Low fat Ulundha Vadai / Urad dal fritters

If you are looking for an authentic ulundha vadai / urad dal fritters, this is not the place! I was craving for some ulundha vadai and I did not want to give up my healthy eating by deep frying something. So I made these vadais using my kuzhi paniyaram making pan. They tasted equally delicious and this can be made in a matter of minutes if you have the batter ready. Makes a great accompaniment with your evening chai.

I followed the same ingredient list I use to make the regular ulundha vadais, except for the deep frying method and the hole in the center. I served the vadais with red bell pepper chutney instead of the coconut chutney.

Ingredients
Urad dal - 1 cup
Green chilly - 1 (grated or thinly sliced)
Coriander leaves - 1 sprig
Grated ginger - 1/2 teaspoon
Chopped onion - 2 tablespoons
Salt to taste

Instructions
Soak the urad dal in water for about 3 hours.
Drain the water and in a mixer/grinder, grind the urad dal into a very fine paste. Add very little water (1 to 2 tablespoons) if required while grinding.
When the batter is ready, mix in the other ingredients - green chillies, ginger, chopped onions and salt.
Heat the kuzhi paniyaram pan, and drizzle 1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon of oil in each hole. Fill with a spoonful of batter in each hole.
After a minute, using a spoon flip the vadais over to cook on the other side.
When the vadais start turning brown, remove them from the pan and serve with chutney of your choice.

You can check out the regular ulunda vadai/ medhu vadai recipe here..

This is my entry for day 3 in the 7 day blogging marathon! Check out the Blogging marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#12.

This is my entry to My Legume Love Affair #43 started by Susan and hosted this time at Chez Cayenne and Love for Lentils hosted by Sudha

Roasted Garlic Hummus

I love trying out the samples at the various grocery stores like Costco, Trader Joes. I always like to experiment with new products in my cooking and sampling helps to to try different food items. During one of such visit to our local middle eastern grocery store, I was offered offered to try samples of various versions of hummus. I happened to try the roasted garlic hummus and I was immediately hooked on to its taste. However, I found that the little tub of hummus was too expensive and I decided to try the same version of hummus at home. I grabbed cloves of garlic and ventured into making this delicious hummus. The garlic turns sweet and mellow when roasted and blends really well the taste of the hummus.

I have made different versions of hummus at home. And we have it with pita bread, lavash, falafels, baby carrots, broccoli and also in sandwiches. This hummus version has become our new favorite!

Ingredients
(Recipe Source: Closet Cooking)
Garbanzo Beans/Chickpeas - 1 cup (soaked overnight) or 1 19oz. can of chickpeas
Garlic - 1 head
Tahini - 1/4 cup
Lemon Juice - 1/2 lemon
Olive oil - 2 tablespoons
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
Roasting the garlic:

1. Take a whole garlic head and chop of the head so that the individual cloves of garlic get exposed.
2. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the cloves and season with salt and pepper.
3. Wrap the entire garlic head in aluminum foil and roast in a preheated oven at 400F for 30 to 40 minutes.
4. Allow the garlic to cool down a bit so that you can handle it.
5. Using a fork, slowly separate the separate garlic from the skin.

To make the hummus:

1. Soak the chickpeas overnight or at least for 6 hours in water.
2. Drain the water and pressure cook in enough water until the chickpeas turn soft.
3. Add the cooked chickpeas, roasted garlic, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and pulse into a smooth mixture using a blender. 
4. Add a little water to obtain the desired consistency.
5. Garnish with olive oil and serve with you favorite bread or veggies.

Masal Vadai

Masal vadai with a hot cup of coffee/tea make a heavenly combo! These crunchy fritters can be served hot any time of the day as appetizers, snacks or as part of any meals. This masal vadai is usually found in menus in almost all south indian restaurants. It can be made with minimal ingredients and is packed with protein. I made these yesterday and we enjoyed a cold day with these crispy masal vadai and some masala chai.

Ingredients
Channa dhal/ Bengal gram dhal - 2 cups
Onion - 1 small sized
Green chillies - 3
Fresh ginger - 1/2 inch
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Asafoetida/ Hing - 1/4 teaspoon (optional)
Sombu/fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Directions
Soak the channa dhal in water for atleast 1-2 hours.

