Aval/Beaten Rice Savory Snack

Tweet

Woohoo! What a day, what a day! India won the cricket match and what a match it was! Very proud to be an Indian!
It is definitely a good day for more than one reason. I am back to blogging! My back aches are gone, and I am feeling well. I thank you all for sending me your get well soon notes. It was very nice and I feel quite loved.

I can’t seem to keep my trail of thought today. It must be all the excitement from the “India winning cricket match.” My mind is so much on it that I fear I might keep going on unless someone gags me. Please allow me to say just one more thing around the topic of cricket. Thank you facebook buddies for keeping me company in cheering the Indian team! I had a terrific time! It almost felt like you guys were sitting next to me on the sofa, laughing and punching the air every time India scored or got a wicket. Thank you ;)

Again, where was I on the cooking scene!? Yes, I am back to blogging and I have Aval/poha recipe for you.  It is another favorite snack. I still remember the first time I had it.  Yes, I am big on everything first time, like how today was my first time watching cricket with virtual friends.  I warned you I cannot keep cricket out.  Focusing!  I was saying, my friend brought this poha snack on a family outing and since then I have been hooked.  And thankfully it is easy to make and I make them a lot now.  Believe me when I say it’s good!

Is there a phrase or idiom to explain having a good time close on the heels of another?  I can’t think of any but that is how I feel right now.  At the risk of being repetitive India won, I am back to blogging and spring is tangible.  The trees and plants are all bursting out their verdant glory.  Can it get any better!?  As for you, try this recipe that will be the icing on the cake for an otherwise perfect day you are having.  Love! J   


Ingredients:

Aval/Beaten rice- 3 cups
Peanuts- 1/4 cup
Dalia/ chana dal- 2 tbsp
Curry leaves- 1 sprig
Red chili powder- 1 tsp/to your taste
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida- a pinch

A strainer similar to the one in the picture
Oil for frying

Method:

1.Heat oil in a thick bottom deep pan.
2.Place the beaten rice 1/2 cup at a time on the strainer and dip it in the hot oil. It will be done in a couple of seconds.
3.Take out the fried beaten rice and spread on a paper towel.Repeat the same with the rest of the beaten rice.
4.In a similar way fry the peanuts and the channa dal.
5.Switch off the heat and keep the hot oil in a safe place.
6.Heat a tablespoon of oil in a wide pan,on low heat.
7.Throw in the curry leaves (or you could fry them in the same oil you fried the aval and nuts after switching off the heat, but if you are scared about them spluttering then you could do like this) and saute. Add in the chili powder,turmeic powder and asafoetida.Saute for a minute.
8.Throw in the fried aval,channa dal and peanuts and mix everything well.Switch off the heat and let it cool before you store in an airtight container.

Notes:

1.I used the brown aval and that explains the color :-)
2.If you don't have a strainer,don't try this method. Because by the time you take all of it from the oil, it will be over-done.

Contributor: Namitha

Lauki aur Chana Dal/ Bottle Gourd and Split Chick Peas Curry

Tweet

Curry has to be lip-smacking good. When I first tried bottle gourd though, I did not get that impression. The decision was instant to never try it again. Then something wonderful happened, and I had some exquisitely- made lauki aur chana dal. Well, not exquisite because it was too salty, but the potential with this vegetable was clear. I did not lose any time. I bought some bottle gourd and made some myself. Yum! Light, delectable, easy dish, I should say. I read some recipes online and checked with friends who have cooked them before and I knew what I had to do. The curry is so good, that if you are not careful, you will never get to eat it with rotis or rice because you would already have had it as soup. Mmm…!



I am kind of enjoying the vegetarian dishes I am trying these days. Next in line is something to do with spinach and hopefully it will turn out well. Other than food, I am still waiting for spring, and in the mean time, I am tinkering with craft projects like making gunny bags, as you can see in the second picture. I have totally lost it! Over the weekend, I moseyed around some culinary stores like Crate and Barrel , and got an eyeful of designs, textures and possibilities for photography. How far I will succeed in transitioning this idea from my mind to my computer has yet to be seen. While I try and grasp my fingers around these trivial things, you make some curry and enjoy it with warm rice or hot rotis.





