Batata Wada

Batata Wada

Anu (my daughter, of 24 years, from another mother) suddenly comes up to me and says, ‘Batata wada banna rahi hu. Aap khaoge?’ (Translation: I’m making batata wadas. Will you eat?) One of the silliest questions (sigh!) ever put to me in all of 46 years that I have walked this earth. :P Who in their right mind ever says ‘no’ to batata wada? I ate the first wada and immediately forgave her for having asked, ‘Aap khaoge?’ ;) Please, please don’t ask me how many I gobbled up. I don’t like mentioning (obscene) details that get me into trouble with my physiotherapist and I’m pretty damn sure that little rascal watches my blog like a hawk. :P :D There was a time when I used to frequent Pune’s most famous wada-pau vendor regularly because I love them. Ever since the day Anu began making them at home I hardly ever buy batata wadas from outside. This recipe of hers is a keeper. Go on; make these delicious, spicy babies at home for evening tea while the rain lashes at your window. It’s the perfect season for piping hot batata wadas! :) 

Ingredients for Wada:

½ kg potatoes, boiled and mashed (mash them but do not mash them smooth)

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

2 onions, finely chopped

5 green chilies, finely chopped

One sprig curry leaves

½ teaspoon mustard seeds

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

A few sprigs coriander leaves, chopped

Salt, to taste

1 tablespoon oil

Oil, to deep fry

Ingredients for batter:

1½ cup chick pea flour

Pinch of salt

Water, as needed to make a batter (not too thick)

Method: 

1. .Heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add green chilies; curry leaves, mustard seeds, garlic, coriander seeds and splutter (do not burn).
2. Add onion, sauté till soft (do not brown).
3. Add salt, turmeric powder to the onion and sauté for a few seconds.
4. Add the potatoes to the onion mixture and mix very well to ensure the spices blend well with the potatoes. Check seasoning.
5. Cook on low heat for a minute or two allowing the flavors to blend.
   
   
   
   
6. Cool the potato mixture. Take a bit of the mixture, shape into patties. (this mixture will make about 9-10)
7. Heat oil in a kadai / wok.
8. Mix the chick pea flour, salt and water to make a smooth batter (not too thick).
9. Dip the patties in the batter and carefully lower into the wok to fry. (Do not add too many all at once).
10. Fry till beautifully golden. Drain on kitchen towel.
11. Serve piping hot wadas with chutney of your choice or sandwiched between ladi pau (bread). 
    
    
    
    

Chef Notes:

1. Please adjust the green chilies to suit your taste buds. I love my batata wadas really spicy hence prefer using 5 chilies or more. ;)
2. IMPORTANT: Please make only one wada when you begin frying it. Check the batter covering once it’s fried; add water or chick pea flour to adjust if the consistency if the batter needs adjustment. If the coating of the wada is perfect then go right ahead and fry the others without any change in the batter.
3. Do not burn the batata wadas but please allow the batter to get to a beautiful golden color. Dull golden wadas look quite insipid and unappealing when served.
4. We in the Western region of India (Maharashtra) usually make batata wada in the patty shape as shown in the photographs on this blog but people from North India usually make round wadas. Another name for batata wada is aloo bonda.
5. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.
   
   

Coriander Mint Yogurt Chutney

Coriander Mint Yogurt Chutney

Once again, it's time for a basic recipe. When as a newbie you wander into the kitchen wondering how to make chutney, begin with this simple one. Restaurants serving Italian or Continental cuisine set a bread basket at the table before the main course; similarly, Indian restaurants serve papadums. One of my favorite things to eat at an Indian restaurant before the main course is this chutney slathered over plain, crisp papadum. This is versatile chutney and goes beautifully with simple stuff like batata wadas and also with exotic stuff like tikkas. And yes, for crazy souls like me, slathered on papadums. ;) 

Ingredients:

1 cup mint

½ cup coriander

1 green chili

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

5-6 cloves garlic

1 inch piece fresh coconut, chopped into tiny bits

Salt, to taste

Sugar, to taste

Lime juice, to taste

4-6 teaspoons yogurt, smoothened

Method:

1. Grind mint, coriander, green chilies, cumin seeds, garlic and coconut to a fine paste. Use water only if you need it and if you do please use as little as possible.
2. Add salt, sugar and lime juice to taste. Give it one more whiz in the grinder.
3. Check for balance of flavor (spicy with a dash of sweet and sour). Adjust salt, sugar and lime juice accordingly. Remove in a bowl.
4. Just before serving add smoothened yogurt and mix it well to incorporate it into the chutney.
5. Serve with hot pan fried chicken drumsticks or slathered over pau (bread) with batata wada or chicken tikkas and more…..
   
