Raw banana pakoras

When we moved to our new place, we inherited a banana plant, which promptly gave us a flower which developed into a few bunches of fruit. Unfortunate, we have no idea about harvesting bananas, and left the fruits on the tree to ripen. For a month and more, we waited, till I saw them starting to rot at the tips. I got the fruits in but still have no idea how to ripen them. So raw banana it is, and a fine vegetable it makes!

3 raw bananas

Green chilli paste to taste

Ginger garlic paste to taste

1/2 tsp haldi powder

Salt to taste

3 tbsp besan

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Method:

Pressure cook the raw bananas for 20 minutes after the first whistle. Remove the peel, mash and keep aside

Add green chilli paste, haldi powder and salt, and mix well. Roll into balls and flatten slightly. 

Make a batter with besan, salt and water

Heat the oil (to a temperature where a blob of batter rises slowly to the top). Dip the flattened balls in batter, and deep fry till golden on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen towels. 

Serve hot with tomato ketchup or mint chutney. 

Kabuli chana with aloo tikki

I adapted the recipe I used to make a rich paneer dish, to make kabuki channa, and it tasted as yummy as the paneer dish. The leftover I had with aloo tikki, and felt I was in gastronomical heaven.

250 gms kabuki channa, soaked for 6 hours

1 bay leaf

1 inch piece cinnamon

1 badi elaichi

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp haldi powder

1 tsp dhania powder

1/2 tsp amchur powder

1 tsp kasoori methi

Salt to taste

A pinch of nutmeg 

For gravy:

4 tomatoes, chopped

2 onions chopped

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1/2 cup water

Method:

Pressure cook the kabuki channa with the dry spices till soft. Keep aside 

Pressure cook the ingredients listed under gravy for 20 minutes on sim after the first whistle (I cooked the channa and the gravy at the same time). Cool and grind to a fine past 

Heat oil, add bay leaves, and sauté for a minute or two

Add paste, and dry spices, and sauté on a low flame till the oil starts leaving the sides

Add cooked channa, kasoori methi, salt and cook for 5 minutes

Serve with parathas or roti. 

Cabbage fritters

With onion prizes shooting through the roof, it is nice to be able to experiment with pakoras made with other vegetables.

These are cabbage pakoras made with cabbage left over after using most of it in a curry. 

Bread bombs

After making the bread pakoras, I had some stuffing left over and decided to make something that my mother often made for me when I was a child.

6 slices bread

1 medium potatoes

1 beetroot

1 big carrot

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Method:

Boil the potatoes. Peel, mash and keep aside. 

Peel and chop the beetroots and carrots. Steam till just cooked. Keep aside. 

Mix the potatoes, vegetables, spices, and salt. Divide into six equal parts. 

Start heating the oil. 

Cut the crusts of the bread, and moisten slightly. Put the stuffing in the middle, and fold the bread around it. Seal the edges by pressing lightly. 

Slide two balls at a time into the oil and fry till well browned and crisp. Drain on a kitchen towel and serve with ketchup or green chutney. 

Bread pakoras

There are days when the heart craves for deep fried stuff. You know it is a calorie bomb, but when the raindrops are pattering down and everything is clean and fresh, your heart overrules your mind, and ou give in to temptation.

8 slices bread

1 medium potatoes

1 beetroot

1 big carrot

1/3 cup besan

1/2 tsp haldi powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp oil

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Method:

Boil the potatoes. Peel, mash and keep aside. 

Peel and chop the beetroots and carrots. Steam till just cooked. Keep aside. 

Mix the potatoes, vegetables, and salt. Divide into four equal parts. 

Start heating the oil. 

Mix besan, haldi powder, chilli powder, garam masala powder and salt. Add the oil and mix. Add water gradually to make a smooth paste. 

Spread the potato stuffing on the bread evenly. Cover with another slice and cut into triangles. 

Drop a bit of batter in the oil- if it immediately rises to the top, the oil is ready. 

Dip the triangles in the batter so it is coated evenly, and slide into the oil. Slide as many triangles as will fit comfortably. When one side is browned, turn over and let the other side brown. Drain on a kitchen towel and serve with ketchup or green chutney. 

Yam fritters

When you have a great recipe, you should stick to it, but I wanted to try something new with yam this week. I scoured the Internet for recipes, before finally deciding to make this. We did like it, but preferred the fried suran, which is what I am going to be making from now on.

1 medium yam/ suran

1/3 cup besan

1/2 tsp haldi powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp oil

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Method:

Wash the yam, clean it well, peel off the skin and cut into slices that resemble fillets. This is the tricky part, because yam itches- wear gloves or cost your palms with oil. 

Boil 2 cups water with a little salt. When it comes to a boil, add yam slices, and cook on a low flame for 5 minutes till 75% cooked- you should be able to prick with a fork, but it shouldn't break apart. 

