Microwaved Khandvi

This is the second recipe of Khandvi I tried. The first one is here. I got the microwave recipe from Showmethecurry.com. Thanks Hetal & Anuja for this easy recipe.

The ingredients given below would yield around 15 Khandvis, as shown in the picture.

Ingredients: -
½ cup Besan
½ cup yogurt
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp jeera powder
½ tsp red chili powder
1 tsp fresh lemon juice or 1 tsp amchur
1 tsp mustard seeds
2-3 green chilies
1 tsp sesame seeds
a pinch asafoetida
1 tbsp dry coconut powder (fresh coconut gratings can also be used)
Coriander leaves for garnishing
Oil
Salt
Water

Method: -
1. Sieve besan before using. Place around 3 aluminum foils ready to pour the batter once it’s cooked & is hot.
2. In a microwaveable bowl combine the sieved besan along with yogurt, turmeric & jeera powder, red chili powder, amchur, asafoetida & salt.
3. Add water slowly & by using a balloon whisk make a batter which is lump free.
4. Place the bowl in the microwave & cook for 1 ½ minutes.
5. Remove & use the whisk again to even out any lumps that might be present.
6. Place the bowl in the microwave for 1 minute. Remove & even out the lumps.
7. Check for the consistency of the batter. While whisking it, if a good amount of batter is sticking to the whisk, then it’s done.
8. Place some amount of the batter on the edge of the aluminum foil & using a spatula gently spread the batter by pulling it down.
9. Using a knife, cut 1” strips in the batter that is cooling. Let the batter cool for around 5 minutes; the longer the better.
10. To roll start from the thick edge & roll down. If it’s difficult, use the knife to give a slight lift initially.
11. Place the rolled Khandvis in a plate.
12. Prepare the seasoning by heating oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds & green chilies. Pour the seasoning on the Khandvis.
13. Sprinkle dry coconut powder & garnish with coriander seeds.
14. Serve it cold or warm it up in the microwave & serve warm.

Maddur Vade

I saw the yummy vades which Anu had made. I was so very tempted to make them. She reminded me of the "n" number of Bangalore Mysore journeys which I'd taken part in either be with friends or family. Maddur is a small town in the Mandya district & is famous for the Maddur Vades. The batter for these vades is made using Onion juice instead of water. Hence it has a very unique taste.

Ingredients:-
½ cup rice flour
½ cup rave / semolina
¾ cup Maida
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
½ tsp red chili powder
½ tsp jeera powder (optional)
½ tsp amchur (optional)
2-3 green chilies
a pinch asafoetida
2 strands of curry leaves, finely chopped
coriander leaves, finely chopped
Salt
Oil

Method: -
1. In a heavy bottom pan heat oil for deep frying & making the dough.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine maida, rave, rice flour, onion pieces, green chilies, coriander leaves, curry leaves, red chili powder, jeera powder, asafoetida & amchur.
3. Pour around 3 tbsp of hot oil to the above mixture.
4. With fingers tips mix the flour by adding water. Uniform thick dough should be formed.
5. Wet the palms each time doing a vada. Make balls & flatten to get the shape. Place them on butter paper or a banana leaf. Make the vadas thin. Else they wont get fried properly.
6. Deep fry in batches till brown on both sides.
7. Serve it hot or cold with any chutney.

Davanagere Masala Mandakki / Nargis Mandakki

One more snack to satisfy by craving. For the first time in Germany I was surprised to see Mandakki puri/Mysore Puri being sold at the Indian grocery store. There are two types of puffed rice which I'm aware of; the one that is used to make puri unde (Sweet Puri-Jaggery balls), which is also offered to God during Ayudha pooja & other puffed rice used for making Masala Puri. Mysore puri / mandakki puri already has some amount of salt in it. But Bangalore puri is unsalted.

