What does a civil engineer, a teacher and an industrial mechanic have in common?
Besides sharing a friendship for over 30 years, it was a passion for beer that kindled the first sparks for three young men from Schmalkalden to establish a small brewery.
When many of us think of French cuisine we tend to automatically link it to haute cuisine. It is the foundation of French cuisine evolving from the royals and aristocrats around Versailles and Paris. The 17th century chef and author Francois Pierre La Varenne is known as the godfather of modern French cuisine whose work has been an inspiration over the centuries and very much responsible for the creation of haute cuisine as we know it today.
A shawarma, a doner kebab or gyros – all cut from the same vertical spit? Not at all! While one will find the concept of meat stacked on a skewer and grilled on a vertical rotisserie in many variations, the intricate blend of spices, herbs and condiments and the kind of meat or poultry used make each dish stand its own ground.
It seems Autumn has finally come to Weimar. September was filled with non-stop sunny days, bright blue skies and summery high temperatures. It spoilt me. Basking in the warmth of an extended summer I got used to walking out of the house in flip flops and shorts, leaving the warmer jackets behind, hanging on the cloak rack. It felt unusual to enjoy the pleasures of summer right through into September.
Often, I am unsure if what I am doing is correct. What can I say? It’s my first time and each corner I turn, each crossroad I stand at makes me stop and think “What next?”, “Where do I go from here?”
Parts of me are waxed, my toes are pedicured and fingers manicured, my favorite sundress and peep-toe heels are packed and I am raring to go!
I love getting emails (and comments) from my readers and blogger friends. I especially love those emails, telling me that they tried one of my recipes and found it to be delectable. However, the emails I like best is when I am told that one of my recipes or the information I provided in the how-tos helped them make something that they were not getting right previously.
Recently I had an email from a reader who lived in the UAE. She told me that my recipe for Paneer was the best she had tried. The fact that my parents live in Dubai and I know that there is some good quality paneer available in special stores, it was a great compliment. The reader went on to tell me that it’s not just the recipe but the information around it that made her handle each step carefully while preparing the paneer. She understood why I am so passionate about each of my recipes.
Right now, I am trying to encourage and help a wonderful blogger to make her own gnocchi. She contacted me during the time Zu was featuring What’s For Lunch, Honey? in her Tried & Tested event. She wanted to make the gnocchi but had often failed and I think she was a bit hesitant to try them again. I gave her some help and a lot of motivation. She finally went for another recipe from this blog but we have swapped a couple of mails since then. The last one she told me she was getting together with a friend, who too had gnocchi-making jitters, to finally make them. I am excited to hear how that went.
I too am going through a continuous learning process. Both my series Cooking School and Bollywood Cooking are not only helping you to improve your skills in cooking and motivate you to make different dishes, I too am learning and experimenting with these sessions.
I had started Cooking School, aimed at my Indian readers, to get them to try their hand at well-known foreign dishes and desserts, while Bollywood Cooking was targeted towards my other readers who enjoy Indian food, but thought it to be to complex and demanding to make in their own kitchens. After just about 2 years, I think I can say these series are successful. The mails I get flooding my mailbox after each session is proof.
Both these series has helped me grow enormously. Bollywood Cooking in particular has motivated me to think out of the box, to research and gain so much background knowledge about certain dishes, food cultures and ingredients that I look at each dish with different eyes. I grew up on Indian food, but probably like so many of you, just concentrated on the eating part of it. It was after I left home that I came to appreciate good Indian food. And it was after I started this blog that I became so passionate about experimenting and playing with my food.
It was also thanks to this blog that I met a “mad” girl in Delhi who made me make delicious fried Indian delicacies for the first time. Last year she motivated me to make pooris for the first time. They were anything but perfect, but I learned so much since then. The most important thing I achieved however, was overcoming my “I-can’t-do-this-at-home” phobia. I can and I did.
This year it’s that same girl who is getting me to make and indulge in another one of my favorite snacks for the first time.
