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Nashta bole toh, sirf Mumbai mein – Part II

We continue with our gastronomical journey to discover Mumbai’s favourite chai and nashta items and what makes them so special.
anurita guptaby Anurita Gupta

Part 2

Last week, I outlined a few tea time snack items that Mumbai absolutely loves. In this column, I continue in the same vein.

Mumbai street sandwich: Tired after a meeting and heading to another with no time on hand? There would surely be a sandwichwala just within sight, making an enticing list of gharelu sandwiches. The small tapri will normally have surprisingly high standards of hygiene, with vegetables nicely peeled and ready for dicing stacked on one side. Masalas and chutneys will be placed in steel boxes on the other side, and in between will be an assembly board which would also have butter and cheese sticks on it.

The most famous sandwich is the veg grilled sandwich, stuffed with such popular veggies as tomato, onion, cucumber, beetroot and capsicum that are thinly sliced and placed between three slices of bread buttered liberally. It is served grilled or with a nice helping of mirchi green chutney and ketchup. The other famous street snack in the sandwich category is chutney cheese toast. As the name suggests, it has a slather of coriander and aamchoor chutney on a crisp toast which is then loaded with a mountain of grated processed milk cheese. This is then grilled and then served with some more green and red chutneys.

My favourite chutney cheese toast is to be found next to Matunga station. The guy really puts cheese dil khol ke. For the true blue Mumbai sandwich experience, try Swastik Sandwizza, Santacruz market. Their veggie sandwich has crowds swarming outside this tiny shop to get a bite.

Khaman dhokla: The most known Gujarati snack after jalebi-phaphda is the fluffy gramflour tea time snack, khaman dhokla. Most Mumbaikars relish the khaman or gram flour khaman dhokladhokla with pickled chilies during breakfast or tea time. While the basic garnish is tempered mustard seeds and coriander, there are many inventive versions available with dressings of sev, three kinds of chutneys, and coconut.

You must try khaman dhokla with a strong chai – your day will get a bit lighter. In fact, while on Gujju snacks, the other Mumbai favourite is sev gathiya, which is a deep fried gram flour creation. Mixed with masala roasted dal, it is also known as farsan that is either served with tea or had as an accompaniment with misal pav.

idlis-dosaDosa and idli: There is one more meal between meals that Mumbai happily gorges on, especially in the South Indian part of Mumbai, i.e. Matunga. While the small tapris of these South Indian savories are a common sight everywhere in the city, they take a bit more time to make than the sandwich or the bhel, but it is worth the wait for sure. Put it down to my ‘corrupt’ taste buds, but I think no one makes dosa like Mumbai does, not even the South of India.

I love South Indian food in Mumbai and therefore choose to snack on saada dosa or cheese masala dosa very often. For morning Nashta, it is a plate of idli and crisp vada doused in teekha tangy sambhar. The tapri usually comprises a big rectangular hot tawa on which 4-5 dosas or uthapams are made together. The fermented batter made of white urad dal and rice is loaded in big patelas and kept right next to the fire.

I think the most enjoyable part, other than eating the dosa itself, is to see it getting made. Catch the cook putting a ladleful of batter on the hot skillet and vigorously spreading it into a round shape. I also love the small katories of pumpkin and nariyal chutneys served with hot sambhar along with dosa. This snack is enjoyed well with a nice south Indian kaapi.

South Indian kaapi: The South Indian filter coffee or kaapi as it is popularly called is the best accompaniment to fresh vadas and idlis, or in fact, just about any time of the day that South Indian Filter Coffeeneeds a bit of extra zing. Made from coffee beans coming from various plantations in South India, kaapi is more than just a drink for your breaks or tired evenings. As much as the chai is celebrated as the iconic beverage of India, the kaapi is the ‘cultural icon’ of South India. It is a ritual of sorts to offer coffee to a guest in South Indian households.

Coffee came to India in the 17th century and became a popular beverage under the British Raj. Today, it is so ingrained in our food culture that one can’t think of starting the day without a cup of coffee.

