Namak Paara

½ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour or maida)

½ cup whole wheat flour

2 Tbsp fine semolina flour (sooji)

¾ tsp salt

¼ tsp carom seeds (ajwain)

2 Tbsp oil

⅓ cup water, adjust as needed

Oil for frying

Mix the flour, semolina, salt, carom seeds, and oil together, using your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add water as needed to create a firm yet smooth dough. Cover with a damp cloth and allow it to rest for at least ten minutes.

Knead the dough for another minute and divide it into two equal parts.

Form each portion into a flat ball. Roll them into 9-inch circles with the thickness of salted crackers.

Prick the rolled dough all over with a fork to prevent the paras from puffing during frying.

Cut each rolled dough into pieces about half an inch wide and 2 inches long. Note: you can cut them into any shape you prefer.

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat.

The oil should be at least 1 ½ inches deep. To test if the oil is ready, drop a small piece of dough into the oil. It should sizzle and rise slowly.

Add just enough namak paras so they can be easily turned while frying. Fry them until both sides are light golden-brown.

Once the namak paras cool to room temperature, they should become crisp.

Spicy Namak Paara:

2 cup All Purpose Flour Maida

¼ cup fine semolina sooji

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper crushed, kali mirch

1 tsp chili flakes lal mirch

1 tsp cumin seeds jeera

1 Tbsp dried fenugreek leaves Kasuri Methi

4 Tbsp oil

¾ cup chilled water approx.

In a bowl, thoroughly mix all the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, sooji, salt, black pepper, red pepper, cumin seeds, and methi. Then add the oil and mix well.

Gradually add the chilled water, mixing with your fingers as you pour. Do not knead the dough. The dough should be soft. Cover and let it sit for at least fifteen minutes.

Knead the dough and divide it into two equal parts. Shape each part into a flat ball. Roll them into about 10-inch circles, ensuring they are not too thin.

Prick them with a fork all over the rolled dough, on both sides. This prevents the paras from puffing while frying.

Cut each rolled dough into pieces about 1/2-inch wide and 3 inches long. Note: you can cut them into any shape you desire.

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat.

The frying pan should contain at least 1-1/2 inches of oil. To check if the oil is ready, put a small piece of dough in the oil. It should sizzle and rise slowly.

Ensure you add just enough paras so they can be easily turned while frying. Fry the paras until both sides are light golden brown. This should take about 8 minutes.

After the Spicy Namak Paras have cooled to room temperature, they should become crisp.

Moong Dhal Vada

1 cup split washed moong dal

1 cup boiled, peeled, and shredded potatoes

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro (hara dhania)

1 tablespoon minced green chili

1 tablespoon finely shredded ginger

1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

1/8 teaspoon asafetida (hing)

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Oil

Rinse the dal and soak it in approximately 3 cups of water for four hours or more. Grind the dal coarsely with minimal water.

Combine all the ingredients with the dal batter, including potatoes, cilantro, green chili, ginger, cumin seeds, asafetida, and salt. Beat the batter for 2-3 minutes to make it light. Add water if necessary; the batter should be soft. If the batter is too thick, the vadas will be hard.

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. The oil should be about 1 inch deep. To test if the oil is ready, drop a small amount of batter into the oil. It should sizzle and rise without changing color immediately. If the oil is too hot, the vadas won't cook through and won't be crispy.

Drop about 1 tablespoon of batter into the oil. Fry the vadas in small batches until they are golden-brown all over.

Moong Dal Vada should be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Bakewell Tart

Dough

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (approximately 7 1/8 ounces)

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus extra for greasing

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon cold water

Filling

1 1/4 cups very finely ground blanched almond flour (approximately 4 1/3 ounces)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour (approximately 1 1/2 ounces)

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam

Sliced blanched almonds (optional)

Powdered sugar

Prepare the dough

Combine flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a food processor bowl, and pulse twice to mix. Add butter, and pulse until the butter forms pea-sized and smaller pieces. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and water; gradually add to the processor bowl through the chute, pulsing until just mixed, about 34 pulses. (The mixture will remain crumbly but should hold together when squeezed.)

Press the dough evenly onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch fluted round tart pan with a removable bottom. Prick the dough with a fork; freeze for at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours. (Cover the dough once firm if freezing overnight.)

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Take the tart pan from the freezer; lightly grease one side of a piece of aluminum foil with butter. Line the tart pan with the foil, butter side down against the dough, and fill with pie weights; place the tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake the dough for 20 minutes; remove from the oven, and take out the foil and pie weights. Continue baking the crust until it turns golden brown, another 10 to 20 minutes. (If the crust bubbles up while baking, gently prick and deflate it with a fork.) Allow the crust to cool in the tart pan on a wire rack until it reaches room temperature, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Meanwhile, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.

Prepare the filling

Place almond flour, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, and salt in the food processor bowl (no need to clean it first); pulse to combine, about 4 pulses. Add butter, almond extract, and egg; pulse until just mixed, about 6 pulses, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

To assemble, spread the jam evenly over the bottom of the cooled crust on the same rimmed baking sheet; spoon the almond flour mixture evenly on top and spread it into an even layer. Sprinkle with almonds (if using).

Bake the tart until the filling is puffed and golden brown, and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes, rotating the tart pan 180 degrees halfway through the baking time and covering with aluminum foil if the edges of the crust are browning too much.

Let the tart cool in the pan on a wire rack until it reaches room temperature, 1 hour, 30 minutes to 2 hours. Remove the tart from the pan and transfer to a platter. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.