Choco Chip Cookies...A Timeless Bliss!

Today's post is a recognition of my efforts. Yes, at time i do indulge in self-appreciation. Such a confidence booster it is! Try it, you will feel good about yourself. Self motivation is necessary for moving on ahead.

When i travel down the memory lane of my past, something that i would never find myself connected with was 'FOOD'. Shocked?!? Yes, thats true!! I am amazed as well when i compare my past with today. A drift altogether. I sincerely dont recall any time which dates back to my childhood, where i have spent my time in the kitchen with mom, helping her or showing interests in household or kitchen errands. Although, the joy of savoring a delightful meal with good flavors even then was as important as it is today.

I still remember very clearly that when i used to visit home during my vacations (while i was doing my grads), mum always often used to get angry, worrying for me not having any interest in household stuff and cooking especially. Till my post graduation, she had been brooding over my lack of involvement in Kitchen, especially when my counterparts in our  locality and in my family had taken up those responsibilities from their moms, voluntarily. My love story with food and kitchen started late but not very late. Thankfully it happened before i got hitched. Else imagine,what tough time i would have given to my dear husband!

Well, I have traveled places after my schooling. A few places journeyed for further studies and some while i was working. Well, the trip has been joyful and full of learning. Fortunately, cupid struck me at this point! Its so aptly said, things that are destined to occur will happen come what may! My passion for food & culinary arts was evolving and growing and I solely give credit to my stay at different cities where i got the opportunity to cook by myself (simply to survive initially) and got to learn variety of regional stuff.

I started with basic home food and Rotis being my fear always! It were of all other shapes but round. Did not know that my mom in law, would teach me how to roll them. And now i have mastered them so much, that my MIL cant stop praising me for those thin, round delicate piece of rolled bread. Aah! Sense of victory. My next step was to attempts meat. Tried it too and accomplished! Next in queue was baking which was a fear too, two years back, a result of feedback from people whose experiments with cakes & bakes had been a disastor.Baking is tricky!! It requires precision, accuracy and most of LOVE! Believe me it does. My self learning, determination and aspiration to move ahead got me over my baking jitters as well. Now i bake a cake quite often at home. I bake when i am happy, i bake when i am stressed. It my true true love. 

So home cooking done, meaty experiments done, cake baking perfected. So whats new! My research on world cuisines is on and shall continue coz thats vast and varied. A bit more of baking (is what y heart says..always), i know, i know, coz i  have a special sweet corner for baking & for the baked delicacies..such dainty beauties they appear to me!! They all seem to be so loveable. 

So my todays post is my next step on baking. Today's delight is everybody's all time favorite. From a kid to an elderly person. All have loved it always and continue to have them in whichever form or shape they like, based on their personal preferences. Its none other than our all time favorites 'Cookies' or Biscuits as we term them here in India. Had never baked cookies ever ever before and honestly was taken aback when i realised that its the easiest thing to make!! My experiments with Cake have given me a difficult time at times. But my Choco Chip Cookie, a vintage pleasure was a success in one go! 

Choco chip cookie is a simple, easy, super duper quick and a classic indulgence which is a MUST MUST if you ever plan to bake cookies for the first time. A bit of tender, fudgy chewiness but an edge of crisp bite explains my idea Choco Chip Cookie.

Ingredients:-

(Makes around 20-25)

150 grams unsalted butter (at room temperature)
125 grams brown sugar
100 grams caster sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 egg (cold - straight from the refrigerator)
1 egg yolk (cold - straight from the refrigerator) 
300 grams flour (Maida - Well sifted through a seive)
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
326 grams packet chocolate morsels or chip

Steps to follow:-

1. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Do Not grease the paper

2. Put the brown and white sugars into a bowl and add the butter over them and beat together with a hand beater or stand mixer.
3. Add in the vanilla, the cold egg and cold egg yolk to the beaten sugar - butter mixture until its light and creamy.
4. Slowly mix in the flour and soda to the mixture and blend  lightly to just ensure all has been mixed well.
5. Then fold in the chocolate chips. DO NOT beat with the hand mixer at this stage.
6. Wrap the dough in a cling foil and refrigerate for and hour.
7. Preheat the oven to 170°C
8.  Whenever you plan to bake the cookie, get the dough out of the refrigerator and scoop out the cookie dough with the help of an ice cream scoop or drop and equal size of cookie using your hand.
9. Drop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet and ensure each small cookie dough is  3inches apart as while baking the cookie would spread out. 

NOTE: You will need to make the cookies in batches hence keep the bowl of cookie dough in the fridge between batches.

10. Bake for 15–17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks.

Vada Pav...Aamchi Mumbai's much acclaimed street food

Pulsating, Alive, On the move, Vibrant & Fun..these words very appropriately define my feelings for Mumbai. The city that never sleeps is a fascinating town with a compact mix of traditional & the modern. 

