Traditional recipes and the joy of learning them! ( Puranpoli and katachi amti)

Puranpoli holds a very special place in the hearts of most Maharashtrians and is made primarily during Holi, the festival of colours and also for most religious functions especially during the holy months of Chaitra ( the first month of the year) and Shravan ( the month where rain and sun play hide and seek). Like most Indian recipes there are many variations of this recipe but what I'm about to share is a culmination of the recipes I have observed over the years from my mom, my aunts and lately, from my mother-in-law. I believe traditional recipes can be learnt and passed down best from generation to generation! It makes a huge difference to your understanding of a time-tested recipe when you see it being made over the years in front of your eyes and it teaches you the nuances involved. It will take me many more years to become an expert and master this recipe but I believe the process of learning is memorable and teaches you more every time you try a recipe! So here goes:

For the puran: ( sweet lentil mixture)

Chana dal ( Bengal gram dal) 1 cup ( approx 200g)

Jaggery - 200 g

Sugar- 50 g

Salt - a pinch

Haldi ( powdered turmeric) - 1/2 tsp

Dry ginger powder- 1/4 tsp

Rice grains- about 1 tbsp.

For the poli:

If you like the outer crust soft ( as in peeth poli)

Whole wheat flour and maida (refined wheat flour) in 3:1 proportion.

Water for kneading,

Oil.

For those who like a flaky crust (as in tel poli)

Fine (rava)semolina,

Water for kneading,

Oil

Soak the dal for 2-3 hours in about 3 times the quantity of water. Drain the water used for soaking (this helps to remove unpleasant odour of the soaked chana dal) and set the dal to boil in a thick-bottomed pressure pan with double the quantity of fresh water. Also wash the rice grains and add them while boiling (it helps to make the puran little stickier because of starch content in rice) Before putting on the lid of the pan, remove the foam that rises to the top. After this is done, add the turmeric ,salt and dry ginger powder. Adding a few drops of ghee at this stage will help the dal to cook well. Now cook the dal with the lid on for about 5-6 whistles. When properly done, the dal will be easily crushed when you hold a grain in between your fingers.

Once cool drain out the water and reserve for katachi amti ( spicy curry made from the remnants of the puran)

Mix the cooked and drained dal with the sugar and jaggery and cook in a thick bottomed pan or a microwavable glass bowl, stirring regularly. Traditionally the puran is ground in a "puran yantra" to get very fine puran.But I generally use a hand mixer to churn the dal while it cooks with the jaggery. And it gives quite satisfactory results. This Holi, I used a tip given by my aunt to grind the cooked dal before adding jaggery and sugar.The test to check if the puran is ready is to make the spatula that you use to mix it stand in the centre of the vessel.If it holds and remains standing, the puran is done.

 

                                     

Allow the puran to cool down and just before it is completely cool add in the finely ground powder of cardamom and nutmeg.

Whichever type of crust you prefer the trick is to knead the dough well enough to get a smooth elastic texture and you cannot compromise on the oil. I feel this is actually the trickiest part! Knead the dough and keep aside.after letting it rest for about an hour knead it again adding a few drops of oil and water adjusting to get an elastic dough but adding enough oil that it doesn't stick to your hands. Then make equal sized portions of the dough and the filling. 

Squeeze the filling into the dough ball enveloping it with the dough completely and evenly on all sides. Then flatten it out between your palms dusting it with a little maida or finely ground rice flour. Roll out the puran poli evenly taking care not to apply too much pressure. For the puranpoli with flaky crust there is no need to use any flour because the dough is very pliable. I recommend using a baking paper to roll the puranpoli poli to prevent it from sticking to the surface.

Then heat an iron or non stick girdle and let slide the puranpoli gently into it. Just as golden spots appear on one side, flip it carefully and let the other side cook a bit.

