Gatti Pakodilu

Date: 2/20/2010
By Lakshmi Vemulapalli

Ingredients:

• 1 cup besan (gram flour)
• 3 cups rice flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Ajwain
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tbsp butter
• water
• oil for deep frying

Method:

• Heat oil in a wok for deep frying.
• In a mixing bowl add besan, rice flour, salt, and red chili powder.
• Scrunch the ajwain in your palms so that the aroma is released and add it to the mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly.
• Add water a little bit at a time and mix well into a dough (it should be of cookie dough consistency)
• Melt the butter and add it to the dough and mix well.
• Fill the pakodi maker with the dough and press it into a circle directly into the hot oil.
• Let it cook for a couple of minutes and then turn it over.
• Cook for another minute or two until the pakodi is golden brown and then take it out onto a plate lined with paper napkin in order to drain the excess oil.
• Refill the pakodi maker and repeat the process until the dough is finished.
• Enjoy!

Lemon Rice with Carrots

Date: 1/30/2010
By Mangala Achar


Ingredients:

• 3 cups Basmati Rice
• 6 cups water
• 3 carrots - cleaned and grated
• 1 medium yellow onion -chopped
• 1" ginger root - chopped
• 3 small green chillis - chopped
• 3-4 tbsp fresh grated coconut
• 1 lime/lemon - sliced in half
• 1/4 cup cashewnuts - toasted
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 1 tsp chana dal
• 3 tbsp oil

Method:

• Cook the rice in 6 cups of water.
• Heat the oil in a pot over high heat.
• Once the oil is hot add the spices - mustard seeds, urad dal and chana dal.
• When the mustard seeds splutter, add the ginger, chilli's and onions. Cook till the onions are soft.
• Add cashews and stir.
• Turn off the heat. Leave the pot on the burner.
• Fluff the rice and add to the pot. Stir.
• Add salt, carrots, lime juice, sugar and coconut. Stir.
• Check seasoning and correct to taste. Serve hot.

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

Pineppale Rava Kesari

Date: 12/5/2009
By Anupama Ganeshan

Ingredients:

• Fine Rava - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
• Water - 2 1/2 cups
• Canned pineapple (finely cut) - 1/2 cup
• Pineapple essence - 1 tsp
• Ghee - 2 tblsp
• Lemon yellow color - a little
• Cashews and raisins - to taste

Method:

• Heat 1 tblsp of ghee in a deep frying pan. Fry cashews, raisins, and remove from ghee. Keep it aside.
• Fry rava in that ghee for a minute. Remove from the pan and keep separately.
• Heat water and sugar in the same pan.
• Add the yellow color, pineapple essence and the rest of the ghee to the water.
• When the water starts boiling and the sugar is completely dissolved, add the fried rava. Keep stirring constantly till it forms a thick mass.
• Add the finely chopped pineapple pieces.
• When it doesn't stick to wet hands and gets a shine, remove from fire.
• Decorate with fried nuts and raisins. Allow it to cool before serving.

Vegetable Rice with Raita

Date: 11/21/2009
By Lakshmi Wariar

For the Rice:
Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked Basmati Rice
• 2 cups mixed vegetables diced or chopped (carrots, beans, peas, corn, potatoes, etc.)
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 small onion diced or chopped
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2-4 cloves
• 2-4 cardamom pods
• 1 bay leaf
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp cashew nuts and raisins (optional)

Method:

• Heat oil. Add the onions. Fry for a minute.
• Add the mixed vegetables and fry for about 4-5 minutes.
• Add the turmeric powder, cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cashew nuts, raisins, and salt. Mix well.
• Add the uncooked rice and stir.
• Add 1.5 cups of water.
• Bring to a boil and simmer till the rice is done.
• Remove the cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf before serving.
• Serve hot with Raita (see below)

For the Raita:
Ingredients:

• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 tomato chopped
• 1/2 green cucumber chopped
• fresh cilantro leaves chopped (optional)
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• salt to taste

Method:

• Add the chopped vegetables to the yogurt with salt.
• Mix well. Garnish with cilantro leaves.