SAMBHAR VADA

A south Indian Breakfast is never going to complete without the mention of Idly, Dosa, Sambhar, Vada. You can see these tasty platter of food at any food joint and road side stalls if you visit South India. During my recent trip to Karnataka, I have seen each and everyone asking for Medhu Vadai which are deep fried crispy vadas served with sambhar and Coconut Chutney and a cup of Coffee.

 Sambhar Vada is the quintessential South Indian tiffin that features not just in their everyday menu but on special occasions also. Sambhar Vada is nothing but a split black lentils  based fried snack  soaked in mild and flavourful sambar. During the process, the urad dal is soaked and ground together with spices and then deep fried until golden brown. It is served primarily with coconut chutney and sambhar . The best part of this dish is that you can recycle the leftover Vadas , all you need to do is soak the vadas in hot water and then in hot sambhar. This recipe is a reminder of my beautiful short stay at Bangalore and the food there and it’s taste is going to remember with me for a long time to stay.

Cuisine: South Indian

Type: Breakfast

Prep Time: Overnight or minimum 3 hours

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients for Sambhar:

• ½ cup Arhar daal
• 1 small onion
• 1 Tomato
• 1 cup of assorted vegetables like Drumstick, Okra, Raddish, Brinjal, Beans cut into lengths)
• 1 tbsp tamarind pulp
• 3 tsp Sambhar Masala
• 1 tsp Red chilli powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp sugar

For tempering:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 nos of green chillies
• Salt as needed
• ¼ tsp Asafoetida powder
• 1 sprig Curry leaves
• 3 to 4 garlic pods

Ingredients for Vadas:

• 1 cup Urad daal( skinless)
• Salt as required
• Water as required
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• A pinch of Asafoetida
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• Oil for deep frying
• 1 tbsp rice flour powder 
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ginger

Let’s Learn How to make Vadas:

• Wash urad dal thoroughly in water and soak overnight or for minimum 3 hours. Now drain the water if any to a bowl and start grinding the urad dal in a running grinder till the batter is smooth and fluffy. The whole process will take 10 to 15 minutes.

• Once done, collect the batter to a separate bowl and add  hing, curry leaves, coriander leaves, grated ginger, salt and rice flour.   Combine everything well with a spoon.

• Heat oil in a wide  pan with heavy base .Take a ball of batter and make a whole with your thumb and drop the vada in hot oil carefully. 

• Fry the  vadas till it  turns golden  in color. take out from pan and place on a kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil. 

Let's Learn how to make the Sambhar:

• Wash and soak daal in hot water for 1 hour and put it in a pressure cooker for 4-5 whistles with salt, turmeric and onion in it.

• Once it is cooked, add the vegetables and tomatoes to it and cook till the vegetables are tender. Add the red chilli powder give it a good stir, let it cook for 5 mins more.

• Soak the tamarind in hot water and keep it ready,

• In a small pan heat oil and add the mustard seeds and let them splutter, add curry leaves, hing, crushed garlic, green chillies and the Sambhar masala and add this to the dhal mixture. You need to check the consistency of the sambhar and if needed add 1 to 11/2 cup of water to it. The Sambhar needs to be in liquid state.

• Now add the tamarind paste and the sugar to the dhal mixture and let it cook for 5 minutes , Switch off the gas.

PLATING the SAMBAR VADA

• In a bowl take warm water,  dip the vadas one by one in the warm water and with both palms gently squeeze out the excess water. Repeat the same until you use up all the vadas.
• Place in a serving dish, now pour sambar on top of the vadas. Garnish with chopped onions and coriander leaves and serve warm.
• Enjoy your bowl of sambar vada along with coconut chutney & a cup of coffee.

Linking this to Valli's 'Cooking from Cookbook Challenge: June -- Week 3'

Thai Red Curry with Cauliflower

This Thai Red Curry with cauliflower made for lunch is the most warm and comforting food I have tasted. The last couple of weeks has been very taxing as far as work goes for me, managing home, office and keeping a balance is always a challenge for me and this always leaves me in a dilemma what should I cook  which can be made in a jiffy and yet flavorful and comforting. This red Thai curry fits to my requirement perfectly.

