Sweet Pongal

SWEET PONGAL

Ingredients:
Rice - 1 cup
Split Green gram - 1/4 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Jaggery or sugar - 1 1/2 cup (Jaggery best)
Cashews and raisins - a few
Cardamom pwd - 1/4 tsp
Clarified butter( Ghee) - 2 tbsps

Method:
1. Heat a pan and dry roast the green gram for just a minute. Transfer to a clean dish.
2. Wash rice and pressure cook along with the roasted green gram, milk and 3 cups water. Let cook upto 4-5 whistles. Reduce flame and let be for 5 mins more. Turn off flame. Basically we need it mashy.
3. Once pressure subsides, mash the mixture while still hot.
4. Add jaggery/sugar to a large wok and 1.5 tbsps water and let dissolve on low flame. Let simmer till you get a sticky consistency. When you test the syrup between fingers it should be sticky like melted toffee, but no string.
5. Now add the mashed rice mix little by little and stir well with the jaggery/sugar syrup.
6. Heat ghee in another pan, roast the cashews and raisins till golden brown. Add to the pongal mix along with cardamom powder. Stir on low till it starts to thicken.
Remove from flame and serve hot. An extra dollop of ghee when serving is absolutely recommended 

Pidi Kozhukattai

Ganesh Chaturthi, Sankatahara/Sankeshti Chaturthi Special - Pidi Kozhukattai (modak) , a version of modak famous in most parts esp during Ganesh Chaturthi. It's a non dumpling variation and really simple to make. Can be enjoyed as a snack anytime too...

PIDI KOZHUKATTAI

Ingredients: (Makes about 40)
1/2 cup rice flour (idiappam flour if available) 
1/2 - 3/4 cup jaggery, depending on how sweet the jaggery is (roughly chopped) 
1/4 tsp Cardamom powder
1 cup water
2 tbsps coconut pwd or finely chopped
1 tsp sesame oil
Method:
1. Dissolve jaggery in water in a big pan. Filter to remove impurities if any.
2. Add the cardamom pwd and coconut and bring to a boil.
3. Lower the flame and gradually add the rice flour, stirring continuously. Leave no lumps.
4. Keep stirring till the mixture becomes a thick mass. Remove from flame. Let cool a little.
5. While still bearably warm, oil your hands lightly and divide into equal portions. Roll or make into muthiya shapes.
6. Steam cook for 10-12 minutes. Remove and serve.

Foxtail Millet/Thinai Appam

Kaiththala NiRaikani Appamodu Avalpori...lines from a famous Thirupugazh song. Appam are among Lord Ganesha's favourite along with Modaks...Here's a recipe to try them with millets for a change.

THINAI / FOXTAIL MILLET APPE (APPAM/PADDU)

Ingredients:

Foxtail millet/Thinai (grains) - 1 cup (soaked for 2 hours)

Rice flour - 1/4 cup

Wheat flour - 1/4 cup

Banana - 1, ripe

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Coconut, grated - 1/4 cup (optional)

Method:

1. Grind together all ingredients except coconut using about 1 tbsp water only if needed.

2. Transfer to a bowl and add grated coconut. Batter should be of dropping consistency. Add water if needed.

3. Heat an appe pan and add little oil. Drop ladleful batter into the appe cups. Let cook till golden brown on all sides.

Transfer to absorbent paper to remove excess oil. Serve immediately or store in an air tight jar.

                         

Dill Palak Vada

Dal vada is a popular snack down south. Many variations exist, in terms of lentils used, as also vegetables. This one uses Dill leaves or Soya leaves (Suva bhaji) that has amazing health benefits and our good old Spinach.

DILL-PALAK DAL VADA

Ingredients:
Chana dal - 1 cup
Toor dal - 1/4 cup
Red chilies - 2
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Green chili - 1
Hing - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Dill leaves, chopped - 2 tbsps
Palak leaves, chopped - 2 tbsps
Coriander leaves, chopped - 1 tbsp

Method :
1. Soak both dals together for 1 hour. Drain and keep aside.
2. To a blender jar, add the red + green chilies and ginger and give it a quick run.
3. Now add the dals, salt to taste and hing. Blend coarsely with very little water. Just a few quick turns of the mixer knob.
4. Transfer to a bowl and add the chopped greens. Check for salt.
5. Heat oil for frying on medium. Wet your palm, take a small portion and flatten it. Drop it into the oil and fry till golden brown. Best trick is to first fry till half done and re-fry till crisp just before serving.

