SAMBA RAVA UPPUMA (SAMBA RAVA KICHADI)

I would like to send my Samba Rava Uppuma to Suganya of Tasty Palettes’ JFI – Whole Grains

and also send this recipe to Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen who is hosting the WBB - Grains In My Breakfast Event.

SAMBA RAVA UPPUMA (SAMBA RAVA KICHADI)

Samba Rava is broken wheat and as all know wheat is considered healthier than rice, it is less fattening and less in sugars. This uppuma is very good for people suffering from diabetes.

This is a very nutritious uppuma, adding vegetables with different colors makes the dish look very colorful and appealing to kids. I have added vegetables as per my choice but diabetics must follow the nutritional advice given by their doctors while adding the vegetables to this recipe. Not adding any particular vegetable doesn’t alter the taste of this dish.

Ingredients

Samba Rava (Broken Wheat Rava) – 2 cups

Onions – 1

Potato – 1

Tomato - 1

French Beans - 1 tbsp chopped

Carrots – 1 tbsp chopped

Green Peas – 1 ½ tbsp

Green chillies – 2

Ginger – a small piece

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

Chana dal (Bengal Gram) – 1tsp

Curry leaves – A sprig

Asafetida (hing) - a pinch

Turmeric powder – 1tsp

Salt to taste

Ghee (Clarified butter) – 1 tsp

Method

Now chop the onions and tomatoes. Peel the potatoes and carrots and chop them into squares. Cut off the top and bottom of the French beans and chop into pieces, Rinse the green peas, Chop the chilly into 2 pieces don’t chop it too finely else it will be very spicy for kids. Chop a small piece of Ginger. Now in a kadhai(wok), put 1 tbsp oil, add the mustard seeds, when it begins to crackle add the cumin seeds and the Bengal Gram, once the Bengal gram starts to turn light pink add the curry leaves and ginger and chilly, sauté for about a minute then add the onions and sauté till transparent, now add the tomatoes and sauté for a minute, after which you can add all the remaining vegetables, then add the salt, asafetida and turmeric and let it fry till you see the green peas turn light green in color, At this point add in about 3 cups of water, cover and let the vegetables cook, check for salt, if you find it less then add at this point. After 5 minutes open and check, if the vegetables are done, reduce the flame to sim, then slowly add in the Rava. Add the rava slowly with the left hand and with the right hand keep stirring so that it doesn’t form any lumps. Keep stirring. Soon you will notice that the Rava is absorbing the water. When the water content begins to reduce lower the flame and cook under cover for 5 minutes. Open Add a spoon of ghee, mix well and close the wok with a lid, let it rest for about 5 minutes. Then open the lid and serve hot. The samba rava gives a very good texture to the otherwise routine uppuma that we are used to eating. What more it is nutritious as its got lots of vegetables and samba rava is healthier than the Normal rava (Semolina) that we use.

Tip : You can add in Cashew nuts or peanuts while seasoning, if you want

KHICHDI VADA

KHICHDI VADA

I had made Khichdi (Also known as Pongal down south) and a lot got leftover, since we are not supposed to eat leftovers on festival days(It was Janmashtami the next day), we couldn’t finish eating it the next day and the khichdi was kept in the refrigerator.

Rice has become so expensive these days in Singapore that I didn’t have the heart to throw the khichdi, it was so tasty.

So on Day 3, I took out the khichdi and invented this new recipe Khichdi Vada,

You can make this with plain leftover rice also. The khichdi already has some spices, as it is already cooked and ready to eat, so when adding the salt etc, taste and see how much is required.

Ingredients

Leftover Khichdi /Rice – 2 bowls(Can serve 2 people)

Gram Flour – 1 cup

Bread crumbs – 2 tbsp

Onion – 1 medium size

Ginger paste – ½ tbsp

Green chillies- 2 finely chopped

Red Chilly powder – ½ tbsp

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Freshly chopped coriander leaves – 1 tbsp

Method

In a bowl, Take the khichdi, add all the ingredients and mix well. Khichdi is usually soft and overcooked so the texture is a bit gluey unlike Pulao rice etc. This vada can be made with slightly overcooked rice only as that can be mashed to mix with the rest of the ingredients.

Heat oil in a frying pan and when the oil is hot, drop small balls of the batter, while dropping spread your fingers so they drop unevenly and look shapeless, this makes it more crispy. Fry the Khichdi vadas till golden and crisp on a slow fire. Remove and drain on a kitchen towel to remove excess oil. Serve hot with green chutney/ coconut chutney or tomato sauce.

Believe me the vadas were so tasty that no one at home could believe that it was made from leftover khichdi.

This taught me a lesson that its not necessary that we must throw leftover food, we can always make something so interesting that no one would be able to guess what it was just like in the Comic I had made earlier.

