Shev Batata Puri with Spiced Yoghurt - shortcut

I am always trying to modify and re-invent classics when I am short of time, short of ingredients or short of patience and on a weeknight, after long hours of work, a combination of all those three is highly possible.

My partner and I try and keep all the entertaining we do for weekends but sometimes, we do have company during the week, mostly late evenings and that's when I have to think on my feet.

This recipe is great as a starter and goes well with a glass of wine or even just a glass of orange juice. Assembling takes 5 minutes if you have boiled the potatoes and prepared the chutney well in advance. Read about chutney. You can also freeze the chutney and use it later. 

Ingredients

10 Flat Puris - These are available at the Indian store. Alternately, you can choose to use thin salt-free biscuits too if you are unable to find these puris. 

3 Potatoes boiled, peeled and mashed (not too much. Use your fingers instead of a masher)

Half red onion chopped  (garnish)

Thin Plain Shev - available at the Indian Store (garnish)

Handful of chopped coriander leaves (garnish)

Half a lime
Half cup yoghurt, beaten. To this, add a pinch of salt,  half teaspoon sugar & 1 teaspoon cumin-coriander powder.

For the chutney :

Coriander  20 gms washed and chopped

Mint - 8-10 leaves

Green chilies - 1  for mild, 2 for medium, 4 for pungent. I go with 2 when I am entertaining. 

Tamarind pulp - 1 teaspoon  pulp soaked in 5 tablespoons hot water for 20 minutes. Make sure you squeeze the tamarind and let all the juice mix with water. We will be using this water.

Jaggery - 1 tablespoon

Cumin Seeds -1 teaspoon

Seedless Dates -3 soaked in 2 tablespoon warm water for 20 minutes. We will be using the water and dates. 

Water - 5-6 tablespoons 

Salt

Method -

Grind the ingredients under Chutney till you get a fine paste. It shouldn't be too watery or too thick. 

Add salt to suit your requirements. I generally don't add more than half a teaspoon. Taste. If you feel you can tolerate more heat, add one more chili and grind it.  

Keep the chutney aside if you intend using it immediately, refrigerate if you intend using it within two days or freeze it if you plan to use it after a week or so. 

Assembling

Arrange the flat puris or the thin biscuits on a serving plate. Make sure they are close to each other keeping minimum gap between them. 

Now add the mashed potatoes over the puris/biscuits. 

Now, add finely chopped red onion all over. 

Using a teaspoon, add the chutney steadily over the puris.

 Layer the puris with shev. 

Then, squeeze half a lime over the puris.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Add small dollops of spiced yoghurt on top or serve it on the side in a bowl. 

Please note: The original Shev puri recipe has three different types of chutneys. In this recipe, we have combined the three and made just one chutney.