In a previous Bollywood Cooking session I had summarized the importance of Street Food in Indian cuisine. The Batata Vada, and all its variations, is probably the most loved and popular amongst the sophisticated Bombayites (to me my birth city will always be Bombay).
Maharashtrian cuisine boasts of a wide variety of snacks. Misal Pav, Kothimbeer Vadi, and Bombay's famous chaat hits such as Bhel Puri, Pani puri, and Dahi batata Puri, are only a few that are enjoyed in the several street stalls across India. What tops them all, however, is the most popular Vada Pav and Pav Bhaji. These snacks have an almost iconic status in Bombay's food scene.
Vada Pav, which is also known in India as the poor man’s burger, is a simple patty made of mashed potatoes, spiked with aromatic spices and then dipped in a batter made out of gram flour. Finally, to tip the ecstasy scale, it is deep fried. This crispy spicy potato patty is then served in a bun with several types of chutneys.
In Maharashtrian cuisine the Vada Pav is considered a teatime staple served with steaming pots of masala chai, all for a price of about Rs. 6.00 (approx US $ 0.15).
The snack was supposedly devised by a snack vendor, Ashok Vaidya, outside Dadar station, some 35 years ago. The Vada Pav soon became a regular with Bombay commuters, office goers and anyone looking for a quick, cheap and filling snack.
For me, I was making my Vada Pav for the first time this weekend. I have enjoyed this savory snack on countless occasions, in India, in Dubai, in the US – served by my mum’s friends and neighbors. I remember my mother often made this when we had guests over or I was given a potato burger for my lunch box at school.
As often is the case in such matters, I Skyped my mum on Friday evening asking for her recipe. The traditional recipe was a great starting point for me, which I built on.
I added a tender sweet potato to lovely organic potatoes. Turmeric powder, curry leaves and mustard seeds were a few spices that gave it a beautiful aromatic flavor. Finally I added a bit of rice flour to the usual gram flour making the whole Vada gorgeously crispy. I also served it in a very untraditional way – in pita pockets, with onions, tomatoes and rucola all splashed with my tangy sun-dried tomato and tamarind chutney.
So, how did I do for my first time?
Interesting read: Jumbo King brands the Vada Pav
Vada Pav - My Way
Ingredients
Printable version of recipe here.For the filling
500g small potatoes, steamed with skin on
150g sweet potato, steamedFor the Masala
1 small piece ginger, minced
2 garlic clove, minced
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 green chilies, finely chopped
1/2 cup coriander leaves, choppedFor the tempering
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
5-8 curry leaves
2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 tablespoon oil or gheeFor the batter
1 1/2 cups gram flour (besan)
1/2 cup rice flour
approx. 2 cups water
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon chili powder(optional)
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon coriander powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Peanut oil for fryingPita bread
Tomatoes, sliced
Onions, sliced in rings
Rucola
Method
Peel and mash both sweet potatoes and potatoes with a potato masher. Depending on how you like it - either mash completely or coarsely allowing for some chunks. I like mine slightly chunky.
Add ginger, garlic, onions, green chili, coriander leaves, and salt to the potatoes. Mix, preferably with your hands until everything is incorporated.
Put 1 tablespoon oil or ghee in a pan and heat at medium heat. Add mustard seeds. Once they start splutter, add turmeric powder and curry leaves. Carefully pour this tempering over the mashed potatoes and stir in gently.
Using your hands make small balls of mashed potato mixture. Traditionally Vadas are shaped into balls, I flatted them to make them into patties as they fit better into the pita bread.
For the batter
In a large bowl mix together both flours. Add salt, turmeric powder and all the spice powders. Gradually start adding water and keep mixing with a spoon or whisk. Remove the lumps and whisk into a smooth batter. The batter should not be too watery or too thick. If lifted by a spatula, it should flow in a ribbon like consistency, similar to pancake batter.
