Thenga Sevai - Coconut Semia Upma

Thenga Sevai is a traditional South Indian Dish. I usually make Thenga Chadam thats Coconut rice which is very tasty to eat. So tried to make Thenga Sevai this time.

This is usually done on many occasions for Tiffin. You can use home made sevai or rice vermicilli.

Ingredients
Home made Sevai or cooked Semia (Rice vermicilli) - 2 cups

Grated coconut - 1 cup
Bengal gram - 1 tspn
Mustard - 1 tspn
Aasafotida - 1 pinch
Curry leaves - few

Coconut Oil - 4 tspns
Green chilli - 2 nos
Coriander leaves - 1 tspn chopped

Cashews - few chopped
Salt

Preparation Method
In a kadai, add oil, mustard, asafotida and wait till it spulters.
Add bengal gram and wait till its brown. Add cashews, curry leaves and green chilli and saute.
Add Grated coconut and saute for sometime.
Now add cooked semia and little salt.
Mix well and cook for few mins and off the stove.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Thenga Sevai is ready to eat. You can enjoy this as it is or with vadams or chutney.

Thenga Sevai is going for Let's Go nuts event hosted by Padmaja of Seduce ur taste buds blog.

Akki roti | Rice Flat Bread| Karnataka Style!

Ingredients

Rice flour – 3 cups
Onion – 2nos
Green chillies – 3nos
Curry leaves – 2tsp
Coriander leaves - 2tspns
Jeera - 1/2 tspn
Salt as reqd

Preparation Method

Mix all the above ingredients in hot water and make soft dough.
Leave the dough to rest for half n hour to an hour.
Take a tawa or kadai, apply oil and start spreading by hand.
Heat the same and cook both sides till brown.

Another method
Mix all the above ingredients in hot water and make soft dough.
Leave the dough to rest for half n hour to an hour.

Spread oil on a polythene paper

Heat the pan

Make balls and spread dough like chapati with your hand on the polythene paper and now remove slowly and put on the hot pan

Bake both sides in low flame

When turns slightly brownish, remove and serve with chutney

This will be crispy and can be served with groundnut or coconut chutney or chutney pudi.

Chowchow Kadale Paruppu Kootu!!!

Chow chow kadale paruppu kootu is a traditional authentic Kerala and Tamil Brahmin recipe. This is prepared for festivals and occastions. I prepared this for Avani Avittam Festival on Saturday. I have posted previously one more version of Chow chow kootu here.

Ingredients
Chow Chow/Chayote - 1 no
Kadale Paruppu/Channa Dal - 1/2 cup
Fresh Scraped coconut - 1/2 cup
Green chilli - 1 no(As per your taste)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn

Talipu/Seasoning
Coconut oil - 1 tspn
Mustard - 1/4 tspn
Urad dal - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves - few

Preparation Method
Wash remove, skin, seed and chop into small pieces. (You can use the skin for Thogaiyal/Chutney here.)
Pressure cook chow chow, kadale paruppu with turmeric and a pinch of salt upto 3 whistles.
Grind coconut and green chilli to fine paste with very little water.
When the pressure cooker steam is gone. Mix the vegetable and the grounded mixture in a vessel, add salt, tumeric. Mix well and allow it to boil in low flame.It should be thick in consistency.
Season it with the above mentioned and off the stove.

Chow Chow Kootu is ready to serve in the platter as sidedish or mix it with hot steamed rice.

Notes- - You can also prepare this kootu with Pooshinikayi/White Pumpkin. - You can use any cooking oil instead of coconut oil.

Upma | Uppittu Restuarant Style!!!

From yesterday Mahalaya Paksham is starting for the next 15days and cooking is done without Onion and Garlic. For Dinner it will be only tiffin. So I prepared this for my in laws and it was yummmmy... I know many of you dont like. But I like it anytime of the day and love it cold or leftover.

