Spicy Crunch

I have a confession. Every evening my husband sneaks out and cheats. I can't blame him really. I would too if I had the time. Its an affair that began as kids, and now no matter how much he tries, he always does give in to the temptation. He does feel guilty. Cheating on my cooking that way. But I object more on the grounds that he is cheating on his health. Alas! The allure of street food is a slutty siren you can't ignore!

So in the spirit of good health, I decided to recreate the street food magic in my home kitchen. It may don healthier clothes and svelter calories, but it still packs a mighty punch. The recipe below is a twist on the tangy, fiery, pungent Mudi.

Mudi is made of puffed rice like it's cousin Bhel. But unlike the Bombay and Delhi sweet- tangy bhel, the Mudi of the east is a tangy, pungent mix of puffed rice, spices, nuts and mustard oil. In my version, the puffed rice is replaced by cornflakes. Well, because I had a lot of boxes in my pantry! No compromise in taste though. After all, hubby dear has stopped sneaking out now!

Ingredients:

Cornflakes                         3 cups

Mustard Oil                        8 tablespoons

Roasted Peanuts                 1/2 cup

Sprouted Kala Chana         1/2 cup

Onion                                 1, finely chopped

Green chillies                     4, finely chopped

Red Chilli Powder             1/2 tsp

Chaat Masala                     6 teaspoons

Coriander                           3 teaspoons, chopped

Method:

 Heat the oil in a wok. Add the cornflakes and fry stirring continuously till just golden around the edges. Take off the heat. Add the rest of the ingredients. Adjust the seasoning as per your taste, Garnish with coriander, and serve!

Amritsari Fish

North Indians are not usually known to be voracious fish eaters. They prefer the robustness of chicken and meat. So you have many varieties of tikkas, kebabs, biryanis and curries originating from Punjab, but no fish dish!!! But every rule has an exception, and this rule does too...
     
    AMRITSARI FISH

Amritsar is the Holy City, situated in Punjab.And Amritsari Fish is popular street food that is light, crisp and well, yummy! Its a tangy, Indian version of batter-fried fish and quite simple to make at home. 

Ingredients:

King Fish- 1 kg

Vinegar- 3tsp

Red chilli pd.- 2 tsp

Carom seeds- 1 tsp

Ginger-garlic paste- 4 tbsp

Lemon juice- 1 tbsp

Chickpea flour- 4 tbsp

Egg- 1 (whisked)

Salt to taste

Chaat masala- to garnish

To start, marinate the fish in salt and vinegar for 20 minutes. Make a batter with all the rest of the ingredients, except chaat masala. Add more Chickpea flour if the batter is too thin. Pour onto the fish, coating each piece well. Keep aside for another 30 minutes. Heat oil in a wok or deep fryer. Fry the fish to a crisp brown, taking care not to burn it! Sprinkle with chaat masala and serve hot with a chutney or sauce.