Balekaayi fry

For the coastal people of Konkan, the banana plant forms an integral part of life. Every part of the plant is used for something. The fruit is eaten when ripe, it is used in cooking when raw, the blossom and the stem are also used for cooking. Of all these, the raw banana is probably the most versatile. We make chips out of it, bhajji, sabzi / palya etc. But I recently learnt that a few Jains use it as a replacement to potato in sabzis and paratha. I'm yet to try that out, but apparently you just cannot make out the difference once you add all those aromatic spices...

The recipe serves 2-3

Raw Banana / Plantain / Balekaayi fry

Raw banana fry/dry curry.

Recipe Type: Side
Cuisine: South Indian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yield: 2-3 Servings

Ingredients:

2 Raw banana/ Plantain/ Balekaayi
2-3 tbsp Oil
8-10 Curry leaves
1 tsp Red chilli powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
Salt to taste
A handful of Coriander leaves (Optional)

Method:

Cut off the edges of the banana and peel it.

Slice the banana lengthwise and then cut into semicircle.

Heat oil in a kadhai and add the mustard seeds

Once they splutter, add the curry leaves and the banana

Stir well

Add the turmeric, red chilli powder and a little salt and mix well

Cover and allow it to cook until the banana is cooked through

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with chapatis

Palak Mooli | Spinach with Radish

I’d heard of Aloo Palak and Aloo Methi, but never of Palak Mooli. Over lunch, one Rajasthani colleague mentioned that they make palak mooli. I generally make mooli sabzi with its own greens, but never with any other greens. The greens mellow down the spiciness of the mooli. But finding fresh mooli with its own greens is quite a task in Bangalore. The only people who sell it are the ones with the carts. If you buy mooli from supermarkets, then they definitely won’t have the greens. This sabzi works well then. I immediately picked up mooli and palak the next day and decided to give it a try. I must say I like this more than the Aloo Palak…

Palak Mooli | Spinach with Radish

A Rajasthani dry curry made with white radish and spinach

Recipe Type: Side
Cuisine: Indian / Rajasthani
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yield: 2 Servings

Ingredients:

1 Mooli / White Radish / Daikon(longer than 6 inches, else, you may need 2 small ones)
2 Cups Palak / Spinach
1 Onion
1 Tomato
3 tsp Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
2 cloves Garlic
1/2" piece Ginger
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1-2 tsp Red Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Amchur powder(Optional)
Salt

Method:

Chop the onion finely.

Crush the garlic and ginger and chop finely ( or grate them )

Wash the palak leaves and chop them finely.

Peel and cut the mooli. I slit the mooli lengthwise twice and then cut into slices.

Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds.

Once they splutter, add the cumin seeds.

Once the cumin seeds brown, add the onion, ginger and garlic.

Fry until the onions are slightly browned.

Chop the tomato and add to the oil.

Fry for 1-2 mins until the tomatoes have softened.

Add the mooli and the palak.

Add the turmeric powder and red chilli powder, mix well.

Cover and cook until the mooli is done.

Add salt and amchur powder.

Mix well.

Serve hot with rotis.

Ras Malai

When one thinks of Bengali sweets, the first thing that comes to mind is the Rasgulla... the next is its creamier and richer relative, the Ras Malai. Whenever we enter a sweet shop, hubby dearest always drools over the ras malai. This was my biggest motivation to try and make it at home. I did fear initially that it is difficult to make, but I was simply fretting. I actually made it on a weekday evening when I was home early and in a good mood :)

Clockwise from top left: Curdled milk, Chenna, Kneaded dough, Flattened balls

Flattened balls in sugar syrup, After cooking

The below recipe makes around 13-14 pieces.

Ras Malai

Bengali dessert made with cottage cheese/ paneer and almond flavored milk

Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian / Bengali
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 2 Hours
Yield: 13-14

Ingredients:

1.5L of Milk
3/4 cup + 1/3 cup Sugar
2.5 cups + 2 tsp Water
1 Tbsp Cornflour
2-3 Cardamom
8-10 Almonds
8-10 Pistachios
1/2 tsp Turmeric or a few strands of Saffron
1 Tbsp Lime juice

Method:

To make Ras malai, we first make chenna.
Bring 1L of milk to a rolling boil. Lower the flame and add 1 tbsp of lime juice to help curdle the milk.
One the milk curdles, allow the milk to boil at low flame until all the milk solids come together into a lump.
Strain the milk using a muslin cloth. Tie the muslin cloth loosely and apply a weight on it. Or you can hang the cloth for around 1 hour until all the water drips off.
If applying the weight, allow the weight to be on the chenna for around 5-8 mins.
Take a large pan, add 2.5 cups of water and 3/4 cup of sugar. Boil until the sugar is dissolved. Continue to boil for 5 mins. Switch off the heat until you are ready to cook the ras malai.
Place the chenna onto a clean surface or in a large bowl. Add 1 tbsp of cornflour and knead. If it feels too dry, add 1 tsp of water and continue to knead for 5-10 mins. You know you are done with the kneading when you can make balls out of the chenna which do not have any cracks. Kneading for too long will make them rubbery and chewy.
Make small balls of the chenna and flatten them using your hand. These are boiled in sugar syrup, so remember they double in size.
Turn on the heat on the sugar syrup. Let it stay at medium heat. Place the flattened balls gently in the sugar syrup. Do not overcrowd them. Cover and cook for 15 mins.
You will know that they are done, when you touch the balls and they spring back. Do not overcook them, they will become hard.
Remove from heat and allow it to cool.
Once the balls are completely cooled, heat the remaining milk in a pan.
Boil the milk until it reduces to half.
Add the 1/3 cup of sugar and the turmeric/saffron strands. Boil until sugar dissolves.
Crush the cardamom into powder.
Add the cardomom powder to the milk and boil for another minute.
Remove from heat.
Add slivers of almonds and finely chopped pistachios.
Remove the balls from sugar syrup. With the help of 2 spoons, gently squeeze the balls to remove excess sugar syrup. Be very gentle. Place the ball into the sweetened milk.
Allow it to cool and then refrigerate it.
Serve chilled, garnished with more almonds and pistachios.

Solkadi | Spicy Kokum Drink

Kokum isn't a fruit many are familiar with. It is indigenous to the Konkan coast of India. It isn't generally consumed like other fruits, it is mostly had in the form of the sweet juice or the savoury kadi. The kokum rind is sun dried and is called "Aamsol" in Konkani and used in kadi. It is also used instead of tamarind to add sourness to curries and gravies. Solkadi is a must for every Goan meal. It is made in 2 ways in Goa, one with coconut milk and one without. Solkadi is supposed to aid in digestion. The recipe below is for the one without coconut milk. Although this is eaten with rice in Goa, I prefer it just like a drink along with my meal.

Aamsol or dried kokum rind

The recipe makes 2 big glasses.

Solkadi | Spicy Kokum Drink

Traditional Goan savory beverage made with the dried peel of the kokum fruit.

Recipe Type: Beverage
Cuisine: Indian / Goan
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Yield: 2

Ingredients:

10-12 pieces Aamsol / Dried Kokum Peel
2 glasses Water
2-3 Green chillies
A handful of Coriander leaves(Optional)
1/2 tsp Sugar(Optional)
Salt

Method:

Heat 1/2 a glass of water until it is slightly warm.

Add the kokum and allow them to seep.

After 10-15 mins, add this seeped liquid along with the kokum to the remaining water

Slit the green chillies and add to the water

Add salt and sugar. I don't add sugar, I prefer the tartness.

If it isn't yet tart/ sour enough for you, allow the kokum to seep longer in the water

If you think it is too sour, add more water.

While serving, remove the kokum and the green chillies and garnish with finely chopped coriander and serve.

Mirchi Ka Salan

Did you know, that India is the largest producer and consumer of chillies? And Andhra Pradesh accounts for 30% of production... No wonder when we think of Andhra food, we think spicy... It is fitting that AP has a dish showcasing their favorite hot chilli. This is generally served as an accompaniment with Biryani. Now, although, I can eat spicy food, I cannot go all the way and eat it as spicy as the Andhraites, so instead of using spicy green chillies, I stuck to using the yellow ones which are generally used to make bhajjis. I also cut them into chunks rather than use them whole, this just made it easier to eat with chapati...

Mirchi Ka Salan

Spicy Andhra curry made with chillies and peanuts. Usually served as an accompaniment to Biryani.