Ingredients
Semolina/Rava/Sooji - 2 cups
Water - 4 cups + 1/2 cup if required
Cashewnuts -  5 nos slit or broken
Ginger - 2 tspns chopped
Any cooking Oil - 5 tspns or 1/4 cup
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Jeera - 1/4 tspn
Channa Dal - 2 tspns
Hing/Asafotida - 1/4 tspn
Curry leaves - few
Coriander - 2 tspns chopped
Green chilli - 1 no slit 
Salt

Preparation Method
Dry roast the Rava in a kadai until slightly brown and smells good. Transfer it to a plate and let it cool.
In a same kadai, add oil, mustard, wait till it pops, then add jeera, channa dal, wait till its brown, add curry leaves, green chilli, cashews and ginger. Saute till cashews are slightly brown. Add water, chopped coriander and salt. Allow it to boil. Check for salt. you can add a drop of oil here also.
Once its boiled, reduce the flame and add rava, stir continuously and not forming lumps. Mix well evenly.
Close the lid and wait for 5 to 10mins for rava to cook.

Upma | Uppittu is ready to serve. You can serve this with Coconut chutney /Sugar/Sambar.

Notes/Tip -
If salt is slightly more, add 1 tspn of ghee and mix well and garnish fresh grated coconut.

This recipe is going to Vrat Ka Khana Event by Kalyani.

Raagi Roti(Indian Flat Bread) with Awards and Tag:-)

Ragi Roti(Kezhvaragu/Finger Millet/Madua/Elusine Indica) - Indian Flat Bread is very healthy breakfast or tiffin. Its a very famous breakfast/tiffin in Karnataka, India. In my village we grow Ragi grains my granny sends grains to us. We clean, dry and make flour.

The whole grain in nutritrional terms is very rich in proteins, providing highest levels of calcium and high levels of dietary fibre. It helps in control of blood glucose levels in diabetics.

In Karnataka its also consumed in many forms like Ragi balls (Ragi Mudde) dipped in sambar, Malt and Koozhu. Ragi Seri can be fed for infants above 6 months since its high in calcium. Whenever we are preparing the flour at home have to be very careful since it contains small muddy particles or stones. When you buy Ragi flour from supermarkets its better to seive 2 to 3 times and then use it.

Here is a simple and easy recipe for Ragi Roti which is high in nutrition and healthy food.

Ingredients

Ragi flour - 4 cups

Onion - 2 nos chopped

Fresh grated coconut - 1 cup
Green chilli - 2nos chopped (As per your taste)

Curry leaves - few chopped

Oil

Hot water

Salt

Preparation Method

In a wide bowl, put all the ingredients and mix it like chapathi dough in hot water.

Take small balls and spread it thinly in round shape on a plastic sheet or directly in the kadai or pan.

Put 1 tspn oil and cook both sides.

Continue same process for left over dough.

Ragi Roti is ready to eat...This is good to eat as it is or with these Pickle/Jaggery/Coconut chutney.

This recipe is going for WFC Breakfast by EC and State Specials by Shanthi.

My other entries for breakfast are

Pesarattu

Adai

Bread Upma

Awards Time

Thanks to Ramya and Sanghi for Scrumptious Awards and Rekha for Kreative, Scrumptious and Fabulous Awards. I thank from my bottom of the heart for passing on these wonderful awards to me. I feel very happy and encouraged at the end of the day seeing my blog with awards.

My dear friend Rekha has tagged me..thanks dear!

The Rules:

1. Link the person who tagged you.

2. Post the rules on your blog.

3. Share the ABCs of you.

4. Tag 4 people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.

5. Let the 4 tagged people know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

6. Do not tag the same person repeatedly but try to tag different people, so that there is a big network of bloggers doing this tag.

The Tag:

1. A – Available/Single? Married
2. B – Best friend? Rashmi
3. C – Cake or Pie? Cake
4. D – Drink of choice? Coffee
5. E – Essential item you use every day? Internet
6. F – Favorite color? Blue
7. G – Gummy Bears Or Worms? -
8. H – Hometown? Bangalore
9. I – Indulgence? Salted potato chips of India