Badam Burfi

Desserts or even simple sweets are even more special when we make them at home. In the beginning some can appear bit overwhelming, but once we try it it turns out to be a lot less complicated.
Here's a simple Badam Burfi recipe.

BADAM (ALMOND BURFI)

Ingredients:
Whole almonds (soaked and peeled) - 1 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Water - 1/4 cup
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Saffron strands - a few, soaked in 2 tbsps warm milk
Cardamom (Elaichi powder) - 1 tsp
Method:
1. Grind the almonds to a fine paste using milk. You can grind them coarse too if you prefer the burfis to have a bite to them.

2. Add sugar and water to a thick bottom pan and keep stirring on low-medium flame. We need a one string consistency.

3. Once it reaches the desired consistency, add the badam/almond paste and stir well. Once it thickens a little, add the ghee and keep stirring on low flame.

4. Now add the elaichi powder and continue stirring till mixture starts to leave the sides of the pan completely.

5. Transfer to a greased plate or baking tray. Let cool slightly. Cut the mixture into desired shapes and let cool completely. Transfer to a clean jar and consume within a week.

Kara Adai

          Our culture is as deep rooted and connected with God and festivals as with food. This rich heritage is a must treasure.
        Karadaiyan Nombu or Savitri Nombu is an important festival in Tamil Nadu, akin to the Karva Chauth in the North, w.r.t its significance and purpose - married women praying for the longevity of their hubbies and family welfare in general. and of course the prospective young girls praying for a good one too!
          The festival falls on the day when the Tamil month of Maasi is about to progress into Panguni. Though the exact time of performing the ritual varies year to year, it is roughly before the month transition actually happens.
Kara Adai, after which the Nombu is aptly named are steamed rice vadas, made in both savoury and sweet versions and served, for some reason, with butter!
Here are the recipes for both versions...

KARA ADAI (SWEET & SAVOURY)

Ingredients: (Jaggery version) Makes about 30
Rice powder - 1 ½ cups
Coconut, cut into small bits - ½ cup
Black eyed pea / Lobia / Karamani(cooked) - ½ cup
Jaggery - 2 cups
Water - 4 cups
Cardamom powder (dissolved in little water) - ½ tsp
Method:
1. Heat water in a large wok along with jaggery and bring to a boil till jaggery dissolves.
2. Add the coconut bits and reduce heat. Gradually add the rice powder stirring simultaneously, leaving no lumps.
3. Now add the lobia and cardamom powder(dissolved in water) and stir again till it all comes together. Remove from flame and let cool.
4. Knead the dough well with lightly oiled hands. Divide into equal portions and shape them into vadas.
5. Arrange them on the steamer plate and steam cook for about 15 minutes. Remove, let cool a little before transferring to the serving plate.
Serve with butter.

Ingredients: (Savoury version) Makes about 20

Rice powder - 1 ½ cups

Oil - 5 tbsps

Green chilies, chopped - 2

Coconut bits - ½ cup

Black eyed pea / Lobia / Karamani(cooked) - ½ cup
Curry leaves, roughly chopped - ½ cup
Mustard seeds (Sarson) - 1 tsp
Hing - a pinch
Salt to taste
Method:
1. Heat oil in a wok. Add the green chilies, mustard seeds and hing and fry a bit.
2. Now add 3 cups water, salt, coconut bits and curry leaves and bring to a boil.
3. Add the lobia and then gradually add the rice powder while stirring simultaneously. Stir till thick, remove and let cool.
4. Knead a bit with oiled hands. Divide into equal portions and shape them into vadas.
5. Arrange on the steamer plate and steam cook for about 15 minutes. Remove, let cool a little before transferring to the serving plate.
Serve with butter.

Atte ka Halwa

Simple and easy to make dessert recipe using minimal ingredients...

ATTE KA HALWA (Wheat flour halwa)

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Ghee - 1/2 cup

Water - 2 cups

Roasted cashews (in ghee) - a few

Roasted raisins(optional) - a few

Method:

1. Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed pan. 

2. Simultaneously mix together sugar and water in a thick saucepan and bring to a boil on medium heat. Allow sugar to dissolve. We do not need any string consistency here. Once it comes to a boil, lower flame a little and let simmer.

3. Meanwhile, to the ghee, add the wheat flour and roast well. Keep stirring till the flour lets out a roasted aroma and starts to turn golden brown. 

