Potato Samosa with Whole Spices

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Ingredients:

Red Potatoes 2 Large
Green Peas 1/3 Cup
Green Chiles 2 – 3
Cilantro few Sprigs
Lemon Juice 1 Tbsp
Turmeric Powder 1/4 tsp
Whole Coriander Seeds 1/2 tsp
Whole Fennel Seeds 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil 1 tbsp + for Deep Frying

For Dough:

Maida 1/2 Cup
Ajwain a Pinch
Salt a big Pinch
Lemon Juice 1 tsp
Butter 1 Tbsp

Method of preparation:

Soak coriander seeds and fennel seeds in a tbsp or more of water for couple of minutes.
Wash, halve and boil the potatoes in enough water till potatoes are just soft but whole.
Cool the potatoes to room temperature, peel and chop up the potatoes.
Remove stems, wash and finely chop the green chiles.
Wash and finely chop the cilantro.
Wash peas under fresh water and keep aside.

Heat a tbsp of oil in a pan, add cumin seeds.
When cumin seeds start to sizzle and change color, add peas.
Fry till peas are soft and lightly browned.
Stir in green chiles and fry briefly.
Finally stir in chopped potatoes, soaked coriander and fennel seeds, turmeric powder and salt.
Cook on medium flame till potatoes are soft and start to fall apart.
Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice and cilantro.

In a mixing bowl, mix together maida, ajwain, butter, lemon juice and a pinch of salt into soft non sticky dough using enough water.
Keep the dough covered for around 20 minutes.
Knead the dough well and divide it into around 2 – 3 portions.
Roll each portion into around 7 inch slightly oval shaped disc.

Cut the rolled out dough in half on its smallest diameter.
Apply a drop of water to half of the straight edge.
Fold the other half to overlap and form a cone.
Press to seal the edges and fill around 3 tbsps of the prepared potato mixture in the cone.

Apply a drop of water to the open end of the cone and press it together to seal the samosa.
Repeat the same with other half of the rolled out dough.
Repeat the same process with remaining dough.

Heat oil in a wok in medium – low heat.
Test the oil by dropping a small piece of dough.
If the dough takes couple of seconds to float, the oil is ready.
Slowly drop all the potato samosa into hot oil.
Fry on both sides till the potato samosa are light golden brown.
Remove the samosa onto absorbent paper and store tight for couple of weeks.
Serve potato samosa with any of these chaat chutneys.
Notes: Make sure to fry the samosa for a good amount of time on low – medium flame.

Suggestions: If the oil is too hot, samosa turns dark quickly without cooking. For much crispier version of samosa, remove the fried samosa from heat, cool down and deep fry again till dark golden brown.

Mixed Vegetable Cutlet

Ingredients:

Roasted Vermicelli 1/4 Cup
Potato 1 Small
Cauliflower few Florets
Carrot 1/2 of Small One
Green Beans 3
Green Peas 1 Tbsp
Green Chiles 1
Ginger 1 inch Piece
Cumin Seeds a Pinch
Garam Masala a Pinch
Cilantro few Sprigs
Curry Leaves 1 – 2
Salt to taste
Bread Crumbs few Tbsps
Oil 1/4 tsp + for Deep Frying or Shallow Frying

Method of preparation:

Wash, remove ends, peel and chop the carrot into small pieces.
Peel and roughly chop the potato.
Wash, remove ends and finely chop the green beans.
Remove stems, wash and finely chop the green chile.
Peel and mince the ginger.
Wash and finely chop the cilantro.
Wash and finely chop the curry leaves.

Bring to boil a cup of water, add vermicelli and cook on low flame for couple of minutes for vermicelli to absorb all the water.
Cook on high flame for couple of seconds if there is any extra moisture.
Remove the vermicelli onto a bowl and make sure its cooked through.

Steam all the vegetables (cauliflower, carrot, green beans, green peas and potato) or boil them in little water till done.

Heat quarter tsp of oil in a pan, add cumin seeds.
When cumin seeds start to sizzle, add green chiles, ginger and curry leaves.
Fry briefly, remove from heat and add the garam masala to the hot oil.