10. J – January or February? January for New Year
11. K – Kids & their names? 1 Son named Siddarth
12. L – Life is incomplete without? Family
13. M – Marriage date? 24th Aug 2006
14. N – Number of siblings? one elder bro
15. O – Oranges or Apples? both
16. P – Phobias/Fears? Fears
17. Q – Quote for today? Be Cool and patient
18. R – Reason to smile? My son
19. S – Season? Winter
20. T – Tag 4 People?
21. U – Unknown fact about me?unknown
22. V – Vegetable you don't like? mostly i like all thinking....
23. W – Worst habit? loose temper rarely and shout
24. X – X-rays you've had? for tooth
25. Y – Your favorite food? Bisibelebath, gobi manchurian, akki roti, fried rice, many more
26. Z – Zodiac sign? libra

I have tagged 4 blogger friends

Rajeshwari of Raks Kitchen

Jyothi of Panch Pakwan

Deepti of Dipskitchen
Smitha of Saffron Apron

Rava Idli Product Review

Rava Idlis are my favourite breakfast/tiffin. Guess what these are from its GITS instant mix.

The idlis came out perfect and tastes good....since I like Asafotida/Hing flavour a lot, added a pinch of it. This pack needs just water to mix to make idlis.

My suggestion is if you have sour curd/plain yogurt at home you can also try it with that too.

I served it with coconut chutney. My family liked a lot.

Will post the chutney recipe soon.

Carrot Paasi Paruppu Curry and Award

This participation award has been given by Mrs Shanthi for participating in her State Special Event. Thank you.

Sanghi has passed me this Gold Friends Award. Thanks dear.

Carrot Paasi Paruppu is very tasty curry. Its simple and easy to prepare.

Ingredients
Carrot - 4 nos
Paasi Paruppu (Siru Paruppu/Split green gram/Moong Dal)- 1 cup
Cooking oil - 2 tspns
Kadag(Mustard/Rai) - 1/2 tspn
Uzhatam Paruppu/Kadalai Paruppu(Urad dal and Channa dal )- 1 tspn
Peringayam(Asafotida/Hing) - 2pinches
Karuvepillai(Curry leaves/Kari Patha) - few
Salt

Preparation Method
Soak Paasi Paruppu for half n hour and pressure cook for 1 or 2whistles in cooker or cook directly in vessel. (If cooked in vessel keep an eye it will overflow so keep stirring)
Wash, remove skin and chop carrots into small pieces.

In a Kadai, put oil mustard Kadagu wait till it splutters. Then add Peringayam, Uzhatam Paruppu/Kadalai Paruppu, Karuvepillai wait till its brown. Now add carrots, manjal with little water and cook. When its half cooked add salt stir occasionally.

Add paasi paruppu and mix well. Cook for few minutes till all mixes well.

Carrot Passi Paruppu Curry is ready to serve. This is a good side dish for chapathi or to mix with rice.

Note - If you want gravy type you can add little water and cook.

This recipe is going for Sidedish for chapathi event hosted by Viki.

My other entries for this event are

Gravy

Palak Paneer

Channa Masala

Keerai Kootu

Kadai Mixed Vegetable

Dal Fry

Dal with Cabbage

Erulli Gojju

Potato Sagu

Poriyal/Curry

Cabbage Green Peas Curry

Pavakkai(Bitter Gourd Potato) Uralai Fry

Beans Curry

Chutneys

Pudina Chutney

Coconut Chutney

Thalicha Idli/Seasoned Idli

Idli is a famous and popular breakfast in South India. Its also good when you are unwell with delicious sambar or chutney.

Ingredients
Idli Batter -  6 Karandi/laddles(Click here for batter recipe)
Salt as required

For seasoning
Oil - 1/2 tspn
Kadugu/Mustard - a pinch
Kadalai Paruppu/Channa Dal - 1/2 tspn
Peringayam/Hing/Asafotida- a pinch
Grated Carrot - 2 tspns
Chopped Kothamalli/Cilantro - 1 tspn(Optional)

Preparation Method
Heat a pan, add oil and season all the ingredients except carrot and mix in the Idli batter.
In the Idli plate, grease it with little Nalla Yennai/gingely oil. Pour little batter and fill carrot and again pour little batter on it.
Make another plate same as above.
You can steam it with Idli cooker or fill 2 cups water in a kadai, keep this two plates and close it with a lid.
Steam it for 12-15mins.
Makes around 8 idlis.
Serves - 1 or 2 pax.

