RAG Demo

Tag: Tea time

  • Papdi Chaat

    Papdi chaat is one of the oldest and most loved chaats of Delhi, sold from carts and halwai shops all over the city. Its origins are often linked to Mughal-era Delhi, where chaat (from chatna, to lick) was believed to be a tasty remedy for the city's heavy food. Today it is the standard order alongside dahi bhalla and aloo tikki.

    The base is papdi, thin flaky crackers of maida flavoured with ajwain and fried crisp. They are topped with diced potato, boiled chickpeas, whisked sweetened curd and two chutneys, then showered with sev, onion, pomegranate, coriander and chaat masala. The magic is the contrast of crisp and soft, cold and spicy, sweet and sour.

    It is eaten as an afternoon or evening snack and is a fixture at weddings and parties. Assemble just before eating; papdi softens quickly under the curd. The papdis, chutneys and boiled potatoes and chickpeas can all be prepared in advance, so the final plate comes together in two minutes. Adjust the balance of sweet and green chutney to suit your taste, and do not forget the final shower of chaat masala.

    At a glance

    RegionDelhi
    CuisineDelhi street food
    DietVegetarian
    CourseStreet food
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time20 minutes
    Total time50 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientsmaida / curd / potato / chickpeas / tamarind chutney

    Ingredients

    For the papdi

    • 1 cup maida
    • 1/2 tsp ajwain
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 2 tbsp oil or ghee
    • About 1/4 cup water
    • Oil for deep frying

    For the topping

    • 2 potatoes, boiled and diced
    • 1 cup boiled kabuli chana
    • 1 1/2 cups thick curd, whisked with 2 tbsp sugar and a pinch of salt
    • 1/2 cup tamarind-date chutney
    • 1/3 cup green chutney
    • 1 onion, finely chopped
    • 1/2 cup fine sev
    • 3 tbsp pomegranate seeds
    • Chaat masala, roasted cumin powder, red chilli powder
    • Chopped coriander

    Method

    1. Mix maida, ajwain and salt. Rub in the oil until the flour looks like breadcrumbs and holds when pressed.
    2. Add water gradually and knead into a stiff dough. Rest 15 minutes.
    3. Roll the dough thin, about 2 mm, and cut into 5 cm discs. Prick each disc several times with a fork so it does not puff.
    4. Heat oil on medium-low, around 150 C. Fry the papdis in batches for 4 to 5 minutes, turning, until crisp and pale golden. Low heat keeps them flaky. Drain and cool completely.
    5. Season the potatoes and chickpeas with a little salt, chaat masala and cumin.
    6. To assemble, arrange 6 to 8 papdis on a plate. Top with potato and chickpeas, then pour over generous spoonfuls of curd.
    7. Drizzle with tamarind and green chutneys, scatter onion, sev, pomegranate and coriander, and finish with chaat masala, cumin and chilli powder. Serve immediately.

    Tips

    • Papdi keeps for 2 weeks in an airtight jar; make a big batch.
    • Whisk the curd until completely smooth and chill it – cold curd over crisp papdi is the point.
    • Add boiled moong sprouts for extra crunch and protein.

    Serve with

    A cup of masala chai or chilled nimbu pani.

  • Kothimbir Vadi

    Kothimbir vadi is a Maharashtrian snack made with a generous amount of fresh coriander, bound with gram flour and spices into a thick dough, steamed into a log, cut into squares and fried. It is made especially in winter, when big bunches of coriander are cheap in the markets. Puneri households often serve it as part of a festive meal or with tea on a rainy afternoon.

    The finished vadi is crisp and golden on the outside and soft, herby and slightly crumbly inside, with crunch from sesame seeds and a hint of sweetness from sugar. It is fragrant with coriander, cumin and green chilli, and the steaming step keeps it from absorbing too much oil. Each piece is crisp and fresh.

    Steamed logs can be refrigerated for two days and fried as needed. Some families skip frying altogether and simply temper the steamed pieces with mustard seeds and sesame for a lighter version. It is also a good way to use up an oversized bunch of coriander before it wilts, and the steamed log freezes well for up to a month.

