Guddu’s Chilli Chicken – a place with great food and customer service

In our family if we take a vote on our favorite cuisine Hakka Chinese would be a clear winner (after Indian of course). Thus, when I saw the flyer for ‘Guddu’s Chilli Chicken’ I wanted to immediately try it out, however the name made me reconsider as it conjured up an image of a chicken joint. However, my aunt stopped by the restaurant and got a menu and we discovered the place had a wide assortment of vegetarian dishes. As it was close to our home we thought we would check it out.

We walked in and were greeted by the person behind the counter who turned out to be the owner of the restaurant. He had a friendly manner and we got talking and discovered a Delhi connection :-). He was knowledgeable about each and every menu item and made great suggestions as well. Once we placed the order it took approx 20 mins to get it ready which seemed to fly by as the owner kept us engaged the whole time.

We had decided to take the food home as had loads of boxes to unpack. We left after wishing the owner (Guddu) good night. As soon as we reached home we took out the food and were surprised that the portion sizes were so generous. The food looked delicious and as soon as we took a bite we became fans. We had ordered ‘Vegetable fried rice’, ‘Gobhi Manchurian’ and ‘Lovely Gobhi’. Each of these dishes had the perfect taste, texture and spice level and reminded me of Hakka Chinese food I had growing up in India. The food was finger licking good and we became customers for life.

It was 6 years back that I had first visited ‘Guddu’s Chilli Chicken’ and since then not only me but my family & friends (Greater Toronto Area & Buffalo) swear by this restaurant. Our family has continued to get food from Guddu’s for occasions ranging from birthdays, anniversaries to family get togethers.

If you ask for my recommendation, then I would say do try their ‘Vegetarian Fried Rice’, ‘ Chilli Paneer’, ‘ Gobhi Manchurian’, ‘ Lovely Gobhi’, ‘ Vegetarian Hakka Noodles’,’ Veggie Spring rolls’,’ Veggie Corn Soup’, ‘Szechuan Vegetarian Noodles’, ‘Szechuan Ginger Noodles’ ‘Kung Pao Tofu’, ‘Tofu with Mixed Veggie’. Actually almost any dish works and you can request them to adjust the spice level according to your taste too. They offer catering and also have great lunch specials.

I would say if you are looking for a great Hakka Chinese restaurant in the Greater Toronto Area, then head over to Guddu’s Chilli Chicken. They are located at Unit 3 – 205 Van Kirk Drive, Brampton, ON L7A 3V4 and they are open 7 days a week (Mon – Thurs from 11:30am – 9:30pm / Fri – 11:30pm – 10:30pm / Sat – 12:00pm – 10:30pm / Sun – 12:30pm – 10:30pm). There is ample parking in the plaza always. The restaurant does have a sit down facility however people prefer to usually order in and pick up from this restaurant. The staff (especially Mrs. & Mr. Guddu) are friendly and courteous and also knowledgeable about the menu.

This restaurant receives 5 stars in SRM’s book.

‘Mishti Doi’ A.K.A. ‘Bengali Style Sweetened Yogurt ’

I remember growing up Appa used to bring this mishti for us from Kolkata as it wasn’t available in Delhi. The first time I tasted it I didn’t like it as found it too sweet for my Tamil taste buds. However as Amma and baby bro were in love with this mishti Appa kept bringing it even after my protests against it :-(. To be fair, he also got me Rasagullas to balance it out :-). Then I moved away to the US and of course started missing everything that tied me to home / my culture and traditions. Then 2 years back I had this mishti at a friend’s home after many years and maybe it was my developed taste buds or the fact that I hadn’t had it in a very long time but I loved the dish. I got the recipe immediately and on my next trip to the grocery store picked up the ingredients and tried to make it at home. Lo and Behold, the dessert turned out perfect and has since then became a go to dessert for moi and the family :-). I have shared this recipe with my husbands side of the family in the US and it is their fav too ;-). Sharing the recipe for ‘Jhatpat Mishti Doi’ A.K.A. ‘Sweetened Yogurt Bengali Style’ from my kitchen to yours.

