Masal Vadai

Festivals and food go hand in hand in any culture. Our household is no different. I cook dishes that are specific for the festival and often cooked fare includes a payasam and a vadai. While certain dishes are made as offering on specific occasions, payasam and vadai are made almost on every occasion. In many households feast is synonymous to a variety of dishes that without fail will include the two. I make the softer textures ulundu vadai/medhu vadai and the paruppu vadai which is otherwise known as aama vadai in Southern India.
Many restaurants include the medhu vadai in their breakfast menu along side fluffy idlies, the paruppu vadai is most likely a snack. Most eateries, even pushcart ones, on the roadside might serve the paruppu vadai with addends like onions and fennel seeds which then becomes masala vadai. Onions are avoided on festivals in food; thus, masal vadai is an occasional snack that is consumed as is without any need for accompaniments like chutneys or sauces.
I use the split yellow  peas, known as pattani paruppu in Tamil for this along with the usual channa dhal/ bengal gram when I can find this dhal. These peas have a slight bitter taste and are harder in texture. It gives an extra crunch to the vadai. The crunch and the taste of deep fried onions and extra spices makes this a popular snack.
I stumbled upon this dhal quite accidentally. Few years ago, I found it in the store and mistaking it for another dhal, picked a pack up, only to find it would not cook to desired softness and the taste was a put off. To use up the purchase, I looked up cookbooks and found that they yield a good texture to vadais. I do not find it very often here, when I did, I picked up a packet, promising my husband that he will have masal vadai.

Masal Vadai

Ingredients:
Makes 20 vadais
1 cup Split yellow peas/ pattani paruppu/ muttar dhal
1 cup Bengal gram/ kadalai paruppu/ channa dhal
2 large onions sliced fine
10 -12 dry red chillies
6 green chillies
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
A fistful curry leaves chopped
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:
Wash both the lentils separately until clean. Soak them separately for an hour.
While they are soaking, chop the onions and the fresh leaves.
Once the lentils are soaked enough, drain the water completely.
Grind them along with chillies and salt to a coarse, dough like consistency adding as little water as possible. The resultant dough should be such that you are able to gather in a ball and flatten without being runny.

To the dough add the onions, chopped leaves and fennel seeds. Mix well.
Divide the dough in small portions.
Heat oil in a heavy pan.
When the oil has attained optimum heat, slightly wet your palms and roll one portion of dough in a slightly thick circular disc and slide it in the oil.
Flatten some more, as many as the pan can fry without crowding them.
Deep fry initially until half done. Remove from the oil with a slotted ladle and work on the rest of the dough.
Once all of the dough has been used up and are partly done, drop the vadais back in the oil in batches and fry further until they are crisp on the outside. The double frying gives it the desired crispness.

Enjoy them as snack along with tea and coffee. You may opt to serve with a chutney though it is not required. .

Kunukku - Version 2

I had earlier shared two versions of  kunukku, or anything for the lack of another name. One was the adaimaavu kunukku made with extra left over adai batter. The other was my aunt's recipe with a powdered mix which can be made and stored to make kunukkus when required.
In my mother's notebook, she had two different versions of this easily favourite snack; my aunt had given her this second version with a soaked and ground batter also. This, unlike the powdered version gives a bit softer kunukku, more like a bonda or quite close to the adai maavu kunukku in texture.
The weather here has been unpredictable and most days are dull and grey. It rains once in a while bringing a torrent. On one such evening we planned to have this snack. I made the mint chutney and there was tomato hot and sweet sauce on hand. It is an unbeatable combination, especially on a rainy day when one craves for bajjis and bondas.

Kunukku with Soaked and Ground Batter

Ingredients:
Serves 4 (about 40 kunukkus)
2 cups parboiled/ idli rice
1/2 cup thuvar dhal/ split pigeon peas
1/4 cup +1/8 cup channa dhal/ Bengal gram
2 tablespoons grated fresh coconut
4-5 green chillis
2" piece ginger minced
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida powder
Few sprigs curry leaves
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying
1 medium onion chopped finely (optional)

Method:
Wash the rice and dhals each separately,until clean, in a few changes of water.
Soak the rice for two hours and the dhals for an hour.
Drain the water and grind all of the soaked ingredients with chillis and coconut to a coarse batter thar is thick, neither stiff not runny.
To the batter, add the minced ginger, asafoetida powder and the salt. Mix them well.
Chop the curry leaves finely and add to the batter. If you are using onions, add them too to the batter.
Keep the batter aside for about three hours.
Heat the oil for frying in a deep rounded pan.
When the oil is hot, drop small portions of the batter using a ladle or by hand. Put in as many as the oil will hold, with space for the kunukkus to fry on all sides.

Once done well, remove from the oil with a slotted ladle to drain the oil. Transfer to absorbent paper towels.
Serve hot with any chutney of your choice. The mint chutney is a great combination when the weather outside is dull.

Porikullu - Protein Packed Healthy Snack

I was home, in India, for a short vacation during March. I happened to be around to attend a family celebration. Meanwhile, it was a good opportunity to catch up with cousins and needless to mention it was a great vacation. The family celebrated the occasion of a child to be born later this May. In India special celebrations are observed during pregnancy. We hold the 'valaikaappu' and 'seemantham' for the mother-to-be around her last trimester, the South Indian custom like Baby shower. This means lot of good food and snacks. Each of us who attend such festivities get to carry back sweets and savoury snacks too.
One of the dishes made is the Porikullu or the varuththa payaru which is soaked, drained and dry roasted legumes and few additional nuts. This is a power packed snack that the mother can consume to combat her cravings. It is rich in fibre, vitamins and protein which is good for the mother and child. Because making it is a long drawn process, we do not make it like an everyday snack. Getting to make and eat them occasionally has its own thrill, isn't it?
Each household has a unique combination and some dry roast, some of us sun dry for days and some people fry in some oil. There is no measures nor ingredients to adhere to. We just add few legumes, nuts and spice and salt. While I make it with legumes, you may find recipes that sprout the legumes and do the porikollu. Adding puffed beaten rice and bits of dry coconuts will tone the heat down.

