Mirchi Bajji

Date: 1/16/2010
By Ramani

Ingredients:

• Green Chillis or Banana Peppers
• Cumin seeds
• Sesame seeds
• Gram Flour (besan)
• Coriander leaves/mint leaves
• Ginger paste
• Tamarind paste
• Red Chilli powder
• Baking powder ( a pinch)
• Vamu seeds
• Oil (for frying)
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Slit the green chillies and remove the seeds.
• To make the stuffing - make a paste of sesame seeds, cumin seeds (jeera), either mint leaves or coriander leaves, tamarind paste and salt (to taste)
• Stuff a little of this mixture into the green chillies
• Now prepare a thick batter using gram flour, baking powder, red chilli powder, salt, vamu seeds, ginger paste (a little) and about a cup of water
• Keep the batter aside for about 10 minutes
• Heat oil in a kadai.
• Dip stuffed green chillies into the batter and deep fry till golden brown.
• Serve hot.

Channa Chaat

Date: 1/9/2010
By Amrit Devgun

Ingredients:

• 5 small potatoes peeled and diced - cook until soft but not mushy
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1 apple peeled and diced - crisp and tart like Granny Smith
• 1 large tomato seeded or use Roma tomato
• cilantro chopped to taste
• 2-3 cans Garbanzo beans drained
• chili pepper (diced) or red pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp Chaat masala - approx. or to taste
• 1 tsp salt
• Tamarind/Date chutney to taste - add until moist
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Method:

• Mix potatoes, onion, tomato, apple, cilantro, beans, and chili.
• Add Chaat masala and salt and then moisten with the tamarind/date chutney and lemon juice.
• Serve cool.

Upma

Date: 12/19/2009
By Sridevi Suvarna

Ingredients:

• 1 cup upma rava (fine semolina / sooji / cream of wheat)
• 2 cups water
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp udad dal (minappappu)
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 green chillis slit lengthwise
• 1" ginger finely chopped
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 medium sized tomato chopped
• 10 curry leaves
• cilantro leaves
• salt to taste
• 1/3 tsp turmeric powder (haldi/pasupu)
• 1 tsp lemon juice (optional)

Method:

• Heat the oil in a cooking dish
• Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter
• Now add the udad dal and on low heat , let it brown...approx 1 minute
• Now add the curry leaves, ginger, and green chillis
• Add the onion and fry till soft
• Add the tomatoes and fry till soft
• Add the coriander leaves and salt
• Add 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil
• Now slowly pour the upma rava and stir continuously to avoid lumps and mix well.
• Remove from fire and set aside for 5 minutes. You may add 1 tsp of lemon juice, if you like. It adds flavor to the upma
• Serve hot with some pickle