India on My Platter by Sanjeev Kapoor, Saransh Goila Page B
Authors: Sanjeev Kapoor, Saransh Goila
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crackers.)
Ingredients
1 cup green gram lentil (moong dal)
2 medium green chillies, chopped
1-inch fresh ginger (adrak), grated
1-inch of asafoetida (hing)
1 tsp cumin (jeera) powder
1 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste
1 big raw banana
3 whole khakras
2 tbsp green chutney
Grated radish for garnishing
Oil for frying
Method
1. Wash and soak the green gram lentils for at least three to four hours so it is fluffy enough to make a pakora. Drain all the water out.
2. In the blender add the green gram lentils, green chillies, ginger and asafoetida and grind them. Add a couple of tablespoons of water if required for grinding it fine.
3. Transfer into a bowl and beat the batter well, so that air is incorporated and it gets fluffier.
4. Mix cumin powder, garam masala and salt in the batter. Check the consistency; it should be neither too thin nor thick.
5. Peel and chop raw bananas into small pieces. Mix it in the batter.
6. Heat three cups of oil in a frying pan.
7. Fry pakora- sized batter in this hot oil; shape them with your fingers as you drop them into the oil.
8. Let them fry for a minute. Then, with the slotted spoon, turn the pakoras around and let them fry; after a minute turn them back again.
9. Fry until they become golden brown. Take them out of the hot oil and dab the excess oil out.
10. Break the khakra into even bite-sized pieces. Put chutney on the khakra. Place a pakora on the chutney. Garnish with grated radish.
∼
This little twist was appreciated by both Jasodha Behen and Madhav. After thanking them and wishing everyone good luck, I left with big bags of packed breakfast for my journey ahead. I finally understood what film star Amitabh Bachchan means when he says in his advertisement, ‘Breathe in a bit of Gujarat.’ It was already late afternoon by the time we left the Kendra. It was time to make it to Surat.
D AY 37
11 September / Surat
Also called the diamond city, Surat is known for its flyovers! A lot of people don’t realise that Surat is a hub for all things food. The cosmopolitan population and the street food culture bring together to the city, a unique combination of dishes and experiences.
The people of Surat are a fun loving, enthusiastic and energetic bunch. Interestingly, the street food culture overshadows the restaurant culture here. The celebration of eating on the streets of Surat can be experienced at Kamrej Chowk every weekend. The variety of food available on the streets makes one feel spoilt for choice. One such Surat speciality is the lochu. I decided that the first thing I should eat here is lochu. I stopped at Jalaram to try this speciality. It is a staple breakfast item and is a steamed paste made of gram flour, flavoured with garlic and other spices, served with oil and coriander chutney. It is garnished with onions and sev. It is a combination of warm soft textures. Most of the places that serve lochu run out of this delicious snack a few hours after opening!
After my delicious breakfast, I headed to the factory of Janta Ice Cream. I had heard of all the wonderful things they were doing there. Exotic ice cream flavours are what these people at Janta are famous for. This ice cream company echoes the sentiment of the people of Surat: the eagerness to innovate and use local ingredients to come up with interesting new food. It was shocking to see a green chilli ice cream and more shocking to find a okra ice cream, which was sweet and salty at once. Other flavours included ginger, coriander, lemon and mint. Before adding these flavours to the ice cream base, I was told, they were cooked in ghee and seasoned. I had the opportunity to try a range of flavours that were made there. I took a fancy to the ginger ice cream. I felt like I was using the creamy texture of the ice cream to experience the kick of pungent fresh ginger for the first time.
My experiences were really unique and inspiring. One common factor throughout my journey was that
Ingredients
1 cup green gram lentil (moong dal)
2 medium green chillies, chopped
1-inch fresh ginger (adrak), grated
1-inch of asafoetida (hing)
1 tsp cumin (jeera) powder
1 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste
1 big raw banana
3 whole khakras
2 tbsp green chutney
Grated radish for garnishing
Oil for frying
Method
1. Wash and soak the green gram lentils for at least three to four hours so it is fluffy enough to make a pakora. Drain all the water out.
2. In the blender add the green gram lentils, green chillies, ginger and asafoetida and grind them. Add a couple of tablespoons of water if required for grinding it fine.
3. Transfer into a bowl and beat the batter well, so that air is incorporated and it gets fluffier.
4. Mix cumin powder, garam masala and salt in the batter. Check the consistency; it should be neither too thin nor thick.
5. Peel and chop raw bananas into small pieces. Mix it in the batter.
6. Heat three cups of oil in a frying pan.
7. Fry pakora- sized batter in this hot oil; shape them with your fingers as you drop them into the oil.
8. Let them fry for a minute. Then, with the slotted spoon, turn the pakoras around and let them fry; after a minute turn them back again.
9. Fry until they become golden brown. Take them out of the hot oil and dab the excess oil out.
10. Break the khakra into even bite-sized pieces. Put chutney on the khakra. Place a pakora on the chutney. Garnish with grated radish.
∼
This little twist was appreciated by both Jasodha Behen and Madhav. After thanking them and wishing everyone good luck, I left with big bags of packed breakfast for my journey ahead. I finally understood what film star Amitabh Bachchan means when he says in his advertisement, ‘Breathe in a bit of Gujarat.’ It was already late afternoon by the time we left the Kendra. It was time to make it to Surat.
D AY 37
11 September / Surat
Also called the diamond city, Surat is known for its flyovers! A lot of people don’t realise that Surat is a hub for all things food. The cosmopolitan population and the street food culture bring together to the city, a unique combination of dishes and experiences.
The people of Surat are a fun loving, enthusiastic and energetic bunch. Interestingly, the street food culture overshadows the restaurant culture here. The celebration of eating on the streets of Surat can be experienced at Kamrej Chowk every weekend. The variety of food available on the streets makes one feel spoilt for choice. One such Surat speciality is the lochu. I decided that the first thing I should eat here is lochu. I stopped at Jalaram to try this speciality. It is a staple breakfast item and is a steamed paste made of gram flour, flavoured with garlic and other spices, served with oil and coriander chutney. It is garnished with onions and sev. It is a combination of warm soft textures. Most of the places that serve lochu run out of this delicious snack a few hours after opening!
After my delicious breakfast, I headed to the factory of Janta Ice Cream. I had heard of all the wonderful things they were doing there. Exotic ice cream flavours are what these people at Janta are famous for. This ice cream company echoes the sentiment of the people of Surat: the eagerness to innovate and use local ingredients to come up with interesting new food. It was shocking to see a green chilli ice cream and more shocking to find a okra ice cream, which was sweet and salty at once. Other flavours included ginger, coriander, lemon and mint. Before adding these flavours to the ice cream base, I was told, they were cooked in ghee and seasoned. I had the opportunity to try a range of flavours that were made there. I took a fancy to the ginger ice cream. I felt like I was using the creamy texture of the ice cream to experience the kick of pungent fresh ginger for the first time.
My experiences were really unique and inspiring. One common factor throughout my journey was that
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