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Mutter Karanji

Yesterday when I entered my kitchen, I realised that I had run out of most day-to-day ingredients. It was then that I decided to improvise and came up with this snappy snack that took me (and other family members) completely by surprise. Not only was it ready in a jiffy, it was unmistakably delicious as well...Savoury karanjis filled with a spicy and sweet mixture of peas...

Serve it piping hot with coffee or tea and any sauce or chutney that you fancy.

So here goes...

Mutter (Peas) Karanji

Peas - 1 cup
Onion - 1 (large)
Hing and haldi - a pinch
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp.
Green chilly paste - 1 tsp.
Saunf (powdered) - 1 tsp.
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp.
Sugar - a large pinch
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves
Oil to fry

For the dough:
Wheat flour, salt, ajwain seeds - Mix and make into a stiff dough with water and little oil.

Method:

Crush the peas in a mixer coarsely.

Heat oil, add onion, hing, turmeric and salt. Stir well for 2 mins.

Add powdered saunf, the pastes, and garam masala powder. Stir again.

Add the peas, pinch of sugar, some of the coriander leaves,1/2 cup of water and mix well. Cook for 10 mins. or till the peas are done and the mixture looks cooked and dry.

Cool this mixture for 10 minutes or so.

Make small balls of the dough and roll out puris.

Put a little of the peas mixture in the centre and fold into a semicircle.

Seal edges together firmly and use a designed cutter (if you have one)to mark the edges.

Heat oil and fry the karanjis on a medium flame till golden.

Serve hot with sauce/chutney.

One of the most determining aspects of food is its visual appeal. Some memorable dishes have lost out due to poor appearance, and many passable aliments have been widely acclaimed mostly because they were oh-so-tempting to look at.

The last week, I had an opportunity to taste an appetizer, which like most of the kind, had been presented in its best outfit. Simple to make and ready in a jiffy, this watermelon shake-up was pleasant and distractingly beautiful!

In most restaurants, the starter is served with finest attention to detail, since first impressions are rarely wrong, and sometimes, the success of a lunch or dinner may be largely dependent on how one begins a meal.

So let's begin with an aesthetically pleasing and cool beverage that also delivers in taste what it promises visually :)

Total Preparation Time: 15 to 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Appetizers
Snack
Beverages
Breakfast & Brunch
Actual Cooking Time: No Cooking Required
Total Preparation Time: 15 - 20 minutes Course: Appetizers, Beverages
Actual Cooking Time: Nil.

Watermelon Cooler

Watermelon - 1/2, seeded and cut into chunks
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp.
Sugar - 3 - 4 tsp.
Water
Mint leaves

Puree the watermelon in a blender and pour into a largish bowl. Separately, blend lime juice, sugar, and 3/4thcup of cold water. Mix with the watermelon puree. Add fine strips of mint leaves (3-4 leaves).
In two tall glasses,pour the juice, add ice cubes. Decorate with a spig of mint or a lemon twist.

Get imaginative and even use watermelon balls (scooped out) from the flesh. Slurrrrrrrrrrppppppppppppppp!!

Variations - Add roasted jira powder instead of mint.

Blog on Indian Cuisine

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