VADAKARI - A SNC CHALLENGE # 4

I am very happy to take part of this interesting SNC event. A great going event started and organised by Divya Pramil from  You Too Can Cook Indian Food. This is a monthly event where two teams, 'South team' and 'North team' have to challenge each other with their regional dishes. 

This Month North team got a challenge to make Vadakari from Ramya. Same like South team got a challenge to make Rajasthani Ghevar with Rabri from Manjula.

Since I am a part of Northern team, so very delicious and flavorful, a traditional South Indian style vadakari I made here with semi gravy. We enjoyed it too much, thanks a lot Ramya for this toothsome recipe.

Now lets move to this month's challenge VADAKARI.

INGREDIENTS:

FOR MAKING VADAS:
1 Cup Bengal Gram
1 tbsp Fennel seeds
4 Red Chillies
3-4 Pods Garlic
Oil as required
Salt to taste

FOR SEASONING:
1 tbsp Mustard seeds
1 tbsp Fennel seeds
1" Cinnamon
3 tbsps Oil

FOR GRAVY:
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 Onion (paste)
1 Tomato (chopped)
2 Green Chillies, cut in slits
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder
1/3 tsp freshly grounded Garam Masala
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Water as required

METHOD:
Soak Bengal Gram for 1 hour. Drain the water completely.

Grind bengal gram along with garlic, red chillies, fennel seeds, 2 tbsps water and little salt. Make a coarse paste. Set it aside.

Heat oil in a wok. Put flat ball shaped portions in it.

Fry both sides of each vada till golden brown. Drain oil and remove from wok by using a slotted spoon. Keep aside. Follow the same process by making  the remaining vadas.

Then crumble the vadas for making curry.

Heat 3 tbsps oil in a wok. Add mustard seeds, cinnamon stick and fennel seeds in it. Saute for few seconds, add chopped onion and green chillies in it. Fry till onion gets translucent.

Now add onion paste and ginger garlic paste in it. Fry till onion leaves oil. Put chopped tomatoes, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt in it.

Fry till all spices leave oil from the sides of the wok.

Pour 1 cup water in it. When it starts to boil, add all crumbled vadas in it. Fold well. Cook for another 2 minutes. Add coriander leaves in it. Mix nicely. Remove from heat now.

Vadakari is ready to serve with warm steamed rice, appam, idlis or chapathi.

Well Ramya, I tried to do justice with your vadakari. Over to all of my friends for your lovely and precious comments.

Sending to: Ramya

RASS BORA - AN EASTERN INDIAN DELICACY

'Makar Sankranti' is one of the auspicious occassion for all Hindus and celebrating all parts of India. So today I celebrated this Sankranti with delightful 'RASS BORA'.

In Bengal, every year a big mela 'Ganga Sagar Mela' held in Ganga Sagar and 'Pithe Puli' (sweet-savory dumplings) made in every house. All members of the family eating these pithe puli by sitting together. Rass bora is easy to make and very delicious dessert which is flavored with date jaggery. So, enjoy this Makar Sankranti with this highly seasoned flovory sweet dish.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Black Gram Lentils - skinless (urad dal)
1 tsp Fennel seeds (crushed)
1/2 tsp freshly gounded Black Pepper
2-3 Cardamoms (crushed)
1 Bay Leaf

Date Molasses

400 gm Date Molasses
2&1/2 Cup Water
1/2 tsp Salt
Oil for Frying

METHOD:
Soak urad dal overnight. Drain water from it.

Grind urad dal with minimum water to make a smooth paste. Set it aside.

Heat molasses with water. Add cardamoms and bay leaf in it.

Boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Now syrup is ready. Remove from heat.

Add salt, crushed fennel seeds and black pepper into the batter of urad dal. Beat nicely.

Heat enough oil in a wok. Oil must be steaming hot.

Slowly drop few small vadas in it.

Fry till both sides turn golden brown. Remove from oil.

Add the vadas in warm syrup.

Follow the same process for the rest of the vadas.

Keep it as it is for 4-6 hours, so that all vadas will absorb syrup nicely. Syrup thickens when cooled, so don't boil it again.

Serve as a yummy dessert. Enjoy!!!

