Bread-Dahi Vada

 

Ingredients:

Bread : 1 pkg

Curd : 500 ml

Salt : to taste

Green chillies : 8 chopped

Coriander Leaves: few chopped

Turmeric: 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds: 1tsp

Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

Red chillies: 2 long

Ginger : small piece chopped

Oil : to deep fry

Method:

Soak bread slices in water for few seconds, remove and squeeze all the water. 

Make balls from this in the shape of cutlet or vada and fry in hot oil until golden brown.
Dip these fried bread vada in salt water for few seconds again. Remove and lightly squeeze all the water. Place them in a bowl.
Beat curd well without any lumps in it. To this, add chopped coriander leaves,  salt and mix well.

Now take little oil in a pan and heat it for seasoning, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red and green chillies, ginger pieces, turmeric and fry. Add this seasoning to the curd mixture.
Pour this curd mixture over the vadas.

Enjoy.

Sweet with China Grass

Ingredients:

China Grass : 1 packet

Boiled water: 1 cup

Whole milk : 1/2 liter or 2 cups

Sugar : 1 1/4 cup (use rice cup)

Method:

Soak china grass in boiling water to make it soft and drain of the water. 

Boil milk, add sugar and china grass to the milk and keep stirring until china grass gets completed dissolves in the milk. Make sure it is completely dissolved.

Transfer this milk to a tray or pan and let cool. 

Cut into desired shapes and store in the refrigerator. 

Tastes good when chilled.

For best results use whole milk.

Enjoy.

Chegodilu for Indian Cooking Challenge

Ingredients :

Rice Flour - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Split Yellow Moong dal / Pesara pappu / Mung Dal / Pasiparuppu - 1 1/2 - 2 tblsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Ghee or oil - 1 tblsp
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method to prepare:

Making the dough:

Soak moong dal in water for half hour to 1 hour.

In a deep bottom pan, boil water, then add salt, ghee and moong dal. Bring it to boil, simmer and slowly add the rice flour. Using a rolling pin or the ladle, mix the flour with water by stirring it well. When the flour is mixed and done, turn off the heat immediately. Cover with lid and keep aside for 10 to 15 mins.

Once the dough is cool, add chilli powder,  cumin seeds and mix well. Knead till you get a smooth dough. Adjust the salt and spice depending on your preference.

Frying the Chokodi:

Heat a pan with oil, enough to fry 3 -4 at time, if you conscious of not using too much oil. Simmer once it gets hot. The temperature should not be smoking hot.

Grease your fingers with oil and pinch out a small lemon size ball and roll between your palms to form a thick rope. Bring the two ends to together and press to form a rope. Ensure the ends are firmed pressed as not to give out during frying.

Continue with the rest of the dough until you are done with the entire batch. You can either cover it with a plate or a cloth to prevent the dough from getting dried.

Check if the oil is in the correct temperature, by dropping a tiny bit into the oil. Then gently slide the rings or the chakodis in batches of 4 -5. The flame has to be on high until the chakodis come up to the surface, then lower the flame to medium and cook till you get a golden colour on the chakodis.When the chakodis are golden all over, using a slotted ladle, remove to a kitchen towel and cool. Store in an air tight container for longer shelf life.

Enjoy

Gulab Jamun For Indian Cooking Challenge

                                      

Ingredients:

For jamuns:

Carnation milk pwd: 1 cup

Bisquick pancake mix: 1/2 cup

Butter or ghee: 2 tbsps (melted)

Whole milk: Enough to make the dough

Oil : For deep frying

For sugar syrup:

Sugar: 2 cups

Water: 2 cups

Elachi pwd: 1/2 tsp

Kesar: few strands

Method: 

Make the dough by combining the milk powder, Bisquick, butter. Add just enough whole milk to make a medium-hard dough. Cover with a damp yet dry kitchen towel.

Mean while make the sugar syrup by mixing 2 cups of sugar to 1 cup of water. Add elachi pwd and a few strands of "Kesar". Mix with a spoon and then heat at medium heat until sugar is all dissolved in water. Do not overheat, that will caramelize the sugar. 

While the sugar syrup is getting ready, heat the oil on medium heat, take care that the oil is not too hot.
Make balls by gently rolling each portion between your palms into a smooth ball. Place the balls on a plate.
Slip in the balls into the hot oil from the side of the pan, one by one, and fry them on medium heat untill they turn golden brown.
By this time the syrup should be ready. Remove from heat and, slowly  add the fried gulab jamuns directly into the warm syrup.
Leave gulab jamuns in syrup overnight for best results. 