Fluffy Seasoned Idlis are ready. Serve it with Tomato or coconut chutney or sambar or just sugar.

This recipe is going out for Twist the traditional Idli by Satya.

Murungaillai | Drumstick leaves Pakoda(Medhu/Soft version)

Again this recipe was for my son to feed him Murungaillai/Drumstick leaves which is very rich in iron. This was very tasty and delicious.

Ingredients

Gram flour(Besan) - 2 cups

Onion - 2 cups(chopped)
Tender Murugaillai/Drumstick leaves - 1  cup
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tspn or Green chilli - 2nos

Curry leaves - few
Ginger - 1 tspn(chopped)
Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tspn

Cooking Oil for deep frying

Salt as required

Preparation Method
In a bowl put gram flour, red chilli powder, salt and mix well.
Add chopped onion, drumstick leaves and curry leaves and mix.

Sprinkle little water and make a slight thin batter.

Heat oil in pan for deep frying.

Take small portions in a spoon and drop in hot oil carefully in med-low heat.

Slowly and deep fry on all sides.

Remove it on absorbant paper when its turning light golden brown.

Serve hot Murungaillai Pakoda as it is or with coconut chutney or tomato ketchup.

Maddur Vade

Maddur Vade is popular in a place called Maddur on way to Mysore, India over 60 years. MaddurVade is available in hotels in Karnataka and when you travel to mysore in train you will be able to taste this. This is very crispy, tasty and best munch. Never miss this Give it a try!!!!

Required ingredients
Chiroti Rava (small semolina) – 1 cup
Maida flour – 1 cup
Rice flour – 1 cup
Oil or Ghee or vanaspati - 3 tspns
Green chilies – 2 nos or
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Onions – 2nos
Curry Leaves -few
Oil to fry
Salt to taste
Preparation Method
1. Mix Rava, maida, rice flour with ghee or hot oil, then add chillies, red chilli powder and curry leaves.
2. Cut onions into thin and long pieces
3. Add onions and salt
4. Now mix everything with little water to a soft dough like chapathi dough
5. Make medium size balls
6. Press it to get round shape by hand on plastic sheet greased with oil
7. Heat oil in pan and drop it
8. Fry both sides in oil till golden brown
9. Remove on tissue paper.

Maddur Vade is ready. Serve the hot crispy vade as it is or with coconut chutney.

Sprouts Vadai!!!

In Singapore, the weather is unpredictable its sunny in the morning and suddenly its raining in the afternoon and chill in the evening. So this is perfect for the weather.

I prepare paruppu vadai earlier, without onion. I have been preparing green gram sprouts almost daily for my parents in the diet, so have stock of it. Prepared this for lunch for my friend and her mom.

Ingredients
Greengram Sprouts - 2 cups(click here for how to make sprouts)
Kadalai Paruppu /Channa Dal -  1 cup
Onion - 2 nos chopped
Curry leaves - few chopped
Coriander leaves - few chopped
Dry Red chilli - 2nos(as per your taste)(Can also use green chilli)
Ginger  - 1" piece
Salt
Oil for Deep frying

Preparation Method
Soak kadalai paruppu for 2hrs in water.
In a mixie, add sprouted green gram, channa dal, ginger, dry red chilli and grind it coarsely without water. If required just add little water.
Transfer it to a wide vessel, add thinly chopped onion, curry leaves, coriander leaves, salt and mix well.
Take lemon size balls and slowly flatten on hand.
Heat oil in a kadai.
Drop slowly in oil and deep fry both sides till golden brown in medium flame.

Crispy Sprouts vadai is ready to serve.
Enjoy hot vadai with coffee/tea as it is or with coconut chutney.
This can be had with sambar rice, rasam rice or any variety rice.

Notes - You can store the balance dough in the fridge and use later.

Vegetable Upma!

Upma is a very tasty breakfast/tiffen in South India. Its my all time favourite... I know many don't like this but actually its very yummy. We can do many variations in upma I am giving recipe for Vegetable Upma. Upma is a frequent dish in my house which is quick and easy to prepare.

