Poo Ada with Tender Coconut

Poo ada is what this ada is called. A simple ada which is lightly sweetened and good to have as snack with evening tea or for a good breakfast.
Roasted rice flour is used for making this ada. The roasted rice flour should not be very finely powdered.It's good to have a little fine rice rawa in the rice flour.Tender coconut is used as filling which gives a delicious taste.If tender coconut is not available finely grated coconut can be used.
But go for tender coconut if you can. When choosing tender coconut, go for one which is not too mature nor too young but with good tender pulp.Scoop out the tender coconut from the shell and pulse in the blender/ mixie, two or three times to get it grated.

Ingredients

For dough

1 cup - Rice flour,lightly roasted ( idiyappam podi)
1.5 cup - water
1/2 cup - Grated tender coconut
1 tsp - oil (prefer coconut oil )
Salt to taste

Method

1 ) To make rice dough - In a bowl, mix rice flour and grated tender coconut well with hand.Bring water to a boil in a pan, add salt and oil.Carefully pour the boiled water,little by little into the bowl with rice flour. With a spoon keep stirring and mixing the ingredients well.Cover with a lid and set aside for 10 minutes.

2) When the dough cools, but still slightly warm, knead the dough well. The dough should not be hard as chapati dough. A bit loose or softer will be good.Make medium balls of the dough.

For filling

2 - pulp of Tender coconut, grated
1 or 2 tsp - Sugar
A pinch of salt

For wrapping

Banana leaves

Method

1 ) Mix the filling ingredients well.On a small piece of banana leaf, place one rice dough ball, press and spread out on the leaf.Dipping your fingers in water will make it easy to spread the rice dough on the leaf.

2 ) Spread the filling in the center, as shown in the picture below.

3 ) Fold the banana leaf in half, as in picture and press the seal the filling well.

4 ) Heat a Iron tawa or a non-stick pan. Make the tawa very hot, place the banana wrapped ada on the tawa. You will hear the sizzling sound as the banana leaf is placed on the hot tawa. Simmer the flame and cook for 6 to 7 minutes one side then flip with a spatula and cook the other side for another 6 to 7 minutes. Place a lid on top when cooking both sides.

5 ) In between press the ada with a flat spatula.

6 ) Now remove the banana leaf wrap from the ada and place ada direct on the tawa and cook each side again till it gets cooked and crisp. Press the ada in between from time to time. All the cooking should be done on low flame.

Now serve in a serving plate and enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee.

Also check out Ela Ada, that i have posted earlier. A sweeter version of ada that is steam cooked.

Homemade Popcorn

I popped some pop corn and thought of sharing it here with all of you. Smeared with some utterly, butterly delicious butter and seasoned with salt, it's good to go. Now you can flavor the pop corn as to your taste. Add chili powder to make it spicy, sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese to make it cheesy. Whatever it is, there is one ingredient, that add a lot of flavor to the pop corn and that is the coconut oil. I remember watching food network channel, where they mentioned to use coconut oil to get the same taste to the pop corn that is made at the movies.

Ingredients

1/2 cup - Corn Kernels
3 to 4 tbsp - Coconut oil
2 to 3 tbsp - Butter
Salt to taste

Method

1 ) Use a cooker or a heavy bottom utensil with tight lid to make the pop corn. Heat coconut oil in the cooker. Let the oil heat up on medium- high heat. To test if the oil is hot enough for the kernels to pop, add 2-3 kernels to the oil and once it pops, the oil is ready.

2 ) Add the kernels to the cooker and close with a tight lid. Once the kernels starts popping, shake the cooker back and forth to evenly pop the kernels. Once the popping slows down, turn off the stove. Transfer the pop corn to another big enough utensil. Melt butter and pour over the pop corn, toss, sprinkle salt to taste. Toss well to get the butter and salt evenly on all corns.

Now enjoy this home made pop corn.

Stuffed Soya Potato Cutlet

Soya nuggets are rich source of proteins and they are referred to as the vegetarian meat. And it's so true, that this soya potato cutlet tastes more like a meat cutlet, when you bite into the stuffed soya nugget filling in the center. A delicious snack, which will be a good add to your tea time.