Porikullu

Ingredients:
1 cup green gram whole
1 -2 cups black chickpeas
1 cup red chori beans
1/2 cup peanuts peeled
1/4 cup roasted gram
1/2 cup dry coconut slices
1/2 cup  beaten rice
2 tablespoons red chilli powder
Salt to taste
Curry leaves
1 teaspoon asafoetida powder
1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

Method:
Wash each of the beans separately and soak them in water overnight. Next day, drain the water and in a change of water soak again for another six hours.
Drain the water and spread them on a cloth and allow them to dry in the sun. Keep it in the sun for two days bringing them in by night, still on the cloth and kept separately.
Wash the curry leaves, spread them on a cloth, cover with another light cloth and leave it in the sun. they will dry to a shrivel during the time the legumes are drying in the sun.
Heat a heavy rounded bottom pan, an iron wok will be ideal. Once the pan is rally hot, reduce the heat to medium.
Dry roast, in small quantities, a few fistfuls at a time, each of the dry legumes. Repeat with all of them.
Transfer to a flat and large dish.
Moisten the powders and salt with few teaspoons of water.
Gently turn the roasted legumes in the mixture so as to coat them with the mixed spices.
Spread them back on the dish and place this in the sun for a day from morning to evening.
Bring the dish in and keep it spread overnight.
Next morning if there is moisture in the mixture, take it back to the sun and dry them until they are dry.
Roast the peanuts as you may find in this post. Add them to the above porikullu.
Slightly toss the roasted gram in the heat of the pan. Transfer them to the dish.
In the same heavy pan, roast the beaten rice until it puffs (you may use store bought puffed beaten rice, aval pori). Do this in small quantities at a time and do not allow the rice to brown. Transfer these to the porikullu.
Add the sliced, dry coconuts to the mix.

Porikullu is ready to store and snack on. Store in an airtight container and it keeps well for even three months as there is no oil.
The legumes will be crunchy to munch and feel hollow unlike their hard texture that is characteristic of legumes.
The guilt factor is the salt and spice alone, otherwise it is one of the best snacks to consume in small handfuls.

Susan, The Well seasoned Cook 's ever popular My Legume Love Affair is now managed by Lisa since February 2013. This current edition MLLA #82 is being hosted by Briciole. The above tasty nutty snack is being sent there.

Polla Vadai

When I was copying the recipes from my mother's notebook, I noted that she had labelled Polla vadai, but had not added the recipe below the same. That kept me intrigued and I would look up blogs for the recipe. Later for the Navrathri that year, Jayasree posted her recipe and  I commented on her post.Then during a chat with her, I mentioned this and she sent me a long  Palakkad Iyer chat thread where people had shared few variations for the recipe. I particularly noted one where someone said,  'adhu pollanum' meaning that it shall have to puff in oil. But somehow the opportunity to make them and post never came by.
So, as I set myself of making different vadais for my Thai Vellikizhamai neivedhyam, this was one I made.
I also found a video on You tube with a title Paripoyee polla vadai - that is how the parippu ari polla vadai has come to be known.
The recipes made do with just rice and tur dhal, or had more dhals added to the grinding batter. I read them all, but finally followed  dear J's recipe. We loved them, though I feel that I should have fried them a little longer so they stayed crisp. They were fine the first day, but when I stored and tried on the second they had lost some of the crisp feel. I am sure it is easy to rectify.
I am repeating Jayasree's recipe here and have added pictures for demo.

Ingredients:
1 & 1/2 cups rice flour (I have used home pounded raw rice powder)
1/4 cup channa dhal
1/4 cup thoor dhal
1 tablespoon urad dhal
3 dry red chillis
!/4 teaspoon asafoetida powder (she mentioned just a few shakes of the bottle)
2 stalks of curry leaves
Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Method:
With repeated changes of water, wash the dhals and then soak them together for an hour.
Drain as much water possible and grind them to a coarse paste along with the red chillis, asafoetida powder, salt and the curry leaves. Try not to add water while grinding. It will be easy to grind soaked dhals without water.
Mix the above paste with the rice flour and knead in a dough. The dough shall have to be slightly stiff.
Pinch out small portions, size of Indian gooseberries.
Use a banana leaf or a thick plastic sheet as base to pat the dough. Lightly apply oil on the surface. Pat the ball of dough as thin circular disc, without tearing. repeat and have a few ready.

Meanwhile, keep the oil for heating. When the oil is nearly smoking hot, peel off the patted disc. Slide them gently into the oil, few at a time. I tried frying one at a time as I needed to check if they puffed well.
Deep fry until both sides are well done. Remove from the oil with a slotted ladle and transfer to a dish lined with a kitchen tissue.
It is best served stove to table as I read in some thread. But I had it few hours later and they were crisp.
These make a nice snack for any lazy evening.

Nei karaboondhi -a savoury treat for deepavali

Most commonly made savoury treat during Deepavali is the deepavali mixture. Many crisp savoury items are made and mixed to create this mixture. That makes it quite voluminous in yield and often made purely because it is easy to distribute to friends and neighbours.
We were three girls having three (or more) choice crisps and our mother used to treat us to them. One of us liked omapodi while the other's choice was theankuzhal ( that reminds me to post both of those...for the love for sisters!) and mine would be the muththusarai. So come deepavali and amma makes all the three. Cooking all of these, she never attempted mixture and most times my father would order this with the local restaurant where the nei karaboondhi was famous. They used ghee to deep fry the boondhis and added just ghee roasted cashews, curryleaves and peanuts.
Even after I left home, initially on work and then marriage, the nei karaboondhi would be ordered to be sent fresh for us. This continued every holiday we went home so much that I brought back few kilos and to send to my husband's colleagues at work. One of his European friends would without fail remind me of the same when I travelled alone too.
This year I wanted to have it included in the dishes I made for deepavali. But having done with the mixture already, I pondered over the idea of using gram flour again. Then I chanced upon a small quantity of powdered flour mix that I had made the Manoharam boondhi with. That was such a welcome change. Since I had just about one cup of the flour mix, I went on to make the same. Lesser the flour the better, less work, less consumption and so on!
The measures given below are far more than to achieve 1 cup measure of flour, however, I shall share the same. You can reduce according to requirement.