I got the recipe to make Nargis Mandakki here. After seeing so many photos of churmuri online, I was so much tempted to make it at home. I was imagining the taste of the masala puri mixed with vegetables! Hmmm yummy. I used to regularly have chaats on the road side in Bangalore, most of the time in Jayanagar 4th block. AmAr though was not such a chaat freak & would always advise on not eating out. :(

One can lightly saute the onion pieces & mix or use them raw. I like both though :)

Mandakki goes to Mahimaa's 15-minute cooking @ Spices.

Ingredients: -

2 lt Mysore puri

1 tsp mustard seeds

pinch of asafoetida

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 cup roasted ground nuts

1/4 cup roasted Bengal gram

1 medium sized onion, finely chopped

1 medium sized tomato, finely chopped

1/4 cup grated carrot [I dint have carrot at home :(]

2 green chilies finely chopped, else 2 tsp chili paste

curry leaves

coriander leaves, finely chopped

Salt

Sugar

Oil

Method: -

1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan & mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter add green chilies, asafoetida, curry leaves, turmeric powder, roasted ground nuts, roasted Bengal gram, salt & sugar along with the puffed rice.

2. Mix well & remove from flame.

3. Add onion & tomato pieces.

4. Garnish with grated carrot & coriander leaves.

5. Serve hot or cold.

Cucumber & totapuri mangoes can also also added.

Papdi chaat

Papdi chaat was on my to do list since a long time. I'd a relaxing afternoon today to give it a try. Papdi chaat is easy to make if one has green / coriander & tamarind chutneys readily available. I made the papdis fresh at home.

Another entry to Pallavi's Sunday Snacks - Chaats event.

Ingredients:-

For the Papdis: -

1/2 cup Maida

4 tbsp Rava

1 tsp ajwain (optional)

Oil

Salt

For the Toppings: - You can add different varieties of toppings. The list below is what I like the most at the moment. :)

1 medium sized potato, chopped

1 medium sized onion, finely chopped

1 tsp jeera powder

1 tsp chaat masala

1 tsp red chili powder

1/4 cup curds

1/4 cup kabuli channa, boiled

Green chutney

Tamarind chutney

Sev

coriander leaves

Salt

Method: -

1. In a mixing bowl, combine maida, rava, oil, salt with enough water to get a uniform dough.

2. Wrap the dough in a damp cloth & let it sit for 15-20 minutes.

3. Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat.

4. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts & roll them into big chapatis. With the help of a roller dough docker or a fork make small holes on top of these chapatis. This is done to prevent puffing of papdis like puris while they are being fried.

5. Cut small circles out of them with a cutter.

6. Wrap the small papdis in a damp cloth until they are going into hot oil.

7. Deep fry them in batches.

To serve: -

1. Place the papdis in a serving plate.

2. Top each of them with a potato piece, few onion pieces, chickpeas mixed with green & tamarind chutneys, chaat masala, little salt, red chili powder, jeera powder, curds & in the end with Sev.

3. Sprinkle coriander leaves as well.

Khandvi

I've for quite sometime a frequent visitor to my aunt's blog, Mitho Limdo(Meaning Curry leaves in Gujrati). She has some yum Gujarati recipes which I like. I wanted to try few of them since a long time. I made Khandvi to begin with. I've never tasted this dish. But have heard about it through blogs & TV. As I was reading through her description of making Khandvi, I thought its better to try when I'm alone for a late morning snack when AmArz away. :) Because I'm a slow cook & can't make this for breakfast. It would go well as a Tea time snack, but wanted to give it a try before experimenting on him.

Ingredients: -
1 cup besan (Sieve to remove any lumps)

1 cup water + 2 cups sour buttermilk or 1 ½ cups sour yoghurt + 1 ½ cups water (I neither had buttermilk nor sour yoghurt. So used 1 ½ cups of yoghurt + 1 tsp concentrated lime juice)

¼ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp red chili powder

1 tsp green chili & ginger paste

2 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp sesame seeds

Pinch of asafoetida

2 tsp fresh coconut gratings

Finely chopped coriander leaves

Oil

Salt

Method: -

1. Grease the bottoms of 2 -3 big steel plates with enough oil before beginning the procedure to make Khandvi batter.

2. In a mixing bowl combine besan with yoghurt, water, turmeric, red chili powder, green chili & ginger paste & blend well. Make sure there are no lumps formed. Use a hand blender or a balloon whisk / beater. The batter has to be watery like the dosa batter.

