How to Cook Indian (16 page)

Bhel Puri

Puffed rice
chaat

A very popular Mumbai street food that is famous both in India and abroad. Puffed rice, chickpea vermicelli, and crisp
puris
(Indian flour wafers) come together with a zesty mix of chutneys to create the ultimate snack.

As you mix the chutneys with the puffed rice, place your ear next to the bowl and you will be able to hear a light crackle and pop. That is the sound of the
kurmura
absorbing the chutneys. If it makes the sound, your puffed rice is fresh. If it doesn’t, you need a new bag.

The puffed rice,
masala chana dal,
vermicelli, and wafers used here are all readily available at Indian grocery stores.

Serves 4.

4 cups (80 grams)
kurmura
(puffed rice)

1 medium red onion, chopped

¼ cup (50 grams) roasted
masala chana dal
(store-bought spiced lentils)

¼ cup (40 grams) roasted peanuts

2 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled, and diced

2 or 3 green chiles, stemmed and minced

½ cup (20 grams)
sev
(chickpea-flour vermicelli)

8 crisp
puris
(flour wafers; page 21)

Table salt

½ cup (120 grams)
pudina aur dhaniya
chutney (mint-and-cilantro chutney; page 22)

6 tablespoons
khajoor aur imli ki
chutney (sweet date-and-tamarind chutney; page 22)

1 teaspoon chile garlic chutney (page 519)

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Put the
kurmura,
onion,
masala chana dal,
peanuts, potatoes, chiles, and half of the
sev
in a large bowl and toss to combine.

2. Add 4 crushed
puris
and toss. Add salt to taste.

3. Add the three chutneys and stir well.

4. Add the lemon juice and stir. Garnish with cilantro and the remaining
sev
.

5. Serve immediately with the remaining
puris.

Dahi Batata Puri

Puffed flour crisps with potatoes and chutneys

This is a typical street food from the northern part of India: Puffed flour crisps are stuffed with potatoes, sprouts, and assorted chutneys. Prepare this just before serving or the crisps will lose their texture and become soggy.

Serves 4.

1½ cups (375 grams) plain yogurt, whisked

½ teaspoon table salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2 small potatoes, boiled, peeled, and chopped

½ cup (50 grams) sprouted
moong
beans, blanched (see Note)

1 teaspoon red chile powder

½ teaspoon
chaat masala
(spice mix for
chaat;
page 24)

24 puffed crisp
puris
(deep-fried flour balloons; page 21)

¼ cup (50 grams)
pudina aur dhaniya
chutney (mint-and-cilantro chutney; page 22)

¼ cup (60 grams)
khajoor aur imli ki
chutney (sweet date-and-tamarind chutney; page 22)

¼ cup (10 grams)
sev
(chickpea-flour vermicelli)

1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin (page 32)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons fresh pomegranate arils (optional)

1. Put the yogurt in a bowl, add ¼ teaspoon of the salt and the sugar, and whisk until smooth. Set aside in the refrigerator.

2. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, sprouted
moong
beans, the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon of the chile powder, and the
chaat masala.

3. Puncture a hole on one side of each
puri,
fill it with the potato mixture, dip in the yogurt, and place on a plate. Alternatively, you can arrange the
puris
on the plate and then pour the yogurt over, reserving some for topping at the end.

4. Drizzle the two chutneys over the
puris.
Sprinkle with the
sev,
the remaining ¼ teaspoon chile powder, the cumin, cilantro, and pomegranate arils. Drizzle the remaining yogurt on top. Serve immediately.

To blanch sprouted
moong
beans: Place a nonstick saucepan over high heat, add 2 cups (400 ml) water, and bring to a boil. As the water starts boiling, add the sprouted
moong
beans, lower the heat to medium, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and refresh in cold water. Drain thoroughly and use.

Dahi Papdi Chaat

Flour crisps topped with sprouts, chutney, yogurt, and
sev

I grew up in Delhi, where eating
chaat
at the roadside was—and still is—the thing to do. This dish is easy to make and, as with most
chaats,
is great for feeding a large group.

Serves 4.

1½ cups (375 grams) plain yogurt, whisked

½ teaspoon table salt

1 tablespoon sugar

24 small flat crisp
papdis
(flat flour wafers; page 21)

2 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled, and chopped

½ cup (50 grams) sprouted
moong
beans, blanched (page 75)

1 teaspoon chile garlic chutney (page 519)

3 tablespoons
pudina aur dhaniya
chutney (mint-and-cilantro chutney; page 22)

¼ cup (60 grams)
khajoor aur imli ki
chutney (sweet date-and-tamarind chutney; page 22)

1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin (page 32)

½ teaspoon
chaat masala
(spice mix for
chaat;
page 24)

½ teaspoon red chile powder

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup (10 grams)
sev
(chickpea-flour vermicelli)

2 tablespoons fresh pomegranate arils (optional)

1. Place the yogurt in a bowl, add ¼ teaspoon of the salt and the sugar, and whisk until smooth. Set aside in the refrigerator.

2. Arrange 6
papdis
on each of 4 serving plates. Place some potatoes on each
papdi.
Top with some sprouted
moong
beans.

3. Drizzle with a little of each chutney.

4. Sprinkle with the cumin,
chaat masala,
a little chile powder, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.

5. Spoon the yogurt on top, then drizzle with the rest of the chutneys and sprinkle with the cilantro,
sev,
and pomegranate arils. Serve immediately.

Jhaal Muri

Puffed rice dish

This street food of puffed rice, also called
kurmura
in India, and fresh vegetables tossed with spices should be prepared just before serving or the puffed rice will become soggy.

Serves 4.

3 cups (60 grams)
kurmura
(puffed rice)

1 medium red onion, chopped

¼ cup (40 grams) sprouted
kala chana
(sprouted black Bengal gram), blanched (page 75)

1 small cucumber, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1-cm) pieces

1 small tomato, seeded and cut into ½-inch (1-cm) pieces

2 green chiles, stemmed and chopped

2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, skins removed

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons mustard oil, taken from a jar of store-bought pickle (see Notes)

¼ teaspoon table salt

2 tablespoons
jhaal muri masala
(see Notes)

2 tablespoons sliced fresh coconut

1. In a large bowl, combine the
kurmura,
onion,
kala chana,
cucumber, tomato, chiles, peanuts, and cilantro, and toss to stir well.

2. Add the oil, salt, and
jhaal muri masala,
and toss again to stir well. Garnish with the coconut and serve immediately.

If you do not have a jar of store-bought Indian pickle containing mustard oil, heat 2 tablespoons refined mustard oil (see below) to the smoking point. Remove from the heat, add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds, ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon red chile powder, and a pinch of asafetida. Let it stand for 1 hour, strain to remove the solids, and use. All these ingredients are readily available in Indian grocery stores.
To make
jhaal muri masala,
combine 1 teaspoon black salt, 1 tablespoon roasted ground cumin, 1 teaspoon
chaat masala,
and ½ teaspoon ground white pepper. This masala is used to make the dish tangy.
Mustard oil is available in two varieties, filtered and refined. If you are using filtered mustard oil, you will need to first heat it until it reaches the smoking point, then let it cool completely before using. If you are using the refined variety, you can use it right away. In either case, please use mustard oil that is labeled specifically for cooking. If you cannot find it, regular vegetable oil will work as well.