I've done Onion Bhajis before but this was my first try with CA's recipe. 

My verdict: Bloomin' marvelous!!

This will be my default OB setting from now on. :-)

Pictured here with Tandoori Raita.

As I'm always looking for another way to use wonderful besan (gram flour) I recently discovered the world of the Chila.  I was so happy with the simple but varied and tasty results I thought I'd share them wiv' me curried up CR0 mates!

Chilas, by all accounts, are a food that street vendors sell all over India as a working class breakfast and snack.  It's basically a gram flour pancake filled with, well, pretty much anything.  If you search the web you'll find loads of different fillings but for the purposes of this recipe I'm sticking with never fail onion and tomato.  The joy of the chila is that it is so simple.  The recipe is quite simply mix, fry, eat.

Uses?  Starter, side dish.  I have two warmed in the mike for breakfast with Maggi Chatpat sauce, HP sauce or Punjabi Teekha Mango Pickle. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

Oil for frying
As much chopped coriander (dhania) as you like

For Batter:

3/4 cup besan (gram flour)
1 tsp cumin (jeera) powder
1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp finely chopped green chillies (optional)
a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
2 tsp oil
salt to taste
3/4 cup water

For Filling:

1 small onion (finely chopped)
1 regular tomato (finely chopped)

Alternative fillings are grated paneer / cottage cheese / cooked potatoes

METHOD

1. Heat finely chopped onion and tomato in pan / wok on medium heat.  No oil needed. Stir and mix until onions are soft.  Remove from heat. Set aside.
2. Turn up heat. Add a small amount of oil to hot pan. Smoking hot is good enough.
3. Pour 1/3 cup of batter into pan.  Should make a small pancake.  Batter will start to rise and cook rapidly. 
4. When it looks half done (still wet in the middle) add a tablespoon of filling to the middle.
5. Flip over chila and cook other side.  You can add a small amount of oil to the pan whenever you feel like it to keep them from sticking. The more oil you add the crispier the chila will get.
6. Sprinkle with coriander and serve hot or freeze and mike later.
7. Serve with your favourite sauce (Chatpat), chutney, pickle or even good old HP.

If this is in the wrong forum (as it is a bread but is not a BIR recipe) please let me know or move it (or both!) :-)

Hopefully by the magic of the information superhighway there is an image below.  Fingers crossed!!

I made this recipe with an added half cup of gravy base.  Tasted great, looks nice an' all.

The recipe post is here:

https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4419.0

Check out this wonderful news ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6244715.stm

Now a curry is definately good for your health!!

;D

DeeDee

Wallpaper just like they had in The Shahee back in the day!!!!!!!!!
An inflatable tandoor that I can stick in the cupboard when I'm done!!!!!!!!
One hour in the Wembley Tandoori kitchens!!!!!!!


What else?

:-)

DeeDee

So it's only NOW that I'm wondering if the UK/US cups and measures conversions matter in recipes.  I've just been using US measures?!?!!?

Also, apologies for being away ... life got busy!  And yes, I did had another big bash but there aren't any photos because the camera memory got wiped!

DeeDee

I was entertaining the in-laws over the weekend so I went all-out and did Tandoori Chicken, Makhan Chicken, Chicken Korma, Seekh Kebabs, Cucumber Raita, Onion Salad, Yoghurt Mint Sauce and Rice ... and boy are my arms tired.

These pictures may be dull as old boots to the pros but I thought other newbies might be cheered by my endeavors ...

I found that by sitting down with pen in hand and writing out a timetable of when, where and how long I was able to have a wonderful time cooking all the above dishes (meat ones for the first time) without an ounce of stress.  Learned a big lesson in "being prepared".

Started the day before marinading the tandoori chicken.  So bright, I got sunburn!



Then on the actual day I started with the Onion Salad and Yoghurt Mint Sauce as appetizers.  Here is the Sauce before mixing ...



Making the kebabs was a breeze.  I thought it would be well hard, but it was easy.  Thats my weeny bit of curry base and some pre-cooked chicken in the background.  Here are the kebabs formed but uncooked. Again, note the radioactive look...



I used red onions for the Onion Salad on a whim and I won't be doing that again.  Waaay too strong.  the Yoghurt sauce was delish!