Jhatpat Mishti Doi

Ingredients

1 cup – Fresh Yogurt

1 cup – Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 Cup – Evaporated Milk

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients using a whisk in an oven safe bowl
2. Heat oven to 350 F
3. Place the bowl in the oven and bake for 20 mins (or until a toothpick comes out almost hundred percent clean)
4. Remove bowl from the oven and cool
5. Once cool , place bowl in refrigerator to chill
6. Serve chilled and enjoy

TIPS:

1. You can choose to add chopped dry fruits to the mixture to give it a different taste and flavor
2. You can choose to add any kind of flavoring (vanilla, orange, pineapple etc) to it for a flavored mishti doi
3. Make sure that the mishti doi is not completely set (oven temps n cooking times vary so check your oven) , it needs to be soft so that it can be set completely and yet be creamy
4. If you want to avoid the condensed milk, you can change the recipe to me 1 cup evaporated milk, ¾ cup brown sugar, 1 ½ cup fresh yogurt. Make sure to whisk and mix the ings well before setting in the oven

Zen Gardens – vegetarian restaurant, a place with great food, customer service and ambience

When it came to restaurants serving Chinese food it seemed one had 2 choices, either one got healthy food minus the taste or tasty food minus the health advantage. Then 2 weeks back my friend suggested we try ‘Zen Gardens – a vegetarian restaurant’ as her friends had given it great reviews. I was game to check out the place and thus we landed up there on a Friday evening for dinner. The restaurant was kind of empty which to me was a sign of it not being popular/ serving good food/ lacking in customer service etc. However, as we were already there we decided to go in and check out the place for ourselves.

As almost all the menu items were unfamiliar to us, we took a long time going over the menu as each item looked interesting. In addition my friend and I kept getting distracted by all the yummy food that was being served on other tables :-). The more time we spent browsing through the menu, the more confused we got and then finally we had to ask our waitress for suggestions. She patiently explained the various dishes that we were contemplating on getting and also made recommendations after checking with us regarding our likes and dislikes. Based on her suggestions and recommendations we both ordered a Bento box as our main course and Dumplings for appetizers.

The dumplings had a filling of finely chopped mixed vegetables, steamed for the right amount of time as they weren’t chewy or undercooked and served with a peanut sauce. We devoured them as they were yummy and we were hungry. Then we were served soup which is part of the Bento box, the soup seemed to be a mix of wonton and sweet corn. It had 2 wontons floating in a clear broth along with sweet corn and green onions. It was lightly flavored and piping hot which made us feel warm and fuzzy on the cold winter night. That was followed by a small steamer which contained a piece of steamed dumpling and a tofu roll which was also steamed and they were served with a sweet sauce. The main course (Bento box) was presented in compartmentalized container and included a green salad with a sweet, orange flavored dressing, Kung Po Soy Fritters, purple rice, spring roll and tofu cakes. The tofu cakes were deep fried as was the vegetable spring roll and they were perfect, not too crispy and not too soft. The Kung po soy fritters were cooked in a brown sauce along with bell peppers, onions, and tofu and green onions. The purple rice was cooked to al-dente and serve with a shaving of dried onions on top. All the dishes were delicious, though I had to add some red chilli sauce to make them spicier to suit my taste buds.

Our waitress came in 1-2 times to check in with us to ensure our food was what we expected and if we wanted to order anything else. By the time we finished our meal and left the restaurant it was 9.30pm, which we didn’t realize was beyond their hours of operation. Even though the restaurant had closed, the wait staff didn’t once show impatience or get rude or pushy with us in order to get us to leave early. My friend and I loved the experience so much that we went back the following weekend on a Saturday and the amazing experience of lip smacking food and great hospitality was repeated once again.

So folks, if you want a place to enjoy healthy and delicious food and outstanding customer service head on over to Zen Gardens, located at 6980 Maritz Drive, unit 6, Mississauga, ON L5W 1Z3, Telephone # 905-461-2498. They have plenty of parking and also offer take out services. Ambience is serene and casual and quiet (I guess everyone is too busy enjoying the food to be talking). They have other locations too and you can get the details at http://www.zen-garden.ca/. Zen Gardens receives 5 STARS in my book.

