MISAL PAV

A mouthwatering yummy tasty and popular dish is spicy Misal Pav. It is the most popular street food in the entire state of Maharashtra. Very simply, misal is nothing but mixture which mixed in gravy and serve with pav buns. Traditionally it makes with matki or moth beans, though it is not available in our place, I used dried white peas instead of that. This recipe requires loads of oil, I made it by using a very less oil to make it healthy. Try this yummy street food, you will surely love to have it.

Recipe Source & Acknowledgement: Homely Food

INGREDIENTS:

FOR MAKING PASTE:
3-4 Dried Red Chillies (as per taste)
4 Onions (chopped)
4 Cloves Garlic
1/4" Ginger (chopped)
2 Tomatoes (chopped)
1/3 Cup Grated Coconut
3 Cloves
3-4 Black Peppercorns
1" Cinnamon
1 tbsp +1 tsp Oil

FOR PREPARING USAL:
1&1/2 Cups Dried White Peas
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Dry Mango Powder (amchur)
3 tbsps Oil
Salt to taste 
Water as needed
1 tbsp Chopped Coriander Leaves

FOR GARNISHING:
Mix Farsan / Hot Mix as required
Finelly Chopped Onions
Finelly Chopped Coriander Leaves

TO SERVE WITH:
Pav Buns as needed
Lemon wedges

METHOD:

FOR COOKING DRIED WHITE PEAS:
Wash and soak dried white peas overnight.

Drain water and add new water, boil peas in pressure cooker upto two whistles. They should be cooked, but not mushy. Set it aside.

FOR MAKING SPICES FOR CURRY:
Soak dried red chillies in 1 tsp oil overnight.

Now pour soaked red chillies, ginger, garlic, cloves, cinnamon and black cardamom in a chutney jar of a grinder.

Grind for 30 seconds to make a coarse paste. (instead of grinding, you may use pestle and mortar)

Dry roast grated coconut till it turns golden colour, and keep it aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or pan. Add coarsely pounded paste in it.

Saute till a nice aroma comes out, add onion in it. Fry till onion turns golden brown. Switch off the flame now and let onion comes cool down completely.

Now grind, fried onions tomatoes and roasted coconut with a small amount of water to make a smooth paste. 

HOW TO MAKE USAL:

Heat 3 tbsps oil in pan or wok. Add cumin seeds in it. When cumin splutters, add onion paste in it. and saute for 8-10 minutes on medium heat. 

Add turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, coriander powder, dry mango powder and salt in it. 

Fry for another 5-6 minutes till spices leave oil from the sides of the wok.

Add cooked white peas in it. Fold well.

Add 1/2 cup water in it and mix nicely. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves on top. 

Remove from heat now. Usal is done here. Usal means the gravy, which can be had as it is with pav buns.

HOW TO MAKE MISAL:
In a bowl, pour usal. 

Top it with mixed farsan/hot mix.

Garnish with chopped onion and coriander leaves.

Sprinkle 2 tbsps usal gravy on the top and misal is ready to serve now.

SERVING PROCEDURE:
Serve it with pav and a slice of lemon. Serve immediately otherwise farsan will be soggy.

Linking to:  Homely Food Event / Giveaway

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

Linking to:  JCO's Gain Popularity event

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