Moong Dal...Fried...Haldiram style

Soaking time: 8 – 10 hours (or overnight) .Preparation time: 15 mins. Cooking time : 15 mins.

Ingredients:

·         Split yellow gram – 1 cup (I used 1/3 cup as I was making this at home for the first time)

·         Oil – for frying – I needed about 1.5 cups

·         Salt – to taste

·         Turmeric – 1/8 tsp

·         Asafoetida / Hing – ½ tsp

·         Red chilli powder – ¼ tsp

·         Baking Soda – ½ tsp

·         Hot water – 3 cups

·         Curry leaves - few

Method:

1)      Wash moong dal several times in running water. Drain and soak in hot water (not steaming) with ½ tsp of soda overnight in a covered vessel.

2)     Next morning, drain the dal and rub the moong dal with a soft clean white cloth.

3)     Heat oil to smoking point, and then turn to medium. Fry the moong dal – in batches- on medium heat till they crackle and the bubbles disappear on the surface.

4)     Use a slotted spoon and remove batches of moong dal onto a bowl / plate lined with tissue paper.

5)     Let the tissues absorb the oil completely and transfer onto another plate. Mix salt, chilli powder, turmeric, asafoetida (hing) and sprinkle this mixture evenly on the fried lentils. Toss it lightly.

6)     Store in an air tight container and enjoy as a delicious tea time snack !

Tips:

1)      Do not overheat the oil else the lentils will turn hard.

2)     Add the salt and other spices when the fried gram is slightly cool. Else it would absorb more salt.

Dal/Chana Vada ....Lentil fritters

Ingredients:

•  Channa Dal  - 2 cups
•  Toor Dal - a handful
• Red chillies - 4 to 6  adjust spice
• Salt - to taste
• Ginger grated - 2 tsp
• Grated coconut - 3 TBSP (optional)
• Turmeric - half tsp
• Coriander and curry leaves
• Oil - to deep fry

Method:
1) Wash and soak the dals separately with the red chillies for 45 mins - 1 hr.
2) Drain completely. 

3) Now keeping aside a handful or two of the soaked dal, grind the rest of the dals with turmeric, grated coconut, ginger, chillies to a coarse paste without ANY water. Remove to a bowl.

3) Now to the pulsed paste, add the whole soaked dals, salt, coriander and curry leaves and mix well. Do not add water at any stage, except while soaking as the vadais will go runny as well as absorb extra oil.

4) Cover the lentil dough with cling wrap and refrigerate for a max of 20 mins (this helps me every time as the salt coagulates under refrigeration and the vadais turn very crispy).
5) Divide into equal lemon sized balls and pat gently into a small patty. Makes 20- 25 approx. Heat the oil meanwhile for frying.

6) To check if the oil is hot, pinch out a small dough into the oil. If it rises to the top immediately, it is ready. 
7) Move the flame to medium-high now, and slide the vadais in batches. Fry on this heat only for perfect vadais.
8) Serve hot with a cup of tea 


TIP : If you are making vadais for a party , and need to refry them again just before serving, fry it on low heat once. Remove on a tissue paper. Cool in a glass / stainless steel vessel with a light tissue paper. Re-fry again jsut before serving on medium-high heat just before serving 

Corn potato pops

Ingredients:

• Potato - 1 large
• Dill leaves - 1 cup (cleaned and sorted)
• Boiled sweet american corn - 1 cup
• Chaat Masala - 1 tsp
• Amchur / Dry mango powder - 1 tsp
• Garam Masala - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Schezwan Sauce - 1 tsp
• Tomato ketchup - 1 TBSP
• Salt - to taste
• Onions chopped - 1 medium
• Cornmeal - 1/4 cup
• Oil - to fry
• Maida / APF + water - for outer covering

Method:

1) Grate boiled potato. Mix chopped onion, boiled corn, chopped dill and all the dry masalas including salt , schezwan and tomato ketchup. Now add cornmealand mix well to a semi dry consistency.
2) Make into equal roundels and refrigerate for minimum 10 minutes.
3) In a small bowl, mix APF and water to a smooth slurry kind of mixture.
4) Heat the oil in a kadai (deep pan) and check if its hot enough by placing a drop of the maida covering into the hot oil.
5) Dip the roundels in the maida slurry and gently slide into the hot oil - 5 to 6 at time. Fry on medium heat till golden brown. Drain on paper towels
6) Serve with green chutney or ketchup as required.