This recipe is a long time pending in my drafts. Rava and Vegetables are good for health for growing kids.

Ingredients

Rava(Semolina/Sooji) - 2 cups
Water - 5 to 6 cups

Carrot - 1 no(Chopped into fine pieces)

Beans - few (Chopped into fine pieces)

Green peas - 1 cup

Potato - 2 nos(chopped into fine pieces)

Oil - 4 tspns

Ghee - 1 tspn

Green chilli - 2 nos(As per taste)

Mustard - 1/2 tspn

Urad/Channa dal mixed - 1 tspn

Asafotida(hing) - 2 pinches

Curry leaves - few

Turmeric - 1/2 tspn

Salt to taste

Preparation Method

Heat a kadai, roast the rava slightly till it becomes brown and gets nice aroma. Transfer it to a plate.

In a vessel boil water and keep aside.

In a same kadai, add 3 tspns oil and mustard wait till it splutters. Now add dal and asafotida. Saute till its brown.

Add all vegetables, salt, turmeric and cook well with little water.

Add boiled water, 1 tspn oil allow it to boil. Once its boiled reduce the heat. Add salt and curry leaves.

Slowly add the rava and mix well immediately without allowing it to form lumps. Add water if required. Close with a lid till rava cooks.

Slowly stir until no water is left.

Add ghee on top mix and close the lid. Off the stove.

Upma is ready to serve. Its good to eat as it is or with Sugar or coconut chutney or pickle.

My Other entries for this event are

Gobi Manchurian Dry

Rose Milk
This recipe is going for Kids Special(4-14) by Radhika and Sudesna.

Aval Oats Dosai!!!

This is an easy and quick dosai, was thinking what to do with aval/poha/rice flakes. Took it to make Aval Upma and ended up with dosai. My family like it too.

Ingredients
Aval/Poha/Rice flakes - 3 cups (thin or thick)
Oats - 1 cup(I used quaker quick cook oats)
Green chilli - 1 no(As per your taste)
Rice flour - 2 table spoons

Seasoning/Talipu
Oil - 1 tspn
Mustard - 1/4 tspn
Hing - 2 pinches
Jeera/Cumin - 1/2 tspn
Coriander/cilantro leaves chopped - 2 tspns
Salt

Preparation Method
Wash and rinse aval, leave it for few minutes.
Add oats, green chilli, water and grind to fine paste in a mixie or blender.
Now season the batter with the above ingredients.
Add rice flour and mix well without lumps. Add water if required.
Heat a tawa/skillet and pour the batter slowly. Do not spread, it will spread by itself. It will take sometime to cook. Wait and slowly turn around.
Put oil and steam both sides.

Soft and Crispy Aval Oats Dosai is ready. Serve hot with Coconut chutney or Molagai Podi.

Notes - If you have time you can mix and leave the batter for 1 to 2 hrs and then make dosas.

This recipe is going to Show me ur Dosa event by Divya.

Ven Pongal | Breakfast Recipes!

Ven Pongal is a breakfast/tiffin prepared with rice and paasi paruppu(Moong dal/Split green gram) This is very simple and easy dish to prepare. Its my favourite breakfast. This is famous in Tamilnadu, South India. This is also one of the fast moving breakfast in Tamilnadu because of its Easy to Digest nature.

Its less spicy and very tasty. kids will like it too.....I make this also when I come home late and have less time to cook because its "Fast to cook and good to eat".

Serves - 2 - 3
Ingredients
Rice -  1.5 cups
Paasi Paruppu - 1 cup
Ingi (Ginger/Adrak) - 2" piece chopped
Milagu (Black peppercons) - 1 tspn(As per your taste) slightly crushed or whole
Jeeragam(Cumin seeds) - 2 tspns
Perungayam (Asafotida/ Hing) - a pinch
Karuvepellai (Curry leaves) - few
Pachai milaga (Green chilli) - 1 no (slit)
Oil - 4 tspns
Ghee - 2 tspns
Mundiri paruppu(Cashews) - 10 nos
Salt

Preparation Method
Pressure cook, a little longer than normal, rice and paruppu with green chilli with extra water. So that the mixture is not dry.

