Uzhunnuvada/Urad dhal vadas (Maami's Corner)

Often times I've served Thaiyr Vadas to my gullible nephews & nieces. Never did it occur to those innocent souls to question why I did not serve them just the  crisp vadas without the messy curd.They did relish those servings though!
I have a confession to make. When you reach my age it really does not matter....  anyway. I was never able to shape the vadas as it should be. The consistency never was right. There always seemed to be much too much water however little I added.  The secret in this recipe is then...

Courtesy: Anitha Manjunathan

INGREDIENTS:

Black gram dhal/urad dhal: 250 g

Rice flour: 2 tsps

Onions: 1 chopped

Green chilli: 2 chopped fine

Curry leaves

Salt to taste

Oil- to fry

METHOD:

Soak the dhal for half an hour.

Grind using very, very little water (just sprinkle, if you need)

 Add rice flour, chopped onion, chilli, curry leaves & salt.

Mix well, use a clean plastic sheet to shape the vadas.

Wet you hands & the sheet, place a small ball, shape it, make a hole in the centre & drop it carefully into hot oil. Fry on medium fire till golden brown.

Serve with coriander/mint chutney.

Prawn Xacuti (Traditional Fare)

A very famous Goan recipe, similar to the Kerala Varutharacha masala. Chicken or fish can be prepared the same way.

INGREDIENTS:

Prawns: 250 g shelled & deveined

Green chilli: 2 slit

Shallots: 100 g

1. Coconut: 1/2cup

2. Red chilli: 8

3. Coriander seeds: 2 tsps

4. Cinnamon: 1 piece

5. Cloves: 4

6. Poppy seeds: 1 tbsp

7. White sesame/til seeds: 1 tbsp

8. Aniseed/fennel: 1 tsp

9. Ajwain/carom seeds: 1/2tsp

10. Garlic: 10 cloves

11. Ginger: 1” piece

Vinegar: 1 tbsp

Tamarind paste: 1/2tsp

Oil: 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Heat a pan & dry roast 1 to 11 & grind using vinegar to a smooth paste.

Heat oil in a pan, add sliced shallots, green chillies & prawns.

Sauté well.

Add the ground paste, half a cup of water & cover the pan.

Cook till prawns are done (about 7 minutes).  

Stir in tamarind paste & salt.

Retain the gravy if you like it that way or dry it up well.

Serve with rice.

Date Surprise (Quick fix)

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Generally sweets are associated with a lot of sugar & ghee. Here’s a healthy option to the usual DIWALI sweets. 

INGREDIENTS:

Dates: 200 g

Milk powder: 1 cup

Cashew nuts: 2 tbsps

Sugar: 1 tbsp

Ghee: 2 tsps

Cardamom: 2 powdered

Baking soda: a small pinch

METHOD:

Chop dates fine, also the nuts.

Heat a non stick pan with a teaspoon of ghee, fry the nuts & add chopped dates.

Sauté well till soft & can be rolled. Keep aside to cool. Divide into evenly sizes balls.

In the meantime, mix milk powder, sugar & cardamom powder with 5 tablespoons of water.

Add a small pinch of baking soda & transfer into a greased plate & steam for half an hour.

Cool & make balls of this.

Take a date ball, flatten it on your palm, place a milk ball in the centre & cover it well with the date coating.

VOILA! A healthy sweet is ready.

Chocolate Brownie (Just Bakes)

A chocolaty-nutty treat indeed! Try this.

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INGREDIENTS:

Dark chocolate: 200g

Walnuts: 100 g chopped

Plain flour: 200 g

Baking powder: a pinch

Sugar: 100 g

Butter: 100 g

Eggs: 4

Vanilla essence: 1 tsp

METHOD:

Double boil butter & dark chocolate till creamy. Cool the mix.

Whisk eggs & sugar, add essence.

Mix the chopped nuts with flour & fold into egg-sugar mixture.