‘Nawabi Subz Biryani’ A.K.A. ‘ Hyderabadi Vegetable Biryani’

When I got admission at the university in Hyderabad there was a 2 step sadness that crept into my heart. Once was that I would be leaving Amma, Appa, baby bro, Nani, Dadu, Mama, Mami n all my friends and going away so far. N the other one was that I would not get any more Amma and Nani ke haath ka khana :-(. I had heard the horror stories from family and friends of their time away at uni/college and of living in a hostel and having to make do with the ‘hostel / mess ka khana’. Through these stories I had pieced together the fact that hostel/mess food was always awful (as depicted in the movie 2 States as well ;-)) and you should count your lucky stars if you got even one dish that was edible. However, I was in for a pleasant surprise when the food that was served at our hostel turned out to be pretty good. Given the fact that we were in Hyderabad A.K.A. The land of the biryani I was overjoyed when I noticed that Hyderabadi Biryani was on the menu for Sunday lunch. Initially the biryani brought back memories of Nu nani, Nani and Amma being in the kitchen preparing the biryani while the whole family magically managing to fit into the kitchen to chit chat n of course offer to be the biryani tasters :-). However, as time went by the novelty of the Hyderabadi Biryani started to wear thin as it was on our lunch menu for every Sunday. By the time final year rolled along, we were thoroughly bored of biryani, Mirchi ka Salan, Baghara Baingan and Raita. My girlfriends and I always skipped the hostel lunch on Sundays and instead went out to Universal Bakers and have burgers n pizzas. Truth be told I was so done with biryani that I stopped eating it completely for many years (as though my time at university had satiated me when it came to biryani). Then one day last year I wanted to make something special for my hubby n close friends and after toying with quite a few ideas zeroed in on biryani. I thought as it had been so long since I had eaten it or made it so maybe just maybe I would like tasting it again. I rang up Nani and got the recipe for her famous biryani and got to work recreating the magic of Nani’s biryani. As I had never ever made biryani (thanks to aversion from uni days), wasn’t expecting great results. But, not sure whether it was the recipe or the fact that I was completely focused and cooking with care and love but the biryani came out perfect (if I may say so without sounding like a brag ;-)). Since then have made the ‘Nawabi Subz Biryani’ A.K.A. ‘ Hyderabadi Vegetable Biryani’ on many occasions and it has been well received by family and friends. So, sharing the recipe with you all and here is hoping you share it with your family and friends and enjoy it as much as us.

Nawabi Subz Biryani

Ingredients

2 cups – Basmati rice
4 nos – Cloves
1 inch stick – Cinnamon
4 nos – Green cardamom
3 nos – Bay leaves
1 ½ tsp – Coriander powder
1 ½ tsp – Garam masala powder
1 ½ tsp – Red chilli powder
1 cup – Plain yogurt
Salt to taste
Oil for cooking
½ cup ½ inch pieces (cut diagonally) – Green beans
½ cup ½ inch pieces (cut diagonally) – Carrots
1 cup boiled, peeled and cubed – Potatoes
1 cup sliced – Green bell peppers
½ cup – Green peas
1 ½ cups finely chopped – Onions
4 nos finely chopped – Green chillies
2 inch piece minced – Ginger
3 pods minced – Garlic
½ cup – Caramelized onions
2 Tbsp – Cashew nuts
Method

1. Wash rice well in running water. In a heavy bottom pan, add the rice, 2 cups of water, 1 Tbsp oil and 1 pinch of salt and cook till rice is half cooked. Remove from flame and keep aside
2. Heat oil in a large pan and once hot add the bay leaves, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Immediately add the onions and sauté till onions are light brown in color
3. Add the minced ginger and garlic and sauté till the raw smell of the onions, ginger and garlic disappears
4. Add the coriander, garam masala and red chilli powders and then add sauté for 3-4 minutes
5. Add the beaten yogurt and 1 cup water and let the mixture simmer on low for 2-3 minutes
6. Mix in the green beans, carrots, green bell peppers, potatoes, green chillies and green peas and half cooked rice and add salt
7. Combine the ingredients well and then cover with a tight fitting lid and cook on low flame for 10 mins (cooking times may vary depending on your range)
8. Turn off the heat and then let it rest for 5-7 mins before opening the lid
9. Stir it gently to combine the rice and vegetables
10. Garnish with caramelized onions and cashew nut pieces (fried in ghee )
11. Serve with Baghara Baingan / Mirchi ka Salan / Raita / Chutneys and enjoy
12. Pound the cardamom, cinnamon and cloves well in a motor and pestle

TIPS:

1. You can choose to eliminate the cashew nuts from the recipe if someone has a nut allergy. Alternately you can choose to do it with almonds instead of cashew nuts
2. You can also make a paste of ginger and garlic instead of mincing them to use in the biryani
3. You can add other vegetables like cauliflower, mushrooms or even soya nuggets to the biryani

‘Aloo Parathas’ A.K.A. ‘ Potato stuffed Indian Bread’

