Kashmiri Green Apple and Brinjal Curry | Bom Chount Wangan

This Green Apple and Brinjal Curry also called Bom Chount Wangan is a specialty of the Himalayan state of Kashmir.

If you’d told me last month that I would be cooking a Green Apple and Brinjal Curry, I would have laughed it off. “NEVER!!!” would have been my reaction. Apples? In a savory curry? No way, right? I had the same thought process, until NOW.

Over a cup of tea when we were discussing recipes and blogs (this is the direction most of my conversations take, not surprisingly!), my cousin mentioned her Kashmiri friend makes this awesome Green Apple and Brinjal Curry. I was intrigued. I would have never tried it out had I just found this recipe somewhere, but when someone you know recommends something, you feel like at least giving it a try.

Since I did not have the recipe, just the idea of the dish, I did what I do like a 100 times a day – I googled for it. I found this great site for Kashmiri Food by Anjali Pandita. I followed her recipe for the Green Apple and Brinjal Curry, all I did was alter the quantities as I was making a much smaller quantity. You can find her recipe here.

This recipe is interesting. Interesting because I never imagined it would taste the way it did. Spicy and Tangy with a lot of different textures.

Granny Smith or Green Apples are used in this curry. When I tasted them before cooking, they seemed sweet yet slightly tart. But after cooking, they began tasting like raw mango. Most of the apple’s sweetness seeped into the slight gravy it has while the apple pieces retained their tartness.

The recipe originally only calls for Amchur or dried Mango powder to enhance the tartness of the dish if the apples are too sweet. However, due to the transformation of the apples, I added in Jaggery to add sweetness. I've made it an semi-dry curry, that goes well with Roti or Naan. Adjust the consistency if you plan on having it with rice.

Kashmiri Green Apple and Brinjal Curry | Bom Chount Wangan

A spicy semi-dry curry made from Green Apples and Brinjals in Kashmiri style. 

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Kashmiri
Prep Time:     15 mins
Cook time:     40 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1 Green Apple
4-5 small Brinjals
4-5 Tbsp Oil
1 tsp Fennel seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp of Ginger paste
2-3 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2-1 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp Jaggery or Sugar (Optional)
1/2 tsp Amchur or dried Mango powder (Optional)
3/4 cup Water
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for Garnish

Method:

Dice the apple and the brinjals into equal sized pieces.
Heat oil in a deep pan and fry the brinjals and apple until they are cooked and keep aside. Insert a knife to check if they are done. If it slides smoothly, they are. I did not cook the apple for long as I like the crunch of the apples. I fried them in batches. If you plan to fry all together, you may need more oil.
Remove the excess oil, leaving only about 1-2 tsp in there.
Add the cumin seeds and crushed fennel seeds.
Once they brown slightly, add the chilli powder and 1/4 cup of water and cook until the water evaporates and the oil separates.
Now add the fried apple and brinjal.
Add the remaining water, garam masala, ginger paste, and salt and simmer on low heat for 5-8 minutes.
Add amchur if the apple is too sweet and the jaggery if the apple is too sour.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or roti.

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Stuffed Potato Skins

Crispy potato, crunchy green Capsicum, punchy tomato sauce and oozy mozzarella cheese. That’s what this whole blog post it about.

I’ve never baked a potato. Or rather, until last week, I had never baked a potato. And now that I have, I feel I’ve opened a door with many many possibilities.

This recipe is a result of entering a competition that asked contestants to cook with 5 ingredients – Potato, Tomato, Capsicum, Cheese and Olive Oil. You couldn’t leave out an ingredient.

I thought of a few options but decided I really wanted to stuff something. Stuffed capsicum or stuffed tomato may be? But when I mentioned stuffed potato skins, I saw Raj’s eye light up. It’s no secret he loves Potato. That was it then – Baked Potato Skins.

Now there is a lot you can do with these Potato Skins, I myself had a dozen ideas, but then I was restricted by the competition rules. Not that I regret that, they were AWESOME just like that.