Heat some peanut oil in a pan. Drop some batter in the oil to check if the oil is the right temperature. If the batter immediately floats on the surface of the oil, the oil is ready. The oil should not be too hot either, otherwise the vadas turn dark from the outside before they are actually done from the inside.
Now dip each ball in the batter, letting the excess batter drip off. Gently and carefully add the vadas to the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan, or the temperature of the oil reduces which will slow down the frying process. In the similar way, fry all the vadas until golden. Remove on a paper towel and drain.
To assemble the Vada Pita Pav warm the pita bread in the oven. Once warmed through slice off the tops and cut open. Spread generously with the sun-dried tomato and tamarind chutney, fill with onion rings, sliced tomatoes and rucola. Finally, add the vada. Enjoy warm
Sun-dried Tomato and Tamarind Chutney
Printable version of recipe here.Ingredients
250g jar sun dried tomatoes
2-5 teaspoons tamarind paste, depending on your own taste
2-3 garlic cloves
Small piece of ginger
Handful of coriander leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon chili flakesMethod
In a food processor add the sun-dried tomatoes and a few tablespoons of the oil. Pour in the tamarind paste. Use this according to your taste for tanginess. Add the garlic, ginger, coriander leaves, salt and pepper to taste.
Pulse everything together Do not pulse too much as the chutney tastes best when still slightly chunky. Sprinkle chili flakes.
Keeps in the refrigerator in an air tight jar for 3-4 weeks.
Verdict
We celebrated these with good German friends of ours. He has lived in Delhi for about an year and loves everything Indian. So whenever they visit, it is a must that I make something to please his tastebuds. We were very exited as we reminisced eating these often in various street side joints. We all gathered around making these scrumptious vadas and pakodas. Then sat back and enjoyed them with warm, steaming cups of Indian masala chai. Soeren loved the vadas and compared them to the German potato latkes, however, saying he liked these better.
Anita thank you! Not just for getting me to try something new again, but for a wonderful evening with friends. All I was missing was you! One day, I promise we'll be making risotto, pooris and vadas and enjoying them together.
You might like these Indian delicacies from WFLH:
 | Poori Bhaji |
 | Channa Masala |
 | Spicy Okra with Onions |
We've been celebrating again!
Yup - we just can't stop. Soeren turned 6 today and we've been partying with a few of his friends. 6 - what a wonderful age. At 5:30 this morning he comes into our bedroom and looks cutely at me,
"Mum am I six now?"
I could only smile!
30 muffins, a fudge gateau, strawberry ice-cream and a pasta salad later (not to mention the vadas from the weekend), I am pooped. So I hope you will allow me to take a well deserved break. I am putting my feet up and hope you all enjoy this delectable recipe.
Daily Tiffin Reading Tip:
Keeping in tact with birthdays:
- Three Dimensional Birthday Cake by Dharm
- Birthday Traditions by Nupur
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First
The three of us most definitely are the picnic type of family. You'll often see us on a warm, sunny Saturday afternoon loading our backpacks on the bicycles and heading off for the afternoon to one of our favorite spots.
With that, I've just told you what kind of picnic people we are!
While this might come as a surprise to you I am not one of those extravagant picnic packers. For us when we go on picnics we are mostly out on our mountain bikes and enjoying the time together. If you thought I was the type who had the picture perfect picnic basket with bone china plates and napkins - ZONK!
I do not own a picnic basket!
I am the type who will make scrumptious sandwiches or wraps, cuts up fresh vegetables and fruit, whips up a dip and makes a few small tea cakes. All these will be neatly packed into Tupperware boxes, drinks filled in our Sigg bottles and colorful paper napkins folded neatly. All are piled into backpacks and we are ready to go.
When we are out and about, food kind of takes a side role. It's still very much part of us but being together and simply enjoying each other's company is what's important to us.
We are awed by sights and sounds we experience. We tell stories and play make believe. Discover the world around us in it's fullest glory.
And glorious it is!
While we were in Austria we found some of the most incredible places. Each one we celebrated with picnics in our own style.
Enjoying the cool misty silence here ....