In a mixing bowl, add the above tempering, all the cooked vegetables, cilantro, salt and cooked vermicelli.
Lightly mash everything together and divide the mixture into 2 – 3 portions.
Form each portion into a ball and roll it in bread crumbs.
Lightly flatten the rolled mixture and keep aside.
Repeat the same with remaining portions.

Heat oil for deep frying on medium – low heat.
When oil is hot, slowly drop the mixed vegetable cutlet into the oil and deep fry till golden brown on both sides.
Remove the mixed vegetable cutlet onto a absorbent paper.
Serve mixed vegetable cutlet with ketchup or with any chutney.
Notes: Make sure to cook the vermicelli right.

Suggestions: If vermicelli is not cooked and doesn’t feel little mushy. Pour some more hot water and cook till done.
Variations: Also add your choice of mixed vegetables to the mixture.

Spinach Rotti

Ingredients:

Idly Rawa 1 Cup
Urad Dal 1/2 Cup
Spinach 1 Cup Packed
Turmeric Powder a Pinch
Garlic 1 Small Clove
Green Chiles 2
Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil as required

Method of preparation:

Soak urad dal in water for 3 hours.
Grind the soaked urad dal into smooth paste adding sufficient amount of water.
Soak ildy rawa in water for couple of minutes and squeeze the excess water out of it and keep aside.

Mix together urad dal paste, soaked idly rawa and salt thoroughly.
Add water to not make the mixture thick and gooey.
Leave the idly batter in a warm place for around 8 hours.

Wash and finely chop the spinach leaves.
Peel and roughly chop the garlic cloves.
Remove stems, wash and chop the green chiles into circles.

Using a pestle, crush the green chiles, garlic cloves, turmeric powder and cumin seeds with few pinches of salt.

Heat a flat pan on medium heat, pour 2 ladles of batter on the pan.
Spread the batter into thick 5 – 6 inch rotti.
Layer the rotti with crushed green chiles cumin seeds mixture.
Then layer the rotti with spinach leaves and sprinkle a pinch of salt.

Cook covered for around 5 minutes on medium – low flame.
Uncover, pour a tsp of oil and turn over the rotti.
Cook the roti for another 2 minutes on a low flame for spinach leaves to cook and crisp up a bit.
Serve spinach rotti with coconut chutney or with sambar.
Notes: Refrigerate the remaining batter for a week or two for more spinach rotti.

Suggestions: If rotti is uncooked inside, put it back on heat and cook covered on low flame till done.
Variations: Alternatively, put the rotti in oven for 2 – 4 minutes for spinach leaves to crisp up. Check out other breakfast dishes here.

Fried Idli

Ingredients:

Steamed Idli 4
Chaat Masala Powder 1/2 tsp
Mint Chutney 2 Tbsps
Salt to taste
Oil for Deep Frying

Method of preparation:

Slice the idli into three pieces and keep aside.

Heat oil in a deep vessel on medium heat.
When oil is hot, slowly drop the idli pieces into the oil.
Fry till the idli turns golden brown in color.
Remove the idli onto absorbent paper to remove excess oil.
Immediately sprinkle chaat masala powder and a pinch of salt.
Serve fried idli with mint chutney.
Notes: Make sure idli fried well on all sides.

Suggestions: You can also steam the idli batter in a small wide vessel instead of using idli moulds and cut the idli into various shapes once steamed.
Variations: Also serve with tamarind chutney or red chutney

Yogurt Bonda

Ingredients:

Rice Flour 1/4 Cup
Maida 1/3 Cup
Chana Dal 2 tbsps
Yogurt 1/3 Cup
Onion 1/2 of Small One
Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp
Green Chile 1
Curry Leaves 4
Soda Bi Carb a Pinch
Salt to Taste
Oil for Deep Frying

Method of preparation:

Soak chana dal in water for around 3 hours and strain the dal.
Peel and finely chop the onion.
Remove stems, wash and finely chop the green chiles.
Wash and tear the curry leaves into small pieces.

