Jhaal Muri | How to Make Jhaal Muri from scratch | Street Food Recipes

Jhaal Muri #Recipe

Jhaal Muri is another popular street food from the state of Bengal. It is a light snack and is quite healthy too. ‘Jhaal’ in Bengali means ‘spicy’ and ‘muri is puffed rice – and it translates to spicy puffed rice. In the streets of Kolkata, the street vendors prepare them instantly and serve them in newspaper cones. With chopped onion, tomato, boiled potatoes, peanuts, sev bhujia, mustard oil and a blend of spices, it is a delightful snack to munch on. Using mustard oil is a must, as it imparts the dish its characteristic taste. While it might look somewhat similar to Bhel Puri, it’s taste is altogether different.

Ghugni Chaat | How to Make Ghugni from Scratch | Recipe

Ghugni Chaat #Recipe

Ghugni Chaat is one of the most loved street foods from the lanes of Kolkata. And contrary to the popular belief about street foods, it is quite a healthy protein packed dish to indulge in. Try any area in Kolkata that is famous for its street food, you are bound to find a conspicuous vendor selling Ghugni.

In simple words, ghugni is a spicy curry made from dried white peas (that has been soaked for at least 6 hours or overnight) topped with chopped onions, tamarind chutney, a handful of coriander leaves and a specially roasted masala. Ghugni is to Kolkata what chole chaat is to Delhi. It is one of those dishes I make when I am running out of veggies in my pantry. With just a few ingredients, you can have a hearty and tummy satisfying meal.

When I was in school, there was a vendor who could come to our school park to sell ghugni during lunch breaks. From what I remember, there used to be a huge crowd surrounding his cart – all enjoying a plate of hot ghugni chaat. Back then I was quite averse to street foods since I was not sure what kind of hygiene standards they maintained. So, I never bought a plate of ghugni from him. Although today I enjoy having street food from street vendors, I am still very choosy. Well, that’s just me. These days whenever I crave street food, I end up making it at home.

Looking for more street food options, check out the recipe for

papdi chat,

samosa,

khaman dhokla,

vada pav,

onion bhaji.

How to make Ghugni Chaat at home

Ingredients:

1 cup dried yellow peas

1 large onion, chopped

2 tsp ginger-chilli paste

1 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp cumin powder

2 medium tomatoes blanched and pureed.

1 large boiled potato, boiled, peeled, and mashed roughly.

A pinch of hing

1 tbsp oil

¼ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp chilli powder

Salt to taste

To serve:

Chopped onion

Chopped fresh coriander

Tamarind chutney

Lemon slices

Specially roasted masala (bhaja masala)

In order to prepare the roasted masala, take 2 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp coriander seeds and 2 whole red chillies. Dry roast it in a pan over medium heat till they change colour. Grind it into a coarse powder in a pestle and mortar. Add 1 tsp of black salt and mix. Store it in an airtight container and use as needed.

Method:

1.       Wash the dried yellow peas and soak them in fresh water for 6 hours or overnight.

2.       In order to cook the peas, add the drained yellow peas to a pressure cooker and water such that the peas are covered in water. Add ½ tsp salt and cook it on high until one whistle. Wait till the pressure is released and open the cooker.

3.       Heat a Kadhai, add oil and when it is heated add hing and cumin seeds. Will the cumin seeds splutter, add ginger-chilli paste, garlic paste and stir. After a few seconds add the chopped onions and a pinch of salt. Cook till the onions are translucent. It will take about 3-4 minutes.

4.       Now add the tomato puree and stir. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, cumin powder and stir again. Cook till the tomato puree leaves oil in the sides.

5.       Now add the cooked peas and mashed potato. Give it a good stir. Check the spices. Add more if necessary. Bring it to a boil and then cover and lower the heat. Cook for about 5 minutes. When done turn off the heat.

6.       To serve, add the ghugni to a deep plate. Top it with a dash of lemon juice, tamarind chutney, chopped onion, chopped coriander, and the specially prepared roasted spice mix. Serve it hot.

This post is a part of the Blogging Marathon under the theme 'Make Street Food at Home'.

