Welcome to my kitchen...

Welcome to my kitchen...
There is no love sincerer than the love of food. ~George Bernard Shaw

Tuesday 10 August 2010

Aaloo Kulcha and Chana Masala

Treat yourself with this delicious and spicy recipe, very popular in the North Indian state of Punjab. Mashed potatoes, onions and lots of spices are rolled into a round shape flat kulcha and served with the lip smacking chickpeas curry…
Health Check – Chickpeas are a very good source of fiber, folic acid, and manganese. They are an important source of macro nutrients, good source of protein, containing almost twice the amount of protein compared to cereal grains, as well as minerals such as iron, magnesium, copper, and zinc.

Ingredients
For Aaloo Kulcha -

2 cup self raising flour (Maida)
2 beaten eggs (optional)
2-3 tablespoon yoghurt
2 teaspoon sugar
½ cup milk
4 tablespoon oil/butter
Few Ajwain (carom seeds/bishop’s weed)
Salt to taste
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
½ teaspoon sodium bicarbonate (for those using plain flour instead of self raising flour)
3-4 medium sized potatoes, boiled and mashed
2 green chillies, finely chopped
½ onion, finely chopped
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
½ teaspoon jeera powder
½ teaspoon chaat masala
2 teaspoons anar daana
Chopped coriander

For Chana Masala -
1 cup chickpeas (chole/chana)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, to make a puree
1-2 green chillies, finely chopped
Chopped ginger
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ lemon
Few cumin seeds
Pinch of turmeric powder (Haldi)
¼ teaspoon red chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon garam masala (you can also use whole garam masala)
1 teaspoon chana masala (available in all Asian grocery stores)
Salt to taste
2 tablespoon cooking oil
Chopped Coriander

Cooking Method (For Aaloo Kulcha)
1. To prepare the dough – Take a mixing bowl and add all the ingredients – Self raising flour, salt, 4 tablespoon oil, yoghurt, milk, beaten eggs (optional), sugar, baking powder, sodium bicarbonate (for those using plain flour) and mix well.
2. Now knead the flour to make a dough. Knead the dough for atleast 5 minutes.
3. Once the dough is ready keep it aside for atleast 2 hours, covering the bowl with a wet cloth.
4. The dough will increase in size because of the baking powder and sodium bicarbonate.
5. To prepare the stuffing - Take another bowl and mix together the following ingredients – Mashed potatoes, chopped onion, green chillies, chopped coriander, salt, red chilli powder, jeera powder, chaat masala and anar daana.
6. Once the dough is ready rub it gently to make it smoother.
7. Take a dough portion and make a 2 inch round shape. Grease some oil inside it and wrap one portion of stuffing in it. Roll into a smooth ball, using greased hands.
8. Now flatten each ball and roll into 8-9 inch round shape.
9. Now heat a non-stick- tawa or heavy bottom frying pan and turn the heat on medium.
10. Once the pan gets hot, place the rolled kulcha on it and cook for 2-3 minutes, until light brown, putting little oil both sides. Keep the heat on medium so that the kulcha cooks nicely from inside too.
11. Your Aaloo Kulcha is now ready to be served.

Cooking Method for Chana Masala
1. Soak the chana/chickpeas overnight (7-8hours)in 2 cups of water.
2. Put the chickpeas to boil, adding salt and turmeric powder, in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes (3-4 whistles, simmer the heat after first whistle).
3. Now take a sauce pan and add 2 tablespoon oil in it. Once the oil is heated, add the cumin seeds and ginger garlic paste. Stir fry the ginger/garlic paste for 1 minute.
4. Now add the chopped onion and stir fry until they turn light brown.
5. Add the tomato puree and stir for another minute. Now add all the spices – red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and chana masala. Mix well, add little water if required to make sure the spices don’t burn, and put the heat on medium. Cover the lid. Let the curry cook nicely for 5 minutes.
6. Once the curry starts leaving oil add the boiled chick peas to it and stir well. You can mash the chickpeas a bit to make a thick curry.
7. Cook the chanas for another 10 minutes on medium heat. Squeeze the lemon juice into it.
8. Garnish the chickpeas with chopped coriander, onions and serve hot with the Aaloo kulchas.

2 comments:

Ronz said...

Love your food photography? Do you click these? What lights do you use?

Payal Singhal said...

Thanks...yes I click these..I have studio lights in my apartment..

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