TOMATO OMELETTE

I would like to pack this tasty and sumptuous breakfast to WBB–Combi Breakfast hosted by Masala Magic

TOMATO OMELETTE

I had about 2 ladles of leftover dosa batter, so I decided to make Tomato Omelette. Tomato Omelette is a spicy pancake. This is one Omelette that is made without eggs. This dish can be rustled up quickly for breakfast or on a day when you are lazy to cook.

Tomato Omelette is usually served with a slice of bread. You can either place one Omelette between two slices of bread or eat it with one slice of bread spread with butter.

In my recipe I use some rice flour also, so it won’t be sticky and easy to spread on the tava (flat pan)

Ingredients

Gram flour (besan) - 2 cups

Rice flour – 1 cup

Left over dosa batter – 2 ladles (optional)

Onion – 2 medium size

Ripe Red Tomatoes – 2

Ginger – a small piece

Green chillies - 4

Chilly powder - ½ tsp

Cumin powder – ½ tsp

Asafetida – ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Freshly chopped coriander leaves – 1 tbsp

Oil

Method

Mix the gram flour, rice flour and dosa batter with some water. Put in a mixie/blender, this

batter, one onion chopped, one tomato chopped, ginger chopped, 2 chillies and the Cumin powder, chilly powder, asafetida and salt as per taste. Blend all this well into a fine paste. This ensures that the batter doesn’t have lumps and also the essence of the onions, ginger, chilly and tomato have entered the batter. This also ensures an even mixture.

Now chop the other onion and tomato into small pieces and add it to the batter. Also chop the other 2 chillies into small pieces and add to the batter. This you won’t grind, as when you make the Omelette you want to get some pieces of onions and tomatoes to bite upon. Add the finely chopped fresh coriander leaves and mix well.

Now take a tava (a flat pan), Heat on medium heat and pour 1/2 teaspoon of oil into it. Spread it evenly. Pour one ladle full of this batter onto the pan. Cook until you see the sides turning golden. At this point flip over and cook on the side. Once it is golden on both sides. Remove from pan and serve. This is eaten hot with a slice of bread, tomato sauce and green coriander chutney.

PEANUT CHAAT

PEANUT CHAATI rustled this up yesterday evening, since we were hungry and I was bored to make anything detailed, I decided to make this chaat. Peanuts are Yo’s favorite snack and I love Kurkure. So I thought why not combine the two. This is my twist to the dish.. Hope all of you enjoy this chaat also.
Ingredients
Groundnuts (with shells) - 3 cups.
Onion (chopped) -1 medium sized.
Tomato (chopped) -1 medium sized.
Green chillies (chopped)- 2.
Chaat masala - 2 tsps
Roasted cumin powder - ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Freshly chopped coriander leaves – 1 tbsp
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Kurkure (Spicy corn puffs) – 1 cup
Method
Pressure cook the shelled groundnuts with some salt for about 3 whistles. Drain and remove the peanuts inside the shell. Take these peanuts in a bowl. Add salt as per taste, chaat masala, powder, roasted cumin powder, onion, tomato, green chillies, coriander leaves, lemon juice and mix well. Add 3/4th cup kurkure (Spicy corn puffs available in Indian stores). Since this is spicy it will incorporate some spice into the chaat. If you are not adding kurkure u can add ¼ tsp of red chilly powder. Garnish with coriander leaves and kurkure and serve.

HOMEMADE KETTLE CORN

HOMEMADE KETTLE CORN
Kettle corn is a totally irresistible snack. Unlike the caramel corns which are very sweet. The kettle corns are slightly sweet and salty at the same time.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/4 cup popcorn kernels

2 tablespoons white sugar

Salt to taste

melted butter (optional)

Method
In your saucepan, heat the oil and popcorn kernels over medium-high heat, shaking the pan to keep the kernels from burning. When the kernels are about to start popping, they will become slightly lighter in color, and most importantly, they will start to smell like popcorn. At this point, sprinkle the sugar over the kernels and cover. With the lid on, continue to cook the popcorn by gently shaking the pan over the heat. When the popping has slowed (don’t keep cooking until the very last kernel has popped, you will end up burning the sugar), remove the pan from heat and empty the popcorn into a large bowl. Toss with salt immediately (when the sugar on the popcorn is still hot and sticky, the salt will adhere to the kernels better) and sprinkle with melted butter if you like. Enjoy while still warm.

