How to make Samosa - Indian Snack item

The Samosa is a common snack item in South Asia in countries like India, Pakistan and Nepal as well as Bangladesh.  The Samosa generally consists of a fried triangular - or tetrahedron shaped pastry shell with savory potato, onion, fresh coriander, paneer and pea stuffing.

Samosa is one of the most popular snack item in India which finds place in almost every bakery or a chaat shop.  Samosa is a crisp exterior filled with a savory of potato stuffing which goes very well over a hot cup of tea especially on a rainy day.  Samosa is normally purchased from stored and prepared in homes rarely.  In this article you will learn how to make Samosa...

Ingredients

• Maida ( all purpose flour ) -  1 cup
• Oil - 2 table spoonful
• Large pinch ajwain ( optional )
• Water to knead the maida
• Salt for taste
• Oil for deep frying

For the filling:

• Boiled potatoes - 2 nos.
• Boiled peas - 1/4 cup
• Grated Ginger - 1/4 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
• Coriander powder - 14 tsp
• pinch cumin powder
• pinch of kasuri methi
• dash of lemon juice
• pinch of garam masala
• chopped coriander leaves
• salt to taste

 Method of preparation of Samosas

Here is a simple step by step method of preparing Samosas

• First mix the maida with salt, oil, ghee and ajwain, combine to form a crumbly mixture.  
• Now slowly add enough water to make the dough not too soft.  Divide the dough and shape into balls. Keep the balls aside covered with a most cloth for 20 minutes
• Heat a vessel, add oil, add cumin seeds and allow to become brown.  Add ginger, spice powders and a table spoon of water and saute for few seconds.  Add the crumbled potato and boiled peas and cook on a medium flame for few minutes ( 3 to 4 mts.) .  Add kasuri methi and lemon juice.  Add coriander leaves and turn off the heat
• Now start preparing the outer layer of the samosa as the stuffing is ready
• Roll each ball with the rolling pin into a thin puri.  Take a knife and divide the rolled puri into two halves.
• Now take the semi circle piece of the poori and made a fold in the shape of a triangle.
• Seal along the fold.  Place a ball of potato stuffing in the cone made.  Wet your fingers and run it along the edges of the dough with water and seal to enclose the stuffing.
• Press the ends firmly so that the filling does not come out during deep frying process. Prepare the rest of the dough in the same manner and make samosas
• Heat enough oil in a wide vessel to deep fry these samosas.  Once oil is heated, reduce the flame to medium and drop 2 to 3 samosas into the oil and deep fry them till golden brown turning them to the other side so that it cooks on all sides. Deep fry on low flame.
• Remove onto an absorbent paper and serve the samosas along with chutney over a cup of tea.

How to make Poori Bhaji - Maharashtrian breakfast recipe

The Poori Bhaji recipe is the Maharashtrian version of Potato curry with pooris.  The Poori Bhaji is a dry potato sabji served with pooris and sometimes accompanied with onion slices, lemon wedges and coconut chutney.  The Poori bhaji is also served along with dal, rice and  raita in a thali. 

The Poori Bhaji is also a famous North Indian breakfast item.  The Poori Bhaji can be taken as a breakfast item or as a lunch item too.  The potato curry also called as batata bhaji in Marathi can also be served even with chapatis or dosa instead of pooris.  

Poori Bhaji is a comfortable food.  Even children will enjoy to eat Poori Bhaji.   Bhaji is made from potatoes so there is no chance to dislike it.   This article gives details on how to make the potato bhaji alone.  You can read another article on how to make Pooris. 

Ingredients

• 4 medium sized potatoes
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 green chili, chopped
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1.5 tsp urad dal/black gram
• ¾ cup water
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• a pinch of asafoetida/hing
• ½ to ¾ cup chopped coriander/cilantro leaves
• 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
• 12-15 curry leaves
• 2 or 3 tbsp peanut oil or sunflower oil
• salt as required

How to make Potato Bhaji

Here is a step by step method of preparing the potato bhaji.

