Street-Style North Indian Staples: Chef-Special Recipes

Evening falls on a North Indian street, and something shifts. Oil starts hissing in a kadhai that's clearly seen years of use. Dough slaps against a hot tawa in a rhythm the vendor probably stopped thinking about a decade ago. The spices hang in the air even after he's moved on to the next order. 

In Old Delhi's lanes or an Amritsar bazaar, this isn't a novelty; people eat like this most days, and the cart is where office workers, students, and families end up standing shoulder to shoulder. However, options like chole bhature and golgappas often overshadow the lesser-known street staples. If you’re whipping up a North Indian spread, here are some step-wise recipes shared by Indian chefs that you can follow and make your evenings worth remembering.

Patyud Bites

By Gurjeet Singh, Executive Chef, The Orchid Rishivan, Rishikesh

Ingredients:

• 8-10 fresh arbi leaves
• 1 cup besan
• 5-6 garlic cloves
• 2 green chillies
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp jakhiya seeds
• 1 tsp salt
• Water as required
• 1 tsp oil

Method:

1. Wash the arbi leaves thoroughly and pat them dry. Trim the thick stems and veins.
2. Mix besan, crushed garlic and green chillies, coriander powder, turmeric, jakhiya seeds and salt. Add water to make a thick paste.
3. Spread the paste evenly over each leaf. Stack 3-4 leaves, fold the edges and roll tightly.
4. Steam the rolls for about 30 minutes, until cooked through.
5. Cool slightly, slice and serve. Pan-fry the slices briefly for a crisp finish, if desired.

Ram Laddoo

By Chef Gaurav Mawari, Executive Chef at Novotel Pune Nagar Road

Ingredients:

• 2 cups moong dal, soaked
• 1 cup urad dal, soaked
• 1⁄2 cup chana dal, soaked
• 10 gms ginger, chopped
• 2 green chilli, chopped
• Salt to taste

For Green Chutney:

• 10 gms ginger, peeled
• 2 green chilli
• 1⁄2 cup coriander leaves
• 1⁄4 cup mint leaves
• Salt to taste

For Serving:

• 1 radish
• 2-3 green chilli
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves
• 1⁄2 lemon juice
• Black salt to taste

Method:

1. Add soaked moong dal, urad dal, chana dal, ginger, green chilli and grind into a thick batter. Add salt to taste, and beat the mixture well until air is incorporated.
2. Heat the oil in a pan and drop the round pakoda into the batter; cook until golden brown. And keep aside.
3. To make the green chutney, mix ginger, green chilli, coriander leaves, mint leaves, and salt.
4. Assemble the ram laddoos with the chutney and grated radish mixed with green chillies, coriander leaves, and salt. Adjust lemon juice as required.

Bedmi Puri Aloo

By Chef Shekhar Mohite, Executive Sous Chef at The Orchid Pune

Ingredients:

• 1 cup soaked white urad dal
• 1 tbsp refined oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)
• 1 tsp chopped ginger
• 1 tsp chopped green chillies
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp amchur powder
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander
• Oil for deep frying

For the Dough:

• 1/2 kg whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup suji
• 1 tsp ajwain
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp ghee
• Water as required

For Aloo Sabzi:

• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp jeera
• 1 tsp hing
• 1 tsp chopped ginger
• 2 green chillies, chopped
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1.5 tsp coriander powder
• 1.5 tbsp besan
• 1 tsp-soaked fenugreek seeds
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup boiled potatoes
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped coriander

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and let them crackle. Add hing, chopped ginger, and green chillies. Sauté for a minute.
2. Stir in turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, and garam masala. Cook on a low flame.
3. Add soaked urad dal, salt, and amchur powder. Mix well and cook for a few minutes. Let it cool for 5 minutes.
4. Grind the mixture into a coarse texture. Add chopped coriander and mix.
5. For the dough, mix whole wheat flour, semolina, ajwain, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, and ghee. Rub the mixture until crumbly.
6. Knead a tight dough using water as required. Apply some oil and let it rest.
7. Divide the dough into equal portions. Make cups using thumb and finger, add the stuffing, and secure nicely. Roll the stuffed dough into puris.
8. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Fry the puris until crisp and puffed. Set them aside.
9. For the aloo sabzi, heat ghee in a pan. Add jeera, hing, chopped ginger, and green chillies.
10. Stir in turmeric powder, red chilli powder, and coriander powder. Add besan and roast for a while.
11. Add soaked fenugreek seeds and a splash of water. Add chopped tomatoes and cook until soft.
12. Stir in crushed potatoes, fresh chopped coriander, and amchur powder.
13. Serve hot with bedmi puris.