2016 - THE FOODFULL YEAR - TOMATO CHAAT

I have explored a lot of hobbies and interests over the years and would probably need a separate blog to describe them all. These ranges from teaching to training to theatre to listening and playing music to writing to astrology to collecting certificates in various subjects to art and crafts….the list goes on.

A lot of things interest me. But if there is one thing that I am happiest doing, one thing that calms me down, one thing I am most mindful of, one thing that keeps me grounded, one thing that makes me feel good at the end of it all, I have to narrow it down to working with FOOD!

Food makes me feel great, whether it is surfing the net for recipes (which I do regularly) or posting my recipes on certain websites, or going out to eat , but cooking my own food, especially snacks, is what I enjoy doing the most.

When I start the process of cooking, the whole act of cutting and chopping and grinding, the mix of vegetables and spices, the colors, the textures, and then at the end of it all, tasting it, putting the first spoonful into my mouth and savoring it – every step of the way all have an positive impact on me and my senses.

When I count my blessings, I count my kitchen and my ability to cook as one of them and feel lucky to have a spacious kitchen in which I can indulge in what cheers me up the most amongst all my other hobbies and interests.

This year, 2016, I decided to write my favorite recipes, one per month in my blog. Some are common and can be found elsewhere on the internet. Some are my own versions of popular recipes. There are lots of dishes I make. For me, these recipes for this year are not only recipes I love, but ones which I make often -very very often:) and savor.

Being a chaat-o-holic, I decided to start the year with my favorite recipe – Tomato Chaat.

This is a healthy, tasty, my version of a popular recipe and I could have it every day! So here goes:


TOMATO CHAAT:

Ingredients:

4-5 firm tomatoes.
3 boiled potatoes, mashed with a pinch or two of chaat masala and a little salt
2 medium sized onions – finely chopped.
Coriander chutney (made with a bunch of coriander, green chillies, pudina leaves and salt blend in a mixer).
Sweet Chutney (made with grinding seedless dates and tamarind with water in a mixie).
Mixture/sev/puffed rice (available in most supermarkets).
Some roasted peanuts.
1 lemon.
Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing.

Method:

1. Cut the tomatoes into thin, round slices.
2. Take a flat plate and arrange them in a layer around the plate.
3. Drop bits of mashed potatoes in each tomato.
4. Add one layer of coriander chutney.
5. Add one layer of sweet chutney.
6. Add chopped onions on each tomato slice.
7. Squeeze lime juice on the layers of tomato slices.
8. Sprinkle the sev / mixture/puffed rice around the layers of tomato slices.
9. Add the roasted peanuts.
10. Garnish finally with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Note: This has to be eaten as soon as it is prepared else it tends to get soggy and lose its flavor.