Ingredients

6 medium - Potatoes, boiled

1 tsp - Chat masala powder

1 tsp - Ginger, finely chopped

1 - Green chili, finely chopped

Salt to taste

For filling in center

3/4 cup - Soya Nuggets

1 small - Onion, finely chopped

2 - Green chili, finely chopped

2 tsp - Ginger, finely chopped

Few coriander leaves, finely chopped

Salt to taste

For Coating

1 - egg

Salt to taste

Method

1 ) Soak Soya nuggets for one hour in water. Drain off the water from the nuggets after one hour.

2 ) Heat a pan with oil, fry onion, chili, ginger to a slight brown color. Then add coriander leaves and stir for a second then add soya nuggets, salt to taste, simmer and cook closed with a lid for 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle water in between and stir if the fry is getting too dry.Take off the stove and cool once the nuggets are cooked.Nuggets should be dry without any excess water.Once cool, transfer the cooked soya fry into a blender / grinder and pulse for one or two times to get a coarse mixture of the nuggets.

3 ) Boil potato with skin. Discard the skin and mash potato finely when still slightly warm. Knead to make a smooth dough. There should not be any lumps. Add chat masala powder, ginger, green chili and salt to taste. Mix well with the potato.

4 ) Take a small amount of potato dough, make a ball of it, then shape it like a cup to add filling in center. Add a little soya mixture in the center and then wrap it with potato dough. Now shape it like a ball and flatten little to a cutlet shape.

5 ) Beat an egg well with little salt. Dip the cutlets in the egg and then shallow fry it to a golden brown color. Drain off the oil and serve.

Serve hot as a snack with tomato ketchup.

Sabudana Vada

Wrapping up the year 2009 blogging with this vada made with sabudana and potato, which is a popular Marathi fasting snack. During fasting there are certain restrictions followed in the food preparations. Like for this vada, addition of onion and coriander leaves will add good flavor and taste. But during fasting these are avoided. Do add onion and coriander leaves to suit your taste. Even without them this vada tastes good.
There was a lot of changes in my life during 2009 and it reflected on my blogging slowing down [ If any one noticed :) ] a bit. Hoping the brand new year 2010 brings in new opportunities , positivity and prosperity. Here i wish all my readers a happy new year in advance. Hope you guys and gals have a good year ahead.

Ingredients

1.5 cup - Sabudana/ sago
3 to 4 medium size - Potato, boiled & chopped to small bits
1/2 cup - Roasted & ground peanut powder
5 to 6 - Green chili, finely chopped
1 tsp - Jeera seeds
1 to 2 sprigs - Curry leaves, chopped
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method

1 ) Soak sago overnight in water and drain into a colander in the morning. Keep aside to drain for an hour or 2 . Drain off all the water very well. Soaking time can be for 3 to 4 hours.

2 ) Into a mixing bowl add, sago, potato, jeera, chili, peanut powder, curry leaves and salt to taste. Combine all the ingredients and make small equal size balls. Take one ball at a time, place it in the center of one palm and flattened with the other palm.

3 ) Heat enough oil to deep fry on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, fry the vada till both sides turn golden brown. Drain off the oil and transfer to a plate.

Serve with tea and if needed with your choice of chutney.

Stuffed Bread Pakoda

There are varieties of pakoda's made with different vegetables and even with chicken and fish. This bread pakoda is stuffed with mashed potato, then dipped in besan batter and fried. Stuffing make this pakoda, interesting. But then you can even make a plain bread pakoda, just by dipping in the besan batter without the stuffing too. So you can go either ways. When you feel lazy to make the stuffing, just go plain.

Ingredients

10 to 12 - Bread slices

For stuffing

3 medium size - Potato, boiled
1 to 2 - Green chili, finely chopped
A small piece - Ginger, finely grated
2 to 3 tbsp - Coriander leaves, finely chopped
1/8 tsp - Turmeric powder
Salt to taste

Besan Batter

1 cup - Besan / gram flour, shifted
1/4 tsp - Red chili powder
1/4 tsp - Coriander powder
1/4 tsp - Garam masala powder
1/4 tsp - Ajwain
1/4 tsp - Amchoor powder / dry mango powder
1/8 tsp - Turmeric powder
Salt to taste

Method

1 ) Trim the edges of the bread ( if you prefer it ) Cut it into a triangle and again cut that triangle to a smaller triangle and set aside. You can cut the bread into a round or small square pieces, whatever shape and size you prefer.