They can be served warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy

Jilebi

Ingredients:

All purpose flour: 4 cups

Rice flour: 4 tbsps

Yogurt: 1 1/2 cup

Warm water: 1 cup

Yeast : 1 tbsp

Saffron threads: 1 tsp (roasted and powdered)

Oil : for frying

For syrup:

Sugar: 4 cups

Water: 2 cups

Elachi pwd: 1 tsp

Saffron : few strands.

Method:

Mix the flour, yeast, yogurt and warm water in a bowl. Add saffrom to it and whisk until smooth. Let the batter ferment for 24 hours. Whisk well before use. Use a pastry bag or a ziploc to make the jilebi. 

Take the batter in the ziploc back, close the ziploc and make a small hole with scissors at one end of the ziploc and use it as a cone to make jilebi coils. Meanwhile in a vessel take sugar and water and put in on heat. Add elachi pwd and saffron and let it boil until you get one string consistency.
Now heat oil in a pan and decrease the heat to medium for even cooking of the jilebi's, To test for the right temperature, drop a small amount of batter into the oil. If it sizzles and rises to the top of the oil, the oil is hot enough. Make coils in the oil with the ziploc and deep fry them until they are golden brown and crispy. Remove from oil and immerse them in the syrup. Leave them atleast 2 to 3 minutes in the syrup so that they get completely soaked. 

Remove from syrup and serve hot.

If you made them a day before then make sure you microwave them for about 10 seconds each.

Enjoy.

Khandvi

Ingredients: 

Besan:  1 cup

Buttermilk: 2 cups (1 cup yogurt + 1 cup water)

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp

Hing: a pinch

Salt :  to taste

For Seasoning:

Oil: 4 tsps

Mustard Seeds:  1 tsp

Hing: pinch

Green Chillies:  2 (cut length wise)

Grated Coconut : 1 Tbsp

Curry leaves pwd: 1 tsp

Pepper pwd: 1 tsp

Red chillie pwd: 1/2 tsp

Cilantro : chopped for garnishing

Method:

In a large microwave safe bowl, mix Besan (Gram Flour), Yogurt, Turmeric Powder, Salt and Asofoetida. 

Add Water and blend the mixture to a smooth (lump-free) paste. Cook uncovered in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.

 Remove from microwave and stir to break up any lumps. Microwave again for 1 1/2 minutes and stir again. Microwave for last 1 1/2 minutes and mix well. 

You may have to use a hand blender to remove any lumps. 

Lay out Aluminum Foil in long sheets (approx 2 ft) on the counter top. (Once the batter is out of the microwave, you have to work fast before it solidifies.)

 Spoon batter along one edge of the foil and with a flat spatula, gently pull the batter down along the foil (spreading it very thin). Once the foil is completely covered, start on the next piece of foil. Repeat until all batter is thinly spread. 

Let the batter rest for 5 minutes and allow it to solidify.With a sharp knife, cut long 1 to 1 1/2 inch strips in the solid batter. 

Gently lift the edge and roll the strip into a tight roll. You can make the rolls as big as you like. If they get too thick, cut it off and start a new roll. 

Repeat rolling and placing rolls on a platter.Sprinkle Coconut and Cilantro (Coriander),Curry leaves pwd, Pepper pwd, Red chilli pwd over the Khandvi. 

Heat Oil in a small skillet, add Mustard Seeds, allow them to pop. Add Asofoetida, Green Chilies and switch off heat. 

Sprinkle seasoning over the Khandvi.Serve at room temperature.




Enjoy

Pulihora with lemons

Ingredients:

Basmati rice : 2 cups

Water : 3 cups

Lemons : 3 big

Salt : to taste

For seasoning:

Mustard seeds : 1 tbsp

Urad dhal : 4 tbsp

Channa dhal : 4 tbsp

Turmeric : 1 /2 tsp

Curry leaves: 2 strings

Red chillies : 4

Green chillies: 4 sliced

Oil

Method:

Soak urad dhal and channa dhal atleast for 3 hours. 
Cook rice by adding little oil along with water. In a pan heat oil sufficient for seasoning. 
Add mustard seeds and let them pop, then add the remaining seasoning ingredients and fry until urad dhal and channa dhal turns golden brown.
Add salt to the seasoning. Remove from heat and add rice to the seasoning.
Mix well and let it cool for sometime. Meanwhile squeeze the juice from the lemons and add the juice to the rice. Adjust salt and lemon juice according to taste.


Enjoy.