HOME MADE POPCORNS

HOME MADE POPCORNS
Since a lot of good movies have suddenly been released at one go, me and Yo were on a movie marathon and what better way to enjoy it if not with a bag of homemade popcorn. I don’t enjoy the popcorn popped in the machine in the theatre stalls somehow. So I usually sneak my own homemade popcorns in. People may say popcorns are popcorns wherever you may have it and however you may have it. I beg to differ…..once you have had homemade popcorns you would never enjoy the Microwaveable popcorns that are sold in the market or the theatre stall popcorns, the reason being these have excessive artificial salts, some kind of butters(which make the roof of your mouth feel slippery) and excessive husks which stick to your teeth.
So here is my recipe for Homemade crunchy munchy tasty popcorns
Ingredients
Corn Kernels – 2 tbsps
Vegetable cooking Oil – 1 tbsp
Salt as per taste
Method
You need a big deep cooking wok to pop the corn kernels.Dont’t use a small wok as you’ll probably end up popping more than your wok can hold.
Add one tbsp oil or enough to cover the corn kernels. Add some salt and mix well. Keep the gas on high. Don’t cover at this point keep mixing the kernels with the salt, so they get well coated. When the first kernel pops, immediately cover the wok and enjoy the pop-pop sound. Once the pop-pop sound subsides or almost reduces to one pop, put off the gas. You will notice that the lid of the wok has risen and 2tbsps of corn kernels have given you almost 2 bags of popcorns equivalent to one jumbo pack of popcorn that they sell in the theatres.
VARIATIONS :
A low fat version would be replacing the vegetable oil with Olive Oil
And for those who can afford the calories , you can use butter

GRILLED POTATO -PEAS SANDWICH

This recipe will be a sure shot hit in any household, Can have it for Breakfast, lunch, brunch, tea-time or dinner. Its an all time favorite snack in my house. Its nutritious and filling.
GRILLED POTATO-PEAS SANDWICH
Ingredients
Sandwich bread – 4 slices
Potato – 1 Big
Green peas – 1 tbsp
Green chilies - 2
Ginger -1 inch
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Freshly chopped coriander leaves
Garam Masala – 1-2 tsp
Salt as per taste
Oil – 1 tbsp
Butter – 1 tbsp
Coriander Chutney (check the link for the recipe in my blog)
Sandwich griller
Method
Wash, boil and peel the potatoes, mash them (don’t mash into a paste), just mash lightly. Boil Green peas. Keep aside. In a dry mill, put in the green chillies and ginger and make a paste. In a wok, put oil, add the cumin seeds, when they start to fry, add the ginger-chilly paste and fry. Then add the boiled peas, fry for 2 minutes, when the green peas turn into a lighter color, add the mashed potatoes, add salt, garam masala and mix well. In the end add freshly chopped coriander leaves. Mix well. Wait until the mixture is warm.


Then take 2 slices of bread, Spread butter and green coriander chutney on both slices. Now spread the peas-potato filling evenly on top. Cover with the other slice. Use a Sandwich griller, Grease the sandwich maker with butter and once hot, keep the slices inside, spread some butter on top and then close to grill. Once the sandwiches are grilled you will have crispy golden sandwiches with a lovely potato-peas filling. Serve hot with coriander chutneyand tomato sauce.

WORD OF CAUTION: Dont' rush to have a bite of the Sandwich as the filling is hot and you may burn your mouth.

CHEESE TOMATO CROISSANT

I would like to pack this sandwich for the picnic basket of “Waiter There’s Something in my……….Picnic hosted by Johanna of thepassionatecook.
CHEESE TOMATO CROISSANT
Croissants are made of a leavened variant of puff pastry by layering yeast dough with butter and rolling and folding a few times in succession, then rolling. A lot of time goes in making Croissants, so I decided I would buy it off the rack.
Ingredients
Croissant - 1
Tomatoes - 1
Cheese Slice - 1
Salt
Pepper
Method
Slice tomatoes, keep aside. Take one piece of croissant and carefully slice in the middle. Place one cheese slice inside and on top of it neatly place the tomatoes. Sprinkle some salt and freshly crushed pepper over the sliced vegetables. Enjoy this delicious sandwich.

VEGETABLE SANDWICH

I would like to pack this Vegetable sandwich for Johanna's(the passionatecook) picnic basket for her Picnic fare event.
I absolutely adore the logo which says “Waiter There’s Something in my………." which is a headline grabber for sure.
Here is an out and out picnic recipe from me which is nutritious, light on the stomach and can be assembled at the picnic spot with the help of friends.
VEGETABLE SANDWICH
I have used White bread in my recipe but brown bread would be a healthier option. Sandwiches taste best when freshly made, so here’s a tip, you can carry all the sliced vegetables in ziplock bags and assemble the sandwich at the picnic spot and enjoy the crunch of the fresh vegetables.
Ingredients
Two slices of White Bread/ Brown Bread
Cucumber – 1
Tomatoes - 1
Beet Root – 1
Potato – 1
Butter
Salt
Pepper
Green Coriander Chutney(Optional)(refer to link below for recipe)
Chat Masala (Optional)
Method
Peel and boil the Beet root. Boil and peel the Potatoes. Make slices of both and keep aside. Peel the cucumber and slice it. Slice tomatoes. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over the sliced vegetables. Once all this is done. Apply butter to one side. Place the sliced potatoes first, Place the sliced beet root over it, then place a layer of the sliced cucumbers and over it a layer of the sliced tomatoes. You can sprinkle a bit of Chaat Masala( is a tangy savory powder available in Indian stores)
On the other bread apply some Coriander chutney.(Click on the link for the recipe). Cover the sandwich with the slice of bread which has chutney on it. Top it with a bit of coriander chutney and tomato sauce as shown in the picture while serving it.