3. Heat a non-stick pan on low flame & add 1 tbsp of oil.

4. To this add the batter & cook it on medium flame by stirring continuously. Aunt says it should take around 10 minutes. I tasted a tsp of batter to check if the raw taste of besan had gone. Remove from flame. The batter’s consistency should be more or less the same as before.

5. Pour ladleful of batter on the steel plate surface & spread the batter in circular motion like making a dosa. For pictures of this step please visit “My comfort food network”

6. Let the batter cool down completely.

7. Cut out strips of about 1” to 2’’. Roll the strips & arrange them on a plate to pour the seasoning.

8. Prepare the seasoning by heating 2 tsp of oil in a pan. Add asafoetida & mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter, add sesame seeds & wait till they turn slightly brown.

9. Remove from flame & pour the seasoning on the arranged Khandvis.

10. Before serving, sprinkle red chili flakes, fresh coconut gratings or dry coconut powder & coriander leaves.

Bangalore puri ogarane

Thumba dinagala nantara, puri thinno bayake. Aachekade male 3 dinagalinda bidadhe barthayidhe. Gabbu weatheru. :( Surya waradinda raja togondangidhe. Seri, manenalli idha purigene ogarne haaki ebharu thindvi. Bisi bisiyagihda puri kandu, ajji naapaka banthu. Maneyalli kobbari thundugale irlilla. Ajji maaduthidha puri yalli hurida kobbariyannu huduki nimishadalle kaalimado abyasa. :)

Ingredients: -
2 lt Bangalore puri / puri used to make Bhel Puri
1/4 cup roasted bengal gram dal
1/4 roasted pea nuts
1/4 dry coconut (kobbari) pieces, roasted
1-2 strands curry leaves
2-3 dry red chilies
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
a pinch asafoetida
Sugar
Salt
Oil

Method: -
1. Clean the puri.
2. In a pan heat 2 tsp of oil & prepare the seasoning by adding asafoetida, mustard seeds, red chilies, turmeric powder & curry leaves.
3. When the mustard seeds crack, add the pea nuts, roasted Bengal gram & dry coconut pieces. 4. Add puri to the pan & mix well so that the seasoning coats well.
5. Add the required amount of salt & sugar.
6. Fry Aralu sandige & add to the puri. This is optional. My chickamma used to do this.
7. Serve hot or cold.

Baby Corn Manchurian

We were invited for lunch during the weekend & I made Baby Corn Manchurian as the starter.

Ingredients: -
15-20 Baby Corns
1/2 cup maida
2 tbsp Corn Flour
1/4 Cup Rice Flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
2-3 spring onions, finely chopped
2 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp tomato sauce
Salt
Oil

Method: -
1. Halve the Baby Corns length wise & microwave them with water & little salt.
2. In a fry pan heat oil to deep fry the baby corns at medium flame.
3. In a mixing bowl combine maida, corn flour, rice flour, baking soda, red chili powder, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste & salt.
4. Prepare the batter by adding enough water.
5. Dip each Baby corn in the batter and then deep fry in oil.
6. Remove the fried baby corn on paper towels.
7. To prepare the seasoning, heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan.
8. Add onion, spring onion, ginger garlic paste & sauté till the onion begins to sweat.
9. In a cup mix soy & tomato sauce along with water & add it to the pan.
10. Then add the fried baby corns & mix well so that the seasoning coats all the baby corns.
11. Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Menasinakai bajji / Chili bajji

Friday was a very special day for us. It's official. We are going to be proud parents of a boy! This Bajji is dedicated to my dear AmAr for giving me this wonderful gift of motherhood. I'm waiting for the day when our baby would be in his arms for the first time. I want to capture that moment forever in my memory. :) Boy or girl, we would like to have a healthy baby.