Drain, dip in cold water and keep aside. 

Start heating the oil. 

Mix besan, haldi powder, chilli powder, garam masala powder and salt. Add the oil and mix. Add water gradually to make a smooth paste. 

Drop a bit of batter in the oil- if it immediately rises to the top, the oil is ready. 

Dip the fillets in the batter so it is coated evenly, and slide into the oil. Slide as many pieces as will fit comfortably. When one side is browned, turn over and let the other side brown. Drain on a kitchen towel and serve with ketchup or green chutney. 

Sprouted moong dhokala

Sprouted moong is a perennial favourite of mine. When I was young, I would consume enormous quantities of it, and I still can. But with age, the tongue gets more demanding, and I need to sprinkle salt on it now. I also love experimenting with dishes that have it as a primary ingredient, and this dhokla was particularly good. 

1 cup sprouted moong

1/2 cups spinach

1/4 cups grated carrot

1 tsp ginger- green chilli paste

2 tbsp besan

A pinch of hing

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp haldi powder

1 packet Eno fruit salt

For tempering:

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp urad dal

1 tsp mustard seed

1 tsp sesame seeds

Method:

Grind the moong sprouts, spinach and carrot till you get an even but slightly coarse consistency 

Mix in the ginger green chilli paste, salt, hing, besan, haldi powder. 

Grease a flat plate and keep aside

Add Eno fruit salt to the mixture, and while the fizzing is still taking place, spread the mixture on the plate

Steam in a pressure cooker with the whistle removed for 12 minutes. 

Cut after allowing to cool

Heat the oil, add mustard seeds, and after it stops spluttering, add urad dal and sesame seeds. Pour over the dhokla, garnish with grated carrot and serve. 

Rice pakore

When the kids come home from school they don't want lunch, but a little sustenance they need. Leftovers to the rescue.

1-2 cup leftover rice

1/4 cup besan

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp jeera powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

Salt to taste

Cooking oil

Method:

Mix the besan, chilli powder, jeera powder, salt and soda. Add 1/2 tsp cooking oil, and make a paste with minimum water. 

Add the cooked rice, and mix well. 

Heat the oil, and put a drop of batter- if it rises immediately to the surface, the oil is ready. 

Roll and flatten the batter into patties. Fry till cooked on both sides. 

Serve hot with tomato ketchup. 

Ami kozakottai

This is a recipe that is normally made with leftover dough during Ganesh Chaturti. I made it for lunch and loved it.

3/4 cup rice flour

Salt to taste 

1 cup water 

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 sprig curry leaves

A pinch of hing

Cooking oil

Method:

Bring the water to boil. Add salt and let it dissolve. Reduce the flame. 

Carefully add the rice flour, stirring continuously so no lumps are formed. Cook till the mixture comes together and starts leaving the side of the vessel. 

Cool. Knead it for a minute or two. Roll into marble sized balls (I got about 25). 

Grease a steaming plate and place the balls on it. Steam for 7 to 10 minutes. 

Heat about 1 tbsp oil. Add mustard seeds, and when they stop spluttering, add hing and curry leaves. 

Add the steamed balls and toss around for a minute. 

Serve hot. 

Betel leaf fritters/ paan ke pakore

Once you discover the taste of betel leaves, it is hard not to experiment with it. While making kadhi, I decided to make a few pakore with betel leaves, and they disappeared in no time at all. Definitely something I'm making again.

2 betel leaves- pick the young and tender ones

1/2 cup besan

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp jeera powder

1 tsp rice flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

Salt to taste

Cooking oil

Method:

Mix the besan, chilli powder, jeera powder, salt and soda. Add 1/2 tsp cooking oil, and make a paste with sufficient water. 

Tear each leaf into quarters. 

Heat the oil, and put a drop of batter- if it rises immediately to the surface, the oil is ready. 

Coat the leaves with batter and drop into the oil. Fry till cooked on both sides. 

Serve with tomato ketchup. 

Aloo tikki and chole

The kids now come home from school around 4 pm- too late for lunch, but still in need of a fairly substantial meal. Aloo tikki and chole is one of those dishes that can be whipped up in a hurry and served to them. 

For the chole:
1 cup chickpeas, soaked for 4-6 hours
2 onions chopped fine
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp jeera powder
2 tsp dhania powder

1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
Salt to taste
2 tbsp cooking oil

For the tikkis:
3 potatoes
1/2 tsp haldi powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp besan
Oil for shallow frying


Method:
Pressure cook the soaked chickpeas till well cooked
Heat oil, add chopped onions, and saute till transparent. Add ginger garlic paste, and spices, and saute till the raw smell goes.
Allow the masala to cool, then grind it till you get a fine paste.
Return to the pan, add tomato ketchup, and the cooked chickpeas. Bring to boil, reduce the flame, and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes.