ONION FRITTERS WITH RED JALAPENO PEPPERS AND CASHEWNUTS

ONION FRITTERS WITH RED JALAPENO PEPPERS AND CASHEWNUTSIn the desi style we can call it Onion Bhajji/Bhajiya lal Mirchi aur kaju ke saath.

I guess I am hooked onto red Jalapeno peppers, I love the color, the flavor, the extra funk or you may say punch that it adds to any dish. Don’t replace the red jalapeno peppers with any other pepper, the taste won’t be the same. If you don’t get Jalapeno peppers in your country, you can use Red Capsicum. Here is yet another Original recipe of mine.

Ingredients Onions – 3-4

Red Jalapeno Peppers – 2

Cashewnuts – 1 tbsp

Gram Flour – 1 cup

Bishops weed (Ajwain/Omam) – ½ tsp

Asafetida – 1 tsp

Red Chilly powder – 1 tsp

Salt as per taste

Oil

Method

Chop the onion in thin slivers, Slit the Red Jalapeno peppers de-stem and de-seed them. Chop them in thin strips also. Put them in a bowl, Add the cashewnuts, then add 3 tbsps of gram flour, the bishops weed, Asafetida, Red chilly powder, salt and mix well. Allow the onions and chillies to marinate in the mixture for about 5 minutes. The onions start to sweat and you will notice the mixture to be moist, at this point, add the rest of the gram flour and some water, The water is added to make the mixture a bit loose and in dropping consistency as shown in the picture. Again keep aside for 4-5 minutes.

Heat oil in a frying pan and when the oil is hot, drop small balls of the batter, while dropping spread your fingers so they drop unevenly and look shapeless, this makes it more crispy. Fry the Bhajiyas(fritters) till golden and crisp on a slow fire. Remove and drain on a kitchen towel to remove excess oil. Serve hot with green chutney/ coconut chutney or tomato sauce

I would like to send this dish also to Lore's Original recipes Event.

MOONG UDAD VADA

MOONG UDAD VADA
Ingredients
Moong Dal – ½ cup
Udad Dal – ½ cup
Green Chillies – 2 -3
Ginger - 1 tsp.
Finely chopped Coriander – 2 tbsps
Curry leaves – a sprig
Asafetida – 1 tsp
Salt as per taste
Oil
Method
Soak udad dal and moong dal for 2-3 hours. Grind the dals along with 2 chillies and the ginger into a coarse paste. One chilly just chop into small pieces and add to the batter. Now add salt, asafetida, coriander and curry leaves, mix well and keep aside for 4-5 minutes. Heat oil in a frying pan and when the oil is hot, put small balls of the batter, shouldn’t be too even(very round) while dropping, when dropped unevenly it will be more crispy. Fry the vadas till golden and crisp, remove and drain on a kitchen towel to remove excess oil. Serve hot with green chutney or coconut chutney.

