Monday, July 26, 2010

Thayir/Curd Vada


Ingredients:
=========

  • Vadas - Refer to my recipe of Medu Vada.
  • curd - Semi-thick - sufficient enough to immerse the vadas.
  • Onion - 1 small size
  • coriander leaves - little,for garnishing
  • Boondhi(spicy one)- a handful for garnishing(optional)

For Tempering:
===========
  • Oil - 1 tsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
  • Hing - a pinch
  • Cashews - 4 to 5 ,broken (optional)
Method:
======
  • Allow the vadas to cool down completely.May be 6 hours after preparing the vadas,immerse them in water and leave for 10 min.
  • Take it out and squeeze out the water completely.
  • Mix little salt in curd.(As the vada has salt already in it,add only little salt )
  • Then immerse the vadas in curd and set aside for 1 hour.
  • Temper with the given ingredients.
  • Garnish with chopped onions ,coriander leaves and Boondhi.

Medu Vada-A typical TamilNadu Breakfast


This recipe serves three.

Ingredients:
=========
  • Whole Urad dal(skinless) - 100 grams
  • Green chillies - 3
  • Pepper ,crushed coarsely - 1 tsp
  • Cumin seeds,crushed coarsely - 2 tsp
  • curry leaves - 2 sprigs,chopped finely
  • Ginger - a 1 inch piece,chopped very finely
  • Salt - to taste
  • Coconut (Dried/Kopra) - 2 tsps,finely chopped
  • Onion (optional) - 1,finely chopped
  • rice flour - 3 tbsp
  • hing - 1/2 tsp
Method:
======

Medu Vada turns out really fluffy and crispy when done in a grinder than in a mixer.This is mainly due to the aeration in the process of grinding.So I prefer to use a grinder.Mixer can also be used ,but then aeration has to be done manually after grinding the batter.
  • Wash and soak the Urad dal for exactly 1 hour.
  • Drain the excess water.
  • Add half of urad dal with green chillies and start the grinder.Do not add water immediately.
  • Let it grind for a min.Then just sprinkle water.
  • Add the rest of urad dal and rice flour too.Keep sprinkling water in between so that the Urad dal grinds uniformly into a nice fluffy batter.
  • The consistency has to thick enough to take it in hands and form a ball.So be careful in adding water.
  • Once its ground well,add the cumin seeds,pepper powder,curry leaves,onions,ginger,salt,coconut and hing to it.
  • Keep mixing the batter well using your hands for 10 min.This enhances more aeration.If you use a mixer,then aeration timing can be increased to 15 min.
  • Heat oil in a kadai,Have water in a bowl.
  • When the oil is hot enough,start the process of making vada.
  • Wet your fingers with the water in the bowl,take little batter(according to the side of vada) and make a hole with your thumb as shown.

  • Gently drop it into the kadai and keep sauting on a low flame till it turns golden brown.

  • You can make 5 to 6 vadas at a time.

  • Drain the excess oil using a tissue paper.

Serve hot with Idly sambar/Coconut chutney.

Refer to the videos for better understanding.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Vadacurry


Ingredients:
=========
  • Chana dal/kadala parupu - 100 grams
  • onions - 2 medium sized,very finely chopped
  • curry leaves - 3 sprigs,finely chopped
  • Salt - to taste
  • Oil - 1 tbsp
  • Star anise - 2 small
  • cloves - 1
  • cinnamon - a half inch stick
  • saunf - 1/2 tsp
  • Jeera - 1/2 tsp
  • tomatoes - 2 medium sized,finely chopped
  • mint leaves - 1 handful
  • ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
  • green chillies - 2,slit open
  • turmeric powder - A pinch
  • coriander powder - 2 tsp
  • Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
  • Fresh coriander leaves - 1 handful
  • Ghee - 2 tsp
  • Cashews - 5 to 6,broken


Method:
======
  • Wash chana dal well and soak in water for 2 hours.
  • Drain excess water and set aside in a colander for 5 min.
  • Add the soaked dal, little salt in a mixer and just pulse once /twice ...The consistency should be like a vada(coarse).Do not grind into a paste and do not add water.
  • Add half of chopped onions,curry leaves and mix well.
  • Tap into round flat vadas and keep in idly plates.
  • Steam for 10 minutes.
  • Set aside the steamed dal mixture to cool down to room temperature.
  • Break down the vada into small crumbles and set aside.