Pressure cook the potatoes till soft.
Mash the potatoes. Mix well with the spices and besan powder.
Makes balls, flatten, and shallow fry, till both sides are well browned.

Serve with finely chopped onions. 

Ragi puttu

XI recently bought a packet of ragi flour, and have been sold on the cereal so much, I've been using it everywhere. This is a recipe I found online, and since it has two other ingredients that I love, I decided to try it out for lunch. Definitely something I will make again.

 1/2 cup ragi flour

A pinch of salt

2-3 tbsp jaggery, rated

2-3 tbsp grated coconut for garnish

1/2 tsp ghee

Method:

Take ragi flour and salt in a soft cotton cloth, fold it with the flour inside and steam for 10-12 minutes or until you get a nice aroma of steamed ragi flour.

Spread the steamed ragi, add 4 tbsp water, 1 tbsp at a time, and mix well. There should be no lumps. 

Put the dough in a cloth, and steam for 10 minutes in an idli maker. 

Break it into a powder, add jaggery and coconut, mix well and serve. 

Roasted Moong Dal

With the summer holidays going on, the kids have been eating far more junk food than I would like them to. In a bit to give them something marginally healthier, I decided to make some roasted moong dal. It was not as tasty as the Haldiram ones that they devour by the packet, but given the fact that I control the ingredients, that was a small price to pay.
The only problem is that most of it disappeared with my morning tea, and I have to make up a new batch for the kids.

1 cup moong dal
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp haldi powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste

Method:
Soak the moong dal for an hour. Drain, and dry it between two sheets of tissue to remove most of the water.
Spread on a microwaveable tray, and microwave for 1 minute
Break the moong pieces apart, coat palms with oil, and smear it over the moong dal.
Add haldi powder, red chilli powder and salt and mix well.
Microwave for 1 minutes, mix. Microwave for 1 minute.
Keep testing, to ensure that it doesn't burn. Different microwaves work differently, but I got crispy moong dal in about 1+2 minutes.

Aambatti

Another dish I first tasted in office and liked enough to ask for the recipe. Full of proteins and packed with taste, it is a winner of a dish.

1/3 cup channa dal, soaked for 3 hours

1 green mango

1 green chillie

1 tsp jeera seeds

Salt to taste 

Method:

Soak the dal overnight, or atleast for a few hours. 

Grind coarsely and keep aside

Grate the raw mango and keep aside

Mix mango, pulses, salt and jeera powder. 

Serve with roti or as a stand alone snack 

Aloo tikki with Channa masala

When I was young, aloo tikki with chana was a classic combination which I had almost every time I accompanied my mother to a "party" at her friends' place. Going through the archives, I was surprised to find I haven't yet written about it. So here it is.

For channa masala
250 gms kabuli chana
1 medium onion chopped
1 medium tomato chopped fine
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
Oil
1 tsp rai
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp jeera powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
Salt to taste
Cooking oil

Method:
Soak the kabuli chana overnight, or at least for 6 hours. Cook in a pressure cooker, till done (about 20 minutes on low flame after the first whistle)
Heat 1 tbsp oil, add onions and saute till transparent. Add the tomatoes and ginger-garlic paste and cook till tomatoes turn mushy. Blend and keep aside.
Heat 1 tsp oil and splutter mustard seeds. Once they stop spluttering, add onion-tomato paste and the spice powders, and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the cooked kabuli chana and sufficient water. Mix well, bring to boil, cover and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Garnish with finely chopped onions and green chutney, and serve hot with aloo tikkis

For aloo tikkis

4 large potatoes

1 tbsp besan

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp jeera powder

1 small onion, chopped

1 green chilli, chopped

Salt to taste

Method:

Wash the potatoes, cut into eighths and pressure cook till soft (about 10 minutes after the first whistle). Peel, mash and keep aside.

Mix the mashed potatoes with finely chopped onions and green chilli. Add salt, red chilli powder and jeera powder, and mix well.

Heat a tawa, and spread a thin film of oil. Take lemon sized balls of potato mix, flatten, and shallow fry on a low flame till browned. Flip and fry the other side till brown.

Add additional oil/ butter, if required.

Serve hot with chana masala.

Green chutney:
1 bunch mint leaves
1 bunch coriander leaves
1/2 large lemon
Rock Salt to taste

Method:
Blend the mint leaves and coriander leaves till smooth. Add rock salt, and squeeze the lemon and mix well.

Hara Bhara Kebab

The hubby and I recently made a pact to cut down on outside food. The decision was not a hard one to make, but it is not exactly easy to keep, because the heart keeps craving for all kinds of food. This is my first attempt at making a hara bhara kebab from scratch, and I found it almost as good at the frozen ones that you have to heat up.