HOT KACHORI

HOT KACHORI
This is also known as Rajasthani Kachori as it is one of their favorite snacks. In the north it is also known as “Kachaudi”. It’s a hot sweet delight which is not only a treat to your eyes but will tantalize your taste buds and leave you craving for more. The chaat versions of the Kachori are very popular in Mumbai as a street food. I will divide the recipe into 3 halves as the kachori is made in different segments and there is a process in each one. All put together what you get is a slice of heaven
Ingredients
For cover:
Plain flour – 1 ½ cup
Oil – 2 tbsps
Salt as per taste
For filling:
Yellow moong dal washed and soaked for 1/2 hour -1 cup
Red chilly powder -1 tsp.
Coriander powder -1/2 tsp.
Coriander seeds crushed coarsely -1/2 tsp.
Fennel seeds crushed coarsely -1/2 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Asafetida – 1tsp
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry
Method
For cover:
In a Bowl, mix flour, salt and oil, knead into soft pliable dough adding water while making the dough, just like you do for chappatis. Keep aside for 30 minutes.
For filling:
In a vessel, Take 4 glasses of water, when it comes to boiling point, Add the yellow moong dal and when it starts to boil, add the dal. Boil dal for 5 minutes, drain the water from the dal. Allow it to cool down. Now heat some oil in a heavy pan, add the cumin seeds and the coarsely crushed coriander seeds and fennel seeds. When it starts to splutter
add asafetida, red chilly powder, Coriander powder and mix well. Now Add the dal. Add salt to taste. With the back of your spatula smash a few lentils(dals). Do not smash the dal fully. A bit of smashing makes the mixture bind well. Switch off the gas and allow this mixture to cool.
Once the mixture cools down, grease your palms and make balls out of the lentil mixture and Keep aside.
Now make balls of the dough. Take one lemon sized ball and roll it, just like you roll for chappati. Place one ball of the lentil filling in the centre. Now make the dough like a money pouch with the lentil mixture in the middle. Tear off the excess dough carefully
The cover shouldn’t tear, now with your palms press the ball, making it flattish and round.(like in the picture).Make all the kachoris in the same way. The technique to deep fry these kachoris is very important. Once the oil is hot, reduce the flame. Keep it on sim and slowly drop the kachoris, the kachoris fry in the oil for a longer time, only then will they be crispy. If the kachori get a hole anywhere, apply some paste made with plain flour and water and patch it up else the oil will be spilt with lentil and the kachories will be soggy. Once you feel one side is about half cooked and safe to turn slowly turn with a delicate hand to the other side, you can do it with a spatula and a spoon. When you are frying you will notice that small bubbles appear over the kachori, slowly the bubbles will reduce and you know that the kachori is almost done. Fry till golden and crisp.
Drain on a kitchen towel to remove excess oil and serve hot with green and tamarind chutneys.
Kachoris are very filling, The yellow lentils are very nutritious
Kachoris can be made and stored for 2-3 days. We can make kachori chaat or even Dahi kachori chaat with them the following day for a variation.
Variations
For Kachori chaat : Break the top of the kachori and pour some green chutney and tamarind chutney and some finely chopped onions and top it with sev (gram flour noodles) and garnish with freshly chopped coriander and a dash of lime. You can add a pinch of chaat masala also.
For Dahi kachori chaat: Use fresh thick yogurt. Add some sugar in the yogurt and beat it, it will be fluffy. Now break the Kachori as above and pour a tablespoon of dahi and follow the same as above. You can use bareek sev (Fine gram flour noodles available in the market)

SABUDANA VADA (Sago Vada)

My entry for the SWC -: Maharashtrian Cuisine is this;
SABUDANA VADA (Sago Vada)
Sabudana(Sago) is usually used during fasting in Maharashtra. But it wouldn’t be fair to grade it just as a fasting item. The sabudana khichdi (upma), sabudana Chiwda and the sabudana vada are special Maharashtrian delights which cannot escape any Maharashtrian kitchen.

Any dish made with sago and potatoes taste absolutely good, sago and potatoes are a very tasty and explosive combination according to me, be it the papad or this vada. I am sure your day is made, when you have this vada on a rainy day as an evening snack along with some hot tea.

Sago and potatoes when mixed together tend to absorb more oil, so after you fry it, always absorb the excess oil on a kitchen towel (tissue) and serve hot.

The sabudana vada tastes good only when served hot, as it is crispy only when hot. Once it cools down, the crispyness is lost. Do indulge in this absolutely wonderful Maharashtrian delight.

The sabudana vada is a crispy delight which is usually served with sweetened thick yogurt and green coriander chutney.

I have used the smaller sized sago in my recipe, which is easily available everywhere in Singapore, It soaks fasts and I feel we can make crispier vadas, We can do the same with the sago available in India also.(To the right is the picture of the sago vada made out of the bigger sized sago)

Ingredients
Sabudana (Sago) – 250gms
Potato - 2 medium
Green Chillies – 2-3,
Ginger - a small piece,
Peanuts -1/2 cup (Roasted and crushed coarsely)
Jeera (cumin seeds) - 1tsp.(freshly roasted)
Salt as per taste
Finely chopped coriander leaves
Oil - to deep fry

Method
Roast the peanuts and preferably remove the skin of the peanuts. If you grind the peanuts along with their skin, your vadas will be slightly reddish in color. We want our vadas to be golden in color.

Wash the sago well to remove any dirt and soak it in water. Since I have used the smaller sized sagos. I just add water to immerse the sago, the water should not be too much or else the sabudana will get mashed and the vadas wont be tasty or crispy. The soaking is one of the most crucial aspects in the making of these vadas. I usually soak for 2-3 hours, but the smaller variety of sago used by me gets soaked very fast so even half an hour is enough.

Boil the potatoes, peel and mash well. Keep aside

Grind the chillies and ginger in the mixie (alternatively you can use the ginger and green chilly paste also). Some people just add finely chopped green chillies and finely grated ginger, but I prefer to make a paste and add it to the sago mixture as the spices enter the mixture well and the vadas taste better.