In a kadai, add oil and ghee, mundiri paruppu, ingi, milagu, jeeragam, kauvepellai and saute till pepper splitters and mundiri is brown.

Then add this to the cooked rice, add salt. Mix it well and allow it to cook in low flame for couple of mins.

If its thick add little water and mix for 1minute and off the stove.

Ven Pongal is ready to eat. Its good to eat as it is or with Brinjal ghotsu, coconut chutney or sambar.

Notes - If you want it to be more tasty dont hesitate to add more ghee.

Rava Idli (Semolina Steamed Cake)

Idli is very popular tiffin/breakfast in South India. Rava/Semolina/Sooji Idli (Semolina steamed cake) is very famous in South India. Its very tasty. Its one of the favourite tiffin/breakfast in my house. My mom usually makes it in Bangalore, but she uses cooking soda in it.

Ingredients
Rava/Semolina/Sooji - 1 1/2 cup
Curds/Plain Yogurt - 1 cup + extra if required
Eno - 1/2 tspn
Salt


Tempering/Seasoning
Oil - 1 tspn
Mustard - 1/4 tspn
Urad Dal/Channa Dal - 1/2 tspn
Asafotida/Hing - a pinch
Curry leaves - 1 tspn(chopped)


Garnishing Choice (Optional)
Grated Carrot
Chopped coriander
Cashews - few
Sliced Tomato - few(Optional)

Preparation Method
Heat kadai/wok, add oil, mustard wait till it splutters, then add dals and hing saute till brown. Add curry leaves and saute.
Add rava and roast till brown.
Transfer it in a bowl and allow it to cool.
Add curds, salt and mix slowly in one direction without forming lumps. It should be thick batter. If required can add just little water.
Finally add eno salt, mix and leave it for 10 minutes.


Grease Idli plates with little oil. You can garnish now.
Pour the batter slowly in the idli plate.


Steam it for 12-15mins.

Soft and fluffy Rava Idli is ready to enjoy.


You can serve with Coconut Chutney or Potato Sagu.

Masala Vada

A tasty snack mixed with lentils and onion then deep fried. This can also be prepared anytime for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

A great idea on a rainy day….

A great combination with Puliyogare (Tamarind rice) …………

Ingredients
Bengal gram(Yellow lentils) – 2 cups
Onion – 2 nos big
Fennel (saunf) – 1 tspn
Curry leaves – 4 tspns
Green chilli – 2 nos
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Preparation Method
Soak Bengal gram in water for 3- 4 hours
Cut the onions, chillies and curry leaves into small pieces
Now wash the Bengal gram and grind it to coarse paste(not smooth) without adding much water
Add chopped onions, chillies, curry leaves, salt and saunf to the paste.
Mix well and make lemon size balls
Heat the oil in a pan
Press slowly and drop in oil
Deep fry on both sides till brown

Take it on a tissue paper for 5mins to absorb excess oil

Serve hot as it is or with tomato ketchup or coconut chutney

Tomato Chutney | No Onion No Garlic!

This Tomato Chutney is prepared without onion and garlic. I have been thinking of recipes prepared without coconut nowadays which are for lowering cholestrol and for diabetic. This is quick and tastes delicious for Dosas and Idlis.

Ingredients
Tomatoes - 2nos(Red n Ripe)
Urad Dal - 2 tspns
Green Gram/Pacha Payaru - 2 tspns
Dry red chilli - 2nos (As per your taste)
Gingely Oil/Olive Oil - 1 tspn
Salt
Curry leaves - few

Preparation Method
Heat a wok or kadai, add oil, urad dal, green gram, red chilli, curry leaves and saute till the dal is brown. Transfer it to a plate. In the same kadai, add chopped tomatoes, a pinch of salt and cook till its soft. Allow it to cool.
Add salt and grind to coarse paste when cool.
Season with oil, mustard and Hing/Asafotida.

Tomato Chutney is ready to serve. I served it with Ragi Idlis, the recipe will be my next post.

Notes - You can also have it without seasoning, I wanted the hint of hing. If you wish you can add hing while grinding.