Peda Roll...Pista and Cocoa

Grated khoa - 1 cup
Powdered sugar - 1/4 cup (can use sugar substitute)
Cocoa powder - 1 tsp
Chopped pista - 2 tbsp
Rose essence


Combine khoya & powdered sugar in a heavy bottomed pan and cook on a slow flame, while
stirring continuously till the sugar has dissolved & the moisture has evaporated.
Cool completely, mix well & divide into 2 portions.Mix rose essence.
To one portion add cocoa powder, mix well & roll into rectangle.
To the other portion, add chopped postas, mix well & make a roll of 1” diameter.
Place the pista roll in chocolate rectangle and roll in such a way that the
chocolate rectanglecovers the pista roll evenly from all sides and there are no cracks on the
surface.
Wrap the roll in a butter paper & refrigerate till firm - about 10 mts.
Remove paper, slice 1/2” thick & serve

HAPPY DIWALI !!

Aloo Ki Chaat

Ingredients

• 3 Potatoes, peeled
• 1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Cumin Powder, roasted
• 1 tsp Chaat Masala
• Tamarind Chutney
• Mint Chutney
• Chopped Coriander Leaves for garnish
• Optional garnish - Chopped Onion, Tomato Julienne, Fresh Pomegranate Seeds
• Oil for frying

Method

• Dice potatoes into a fairly large dice - 3/4 to 1 inch cubes.
• Heat oil in a wok and deep fry potatoes, till golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper.
• In a bowl, place the fried potatoes and toss with red chilli powder, cumin powder, chaat masala
• Add mint chutney, tamarind chutney according to taste and toss to coat evenly.
• Serve, with toothpicks, in individual bowls, garnished with coriander leaves. You can also additionally garnish with chopped onion, tomato julienne or pomegranate

Ingredients:

• 3 Potatoes (cubed ½ inch)
• 2 tsp Lemon Juice (fresh)
• 2 Green Chilies (finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp Green Coriander (finely chopped)
• 1 Onion (chopped)
• 1inch Ginger (shredded)
• 1 tsp Chaat Masala
• ½ tsp Red Chili Powder
• Oil for frying
• Salt

How to make Aloo Chaat Dilli Style:

• Add half tsp lemon juice and a pinch of salt to the ginger strips, refrigerate it for 15 minutes.
• Heat oil and fry the potato cubes till golden.
• Soak the excess oil and put the crispy potatoes in a bowl.
• Toss with all the other ingredients.
• Garnish with the ginger strips.

Tuna-Mac Salad

Ingredients

• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 3 ribs celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 12-oz. can tuna in water, drained
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp. cider vinegar

Preparation

• 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again.
• 2. While pasta is cooking, combine celery, onion, parsley, carrot and tuna in a large bowl. Add cooled macaroni and toss to combine. In a small bowl, whisk mayonnaise, yogurt and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and whisk. Pour over pasta and toss until well coated. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Note: Add veggies. Toss in chopped artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers.
Trade pastas. You can use any short pasta shape in this recipe.

Idli Fry Snack

Ingredients:

Idlis  - 6 (completely cooled and cut into cubes)

Onion - 1 finely chopped

Capsicum - 1 diced

Green chillies - 2(slit into two pieces)

Chili powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

Idly molagai podi/Gunpowder - 2 tsp

Oil for deep frying the idlis

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method:

Deep fry the idlis.

In a pan heat oil.When it is hot,add the onions and saute till it is translucent.

Then add the green chillies, capsicum and saute for 2 minutes.Add the chillipowder,turmeric powder, idli molagai podi,required amount of salt.

Now add the fried idli pieces and saute.Sprinkle little bit of water,cover the pan with a lid and cook on a low flame  for 3 minutes.