Check your soaked sago after half an hour, all the water will have been absorbed by the sago, thus increasing its size and making it soft, the sago will still be separate and not get mashed. If it gets mashed your vada will be very gluey.

Now in a bowl, take your soaked sago, add the roasted and ground peanut powder, salt, Toasted cumin seeds, ginger and green chilly paste, finely chopped coriander leaves. Mix well. Check for salt and spice. If you find it less add more before you add the mashed potatoes. Once, you add the mashed potatoes everything binds well, so the salt and spices will not be evenly mixed.

In the end add the mashed potatoes and mix well. Now the mixture will bind well. Heat oil in a kadhai (wok), make balls of the mixture, flatten it on your palm and deep fry in the hot oil. Drain the excess oil in paper towels or tissues and serve hot, with thickened sweet yogurt, green coriander chutney or coconut chutney as per your choice. I am sure people will love this recipe.

Note : Some people make the Sabudana Khichdi first and then use the khichdi mixture to make the vadas. It is not necessary though. You can consider it as another method.

VEGETABLE UPPUMA (RAWA KICHADI)

VEGETABLE UPPUMA (RAWA KICHADI)
This is a very nutritious uppuma, as it has lot of vegetables which brings in a lot of color to the dish and kids like it a lot.
Ingredients
Semolina (Rava) – 2 cups
Onions – 1
Potato – 1
Tomato - 1
French Beans - 1 tbsp chopped
Carrots – 1 tbsp chopped
Green Peas – 1 ½ tbsp
Green chillies – 2
Ginger – a small piece
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
Chana dal (Bengal Gram) – 1tsp
Curry leaves – A sprig
Asafetida (hing) - a pinch
Turmeric powder – 1tsp
Salt to taste
Ghee (Clarified butter) – 1 tsp
Method
Take 2 cups of rava and roast without oil in a wok, for the raw smell to go. Be careful that it shouldn’t burn. Keep aside. Now chop the onions and tomatoes. Peel the potatoes and carrots and chop them into squares. Cut off the top and bottom of the French beans and chop into pieces, Rinse the green peas, Chop the chilly into 2 pieces don’t chop it too finely else it will be very spicy for kids. Chop a small piece of Ginger. Now in a kadhai(wok), put 1 tbsp oil, add the mustard seeds, when it begins to crackle add the cumin seeds and the Bengal Gram, once the Bengal gram starts to turn light pink add the curry leaves and ginger and chilly, sauté for about a minute then add the onions and sauté till transparent, now add the tomatoes and sauté for a minute, after which you can add all the remaining vegetables, then add the salt, asafetida and turmeric and let it fry till you see the green peas turn light green in color, At this point add in about 3 cups of water, cover and let the vegetables cook, check for salt, if you find it less then add at this point. After 5 minutes open and check, if the vegetables are done, reduce the flame to sim, then slowly add in the Rava. Add the rava slowly with the left hand and with the right hand keep stirring so that it doesn’t form any lumps. Keep stirring. Soon you will notice that the Rava is absorbing the water. When the water content begins to reduce lower the flame and cook under cover for 5 minutes. Open Add a spoon of ghee, mix well and close the wok with a lid, let it rest for about 5 minutes. Then open the lid and serve hot. Kids love this upma. What more; it is nutritious as its got lots of vegetables.
Tip : You can add in Cashews while seasoning, if you want

MASALA VADAI / PARIPPU VADAI / DAL VADA

MASALA VADAI / PARIPPU VADAI / DAL VADA
Masala Vadais are a delight to the palette with a riot of flavors exploding in your mouth.

In the yesteryear's we used to enjoy our long journey train travels from Mumbai to Chennai passing via different stations and tasting the flavors of the snacks made by the different states.

Tam brahms, don't usually add Onions or garlic to their snacks, but while we were travelling by train from Mumbai to Tirupati, I remember Appa purchased these lovely Masala Vadais at Renigunta station, they were so full of flavors, unlike the simple Aama vadais / Parippu vadais made at home. 
The Vadais were warm, packed in a Banana leaf further covered with a newspaper. Inside the banana leaf there was a smaller banana leaf wrap with thick chutney inside, packed carefully so as to not make the vadai soggy. The Vadai and chutney were so yummy and we relished it so much that we wanted to buy more; but the train started to move, looking at our eagerness to buy, the vendor came running and passed us a packet and my father gave him money and asked him to keep the change, the boy was so happy. 

Life back then was simple and we were so happy in the simple things. 

Coming to the present, It was a rainy day and I had cravings for something fried, so I decided to make these Masala vadais.