... or the rocky waterfalls here ...
... or just lazing with the cows under the sun at 1800m with the most breathtaking view of the Alps here ...
So, you'll understand that a picnic basket just does not fit in this scene. But my chicken club sandwiches do! They are packed with tender grilled chicken breasts, ripe avocados, juicy tomatoes and spiced with a touch of chipotle Tabasco. My secret tip - a few springs of coriander leaves.
Chicken Club Sandwiches
Ingredients
Printable version of recipe here.400g chicken breasts
1 ripe avocado
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika powder
2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin powder
1 teaspoon Chipotle Tabasco
4-5 slices bacon
A few cocktail tomatoes - sliced
A few Romana salad leaves
1 red onion, sliced
A few coriander leaves
8 slices multi-grain whole wheat bread, toasted
Salt and pepper
Method
Prepare your grill or alternatively pre-heat the grill function of your oven.
To prepare the marinade for the chicken, mix the crushed garlic with the olive oil and paprika powder in a large bowl. Place the chicken breasts and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
After the chicken has spent enough time marinating, quickly grill it on a charcoal grill or in the grill of your oven. Salt and pepper to taste. Allow to rest.
Peel and remove the pit from the avocado and using a fork coarsely mash the fruit. Stir in the lemon juice, pinch of salt, cumin and a few dashes of chipotle Tabasco. Set aside.
Fry the bacon slices in a non-stick pan until brown and crispy. Allow to drip on some kitchen paper towel.
To assemble the sandwiches lay 4 slices of toasted multi-grain bread on a clean chopping board and spread some of the avocado cream on each slice. Then place a few salad leaves, tomatoes slices, onion rings, bacon and coriander leaves on each slice. Thinly slice the chicken breasts and place evenly on the bed of salad. Cover with the other slices of bread and cut in half with a sharp knife.
Wriggle and press down. If necessary hold together with a toothpick.
Extravagant - it's not, delicious and simply picnic perfect it certainly is. I love the little Indian touch by spicing it with a bit of cumin powder and adding a few sprigs of fresh coriander leaves. It just gives a wonderful kick to the typical club sandwich.
After a short break Johanna returns as The Passionate Cook and invites us to a summer special of Waiter There's Something in my ... Picnic! Nice to have you back Johanna and hope you like my sandwiches and my picnic spots!
You might like these great picnic snacks from WFLH:
 | The Best Caponata Sandwiches Ever |
 | Shrimp Sandwich |
 | Vegetable Paneer Frankies with Mango Chutney |
From around the blogs:
Daily Tiffin Reading Tip:
The Simple Life by Nupur
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First
This morning as I opened the double patio windows I was greeted by a fresh warm breeze. There was something in the air – the freshness of the damp rain from the previous night, the warmth, the fragrance of subtle summer flowers, that took me back to a vacation in Bombay.
I was about 16 and we were vacationing in Bombay (back then it was still Bombay). The monsoons had hit the city and although there was chaos in the city below, sitting in my aunt’s balcony overlooking the blue ocean across Juhu Beach, I could not help but find pure pleasure. After every downpour the air felt crisp and clean. Almost as if Mother Nature was wiping the slate clean, allowing us to start each day with a new and rejuvenating spirit.
What I loved the most was the way the air felt and smelled early in the mornings, before the city turned into it’s chaotic hustle and bustle and before the air became humid and sticky. The morning air was just a bit damp and slightly misty from the water evaporating into the warm air. The breeze, although warm, was cool enough to be invigorating. Then there was that fresh fragrance, a mixture of salty sea and sweet flowers.
It was that same air I experienced this morning in Weimar – thousands of kilometers away from Bombay and years later. But just this one small experience took me back to so many happy and crazy memories, raising my spirits and giving me my buzz for the day.
What was your buzz today?
Well if you haven’t had a buzz yet, I’ve got the perfect thing for you. These sandwiches!
