Masala Vada Recipe | Ambode Recipe | Chana Dal Vada Recipe [Video]

Masala Vada / Ambode / Dal Vada recipe with detailed Video recipe. Masala Vada or Ambode is a popular Indian deep fried fritter / snack made from chana dal or lentils. Masala Vada is a popular tea time snack. Masala Vada is vegan.

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I post a lot less deep-fried recipes than I actually eat. I don't deep fry much, but that doesn't mean I don't binge on french fries or samosas. I just fry less at home myself and rely on restaurants doing it for me. All this because I find it really boring to clean up after frying. To be really honest, I kinda eat them almost every day. There is a "gaadi" or a cart behind my house who makes some really amazing masala vadas along with mirchi bhajjis and other pakodas. I usually pick up at least a couple vadas on my way home. So I rarely get about making them. But these Masala Vadas are worth the effort.

There are days when you want everything homemade, from your bread to your pickles. And in one of those energetic moments, I made these masala vadas. And to tell you the truth, they were so much better and fresher than the ones you get outside.

Masala Vada is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The base of the masala vada is soaked chana dal. The chana dal is coarsely ground to give a nice texture to the vadas. You can also save a little aside while grinding and add the rest in final batter. If you don't have Dill leaves, add in coriander or any other herb, but dill tastes the best. There are so many variations you can do while making them. If you or your family does not like or eat onions, either don't add it or you can replace it with finely chopped cabbage. If you don't want to add ginger, then you can add in hing.

Serve the vadas piping hot with ketchup or chutney and a hot cup of chai!

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Masala Vada Recipe | Ambode Recipe | Chana Dal Vada Recipe

Masala Vada or Ambode is a popular Indian deep fried fritter / snack made from chana dal or lentils. Masala Vada is a popular tea time snack. Masala Vada is vegan.

Recipe Type:  Snacks
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     3 hours
Cook time:     20 minutes
Total time:     3 Hours 20 Minutes
Yield:                12-15 Vadas

Ingredients:

1 cup Chana Dal
1" Ginger, grated
1 Tbsp Black Pepper
0.25 tsp Turmeric Powder
2-3 Green Chillies, finely chopped
1 Onion, finely chopped
0.5 cup Dill leaves, finely chopped
10-12 Curry leaves, roughly chopped
Salt to taste
Water as required
Oil to fry

Method:

1. Wash and soak the chana dal in water for 3-4 hours.
2. Drain the chana dal and add to a grinder/blender along with the ginger, pepper and turmeric powder. Grind until your have a coarse batter that is sticky.
3. Remove to a bowl and add in the chopped onioons, green chillies, dill leaves, curry leaves adn salt. Mix well.
4. Heat oil in a kadhai or deep fryer.
5. While the oil heats up, wet your hands and divide the batter and shape the vadas.
6. Drop in the hot oil and cook on medium heat until the vadas are browned.
7. Serve vadas hot along with ketchup or chutney.

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Medu Vada

Banana Buns

Cucumber Pakoda

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Moonglet Recipe | Moong Dal Pizza Recipe [Video]

Moonglet recipe with step by step photos and video instructions. Moonglet is a popular North Indian street food. Moonglet is a fluffy pancake made from split mung beans and topped like a pizza with vegetables, seasoning and cheese. Moonglet is gluten free. This recipe can be adapted to suit a vegan diet and a Jain diet.

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You guys, you have got to try this fluffy pancake meets Pizza aka Moonglet. It is light, flavorful and so customizable. It is also gluten-free and can be adapted to suit a plant-based / vegan diet and the Jain diet. So easy too.

I saw this on YouTube and I knew instantly that I had to try it. The idea of a gluten-free pizza made with all natural ingredients was too tempting to resist.

I loved the crispy outside. I love the soft and fluffy inside. And I love the toppings. I've topped the Moonglets with so many different toppings - capsicum, tomato, baby corn, onion, paneer, tofu, etc. It is really your choice. I also found topping the Moonglet with pizza seasoning made it even more yum. You can either go the Italian way like I did and top with oregano, garlic powder, etc. or try a fajita seasoning. It's all in your hands.

Making the batter needs a little bit of patience, this is not an instant recipe. The moong dal or deskinned split mung beans need soaking. If you are short of time, soak for just 2 hours and if you have the time, you can soak it overnight. I just would not exceed 10 hours. Then just grind the moong dal along with ginger and green chilies to make a smooth batter. The dal itself will be moist and you may not require any extra water. Grind it as thick as possible, we can add water later while making the Moonglet. The Moonglet gets its fluffiness from Eno fruit salt, if you don't have Eno, use baking soda and a teaspoon of lime juice to help it get the rise. It may not be as fluffy as with Eno, but it will still be light. I have found adding a little water along with the Eno, helps it fluff up better.