Remove about 1 tablespoon of the soaked dhal and keep it separately. Grind all the remaining dhal along with salt and the fennel seeds into a coarse paste without adding any water to the dhal mixture.

Chop the onions, green chillies and fresh ginger very finely. In a bowl combine the ground dhal mixture, the reserved dhal, onions, green chillies, ginger, curry leaves and asafoetida and mix until everything is combined together.

In a kadai or a heavy bottomed vessel, heat oil for deep frying. Make small lemon sized balls with the dhal mixture and flatten using both palms. When the oil turns, hot carefully add the prepared dhal mixture. Cook on medium heat for about 2 minutes on each side until the vadai turns golden brown in color.

Drain on paper towels and serve warm!

Mixed Veggies Poriyal/Stir Fry

This is a simple stir fry made with mixed veggies and can be made in a jiffy. It can be prepared in 10 to 15 minutes and great for lunch-boxes or weekday meals. I used the frozen mixed veggies from Costco to make it even more quicker. The veggie mix had beans, carrots, peas, corn and edamame beans. The stir fry is slightly spiced and makes a simple accompaniment to any meal.

Ingredients
Mixed veggies - 1 cup (carrots, beans, peas, corn etc.)
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
Channa dal - 1 teaspoon
Onion - 1 small sized
Green chillies - 2
Curry leaves - few
Grated coconut - 2 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Directions
If not using frozen veggies, chop all the veggies into equal sized pieces. Also chop the onions finely and slit the green chillies lengthwise.

In a kadai, heat the oil and do the tempering with the mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal and curry leaves. Once they start spluttering, add the chopped onions and green chillies and saute until the onions turn translucent. Add the mixed veggies, salt and sprinkle little water. Cover and cook until the veggies turn soft.

Finally, add the grated coconut and mix thoroughly. Serve warm with some rice and dal!

Falafel-Pita Sandwich

Summer is ideal for picnics! Beaches, parks, riverbanks, trails, campsites are ideal for picnics. Picnics would never be complete without food and snacking! I have chosen the theme - Picnic Food for my blogging marathon this week. Yes, I will be continuously be posting recipes everyday for a week all revolving around the theme Picnic Food!

Food taken for picnics are dishes that taste great even when served cold, spill-proof and great eaten without the use of much cutlery. This falafel-pita sandwich is great for such situations. they can be made ahead and wrapped in plastic or foils and makes great picnic food. The falafels can also be prepared individually and then sandwiches can be assembled with the pita bread and the sauce just before eating.

Here is a simple and easy recipe for making great falafel-pita sandwiches. I have used hummus and greek yogurt as the sauce in this sandwich. Any kind of sauce can be used. I bought most ingredients from the grocery store except for the falafels which I made at home.

I used the kuzhipaniyaram pan to make the falafels more healthy with less oil. Falafels are traditionally deep fried. I have also tried baking the falafels. But we loved this version better.

Ingredients (makes 4 sandwiches)
For the falafel
Dried garbanzo beans - 1 cup/16 oz. can of chickpeas
Onion - 1 medium sized
Garlic cloves - 2
Fresh parsley/coriander leaves - 2 tablespoons chopped
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon
Chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste

For the sandwich
Falafels - 8
Pita bread - 2
Cherry tomatoes - 12 (or) Regular tomatoes - 2
Onion - 1/2 cup chopped (optional)
Cucumber - 1
Greek yogurt - 4 tablespoons
Hummus - 4 tablespoons

Directions
To make the falafels
Soak the garbanzo beans overnight or atleast for 5 to 6 hours. Drain the chickpeas and pressure cook for about 10 minutes. If using canned garbanzo beans, you can skip the above step.
In a blender add the cooked and drained chickpeas along with all the ingredients listed under falafel and grind to a coarse mixture.
If using the kuzhipaniyaram pan, drizzle a little oil in each hole and place a lemon sized ball of the falafel mixture. Slightly press with the back of a spatula.

Cook on low heat for about two minutes on each side. Do not cook on high heat, because the outsides might brown too quickly and the inside might remain uncooked. Remove the falafels once cooked and allow it to cool. You can make these falafels ahead and refrigerate or freeze leftovers for future use. The falafels stay good in the freezer atleast for a month.

Alternatively, you can also make the falafels by deep-frying or baking them.

To assemble the sandwich
Take a pita bread and slice it into two equal pieces. You can toast the pita on a pan for a minute. this step is optional.