Flip again until golden brown on both sides. You can apply ghee while doing this or do it dry and apply ghee later when you heat the puranpoli before serving. Do not compromise on the amount of ghee also .The fat in the oil and the ghee is essential to easily digest the puranpoli and assimilate it's nutrients too.  ( And if you add ghee generously, rest assured that you cannot overeat..it fills you up quite soon)

Katachi amti

Ingredients:

Spice mix: Dry roast equal amounts of dry coriander seeds, cumin seeds with 1/4th the quantity of clove and cinnamon. Powder this after it cools down. Add about two tbsp roasted coconut while grinding it. If you make puran with half a kilo chana dal, usually 1 tablespoon of coriander seeds, cumin seeds with quarter tablespoon clove and cinnamon suffices.( This is the same spice mix for Masalebhaat which is a preferred combination with puranpoli and can be made using different vegetables like green peas/ combination of green peas and cauliflower/ coccinea) Chilli powder required for this quantity of amti would be about a teaspoon. Add a little hot water to the vessel in which the puran has been cooked and dissolve all the remnants of puran and also the puran stuck to the hand mixer or puran yantra.Combine this with water that remains after draining cooked chana dal. Heat oil in a kadhai, add bayleaf, asafoetida and the prepared spice mix, add chilli powder and immediately add the above-me tioned water with the remnants of puran. Add salt and a little tamarind extract.Bring to a boil, simmer and serve with steamed rice. Enjoy!!!

The story behind Tandoori Tikka..

History

Unravelling the history of the tandoor takes us back by 5000 years to the Indus valley and Harappan civilizations of ancient India. Traces of tandoors were found from the excavation of these historical sites. Use of tandoor however is not limited to only the Indian subcontinent; it was apparently used  in West and Central Asia as well. Traces of tandoor have also been found in ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations. The tandoor was popularized in medieval India by the Mughals. The portable tandoor was invented much later during the reigns of Jahangir, a Mughal ruler. It is said that portable tandoor was carried by a team of cooks whenever he travelled.

So what exactly is a tandoor?

Tandoor is the oven in which tandoori food is cooked. The original tandoor is made from clay and used for cooking all over Asia, starting in Turkey and ending in Bangladesh. Legend has it that the Roma people took the tandoor from their home in the Thar Desert in northwestern India everywhere they went.This cylindrical oven holds a small fire fuelled by wood charcoal. Many tandoors have a door at the bottom so the cook can regulate the intensity of the fire by the amount of oxygen. Ceramic walls inside the oven create an intensive heat that can reach 900 degrees Fahrenheit (480 degrees Celsius).The big advantage of a tandoor oven is that they will maintain a high temperature for a long time burning only little fuel. Cooking times in a tandoor oven are generally minutes, sometimes only seconds. The Mediterranean equivalent to a tandoor would be a wood fired pizza oven. 

What is so special about tandoori cooking? 

Cooking in tandoor uses four different techniques. Radiant heat that comes from the pit has effect akin to baking. Direct heat from charcoal allows grilling. The smoke that is produced from dripping marinade gives exclusive smoky flavor to the dishes cooked in tandoor.High temperatures in tandoor allows juices to seal in, resulting in juicier meat as compared to other methods of cooking. Smoke emanating from dripping marinade, and earthy aroma of clay lining of tandoor gives the food an exclusive complex flavor that is unmatched. Hot clay walls produces effect similar to griddling.Flat breads such as naan and tandoori roti are made by sticking them to the hot clay walls of the tandoor.

Tandoori cooking is a healthy way of cooking food. High temperature in tandoor cooks the food fast making use of external fats such as butter and oil unnecessary. Tandoori does not mean a special recipe, it describes the way of cooking. Tandoori food is cooked in a tandoor. Period. It can be naan, the traditional Indian flatbread prepared from light yeast dough or anything that can be stuck on a skewer and lowered into an oven. Meat, fish and paneer, the Indian cheese, are usually marinated for several hours before they are cooked in the tandoor. A similar marinade, made from yoghurt mixed with spices, is used for tikka dishes. 

So who founded the tandoori chicken recipe?

Tandoori chicken as a dish originated in the Punjab before the independence of India and Pakistan. Although tandoor cooked chicken dates back to as early as the Mughal era, the dish is believed to be invented much later. Nearly 100 years ago, a man named Mokha Singh Lamba started a small restaurant in Peshawar, Pakistan. In the center of the restaurant was a tandoor, a cylindrical clay oven, placed there by a man who worked at the restaurant, Kundan Lal Gujral. While bread has been baked in tandoor ovens for hundreds of years and there are several reports of chicken being baked in tandoors since the 16th century, the version Gujral made—with crispy skin and a recognizably bright red exterior—became an enormous success until he was forced to flee Pakistan during the 1947 Partition of India.