Few years back when I met my boyfriend and fell in love, the 2 of us would spend hours on the phone or email or text as we shared stories about ourselves, our families, friends etc which in turn helped us to get to know each other better. In one of these sessions he told me that his favorite breakfast item was aloo paratha. Being in love, I decided to attempt to make them for him as a surprise. But boy o boy, I got a surprise myself when the parathas didn’t turn out the way I had imagined. They were more stuffed aloo papads/stuffed aloo pathars than parathas as were tough, chewy and the filling was sparse and had managed to escape from the paratha (as though didn’t want to be associated with it no more) :-(. I cried as I had put in a lot of effort into making the parathas and when they didn’t turn out good it made me feel incompetent. In order to soothe me, my BF decided to take a walk down memory lane n tell me about his cook Gorang from Orissa whom he claimed made the best aloo parathas. When Gorang started working at my BF’s place, he was requested to make aloo parathas every Saturday for breakfast. There was just one problem; Gorang had never made aloo paratha before he moved to Bangalore . Initially the parathas were a disaster, yet as time went by he soon became an expert and his parathas were the best my BF n his friends had had away from their north Indian homes, in Bangalore. The moral of the story he said was that if Gorang, who had never tasted an aloo paratha in his life could learn and master the dish, so could I. But I needed to believe in the 2 P’s (Practice and Patience) in order to succeed. He even offered to be my guinea pig so that I could continue working on my paratha experiments :-). I guess the fact that my BF had complete faith in me , pushed me to start making parathas with a never before seen vigor. I worked on the filling ings and proportions, the dough and of course the rolling technique until one day, lo n behold I made the perfect, round aloo paratha. N the biggest compliment I got was when after having the parathas, my BF said they were the best parathas, even better than Gorang’s :-). My BF’s (who is now my hubby) encouragement gave me so much confidence that today if I have to make parathas for 10-15 (or more) people I am cool as a cucumber as know I can handle the task and excel at it too ;-). So my dear friends I share with you my recipe for ‘Aloo Parathas’ A.K.A. ‘ Potato stuffed Indian Bread’ which is tried, tested, approved n appreciated by my darling hubby and our family n friends and which will be a great addition to your recipe books. ENJOY 🙂

Aloo Parathas

Ingredients

¼ cup finely chopped – Onion
¼ cup steamed and mashed – Peas
2 cups boiled, peeled and mashed – Potatoes
¼ cup finely chopped – Cilantro
3 Tbsp finely chopped – Green chillies
1 Tbsp minced – Ginger
1 tsp – Amchoor powder (dried mango powder)
1 tsp – Bhuna jeera powder (dry roasted and ground cumin seeds)
1 ½ tsp – Red chilli powder
4 Tbsp – Oil
Salt to taste
3 cups – Whole wheat flour
Oil / Ghee for frying

Method

1. Take a bowl and add flour and 2 Tbsp oil and rub together to make crumbly dough.
2. Add water to make soft dough. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 10-15 mins
3. Mix together the potatoes, onions, peas, cilantro, ginger, green chillies, amchoor powder, bhuna jeera powder, red chilli powder and salt
4. Use a potato masher to ensure there are no lumps or pieces in potato mixture
5. Divide the dough (that has been rested for 15 mins) into equal sized roundels
6. Roll out each roundel into a small circle. Take a Tbsp of the potato mixture and place in the center of the circle
7. Pick all sides towards the center and pinch towards the top. Tear off the excess dough and form the rest into a roundel once again
8. Roll out the roundel into a 5-6 inch diameter parathas
9. Heat a large griddle plate
10. Once it is hot place the parathas on the griddle. Cook for 2 mins on one side on medium flame and then flip to the other side
11. Apply oil / ghee to the side that has been cooked and then flip again
12. Press down a little with a flat spatula in order to cook evenly on both sides and get a golden brown color
13. Once cooked remove from girdle and serve with fresh white butter, yogurt and pickle

TIPS:

1. You can make the dough using milk instead of water if you want extremely soft parathas / want the parathas to last longer
2. You can add ajwain seeds (carom seeds) to the dough , which give it a subtle flavor
3. Make sure not to over boil the potatoes as if they are overcooked / too soggy then the filling will not hold together and thus the parathas will not turn out good
4. If boiling potatoes in cooker, wash them well and then cover with just water till an inch above potatoes. Cook for 2 whistles and then remove n cool. Don’t add salt or anything in the water when boiling potatoes. You can alternately also microwave the potatoes (microwave setting of ‘Baked Potatoes’) and the microwave will automatically do the job for u. Once the microwave process is done make sure to cook for another 1 minute or so if potato isn’t soft enough

