1/2 cup minced chicken
1 boiled potato peeled and mashed
1/4 cup fresh corn kernels
1 medium onion fine diced
2 tbsp besan
1 tsp red chlli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup fine chopped fresh cilantro
1 pinch of love
1/4 cup semolina ( for dredge)
Oil to shallow fry
————
Mix all the ingredients to a nice homogeneous mix.
Take a fist full lump of the mix and pat it on your hand. You can grease your palm with a drop of oil.
Shape the mix in a flat oval or round.
I usually point one end and broaden the other n indent the top to make a heart out of it
Take the semolina in a flat shallow bowl
Dredge the patty thru it very gently and lightly on all sides
Lift it out and pack it with gentle compression with your fingers
Heat a shallow frying pan with a light brushing of oil on medium heat
Slide in the patties and cover the pan. Cook 5 mins on each side on a tsp oil.
Garnish with cilantro
Serve with a chutney or ketchup
Tag: Indian cuisine
BHARWAAN TINDE’
This is my dad’s recipe. I can never best him in taste nor perfection.
Tinde (Apple Gourd)are called Dhemse in maharashtra ( which i feel is really an ugly name)
7-8 very tender Tinde
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp salt.
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
———–
Wash the tinde and scoop the top out
Core the inside and save it aside.
Remove the tough seeds if any.
Add the dry ingredients to the cored mass. Crush it well n blend it with fingers.
Stuff the Tindas with this mixture and put the tops back on, sealing it gently.
Heat oil in a fry pan
Bloom the cumin seeds, add a dash of turmeric
Gently place the Tinde in the pan
Roll them around gently till all are coated with oil
Cover the pan with lid and steam for 10 mins.
Turn them around till all sides are golden fried.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and a pinch of love.
PS: if you dont get much of cored mass, too many seeds, add a fine chopped onion to make up.
Alternatively you can also stuff it with moong dal soaked n dry cooked. With a tinge of garam masala. Or stir fried soya chunks.
Serve hot with paraanthas
LACCHHAA PARAATHAA
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp ghee
1/4 tsp salt
Water to knead. Approx. 1/2 cup is more than plenty.
Add the ghee and salt in the flour and mix well.
Sprinkle water on the flour and fluff-knead with gentle hands.
Make a dough slightly tighter than the normal roti dough, loose than the poori dough. ( softer than pie crust)
Take a fist size chunk of dough. 
Roll out a roti halfway.
Make a paste of 2 tsp oil and 2 tsp rice flour.
Smear that paste on th rolled chapati.
Sprinkle a little bit of rolling flour dusting on it.
Start pleating the roti in tiny pleats.
I just start gathering with fingers.
Coil that pleated strip.
Dust it with rolling flour.
Roll it out gently, tuck any loose sides in and slide it on a tavaa or flat griddle.
Roast it well on both sides on low heat.
Baste it with ghee or oil while roasting.
Makes about 3-4 Parathaas.
Serve hot n crisp with anything.
PS:
I also use chutney or jiraman or simple mith mirchi ( salt and Chili)or leftover chutneys in the layers, anything that adds color and flavor.
RAMPURAWALA DAHI BHALLA
for bhalla- (dumplings)
1 cup Urad daal
1/2 inch fresh ginger root
1/2 tsp salt
Oil to fry.
2 cups water for soaking the fried bhallas,
1 tsp ground black salt
For Dahi-
3 cups plain yogurt ( you can use Nancy’s plain yogurt or greek yogurt too)
1/2″ fresh ginger root fine grated
1/4 cup sugar ( no, the brown sugar doesn’t work)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp roasted cumin seeds powder
1/2 tsp red chilly powder
For tamarind chutney-
1/4 cup tamarind
1 cup jaggery
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp coriander seed powder
——–
Soak the Urad daal in hot water for 45 mins- an hour,
Remove water , add ginger & salt and grind to a coarse paste
Set aside
Whisk the yogurt and add the fine grated ginger, salt and sugar and give it one more whisk lightly, add half a cup of water if you like it a bit thinner.
Let it chill in the fridge till you prep the rest
Soak the tamarind in warm water for 30 mins. Crunch it with your fingers and remove the undissolved parts to gain a smooth paste. You can also run it through a grinder.
Add jaggery to the paste and cook on low heat, stirring all the time till jaggery melts.
Add chili powder, coriander seeds powder and salt, stir well.
Remove in a separate bowl and let it cool to room temp
Take two cups of water in a bigger bowl and dissolve th black salt in it.
Heat oil
Wet your fingers n palm, keep a tiny bowl in front of you to do that each time
Take a small amount of the urad paste, size of a golf ball and pat it flat on your damp palm
Slide it gently into the hot oil and fry both sides.
Strain it out and dunk in the salt water.
Pull out each bhalla and squeeze the water out by gently pressing it between your palms
Set aside in a bowl until all the bhallas are done
Now assembly is the easiest
Put 2 bhallas in a plate
Pour the dahi mix on top till it drowns the dumplings
Drizzle the tamarind chutney on top
Sprinkle cumin seeds powder and red chili powder
Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and serve cold
METHI (Fenugreek) PATALBHAJI
2 cups fenugreek leaves
3 tbsp besan ( black gram flour)
8-10 peeled garlic cloves
4-5 dry red chili peppers
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red chili powder
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
2-3 cups water
1 pinch hing
1 pinch of Love
———-
Chop or shred the fenugreek leaves. Fresh is always best, but can also use dried
Rough pound the garlic( not paste)
Add water in the fenugreek and bring it to a boil. 
Add besan to this n stir simultaneously. Doesn’t have to be a paste. The lumps if any get cooked and lend a great texture n taste.
Add turmeric and salt, bring it to a boil.
In a small kadhai (wok) or pan heat oil, add mustard seeds, bloom them n add garlic and Hing. Last add whole dry red chili and take it off the heat
Put the chili powder on the surface of the bhaji, do not stir, dump this oil seasoning on top of the chili powder. It will hiss n sizzle and give a great yummy smoky flavor.
Add a pinch of love and stir ❤
Serve hot with rice/ bhakri/ parathas.
PS: you can buy fenugreek ( methi ) seeds in any grocery store and grow it on the window sill or patio with minimal sunlight.
You can also add raw peanuts.
Masalas
The spice of life and the life of a dish is all in the Masala! (the spices used)
Masala simply means a mix of various spices used in a specific combination and form. The spices used are not used, “Just Because” or in any random order, or just thrown into the pot or the dish. Each spice has a very specific reason for its use and its hierarchy and form, to complement the dish, its taste and its energy. If it is added to the hot oil, it has to bloom and not burn. specific spices are pre roasted and then pulverized, some used raw.
I have always made my own masalas, and I will be very happy to share those with you here.