Now how many Moonglets you make is all up to the size of your pan. I prefer making several small ones instead of one large one. It makes it much easier to flip them. I suggest using the smallest frying pan you have to make them and dividing the batter accordingly. Grease the pan and add the batter. Top with whatever you choose and use the back of the spatula to press the toppings in.  Once the first side cooks, flip and cook the other side and top with cheese before serving.

This was my easy version of the Moonglet. YouTube is awash with several versions, some even go the cheese burst way where the Moonglet is cut open carefully and cheese is put inside along with the topping and allowed to melt. I would love to try that out someday.

Always, always serve the Moonglet hot. You can serve it with sauce or chutney or even salsa, something to just dip the Moonglet it.


Suggestions to suit other diets:

• To adapt the recipe to a vegan / plant-based diet, use only vegetables or use tofu for the topping. You can either skip the cheese or use vegan cheese.

• To adapt the recipe to a Jain diet, skip the ginger in the batter. You can replace it with asafoetida or hing.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Moonglet Recipe | Moong Dal Pizza Recipe

Moonglet is a popular North Indian street food. Moonglet is a fluffy pancake made from split mung beans and topped like a pizza with vegetables, seasoning and cheese. Moonglet is gluten free. This recipe can be adapted to suit a vegan diet and a Jain diet.

Recipe Type:  Breakfast / Snacks
Cuisine:            North Indian
Prep Time:     5 hours
Cook time:     30 minutes
Total time:     5 Hours 30 Minutes (includes soaking time)
Yield:                3 to 4

Ingredients:

1 cup Moong Dal
2 Green Chillies
1 tsp Ginger, grated
1 tsp Eno fruit salt
1 tsp Pizza seasoning
Sliced vegetables for topping
Sliced paneer for topping
2 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped
3-4 Tbsp Cheese, grated
3-4 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. Wash the moong dal and soak it for 5 hours.
2. Drain the moong dal and grind it along with ginger and green chillies and 1 Tbsp of water until smooth. The batter has to be thick, so don't add too much water.
3. Add salt as per taste and the eno to the batter.
4. Add water if required and mix well until the eno is combined and the batter is fluffy.
5. Heat oil in a small non stick pan and add spoonfuls of the batter. Divide the batter depending on the size of your pan. I made 2 moonglets with a 6" frying pan.
6. Keep the pan on low heat and arrange the toppings. I used sliced capsicum, tomato and paneer.
7. Top with chopped coriander leaves and pizza seasoning.
8. Gently press the toppings into the moonglet with the back of a spatula.
9. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 minutes or until one side is cooked.
10. Gently flip the moonglet and spoon oil on the sides.
11. Remove from heat once the second side is cooked too.
12. Top with grated cheese.
13. Cut into slices and serve.

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vegan Omelet

Vegan Zucchini Spinach Frittata

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Chhole Chaat Recipe | Chickpea Salad [Video]

Chhole Chaat or Chickpea Salad recipe with video instructions. Chhole Chaat is a simple, quick and delicious salad made with boiled chickpeas and a handful of ingredients. Spicy, tangy and super delicious, perfect for weeknight dinners and Summer lunches. Chhole Chaat is vegan, plant-based and gluten-free. It can be adapted to a Jain diet.

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I literally spent the second half of the 90s eating this salad and hiding it from my parents.

My school did not have a playground, which wasn't much of an issue for someone like me who hated outdoor activities. Give me a book any day. But the school authorities didn't think like me and felt we needed to play sports. Arrrghhh. Yes, so they leased out grounds at a walkable distance from the school and we were mandated to participate in all the games for our age group.

I especially disliked the sports week which culminated into a Sports Day that included parents and relatives coming to watch the finals. The only highlight of the sports week was this Chhole Chaat. I know, I took a long time to reach the point. So on the way from the school to the ground was the children's park and this old man sat outside it with a big cane basket. He shouted "Bhel Bhel" as we walked by and how could we not sample it. He used the black chana mostly and not these white Kabuli Chana or Chickpeas. He would put the chana in a disposable bowl made of dried leaves along with onions, tomatoes, some black colored spices (I now assume this was the chaat masala, black salt, and cumin powder), and a generous squeeze of lime. It was the best salad/snack I had ever eaten - spicy, tangy, and just plain delicious. More so, cause we ate it secretly. Our parents would forbid us to eat from street vendors due to concerns of hygiene, but I believe it just helped us build our immunity.

This Chhole Chaat is trying to replicate that delicious "Bhel" or chaat that I ate in the 90s. The only difference is I used Kabuli chana or chhole or white chickpeas as against the black chana that the street vendor used. But it is still equally delicious.

