From Streets Of India: Paneer Tikke Ki Chaat

The concept of gourmet cuisine has expanded the boundaries of street food culture,and hence newer preparations such as this Paneer Tikke Ki Chaat.

PANEER TIKKE KI CHAAT
There is no extraordinary effort that goes into the making of this mouth-watering dish,yet there is nothing ordinary about the taste it provides.Simply speaking,it is hot mouthfuls of yogurt and spice rubbed,grilled cottage cheese dices combined with the freshness of ginger,coriander and lemon juice.The chaat masala gives it an interesting kick.
If you love the usual tandoori paneer tikka served at restaurants,this recipe takes it to a different level altogether!

Cooking Time : 20 minutes 
Servings : 4

INGREDIENTS
400 gm paneer(cottage cheese) - cut into 1 and 1/2" rectangles of 3/4-1" thickness
1 tomato - deseeded and diced
1 onion - diced
1" piece ginger - chopped finely
2 tablespoons chopped green coriander
1 teaspoon chaat masala
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 teaspoon black salt
2 green chilies - very finely chopped(Optional)
Salt to taste
FOR THE MARINADE:
3/4 cup curd(plain yogurt) - The thicker,the better.If not thick enough,put it in a sieve/cloth for half an hour to drain the whey.
Juice of 1 lemon
1 heaped tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon red chily powder
Salt to taste

METHOD
Marinade the paneer with the juice of a lemon,red chili powder and some salt for twenty minutes.The lemon juice,being acidic,will tenderize the paneer,making it amazingly soft and lovely.
Once done,drain the marinade and in a separate bowl,whisk the plain yogurt,add in it the ginger-garlic paste,garam masala powder and salt.If you are not using any green chilies for your chaat,you may like to add some red chili powder at this stage.Add in the paneer,mix lightly,but well and keep it in the refrigerator till serving time.Refrigeration will dehydrate the marinade,making it coat the paneer pieces well.
At the time of serving,rub oil generously over the grill of the oven,and pre-heat it to 180 degrees C/350 degrees F.Place the marinated paneer pieces on the greased grill,and grill for 15 minutes,till the marinade becomes dry.Then,baste(The process of brushing a food product with a liquid,while roasting,so that it retains its moistness is called basting.)  the paneer with the leftover marinade,and grill it further for 5 more minutes.
Remove the paneer from the oven,and carefully cut it into smaller dices.Toss these paneer dices in a bowl with the remaining ingredients - tomato,onion,ginger,green coriander,chaat masala,black salt,green chilies and salt.Serve immediately.

NOTE
1. If you don't have an oven,paneer can be grilled on a bar-be-cue grill or in an electric tandoor.
2. Two tablespoons of hari chutney can be added to the dish,at the finishing stage,for yet another interesting flavor.

This work by Fahad Khan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.

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From Streets Of India: Hari Chutney (For Chaat)

Hari Chutney,quick and easy to make is an indispensable component of chaats.

HARI CHUTNEY 
Fresh,tart and tangy!While a pudina/dhania chutney is made in all Indian households,it is difficult to replicate the taste and texture of the one chaat wallahs use.The secret ingredient is sabut amchoor,not powder,but whole.It makes the chutney silky and gives it a distinctive sour taste.

Preparation Time : 2 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 cup green coriander(cilantro) along with stalks - roughly chopped
1/2 cup mint leaves
2 green chilies
2 teaspoon dry raw mango(sabut amchoor)
1" piece ginger - roughly chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds 
1/2 teaspoon black salt
Salt to taste

METHOD
Put all the ingredients in a blender and grind them to a smooth,green chutney,using enough water to get a sauce-like consistency.Use as required.

Indians make several chutneys,or sauces.The one served as accompaniment to meals in Indian restaurants,usually contains yogurt,and should not be confused with this recipe.

This work by Fahad Khan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.

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From Streets Of India: Aloo Tikki Ki Chaat

I have come to believe,and so would agree most of you,that the real Indian gastronomic landscape exists not in five star restaurants and expensive speciality diners,but on streets.Just think about street food,and an array of delicacies rush into one's mind - gol gappas,papdi,tikki,chole bhature,kathi rolls,vada pao,pao bhaji,bhel puri,kachori-sabzi...the list goes on endlessly!Truly,India is not much of Bukhara and Dum-Pukht,sophisticated air-conditioned dining,but more of Paranthe Wali Gali and Chowpati.A major portion of street food is tempting,finger-licking 'Chaat',and why not be - There is nothing more soul-satisfying than a plate of this tangy,spicy,sweet and sour preparation on a cold winter or monsoon evening.

From sweet shops to small stalls cramped in nooks-and-corners of galis,chaat can be found almost everywhere in Northern India.

ALOO TIKKI KI CHAAT
A chaat that needs no introduction,golden-crisp disks of potatoes streaked with colors of red and green.Not only phenomenal to eat,but phenomenal to look at,as well.
If desired,serve it along with a glass of hot tea,and treat your taste buds!
Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 15 minutes
Servings : 4

INGREDIENTS
5 medium potatoes - boiled in salted water,peeled and grated
2 heaped tablespoons arrowroot flour/cornflour
Salt to taste
Ghee for frying
FOR THE FILLING:
1 cup bengal gram(channa dal) - soaked and boiled with a pinch of turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon red chily powder
1/4 teaspoon chaat masala
Generous pinch of black salt
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon oil
TO SERVE:   
1/2 cup saunth
1/2 cup hari chutney
1/2 small onion - thinly sliced
50 gm cabbage - shredded
1" piece ginger - cut into juliennes
50 gm cottage cheese - cut into small cubes
25 gm pomegranate pearls

METHOD
Take the boiled,grated potatoes in a bowl,and add the starch(Arrowroot flour/Cornflour).What starch does is,not only it absorbs the excessive moisture,but also helps make the tikkis much more crispier.Adjust the salt,remembering that the potatoes have been boiled in salted water.Mix and mash with your hands,turning the mixture into a dough.Keep aside.
Heat the oil in a kadhai,and add the cumin seeds.Once they begin to splutter,tip in the bengal gram along with rest of the filling ingredients - red chily powder,chaat masala,black salt and salt.Give a stir and switch off the heat. 
To make a tikki,take a generous portion of mashed potatoes in your hand,make a groove in the center and place a spoonful of the glorious,yellow filling made.Enclose the groove,sealing the tikki with your wet fingers.Repeat with the rest of the mashed potatoes.Shallow fry the tikkis in hot ghee on medium flame,till a brown crust develops on both the sides.
Transfer the hot tikkis to individual plates,two on each,press them a bit to flatten,and drizzle two-three tablespoons of each chutney.Top with the onion,cabbage and ginger,sprinkling paneer dices and pomegranate,as you get ready to devour.Dig in,and experience a celebration in your mouth!

NOTE
1. Be careful as not to overcook the potatoes while boiling them.If you boil them for too long,they will become mushy due to the high water content.
2. Most vendors don't use curd(plain yogurt) for Aloo Tikki Ki Chaat since the cold curd quickly brings down the temperature of the tikki.However,if you wish,use half a cup of cold curd,whipped with quarter of a spoon of roasted cumin powder,a generous pinch of sugar and salt to taste,while assembling the chaat.

A chaat wallah frying tikkis on a large griddle.

This work by Fahad Khan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.

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