Next time I'll make stuffed Menasinakai bajjis. This time I'd bought the smaller version, which is difficult to stuff.

Ingredients: -

15-20 chilies

1 tbsp cumin powder

1 cup besan
1 cup rice flour

1 tsp amchur

1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp red chili powder

1/4 tsp baking powder
a pinch of asafoetida

Salt

Oil

Method: -

1. Heat oil for frying in a pan at medium heat.

2. Thoroughly wash the chilies & pat them dry.

3. Mix cumin powder, red chili powder, garam masala & amchur.

4. Make a small slit in each of them & fill them with the above masala mixture.

5. Prepare the besan batter by adding red chili powder, garam masala, baking powder, salt, & turmeric powder to besan.

6. To this besan mixture add hot oil & mix well.

7. Add enough water & make the batter.

8. Dip each chili into this batter & deep fry till it turns golden brown on all sides

9. Serve them hot with any kind of chutney or sauce.

Bread rolls

My co-sister enter the World of blogging. She named her blog Cook, eat & share. One of the recipes that I wanted to try was making bread rolls from her blog. I followed her recipe & skipped the garnishing part with carrots at the end. Well, doing that would've probably given a better photo. But I was lazy enough not to try it.

Ingredients: -

8 sandwich bread slices, without the brown edges

3 medium sized potatoes, boiled & mashed

1 small onion, finely chopped

3-4 green chilies, finely chopped

1 tsp gram masala

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp amchur

1 tsp ginger powder

1 tsp cumin powder

2-3 strands coriander leaves

Rice flour in a plate to roll the bread rolls before frying

Salt

Oil

Method: -

1. In a pan, heat oil on medium flame to deep fry the bread rolls.

2. To the mashed potatoes, add onion, coriander leaves, red chili powder, garam masala, amchur, green chillies, ginger powder, cumin powder & salt. Mix it properly.

3. Make lemon sized balls out of it.
4. Take water in a container; dip a bread slice in it & remove immediately.

5. Squeeze it to remove excess water.

6. Place one of the lemon sized balls in the bread slice & seal it from all the sides.

7. Roll it well so that the stuffing is well sealed.

8. Make all the bread rolls in the similar way.

9. Roll each of them in the rice flour (to make them crispier) & deep fry them till golden brown.

10. Serve hot with tamarind or green chutney or even with tomato sauce.

Dahi puri

Oh my cravings have increased lately for eating sour & very spicy stuff. How in the first time in the last 4 years, I'm missing Bangalore for the first time! Poor me! We were watching some program about street food on the Television. I was about to cry seeing all those chaats! Well, I made this at home.

And Dahi Puri goes to Pallavi's Sunday Snacks-Chaats event.

Ingredients: -

For making puris: - Click here
For stuffing: -
1 cup boiled potatoes, diced
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
1 cup boiled chick peas
1/2 cup fine sev (I used boondi instead of sev)
few strands of coriander
For making green chutney: - Click here
For making tamarind chutney: - yet to post. I used the one which we'd bought.
For the dahi: -
1 cup thick yogurt, beaten.
One can add Cumin powder, Red chili powder & Chaat masala to the curds to make it a bit spicier.

Method: -
1. Make a hole in each puri.
2.Stuff each of them with a diced potato, onion pieces & chick peas.
3.Sprinkle red chili powder, chaat masala, cumin powder & salt in each of them.
4.Pour ½ tsp of both the chutneys along with the beaten curd.
5.Add sev & garnish with coriander leaves.

Onion Pakoras

Blogging after a long time. We are going to be parents soon & that is the reason for me not blogging all these days. I'd got aversion to lota food items & was hardly entering the kitchen to experiment during the first 3 months. I'm in my 5th month now & have got enough stamina to try something spicy & tangy.

It was lightly snowing today. Looks like the after effects of the snow storm that hit UK a week back. I hope it doesn't last for long here. We've had the worst winter in a few decades here already in the month of January with temperatures going below -15 Deg C. Anyway, wanted to try Onion pakoras which I was longing to eat after seeing it on a cookery show. I followed the recipe from Mane Adige. Some day when I've enough sour curds at home will try the Mangalooru bajji also.