Ingredients:
Bottle Gourd – 1 small (about 3 cups when chopped)
Chana Dal - ½ cup (soaked for 2 hours)
Oil – 1 Tbspn
Asafoetida (Hing) – a pinch
Cumin Seeds – ½ tspn
Turmeric Powder – ¼ tspn
Onions - 1 medium chopped fine
Green Chilies - 4 chopped
Tomato - 1 or 2 chopped (depending on the kind of tomato. If it’s Roma then use 2 and plum tomato on the vine use just 1)
Coriander Powder – 2 tspn
Chili Powder - 1 tspn
Coriander Leaves – a small bunch
Garam Masala – ½ tspn
Lemon Juice of ½ a lemon
Method:
1. Clean and cook chopped bottle gourd and chana dal in a pressure cooker for 1 whistle. Pressure cookers differ, so make sure you cook the dal so that it retains it’s shape .
2. Heat oil in a pot which can hold all the curry. Start by adding asafetida and then splutter the cumin seeds. Follow these with onions and green chilies.
3. Once the onions are translucent, add turmeric, coriander powder and chili powder. Fry until you get the cooked aroma of the powder, about a minute of frying should do.
4. Add tomatoes and sauté. Once it’s cooked, about 2 or 3 minutes, add cooked dal and bottle gourd. If you like the texture of this curry to be thick gently mash part of the vegetables and leave the rest to retain its shape.
5. Add water depending on desired consistency.
6. Tip in a ½ tspn of garam masala, mix and garnish with coriander leaves
7. Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Contributor: Sunitha

Boli with Paalpayasam to wish you all a Happy Onam !!

Tweet

Happy Onam to you!! This day brings back good old memories and my tongue tingles with the taste of good food.  It takes me to the fastest swing my late Grandfather made for us children.  It reminds me how we pestered him until the swing was made.  How, being the eldest amongst my cousins I decided who gets to swing the swing first.  Those were the days.

  Onam meant family reunion.  Cousins from all over the state and country made it to our little town where my grandparent lived.  I next door.  The time other than summer vacation I met my cousins.  We exchanged secrets, played hide and seek and hopping and skipping.   Onam morning we headed out at dawn to pick flowers and make "athappokkalam" the flower carpet  The front yard would be embellished so to speak.  I don't see those flowers anymore in our neighborhood.  Those days are past.  The days of "thumbapoovu"( white beautiful small flowers)"mukkutti"(yellow small ones) "onappovu"(lilac with big petals).  However, the memories are etched in me to never go away.

  It's a day of abundance, color, food and and merry making in my small town.  I hope to spread that cheer to you.



It has been ages since we had celebrated Onam with all the family members and I miss that a lot.But still I make sure that my small family gets a miniature version of it, every year.This time I decided to make this special dessert which goes perfectly well with paalpayasam, Boli, which is usually served in marriage feasts/sadya.

Boli/Holige/Obbattu/Bobatlu/Puran poli is all the same, Boli being the name of this dessert in Tamilnadu and Kerala.

Ingredients:

Channa dal/kadalapparippu- 1 cup
Sugar- 1 cup
Ghee/clarified butter- 2-3 Tbsp
Nutmeg powder- 1/8 tsp
Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp
All purpose flour/Maida- 1 cup
Yellow food color- a few drops
Salt
Gingely Oil- 2 Tbsp
Rice flour- enough to roll the dough



Method:

1.Pressure cook the channa daal with a pinch of salt.
Knead the dough with salt and food color to a smooth dough. (the dough should be looser than the poori dough.)Bring together the dough to form a big disc, and pour the gingely oil on the top of it so that the dough is completely covered in the oil.Keep it aside for at lest half an hour.
2.Drain any excess water from the cooked daal.
3.Heat a tablespoon of ghee in a nonstick pan. Saute the cooked daal with sugar until all the water gets absorbed.
4.Now add the nutmeg and cardamom powders into this and mix well.Switch off the heat and let it cool.
5.Grind this mixture in a mixer grinder without adding any water to a smooth paste.
6.Make lime sized balls out of it.
7.Take a small portion of the dough, say gooseberry sized, and press it on the palm to get a small poori and keep the daal ball in it and cover it up.Just like you would do to make parathas.
8.Now roll it carefully on a floured surface. It's best to use rice flour for flouring.
9.Cook this on low heat on a tawa until both sides are cooked.
10. Do not overcook or let the sides brown.While turning the sides brush a little ghee on both sides.
11.Seve with paalpayasam or serve as it is.



Notes:

1.This recipe gives you around 15 boli.
2.You could also add 1 tablespoon of gingely oil in the ghee and knead it all together and cover up the dough before you roll them out. But I have found that this method is more easier.
3.Check here for the paalpayasam recipe, which I posted a couple of weeks back.

Here is the picture of an "athappokkalam" which was taken during the Onam celebrations in Hyderabad a few years back, to wish you all a Happy and Proseperous Onam !!!



Contributor: Namitha

Tomato Chutney

Tweet

     At times I get these urges to make dosas.  My favorite is masala dosa but since its heavy and I am trying very hard to cut down on carbohydrates I will have to settle for a plain dosas.  However, I still wanted to do something special and make this a little more exciting.  What do I do? I made some tomato chutney.  I hope you will enjoy it.

