Ram Laddu for Today’s Delhi Belles

If you have lived in Delhi, shopped at Lajpat Nagar Central Market and got yourself a salwar kameez for 500 bucks when the guy was asking for 750, then you owe yourself a treat. At the Ram Laddu slash Moong Dal pakore wala at the entrance of the market. Ram Laddu, absolutely no connection with Lord Rama is also fondly called Gulgule.

A road side hit with Delhi belles, these little fritters are deep fried batter of the yellow lentil called Moong, topped with shredded radish (daikon/mooli) and tangy green chutney.

Ingredients for Moong Dal Laddu or Ram Laddu or Gulgule are:

1 cup moong dal, soaked overnight or 6-8 hours
1 cup shredded radish
Green chutney (I used this recipe)
Quarter teaspoon red chili powder
Pinch of baking powder
Oil for frying
Chaat Masala
Salt

Coarsely grind the moong dal adding very little water. In a bowl, add the moong dal batter, red chili powder, baking powder and salt. Beat the batter with your hands till fluffy.

Heat oil in a wok. Start dropping little portions of the moong dal batter in the hot oil, about a teaspoon size. Fry them in batches. Turn midway and fry the pakoras till they are golden yellow in color. Drain excess oil on paper towels.

Serve the Ram Laddu on little platters topped with shredded radish, lavishly ladled with green chutney and sprinkled with Chaat Masala.

The Moong Dal is now ready from the edible mode to explode in your mouth, revolutionary taste!

Evergreen Alu-Matar Chaat

I have lived long enough in Delhi’s Green Park area to sample all of Evergreen’s fast and slow food.

Right from their mineral water-filled Gol Gappas to the Alu-Matar Chaat, which is quite a winter staple for Delhi belles and Aunty-jis alike. Whoever believes in some waist-full (pun definitely intended!) indulgences. Sometimes.

As a first timer, even if you miss the neon green glow sign of this chaat house, I bet you cannot miss the smell of crispy-fried cubes of potatoes on a foggy evening of a Delhi winter. Even in that gnarling traffic with the window of your car rolled up.

If you not already completely enticed, here is a peek at what I am talking about.
And if you continue reading, I will tell you how I made this Alu-Matar Chaat Evergreen charges 20 a plate. Or is it more now?

Ingredients for Alu-Matar Chaat are:

4-5 medium size potatoes, boiled
1 cup green peas, blanched and drained
Juice of half lemon
Half teaspoon red chili powder/ cayenne pepper
One teaspoon bhaja moshla (dry roasted cumin and coriander seeds, coarsely ground)
Half teaspoon MDH Chaat Masala
Black salt
Canola oil (Evergreen uses desi ghee!)

Cut the boiled potatoes in quarters. Heat oil in a frying pan, almost up to smoking. Release the cubes of potato in the hot oil and fry till they are crisp and golden brown on all sides.

Use a slotted spoon to remove. Drain excess oil on paper towels. I haven't seen the chaat wala in Evergreen do it. But remember we are making this at home.

In a bowl, mix the fried potatoes, blanched green peas, lemon juice, and spices. Give it a quick mix to coat the hot potatoes with the spices.

Do one last check on the salt and spices. Serve warm in little aluminum foil / pie bowls with a fruit pick.The best way to eat this Alu-Matar Chaat is to share with your best friend.

Indulgence now has a new name – Alu-Matar Chaat (Potato-Peas Chaat).

Moth Papri Chaat

Chaat is all about assembly. I met her in the assembly too. We were in the eighth grade then, barely aware of our rights. My class was mercilessly disintegrated by the nuns in the convent school, and we were sent packing to other sections. Hence I landed in AA’s section. Class 8D. AA was that Math whiz every class has. I think I made friends with her only to sharpen my skills in Algebra and Trigonometry, and also for her homemade mango pickles. She would let me have her lunch box, and also invite me home for her birthdays. Her parties were so much fun with chaat, gol gappa, spicy chole and video games. Not boring like mine – just the luchi-cholaar daal, pulao-mangsho and sandesh-cake fare. 

AA was everything I never could be, and her parties so popular, girls talked about it till her next birthday. Okay, that’s a little exaggerated, but it was important for me to use hyperbole to let you get the drift.

When I posted recipe invites on my Facebook page yesterday, AA was the first one to email me. A long and involved recipe of Moth Papri Chaat. Painstakingly detailing all the steps.

I knew what Papri Chaat was. But Moth? Some minutes later, I found this on the Internet.

So today I made this chaat, with AA Mother’s recipe.

Ingredients for Moth Papri Chaat are:

For the Papri you will need:
1:1:1 of wheat flour, flour and semolina
Quarter teaspoon nigella seeds
2 tablespoons canola oil for kneading
Half cup oil for deep frying
Pinch of salt
Water

Knead a hard dough with the flour-semolina, using very little water. Make a large but thin flatbread with portions of the dough.
Cut cookie-size papris using a cookie cutter.
Poke a fork or knife at several places of these small papris and keep aside for 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a wok till smoking. Add 4-5 papris and deep fry till golden brown. Drain excess oil in paper towels.
(Let them cool down before storing.)

For the Moth:
1 cup green moong, soaked overnight
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon dry mango powder
1 teaspoon salt

Cook the soaked moong in water, oil and spices till tender but not mushy. Drain if there is excess water.

For the Sweet Tamarind Chutney:
Half cup tamarind pulp
Half cup sugar
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon dry ginger powder
Half cup water
Salt to taste
I make this instant chutney where I blend everything and then heat for a couple of minutes in the microwave. Adjust the taste to get the right balance.

For the Green Chili Chutney:
Handful of green chilies
1 teaspoon dry mango powder
Half cup water
Salt

Blend everything together till you get a smooth chutney. It should be a little runny.

For the garnish/topping:
Half cup chopped boiled potatoes
Half cup chopped coriander leaves
Half cup finely chopped red onions
Half cup sev bhujia
1 teaspoon black salt
1 teaspoon roasted cumin-coriander powder
Like I said, chaat is all about assembling the ingredients in the right order, which practically takes no time. Its also about serving it fresh. Its just the prep work and cooking which are somewhat long and involved. But let that not daunt you because what waits at the end is sheer B-R-I-L-L-I-A-N-C-E. Layer the papris on a plate and top each one with ample moth, pieces of potato and onions.
Drizzle the chutneys, balancing the heat and the sweet and sprinkle lots of chopped coriander.
Pinch some black salt and roasted cumin-coriander powder and add to the chaat.
Top it off with store-bought sev bhujia.

What is bliss, I ask. And I hear a roaring reply from inside me – friends like AA and a plateful of Moth Papri Chaat on a sunny afternoon. The chaat with all its fresh and crunchy ingredients bursting in my mouth a thousand splendid flavors. And that cup of Darjeeling tea tingling my senses. Thank you, AA! For this is just the little window you have opened for me to keep coming back to you for your recipes. You will at least be happy I am not pestering you with a Math problem.