The idea of stuffing the gorgeous mixture of eggplant caponata into a sandwich came from the lovely Nupur of One Hot Stove. It was last August when I read her post “Alone in the Kitchen!” It amused me and I instantly ordered the book she reviewed. As I scrolled down, I read the recipe attached to her post and fell in love with the sandwiches.
I have made several versions of the typical eggplant-tomato combination, which is found in several world cuisines. But never did I ever think of adding it to a sandwich.
This month Zu of Zlamushka's Spicy Kitchen is featuring One Hot Stove in her Tried & Tasted. I do not think there is anyone who has not heard of Nupur’s wonderful blog. She has a way about her that makes me sit up and think. I enjoy her writing and I love the fact that she is a caring person to those around her and to the environment she lives in. Currently, she is my “Knitting Queen” and often shares her lovely projects with us. I am thoroughly enjoying seeing each of her project. I do not knit - I probably never will either but I love her enthusiasm for this hobby.
Nupur in your honour – caponata sandwiches my way!
I made a few changes to Nupur’s original recipe. As one of my men does not like capers and the other does not want raisins in savory food, I omitted both. Instead I added a yellow zucchini and a small bulb of fennel. To this I also threw in a small handful of olives. Instead of the balsamic vinegar I used lovely raspberry balsamic vinegar, which added the slight sweetness raisins would have. Finally, I drizzled the whole mixture with delicate butter oil; I got as a present for my birthday. Oh the fragrance! It was incredible and the sandwiches – they were gone before I was able to take decent pictures. I did manage a few though and I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!
100 ml olive oil
1 fennel bulb, diced
1 medium aubergine, cut into cubes
1 orange bell pepper, cut into cubes
1 yellow zucchini, cut into cubes
2-3 ripe tomatoes, diced
1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Handful each fresh thyme and oregano, chopped
50 - 100g olives, chopped
Salt and pepper
Good splash of raspberry balsamic vinegar
Good drizzle of butter oil
Mozzarella cheese, sliced
Slices of whole wheat toast
Method
Heat up the olive oil in a large pan. Sauté the garlic and onions until translucent and fragrant. Add the aubergine and sauté for about 2 minutes, until just starting to soften. Throw in the bell pepper and zucchini and continue to cook until vegetables are tender but still crisp, approx. 2-3 minutes. Add the fennel, sauté till just tender. Then finally add the diced tomatoes with all the juices and the herbs. Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer until the vegetables begin to release their aromas and the flavors blend with each other. The mixture will start to thicken, about 20 minutes. Stir often so that the vegetables do not stick to the pan.
Add the raspberry balsamic vinegar and olives, check seasoning. Keep warm.
On a chopping board lay out the slices of toast bead and layer a few slices of mozzarella on one side. Just before you spoon the caponata drizzle it with a good shot of the exquisite butter oil.
Spoon a few tablespoons of the caponata on one side of the toast bread and close the sandwich with the other. Press down gently.
Re-heat the pan you made the caponata in and toast the sandwiches for 3-5 minutes on low heat on each side until the cheese starts to melt.
Serve warm.
These were so good. A perfect combination of healthy vegetables in a sandwich - my kind of fast food. These are perfect for snacks, a light lunch or picnics. Soeren loved the cheesy soft vegetables sandwiched in the bread and demanded to save one for his lunchbox. The tiny but very exquisite touch was the addition of raspberry balsamic vinegar and the decadent drizzling of the butter oil towards the end. Both have a fantastic flavor and highlighted the aromas of the vegetables perfectly. Tangy and butterlicious!
You might enjoy these great vegetable ideas too:
 | Warm Oriental Vegetable Salad |
 | Caramelized Vegetable Tart |
 | Ratatouille Provençal |
Aubergine recipes from around the blogs:
Nami Nami's wonderful Armenian Aubergine Stew
Mostly Eating's aromatic Aubergine, courgette and tomato stew with quinoa and feta
Ammalu's Kitchen's flavorful Aubergine Tomato Gratin
Zlamushka's Spicy Kitchen's spicy Sichuan Aubergine
The Monthly Mingle is in full swing this month with Mango Mania. I am enjoying your fantastic ideas and creations. Hope the rest of you will join us experimenting with this lovely fruit.