Coming back to South Indian filter kaapi, the only sight that comes to my mind after the strong aroma is the thambi pouring a hot cupful from one steel glass into the other like a juggler. That’s what gives our own Mumbai kaapi the much-loved froth and foam. Try it at Madras Café, Matunga and you shall bid Starbucks goodbye J

With that, I come to the end of my list of Mumbai’s must-try nashtas. Make sure you never let a day go by without relishing one or all in your chai break or while walking through the streets of the city. After all, why go for pizza-pasta when you have Mumbai ka tasty nashta?

Anurita Gupta is a media professional who is passionate about two things – food and radio. Her love for all things food makes her a foodie with a cause.

(Pictures courtesy www.oishiirasoi.com, www.uma-culinaryworld.com, www.vegrecipesofindia.com, heavenlyblisssalonformen.wordpress.com)

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Nashta bole toh, sirf Mumbai mein

Aamchi Mumbai is defined by its nashta, the street food that serves as a meal between all our other meals.
anurita guptaby Anurita Gupta

Part 1 of 2

Mumbai ka chai nashta bole toh Mumbai’s lifeline. A city that never stops loves its food on the go. So let’s take on this gastronomical journey of exploring various kinds of snacks and beverages inspired by the various communities residing in the island city.

Vada Pav: Internationally known as the ‘Bombay burger’ and having gained worldwide culinary accolades, the humble vada pav sits crunchily on the No.1 position of all Mumbai snacks. I am sure there is no need to explain, but for the uninitiated, the vada pao is a brilliant carbohydrate overdose which has a mashed potato spicy patty deep fried in gramflour batter and then put in a freshly baked bun loaded with coriander (green) and tamarind (red) chutney.

The special zing is added by the dry garlic chutney which is famously available only in Mumbai. Vada pav is best vada pavenjoyed with a nice masala chai from the nearby street vendor or if hygiene is your concern, then you can try the vada pav burger at Jumbo King outlets across the city. The other favourites in the pav category are samosa pav, bhajji pav and ussal pav that are devoured and relished especially by the college crowd.

Masala Chai: Chai mein bhi masala? Clearly India is the masala capital of the world. No wonder then, the busiest city of this country thrives on masala, be it Bollywood or chai. While chai has become a worldwide term for many tea aficionados, clearly masala chai stands apart. Found at almost every nook and cranny and every train station this thick milky tea fuels our city.

One would typically see a tea vendor vigorously stirring the aluminum vessel of chai, alternatingly adding an elaichi or kaali mirchi or dalchini to it. You can have half a cup known as ‘cutting chai’ or a full chai. While there is no specific time to enjoy it, the best evening companion for one and all in aamchi Mumbai is its heavenly chai.

brun maskaBrun Maska: No Parsi household can enjoy its leeli phudhina choi early in the morning or evening or in fact any time in the day without the kadak brun (bread) and soft maska (butter). It is not just the Parsis but most Mumbaikars who enjoy this Parsi specialty that comes in the ‘light snacks’ category. Available at most Irani bakeries and cafes, Brun pav is a famously fluffy soft round bread with a hard crust and looks a lot like the soft bun. Freshly baked brun tastes the best with a nice amount of butter slapped on it along with a small drizzle of sugar…yum!

Enjoy it at a famous Irani café ensconced in a corner of a busy Mumbai street. Bite into the crunchy brun while taking in the historical ambience of the café that typically has glass top tables with rosewood lacquered chairs, old time posters of beverages and even international pop stars, a grandfather clock, antique stain glass windows and white and yellow block flooring.