Another entry for Pallavi's Sunday Snacks-Chaats event.

Ingredients: -
1 medium sized Onion (chopped lengthwise)
1 cup besan
1 tbsp rice flour (makes the pakoras crispy)
2-3 stands coriander leaves, finely chopped
2 green chilies, finely chopped
1 tsp red chili powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
few drops fresh lime juice or 1 tsp amchur
a pinch asafoetida
Salt
Oil

Method: -
1. In a bowl add chopped onions, chopped coriander leaves, chopped green chilies & salt.

2. Mix well & let the onion salt mixture stand for about 30 minutes. Onions will leave water.
3. Add red chili powder, baking soda, lime juice, besan, asafoetida & salt (if required) to mixing bowl with onions & mix well. Batter will instantly stick to the onion pieces because of the moisture.
4. Add very little water to prepare the final batter.
5. Heat oil in a kadai & drop small amounts of batter into it.
6. Deep fry the pakoras on both sides on medium flame. Pakoras are done when they turn golden brown in color.
7. Remove from oil onto a paper towel.

8. Serve hot with tomato sauce or green chutney.

Potato Chakli/Murukku

Today is a big day for us. 4 years of sharing, romance, companionship & friendship. I made Bisibele bath as the main dish & as we were longing to eat something crispy, I made potato chaklis. We are going to enjoy them during the festival as well. :)

I'm sending this post to the following events hosted in the blogging world.

Ingredients: -

1 1/2 cups potatoes, boiled & mashed

3 cups Maida

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp sesame seeds

2 tbsp Butter

2 tsp red chili powder

Salt

Oil for deep frying

Method: -

1. Boil the potatoes & mash them without forming lumps.

2. Tie maida in a thin cheese cloth like a bundle.

3. Steam the maida bundle for half an hour. I used a steamer. If steaming in a pressure cooker, keep the bundle in the cooker container & steam without putting the weight.

4. After steaming, when it is still warm, crush the maida in the muslin cloth itself & then sieve the flour.

5. Mix the flour with mashed potatoes along with red chili powder, salt, butter, roasted cumin & sesame seeds.

6. Add very little water & make a smooth thick dough.

7. Put the two stared dick in the chakli maker. I applied butter inside the outer press & outside the inside press.

8. Take hand full at a time & put it in chakli press. Keep the rest of the dough covered in a damp cloth.

9. Squeeze out & prepare small spirals on a butter paper.

10. Drop one after another in hot oil. Deep fry on both sides till they turn slightly light brown.

11. Remove from oil & drain out excess oil on a colander.

Nu-tchina unde

Nu-tchina unde made with sabsige soppu is one of my favorite items to be dipped into the Majjige huli apart from Ambade. Though I don't like any other dish with Dill, this has been my all time favorite. AmAr likes Dill a lot. As he was returning back from his trip today, I thought I would surprise him with this dish.

I'm also sending this post to the Herb Mania. More details about the event at Yum Blog & Ammalu's Kitchen.

Ingredients: -

2 cups togari bele (Toor dal)

fist full kadalebele (Chana dal)

1/2 cup coconut gratings

4-5 green chilies, finely chopped

½ cup sabsige soppu (Dill leaves)

1/2 cup menthe soppu (Methi leaves, optional)

few coriander leaves, finely chopped

a strand curry leaves

a pinch asafoetida

Salt

Method:-

1. Soak toor dal & channa dal for 2-4 hours or till the channa dal can be easily broken.

2. Grind the dal along with all the other ingredients. I din't add water. If it's difficult to grind, little water can be added. The mixture obtained should be coarse.

3. Make oval shaped (unde) balls from the coarsely ground mixture.

4. Steam the balls in an idli stand for 15-20 minutes.

I love to soak it in Majjige huli & eat it. You can also consume it as it is or with any chutney with little ghee.