Open the pita pocket carefully, and smear one tablespoon each of the greek yogurt and hummus. Place two falafels in each sandwich. Top with your favorite toppings - cherry tomatoes, sliced onions, sliced cucumbers, coriander, parsley etc. You can also use tzatziki or tahini sauce as toppings.

Enjoy your falafel-pita sandwich!

Cajun Guacamole

I received a pack of delicious and ripe California Avocadoes as part of the Foodbuzz Featured Publisher Program and I made this delicious dip to go with some tortilla chips. I usually make the regular guacamole, but I wanted to spice it up a little bit. So I made this guacamole with a Cajun touch. It turned out delicious and spicy and was a perfect evening snack. I served this with some wholegrain flax seed tortilla chips from TJ's.

The recipe is so simple and can be whipped up in minutes.

Ingredients
Fresh California Avocados - 2
Tomatoes - 1 small sized finely chopped
Red onion - 1/4 cup finely chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves finely minced
Fresh lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
Fresh cilantro for garnish
Cayenne Pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Peel the avocados and remove the seed. Coarsely mash the avocados.

Add all the ingredients and mix well. Garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve immediately. The avocados oxidize quickly and turn black.

Serve as a dip with any appetizer. Also tastes great in sandwiches.

Sending this to Quick and Easy Recipe Mela.

Vazhakkai chips / Raw Plantain(banana) chips

These chips are a great snack. These slightly salted, deep fried goodies also can be used to accompany any rice dishes. Amma usually serves these chips along with tomato rice, lemon rice or bisibelabath. They are so easy to make and a single plaintain yields a huge amount of chips. I made these last weekend along with sanbar saatham and we munched on the leftovers as an evening snack. The bananas need to be green and raw and not ripe.

Ingredients
Raw plantain/Banana - 1 (should not be ripe)
Oil for deep frying
Salt to taste

Directions
Peel the raw plantain and slice them very finely using a mandolin.

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel and add around 12 to 15 slices a batch. Don't crowd the oil too much. With the slotted spoon, flip over the chips so that they get cooked on the other side as well.
When the chips turn golden brown, remove the chips with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Sprinkle some salt to taste. Store in an airtight container.

Munch on!

Italian Bruschetta

This is an Italian appetizer and it is so easy to make with some simple ingredients. The melted cheese on top of the tomatoes and basil sitting on a toasted baguette is pleasing to look and tastes great too. I made these as a part of an italian menu paired with a spring salad, spaghetti with vegetables, white wine and cherry clafouti to make a great dinner :) Recipes to come..

For the bruschetta you need..

Ingredients (Recipe adapted from Giada de Laurentiis)
Ripe tomatoes - 3
Basil leaves - 1/2 cup
Garlic - 3 cloves
Mozzarella cheese - 1/4 cup shredded
Balsamic vinegar/ white vinegar - 1 teaspoon
Olive oil - 2 tablespoons
French Baguette - 1
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Take the tomatoes, basil leaves, olive oil, vinegar and garlic together and blend it in a food processor to a chunky paste. Season with salt and pepper.
Slice the french baguette into pieces 1 inch thick. Place in the oven and toast them for about 3 minutes until they turn slightly brown.
Place the tomato mixture on each slice and top with the shredded mozzarella cheese.
Toast in the oven again for about 1 to 2 minutes until the cheese melts.

Garnish with some basil leaves on top. You could drizzle some olive oil on top if needed.
Serve warm!

Sending this to Bread Mania

 

Layered Mexican Dip

This is an easy party appetizer and can be made in a matter of minutes. Tastes great when served with any type of chips. I served this along with some tortilla chips. This recipe is semi-homemade since I used mostly storebought ingredients and just assembled them before serving. Looks beautiful and colorful when served in a glass bowl.

Ingredients (Makes several servings)

Refried beans / Any cooked and mashed beans - 1 cup
Sour cream - 2 tablespoon
Shredded cheese (any variety) - 2 spoons
Salsa - 2 tablespoons
Avocado - 1 deseeded and diced
Tomato - 1 medium sized ripe one
Olives - a few sliced
Lemon Juice - 1 spoon
Salt to taste

Directions
Prepare all the above ingredients. If you are cooking your own beans make sure it is cooked really well, add salt and mash it into a smooth paste. If using canned refried beans, microwave the beans for a minute and mash it well.