Add melted chocolate.

Pour into a greased baking tray & bake at 180⁰C for 35 minutes.

 Let it rest in the tray for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool.

Cut into pieces and watch it disappear!

Brain Fry (Traditional Fare)

   Courtesy: Elsie Morris    

INGREDIENTS:

Goat brain: 2

Onion: 2

Fennel seeds: 1 tsp

Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tsps

Tomato: 2 chopped fine

Chilli powder: 1 tsp

Turmeric powder: 1/2tsp

Garam masala: 1 tsp

Coriander leaves

Curry leaves

Oil: 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

 METHOD:

Cook brain in salted water, cool & remove the blood vessels. Chop into pieces. 

Heat oil, fry fennel seeds, onions brown, then add ginger-garlic paste & curry leaves.

Now add the powdered spices, when fragrant, add tomatoes.

Sauté well till oil clears out well. Add the brain. Fry well till it looks like scrambled eggs.

Adjust salt & add coriander leaves.

Serve with bread or pav.

Kalamari Chilli Garlic (Party Menu)

INGREDIENTS:

Squids/kalamari: 500 g

Garlic: 50 g

Onions: 1 cut into rings

Red chilli 10 crushed

Garam masala powder: 1 tsp

Pepper powder: 1/2tsp

Turmeric powder: 1/4tsp

Soy sauce: 1 tsp

Oil: 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Cut the squids into rings.

Heat oil in a pan, add crushed garlic & red chilli. Fry till fragrant.

Add onions, squid rings, & soy sauce.Do not over- cook it will become rubbery & chewy.

Once done sprinkle pepper, turmeric & garam masala.

Dry it well & serve as short-eats at parties.

Tawa Veggies (Maami's corner)

I first tasted this dish at a reception at Bangalore, since then, have been trying to replicate that taste. After umpteen trials, I have put this together. Gathering from the expression on Eric’s face, who is having this for dinner right now, I think, I did it! 

       

INGREDIENTS:

Ladies finger: 6

Brinjal/egg plant: 2

Mushroom: 10

Potato: 1

Carrot: 1

Spinach: 10 leaves

Capsicum: 1

Bitter gourd: ½

Tomato: 1

Onion: 1 cubed

Shallots: 10

Ginger- garlic paste: 1 tsp

Green chilli: 2 chopped fine

Tamarind paste: 1 tsp

Jaggery: a small piece

Oil: 5 tbsps

Salt to taste

For the spice mix:

1.       Poppy seeds: 1 tbsp

2.       Cumin: 1 tsp

3.       White sesame/til: 1 tbsp

4.       Peanuts: 2 tbsp

5.       Dry coconut/copra: 2 tbsps

6.       Coriander seeds: 1 tbsp

7.       Chilli powder: 1 tsp

Dry roast the above & grind with tamarind & jaggery. Keep aside.

METHOD:

Cut the vegetables into long pieces of the same size.

Heat oil in a frying pan & fry the vegetables a few at a time, except tomato, till brown . Remove on to a plate.

In the remaining oil, add onion, sauté well, add ginger-garlic paste, green chilli & shallots (whole).

Now, add the vegetables & the spice mix along with a cup of water.

Let it boil & thicken well. Add salt & tomato.

Do not over-cook. Vegetables can vary, depending on availability.

Serve with buttered pav/bread.

Eric said “AWESOME”, after dinner.   

Nargisi Kofta /Scotch Eggs(Party Menu)

A very simple, easy to make chicken & egg preparation-stylish too!

INGREDIENTS:

Chicken mince: 300 g

Eggs: 3 hard boiled

Bread crumbs: 1/2cup

Corn flour: 2 tbsp

Ginger-garlic-green chilli paste: 2 tsps

Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp

Oil: to fry

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Grind the chicken mince with ginger-garlic-green chilli paste, coriander leaves & salt.

