Rice Pakoda

One of the very simple recipe to make with left over rice. Easy to make this crunchy pakoda with few basic ingredients.

Ingredients:

Rice - 2 Cups
Onion (Finely Chopped) - 1/2 Cup
Green Chilli (Finely chopped)  -  1 tbsp
Curry leaves (Finely chopped) - 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves (Finely chopped) - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Oil - For frying

How to make:

1. Grind the rice in mixer just for 5 seconds so that its coarsely ground.

(If the rice is over cooked, then mash it with hand itself, grinding not required)

2. Mix all the ingredients and keep aside.

3. Heat oil and drop the pakodas in the desired shape you want. Fry till golden brown and  remove it on kitchen tissue to remove excess oil.

P.S: You can add herbs/vegetabales/kheema meat to give different flavour, twist and variety to this pakoda.

Chickpea Salad (Channa Salad)

After a year long break, I'm writing a post... Got really busy with hectic schedule between office and home.... And with my son's schooling which started this year, absolutely no time for posts as every weekend I'm busy with his school projects... Lol..... 

Wanted to post something light, quick and healthy... So why not a salad ?? And yes, this is one of my favorite salad and quite easy to make too... I make this when ever I soak channa overnight for some other dish... I would keep some channa specially for this salad. Try it.... and you will love it....

Ingredients :

Chickpea / Channa - 1 Cup (soaked overnight)
Potato Cubes - 2 tbsp (boiled in microwave for 2 mins)
Onion  - 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
Tomato - 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
Green Chili (finely chopped) - 1/2 tsp
Finely chopped coriander leaves - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Chat Masala - 1/2 tsp
Lemon Juice - 1 tsp

How to make:

1. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together and set aside for 5 mins.

2. Transfer in the serving bowl and garnish with lemon and coriander leaves.

Masala Vada

One of the most popular item which is made during every occasion in Tamil nadu. BE it festival or marriage or just a get together gathering lunch, this will be definitely be part of the menu... Relishing snack too. 

Ingredients:

Channa Dhal - 1 Cup
Toor Dhal - 1 tbsp
Onion (Finely chopped) - 1/2 Cup
Red Chilli - 3-4 nos.
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Corriander leaves (finely chopped) - 2 tbsp
Salt - 3/4 tsp
Asafoedita - 1/4 tsp
Oil - To fry

How to make:

1. Soak the channa dhal, toor dhal and red chili for minimum 3 hrs.

2. Grind it coarsely without any water.  Add salt, asafoedita, curry leaves, onion and corriander leaves  to this mixture and blend well.

3. In a kadai heat oil, fry the vada's in medium flame. Fry till it turns golden brown.

Kothambari Vadi

When I first heard the name of this snack, I was asking my friend Priti to repeat 2-3 times to get it right... Its a Maharashtrian snack. The aroma of so much of coriander leaves is the key behind this snack. Quite simple to make... You can just drop in oil like pakodas or set it and cut it into shape and fry it. I have shown both in the pic below....

Ingredients:

Besan Flour -  1 Cup

Water - 1/2 Cup 

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Coriander leaves (chopped) - 3/4 cup

Oil - for frying

Hot to make:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and keep it aside for 5 mins.

2. If you  want set and give any shape, keep the mixture in microwave for 2 mins and it will set. Revert it and cut into desired shape.

3. Heat oil in kadai and fry the pakoda's until its well cooked and turns golden brown.

4. Serve it hot with mint chutney or tomato ketchup.....

Stuffed Chili Bajji

I saw some fresh bajji chili which tempted me to buy and make some... I wanted to have chili bajji (without any stuffing)... But when I made the first set and tasted it, realized that the chili is very spicy.... I had bought quite a lot of chili... So immediately made some stuffing and  removed the inside seeds so that it won't be that spicy. And it worked out.... Came out very tasty too.....

Ingredients:

Bajji Chili - 8-10 nos.
Besan flour - 1 Cup
Rice flour - 1 tbsp
Cooking soda - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Asafoedita - 1/4 tsp
Water - 3/4 cup
Oil - For frying

For Stuffing:

Potato (boiled and mashed) - 1 cup
Onion (finely chopped) - 1/2 cup

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Chili powder - 1/2 tsp (you can adjust according to your taste)

Chat masala - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Corriander leaves (finely chopped) - 2 tbsp

How to make:

1. First lets make the batter. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Now add water little by little to make to a smooth batter. Keep aside

2. In another bowl, mix all the stuffing ingredients. sprinkle little water so that all blends well.

3. Slit the chili and deseed it. Now stuff the filling inside all the chilies.

4. Heat oil in kadai and dip the chili in the batter and deep fry until the bajji is cooked well. Keep in mind to not over fry it... Serve it hot hot......