Ingredients:
2 cups raw rice
1 cup split bengal gram
1 cup split green gram
1 small pich of soda bi carb
5 tablespoons cashew nuts broken
3 tablespoons fresh curry leaves
5 tablespoons roasted peanuts
Ghee for deep frying
Salt to taste
Powdered black pepper to taste




Method:
Dry grind the rice and dhals separately each to a very fine powder. Sieve them together a few rounds.
To the flour mix add the soda-bi-carb and sieve again.
Heat little of the ghee in a pan and separately roast the cashews, curry leaves and peanuts. Set them aside.
In a bowl mix the salt and pepper powder and set aside.
Heat about 250 grams of ghee in a pan.
Take one cup of flour and mix water to the same to make a lump free, smooth and slightly thin batter.
Making use of a boondhi ladle, drop the batter into the hot ghee. The batter will fall through the pores of the ladle and quickly form round balls that will come to the surface and float. Remove the same using a perforated ladle draining the ghee.
Transfer the boondhis to an absorbent kitchen towel.
When still warm sprinkle some of the salt and pepper mix to the boondhis.
Proceed to make the same with the rest of the flour mix.
Mixing the batter for one or just two batches ensures that the boondhis will form well and rounded.
Salt is not added to the batter which also helps the boondhis to absorb less oil and turn out crisp.
Once the entire quantity of flours have been used and the boondhis are done, add to the same the ready roasted nuts and curry leaves.
Indulge yourselves to the most flavoursome ghee fried treat.

Chola Fali - A gujarathi snack

Last year it was around Deepavali we moved to this country. We moved in to the empty apartment that very evening, purchased frugally and set up the house. Two days into Lagos, it was Deepavali. I had to be content with a simple home pooja and offering fruits. However, friends who live in the building invited us over to join in their celebrations and we had a good time.

One of my neighbours is a young mother who hails from Gujarat. She had prepared many typical Gujrati farsan and we were treated to. The chola fali is one that I liked very much and had requested her to teach me making the same. The opportune time did not come by until errr....yesterday, yes, a year later :(

I would be not doing justice if I did not introduce her to my readers. Did I mention 'young mother'? oh yes, I did! Rekha Adodra is a great cook who has trained her Nigerian maid to make perfect, thin crisp Khkaras among many other indian dishes, an artist who paints as a hobby and undertakes assignments too.


She paints pots and gifts them to friends - I have two of them adorning my home now!



All these, while she takes her three year old toddler to play school, gives in to the little girl's fancies and plays with her among many more regular duties as a parent.

Having said that, I shall also tell you how randomly we chose to make these chola falis. I asked her to be taught some traditional fare that she makes at home for trying and sharing in my blog.
She said I can walk in any time and we can have fun cooking up anything I decide to. She usually has stock of necessary ingredients. Thus yesterday evening about 5 PM I walk up to her apartment and we decide on Ghathiyas...as we chat up I say that we make kara sev and tell her that it has gram flour as base and spiced with carom seeds. She said then the recipe is similar and we shall try it some other time.

Then I asked her if she can teach me the same savoury treat I had at her place last year and that decided what I will learn...and oh yes, learn it, I did! And what is use of knowledge if not shared?
That is the purpose of the post!

Simple ingredients, some time on hand and loads of patience with the dough gives you this excellent snack which can be as versatile as you can make it. Today's recipe is basic enough for people not familiar with this.

It tastes like the pappadoms that we deep fry. Spiced with black salt and paprika, it keeps you picking at those strips one after the other. It takes all of your will power to stop snacking.

She used store purchased Mathia flour, a readily made mix of Urad dhal powder and Moong dhal powder. However, people who do not find it in your area can powder the dhals and mix them.

Ingredients:
2 cups gram flour
2 cups mathia flour (alternately, mix 1 cup each of powdered urad dhal and powdered moong dhal)
2 tablespoons ghee
1/8th of a teaspoon bi-carbonate of soda (cooking soda)
Salt as required (dry roast the salt until warm prior to adding to the flours. Do remember to add lesser salt than required as you will be sprinkling black salt mix on top)
4 tablespoons oil for pounding the dough and to grease the surface on which you will roll the dough.

Oil for deep frying

For sprinkling on top:

3 teaspoons red chilli powder
3 teaspoons black salt

Method of preparation:

Sieve together the flours and soda-bi-carb, to mix well.
Heat the pan in which you will deep fry the chola falis. When the pan is warm, drop the salt in it and toss for a few minutes. When the salt has been roasted, add it to the flour mix.
Add the ghee to the flour. Mix well.
Add very little water and make a stiff dough. The dough should be so stiff that you may feel it crack.
Rest the dough for a few minutes.
Clean a portion of the kitchen floor / counter top (or better if you have a granite mortar/ aattukkal, ammi kal).
Divide the dough in smaller portions. Using a pestle, beat the dough down on the clean surface adding few drops oil every now and then. Repeat the fold / beat/ grease/ fold operation until the dough feels light and elastic and acquires a lighter shade.
Repeat with the entire portion of the dough.
Keep this dough covered while you pinch out small balls off it and roll out thin discs.
No flour is used for dusting the surface. You will have to grease the surface with very little oil and roll as thinly as possible. (My friend rolled out so thin that the dough looked transparent.)
Keep the rolled discs also covered to avoid drying by exposure to air.


Keep the oil for deep frying on.
Cut out strips off the dough.
Meanwhile, mix the black salt and red chilli powder in a bowl and keep ready.
Deep fry the strips, few at a time in hot oil.
They have to puff well. Fry them until they are crisp.
Remove from the oil with a slotted ladle and transfer to a dish.


Check for the crispness and sprinkle the chilli-salt mix on top immediately while the falis are warm.
Serve them as a snack and enjoy!

Notes:
They dough has to be prepared very stiff.

Beating it down well ensures that the falis puff well.
Also rolling them very thin makes them perfectly enjoyable. Thick strips will become soggy.

Caution should be exercised while adding oil also during the process of beating the dough don and rolling. Do not be tempted to add more oil. The end result will be oil dripping falis.

The roasting of salt in the same pan aids a small addition of salt to the oil, which ensures that the deep fried stuff does not become oily.

Serve them as such, serve them as chaat, serve them with dips and your party is on fire from the starters :)

I will soon be making them and adding my own twist...stay tuned!