2 ) Mash the boiled potato very well, with no lumps. Then add turmeric powder, green chili, ginger, coriander leaves, salt to taste and mix ingredients well. If you prefer you can lightly fry the chili, ginger in oil, then add turmeric powder, coriander leaves, stir and take off stove, then add to the potato and mix to make the stuffing.

3 ) Make the besan batter, by adding all the powders listed with besan and add a cup of water to make a loose batter. Add salt to taste.

4 ) Keep a plate with little water to dip the bread pieces. Now take one bread triangle piece at a time, dip in water on both side quickly and then press with both your palms to squeeze off excess water out. Now spread a little potato stuffing on the bread slice, then dip another triangle piece in water and squeeze off excess water and then place on the stuffed piece. Press and seal the sides lightly. Make use of all the triangle pieces to make similar stuffed bread pieces and keep ready to dip in batter and fry.

5 ) Heat enough oil in a kadai / wok. When the oil is hot enough, reduce heat to medium, then dip one stuffed bread piece at a time in the besan batter and then slide into the hot oil. Fry on both sides to golden brown color. Drain off the oil and transfer to a paper towel.

6 ) To make plain bread pakoda - cut the bread slices to desired shape and size and then dip in the above given besan batter and fry in oil.

Serve with tomato ketchup and have along with tea.

Banana Bajji

Rainy days are here and the crave was to have some hot and crispy bajji for evening tea with my family. There was some raw banana's in the fridge and we chose to make bajji with it. It's a easy snack to make, and right for a rainy day tea or coffee.

Ingredients

3 - Unripe raw banana, washed
2 cups - Besan powder, shifted
1 tbsp - Rice flour
1.5 tsp - Red chili powder or to taste
3 to 4 big flakes - Garlic, crushed and finely grated
1/2 tsp - Hing powder
1 tbsp - Ghee
Salt to taste
Peanut oil or sunflower

Method

1 ) Make a thick batter by mixing besan, rice flour, chili powder, garlic, hing, ghee, salt to taste along with enough water.

2 ) Cut banana into thin slices longitudinally. Discard the skin on both edges of the banana, if you do not prefer the skin.

3 ) Heat oil in a kadai or wok. Dip and coat each banana slice well with the batter and deep fry in medium hot oil till golden brown in color. Oil should be hot enough before sliding in the slices. Drain out of the oil and place in a platter to serve.

Serve hot as is or with coconut chutney.

Ari + Dates Unda

A mixture of ingredients, Ari meaning rice in Malayalam, dates, peanut, coconut, dry ginger, cardamom and sweetened with jaggery makes this unda, meaning a ball or a laddoo. Very filling snack you can make for having with your evening tea.

Ingredients

1/2 kilo - Red boiled rice (matta)
1/2 kilo - Roasted peanuts or roasted cashewnuts
1/2 kilo - Jaggery
1/2 kilo - Dates, chopped to small pieces
50 grams / 2 big pieces - Dry ginger
10 - Green cardamoms
1 whole - Coconut, grated
A pinch of salt

Method

1 ) First wash rice well and drain. Drain water completely till the grains are completely dry. In a heavy bottom kadai / wok, add rice, dry ginger, cardamom and dry roast on a slow flame. Rice grains will start crackling, turn a light brown color and slightly puffed. Take off the stove and cool.

2 ) Take 2 cups water and heat to make jaggery syrup. Add jaggery and melt completely. Strain to take off any impurities. Keep back on stove add dates and boil well till the dates get mashed a bit.Then add grated coconut, a pinch of salt and boil for a few seconds. Switch off the stove.

3 ) Powder the dry roasted rice, dry ginger, cardamom to fine powder. Then powder roasted peanuts to fine powder. Mix both the powders well and blend in.