Bhelpuri: Mumbai ki bhel ko kabhi mat bhool. That should be the slogan for our city, ‘cause if Delhi can make a teekha gol guppa, then Mumbai’s robust chatpati bhel puri can give it a good run for its money. Bhel puri is a true chai time favourite because it gives just the right amount of tang, zing and healthy crunch that is easy on the calories and the pocket. A combination of thinly chopped kachhi kaeri (raw mango), murmura (rice crispies), roasted dal, poori (semolina crispy disc) bhel puriand of course, some nylon sev is then tossed in khatti meethi chutneys and served in a cone-shaped newspaper with a sprinkling of fresh coriander. The bhel puri is the pride and joy of every street vendor. It is most sought after at various chowpatties and snack centres.

My favourite is at Swati Snacks, Tardeo. You can also enjoy other ‘sister’ snacks like sev poori, sookhi bhel and dahi batata poori if you have more time and tummy space. Bhel can never be enjoyed with a spoon. Always ask for a crisp poori to enjoy this plateful of nashta.

This is not where our tryst with Mumbai ka chai nashta ends. Wait for Part 2 that will explore the Sindhi sel bread, khamman dhokla, sev gathiya, dosas and vegetarian sandwiches galore, complemented by the South Indian kaapi and Irani butter chai. Toh ho jaaye!

Anurita Gupta is a media professional who is passionate about two things – food and radio. Her love for all things food makes her a foodie with a cause.

(Pictures courtesy sailusfood.com, wikipedia.com)

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Dil cheese kya hai…

It is universally known for being yummy, but it is also possible to create fantastic dishes using a little cheese.
anurita guptaby Anurita Gupta

‘Dil ‘cheese’ kya hai, aap thoda kha hi lijiye!’ is a line inspired by the famous Umrao Jaan song, where the courtesan offers her heart (and later her life!) on a platter. But I like the parody better, especially to satiate the permanent ‘cheesy cravings’ I have.

I am truly mad about cheese. My dear friend Anvita is famous for saying ‘Cheese is the perfect food!’  Combined with wine, fruit and salad, it is the perfect nutrition package.  It is, in fact, a very high quality of protein that consists of the correct quantities of amino acids and calcium, Vitamin A and folic acid. It also has one most dreaded ingredient – Fat. That’s why the weight-conscious steer clear of it. Honestly, a little bit of cheese does of a lot of good – but only a little bit!

On that note, let’s take a look at some delicious cheesy starters:

Cheese platter: Putting lots of cheese together for a party is a good idea. While you can experiment with various kinds of cheese, the safest bet is to put together the known ones like aged cheddar, some Brie, blue cheese and the regular processed milk cheese with flavours. But if you love cheese, like me, then you can experiment with many varieties – be it aged, soft, firm or blue.

Whatever you choose, make sure you have some accompaniments that go very well with the cheeses. For instance, nicely cut green apples, black grapes, cut tangerines, lavash sticks, wheat crackers, pitted black and green olives, some caramelised nuts, a berry jam and may be nice Swiss mini chocolates as well are good ideas. I have been keeping these platters on a special tray that has black board paint on it, where I can write the cheeses’ names and description. It’s a lot of fun putting this one together!peach and blue cheese salad

Blue cheese and peach salad: One of the most controversial, but also a much loved, crumbly member of the cheese family, blue cheese is the main ingredient of this salad (in pic on right). Complimented with peaches, it makes for a dieter’s delight. All you need is 1 tbsp each of Dijon mustard, maple syrup, 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar, ½ a cup of canola oil, 2 hearts of fresh Romaine lettuce, 2 peaches cut in wedges, ½ cup of crumbled good quality blue cheese and some nicely chopped chives.

To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the maple syrup, balsamic vinegar and mustard and then slowly keep drizzling canola oil while whisking regularly. Then season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper to taste. Keep aside. In a bowl, put together peaches, lettuce and extra virgin olive oil. Add a bit of salt and pepper. Drizzle the vinaigrette and then finally add the crumbled blue cheese and chives. The non-veg option is to add 4 slices of good quality bacon to the salad. Yummy!

cheese sticksMozzarella cheese sticks: Perfect for any party, these ‘sticks of heaven’ (in pic on left) are the best starting points for any conversation. After all, it couldn’t get cheesier J. All you need is Mozzarella cheese (cut into sticks), vegetable oil for deep frying, 1 cup of all purpose flour, 1 tsp of paprika, ½ cup milk, 1 egg, pinch of baking soda, and salt and pepper to taste.