Kara Sev For Indian Cooking Challenge

The Indian Cooking Challenge is all about trying traditionally used recipes, that many of us are unable to be cooking on a regular basis for lack of time, inclination and what not. This month Srivalli chooses Karasev. She told me about the apprehensions in trying this recipe because most of us may not possess the special ladle that enables the karasev fall in long strips. Surprisingly, most of the members were game for it, irrespective of their inconveniences. And today, you may get to see many blogs raining karasev.
So far as I remember, I have only bought karasev from sweet shops or Haldirams packets. Two years ago for deepavali I made it as part of mixture and found that it was quite a simple recipe. Notwithstanding, I had used my murukku press then. Soon, I hunted shops selling cookware in India for the ladle. Recently I purchased one, not very convincing initially. I have used that for the challenge and find it very convenient.
Srivalli had given two recipes that could be tried. I have tried both on two consecutive days, reducing the quantity to tablespoons in the place of cups. The karasev lasted just that one evening and the rainy weather and foot ball match played their part, I should say.
The recipes are as follows:

Kara Sev Recipe 1

Ingredients:

Gram Flour - 2 1/2 cups
Rice flour - 1 cup
Chilli powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Black pepper coarsely powdered - 1 teaspoon
Ghee - 2 1/2 teaspoon
Cooking soda pinch (optional)
Salt to taste
Crushed garlic (optional) 2 pods
Oil to deep fry

Method:
Sieve both flours together in a bowl and make a pit.
Add chilli powder, pepper powder, salt, crushed garlic, ghee and soda-bi-carbonate, if using.
Mix thoroughly with hands to bread crumbs texture. Divide the dough into four portions.
To one portion add little water and knead to a stiff dough like that for puris.
Heat oil in a heavy pan, Using the karasev ladle, rub a portion of the dough directly into oil.
The dough will drop in oil in small strings. Deep fry them until well done and crisp.

Remove from oil and drain the excess oil off.
Allow to cool and store in airtight containers.

Kara Sev Recipe 2
Gram flour - 2 ½ cups
Rice flour - 1 cup
Ghee - 1 tablespoon
Soda - bi - carbonate - 2 pinches
Salt
Oil - for deep frying

Grind to a fine paste with water:
Red chillies - 6 numbers
Pepper - 1 teaspoon
Garlic - 7 or 8 flakes ( optional)

Method:
Sieve both flours together.
Cream the soda-bi-carb and ghee to a frothing cream on a flat dish rubbing the mixture thoroughly with your palms.
Add the flours, salt and this creamed mixture.
Strain the chilli- garlic paste through a strainer. Mix this to the flours and combine them well.
Add enough water to get a soft yet stiff dough.
Heat oil in a heavy pan and rub the flour using the karasev ladle directly into the oil.

Fry the dropped dough strips until crisp.

Remove from oil and drain the excess oil on a kitchen tissue.
Wash the ladle with water every time after use, so that the pores are clean to aid the next lot of dough to drop easily.

Some notes for good results:

Dividing the dough into smaller portions before pressing down, helps keep the dough fresh and consumes less oil while frying.
The dough has to be really stiff, if it little runny, add more gram flour to get the right consistency.
If you are using the kara sev ladle, rub it down directly on the oil.
If you are not comfortable pressing directly in the oil, you may press on a slightly oiled sheet or plate and transfer the bits into the oil.
You may try pressing with a murukku press ensuring that the dough falls in broken strips.

If you do not own a murukku press, try to roll thin cylindrical shapes using fingers, just about 2" long and deep fry. This is time consuming and as the dough is stiff the strips may dry soon.
Please ensure you are very careful while pressing down on the oil, it will be very hot, this is really not safe to have kids around. And the steam that emanates might be hot for your own hands. So rub quickly in the oil.
This normally stays crisp for a month when stored in air tight containers.

Sago Murukku

Sago murukku was the challenge given to members of Indian Cooking Challenge way back in March, to be posted by the 15th of April. Though I had two recipes in one cookbook, I never had attempted until Srivalli lured me by posting the challenge.

I tried the recipe given by her, which is the same as it appears below. But all plans to post were not to be. I travelled to India and disappeared from blogsphere for a while. Now that I am back, I wanted to post the recipe though very overdue.

Ingredients:

Rice Flour 2 cups
Gram flour 1/2 cup
Fried gram flour - 1/2 cup
Sago pearls - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Curd - 50 gms (half of half cup)
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp or as per taste

Special Utensil :
Muruku Achu

Method to prepare:
Soak Sago in butter milk for 3 hours. Ensure that you soak it enough; otherwise you may risk having the sago burst.
Mix all the flours together.

Heat 50 gms oil, mix to the flour along with salt and chili powder.

Then add the soaked sago slowly and knead to a dough, the consistency should be easy to be pressed through the murukku press.
Heat oil for deep frying.

Place a small portion of the dough in the muruku achu.

When the oil is hot, press down directly in the oil as murukus.
Cook on medium flame to ensure the muruku is fried well.

Remove from oil with a slotted ladle and place on absorbent tissues to remove excess oil.

A very tasty, somewhat tangy (because of the buttermilk) murukku is ready to enjoy.

Notes:
Ensure sago soaks in buttermilk well and is soft or else it will burst when you press it down in hot oil.
Cook on medium to ensure even cooking.
I powdered the sago prior to mixing to the buttermilk, just enough to form a dough, let it stand for sometime and added the rest of the flours and the hot oil. I did not have any bursting or cracking.

This recipe resulted in somewhat hard murukkus to my liking. I usually add more butter or fat to the dough than given in this recipe. Nonetheless it tasted good and I am determined to try them again sometime later.

The recipe book I mentioned does not have the gram flour in the recipe. The author has used only rice flour and sago pearls. That might be also an interesting option.

Kai Murukku - My practice sessions

One of the traditional Tamil cookbooks I have recommends to practise making kaimurukku at leisure in small quantities to perfect them. Every year on the day of gokulashtami I vow myself to try them again. I never get around making them often. I was having lunch with a friend last week and she had mentioned that her husband is very fond of adhirasams. So I decided to make a few for them. I had wanted to take a savoury dish along with them. So decided to make kai murukkus. They were very welcome, needless to say.