Joining the party is easy. Create a mango dish and post it on your blog by July 14 and send it on over to me. You will find more details here.
Deadline: 14 July 2008
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First
Bollywood Cooking - Indian Street Food
I think it would be safe to say that the most authentic of Indian cuisines is the huge array of lip smacking street food. For just a few rupees one can purchase hot, fresh and simply delectable snacks sold by vendors from myriad makeshift or portable stalls.
Street food in India is extremely popular, mainly because they are available at half the price compared to any restaurant food. Be it take-out food, junk food, snacks, or fast food - all are synonymous with street food and all of these can be purchased on any foot path, beach-side or road corner.
The street food in India is a fusion of various flavors, stimulating the taste buds of not only the locals but also the tourists visiting the country. You will find these portable stalls in every locality and neighborhood in any Indian metropolitan city. The snacks are prepared right there in front of your eyes, tempting you visually and with the wonderful spicy aromas. In fact some of the vendors gain such a reputation for their snacks that people will journey far to experience the food from a specific vendor.
Indian street food varies from region to region. Depending where you are in India, you will be offered such a huge selection of scrumptious snacks, each prepared more temptingly then the other.
The quintessential North Indian snack found almost everywhere is Chaat - a common name for all tangy, spicy and not all that nutritious delicacies. The tangy flavor comes from the use of lemon, pomegranate seeds, black salt and tamarind. An all time favorite, made of crispy small pancakes, salted and sprinkled with a variety of masala powders, splashed with yogurt and drenched in different chutneys. My mouth is watering just thinking about this. There is a fruity version of the chaat too - prepared with seasonal fruits, especially guavas, bananas, apples and papayas. I remember enjoy bowlfuls of this when I visited my grandparents in Delhi during summer break.
The Eastern part of India offers a potato patty dipped in a flour batter and deep fried. They are served with chutneys, raw onions and cucumber slices.
Traveling to the West, the Vada Pav is one of the most favorite and cheapest snacks found in the sophisticated metropolis Mumbai. Also known as the "poor man's burger" it is a sensational mashed potato patty, spiced with green chilies, gingers and other spices, then dipped is a batter made of herbs and gram flour. Finally it is sandwiched between soft buns and drizzled with hot and sweet chutneys. Simply irresistible. One of my favorites from this region is the Bhelpuri. Puffed rice served with a spicy mixture of chopped potatoes, onion, coriander leaves, green chilies and tomatoes, then topped with sweet
chutney, a dash of lime juice, sprinkled with rock salt, normal salt and a hint of red chili powder. Drooling yet?
In the south you will find several thattukadas, which are covered carts or vans with stoves and utensils. Here you can indulge in some of the most delicious dosas, a light rice-flour crispy pancake fired in coconut oil and served with a spicy potato filling and coconut chutney.
There are so many types of street foods that the space in this post is just not enough. Warm samosas with a hot masala chai, sweet dripping jalebis. The list is long!
These popular types of street food have to be eaten fresh and as soon as they are prepared. Each region offers it's own local flavor making it unique. Locals and even foreigners love to gorge on them, making the road side eateries a class in itself. So much so, Indian street food has become world famous.
The popularity of Indian street food outside India has drastically gained over the years. There are many restaurants in several cities around the world that specialize simply in Indian street food. Dubai is one such city.
It's where I find all my favorite snacks that I used to eat when I was vacationing in India. Memories are almost always attached to each dish. However, what I enjoy the most is seeing my son gorging down the same snacks I used to and still enjoy. Jalebis are his sweet favorite - but when it comes to savory, the Bombay Frankies are unbeatable.
