Pitter-patter and platter: Monsoon menu

New Delhi

Come rain, and our minds go straight to piping hot pakodas or vadas during tea-time. The earthy scent, the soothing pitter-patter and the cool breeze that accompany monsoon, make the perfect setting to indulge in some crispy, crunchy delicacies with a warm cup of chai. To make the most of your rainy evenings, chefs share some quick, easy and lip-smacking recipes that can be prepared at home.

Bread Pakoda

Ingredients

For the aloo stuffing:

– 3 boiled and mashed potatoes

– ½ tsp ginger paste

– ½ tsp chilli powder

– ¼ tsp garam masala

– ½ tsp chat masala

– ½ tsp cumin powder

– ¼ tsp salt

– 1/2 cup boiled peas

– 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander

Mix them together and keep aside

For besan batter:

– 2 cups besan

– ¼ tsp turmeric

– ½ tsp chilli powder

– ¼ tsp baking soda

– ½ tsp salt

– 1¼ cup water

Mix all the ingredients

Other ingredients:

– 4 slices of bread

– 4 tsps great chutney

– 2 slices paneer

– Oil for frying

Method

Spread 1 tsp of green chutney and 2 tbsp of the prepared aloo stuffing uniformly on bread slices

Now place 1 thick slice of paneer

Cover with the other bread slice and cut in half

Dip the stuffed bread in the besan batter coating uniformly

Deep fry in oil, keeping the flame on medium

Flip over and fry both sides until the pakoda turns golden brown and crisp.

Chef Guntas Kaur Sethi

CRISPY CORN BHEL

Ingredients

150g boiled corn

50g peanuts 25g

onion 25g tomato

10g green chilli

1 tsp lime juice

½ tsp black salt

½ tsp chat masala

½ tsp chilli powder

½ tsp cumin powder

1 tsp mint chutney

1 tsp sweet chutney

Sev and coriander leaf to garnish

Method

Deep fry boiled corn in tempura batter

In a mixing bowl, add black salt, red chilli powder, cumin powder, chat masala

Add finely diced onion, tomato, green chilli and coriander leaves

Add lime juice

Mix fried corn and peanuts with all ingredients together

Transfer to serving bowl and garnish with sev and coriander leaves.

Ravinder Singh, executive chef, Tamasha

Plum Rasam

Ingredients:

Indian Plums- 450 gm.

Red ripe tomatoes – 2 nos. large

Green Chillies, slit-2 nos.

Ginger grated- 04 tsp.

Turmeric powder- ½ tsp.

Rasam Powder, preferably prepared at home- 4 tsp. / more if required

Water- as required

Salt- to taste

For the Tempering:

Clarified Butter / Olive oil- ½ tbsp.

Asafoetida- a pinch

Curry leaves- 2 sprigs

Mustard Seeds- 1 tsp.

Black peppercorn, lightly toasted and crushed- 1 tsp. (Optional)

Whole red chillies- 4nos. (Optional)

For the Garnish

Cilantro, chopped- 04 tsp.

Method:

In hot water, blanch and peel the tomatoes and chop it roughly.

Wash the plums, boil it in hot water for 05 minutes and peel. Remove the stones from the boiled plums and discard the stones and peels / skin. Let them cool. Do not discard the water in which the plums are boiled

Blend both the boiled plums and tomatoes into a smooth paste.

To this add grated ginger, green chillies, turmeric powder, rasam powder, salt to taste and the water in which plums were boiled. Add a little lukewarm water, if required.

In a non-stick deep pan, pour the rasam and simmer it for another 5 minutes

In a small pan heat clarified butter or oil, add mustard seeds, let them crackle / splutter, curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida and pour over the prepared rasam.

By chef Reetu Uday Kugaji

Pappada Vada (Pappad Fritters)

Ingredients and Quantity:

Kerala Pappadam- 16 nos.

Fine Rice Flour- 1cup

Red chilli powder- 2 tsp. / or more if desired

Turmeric powder- 1 tsp.

Sesame seeds, black- 2 tsp.

Cumin seeds- 2 tsp.

Asafoetida- a pinch

Salt – to taste

Water- as required for medium thick batter

Coconut oil- 04 cups / as required for deep frying

Method:

In a glass bowl, combine all the ingredients except the Kerala Pappadam and Coconut oil. Blend the ingredients with a whisk, to make a smooth batter of a medium thick consistency.

In a deep non-stick pan ,heat the coconut oil.

In this batter ,dip the pappad that is one pappad at a time, press it onto the batter surface and turn to the other side. Both the sides of the pappad must be are evenly coated with the prepared batter. Ensure that you do not put the pappad in the batter for long time as it tends to break and becomes soggy.

Fry it in hot oil, on low to medium until it turns crisp. 

Turn it to the other side; deep fry till light golden and crisp.

Place them on Kitchen absorbent papers ,so that excess of oil can be absorbed.

By chef Reetu Uday Kugaji

Palak Dahi Kebab

Ingredients

2kg palak

50g hung curd

35g salt

100g roasted channa dal powder

15g chopped chilli

120g prunes

30g salt

70g chopped ginger

150ml mustard oil

100g boiled potato

Method:

Clean the palak blanch it and make a fine thick paste

Heat the pan and put some oil in it

Sauté spinach till it becomes thick

Season with salt and make round sized patties out of it

Stuff with prunes, hung curd and green chilly

Cook on the heated pan and serve with salads and green chutney

Saurabh Singh, corporate chef at Currynama