Panipuri

One of the famous street snacks which we were often denied from eating as kids. Amma made them at home so that we don't eat it out & fall sick. Each of us at home would gulp as much as our tummies could take in. It was fun making & also relishing it.

Panipuri differs from region to region. Irrespective of the way it's addressed in different parts of India, taste also changes from place to place. Everything depends on the local culture & flavor used in the day to day cooking.In general, any form of Golgappa or panipuri is a hollow, puffed, round dough which tastes like a crunchy shell. The shell by itself is not tasty, unless it is stuffed with special spicy potato-based stuffing & dipped in a masala water to fill up the hollow inside the dough. Usually the stuffing needs to be prepared separately & a small hole is made in the top centre of the dough with a finger to allow filling the hollow with the potato filling. It is then dipped in the masala water & served.

I'm sending this post to the Pallavi's Sunday Snacks-Chaats event.

Ingredients: -

For the puris: -
1 cup rava
1-2 tsp maida
Salt, very little
Warm water
Oil

For the filling: -
2 medium sized potatoes boiled & mashed
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
1 cup chick peas, soaked in water over night in Luke warm salt water
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp chat masala
coriander leaves
Salt

For the pani: -
2 tbsp tamarind juice or 1 tsp concentrated tamarind paste diluted in water.
2 tbsp jaggery
1 tsp black salt
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp dhania powder
1 cumin powder
2-3 green chili
a small bunch of mint leaves
1 strand coriander leaves
1 tsp pepper powder
Salt

3-4 tsp of Tamarind chutney diluted or Pani Puri masala can be used instead

Method: -
Puris: -
1. In a mixing bowl, combine to form a coarse mixture with rava, salt & little warm water.
2. Little moisture has to be left. Now add maida. Maida does the job of a binding material.
3. Knead the dough well.
4. Add few drops of oil & again knead.
5. Cover it in a damp cloth & let it sit for 15-20 minutes.
6. Keep oil in a kadai & heat on medium flame.
7. Divide the dough into two halves.
8. Roll out each half one at a time into a big thin chapati.
9. Either using a small cup or a bottle cap, cut out puris from the chapati.
10. Fry the puris in batches.
11. Cover the extra puris in the damp cloth.
12. Repeat the same with the other half of the dough.

Filling: -
1. Pressure cook the soaked chick peas & potatoes.
2. Mash the potatoes & add red chili powder, chat masala & coriander leaves & mix well.
3. Add salt to the chick peas.

Thick curds combined with red chili powder & black salt or Soaked boondi can be also used.

Pani: -
1. Combine all the ingredients & grind to a fine paste.
2. In a mixing bowl containing required water, add the paste & mix well.
3. Keep it in the fridge & serve chilled with the puris.

Serving the Panipuri: -
1. Puncture & make a hole in each puri.
2. Fill it with a small quantity of mashed potato, chick peas, onions, boondi & curds.
3. Dip it in mint or tamarind water / pani & relish it.

Award time! This is my first award in the blogger world. Thanks Vidya for giving me this award. I forward it to the following blogger friends of mine.

Sagari, Spandana, Divya, Amy, Ramya, Saraswathy, & Lakshmi. Congrats girls :)

Tapioca or Sabakki vade / Sabudana vada

We love Sabudana. I was fanatically searching for a good tea time snack recipe to go with Jalebi. First thought of making Thair vade, then decided against it as there was not so much Yogurt at home. Sabudana vada is a speciality from Maharashtra. It's usually consumed as a fasting snack.

Ingredients: -

1 cup Sago / Sabudana

1 big potato, boiled & mashed

1/4 cup peanuts roasted & crushed coarsely
1 tsp amchur

1" ginger piece grated

2-3 green chillies, finely chopped

coriander leaves, finely chopped

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt

Oil

Method: -

1. Soak the sabudana in warm water overnight or at least for 5 hours. It will puff up & become translucent.

2. Mix the sabudana with all the other ingredients. If necessary mix 2 tsp of rice flour to get the right consistency.

3. Make equal-sized balls & flatten slightly on top. The Vadas have to be a little thick not flat.

4. Heat oil in a kadai & deep fry both the sides of the vadas till golden.

5. Serve with any chutney or sauce or can be consumed as it is.

I avoided adding water while making the vadas.