Freeze the cheese sticks for an hour so that when you start frying them, the cheese doesn’t melt and make a mess. Beat the remaining ingredients together until a smooth batter is ready. Now all you have to do is dunk the cheese sticks in the batter and fry immediately. Serve with a nice salsa sauce. Crunch crunch!

Apple goat cheese bruschetta: This one’s dedicated to my recent trip to Paris with my bestie. The French are truly in love with goat cheese that goes exceptionally well with a firm French loaf and fresh green salad leaves. This bread starter is a good precursor to the main meal. You will need: 1/4th cup crumbled goat cheese, 1 peeled and chopped apple, a little fresh thyme, fresh oregano, some ground pepper and thin slices of French bread.

Toss together all the ingredients except for the bread, and keep aside. On an oven tray, place the French bread slices, drizzle some olive oil and toast for 3-4 minutes until they become golden brown.  Now put the goat cheese mixture on top and place it in the oven for a minute or until the cheese is soft.

All in all, there is a lot of cheese to go around in the world and if you are still looking for ‘low fat cheese’ then it’s about time you look for ‘meatless mutton’!

Anurita Gupta is a media professional who is passionate about two things – food and radio. Her love for all things food makes her a foodie with a cause.

(Pictures courtesy www.abeautifulmess.com, www.abeautifulmess.com, www.abeautifulmess.com)

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Detox recipes for the festive season

Now may be a good time to sneak in a bit of detox and heal our bodies the natural way.
anurita guptaby Anurita Gupta

Most Hindus are currently still in an enforced vegetarian state, starting from Shravan. The purpose of Shravan is to help people stay away from pungent foods like onion and garlic and all meats, fish and poultry so that they can concentrate on everything ‘satvik’ (all foods that bring us back to our ‘satva,’ our unique essence). A satvik diet comprises water, cereal, grains, legumes, vegetables, fruit, nuts, unpasteurised fresh milk and dairy products like curd, paneer, ghee and honey.

Here’s a list of detox satvik recipes that you can try:

Drink up:

ginger-tea– Ginger honey basil tea: Ginger being a natural astringent is at the top of the list of satvik food. Basil (tulsi) doesn’t just have a holy significance, but it is also known to rid the body of chronic ailments. Combine these two with some organic honey and tea leaves. Make a nice brew and enjoy.  All you need is an inch of ginger, 2-3 leaves of basil, a teaspoon of honey, half a teaspoon of tea leaves and a cup of water.

Boil water in a pot. To this, add the tulsi and tea leaves and turn off the flame. Cover the pot with a lid and let the ingredients infuse for 5 minutes. Thereafter, add honey. Strain and serve. This brew is especially good for sore throats and tummy bugs. It is also said that if you have a fresh leaf of tulsi every morning on an empty stomach, it builds your immunity manifold, especially against the common flu.

– Amla and tangerine smoothie: Amla or the Indian gooseberry is known to be the most effective in cleansing our breathing machinery and the heart, and it is very useful in curing hyperacidity, eye and skin-related diseases. It is also knownamla smoothie to delay ageing. Tangerine or the mandarin orange is a very high source of vitamin C, and it helps absorb iron better. Plus, it’s a great antioxidant. The other ingredient in this recipe is curd, which is naturally high in the good bacteria – lacto bacillus – that is great for the stomach, too.

To prepare this smoothie, you will need two big spoons of natural yoghurt (dahi), one big Indian gooseberry de-seeded, and one tangerine, peeled and de-seeded. In a blender, whizz all these ingredients to form a smooth puree. You can also add a bit of honey and flax seeds powder in order to improve the taste and up its nutritive value. Drink up within a minute of making it. This one is a super effective formula for a bug- free tummy and a healthy skin.