Ingredients:
Gingelli oil                                            - 1 Tbspn
Chana Dal (dry split chickpea)             -  1/2 Tbspn
Urad Dal (                                           - 1 tspn
Onions                                                - chopped fine about 1 cup
Garlic                                                  - 2 cloves plump, chopped fine
Tomato                                               - 1 medium size chopped fine
Chili Powder                                       - 1/2 Tbspn (its spicy so go easy on it if you like it milder)
Tamarind                                            - 1/2 tspn (a few pinches
Salt                                                    - 1/4 - 1/2 tspn (use as per taste)
Coriander Leaves                               - 4-5 sprigs finely chopped

Method:
1. Heat oil in a tawa and fry the chana dal and urad dal
2. Once the dal turn golden add the onions and fry till translucent
3. Add garlic and saute a minute followed with tomato
4. Once the tomato has been sauted add all the chili powder
5. Turn the heat off, let it cool grind in a blender with the tamarind and coriander leaves to a fine paste

Note:
You can use this as a dip or on dosas.
Contributor: Sunitha

Chana dal Chutney with Egg Dosa

Tweet

I wonder where dosas originated. It did in the south of India for sure.  Which state, however? Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Karnataka or Kerala is what I wonder. While you ponder over that let me share a spicy chutney that goes with dosas. If you do not know about dosas it looks like crepes.  The batter is made with  lentils and rice soaked separately and ground to a smooth paste. Left overnight in a warm place it ferments and is ready to be ladled on a hot griddle to make crisp dosas.  Please check our post on dosas here for measurements and exact process.

  Just like pancakes are served for breakfast in the U.S. Anywhere in the south of India you will find restaurants serving dosas.  If its IHOP or waffle house  in America to serve pancakes you have Shanthi Sagar, Udipi Restaurant, Sukh Sagar, Anand Bhavan and myriad other names in south India for dosas.  Folded in banana leaves with the chutney pressed between the folds is how it is served when you order a 'to go.'  This chutney is difficult to find in Kerala but common in all the other southern states.  Having been fortunate to move around a lot in the south I have always enjoyed the different chutneys.  This is spicy, rich in proteins and very filling.  

Ingredients:

Chick pea grams (Chana Dal)    - 1/2 cup
Grated coconut                         - 1/4 cup
Thai Chilli                                 - 3 nos
Dry Red Chilli                          - 2 nos
Coarsely chopped ginger          - 1 tbspn
Garlic                                       - 1 or 2 cloves
Curry Leaves                           - 1 sprig
Coriander Leaves                    - 1/2 a bunch
Salt                                         - 1 tspn
Tamarind                                - 1 marble sized ball
Onions                                    - 1/2 of  a medium size

Method:

1. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a skillet and on medium flame or temperature on your stove fry the chickpea for a while.  You will see them puff up or slightly turn color when you can add the next ingredient
2. Add red chillies and saute
3. Followed by ginger, onions, garlic, curry leaves and coriander leaves.  Once you add the coriander leaves  toss it around and then switch off the stove.  We are only trying to incorporate the coriander leaves to exude some some of it is aroma and yet not lose its fresh taste completely. 
4. Remove mixture from pan and transfer the ingredients into another vessel to cool off 
5. In a blender grind all the fried ingredients, coconut, green chillies, tamarind and salt.
6. I added around 1/4 cup of water while grinding but the lesser water you can add while grinding the better your chutney will taste

Egg Dosa

To make dosas follow instructions here.

Once you have ladled the batter and whirled the batter to make crepe shaped dosas beat an egg and pour it over.  Cover the girdle with a lid and and cook on medium heat.  Flip the dosa over making sure the egg is thoroughly cooked.

Server with sambar and chutney or only the chutney mentioned above.

Serving Size for chutney
Serves 4 - 6 people

Note:

     The photo of the eggs are because I got carried away with some farm fresh eggs I got last week.  They are eggs from chickens raised on a friends farm. There are two lovely light green shelled eggs that you see with the beautiful brown eggs.  Apparently, the green eggs come from a different breed/stock of hens.

Potato Bajji

Tweet

    Bajji can be had with puri, roti or rolled inside a dosa to make masala dosa.  Simply made and tasty to eat it's quite a versatile dish.  I always associate American mashed potato to our Indian bajji, and have served this to quite a few friends to receive positive raving reviews.  

   Wholesome potatoes paired with a distant  taste of ginger and thai green chilies.  You can do a whole lot with this basic recipe.  Like I mentioned, eat them with puri, dosa,or wrap them in egg roll sheets and deep fry to make samosa or dip in dosa batter and make bondas.  However, you choose to use it this recipe is worth knowing.  I hope you enjoy this recipe and the dish.