Recipe Type: Side
Cuisine: South Indian / Andhra
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Yield: 2-4 Servings

Ingredients:

4-5 Banana pepper / Wax chili / Bhajji mirchi
4 Tbsp Peanuts
3 Tbsp Coconut (desiccated)
1.5 Tbsp Sesame seeds
½ cup Curd/ Yogurt
1 tsp Tamarind
1 Onion
2-3 cloves Garlic
1” piece Ginger
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1-2 tsp Red chili powder
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2” stick Cinnamon
1 Cardamom
1-2 Cloves
2 dry Red Chilies
5-6 Curry leaves
1 tsp Jaggery or 1/2 tsp Sugar
5 tsp Oil
Water
Salt

Method:

Heat a tsp of oil in a kadhai and add the peanuts once the oil is hot.

Fry the peanuts on low flame until slightly brown.

Add the sesame seeds and continue frying until the sesame is slightly browned.

Now add the desiccated coconut and fry until the coconut browns slightly.

Do this on low flame and not on high. You want them to cook, not just color.

Keep this aside to cool.

Soak tamarind in half a cup of water.

Crush and grind the ginger and garlic into a fine paste. Alternatively, you can use 1 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste.

Heat 3 tsp of oil in a kadhai.

Once it is hot, add the red chilies (either whole or you can break them), cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.

Fry for about 20 secs and then add the mustard seeds.

Once the mustard crackles, add the cumin seeds.

After the cumin seeds have browned, add the onions and fry until the onions are golden brown.

Now add the curry leaves and ginger-garlic paste and fry until fragrant

Add the coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder and red chili powder and fry for 30 secs – 1 min.

Add ½ cup water and cover and cook until the oil oozes out.

Now add the whisked curd, tamarind water and jaggery and cover and cook until the oil oozes out. I did not add all the tamarind juice at once, added ¼ cup first and tasted it later and added the rest.

Grind the coconut, peanut and sesame into a fine paste with some water.

Add this paste and salt and cover and cook for 15-20 mins until the raw taste disappears.

Vegetable Fried Rice

Who doesn't like the greasy Indian Chinese fried rice? Pair that with some spicy manchurian, and we have a dinner going... It has become so popular that tiny roadside carts also sell you some tasty fried rice at lower cost... But some of the best things are made at home when you know how hygienic it is... And this works perfectly for a busy week night dinner as it hardly takes any time to prepare.

Vegetable Fried Rice

Rice and vegetables stir fried together.

Recipe Type: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian Chinese
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes (Includes cooking rice)
Yield: 2-3 Servings

Ingredients:

3/4 cup uncooked or 2-3 cups cooked Rice
1 Carrot
10-12 Green Beans
1/2 Capsicum
2 Spring Onions or 1 Onion
1" piece Ginger
3-4 cloves Garlic
1-2 Tbsp Soy sauce
1/2 tsp Ajinomoto / Maggi magic cube (Optional)
1 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp Vinegar
3 tsp Oil
2-3 drops Lime juice
Salt

Method:

Rice needs to be slightly under cooked and dry for fried rice. So cook the rice with a little less water than usual and for little less time. I cooked with a tbsp less than 1.5 cups of water and it generally takes 5 whistles or 10 mins for my rice to cook in the pressure cooker. I cooked for 4 whistles instead. Add a few drops of lime juice so that the cooked rice has separate grains.

Once the rice is cooked, spread it out on a large plate until ready to use.

Chop the carrot and beans into small cubes and boil them until half done.I microwaved them for around 6 mins.

Julienne the capsicum and onions. If the spring onions are very small, you can use more.

Crush the ginger and garlic into a fine paste.

Heat oil in a kadhai / wok and once it is hot, add the onion and fry.

Once the onions are slightly translucent, add the ginger garlic paste and capsicum and fry for 1 min

Add the beans and carrot and cook until the vegetables are almost 90% done. They should retain their bite. Do not overcook them.

Add the 1 tbsp soya sauce, pepper, vinegar, ajinomoto or maggi magic cube and mix well.

Add the rice and mix well

Add salt and any other sauce as per taste

Serve hot with some spicy manchurian

Gobi Manchurian

The first time I had this, I loved it. It was in a cafe, we friends went to after our tuition in the 10th standard. It cost us Rs.20 back then in a moderately priced cafe. Back then, we did not have it as an accompaniment, we ate it as the main meal. Spicier than home food and newer flavors, it tingled our senses. And it has been tingling ever since...