In a glass bowl, take the bean and spread the cheese over it. Microwave for a few seconds until the cheese melts. Top it off with the sour cream, salsa, diced avocado, tomatoes and olives. Season with salt and drizzle with lemon juice.

Serve immediately. Assemble the dip only before serving because the avocado tends to oxidize soon and change color. This is a very forgiving recipe, you can add more or less of any of the ingredients according to your tastes.

Serve with chips.

Sending this to 20 - 20 event hosted by Niloufer

Roasted Asparagus

This is one amazing, simple and elegant appetizer to prepare especially during spring. I picked up a couple of fresh asparagus spears from the local farmers market. I like the tender, young spears because they are slender and you can use almost the entire stem for roasting without wasting. Any simple seasoning goes a long way.

Ingredients
Asparagus spears - 1 bunch
Olive oil - 2 tablespoons or as per need
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degree F.
Wash the asparagus spears as they might have some sand particles.
Chop the ends or the hard part of the stem.
Lay the asparagus on a baking dish as a single layer. Drizzle the olive oil on top and season with salt and pepper. At this point you could use any seasoning you have like garlic salt, italian seasoning, dried herbs etc.
Toss the asparagus slightly so that the oil and seasoning evenly coats all the spears.
Po it into the oven preheated at 400 degrees F for about 9 to 10 minutes. It must have turned tender and slightly crunchy by now.
Squeeze some lemon juice on top and serve warm.

It is that simple! Tastes great as an appetizer or a snack! Healthy too!

Baked Falafel

This is a healthier version of falafel. I tried baking the falafels in my muffin pan instead of deep deep-frying them. This can make a wholesome meal along with some pita bread and hummus and can be enjoyed without guilt. I got the idea from here

Instead of hummus, I made tzatziki a cucumber-yogurt dip to go long with the falafel. Will post the recipe soon. It was really refreshing and we had a simple and nutritious dinner!


Ingredients

Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans - 1 cup ( to be soaked overnight) or 1 can drained
Onion - 1/2
Fresh Parsley - 1 cup loosely packed
Garlic - 2 cloves
Whole Wheat Flour - 2 tablespoons
Baking powder - 1 teaspoon
Cumin powder - 1 tablespoon
Coriander powder - 1/4 tablespoon
Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Olive oil - 2 spoons
Salt and Pepper to taste


Directions

Soak the chickpeas overnight in water. It should double in size. Alternatively, you could use the canned ones. Drain the liquid.
In a blender, add all the ingredients together and blend to form a coarse and chunky mixture.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cover it with a damp cloth and allow it to rest for half an hour. it would rise a bit.
Take a muffin pan and grease with oive oil or cooking spray.
Take a tablespoonful of the mixture and place in each muffin pan. You can use an icecream scoop for easier shaping. You could also use a cookie/baking sheet instead of the muffin pan alternatively. i used the muffin pan since it gives a good shape to the falafels.
Do not put too much batter in each falafel. Keep it thin so that it turns out crispy.

Bake at 375F in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes, flipping the falafels half way through.
In the final two minutes turn the oven to broiling mode in order to get crispy falafels. Take care they do not burn.


Enjoy with pita n hummus!

Sending this to MLLA: Eighteenth Helping hosted by Srivalli and started by Susan

Other middle eastern recipes in my blog:
Falafel (deep fried version)
Hummus
Lavash and Falafel Wrap
Cumin Hummus
Baklava
Piroshki / Pierogi / Potato Pies

Guacamole

This is one of the best, easy and healthy dips to enjoy I would say. I have always enjoyed it in mexican restaurants and this is the first time I made it at home. I followed Alton brown's recipe from Food Network. It can be used as a dip or as a spread in sandwiches. We had it with some tortilla chips.

Ingredients
Avocados - 3
Lemon juice - from one lemon
Tomato - 2 small sized
Onion - 1/2 finely chopped
Coriander/cilantro - 1 tablespoon chopped
Garlic - 1 teaspoon minced
Ground cumin powder - 1 teaspoon
Green chillies - 2 minced
Salt to taste

Directions
Halve ,peel and deseed the avocados. In a bowl place the avocados and lemon juice. Add al the ingredients together and using a potato masher mash the ingredients to form a chunky dip. Season with salt.
Allow to rest for about 30 minutes in a refrigerator and then enjoy. Keep it covered since it oxidizes easily.
Enjoy!

