Kadhi Pakora (Fried Lentil Fritters dipped in Yoghurt Sauce - North Indian Style)

       
          This is my version of Kadhi Pakora, a very common and a yummy dish in the Northern belt of India. It varies largely from one region to the other. There are some minor variations in the ingredients from the Kadhis of Punjab, Gujerat, Rajasthan and Haryana. 

          Basically it is fried lentil fritters dipped in yoghurt-chickpea based gravy and tempered with spices. In this version of mine, I prepared the fritters out of split gram lentil and tempered with panch phoron, a la Bengali style. It is best relished with steamed rice. But it does not taste bad either with any Indian bread.

Pakora-

• 1 cup moong dal (split green gram), soaked overnight
• 2 tbsp. rice flour
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves), crushed
• 1-2 green chilly, chopped
• salt to taste
• pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• pinch of turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1 tsp. kalonji (onion seeds)
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds
• oil to deep fry

Kadhi-

• 3/4 cup yogurt
• 2 tbsp. besan (chickpea flour)
• 2 1/2 cups water
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. coriander-cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder

Tempering-

• 2 tbsp. ghee
• 1 dry red chilly, broken
• 1 tsp. panch phoron (equal quantities of fennel, mustard, cumin, fenugreek and onion (kalonji) seeds
• 1/2 tsp. radhuni (celery seeds), (opt)
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida (hing)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• 1 tsp. garlic, grated
• coriander leaves & chili powder to garnish

          Pakoras - Grind the soaked moong dal with very little water into a coarse paste. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients, except oil and mix well. Keep aside.

          Kadhi - Make a batter with the yogurt and all other ingredients. Keep aside.

          Tempering - Heat ghee in a pan and temper with the red chilly, panch phoron and radhuni (opt). After it stops spluttering, add the asafoetida and the onion. Saute till light brown. add the ginger and garlic and fry for a few seconds.

          Add the yoghurt-besan batter and bring it to a boil. Then simmer on low flame (patiently) for 15-20 minutes till slightly thick. Add the pakoras and further simmer for 2-3 minutes.

          Garnish with coriander leaves and red chili powder. Serve hot with either steamed rice or parathas/naan.

Beans Poriyal (Beans Curry - Tamilian Style)

       
          This is a very easy and a simple recipe of French Beans stir fried with some tempering and garnished with fresh grated coconut. This dish is a very common every day meal in Tamil Nadu. It is prepared dry and serves as a perfect side dish for sambar rice or curd rice. It also tastes good with chapatti or paratha. Poriyals can also be prepared with carrot, cabbage, okra and beetroot.

• 250 gms. french beans, chopped into 1/2" pieces
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 2 dry red chilies, broken into half
• pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• 1 tsp. urad dal (split black gram)
• 1 tbsp. chana dal (Bengal gram)
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh coconut, grated
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves 

          Steam the chopped beans till tender. Keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and temper with the mustard seeds and red chilies.

          After it stops spluttering, add the asafoetida, curry leaves, urad dal and chana dal. Sauté till the dals changes colour.

          Add the steamed beans and salt. Sauté for a minute or two. Before removing off the flame, add the coconut and mix well. serve, garnished with coriander leaves.

Som Tam (Thai Green Papaya Salad)

       
          
          This is a healthy and a nutritious salad in a Thai style which is spicy, tangy and sweet. The dressing gives a very unique flavor and taste to it. The crushed peanuts gives a crunchy effect. It can be made into a veg. version too by simply omitting the shrimps. This is my version of Som Tam, where I made a few alterations depending on the availability of the ingredients and to suit my palate.

• 200 gms green papaya, grated
• handful of bean sprouts
• 1 tomato, deseeded & cut into strips
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped (opt)
• 8-10 green beans, cut into 1" pieces & blanched
• 1 onion, sliced / 1/4 cup spring onions, chopped
• 10-12 paneer / tofu cubes, shallow fried 
• few sprigs of coriander leaves, chopped

Dressing-

• salt to taste / 1 tsp. soya sauce / fish sauce
• 1/2 tsp. red chili powder / chili flakes
• 1-2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. pepper powder or to taste (opt)
• 1 tsp. honey / sugar

Garnish-

• 2 tbsp. roasted peanuts, coarsely ground
• 10-12 shrimps, shallow fried

          In a bowl, combine all the above ingredients (except the dressing). Keep aside. Mix all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and keep aside.