I have posted the kai murukku in my gokulashtami bakshanams among other snacks. This is a more detailed post.

I follow recipes from my cook book, my aunts and my own notes written as a foot note below these.

It is best to have the raw rice which is not aged for these savouries. The yield while pounding will be more this way. I used Ponni Raw rice purchased in India. For two cups of rice I got around 4 cups and 1/2 of a cup of powdered rice flour.

Ingredients:

Raw rice 2 cups

Split black gram/ Urad dhal (split) 1/4 cup

Butter 75 grams to 90 grams ( I use 90 grams)

Asafoetida powder 1 teaspoon

Cumin seeds 2 teaspoons

Sesame seeds 2 teaspoons

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Coconut oil few teaspoons for greasing the tips of the fingers while rolling the murukkus

Method:

Wash and soak the raw rice for two hours.

Drain the excess water and spread on a clean cloth to absorb extra moisture. ( I usually skip spreading over a cloth as I drain the rice well and pound immediately in my mixer).

Pound this rice to a fine powder, seiving after each round of pounding.

Dry roast the urad dhal in a heavy pan until golden. Powder this in a mixer and seive to a fine powder. ( 1/4 cup of roasted urad dhal will yield nearly 1/3 cup of powder).

Mix the flours, salt, asafoetida powder, cumin seeds and sesame seeds well. Rub the butter in using tips of your fingers to incorporate the fat well.

Add water to the above gradually and knead to a soft dough. Cover with a lid, not allowing the air to dry the dough.

Spread a clean cloth on the counter or on the kitchen floor.

Take a small ball of the dough in your palm. Grease the tips of your fingers with coconut oil. Roll the dough between your fingers to a small rope. Fixing one end of the rope as the starting point, twist simultaneously like a chain. Turn your hand in a circular motion, dropping the twisted rope on the sheet. Go two or three rounds thus. Seal the other edge to the chain.

Repeat with few more.

Heat oil in a pan. When the oil is very hot, but not nearly smoking, drop gently the prepared murukkus using the spatula, into the oil. Drop as many as the oil will hold, yet the murukkus can move freely in the oil and cook.

Deep fry until the murulkkus are golden brown. Remove from oil and drain in a colander.

While one batch of murukkus are frying, you may roll out some more. If you find that difficult, roll enough to fry in two batches. Once they are ready, switch the heat off. You may prepare some more and reheat the oil to deep fry the rest.

Once the murukkus are ready allow to cool and store in airtight containers.

For best results the murukkus shall be made while the rice flour is moist or the flour should have dried atleast for three days, devoid of all moisture.

Most books give the ratio of rice flour to urad dhal flour as 9:1, but my friend told me even lesser urad dhal powder will work well. If urad dhal flour is more the murukkus will be hard.

The butter should also be mixed well. Otherwise, the portion where the butter is present might pop open.

If making larger quantities, mix all the dry ingredients and the butter. Divide this in batches and mix the dough adding water to each portion. If the mixed dough is kept for long, the murukkus will tend to become brown.

Sometimes the salt may not mix well and as a result the murukkus will shoot out while frying. To avoid this, you may boil the water that you will use to mix the dough, dissolve the salt in this and mix the dough with the salted water.

Though all of the above seem intimidating, you can make crisp and delicious murukkus, with some practice and patience.

Kona vadai -Gobi Patti's special recipe

When Chegodis were to be made for last month's Indian Cooking Challenge, I looked for pictures that would help me make them. I landed in Sailu's blogpost. They looked familiar and I thought they were kodubale, the famous Karnataka snack. The recipe was quite different. Pondering on kodubale, I wanted to post my maternal grand mother's version. I think she just mixed up the name a bit....coining the kona vadai. The recipe is certainly unique though. My mother claims it was between Gobi Patti and the lady who comes over to help while big time cooking needs to be done, that this snack evolved. I simply love these and am sure all of you might enjoy this variation.

A very fond memory related to this snack goes thus. My cousin in Chennai desired me to make this for her when she was near term pregnant. We had just celebrated her Valaikappu and Seemantham. So there was enough time, I thought. On a weekend with Niki rolling them out with me, I made and packed a box for her. I took them to my aunt and we virtually put her on the transport to go and deliver this. My cousin was delivered of her son that very night two weeks before term :) Ten years on, I still recall fondly this whenever I roll the rings out.

As children growing up in India in the 70s, we went to our grandparents every holiday. The Gobichettipalayam house will be bustling with activity during vacations. If vengaya sambhar was to be cooked all children were bade to peel shallots. If konavadai or uppu cheedais were made we were to roll them. We have been given a small quantity of murukku maavu and a patch on the white dhothi to try making kai murukkus...though they never got to be fried.

Now to the recipe;

Ingredients:

2 cups rice flour ( though freshly pounded will be optimum, store bought works fine too)

1 cup semolina

1 cup all purpose flour (maida)

1/2 of a big coconut (scrape, or use dessicated coconut)

2" piece of ginger

6 pieces green chillis (adjust according to spice requirement)

Salt

2 table spoons hot oil/ 2 level tablespoons butter

Oil for deep frying

Method of preparation:

Seive the flours and semolina together.

Grind to a fine paste the chillis, ginger, coconut and salt.

Add the paste, fat (oil or butter) to the flour mix. Mix well to make pliable dough adding very little water only if required.

The semolina and the all purpose flour will give the dough elasticity. Pinch small balls and roll in thin ropes. Bring together the ends of the ropes and seal.

Take a small portion of the dough at a time. Keep the rest covered. Exposure to air will dry the dough and the rings may crack.

Heat oil and when oil has reached optimum heat, drop the prepared rings in and deep fry them until crisp and brown.

Roll out the entire dough and deep fry in small batches.

Enjoy the crisp kona vadais. They will make an excellent evening snack or during travel.

Chegodilu for Indian Cooking challenge

The recipe given by Srivalli for the December 2009's Indian Cooking Challenge was something I had never tasted before. So you might well imagine that I was confused as to how they might be to look at, leave alone knowing the texture or taste! When I googled them in, I found wonderful clicks in Sailu's Food blog.

