Curried Chick Pea and Potato - around 70 cents a serve!

It’s time to put up one of the easiest dishes that I know and love - Curried chick pea with potato is one of many snack dishes from India that fall under the collective name of “chaat” (pronounced chart).  I cooked it up as part of a lunch meal for 5 during my week-long challenge to Live Below the Line.  A group of my colleagues and I got together to cook for each other while sticking to a budget of eating for no more than $2 a day - that's all meals and snacks - all day!  It's towards a good cause to raise money for people in extreme poverty in countries like Cambodia and Papua New Guinea.  The money will help fund education and skills training to break the cycle of poverty in such countries.  Check out my page on the Live Below the Line website for all the details of this worthwhile charity and also to see how our team went each day.  Feel free to donate generously as the site will be accepting donations until July 31^st 2013.

No more chatting, now back to the “chaat-ing”.  This dish was very inexpensive to say the least and has a surprisingly good kick of flavour too.  The dish costs just $3.06c – so that is a microscopic  61 cents per serve add 10 cents worth of flatbreads - and our bellies are nourished and filled thoroughly.
I have given the costs that incurred against the ingredients in the list that follows.  Try it, you won’t be disappointed – if anything, this dish is proof that we can cook up some really inexpensive meals, that don’t break the budget, and can still be nutritious and sustaining.

Ingredients, to serve 5

2 tbsp x Canola oil = 0.06c

4 x medium Potatoes = 0.40c

2 cans x Chick Peas, washed and drained (You can choose to use the dried ones but for the sake of time I have used the canned ones) = $1.79c

3 x onions, sliced = 3 x 0.5c (I got these at 60c for a kilo – so really cheap!)

2 x Garlic cloves, crushed = 0.10c

1 inch x Ginger. grated = 0.10c

3 tbsp x Tomato paste = 0.12c  

2 tsp x Coriander powder = 0.08c

2 tsp x Cumin powder = 0.08c

1 tsp x Turmeric powder = 0.04c

½ tsp x Chilli powder = 0.01c

1 tsp x Salt = 0.04c

3 Fresh chillies, deseeded and chopped = 0.02c

2 tsp x Coriander leaves chopped = 0.25c

Water as required.

TOTAL curry cost = $3.06

We ate these with home-made flatbreads which costed 0.50c for 500g of Wholemeal flour

TOTAL Meal = $3.56c

Directions

Place 1 tbsp of the oil into a heavy pan and heat on medium

Add the sliced onions and fry for 5 minutes until soft 

Place enough water to cover the potatoes into a saucepan and boil until potatoes are done
When cooled, peel and chop potatoes into rough cubes, reserve for later

Once onions are softened, add in the garlic, ginger and tomato paste and fry for 3 minutes, stirring constantly 

Place the cooked down mixture into a blender and allow to cool slightly
Process to a thick smooth paste - this is the curry paste
Clean out and dry the pan then return to the heat with the remaining tablespoon of oil
Add the dry spices and chick peas stirring well to combine 

Now add in the curry paste and a little water 
Stir through to completely coat the chick peas  

Add in the cooked potatoes from earlier

Stir through and allow to simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes
Add extra water as required to ensure that a thick gravy remains
Do not let the curry dry out
To serve place the curry into a bowl and garnish with chopped chilli and coriander

In India this dish is usually enjoyed with deep fried "purees" which are basically made up from plain flour mixed water into a dough then rolled flat and finally fried nice and crispy.

For the more frugal (as this week has been for us) I highly recommend flatbreads or "chaapatis" with this dish as they go together perfectly

Ingredients and directions

Take 500g of wholemeal flour (atta) and combine with boiling water into a workable dough - use a wooden spoon to do this

Knead the dough into a 25 equal balls

Use a rolling pin to roll these out to as flat as possible - thin but not see through

Heat a heavy frypan (unless you have an Indian "tawa" as in my pic) on medium to high heat 

Cook the flatbreads for a minute on each side but do not allow to burn

Eat them fresh with any curries or dahl dishes 

They are light and delicious and at 50 cents for the entire batch - a very cheap alternative to regular carbohydrate accompaniments - especially the ones that cost so much from a Indian restaurant!     