These little boats to taste-bud-heaven have some lightly stir fried capsicum and an easy-to-make awesome INSTANT super punchy tomato sauce. Apart from the 5 ingredients mentioned above, all you need is oregano or any pizza seasoning, garlic, salt and loads of pepper. This sauce goes amazingly well with pasta and pizza. So increase the quantity and freeze it for rainy days if you wish.

Step one: Crisping up the potato skins. You want them crisppyyyy:

Wash and scrub those potatoes clean. This is how you build muscles working at home. Exercise for today – DONE. Dry them and rub olive oil all over them. Watch out for those slippery ones that go bouncing all over your counter. Use a fork and prick them all over.

Bake them for 1 hour at 200 C of 400 F. In the meanwhile, move on to steps 2 & 3 and come back to one later.

Step two: Making the AWESOME Tomato sauce.

Chop those tomatoes roughly and fry along with some garlic in a pan with some olive oil. Once the tomatoes are soft, add in the oregano, salt and pepper. If you are like me, pepper == lots and lots of pepper.

Blend it into a coarse sauce. This is a thick sauce. If you plan on using it for pasta, you may want to thin it a little.

Step three: Crunchy crunchy Capsicum.

Chop the capsicum into small pieces. Stir fry in some olive oil until it is slightly cooked. Don’t let it mush up. Sprinkle some salt and keep aside.

Step one again: Crispy skin dreams come true here.

Once the potatoes have cooled enough to handle, slice them lengthwise into  half. Using a sharp edged spoon, scoop out the potato gently. Leave around ¼ inch or 0.5 cm of potato still in the skin so it holds it’s shape. Brush generously with olive oil on the inside and outside. Rub some salt.

Now bake it skin side down for 5 mins @ 220 degree C and then flip them over and bake again for 5 mins until the skins are crispy.

Step four: Let’s get the cheese BUBBLING

Assembly is all that it left before oozy cheese. Spoon in the capsicum and the sauce. Then grate over some mozzarella or any stringy melty cheese. This is what my food dreams are made of! Back into the oven for 4-5 mins until the cheese melts and it all bubbly.

Step five: Finish them off immediately!!!

Let’s face it, step five isn’t really a cooking step, but it is the most important step in the process.

I did not use the scooped out potato in this recipe. You can stuff it back in. I used it up to make some buttery Aloo Paratha.

Stuffed Potato Skins

Baked potato skins stuffed with an instant tomato sauce, fried green Capsicum and Mozzarella cheese.

Recipe Type:  Appetizers / Snacks
Cuisine:            International
Prep Time:     20 mins
Cook time:     1 hour 45 minutes
Yield:                6 skins

Ingredients:

3 large Potatoes
2 Tomatoes
1 Capsicum
2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil
5-6 Tbsp Mozzarella Cheese
2 Garlic Cloves
1 tsp Oregano
1-2 tsp Pepper
Salt to taste

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 degree C.
Wash, scrub and dry the potatoes.
Rub with olive oil and Ppick them with a fork all over.
Bake in the oven for 1 hour.
Heat 1/2 Tbsp of Olive oil and add crushed garlic and chopped tomato to it. Cook until the tomatoes have become soft and mushy
Add salt, pepper and oregano. Mix well.
Allow it to cool and then grind to a coarse sauce.
Heat 1/2 Tbsp of Olive oil and fry chopped capsicum in it.
Slice the potatoes lengthwise and with a spoon gently scoop out the potato. Leave at least 1/4 inch of potato with the skin.
Rub olive oil and salt on the inside of the potato and outside.
Increase the temperature of the oven to 220 degree C.
Bake the potato skins in oven for 10 minutes, turning the potatoes after 5 minutes.
Remove the potatoes from the oven and when they are cool enough to handle, stuff them with capsicum, tomato sauce and top with cheese.
Bake for 4-5 minutes until the cheese has melted.

