Chilli Pakora/Menasinakai Bajji

                             

 

I frequently visit my local markets to see what seasonal vegetables and fruits they have.They usually have some kind of new varieties.This time they had varieties of long chilly and picked up the one which was less hot.I like my chillies not so hot,so I can enjoy them!You can also use banana peppers and jalapenos.

 

Besan flour-11/2 cup +2 tbspn

Chilli - 7

cumin powder-1/2 tspn

salt to taste

finely chopped onion-1 1Tbpsn

chilli powder-1/2 tspn(optional,use only if ur pepper is not hot)

baking soda-2 pinch

Oil for Deep Fry

Green chutney - check out recipe http://shwethasyummykitchen.blogspot.com/2013/07/khasta-kachori-chat.html

 

.)Prepare thick paste of  2 -3 tbspn besan,onion,1/2 tspn cumin powder,pinch of salt by adding very little water.Lets keep it aside for filling.

.)Slit the chillies ,fill this besan onion mixture(don't overfill).

.)Lets make  thick batter with besan,salt,chilli powder(if peppers are not hot).Add baking soda or eno fruit salt ,mix well.

.)Dip the prepared chillies in the besan batter and drop them in medium hot oil.Fry till golden brown.

.)Enjoy with cilantro chutney and ketchup.

 

Pineapple Gojju-Sweet and Tangy Curry

 

Gojju-A Karnataka delicacy-Sweet,Tangy Spicy Curry.Its mandatory side dish in all the karnataka weddings.Gojju is typically made with pineapple.You can also use raw mango,capsicum,dry rasins.I have even tried with fresh grapes.Tastes great as a side dish with any kind lunch and dinner.Make it with sambar rice n curd rice and you will love it!

 

Recently we were strolling around in botanical garden and saw some pineapple plants(check out the pic) that's when I started to crave for pineapple gojju.While coming back to home,i made a stop at walmart and picked up pineapple  to make some yumm gojju...

 

 

 

Ingredients

urad dal-11/2 Tbspn

white sesame seeds-1/2 Tbpn

Cumin seeds-1/2 tspn

Dry chillies-5-6

Dry coconut-3/4 cup

tamarind- lemon size

pineapple chopped-2 cup

turmeric- 1 pinch

jaggery-1 Tbspn.

Hing/asafetida-1 pinch

oil-1 Tbspn

mustard seeds-1/4 teaspoon

salt to taste

 

Masala Paste

 

Dry roast separately urad dal,cumin,sesame seeds till golden brown.Roast dry red chillies with few drops of oil for few seconds.

Lets grind urad dal,cumin,dry coconut,dry chillies,seasame,turmeric,hing.Add little water and make a very smooth paste.

 

Process

Heat oil in a pan,add mustard seeds,when it pops up add chopped pineapple.Fry for 2 min.

Squeeze out tamarind juice and add to it.

Add salt,jaggery and let it boil for 7 min.

Next add the grinded paste and boil it for 6 min.

Refridgerate in air tight container for 4-5 days!Enjoy with your meals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eggless sponge Cake! low fat and spongy

Usually its hard to get fluffy spongy cake in eggless recipes.But this recipe with yogurt gets the nice spongy texture.Try it out. 

21/2 Cups All purpose flour/maida

11/2 cup cup plain yogurt

1  cup sugar

2 tspn baking powder

3/4 tspn baking soda

2 tspn vanilla essence

1 Tbspn milk

3/4 cup Oil

 

Beat the room temperature yogurt with sugar till sugar dissolves.

Add the baking powder and baking soda,leave it aside for 6 min till it foams up.

Then the vanilla extract and oil.Mix well.

Take the all purpose flour in a wide bowl add the yogurt mixture and 1 tbspn milk to form a lump free batter.

Grease the baking pan with oil.Transfer the batter to baking pan.

Preheat oven at 180C.

Bake for about 35 min or till completely done.

Insert toothpick and it should come out clean,thats when u know it is done!

Top it with whipping cream and blueberry/strawberry or with ur favourite frosting!

 

Note:No butter just oil!you can also substitute low fat yogurt and light whipping cream.But for good results use full fat .