Aloo bonda

There is a small tea shop in Gandhi Bazaar area in Bangalore where we used to buy the best bondas in town. Oh as kids even tough we used to gulp so many of them we would never be able to satisfy our hunger. Anybody who was in Gandhi Bazaar for shopping would never forget to buy them & get them home. Be it with tea, coffee, breakfast, lunch or dinner they were always welcome. Oh I miss them so much. I tried making them for the first time here for Gauri pooja. As it was on the festival day, din't use onions.

I'm sending this post to the Party food event.

Ingredients: -

For the stuffing: -

2 big potatoes
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Urad Dal
1 tsp jeera powder
4 green chillies, finely chopped
1/2" ginger, finely chopped
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
few curry leaves

2 tsp coriander leaves

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Salt

For the dip: -

3/4 cup Besan flour
1/4 cup Rice flour
1 tsp of red chili powder
a pinch of asafoetida
a pinch of Baking soda
Oil for deep frying

Method: -

1. Pressure cook potatoes with little salt & turmeric. Peel them & mash them evenly.

2. Heat 1 tbsp of oil & add asafoetida, mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, ginger & green chillies.

3. Sauté for a minute or two.

4. Add jeera & turmeric powder. Add mashed potatoes, coriander leaves & lemon juice.

5. Remove from fire.

6. Add salt & mix well. Let the filling cool down completely.

7. Make small lemon sized balls after it cools down.

8. To make the dip, mix besan & rice flour in a mixing bowl.

9. Add chili powder, asafoetida, baking soda & salt.

10. Make the batter by adding enough water.

11. Dip the potato balls one after another in this batter & deep fry them in oil.

12. Golden brown color indicates that the bondas are done.

13. Serve with coconut or mint chutney.

Ambade

Ambade & majjige huli! Yum! One of my all time favorite festive food combination. I made Ambade for Saraswathi pooja.

I'm sending this post to the Party food event & Vegan Ventures event.

Ingredients: -
1 cup Chana Dal, soaked in water over night
1 big Onion, finely chopped (I did not add onion as we would be offering Ambade to God)
3-4 Green chilies, finely chopped
1/2 tsp red chili powder
pinch of asafoetida
3-4 Curry leaves

coriander leaves

1" ginger piece, grated
1/4 cup grated Coconut, fresh/frozen (optional)
1 tbsp rice flour
Salt
Oil for deep frying

Method: -
1. Drain out the water completely from the soaked dal & grind it coarsely with coconut, ginger, green chilies, chili powder, asafoetida, rice flour & salt. The ingredients should form a coarse mixture & not a paste.
2. Add curry leaves to the coarsely ground mixture.

3. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan at medium flame.

4. Take small dumplings out of the dal mixture & flatten them in between your palms.
5. Drop the ambades one after another into the hot oil & deep fry till each one turns brown.
6. Once done, remove from oil & drain on paper towels.

7. Serve hot with any chutney, immerse it in majjige huli or consume as it is!

While flattening the ground mixture for deep frying, care should be taken not to flatten them too much, else they'll turn out like papads. So I left them a little bit thick.

This is my first entry to JFI-Festivals.

Chakli

This time for Janmashtami I wanted to make something new. I made chaklis & Pinni. I'd seen making Pinni on 9x & decided to try.