          Just before serving, pour the dressing on the prepared salad and Toss well. 

          Serve, garnished with the roasted peanuts and the fried shrimps. Yummy Thai salad is ready for you.

Moong Dal Pakora (Split Green Gram Fritters)

       
         
          These delicious Moong Dal Pakoras (Green Gram Fritters) are a perfect tea-time snack. They also serve as great appetizers to be relished with green chutney. There are numerous versions to it. The ingredients that goes into it depends on individual preference. This is my version, where I added some kalonji, sesame seeds and rice powder to give a bit of a different flavour and crunch to this delectable dish.

• 1 cup moong dal (split green gram), soaked overnight
• 2 tbsp. rice powder
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• 1 tbsp. kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves), crushed
• salt to taste
• pinch of turmeric powder
• pinch of asafoetida
• 1/2 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1 tsp. kalonji (nigella seeds)
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds
• oil to deep fry 

          Grind the soaked moong dal coarsely adding very little water. In a bowl, mix along with the rice powder, onion, ginger, green chilies, kasuri methi, kalonji, sesame seeds and all the powdered masalas. Make a thick batter by adding required quantity of water.

          Beat well and keep aside for 10 minutes. Heat oil in a pan and drop spoonful of the batter, few at a time and fry till light golden colour on all sides. 

          Drain on a paper napkin and serve hot with any chutney or sauce as a tea-time snack.

         

Veggie Salad

       
          A colourful veggie salad for a quick fix during lunch or dinner. Some crushed croutons can also be sprinkled on the salad for a crunchy effect. Bon Appetit !!!

• 1 orange bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• 1/4 cup black chana (chickpeas), boiled
• handful of bean sprouts
• 1 small beetroot, boiled & sliced
• 5-6 lettuce leaves, cut into half
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp. red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1 tbsp. lime juice
• 1 tbsp. olive oil

          Arrange the veggies and the boiled chana according to individual preference on a plate. 

          Just before serving, sprinkle the salt, red chili powder and cumin powder. 

          Drizzle the olive oil and the lemon juice. Serve as a light dinner.

Erissery - Kerala Cuisine

       
           Erissery is a traditional Kerala Cuisine. It is a combination of green plantain and elephant yam cooked with coconut and tempered with some aromatic spices. It is one of the items in an Onam Sadya meal. Very easy and a simple vegetarian dish which can be prepared in no time. Red pumpkin is another essential veggie which is also used in this preparation.

• 1 green plantain, scraped & cubed
• 250 gms. elephant foot yam, cubed
• 3/4 cup fresh coconut, grated
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp. coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 dry red chili

          Pressure cook the plantain and the yam in 1 cup water, turmeric powder, salt and red chili powder for 2 whistles. 

          Grind 1/4 cup coconut and cumin seeds to a paste. Add to the cooked veggies and boil for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish. 

          Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds, dry red chili and curry leaves. After it stops spluttering, add the remaining coconut and fry till light brown. 

           Pour it over the cooked veggie. Give it a mix and serve with steamed rice as a part of a Sadya meal.

         

       

Couscous & Bell Pepper Salad with Cucumber & Lettuce

       
            A simple and an easy salad of couscous, which is very much used in Mediterranean cuisine. I added some fried chana dal to give a crunchy effect to the salad. The mustard sauce also adds a zing to the end product. A light dinner to be relished to keep you satiated.

• 1/2 cup couscous
• 1 cup assorted Bell peppers, sliced
• 1/2 cucumber, sliced
• 4-5 lettuce leaves, shredded
• 2 tbsp. fried chana dal (Bengal gram lentil)
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. pepper powder
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. mustard sauce

          Add 1/2 cup hot water to the couscous and cover it. Let it stand for 15 minutes. Then fluff it with a fork and combine with bell peppers, cucumber, lettuce and the fried chana dal.

          Before serving, add the salt, pepper powder, olive oil and lemon juice and toss well. Serve, garnished with mustard sauce.