Review: Old Town Kopitiam Mamak - QV Building, CBD

Malaysian Mamak are collectively the people whose origins are from when their forefathers migrated from the Southern parts of India to Northern Malaysia.  The term Mamak stall is used to refer to an outdoor vendor, small in its appearance, that operates across all hours of the day.  Traditionally Mamaks serve the locals, Malay brewed teas and quick snacks.  The existence of such stalls has become more profound and they are most popular with the youth of Malaysia that are out for a quick socialising session over a cuppa.  More modern Mamaks have taken on the guise of cafés and have extended their menus to accommodate the tastes of their ever-growing numbers patrons.

Mamak style of cuisine varies slightly from the usual Malay dishes you would be accustomed to at your favourite Malaysian restaurant.  The Mamak people of Malaysia have used the influences of their Indian background to fuse dishes together that represent both cultures. Old Town Kopitiam has two outlets in the CBD, one in Chinatown, offering traditional Malaysian and the other in the Queen Victoria Building that is predominantly a Mamak restaurant.  Totally uneducated in the slightest way on Mamak cuisine I tagged along to a lunch get together expecting a nice serve of Beef Rendang – this was definitely not on the menu at the QV Building store, head to Chinatown for that one (I will review the Chinatown outfit in due time).

Since Mamak beverages are all the rage it would be rude not to sample some for ourselves.  You are spoilt for choice here with a variety of white and black coffees and teas with varied amounts of sweeteners and flavour add-ons.  Most intriguing was that you can order a chocolate energy packing Milo or even a Horlicks – a malted cereal beverage that I remember from my childhood in India.  Our drinks of choice were a bit more on the traditional side – Bandung – a rose water flavoured, delightfully pink milk shake like beverage served in the most quirky of contraptions that was rightfully labelled as a ‘drinking jar’.  I would imagine that there is a lid that screws on and you can shake the contents of your beverage without spillage before serving with a straw (I need to get one of these for home!)  My colleague was a little bit more daring and tried the Bandung Cincau which is the rose milk with grass jelly.  Having never experienced grass jelly before, I give her much props.   Alas, she did not find the taste too pleasant though – stick to the original next time.

For starters we ordered Roti Canai ($4) which is a Malaysian flatbread that is served to you hot and crispy.  The talented cook makes it near the counter in part of the open view kitchen. For an additional fifty cents you get accompanying gravies from the available dishes.  While the roti was exceptionally good the $4 price tag is a little steep.  The gravies are a good compliment but not necessary as the roti is tasty enough without and would probably be more value at around the $2 mark.

Nasi Kandar is the Malaysian Mamak equivalent of rice with curry combination that is prevalent in take away shops boasting bain maries stocked with different curries and other dishes.  I ordered rice with two curries, ($8) these being Stewed Beef, Red Chicken Curry.  The beef dish was a mellow tender serve of beef cheek presumably but it had a very sweet flavour to it, almost an overpowering pungency of star anise and/or cinnamon.  The chicken dish was not sweet in flavour but was dotted with whole spices that you bit on if you were not lucky enough to spot them and segregate them to the side of your plate.  Unfortunately the taste of whole cardamom does not satisfy my palette’s requirement for a good restaurant meal.  My colleagues ordered the biryani ($9)as their rice portion and found that they would need to go on a whole spice treasure hunt before proceeding to eat.  The yellow chicken curry was more appetising and the vegetable dishes are simple and satisfying.  

These dishes served in the rustic way that they were, would probably garner more charm and appreciation coming from a street vendor somewhere in Kuala Lumpur.  In an establishment like Old Town Kopitiam Mamak, in quite an architecturally swish restaurant, in the middle of the QV Building, alongside other fine eateries, I find it somewhat unacceptable.  I would be half comforted if told that the dish was served from the take away food court section within the shopping complex.  There is a certain expectation that you have when sitting down to a meal in surroundings where the shop designers have put much thought into, and unfortunately, Old Town Kopitiam Mamak has left a bad (cardamom!) taste in my mouth.  