I remember ajji & amma making it & us as kids munching them first before having lunch or dinner. :)

I'm sending this post to the party food event.
Ingredients: -
1 Cup Rice flour
3 tbsp Ghee
5 tbsp Urad daal
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp Jeera
1 tsp Sesame seeds
Oil to fry
Milk for crispiness
Salt


Method:-
1. Roast urad dal in a wok or kadai. They should turn slightly brown.
2. Grind it to a fine powder.
3. With little oil roast jeera & sesame seeds.
4. Add the powder, ghee, roasted jeera, sesame seeds, chili powder & salt to rice flour & mix well.
5. Now add milk slowly mixing it to remove any lumps. The consistency of the dough should be like the chapati dough. Knead the dough.
6. I used the single star shaped stencil for making the chaklis. Immerse the chakli press in water for few minutes before using. This helps.
7. Fill the chakli press with the dough & press the chaklis on a flat surface. A butter paper can be used to lift the chaklis easily).
8. Heat oil in a kadai & deep fry the chaklis. Take them out on a kitchen tissue to remove excess oil.
9. Enjoy with a cup of tea :)

Vegetable Pakoras

Pakora is an item in Indian cuisine also found in other South Asian countries created by taking two or three ingredients, such as onion, eggplant, potato, spinach, cauliflower, tomato or chili, dipping them in a batter of gram flour and then deep-frying them. The most popular varieties are palak pakora, made from spinach, paneer pakora, made from paneer (soft cheese), and pyaz pakora, made from onion.

Ingredients:-

1 cup besan
3 tbsp rice flour
1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp ajwan seeds
2 green chilies, finely chopped
2 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped

1 tsp turmeric

1 small potato, thinly sliced
1 medium sized onion, thinly sliced

Few florets of cauliflower, thinly sliced

Water

Salt
Oil to fry

Method: -

1. In a mixing bowl add besan, rice flour, garam masala, coriander powder, turmeric, cumin seeds, ajwan seeds & salt.

2. Add water little by little & mix the ingredients to get a smooth batter.

3. Add finely chopped green chilies & coriander leaves & mix well to get a thick soup or thick cream consistency.

4. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan on medium flame.

5. Dip the vegetable slices in the batter one after another making sure the slices are well covered with the batter.

6. Slowly drop them into the frying pan.

7. Pakoras can be fried in small batches. They usually take 4 to 5 minutes to fry.

8. By turning them occasionally, fry the pakoras till they are golden-brown on both the sides.

9. Serve hot with any chutney.

Kachauri

A rainy & gloomy evening always craves for hot & crispy snacks with Tea. I decided to make Kachauries. Been travelling a lot since the beginning of the year so hadn't had time to blog. Now back home, trying new things every day. Made Samosas the other evening, but forgot to blog it. May be next time.

Another entry for Pallavi's Sunday Snacks-Chaats event.

Ingredients: -

2 cups Maida

1 cup yellow moong dal

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp dhania powder

1/2 tsp amchur

1/2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed coarsely

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

Coriander leaves finely chopped

Salt to taste

2-3 pinches asafoetida

Oil for deep frying

Method: -

For the covering:-

1. Mix flour, salt & 3 tbsp of oil & knead into soft pliable dough.

2. Keep aside for an hour or so.

For the filling:-

1. Soak the dal with little salt for around 20-30 minutes.

2. In a heavy kadai, put plenty of water to boil.

3. Add the soaked dal.

4. Let the dal boil for 5 minutes.

5. Then drain the remaining water.

6. Let the dal Cool a little.

7. Heat 1 tbsp of oil & add all seeds (whole & crushed).

8. Fry for a minute & allow them to splutter.

9. Add asafoetida, garam masala. dhania powder, chili powder, amchur & salt.

10. Add the cooled dal to this mixture & mix well.

11. Care should be taken as to not to smash the dal.

12. Remove from fire & allow the mixture to cool.

13. Make small balls out of the filling.

To make the Kachauri: -
1. Take a small ball sized portion of dough.

2. Knead well & roll it into a circle of 4" diameter.

3. Place one ball of filling at centre.

4. Wrap the filling ball into the dough like a pouch.

5. Press the ball with palm, making it flat & round.

6. Repeat the same for left over filling balls.

7. Deep fry Kachauries in batches of 4 to 5 at a time in hot oil, on medium flame.

8. Turn the Kachauries on to the other side & fry till golden & crisp.

9. Small bubbles must appear over the Kachuries.

10. They should be served hot.

11. Can be served with green chilly & tamarind chutneys.