Aloo Tikki or Potato Cutlets is one of the most popular snack dishes in India. Aloo Tikki comes under a collective group of snack items called 'Chaat' . In India, street vendors cook hot, spicy and yummy chaat on hot griddles fresh to order. The aroma of the spices invites all on goers whether they are hungry or not. The distinctive, tangible touch of flavor sensed with every spoonful makes one feel blissful. People stand in line and wait for their turn to be served; and when it arrives you have to see them finish it in no time. It's an art.

Recipe:
6 - 8 medium size potatoes - red or white
1/2 cup thawed and crushed peas
1 tbsp grated or finely chopped ginger
1 green chili finely chopped
some freshly chopped cilantro
1 - 2 tsp red chili powder or as per taste
salt to taste
3 - 4 tbsp bread crumbs
1 - 2 tsp garam masala
Oil for cooking

Cook the potatoes and mash them well. Mix all the above ingredients in the list. Make small balls of the mixture by placing in between your palms, then press it to flatten a bit.

Aloo Tikki ready to be cooked

Heat a non-sick pan or iron skillet and drizzle some oil. Place the patti and cook it on medium flame. Once golden brown, flip it to cook on the other side. Add some oil if needed. You can cook many patties at a time on the pan depending on the surface area. You can eat hot and fresh tikki just plain or with chole, drizzle of dahi(yogurt), tamarind date chutney, cilantro chutney. It could also be used as a burger in between bread. It tastes heavenly eaten any way of your choice.

Aloo Tikki served with chole (recipe here)

Soups are always comforting and soothing. It could be had as part of a meal or a whole meal by itself depending on it's ingredients. I was in a mood for something thick, hearty, wholesome, satisfying and of course what can ring a bell but Soup. I wanted something like a minestrone yet something different. I thought I will put my culinary skills to test and tried my variation of Minestrone. The result was a humble satisfying meal with pleasantly surprising medley of flavors which did not clash with each yet stood by itself in every scoop.

There is no hard and fast rule for this soup. Just throw in whatever vegetable is available fresh and use your imagination of herbs and spices to suit your taste. Of course, try my recipe and I bet you will fulfill the desires of your taste buds.

Vegetables and Rigatoni Pasta saute

Recipe: (Makes for 4 - 5 people)

Few Broccoli florets
1 potato diced into 1/2" thick pieces
1 beet, diced into 1/2" thick pieces
1 carrot cut into 1/2" thick round pieces
2 -3 shallots diced
Parsley - fresh or dry
Basil - fresh or dry
1 cup Rigatoni Pasta - I use Brown rice pasta
1 8oz can chickpeas
Few Crimini mushrooms cut into half or any mushroom of your choice
2 -3 garlic cloves crushed
1 scallion or spring onion or green onion chopped
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Heat oil in a sauce pan, add the garlic and shallots and saute. Now add the potatoes, carrots, beets, pasta and mix so that the oil coats all through the vegetables. Add some water and cover it with a lid until the pasta and vegetables are almost cooked. Now add more water depending on the consistency you like, salt and pepper & bring it to a boil. Add the chickpeas, mushroom, broccoli and mix well. Finish it off with herbs, scallions and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve it with toasted bread if needed.

Rigatoni Pasta with Vegetables and Chickpeas served with whole grain bread

For Puri or Bread: (Makes approximately 20 puri's)

1 - 1 & 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
Milk to bind
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
1 tsp of Ajwain seeds

Mix the flour with milk, salt and seeds such that dough has the consistency of almost a pizza dough. Make small balls from the dough.

Wheat flour made into small balls for rolling and making puri

Roll out the dough into 5" inch round. In the mean while, heat oil such that if you insert a wooden spoon end, the air bubbles start to form around the spoon. Now drop the rolled out dough slowly into the oil. Within seconds, the dough fluffs and rises.

Puri frying

Now, turn the half cooked dough to cook on the other side or until golden brown. Your hot Puri is ready! See this was simple, isn't it?

For Chole or Chickpeas:

1 - 1 & 1/2 cup dried Chickpeas or Garbanzo beans soaked overnight, pressure cooked until soft or 2 canned beans - 12 oz each
1 medium size onion chopped finely
1 green chillie chopped finely or adjust the heat as per your taste
2 medium size tomatoes finely chopped or2 - 3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp Garam Masala powder
1 - 1 & 1/2 tbsp Dhania or Coriander powder
1 tsp Turmeric powder
2 tsp red chili powder or per your taste
1 tbsp Meethi (tamarind- date) chutney
A few cloves, 1 Cinnamon stick, a few whole black peppercorns.
Oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds until they splutter. Now add the cloves, Cinnamon stick, peppercorns, onions, green chillies and saute well.

Onions saute-ing

Add the spices mentioned and saute. Once aroma of the spices is released, add the tomato paste, little water and saute well.

After adding tomato paste

Now add the chickpeas and water such that water almost touches the surface of the chickpeas. Allow it to boil. The water will start to thicken after a few minutes.

After adding chole or chickpeas

Add salt, meethi chutney and taste. Garnish with cilantro if needed. Serve hot with puri's and awaken your good old memories from Mom's kitchen.

Puri with Chole - my entry to My Legume Love Affair

NOTE: If you would like to make your own Meethi (Tamarind-Date) chutney, it's very simple. Mix tamarind paste from a 8oz can with 10 dates pitted and run it in a blender with some water. Add some jaggery to this. If you do not find jaggery, use brown sugar instead as per your taste. Add 1 - 2 tsp red chili powder, 1 - 2 tsp salt, 1 - 2 tsp roasted cumin powder and bring it a boil until you get that syrupy consistency. In the end add some golden raisins or kishmish.