Sprouted Chana Palak Curry

Sprouts are very rich in vitamins, proteins, amino acids, digestible energy and phytochemicals. Today's recipe, sprouted chana palak curry, makes use of sprouted chickpeas/garbanzo beans, popularly known as chana in India. Instead of using the kabuli chana, I made use of the Indian variety of kala chana.

Ingredients:
Sprouted Chickpeas/Chana - 2 cups
Spinach/Palak - 100 gms(approximately 4 oz), roughly chopped
Onion - 1 Large, roughly chopped
Tomatoes - 2 medium sized, roughly chopped
Garlic - 1 large clove, finely minced
Yogurt/Curd - 1 tbsp
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - As per taste

Grind to Powder:
Cloves - 10
Cinnamon - 2 inch piece
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Seeds - 1 tsp

Method of Preparation:
1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds. Once the seeds start spluttering, add the chopped onions. Fry till the onions become transparent.
2. In a pan add very little oil and add the chopped spinach. Fry for 2 minutes and remove from heat.
2. Add the ground spice powder, chilli powder and mix well. Now add the chopped tomatoes, chopped garlic and fried spinach. Mix well.
3. Add yogurt, mix well.
4. Add salt and 2 cups of water. Mix well.
5. Pressure cook till done.
6. Mix well and serve the sprouted chana palak curry with rice or roti.

                                   Sending this recipe to Divya's 'Show Me Your Curry'

MLLA 27 an event by Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook

CWF: LB - Chickpeas being hosted by Nithu and originally started by Kiran

Aloo Tikki Chat

Aloo tikki chat... the name itself rings a lot of bells in many of the Indians. Such is the popularity of this chat. The various components of this chat include aloo tikki, choley, green chutney and tamarind date chutney. Here are the recipes to the rest of components.

Ingredients for Aloo Tikki(Makes around 10-12 tikkis)
Potatoes - 4 medium sized(boiled and peeled)
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1/4 tsp
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - As per taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

Method of Preparation:
1. Mash the potatoes and add the rest of ingredients. Mix well.
2. Divide the potato mixture into large lemon sized balls.
3. Flatten each ball into a round shape of around half inch thickness.
4. Heat a non stick pan and apply a little oil. Place the prepared aloo tikkis on the pan. On medium heat, let the tikkis turn golden brown before turning them over.
5. Turn them over and pour little oil on the pan.
6. Wait till the tikkis turn golden brown, switch of the heat and let the tikkis rest on the hot tava.
7. If the tikkis turn out very soft, then let them cool and reheat them once again. This way the tikkis tend to be crisper for a longer period.

Ingredients for Choley:
Chickpeas/Chana/Garbanzo Beans - 1 can(Drain the liquid and wash the beans couple of times before using)
(Instead of canned chana, you can also use dried chana. Soak them overnight and boil them)
Onion - 1 large sized, finely chopped
Tomatoes - 2 medium sized, finely chopped
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Pudina/Mint Leaves - 4-5, finely chopped
Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - 1/2 tsp, finely chopped
Salt - As per taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

Method of Preparation:
1. Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped onions. Fry them till they turn golden brown.
2. Add the chopped tomatoes and fry for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and mix well, till the raw smell disappears.
4. Add the chana and 2 cups of water, mix well and let the mixture boil.
5. Add the garam masala, salt, chopped mint and coriander. Mix well.
6. Now transfer the contents to a pressure cooker and cook for 2-3 whistles.
7. Choley for aloo tikki chat is ready.

Ingredients for Green Chutney:
Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - 3 tbsp, roughly chopped
Green Chillies - 2-3, roughly chopped
Lime juice - 1 tsp
Yogurt/Curd - 1 tbsp
Salt - As per Taste

Method of Preparation:
1. Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend to a smooth puree.
2. Green chutney for aloo tikki chat is ready.

Ingredients for assembling Aloo Tikki Chat:
Onion - 1 large sized, finely chopped
Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - 2 tbsp, freshly chopped

Method of Plating:
1. Take a bowl, place one or two hot aloo tikkis on the bottom.
2. Pour some choley on top of it.
3. Add a tablespoon of chopped onions on top of it.
4. Pour 2 teaspoons of the green chutney on top of it.
5. Pour 2 teaspoons of the date tamarind chutney on top of it.
6. Finally add a little more chopped onion and chopped coriander leaves.
7. Enjoy the amazing aloo tikki chat.

Chana Zor Garam

Looks like it is going to rain today, so I wanted to have a snack along with a cup of hot tea. Previously I had heard a lot about chana zor garam, but never really attempted to make it. So, today I took time to find more about this popular street side Indian snack. I found many versions of this popular snack and finally decided on doing it in an oven unlike the traditional method of deep frying. Here goes the recipe of chana zor garam along with a famous Hindi song related to it!!

Ingredients:
Black Chana/Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans - 1 cup(Can even use kabuli chana)
Oil - 11/2 tsp
Chilli Powder/Paprika - 1/4 tsp
Lemon juice - 1/4 tsp
Onion - 2 tbsp, finely chopped
Cumin Powder - a pinch
Salt - As per taste

Method of Preparation:
1. Soak the chana overnight. Drain the water and place the chana on a kitchen towel to remove the excess water. Ensure that the chana is dry.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil.
3. Add oil and a little bit of salt to the chana, mix well.
4. Spread the chana on the baking sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes, depending on the chana you use. I baked for 7 minutes.
5. Take out the baking tray mix the chana once and place it in the oven for another 4-7 minutes. The chana should be crispy from outside and soft inside.
6. Meanwhile, in a bowl add the chopped onions, salt, chilli powder, cumin powder, lemon juice and mix well.
7. Now add the baked chana to this mix and toss well and enjoy your Chana Zor Garam

Variation:
1. You can deep fry the chana instead of baking
2. You can use green chillies instead of chilli powder
3. You can even add chopped tomatoes and coriander leaves
4. You can omit the onions