1 large bunch palak
2 medium size potatoes
3/4 cup fresh peas
1 tsp amchur powder
2 tsp ginger-green chili paste
2 1/2 tbsp besan
Salt to taste
Oil for shallow frying

Method:
Cut the potatoes into eights, and pressure cook along with the peas. Peel the potatoes and keep aside
Blanch the palak in salted water, drain and drench with cold water (to retain the colour). Finely chop, and keep aside
Roast besan till it becomes aromatic and changes its color- be careful not to overroast
Mash the potatoes, add the chopped spinach, peas, ginger-green chilli paste, spices, roasted besan and salt and mix well.
Shape into round patties and shallow fry till golden brown.
Serve with pudina chutney

Muli Bhaji Nu Muthia

I'd picked up a big bunch of radish the other day, and after using half in a stir fry, still have quite a few to use up. Took to the internet, and found this recipe that used radish leaves. I adapted it slightly and came up with something that I really liked.

1/2 cups radish leaves and red radish, chopped

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

4 tsp rawa

3 tbsp curds

1 tsp haldi powder

2 tsp chilli powder

Salt to taste

2 tsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 pinch of hing

2 whole dry red chillies

1 tbsp lemon juice

Dhania patta for garnish (optional)

Method

Combine the radish leaves, wheat flour, rawa, curds, haldi powder, red chilli powder, salt, mix well and knead into a soft dough using water.

Divide the dough into equal portions and roll them into cylindrical shape.

Steam the muthias in a steamer for 15-20 minutes or till done.

Remove from the steamer, cool and cut into thick slices.

Heat oil in a kadhai and add the mustard seeds.

When the seeds crackle, add the hing and red chillies and saute for 20 seconds.

Add the sliced muthias and saute for 2 minutes.

Add the lemon juice, coriander, mix well and serve hot.

Green Moong Dhokla

One of my colleagues got this really lovely green dhokala the other day, and after finishing off most of it, I asked for the recipe. It seemed surprisingly easy- so easy in fact, that I suspected there would be a trick to it. But since there is not very much that can go wrong with green moong, I decided to give it a try. And it turned out absolutely fantastic.

1 cup green moong dal
1 inch piece ginger
1 green chilli
Salt to taste
A pinch of sugar*
1 packet Eno (I got only lemon flavour, and that added to the taste)
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds

Method:
Soak the green moong for 6-8 hours (or overnight).
Grind green moong, ginger, green chilli, with minimal water, till you get a consistent batter.
Add salt and sugar, mix, and let it stand for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, grease a container, and heat the water in a pressure cooker.
Add Eno, mix well, pour into the greased container, and level the surface.
Put in the pressure cooker. Close the lid (with the whistle taken off), and cook on high heat for 6 minutes. Reduce the flame and steam for 3 additional minutes.
Remove, and leave it out to cool. Cut into squares.
Heat the oil, temper the mustard seeds, and pour over the dhoklas.
Garnish with grated coconut, if desired.

*- I added this because the batter seemed too hot

Chivada- Diwali special

I had this really amazing chivda in office the other day, which I liked so much, I had to get the recipe. It turned out to be absolutely yummy, and I can't understand why everyone wouldn't want to make it every day.

2 cups chivda (pressed rice)
1/3 cups peanuts
2 green chillis, sliced
1/2 tsp haldi powder
a pinch of hing
Salt and sugar to taste
1 tsp oil

Method:
Dry roast the chivda till it becomes absolutely crisp. Keep aside.
Heat oil, and fry the peanuts till they start browning. Add hing, haldi powder and green chillis. Saute for 1-2 minutes, than add the roasted chivda.
Mix well. Turn off the flame, Add salt and sugar to taste and mix well.
Cool well before storing in an airtight container.

Potato curd pakoda

When you have excess oil, one of the easiest things to make is pakodas. Here's a batch of curd based pakoras that I whipped up on an impulse- using curds as the binding agent added a new dimension to the taste.

1 cup besan

1/2 cup curds

1 potato 

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp cumin powder

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

 

Rock salt or chat masala for garnish

Method:

Dice the potatoes and then cut into small pieces. Add salt to the potatoes and keep aside for 10 minutes.

Pour the besan over the potatoes, mix well.

Add the curds gradually till you get a good (but not runny) batter.

Add the spices and mix well.

Heat the oil, test the temperature by dropping a bit of batter in the oil- if it rises up immediately, the oil is ready.

Reduce the flame, drop the batter into the oil using a spoon, and keep turning till done. 

Remove and drain on kitchen paper.

Test the temperature before making the next batch.

Sprinkle with chat masala/ rock salt before serving