No festival menu is complete in Tamil Nadu without Vadai and Payasam. This Vadai called also Medhu Vadai is a very popular and tasty Vadai.No reason can be given for posting a common but perfect item so late.
This Vadai is the best combination for Pongal and Sambar.It goes well with Coconut Chutney. Yummy Thayir Vadais can be made out of these Vadais.
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| Uzhundha Vadais |
Ingredients :
Whole white Urad Dhal 1 cup
Raw rice 2 tsp.
Green Chilly 3 - 5
Ginger 1 small piece.
Onion ( optional)
Oil, Salt, Coriander leaves, Curry leaves.
Method:
1.Soak Urad Dhal and rice for 1 hour.Rice is added for the Vadais to be crispy.Rice flour can also be added in the end instead of rice. Drain the water completely and grind in a wet grinder with the green chilly and ginger.Sprinkle 2 tbsp. of water each time for 2-3 times for the Vadais to be soft.Otherwise the Vadais will be hard.Grinding may take 12 - 15 minutes.The dough must be fluffy and little flexible but rigid enough to be made into Vadais.Add salt in the end.
2. Add finely chopped Onion, Curry leaves and Coriander leaves.Mix well.
3. Make the dough into Vadais, drop in the hot oil.When one side is cooked, flip to the other side and remove from oil, after the bubbles disappear. The hot and tasty Vadais are ready.
Notes :
Many people add chopped green chilly but that is bitten at times and becomes hot and spicy for kids and adults also.So when ground in the grinder, it is safe. Adding Ginger gives a good flavour.
It is better to blend the Chilly and Ginger in the small mixer and add to the Urad Dhal while grinding in the wet grinder.Anyhow, the mixer has to be taken for grinding the Chutney for Vadais.
Butter Sweet Corn is often prepared by my daughter as an evening snack. It is also one of the common starters or Appetisers in their parties.
Sweet Corn is only the base and it can be prepared with the ingredients added according to our taster and preference.
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| Butter Sweet Corn |
Ingredients:
Sweet Corn 1 cup
Butter 1 tsp.
Pepper Powder 1/2 tsp.
Lemon Juice 1 tsp.
Chat Masala 1 tsp
Salt
Method :
1. Pressure cook the whole corn for 6 whistles and gently remove the kernels.
Frozen Corn Kernels can be cooked for 3 whistles.
2. Mix all the ingredients well and serve immediately.
Note :
Various versions can be done. Chilly Powder or Green Chilly can be added if you like it to be little spicy.1 tsp of sugar can be mixed.
Coriander leaves can be added.
This Radish Vadai is one of the few types of Paruppu Vadai.The taste is also good and not the one done for a variety or name sake. It is also a dish, other than the Sambar, Fry or Chutney in which we can include Radish.
The Vadai has also a fibre content.
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| Radish Vadai |
The ingredients:
The same as Paruppu Vadai plus 1/3 cup of grated white or red Radish.
Method :
In step 1 in Paruppu Vadai, add the grated Radish, squeezing the water to the ground dhal in the end.Grind for a minute. All the other steps are the same.
Asoka Halwa of Tanjore origin , fast and easy to make with the common ingredients, gives us a change from the regular Halwas.
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| Asoka Halwa |
Ingredients :
Pasiparuppu / Moong Dhal 1/2 cup.
Ghee 1/2 cup.
Sugar 1 1/2 cups.
Wheat flour 3 tbsp.
Cashew 10
Method :
1. Heat a Kadai and dry roast the Moong Dhal till an aroma comes, taking care that it just starts turning red but does not become black. If even 1 grain becomes black, the colour and aroma of the Halwa may be lost.
2. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and rest for 15 mins. to save fuel and time. Then pressure cook for 4 whistles.
3. Heat 1/4 cup Ghee, add the nuts, later the Wheat Flour and sauté till it starts turning red.
4. Open the cooker, mash the Dhal and add sugar. Mix well. Add the roasted flour, mix well, add the remaining Ghee and stir constantly on a medium or low flame till the Halwa consistency is reached. The Tasty Halwa is ready.
The nuts can be roasted, kept aside and added in the end for a perfect presentation.
Note :
If the flame is high or medium, any dish can be made fast but a lot of care has to be taken to stir constantly, that the dish does not stick to the vessel or gets burnt. It is better to use a cooker or any thick bottomed Kadai or non stick Kadai.
If the flame is low, the dish is safe but takes time.
Aval Pakoda has a unique taste of being crunchy and soft at the same time.
It is a wonderful starter and snack.
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| AVAL PAKODA |
Ingredients :
Thin Aval 1 cup.
Curd 1 cup.
Grated carrot 1 cup.
Grated Suraikkai 1 cup
Channa Dhal Flour/ Kadalai Mavu 4 tbsp.
Chilly Powder 1 tsp.
