Chef Kachroo is a Regional Executive Chef with Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services, Toronto Canada.
MASALA MATRI
INGREDIENTS:
1 Refined flour (Maida) – 2 cups
2 Whole wheat flour (Atta) – 1/2 cup
3 Gram flour (besan) – 1/2 cup
4 Semolina (Suji) -1/4 cup
5 Oil or Ghee —– -1/2 cup
6 Cumin Seeds (Zeera) -1/2 tsp.
7 Carom Seeds (Ajwain) -1/2 tspn
8 Coriander Seeds (Dhania) – 2 tspn
9 Fennel Seeds (Saunf) – 1 tsp.
10 Black Pepper -1/2 tsp.
11 Clove – 4 no
12 Salt – 1tspn
13 Asafetida – a pinch
14 Fenugreek Leaves— – 2 tspn
15 Water for mixing as required
16 Oil to fry
METHOD:
1) With the help of pestle motor coarsely grind all the ingredients from no 6 to no 14 & set aside.
2) Mix all the ingredients in a bowl from no1 to no 5. Add crushed spices, add oil and massage the ingredients till the mixture has a crumb texture.
3) Add water to blend it into a dough (hard), set aside to rest for 20 minutes covered with a damp cloth.
4 Divide the dough into 30 – 35 equal portions or balls, flatten each portion between the palms of your hands.
5) Heat oil in a wok for couple of minutes on medium heat, then put the matris in it ensuring that it doesn’t heat beyond medium. Keep on turning the matris once in a while, fry till golden brown.
Cool them and store in a air tight container.
It Is a good mid day snack. I serve it with green apple & ginger chutney or gooseberry chutney with cilantro.
Amla Coriander Chutney and Granny’s Apple Chutney
GRANNY’S APPLE CHUTNEY
INGREDIENTS:
1 Oil – 2 tbspn / 2 Cumin 1 tsp.
3 Ajwain (Carrom Seeds )1tspn / 4 Onion Seeds 1 tsp.
5 Methi seeds 1 tsp. / 6 Mustard Seeds 1tspn
7 Red Chilli Powder- 2 tspn / 8 Turmeric Powder—2 tspn
9 Fennel Seeds 1tspn / 10 Finely Chopped Ginger 3/4 cup
11 Green Chilli Chopped -3 tbspn / 12 Green Apple diced medium with skin on 6 No.’s
13 Red Apple chopped-skin on- 3No. / 14 Apple Cidar vinegar/white vine./malt vine.1 cup
15 Brown Sugar-1/2 cup or stevia – 1/4 cup
METHOD:
1Heat oil, add no. 2 to 6 and let the seeds crackle, then add chopped ginger and chilli and sauté for a minute or two.
2) Add chopped apples & all other ingre., mix & cook on slow heat in a covered pan till apples becomes soft.
3) Remove from heat, cool and keep refrigerated in air tight container.
Indian Gooseberry (Amla) & Coriander Chutney
1 Amla – Pitted & blanched – 150 gms or 2 cups / 2 Coriander 1 bunch chopped & washed.
3 Chopped green chilli – 2 Nos. / 4 Roasted Cumin Powder-1 tsp.
5 Turmeric Powder 1/2 tsp / 6 Asafotida –1/2 tsp.
7 Sugar—1 1/2 tsp. or Stevia 3/4 spoon / 8 Black salt ½ tspn/ 9 Salt to taste / 10 Oil 2 tspn.
METHOD:
Blend all the ingredients into a smooth paste and refrigerate in air tight containers. You can also toss boiled rice in this and this can give you a wonderful preparation like lemon rice, use the tempering same as lemon rice.
HIGHLIGHTS: BOTH chutneys can be used as a alternative dipping for dosas, samosas, pakoras, wraps with meat or vegetable fillings.
Sandeep Kachroo Regional Executive Chef, Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services, Toronto Canada.
About Chef Kachroo: Chef Sandeep Kachroo is a seasoned and talented chef, has been in the industry for around three decades. Currently he is working as Regional Executive Chef with Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services, Toronto Canada. He is known as a task master. His passion for international cuisine was born in the heart of his mother’s kitchen in Kashmir, India. His career has taken him from the grandiose gold-lined fine dining restaurants and dining halls of prestigious hotels across the continents to South east Asian culinary journey and the quaint fine dining restaurants occupying the cobblestoned streets of Luxembourg City.
Chef Kachroo began his culinary career from the world-renowned Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai in 1988. He held various position at Taj Mahal hotel, where he honed his skills under the tutelage of Chef Satish Arora. Later on, he served as Executive Chef of Taj Hari Mahal Palace Jodhpur and Taj Westend Race Course Road Bangalore. To expand his horizon, he moved from culinary to operations and joined Taj Bentota hotel in Sri Lanka as Resident Manager. Bidding a good bye to India, he joined Eating New Creations in and Compass Canada.
Chef Kachroo is academically very sound. He did his early education from DAV Higher Secondary School in Srinagar (J&K) and done his culinary degree from Institute of Hotel Management IHMCTAN Hyedrabad. He holds a Master’s in Food and Beverage from Cornell University, Certified ISO22000/HACCP lead internal auditor, certified in allergen and gluten free protocols. Completed his Food Venture Formulation and Financing from Culinary Institute of America (CIA) He also completed his Effective Kitchen Management course from EHL – Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne. He has been awarded “Account of the Year” from Chartwells’ Higher Education along with receiving numerous conde-Nast traveler, Food Lovers awards and Time’s Food Guide.
Editor in Chief : Mewati SItaram