For the last one month I was unable to contribute to Cooking from Cookbook Challenge  which is a group of bloggers who will be cooking from their offline content and blogging on the weekends for a month. I have received this Simply Nigella cookbook from Better Butter.in for the Chicken & Mutton Challenges hosted by them where my Chicken Rezela recipe has been selected. You can check this recipe which was awesome. This book has got some awesome recipes but most of the recipes uses ingredients which is not available at my place. So I settle down to try this simple recipe which was awesome in taste.

 

Cuisine: Thai

Recipe Source: Simply Nigella

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 medium size cauliflower
• salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 onions finely chopped
• 2 tsp finely chopped ginger
• 2 to 3 green cardamoms
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander stalks
• ¼ cup Red Thai Curry Paste
• 400 ml coconut milk
• 1 lime
• Chopped fresh coriander for garnishing

 

let's Learn How to make this recipe:

• Boil the cauliflowers with salt and bay leaves till they are cooked yet firm in shape. Remove and transfer to a ice cold water so that it remains firms and fresh and does not  get  over cooked.
• Heat oil in  a pan, add the chopped onions, chopped ginger, cardamom and cumin seeds and the finely chopped  coriander  stalks  over medium heat for a minute or so.
• Add the Red Thai curry Paste and the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Transfer the cauliflower to the pan and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.Check Seasoning and squeeze in some lemon juice and take off from heat.
• Garnish with chopped coriander and Serve it with steamed rice or naan.

Dhokar Dalna ( Lentil fritters in Potato & Tomato gravy)

Dhokar Dalna (Lentil fritters in Potato & Tomato gravy) is a traditional dish from the Bengali Cuisine that's purely satvik, which was originally created by the Bengali widows who were not allowed to eat onion or garlic.  Dhokas are the fried chana dal fritters that are lightly spiced and then simmered in a gravy made with tomatoes and ginger, spiced with cumin and coriander called Dalna, a cooking term that means any vegetables cooked in a medium thick gravy seasoned with ground spices, specially with Garam masala and a touch of ghee.The dhokas are such a delight and the Dalna is so fragrant that you wouldn't even miss onion or garlic in here.

Dhokar Dalna is a part of traditional Bengali cuisine and is somewhat similar to the besan tarkari my mother does at home. The only difference I found is that she made those from the gram flour and this one is done with soaking the daal itself. The other difference is that my mom used onion and garlic in the paste whereas this one is done without onion and garlic. 

The lentil paste is cooked with  a few flavorful spices to form a cake. Then that cake is cut into pieces and fried. Finally the fried lentil fritters are cooked in an aromatic gravy. The long process associated with the making of 'dhoka' will not hunt you when you actually tastes the dish which is so good and unique that you won't mind the effort put into it.

Making dhoka is easy but there are few things to pay attention to. When grinding the dal, use just enough water to reach a smooth consistency. If the mixture is too dry, the patties will crack when you fry them. For spicier dhokar dalna, supplement the recipe with green chilies. You can also mix finely grated ginger in the dal paste.

Cuisine: Bengali

Prep Time: 5 to 6 hrs preferably overnight

Cooking time:40 minutes

Serves:4

Ingredients for the lentil fritters:

• 1 cup split gram (chana dal)
• Water for soaking overnight
• About 2 Tbsp water for grinding
• 1 Tbsp ghee or oil
• A pinch of pure hing powder
• A pinch of salt
• 1 tsp jeera seeds, dry roasted and ground
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• Oil/Ghee for frying

Ingredients for the gravy:

• 2 – 3 Tbsp ghee or oil
• 1 Tbsp grated ginger
• 1 small bayleaf
• 1/8 tsp pure hing powder
• 1/4 tsp kalonji seeds
• 2 medium size potatoes, boiled ,peeled and mashed
• 2 medium size tomatoes, pureed
• water as needed
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp jeera seeds, dry roasted and ground
• 2 green cardamom seeds, lightly crushed
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp salt
• Fresh Coriander leaves for garnishing

Let us learn how to make Dhokar dalna:

• Wash and soak the dal in plenty of water for about 5 to 6 hours or preferably overnight. Drain and keep aside. Add enough water to the dal to grind it in a food processor.