Linking to: Cook Like a Celebrity Chef - 3

Linking to: Makar Sankranti 

Linking to: Favorite Recipes Event: Lentil/ Legume/Beans recipes

POHA PANEER ROLL

This roll is very easy to make and tastes delish. It can be served as appetizer, snacks or side dish.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Beaten Rice (Poha)
1 Potato (Boiled & mashed)
2 Bread Slices
1 tbsp Semolina (Sooji)
1 tbsp crushed roasted Peanuts
1/2 tsp Caraway Seeds (Shajeera/Black cumin seeds)
1 Cup grated Cottage Cheese (Paneer)
2 Green Chillies (finely chopped)
2 tbsps finely chopped Onion
1 tsp finely chopped Garlic
1 tsp finely chopped Ginger
2 tbsps chopped Cilantro
1 tsp roasted cumin seeds (powdered)
1/2 tsp Dry Mango powder (Amchur)
1/3 tsp Garam Masala
1 tbsp Lemon juice
1 tsp White Pepper powder
1/2 tsp Red chilli powder (optional)
1 tbsp milk
1 Egg (or 1/2 cup thin chckpea flour batter)
1 Cup Bread crumb
2 tbsps Butter
Oil for deep frying
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Wash beaten rice in a colander and keep aside.

Soak bread slices in water for 1 minute. Squeeze out all of the water from bread slices and keep aside.

Heat 2 tbsps butter in a frying pan. Add caraway seeds followed by chopped garlic and ginger. Saute for few seconds. Now add onions and green chillies. Fry till it turns golden brown. Add cottage cheese, cumin powder, dry mango powder, garam masala, roasted and crushed peanuts, little salt and 1 tbsp chopped cilantro. Stir continuously and fry for 5-6 minutes, till water evaporates. Set aside.

Combine beaten rice, mashed potato, bread slices, sooji, red chilli powder, white pepper powder, lemon juice, salt and 1 tbsp chopped cilantro in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly.

Whisk 1 egg and milk in a flat bowl to a smooth consistency. Pour bread crumbs mixed with little salt in a plate.

Make one small ball from potato-beaten rice mixture, stuffed with 1 tbsp cottage cheese mixture. Give a shape of 3" long cyllindrical roll. Dip in beaten egg and coat with bread crumbs. Follow this process to make all the rolls.

Heat sufficient oil for deep frying in a wok. When oil is enough heated, slide the rolls and fry the rolls on low heat. Keep turning occasionally to get an even brown colour. Take out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper towel.

Serve hot with green chutney.

TIPS: Instead of caraway seeds, you may use cumin seeds.
          I used fresh home-made cottage cheese/paneer, just crushed it.

Linking to: Fast Food: Poha - event hosted by Shama's Easy 2 cook Recipes

UZHUNNU VADA / METHU VADA / URAD DAL SAVORY DOUGHNUTS - A SNC CHALLENGE # 3

Hi Friends,

I am part of very interesting contest 'South vs North Challenge' organised by Divya Pramil of You too can cook Indian food. This is my second entry to this challenge, though I could not post November's challenge due to some unavoidable circumstances. 

As I belong to the Northern Group, so challenge came from Sherin on behalf of Southern team. This month Sherin challenged us to make Methu Vada, one of the great urad dal savory, famous and very popular among Southern India. Me and my family loved this scrumptious delightful savory a lot. I tried to make it on proper ways following the rules, now friends, its your turn to decide, whether I could made Methu Vada perfectly or not!

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INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Urad Dal / Uzhunnu Parippu (with no skin)
15-18 Curry Leaves (finely chopped)
2 Green Chillies (or as per taste)
1 onion (finely chopped)
1/2 tsp Asafoetida
1 tsp Freshly Crushed Black Peppercorns
Salt to taste
1/4 cup Water
Oil to Fry

METHOD:
Soak urad dal overnight.

Drain water completely. Grind it with two green chillies. Add water drop by drop as required while grinding.

Grind dal till it makes a smooth paste. The batter must be very thick. Keep it aside for 30 to 40 minutes.

Now add chopped curry leaves, onion, asafoetida, crushed black pepper and salt in it. Mix well and stir nicely, so that batter will be little fluffy. Keep it aside.

Heat oil in a wok enough to dunk the vadas.

Grease a pastic sheet with little oil. 

Wet your right hand, then make a small ball out of the batter and pat it in the greased plastic sheet. Carefully transfer it to the wok with make a small hole in the middle of each vada.

Deep fry the vada on the medium flame. Flip over the second side once the sides turn golden brown. 

When both sides turn golden brown, remove it from the oil by using a slotted spoon and drain on a kitchen papper towel to absorb the excess oil from it.

Now delicious Methu Vada, which is crispy from outside but soft spongy from inside, is ready to serve.

Serve hot with coconut chutney accompanying with sambar.

Linking to: Sherin, our Southern Team.