Transfer into a bowl, add bread crumbs & corn flour & knead well.

Divide into 3 portions, flatten each on your palm, place one whole boiled egg & cover with mince paste to coat all over evenly. Roll in more corn flour, if you think it needs a coating.

Repeat the same with the other eggs.

Keep in the refrigerator for half an hour to set before frying.

Deep fry, swirl it around to brown evenly.

Cut it to serve.   

It can also be put into a tomato based gravy for a kofta curry.

Crab Croquettes ( Party menu)

INGREDIENTS:

 Sea crabs: 4

Garlic: 1 tsp chopped fine

Pepper powder: 1 tsp

Milk: 100ml

Butter: 1 tbsp

Plain flour: 2 tbsp

Egg: 1

Bread crumbs: 1/2cup   

Oil to fry

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Clean crabs, cook & remove meat. Keep the claws aside intact.

Heat butter, add flour, fry well, slowly, add milk to make a thick white sauce.

Season with salt & pepper. Stir in chopped garlic & crab meat.

Cool the mix well, shape  it around a crab claw, dip in beaten egg & coat with bread crumbs.

Deep fry & serve with sauce.  

Dhal Nawabi (Maami's Corner)

This dhal preparation is made using split black gram with skin (urad dhal in Hindi or Uzhunnu in Malayalam)

In kerala,  this dhal is only used only for Idlis or Vadas but up North it makes tasty fries & gravies.

To get rid of the sliminess , cook  for one whistle in pressure cooker, throw off the water & pressure cook with fresh water till done ( about 15 minutes). You can do the same recipe with any other dhal too.

INGREDIENTS:

Black gram dhal (split): 1 cup

Bay leaf: 1

Garlic: 10 pods

Ginger: 1” piece

Green chilli: 5

Tomato puree: ½cup

Red chilli powder: 1 tsp

Turmeric powder: ½ tsp

Kasuri methi: 1 tbsp powdered

Cinnamon: 1 stick

Cloves: 2

Cardamom: 2

Cumin seeds: 1 tsp

Asafoetida: 1/4tsp

Coriander leaves: 1/2cup

Fresh cream: 3 tbsps

Ghee: 2 tbsps

Fried cashew nuts: 10—12

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Pressure cook dhal with bay leaf, 2 cups of water & turmeric powder, for 15 minutes.

Heat ghee in a pan, add jeera, whole garam masala & asafoetida.

Add crushed garlic, ginger & green chillies. Fry well.

Add tomato puree, chilli powder, fry till ghee clears on sides of the pan.

Sprinkle kasuri methi & add the cooked dhal.

Pour a little water to adjust the consistency.

Cook on low flame, add cream fried nuts & coriander leaves.

Adjust salt.

Garnish with more cream or butter & serve with rotis.

Spiced Gobi (Just Bakes)Maami's corner

INGREDIENTS:

Cauliflower: 1 whole

Onion: 3 chopped fine

Capsicum: 2 chopped fine

Cheese: 3 tbsps grated

Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tsps

Green chilli: 2

Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp

Tomato: 3 chopped

Turmeric powder: 1/2tsp

Red chilli power: 1 tsp

Cumin powder: 1/2tsp

Garam masala powder: 1/2tsp

Lime juice: 1 tsp

Oil: 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

METHOD:

 Clean the cauliflower & keep it whole.

Boil water in a big pan, add salt & turmeric powder, drop the flower, stem side down & cook for 1o minutes.(There should be enough water to immerse the whole flower.)

Drain it & place on a oven proof dish.

Heat oil in a frying pan, sauté onions, ginger-garlic paste, capsicum, chopped chilli & coriander leaves.

Now, add the chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala & chopped tomatoes.

Sauté till soft & add salt. Take off fire & add lime juice.

Stuff the masala in between the florets & over it.

Sprinkle grated cheese & bake at 180⁰C for 25 minutes.

It can be served with Rotis/Pulao.