Cooking with love Uncle ~ Event Roundup!

Thank you friends for all your entries to Cooking with Love Uncle. Below is the roundup. Wish my brother Rakhi and everyone celebrating this festival.

My friend Mrs. Lalitha has sent me Urad Dal Vada recipe

Ingredients

Urid dhal - 1 cup

Raw rice - 1/4 cup

Ginger - 1 small sliced ginger

Green chilli - 4 nos.

Onion -  1(chopped finely optional)

Garlic - 2(optional)

Curry leaves - one leaflet

Preparation method

Soak Urid dhal and raw rice for 45 mins. Wash it with water and drain it for a while. Add ginger, garlic and green chillies and grind it nicely adding very little water in a mixer grinder. 

Take the paste out in a bowl. Add some curry leaves and finely chopped onion. Heat refined oil in a kadai. Flatten the paste in a small banana leaf or in a oil greased plate and deep fry in the oil. Take it out when it is golden brown. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Hope to you in the next event.

Cheers,
Saraswathi

Crispy Onion Pakoda

Its raining out here and my dad gave an idea of making onion pakoda. Onion pakoda is a very tasty snack liked by most of the people at all times. An easy tea/coffee time snack. Also a side dish(snack) for lunch/dinner. Kids will love it:-)

Ingredients

Gram flour(Besan) - 2 cups

Corn flour - 2 tspns

Onion - 2 cups(chop in long length)

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tspn

Curry leaves - 1/2 cup

Asafotida - a pinch

Cooking Oil for deep frying

Salt as required

Preparation MethodIn a bowl put gram flour, corn flour, red chilli powder, salt, asafotida and mix well. Taste the powder for salt and red chilli powder.

Heat 4 tspns of oil in a pan add this to theflour. Leave it for 5mins to cool and then mix. This makes it crispy.

Add chopped onion and curry leaves and mix.

Sprinkle little water and make a thick dough.

Heat oil in pan for deep frying.

Take small pieces of dough and drop in hot oil carefully in med-low heat.

Slowly stir and deep fry on all sides.

Remove it on absorbant paper when its turning light golden brown.

Serve hot onion pakoda as it is or with coconut chutney or tomato ketchup.

Variations

1. Can mix coriander seeds.
2. Can mix Saunf.

Instant Dhokla/Steamed Savoury Cake and Award!!!

My Eggless Chocolate Cake won the Best Cake Recipe in Crazy for Cake Event hosted by Priya Mahadevan. Thanks Anitha for choosing my recipe from so many entries and its a big surprise. Thanks Priya for hosting such a wonderful event and for the award. I feel very happy and it motivates to bake frequently. You guys have made my day:-)

My Dad asked me to prepare Dhokla since the time he came here, I somehow couldnot do. Today prepared for evening snack as they are leaving back to India. This time it came out perfect.

Dhokla is a popular Gujarathi dish. Its very delicious and tastes like savoury cake.

Ingredients
For Dhokla
Kadalai Maav/Besan - 2 cups
Thair/Plain curds/Yogurt - 2 cups
Manjal/Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn
Eno fruit salt - 1/2 tablespoon
Water as required
Salt as required

For Seasoning
Oil - 3 tspns
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Hing/Asafotida - 1/4 tspn
Green Chilli -2 nos
Grated coconut - 2 -3tspns
Chopped coriander - 2tspns

Preparation Method
In  a vessel, add Kadalai maav/besan, curds, water, salt, turmeric and mix well with a help of a karandi/laddle or whisk to dosa batter consistency.
Finally add Eno salt and mix. Leave it.
In a pressure cooker, fill little water.
Grease a flat vessel with oil. Transfer the batter.
Steam it for 10-15 mins without whistle.
Season it with the above ingredients except grated coconut and coriander.
Pour it and allow it to cool and cut into desired shapes.

Serve with Green chutney with the seasonings on top.

Delicious Dhokla/Steamed Savoury Cake is ready to serve. Serve with Green Chutney or as it is.

Anitha and Priya this is for you:-)

Notes -You can also use Idli plate and steam like idlis.