This Chhole Chaat makes for a perfect weeknight dinner when you want something healthy and yet do not want to slog over the stove for hours. In fact, this does not require the stove at all if you have preboiled chickpeas. I usually soak dried chickpeas and boil them over the weekend as a part of my meal prep for the week. This Chhole Chaat also carries well in a lunch box and makes for a good cold lunch on a hot Summer afternoon. I eat it as an evening after-work snack at times too.

Suggestions to fit other diets:

• To adapt the recipe to suit a Jain diet, skip the onions and onions. Capsicum, cucumber and/or sweet corn can be added instead.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Chhole Chaat Recipe | Chickpea Salad

Chhole Chaat is a simple, quick and delicious salad made with boiled chickpeas and a handful of ingredients. Chhole Chaat is vegan, plant-based and gluten-free. It can be adapted to a Jain diet.

Recipe Type:  Salad
Cuisine:            North Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     0 minutes
Total time:     15 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2

Ingredients:

4 cups Chickpeas, boiled
1 large Onion, finely chopped
1 Potato, boiled and chopped
1 Tomato, finely chopped
1 Green Chilli, finely chopped
2 Tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped
1-2 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Chaat Masala
0.5 Lime
Black salt to taste
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Add the chickpeas, onion, tomato, potato, green chilli and coriander leaves to a large bowl. If you don't want a spicy salad, skip the chillies. Alternately, it can be replaced with red chilli powder or paprika.
2. Add black salt, salt, cumin powder, chaat masala and lime juice to taste.

3. Mix well and serve.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Pindi Chhole

Chhole Pulao

Ghugni Masala

South Indian Chana Masala

Amritsari Chhole

Roasted Chickpeas

Roasted Salad

Cauliflower Summer Bowl

Millet Salad

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Almond Flour Cookies Recipe | 4 Ingredient Gluten Free Almond Cookies [Video]

Gluten-Free Almond Cookies recipe with step by step video instructions. Gluten Free Almond cookies are crescent shaped eggless cookies made with almond flour, butter, and sugar. Crescent Almond Cookies are dusted with powdered sugar to make them super delicious treat!

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Friday evening, a retro song, a hot cup of tea and these almond cookies (and of course Instagram!). A perfectly relaxing moment in my week.

That's exactly what I was doing until I started writing this post. It's a beautifully warm evening, not too hot not too cold, just like how Goldilocks likes it. My trusty laptop is playing melodious songs on YouTube, I have a nice cup of tea and these sugar-coated almond flour cookies, that I dunk into my tea amidst browsing Instagram for the latest trends (and also cute puppy videos). This is exactly how I found this recipe.

I was as usual browsing through Insta when this cookie caught my eye. Just 4 ingredients and virtually no work. Making them is as relaxing as eating them. I had to make them, especially, since I have been experimenting with going gluten-free. Off the shelf gluten-free cookies are super expensive and not that great either, I am yet to find a one I love. But this one was love at first lick. Yes, lick. Did I not mention that these cookies are rolled through powdered sugar? So yummy....

Almond flour, while extremely common in other countries, isn't yet so easily available in India. I found a lot of options at Food Hall in Bangalore. It is also available online on Amazon. But if none of those work out for you, you can make your own at home. I found this recipe on Minimalist Baker that seems simple enough - How to make Almond Flour.

Once you have the almond flour, you are all set. Oh, yeah, you also need butter at room temperature. If you forgot to keep the butter out of the fridge (like me!), then the best way to use it is to grate the cold butter and use it in the recipe. So almond flour, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla, that is all you need. The original recipe that I remember skipped the vanilla, but I love the aroma of vanilla wafting through the house. Plus I like my cookies flavored with something.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until you have a dough that you can shape. If it feels loose, add a little milk or water or more butter. Everyone loves more butter. Shape it how you like it. The recipe I followed had them crescent shaped so I stuck to it. Once the cookies are shaped and baked, you have to do the most important step - the rolling in sugar. The rolling has to happen while the cookies are still hot or warm so that the sugar sticks to the cookie. So, either cool the cookies for 5 minutes on a wire rack and roll in the powdered sugar or if you have fireproof hands, just drop them in the sugar immediately from the baking tray and toss well until all the cookies are coated.

Enjoy it with your cup of tea or coffee or milk, whichever is your sin!