I have prepared the Parippu Vadai many times following my mom's recipe, It has the dals mentioned in the below ingredients in the same proportion and the green chillies, red chillies, asafetida, curry leaves and salt. It is ground coarse but slightly more finer than the below masala vadai. I prepare Parippu vadai for festivals and grind a bit more and add the remaining ingredients the next day to prepare the Masala vadai, since we don't eat onions on festival days.

Yo (my dear hubby) prefers the Masala vadai though, it’s just another version of the Parippu Vadai, except for the burst of flavour with the added ingredients. 
The vadai batter remains the same but is enhanced further with the other ingredients mainly the onions, ginger, fennel & cumin. 
Yo(my husband) says it spicier, crispier and tastier. 

I pat it a little flatter, that gives me crispier vadais. 

Here’s the recipe for the Masala Vadai and you can also try the Parippu vadai minus the other ingredients mentioned below. 
I will share the recipe of the Aama Vadai soon....

Ingredients (Serves 4)
Toor Dal – 1 cup
Udad dal – ½ cup
Chana dal- ½ cup
Green Chillies – 2
Dry Red chillies -2
Ginger – a small piece (optional)
Chopped Onion - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds (Jeera) – 1 tsp
Fennel seeds (Saunf) – 2tsps
Grated coconut – 1 tbsp
Chopped coriander leaves – 1 tbsp
Curry leaves – a sprig
Asafetida – a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Method
Mix all the dals and rinse well. Soak for about 2-3 hours. Drain water from the soaked dal. Grind the soaked dals, green chillies, red chillies, ginger with salt and asafetida in a mixer. Grind it coarsely, Don’t add much water, If too much water is added the mixture will be too soggy and absorb too much oil while frying.
Now add the chopped onions, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, grated coconut, curry leaves (break one or 2 leaves into halves for extra flavor), and chopped coriander leaves and mix well. Check for salt, if less, add some while mixing.
Keep for about half an hour aside so that the spices soak in.

Heat the oil in a wok (kadhai). Wet your left palm, with your right hand make a small golf size ball and pat it on your left palm into a vada and drop it slowly into the hot oil. Put the flattened balls of the dough into the hot oil one by one.
Deep fry till golden brown.
Serve hot with coconut chutney and sambhar.

Tips 

• Soak the fennel seeds in some water for about 15 minutes , rinse out the water and add the bloated fennel seeds to the coarsely prepared vada mixture.
• You can prepare the batter in the morning and keep it refrigerated and make the vadas the evening. This will allow the spices to soak in and result in tastier vadas. The reason we are refrigerating it is because onions tend to make the batter soggy, so keeping it outside may make the onions sweat in the batter resulting in a soggy batter and oily vadas.

Variations

• If the vadas are remaining, add them to sambhar and you have tasty sambhar vadas, the next day. 
• If use the Vadai mixture that comes out of the blender and make Vadai. It is Parippu Vadai/ Dal Vadai
• You can use garlic in the above recipe as well. 3-4 pods chopped fine or pounded to a fine paste added to the vadai mixture.
• You can add fresh mint leaves too. Mint gives a good fresh flavour to the vadai. Incase using mint leaves. Take a cup full of freshly chopped mint leaves and add to the vadai mixture.
• You can add Cinnamon to the vadai too. If you are adding, dry roast 1 cinnamon stick and grind it along with the vadai mixture. 
• Any of the above ingredients can be added or deleted depending on your taste

CORN PATTICE

CORN PATTICE
Here’s the dish which burnt my nose, thanks to the corn kernel popping out of the oil and directly aiming my nose. It sounds funny but it aint funny as I have got burn marks to prove it. So please read through my recipe. I believe in “Safety First”. But believe me I made the most amazing corn pattice today.
Ingredients
Corn Kernels – 2 ½ cups
Potatoes – 3 medium sized potatoes
Toasted Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Green Chilly paste – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Red chilly powder – 1 tsp
Corn Flour – 2 heaped tbsps
Bread Crumbs – ½ cup
Fresh coriander leaves
Oil for frying
Salt for taste

Method
I have used frozen corn kernels in this recipe, simply because its easy.Wash the corn kernels. Boil the corn kernels and potatoes separately. Once the corn kernels are boiled, allow it to cool, grind the corns in a mixie until it becomes like a paste, you can keep a few corn kernels whole, so that it is seen through the pattice, but you must remember that corn kernels tend to burst in the oil while frying, so you cant keep too many whole corn kernels. Mash the potatoes. In a bowl, add the grounded boiled corn paste, the mashed potatoes, add the ginger paste, green chilly paste, toasted cumin seeds, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilly powder, fresh coriander leaves and salt as per taste. Mix well. Add the corn flour slowly and keep mixing till the batter starts to loose its soggyness. Now, you can make the pattice in 2 ways, either you can make balls of the dough and roll it over the breadcrumds and deep fry, but I find that the bread crumbs drop off and get over fried and the pattice tend to split in the oil and become too oily. The oil becomes too messy, so here comes my brainwave, what I do is I add the bread crumbs to the dough I prepared in the bowl and mix well, keep adding little by little until the bread crumbs absorb the soggyness which is usually caused by the mashed corn kernels and mashed potatoes. When you mix in this fashion, the dough becomes like the dry masala vada batter. It can be easily rolled into balls without sticking to your hands, flatten the rolled balls with your right palm on your left palm. In the meanwhile, Heat the oil in a wok (kadhai). Put the flattened balls of the dough into the hot oil one by one. While turning the pattice stand away from the wok, lest you burn yourself. Deep fry till golden brown. Serve hot with either green coriander chutney or tomato ketchup.

