I have had Chana Jor Garam on my mind after my last Faces of India post. I couldn't shake off the need to indulge in some, especially after baking moist fudge walnut brownies for the Boulder Balvihar's end-of-year awards ceremony and picnic.
Balvihar picnic by the Boulder Creek, Eben G. Fine Park
We had great weather after a week of incessant rain and gloomy skies, a departure from our 300+ days of sunny blue skies. Seattle bore the brunt of our collective wrath. We love you, Seattle, really! We were just kidding!
Buy a packet of Haldiram's Chana Jor Garam from your nearest Indian grocer. Remember to check the best by date.
Haldiram's Chana Jor Garam
Then follow these guidelines to mix a savory Sunday Snack for yourself.
Yes, Anita, I used wax paper to line the paper cones
Shake some out into your palm
Toss into your mouth quickly and chomp down on it
Don't waste even a morsel
Balvihar picnic by the Boulder Creek, Eben G. Fine Park
We had great weather after a week of incessant rain and gloomy skies, a departure from our 300+ days of sunny blue skies. Seattle bore the brunt of our collective wrath. We love you, Seattle, really! We were just kidding!
Buy a packet of Haldiram's Chana Jor Garam from your nearest Indian grocer. Remember to check the best by date.
Haldiram's Chana Jor Garam
Then follow these guidelines to mix a savory Sunday Snack for yourself.
Yes, Anita, I used wax paper to line the paper cones
- 1 cup Chana Jor Garam
- 1/4 cup spicy sev (optional)
- 1/2 tsp chaat masala
- 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp roasted cumin powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 tomato, deseeded and chopped
- 2 Thai green chiles, chopped
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
- Mix chaat masala, red chilli powder, cumin powder and salt.
- In a medium bowl, add chopped onion, tomato, green chiles, and cilantro.
- Sprinkle mixed spices and toss.
- Add spicy sev, if using, and dry Chana Jor Garam.
- Douse with lemon juice and toss. Adjust to your taste. It should be crunchy, spicy and tangy.
Shake some out into your palm
Toss into your mouth quickly and chomp down on it
Don't waste even a morsel
13 comments:
Impossible to waste a morsel of that snack!!!
Looks yummy! Another kind of "crack" I'll have to try, eh?
Hmmmm... That sounds like something hubby would just love! Very quick post i must say!
So... it's really an extra-potent kachumbar mixed with the flattened, dried and fried kale chane? A crispy version of chana chaat! Hold the ink.
This looks delicious! I can't wait to try it!
-Lindsay @ pinchofyum
That's not Medha, is it? Surely?
This looks incredible! Spotted your photo on Tastespotting and just had to come by your blog to leave a comment! Would love to try this myself. Thanks!
dear Manisha, what is Balvihar ?
Blogger had issues with comments again today. My apologies if you tried to leave a comment and could not.
Here's a comment Anita sent me by email:
It just does work better in the paper cones. And you got a whiff of the newsprint too!
I must do the road-side stuff at home too sometimes - we tend to just snack on it without the yummy garnishes that make it quite the other animal!
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Indu, true that!
Kitt, yes! You will notice that a lot of snacks have onions, tomatoes, cilantro, chaat masala etc. Remember my masala papad? You can substitute Chana Jor Garam with peanuts and it will be delicious.
Miri, yes! Pics had to be taken quickly cos we eat the food that appears on this blog. And CJG cannot be eaten soggy!
Pel, I'm holding. But for how long?
Lindsay, thanks! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Shammi, 'tis Her Princessness. But why? Cos she's eating something so spicy? Or is there more to it?
Freshandfoodie, so glad you came by! I hope you try it soon!
Alvaro, good luck with your blog.
John, it is a Vedantic learning system for children of all ethnicities and religions. Balvihar is based on Chinmaya Mission's Bala Vihar, where children learn about the Indian culture and religion. Our Balvihar is more geared towards culture than religion and is run entirely by volunteers from the community. You can read more about Chinmaya Mission's vision for Bala Vihars here.
Anita, there's that added fun of tipping it out of a paper cone! Our cones were opened up and any leftover bits were promptly cleaned up.
Ok, I'm late to this party but I have to tell you - that looks like heaven in a cone to me.
This looks so yummy. I love spices but am a bit worried about the level of heat. I don't like tolerate very spicy-hot foods. Besides limiting the red chili should I decrease anything else?
Ellen, it is a piece of heaven, yes! Just a spicy one! ;-D
Tania, you might want to avoid the Thai green chiles, too. Taste the Chana Jor Garam by itself to get an idea of how much more heat you want to add to it. Good luck!
I had to revisit after the Washington Post mention!
I still haven't tried mixing in the garnishes - certainly with the next batch I buy! Will make a good variation from my Sunday snack of roti-chips and salsa/tatziki!
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