Armed with recipes from Srivalli and pictures to guide from this blog, I set out to try them. I had no patience to soak rice and pound. I made them using the first of the two recipe variations given with store bought rice flour. Being dry flour the quantity of water seemed insufficient. But as I proceeded, I sprinkled some warm water and that solved the dryness.

The chegodis were so good that I wanted to try the second recipe the next day only. This recipe worked out very well even with store bought rice flour.

Later I pounded the rice and tried both the recipes after about a fortnight of the first attempt. Needless to say they were a big hit too. I found that making chegodi dough while the flour is moist resulted in tiny lumps that had to be broken and kneaded to get a uniform, smooth dough. But if you allow the flour to dry for a day or two, it was very good.

Now you may read both the recipes below and choose to try either.

Recipe 1:

Ingredients:

Rice flour 1 cup

Water 1 cup

Split yellow dhal (moong dhal) 2 table spoons

Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon

Sesame seeds 1 teaspoon

Chilli powder 1 teaspoon

Ghee/ oil 1 tablespoon

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

How to proceed:

For the dough:

Soak moong dhal in water for half an hour.Drain after soaking, just before adding to the water.

In a deep bottom pan, boil water. Add the salt, ghee and the drained moong dhal.

Bring to a boil, allow to simmer and stir in the rice flour gradually. Keep stirring to achieve lump- free dough.

When the dough looks cooked (as in outer dough for kozhukkattais), switch the stove off.

Mix well and cover. Keep this aside until the dough cools down, say for about 15- 20 minutes.

Add to the dough the chilli powder, sesame seeds and cumin seeds.

Mix them well.

Frying the chegodis:

Make small balls of the dough and roll them in ropes of about an inch and a half. Bring together the two ends of the rope and seal well.

Heat oil in a pan and once the oil is of optimum temperature, slide the prepared rope-rings into very hot oil. Fry only very few at a time.

Reduce the heat to low and fry the chegodis on both side until the sizzling of the oil subsides.

Remove from the oil with slotted ladle and place them on absorbent tissues.

Allow to cool and store in airtight containers.

While moulding the chegodis, keep the rest of the dough covered. Let the dough not dry in the air. Take out just as much of the dough to prepare enough number of chegodis that will fry in the oil.

Keep oil on high heat when you are sliding the rings in and reduce the heat to low as soon as the chegodis bounce back to the surface of the oil. They have to be fried really well or you might end up with oily, soggy chegodis.

Proceed thus with the entire dough.

Recipe 2:

Ingredients:

Rice flour 3/4 of a cup

All purpose flour 1/4 of a cup

Water 1 cup

Turmeric powder a tiny pinch

Oregano seeds 1 teaspoon

Red chilli powder 1 teaspoon

Ghee 1 table spoon

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

How to proceed:

Boil the water in a deep pan. Add the salt. When the water starts boiling, remove the pan from the fire.

Add the oregano seeds, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and the flours. Mix them briskly to ensure that they mix thoroughly.

Pour the ghee over it and cover with a tight lid. leave aside for a few minutes.

Heat oil in a heavy pan. Take small portions of the dough and roll out ropes. Seal the two ends of the rope to form a ring. Repeat this process with a few more.

When oil is hot, slide the prepared chegodis into it. When they bounce back to surface, reduce heat to minimum and deep fry until well done.

Remove from the oil and drain on absorbent tissues.

Allow to cool and store in airtight containers.

Repeat till entire dough is used up.

Remember to keep the dough covered to retain the moisture. If allowed to dry, they may crack and not retain shape.

This was a very interesting challenge. A new savoury snack learnt, thanks to Srivalli.

Deepavali Mixture

One of the 'must' make during deepavali is the Mixture. This can be easily prepared in large quantiies and makes easier while distributing to friends and neighbours. My mother always makes lot of varieties of the deep fried snacks to fill her brass and stainless steel cylindrical drums that might hold some 50 pieces easily. She used to labour a lot and soon after distribution day, the canisters will be almost empty. Then we realised that even if you gave away 200 grams of mixture, that looked sufficient quantity and no body complained. So they would order mixture and buy specifically for distribution.

I make mixture every year to fill a 12 litre pressure cooker vessel. That sounds like loads of work, but the advantage of the mixture is that you may make all the goodies that go into it at your convenience and add them finally.

I fry legumes like the channa, green peas after soaking them and lightly cooking them.

The cashews and peanuts are roasted with the microwave.

The almonds are blanched, dried, slivered and roasted in the microwave.

I usually make the diamond biscuits too, the sweet namakparas baking them.

The boondi, ompodi and the karasev or the ribbon pakodas are deep fried.

The aval/poha can be rubbed with some ghee and dry roasted in small quantities until they puff.
The combination of my mixture this deepavali was boondi, ompodi, kadai murukku, fried legumes and roasted nuts.

Deep frying the legumes:

1 cup each of dried green peas and kabuli channa.

Oil for deep frying

Salt to taste.

Soak the legumes separately allowing to stand overnight.

Drain well and pressure cook them separately adding little water until 1 whistle of the cooker.

Drain the excess water and spread each on a dry cloth for about three hours.

Heat about 1/4 cup of oil in a heavy pan. Deep fry just about a fistfull of the legumes at a time.

Keep a lid handy as the legumes will shoot out while deep frying. Do not cover tightly, but just enough to cover that the spluttering oil does not harm your forearms.

Once fried well, drain excess oil on absorbent tissues. Repeat the process until all the legumes are fried well.

These make a very crunchy addition to the mixture.

Boondi:

Gram flour 2 cups

Rice flour 1/4 cup

A pinch of cooking soda

Oil for deep frying

Salt to taste

Powdered black pepper to taste

Special utensil: The boondi ladle that has perforations to press the batter through.

Seive the flours and the cooking soda together. Make a batter adding water. The batter shall be like that of dosa batter.

Heat oil in a pan. Holding the boondi ladle as close to the oil as possible, pour on it a small amount of prepared batter. Rub the batter through the pores with the help of the back of the spoon.

The batter will pass through the perforated bottom of the ladle and drop in the oil forming small balls. Deep fry them. They will fry quickly. Remove with a slotted ladle and drain.

