Indian street food - Indian recipes

Tiffin: a selection of Indian street food

This feast of Indian finger food is perfect for sharing. There’s also plenty of choice for vegetarians.

Ingredients

For the banjara murgh

• 12 chicken drumsticks, flesh scored to the bone

• 1 tsp garlic and ginger paste

• 1 lime, juice only

• salt

For the marinade

• ½ tsp kasthoori methi (dried fenugreek leaf)

• 1 tsp garam masala

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp ground turmeric

• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli

• ½ tsp ground ginger

• ¼ tsp black salt

• ¾ tsp amchoor (mango powder)

• 2 tsp gram flour

• 1 tsp ground cashews

• 50ml/2fl oz mustard oil

• 3 tbsp double cream

• 4 tbsp yoghurt

• salt, to taste

For the veal sweetbreads

• 500ml/18fl oz milk

• 250ml/9fl oz water

• 1 tbsp salt

• 10 green cardamom pods

• 400g/14oz veal sweetbreads, soaked in cold water overnight

• 1 tbsp plain flour

• 2 tbsp Madras curry powder

• ¾ tsp chilli powder

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 free-range egg beaten with 25ml/1fl oz milk

• panko breadcrumbs, seasoned with salt

• 1 tbsp curry leaves, crushed

• corn oil, for deep frying

For the hara bara tikki

• 300g/10oz potatoes, peeled

• 200g/7oz cooked peas

• 200g/7oz spinach, wilted, water squeezed out, finely chopped

• 1 tsp fresh root ginger, finely chopped

• 2 tsp dried curry leaves, crushed

• ¾ tsp black salt

• 1 tsp chaat massala

• ¼ tsp chilli flakes

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• handful coriander, finely chopped

• 2 tbsp cornflour

• corn oil, for frying

For the carrot chutney

• 1 carrot, peeled, finely grated

• ½ red onion, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• pinch salt

• ½ lime, juice only

• 1-2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

For the tamarind chutney

• 400g/14oz tamarind paste

• 2.5cm/1in piece root ginger, peeled, finely chopped

• 2-3 tbsp jaggery, plus extra to taste

• ½ tsp cornflour

For the tomato chutney

• 3 tbsp corn oil

• 2 tbsp chana dal

• 2 tbsp urad dal

• 1 tsp black mustard seeds

• 3 dried chillies, roughly chopped

• handful curry leaves

• 3 medium onions, finely chopped

• 1 tsp salt

• 8 garlic cloves

• 5cm/2in piece root ginger, peeled, finely chopped

• 1 tsp ground turmeric

• 1 tsp hot chilli powder

• 5 ripe tomatoes, halved, sliced

• handful fresh coriander stalks, chopped

For the mint chutney

• handful fresh mint leaves

• handful fresh coriander

• ½ tsp chopped green chilli

• ¼ tsp black salt

• ½ tsp chaat masala

• ½ lime, juice only

• pinch salt

• 5 tbsp Greek-style yoghurt

For the spiced mango chutney

• 1 tbsp corn oil

• ½ tsp coriander seeds

• 1 green chilli, finely chopped

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• 4 tbsp good-quality mango chutney

• handful chopped coriander

For the methi pakora

• handful fenugreek leaves, finely chopped and salted

• 3 onions, finely sliced

• 4 new potatoes, julienned

• bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped

• ½ tsp garlic and ginger paste

• 1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and crushed

• 1 tsp panch phoron (Bengali spice blend), toasted, crushed to a powder

• ½ tsp ground turmeric

• ½ tsp chopped chilli

• ½ tsp ground coriander

• ½ tsp ground cumin

• ½ tsp tomato purée

• 1 lime, juice only

• salt, to taste

• 1 free-range egg

• 2 tbsp gram flour

• 1 tbsp cornflour

• corn oil, for frying

For the courgette flower pakora

• 1.4 litres/2½ pints whole milk

• 2 tbsp white vinegar

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 2 tbsp finely chopped red and green pepper

• 10 sun-blush tomatoes, finely chopped

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• salt

• ¼ tsp ground turmeric

• ½ tsp chilli powder

• ¼ tsp cracked black pepper

• 1-2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves

• squeeze lime juice

• 12 courgette flowers

• 200g/7oz rice flour

• 1 tbsp plain flour

• 1 tsp chilli flakes

• 1 tsp ground cumin seeds

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp garlic and ginger paste

• 100ml/3½fl oz sparkling water

• corn oil, for frying

For the pickled mooli and cucumber salad

• 1 medium cucumber, peeled, sliced into thin circles

• 1 mooli (roughly the same size as the cucumber), finely grated or chopped into thin strips

• salt, to taste

• 2 tbsp Japanese rice wine vinegar

• pinch sugar

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 3 tbsp garlic oil

Preparation method

1. For the banjara murgh, rub the chicken drumsticks with the garlic and ginger paste, lime juice and salt.

2. Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Place the chicken drumsticks into the marinade and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight.

3. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

4. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place onto a baking tray. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

5. For the veal sweetbreads, heat the milk, water, salt and cardamom pods in a pan until boiling, then reduce the heat until the mixture is barely simmering. Drain the sweetbreads and poach them in the milk mixture for 10-15 minutes. Drain the sweetbreads and peel the membrane.

6. Place the sweetbreads onto a clean, wet tea towel, wrap them up and place between two chopping boards or baking trays. Place a weight on top and leave to chill in the fridge for six hours. Remove the flat sweetbreads and cut into small pieces.

7. Mix the flour, curry powder, chilli powder, garlic powder and a pinch of salt in a shallow bowl until well combined.

8. Dip the sweetbread into the egg mixture, then dredge in the flour and coat in the breadcrumbs and curry leaves.

9. Heat the oil in a deep heavy-bottomed pan, until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns brown when dropped into it. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)

10. Deep-fry the sweetbread for 5-6 minutes, or until crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Season with salt.

11. For the hara bara tikki, cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water until tender, then drain.

12. Coarsely mash the potato and peas in a bowl, then stir in the remaining ingredients. Shape the mixture into 2.5cm/1in patties and leave to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

13. Heat the oil in a deep heavy-bottomed pan, until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns brown when dropped into it. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)

14. Deep-fry the patties for 2-3 minutes, or until golden-brown. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.

15. For the carrot chutney, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and leave to chill in the fridge.

16. For the tamarind chutney, place the tamarind, ginger and jaggery in a saucepan, cover with water and boil for 30 minutes. Pass the mixture through a sieve and discard the pulp.

17. Stir in the cornflour and add more jaggery, to taste. Set aside to cool.

18. For the tomato chutney, heat the oil in a pan and add the chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds and dried chillis, and cook until the mustard seeds begin to pop. Add the curry leaves and cook for a further 30 seconds, then add the onions, salt, garlic and ginger, and cook over a gentle heat for 8-10 minutes. Stir in the turmeric, hot chilli powder and one tablespoon of water and cook for another minute. Add the tomato and coriander stalks and cook for a further 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.

19. Blend the chutney in a blender to a smooth paste.

20. For the mint chutney, blend the mint, coriander and green chilli to a smooth paste. Stir in the black salt, chaat masala and lime juice and season, to taste, with salt. Stir in the yoghurt.

21. For the spiced mango chutney, heat the oil in a frying pan, then add the coriander seeds, green chilli and garlic and fry for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the mango chutney and coriander.

22. Blend the mixture in a food processor until smooth.

23. For the methi pakora, mix all of the ingredients except the flours and the corn oil together in a bowl until well combined. Slowly stir in the gram flour and cornflour to create a smooth batter.

24. Heat the oil in a deep heavy-bottomed pan until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns brown when dropped into it. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)

25. Shape the mixture into small balls and deep-fry for 2-3 minutes, or until golden-brown.

26. Remove the pakora from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

27. For the courgette flower pakora, heat the milk in a saucepan until boiling. Reduce the heat until the milk is simmering, then add the vinegar and continue to cook for a few minutes, or until the milk has curdled.

28. Line a large sieve with muslin or cheesecloth and place over a large bowl. Strain the cheese into the sieve and rinse with cold water. Wrap the cheese in the cloth and leave to hang for 20 minutes to allow any excess water to drain out.

29. Put the paneer onto a clean work surface. Place a heavy weight on top for 30-40 minutes, or until it is flattened into a firm block. Cut the paneer into small cubes and set aside.

30. Heat the oil in a wok and fry the onion, pepper, sun-blush tomatoes and garlic. Season with salt and fry for 4-5 minutes, or until the onions have softened. Add the turmeric, chilli powder and cracked pepper to the onions and fry for a further 30 seconds, then add 2-3 handfuls of the paneer. Continue to cook for a further 30 seconds, then stir in the coriander and lime juice and season, to taste, with salt. Set aside to cool.

31. Meanwhile, remove the pollen from the courgette flowers and stuff the flower with the spiced paneer mixture.

32. Mix the rice flour, plain flour, chilli, cumin and salt together in a bowl, then stir in the garlic and ginger paste. Slowly whisk in the sparkling water to make a smooth batter.

33. Heat the oil in a deep heavy-bottomed pan, until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns brown when dropped into it. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)

34. Dip the stuffed courgette flowers into the batter and deep-fry for 5-6 minutes, or until crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.

35. For the pickled mooli and cucumber salad, lightly salt the cucumber and mooli and set aside in a colander for 15 minutes. Rinse the cucumber and mooli and pat dry with kitchen paper or a clean tea towel.

36. Mix the rice wine vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard and garlic oil together in a bowl until smooth. Mix the dressing with the cucumber and mooli 10 minutes before serving.

37. Serve piles of the pakoras, banjara murgh, sweetbreads and hara bara tikki on individual plates for everyone to pass around. Serve with the chutneys and salad.