    

Chef Notes:

1. If fresh coconut isn’t available in your pantry you can substitute coconut with a few peanuts. It will change the taste of the chutney but the combination of peanuts with mint and coriander does work.
2. Increase the quantity of green chilies to two if you prefer spicier chutney.
3. Please make sure you incorporate the smoothened yogurt really well into the chutney.
4. This was a recipe made many moons ago. Please forgive the quality of the photograph. It’s an old photograph of the time when I’d just begun blogging. I would at the time take these silly bird-eye view clicks. I’d never click a photograph in this way now but in those days, I did. I had it in the archives of my comp hence posted it.
5. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism. 

Künefe

Künefe

The first time I heard of this dessert was when my nephew and his fiancé (now his better-half) posted a photograph of this dessert on Facebook. This is one of the most delicious Middle Eastern desserts ever. The crisp sweet exterior, made of Kataifi (shredded phyllo dough) mingling with delicious molten cheese is gastronomically orgasmic. I served Künefe by itself as Grumpy (by now i'm quite sure you all know Grumpy stands for 'husband' :P ) and Anu are diabetic but you can serve this with ice cream or with whipped cream. The fragrance of orange blossom lingers at each bite. ‘Theobroma’, in certain cultures translates to ‘Food of the Gods’; to me this was a dessert fit for the Gods. If Kataifi is available in stores near you then this one is a must-try!

For Syrup:

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

A dash of orange blossom water

2-3 drops of lime juice 

For Künefe:

450 grams shredded phyllo dough

300 grams unsalted mozzarella cheese, shredded

100 grams ricotta cheese, shredded

1 cup butter, melted

½ cup milk

For Garnish:

3 tablespoons pistachios, chop half the pistachios and finely grind the other half

Method:

1. Add the sugar to the water and bring the mixture to a boil. Add in a few drops of lemon juice to clear the syrup. 
2. As soon as the syrup clears, remove from heat and allow it to cool.
3. When cool, add a dash of orange blossom water. Cover and keep aside.
4. Cut the shredded phyllo dough pastry into tiny pieces with a pair of scissors.
5. Add melted butter to a non-stick pan, when it heats up a bit add the chopped phyllo and stir continuously. Keep mixing until the phyllo shreds have turn crispy and the butter dries out.
   
   
   
   
6. Add milk and mix till the butter and milk are completely incorporated into the chopped pyhllo shreds. Remove from heat.
7. Place half the buttered phyllo dough in a round spring-pan or a Pyrex dish. Press the phyllo shreds into the base of the dish to form an even layered base.
   
   
   
   
8. Combine mozzarella and ricotta cheese evenly on top of the phyllo shreds and evenly press the cheese on top of the phyllo shred base.
   
   
   
   
9. Layer the rest of the buttered phyllo shreds and once again press evenly on top of the cheese.
   
   
   
   
10. Pre-heat the oven to 190º C for ten minutes. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown. Remove Künefe from oven and pour the cool sugar syrup over the hot Künefe.
    
    
    
11. Allow the Künefe absorb the syrup for about 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle the finely ground pistachios. (Variation: If you prefer a crispy version of Künefe, pour the syrup on top just before serving.) Serve Künefe by itself or with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
    
    

Cheat Kataifi:

Tried and tested by Nandita, a foodie friend at Facebook. Heartfelt thanks Nandita for allowing me to share the cheat Kataifi idea on my blog.

Get you local mithai shop to make UNSWEETENED Suterfeni for you and use that as a substitute to Kataifi. It works quite beautifully. This is quite, quite the same in taste as Kataifi. The texture of Suterfeni strands is very similar to Kataifi hence this substitute works. At the cost of sounding repetitive, please remember it has to be unsweetened because if you use the regular sweet Sutarfeni the end result of Künefe will be sickeningly sweet. Now you don’t have to wait to get your paws on Kataifi, go make it guys. :) 

Chef Notes: 

1. Sautéing the shredded phyllo dough properly till the butter dries out is an important procedure for the pastry to turn out crisp.
2. Künefe, is not easily available but you may find it in the ‘Middle Eastern cuisine’ section of gourmet shops.
3. I used two types of cheese but you can choose to use only Mozzarella cheese if you so wish.
4. Please serve this dessert hot, as soon as the Künefe has absorbed all the sugar syrup and while the cheese is still hot.
5. I have specially added the photographs at the blog of the shredded phyllo dough carton, and its inner contents, so that readers may get a perfect idea of what is to be used.
6. Before you ask me whether you can use vermicelli in place of shredded phyllo dough, the answer to that is, ‘no’. :P
7. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.