Breadfruit Fry

 Breadfruit looks similar to smaller jack fruit, but has different and unique taste. I have heard people making kootu and poriyal with that.. But my Mother in law always makes this fried crispy breadfruit which is very tasty to smack as a snack... This is how breadfruit looks like.

Ingredients:



 

Breadfruit Slices  - 15-20 nos.

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Chili powder - 3/4 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Oil - For frying

 

How to make:

 

1. Cut the breadfruit into half and peel the skin. Make thin slices.

 

2. marinate the breadfruit slices with turmeric, salt and chili powder for 15-20 mins.

 

3. In a kadai heat oil and fry these slices until they are crisp and golden brown.

 

Bread Balls

A very quick snack to make with bread... Nice crispy and tasty snacks....

Ingredients:

Bread slices - 6-8 slices
Rava / Sooji - 1 tbsp
Maida - 1 tbsp
Onion (finely chopped) - 1/2 Cup
Green chilies (finely chopped) - 1 tsp
Curry leaves (finely chopped) - 1 tbsp
Corriander leaves (finely chopped) - 1 tbsp
Salt - 3/4 tsp
Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - For frying

How to make:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl by sprinkling little water.

2. Heat oil in a kadai and make small balls and fry until golden brown in medium heat.

3. Serve it hot with tomato ketchup or mint chutney...

P.S. If you want you can add other vegetables finely chopped.

Masala Fried Chicken

This masala fried chicken was super hit when i made it... I ground the masala separately and this masala can be used for many dish. A different masala for chicken fry, but very tasty one....

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Chicken - 500 gms (Cut into small pieces)

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Super Masala - 3 tbsp

Oil - for frying

 

Super Masala Ingredients:

 

Toor Dhal - 1 tbsp

Urad Dhal - 1 tbsp

Corriander seeds (Dhaniya) - 3 tbsp

Red Chilli - 8 - 10

Pepper corns - 1 tsp

Cardamom - 2 nos.

Cinnamon - 1/2 inch bark

Cloves  - 3-4

Peanut - 1 tbsp (optional)

Asafoedita - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Jaggery - 1/2 tsp

 

How to make:

 

1. Dry roast the ingredients under super masala column except salt and jaggery. Cool it and grind it to coarse powder along with salt and jaggery.

 

2. Marinate the chicken with ginger garlic paste and ground masala for atleast 2 hours.

 

3. Fry the chicken until its cooked and remove it on kitchen tissues to absorb excess oil.

Palak Pakoda

Palak Pakoda is a great snack for evening time... Palak is good for health as well. Simple to make too...

Ingredients:

Palak (Cleaned and chopped) - 2 Cups
Besan Flour  - 1 Cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp (adjust according to your preference)
Ajwain - 1/2 tsp
Water - 1/2 Cup
Oil - for frying

How to make:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl by sprinkling water little by little.

2. Heat oil in a pan, drop the pakoda's in oil and fry in medium flame. Remove once its fully cooked and turns golden brown.


P.S. You can add some sliced onion also along with palak.

Parangika Aval Pakoda

Very little pumpkin was left in my fridge which won't e enough for kootu... So I was wondering how to use it.. I could have used it for sambhar. But then I wanted to do something different. So came up with this. My husband doesn't like pumpkin. But when I gave this, he ate and didn't even know that there was pumpkin in this.. Since the pumpkin was little only, I also added aval(rice flakes) to give a different twist. The taste was just awesome. I gave it to my neighbours also and asked them to guess the ingredient. None of them were able to guess the pumpkin or aval.

Ingredients:

 

Pumpkin (grated) - 1/2 Cup

Aval (Rice flakes) - 1/2 cup

Besan flour - 2 tbsp

Maida - 1 tbsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder - 3/4 tsp

Sesame seeds (Till seeds) - 1 tbsp

Curry leaves (finely chopped) - 1 tbsp

Oil - for frying

 

How to make:

 

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl without adding water, since pumpkin has little moisture. Just sprinkle little water and mix well. Leave it aside for 5 mins. The rice flakes will become soft.

 

2. Heat oil in a kadai, and drop small small pakoda inside the hot oil. Fry and take it out once it turns golden brown.

Pizza Cutlet

While I was making this I didn't know what to name it. But then since it tasted more like a pizza, my hubby named it pizza cutlets. So i kept the same. A very different snack which kids will love it....

Ingredients:

Bread crumbs - 1 Cup
Onion (Finely chopped) - 1/4 Cup
Capsicum(Finely Chopped) - 1/4 Cup
Mozeralla Cheese - 1/2 Cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Oregano - 1 tsp
Chilli flakes - 1 tbsp
Oil - for frying

 

How to make:

 

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl by sprinkling little water. Leave it for 5 mins aside.