    At a glance

    RegionMaharashtra
    CuisineMaharashtrian
    DietVegan
    CourseSnack
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time35 minutes
    Total time55 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientscoriander / besan / sesame seeds / green chilli

    Ingredients

    • 2 packed cups finely chopped coriander (leaves and tender stems)
    • 1 cup (100 g) besan
    • 2 tbsp rice flour
    • 1 tbsp ginger-green chilli-garlic paste
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 1 tsp red chilli powder
    • 1 tsp coriander-cumin powder
    • 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice
    • 2 tbsp hot oil
    • About 1/4 cup water
    • Oil for shallow frying

    Method

    1. Wash the coriander, drain and pat completely dry before chopping fine.
    2. Mix the coriander with besan, rice flour, the paste, spices, sesame, sugar, salt and lemon juice. Pour the hot oil over and mix.
    3. Add water a little at a time to make a thick, firm dough that holds together. Do not make it sticky.
    4. Shape into two logs about 2 inches thick, or press into a greased tin about 1 inch deep.
    5. Steam in a steamer on medium-high for 15-20 minutes until a knife inserted comes out clean.
    6. Cool the logs completely, at least 30 minutes, then cut into 1/2 inch thick slices.
    7. Heat oil 1/4 inch deep in a pan on medium. Shallow fry the slices for 2-3 minutes on each side until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper.

    Tips

    • Cool the steamed logs fully before slicing or they will crumble.
    • Wet coriander makes the dough soggy; dry the leaves well.
    • For extra crunch, dip slices in a mix of rice flour and sesame before frying.

    Serve with

    Green chutney or tomato ketchup with masala chai.

  • Pyaaz Kachori

    Pyaaz kachori belongs to Jodhpur, where sweet shops near the clock tower fry them from early morning and sell out before lunch. Unlike the dal kachori of Kota or the hing kachori of Delhi, the filling here is onion cooked down with besan, fennel and crushed coriander until it turns jammy. It is a snack built for travel and for heat, keeping well for a day because the fat in the dough and the dry filling resist going soggy.

    A good one is round, puffed and blistered, with a shell that shatters in thin layers rather than chewing like a puri. Inside, the onions are soft, sweet and sharp with green chilli and dried mango powder. The secret is patience at the stove: the kachoris go into barely warm oil and cook for twenty minutes or more, which is what builds that crackling, layered crust.

    In Rajasthan they are eaten as breakfast or tea-time food, slit open and spooned with saunth (sweet tamarind chutney) and a thin green chutney. At weddings they appear on the snack counter, and many families fry a batch for train journeys. They reheat well in an oven, which makes them practical for guests.

    At a glance

    RegionRajasthan
    CuisineRajasthani
    DietVegan
    CourseSnack
    Prep time40 minutes
    Cook time50 minutes
    Total time90 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientsmaida / onion / besan / fennel seeds

    Ingredients

    For the dough

    • 2 cups (250 g) maida
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/3 cup (70 ml) oil or melted ghee, for moyan
    • About 1/2 cup cold water

    For the filling

    • 3 tbsp oil
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 tbsp fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
    • 1 tbsp coriander seeds, coarsely crushed
    • 1/4 tsp asafoetida
    • 3 large onions (about 400 g), finely chopped
    • 2 green chillies and 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
    • 1 boiled potato, mashed
    • 4 tbsp besan
    • 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 1 tsp amchur
    • 1/2 tsp garam masala
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander

    To fry

    • Oil for deep frying

    Method

    1. Rub the oil into the maida and salt with your fingertips for 3-4 minutes, until a fistful pressed together holds its shape like wet sand. This moyan is what makes the shell flaky.
    2. Add cold water a little at a time and bring together into a soft but not sticky dough without kneading hard. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 30 minutes.
    3. For the filling, heat oil on medium, add cumin, fennel and coriander and let them sizzle for 20 seconds. Add asafoetida, then the onions, ginger and chillies.
    4. Cook the onions on medium for 6-8 minutes until translucent and just turning light gold at the edges, not brown. Lower the heat and add the besan; roast, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until it smells nutty.
    5. Add the powdered spices, salt and mashed potato and mix until the filling holds together in a dry lump. Stir in coriander and cool completely before using.
    6. Divide the dough into 12 balls and the filling into 12 portions. Flatten a ball into a 3-inch disc with thinner edges, place filling in the centre, pleat the edges up and pinch closed. Press gently into a 3-inch round, seam side down.
    7. Heat oil until just warm: a pinch of dough should rise slowly after 3-4 seconds. Slide in 4-5 kachoris and keep the flame at its lowest.
    8. After 8-10 minutes they will float and puff. Flip and keep frying on low, turning occasionally, for another 12-15 minutes until deep golden and crisp all over. Raise the heat for the last minute, then drain on a rack.

    Tips

    • If the oil is too hot, the shell browns fast and stays raw and chewy inside. Low heat for the full time is non-negotiable.
    • The filling must be dry and cold; wet filling steams the dough from inside and causes the kachori to burst in oil.
    • Leave one side slightly thicker when sealing and keep the sealed side down while flattening so it does not open.

    Serve with

    Sweet saunth chutney and green coriander-mint chutney, with masala chai.