• First boil the potatoes till they are completely cooked and let them cool down.  The potatoes can be cooked in a pressure cooker
• Peel off the skin of the potatoes and chop them and keep aside.
• Heat oil in  a pan on low flame.  Add mustard, cumin and urad dal
• The mustard will crackle, the cumin will sizzle and the urad dal will be brown.  fry on a low flame
• Now add onions immediately and stir.  Dont allow the above spices to get burned or over fried.
• When the onions are soft, add green chillies and ginger.  Stir and fry for a minute on a low flame
• Now add curry leaves, stir and fry for few seconds
• Add the turmeric and asafoetida and stir
• Now add the chopped potatoes and half of the coriander leaves, stir.
• Add 3/4 cup of water, salt and stir the mixture
• Cover the pan and let the potatoes simmer for 5 to 6 minutes on a low flame

Now the potato Bhaji is ready to be served.   Serve Potato Bhaji ( Batata Bhaji )  with hot Pooris garnished with remaining coriander leaves.

How to make Pooris

Poori or Puri is a very popular North Indian recipe.  The Pooris are made from unleavened dough made from whole wheat flour and are usually served with Aloo Sabji or Punjabi Chole or Aloo Tmaatar ki sabji.

In north India,  Pooris are served along with a sweet dish called sooji (semolina) halwa and with aamras ( mango pulp) in Gujarat.   IN Maharashtra there is a popular dish called Poori Bhaji in which the pooris are served with spicy potato vegetable.  In West Bengal, Luchi is a very popular.  Luchi is a poori which is made from all purpose flour (maida) and is served with bengalo dam aloo..

Pooris should be eaten when they are hot.  Cold pooris normally will not be crispy and tasty.  Pooris are an important part of festive occassions.  The pooris are often made for breakfast in north India.  This article explains how to make crispy pooris.

Ingredients for Pooris:

• Wheat flour - 2 cups
• Curd - 2 table spoons
• Water to knead dough
• Salt to taste
• Oil to deep fry

Method of making pooris

• Mix the curd in the flour and add salt.
• Add little water at a time and knead well to form a dough.  The dough should not be soft but a little stiff.
• Keep aside for 15 minutes and divide the dough into small or medium pieces - about 12 to 14
• Roll each into 4 rounds with the help of some oil or dough
• Heat oil in  a deep frying pan or kadai
• When the oil is sufficiently hot, add one poori at a time and fry gently pressing down with the frying spoon or slotted spoon in a circular motion.
• Turn over when puffed up and fry the poori till golden brown
• Serve the poori hot with vegetable curry or sweet dishes like suji ka halwa.

How to make Pav Bhaji - Popular Mumbai roadside Recipe

Pav Bhaji is one of the most popular street food in Mumbai city and also in some parts of Maharashtra.  Paav means "a small bun" and Bhaaji means "vegetable".  So you can even have it as a meal or as a snack.  Paav Bhaji is a hot favorite Indian street food and you can see lot of vendors in streets all over Mumbai and in beach where they will be selling this snack item.  

 Paav Bhaji is a quick meal which can be grabbed on the go - since large portions of the Bhaji is made in advance and simply you need to reheat with few spices before serving.  You just need to wait till the Pav is toasted to perfection with butter!  top with raw onions and tomatoes, squeeze of lemon atop the bhaji.  Here is a method of preparation of Paav Bhaji.

Ingredients

•    Potatoes,boiled and mashed   -   4 medium
•    Tomatoes,chopped    -  4 medium
•    Onions,chopped     -  2 medium
•    Green capsicum,chopped deseeded   -   1 medium
•    Cauliflower,grated    -  1/4 small
•    Green peas,shelled    - 1/4 cup
•    Ginger,chopped     - 1 inch piece
•    Garlic    -  8-10 cloves
•    Oil     - 3 tablespoons
•    Green chillies,chopped  -   3 or 4
•    Pav bhaji masala   -  1 1/2 tablespoons
•    Salt     to taste
•    Butter  -   3 tablespoons
•    Paav   -  8
•    Fresh coriander leaves,chopped  -   1/4 cup
•    Lemons,cut into wedges    -  2
 

Method of preparation

1.  Boil green peas in salted water till soft, drain, mash lightly and set aside. 

2.  Grind ginger and garlic to a fine paste. 

3.  Heat oil in a pan and add three fourth quantity of onions. Sauté till light brown. 

4.  Add green chillies and ginger-garlic paste. Stir-fry for half a minute. Add half the quantity of tomatoes and cook on medium heat for three to four minutes, stirring continuously or till oil separates from the masala. 