The final meal took about half an hour to actually cook, which still amazes me.  All in all it went down very well.  The tandoori chicken only cooked for ten minutes and melted in the mouth like butter.  The kebabs came out too dry but were still edible (and a half).  The cukey Raita was great and worked with everything for those at the table who found it all a bit spicey.



The best part of the whole exercise was having leftovers for lunch the next day!!

Cheers to everyone for your brilliant ideas and recipes ... it's a bit lonely over here in NYC cooking on me own and I appreciate all your cyber-support!!  This is without doubt the best BIR site on planet earth.

DD

PS. Another social gathering looms this weekend.  RESULT!  Going all out to do entirely NEW menu.  Any Ideas?  Not just for single dishes but more for three or four that compliment each other.  Before you answer, please note one of the guests is Indian and vegetarian ... so I'm looking for a MENU that kicks arse for meat eaters and veggies!

PPS.  How tricky is Gulab Jamons?  In Dhillons it looks fiddly.

I just had a red onion (three of em) omelet with madras powder and coriander.

I think I'm on my way.

DD

So what's the big idea with Ghee?  Is it markedly better than veggie oil? 

Are you supposed to stir it all up or skim off the clear stuff? help me out here!?!?

Also, as people were talking in other posts about Ghee to avoid i'm posting a pic of the brand I just bought.  Anyone know it? Used it?

Are we having a "products we use" section?

Coriander Street!!

I just got some from an Indian young lady I know whose mother gets it from India and grates it herself.  Ye gads, the AMAZING smells and taste and all around difference between store-bought and homemade!!!!!!!

For you, my fellow sad buggers, here's a piccie .... Freshly grated coriander...

BY THE WONDERS OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY ... SCRATCH THE SCREEN AND SMELL THE FRESH TASTE!!!!!!



... I also just found out Coriander is related to Cilantro (second cousin, twice removed)

Done a couple Dupiaza's recently but we always felt like calling for medical attention afterwards as we were so stuffed with lamb and chicken.

This time I took a leaf out of Pete's book and did a Veggie.  It was lacking a little something so I added a touch of vinegar and voila!

My wife liked it so much she ate three portions leaving poor old cheffy with one!  Now she's complaining it's all MY fault she ate so much.  Eh, how does that work?  ;D

So I'm over in Yankee-land as you may know and this past Thursday was Thanksgiving.  Don't ask, something to do with giving thanks that it was so easy to wipe out the indigenous population or something.

Anyway, it's traditionally Roast Turkey, Roast Pots, Stuffing, Gravy, Cranberry Sauce and Veggies (aka garnish).  We had invited folks so we had to do a good job!  So my lady asks me while I washing out the bird if I can think of anything interesting to to do for the meal this year.

"What sauce can we do as well as gravy? Something different."

"Hmmm," says I, looking at the freshly frozen curry base in the freezer, "Leave it to me!"

So of course, it was curry base to the rescue and I just made a meatless sauce with mild spices (well, I had to think of the poor Yankee guests didn't I?)  Anywayz, it was wonderful.  A great way to add an extra dimension to a dish which is pretty bland, even if it is well roasted.

My lady was convinced too so it's on the menu for Christmas!!

I'm not planning Korma Ice Cream but it's funny how well a sauce can work with just about anything!

:-)

DeeDee

Hi all,

On a whim I purchased a jar of ultra pureed Ginger paste stuff instead of the real thing.  Nothing too esoteric, just ginger and water I think.

After an admittedly dodgy UK ounces to US liquid ounces conversion I went ahead and used it tonight for a big base cook-up and a meal. 

The curry definitely had a bit more zing tonight!  I don't think it was the chillies because my dear lady asked for three in the pot instead of the required five for tonight's Jalfrezi.

I'm posting to see if anyone has any thoughts on this?  Is puree okay generally, because it tasted great, fuller somehow.

:-)

DeeDee

Dear all,

Damien from New York City signing in and saying hello!  Any friend of curry is a friend of mine.  Been living here since 2000.  Previous to that I lived in Southall, West London, one of the centers of Curry in the UK.

I'm an avid cook and I'm really excited to see this fab site, the pictures and the recipes ....

Jalfrezi is the one for me, but my wife prefers Rogan Josh.

Stay tuned for NYC Restaurant reviews.  There are some great places here, most of them in Queens of course, where I live!!!

:-)

DeeDee