As Indians, our love for chai is the stuff of legends. Our days don’t start without a cup of tea and evenings with family are incomplete without it. One of my professors once told me that the best conversations happen over tea. But when someone comes over for a cup, you can’t just serve them tea. And that’s when we face problems. To solve that, what better than to turn to some of our favourite chefs? They understand Indian tastes better than anyone else! So try out these treats by 5 of India’s best chefs with a side of hot steaming tea!
1. Masala Pav Sandwich by Sanjeev Kapoor
Of course, the first recipe is from the maestro’s kitchen itself! His take on a spicy masala pav is as delicious as it can get. If you like your snacks filled with flavour, then this is for you.
Ingredients:
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons pav bhaji masala
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small green capsicum, finely chopped
- 2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
- Fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- 6-8 pavs
- 2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
- 2 large potatoes, boiled and peeled
Method:
- Heat oil and butter in a thick-bottomed pan, add onions and sauté on medium heat for 2-3 minutes till light pink.
- Add tomatoes and salt and continue to sauté on low heat till tomatoes are done.
- Add green capsicum, pav bhaji masala, and garam masala powder and continue to cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes till it emits a nice aroma and oil surfaces on top. Add fresh coriander and stir to mix well.
- To serve, dip slit pav in the onion-tomato masala and cook till lightly crisp. Remove the pav from heat, arrange cucumber, tomato and potato slices in the pav like a sandwich and serve hot.
2. Beetroot Hummus by Ranveer Brar
This humble chef has given us some absolutely lip-smacking dishes. Chef Ranveer Brar’s hummus is no different. Experimenting with beetroot, this hummus is the ultimate evening snack with a few crackers on the side, or with succulent kebabs!
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 5-6 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons of tahini paste
- Half cup oil
- Half cup beetroot paste
- 1-1/2 cup of boiled chickpeas
- 1 cup oil to blend
- 2 chapattis
- 7-8 olives
- 1 cucumber
Method:
- Use a blender to mix lemon juice, garlic cloves, and tahini paste.
- Then add oil, beetroot paste and boiled chickpeas and blend again.
- Gradually add oil to this mixture.
- Cut strips of the chapatti, place an olive in the middle and roll it, then put them in skewers.
- Cut cucumber batons and keep the prepared hummus in a bowl and add some oil to it.
- Place the hummus bowl on a plate and keep the prepared skewers with cucumber batons.
- Garnish with parsley leaves.
3. Rava Green Peas Tikki by Tarla Dalal
We all miss this iconic chef, who won our hearts with beautiful home-style vegetarian delicacies. But who said you can’t enjoy her recipes anymore? These tikkis are healthy and super tasty too. Best served with a minty chutney.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup boiled and coarsely crushed green peas
- 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
- 1/2 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp oil for kneading
- Salt to taste
Method:
- Knead the mixture using oil to a smooth and soft dough. Cover with a wet muslin cloth and keep aside for 10-15 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture into a plate and keep aside to cool.
- Cover with a lid and keep aside for 2 minutes.
- Remove from the flame, add the semolina, ginger-green chilli paste, sugar and salt, and mix well so that no lumps remain.
- Boil 1 cup of water in a deep non-stick pan.
- Divide the dough and the stuffing into 8 equal portions and keep aside.
- Take a portion of the dough and shape it between your palms to a 75 mm. (3”) diameter circle.
- Form a depression in the centre of the circle, place a portion of the stuffing and bring together the edges in the centre to seal the stuffing.
- Roll again while pressing gently between your palms to a 50 mm. (2”) diameter flat tikki.
- Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 7 more tikkis.
- Heat the oil in a deep non-stick kadhai and deep-fry 3 tikkis at a time till they turn golden brown from all sides. Drain on an absorbent paper to remove excess oil, and serve hot.
4. Chicken Tandoori Samosas by Saransh Goila
This young chef works wonders with chicken and that is no secret. He has taken the favourite Indian snack of samosas and given it his own twist. Those of you who like a nice chicken snack, go for this recipe and you won’t be disappointed. Plus, these samosas aren’t fried but baked!
Ingredients:
For the Tandoori masala:
- 1.5 tsp caraway seeds
- 2-3 cardamoms
- 3-4 cloves
- 6-7 black peppercorns
- 1-2 blades of mace
- 1/2 inch cinnamon stick
- A pinch of nutmeg
- 1.5 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
For the Chicken Tikka:
- 250-300 gms boneless chicken (thigh pieces)
- 2-3 tsp of tandoori masala
- 1 tsp kasoori methi, toasted
- 4-5 tbsps yogurt
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt to taste
- Oil for basting
Method:
- Toast the whole spices on a griddle on low heat, stirring every few minutes without discolouring the spices. Then grind the spices into a fine powder in a mortar pestle or a mixer grinder along with Kashmiri red chili powder.
- Prepare the marination by mixing the tandoori masala, yogurt, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste and crushed kasoori methi. Make sure there are no yogurt lumps.
- Add salt enough for chicken too and check for seasonings.
- Cut the boneless thigh pieces into 1.5-2 inch pieces and add to the marination.
- Keep aside for a minimum of 2 hours or preferably overnight.
- Pre-heat the tandoor or your home barbecue or the oven at 200 C.
- Skewer the chicken into rods and grill in the oven.
- Lower the temperature to 180 C after 10 minutes and cook for another 10-15 minutes or till the chicken is done.
- Baste the chicken with oil at regular intervals with the help of a brush.
5. Split Chickpea Chaat by Vikas Khanna
To end with a bang, here’s a recipe by the handsome chef Vikas Khanna. The versatile chef gives us a tangy chaat that will make your evenings more colourful!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup split chickpeas
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups water
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 1 tomato, seeded and finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 fresh green chili, finely chopped
Method:
- In a pot, combine the chickpeas, turmeric, salt, and water and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally until the chickpeas are cooked, but still firm, for 20-25 minutes. Drain and cool.
- In a bowl, combine the onion, tomato, cilantro, lemon juice, cayenne, and chili, and mix well.
- Add the chickpeas and toss well to evenly coat. If necessary, season with additional salt before serving.