Puran Poli

Puran poli is a sweet, prepared and served as a snack or a dessert in different parts of India for different occasions. Different stuffing's are used in making poli. I came up with a stuffing with Tapioca, coconut, groundnut and jaggery.

Ingredients

For dough

I cup - Whole wheat flour
1 cup - Maida / all purpose flour
Pinch of salt
Water

For stuffing

1 cup - Cooked Tapioca
1/2 cup - Sweetened coconut flakes or grated coconut
1/2 cup - Roasted groundnut powder
1 cup - Jaggery ( thick syrup )
2 - Cardamom , powdered
Ghee or oil

Preparation

1 ) Cook tapioca in water with little turmeric powder. When well cooked drain off all the water. Mash and make a smooth dough. Set aside.

2 ) Roast groundnut lightly and powder it.

Method

1 ) First make the stuffing.

In a utensil, add mashed tapioca, grated coconut, groundnut powder, cardamom powder and jaggery. Mix in all the ingredients well and make small size balls of it, like in the picture below. If the mixture has more liquid content, then add little roasted rice powder to make thick mixture dough.


Secondly make the dough, like chapati dough.

2 ) Add enough water to make dough, by mix all the ingredients listed. Make small balls of the dough equal to the number of stuffing balls.

3 ) Roll the dough and then place a stuffing ball in center, like the picture below.

4 )Wrap and cover the stuffing ball with the dough fully.

5 ) Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, as thin as possible.

6 ) Heat a pan and place the rolled out poli in the pan. Cook on both sides. Smear some ghee or oil on both sides. Take off the pan and serve in a serving plate.

Enjoy this puran poli as a snack.

Check out the recipe at Neivedyam for puran poli with a different stuffing.

Pazham Pori - Ripe Plantain Fritters

This snack is very popular in kerala. Quick and easy to make.

Ingredients

3 - Ripe plantains
1 cup - Rice flour
3 tbsp - Maida / all purpose flour
3 tbsp - Sugar
a pinch or two - Turmeric powder
a pinch - salt
oil to fry

Method

1) Peel the skin off the ripe plantain and cut into two parts. Then cut each part into 3- 4 slices,lengthwise.

2 )Mix rice powder, maida, sugar, turmeric powder and salt. Make a thick batter.

3) Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Dip the sliced plantains in the batter and deep fry till golden brown in colour.

Serve with evening tea.

Variation

With the sliced ripe plantain....Heat ghee or butter in a non-stick pan. Fry the slices on both side till light brown in colour.Drain and place on a serving plate. Sprinkle some sugar on the fried plantains and serve.

Also try pazham pori in slightly different batter. Check the recipe here

Potato Bonda

An evening snack with your tea or coffee. Potato is the main ingredients used to make this snack along with other ingredients and spices.

Ingredients

4 large - Potatoes

For Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seeds
1 tsp - Urad dal
1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
1 small - Onion, chopped
3 to 4 - Green chili, chopped
2 inch piece - Ginger, chopped
1/2 bunch - Coriander leaves, chopped

To batter

1 cup - Bengal gram flour / besan /kadalapodi
1 tsp - Rice flour
1/4 tsp - Red chili powder
1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
Salt to taste

Method

1 ) Boil potatoes well and mash it up. Add salt to taste and keep aside.

2 ) Chop and cut to very small pieces, green chili, ginger, onions and coriander leaves.

3 ) Heat oil in a pan, add mustard. After mustard pops, add urad dal, then turmeric powder, green chili, ginger. Fry ginger and chili for a minute or two then add onion and fry onion till it is translucent.

4 ) Add this to the mashed potato and mix in well. Make small balls of the potato mixture.

5 ) Mix ingredients for batter. Add water and make a thick batter. Batter should not be too thick nor too thin.

6 ) Heat a wok or kadai with enough oil to deep fry. Dip each potato balls in the batter and coat the batter all around. Carefully put into the hot oil and fry till golden in color. Fry all the potato balls similarly.

Serve hot as a snack and enjoy with your tea or coffee. Jihva for potato hosted by Vaishali at Happy Burp.

Other recipes with potato

• Potato Kurma
• Fish cutlets

Shammi Kababs / Kheema Kababs

This is my first try at shammi kabab. It's really quite delicious. Made with minced meat and bengal gram dal /chana dal, this will be a great appetizer or a starter.

