KARUPATTI APPAM / PALM SUGAR APPAM & AWARDS

I am very happy to take part of this interesting SNC event. A great going event started and organished by our sweet friend Divya Pramil from YOU TOO CAN COOK - INDIAN FOOD RECIPES. This is a monthly event where two teams, Southern and Northern team have to challenge each other with their authentic and regional dishes.

This month Northern team got a challenge to make Karupatti Appam from Shama Nagarajan. Same like Southern team got a challenge to make Gujrati Farsan - Khandvi from Hetal Acharya.

Long before I had this appam once from a street vendor, while I was travelling Chennai, yummy crispy sweet pancakes, at that time I didn't know its name, years gone, I forgot about that dish. But when I saw this month's challenge on Shama's space, then also I could not recall my memory. After tasting this yummy pancake, I remembered about our Chennai visit. Actually no need to have any side dish with this delicious appam, its itself is a complete meal. Thanks a lot Shama and Divy dear for this toothsome appam recipe, trully me and our whole family enjoyed this sweet appam a lot.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Boiled Rice
1 Cup Raw Rice
Handful of Urad Dal
250 gm Karupatti (palm jaggery)
Oil as required

METHOD:
Make thick palm jaggery syrup. Once cooled, filter it and remove all impurities by using a stainer. Keep it aside.

Soak rice and dal for 2 hours. Grind it to a very smooth batter, no fermentation needed.

Finally add palm jaggery syrup with the batter without any lumps.

Heat appam tawa or non-stick pan. Pour a small ladle of batter in the centre, then hold its handle with the hands and rotate the pan. Hence the ladle will spread like a dosa.

Spread a spoon of oil over it. Cover with a lid. Cook in slow flame till done. The center part will be of and edges crispy. Just roll over and gently take out the appam from the pan. Delicious vella or karupatti appam is ready to serve. Enjoy!!!

Now it is award time.........

For March 2013, I was awarded by Divya Pramil as "SNC Queen" for HYDERABADI VEGETABLE DUM BIRYANI

For SNC February 2013, got the top number of votes for the favourite challenger / host and favourite challenge recipe GREEN PEAS KACHORI WITH SPICY DAM ALOO (KORAISHUTIR KOCHURI R ALOOR DAM). Thanks a ton my dear friends for choosing me and my recipe. I am honoured by you dearies, thanks again.

Sending to: SHAMA'S EASY2COOK RECIPES & Divya's Space

Sending to: "Spotlight: Show Your Best Creation" @ Cuisine Delights

RICE FRITTERS / PAKORAS

Recipe Source & Acknowledgement: Homely Food

This is a wonderful idea to make rice fritters with leftover rice, it may be plain rice, or pulao. The fritters came out mouth-melting and very scumptious. First time I tried out this recipe, not only me, my family also relished as well as enjoyed this easy to make pakora a lot. Thanks Meenu for sharing this toothsome fritters with us. If any unexpected guests will come, you can serve this fabulous fritters within 15 minutes accompaning with a cup of piping hot tea or coffee. It is an excellent tea-time snack. Today I tried it out and here is the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup Leftover Rice
1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt / Curd
3/4 Cup Gram Flour (besan)
A Pinch of Asafoetida (hing)
2-3 Green Chillies (finely chopped)
2 tbsps Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves (cilantro)
1 tbsp Roasted Coriander Seeds (crushed)
10 Curry Leaves (chopped)
1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Onion
1" Ginger (minced)
A Pinch of Baking Soda
Salt To Taste
Oil For Frying

METHOD:

Take rice in a large bowl, add yogurt in it. Mix nicely and keep it aside for 10 minutes or till rice almost soaks yogurt. 

Now mix gram flour, asafoetida, green chillies, coriander leaves, crushed coriander seeds, curry leaves, minced ginger, baking soda and salt with the rice-yogurt mixture.

Mix everything nicely to make a thick batter to form fritters. (No need to add water in it)

Heat oil in a pan. Take a spoonful batter, give a shape of flat ball, drop into the hot oil. Deep fry till both sides turn golden brown. Follow the same process for rest of the batter. Take them off the pan and serve immediately with chutney / sauce. Enjoy this crispy evening snacks!!!

Linking to: Homely Food Event / Giveaway

Linking to: "Spotlight: Show Your Best Creation" @ Cuisine Delights

Linking to: Vimitha's Hudson Canola Oil Hamper

FRIED ONIONS FOR BIRYANI OR PULAO

Here is an easy recipe of fried onions, which is more flavorful and used in making any biryani and pulao. Can store it in Air-tight container and keep it in refrigerator for a few days.

INGREDIENTS:
3 Medium Onions
3 tsps Cornflour
1/2 tsp Salt
6 tbsps Oil 

METHOD:
Cut onions in very thin slices. Marinate onion with cornflour and salt.