While still warm add the salt and the pepper powder to the boondis.

Kadai murukku:

2&1/2 cups rice flour

1 cup gram flour

1/2 cup powdered roasted gram (pottukadalai maavu)

Salt and chilli powder to taste

2 teaspoons oregano seeds

Hot oil 3 tablespoons to add to the dough

Oil for deep frying

Special equipment: Murukku press with one star hole plate.

Mix all the dry ingredients and the 3 tablespoons hot oil. Mix well and make a dough adding water.

Fit the murukku press with the single star plate. Place some of the prepared dough in the press.

Heat oil well and press the dough in the oil in no prescribed shape. we will have to break pieces of this to add to the mixture. Hence it is of no significance.

Deep fry the murukkus well.

Drain and save for adding to the mixture.

Plain Ompodi/ Sev:

2&1/2 cups rice flour

1 cup gram flour

salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Special Utensil: Murukku press fitted with sev plate.

Mix all ingredients but the oil. Make a dough of smooth consistency.

Use the murukku press fitted with the plate that has numerous tiny holes.

Heat the oil and press small portions of the prepared dough into the oil. Allow the sev to fry well.

Drain and break in small pieces and save for the mixture.

Roasting the nuts, raisins etc.:

Break the nuts in small pieces. Rub few drops of ghee thoroughly on the nuts.

Take the nuts in a microwave proof flat dish.

Microwave on high for 3 minutes initially. Toss them around and microwave on high power for a further minute and a half until the nuts are crisp.

This is applicable to cashews, blanched almonds and peanuts.

The peanuts can initially be roasted dry to remove peel and then again roasted by rubbing oil.
Add the salt and keep reserve for the mixture.
Rub some ghee on the raisins and placing on a microwave flat dish microwave them just for a minute until they puff.

Roasting the aval:

Toss the aval/poha in a flat pan in a fanning motion to remove the impurities. Alternatively, sieve and remove the finer impurities.

Heat some ghee in a heavy pan. Keeping the heat low, roast fistfulls of aval until they puff well. Keep tossing constantly so they puff evenly. Add salt while hot.

Similarly the curry leaves can be cleaned and roasted to be added to the mixture.

Thus prepared, all the dishes that combine to form the mixture are ready.

Mix them all in a vey big utensil.

Crunchy deepavali mixture is ready.

The roasted legumes are off to Susan's MLLA being hosted by Srivalli this Eighteenth helping.

Nylon Ribbon

Soon after I posted the ribbon pakodas, my sister, my good buddy and worst critic pointed out that they were extremely brown, not golden. i explained to her that I used the rice flour amma had brought from India and she had complained about the mill guy grinding wheat prior to grinding her soaked rice which resulted in anything fried using the flour get an extra dark tinge.

As the conversation carried on, she reminded me of this recipe. I promised her that I will make them asap, and I did, but before I took pictures, the crisp ribbons vanished just like that.

When she asked about it I told her that we both enjoyed them. I left it at that thinking I can do them again exclusively for the blog. Finally I made them this festival season and tried to make it suitable for vegans, replacing the butter by vegetable shortening.

Recipe for about 50 pieces is as follows:

Ingredients:

3 cups soaked, drained and powdered rice flour

1 &1/2 cup gram flour

3/4 cup finely powdered roasted gram (pottukadalai maavu)

10 pieces green chillis

2 inches long piece of ginger

3 tablespoons vegetable shortening (I used Dalda)

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Method:

Seive the three flours together well, twice or thrice.

Grind the ginger and green chillis adding water. Strain this and add some more water. Keep aside.

Mix the salt to the flour, rub the dalda in thoroughly mixing well with the flour. Gradually mix the ground and strained chilli ginger flavours. Knead a smooth dough using more water if necessary.

Heat oil in a kadai and when oil is hot enough, using the murukku achchu fitted with the ribbon plate, press the ribbons directly in the oil. Deep fry till golden and crisp. Remove with a slotted ladle on to an absorbent tissue.

Repeat until all the dough is used up. Allow to cool a bit and transfer to an airtight container until further use.

As the flours are a bit more, it is recommended to divide into portions and mix the dough. Keeping the mixed dough for long will result in the murukkus getting a dark tinge.

I tried it this way for vegans.(There is a guarantee on tin of Dalda that no animal product is used in the manufacturing process) Butter can be used, but you might need more butter than dalda.

I hope you enjoy these crisp nylon ribbons.

Jantikalu for ICC

This month's recipe for the Indian Cooking Challenge announced by Srivalli and tried by all the members was the jantikalu or murukku famous South Indian savouries. With the festival season upon us, all of us geared ourselves to try it out. Though I do this regularly to indulge my family, replicating the given recipe was fun.

Now, for the recipe given by Srivalli :

Ingredients Needed:

Raw Rice - 4cups

Urad Dal - 1 cup

Water - app 1/2 cup or more

For Seasoning:

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Sesame seeds- 1 tsp

Asafoetida/ Hing - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Butter - 75 gms

Method to prepare:

Wash and drain the rice. Dry the rice spread on a cloth in shade for 1/2 hr.
Dry roast the urad dhal to light brown. Allow it to cool.

If you are using more quantity, you can get it ground in rice mill, else use your mixie to grind both rice and urad dhal.

First grind rice into a fine flour, sieve, repeat until a very fine flour is achieved.
Spread the flour on sheets of paper until required.
Ideally the murukkus taste good if done with this moist flour immediately or it should have dried thoroughly in hot sun and stored.
Similarly grind the roasted urad dal to fine powder.

In a wide vessel, take both the flours along with salt. Mix well.

Add cumin, sesame seeds to the flour, mix well.

Whether you use asafetida powder or the solid variety, mix it in water, make sure it is dissolved before adding to the flour. If its not dissolved properly, when deep frying the muruku, there are chances for the asafoetida to burst due to presence of solid particles.

Mix the asafoetida to the flour and finally add the butter.Rub the butter in gently and mix the flours to blend well.
Gather everything well and you will get more of a crumbling mixture.
Now gradually add water and knead a dough which is little more softer than the puri dough.

Heat a kadai with oil enough to deep fry.

Once the oil is hot enough, simmer to low flame.

