Surprise Roti Sandwich

This dish makes use of a very versatile ingredient - left over rotis and a very tricky ingredient - brinjal! Brinjal or eggplant or aubergine (depending on which part of the world you are reading this from) does not usually have too many takers and that's the surprise factor in this dish as its really difficult to tell that you are eating baingan :)  A friend's family has a tradition of visiting Haridwar when a child is born in the family and as an offering of thanks, renouncing one particular food item for ever ! My friend's mom gave up eating brinjal and I thought smart lady! who loves eating brinjal anyway...how about renouncing chocolate ??
Talking about left over chappatis....growing up , my mom had the tastiest solution to left over rotis - fried papads. Just cut the roti into two and deep fry, sprinkle salt and red chilli and you have the best accompaniment to dal chawal. But gone are the frying days and its all about healthy eating ..this is a great way for an interesting combination

Ingredients

1 cup steamed corn
2 cups diced brinjal (Use the dark purple variety and dice into small cubes)
1 onion, sliced
1 teaspoon ajwain(carom) seeds
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon garlic paste
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tablespoon ketchup
Grated cheese
6 rotis (you can use fresh ones also)
olive oil

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the carom seeds. When they splutter add the ginger and garlic paste and fry for few seconds on a medium flame
2. Add the onion and cook till soft.
3. Add the brinjal and salt and cover with a lid. Cook on slow flame till it is soft and cooked.
4. Add the corn, pepper and ketchup. Toss and turn off the flame.
5. When slightly cooled, take a roti , fold in half and put two spoonfuls of this mixture on the bottom half. Put some grated cheese (or paneer) , fold the other half over and grill in sandwich maker till roti is crisp. Brush the roti with olive oil before putting in the grill.
6. Cut into two with a pizza cutter and serve with ketchup.

Shakarkandi Mayo Chaat

If you wondering what exotic dish I have served up today then gotcha! Shakarkandi is the hindi name for...........Sweet Potato ! :) So if you have ever visited the North in winter months, nothing is more soothing than the sweet and warm taste of the roasted sweet potato chaat served in cute li'l dried leaf katories..anyways the taste of street food is rarely matched elsewhere. Well winter is nowhere near but my vegetable vendor had a good stock of sweet potatoes so I am experimenting with what all I can come up with this delicious root vegetable.
Firstly you must cook this correctly and the best way is to cook in a steamer as boiling it in water makes it.. well.. sloshy (I can't come up with a better word ) . I cook mine in a steamer in a pressure cooker, just one whistle on high flame then left for 5 minutes on a slow flame. Open the cooker when the steam has released and smile at the pretty pink fella staring at you. Try this variation with mayonnaise for a super quick evening snack fix..

Ingredients

2 big sweet potatoes
4 tablespoons mayonnaise (low-fat preferred)
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon salt
Juice of one lemon
Chaat masala, coriander leaves to garnish

1. Boil the sweet potatoes. Roast them on a tawa with the skin on, till browned on all sides.
2. Peel and cut into chunks.
3. Mix all the remaining ingredients and pour over the sweet potato pieces.
4. Garnish with chaat masala and coriander leaves (I added colour with a little pomegranate)
5. Serve with toothpicks and watch them vanish !