Mix nicely. Set aside for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a wok. Add onions in batches.

Fry till both sides turns into brown.

Drain oil and remove from wok, and keep on a kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil from it. Fry the remaining onions like the same.

May use it instantly to make biryani or pulao. Otherwise, pour it in airtight container and store it in refrigerator for future use. 

*** The excess oil can be used in other cooking.

SOJNE PHULER BORA (MORINGA / DRUMSTICK FLOWERS VADA)

Very delicious, simple to make moringa blossom's vada is truelly amazing! It is said that moringa blossom has some medicinal values. It is used at the first sign of cold and it works well against pox. Other than that, moringa flowers contain vital amino acids and are excellent source of calcium and potassium, making them a valuable supplement for nursing mothers. A tea brewed from these flowers named 'moringa tea'. Fresh blossoms can be battered and fried as a delightful snack food. Here is the recipe.....

INGREDIENTS:
2 Cups of Moringa / Drumstick Blossoms (sojne phul)
3-4 tbsps Chickpea Flour (besan)
1 tbsp Rice Flour
1-2 Green Chillies (finely chopped)
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/3 tsp Black Pepper powder
1/3 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Roasted Cumin powder
A Pinch of Sodium bi Carbonate (baking soda)
Salt To Taste
3-4 tbsps Oil for Shallow Fry

METHOD:
Remove soft stems from the blossoms and wash nicely. Drain water from it.

In a flat bowl, combine all ingredients (except oil) with the blossoms.

Mix everything nicely.

Set aside for 1-2 hours. Now it will be little soggy. Now take a small part of mixture and give a shape of a flat ball by using palms.

Heat oil in a wok or frying pan. Add 3-4 fritters at a time and shallow fry them. Remove the vadas as soon as they turn brown.

Serve hot with dal rice or simply as a tea-time snack.

 

NARKEL POSTO BORA (COCO POPPY FRITTERS)

Posto bora is a rare delicacy cooked in the every Bengali household, made up with poppy seeds (posto), which is an integral and popular flavorful ingredient in any Bengali kitchen. Apart from its flavor, poppy seeds are a great source of fatty acids, calcium and carbohydrates. It enhances the enzymes too. Poppy seeds are really expensive, but these boras (small fritters) are trully yummilicious and mouthwateringly tasty. This time I added grated coconut in it, tastes really amazing! Can be eaten with steamed rice and plain dal.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup Poppy Seeds (khus khus / posto)
2 tbsps Grated Coconut
2 tbsps Rice Flour
2 tbsps finely Chopped Coriander Leaves
2-3 Green Chillies (as per taste)
4 tbsps Oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Grind poppy seeds and green chillies together by adding a little water to make a coarse paste. (this raw paste known as 'Kancha Posto') Transfer the paste to a bowl now.

Combine grated coconut, rice flour and salt with the poppy seeds paste now.

Add finelly chopped coriander leaves in it. Mix nicely and set aside.

Heat oil in a pan or wok. Take a small portion from the mixture, give a shape of flatten ball and put it on the hot oil. Add 3-4 fritters at a time.

Shallow fry till golden brown. Drain oil and remove those fritters on a papper towel to absorb the excess oil. Follow the same process for rest of the fritters.

Serve hot with steamed rice & biuli (urad) dal, or may serve as a tea time snack or appetizer.

METHI PARATHA

Fenugreek or methi leaves are easilly found in India, so oftenly I end up making lots of dishes from it. Fenugreek leaves are rich in vitamins, iron, potassium, a good source of diatery fiber, antioxidant and very beneficial to diabetic patients also. Methi paratha is a very healthy and flavorful substitute of plain paratha and simply melts in your mouth. Try this easy Indian flat bread, it is truely delightful.

INGREDIENTS:
4 Cups Fenugreen Leaves (methi saag)
2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour (atta)
3 tbsps Oil
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Roasted Cumin seeds (powdered)
Salt to taste
4 tbsps Oil for frying.

METHOD:
Wash fenugreek leaves. Drain all water from it.

In a large bowl, combine whole wheat flour, fenugreek leaves, red chilli powder, roasted cumin powder, 3 tbsps oil and salt in it.

Knead it nicely (without any water) to make a smooth dough. Cover it with wet cloth and set aside for 30 minutes.

 

Now make 10 equal balls from the dough. Place a ball on the rolling board. With a rolling pin, flatten the ball and give a shape of circle like chapathi. (if you face any difficulty, use  little whole wheat flour at the time of rolling)

Heat non-stick tawa/griddle. Place a paratha in it.

Flip when one side is done.

After 2 minutes, add 1/2 tbsp oil and spread it on the both sides of paratha.

Continue the same process for the remaining parathas.

Serve hot methi parathas with chilled yogurt or butter or pickle or any spicy curry.....choice is yours.