Snacks:

– Apple pear and paneer salad: Shravan aside, this salad can be a sure shot hit at the parties. Apple and pear are both rich sources of iron and potassium along with being very high sources of fibre, thereby making them very good aids for digestion and better heart function. Paneer is a fantastic source of unadulterated protein. The dressing of this salad is specifically made in apple cider vinegar that zaps bad cholesterol.

Take one juicy apple and pear, peeled and de-seeded, and 2-3 chunks of paneer. Use some slivers of ginger, honey and mint leaves. In a bowl, cut thin slices of apple and pear, toss them with some hand-mashed paneer and mint leaves. In another bowl, pour 10-15 ml of apple cider vinegar, a little bit of honey, ginger and an optional ingredient of mustard sauce (homemade). Add salt and pepper to taste, and mix. Now drizzle this on the cut fruit and enjoy!

hummus with pomegranate seeds– Hummus with pomegranate topping: Chickpeas are considered satvik and are an incredibly rich source of protein and other minerals. Mixed with tahini made of another satvik ingredient, the ‘white til’, it makes for an amazing detox snack.

Take 250 grams of boiled chickpeas (drained). Keep aside ¼ of the chickpea water. You will also need 3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste), 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini (til paste), 2 cloves crushed garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil. In a blender, put together all the ingredients except the water from the chickpeas. Whizz for 3 to 5 minutes and check for consistency. Keep adding the liquid bit by bit until the mixture is smooth but not watery. Take the hummus out in a bowl, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over it. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds, sunflower seeds and a good helping of coriander. Enjoy it with a roti made of whole wheat or barley instead of the usual pita bread.

Try one of these recipes along with a liberal helping of raw fruit, lentils, sprouts and vegetables (excluding their root) for a week and see the change not only on the weighing scale but in your skin and mood as well!

Anurita Gupta is a media professional who is passionate about two things – food and radio. Her love for all things food makes her a foodie with a cause.

(Pictures courtesy b4tea.blogspot.com, www.vanilla-and-spice.com, www.ordinaryvegan.net, superfoodprofiles.com)

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Tadakta bhadakta tadka

A good temper is essential in Indian cooking! Here’s presenting three great tadka recipes for you to try out today.
anurita guptaby Anurita Gupta

Simple si life mein tadka lagna zaroori hai! Tempering or ‘tadka’ does add so much flavour to a dish that it’s difficult to imagine its true culinary value without tempering.

Call it what you want – chaunk in Hindi, tadka in Punjabi, baghaar in Urdu, phoron in Bengali, thaalithal in Tamil, oggaraṇe in Kannada, fodni in Marathi, thalimpu or popu in Telugu – tempering is a cooking method which is clearly the soul of Indian cuisine. After all, what is dal without tadka? Or aloo posto without paanch phoron?

Technically, tempering is a process where some whole spices like cinnamon, cloves, star anise, cumin, mustard seeds etc. are fried in ghee or oil to augment the flavours of these strong ingredients, to further add to the taste of a dish. In some variants, there is ginger, garlic and curry leaves as well. Tadka is usually made separately from the main dish that is later added to it. In fact, we add tempering to everything from dal, to veggies to chutneys.

Let’s take a look at some of the popularly tempered dishes in Indian food.

tadkewali dalTadkewali dal: Immensely popular in the North of India, tadkewali dal is a household phenomenon that exudes aromas that waft through the neighborhood. It is a comfort food for us Indians and is thoroughly enjoyed with freshly-made wheat phulkas or sticky, steamed rice.

You can prepare dal tadka with any yellow dal. Simply take 1 cup of mixed tur and masoor dal. Add it to 2 cups of water in the pressure cooker along with one each of chopped onion and tomato, two slit green chillies, 1 inch ginger, a dash of asafoetida and some haldi (turmeric powder). Turn off the flame after 4 to 5 whistles and then beat the dal to a creamy consistency. At this time, add some salt and garam masala as per your liking and then get the tadka ready.