Green Chilly 2
Hing, Salt, Oil
Method :
1. Wash the Aval and let it drain for 2 minutes. Mix with Curd and set aside for 30 minutes.
2. Slit the Green Chilly and mix all the ingredients well except oil.
3. Heat the oil, squeeze the Pakodas and deep fry.
Only Bhel Puri and Pori Urundai come to our mind, using Pori.
Today, I happened to see a cookery demo about Pori Uppuma. I tried at once as only common ingredients were required.
Pori Uppuma was perfect. Later, discussing this with my daughter, she told me that this is common in Andhra and she had even relished this Uppuma in one of her friends' house. She is from Andhra and living away from our land, gives us more opportunities to move with a heterogeneous group.
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| Pori Uppuma |
Ingredients :
Pori / Puffed Rice 2 cups.
Onion 1
Carrot 1
Beans 5
Peas 2 tbsp.
Cabbage ( optional) 1 small piece
Green chilly 1-2
Ginger 1 small piece
Pottu Kadalai Powder 2 tbsp.
For seasoning :
Oil 1 tbsp.
Mustard, Split Urad Dhal, Curry Leaves, Coriander Leaves
Method :
1. Finely chop the vegetables, Onion, Chilly and Ginger.
2. Soak the Pori in water for 2 mins. Squeeze and drain the water.Mix with the Pottukadalai Powder.
3. Heat oil, add Mustard, Urad Dhal,Curry Leaves and later Chilly and ginger.
Then add the vegetables, salt and sauté till they get cooked.
4. Add the Pori, stir well and switch off after 2 mins. Decorate with the coriander Leaves. The simple, easy to prepare but tasty and healthy snacks for all ages is ready.
On any evening, with the snacks out of stack, this Aval Fry can be prepared in no time to be taken with the evening tea.
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| Masala Aval Fry |
For 2 persons :
Ingredients :
Thin Aval 1 cup
Pottu Kadalai / Roasted Channa Dhal 2 tbsp.
Coconut Oil 2 tbsp.
Musatard 1/2 tsp.
Zeera 1/4 tsp.
Red Chillies 2
Hing, Curry Leaves
Method :
1. Heat the oil, add Mustard, Zeera, broken chillies, Hing and Curry Leaves.
2. Then add the Pottukadalai and stir for 2-3 mins.
3. Then add the Aval, mix well and keep on stirring on medium flame for 3-4
mins. till it becomes crisp. The Masala Aval is ready.
Onion Pakoda, what else can be the best combination with Coffee or Tea, on any day, hot or cold !
In those with so many shops not so nearby, for a guest without prior notice, this Pakoda was very handy with the common ingredients at home.
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| Onion Pakoda |
For 2- 3 persons :
Ingredients :
Channa Flour / Kadalai Mavu 1 cup
Onion 2
Green Chillies 3
Ginger 1 small piece
Rice Flour 2 tbsp.
Cooking Soda 1 pinch
Oil, Salt, Curry leaves
Method :
1. Mix the channa Flour, Rice Flour, Salt, Cooking Soda, finely chopped onion,
Green Chillies, Ginger, Curry Leaves and 1 tbsp. of hot oil.
2. Add water little by little. Do not add much water as for Bajjis.Water must be
enough to bind all the ingredients loosely.
3. Take the mixture in the hand and press between the fingers in hot oil.
4. Stir in between and when sizzling stops, remove from oil. Complete the
whole mixture. The hot and tasty Pakodas are ready for munching with the
coffee.
This recipe cannot be posted as it is long since, I prepared this Samosas. Now, with my mom's visit, I was resolute to make Samosas and hence this post.
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| Vegetable Samosa |
To make 10 Samosas :
Ingredients :
Maida 1 cup.
Potatoes 3 medium size
Onion 1
Carrot 2
Peas ( Fresh or Frozen ) 2 tbsp.
Garam Masala 1/2 tsp.
Chilly Powder 1/2 tsp
Salt, Oil for deep frying.
Method :
1. Make a dough by mixing Maida, water,salt, 1/2 tsp. of cooking soda and 1
tbsp. of oil. Let it be firm and not very loose.Allow it to rest for half an hour.
2. Pressure cook the Potatoes. Slice the onion and grate the carrots.Peel the
Potatoes and mash them with the salt.
3. Heat 1 tbsp. of oil, sauté the onion, Garam Masala, Chilliy Powder and then
the grated carrot,salt. It is not necessary that the carrot must get well
cooked as we are going to deep fry.Switch off. Add the mashed Potatoes
and mix well.
4. Divide the Maida dough into 6 or 7 small balls. Press each ball into a round
roti and cut that into 2 semi circles. Fill with the Masala and fold them like
cone or a triangle. Seal the edges with water. This is very important orelse,
the filling comes out while deep frying, spoiling the oil.
5. Make the entire dough into Samosas and deep fry in the oil. The hot samosas
are ready. home made samosas are very soft and doesn's absorb much oil.