 

2. Make your desired shape and fry in medium heat oil till it turns golen brown.

 

3. Serve it hot, so that you can feel the melting mozeralla inside...

Ranch Salad

We has been to Lulu last Friday to get our provisions. There was promotion going on for Delicio products. They gave me a salad for tasting. I just loved it.... Very simple salad to make at home. All we needed is buy that dressing sauce. I bought a set of three (Italian, French and Ranch) from there. I'm not a salad lover, but this sauce made it happen in me... Try this and check out. You can buy and brand ranch sauce for this.

Ingredients:

Cucumber (Finely chopped)- 1/2 Cup
Carrot (Finely chopped) - 1/2 Cup
Capsicum((Finely chopped) - 1/4 Cup
Sweet Corn - 1/2 Cup
Ranch dressing (Sauce) - 2 tbsp

How to make:


1. Mix all the vegs and ranch dressing sauce together, keep it refrigerated for 10 mins and serve it.

Vazhapoo Vada

I had made this almost 2 months back. But some how I was not able to update the recipe as I was more busy with other latest ones... Hmmmmm... Now the time has come to post the recipe. As I had mentioned earlier, Banana flower is very good for health, just that you will have to spend a little more time to clean it. Ofcourse one of the tastiest vada, thats needless to mention.

Ingredients:

Channa Dhal - 1 Cup
Banana flower (stock removed & finely chopped) - 1 Cup
Onion (Finely chopped) - 1/2 Cup
Red Chilli - 4-5 nos.
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Salt - 3/4 tsp
Asafoedita - 1/4 tsp
Oil - To fry

How to make:

1. Soak the channa dhal and red chilli for minimum 3 hrs.

2. Grind it coarsely without any water.  Add salt, asafoedita, curry leaves, onion and banana flower to this mixture and blend well.

3. In a kadai heat oil, fry the vada's in medium flame. Fry till it turns golden brown.

Capsicum Bajji

Yday I felt like having Chilli bajji... But I didn't have that bajji chilli with me. but instead I had capsicum with me. Anyway I wanted to make something for evening snacks. So why not capsicum bajji. Trust me, it was awesome so much that I just felt, I had chilli bajji. Wow... its was really yummy.. Now I have decided that I will make this every week. :-)

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Capsicum (Cut into 1/2 strips) - 1 Cup

Besan flour - 1 Cup
Sooji (Rava) - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Asafoedita - 1/4 tsp
Water - 1/2 cup
Oil - To fry

 

How to make:

 

1. Mix besan flour, rava, salt, chilli powder,  asafoedita in a bowl.

 

2. Make a smooth batter by adding water. The batter has to thick and just in dipping consistency.

 

3. In a kadai heat oil, dip the capsicum strips in the batter and fry till golden brown. Serve it with mint chutney or tomato

ketchup.

 

 

Aloo Bonda

Its been a long time since i ate the yummy Aloo Bonda... Made tasty, one can surely munch of 5-6 bonda's easily.... When i made i thought I'm making more and some will be left over... But within 10 mins after making, there was nothing left and people at home wished if there were some more.... Here is the recipe for you all.. Have a smacking evening...!!

 

 

Ingredients:

 

For the stuffing:

 

Potato(Boiled and roughly mashed) -  2 Cups

Onion (Sliced) - 1 Cup

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Green chilli (finely chopped) - 2 tsp

Ginger (finely chopped) - 1 tsp

Salt - 3/4 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Mustard - 1 tsp

Channa dhal - 1 tbsp

Asafoedita - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 3 tbsp

 

For the batter:

 

Besan flour - 1 Cup

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Asafoedita - 1/4 tsp

Water - 1/4 cup

 

Oil - for frying the bonda

 

How to make:

 

1. Lets make the stuffing first. In a pan, heat oil and add the mustard and channa dhal.

 

2. Once the mustard starts crackling, add the green chilli, ginger and curry leaves. Add the sliced onion and saute till the onion turns transparent.

 

3. Add the turmeric powder, salt, asafoedita & saute for 2 mins. Now add the potato & blend well.

 

4. Saute for 2-3 mins and keep aside. The stuffing will look like this once cooked. Once it cools down, make round balls. The stuffing is ready now.

 

5. In a large bowl, add the besan flour, salt, chilli powder, asafoedita and mix well. Add the water slowly to make a thick batter. Its should be in coating consistency.

6. In the frying pan, heat oil for frying. Dip the potato balls in the besan batter and drop it in the hot oil. Fry untill it turns golden brown.

 

7. Serve it hot with coconut chutney... Nangalam apdiye sapiduvum ;-) .................

 

Bread Cheese Bonda

A super snack for a perfect evening along with a cup of coffee/tea or a yummy starter for a party. Simple to make and melts in your mouth with a south-Indian twist to the taste. 