 

 



Mango Milkshake! king of all milkshakes

Went to grocery shopping today,saw organic mangoes on sale.the first thing which came to my mind is "how abt some mango milkshake".This is very simple recipe with rich taste and very fulfilling.Make it for your guests and they will love it.

2 Ripe Mangoes
31/2 cup milk
2 Tbspn Whipped cream.
5 Tbspn sugar.
ice cubes

Remove the skin of mangoes and blend it with sugar and 1/2 cup milk.
Next add remaining milk ,cream,4-5 icecubes and blend it for 2 min till very smooth.

Note:I used great value brand whipped cream,u can use cool whip or  I even use heavy whipping cream -makes very good milkshake,sometimes the combination of both!.
If Mangoes are not in season,you can buy mango pulp in cans from any indian store.

 

Khasta Kachori Chat

 

 Are u missing Indian street chats in the evening?Lentils/dals filled inside this crispy puri served with yogurt,green chutney,sweet chutney..hmm yumm.Lets make this mouthwatering khasta kachori chat.

Outer Cover

11/2 cup maida/all purpose flour.
2 tablespoon oil
1  teaspoon ghee
1/2 cup chilled water or as needed
salt to taste

Add oil and ghee to maida and mix well for 5 min before adding water.
Next old chilled water and mix as you pour.
Make a medium soft dough.
Cover the dough and let it rest for 20 min.

Filling

1/4 cup yellow moong dal
1/4 cup  white urad dal
1 teaspoon coarsely grinded coriander seeds (dhania)
1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder
1 teaspoon coarsely grinded fennel seeds (saunf)
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder.
3/4 teaspoon mango powder (amchoor)
2 pinch of asafetida (hing)
salt to taste
2 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons water.

Soak the moong dal and urad dal separately for 4 hrs.
Drain the water and coarsely grind them separately.
Heat oil in a  non stick pain,add hing,then the grinded dals.
Keep stirring it frequently.After sometime sprinkle little water cover it and cook.
When it is half done add all the spices and fry till u get nice aroma.
Let it cool down.

Making Kachori

 

Knead the dough for few minutes.
Divide them into 12 parts.
Roll it to a thick circle(center being more thicker than edges)
Put the filling in and cover the edges to form the round.Take of any extra dough.
Flatten it gently  using ur palm.
Heat oil in a wide pan
Kachori should not come up very fast.
Fry it in low heat till golden brown,crisp and let it come to room temperature(If u fry in high flame,it will not be crisp,mine took about 20 min).

Chat

green chutney
sweet chutney
yogurt
finely chopped onion
boiled black chana
sev

green chutney

 

 

1 bunch or 1 cup coriander leaves/cilantro/kothambari soppu

1/2 cup mint.

2 small green chillies

1 inch ginger

2 garlic pods

1/4 big onion

1 tspn white sesame seeds

1 tablespoon lemonjuice.

salt to taste

 

Grind all together to a smooth paste.

 



 

1 cup Tamarind extract
6 dates
1/2 cupjaggery
pinch of cumin powder
pich of salt
pinch of red chilli powder

Soak the dates for 2-3 hrs and tamarind separately.Extract juice from tamrind.
Grind the dates and pulp.(I have also tried using dry raisins and  dry cranberry)
Add 1/4 cup water if the mixture is very thick
Boil the mixture for 10 min in med-low
Add jaggery(I used half jaggery and half sugar)and the spices
Simmer and boil.
Store it in dry air tight container or even freeze it.

I always have these chutneys so it easy to prepare any kind of chat.

Beat 1 cup yogurt with pinch of salt and 1/2 tspn sugar


Take the kachoris,make a dip in the center.
Add couple of table spoons yogurt.
Top it with green chutney and sweet chutney.
Some chana,chopped onions,sev.
Enjoy with a cup of tea.

Idli Vada Sambar Chutney-Delicious

Its morning! and Bangalore restaurants are filled with people ordering Idli vada,Idli vada.Got up one Saturday morning with desire of having Idli,vada,sambar,chutney.Lets make it...