In a mixing bowl, mix together rice flour, maida, yogurt and salt.
Add sufficient water and mix the above mixture into smooth, soft and thick batter.
Stir in chana dal, onion, green chile, cumin seeds and curry leaves.

Heat oil in a heavy deep pan on medium high heat.
When oil gets hot, carefully drop a small scoop of the mixture into the oil.
Repeat till the surface of the oil is filled up.
Deep fry till the bonda turns light golden brown in color.
Carefully remove the yogurt bonda onto a absorbent paper.
Repeat the same with any remaining mixture.
Serve yogurt bonda with onion chutney.
Notes: Make sure to fry the bonda in medium hot oil to make sure the inside is cooked well.

Suggestions: If the inside of the bonda is not cooked properly, put them back in medium hot oil and fry till done.
Variations: You can also add a tsp of sooji to make the bonda little more crisp.

Spicy pesarattu

Ingredients:

Split Moong Dal 1 Cup
Whole Red Chiles 1 – 2
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil as Required

Method of preparation:

Soak red chiles in water for around 5 -10 minutes.
Strain the red chiles and grind it into coarse paste with cumin seeds and salt.

Soak split moong in water for around 2 hours.
Strain the soaked moong dal, wash with fresh water and grind it into smooth paste with sufficient water.
Thin out the batter if required with water to make a pourable somewhat thin batter..
Season the moong dal dosa batter with sufficient salt.

Heat a flat pan on medium high heat, apply a tsp of oil with back of a spoon.
When pan gets hot, pour a ladle full of moong dal batter and spread it with back of the ladle into thin dosa.
Immediately take a tsp of red chile paste and spread it on the dosa with a spatula.
When bottom and edges of the moong dosa start to turn brown, carefully turn the dosa on other side.
Reduce the heat a bit and cook on this side for a minute before removing from heat.
Repeat the same with remaining moong dosa batter and make more pesarattu.
Serve spicy pesarattu with besan chutney.

NOTE: Make sure not to over fry the dosa.

Suggestions: If the pesarattu doesn’t come out crisp, make sure to pan is hot all the time. Try to spread the batter on the pan as fast and as thin as possible. If the dosa doesn’t come out, make sure dosa batter is not too thin. If dosa comes thick, make sure batter is not too thick.

Variations: Some pesarattu recipes use whole moong which is soaked and then ground into paste. This yields soft dosa rather than crisp dosa. Some grind the green chiles and ginger along with soaked moong dal

Hot and spicy fish curry

Ingredients

Fish - 250 gm
Tamarind(Puli) - A small ball in hot water
Onions(big) - 1 no
(sliced)
Tomato(big) - 1 no
(sliced)
Curry leaves - A small bunch
Red Chilly powder - 3 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek(Uluva) powder - 1/4 tsp
Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
Ginger - 1/2" piece
Garlic pods - 4 nos
Salt - As reqd
Mustard seeds - A Pinch

Preparation Method

1)Clean the fish, drain and keep aside.

2)Mix together the red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and fenugreek powder with little water, to make a smooth paste.

3)Heat oil in a pan.

4)Add mustard seeds and when they start spluttering, add fenugreek seeds followed by the sliced onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, curry leaves and the paste and fry till the oil separates.

:- u could use a cup of small onions instead of big onions.

5)Add a tsp of vinegar if desired. ( optional)

6)Add tamarind extract and check the level of sourness.

7)When the water starts boiling, add the fish pieces and salt.

8)Add enough water to cover the pieces.

9)Cook on a gentle heat.

10)When the pieces are almost cooked, increase the heat and cook till the gravy thickens and the oil is visible.

:- Serve hot with rice.

hey all...here r some tips to improve the taste of ur fish curry.....

1)If u really think the curry is too hot, reduce chilli/ or add two tea spoon of coconut milk.

2)When u make fish or meat curries, try to make the curry one day before, so that the curry will absorb all that masala and taste better the next day.

3)If u like the smell of coriander leaves in ur curries, u can add some in this fish curry too.

4)Last but not the least, Kukum star (Kudampuli) is a very good substitute for tamarind.