In his new home in Delhi, Gujral founded a new restaurant, Moti Mahal, which went on to popularize butter chicken and dal makhani. In its 1950s heyday, it was popular with celebrities and world leaders. Many—including Nixon, John F. Kennedy, and Gandhi—visited it, which may be in part why Gujral's restaurant is credited with launching Indian cuisine—and tandoori chicken—into the international food scene.

Is tandoori chicken tikka different from tandoori  chicken ?

The Oxford dictionary describes tikka as “an Indian dish of small pieces of meat or vegetables marinated in a spice mixture”. The main difference between tandoori and tikka dishes is the fact that tikka is made from boneless pieces of meat speared by a skewer. Tandoori generally means that a big piece usually with bones is lowered into the oven.

For example, chicken tikka are marinated pieces of boneless chicken on a skewer while tandoori chicken can be a whole chicken or big chicken portions such as thighs/ breasts stuck on a skewer. The marinade and the cooking method remains the same.

An integral part of Indian cuisine world over!

The Encyclopedia of Food and Culture declared that tandoori cuisine is the most recognizable type of Indian food around the world. Food historians Massimo Montanari and Jean-Louis Flandrin: "Every culture is contaminated by other cultures; every tradition is a child of history and history is never static." It's why chamoy— which came from Chinese immigrants' salted plums—is a staple of Mexican street food, and why tomatoes—brought back from Peru by the Spanish—are popular in Italian cuisine.

http://www.differencebetween.net/object/comparisons-of-food-items/difference-between-tandoor-and-tikka/

https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmXoypizjW3WknFiJnKLwHCnL72vedxjQkDDP1mXWo6uco/wiki/Tandoori_chicken.html

https://food52.com/blog/16036-the-unlikely-history-of-tandoori-chicken-and-a-recipe

https://thefoodfunda.com/history-of-tandoor-tandoori-cooking/

In a soup! (finding out what's really inside)

Tuh-MAY-toh or Tuh-MAH-to? Pronunciation doesn't matter when it comes to this fabulous nutritious fruit known as a vegetable. It's hard to believe that such a widely-used food source was once considered deadly poisonous. Available year-round in fresh and preserved forms, there is no shortage of uses for this versatile "vegetable." [1] Tomato soup is a soup made with tomatoes as the primary ingredient. It may be served hot or cold in a bowl, and may be made in a variety of ways.[2] It may be smooth in texture, and there are also recipes which include chunks (or small pieces) of tomato, cream and chicken/vegetable stock. Popular toppings for tomato soup include sour cream or croutons. Tomato soup is one of the top comfort foods in Poland[3] and the United States.[4] It can be made fresh by blanching tomatoes, removing the skins, then blending into a puree. 

Soup recipes are generally the most underrated recipes in Indian cuisine. There are many traditional and modern unique recipes but they rarely get the attention and visibility like other recipes. One such traditional and ancient soup recipe is the tomato shorba recipe adapted from Persian cuisine. The difference between 'soup' and 'shorba' lies in the texture of shorba, which is slightly thinner and less creamy than normal tomato soup. Moreover, the shorba recipes are spicier and are generally made with minced meat or choice of veggies. In this case, ripe tomatoes are used with ginger, garlic and coriander leaves. It is an ideal medicine for common cold and indigestion problems and recommended to be served just before the meal.[5] India also has its own unique versions of tomato soups such as "rasam" which originates in South India and tomato "saar"  in Western India which also uses coconut milk in addition to the other ingredients.