 

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#83

Club Kachori Recipe | How to Make Club Kachori | Special Weekend Breakfast Recipe

Club Kachori #Recipe

Club Kachori is a quite a famous weekend breakfast dish from the city of Kolkata.

Anyone who has lived in Kolkata for a while will know about this quite popular weekend breakfast dish - Club Kachori. This dish is DH's favourite and whenever he is in Kolkata, he doesn't miss to indulge gorging on it for breakfast at a popular snack shop in the locality.

For the uninitiated, the name of this dish can be a little misleading. The kachoris here are not like the khasta kachori which are well known all over India; they are more like bite-size puri. But, there is a difference. Into the dough of these kachoris, goes coarsely urad dal paste, suji, little chilli and ginger paste and some hing which gives it its characteristic taste

These kachoris as deep fried and are served with a spicy potato curry. In some places, pumpkin is also added to the curry. Panchporan - a Bengali whole spice mix added to this curry, makes it taste a little different from the regular potato curry.

Typically, maida is used to make the kachoris, but at home, I use atta (chapati flour) to make them.
Without much ado, let's check out how to prepare Club Kachori Kolkata style.

This is the first recipe I am posting under Weekend Breakfast Theme of BM#79

Club Kachori Recipe

Ingredients:

For the Kachori/Puri

2 cups atta
¼ cup suji/semolina
2 tbsp oil
¼ cup urad dal washed and soaked in water for at least an hour
¼ tsp hing/asafetida
1 tsp chilli paste
1 tsp ginger paste


For the Potato Curry:

6 medium-size potato, boiled, peeled and chopped
2 tomatoes, blanched, peeled and pureed
2 cloves of garlic, grated
1 green chilli, chopped
1 tsp ginger paste
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp hing
½ tsp each of sauf, methi seeds, ajwain, kalonji and rai (panchporan)
1 red chilli
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder, or to taste
2 tsp coriander powder
Salt to taste
½ tsp amchur
½ tsp garam masala
1 tsp kasuri methi
Handful of coriander leaves

Process:

1.       Drain the soaked urad dal and grind coarsely in a grinder. In a mixing bowl, add the coarsely ground urad dal paste, atta, suji, oil, hing, salt, chilli and ginger and using water as need, knead a firm dough. Cover it and set it aside.

2.       To make the potato curry heat oil in a pan, add hing, jeera, red chilli, green chilli, ginger and garlic and sauté for a few seconds. Now add sauf, methi seeds, ajwain, kalonji and rai and stir so that they start crackling. Now add the tomato puree. Cook for about a minute and then add the chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, and coriander powder. Cook for a couple of minutes. When you see oil leaving its side, add the potatoes. Stir. Now add 1 cup of water. Stir and bring it to a boil.

3.       When it comes to a boil, the gravy will also start thickening, add garam masala, amchur and crushed kasuri methi and stir. If needed add little more water, cover and bring to a boil.

4.       Check for spices, adjust if needed. When done, add chopped coriander leaves and take it off the flame.

5.       In order to make the kachori/puri, divide the dough into small balls (little bigger than marbles). These kachoris are about 2 inches in diameter.

6.       Roll them into thick rounds (little thicker than puri). Thin ones do not puff well.

7.       Heat oil in a Kadhai and when the oil is heated enough, fry them 2-3 at a time (depending on the size of your Kadhai) on high heat. When it is brown on one, flip and fry the other side for a few seconds. Drain them on paper towel. Repeat the process till you have used all the dough.

8.       Serve the potato curry with these hot kachori/puri along with a dollop of achar, sliced onion and some tomato and cucumber slices for a filling weekend breakfast/ brunch.

Notes:

1. Do not roll them too thin or too big, else they will not puff well.

2. Always fry these kachoris on a high heat, it helps them in puffing. Once they puff up, you can lower the heat and fry till they are golden.

Looking for more Weekend Breakfast Recipe Ideas, check out
Bombay Masala Sandwich Recipe
Paneer Veggie Grilled Sandwich Recipe

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#79