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Maggi Pakoda | Instant Noodle Fritters with Step by Step Photo Instructions

Maggi Pakoda recipe with step by step video instructions. Maggi Pakodas are deep fried fritters made using Maggi instant noodles, chickpea flour (besan) and a few spices. Maggi Pakoda are instant noodles fritters and any instant noodles can be used. Maggi Pakoda are perfect for snacking on a rainy evening. They go famously with a hot cup of chai.

In a hurry? Jump to Video or Jump to Recipe

Every time it rains, I want something hot and spicy (and mostly fried). What I crave when it rains, I crave more when we are out on a long drive during rains. For all those health food eaters out there, this post is most definitely not for you, unless of course you occasionally binge on some DELICIOUS fried food. This is one of those one-time INDULGENCE recipes that just makes you wish it rains every day.

On a different note, has an idea gotten stuck in your head and grown into a tree until you can no longer resist it? Something like “Inception”? On one of these long-drive-in-rain, I imagined what would a “Maggi Pakoda” taste like. And after that, nothing tasted good enough on that drive. I wanted MAGGI PAKODA, that’s it! And I thought I was being very inventive and all with my idea of Maggi pakoda until I heard it has already been around in Delhi for a long time. Those Delhi-ites definitely know their fried food.

Maggi is an instant noodle brand from Nestle. And since it was the first instant noodle brand in the Indian market and remained the sole one for many many years, instant noodles are synonymous with Maggi for most of us. So when I say Maggi, you can think of ANY instant noodles. Any noodles you like.

The first time I went to Rohtang Pass in the Himalayas to see snow, I was pleasantly surprised to find little shacks selling Maggi at that altitude. Absolutely loved eating Maggi while our teeth chattered with the chill in the air. The next time I went to Rohtang, I was actually looking forward to eating Maggi up there. Maggi, Chai, and the mountains felt like heaven.

How many of you out there have had hot hot Maggi when you’ve gone to a cold cold place? Let me know your story.

These pakodas have that warmth of noodles and the crispiness of the pakodas all combined in one. Perfect for rainy evenings. You can use any instant noodles, Chinese flavored, Thai flavored, Chicken flavored, as I said anything. Just cook the noodles as usual, add the chickpea flour or besan, mix and deep fry.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

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Video Recipe

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Maggi Pakoda or Instant Noodle Fritters

Maggi Pakodas are deep fried fritters made using Maggi instant noodles, chickpea flour (besan) and a few spices. Maggi Pakoda are instant noodles fritters and any instant noodles can be used. Maggi Pakoda are perfect for snacking on a rainy evening.

Recipe Type:  Snacks
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     10 mins
Cook time:     30 mins
Yield:                12 pakodas

Author:                Anupama

Ingredients:

1 packets Maggi Instant Noodles
3 Tbsp Chickpea Flour or Besan
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Garam MAsala (if not using the tastemaker)
2 Tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
1-2 tsp Chaat Masala (Optional)
Water as required
Salt to taste
Oil  to deep fry

Method:

1. Boil 2 cups of water in a sauce pan and add 1 tsp of Oil to it.
2. Add the instant noodles to the water and cook until the noodles are done. Do not add the taste maker to it.
3. Once the noodles are cooked, drain the water and rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking.
4. Mix in the taste maker or 1 tsp Garam Masala, red chilli pwoder, salt and coriander leaves.
5. Add the chickpea flour or besan and mix until combined.
6. Add more salt and chilli powder if required.
7. Heat Oil in a deep pan for frying.
8. Divide the noodles into small portions.
9. Once the oil is hot, carefully dump the portions in the oil.
10. Fry on medium to high heat. Flip the pakodas once the lower side is partially set. Keep stirring the pakodas until all sides are browned and cooked. Remove from heat once the pakodas are crisp and golden brown.
11. Sprinkle chaat masala (optional).
12. Serve hot with ketchup.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Cucumber Pakoda

Veg Cutlet

Masala Vada

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Mint Peanut Chutney | Pudina Mungfali Chutney

Call it what you like - Mint and Peanut Chutney or Mint Pesto, there is no doubt you will fall in love with it.