4 ) Now add the powders to the prepared jaggery syrup little by little and mix well with a big spoon. Let the mixture cool for a while. While it is still slightly warm, start making round balls taking little mixture at a time.

Serve and have as a evening snack. You can also mash a banana and mix with one ari unda and have.

For storing suggestion - Can be kept for a day outside, then refrigerate.

Ari Unda without dates

1 kilo  Or 4 cups - Matta, red boiled rice
1/2 kilo - Groundnut, roasted
1 kilo - Jaggery, make syrup with 2 cup water
10 to 15 - Green cardamom, powdered
50 gm - Dry ginger
1 whole - Coconut, grated
A big pinch - Salt

Method - The process is as given above. Just do not add dates, or do the steps with dates.

Mani Puttu

Kerala culinary is so intertwined with the use of coconut in its cooking. This palaharam (snack) is so rich with coconut, were rice flour and coconut compliments each other to make a delicious and a filling snack.

Ingredients

2 cups- lightly roasted rice flour
1 cup – finely grated fresh coconut
1 and ¾ cup – Water
¾ tsp – Salt
1.5 to 2 cup – Thick coconut milk
Sugar to taste

Method

1 ) Combine grated coconut, water and salt in an utensil. Place on stove and just bring to a boil. Turn off the stove.

2 ) Add rice flour to a mixing bowl, pour the hot water mixture slowly on the rice flour and stir well with a spoon to make a dough. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes. Then knead the dough. To test if the dough is ready to make small balls out of it. Take a little dough and roll on the palm and if it rolls out well without sticking, dough is ready to be rolled to small balls. Otherwise if it is sticky add little more rice flour, to get the desired proportion.

3 ) Take little dough at a time and make small balls out of it. You can make elongated shape too. Place the shaped dough in a plate. You can pile up dough balls on one another. It will not stick.

4 ) Use a steamer to steam or a pressure cooker. In a pressure cooker place the plate and steam without the placing the weight. Steam for 15 to 20 minutes.

5 ) Meanwhile keep coconut milk ready, sweetened with sugar. Take the steamed dumplings out and immediately immerse in coconut milk. Keep soaked for 15 minutes.

Serve mani puttu along with coconut milk.

Elaanji / Crepes with sweet filling - 2nd Blog Anniversary !

Simply spicy turns 2 years old and it has been quite a wonderful journey so far.With 200 plus posts, it's a pleasure to think back on the day i started this blog.It was with much admiration after seeing some wonderful work of now fellow bloggers, i wanted to have a space of my own and chronicle recipes i have learnt from my mom and over time from friends and relatives. It's been quite a journey and this blog has and have been a learning ground. Over time i have discovered new recipes, traditional and others. And now sharing these recipes i liked with rest of the world, it's a pleasure when someone tries the recipes and gives me a feedback. Those are very encouraging words that has made this journey so wonderful. So thanks a ton to all those wonderful readers out there who seek "simply spicy" for a recipe and come back for more.

Now over to snacking on something sweet. "Elaanji" is what this crepes is known as in norther part of kerala. I have even heard it is called as a 'love letter', but am not sure why so. A sweet snack for tea time, filled with coconut, sweetened with sugar and spiced with cardamom.

Ingredients

1 cup - All purpose flour / Maida
1.5 cup - Cold Whole milk
1 - Egg
A pinch of salt
Ghee

For filling

1 whole - Coconut, freshly grated
10 - Green cardamom, powdered
3/4 cup - Sugar

Method

1 ) To make the filling - heat a pan on low flame, add 2 tsp of ghee, coconut, cardamom, and stir till all the ingredients are mixed well.Let the sugar mix in well with coconut, stir for a minute or 2. Take off the stove and set aside.

2 ) To make the batter - Shift all purpose flour and set aside. To a mixing bowl, add egg and beat well with a wire whisk. Then pour in milk, a pinch of salt and give a good whisk. Slowly, little by little add flour and make thin batter.Batter should be very thin, so if needed add more milk to make a thin batter.

3 ) Heat a crepe pan /non-stick pan over a moderate flame. Wipe the pan with cloth dipped in oil. When the pan is hot, pour a ladleful of batter on the pan and spread around with the ladle in a circular motion to form a thin layer. Lower the heat, drizzle some ghee on the sides and let the batter cook and set.