ADAI

ADAI
Ingredients
Rice -1 cups (You can use Raw rice or Parboiled rice as per your choice)
Toor dal – ¼ cup
Chana dal - ¼ cup
Udad dal - ¼ cup
Moong dal - ¼ cup
Red chillies – 4-5
Green chillies - 3-4
Hing – ½ tsp
Salt as per taste
Curry leaves – A sprig
Cooking oil for making adai (Preferably Sesame (Til)oil)

Method
Rinse the rice and all the dals and soak them together in water. Grind the above coarsely with salt, hing and red chillies and green chillies. Add curry leaves to the batter, while adding break some curry leaves for a nice aroma.

Take a tava (a flat bottomed pan). Put 1 tsp oil and spread it evenly over the tave, sprinkle some water and check if the tava is hot enough, reduce the flame. Now take a big spoon full of the adai batter and spread it in a round format evenly. Put a hole in the centre. Put 1 tsp oil around it and a little inside the hole that you placed in the centre. Let it cook on this side for a few minutes, when you see the sides turning brown, flip it over and cook on the other side, if required put 1 tsp of oil around it. Wait till the adai turns brown. Serve it hot with any chutney, molagapodi, some white homemade butter or with some jaggery.

Adai tastes good even after the batter remains for 2-3 days. Keep the batter refrigerated and remove out of fridge 2-3 hours before you prepare the adai. After a day or 2 the batter gets some sourness, which many people enjoy, more than the adai made from the fresh batter. The adai batter need not be fermented unlike the dosai batter, but some people believe that fermenting the batter makes it lighter on the stomach. Adai is very very nutritious and has high protein content.

Adai also tastes excellent with Avial and Morkozhambu. Some believe that Avial is the best combination for Adai

(For the recipe of Avial and Morkozhambu, check the South Indian recipes section of my blog)

Variations to the Adai

• You can add onions to the batter. Cut onions into small pieces and put into the better and follow the above method. You will get some nice ONION ADAI.
• You can add tomatoes to the batter. Cut the tomatoes into small pieces and put into batter and follow the above method. You will get some nice TOMATO ADAI.
• You can add coconut, Grate the coconut and add half a cup of this grated coconut into the batter and follow the above method. You will get some nice COCONUT ADAI.
• While grinding the rice, dals and chillies, you can also add a teaspoon full of pepper and grind. You will get some nice PEPPER ADAI.
• Add a bunch of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves to the batter and you will get some nice CORIANDER ADAI.
• Add cut drumstick leaves to the batter and you will get your MURUNGA ILAI ADAI. (Refer picture to your right for murunga ilai adai)
• You can also make any of the above combos like Coconut + Onion or Onion +Tomato or any other combo of your choice

• THAVALA ADAI
• Soak the rice and dals as in the above preparation and grind coarsely with chillies, salt and hing. Now in a pan heat a tablespoon of oil or ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds, pepper and curry leaves and mix it with the batter. And make the adai as above. This is Thavala Adai.

These 2 preparations chakkai adai and kaaradai are slightly different from the above Adai recipes

• CHAKKAI ADAI
  This is very popular in Kerala. It is usually prepared in the jack fruit season.
  Soak parboiled rice for around 4-5 hours, Grind it into a smooth paste adding salt as per taste. Add cut pieces of jackfruit and small quantity of jaggery half way while grinding. Prepare Adais with this batter.
• You can use Drumstick leaves (murunga ilai) instead of jackfruit and follow the above recipe to make some murunga ilai adai. This is yet another type of Murunga Ilai Adai.

• KAARADAI
• Roast 250 g of raw rice and coarsely powder it into a nice rava like consistency.Dry roast 2-3tsps of cowgram/ Horsegram (known as kuleeth in marathi and Kollu in tamil). In a thick vessel, heat water to boil, and add the roasted cowgram, coconut pieces(cut into very small pieces) and salt as per taste. When they are cooked, add the rava and stir into a paste. Flatten this flour into round shape (the size of medhu vadai), place in idli plates and cook.