Fart of Living

Chickpea Curry (Chana Bhaji)

Ingredients:

• Cooked Chickpeas (Chana) – from 5/6 whistles of pressure cooking
• Water – 4 cups used for cooking the chickpeas
• 1 onion, finely chopped 🧅
• ½ tomato, chopped 🍅
• 1 small spoon Nagdev Masala (a local spice blend, you can use any garam masala or kanda lasun masala)
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 small spoon salt (to taste)
• 2/3 tsp oil
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• Some fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp garam masala (optional)

Instructions:

1. Place a pot on the stove and heat it.
2. Add oil to the hot pot.
3. Add the finely chopped onion and sauté until it turns translucent.
4. Add the chopped tomato and continue to sauté.
5. Add turmeric powder and Nagdev Masala, and sauté for a short while.
6. Add the cooked chickpeas and stir well.
7. Pour in the water that was used to cook the chickpeas (add as much as you need for your desired consistency).
8. Add salt to taste.
9. Bring the curry to a boil and then check the seasoning.
10. (Optional) Add garam masala if desired.
11. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and let it simmer for one more boil.
12. Turn off the heat.
13. The chickpea curry is ready to serve! 😊

Tomato Chutney

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped 🍅
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped 🧅
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 ½ tsp red chili powder (adjust to your spice preference 🔥)
• Salt to taste

Process:

1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.
2. Add the finely chopped red onion and sauté until it becomes translucent or pink and soft.
3. Once the onion is soft, add the turmeric powder and roast for about a minute.
4. Add the red chili powder and continue to roast for another minute or two.
5. Add the finely chopped tomatoes to the pan.
6. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes soften and break down.
7. Add salt to taste once the tomatoes are in the pan.
8. Continue to cook until the chutney thickens to your desired consistency.
9. Serve warm or at room temperature. 😊

Ingredients: * 1 cup poha (flattened rice) 🍚 * 1 small onion, finely chopped 🧅 * 7-10 curry leaves 🌱 * 2-3 green chilies, chopped ️🌶️ * 1 tsp mustard seeds ⚫ * 5-10 grams oil 🥄 * ½ tbsp turmeric powder 🧡 * Salt to taste🧂

Instructions: 1. Heat the oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and wait for them to pop. 🔥 2. Add chopped chilies and curry leaves. Cook until chilies turn whitish. 🌶️🌿 3. Add chopped onion and salt. Cook until onions are soft. 🧅🧂 4. While onions cook, rinse poha in a strainer and set aside. 💧 5. Add turmeric powder to the pan and roast for 1-2 minutes. ✨ 6. Add rinsed poha and mix gently. Be careful not to mash it! 🙌 7. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on medium-low heat for 2 minutes. 8. Remove from heat and gently shake the pan (with the lid on!) to mix everything (gently). ➡️⬅️ 9. Serve hot and enjoy! 😋 10. Bonus, cut a lemon and try it with a drop or two of the lemon juice. I hope you like it better that way, also! A the fragrance of freshly cut lemon is worth it.

Goes well with chai for breakfast! ☕