Shallow Fried Bread Pakoda (Tawa method)

Shallow Fried Bread Pakoda (Tawa method)

A tasty snack, made of gram flour batter and less oil !!!

Makes: 6 pakodas

Ingredients

3 slices of brown bread / whole wheat bread (cut into rectangular / triangle shape / square shape)

6 teaspoons / 2 tablespoon oil

Tomato sauce / Green chutney for serving

For Pakoda Batter (gram flour batter):

1/2 cup ( 100 g ) besan ( gram flour )

60 - 80 ml water (depends upon the quality of gram flour (besan)

1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon salt ( or to taste )

2 pinches hing ( asafoetida )

2 teaspoon finely chopped coriander leaves

Mix all the ingredients with water and keep aside for 15 minutes. Pakoda batter should be of dropping consistency.

Method

In a non stick frying pan, heat 2 teaspoons oil. Reduce heat to medium. Dip each bread slices in pakoda batter (gram flour batter) and arrange gram flour coated bread slices carefully. Shallow fry on a medium heat to low heat until golden color on both the sides. Sprinkle remaining oil when turning other side. Carefully remove with a flat spatula. Serve hot with tomato sauce / green chutney or with tea / coffee.

Jeeraka Kanji

Jeeraka Kanji

A tasty kanji (rice porridge), made of jeera – coconut – onion paste. Popular in Malabar Muslim cuisine and also a favourite dish during the month of Ramzan. Recipe from Malabar Muslim cookery by Ummi Abdulla !!!

Serves: 3

Ingredients

For Rice:

½ cup (Indian standard measuring of 100 ml / 4 oz capacity) basmati rice or good quality silky raw rice

300 ml water

Method

Wash and soak basmati rice in 300 ml water for half an hour and pressure cook for 10 minutes until done and soft (reduce the heat from high after 3 rd (3 quick whistles) and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Allow the cooker to cool naturally. Open the lid and gently mash cooked rice with the base of a ladle).

For coconut – jeera paste:

1 teaspoon jeera powder (cumin seed powder)

8 – 10 shallots (chuvannulli / small onion), finely chopped

4 tablespoon (60 g) grated coconut

Make a fine paste of above ingredients in a small mixer bowl. Keep aside.

Final preparation:

Mix grated coconut paste and cooked rice well. Adjust salt to taste (or ½ teaspoon) and add ½ cup (100 ml) water if required. Mix all the ingredients well. Kanji should be of pouring consistency. Cover with a tight lid and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes until well combined with jeera – coconut paste. Serve hot.

Methi Na Muthia

Methi Na Muthia

A traditional steamed Gujarati dish, made of besan (gram flour), atta (wholewheat), sooji, chopped methi leaves and seasoning. Recipe from The Gujarati cook book by Kanchan Kabra !!!

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Serves: 5

Ingredients

75 g semolina (sooji / rawa)

220 gran wholewheat (atta)

45 g besan (gram flour)

1 cup (200 g) chopped methi leaves (fenugreek leaves)

2 tablespoon green chilli paste

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

40 g sugar

75 g curd

Juice of a lemon

3 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

3 tablespoon oil (or 1 – 3 tablespoon)

¾ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Method

For the muthia:

In a wide bowl, combine all the ingredinets for the muthias and make a soft dough. Do not add water to make the dough. Make a soft dough only with curd.

Divide the dough into four parts and roll them into cylindrical rolls, each about a palm’s length.

Arrange these muthia rolls in a steamer( or in a pressure cooker – without weight) and steam for about 25 – 30 minutes until done and soft.

Cool and slice the cylindrical rolls.

For seasoning:

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

2 tablespoon sesame seeds (black til seeds)

Method

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add jeera and sesame seeds. Fry on a low heat until crisp and fragrant.

Add muthias and mix well. Cook for another 10 minutes till they appear to be roasted.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Potato Podimas

Potato Podimas or Urulaikizhangu Podimas or Mashed Potato Poriyal

A tasty side dish with rice in Tamil cuisine. Recipe from Dakshin by Chandra Padmanabhan !!!

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4 – 6

Ingredients

For seasoning:

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

1 teaspoon black gram dal (urad dal)

1 teaspoon channa dal (Bengal gram)

1 red chilli, halved

2 green chillies, slit lengthwise

1 inch piece ginger, finely chopped

2 pinches asafoetida (hing)

6 curry leaves

Other ingredients

500 g potatoes, boil separately, peel off the skin and mashed

2 tablespoon grated coconut

¾ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

Juice of a lime (or 3 teaspoon)

2 – 3 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves

Method

Heat oil in a non stick pan / kadai. Add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add jeera, urad dal, channa dal, red chilli, green chillies, chopped ginger, curry leaves and hing. Fry on a medium to low heat until crisp and fragrant.

Add mashed potatoes, grated coconut, salt to taste and turmeric powder. Stir all the ingredinets well. Do not water. Cover with a tight lid and cook on a low to medium heat for 10 minutes until the flavours well blended. Switch off the heat.

Finally, mix with lime juice and sprinkle chopped coriander leaves when serving. Serve hot with rice.