 

 

‘Bharwaan Tamatar Tariwale’ A.K.A ‘Stuffed Tomatoes in Gravy’

My darling Amma tells me that during the Delhi winters, her grandmother (my Nu Nani) and mom (my Nani) would order fresh tomatoes from the farm for the family. Amma loved biting into the red, ripe, juicy and round tomatoes and tasting the perfect balance of tartness, sweetness and juiciness. She ate them as a snack and I guess that is why she was convinced that my baby brother and I should love tomatoes as much as her and her siblings. However, I never could develop a taste for it until the day my Nani decided to make a special dish featuring tomatoes. Being a kid I was apprehensive at first to try it but when I was told the filling had paneer and aloo (some of my fav stuff); I decided to give it a go and took the smallest piece I could find. As they say, it was love at first bite for me :-). Thereafter, for a long time the only way I would eat tomatoes was if they were made in this style by Nani or Amma. Once I left home for studies and then work, I forgot about this dish completely. Then one day I tasted this dish at a friend’s home n it brought back memories of the dish and of course Nani n Amma. That prompted me to call Nani and get the recipe and then try to recreate the dish in my own kitchen. Confession time, the first few times I made it the dish turned out too soggy/ too lopsided/ too overcooked / burnt and then I was almost about to give up when my hubby asked me to give it one last try before throwing in the towel and I did and lo n behold, it turned out perfect :-).I am thankful that hubby dear kept encouraging me otherwise I would not be able to share the recipe for ‘Bharwaan Tamatar Tariwale’ A.K.A ‘Stuffed Tomatoes in Gravy’ with you all today. Try it out in your kitchen and I am sure it will become a dish loved by everyone across the board J

Bharwaan Tamatar Tariwale

Ingredients

6 nos – Round tomatoes
1 Tbsp – Oil
2 tsps minced – Ginger
1 ½ tsp – Coriander powder
1 ½ tsp – Dry roasted cumin seeds powder
1 ½ – Red chilli powder
1 ½ tsp – Turmeric powder
1 tsp – Garam masala powder
1 ½ cups boiled, peeled and mashed – Potatoes
1 cup small cubed – Paneer
½ cup steamed – Green peas
½ cup finely chopped – Green beans
1 cup finely chopped – Green bell peppers
3 nos finely chopped – Green chillies
Salt to taste
2 Tbsp – Oil
2 pinches – Asafoetida
1 ½ tsp finely chopped – Ginger
2 ½ tbsp – Almonds (soaked and made into a paste)
1 ½ cups – 2% Milk

Method:

1. Wash tomatoes well and then cut ¼ from the top and scoop out the flesh and keep aside
2. Heat oven to 350 F and in the meanwhile rub oil on the tomatoes on the inside and outside
3. Place the tomatoes along with their tops onto a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 10 mins
4. Take out and keep aside to cool
5. Heat oil in a pan and add ginger and then after a minute add 3 Tbsp of the flesh from the tomato (previously extracted). Add coriander powder, red chilli powder, salt, dry roasted cumin powder and mix well
6. Cook for 5 mins and then add the potatoes, green peas, green beans, paneer, green bell peppers, green chillies and mix well to make a moist filling
7. Fill the baked tomatoes with the vegetable filling , cover with the top and keep aside
8. Heat oil in a pan and add asafoetida
9. In a minute add the ginger and mix well for 2 mins
10. Add the almond paste and mix with well for 2- 4 mins
11. Add the remaining tomato flesh and then add garam masala powder , turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt and cook well (till the raw almond paste and raw tomato smell disappears)
12. Slowly add the milk to the pan and use a whisk to ensure there are no lumps
13. Cook on low flame and bring it to a boil and give 2 boils
14. Add the stuffed tomatoes one by one into the gravy in a single layer and cook on low flame for 7 – 8 mins
15. Remove from flame and serve with naans/ pulao / puris and enjoy

TIPS:

1. Make sure not to overcook the tomatoes in the gravy as they will lose their shape and become lopsided / collapse
2. You can choose to add any vegetables you wish as the filling. You can omit the potatoes and add grated cauliflower instead for a more healthier option
3. You can choose to use whole milk or cream instead of 2% milk for a more creamier texture or fat free milk for a healthier option