4. Continue stirring till ghee starts to separate and it becomes a pasty mix.

5. Once the sugar syrup starts to bubble, carefully and gradually add it to the roasted flour, stirring alongside to ensure no lumps. 

6. Keep stirring till all the water is absorbed by the flour and it comes together and starts leaving the sides of the pan.

Remove and serve hot (or warm) garnished with roasted cashews or other dry fruits of choice.

Thiruvadirai KaLi

          Just as with Karthigai, there are several stories that surround Thiruvadirai, also known as Thiruvadhira or Arudhra Darisanam. The day is celebrated with great fervour at the famous Chidambaram temple dedicated to Lord Nataraja. It's celebrated on the Purnima thithi in the Tamil month of Margazhi, which is also said to be the longest night of the year.
         Most south indian households prepare Kali-Kuzhambu (the 'L' in the Kali is stressed and not like the 'L' in Goddess Kali). Now this is a unique combination, because Kali is sweet and the kuzhambu or stew is pretty much like Sambhar, while some make it in a different style.

 Here's the recipe for the Kali, quite simple but very delicious.

THIRUVATHIRAI KALI

Ingredients :
Rice - 1 cup
Channa dal (Bengal gram) - 2 tbsps
Moong dal (Green gram) - 1 tbsp
Grated Jaggery - 1 3/4th cups
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
Ghee (Clarified butter) - 2 tbsps
Cashews - a handful

Method :
1. Dry roast the rice over low heat till it turns light brown. Keep aside.
2. In the same wok, dry roast the lentils till they let out a roasted aroma. Take care not to let them turn dark. Keep aside and let cool.

3. Now dry grind the rice and lentils together to a coarse, semolina (rava) like consistency.
4. Add the jaggery to the wok, along with 1.5 to 2 cups water.  Let simmer on low-medium heat till jaggery dissolves. We dont need a thick syrup consistency here.
5. Now add the rice-lentils powder while stirring simultaneously, taking care to avoid lumps. Stir till well-mixed and transfer to a pressure cooker vessel.
6. Pressure cook on high up to 3 whistles, lower the flame and let cook for 5 minutes more. Once pressure is released, remove and spread the Kali mixture in a wide plate or tray. Once slightly cooled, crumble the mixture till it looks more like an Upma. Sprinkle the cardamom powder and mix well.
7. Heat ghee and roast the cashews till golden brown. Add to the Kali mix and give it a good toss.
Serve warm with the kuzhambu or stew.

Note : If your rice tends to become too soft then use 1.5 cups to 1 cup rice. If your rice variety is aged and soaks more water, then use 2 cups.
2. For best results, once jaggery is dissolved, filter the jaggery-water mixture through a medium-netted sieve and re-add to the wok. This will remove any impurities.

Mixed Vegetable Tikka

              For a nation that takes its food and colours very seriously...Holi is one such festival; where there is a perfect combination of both, colours and colourful food!! Here's a spicy 'Holi'day snack idea that you can relish with your family and friends after all the fun. 

MIXED VEGETABLE TIKKA

Ingredients :
Vegetables of choice (diced into large pieces) - Cauliflower, Red, Green and Yellow bell peppers, Broccoli, Onion, Zucchini
Paneer (large cubes) 
Tofu (optional) - cut into large cubes
Marination :
Curd (as drained as possible)- 1/2 cup (Increase quantity according to amount of vegetables you will marinate in one batch)
Roasted gram flour (Besan) - 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder - 1.5 tsps
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Fresh coriander leaves - 1 few

Method :
1. Blanch cauliflower and broccoli florets in boiled water along with turmeric. Drain and wash with cold water. Keep aside. 
2. Blend together ginger-garlic, 1 tbsp curd, gram flour and coriander leaves. Add half the remaining curds, salt to taste, chili powder, turmeric powder and whisk well.  Divide this mixture into 2 bowls - one for the vegetables and one for paneer/tofu. 
3. Drop in the veggies and gently mix to coat them evenly with the marination. Leave aside for 20-30 mins. Do the same with the paneer/tofu cubes.

4. Heat a grill pan and pour a little oil. Using long skewer sticks, pierce and arrange the vegetables and paneer/tofu pieces alternately as desired. Place gently on the grill pan and let cook on medium flame till golden brown on all sides. 
Another option is to arrange them on a baking tray, brush with oil & grill at 180 deg C till done.

