Dahi Vada

Last year, as part of the Navratri special recipes, I blogged crispy Vada recipe (Garelu) that are light and fluffy on the inside with a crisp exterior. This Diwali, I have for you, dear readers, Andhra style Dahi Vada aka Perugu Garelu (Aavadalu). They differ from North Indian style Dahi Vada in terms of the tempering and the use of green chilies and ginger.

Its the same process as one would prepare Dahi Vada or Tamil style Thayir Vada. Prepare the vadas, soak in water/buttermilk for a few minutes and pour a savory yogurt sauce (seasoned with spices), over the vadas. You can serve them at room temperature or chilled. Dahi Vada recipe is a must make snack during festivals like Deepavali, at our home. You can serve it for breakfast or as a cold starter/appetizer. Absolute melt in the mouth festive fare

Dahi Vada Recipe

Prep time: 30 min

Cook time: 15 min

Yield: 4

Main Ingredients: Black gram dal Yogurt

Ingredients

• Whole urad dal - 1 cup (minnappa gullu)
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying
• Yogurt - 2 cups, thick curd
• Green chilies - 2, finely minced
• Ginger - 1", finely minced
• Carrot - 2 tbsps (grated)
• Fresh coriander leaves - 2 tbsps, finely minced
• For tempering/tadka/poppu:
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilies - 2
• Split gram dal - 1 tsp (minapappu)
• Asafoetida - pinch (inguva/poppu)
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Oil - 2 tsps
• Bhoondi-as per your taste

Method

1. Soak whole black gram dal in water for 2 hours.
2. Strain the water and grind the dal to a paste sprinkling very little water. Use small portions of dal to grind batch wise as its easier to grind into a soft paste. Add salt and beat till fluffy.
3. Heat oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel and heat till piping hot. Reduce flame to medium.
4. Wet your hands with water, take a lemon-sized ball of batter and flatten it into a vada on a greased sheet or banana leaf. Make a hole in the center of the vada so that it cooks evenly all over.
5. Slowly drop the vada into the hot oil and fry it on both sides on medium flame to a golden brown color. Deep fry 3-4 vadas per batch depending on the size of the vessel.
6. Remove the vadas onto a bowl of water. Allow them to soak for 3 minutes.
7. While the vadas are soaking, prepare the yogurt/curd mixture. Heat 2 tsps oil in a vessel, add mustard seeds and allow to splutter. Add cumin seeds and split gram dal and allow them to turn lightly brown. Add red chilies, green chilies, ginger, asafoetida and curry leaves and mix for a few seconds. Turn off heat.
8. Beat the thickened curd/yogurt by adding about three fourth cup of water. Add salt to taste and pour the tempering of spices over the beaten yogurt and mix. Keep aside.
9. Remove the vadas from the water and place on a serving plate. Pour the tempering yogurt sauce over the vadas. Garnish with coriander leaves and grated carrot & bhoondi.
10. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Tips

• If urad dal or whole skinned black gram dal is soaked for over 8 hours, the vadas absorb less oil and are tastier than the vadas prepared from dal which is soaked for only 2 hours.
• You can soak the deep fried vadas in water.
• You can make a paste of green chilies and ginger and mix with the beaten curd.

Carrot Rice

Looking for a quick one pot meal that is healthy and tasty? Carrot Rice fits the bill. A great way to use left overs with a fuss free rice recipe.

I am gearing up for the holiday season with my son’s school closing for a month long winter vacation from Friday. I have been busy baking petite fruit cakes to be given away to family and friends. When I get busy baking, I tend to opt for quick meals using left overs that are filling for our mid day meal. My blog is home to a variety of Indian rice recipes using vegetables and Indian spices that work great for your lunch box or your kid’s tiffin. Adding to the growing list of such rice dishes is today’s Carrot Rice where the key ingredients are Kasuri Methi (roasted fenugreek leaves), whole garam masala spices and fresh coriander leaves.