• Heat up the ghee or oil over moderate heat and sauté the hing powder for about 30 seconds and then scoop in the dal paste. Keep stirring it until it thickens for about 5 minutes. As it will stick to the bottom of the pan, keep stirring. It’s ready when it pulls away from the sides and forms a solid mass. Now add the roasted jeera powder, chilli powder and salt. Mix well and spread the paste in a oiled platter. When it cools down, cut it into diamond shapes or squares.

• Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry till light golden. Drain on a clean absorbent kitchen towel or paper and keep aside. 

• Heat up the ghee or oil in a pot. When it’s, drop in the green cardamom, bayleaf  and once it starts to release its flavor, add grated ginger. When the ginger turns a  little dark, add the hing powder and kalonji seeds.

• Add the tomatoes and fry until they start to stick to the bottom of the pan, and the ghee or oil begins to separate from them. Add mashed potato, coriander powder, turmeric powder, roasted cumin p[owder, red chilli powder and sauté  for a minute. 

• Now pour in the water and salt. Cook until the gravy thickens. I have used mashed potatoes to make the gravy thick. Add the fried lentils to the gravy when it is somewhat thick. Remember that the cakes will absorb liquid; you may have to add some more water if the gravy dries up.So it is better to put the dhokas in the gravy just before serving.  

• Add garam masala and serve hot garnished with chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Recipe adopted from  Sunday Times Newspaper and this recipe is being sent to Cooking from cookbook challenge for the month of March.

                                        

KADHI PAKORA RECIPE

Kadhi Pakora/ Pakode or kadhi chawal literally means “fritters with yoghurt”. The dish can be savoured both on special occasions or as part of the everyday meal. Kadhi is one such recipe that reminds us  of homemade food. Served warm with fluffy steamed rice, papad and pickle I couldn’t think of a more satisfying meal. Rice is undoubtedly the perfect accompaniment for it. Simple to make, this yoghurt and gram flour based curry is full of flavour.

One of the reasons why I enjoy this  Punjabi Kadhi Pakora recipe is because it has a real tangy taste to it that enhances the taste of the pakoras brilliantly.You can have the kadhi alone minus the pakoras but when the pakoras are added to the gravy , it enhances the flavour of the kadhi  soaking all the spices.

Cuisine: Punjabi

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking time:20 minutes

Serves:4

Ingredients:

For the Pakoda:

• 1 cup besan
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped baby spinach
• 2 chopped green chillies
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• salt

For the Kadhi:

• 400 grams sour curd
• 3-4 tbsp besan
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• salt
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 3 cups water 

Foe the 1 st tempering:

• 1/3rd tsp fenugreek seeds
• 2 to 3 whole dry red chillies
• 1 tsp fennel powder
• a pinch of asfoiteda
• 2 tbsp mustard oil

For the 2nd tempering:

• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder

Let's Learn How to make Kadhi Pakoa recipe:

• In a bowl take sour curd and whisk it well till smooth. Add gram flour, red chilli powder, garlic paste,turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt to the whisked curd.Add 2 cups of water and stir and mix everything again to make a smooth mixture without lumps.
• Take gram flour in a bowl and add green chillies, baking soda and salt as required.Add thinly sliced onions and chopped spinach.Mix everything well and keep aside covered for 30 minutes to allow the onions to release water in the mixture. Depending on the water content in the onions, accordingly add water as required to make a thick batter. 
• Heat oil in a pan or kadai. with a spoon or with your hands drop the pakora batter in the oil.when the pakoras are partly cooked, then turn over and fry the other side till the pakoras are crisp and golden.
• Remove the fried pakoras and place them on a kitchen paper towel so that extra oil is absorbed. keep  them aside.

• In another pan or kadai, heat mustard oil. make sure to use a large bottomed pot so that while cooking, the kadhi does not spill. Add fenugreek seeds, a generous pinch of asafoetida/hing , whole red chillies and roasted fennel powder. 
• Allow the seeds to crackle and change their color. Fry on a low flame, so that these spices do not get burnt. Then add 1 cup water so that the temperature will come down and now add the curd mixture. Stir very well. This way the curd will not split . 
• Increase the flame to medium and bring the kadhi to a boil. Keep on stirring often so that the kadhi doesnot stuck to the bottom. Lower the flame and then simmer the kadhi for 8 to 10 minutes or till the kadhi thickens. f the kadhi becomes too thick, then add some hot water. Add the pakoras in the kadhi. Stir gently and let the  pakoras be soaked in the kadhi for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Before serving, make the 2^nd tempering .Heat the ghee in a small pan on medium heat. Once hot add cumin seeds and when it starts to sputter, turn off the heat and add  red chili powder. pour this on the simmering kadhi. Stir it well.
• Serve with plain steamed rice.