‘Tomatoer Chatni’, A.K.A. ‘Sweet Tomato Chutney’

Growing up in a Bong home, we always had some kind of mishti in the fridge. My darling Amma and baby brother loved all things sweet but I wasn’t a fan (guess that is where my TamBrahm genes came into play 🙂 ). However there was something sweet that I did like and that was chatnis. It seemed that for all religious celebrations, family get togethers, and special occasions my Bengali side of the family had to have one kind of chutney or another. Made me think as though a meal wouldn’t be complete without chatni. Though there were many kinds of chatnis there was one which has been traditionally offered to Maa Durga during Durga Puja and thus distributed as part of the Puja Bhog. Now, I am not sure whether it was the fact that we always had bhog in a large group compromising of family & friends or whether it was because it was Maa Durga’s proshad or whether it was that the combination of this cold chatni with hot Khichudi that made the meal so delicious, but this chatni became my favorite. I then learnt how to make this chatni from Nani and Amma, yet the first time I made it I managed to add water and too much sugar and not cook it well and thus ended up with a mess. However, with a bit of practice I got the recipe correct and since then have made this chatni many a times at social and religious gatherings at my home. The best part is my darling hubby and in-laws also likes it n thus encourage me to make this chatni more often than the other kinds of Bengali chatnis. I hope that you would enjoy making n having ‘Tomatoer Chatni’, A.K.A. ‘Sweet Tomato Chutney’ as much as my family and make it a part of your celebrations too :-).

Tomatoer Chatni

Ingredients

3 cups chopped – Tomatoes

½ inch peeled and finely chopped – Ginger

1 tsp – Oil

½ tsp – Black mustard seeds

½ tsp – Salt

4 Tbsp – Sugar

½ tsp – Turmeric powder

½ tsp – Dry roasted cumin seeds

4 nos seedless and chopped – Dates

Method

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Once oil if hot add the mustard seeds and as soon as they crackle add the ginger
2. Stir well and after 2 minutes add the tomatoes, salt and turmeric
3. Mix well , cover and cook on low heat for 10-12 minutes until tomatoes are soft
4. Uncover and dates add sugar and mix well
5. Cook for 5- 7 mins on low flame to ensure tomatoes are mushy and cooked
6. Remove from flame and cool for 5 mins and then add the dry roasted cumin powder
7. Serve chilled with Khichudi / Luchis/ Pulao/Parathas

TIPS:

1. If you don’t want to use all fresh tomatoes you can use canned diced tomatoes
2. You can use Stevia/Splenda/Brown sugar in place of regular white sugar
3. You can also use paanch phoran instead of mustard seeds as seasoning and raisins in place of dates

‘Choley Bhature’ A.K.A ‘Spicy Chickpeas with Deep Fried Indian Bread’

Growing up in a TamBong household you would think I ate only Tamil or Bengali food, however that wasn’t the case as my parents loved to try different kinds of cuisines and exposed my baby brother and I to them from a very young age. Even though I would be excited to try new cuisines, there was one dish I loved which if given a choice I would have every weekend for breakfast :-). The neighborhood restaurant which made this dish was Punjab Sweet Shop and often Appa would take me with him to the restaurant to pick up the order. While we waited the owner uncleji would give me a piece of jalebi and as I munched on it I would watch in fascination as the halwai bhaiya would take a piece of dough, flatten it in his palms and then slide it gently into a hot wok of oil where it would puff up golden and round. The love affair with Choley bhature continues till date and on every trip back home to India my baby brother and I make it a point to visit Punjab Sweet Shop to have their signature dish. And like clockwork every time we take a bite we are flooded with memories of our childhood years. N now I am planning to take my darling hubby to try this dish too on our next trip :-). I should also add that I have been meaning to write the recipe for this dish and share with you all and yet kept forgetting, however when my friend who has moved to Russia asked me for the recipe I figured that was the final push I needed in order to put the recipe down on paper n share with you. I have made this dish a few times and I believe there is nothing yummier than ‘Choley Bhature’ A.K.A ‘Spicy Chickpeas with Fried Indian Bread’ for breakfast especially on a cold, foggy wintry dayJ. Enjoy!!