  • Goli Baje

    Goli baje is the tea-time snack of Mangalore and Udupi, sold in every hotel and canteen along the coast. Also called Mangalore bajji or Mangalore bonda, it is made from maida and sour curd fermented briefly so the batter becomes light and airy. The name refers to its round, golf-ball shape.

    The fritters are golden and slightly crisp outside, with a soft, spongy, almost bread-like interior studded with green chillies, ginger, curry leaves and coconut bits. The sourness of the curd gives a pleasant tang. They are eaten hot with coconut chutney and a cup of tea or coffee. They are best within minutes of frying, while the outside is still crisp.

    At a glance

    RegionKarnataka
    CuisineMangalorean
    DietVegetarian
    CourseSnack
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time20 minutes
    Total time35 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientsmaida / curd / green chillies / ginger / coconut

    Ingredients

    • 1.5 cups maida
    • 1 cup sour curd
    • 1 tbsp rice flour
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 3/4 tsp salt
    • 1/4 tsp baking soda
    • 2 green chillies, finely chopped
    • 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
    • 1 sprig curry leaves, chopped
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
    • 2 tbsp coconut bits or grated coconut
    • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
    • oil for deep frying

    Method

    1. Whisk the curd, sugar, salt and baking soda in a bowl until frothy. Leave for 5 minutes.
    2. Add the maida and rice flour and mix to a very thick, sticky batter. It should drop off a spoon slowly, not flow. Add a spoon of water only if absolutely needed.
    3. Beat the batter vigorously with your hand or a spoon for 3-4 minutes. This incorporates air and makes the bajji fluffy.
    4. Cover and rest for 2-3 hours at room temperature until it rises slightly.
    5. Stir in the green chillies, ginger, curry leaves, coriander, coconut and cumin.
    6. Heat oil on medium heat. Wet your fingers, take small lime-sized portions of batter and drop them into the oil.
    7. Fry on medium heat for 4-5 minutes, turning, until they puff up and turn deep golden on all sides.
    8. Drain on a rack and serve hot.

    Tips

    • Very sour curd gives the best flavour and rise.
    • The batter must be thick; a runny batter makes flat, oily bajji.
    • If the oil is too hot, the bajji brown outside and stay raw inside; test with one first.

    Serve with

    Coconut chutney and hot tea or filter coffee.

  • Maddur Vada

    Maddur vada takes its name from the town of Maddur on the old Bengaluru-Mysuru highway and railway line. According to local lore, a vendor at the railway station improvised it in the early 1900s, and the vadas sold at Maddur Tiffanys and on the platforms became famous with travellers. Unlike the soft urad dal vada, it is made from rice flour, semolina and maida.

    It is flat, crunchy and golden, almost like a thick biscuit, packed with sweet onions, curry leaves, green chillies and ginger. The onions are mixed with hot oil before the water goes in, which keeps the vada crisp. It is a tea-time snack that stays crunchy for hours and travels well.

    At a glance

    RegionKarnataka
    CuisineKannada
    DietVegan
    CourseSnack
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time40 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientsrice flour / semolina / maida / onion / curry leaves

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup rice flour
    • 1/4 cup fine rava (semolina)
    • 1/4 cup maida
    • 2 medium onions, finely sliced
    • 2 green chillies, finely chopped
    • 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
    • 1 sprig curry leaves, chopped
    • 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
    • 1/4 tsp asafoetida
    • 3/4 tsp salt
    • 2 tbsp hot oil
    • about 1/4 cup water
    • oil for deep frying

    Method

    1. In a bowl, mix the onions, chillies, ginger, curry leaves, coriander, asafoetida and salt. Squeeze with your hands for a minute so the onions soften slightly.
    2. Add the rice flour, rava and maida and mix.
    3. Pour 2 tbsp very hot oil over the mixture and rub it in with a spoon, then your fingers. This is what makes the vadas crisp.
    4. Sprinkle water a little at a time and knead to a firm, non-sticky dough. The onions add moisture, so you need very little water.
    5. Heat oil for deep frying on medium heat. A small piece of dough should rise steadily, not instantly.
    6. Take a lemon-sized ball, place it on a greased plastic sheet or banana leaf, and pat it into a flat disc about 8 cm across and 5 mm thick.
    7. Slide the vadas into the oil one by one and fry on medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side until deep golden and crisp, turning once.
    8. Drain on a rack and serve hot or at room temperature.

    Tips

    • Fry on medium heat; on high heat they brown before they crisp through.
    • Keep the dough firm; a soft dough makes oily vadas.
    • Stored airtight, they stay crisp for a day.

    Serve with

    Coconut chutney and filter coffee or masala tea.