Author Notes
This recipe is inspired by one of the more popular dishes served from food carts in the streets of Northern India. Yes, that's right! It's "Paapdi Chaat". Here's a visual reference : http://www.pinterest.com...
This dish has it all - it's spicy, tangy with a touch of sweetness, has the right amount crunch and chew and it's messy to eat too! All things characteristic of a good dish. I made this for a holiday party one year and have made this dish multiple times since. I wanted something that packs all the flavors of "paapdi chaat", looks too pretty to eat and can be devoured in one bite. So here you go - bite sized, canape version of a popular street food! —Subha Hari
Ingredients
- Chickpea "Chole" masala
-
1 1/2 cups
chickpeas (fresh ones soaked overnight or canned)
-
mini tartlets / canapes (should be available in most grocery stores)
-
1/2 cup
chopped red onion
-
2-3
medium sized tomatoes
-
2
garlic cloves
-
1 tablespoon
minced ginger
-
1 teaspoon
cumin powder
-
1/2 teaspoon
corriander powder
-
1/4 teaspoon
turmeric powder
-
1/2 teaspoon
cumin seeds
-
1 teaspoon
chopped serrano pepper
-
1/2 teaspoon
cayenne powder (optional, without this the dish would be mildly spicy, so just add for bit more heat)
-
freshly chopped cilantro
- Tamarind chutney & Garnish (Here's the thing - this makes the dish, really! )
-
1/2 cup
finely diced red onion
-
1/2 cup
finely diced cucumber
-
few
chopped mint leaves
-
few sprigs
of cilantro
-
1 tablespoon
tamarind paste
-
2 teaspoons
sugar
-
1 teaspoon
honey
-
pinch
of cayenne powder
-
pinch
of cumin powder
Directions
-
Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. Once they sizzle for few seconds, add the rest of the ingredients - minced ginger, garlic, serrano pepper and saute for a minute or so.
-
Add the chopped onion and let it soften for a couple of minutes.
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Mix in the tomatoes and cook until it softens. This should take 3-5 minutes.
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Add salt and rest of the spices and let it cook, stirring it occasionally. After about 10 minutes, take part of it out and blend. Don't blend until smooth, it's good to leave behind some chunks. Blending part of it gives a thicker consistency to the whole mixture. Return the blended mixture back into the pan add the chickpeas and stir.
-
Add a cup of water and let it on simmer for 5 more minutes or until the chickpea is cooked.
-
Add freshly chopped cilantro and the chickpea "chole" masala is ready.
-
Tamarind chutney - I make a very simple version of the sweet and tangy tamarind chutney adapted from the book "Vij's at Home". Mix the tamarind paste, sugar, honey, cayenne and cumin with 1/4 cup of water and heat it in a pan until it has a consistency like ketchup. This will come together really quick in less than 5 minutes.
-
Now to the best part of this dish. Bringing this all together in one flavorful bite. The dish is really simple to assemble, once you have all the ingredients lined. Start by layering a cilantro leaf at the bottom (helps preventing the bottom of the canape from getting soggy). Then add a small dollop of the chickpea, a drop of the tamarind chutney and the rest of the garnishes ( onion, cucumber and mint). Feel free to play around and figure out your perfect bite.
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