Gobi after frying

Gobi Manchurian

An Indian Chinese appetizer of deep fried cauliflower in a spicy sauce

Recipe Type: Appetizer
Cuisine: Indian Chinese
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Yield: 3-4 Servings

Ingredients:

200 gms Cauliflower
2 Spring onions or 1 Onion
2 Tbsp chopped Spring onion greens
1.5" piece Ginger
4 cloves Garlic
2 Green Chilli (Slit length wise)
2 Tbsp Capsicum (finely chopped)
2 Tbsp Carrot (finely chopped)
2 Tbsp Cornflour
1 Tbsp Flour / Maida
3-4 Tbsp Soy sauce
1 tsp Chilli sauce
1/2 tsp Vinegar
2 tsp + 2 cups Oil
1/2 tsp Ajinomoto / Maggi magic cube
Salt
Water

Method:

Crush and grind the ginger and garlic into a fine paste. Alternatively, use ginger-garlic paste. I prefer using fresh as I feel it gives it a better fragrance.

Mix the cornflour and flour with 1/2 cup water. Add 1 tsp of the ginger garlic paste, 1 tbsp soya sauce and salt. Add more water if needed, the consistency should not be very thin, it should be sufficient to coat the cauliflower

Break the cauliflower into smaller florets

Heat 2 cups Oil for deep frying in a kadhai

Dip the cauliflower in the batter and deep fry until golden brown and keep aside

Heat 2 tsp oil in a kadhai, add the onions and once they are translucent, add the ginger garlic paste and fry until fragrant

Add the other vegetables and continue frying until they are done,

Now add the remaining batter prepared for the cauliflower. Add more water to get a gravy. If you want it dry, you may not need to add any water.

Add all the sauces, vinegar, ajinomoto / maggi magic cube and salt and cook for 2-3 mins.

Add the cauliflower and cook for 1 more min.

Garnish with spring onion greens and serve hot

Bombay Pav Bhaji

The reason I call this the Bombay Pav Bhaji is because I eat and make 2 kinds of Pav bhajis and it gets confusing about which one I'm talking about. The other one being the Goan Pav bhaji ( recipe will be posted soon). The Bombay pav bhaji is the red coloured pav bhaji most commonly eaten across India in restaurants or small chaat carts / gaadis . As a kid, eating out meant small snacks in the evenings, as restaurant culture had not yet caught on as it has today. We would go on my dad's Bajaj scooter to our favorite chaat cart/ gaadi in the market to eat Pav bhaji. With very low tolerance for spices, I was generally stuck eating just butter pav. But as I grew up, the spice tolerance also grew and I was able to enjoy this spicy red bhaji with the greasy yet amazingly tasty butter pav. I'm sure a lot of us have similar memories of the 1990s. Till date, whenever I go home, I make it a point to go to the same gaadi and eat the same pav bhaji. I don't know his secret recipe that makes it so yummy, but I do make it my way at home... The recipe that follows is the way I make it at home...

Bombay Pav Bhaji

A popular Bombay street food consisting of spicy mix vegetable mash and bread rolls/pav.

Recipe Type: Snacks
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yield: 2-3 Servings

Ingredients:

3 medium Potato
1 cup chopped Tomato
3/4 cup chopped Onion
1/2 cup chopped Capsicum
1/4 cup chopped Carrot
1/2 cup Cauliflower (broken into small florets or chopped)
1/4 cup Green peas
3-4 cloves or 1 Tbsp paste of Garlic
1" piece or 1 Tbsp paste of Ginger
2 Tbsp Pav bhaji masala (In case you don't have this available, use Garam masala - 1/2 tsp, Coriander powder - 1 tsp, Amchur/ Dry mango powder - 1/4 tsp, Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp)
A pinch of Garam masala
2 Tbsp Butter
Red chilli powder - To taste
Salt - To taste
A handful of Coriander leaves
Lemon wedges

Method:

Boil and peel the potatoes

Boil the carrot, cauliflower, peas and capsicum.

Grind the ginger-garlic into a fine paste.

Heat 1 tbsp of butter in a kadhai or pan

Add the onions and fry until golden brown.

Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry until fragrant.

Add the tomatoes and fry until soft and cooked.

Add all the remaining vegetables and mash them.

Add all the spices and salt.

