Vegetable Pakoda (Pakora)

Crispier vegetable pakoda is one of the tastiest snack in India. Very well suit on a rainy day with a cup of coffee. Healthy vegetables are in here and in one way it is good for children who are eagles catching out vegies.

Mix vegetables pakoda, are deep fried that can be made easily even when you have to welcome sudden guest. This can be complimented with chutney's.


Ingredients:

Besan Flour - 1 cup
Rice flour - 1 cup
Corn flour - 1 tsp
Oil for frying
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Onion - 1 chopped
Carrot - 1/4 cup
Beans - 1/4 cup
Cauliflower - 1/4 cup (cut in small florets)
Cabbage - 1/4 cup (chopped)
Capsicum - 1/4 cup (sliced)
Curry leaves
Green chilli - 3 (finely chopped)
Salt - as required
Water - as required

Method:

1) Mix all the chopper vegetables, green chillies, curry leaves and cumin seeds. Now add besan flour, rice flour and corn flour.

2) Mix thoroughly with required water. Knead it with hand to make a bajji mix consistency.

3) Heat oil in a pan to medium heat. To test oil is perfect for frying add a tiny bit of batter in oil. The batter should bubble and rise to the top.

4) Now lower teaspoon full of mixed content into oil. Make sure pakoda not touch each other or will stick to each other.

5) Let cook for 3 -4 mins, turning once during the process. Once it is cooked to golden brown, drain pakoda on paper towel.

Note:

1) These are served hot with chutney.

2) If pakoda becomes golden brown very soon, you should reduce heat.


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Sura Puttu

Sura Puttu (fish puttu) is one of my favourite dish. It is a simple and easy dish prepared with less oil thsn in fish fry. Fish Puttu is done with Sura/ Shark. But can be done with any of the fish fillets.

I tried it with Tillapia fish. Pall Sura is good for delivered ladies. This can be cooked in less than 10 minutes. Puttu is one easy way to make kids eat fish.

Ingredients:

Paal Sura/ Shark - 500 gm
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Water - 2 cups
Oil - As required
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 10 nos
Green Chillies - 5 nos
Onion - 1 cup (finely chopped)
Black Pepper - 1 tsp crushed
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Salt - As required

Method:

1) Cut wash and clean sura. Cook shark with turmeric powder, salt and water in a pan for 5 - 10 mins. You can also pressure cook it just for 2 whistle and remove from stove immediately. You can also add ginger garlic paste while cooking or add it later.

2) Drain sura, once it cools down, peel the skin and remove the bone part. Make it to crumbles.

3) Heat oil in a pan (irumbu kadai), add mustard seeds, curry leaves and saute it for few seconds, add ginger garlic paste and saute it for another 30 secs. Now add green chillies, onions and saute it untill onion changes colour to golden brown.

4) Now add the crumbled shark and salt amd mix well. Make sure you add salt after tasting as we have added salt in water while cooking.

5) Now cook untill moister goes away.

6) Finally add crushed pepper and coriander, mix well and switch off the stove.

7) Serve hot as a side dish.

Sura puttu is ready to be enjoyed.

Note:

1) If you like, can add shredded coconut which will add flavour.

2) While cooking this dish, if you feel your shark is getting dry, sprinkle some water with the tip of your fingers.

3) Red perl onions (Chinna vengayam) add great taste.

4) You can try this with crab meat and name it as crab puttu.



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Adai Dosai

Adai dosai origin Tamil Nadu, South India. Adai is rich n proteins as we use dhal. It is mostly paired with chutney or vegetables (aviyal).

It is slightly different from the regular dosai batter. It can be done in 2 ways. One can grind the batter coarse or fine. If grinned coarse the dosa looks thicker and also can see dhal here and there. If it is grinned finely, this similars normal dosai batter.

This dish is good for morning breakfast or dinner. Adai is a bit spicy as we have it all.

Ingrediants :

Idly rice - 1 cup
Raw rice - 1/2 cup
Urad dhal - 1/2 cup
Kadalai paruppu (Channa dhal) - 1/2 cup
Toor dhal - 1/2 cup
Moong dhal - 1/2 cup
Red Chilli - 8 nos
Hing - Pinch
Salt  - to taste
Shallots (small onions) - 1/2 cup
Curry leaves - chopped
Oil  - As required


Method:
1) Soaking: (4 - 5 hours)
Soak red chilli and idly rice seperately.
Soak urud dhal, channa dhal, toor dhal, moong dhal, raaw rice seperately. If u have rice flour then you can also use it instead of raw rice of same quantity (1/2 cup).