  • Heat oil in a kadai.Add the whole spices(star anise,cloves,cinnamon,saunf,jeera) and when it splutters,add rest of onions,green chillies,ginger-garlic paste,mint leaves and saute till the onions turn transparent.
  • Add tomatoes,turmeric powder,red chilli powder,coriander powder and saute till the raw smell goes off.
  • Add 2 cups of water and salt.Mix well and allow it to boil.
  • When it boils,add the dal crumbles and mix well.Adjust the quantity of water if required.
  • Let it cook on a medium flame for 5 min.The consistency should be thick as shown in the picture.
  • Heat ghee in a tadka pan,add cashews and roast till it turns golden brown.
  • Garnish with roasted cashews and ghee and coriander leaves.
Serve with dosa/Idly.


Moong dal & Dhalia kichdi


Ingredients:
=========
  • Dhalia(Broken wheat) - 1/2 cup
  • Washed split moong dal - 1/2 cup
  • salt - to taste
  • Green peas - 1 handful
  • Carrot - 1 medium sized,finely chopped
  • Capsicum - 1 small,finely chopped
  • French beans - 6,finely chopped
  • Onion - 1 medium sized,finely chopped
  • green chillies - 2 to 3,slit open
  • water - 2 to 2.5 cups
  • Ghee - 3 tsp
  • Oil - 1 tsp
  • Red chilli - 1
  • asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
  • Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Method:
======
  • Wash moong dal and dhalia twice or thrice.
  • Drain excess water and leave in the colander for 5 min.

  • Heat 2 tsp of ghee in a kadai.Add dalia and moong dal mixture.
  • Saute well till it turns brown.Remove from fire and set aside.
  • Heat oil and rest of ghee in the kadai.Add hing ,curry leaves and jeera.When it splutters,add onions,green chillies and saute well.
  • Add capsicum and saute till it becomes tender.
  • Add peas,carrots,beans and saute till they turn tender.
  • Add salt,water and cook covered till they veggies are 80% done.
  • Add the roasted moong-dalia mixture,add little water if required and cook covered till it gets cooked well.
Adjust the quantity of water as and when required.

Serve hot with sugar/pickle/curd.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Tomato Chapati

Ingredients:
------------
  • Wheat flour/Atta - 2 cups
  • Oil - 2 tsp
  • Ripe tomatoes - 2 to 3
  • Salt - to taste
  • Turmeric powder - a pinch
  • Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
  • Coriander leaves - 2 tsp,finely chopped
  • Hing - 1/4 tsp
  • Jeera - 1/2 tsp,crushed
  • Kasuri methi - 2 tsp
Method:
--------
  • Add oil in a kadai.When it becomes hot,add hing and jeera.
  • When it splutters,add finely chopped tomatoes,turmeric powder,salt and red chilli powder.
  • Saute well on a medium flame till the raw smell goes off and it turns into a paste.
  • Switch off the flame.Add coriander leaves , kasuri methi and mix well.
  • Add wheat flour in a wide open vessel.Add the tomato paste little by little and knead well into a dough.Do not add water.
  • Set aside for 1/2 an hour.
  • Spread into a roti and and cook well on both sides on a tava with little oil.
Serve hot with curd and lime pickle.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Kabuli chana dosa


Ingredients for the filling:
==================
  • kabuli chana - 3 handful (soaked overnight and pressure cooked)
  • Tomatoes - 3 medium sized
  • onion - 1 big
  • capsicum - 1
  • ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp
  • curry leaves - 2 sprigs
  • coriander leaves - 1 tbsp,finely chopped
  • salt - to taste
  • dhania powder - 1.5 tsp
  • jeera powder - 1 tsp
  • chole masala/garam masala powder - 2 tsp
  • hing - 1/4 tsp
  • oil - 1 tbsp
  • mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • jeera - 1/4 tsp
  • kasuri methi - 2 tsp
  • turmeric powder - a pinch
  • red chilli powder - 1 tsp
  • green chillies - 2
Method:
======
  • Grind together green chillies and (soaked and cooked)chana to a coarse paste.Just 1 or 2 pulse will do.
  • Heat oil in a kadai,add mustard seeds,hing and jeera seeds.
  • When it splutters,add curry leaves,chopped green chillies,ginger garlic paste and finely chopped onions and saute well til the onions turn transparent.
  • Add finely chopped capsicum and saute till it turns tender.
  • Add finely chopped tomatoes,turmeric powder,dhania powder,chole masala/garam masala powder,jeera powder,salt and saute till the raw smell goes off.
  • Add the ground chana paste and little water.Keep sauting on a medium flame till it tuns into a thick gravy.(should be easy for spreading)
  • Add finely chopped coriander leaves and kasuri methi.Mix well and allow it to cool down slightly.
For the dosa:
=========
  • Keep the regular dosa batter and the filling ready.

  • Make a regular dosa,cooking on both sides.
  • Finally spread the filling across the dosa,leave for a min (Do not turn over).

  • Fold it and serve with a pinch of butter on top.
This filling goes very well with rotis also.

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