~*Pani Puri Time*~

Our heart goes out to all the families that were affected by Hurricane Irene. We hope that in time all will settle down and life will go on. 

We weren't sure how we would be affected by the storm, so we kept cooking to a minimum and munched on snacks. 

Dahi Pani Puri

One of my favorites is Pani Puri. I love pani puri because it's easy to assemble and fun to eat. You know the Pringles jingle, “Once you pop, you can't stop”. That's how I feel about this snack too! It’s so delicious and because it’s a light but filling snack made with healthful, all natural ingredients. You can eat loads at a time without feeling guilty. Also did you know, Pani Puri is an inexpensive and popular snack found all over India?  So have a puri, or two or three and be MERRY! 

Ingredients for this popular snack include:

Potato, canned chickpeas/garbanzo beans, pani puri masala, tamarind-date chutney and bite size puris

Procedure: Microwave the potato for 2 to 3 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Drain and wash the chickpeas. Then mash the potato and chickpeas together to a granulated mixture. Next, dilute the pani puri masala with water to your desired tangy taste (tamarind-date chutney may be mixed in for a bit of sweetness). Now you are ready to enjoy the pani puris. Insert a hole into the puri without breaking through it completely. 

The Puri never had a chance!

Then scoop a bit of the potato and chickpea mixture into the puri and fill it up with the pani puri masala liquid (also known the "pani"). Next, quickly put the whole puri inside your mouth and crunch away. Hint: Don't eat the puri in two bites because all the stuffing will fall apart and you'll create a mess. Make sure to eat the puri in one go (as illustrated above).

***Quick Tip: 

- Alternately if pani puri masala is not available, the combination of tamarind and coriander chutneys and diluted plain yogurt can be used.

- For a more tangy or chatpata taste, sprinkle chat masala over the potato and chickpea mixture. 

Tater Tots Revived - Not Just 4 Kids!

My last entry about "Hot Summer Treats" featured this snack called Aloo Papdi Chaat that I have tried at many restaurants but I never liked it as much as when I make it at home. The ingredients are fresher and everything is still crispy when you are eating it.

Well today, I've got another treat for you to try. It's called Aloo Tikki Chaat and the main ingredient is none other than TATER TOTS!!

You're probably thinking, "is she crazy, those are for kids". Well, I'm not and they are perfect for this "off the street" snack. I say it's off the street because in India, specifically in Delhi and Bombay, there are street vendors that make this hot off the grill and serve it up with different sauces and people go crazy for them. You don't have to go to India to enjoy this snack, I will show you how to make it in the comfort of your home.

In the Aloo Papdi Chaat snack, you had to add crispy bits to make it more crunchy. For this recipe, you don't need to add those because you will use baked tater tots which you can make as crunchy as you want.
 

Here are the ingredients from left to right: Chaat Masala, Tamarind Chutney, Coriander Chutney, Yogurt, and Tater tots (or you can use Mini Potato Patties).  

Procedure:

1) Thaw the contents of the tater tots bag and place them in a greased baking sheet. Follow the baking instructions listed on the bag. If you want them to be a bit more crunchy, leave them in longer.  

 

(Hint: Make sure they do not get burned)

 

2) Take 5-6 tater tots or patties off the sheet and mash them up on a plate with a fork.

 

3) Dilute the chutneys with a little bit of water before adding to the potato mixture. Most of these chutneys are concentrated so they will have a strong taste. Adding water to them will tone the taste down and won't clump up your snack.

4) Next add yogurt to the mixture, and then sprinkle chaat masala and sev on top. The recipe is now completed.

I now present this scrumptious snack to you. Go enjoy it. Savor every last tot morsel.

***Quick Tip: Two of the ingredients in this recipe (such as tamarind and coriander chutney) are already found in most Indian households because they are used as condiments for other snacks and dishes. They are like ketchup or mustard sauce for American food.

My Hot Summer Day Treats!

It seems to me that as the years pass, the summers are just getting hotter and sometimes more humid. Well to beat the heat, I relax with some cool treats that are easy to make. It's just the matter of the ingredients you have around.  My favorite treats for hot days are Aloo Papdi Chaat and Roohafza Milkshake. You are probably wondering, what is she talking about? The best way to describe Aloo Papdi Chaat is that it is like potato salad (with some dry and wet ingredients).

This is what Aloo Papdi Chaat looks like:

Isn't it so colorful?

I know you are dying to know how to make this, so let's get started. Before we begin, let's just see if you can identify any of the ingredients in the picture below?

Here are the ingredients, if you haven't guessed already (from left to right): two medium sized boiled potatoes, coriander, chaat masala, Tamarind chutney, chopped onions, diluted plain yogurt, and papdi pieces. Once you have these, it's just a matter of mixing these together. I know you can't tell in the finished picture above, but the potatoes were chopped into 1/2-1 inch pieces.

Next up is Roohafza Milkshake...I'm getting cravings just thinking about it. It's so creamy and yummy. You know, as a kid I used to mix the Roohafza syrup in water and drink it with some ice. I think I also froze the juice in the ice cube trays and eat it like the Italian Ice back home.

As you can see, half the bottle has been finished because it is THAT GOOD!!

What is Roohafza? I used to think it was Sugary Rose Syrup. I mean it tasted like it so I never questioned its origin. I'm reading about it now and it's fascinating the ingredients that are found in this syrup. It is infused with essences of Rose, Coriander Seed, Watermelon and various other flowers, herbs and fruits.

The breakdown of ingredients in my milkshake:

One banana cut up into pieces, half cup to cup of milk, 2-3 tablespoons of Roohafza and as much crushed ice as you want. The only thing left to do is blending and taste testing. You can add more banana if you want it really thick but then you may add more Roohafza to sweeten it up. You have to play around with the ingredients to get Your Perfect Blend.

This blend will get you a little over a 8 fl oz serving. I poured the milkshake into a Scotch glass to feel fancy. Enjoy the drink however you like. It's cool and refreshing!!

Interesting Fact#1: Rooh Afza is traditionally made in preparation for breaking the fast during Ramzan, the holy month of fasting for Muslims. Happy Ramzan to all my friends!