4 ) Take a spoonful of coconut mixture and place it on the edge side of the crepe. Then fold and roll the crepe till the end.Repeat the same with the rest of the batter and coconut filling and make more crepes.

Serve as a snack with tea.

Note - Few drops of vanilla extract can be added to the batter. This is optional. But if you don't like the egg smell in the batter, vanilla extract will help to take away that smell.

Mutton Cutlet

A combination of meat and potato, this cutlet is prepared with cooked minced meat, which is cooked in spices then boiled potato, fried ingredients are mixed and combined with meat to make a cutlet.

Ingredients

2 cups - Minced goat meat

2 - Potato

1 small - Onion, finely chopped

4 - Green chili

1 '' piece - Ginger

4 big flakes - Garlic

2 sprigs - Curry leaves, finely chopped

Masala Powder

2 tbsp - Coriander powder

1 tsp - Red chili powder

1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder

1 small - Cinnamon stick

3 - Cloves

1 tsp - Fennel seeds

To dip and shape

1 to 2 - Egg

Bread crumbs

Oil to fry

Method

1 ) Boil potato with skin, discard skin and mash. Coarsely grind garlic, ginger and green chili.

2 ) Heat a pan on low heat, add coriander powder, red chili powder and turmeric powder. Dry roast the powders lightly. Add this powders to raw minced meat and mix well. To the pan add cinnamon, clove and fennel seeds. Dry roast till the spices gives out aroma. Cool and grind to a powder. Add spice powder, salt to taste and mix with meat.

3 ) Place minced meat in pressure cooker and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles. Open cooker and dry out any water completely.

4 ) Heat oil in a pan , add onion, curry leaves, coarsely ground ginger-garlic-green chili. Fry lightly. Transfer this to meat and combine. Add mashed potato and mix , very well with meat. Adjust salt to taste.

5 ) Beat one egg, add a pinch of salt. Keep bread crumbs ready in a plate. Take a small amount of meat mixture and shape into a ball and then flatten to a pattie shape. Dip in egg and then roll in bread crumbs.

6 ) Heat enough oil in a pan, place cutlets in hot oil and fry on both sides till brown in color. Take off the oil and drain on a paper towel.

Serve as a snack.


Check out this cutlet made with fish : Fish Cutlet

Egg Pakoda

Simply a irresistible pakoda, this happens to be. Quick and easy to make, when you have a guest dropping in suddenly.

Ingredients

2 - Large eggs

For batter

1 cup - Besan / gram flour
1/4 tsp - Red chili powder
1/4 tsp - Coriander powder
1/4 tsp - Garam masala powder
1/4 tsp - Amchoor powder / dry mango powder
1/8 tsp - Dry ginger powder
1 to 2 tbsp - Coriander leaves, chopped finely
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Method

1 ) Beat eggs. Do not add salt to it. Heat a little oil in a pan. Pour egg to the pan and make omelette. Take off the pan, cool and cut it into thick long strips.

2 ) For the batter - Sift besan to remove lumps. Add to besan, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, amchoor powder, dry ginger powder ( if you don't have dry ginger, add little grated fresh ginger ) coriander leaves, salt to taste and by adding little water at time make a semi-thick batter. ( you can adjust the masala powders as per your taste) Add egg strips into the batter and coat it well with batter.

3 ) Heat a wok or kadai with enough oil to deep fry. Let the oil heat up. Then add one by one egg strips well coated with batter into the hot oil. Deep fry on both sides to a golden brown color. Take pakoda out of the oil and drain on a paper towel.


Serve hot with tea. Yum !! :)

Something to Munch on...

Munch on some fried green gram , seasoned with a dash of salt and spice. I used to buy these Rajbhog snacks, like the spicy green vatana and like. I liked the taste a lot and wanted to try making this at home. I have tried with whole green gram. You can make similarly with green vatana too.

Ingredients

1 cup - Whole green gram dal

Dash of - Red chili powder

Dash of - Garlic powder ( optional )

1 sprig - Curry leaves

Salt t taste
Oil to fry

Method

1 ) Soak green gram dal in enough water overnight or till you see it's about to sprout. Wash, drain in a colander. Spread on a paper towel to completely dry out.