Idli

3 cup sona masuri rice
1 cup urad dal
1/2 cup thick poha
1/2 tspn methi seeds
1 cup cooked rice

1)Soak rice and dal,methi seeds together for 6-8 hrs.Soak poha/avalakki 30 min before u grind.
2)Lets combine everything with cooked rice to a very very smooth paste adding little water(enough to grind it to thick paste).If u add more water it will become dosa batter:-)
3)Allow it to ferment for 8 hrs.Usually overnight and keep it in  a warm dark place.
4)Add salt , prepare idli stand by applying few drops of oil into each mould and add water into cooker.Steam cook it without whistle in pressure cooker for 14 min .
5)I made baby idlis for my toddler.
                                                    



Vada

CLICK HERE FOR VADA RECIPE

 

 

 

Sambar

                                               

 

                                      

1 cup................................ Toor dal

1....................................... Tomato

21/2 +1/2 ......................... onion

3 Tbspn............................. coconut

1 Tbspn..............................jaggery

4 tbspn..............................tamarind juice

1/2 tspn............................. poppy seeds(gasagase)

 1 tspn...............................coriander leaves/cilantro

 1 string.............................curry leaves

1/2 tspn ............................. mustard seeds
1/4 tspn..............................cumin seeds
1/8 tspn..............................asafetida/hing

salt to taste

Sambar powder 2 tbspn+1 inch cinnamon or bisibelebath powder(cinnamon not required if using this,u get bisibelebath powder in indian grocery)

 

1)Pressure cook lengthwise chopped onion,tomato,toor dal  in water.

4)fry 1/2 onion till dry golden brown with 3 drops of oil.

2)Grind bisibelebath powder,coconut,fried onion,poppy seeds to a very smooth paste.

3)Add the above paste to the cooked dal.Boil it for for 2 min then add  tamarind juice,salt,coriander leaves,curry leaves.Boil it for 5 min,Add jaggery boil it for 10 more min.

4)Heat 1 tspn oil in pan,add mustard seeds,cuin seeds,hing.Add this tempering to sambar and bring it to boil.

5)I like my sambar sweetish,so I add 2 Tbspn jaggery.

 

Chutney

 

 

1/2 cup coconut fresh/frozen

3 tbspn roasted chana dal/hurigadale

2 small greenchillies or 1 big

tamarind 1 tspn

salt to taste

ginger(optional) 1/2 inch

tempering(optional)

 

Lets grind it together to a paste with little water.

 

Start your day with this delicious wholesome breakfast!"Eat breakfast like a king"

 

 

 

Bread Pizza

Its Friday night?how about some pizza.This easy to make bread pizza will be an hit!Which kid

 

 doesn't like pizza....while driving if I pass by Pizzahut/Dominos my daughter screams for pizza.

 

Its time to impress ur kids:-).

 

Here is what u need:

White bread
Pizza sauce
Pizza topping
Cheese

Pizza sauce

You can get pizza sauce in any grocery store or even make it in ur home with any variations.

1)Add 1 tbspn oil to pan,1 small chopped onion,1 pod chopped garlic,fry for 2 min.Add 4 roughly chopped tomatoes,chilli powder,oregano,salt,water,sugar.Cover and cook for 5 min.

2)Grind it to a smooth paste.

3)Fry the paste un 1 tspn oil for 2 min.

Variation(optional):You can  also add few fennel seeds,piece of capsicum while adding tomatoes to frying pan.

Topping
Capsicum/bell pepper
Onion
sweet corn
Tomato
olives(optional)
mushroom(optional)

Add salt and pepper to the cut vegetables and keep aside for 10 min.

Form Pizza

1)Heat pan in very low flame and toast the bread till slightly golden color.

2)Add a tspn of pizza sauce.

3)Arrange the colorful toppings,spread about 1 Tbspn of cheese.You can also grate some paneer (indian cheese) for an added taste.

4)Now its ready to bake in oven or toaster oven or simply on a pan.


On Tawa/Pan

Add pizza sauce on the bread,top it with vegetables of your choice,add 1tbspn grated mozrella cheese or amul cheese which we get in India.Even combination of cheese works good.

Heat pan in low flame,add 1 tspn butter.

Place the bread pizza on the low flame tawa,cover it and cook till cheese melts.

Sprinkle some pepper powder and enjoy!

Make this for kids snack time and they will love it.

Oven

Keep it in oven at 400F in broil mode till cheese melts.Keep an eye so it doesn't burn.