 

Ingredients:

Potato (Boiled & mashed) - 1 Cup

Cheddar/Mozzarella Cheese - 1/2 Cup

Ginger (Finely chopped) - 1 tsp

Corriander leaves (Finely chopped) - 2 tbsp

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Corriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp (adjust the salt as cheese will also contain salt)

Bread slices - 8 nos.

Water - 1/2 Cup

Oil - for frying

How to make:

1. In a bowl mix the mashed potato, cheese, ginger, corriander leaves, chilli powder, corriander podwer, salt and mix well.

2. Dip the bread slice in water and squeeze out the water completely. Keep some stuffing in the center and make to a round balls  by rolling in between your palms and keep aside.

3. Heat oil in a kadai and fry the bonda's. Fry it in medium heat. Take it out when it turns golden brown.

4. Serve it hot with tomato ketchup.

Corn Pakoda

I was thinking what to make for evening snacks... When i opened my freezer, saw the Corn kernel which i had bought last week. So decided to make something with corn... Then a thought came as why not a pakoda with corn.... Wanted to make a diff kind of pakoda, so altered the usual pakoda recipe.... And it turned out good... very good infact...

Ingredients:

 

Corn Kernel - 1 Cup

Besan Flour - 2 tbsp

Rice Flour - 1 tbsp

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Corriander powder - 1 tsp

Green Chilli (Finely chopped) - 1 tsp (adjust as per your taste)

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Corriander leaves (Finely Chopped) - 2 tsbp

Oil - for frying

 

How to make:

 

1. Mix all the ingredients by sprinkling little water. Keep this aside for 15 mins.

.

2. Heat oil in a pan and drop the  mixture like pakodas and fry till golden brown.

 

3. Serve it hot with tomato ketchup

Paneer 65

 

 Who doesn't love Paneer ? A super starter before food...  So here is another starter dish with Paneer.... Enjoi...

 

Ingredients:

Paneer (cut into cubes) - 200 gms
Corn flour - 2 tbsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Oil - for fry

How to make:

1. Mix all the ingredients together and leave it for 15 mins.

2. Fry the marinated paneer in hot oil till it turns golden brown..

3. Serve it hot with mint chutney or tomato ketchup.

Mysore Bonda

One of the simple snack to enjoy for the evening tea time... Now you might think why is this called Mysore bonda, is it famous in Mysore ? I also dont know the reason, but I can assure you that you will definetely not forget the relishing taste of this bonda...

 

Ingredients

All purpose flour / Maida - 1 Cup
Rice Flour - 1/2 Cup
Butter milk (thick) - 3/4 cup
Green Chilli (finely chopped) - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 tbsp
Corriander leaves - 1 tbsp
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Pepper corns - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp
Asafoedita - 1/4 tsp
Oil - For Frying

How to make:

1. Mix all the ingredients to get a thick batter (similar to medu vada batter consistency).

2. Heat oil in a kadai and drop in the batter like bondas. Fry till golden brown.

3. Serve it hot with coconut chutney....

 

Pani Puri - Puri/Masala/Pani

Who doesn't love Pani puri or Gol gappa... One of the street snack which most of just love to grab and gulp... now I will share the recipe of how to make the puri / pani and the masala.. To make everything it takes almost an hour.....

 

Puri

Ingredients:

Rava / Sooji - 1 Cup
Warm Water - 50 ml
Maida - 2 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp for the dough
Oil- for frying the puri

How to make:

1. In a bowl add sooji, salt and mix well. Sprinkle some warm water, so that the sooji is wet. Leave it for 2-3 mins. Knead this for 1-2 mins

2. Now sprinkle maida on this  and keep kneading the dough stiff. Knead it for atleast 5-7 mins.

3. Add 2 tsp oil and knead for another 2-3 mins.... close and keep aside for 30 mins.

4. Take a flat steel plate and on the backside grease it with oil and roll the dough (roll it thin) with rolling pin. Using a cutter (round cap with 2 inch diameter), cut the puri's and fry in medium heat oil.

Masala

Ingredients:

Boiled Potato - 1 no.
Channa or sprouts - 1/4 cup (in case of channa, it has to be soaked and boiled)
Corriander leaves - 1 tbsp (Finely Chopped)
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Chat Masala - 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp

How to make:

1. Mash the potato and add all the other ingredients and mix well. If you like, you can add finely chopped onion as well......

Pani

Ingredients:

Tamarind water - 1/2 cup
Corriander leaves - 2 tbsp
Mint Leaves - 1 tbsp
Green chilli - 1 no.
Jaggery - 1 tsp
Chat Masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Black Salt - 1 tsp ( in case you don't have black salt, add 1/2 tsp citric acid)
Water - 1 cup (Cold Water)

How to make:

1. In a mixer, grind corriander leaves, mint leaves and green chilli.

2. In a big bowl add all the ingredients and ground green chutney and mix well.