Besan Ka Puda

Chickpea flour is very rich in protein and in north I’ve heard people feeding this to babies that start eating solids. In the paying guest accommodation I stayed in, they used to prepare bread omelettes for breakfast and during those days vegetarians were served besan ka puda to replace the omelettes. I had it for the first time and was cool, huh.

Ingredients:

1. Bengal gram flour or besan – 1 cup
2. Potato grated – ½ cup
3. Onion chopped – ½ cup
4. Garam masala – 1 tsp
5. Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
6. Salt
7. Oil

Method:

Step 1: Mix all the ingredients except oil with water and make a thin dough
Step 2: Heat tawa and apply oil on it generously
Step 3: Now pour a ladle of dough on to the tawa and spread by rotating the tawa
Step 4: Roast it on low flame till done and toss it to cook other side similarly; sprinkle some more oil if required.
Step 5: Serve by sandwiching inside two raw bread slices or toasted ones
Step 6: Green chutney is a great combination with besan ka puda if had separately or even with bread, you can apply chutney on one side of bread.

Shikanji

Shikanji is nothing but a north Indian version of lemonade. None can resist having a tall glass of chilled shikanji on a hot summer day but even otherwise will you? I learnt this version from my roommate, Nidhi a friend as cool as lemonade itself. I may get addicted to it after tasting once.

Ingredients:

1. Lemon – 1
2. Sugar – 1 1/2 tbsp
3. Black salt  – 1 pinch
4. Ice cubes – 4
5. Water - 1 glass

Method:

Step 1: In ¼ glass of water dissolve sugar completely and then mix black salt to it.
Step 2: Now squeeze lemon juice into it
Step 3: Add water to fill the glass
Step 4: Serve with excess ice cubes

Baingan Ka Bartha

Baingan is Brinjal and this dish is more like a ‘kathirikai masiyal’ that we’ve in south India. Here we like to eat it with steamed rice while in north it is preferred with rotis also. Usually for Baigan ka bartha, large eggplants are chosen and charred on stove before the flesh is scooped to prepare bartha. This is so flavourful and even people who detest Brinjal would like to try it.

Ingredients:

1.     Brinjal – 1 large

2.     Tomatoes – 2 medium

3.     Onions – 2 medium

4.     Garlic – 3 cloves

5.     Chilli powder – 1 tsp

6.     Asafoetida – 1 pinch

7.     Dhaniya powder – 1 tsp

8.     Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp

9.     Salt to taste

10. Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

Step 1: Roast the Brinjal directly on stove on all sides
Step 2: Cool it peel the skin and slit to check for worms and mash it with masher
Step 3: Heat oil in a tawa, temper with cumin seeds and asafoetida
Step 4: Sauté with it finely chopped onions then add grated garlic ,chopped tomatoes, chilli powder, dhaniya powder and salt in that order
Step 5: Add little water if required and let it cook
Step 6: Once done add the mashed Brinjal to it and stir well
Step 7: Serve with rice/ rotis.