5. Remove and drain excess oil. Using a fork, carefully transfer the tikka on to the serving plate, or serve with the skewers intact too! 

Serve sizzling hot Tikka with green chutney and ketchup with some sliced onion on the side.

Veg Sambhar (Pongal spl)

              In continuation with Pongal celebrations, comes 'Maattu Pongal' , the day when, in villages, people worship their cattle. I keep hearing about many interesting stories & rituals attached to festivals from my mother, who spent a good part of her growing-up years in a village. 
              One such story/ritual related to Pongal was that during this harvest season all the farmers living in the lane adjacent to our ancestral home, would simply dump their produce in the house's backyard. This was then left stacked up in a special store room in the house, free for any neighbour to take their pick and stock. As a thanksgiving, on the day of Maattu Pongal, the ladies of the house would prepare a huge urn-full of a special tamarind and vegetable stew, using the very produce given by the farmers, and this would be then supplied to the latter, as much as they could take.
              Simple rituals like these brought together people of all walks & occupation, and helped strengthened the bonds at a time when social life had a much more human touch to it!!
             This is a mixed stew that we prepare on Maattu Pongal, but slightly different to the one mentioned above. This one is a relative of the Sambhar family and includes a bit of every possible & complimentary vegetable as part of the tradition. We live in times when we hardly appreciate the seasonality of vegetables anymore. But those days were special, when tired of the monotony of Bhindi (Okra) and Tinda (Apple gourd) in the summer months, we used to look forward to winters, when vegetable shopping was a sinful pleasure :)

SPECIAL VEGETABLE SAMBHAR 

Ingredients :
Chopped vegetables - 1 cup
[Potato, Raw banana, Red pumpkin, White pumpkin, Lima beans or Mochai, Fresh green peas, Broad Beans, French beans, Capsicum, Sweet potato, Carrot]
Tamarind - size of a small lemon (using enough water extract juice to make 1.5 cups)
Curry leaves - a few
Pigeon peas (Tuvar/ Arahar dal) - 1/4 cup (cooked using a little turmeric powder)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander leaves

For Sambhar powder - (If you have a readymade Sambhar powder available, you can use 2 tsps of that)
Coriander (dhaniya) seeds - 2 tsps
Fenugreek (Methi) seeds - 1 tsp
Bengal gram (Chana dal) - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds (Sarson) - 1/4 tsp
Dry red chilies - 2 (medium)

Seasoning - 
Sesame (Til) oil - 2 tsps
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
Dry red chili - 1 small
Asafoetida (Hing) powder - 1.5 tsps

Method :

1. Cook vegetables in a large saucepan using just enough water, little salt to taste and haldi powder. The veggies need to be just 3/4th cooked. If using a pressure cooker, take care to shut off flame immediately after the first whistle and keep aside to let the pressure drop. Drain the water.

2. Heat a small pan, dry roast mustard seeds till they start to splutter. Now add the methi and coriander seeds, followed by chana dal and red chilies. Roast for 3-5 minutes. Take care not to let the methi seeds become too brown else they will taste sour. Let cool and dry grind in a mixer.


3. Add vegetables to a large saucepan or wok, add tamarind juice, salt, curry leaves, about 2 tsps of ground or Readymade sambhar powder and let boil till tamarind juice leaves its raw flavour & aroma. This should take about 10 minutes.

4. Whisk the cooked tuvar dal, keep the consistency slightly thin but not too watery. Add this to the sambhar mix, stir and let simmer on low for 7-8 minutes more. Add chopped corainder and stir again.

5. Prepare the seasoning by heating the til oil, adding mustard seeds, methi seeds, the red chili and finally the hing powder. The hing powder added in the end gives the sambhar the "kick" it needs!! Add this to the sambhar, and remove from flame. Serve hot with rice.

Choco-Flavoured Rava Laddu

An easy to make laddu using just a handful of ingredients, but taste - simply out of the world. This one is with the twist of a choco flavour.

CHOCO-FLAVOURED RAVA LADDU

Ingredients :

Semolina (rava) - 1 cup
Powdered sugar - 1 cup
Cashews (broken into small bits) - 1/4 cup
Clarified butter (Ghee) - 1/4 cup + 2 tbsps (for frying cashews)
Cardamom (Elaichi) powder - 1/4 tsp
Cocoa powder - 1 tsp

Method :

1. Dry roast semolina till it lets out an aroma, but do not let it become brown. Transfer to a large plate and let cool to room temperature. Dry grind to a fine powder. Add the powdered sugar and pulse once to mix it well.