For the tadka, take a pan and put two tablespoons of oil or ghee and heat it. Now add 1 tsp cumin seeds and let it splutter. Once done, add thinly chopped 5-6 cloves of garlic and fry until they release the aroma. Then add 2 dried red chillies and in the end add half a tsp of asafoetida. The tadka is ready. Add this to the hot dal just before serving and garnish with a few sprigs of coriander. Voila, tadke wali dal is ready to be devoured with rice or roti.

paanch phoronPaanch phoron aloo: The Bengali version of tadka is known as panch phoron and is basically a combination of five whole spices. All the spices in the phoron are seeds. The mix is usually that of methi daana (fenugreek seeds), kalounji (onion or nigella seeds), black mustard seeds, jeera (cumin seeds) and saunf (fennel seeds) in equal proportions. This particular tempering is used in making many Bengali dishes including jhinga posto and aloo jhal.  Here’s the recipe for the universally popular paanch phoron aloo.

In a thick-bottomed pan, add 2 tbsp of mustard oil and heat it until the colour turns green. Now add a tablespoon of the paanch phoron masala and a thinly chopped green chilly. Then add a bit of turmeric powder and cook for a bit. Now add boiled potato cubes to the kadhai and mix well. Once the potatoes are well coated with the masala, shut off the flame and garnish with coriander and green chillies before serving. This serves as a brilliant side dish with a plain dal or can be enjoyed with the Bengali fluffy bread called loochi.

Kaudi (mussels) curry: This recipe is based on the Kannada tempering called oggaraṇe. This one is a really special recipemussels curry because it has been given to me by my aunt who is married in a Mangalorean household and enjoys cooking their cuisine a lot.

For this curry you need, 1 kilo of mussels, nicely scrubbed. Put the mussels in cold water so that they open in about 20 minutes. Drain the water and then remove the unopened mussels. Now debeard them by pulling out the hairy thread, scrub them well and place them back in cold water until they are ready to use.

Now prepare the oggarane. To 2 tbsp of oil add 1 tsp of mustard seeds and a few curry leaves. Now add one thinly sliced onion and cook until they leave colour. To this, add 2 slit green chillies, 3 inches thinly cut ginger, a pinch of haldi and 2 tbsp of south Indian curry powder and stir for a minute until the aromas are released.

To this tadka add half a cup of water or broth and boil. Now you can add 250 ml of coconut milk and a stalk of pounded lemongrass. Add salt to taste. This is the time when you add the kaudi or mussels (after taking them out of the cold water) and simmer for 7-8 minutes on a medium flame with a lid on top. Before serving, check for partially closed mussels and toss them out. Now take out the mussels in respective bowls and pour over the thin broth type curry. Garnish with a slice of lemon and a sprig of coriander. Enjoy with freshly made appams or neer dosai. I love this curry with overboiled rice.

So here’s hoping that these recipes actually add some tadka to your gastronomical existence, and you do manage to have the chutzpah to stand tall in the kitchen! Try them out today.

Anurita Gupta is a media professional who is passionate about two things – food and radio. Her love for all things food makes her a foodie with a cause.

(Pictures courtesy www.tajagroproducts.com, www.stainlesssteelthumb.com, www.nandyala.org)

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Chutney bana do

What’s food without chutneys, right? Savour your food with three delectable ones – our food writer dishes out three recipes.
anurita guptaby Anurita Gupta

Maar maar ke teri chutney bana doonga! We can’t get enough of this Bollywood dialogue, right? After all, chutney is super important in our desi lives.

Jokes apart, the incredibly delicious ‘Indian chutney’ has spawned many foreign copy cats with fancy fruit and what-not. But asli chutney is something else! With the perfect balance of khataas, mithaas and mirchi masala, it features at the top of any Indian’s culinary list. Of course, be it Mumbai ki chaat or Gujarati thaali, everything is incomplete without chutney. Not only can it make bland dal chawal a lot more interesting, but is a power-packed source of nutrition as well.