5.  Add capsicum, mashed peas, cauliflower, potatoes and one and half cups of water. 

6.  Bring it to a boil and simmer for ten minutes, pressing with back of the spoon a few times, till all the vegetables are completely mashed. 

7.  Add Pavbhaji Masala, salt and remaining tomatoes. Cook on medium heat for two minutes, stirring continuously. 

8. Heat half of the butter in a thick-bottomed pan or a tawa. Slice pav horizontally into two and pan fry in butter for half a minute, pressing two or three times or till pav is crisp and light brown. 9. Garnish the bhaji with chopped coriander leaves, remaining butter and serve hot with pav accompanied with remaining chopped onion and lemon wedges.

Boil green peas in salted water till soft, drain, mash lightly and set aside. Grind ginger and garlic to a fine paste. Heat oil in a pan and add three fourth quantity of onions. Sauté till light brown. Add green chillies and ginger-garlic paste. Stir-fry for half a minute. Add half the quantity of tomatoes and cook on medium heat for three to four minutes, stirring continuously or till oil separates from the masala. Add capsicum, mashed peas, cauliflower, potatoes and one and half cups of water. Bring it to a boil and simmer for ten minutes, pressing with back of the spoon a few times, till all the vegetables are completely mashed. Add Pavbhaji Masala, salt and remaining tomatoes. Cook on medium heat for two minutes, stirring continuously. Heat half of the butter in a thick-bottomed pan or a tawa. Slice pav horizontally into two and pan fry in butter for half a minute, pressing two or three times or till pav is crisp and light brown. Garnish the bhaji with chopped coriander leaves, remaining butter and serve hot with pav accompanied with remaining chopped onion and lemon wedges. - See more at: http://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/bombay-pavbhaji.aspx#sthash.hpV3y7SR.dpuf

Ingredients

•	Potatoes,boiled and mashed	4 medium
•	Tomatoes,chopped	4 medium
•	Onions,chopped	2 medium
•	Green capsicum,chopped deseeded	1 medium
•	Cauliflower,grated	1/4 small
•	Green peas,shelled	1/4 cup
•	Ginger,chopped	1 inch piece
•	Garlic	8-10 cloves
•	Oil	3 tablespoons
•	Green chillies,chopped	3-4
•	Pav bhaji masala	1 1/2 tablespoons
•	Salt	to taste
•	Butter	3 tablespoons
•	Pav	8
•	Fresh coriander leaves,chopped	1/4 cup
•	Lemons,cut into wedges	2

- See more at: http://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/bombay-pavbhaji.aspx#sthash.hpV3y7SR.dpuf

Ingredients

•	Potatoes,boiled and mashed	4 medium
•	Tomatoes,chopped	4 medium
•	Onions,chopped	2 medium
•	Green capsicum,chopped deseeded	1 medium
•	Cauliflower,grated	1/4 small
•	Green peas,shelled	1/4 cup
•	Ginger,chopped	1 inch piece
•	Garlic	8-10 cloves
•	Oil	3 tablespoons
•	Green chillies,chopped	3-4
•	Pav bhaji masala	1 1/2 tablespoons
•	Salt	to taste
•	Butter	3 tablespoons
•	Pav	8
•	Fresh coriander leaves,chopped	1/4 cup
•	Lemons,cut into wedges	2

- See more at: http://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/bombay-pavbhaji.aspx#sthash.hpV3y7SR.dpuf