Ingredients:
Boiled Potato - 2 big
Onions - 1/4 cup chopped
Green chilies - 4-6 nos
urad dal - 1/4 tspn
mustard - less than 1/4 tspn
jeera - 1/4 tspn
curry leaves - 1 sprig
chana dal - 1/2 tspn
oil - 1 Tbsp

Method:


1. Pressure cook or use any other method to cook your potato making sure you can make a crumbled texture and not paste like smooth.
2. Heat oil in a pan and temper starting with urad dal, mustard, jeera and chana dal
3. Add the onions and green chilies and saute
4. Once onions are translucent add turmeric and stir in well
5. Add the cooked potato that is mashed using a fork into crumbly powdery texture into the pan and stir to get the color of the turmeric evenly.
6. Serve as explained.


Contributor: Sunitha

Uzhunnu Vada/ Medu Vada

Tweet

   I love medu vada drenched in hot spicy sambar or dipped in thick coconut and chickpea chutney.  In fact, I can eat it without any accompaniments.  Love for this one goes way back.

  I guess we can call this the Indian doughnut being simimar in shape.  Its crispy ouside and soft inside can also be compared.  However, the comparisons ends here.  Medu vada is healthier having no sugar and the taste is as far different as all purpose flour is from black gram.   A snack served with breakfast in the morning and sometimes for evening tea, you will agree this is a popular snack with most Indian families.



Ingredients:

Urad Dal - 1/2 cup
Onions    - chopped 2 tbspn
ginger - 1 tspn chopped
green chillies - 1 tspn chopped
curry leaves  - 1 sprig (leaves torn inot half and added)

Method:
1. Soak the dal for 2 to 3 hours
2. Clean and let the water drain off
3. Grind the dal to a smooth paste in a grinder or food processor without any water.  I use my wet mixer and it does not cooperate.  I confess I add a tad bit of water and then later add some rice powder to get them to hold.
4. Deep fry the vada in hot oil.  Make sure the oil is hot. Maintaining the right temperature is paramount here because if the oil is too hot the outside gets done and inside does not.  If its not hot enough the vada turns out to be hard.  Stay by the stove and wait for a while after you have added the oil in a hot pan and test by adding a drop of vada mix in.  If it rises instantly you know the oil is hot enough.  If you have a thermometer I would say 350 D F is probably the round about time to go by.


1/2 cup urad dal yields small to medium sized eight vadas.  the chutney I enjoy the most is coconut, chana dal and coriander leaf all ground to a nice thick consistency.  I will update the chutney shortly for your convenience.

Contributor: Sunitha

Parippu Vada aka Masala Vada

Tweet

  Vada and Indian Railways are synonymous in my mind. You must be thinking WHAT? Well, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of travelling by train is all the food vendors, acres of pastures, the deafening noise when crossing a bridge, water bodies going on for ever, rural life, children half naked waving cheerfully at you and true the list goes on.  However, I am sure you will agree all the vendors screaming names of food which you can never follow, unless you are looking out the window and observing what he is carrying, flashes through our minds when we talk about trains in India.  You will also agree that the dabba walas have made their niche for themselves by producing 6 sigma work.  Today I present to you, vadas made quite popular by the Indian Railway vendors and I dedicate this lovingly to all of them.  Anyways, here is an unadulterated homemade version for you to enjoy and try saying vada vada vadaiiiiiiiiii before serving, taking the third vadaiiiii on a high pitch and dramatically ending the way you have heard on your favorite journeys by Indian Railways.  Have a fun day guys! Kuchu kuchu kuchu!

Ingredients:

1. Tuar Dal - 1/2 cup

2. Chana Dal - 1/2 cup

3. Asafoetida - a little less than 1/4th tspn

4. Onions - chopped 1/2 cup (in case you dont like a lot of onions take off about 1 tbspn)

5. green chilies - 6 small ones

6. ginger - 1 tbspn

7. Curry Leaves - 1 sprig

Method:

1. Soak the dal together for two hours

2. Strain the water and grind the dal to a coarse mixture (add a little 1/4 or 1/2 of the ginger, onions and green chilies when grinding to enhance the flavor)

3. Once the dal is ground add the rest of the ingredients from 3-7

4. Heat oil in a deep frying pan and when the oil is hot (when a drop of the vada mix rises to the top instantly you know the oil is hot enough) make small disk shaped vadas and slide it into the oil

5. Remove them from oil into a bowl or basket lined with tissue paper

This yields about 15 crispy vadas

Note: I have tried making this with only Chana dal and I like that too.  So if you only have either of the dals mentioned go ahead and use 1 cup of any of the dals.

Contributor: Sunitha