Raita

Makes 4 to 6 servings

More and more, the trend in India the last few years has been toward adding dry, crispy
boondi
(chickpea batter drops) instead of soaked
boondi
, to yogurt, just before serving. Although a dish made this way is less healthy than one with soaked
boondi
, it makes for a pleasantly crunchy dish, and is a lot quicker and easier to prepare. Flavored and plain
boondi
drops are available in Indian markets all over the country, or try making them yourself—it's simple.

2 cups savory
Crispy Chickpea Batter Drops (Boondi)
or store-bought

1 teaspoon
dry-roasted
and coarsely ground cumin seeds

2 cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

¹⁄
₄teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹⁄
₂teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

¹⁄
₂teaspoon ground paprika for garnish

¹⁄
₄cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1.
Prepare the boondi and the cumin. Then place the yogurt in a serving bowl and mix in the salt, black pepper, cumin, and paprika.

2.
Lightly mix in the boondi with some of them visible as garnish (or just mound them all on top). Sprinkle the cilantro on top and serve immediately (or the boondi will get soggy).

Raita with Chickpea Flour Pancakes

Doiyon ka Raita

Makes 4 to 6 servings

With time on their hands and faced with transportation difficulties and lack of refrigeration, Indian home cooks in olden days found numerous ways to use the same ingredients, most of them staples in the kitchen, like chickpea flour. Make these pancakes when no one is home, or half will disappear right from the skillet and you won't have enough for the
raita
.

2 teaspoons
Punjabi Raita and Buttermilk Masala

¹⁄
₄cup chickpea flour

¹⁄
₈teaspoon baking soda

¹⁄
₈teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 tablespoons minced scallions, white parts only

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds

¹⁄
₄cup water

1 to 2 tablespoons peanut oil

2 cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

1 tablespoon minced fresh mint leaves

1.
Prepare the masala. Then, in a small bowl, mix together the chickpea flour, baking soda, salt, scallions, cilantro, and green chile pepper. Add the water to make a semi-thin batter. Set aside about 30 minutes to rest.

2.
Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add about 2 tablespoons of the batter and spread it with a spatula to make a 3-inch pancake. When the bottom turns golden, about 1 minute, turn it over and slide it toward the side of the pan, making room for others. Make similar pancakes with the remaining batter, starting in the center and moving out the side after the first side turns golden. Add more oil, as necessary.

3.
When the bottoms of the pancakes at the side of the pan brown, about 1 minute, turn them over and let the other side brown, about 30 seconds, then remove to a plate. Break each pancake into
¹⁄
₂-inch pieces and set aside.

4.
In a serving bowl, mix together the yogurt, raita masala, and the pancake pieces. Garnish with the mint and serve.

Simple Mung Bean Croquettes Raita

Pakaudhiyon ka Raita

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Pakaudhi
dumplings, also called
mungi ke laddoo
, are deep-fried balls of yellow mung beans. They are a Punjabi specialty served in a pool of savory yogurt and topped with
sonth
(a smooth brown chutney) and mint chutneys, chile peppers, and tangy spices. This is the simple version of the Punjabi
raita
, with fewer spices and without the chutneys.

2 teaspoons dry-roasted and coarsely ground cumin seeds (
Dry-Roasting Spices
)

16 to 20 (1 recipe)
Mung Bean Croquettes

3 to 4 cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

¹⁄
₂teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹⁄
₂teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste

3 cups water for soaking the croquettes

1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, with soft stems

1.
Prepare the cumin seeds and the croquettes. Then place the yogurt in a large serving bowl, mix in the salt, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, and refrigerate until needed.

2.
An hour before serving, put the water in a large saucepan, bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and soak the croquettes until they absorb the water and become soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Press lightly to see if the center is soft; if not, add more water (if necessary) and bring to a boil again over high heat. When the croquettes are soft, remove them from water; let cool. When cool enough to handle, press each croquette between the palms of your hands to squeeze out all the excess water.

3.
Add the croquettes to the yogurt and mix gently until all croquettes are well-coated with the yogurt. Garnish with the remaining 1 teaspoon cumin, green chile pepper, and cilantro, and serve.

Spicy Mung Bean Croquettes Raita with Sonth Chutney

Pakaudhiyon ki Chaat

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This is a dressed-up version of
Simple Mung Bean Croquette Raita
. Loaded with different chutneys and spices, this one falls in the street food category, and is eaten more as a substantial snack or even a quick lunch when you are out shopping. If your chutneys and spices are prepared ahead of time, this
raita
is basically an assembly job. To enjoy it as the locals all over north India do, serve and eat it as spicy-hot as you can tolerate, then cool down with any of the chilled Indian beverages, such as
Sweet Mango-Yogurt Cooler
.