Shorba or Chorba is a kind of a hot soup or stew relished across Middle-East Asia, South and Central Asia, and North Africa. Believed to have originated in the Persia, it is traditionally prepared by simmering meat in boiling water along with salt and flavored with aromatic curry spices and herbs. Over the years, vegetarian variants of the shorba have become popular as well. Shorba is derived from an Arabic term, 'Shurbah', meaning soup.  The flavoured broth is served after separating it from the meat and vegetables, as a starter or as part of the main course. Chef Sadaf Hussain, contestant of Masterchef India 2016 shares, "People have been making the stew since ancient times. Central Eurasians (8th to 4th Centuries BC) used to put the flesh into an animal's paunch, mix water with it, and boil it over bone fire. This can be referred as the first ever stew in human history. The modes of preparation changed over the years, and "Shorba" evolved with the addition of spices. Another theory also tells us that when Mughals came to India, they brought a lot of dishes, shorba being one of them."He goes on to add, "One of the most basic shorbas popular in India is the tamatar shorba which has garlic, garam masala, crushed pepper, cumin powder and vegetable stock.[5] The essence of this beautifully aromatic shorba is the tadka which means a quick saute of spices to release their flavour and fragrance before the core ingredients are added to it.[6]

Tamatar shorba is a good appetizer and aids good digestion. Tomato is a vital ingredient in most of the recipes in Indian cooking and also the base to many dishes. Tomato gives an excellent tanginess, color and gravy to the dish. Tomato has many benefits to fight against diseases. The lycopene present in tomatoes help fight against diseases and is a potent anti oxidant that combats free radical activity. The rich redness of tomato is due to the presence of lycopene. Tomatoes are extensively used throughout the world in many cuisines. It is a versatile ingredient that is used in soups, salads, condiments and main course as well. Tomatoes are rich in potassium and vitamin B and these two nutrients help lower blood pressure. Tomato shorba is one among the aromatic, flavorful and delectable soups which is liked by one and all especially vegetarians.It has a unique combination of sweet, sour and spicy flavours and is loaded with healthy compounds. A home-made version is healthier, cheaper and delicious to taste. This is a fantastic dish for those suffering from sore throat, cold and adds an interesting punch to your palate.[6]

1. Tomato History - the History of Tomatoes as Food". Homecooking.about.com. 27 May 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014
2. Herbig, Paul A. (1998). Handbook of Cross-Cultural Marketing. Binghamton, NY: International Business Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-0789001542. Irish and Italians prefer creamy tomato soup, Germans want rice, and Columbians want spice.
3. Always home-made, tomato soup is one of the first things a Polish cook learns to prepare." [in:] Marc E. Heine. Poland. 1987; "tradycyjny obiad kuchni polskiej, składający się z zupy pomidorowej z makaronem, kotleta schabowego, ziemniaków, mizeri z ogórków i kompotu." [in:] Etnografia polska. PAN. t. 48-49, 2004
4. About.com. "Top 25 Comfort Foods and Recipes". Retrieved 18 November 2012.
5. https://hebbarskitchen.com/tomato-shorba-recipe-tamatar-shorba/
6. https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/shorba-the-flavourful-indian-soup-perfect-for-this-nippy-weather-1723358
7. https://www.cookrepublic.com/tamatar-shorba-indian-tomato-soup-holi-memories/
8. https://www.vahrehvah.com/tomato-shorba-indian-recipe

Hjemmelaget fra hjemlandet (home-made from my homeland)

I was born and brought up in Mumbai, the city that never sleeps and is as famous for it's street food as for it's never-say-die attitude and it's slums! Take a walk down the streets of Mumbai and you cannot miss the wafting aromas of vada-pav, pav-bhaji, samosas, bhajiyas and cutting chai! These are just the basic ones.. there are lots more: toast sandwich, grilled sandwich, dosas with various fillings, pani-puri, sev-puri, bhelpuri, dabeli, frankie and the latest craze of "chinese" bhel and manchurian. But inspite of the new additions I believe the humble vada-pav continues to reign in terms of popularity.Food chains like Jumbo King and Goli vada-pav have glamourized it a tad with additions like cheese and schezwan sauce but the good old vada-pav sold by enterprising men and women on their simple stalls from ages ago are also preferred by many. 

