Paneer Pakoras - soft & non-spicy! For SBS photos,please go to http://www.indusladies.com/forums/968285-post34.html Paneer - 200 gms Chaat masala – 2 tsp Batter: Besan - 1 cup Red chilli powder - 1 tsp (or to taste) Salt Cooking soda - ¼ tsp Oil - to deep fry Cut paneer into cubes, firt breadthwise & then into small uniform cubes. Smear with chaat masala. Make a thick batter with besan, salt & red chilli powder with (about) 1 cup of water, adding soda last. Keep oil ready & beat the batter. Dip each paneer piece in batter & drop in oil. Fry till golden. Serve wth chutney of your choice.
Schezuan Dosai - fusion, ofcourse! Please go to Set Dosai & Sagu Set dosai batter is ideal for this. Ferment for 24 hrs to get porous dosais. For 3 cups of batter, soak together Red chillies - 8-10 (or to taste) Garlic pieces - 10-12 Grind to a fine paste & saute on low fire in 2 tsp oil, till the raw smell goes. Cool & add to batter & mix well. Make small dosais, cover after pouring oil & cook on one side only. Sprinkle cheese before removing. Serve with any chutney.
Surnali - a sweet pancake of Konkani origin. I learnt this long back from my Saraswat friend. Raw rice - 1 heaped cup Poha - ½ cup Curds - 1 cup Methi seeds - 1 tsp Jaggery (powdered) - 1 cup Grated coconut - 2 tbsp. Sal Ghee or oil to make Butter - to serve with Wash & soak rice in curds for 4 hrs. Then add poha & methi seeds & soak for one more hour. Never mind if it is thick. Add ½ cup of water to coconut & take milk. Grind the soaked mixture fine, adding coconut milk & jaggery alternately. Grind as fine as possible. Add salt & ferment for 8 hrs. Make pancakes in a non-stick pan; do not spread thin. Keep covered & when underside is cooked. Flip & cook for a few secs. Serve topped with butter with any spicy side-dish.
Khichu - a traditional Gujarathi dish. Jowar Khichu: Jowar is sorghum(white millet) in English & ‘white cholam’ in tamil. Jowar flour - 1 cup Water - 1 ½ cups Mince together: 2 Green chillies+1”ginger + 2 pieces garlic Fresh curds - 1 tbsp Sesame seeds - 1 tsp Salt Cooking soda - a pinch Oil - to serve with Add to water, minced ingredients, curds, salt, soda and sesame seeds. Boil and add the jowar flour and mix well, while stirring continuously with a whisk so that no lumps remain. Cover and cook on a slow flame for another 5-7 mtes or till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan, stirring once in between. Transfer to one big or few small greased bowls.Press using your fingers. Demould on a serving plate. Serve topped with coriander leaves and extra oil. Poha kichu: Blend 1 cup of thick poha in mixie to a coarse powder. Proceed as above, adding 1 ½ cups of water, 1 tsp jeera, 2 pinches cooking soda, 1 tsp chilli powder & salt. Dizzle oil before serving. Ragi Khichu: Same method as above – to 1 cup of ragi flour, add 2 cups water (including 2 tbsp curds), 1 tsp jeera, ½ tsp each of finely chopped green chillies & red chilli powder, hing, salt, 2 pinches of cooking soda and finely copped coriander leaves. Serve with oil drizzled.
Halbhai - a Mysorean savoury! For SBS photos,please go to http://www.indusladies.com/forums/968363-post14.html Raw rice - 1 cup Buttermilk - 1 cup Water - 1 ½ cups Coconut - 1 cup Green chillies - 2-3 (or to taste) Ginger,chopped - 1 tsp Salt, hing. Ghee - to serve with Soak rice for minimum 30 mts & drain. Add coconut & green chillies & grind to a paste adding from the measured water, the amount necessary. Add salt, hing, buttermilk & remaining water. Cook on a heavy pan continuously stirring till it becomes a cooked mass. Cook with a plate of hot water in it,placed on top of the vessel. Empty on a greased plate, Cut & serve with a dollop of ghee.
Vazhaippoo Vadai – this is the crisp type. This is made without onion & for the recipe with onion, please refer to http://www.indusladies.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9423&postcount=74 Gram dhal - ¾ cup Tur dhal - ¼ cup Red chillies - 4, 5 Green chillies - 3, 4 Salt, hing, finely chopped curry + coriander leaves. Very finely chopped banana flowers - 1 cup or a little more Oil - to deep fry Soak the dhals and red chillies for 2-3 hrs. Drain well, add green chillies, salt & hing. First mince the banana flowers fine, squeeze out the juice & reserve both. Grind dhal mixture to a coarse mixture, adding if necessary the reserved water. Add the mincedflowers, chopped greens etc & give one grind for them just to blend well. Keep the oil hot in a kadai. Add 1 tbsp very hot oil to the mixture & mix well. Pat into vadais like ama vadai & deep fry till done. Serve with coconut chutney. If the mixture is loose, powder 1 tbsp fried gram fine & add to slightly thicken it. If you prefer, addminced onions after squeezing them so that the batter may not loosen.
Mushroom-Palak-Corn Ooothappam - a satisfying meal! Use any oothappam or dosa batter. Use boiled corn & thinly sliced mushrooms. Chop palak & saute lightly. Once you pour oothappam, drizzle oil & cook covered. The top will get cooked without turning over. Spread the vegetables as shown in the photo. Drizzle 1 tsp more of oil & cook on a low flame, covered. Remove & serve.
Vattayappam - soft, spongy, mildly sweet! This is a traditional Kerala dish made, originally made using toddy and later with yeast. I successfully tried it differently. Raw rice - 1 cup Grated coconut - ¾ cup Thick poha - ¼ cup Salt Sugar - ¼ cup Fruit salt - 1 heaped tsp Wash & soak rice & poha together for 2 hrs. Drain, grind to a paste adding coconut & enough water. Finally add salt & sugar; mix well. Leave for 4-5 hrs. Steam as for dhoklas, adding fruit salt only when the water is nboiling in the steamer. It can be steamed in a greased plate or individual greased moulds. Raisins & cashews can be optionally sprinkled on top. The side dish is your choice – milk & sugar, vegetable stew or any spicy curry.
Super Thenkuzal - please believe me! Processed rice flour - 6 cups Urad dhal - 1 cup Butter - ½ cup Jeera, hing, salt Oil – to deep fry Pressurecook urad in a vessel wih 4 cups of water in a vessel inside pressurecooker for 3 whistles. Cool, open, add butter & hing & keep covered. Leave for an hour & then open & grind to a paste. Add salt,rice flour & make then kuzal as usual and deep fry.
Baked Thattai - compromise on oil, but not butter! For SBS photos,please go to - http://www.indusladies.com/forums/968290-post35.html Besan & Rice flour - 1 cup each Melted butter - ½ cup Ajwain - 1 tsp Salt, red chilli powder - to taste Fresh herbs available, chopped - 2 tbsp ( I used the locally available Omavalli leaves) Knead in a food processor to a dough consistency. Pinch small balls & press between both palms to get a disc. Prick all over with a fork. Bake at 200 deg C for 10 mts. Take out, flip & bake for another 10 mts at 200 deg F for the other side to cook well. Cool & store airtight.