Being an expert on nutrition, health and traditional regional cuisine is one thing. Being an academic expert botany researcher, a bird expert and trekker , is another.
But being able to innovate in positive ways, and then photograph it in yummy ways, is something my blogger friend Sangeeta Khanna is very good at.
This photo of chaat she had for dinner, had many drooling. I even wrote a poem. And then I found out that this chaat doesnt use puris at all !
Sliced grilled spiced aubergines (Baingan to us chaatwallas) , used as base, covered with aloo tikky crumble, a cool layer of spiced dahi(plain yogurt), and a final splash of date and tamarind chutney. And then , as a piece de resistance, a generous fistful of some special small size cooked garbanzos , hitherto referred below as Chhole Ubale.
(The poem was written before the above discovery . So read the high calories poem as you enjoy the concept of the high protein, low calorie chaat).
Have some ! :-))
stiff
and all that,
participating in an evening,
in the midst
of some
finely chiseled onions,
matching bashful tomatoes,
some dada style
potatoes,
finally cooked and smashed
watched by a victorious
Lady Coriander
with the Chilly chamchas,
and waiting
avidly for a
fashionable Sev and Spice Sprinkle
The devout puris
overcome with all this
suddenly realise
the arrival of Chhole Ubale,
and
immediately grab
and hide behind
the dahi ghunghat;
where they come from,
puris don't
show their faces,
till
the various
Chutney ladies appear
and take charge of the proceedings...