I'm sure by now you are aware of my complete and total obsession with Mint. I simply cannot get over it. While the pot in the balcony keeps spilling over with fresh Mint, I will continue to use it in my kitchen. 

This Mint Peanut Chutney is a hand me down recipe. I got it from my sister Gee and she got it from her Mother-in-Law. I totally hated hand me downs when I was a kid. The books, the clothes, the toys. But I'm always open to hand me down recipes. It only means the recipe is tried, tested and loved. This one is all three and more. It is so simple and so versatile. I eat it as a chutney with Dosa, I use it as a dip for my chips, I use it as a spread on bread. 

I was very excited about this post. Most of all because of my cute little mason jars. Do you see how cute they are? I've always had my eyes open for them, but they are expensive and I never found the size I liked. Finally, last weekend I got the size I wanted at a price I wanted, ain't I lucky? I had to use them in photos and this mint chutney was the perfect recipe to showcase my little jars. 

Back to my Mint Peanut Chutney - because all the ingredients are cooked before grinding into a chutney, this chutney keeps well for almost 10 days in the fridge. But don't worry, it never lasts that long. It will be over in the blink of an eye.

Step by Step Instructions:

1) Wash the mint leaves thoroughly.
2) Heat oil in a pan and add the mint leaves to the pan along with slit green chillies.
3) Fry for 5 minutes.

4) Add chopped tomato, peanuts and salt into the pan and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally.
7) Remove from heat and allow it to cool.
8) Grind with a little water. The chutney should not be very smooth, it should be slightly coarse.

Mint Peanut Chutney | Pudina Mungfali Chutney

Simple cooked chutney made with mint and peanuts.


Recipe Type:  Chutney
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     15 mins
Cook time:     25 mins
Yield:                200 ml

Ingredients:

5 cups Mint (loosely packed)
1/3 cup Peanuts
1 Tomato 
1-2 Green Chillies
2-3 tsp Oil
Salt to taste
2-3 Tbsp Water

Method:

Wash the mint leaves thoroughly.
Heat oil in a pan and add the mint leaves to the pan along with slit green chillies.
Fry for 5 minutes.
Add chopped tomato and peanuts into the pan and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
Add salt.
Keep stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and allow it to cool.
Grind with a little water. The chutney should not be very smooth, it should be slightly coarse.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge. It keeps well for 7-10 days.

Send me pics, comment on this post, tweet or share on FB if you've made this Mint Peanut Chutney. I wanna seeee.

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Mysore Masala Dosa

Mysore Masala Dosa is a rice and lentil pancake that has a chilli and garlic chutney spread on the inside and stuffed with a potato bhaji and served with a simple coconut chutney.

Weekends are meant to be slept in. Aren't they? But sometimes, waking up early on a weekend has it's own excitement - that slight chill in the air, the sky all grey and cloudy, birds chirping away from their hiding places and an occasional car or bus on the road. At times like this, all I need is a steaming hot cup of coffee and a blanket to wrap myself as I sit in the balcony watching the world go by. And you know what's better than that? Having a plate of absolutely delicious homemade Mysore Masala Dosa to eat.

There is absolutely nothing like a Mysore Masala Dosa for breakfast. The good thing about Bangalore is you can eat a Masala Dosa morning, evening or night and for as little as Rs.20 and for as much as Rs.200. But this homemade Masala Dosa is sooo much better than the restaurant ones. I swear you won't like those once you have tasted one that YOU made at home.

A Mysore Masala Dosa is crisp and golden brown on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. It has a spicy red chilli and garlic chutney spread on the inside and is always stuffed with a potato bhaji. Served with a simple coconut chutney, it actually makes one of the most delicious breakfast. Sometimes, dinner too. Skip the red chilli chutney, to get a regular Masala Dosa.