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Gluten Free Almond Cookies Recipe

Almond Flour Cookies are gluten-free cookies/biscuits made with just 4 ingredients - almond flour, butter, sugar, and vanilla. Easy to make almond cookies.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:            International
Prep Time:     45 minutes
Cook time:     20 minutes
Total time:     65 minutes
Yield:                15-17

Ingredients:

1 cup Almond Flour
3 Tbsp unsalted Butter
0.25 cup powdered Sugar
0.5 tsp Vanilla extract
Powdered sugar for dusting

Method:

1. In a large bowl, take almond flour, 0.25 cup powdered sugar, vanilla extract and butter (at room temperature).
2. Mix well until combined.
3. Shape into crescents or any shape that suits you.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 180 degree Celsius or until golden brown.
5. Cool on a wire rack.
6. While the cookies are still warm, roll the cookies in a bowl with powdered sugar to coat the cookies with it.
7. Store in an airtight box once completely cooled.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Rose Fruit Biscuit

Cornflake Chocolate Cookie

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Beetroot Halwa Recipe | Chukandar ka Halwa | How to make Beetroot halwa [Video]

Beetroot Halwa recipe with video instructions and step by step photos. Beetroot halwa is a rich Indian dessert made by slowly cooking grated beetroots in milk and sugar. It is flavored with cardamom and topped with a lot of dry fruits and nuts. Beetroot halwa is a gluten-free dessert.

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Hello guys! Hiya! How have you been?

I'm still trying to catch up with the seasons. So bear with me. I had this recipe all planned for the cold winters when beets are at their best. But I barely got the time to get working on it. But, yeah, I made this Beetroot Halwa many times over the winter for special occasions and no occasions at all. And each time it was devoured so quickly that I was left staring at a pink-colored bowl to wash.

I cannot recollect where I first ate beetroot halwa, but just that it was in the dessert section of a buffet lunch. And it was love at first taste. I loved the color, that magenta, what's not to love. The richness just flowed through the entire halwa. And it wasn't too sweet. I cringe at sugary-sweet desserts, but this was mildly sweet and perfect. I knew I had found a new favorite dessert.

So around new years, I declared that I would get the dessert for our small get together at my sister's place. When I disclosed I would get Beetroot Halwa, I got so much resistance, that I ended up taking two desserts, just to be safe. And guess what, the one that got over was this Beetroot Halwa.

So this is a guaranteed dish that can convert haters to lovers. Certified by my family! If you remember, I've already spoken of Raj's dislike of cooked beetroots, but this Halwa, has him converted, at least when it comes to eating beetroots as a sweet.

Beetroots are generally very earthy in taste and that carries itself into this Halwa but very delicately. The earthiness does not overpower but makes its presence felt gently. I simply loved that. The vegetable does not lose its best property just because it is cooked differently. It makes it stand apart from the halwas.

The best part of this halwa is that it requires very little sugar. Beetroots are generally pretty sweet by themselves, plus the milk cooking down releases its own sweetness. I was surprised that I needed only half a cup of sugar for 2 cups of beetroots.

The richness of the beetroot halwa comes from 3 ingredients - ghee, milk, and khova. Frying the beetroots in ghee make the halwa fragrant and also milds down that earthiness. The beetroots are slow-cooked in milk until they are soft. Khova is milk solids. Milk is slow-cooked until all the water evaporates and we are left with milk solids. Adding khova to any dessert makes gives it that rich taste and this halwa is no different.

Be generous and top the halwa with as many nuts as you want. I added almonds, cashews, and pistachios.

Like most halwas, Beetroot halwa can be served straight-from-the-kadhai hot, or at room temperature, or chilled. 

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Beetroot Halwa Recipe | How to make beet root halwa

Beetroot Halwa is a rich Indian dessert made by cooking grated beet roots in milk and sugar. It is flavored with cardamom and topped with a lot of dry fruits and nuts.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Total time:     60 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

2 cups grated Beetroots, tightly packed
2 cups Milk
0.5 cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Ghee
2 Tbsp Khova
1 tsp Cardamom Powder
3-4 Tbsp chopped Nuts (almonds, pista, cashew nuts)

Method:

1. Wash and peel the beetroots and grate them until you have 2 tightly packed cups of beetroot.
2. Heat ghee in a kadhai and add the grated beetroots. Saute on low heat for 8-10 minutes until the raw smell of the beetroots is replaced by the fragrance of ghee.
3. Add in the milk and mix well. The milk should cover the beetroots. Cook on low heat until all the milk is absorbed. Stir occasionally if using a nonstick kadhai and scrape the milk solids from the side. If using a regular kadhai, stir frequently.
4. Add the khova and mix well.
5. Add the sugar and mix well. Cook on low heat until the sugar is absorbed. Stir occasionally.
6. Add the cardamom powder and mix until combined.
7. Top with chopped nuts.
8. Serve immediately or allow to cool. Beetroot halwa can be served hot or cold.

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Gajar ka Halwa

Semiyan Kheer

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