Considering that it has both fruit and spices, the nutritional benefits are doubled wonderfully, namely that chutneys aid digestion. Chutneys come in several flavours, which make them naturally sweet or sour, depending on the kind of fruit or vegetable used.

This brilliant Indian sauce has in fact travelled the seven seas. The West has pretty much accepted it as part of their culinary existence, with it being almost as popular as Basmati rice. It can be bought over the counter, but it tastes the best when made absolutely fresh in the mortar and pestle, just the way our grannies used to.

For us Mumbaikars, it is impossible to imagine sev puri or bhel without the khatti meethi, green and red chutneys.

imli chutneyThe khajoor and imli red chutney: This chutney is the life line for all kinds of chaat. My favourite way to enjoy this one is when it is liberally garnished fresh dahi wada. This one is a sure shot hit with anything from ragda patties, to khaman dhokla, samosa pav, to sev puri and my favourite, dahi batata puri.

Here’s how you make it: In a thick-bottomed pan, pour 3 cups of water and add a ball of imli (about 200 gm), a handful of dates and 150 gms of sugar, and let it simmer till the mixture becomes mushy. Then take it off the flame and let it cool. Once cool, whizz in a blender until smooth. Put this mixture back in the pan, on a medium flame and add one teaspoon each of saunf (fennel), roasted and ground jeera (cumin seeds) and chilli powder and salt according to taste. Once the sauce is boiled, take it off heat. You can add water or cook it down based on the consistency you want.

Hot tip: Try adding thin slices of banana to this imli-khajoor ki chutney and enjoying it as a fruit fondue of sorts with apples, mango, chikoo and pineapple.

Green dhaniya chutney: This one is the more robust version from the khatta family of chutney. Usually seen as an accompaniment to succulent kebabs, it can be made with lots of green chillies to add a special smack of heat. Again, this is a universal companion to all chaats and of course, the bhajjis and pakoras. My favourite way to enjoy it is with palak patta crisp pakoras.

Here’s how you make it: In a blender, put a big bunch of dhaniya patta (coriander leaves) and whizz until the leaves turn to puree. To that add 7-8 cloves of garlic and an inch of ginger. You can also add a few chillies depending on the amount of teekha you can handle. Then add a teaspoon of dry mango powder or juice of two lemons and salt to taste. Blend again with a little water. Now you can add some mint puree or some curd or even the tamarind chutney to make your own concoction.

Hot tip: Try adding a little radish (mooli) along with curd in dhaniya chutney and enjoy with besan ka cheela (gramflour pancakes) on a rainy evening. You can also add dry pomegranate seeds to mint and dhaniya chutney. It tastes absolutely brilliant and is known to augment digestion.

Garlic chutney: This one is also a hot favourite amongst Mumbaikars. Its dry version is made with sun dried garlic and chilli. It tastes superb with vada pav. The wet garlic chutneygarlic chutney goes famously with the South Indian cuisine. You can enjoy stews with appam and this heady mix of onion garlic and tamarind.

To make this, put 10 cloves of garlic, 5 red chillies and 5 small onions with a teaspoon of tamarind pulp in the blender. Heat one teaspoon of oil in a pan. Add half a teaspoon of mustard seeds and some curry leaves. Once they splutter, add this mixture and cook on medium flame. Keep adding water in order to prevent from getting too thick. If the chutney starts sticking then keep on adding oil little by little.  Once the chutney is thoroughly cooked, take it off heat and let it cool. I personally prefer this one to its traditional coconut counterpart.

I guess I can go on talking about various chutneys that adorn the Indian dining table! But the craving that has set in thanks to writing this column is forcing me to run to the bhelwallah downstairs and enjoy his special dahi batata puri with loads of imli chutney on top. Slurp!

Anurita Gupta is a media professional who is passionate about two things – food and radio. Her love for all things food makes her a foodie with a cause.

 

 

(Pictures courtesy commons.wikimedia.org, bombybo.com, priyaraosrecipes.blogspot.com, vineelascooking.blogspot.com)

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