Sending this recipe to Cooking from cookbook challenge for the month of March.

                           

Chicken Rezala Recipe

Chicken Rezala is very popular and authentic dish originated in Bengal and highly influenced by Mughlai cuisine. This royal dish is simply magical with it’s delicious aroma, texture and lip-smacking taste. The chicken is slow-cooked in a white cashew nut gravy with a blend of aromatic spices which lends a divine flavour to this dish. It has a perfect blend of sweetness and sourness in a mildly spiced gravy which makes it just delectable with Naan, Roomali Roti or Paratha . The juicy succulent pieces of meat drowned in  silky  white semi thick gravy which glides through your taste bud without being heavy, besides bringing that  perfect balance of sweetness  and  heat.

 

Chicken Rezala has so much of complex flavours and layers of taste, which makes it is so distinctive from other Mughlai dishes. The secret behind a successful Rezala is the use of homemade sweet yogurt that nicely compliments the dish giving a nice sweet taste. Though Rezala is synonymous with mutton, some can also prepare it with chicken, mushroom, paneer, fish egg or prawn. The white gravy is made with curd, cashew nut and poppy seeds paste, flavored with subtle spices which are not commonly used in normal dishes. Apart from cardamom, cloves, the dish is spiced with nutmeg powder, white pepper powder and got contrasted by whole dry red chili and garnished with ghee/ clarified butter.

Unlike other Bengali delicacies which has travelled to far away land, Rezala remain confined to the geographical boundaries of Kolkata.The long period of Muslim rule in the country has greatly influenced the architecture and cuisine of the country and Bengal was no exception.The most interesting thing about this recipe of chicken rezala is the uses of few chosen spices, slow cooking and uncommon blending of onion with curd used for marination as well as for cooking.  I have arrived at this recipe after going through many recipes on internet and food magazines, but a special mention to my friend Piyali Muthha from mytrystwithfoodandtravel whose Chicken Rezala has tempted me to try this and blog about it.

Cuisine: Indian 

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking time : 20 to 25 minutes

Serves:4

Ingredients

For the Marination:

• 4 nos of Skinless Chicken leg pieces 
• 2 Medium Size onion 
• 4 to 5 large Garlic Pods 
• 1 inch Ginger 
• 1 cup Fresh Curd 
• 1 teaspoon White Pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon Nutmeg Powder 

Whole Garam Masala

• 4 Green Cardamom 
• 1 Black Cardamom 
• 4 Cloves 
• 8 Black Peppercorn 
• 2 Red Chili 
• 1 Bayleaf 

Other Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoon Ghee/Clarified Butter 
• 3 teaspoon Refine Oil 
• 8 whole Cashew Nuts 
• 1 tablespoon Poppy Seeds  
• 1 teaspoon Sugar 
• A few strands Saffron

 

Let’s Learn How to make this Chicken Rezala:

• Soak the poppy seed and cashew nuts in warm water for minimum 30 minutes.
• Wash the chicken and drain all water from it. Make cuts in the chicken pieces with a sharp knife so that the marinade will soak through it. Keep aside.
• Boil the Onions till done, let it cool. When cool, drain the water and  grind along with ginger and garlic together in a blender to make a smooth paste.The paste has to be absolutely smooth. 
• Using a whisk, beat the curd to make it smooth.Grind cashew and poppy seeds to a paste and keep aside. 
• In a bowl mix onion,ginger garlic paste and curd. Add nutmeg and pepper  powder. Add salt to taste. Add the chicken pieces to the mixture and marinate. Keep it aside for minimum 30 minutes . 
• Heat the oil. Lightly pound  the whole spices so that it can release it’s aroma  and add to the oil. Let it sizzle with lovely aroma. Now put the marinated chicken pieces and sauté  on medium  heat  till all sides turn white. Now pour in all the marinade and Cook for 8-10 minutes.
• Add the poppy and cashew seeds paste and  cook for a minute.Pour 3/4 cup warm water. Check the seasoning and cover. Let it simmer on low heat till oil starts to float on top and the chicken is cooked through.
• Uncover and add the sugar and strands of saffron . 
• Before serving heat 2 teaspoon of ghee or clarified butter and add the dried red chillies. lower the flame and let the ghee infused with the flavor of red chillies. Pour this over the curry and keep covered till you are ready to serve.
• Serve with Naan, Paratha.,  Kulcha or Roomali Roti etc.

