[Chitvish]

Use very fresh besan for best results.
Besan - 1 ½ cups (level)

Water - 1 ¼ - 1 ½ cups

Oil - 3 tsp

Fruit salt - 2 level tsp (or soda 1 level tsp)

Citric acid - 1/2 tsp (refer variation )

Sugar - 1 tsp

Green chilli-ginger paste - 2 level tsp

Salt

For tempering:

Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard - ½ tsp

White seasame seeds - 2 tsp

Hing - ½ tsp

Green chillies - 5.6 (mince fine)

Mix besan, water, citric acid, green chilli-ginger paste, sugar & salt till well mixed. Use a food processor for perfect blending.


Keep water boiling & ready in a steamer.

Grease thoroughly an aluminium or steel round vessel which can be used for steaming dhokla – keep it ready in the pan over water to get hot.

Sprinkle the fruit salt or soda into the batter, sprinkle 1 tsp water over the fruit salt or soda, whisk thoroughly & quickly & pour the batter in the greased vessel.


The secret is cooking the dhokla vigorously, as soon as fruit salt is added.

Cover & steam for 20 mts.

The flame should be high for 10 mts & low thereafter.

Test if it is cooked, by inserting a knife into it to see if it comes out clean.

Remove, cool & cut the dhoklas.

Heat oil & temper the given ingredients.

Add 3 tbsp water & switch off when it just starts boiling.

Pour all over the dhoklas.

Garnish with grated coconut & chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with green chutney.


Variation:

Instead of citric acid, lime juice can be used.

Do not add at the beginning.

When tempering, instead of adding 3 tbsp of water, add a mixture of lime juice & water to be poured over dhoklas.

[Chitvish]

Besan - 1 cup

Rice flour - ½ cup

Cashewnuts, chopped - ½ cup

Melted ghee ( or oil) - 2 tbsp

Onions - 2 ( grate)

Green chillies - 4,5 ( mince fine)

Ginger - 2" ( mince fine)

Curry leaves - few ( cut fine)

Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp ( optional)

Cooking soda - ¾ tsp


Salt

Oil - to deep fry

Sieve besan & rice flour together.

Place the ghee & soda in a plate & rub it well with your palm till it becomes whitish in colour.

Add onions & salt.

Rub again with your palm so that onions releases all its water.

Now, add all other ingredients to a stiff dough.Add minimum water, if at all necessary.

If you have a food processor, use it with the mincing blade. No water need be added & it comes out very crisp.


Heat oil well.

Break small pieces of dough & drop them in hot oil & fry on medium heat till crisp & golden brown.
You don't have to roll it round, just " pinch " the pieces.


It remains crisp very long.

[Chitvish]

This is a famous dish in a leading restaurant in Madurai & my most favourite as well!
I tried this recipe by various combinations, by the trial and error methods and arrived at the right one.
This is ideal to give for navarathri.

Fresh besan - 1 cup

Cooking soda - ¼ tsp

Ghee - 3 tsp (or 4, is better)

Minced green chillies, ginger & curry leaves - each 2 tsp

Chopped cashews - 2 tbsp

Salt

Oil - to deep fry

In a big plate, take ghee, soda & salt & rub vigorously with your palm to get a paste. This step is very important.


Add minced ingredients, cashew & knead well.

Add besan & mix thoroughly.


Add water little by little till you get a soft ball.


Form small balls and deep fry till golden in hot oil.

Serve with chutney.


Can be served in individual cups, as a snack.



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[Chitvish]

Maida - 2 cups

Warm ghee - ¼ cup

Cold water, salt

Rub ghee in maida till beadcrumb consistency.

Add salt, cold water & knead to a soft but tight dough.




I did this in the food processor.

Keep covered with damp cloth.

Filling:

Moong dhal - ½ cup

Oil - 2 tbsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Hing - ½ tsp

Garam masala - ½ tsp

Dhaniya powder - 2 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Saunf powder - 2 tsp (optional)

Amchur - 2 tsp

Salt

To serve:

Sweet chutney, green chutney, sev, coriander leaves, jeera powder

Soak moong dhal in water fir 1 hr .

Drain & grind to a thick paste.

Heat oil, fry jeera, add paste & all masalas.

Saute till dry.


Divide dough & filling into equal no” of portions.


Roll each part of the dough into the circle of 50 mm (2") diameter.


Keep one part of the filling mixture in the centre of the rolled dough circle.


Cover the filling mixture with the dough by slowly stretching it over the filling mixture.



Close the ends tightly by pinching them together and if necessary, remove the excess dough.


Roll each part into a circle of 62 mm. (2½") diameter.

Also make sure that the filling does not spill out.


To be continued.....

[Chitvish]

Lightly press the centre of the kachori with a thumb.