Murukulu For Indian Cooking Challenge

Ingredients:

Urad flour: 1 cup

Rice fllour: 4 cups

Salt: to taste

Vaamu: 2 tbsps

Very hot water: As required

Oil: for deep frying

Muruku press

Method:


Heat oil in a pan. Mix all the dry ingredients. Mix little portions at a time with hot water for crispy murukulu. 
Once the batter is ready fill it in the muruku press and press it in oil. 
These murukulu takes a little more time in oil. 
Fry until golden brown in oil. Remove from oil ,cool, and store in air tight container.
Can be stored for about a month.


Enjoy.

Punugulu

Ingredients:


Dosa batter: 2 cups
Self raising flour: 1 cup
Green chillies: 4 chopped
Salt: to taste
Onion: 1 small chopped
Oil: for deep frying.



Method:


Fix all the above ingredients except oil.
Heat oil in a pan and drop small amounts of batter into the oil.
Deep fry until golden brown.
Serve hot with coconut chutney.


Enjoy.

Depalu for Diwali

Ingredients:

All purpose flour: 2 cups

Salt: 1/2 cup

Warm water: 1/2 cup

Food color: Few drops

Method:

Knead mixture. This mixture will be crumbly so you will have to add some water, but only add 1 tablespoon at a time.

The perfect texture is thick & pliable, but is not sticky. If it is too sticky, just add a touch of flour. Once it feels like cookie dough, you have the texture that you want, knead for 5 minutes.
Roll out your creations.
Bake in oven at 350F for about 10 minutes. Test & bake more if necessary.
If you have the climate & the time, creations can be left to 'air dry'.

Dried/cooked creations can be glittered and/or painted with acrylic paint.

paneer mutter with baby lima beans

Ingredients

Paneer : 1/2 lb
Baby lima beans : 1 1/2 cups (thaw and cook in microwave for 5 minutes)
Onion : 2 Chopped
Ginger garlic paste : 1tbsp
Red chilli powder : 2tsp
Dania powder : 1tsp
Turmeric powder : 1/2tsp
Tomato : 1
Milk : 1/4cup
Poppy seeds : 1/2tsp
Water : 1/4 cup
Kasoori methi : 1tsp
Jeera : 1tsp
Oil : 2tbsp

Method

In a pan, heat oil and fry sliced onions till its color changes.

Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 3 more mins.Put this into a blender along with red chilli powder,dania powder,turmeric powder,tomato,kaskas and grind well.

In a pan add 1tsp of oil and fry jeera.Add the grounded paste into this and fry till oil separates.

Add frozen peas and water into this and lt it boil.

Once the peas are almost cooked,reduce the heat and add milk into this.Add paneer pieces into this and cover and cook for about 5 minutes.

Now open and add kasoori methi and cook for another 2 -3 minutes.Serve hot with roti/rice.

Enjoy

ChakraPongali

Ingredients:

Long grain rice: 4 cups

Moong dhal: 1 cup

Jaggery: 5 cups

Sugar: 1 cup

Butter: 2 1/2 sticks

Water: 8 cups

Elachi pwd: 1/2 tbsp

Sugar chips: 1/2 cup

Raisins: 1/2 cup (fry them in butter).

Coconut pieces: 1/2 cup (Remove the brown layer from the coconut pieces, cut them into small pieces, and fry them in butter).

Method:

Wash rice and moong dhal and cook them with 8 cups water and about 1/2 stick butter.

Mean while soak jaggery and sugar with about 1/2 cup water for about 1/2 hour.

In a heavy bottom pan fry raisins and coconut pieces in about 1/2 stick butter separately and keep aside.

Keep the jaggery and sugar mixture on heat and keep stirring until it starts to boil. Then filter the syrup to remove any impurities and keep it back on heat until you get the syrup to ball consistency. Remove from heat and add elachi pwd and the cooked rice to the syrup along with the butter sticks, raisins, and coconut pieces.

Let it cool and then add the sugar chips other wise the sugar chips may melt.

Enjoy.

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law who is an expert in making this dish. Thank you sasi for sharing this recipe with me.

Egg Pakodi

Ingredients:

Eggs: 4 (Boiled, peeled and cut into 4 long strips)

Besan: 1/4 cup

Rice flour: 2 tbps

Salt: to taste

Pepper pwd: 1 tsp

Red chilli pwd: 1/4 tsp

Oil: For deep frying.

Method:

Mix all the ingredients except eggs and oil, just like bajji batter and keep aside for 15 minutes.

Now heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Dip each egg strip in the batter and deep fry in the oil until golden brown.

Delicious egg pakodi are ready to eat.

Tastes very good with ketchup.

Enjoy.

Happy Dasara 2009