Ingredients

500 gm - Minced meat ( goat or lamb )
1/2 cup - Bengal gram dal / chana dal
1 - Onion, chopped
6 flakes - Garlic
1 inch piece - Ginger
2 - Green chili
2 tsp - Crushed red chili powder
10 - Pepper corns
1 - Cinnamon
3 - Cloves
4 - Cardamoms
2 cup - Water
1 - Egg

Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

To chop finely

1 - onion

2 - Green chili

1 cup - Chopped coriander leaves

Method

1 ) In a heavy bottom utensil, put minced meat, chana dal, onion, ginger, garlic, green chili, crushed red chili powder, pepper corns, cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms, water and salt.

2 ) Cook on a medium heat, till the meat and chana dal is well cooked and all the water is completely used up. Take off the stove and cool. Pressure cooking method can be used to save cooking time. Pressure cook above mentioned ingredients with 3/4 rd cup to one cup of water instead of two.

4 ) Grind the cooked ingredients to a fine paste. Add one egg and mix well with the paste. Mix paste with finely chopped onion, green chili and coriander leaves. Make small balls and flatten, like in the pic below.

5 ) Heat oil in a wok or kadai. Deep fry till golden brown in color on both sides.

Serve hot with coriander chutney.

Tip

While frying if the kababs are breaking apart, then dip each kabab in beaten egg and fry.

Cauliflower Bhajji - Fritters

Yet another appetizer. Great with a evening cup of tea with family and friends. This is very easy to make. Just have the following ingredients in hand, to fry the cauliflower and there you have the cauliflower pakoda.

Ingredients

1 medium size - Cauliflower, cut into small florets

1 cup - Besan / channa dal flour/chick peas flour

1/4 tsp - Red chili powder ( add more to make it more spicy)

1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder

1/4 tsp - Ajwain seeds ( Carom Seeds / Thyme)

Salt to taste

Oil to deep fry

Method

1 ) In a bowl mix besan, red chili powder, turmeric powder, ajwain and salt with enough water to make a thick batter.

2 ) Add the cauliflower florets and coat the batter well on the cauliflower, as in pic below.

3 ) Heat oil in a kadai or wok on medium heat. Carefully add cauliflower, little at a time and fry till crisp and well cooked. Drain on a paper towel.

Serve with tomato ketchup.

Tip

Other vegetables can be used to make pakoda with the same batter. Use sliced onions, potatoes, eggplant, chopped spinach, chilies.

Dahi Vada - Lentil Dumplings in Yogurt

Dahi Vada is a delicious snack, popular in North India. If you are making Uzhunnu vada, make a plain version of uzhunnu vada with just the urad dal paste and use for Dahi vada. This is a great appetizer.

Ingredients

2 cups - Urad dal / black gram dal
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Garnishing with yogurt

2 to 3 cups - Yogurt ( chilled)

1/2 tsp - Jeera / cumin ( dry roast and powder)

1/4 tsp - Red chili powder ( to sprinkle )

1/2 tsp - Chaat masala powder ( to sprinkle )

1 tbsp - Tamarind Chutney

1 tbsp - Coriander leaves, chopped

Salt to taste

Method

1 ) Wash and soak urad dal for 4 to 5 hours. Or overnight.

2 ) Drain and grind urad dal little at a time in a grinder without adding any water. If required add one tablespoon water to make the grinder work. Grind to a thick smooth paste. Add salt and mix well.

3 ) Wet your palms with water, take a small amount and form a ball. Place in the center of the palm. Flatten and make a hole in the center, like a doughnut. As in the pic below....

Or just make round balls and fry as round vada's.Wet the palm when shaping each vada. Water will prevent the paste from sticking to the palm.

4 ) Heat a kadai or a wok with enough oil to deep fry on medium heat. When the oil is hot,carefully slide the vada into the oil and deep fry till crisp and golden brown in colour. Drain excess oil.

5 ) Soak the Vada's in a bowl of luke warm water for 5 minutes and gently press each vada between your palms, to drain off excess water. Set aside

6 )Beat curds well with salt as required in a bowel. Add the vada's and immerse them in the beaten yogurt.

7 ) Garnish - Sprinkle one after the other,red chili powder, roasted jeera powder, chaat masala powder and coriander leaves over the immersed vada's.

Serve the vada in a serving dish with tamarind chutney.