Take the Muruku achchu, wash and wipe it clean. Then divide the dough into equal balls. Fill the muruku maker with the dough. You can either press it directly over the flame or press over a paper and gently slide it down the hot oil. But since the quantity mentioned here is less, you can press it directly over the kadai.

Cook over medium flame, using a slotted spoon, turn it over to other side to ensure both sides turn golden colour.

Remove to a kitchen paper and store it in a air tight container.

The recipe given by Srivalli is similar to what many of my cookbooks have given. But I usually use 1 cup of urad dhal to 5 cups of raw rice as given by my aunt. Also we are an indulgent family that we use more butter to get melt-in-the-mouth murukkus. But too much butter will make the murukku oily and also may not hold shape rendering them to break. So butter should be optimum, neither too less or too much.

Since we are only two in the family, I have tried the recipe with quarter of the above quantity.

My cup is 240ml standard cup, which while measured heaped weighed 250grams of raw rice. I used split urad dhal levelled in 1/4 cup measure and butter 2 tablespoons. With this I achieved 420 grams of murukkus.

Hope you will all enjoy making these murukkus for the upcoming festive season.

Muthusarai or Magizhampoo thaenkuzhal

This recipe is probably one ancient that I know. I have known it to be followed by my grandmother and before her, her mother-in-law. The same recipe features in the Samaiththu Paar by S.Meenakshi Ammal which was first printed in 1951 and is being re-printed on and on to date. The only alteration in my recipe is addition of cardamom powder which is not in the book. Many people have been intrigued about adding cardamom in a savoury snack. They love it when they try it :)

Ingredients:

4 standard cups (240ml cup X 4) raw rice, heaped cup measure - 1000 grams

1 & 1/2 of a cup moong dhal -225 grams

3/4 th of a cup channa dhal - 110 grams

100 grams butter

4 teaspoons cardamom powder

2 tablespoons white sesame seeds

500grams oil for deep frying

Wash the rice well until water runs clear and soak in water for about two hours.

Drain water, spread the rice on a clean cloth to dry in shade.

Once dry, but still moist, powder in a mixie. Sieve to a fine powder. Repeat these steps until all soaked rice has been powdered.

Spread a sheet of paper and a cloth over it. Spread the powdered rice on this. It will be best to use the moist flour right away for best results. Otherwise allow to dry thoroughly, thus spread and store in airtight containers until required.If the quality of rice is good, you will get 2&1/2 to 2&3/4 cups of rice flour per cup soaked rice.
The murukkus tend to turn out hard and brown in colour if the flour is not used this way.

I usually make murukkus the very same day as pounding the flour.

Roast the two dhals separately until they are golden taking care not to over heat them. Cool and powder them to very fine consistency.

The author of the recipe book suggests that you can pound the rice in a mill, but do the dhals at home for best results.

Mix the rice flour and dhal powders. At this point the floue mix will look as yellow as custard powder and the aroma of roasted moongdhal will be invitingly strong.

In a big bowl mix the flour, cardamom powder, salt and sesame seeds. Gradually rub the butter in with tips of your fingers to evenly mix with the above.

If you are making a large quantity (anything above 2 cups of the mixed combination), divide the mix in smaller portions. Add water to one divided portion to make a soft dough that can hold shape and can be pressed into shape with a mould. Divide this dough into smaller portions that will fit into the cylinder of the murukku press.

Heat oil in a kadai until just before smoking point. To test the optimum heat of the oil,drop a small portion of prepared dough in the oil. It should dip in first and quickly bounce upwards to the surface of the oil.

Fit the murukku achchu (murukku press) with the plate that has pores in the shape of three stars. Place some dough into the press and pipe out directly in the warm oil.

Do not crowd the murukkus in the oil. Allow them space to float and fry. Turn them over using a slotted ladle. Fry both sides until they are golden brown. Remove from oil and place on an absorbent tissue. Cool and transfer to store in airtight containers until required.

These muththusarais are just pure indulgence. They feature in all Seer bakshanams in South Indian Hindu brahmin weddings and functions in counts of 31, 51 or 101. The aroma of the roasted dhal and cardamom give this a unique taste.

The dhal flour can be made and stored for few months also. Just add 3 parts of rice flour to 1 part of dhal flour by volume and make these anytime. The muththusarai is one sure savoury in my diwali bakshanam list. That is one time I use the whole of the above recipe. Otherwise I use 1 cup rice and proportion the dhals and butter for some weekend snack.

I am sending these delectable murukkus to

MLLA 15th helping currently hosted @ Sia's Monsoonspice an event initiated by Susan The wellseasoned cook.

and

to Sweets and Savouries Event held @ Sara's Corner.

Oattu Pakoda or Ribbon Pakodas

The oattu pakodas/ ribbon pakodas are an anytime snack, in the sense they are very easy to cook up anytime. though it is better to soak, drain, pound,seive and use the rice flour, it is not a must. They turn out very well with store bought flour also. All cook books I have give the combination differently. This is a recipe my periamma used and had given all of us.

Ingredients:

3 cups fine rice flour

1 cup gram flour/ split Bengal gram flour/chick pea flour

2 table spoons butter at room temperature.

4 teaspoons red chilli powder

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Asafoetida powder just a little

In a big bowl, mix all of the flours and powders well. Rub the butter in the flour mix well to spread and blend well. Add water gradually to mix a smooth dough.

Divide this into smaller portions.

Heat oil in a kadai.

Fit the murukku press with the plate that has two rectangular slits.

When oil has reached optimum heat, take one portion of the divided dough and press out the ribbons in the oil. Press just one or two in the oil, giving enough space to float and fry.

Once the sizzling of the oil has subsided remove the ribbon pakodas with a slotted ladle placing gently over absorbent tissue. Allow to cool and store in airtight containers.

The above quantity can be mixed and pressed in one shot. It is however advisable that you mix the flours and rub in the butter, divide this into portons before adding water, if you are making large quantities. Mixing the water to the flour mix and allowing it to rest may result in discolouring. The oxidation and fermentation brings the darker shade in the murukkus. This is applicable to all murukkus.

I would love to send these to Shanthi Krishnakumar's Dussehra - Diwali event

and to Sara's Corner's Sweets and Savouries event.