Gulab Jamuns for Indian Cooking Challenge

My recipe for the Recipe Advent Calendar for the year 2010!

When Srivalli announced the challenge for the month as Gulab jamuns I was pretty excited, since it is one of my favorite sweets and I have never tried it from scratch. Srivalli suggested three ways to make the jamuns. I chose Indo's way and the gulab jamuns turned out great- soft and juicy.


Ingredients (from Indo)

4 litres whole milk
1/2 kg maida (all purpose flour)
1 tbsp curd (yogurt)
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups ghee
2 litres of sugar
1/2 lemon

Method
To Make Khova
1. In a wide mouthed heavy bottom pan add the milk and heat it in a medium flame. (add a couple of stainless steel spoons into the milk to avoid burning)
2. Reduce the milk for 3-4 hours till the milk solidifies and becomes thick.
3. Whip together yogurt and baking soda
4. To the khova add the flour and yogurt mixture and knead till it forms a pliant dough. (make sure not to add too much flour, just enough flour to make the khova pliant)
4. Make 3/4 inch diameter balls and set aside


Prepare sugar syrup
1. In a pan add the sugar and just enough water to cover the sugar. Heat till it comes to a boil.
2.Squeeze the half of the lemon (this is to avoid sugar crystals). Set aside.

Deep frying
1. Heat the ghee and deep fry the balls, adding a few at a time till golden brown.
2. Cool the balls and soak them in the sugar syrup.
3. Let sit for a few hours.


These yummy gulab jamuns are off to Srivalli's Indian Cooking Challenge

Ragi Kozhukattai

Knowing the health benefits of the whole grain ragi, I try to tweak in ragi once in a while in our weekly menu. You can check here for more uses of ragi flour. I make ragi puttu or ragi kozhukattai for snacks in the evening. It can be made with sugar or can be made more healthy when made with jaggery.



Ingredients
Ragi flour - 1 cup
Rice flour - 1/4 cup
Sugar/Jaggery - 1/4 cup
Coconut shredded - 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Directions
Roast the rice flour and ragi flour together for about two minutes. Then add the sugar, shredded coconut and cardamom powder and mix well. Add a little water or milk and knead to form a a thick dough. Take some dough about the size of a lemon and clamp it in between your fingers so that the dough stays in shape.
Steam it in a rice cooker or idli cooker for about 12-15 minutes.
Serve warm!
If using jaggery, boil the jaggery in a little water to form a syrup. Strain the liquid and add it to the flours and mix.
Consume immediately, if you have leftovers, steam it again because it tends to harden after a day.

Also do check out my other recipes with ragi:
Ragi puttu/Finger millet cakes
Ragi koozh
Ragi malt with jaggery

Also am very proud that my omapodi/sev recipe has been chosen among the top 9 in the FoodBuzz community today! Do check it out!
Sending this to Cook for Yourself event and
Food For 7 stages of life:Kids initially started by Radhika .

Omapodi / Sev

This is crunchy and quick tea time snack. It is versatile and is used in several dishes. It is used as a topping or to garnish almost all chaat foods. It can be had plain or spiced with some chilli powder and roasted curry leaves. This is prepared at home during festivals like Diwali.
Here is the recipe for crunchy and melt-in-the-mouth omapodi as prepared by my mother-in-law.


Ingredients

Omam /Ajwain - 1 tablespoon(crushed)
Besan/Gram Flour - 1 1/2 cups
Rice flour - 1/2 cup
Hing /Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil - for deep frying

Directions

Soak the omam/ajwain in warm water for about half an hour and strain the liquid.
Combine all the other ingredients together and add the strained omam water. Knead together to form a smooth dough. Add little water if needed.
In a heavy bottomed vessel, add oil for about 2 inches deep.
Fill a murukku/ omapodi presser with the dough and squeeze in required quantities into the hot oil. Lower it to medium heat. After a minute flip the omapodi to the otherside carefully. Once the bubbles subside and both sides get cooked completely and turn to golden brown color, remove it with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels to drain the excess oil.
Garnish with curry leaves roasted in oil/ghee if needed.

Store in an airtight container.
Serve with hot tea/coffee!!

Sending this to Garnish the Dish, Kidz Delight, Diwali Contest 2009 and Sweets and Savouries