Tip

Vada can be made in advance and stored in refrigetor. When needed......soak them in lukewarm water and follow the above method after soaking in water.

Uzhunnu Vada

Idli and Uzhunnu Vada with sambar and coconut chutney is a hearty South indian breakfast.
On it's own Uzhunnu vada with sambar and coconut chutney is popular snack.

Ingredients

2 cups - Urad dal / black gram dal
4 - Green chilies, finely chopped
1 tsp - Ginger, finely chopped
12 - Curry leaves, sliced
4 tbsp - Coconut bits
1/4 tsp - Baking Soda powder
6 - Black pepper corns ( optional )
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Method

1 ) Wash and soak urad dal for 4 to 5 hours. Best to soak over night,so that you can grind fresh in the morning,if you want to have vada for breakfast.
2 ) Drain and grind little at a time in a grinder without adding any water. If required add one tablespoon water to make the grinder work.


Repeat process and grind the rest of the urad dal to a thick smooth paste.
3 ) Add chopped green chilies, ginger, curry leaves, coconut bits, black pepper corns, baking soda and salt. Mix well.
4 ) Wet your palms with water, take a small amount and form a ball. Place in the center of the palm. Flatten and make a hole in the center, just as in the pic below.

Wet the palm when shaping each vada. Water will prevent the paste from sticking to the palm.

5 ) Heat a kadai or a wok with enough oil to deep fry. When the oil is hot,carefully slide the vada into the oil and deep fry till crisp and golden brown in colour.

Serve with coconut chutney.

Parippu Vada - Channa dal Vada

Parippu vada is a popular evening snack to have with tea in kerala. It's crunchy and mildly spicy yummy treat, traditionally made with thuvar dal. Channa dal can also be used instead of thuvar dal/toor dal. Walk into a chaayakkada (teashop) in kerala and you can have these delicacies, to go with your tea in the evening .

Ingredients

2 cups - Thuvar dal or Channa dal ( I have used channa dal )
1 small - Onion, chopped very small
4 - Green chili, finely chopped
1tbsp - Ginger , finely chopped
10 - Curry leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil to deep fry

Method

1 ) Soak dal for 2 - 3 hours. Drain well. There should not be any water.
2 ) In a food processor or blender, add little at a time some soaked dal and grind. The dal should be ground to a coarse paste - even if some dal remains not ground, its okay. As far as possible don't add any water.
3 ) Mix the chopped onion, green chili, ginger, curry leaves and mix well. Add salt to taste.
4 ) Wet your palms and take small amount of the dal mixture and make a ball. Place in the center of the palm and flatten to a round shape.
5 ) Pour oil in a wok or kadai to deep fry. Heat oil on medium heat. When the oil is hot, slide the vada's into the hot oil and fry on both sides to a golden brown colour. Remove from oil and drain.
Serve these crisp parippu vada with tea.

Fish cutlets

Fresh mackerel is the best.When using fresh fish, cook fish with little turmeric powder and salt.Then debone and shred the meat well for cutlet. Other fish to try with are Tuna and Salmon.

Ingredients

4 - Fresh mackerel ( or use Canned Tuna - 2 cans or Salmon - 1 can
or Canned mackerel - 1 can )
3 medium size - Potato baked or boiled
1 - Onion finely chopped
4 - Green Chilly finely chopped
1 inch - Ginger finely chopped
5 to 6 - Curry leaves finely chopped
1/2 tsp -Turmeric powder
2 - beaten Egg with a pinch of salt
1 cup - Bread Crumbs
Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Method

1 ) When using fresh fish,cook fish with little turmeric powder and salt.Then debone and shred the meat well for cutlet.

2) In a nonstick pan fry Onion, Green Chillies, Ginger and curry leaves until light brown. Take off stove and set aside to cool. Mash the baked or boiled potatoes.

3 ) Now take the fish, which is deboned and shredded and mix with the mashed potato.

Add the fried onion,chilli,ginger and curry leaves and mix well. Add salt to taste.

4 ) Take small portions and shape into oval cutlets. Dip them in beaten egg and then roll them in bread crumbs. Deep fry in oil until golden brown or cook on both sides in nonstick pan with less oil.

Serve with Tomato Ketchup. This is a good snack for evening tea or can make a sandwich with toasted bread or as a fish burger using the cutlets between the buns.

To make bread crumbs

In a oven, broil bread slices till crisp and golden brown. Then powder it in a blender.