Carrot Rice Recipe

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 30 min

Yield: 4

Main Ingredients: carrot rice

Ingredients

• Rice - 5 cups, cooked with each grain separate
• Carrots - 2, peel and grate
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig (optional)
• Bay leaf -1
• Cloves - 6
• Cinnamon stick - 1"
• Cardamoms - 2
• Onions - 2 (medium sized, finely sliced)
• Green chili-ginger-garlic paste - (1" ginger/2 cloves garlic/2 green chilies)
• Coriander leaves - 4-5 tbsps, finely chopped:
• Kasoori methi - 1/2 tsp (dried fenugreek leaves)
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Broken Cashew nuts - 2 tbsps
• Coriander leaves - 1 1/2 tbsps (finely chopped for garnish)
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Ghee - 1 tbsp (optional) vegan can omit ghee and substitute with oil
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Method

1. Heat oil+ghee in a vessel or pressure cooker, add cashew nuts and toast till golden. Remove the cashew nuts and keep aside.
2. In the same cooking vessel, add cloves, cinnamon and cardamoms and stir fry till they splutter. Add the sliced onions and saute for 3 mts. Add green chili-ginger-garlic paste, curry leaves, coriander leaves and kasoori methi and saute for 4 mts.
3. Add the grated carrot and cook for 7-8 mts on low to medium. Add coriander powder and mix. Add salt to taste and mix.
4. Reduce heat, add the cooked rice and mix. Cook on low flame for 3 mts.
5. Remove onto a serving bowl. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and toasted cashew nuts. Serve warm with raita or any curry of your choice.

Tips

• You can add 1/4 tsp garam masala powder.
• You can add either cashew nuts or peanuts.

Papidi chaat-Papiri chaat

Indians love their favorite chaat wala and spend many a evening eating their favorite masala puri or pani puri, relishing its magical, addictive flavors like there’s no tomorrow. And why not? Its comforting food that warms the palate, delicious and economical on the wallet.

                                                               Rolled out papdi

In the realm of chaat recipes, Papdi Chaat, is a favorite. The green and sweet chutney drizzled on a bed of papdi, lends a sweet, tangy and savory note, further fortified with beaten yogurt and finished with chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves and sev, adding crunch to the hearty chaat. A crowd-pleasing appetizer recipe that is quick to fix provided you have done some preparation work ahead. Wow your guests by artfully arranging the papdi with zesty toppings and vibrant garnishes for an impressive beginning to a dinner

Papdi Recipe

Prep: 20 mts, Sitting time: 15 mts, Cooking time: 20 mts

Serves 10-12 persons

Cuisine: Indian

Source: Recipe files

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Ingredients:

1 cup maida/all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp kalonji/onion seeds (optional)

1 tbsp oil or ghee

salt to taste

water for kneading

oil for deep frying

1 Take a wide plate and add the maida, oil, kalonji and salt and combine. Slowly add water and make a smooth dough. Leave aside covered with damp cloth for 15 mts.
2 Knead the dough again for a mt. Pinch off some dough and make very small balls. Roll out small thin rotis. Make deep dents in the roti using a fork or knife.
3 Heat enough oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel. It should be on medium high and once its hot, slide the roti into the hot oil and allow to cook. Flip over and fry the other side till light golden brown. Don’t fry too much as it will turns too dark. Remove on to absorbent paper.
4 Cool and store in an air tight container and use when required.

Note: Ensure the oil is hot enough before frying the papdi. If the oil is not hot enough, the papdi will absorb a lot of oil. Alternately, you can roll out a big sized roti and cut it into diamonds as shown in the image above.

How to make Papdi Chaat

Take a wide serving plate. Place 4-5 papdis, layer each papdi with chopped or mashed boiled potato and boiled chickpeas. Next spoon green chutney and sweet tamarind chutney. Spoon sweetened curd/dahi. Sprinkle some chopped onion. Finally finish off with sev and coriander leaves. Serve immediately.

Green (Hari) Chutney Recipe
Sweet (Meeta) Chutney Recipe
Sev Recipe