Sending this recipe to Cooking from cookbook challenge for the month of March.

You can also try other chicken recipes like 

• MURGH AWADHI KORMA
• BUTTER CHICKEN
• AMERICAN CHOPSUEY
• KADAI CHICKEN
• FRIED CHICKEN WONTONS
• CRISPY GARLIC CHICKEN FINGERS
• CRISPY CHICKEN WINGS 
• PUNJABI STYLE GRAVY CHICKEN
• BANJARA MURGH

Eggless Strawberry Pancakes Recipe

Apart from providing us with energy, breakfast foods are good sources of important nutrients such as calcium, iron and B vitamins as well as protein and fibre. The body needs these essential nutrients and research shows that if these are missed at breakfast, they are less likely to be compensated for later in the day. What’s better than a hot, warm stack of pancakes to start the day off with? A favorite of adults and kids alike, nothing feels cozy like a fresh batch of pancakes, preferably with a couple hot cups of coffee or a glass of fresh juice. If you’re tired of your bowl of typical bowl of oatmeal or cereal, these pancakes are a delicious treat to enjoy .

Adapted from The New York Times Cookbook, these pancakes are fluffy on the interior and crispy on the exterior. These are those thick, spongy American pancakes that are often eaten with warm maple syrup and crisp fried bacon. You can easily cook these pancakes by dolloping the batter onto a hot griddle  or heavy based pan.

Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamins C and K as well as providing a good dose of fibre, folic acid, manganese and potassium. They also contain significant amounts of phytonutrients and flavanoids which makes strawberries bright red.I wonder what is so special about these Strawberries that make them so desirable.  Is it the delicious smell, the taste, beautiful rich red color? I don't know the reason but they sure make me feel special. With a Pancake cravings so high, I decided to make these Strawberry filled Pancakes for my breakfast. The strawberries, along with the melted butter, give these pancakes that little something extra. So much so that you don’t even need toppings except for some delicious honey .

While most pancake recipes do call for eggs, it is possible to make delicious pancakes without them also. This is an easy to make recipe with goodness of fruits.

Eggless Strawberry Pancakes Recipe

Prep + Cooking : 15 mins
Yields: 8 Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• A pinch of baking soda
• 1 tbsp sugar 
• A pinch of salt
• 2 tsp  oil
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp milk
• 1/4 cup yogurt
• 1/4 cup Strawberries (fresh or frozen) + 2 to 3 Strawberries for serving
• 2 tbsp butter to spread on pancakes while cooking
• Honey for serving

Let's Learn How to make these pancakes:

• Mix Plain flour,Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt and sieve it for 2 to 3 times.
• In a bowl add together the flour, baking powder, baking soda  and mix well with a whisk to evenly mix all the ingredients.
• In a bowl add the yogurt and beat well without any lumps. Now add the sugar and salt and beat well until dissolved. Add the oil and beat well.
• Add the flour mixture sifted and kept a scoop at a time and mix well. Once the mixture starts to become thick add some milk and loosen the batter. Add milk and flour alternatively till the whole lot finishes. 
• The consistency should be that of an pouring batter .Using the whisk mix well without any lumps and set aside for 10 -15 minutes to ferment the batter.
• Heat a nonstick pan and add half a teaspoon of butter and once the butter melts add a ladle full of batter and do not spread the batter. Sprinkle some chopped strawberry on top.
• Close with a lid for even cooking once the top of the pancakes forms air bubbles slightly flip the pancake using a ladle.Cook the other side till golden colour appears.
• Serve it with some chopped Strawberries on top and pour some honey over it.

Sending this recipe to Cooking From Cookbook Challenge