Add a little water to achieve the desired consistency

Boil for 5-6 mins

Add 1 tbsp of butter on top

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves

Serve hot with some lemon wedges, chopped onion and buttered Pav

Masala Bharwan Karela | Bittergourd stuffed with Spices

Few people like Karela. My dad loves it. As a kid I used to think he is weird for actually like it. It all changed, when I was in college. As in most hostel messes across the country, the food was barely tasty. So on days we could not go to the city to eat in restaurants, we had a few "aunties" in our campus who would deliver lunch/dinner to the hostel in tiffin carriers if we informed them beforehand. The food was simple, but it was home cooked. One of those tiffins, one day, contained some small strips of some vegetable fried with rava aka Kapo / Podi. I loved it but could not even identify the vegetable. I was surprised to hear, it was the karela. It looked like I could be weird and like karelas. I told this to my aunt once and she made karela sabzi and that's where my love affair with the karela began. Since then I've made karela in various ways. This was my first time stuffing it.

Stuffed Karela

Use small karela/ bittergourd

Tie and fry

Masala Bharwan Karela | Bittergourd stuffed with Spices

Karela or Bitter gourd stuffed with spices and fried to make a dry curry.

Recipe Type: Side
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

8-10 Karela/ Bitter gourd(small 2-3" ones)
1 large Onion
6-8 cloves Garlic
1 tsp Red chilli powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder -
1/2 tsp Amchur
1 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
Oil for frying
Salt to taste
Water
Thread to tie

Method:

Boil the karelas in salted water for 5 mins. Remove from heat and leave them in water for 2 more mins.

Remove from water and wipe them dry with a clean kitchen towel.

Slit the karela lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Do not throw these away.

Chop the onion finely and add to the karela seeds.

Add all the spices and salt and mix well.

Stuff the karela with the mixture and tie using a thread.

Heat 3-4 tbsp oil in a shallow pan and place the karela without any overlap

Keep turning them for even cooking.

You can also deep fry them.

If there is any stuffing remaining, just saute it in a little oil and serve along with the karela.

Serve hot with rice or roti.

Vegetable Biryani (2 ways)

After a short trip to Sri Lanka where we struggled to find veg food, our taste buds were craving for some spice and lots of vegetables. I wanted to make and eat something that celebrated our wonderful Indian cuisine. It had also been a long time since I had made biryani, I'd almost forgotten the recipe taught to me by my friend's mom. So I tried to recollect all I could and gave it a go. It definitely was the tastiest biryani I've ever eaten (may be cause I made it :P) Below is the recipe how I made it (1st one). There are a few things missing here that are present in an authentic biryani as I made it with things readily available. I have not added potato, black cardamom and saffron/kesar. You can add the potato along with the other vegetables. Black cardamom needs to be added to the rice as well as the masala (1 each). Few saffron strands are mixed with milk and added to the rice. I skipped all this and as I know it, it made no difference to the biryani tastewise. Also, I used regular rice and not Basmati. I highly recommend using Basmati as it adds to the fragrance. I am listing down 2 recipes below, 1st one is how I made it and the 2nd one is an easier method.

Vegetable Biryani

The masala before layering

Recipe 1 : How I made it:

Vegetable Biryani

Rice cooked with vegetables and a spicy masala

Recipe Type: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Yield: 2-3 Servings

Ingredients:

1 cup / 10-12 florets Cauliflower
1 Carrot
1/2 cup Peas
12-15 Beans
2 medium Onions
2 medium Tomatoes
4-5 cloves Garlic
1 " piece Ginger
1/2 cup Curd/ Yoghurt
1/2 cup Mint
1 cup uncooked Rice
3.5 cups Water
4 Cloves
2 1" pieces Cinnamon
4 Green cardamom
2 Bayleaf
A few strands Mace
8-10 Peppercorns
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Ajwain
6 tsp Oil
1 tsp Red Chilli powder
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala
2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
2 Tbsp Milk
Salt

Method:

Take 3 cups of water in a kadhai/pan. Add 2 cloves, 1 bayleaf, 1 piece of cinnamon, 2 Green cardamoms, few strands of mace and 1/2 tsp of salt.

Wash the rice and add to the water and boil until the rice is almost done.

Remove the spices from the rice and drain excess water if any.

Heat 4 tsp oil in another kadhai and add the cumin seeds.

Once they brown, add the 1 chopped onions, remaining cloves, cardamom, bayleaf, peppercorns, ajwain and cinnamon.

Cook until the onions are translucent.

Grind together the tomatoes, ginger and garlic.

