Chot Poti (Chick Peas in Tamarind) Favourite Snack !!!!
Ingredients:
2 cans chickpeas (washed and drained)
1/2 block of fresh tamarind (found packaged in most Indian stores)
1 potato (peeled and diced into about the same size as the chick peas)
Spices: 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp coriander powder
fresh coriander
green chillies
3 eggs (hard boiled) then sliced
1 onion sliced thin like matchsticks
1 tomato
1/4 cucumber
How to:
1. Boil chick peas and potato in water along with 1/2 tsp of all spices as indicated above and 1 level tsp salt.
2. Using a blender, make a sauce with tamarind (having squeezed out the tamarind well), 2-3 green chillies and a handful of coriander leaves.
3. Add only some of the sauce to the chick peas and potatoes and continue to boil until the sauce gets thicker and the vegetables are soft but not mashed. Save the remainder of the tamarind sauce for adding later when serving.
4. Heat up 3 tsps of cumin powder and 1 tsp of chilli powder in a dry fry pan without using any oil. Heat until browned. (You may want to put the extractor fan on at this point).
5. Add just 1/2 of the quantity of the heated cumin and chilli powder to the chot poti (chick peas and potato) leaving the rest for serving later.
6. Before serving, add the matchstick-like onion slices, some sliced cucumber, sliced egg and sliced tomato and then pour into a serving dish.
7. Decorate the top with the remaining egg slices and cucumber slices and sprinkle the warmed spices over the top.
8. Serve with a bowl of the warmed spices on the side, a jug of tamarind sauce, and some chopped green chillies. Guests can add these items as they please when serving themselves a bowl of chot poti.