Choley Bhature

Ingredients

150gms – All purpose flour (Maida)
150 gms – Semolina (Sooji)
½ tsp – Salt
2 Tbsp – Yogurt ( sour yogurt preferred)
¼ tsp – Baking soda
150-200 mls – Water
1 Tbsp – Oil
500gms – Chole (Chickpeas)
1 two inch piece finely chopped –Ginger
2 nos – Bay leaves
3 nos – Whole black cardamom
2 nos 2 inch pieces – Cinnamon sticks
200 gms chopped – Onion
100 gms – Yogurt
1 ½ tsp – Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
2 tsp – ground black pepper
2 Tbsp – Amchoor powder (dried mango powder)
2 Tbsp – Anardana powder (dried pomegranate powder)
1 Tbsp – Garam masala powder
1 ½ tsp – Red chilli powder
1 ½ cups boiled, peeled and cubed – Potatoes
Method

1. Wash chickpeas in running water 6-7 times and then soak chickpeas overnight in cold water(ensuring the water covers the chickpeas)
2. In the morning, put the chickpeas in a large pan with salt, turmeric powder, whole black cardamom, bay leaf, cinnamon stick
3. Boil the chickpeas until they are tender but not mushy , approx 30 – 35 minutes
4. Heat a heavy bottom pan and add a Tbsp of ghee and oil and when hot add the onions and brown the onions
5. Add the finely minced ginger and mix well and stir for 2-3 mins
6. Add the yogurt, chopped tomatoes and turmeric, red chilli powder, black pepper powder, anardana powder and mix well. Cook on a low heat until the mixture is a deep reddish brown then remove from the heat
7. When the chickpeas are ready add the onion/tomato mixture to it and stir well.  Add salt (after checking for salt) and garam masala and mix well
8. Reduce heat to medium low and cook until the gravy is thick and chickpeas and soft and completely coated with gravy. Once done remove from heat and keep aside
9. Sift together flour , semolina, salt and baking soda
10. Add the yogurt and 150 mls of water.  Knead well until you have a soft, springy dough (if you push the dough with a finger it should spring back immediately)
11. Put the dough in a clean bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave to rest and rise for 4-5 hours
12. Remove the damp cloth and add a Tbsp of oil into the dough then knead well and divide it into 12 pieces
13. Roll each ball in the same manner of a poori but a little thicker than a poori (approx 6 inches in diameter)
14. Heat oil in a kadhai.  When a small piece of dough dropped into the oil rises quickly to the surface, the oil is the right temperature to fry the bhature
15. Gently slide in one bhatura, let it cook for a couple of seconds then press it down with a slotted spoon which would help the bhatura puff up
16. Flip the bhatura over and press down again.  When the bhatura is golden brown and puffed up, removed to drain on some kitchen roll
17. Heat oil in a pan and add oil , add chopped onions and cook till brown
18. Add chopped tomatoes and salt, turmeric powder, anardana powder, red chilli powder and cook till oil separates and tomatoes and onions are mushy
19. Add the potato pieces and mix well in order to coat them with the onion and tomato spicy mixture
20. Stir the potato cubes into the Choley gravy and mix well
21. Serve hot Choley with bhatura and salad, pickle and yogurt

TIPS:

1. Make sure to retain the water from the Choley (when you boil it) as you can use it to adjust the consistency of the Choley gravy
2. You can make the masala for the Choley and potatoes at the same time (just don’t add yogurt) and then divide and use for Choley and potatoes
3. You can choose to add finely chopped or minced green chillies to enhance the flavor of the Choley

‘Chakro Phool Payesh’ A.K.A. ‘Star Anise Rice Pudding’

If there were ever a competition to judge which mishti could tie the whole of India in one strand, I think this mishti would win hands down. The basic ingredients might be the same however; there might be subtle differences in flavor and texture which make it unique to a particular state. I have had some very great and not so great variations of this mishti :-). The one variation that stands out and is fast becoming my fav is made by my mashi which features some ingredients which aren’t traditionally thought of as being part of mishtis. A little background on mashi – even though she has been in Canada for over 40 years, she still loves her Indian food and mishtis. She likes to experiment in her kitchen which works out great for the family as we are her tasting panel :-). She came up with this recipe while playing around with various flavors that one could add to a standard payesh and once we all tasted this dish, it became our family favorite. So after getting her permission n blessings am sharing my darling Mashi’s recipe for ‘Chakro Phool Payesh’ A.K.A. ‘Star Anise Rice Pudding’ on the auspicious occasion of Bijoya Dashami. Jai Maa Durga !