2 ) To a wok or kadai, add enough oil to deep fry. Once the oil is hot, add green gram dal in small batches and fry till crisp. Drain from oil and spread on plate lined with paper towel. Immediately sprinkle some salt and chili powder. Garlic powder does add to the taste. Add garlic powder, if you like garlic taste. Fry curry leaves, till it is crisp too. Drain and mix with fried green gram dal. Cool and then store in a container.

Serve with tea.

Mansi Desai of 'Fun and Food' is hosting a "Game Night Party" event. Sending this recipe as an entry for the same.

Murukku - Chakli

Murukku / Chakli is a savoury snack, popular in southern part of India. With a cup of tea, i munched on some of the murukku that my friend prepared and got the see how this snack is prepared.

Ingredients

2 cups - Rice flour
1 cup - Besan flour / Gram flour
1 tbsp - Ajwain / Carom seeds
1 tbsp - White sesame seeds
1 tsp - Red chili powder
1/4 tsp - Hing powder / Asafoedita
1/4 cup - Melted butter or Margarine
About 2 cups - Lukewarm water
Salt to taste
Oil to fry ( Peanut oil )

Method

1 ) Sieve rice and besan flour together to a mixing bowl. Add ajwain, sesame seeds, red chili, hing, salt and mix together. Pour the melted butter and mix.

2 )Add water little at a time and make a chapati like dough. Dough should not be too stiff nor too loose.

3 ) Shown in picture below, is the murukku presser. Take little of the dough and fill into the murukku mold.

4 ) With the murukku presser, press and shape the murukku to a plate with paper napkin.

5 ) Make a bunch and keep ready to fry in oil.


6 ) Heat oil in a wok or kadai. Carefully slide shaped murukku dough into the hot oil. Fry both sides on a medium high heat, till crisp and golden.

Take off the oil and drain on a paper towel.

Serve as a evening snack with tea or coffee.

Sending this recipe to the event "Fun in the sun" hosted by Anupama of "Food-n-more" and also to the event "WYF- Snacks" hosted by hima of "SnackORama"

Update

You can also make with this proportion, that is 2 cups of rice flour and 1/2 cup Besan. Since besan fries faster than rice flour, with this proportion you will get even cooking.

Ela Ada - Steamed Sweet Dumpling

Ela Ada is a traditional kerala dish, which makes a great breakfast or a evening snack. Ela in malayalam means leaf and the leaf used in making this Ada is banana leaves. Before using banana leaves to make ada, the banana leaves has to be mildly wilted. By holding the banana leaf on top of a low flame for a few seconds, this can be done.Then cut the leaf to small desired pieces.
This is my first shot at making ela ada and i am satisfied with the outcome. I have tried with rice dough and ragi dough.

Ingredients for rice dough

1 cup - Rice flour, lightly roasted
1.5 cup - Water
1 tbsp - Oil
Salt to taste

Ingredients for ragi dough

1 cup - Ragi powder
1/4 cup - Rice flour
Salt to taste

For filling

1.5 cup - Grated coconut, fresh
150 gm - Jaggery
2 - Cardamom, powdered
3 - Ripe plantain, cut to small pieces
1 cup - Beaten rice / Aval / Poha

For wrapping

Banana leaves

Method

1 ) To make rice dough - Boil water in a pan, add salt and oil.To boiling water add rice flour, put off the flame, stir and mix the flour very well. Close with a lid and set aside for a while. When the dough cools, but still slightly warm, knead the dough well and then make balls out of the dough.

2 ) To make ragi dough - Use enough cold water and mix all the ingredients listed for ragi dough.

2 ) To make filling - Boil little water & jaggery in a pan. Once the jaggery has dissolved, filter it and remove any dust particles. Then again boil melted jaggery to a thick syrup. Add coconut, beaten rice, Cardamom powder & banana pieces. Mix all ingredients well and cook till the filling is thick. Take off the stove.

