Chef Shami | Tag | side dish

Posted on August 31, 2015 Posted by chefshami

Pumkin Raita- Yogurt based dip

Pumkin Raita, also known as Bhoplyache Bharit in Marathi, is a wonderful side dish to go with spicy curries. I like to eat it on its own too at times, as a light meal. You can serve it with chips or celery sticks too.

2 cups of Pumkin cubed

( you can use any kind of squash)

1 cup Plain yogurt

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp oil

1 green chili pepper slit lengthwise, deseeded

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 pinch of Love

Fresh cilantro for garnish

peel and cut the pumpkin into small 1 inch cubes or as convenient

Boil the cubes in water till tender

break them with a fork not mash

let it cool, add yogurt, salt and sugar and mix gently with a fork

Heat oil in a small pan, add the cumin seeds n bloom them.

Add the slit green pepper and turn the heat off.

Pour this seasoning over the dip and mix well.

Garnish with 1 pinch of love and fresh cilantro

To ensure that your guests do not chomp or choke on the chili pepper, remove it before serving

If you want to make this for vegan guests, skip yogurt, and add crushed roasted peanuts and a dash of lime juice, as a Pumpkin Salsa

Posted on August 18, 2015 Posted by chefshami

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Khamang kakadi (Indian Cucumber Salad)

Khamang kakadi (Indian Cucumber Salad)
A delicious maharashtrian salad, side dish, very cooling too.
2 Mavli Kakadi/ 4 Small cucumbers/ 1 medium English cucumbers
½ Cup Roasted Peanuts crushed
½ tsp Salt,
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ghee/oil
2 green chilies medium chopped
1 pinch of hing
1 Pinch of Love
Fresh chopped cilantro for garnish
Cross mince the peeled cucumber by rotating while mincing from the top, and squeeze the excess water out
Add the roasted peanuts powder, salt, sugar and mix well
Heat the ghee ( oil if vegan) in a small wok, add cumin seeds and bloom, add a pinch of hing and a pinch of love, turn the heat off right away, add chopped green chili last, so that it doesn’t burn.
Add this seasoning to the mix, and stir well.
Serve with anything that is spicy, goes well with Pulao, Khichdi, or even hot rotis.

Posted on August 18, 2015 Posted by chefshami

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BAINGAN BHARTA

BAINGAN BHARTA
A simple, super yummy and popular side dish, that goes with anything, even as a dip, with corn chips 😊
1 medium Asian eggplant
1 onion fine chopped
1 medium tomato fine chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric
3/4 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp coriander seeds powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp salt
2tbsp Fresh chopped cilantro
————–
Smear the eggplant with an oil swipe
Roast it well directly on the flame, uniformly by turning over to cover all around
Keep it covered under a bowl for 5 mins ( the steam makes the charred peels come off easily)
Take a small bowl of water to dip your fingers in, to prevent the peels from sticking to your hands.
Shred the roasted, peeled eggplant
Heat oil in a pan, bloom the mustard seeds,
Add turmeric, chilly powder, coriander powder
Followed by the chopped onion, tomato and half of fresh cilantro.
Flash fry, stir for a minute
Add the shredded eggplant, stir
Add salt
Cover it for 2 mins.
Serve garnished with fresh chopped cilantro and a pinch of love !
PS:
You can make this with japanese eggplants too
Variation:
You can also just shred the roasted eggplant,
add fine diced purple onion, 1/2 tsp salt or as per taste
Put 1/2 tsp chili powder, don’t mix it yet
make the seasoning separately and add on top of the chili.
Mix well, add fresh cilantro
Add 2 tbsp of plain/ greek yogurt

Posted on August 18, 2015 Posted by chefshami

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Bhutte Ka Keis

Bhutte ka Keis
A heart warming Malwa dish!
A Must Eat in the Indore itinerary.
4 large but tender Corn cobs
1 1/2″ fresh ginger root
6-7 peeled garlic cloves
1 medium purple onion fine diced
4-5 green chili peppers
Fresh cilantro fine chopped( with the stalks)
1 lemon, juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/4 tsp hing ( asafoetida)
1 pinch of Love
1/2 tsp salt
—————–
Break the cobs into halves and grate them on a medium hole grater
Pound the ginger garlic and green chilies coarsely
Heat oil in a thick bottom wok or frying pan
Add black mustard seeds and bloom them, add hing
Follow by adding ginger garlic and chilies, stir, immediately add the fine diced onion.
Flash fry for one minute and add turmeric
Add the grated corn and stirr well, add salt
Saute in open pan for 5 mins. Folding it briskly centre out to in.
This helps the excess moisture to evaporate faster.
When the mixture starts consolidating, lower the heat and cover the pan, let it cook for 4-5 mins.
Repeat folding it briskly again. Loosen the mix, by breaking it with a spatula in a quick chop/ shred movement
Squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon and stir once.
Add the fine chopped cilantro and a pinch of love. Serve hot with a lemon wedge
You can add a pinch of Jiraman or Chat masala if you like.
PS:
Using generic corn will always give the best results. Sweetcorn tends to linger the sweetish taste.

Posted on August 17, 2015 Posted by chefshami

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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