Review: Chilli India, Melbourne CBD

The Chilli Padi group of restaurants have popped up around Melbourne with 3 outlets in the CBD and one in the suburbs.  They specialise in Malaysian dishes for the masses for lunch time fixes.  Another addition to their chain of successful outlets is Chilli India – a busy little hub in a most unlikely setting offering a variety of very  tasty curries and flatbreads.  A friend introduced me to Chilli India where she had dined previously for dinner and had good remarks about the food. 

Chilli India is located in the CBD’s Melbourne Central shopping centre next door to Chilli Padi, and is accessible from Little Lonsdale Street unless you come through the complex.  The first thing you notice is that the shop is somewhat set up as a take away joint.  Glass counter over a bain marie.  Order taker pushing keys on a register with an extensive menu board behind, that you have to look up to, to peruse the dishes available and make your decision as you queue up alongside eager patrons.  There is no seating in the shop.  Instead, the walkway from the street entrance is set up with small tables and chairs to facilitate the dine in option.  The best part of this set up was the outdoor patio heaters, used at full blast to keep diners warm.  This is required because every time the sliding doors leading to the street opened, a chilly brisk breeze blows in and those patio heaters together with some hot curry fit the bill to keep you at a somewhat good temperature.

A feature of the shop is the open grill at the front where a skilled flatbread maker works his magic and comes up with beautifully fluffy rotis, crisp to the touch and melt in your mouth freshness.  These are a must at Chilli India – and are great snacked on plain or as a replacement to the rice in your meal as they go fantastic with curries. 

I ordered a Roti Platter - with 2 meat dishes and 1 veg dish, served with 2 fluffy rotis (When in Rome! Or India! As they say).  At 10.95 this very reasonable as most places only have a single roti on offer in their combo meals for the same price.

The first meat dish was a goat curry – I take the opportunity to eat goat prepared by Indian restaurants when I can, as they have a great way of slow cooking the meat in the spices that really brings out the flavour and tenderness that is most delicious.  Chilli India’s goat curry was no exception, lightly spiced and well-cooked it ticked all the boxes.  A word of caution when eating goat curry though, be careful of small bones – “shards” as a fellow foodie has once referred to them as.  For some reason the preparation of goat meat does not warrant any due care to remove any “shards” of bone and as a result these may end up on your plate at best, between your teeth if you are unlucky – do be careful but otherwise very enjoyable. 

The second curry was a Chilli Chicken dish that I held some high hopes for as I saw it as the namesake signature dish.  Unfortunately it was very disappointing, basic red chicken with bones intact in a savoury sauce lacking every bit of chilli that my mouth watered for.  Hardly a contender for the name – definitely omissible!

The vegetarian dish – Paneer curry, which is made from Indian cottage cheese pressed into cubes – more than compensated for the previous dish.  This was a flavour hit with a very pleasing taste.  I had had badly made paneer curries before that took away from the smooth supple cheese cubes and it was refreshing that Chilli India was doing this classic ingredient some justice in their dish. 

Chilli India also make a variety of popular snacks from the sub-continent – the most well know is the Samosa.  The pastry is crisp and tasty (not pasty) and the filling of dry curried potatoes and spices is well balanced and does not fall apart on first bite.  Obviously the chef at the back behind the scenes has worked out how to make good samosas worthy of the street sellers’ shops dotted around the bustling laneways and gullies of my hometown Kolkata, India.  At under $2.00 a samosa these are a very “snackable” should you happen to crave something so.  Ah, but to be in Kolkata snacking on these at a roadside hawker is really something and with the currency conversion rate your same $2.00 gets you a meal size snack – with a signature “chai”

I usually keep my visits to curry houses to a minimum for a few reasons:

1. I am from India so it does not take a lot to disappoint me with a bad curry dish – and many have.
2. My dad cooks curries which top most of the ones I have had to pay for
3. The more commercial an Indian take-away get the more its curry takes on a generic taste and smell that become quite monotonous and unworthy of a return visitChilli India is up there as one of the best Indian eateries in the CBD that I have eaten at in a long while.  The food is tasty and does not strike that boring curry note I dread.  The menu is extensive and inexpensive. Even the a la carte service is reasonable and given the quality of the food – especially the fresh rotis – it makes it great value.  If you can put up with a corridor of flowing breeze and unconventional dine in seating then you will be well compensated with good food.

  Check out the Chilli India website HERE   

Check out the Chilli Padi website HERE