Halwa Paratha

Halwa Paratha of Aligarh.

Starting in the last week of January begins the Annual festival of Numaish in Aligarh. Its a mix of trade fair and local fair but lasting for almost a month. One thing that you would see along with this all across the city are three special foods : Halwa - Paratha , Khajla & Barola.

Halwa - Paratha:

This dish is believed to originate from the adjoining district of Meerut. However some old residents of Aligarh also say that this actually arrived from Karanchi during partition. And usually used to be made on annual get together's when these families used to meet here in Aligarh. Whatever is the truth, let's enjoy the recipe. 

Paratha:

Paratha :  Is actually a huge Puri made of Maida (fine flour) (250 gm for one puri). Miada is kneaded with enough of moin (three four tbsp of refined oil / ghee). It should be loosely kneaded so that it can be easily spread into Puri of almost 2ft diameter. To spread it into paratha, make a single ball of approx 250 gm and put it on a greased flat base and press it slowly starting from center till it is evenly spread and becomes a large paratha as below.

Deeep fry this in hot refined / Ghee in a flat bottom Kadahi.

Paratha is ready.

Halwa : Halwa is the rawa (suji) Halwa we normally make at home.

Recipe : In about 50 gm ghee fry rawa (150gm) regularly stirring till you get a light pink colour. Add water (three cups) and keep stirring till it starts setting. Add one cup sugar to it. Keep stirring. When all sugar melts and mixes add 50gm ghee and remove from flame. Spread on a flat bottom plate and garnish with dry fruit, Coconut and Cherry.

Serving : This is normally sold by weight in kgs. And served by cutting paratha in piece and a scoop of Halwa. 

Relish.

The other two dishes Khajla and Barola would be discussed separate.

You may also enjoy these from Aligarh :

Aligarhi Kachauri      Atrauli Aloo Chaat      Khajla                Barola  

                           

Snacky Chicken

SNACKY CHICKEN

My kids don't want chilly in their food. But they love non veg. So I try this method which they love. This also goes good as snacks with drinks. 

Ingredients : 

Chicken : Half Kg

Onion : 250gm, sliced

Curd : 2 tbsp

Salt : as per taste

Haldi powder : 1tsp

Ginger : 2 tsp - crushed

Garlic Paste: 2 tbsp

Eno Powder - 1/2tsp

Garam Masala - 1tsp

Chart Masala - 1 tbsp

Whole spices for tadka 

Clove - 5 peices

Dalchini - 1 small peice

Big Cardamom - 5 peices

Small cardomom - 2peices

Black pepper - 10 -12 peices

Tejpatta - 2 peices.

Red chilli - 2 peices

Marination : In a bowl put washed - drained - chicken pieces and add one tbsp garlic paste, 1tsp ginger paste, salt as per taste, curd 1tsp and mix well. add the eno powder and mix again. Check the whole chicken should be well coated with marination. keep aside for one hour.

Preparation : In a flat bottom kadhai add three tbsp of refined oil. (If you prefer mustard oil you can use the same esp eastern India) let it heat. Add the whole spice enlisted above for tadka. Let it crackle. Add onion and fry on mild heat till it is tender and pink. Add marinated chicken and fry covering with lid in turns to soften the chicken. Once it fries a little add a tsp of turmeric (haldi) ,garlic paste and ginger paste and continue frying. After some time add the left one tbsp of curd and fry till its well mixed. Add garam masala poiwder and chaat masala powder and saute till the chicken is soft enough to eat. Your snacky chicken is ready.

Serve hot.

Aditya Sinha

Aligarhi Kachauri

Aligarhi Kachauri

You move to any city, you would find some special breakfast or snacks that the city is proud of. especially in the B-class city, where some root culture still exists. Move in the lanes in the morning and you find Jalebi - Samosa in Jhansi, Baati chokha or Sattu ka sharbat in Patna, Bajpai ki kachauri in Lucknow, Mirchi Bada in Jodhpur and so on .....
So the list is endless. When I landed in Aligarh I saw the same morning rustle around the local halwai shops and there was this special Kachauri with aloo ki sabji and raita. 

So enjoy this at your home in one breakfast. 

Ingredients : Kachauri -  Flour  - 2 cups
                                        Urad dal ka peetha - 4 tbsp
                                        Ginger - finely chopped 
                                        Heeng - one pinch
                                        Oil for frying
                    Aloo ki Sabji - Boiled Potato (Aloo) - 4 pieces medium sized
                                         Green chilli paste - 1 tea spoon
                                         Normal spices as used in vegetable,
                    Boondi ka raita - Mahin Boondi - half cup
                                         Curd - 1 cup
                                         Roasted Jeera Powder - 1 tsp

                               

                                       
Preparation : 

Kachauri

Filling : To the Urad dal ka peetha add finely chopped or crushed ginger a pinch of hing and salt and mix well. Check it should not leave water. If it is very wet add some gram floor to make it dry.

To the floor add two tbsp refined oil and knead the flour. Keep it very tight.

Make big size (double the size that you use for chapati) balls of flour and fill a pinch of the filling. Roll it on rolling pin and make Puri. Keep it a little thick. Fry it in refined oil. Once it is cooked like a normal Puri, take it out and let it cool. Again put the cooled Puri with its air drained out in red hot oil and fry till it is golden brown. Drain the oil and serve hot with aloo ki sabji and raita.

Aloo ki sabji : 

Cut the boiled potatoes in small pieces. In an iron kadhai heat two tbsp of oil and add potatoes. Add a tsp of coriander powder, a pinch of turmeric powder, salt chilli powder, garam masala and fry. Add the paste of green chilly and keep frying and crushing the potatoes till it is fully cooked.Add a tsp of Khatai (Aam churn) Add a cup of water and keep stirring till it appears as a thick paste.

Boondi Raita :

Pour the one cup of curd in a bowl and add a tsp of black salt, a pinch of heeng and salt as per taste. Mix it well till it appears as paste. Add two cups of cold water and mix well. Add boondi and a tsp of roasted jeera powder. Mix well. The consistency should be very thin. 

Enjoy the hot and spicy Aligarh Kachauri.


You may also like the following regional dishes from different states

Bihar - Litti Bharta                                                                                         UP - Mutton Kawab   
(Also called Baati Chokha in UP)                     Jharkhand - Dhuska             (Bundelkhand Region)

                           

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