3 ) On a small piece of banana leaf, place one rice dough ball, press and spread out on the leaf. Dipping your fingers in water will make it easy to spread the rice dough on the leaf.
Make small balls of ragi dough and spread out like the rice dough was done.

4 ) Spread the filling in the center, like in the picture. You can even just use grated coconut as a filling.

5 ) Now after the filling is done, fold the leaf in half and then press. Press the sides as well, so that the filling will not come out.

6 ) Place the prepared banana wraps in steaming vessel and steam for 10 to 15 minutes, till it is fully cooked.

7 ) Take the steamed ada out of the banana leaf wrap and serve.

Enjoy this delicious Ela Ada for breakfast or as a sweet treat.

If banana leaves are not available then parchment paper is used to make this ada. Check out Surya's Healthy N spicy and Priya's Kitchen to make with parchment paper.
Ammupatti's thoughts have displayed in a video, how traditionally elai adai is made.

Avalum Sharkarum - Beaten Rice with Jaggery

A simple sweetened snack made with beaten rice, jaggery, coconut and ripe plantain.

Ingredients

3 cups - Beaten rice / poha/ Aval
1/2 cup - Freshly grated coconut
3/4 cup - Jaggery syrup
2 pods - Cardamom, powdered
1 - Ripe plantain, chopped to small pieces



Method

1 ) Wet the beaten rice with little water. If you have freshly opened sweet coconut water, use that to wet the beaten rice.

2 ) Mix all the ingredients listed with beaten rice.

Serve as a snack and enjoy this jaggery sweetened Aval.

Peanut Masala

Snack on some crunchy masala peanuts and enjoy this savoury snack. A friend of mine told me, how to make this snack in the microwave. This is like a instant snack you can make, when you feel like it or you have a guest come by.

Ingredients

1 cup - Besan / Bengal gram dal flour
1 cup - Peanuts
1/2 to 3/4 tsp - Red chili powder
1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
1 big pinch - Asafoetida / Hing
2 to 3 big flakes - Garlic, grated
3 tbsp - Oil
1/2 cup - Water
Few curry leaves
Salt to taste

Method

1 ) In a microwave safe plate, put all the ingredients together, except the oil and water. See in picture.


2 ) Then add oil, mix and rub together all the ingredients well. Little by Little add water as needed and mix all the ingredients and coat the peanuts well, as in picture.



3 ) Place the plate in the microwave. Microwave for 2 minutes. Take the plate out from microwave and with a fork crumble and break the peanuts apart. Add little more oil, if you feel the mixture needs it. Mix oil well into the mixture.

4 ) Place the plate back into the microwave and cook for 1 minute. Take the plate out and with a fork stir the peanuts. Again place the plate back into the microwave and cook for 1 minute.

5 ) Repeat for 2 - 3 times. Each time cooking for 1 minute, then take the plate out and stir the peanuts. Repeat till peanuts are crunchy and cooked.

Note: Watch when cooking in microwave, as the peanuts can burn up very fast and also the plate might crack. So take the plate out and cool for a minute, check if peanut is crunchy enough. Toward the end if you need just little more cooking , then just microwave for 50 seconds and see if it is crunchy.

Serve with a cup of hot tea or coffee.

Chana Fry

Chana also know as garbanzo beans, chickpeas is full of health benefits. You can read the health benefits of this legume here.

Now this is a simple and mildly spiced chana fry. This can be a very good snack or as a side dish.

Ingredients

2 cups - Cooked chana or 1 tin of cooked Garbanzo beans

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seeds
1 sprig - Curry leaves
1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp - Black pepper powder ( add more if you like it spicy and like peppery flavour )
1/4 cup - Freshly grated coconut

Salt to taste

Method

1 ) When using dry chana, soak chana overnight and pressure cook in 3-4 whistles . When using cooked & canned chana, drain all the water and wash well. Set aside.

2 ) Heat oil in a kadai or wok. Add mustard, then curry leaves, turmeric powder and black pepper powder. Fry for minute on low heat.

3 ) Add the cooked chana to the spices, stir and fry on low heat. Add grated coconut, stir and mix. Take off the stove and serve.

This same recipe is followed in making :
kadala (malayalam), kala chana ( Hindi )

In picture : Kadala / kala chana