2. In a bowl, add the powdered mix. Add the elaichi and cocoa powder and mix well. 

3. Heat 2 tbsps ghee and roast the cashews till golden brown. Add to the rawa mix.

4. Heat the 1/4 cup ghee and pour over the mix. Mix well with a ladle, then using your hands mix again. Prepare laddus when the mix is still tolerably hot, if it cools down the laddus will not hold together.
Press the mixture firmly but gently into the palms of your hand and make into rounds. 
Store in an air-tight container. 

Ribbon Sev(Ribbon Pakoda)

      Another one of my Diwali favourites is the Ribbon Sev or Ribbon Pakoda as we call it!! Again, a simple preparation, the key is to get the dough right..

RIBBON SEV

Ingredients : (Makes about 250gms of Sev)

Bengal gram flour (Besan) - 1 cup
Rice flour - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Clarified butter (Ghee) - 2 tsps

Method :

1. Sieve together Besan, rice flour and chili powder into a clean and dry bowl.

2. Dissolve the salt in a little water, take care to add a little first, lest it becomes too salty.

3. Add ghee, salt dissolved in water and knead into a soft dough using enough water. 



4. Heat oil over medium heat for frying. Stuff a little dough into a murukku or sev press with the Flat sev plate fitted in. 



5. Place a large flat slotted ladle on a plate and squeeze out a portion of the dough on to it. Make any shape you desire. Dip the ladle into the hot oil and let slide out. Fry on low to medium heat till light golden brown. Remove to drain excess oil. Once cooled to room temperature store in an air-tight container.

Stuffed Multi-grain Parathas

Day 5 of Navratri and third day of Lakshmi pooja (3 days each for Durga-Lakshmi-Saraswathi), this also coincided with something to prepare for our 10th #FoodieMonday #BlogHop, and this week the theme was food that we prepare during the festival. Anything ranging from Faraali dishes to sweets, to simple daily prasad....My preparation...stuffed Multi-grain Parathas. 
With my new-found love, actually turning into obsession (!!), for millets, this one has both Bajra and Ragi flours with multi-grain wheat flour to supplement and to help in binding.

STUFFED MULTI-GRAIN PARATHA

Ingredients :

For the dough :
Pearl Millet (Bajra) flour - 1/2 cup
Finger Millet (Ragi) flour - 1/2 cup
Soya flour - 1/4 cup
Multi-grain or whole wheat flour - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Water as required

For the stuffing :
Finely chopped carrot - 1/2 cup
Finely chopped capsicum - 1/2 cup
Roughly chopped or torn Spinach leaves - 1 cup
Crumbled Paneer - 1 cup
Cumin (Jeera) seeds - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Turmeric (Haldi) powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1 & 1/2 tsps
Chili powder - 2 tsps
Oil - 2 tbsps

Method :

1. To prepare the dough, add the flours and salt to a bowl. Knead into a soft dough using enough water. Pour a little oil over the top and knead lightly just once. Leave aside to rest for about 10 minutes.

2. Now the stuffing, heat 2 tbsps oil in a pan, add jeera and let crackle.

3. Add chopped carrot along with turmeric powder, cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Now add in the capsicum and spinach leaves as well, salt to taste, mix and again cover cook for 5 minutes more. Stir once and finally add the paneer and let cook uncovered for 5 minutes more. 

4. Add garam masala, chili powder and check salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes more and transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature. 

5. Divide the dough and stuffing into equal portions. Make a cup of the one dough round and place the stuffing inside. Seal properly and flatten gently. Now roll out into a thick roti of about 1/2 cm thickness. Repeat with remaining dough.

6. Heat a tawa and place the paratha on it to cook. Cook for a bit on both sides, then let cook using oil / ghee till golden brown and well-cooked. 
Note : Due to use of millet, cook the parathas slightly longer till well done.
Remove and serve hot with desired accompaniment.

Sweet Pongal

Pongal/ Makar Sankranti/Bihu...celebrated under many names across India...One of the greatest Indian festivals..our own Thanksgiving, to nature, our crops, farmers, all that make our every day life great and worth living and looking forward to..

