The Indian Vegan Kitchen (15 page)

NOTE:
The
kachories
will get slightly soft when stored. To recrisp, preheat oven to 350ºF. Place
kachories
in a single layer and heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Cool before serving. The crust becomes crispy as it cools.

 

1.
Prepare filling:
Wash mung dal in 3 to 4 changes of water, until the water is relatively clear. Soak the dal in cold water for 2 hours or overnight. Rinse again in 1 to 2 changes of water, strain the dal, and discard the water.

2. In a blender, coarsely grind the soaked dal with ⅓ cup water. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

3. Heat 3 inches oil in a
karahi
/wok or skillet on high heat. Oil is ready when a little bit of batter dropped in the oil rises to the top right away (about 400ºF).

4. Drop about 1 tablespoon of batter at a time in the hot oil with a spoon, frying several fritters at a time. Fry for 3 to 5 minutes, until light brown on one side. Turn it over, and fry on the other side. Drain on paper towels. Cool the balls slightly and break them open into two. Cool for 5 minutes or more until easy to handle.

5.
In the meantime, prepare dough:
In a mixing bowl or food processor, combine flour, salt, and oil; blend well. Add water as you mix (you may need to add 1 more tablespoon of water to form soft dough). Knead for 3 to 5 minutes until dough becomes smooth and soft. Divide dough into 24 portions. Roll each dough portion between your palms to make smooth balls. Cover with dry towel and set aside.

6. In a food processor, coarsely grind the fried dal balls, using a pulse motion. They should resemble a coarse mixture.

7. Heat a nonstick fry pan on medium-high heat. Add the bean crumbles. Add cumin, salt, coriander, fennel, cayenne pepper, and amchur. Mix well. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

8.
Assemble kachories:
Roll each dough ball into a 2- to 3-inch circle. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in the center, crimp the edges of the circle together, and seal in the filling. Press the ball to form a flat disk.

9. Placing the filled side up, roll the filled disks to a 2- to 3-inch circle again.

10. Keep the filled
kachories
between dry towels to avoid drying.

11. Heat about 3 inches oil in a wok/
karahi
or a medium skillet over medium heat. (Or use electric fryer and heat oil to 325ºF.) Oil is ready when a pinch of dough dropped into the oil floats up within seconds. (It is important to have the oil the right temperature because if the oil is too hot, the crust will brown right away and the inside will not be cooked. If the oil is not hot enough, the
kachories
might fall apart or get greasy.) Fry 5 to 6
kachories
at a time (depending on the size of your pan) until light golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Let cool.

12. Serve at room temperature with Cilantro Chutney (page 185) and/or Tamarind Chutney (page 184). To store, cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container. Will keep at room temperature for up to three days.

GF

 

POTATO PATTIES (
ALOO-TIKKIES
)

TOPPINGS

1. Wash potatoes. In a large skillet, add potatoes and enough water to about 2 inches above the potatoes. Bring water to a boil on medium-high heat, reduce heat, and boil for 20 to 28 minutes, until the potatoes are done. To check doneness, insert a knife into the potatoes; it should easily pierce the potatoes. Drain the potatoes into a large colander. Cool to room temperature.

2.
In the meantime, set up your chaat assembly station
: Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Whisk the yogurt until smooth, if using. Prepare the chutney, if needed. Have cumin powder and cayenne pepper handy.

3. Peel potatoes and mash with a potato masher to desired consistency. Sprinkle potatoes with salt and mix well with hands. Mixture should come together like dough. Divide potato dough into 12 parts and make round, smooth patties. You may need to oil your hands if potatoes stick to your hands.

4. Preheat electric griddle to 250ºF, or heat
tava
/ iron griddle on medium heat. Coat the griddle with small amounts of oil. Place the patties about 1 inch apart. Drizzle small amounts of oil around each
tikki
, and cook until brown on one side, about 8 to 10 minutes. Turn patties over, drizzle small amount of oil around each patty, and brown the other side. Using a spatula, slightly flatten each patty.

5.
Assemble tikki-chaat:
Place 2
tikkies
on a plate; add about 2 tablespoons chickpeas, 2 tablespoons yogurt, if using, 1 tablespoon onion; drizzle with small amount of chutney; and sprinkle with cumin powder, cayenne pepper, and salt, to taste.

GF, LF

1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Place in a small serving bowl.

2. Peel and chop boiled potato into
¼
-inch pieces. Add to the chickpeas. Add cilantro and stir.

3. In a small bowl, mix lemon juice, cumin powder, salt, and chaat masala. Pour over the chickpea mixture and stir. Let stand for about 10 minutes.

4. Enjoy as is or before serving, on each individual serving, drizzle 1 tablespoon of Tamarind Chutney and cayenne pepper, to taste, if desired.

GF, LF

Santara Sherbet

PREP:
10 minutes
COOK:
10 minutes
MAKES:
12 servings
SERVING SIZE:
½ cup

1. In a small skillet, combine sugar, ginger, orange zest, lemon zest, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool completely. Strain the liquid and discard the pulp.

2. In the meantime, squeeze out the juice of oranges and lime. Strain the juices in a strainer. Using the back of a spoon, squeeze out all the juice from the pulp. Discard the pulp.

3. In a juice pitcher, combine the zest liquid and strained juices. Add the remaining 2
½
cups of cold water. Stir and refrigerate until completely chilled.

4. Stir before serving. Garnish with orange and lime rinds, if desired.

GF, LF

With the availability of mango nectar these days, it’s easy to enjoy this beverage any time.

1. In a medium pitcher, mix water, lemon juice, and sugar. Add the mango nectar.

2. Serve over crushed ice. Garnish with mint leaves, if desired.

GF, LF

1. In a medium pitcher, mix lemon juice, sugar, and water. Stir in salt and white pepper.

2. Pour over crushed ice and garnish with lemon slice.