( Image credits: 

https://roshanjha.wordpress.com/2017/02/11/mumbai-street-food-10-must-visit-places-for-foodies/)

My love for food and curiosity to delve deeper into it's intricacies has been deeply influenced by the variety of cuisines and different ways of cooking that I have been exposed to since my childhood. Having grown up in a Brahmin Maharashtrian home I have relished simple foods like bhakri, pithla, varan-bhaat, batatyachi bhaji, usal, pohe, shira, sabudana khichadi etc. "Panch- pakvannache jevan" with special desserts  such as basundi, puran-poli, shrikhand, kesari bhaat, ukadiche modak were reserved for special religious or festive occasions. Everyone also looked forward to seasonal specialities such as aluche fadfade, kairichi daal, panha, til-gul, gajar halwa and kharvas among many others.My three paternal aunts or atyas

have their own specialities like pickles, ketchups, jams, ladoos, vadis, chivda, chakli, karanji, shankarpali, thalipeeth, amti-bhaat and the list is endless! My maternal aunt or maushi is no less! 

My father is as good a cook as my mother and makes mouth watering jalebis, methichi patalbhaji, korda pithla, kanda-bhaji which are just a few of his trademark recipes.My mother's family is from Madhya Pradesh and that's where my love for Chaat like samosas, phulkis, matar ki kachori,  khoye ki jalebi, rabri , lassi and chole-bhature originate from. Travelling to college everyday and having to to manage with a limited amount of pocket money introduced me to street food which I have mentioned at the very beginning of this write-up.It also made me fond of South-indian food like idlis, dosa, uttapas, medu- vadas etc because it was always prepared hot and safest to eat among other outside food.Also any neighbourhood in Mumbai has residents from all over India and thus I was introduced to Gujarati dhoklas, fafdas, patra, dal-dhokli, South-indian rasam, payasam, neer dosas, bisebelibhaat, North-indian puri-saag, kachori, mathri and a multitude of dishes, each of them having carved their own niche in my foodie mind! Doing my masters in microbiology from the University of Mumbai taught me about the science of fermentation and brewing and more importantly about the aspect of hygiene associated with mass production of food and the necessary quality control measures and norms that need to be adhered to. Later, being married into a CKP Maharashtrian family introduced me to non vegetarian cuisine like kolambichi khichadi, paplet fry, bombil fry, surmaicha kalvan, solkadhi, kombdi-vade, kheemyache kanavle. My father in-law had almost convinced me that CKP stood for ''chavine khanaare-pinaare"! And last but not the least the opportunity to travel around the world with my shippie husband introduced me to international cuisine which broadened the horizons of my gastronomic pursuits more than I had ever imagined! 

We shifted to Bergen just about six months ago and I am gradually trying to learn more about the culture here alongwith learning Bokmål the most common language here. And what I have observed is that just like Mumbai, there is a blend of many cultures here from diverse backgrounds. And they exist in harmony. Also the very mention of Indian food lights up the eyes of most Norwegians and they are more than willing to try it even if they are traditionally not used to the spices that are used in Indian preparations. I had made batata vada for my colleagues at Folkeuniversitetet where I go for Norwegian language course and they loved it. Another time at a function in Møhlenpris oppveksten skole where our son goes for introductory class, I had made vada pav as a snack for the teachers, parents and pupils and they kept coming back for more! And they were eager to try atleast a little of the spicy green chutney even though it was a bit too spicy for their taste buds.

The foodie in me was piqued whether the Indian main course dishes from different parts of India would also equally interest the people here. I have seen a lot of people shopping for Tikka masala seasonings and ready to eat Tikka masala gravy preparations in the supermarkets here but I believe there's a lot lot more to our Indian cuisine.We have had many of my husband's office colleagues over for lunch or dinner at various occasions and it made me really happy to see everyone enjoying tandoori chicken, biryani, Maharashtrian chicken gravy, butter chicken, jeera rice, chole-puri and many other Indian recipes. What surprised me most was the response of many of our guests to 'chapati' or 'phulka' a simple everyday flatbread from India that is as common as having salt and sugar in our kitchens! Thus began my culinary exploration to turn my passion into a profession and start a service to provide home cooked Indian food in Bergen. And this is how 'Hjemmelaget fra hjemlandet" was created with a purpose to satisfy the taste buds of everyone who would love to try Indian food from the kitchen of an Indian home! 

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