Chakro Phool Payesh

Ingredients

1 liter – Whole Milk
¾ cup – White rice
1 cup – Sugar
3 Tbsp blanched, peeled, slivered – Almonds
3 nos – Chakro Phool (Star Anise)
3 nos – Cloves
1pinch – Edible Camphor
½ tsp – Green cardamom powder

Method

1. Wash and soak rice in water for 20mins
2. Pour milk in heavy bottom pan and bring to a boil
3. Once the milk comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and add the star anise, cloves and camphor
4. Boil for 7 mins and then add the rice (drained completely so as to not have any water) and almonds
5. Boil on low heat while stirring occasionally taking care not to let the milk boil over or get burnt from the bottom of the pan
6. After 30 – 40 mins add the sugar into the pan and mix well
7. Cook for another 10-15 mins after adding the sugar (in order to make the payesh thick and creamy)
8. Remove from flame and fish out the star anise and cloves
9. Let it cool to room temperature and then add the green cardamom powder and mix well
10. Chill in refrigerator for 1-2 hours and serve with luchis

TIPS:

1. In order to prevent the pan from burning rinse the pan with cold water and leave about 1 Tbsp of water in the pan. Roll it around to coat the pan well and then add the milk
2. You can choose to add raisins, cashews, pistachios to the payesh too
3. If you wish you can substitute the white sugar with brown sugar / Splenda / gur

‘ Mixed Vegetable Parathas’ A.K.A. ‘ Mixed Vegetable stuffed Indian Bread’

Growing up in Delhi I was exposed to Punjabi cuisine from a young age. I loved almost everything that I tasted but one of my faves was Paratha. My darling Amma and Nani made the most delicious parathas and come winter we would have parathas for dinner at least once a week :-). Even though I liked parathas I didn’t make them for the longest time as thought that there was too much work involved in making a paratha. I would instead buy the frozen ones n yet the yearning to have a homemade paratha remained in my heart. Then when I met my dear hubby and came to know his fondness for parathas, I decided to try my hand at making parathas. I started with the simple parathas and then slowly started making variations to my parathas. This particular paratha came about as I was cleaning my freezer and came across a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. As didn’t want to make the usual stuff with a mixed vegetable base , I decided to make a dry subzi and then stuff it and try to make a paratha. Once it was appreciated by hubby dear, I tweaked the recipe a little n now I present to you ‘ Mixed Vegetable Parathas’ A.K.A. ‘ Mixed Vegetable stuffed Indian Bread’ and hope it becomes your family’s fav paratha 🙂

Mixed Vegetable Parathas

Ingredients

¼ cup finely chopped – Onion

1 cup grated – Broccoli

1 cup grated – Carrots

1 cup finely shredded – Cabbage

1 cup steamed and mashed – Peas

1 cup boiled and mashed – Potatoes

1 cup boiled and mashed – Corn

1 cup grated – Cauliflower

1 Tbsp finely chopped – Green chillies

4 Tbsp – Oil

Salt to taste

1 ½ tsp – Red chilli powder

1 ½ – Carom seeds (Ajwain)

1 ½ tsp – Dry roasted cumin seeds powder

3 cups – Whole wheat flour

Oil / Ghee for frying

Method

1. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a pan and add asafoetida. Immediately add the onions. Fry till golden brown and add cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, peas, corn, potatoes, carrots , green chillies and mix well
2. Add the salt, red chilli powder, dry roasted cumin seeds powder and mix well and stir fry for 7 mins
3. Remove from flame and cool
4. Take a bowl and add flour, carom seeds and 2 Tbsp oil and rub together to make crumbly dough.
5. Add water to make soft dough. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 10-15 mins
6. Divide the dough into equal sized roundels
7. Roll out each roundel into a small circle. Take a Tbsp of the vegetable mixture and place in the center of the circle
8. Pick all sides towards the center and pinch towards the top. Tear off the excess dough and form the rest into a roundel once again
9. Roll out the roundel into a 5-6 inch diameter parathas
10. Heat a large griddle plate
11. Once it is hot place the parathas on the griddle. Cook for 2 mins on one side on medium flame and then flip to the other side
12. Apply oil / ghee to the side that has been cooked and then flip again
13. Press down a little with a flat spatula in order to cook evenly on both sides and get a golden brown color
14. Once cooked remove from girdle and serve with yogurt and pickle

TIPS:

1. You can choose to add grated paneer , bell peppers or any other vegetable to the filling
2. You can omit the carom seeds if you aren’t fond of this flavor or you can substitute it with cumin seeds
3. You can make the dough using milk instead of water if you want extremely soft parathas / want the parathas to last longer