Visit to Mumbai was on my cards for long. Little did i know, that after my post grad, the city of dreams as known by everyone across the globe, would be the destination for onset of my professional odyssey. The fast-paced life here is crazy!! It really gives one a lifetime experience. This is in every way the city of dreams and the city of unflinching strength. 

I have grumbled about the city, rued the dearth of infrastructure & civic sense, complained about the fast deteriorating public transport system & the high cost of living & my escalating expenditures, yet I felt life, I felt love, and more than that I felt me in all the moments which made me smile for no reason. Yes, Mumbai holds a very special place in my memories and in my heart. 

The city is home to people from all walks of life where millionaires retire to their plush homes, the middle-class make their way to another day defined by the train timetable and the homeless find their sweet spot on the pavements. Trust, its a confluence of varied class,  cultures & traditions. 

Mumbai is a bustling example of unity in diversity and not to miss out the phenomenal gastronomical adventures that this city has to offer to its residents and to those who happen to visit this hot-spot melting point. More than the big cities famous fine dining experiences, the various food capitals across the globe are known for there scrumptious street food. Similarly, Mumbai streets serve some of the most lip-smacking delicacies that are, in fact, preferred over those served in plush restaurants. The fast-moving life has given rise to hordes of "junk-food outlets" on almost every road, offering delectable choices of city's very own pav bhaji, bhel puri or the well-known Vada Pav, a road-side food, which is an omnipresent feature of urban India.

While today i had an urge to revisit the cherished memoirs of my stint in Mumbai, i decided to recreate the flavors of the much acclaimed Vada Pav with homemade 'cutting chai' in my kitchen. One bite and phewwww..!! You will be convinced why this dish is simply patronized by everyone from all the socio-economic levels.

 

Ingredients:-

1 Packet of Ladi Pav

Butter for basting

7-8 fried green chillies (slit lengthwise, deseeded and the deep fried) 

Amchoor and Salt for coating the fried chillies

Aloo Bondas

 4 big potatoes (boiled, peeled and mashed)

2 green chillies

3-4 garlic cloves minced (from bigger sized garlic pods)

1/2 tsp black mustard seeds

Sprig of curry leaves

1 tsp tumeric powder

2 tsp coriander powder

Coriander leaves for garnishing 

1/2 tsp Asafoetida

Oil for tempering

1/2 cup besan

1/2 cup rice flour

Water

Green Chutney(Dip)

1 cup Coriander leaves

1/2 cup Mint leaves

2 or 3 (If you like it to be spicier, you may add more) Green chillies

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

Salt to taste

Juice of 1 lemon

Dry Garlic Chutney(Dip) Powder 

1 cup peanuts

1/2 cup grated dessicated coconut

6-8 garlic cloves (from bigger sized garlic pods)

4-5 dried red chiliies

Steps to follows:-

1. Dry roast all the ingredients for garlic chutney separately in a pan.

2. Once the roasted ingredients have cooled down, blitz them in a blender.

3. The powder will be coarse & sticky in texture due to oil released from coconut and peanut.

4. Spread the powder on a sheet of paper, allowing the excessive oil to get removed.

5. Now blend all the ingredients mentioned for green chutney and squeeze in the lemon juice once all has blended well.

6. Heat oil in a pan.

7. Throw in asafoetida, mustard seeds, curry leaves and let them splutter.

8. Add in minced garlic, turmeric and coriander powder and saute.

9. Add the mashed potatoes now and mix everything thoroughly.

10. Add salt and chopped coriander leaves. The aloo mix is ready.

11. Transfer it to a plate and once cooled, make medium sized balls (as shown in the picture)

12. In a bowl add the besan and rice flour with some salt and turmeric.

13. Slowly add in water to the besan-rice flour mix ensuring no lumps are formed. (Use a whisk while doing this)

NOTE: The consistency of the batter should not be very flowy nor too thick. The consistency should resemble that of an idli batter.

Now its time to fry the aloo bondas!! Yayyyyy!!!

14. Heat oil in pan for deep frying.

15. Dip each ball in the batter and ensure it well coats the aloo and slide it slowly in the pool of oil.

16. Keep the gas on the medium flame and fry until the bondas turn golden yellow.

17. Follow the steps for the remaining balls as well.

Now time for the final assembling of the Vada Pav

18. Cut the pav into halves.

19. In a pan, heat some butter and let it melt.

20. Put the pavs on the pan and toast them very lightly (DO NOT make them crisp, just till hey start to brown slightly)

21. Get the pavs on a plate, apply the coriander chutney on the pav and sprinkle some dry garlic chutney, now place the aloo bonda and again sprinkle some more garlic powder on top of the aloo bonda and finally place the second half on the top.

Your Vada Pav is now ready and if you wish for some more tongue tickling flavour, accompany it with some green chillies, slit length wise, de-seeded and deep fried. Further sprinkle some salt and  amchoor powder and give its a toss. Have it with a hot cup of ginger tea and re-live those fond memories.