In the age of fast food, a Dosa is a mix of both food movements - slow and fast. It needs to go through the slow process of fermentation but after that, it is a matter of minutes to cook it. 

Points to keep in mind:

• There are many recipes out there that replace the rice with rice flour or with all purpose flour, but a Dosa tastes authentic only when it is made with with rice grains as opposed to flour. 
• I ALWAYS use an age old cast iron griddle or tava to make Dosa. It gives it that amazing color and crispness, but my sister swears by her non stick tava or griddle. Either way, a Dosa tava is meant to be absolutely flat, non stick or cast iron. You can also use a flat frying pan. 
• In winters or if the day is cold, you may need more time to ferment the batter. Keeping it near a warm stove or oven helps. If you live in a hot region or it is summer, you may need only 6-8 hours for the batter to ferment. 
• You will know that the batter is fermented when it has risen and tastes sour. 
• If you do not plan to use the entire batter at one go, remove the excess and only add salt to the batter you plan to use immediately. 

Mysore Masala Dosa

Mysore Masala Dosa is a rice and lentil pancake that has a chilli and garlic chutney spread on the inside and stuffed with a potato bhaji.

Recipe Type:  Breakfast
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     24 Hours (Including soaking and fermenting)
Cook time:     5 minutes per Masala Dosa
Yield:                Makes 12-15

Ingredients:

For the Dosa:

1.5 cups Dosa Rice (Use regular rice if you don't have dosa rice)
0.5 cup Urad Dal or Split Black Gram
1 tsp Fenugreek seeds or Methi seeds
Water to grind
1-2 tsp Salt
1.5-2 tsp Oil per Dosa

For the Red Chilli Chutney:

8-10 dry Red Chillies
1-2 Garlic cloves
1-2 Tbsp Water
1/2-1 tsp Salt

For the Potato Bhaji:

3-4 medium sized Potatoes (Boiled and Peeled)
1 large Onion
3-4 Green Chillies
1 sprig Curry Leaves
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
3-4 tsp Oil
Salt to taste
2 Tbsp finely chopped Coriander Leaves

Method:

To make the Dosa Batter:

Soak the rice, urad dal and methi seeds for 8-10 hours. To make Dosa for breakfast, soak the grains the previous morning. So you can grind the batter at night.
Drain the water and grind the soaked rice and dal into a fine batter. Use as little water as possible while grinding. Adding too much of water will not allow the batter to become fine. Start with 1/4-1/2 cups of water and then add more if required.
Pour the batter into a deep vessel. Mix well if you ground the batter in batches.
Cover and keep in a warm place to ferment overnight.
When the batter has risen and become sour, it has fermented enough and can be used to make Dosa.
The batter keeps well in the fridge for almost a week. See "Points to keep in mind" above for more information on storage.

To make the Red Chilli Chutney:

Remove the seeds from the dry red chillies and soak them in warm water for 30 minutes.
Grind them into a fine paste along with the garlic, salt and a little water.
Store in an airtight box in the fridge. It keeps well for 2 weeks in the fridge.

To make the Potato Bhaji:

Mash the potatoes into rough cubes.
Slice the onions and chop green chillies.
Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
Once they splutter, add the curry leaves, onions and the green chillies.
Fry the onions until they are translucent.
Add the potato and mix well. 
Now add the salt and turmeric powder. Mix well.
Fry for 1-2 minutes.
Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves.

To make the Mysore Masala Dosa:

Grease a cast iron or non stick griddle and heat it.
Once the griddle is hot (not smoking), pour one ladle full of batter on the griddle and spread it from the inside out into a thin circle.
Drizzle a spoonful of oil on it and allow it to cook on medium heat.
When the side touching the griddle turns golden brown and crisp and the side facing you is cooked and there is no raw batter there, spread 1/2-1 tsp of the red chilli chutney on the dosa.
Place a spoonful of potato bhaji on the dosa and fold the dosa into half.
Serve it hot with coconut chutney.

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