Add it to the kadhai with the onions.

Add chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and the garam masala and cook for 1 min.

Add all the roughly chopped vegetables and 1/4 cup water and cover and cook on low flame until the vegetables are almost done.

Add more water if needed.

Grind the mint leaves with a little water and add it to the curd and whisk to remove any lumps.

Add this to the masala and cook for 1 min.

Add salt and remove from heat.

In another pan, add the remaining oil.

Once the oil is hot, add the remaining onion sliced lengthwise and fry until brown.

Add one layer of the masala over the onions

Add one layer of rice

Again add a layer of masala and then one layer of rice.

Sprinkle 2 tbsp of milk and cover the kadhai and cook on low flame for 10-15 mins.

Mix well and serve hot with raita.

Recipe 2: Easy way out

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 1 cup / 10-12 florets

Carrot - 1

Peas - 1/2 cup

Beans - 12-15

Onion - 2 medium

Tomato - 2 medium

Garlic - 4-5 cloves

Ginger - 1 " piece

Curd - 1/2 cup

Mint - 1/2 cup

Rice - 1 cup

Water - 2 cups + 1/2 cup

Cloves - 2

Cinnamon - 1" piece

Green cardamom - 2

Bayleaf - 1

Mace - few strands

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 6 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Biryani masala - 1-2 tbsp

Salt

Method:

Cook rice along with cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom, bayleaf, mace and 1/2 tsp of salt. You can pressure cook the rice until it is done. Add a little less water than you regularly do so that the rice is not too mushy. We need the rice grains to be separate.
Remove the spices from the rice and keep aside.
Parboil the vegetables outside until they are half done. Especially carrot and beans that take a little longer to cook. You can microwave them on high for 3-4 mins.
Heat 4 tsp oil in another kadhai and add the cumin seeds.
Once they brown, add 1 chopped onion. Cook until the onions are translucent.
Grind together the tomatoes, ginger and garlic.
Add it to the kadhai with the onions.
Add chilli powder, turmeric powder and biryani masala and cook for 3-5 mins.
Add the vegetables cook on low flame until the vegetables are done.
Add more water if needed.
Grind the mint leaves with a little water and add it to the curd and whisk to remove any lumps.
Add this to the masala and cook for 1 min.
Add salt and remove from heat.
In another pan, add the remaining oil.
Once the oil is hot, add the remaining onion sliced lengthwise and fry until brown.
Mix the fried onion, masala and rice. Heat once again if needed.
Serve hot with raita

Nippattu | Thattai

Same story as my Kaju Katli post. I asked hubby dearest what khara/ namkeen/ spicy snack should I make for Diwali and the reply was Nippattu. Again, I had tried this earlier and it was something I couldn't brag about. Tried it again and presto! it tasted good this time. I did struggle a little initially even this time, but I got the correct advice from multiple people and managed to salvage my nippattu mission. I was not rolling them thin enough and hence they were not cooking properly in the center giving them soft centers and crispy sides. After about 7-10 turning out soft, I took the advice and patted them out evenly and thinner and they turned out nice and crisp. The recipe made close to 40 nippattus.

Nippattu | Thattai

Spicy flat South Indian crisps made from Rice flour

Recipe Type: Snacks
Cuisine: South Indian
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Yield: 40

Ingredients:

2 cups Rice flour
1 cup Maida / Flour
1-2 tsp Red chilli powder
50 gms or 3 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Oil (hot)
2-3 sprigs Curry leaves
2 Tbsp Coriander leaves (chopped)
1/2 cup Peanuts
1/4 cup Puthani / Roasted gram
1/4 tsp Asafoetida / Hing
A pinch of Cooking soda
Salt
Water
Oil for deep frying

Method:

Dry roast the peanuts and peel them. Crush the peanuts into 2-3 pieces, just be careful not to powder it.

Mix the rice flour, maida, red chilli powder, butter, chopped curry leaves, coriander leaves, peanuts, roasted gram, hing, cooking soda and salt.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil and add to the mix.

Add water and knead into a smooth dough.

Cover and keep aside for 10-15 mins

Take a small ball of dough and place it on a butter paper or any other greased surface and pat it down into a disk using your fingers. The disk should be around 2mm in thickness. Make sure it is evenly thick.

Heat the oil in a kadhai for deep frying. After the oil is hot, reduce the stove to medium flame.