Deep fry in a hot oil over a slow flame till they puff up and turns golden brown on both sides.

This will take 3,4 mts on first side & 3,4 mts on second side.

They should become quite crisp.



Cool and keep aside. This can be served, as such, for tea.


To serve:

Keep one kachori on a plate.


Spread on it 3 to 4 tbsp of the beaten curds.


Put the green chutney, date chutney, chilli powder, jeera powder, salt and sev
on the top of the kachori.


Sprinkle sev on top.



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[Chitvish]

This is very famous in all "bakshana kadais" (snack-shops) in Madurai & called "Nei kadalai".

Channa dhal - 1 cup

Small cashew pieces - 2 tbsp

Curry leaes - few

Salt, red chilli powder, hing

Oil - to deep fry

For this, a strainer with a handle and whch will sit inside a kadai is very essential. Please go to
Oil-Draining Ladles


Small batches can be immersed in the strainer, inside the oil and deep fried. There is no waste of dhal, scattered in the oil.

Wash well & soak the channa dhal in plenty of water for 4 hrs.

Drain completely & dry in a cloth in shade for 2 hrs.

Heat oil & deep fry in batches of ¼ cup at a time, keeping the strainer in hot oil.


When well fried & light brown, remove to a tissue.


Finally, deep fry cashews & curry leaves the same way.


When the fried dhal is still hot, add 1 tsp melted ghee, red chilli powder, salt & hing.

Mix thoroughly, cool & store airtight.

[Chitvish]

Chiroti rava - 2 cups

Mince together - 2 tbsp coriander leaves + 4-5 green chillies

Melted ghee - 3 tbsp

Salt, hing

Knead all ingredients together to a thick dough, adding water.

Rest for 30 mts.
A food processor is ideal – the contents are blended with minimum water & left for 15 mts..


Then put on the pulse switch on the left side till the entire mass becomes doughey.


I use muffin tins for this.



OR
Knead very well, roll into thick chappathis, cut and deep fry.

Add to hot oil, simmer & cook on a low flame for 10-15 mts till bubbles completely subside to get crisp thattais – this is very important.

[Chitvish]

Maida - 1 cup

Rice flour - ½ cup

Chopped cashews - 2 tbsp

Minced green chillies & ginger - each 2 tsp

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Cooking soda - 1/8 tsp

Salt, hing, chopped curry leaves

Oil - to deep fry

In a plate rub together ghee, salt & soda using your palm till ceamy.

Add minced green chillies, ginger, curry leaves & mix well.

Add flours & knead to a thick dough, if at all necessary, adding minimum water.
I used the FP for this.


Heat oil, “pinch” small balls & deep fry till brown.

Make the oil hot, drop pakoras & fry on low fire till bubbles subside completely.

Cool & store airtight.


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[Chitvish]

An ILite has asked for this Saravana Bhavan recipe. I bought a serving (it cost a whooping rs 56!) from there and tasted it. It was very oily and very hot and spicy. I cut down the oil and tried it.

The idlis must be cold & hard – best refrigerated. Cut into strips 1” long. You can use any combination of vegetables from, red & green capsicums, carrots, French beans & peas, besides onions.

Cut idlis - 2 cups

Cut vegetables - 1 cup (or more)

Sliced onions - ½ cup


Oil - 3 tbsp

Any chilli sauce - 1 tbsp ( optional – if you like it hot)

Grind to a fine paste:

Red chillies - 5-6

Garlic pieces - 4,4

Jeera - 1 tsp

Heat oil & fry the paste till raw smell goes.

Add the onions first and next the vegetables & stir-fry for 3-4 mts (adding a dash of aji no moto is your option).

After they are sauted & glossy, add the idlis & mix well.

Cook on a low flame for the flavours to blend.


Any chilli sauce can be added for extra spicy taste at this stage.

Remove & serve hot, garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

[Chitvish]

This is made using maize flour (makai ka atta) & American sweet corn.

First combine:

maize flour (makai ka atta) - 1 cup

Sour curds - ½ cup

Warm water - 1 cup

After 30 mts, add

American sweet-corn kernels - ½ cup

Ginger – green chilli paste - 2 tsp

Salt, hing, sigar

Fruit salt - 1 tsp Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp




And mix well.

Keep the steamer ready & boil water, simultaneously keeping a greased plate ready inside it to become hot.

When the water in steamer boils, add fruit salt & lime juice, mix gently & transfer to the greased plate in steamer.

Steam for 10 mts.


Now temper, using:

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Seasame seeds - 1 tbsp

Hing & few curry leaves.

Add 2 tbssp of water to this & pour over dhoklas.

Cool & cut.

Garnish with 1 tbsp each of grated coconut & chopped coriander leaves.


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