Best local foods from across the globe are in Pune
Some of the best local foods from across the globe are in your city. Rupika Vatnani tells you what to look out for
From Bangkok to Baghdad, Mexico City to Mumbai — street food to a large extent, is representative of the underlying gastronomic vibe of the city. The cook-flip-serve variety of brisk eats keeps many a tummy sated on the go during the day, and often is the delectable focus of a relaxed evening about town. The earliest versions of QSRs (quick service restaurants), street food carts are a great equaliser, unifying strata of the hungry populace, even if ultimate dining environs, for takeouts for example, may differ.
Chef Amit Chand at the eight month-old Novotel in the city is a big fan of tasty, quickly-dished food on the streets. “There’s nothing quite like travelling to a new city, asking the locals for recommendations and soaking in the neighbourhood culture while digging into your plate of dumplings or wraps”, he says. Chef Chand brings his culinary street cred acquired from travels to the best street food markets globally to the ‘Street Foods of the World’ festival, currently underway at The Square restaurant. Here, he shares some of his favourite recipes from the fest.MurtabakIngredients: Refined flour 225 gmSalt 8 gmGhee 15 gmLukewarm water 200 mlOil 100 mlFor the fillingMince from chicken leg 500gmEggs 2Ghee 30 gmChopped onion 20 gmGarlic, crushed 2 clovesGinger, chopped 5 gmTurmeric powder 5 gmGaram Masala 5 gmCoriander leaves, chopped 8 gmSalt to tasteBlack pepper 5 gmRed chilli fresh, chopped 2Method for Roti:Place flour and salt in a large bowl and rub in the ghee. Add water and mix to a fairly soft dough. Knead the dough for 10 minutes. Divide the dough into equal size balls and place them in a small bowl, drizzle oil, pat all over and keep aside.Method for Filling:Heat the ghee in a pan and fry the onion until soft. Add the garlic and fresh ginger and continue to fry till the onion is golden brown. Add the turmeric and chopped chilli and stir for a minute. Put in the meat and heat until cooked.
Bean Fajitas
Ingredients: Borlotti beans or rajma (boiled) - 80 gm Cumin powder - 5 gmCoriander, chopped - 20 gTomatoes, peeled - 2Salt to tasteTortilla sheets - 2 Cheddar cheese, grated - 15 gmTomato, chopped - 1Onion, chopped 40 gmGreen chillis, chopped - 5 gmTabasco - A few dropsSugar - 5 gmOnion, sliced - 30 gmBell pepper, sliced - 15 gmOlive oil - 50 mlBlack pepper- 5 gmGarlic, chopped - 5 gmSour cream - 100 ml
Method:For the salsa, mix the chopped tomatoes, onion, chilli, coriander, Tabasco, lemon juice salt and let macerate. In a hot pan, add some olive oil, add chopped garlic and onions. Cook till onions lose colour and add the beans and chopped peeled tomatoes. Mash the mix with a ladle, add cumin and fresh coriander and adjust seasoning. On a griddle, heat the tortilla sheets and spoon over the bean mixture along with onions, bell peppers and grated cheddar. Enclose each tortilla sheet like a wrap and keep aside.Serve the fajita with the prepared tomato salsa and sour cream.
Chicken Souvlaki
Ingredients: Chicken leg, cubed - 220 gmHung yoghurt - 40 gmFresh pomegranate, seeded - 1Cinnamon powder - 5 gmCumin powder - 10 gmStar anise powder - 3 gmLemon, juiced - 1Olive oil - 50 mlBell pepper dices - 40 gmGarlic, chopped - 10 gmPomegranate juice - 10 mlWhite pepper powder - 5 gmSalt to taste
Method:In a bowl, add the chicken leg cubes, yoghurt, pomegranate, cinnamon powder, cumin powder, star anise powder, lemon juice, olive oil, bell pepper dices, chopped garlic, pomegranate juice, salt and white pepper powder. Mix these ingredients well and let the chicken marinate overnight. Skewer the chicken alternating with the peppers and cook on a hot griddle till golden brown on all sides and cooked through.Serve with lemon wedges and a side salad
The ‘Street Foods of the World’ festival continues until May 25
The author is the Pune head for Food Bloggers’ Association of India (FBAI). FBAI is one of India’s premier online news channels on food, chefs, food events and food bloggers, and is an influencer that is making its presence felt across the Indian food and beverage electronic, online and social media space.