SWEET PONGAL

Ingredients :
Rice - 1 cup
Split Green gram(moong dal) - 1/4 cup
Milk - 2 cups
Water - 3 cups + 1/4 cup
Jaggery - 2 cups
Green cardamom (Elaichi) powder - 1/4 tsp
Clarified butter (Ghee) - 1/4 cup
Nutmeg (Jaiphal) powder - 1/4 tsp
Clove (Laung) powder - a pinch (optional)
Cashews - a few
Raisins - a few

Method : 
1. Lightly toast Moong dal in a pan, only until it lets out aroma. Add to the rice and wash both together. Pressure cook with 3 cups water and milk till well done and very soft. It should be easily mashable.
2. Add jaggery and 1/4 cup water to a wok. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, till all water content evaporates and you get a really sticky syrup. 
3. Remove the cooked rice+dal from the cooker and mash well while still hot. Once the jaggery syrup is ready, add the mashed rice to it a little at a time. Stir really well so that the jaggery and rice+dal are well mixed. Add the ghee and mix.
4. In another pan, heat 1 tbsp ghee and roast Cashews and raising till golden brown. Add to the rice mix in the wok.
5. Sprinkle elaichi powder, nutmeg powder and clove powder. Mix well. 
Serve warm, and to make it even better, pour a generous ladle of ghee over it !!!

Simple Carrot Kheer

                   A simple Carrot Kheer, colourful, delicious and very simple to make. Can be improvised upon and served as a porridge too by adding in some rolled oats, dry fruits, and so on...

CARROT KHEER

Ingredients :

Finely grated carrot (or roughly minced in a mixer) - 1 cup
Milk - 1 and 1/2 cups
Condensed Milk - 1/4 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/ tsp
Roasted cashews (in ghee/clarified butter)- a few

Method :

1. Add the milk to a thick-bottomed saucepan along with the grated carrot. Cook on a low-medium flame, stirring gently and occasionally.

2. Once carrot is cooked, stir in the condensed milk and let simmer for 7-10 minutes more.

3. Remove from the flame, and add in the roasted cashews and cardamom powder. Serve hot or cold.

Crispy Dal Vadas

Two types of vadas are pretty common in South Indian households, the popular 'Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside' Urad dal one, and the crispy dal vada. Both are prepared on festivals and enjoyed with equal fervour....

                                                           CRISPY DAL VADA

Ingredients (Makes 25 medium-sized vadas) :

Toor dal (Split pigeon peas) - 1/2 cup

Chana dal (Bengal gram) - 1/2 cup

Moong dal (Green gram) - 1/2 cup

Urad dal (split black gram) - 1 tbsp

Green Chili - 1

Dry Red Chili - 1

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece

Chopped Dhaniya - 2 tbsps

Method : 

1. Wash and soak all the lentils for about an hour. Drain the water (preserve the water) and keep aside.

2. In a mixer jar, blend the green and red chilies along with ginger.

3. Now add the soaked lentils and grind coarsely so that the dals remain partially visible. Add hing and salt to taste and run the mixer one more time.

4. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add the chopped coriander and mix well.

5. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Using the drained water that we preserved, wet your hands lightly and scoop out a small portion of the batter. Flatten and drop into the oil. Remember to keep the oil on medium heat as we want the dals to be cooked from the inside as well and which will result in crispy vadas.

Remove and drain excess oil. Serve hot.

Optional : If preparing as a snack, you can experiment with the batter by adding chopped onions, chopped spinach, raw banana flower and so on.

Karthigai Special - Appam (Sweet)

Sweet Appams or Appe are quick and easy to prepare and a popular dish for festivals like Navratri and Karthigai Deepam. Here's a jhatpat recipe to try...

SWEET APPAM

Ingredients

Wheat flour - 1 cup

Rice flour - 1/2 cup

Jaggery - 1 cup

Ripe banana - 1 (mashed)

Elaichi powder - 1 tsp

Method

1. Sift together wheat and rice flours. 

2. Dissolve jaggery in plain water, approximately 1 cup, no need to heat. Once it is completely dissolved, strain through a semi-fine sieve so as to remove impurities.

3. Add this to the flours along with the mashed banana. Mix well leaving no lumps. Add sufficient water (only if needed) to make a thick batter of dripping consistency. Add cardamom powder and mix again.

4. Heat oil in a appam pan or a small kadhai. Drop small ladle-fuls of the batter into the appam cups or the kadhai. Fry on a medium flame till golden brown on both sides.

5. Serve warm or store for later.