2) Grinding:
Can grind either fine like dosai batter or coarse. I prefer fine batter to get a smooth finish.
Grind rice and chilli seperately and others seperately.
Then mix well both the grinned batter and keep aside.

3) Using small onions give a seperate taste and it is also good for health. Or else you can go for white onions.

4) Chop onions and curry leaves and add both to the batter.

5) Add enough salt, hing and water if needed.

6) Now once your pan is heated pour a laddle batter to the pan and spread it to a circle to form a uniform shape.

7) Apply oil over it. Let it cook for 1 minute and then turn over and cook it for another 1 minute. It should be  light brown colour.

8) Serve it hot on to a plate. If u like crispier dosa make the batter litter watery and spread in pan as thin as u can.

Note:
1) Do not cook dosa in high flame, as it may not cook well.

2) Addition of more oil to adai makes it more crisper.

3) You can also add shredded carrot or other veges to the batter, add some flavour.

4) You can also replace onions with green onions.

Palkova - Indian Milk Cake

Palkova is one of my all time favourite sweet. Everybody's favourite. Though it is a time consuming dish, the final result will be delicious. Sweet lovers should never skip this. This dish is famous for its delicious taste. This is purely made from milk and sugar. Srivilliputhur palkova is very famous among south Indians. 

Follow the exact steps mentioned. Come back with feed back and the result. Any doubts please comment below.

There are too many ways to prepare palkova (Milk Cake). Some use lemon juice to get a thread like appearance. But there is a traditional way of preparing without any additional products. It would be a nice sunday sweet! Its worth all the effort. 

All we need is Milk and sugar. Cashew and ghee for seasoning.

Preparation Time : 1 lit milk = 2 hours (continuous stirring)

Incrediants:

Milk - 1 / 1.5 lits
Sugar - As per taste (for 1 lit i use 3/4 th cup sugar)
Cashew - 5 nos
Ghee - 1 tsp

Method:

1) Set milk on a heavily bottomed pan (to avoid burning) at mid heat.
2) Keep on stirring every 1 or 2 mins. 
3) once the milk is reduced to half of its quantity put the stove on simmer.

4) At this point the milk turns to a mild yellow colour. Add sugar little by little and stir continuously.
5) At one point milk gets thick but in running condition. 
6) Remove it from stove and transfer it to desired plate or bowl before it gets hard.
7) Heat ghee in a pan and fry cashew to golden brown and decorate palkova.

Either serve it hot or cold. Yummy palkova is ready 

Note: Use fresh Milk. Using full fat milk makes the process easier as it takes less time to condense. 

Arisi Murukku

Murukku is a traditional snack of Tamil Nadu (origin) made of rice flour. Murukku is made as a traditional treat for festivals such as Diwali. There are too many types of murukku. Here we learn how to make easy and basic type which is mostly done in houses of south India.

It goes very well with tea / coffee as evening snack. 

PREPARATION TIME: 10 MINUTES. COOKING TIME: 30 MINUTES.

INGREDIENTS:
Rice flour - 1 cup
Grounded Potukadalai - 1/4 cup
Salt - As needed
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Cumin seeds / Ellu (sesame seed) - 1 tsp
Butter - 2 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Warm Water - As required

Method:

1) Take measured cup of Rice flour, pottukadalai flour and sieve it 2 times. Sieving helps break clumps and evenly mixes the flour.

2) Transfer mixture to a wide mouth bowl and add cumin seeds, asafoetida (optional), ghee or butter and salt for taste.

3) To make a dough mix all these using warm water (not plain water).

 4) Heat oil in a pan.

5) Now grease the mould with oil so that dough does not stick to the mould. Also grease zip log with oil as the presses dough will not stick to the surface. 

Here i am using five hole disc. You can even use star shape disc. The mould which i have shown here is my moms. This type give a smooth finish. A new type press is available in stores. Whatever the type you use greasing the inside is important.

6) Place a ball sized dough inside mold and press it on to a greased zip log bag or directly on to the heated oil. Beginners try pressing first in zip log and then transfer it to heated oil.  

7) Cook till oil sound subsides. Murukku should be of golden yellow colour. Do not deep fry on high flame. 

8) Remove on to a absorbent paper.

Enjoy your snack. 

Note:

1. Always ensure that the oil is hot (should maintain equal heat)
2. If making in bulk knead the dough in batches, else it will turn red while frying.