Teatime treats

There’s a chill in the air, the sky’s getting darker with stormy thunderclouds and it’s nearly time for afternoon tea. What better time to indulge in a lovely, refreshing cup of chai and some goodies guaranteed to drive away the chill and leave you with a wonderful warmth.

Masala Chai

4 whole cloves

2 cardamom pods

1 medium cinnamon stick, broken into pieces

3 cups water

1/4 inch fresh ginger

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 cups milk

2 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons strong tea

Add spices, water, ginger and pepper and bring to a boil. Next, simmer on low for 5 minutes to release the flavours. Add milk and sugar to the pan and bring to a boil again. Finally, add tea and bring to a boil again. Turn off and strain it into a warmed teapot or directly into teacups. Serve piping hot.

Coriander Chutney Sandwiches

1 bunch fresh coriander

1 cup freshly grated coconut

1 green chilli (optional)

1 tsp ginger/garlic paste

Pinch chana dal, jeera, coriander seeds

Salt to taste

Finely chop the fresh coriander and keep aside. Soak the chana dal, jeera and coriander seeds for 10 minutes, then drain. Grind together coriander, grated coconut, chilli, ginger/garlic paste for 20 seconds until well blended. Add drained chana dal, jeera, coriander seeds, salt and grind again to form a thick paste. Add a little water, if necessary to get the right consistency. The mixture should be thick and easily spreadable. Mix a portion with a little butter or margarine to make delicious sandwiches.

Cucumber Mint Sandwiches

Fresh mint leaves, chopped fine

Butter, softened

Cream cheese

Whole-wheat bread

Seedless cucumber, cut into thin slices

Salt to taste (Quantities depend on number of sandwiches to be made)

In a small bowl combine the mint, butter and cream cheese and stir till combined. Spread the bread slices with the butter mixture. Top with the cucumber, distributing the cucumber evenly and seasoning it with salt, and top the cucumber with the remaining bread slices. Cut off and discard the crusts and cut each sandwich diagonally into quarters.

Nankhatai Biscuits

1 ½ cup melted ghee

1 cup powdered sugar

3 cups maida (refined wheat flour)

1 tsp soda bicarb

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Few drops of vanilla essence

2 tbsp candied cherries, cut into small pieces (optional)

Salt to taste

Mix the melted ghee, powdered sugar and salt to light, buttery consistency. Add the maida, mix well and leave overnight for 6-8 hours. Add the soda bicarb and lemon juice to the dough and knead well to a light consistency. Add vanilla essence for flavour and knead again.

Divide the dough into small, slightly flattened round balls, adding a small bit of candied cherry on the top centre. Place in greased tray and bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 180º (fan forced). Cool and serve, or store in an airtight container.

1 kg chana dal

3 ¾ litres milk

750 gms castor sugar

250-300 gms ghee

125 gms khaskhas

125 gms fresh grated coconut

100 gms sultanas or raisins

125 gms phool makhane (optional)

100 gms melon seeds (optional)

100 gms each cashewnuts, almonds and/or any other nuts, chopped.

Wash dal well and soak overnight in about 1 ¼ litres of milk. Grind to a coarse paste.

Put the remaining milk in a heavybottomed pan and add khaskhas and coconut. Bring to a boil and then keep stirring on low heat till

Suji Halwa

1 cup suji (semolina)

1 cup sugar

2 1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons ghee

1 tbsp reduced fat butter or canola oil

1/3 cup coarsely grated almonds and full raisins

2-3 cardamom pods, coarsely powdered

Salt to taste

Add sugar to water and mix well. Keep aside. Mix the suji, ghee, salt to taste and roast on a kadhai for three minutes. Add oil/butter and fry on medium heat, till the suji turns light brown. Next, add the cardamom powder, raisins, grated almonds and slowly add the water-sugar solution, constantly stirring with the spoon. Allow the water to evaporate, which should take about 5-7 minutes. Garnish with a the milk is completely reduced; cook till mixture is slightly browned. Remove from pan. few grated almond pieces. Remove from stove and allow to thicken. Can be served warm or cooled and cut into slices.

Add in the ghee and the ground dal and cook till the raw smell disappears and the dal begins to come together like a halwa. Add the khaskhas-coconut mixture and sugar and cook till well-combined. Add in the nuts and raisins and mix well.

Cool till easy to handle. Then grease your palms and roll small handfuls of mixture into balls. Lay out single file to cool fully and harden. Store in an airtight container.

Pinni is a winter favourite in Punjab, rich in warmth-producing ingredients.

Peas and Corn Cutlets

1 cup peas

1 cup corn kernels

6 spring onions, thinly sliced

2/3 cup fine polenta

2/3 cup self-raising flour

1 ½ tsp coriander powder

2 eggs

½ cup plain yoghurt

Oil for frying

Salt and pepper to taste.

Mix together peas, corn, spring onions, polenta, salt and pepper. Add sifted flour and coriander powder.

Mix yolks from both eggs in ½ cup yoghurt and add to peas and corn mixture. Beat egg whites well. Fold one-third into peas and corn mixture and mix well. Gently fold in remaining egg whites.

Heat oil in a frying pan (pour to about 1 cm depth). Over medium heat, spoon small quantities of mixture into oil and flatten slightly. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden and cooked through. Drain on absorbent paper.

Suji Muthia

For muthia:

1 cup semolina

¼ cup chickpea flour (besan)

1 cup grated ghia

2 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp crushed garlic

Green chillies to taste, finely chopped

½ tsp turmeric

Finely chopped coriander leaves

Salt to taste

1 tbsp vegetable oil, or if you prefer, ghee

½ cup yogurt, whisked.

For seasoning:

1 tbsp oil

1-2 tsp black mustard seeds

1 –2 tsp white sesame seeds

1 sprig curry leaves

Juice of one lemon

Coriander leaves and shredded coconut for garnish.

Mix all ingredients for muthia into a dough. Take fistfuls of dough and arrange into sausage shapes. Steam in microwave steamer (four minutes for four pieces, covered, on high, works well). When cool, cut each sausage into five or six pieces.

Heat oil and add curry leaves, mustard seeds and sesame seeds. Pour onto prepared muthias, add lemon juice and mix well by tossing. Decorate with coriander leaves and shredded coconut.

Serve on a platter with coriander-mint chutney. Great as an entre or at afternoon tea.

Seviyan

2 cups vermicelli

Juice of 1 large lemon, adjust 3-4 tbsps roasted peanuts

Salt to taste

For tempering:

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tbsp urad dal

1 tbsp channa dal

2 dry red chillies, torn

1/4 tsp asafoetida

1/2 tsp grated ginger

2 green chillies, slit

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

8-10 curry leaves

Bring 5 cups of salted water to a boil. Add the vermicelli and cook for just under 4 minutes. Turn off heat and strain. Pour cold water over and then strain again. Add 2 tsps of oil and combine.

To temper, heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. As they begin to splutter, add the dals and allow them to turn slightly red; add curry leaves, green chillies, grated ginger, red chillies and stir fry briefly. Add asafoetida and turmeric powder, roasted peanuts and combine. Turn off heat. Add salt to taste and lemon juice and mix well.

Sheryl Dixit, Rajni Anand Luthra