Frankies are the essence of Bombay street food. They are the Indian version of wraps if you will have it. During lunch time in Bombay - college kids will rush in hordes to their local food stall and indulge in one or several types of Frankies. What's so great about them is that they are so versatile and can be filled with anything you like. They are delicious, kid-friendly and perfect for a snack. Serve them with any kind of chutney to add a extra taste-level.
My Frankies are made with paneer and an array of vegetables. I spice mine with a mix of cumin powder, chaat masala and turmeric. Fresh ginger and garlic give a wonderful fragrance. Finally a dollop of fresh, homemade mango chutney tops off a perfect Frankie.
If you want a bit of the Indian street food in your kitchen this is one snack your family will love.
Ingredients
Printable version of recipe here.
For the Frankies
4-6 chapatis (you can also use whole wheat tortillas if you do not have fresh chapatis at hand)
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch piece ginger, minced
2-3 green chilies, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon chaat masala
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
juice of 1/2 lime
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoon canola oil
500g paneer, cubed. You'll find find step by step instructions to make paneer here.
250g mixed vegetables, julienne
Handful coriander leaves
1 egg, beaten
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large wok. When hot, add the onions and stir fry until transparent. Mix in the garlic, ginger and green chilies and sauté for another minute or so. Now add all of the spices. Cook for approx. 4-5 minutes, then add the vegetables and give it a good toss. Now add the paneer cubes and gently stir.
Drizzle the lime juice and sprinkle the coriander leaves. Mix well.
Assembling the Frankies
In a large skillet heat up a tiny drop of the remaining oil. Place the chapati (or tortilla) to heat through. Add a a little bit of water to the egg. Generously brush the egg wash onto the chapati and flip. Cook for 1-2 minutes, brushing with the egg wash on this side. Flip again and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Place the chapati on a chopping board. Add a few tablespoons of the paneer filling and roll, similarly to a wrap. Repeat the process for all of the chapatis and filing.
Serve with mango chutney.
Ingredients
6-7 ripe mangoes, cut into chunks
200-250 ml white vinegar
Juice and zest of 4 limes
2 cups sugar
10 whole cloves
15-20 red peppercorns
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons ginger, minced
In a sauce pan add the vinegar, red onion, chili flakes, peppercorns, cloves, salt and sugar and bring to a boil over a medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for approx. 15 minutes.
Add lime zest and juice, ginger and mangoes and stir well. Simmer for approx 40 minutes until the mangoes begin to soften and the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and transfer the chutney immediately into jars.
Refrigerated the chutney will last for up to 4 weeks.
Verdict
My mum knows my passions. So when I was in Dubai in April she took me to a fantastic street food restaurant. They served a delectable variety of typical Indian street food - all of the ones I mentioned above. But it was the Frankies that caught my eye. They were the right combination of sweet, zesty and spicy.
Back in Germany I created a bit of the street food in my own kitchen. These Frankies are simply superb. I love the combination with the mango chutney. I actually made fresh chapatis especially for these. Soeren found these absolutely delicious and Tom indulged in quite a few of these. Unfortunately no leftovers for later. My advice make several of these, because they'll go like hot cakes - err Frankies.
Hope you enjoyed a tiny peak into Indian street food. With this simple recipe I am sure you too can enjoy a taste of India at home.
You might enjoy these great Indian dishes too:
 | Poori Bhaji |
 | Gajar Ka Halwa |
 | Chicken Curry |
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First
The sandwich I am sharing here is one that we all really enjoy. Most of the ingredients come fresh from the Farmer's market or my CSA box. I often make it for a quick lunch for myself or a light dinner for all three of us, varying a few of the ingredients for a different combination of flavors. This one has lovely steamed shrimps, cucumbers and tomatoes with an added bite of rocket leaves and radish.
San Francisco has gotta be the world's best cities. It is at least in my eyes. There is no other city that boasts of variety in everything. Food, people, culture, tradition, buildings ... you name it SF has certainly got it.
Method:
Club Sandwich deluxe is my way of serving this sandwich, loved by many. There's just one little twist that makes it really scrumptious.