Search This Blog

Friday 30 March 2012

Onion Bhajji Recipe | Onion Fritters Recipe | How to Make Onion Bhajji | Indian Street Food Recipes

Onion Bhajjis are Indian savoury onion fritters made primarily with onion slices and chickpea flour. Check out my recipe for onion bhajji here.
Onion Bhajji/ Onion Fritters #Recipe
Onion Bhajjis are Indian savoury onion fritters; they a crowd pleaser. It is one of the popular street foods in India. I love to have them hot with a cup of tea.

I had made them to take it to my work place and every body enjoyed it a lot. Few of them even remarked that they were really moist and flavourful unlike the ones you get in shops, which tend to be very dry when cold. The secret to it is adding a pinch of baking soda to the batter, it gives the inside of the bhajji a soft texture. I also add a couple of spoons of rice flour in the batter which gives a crispy crunch outside.

Without much ado, let's check out the Onion Bhajji recipe

Onion Bhajjis are Indian savoury onion fritters made primarily with onion slices and chickpea flour. Check out my recipe for onion bhajji here.


Onion Bhajji Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup chickpea flour, shifted.
1 cup sliced onions (About 2 medium onions)
3 tbsp rice flour
1 green chili, de seeded and chopped
11/4 tsp salt
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
A handful of chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp ajwain/carom seeds
2 tsp crushed kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
2 tsp oil
1/4 tsp baking soda.

Process:

1. Peel the onion and cut it into four halves. Slice them thinly. Put the sliced onions in a large bowl and toss with the salt. Set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Add the chickpea flour, rice flour, chile powder, cumin, turmeric, ajwain, coriander leaves, baking soda,kasoori methi, green chilli and stir well. Add a couple of tablespoon of water to form a thick batter. Do not add water add water all at once, add spoon by spoon and stir with a spatula to check the consistency.
3. Heat 500 ml oil in a frying pan. When bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan lower it to medium. Drop tablespoon of batter into the hot oil. Fry 5-6 bhaajis at a time. If the pan is too crowded they will not cook evenly. Fry them till they are golden in colour. Stir it occasionally so that they are fried evenly.
4. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towel. Serve hot with coriander chutney or tamarind chutney. It can also be served with ketchup, pairs best with a cup of hot tea or coffee.

Notes:

1. Shifting chickpea flour helps in avoiding lump.
2. Make sure baking soda also has no lumps. Once the batter is made, don't let it sit for too long. Start preparing the bhajis in 5-7 minutes.
3. It is best to drop the batter in the oil using your finger. It can be a bit messy but helps in getting uniform shapes which in turn helps in uniform frying.
4. You can make them in advance and heat them in the microwave before serving.

Onion Bhajjis are Indian savoury onion fritters made primarily with onion slices and chickpea flour. Check out my recipe for onion bhajji here.

Have a nice weekend. Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!


Thursday 29 March 2012

Nimki/ Namakpaare Recipe | Papdi Recipe | How to Make Nimki and Papdi using the same dough


Nimki or Namak Paare are diamond shaped savoury fried crackers.  Using the same dough that is used to make nimki, I also make papdi. Find the recipe for nimki and papdi here.
Nimki/ Namakpaare Recipe | Papdi Recipe
Nimki or Namak Paare are diamond shaped savoury fried crackers. They go very well with tea. Using the same dough that is used to make nimki, I also make papdi, the round crackers that are quite used in Indian Chaats. In this post, I am showing you how to make nimki as well as papdi.

I have lots of memories attached to these Nimki. My mom makes the best Nimki in our home. I remember her making them in big batches during the festive season and we, kids used to poke around the kitchen to grab a few to munch on.

Even though I make them now myself, I still have not got the shapes perfect. Not that it matters when it comes to taste, but evenly shaped nimki looks way better.

Nimki or Namak Paare are diamond shaped savoury fried crackers.  Using the same dough that is used to make nimki, I also make papdi. Find the recipe for nimki and papdi here.

Papdis are essentially same as nimki, they just differ in shape. I use the same dough to make both of these. The best papdi are those which are crunchy and yet breaks easily. Nimki are more crunchy, their shape helps in their texture. Papdis are the most essential elements of the most popular Indian snacks like Papdi Chaat and Sev Puri. Today, I am sharing how I make 'Nimki' and 'Papdi' with the same dough.

Nimki or Namak Paare are diamond shaped savoury fried crackers.  Using the same dough that is used to make nimki, I also make papdi. Find the recipe for nimki and papdi here.

This recipe makes about 50 Papdis.

How to Make Nimki/Papdi/Namakpaare

Ingredients:

1 cup maida or all purpose flour
1/4 cup semolina
2 tablespoons oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ tsp black onion seeds.
Water to form a firm dough

Oil for brushing the dough and for frying

Process:

1. Mix maida or all purpose flour, semolina, salt and black onion seeds. Add the oil and use lukewarm water to make a firm dough. Keep it aside for 15-20 minutes before working on it.

2. Divide the dough in about 50 equal parts and roll them individually into 2 1/2 inch even rounds. Prick with a fork in about 4 to 5 place.

3. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. The frying pan should have at least 1 1/2 inch of oil. Fry the papdi on medium to medium-high heat until both sides are light golden-brown in colour.

4. Transfer them to a paper towel so that excess oil is soaked out. Let it cool completely before storing. They can be stored in airtight container for 1 month.

Nimki or Namak Paare are diamond shaped savoury fried crackers.  Using the same dough that is used to make nimki, I also make papdi. Find the recipe for nimki and papdi here.

Nimki is same as papdi but different in shape. To make them make the dough as made for papdi and follow the instructions below.

1. Divide the dough into five equal parts and shape them into smooth balls.

2. Roll one dough ball at a time into thin chapati like discs. Using a knife or a pizza cutter cut thin strips of the dough and cut the strips diagonally to get diamond shaped pieces.

3. Fry them in medium hot oil till they are golden brown in colour. Do the same with rest of the dough balls. Keep the rest covered when you are rolling one.

4. Cool them completely before storing.

Here is a link to video of making nimki to help you understand the process of making them, even though the recipes are not same.

Nimki or Namak Paare are diamond shaped savoury fried crackers.  Using the same dough that is used to make nimki, I also make papdi. Find the recipe for nimki and papdi here.

They are great to munch with afternoon tea.

Nimki or Namak Paare are diamond shaped savoury fried crackers.  Using the same dough that is used to make nimki, I also make papdi. Find the recipe for nimki and papdi here.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Saturday 24 March 2012

Random Pictures # 2 ~ Dublin ~ For Saturday Snapshot

                                                        Quays Bar and Restaurant, Temple Bar, Dublin

I wanted to do this post last week for Saturday Snapshot as St. Patrick's day was an ideal day to post some more pictures from this country. How ever, the idea didn't materialize. So, here I am this week with some random pictures from Dublin, Ireland for Saturday Snapshot. 

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books. It’s easy to participate – just post a picture that was taken by you, a friend, or a family member and add your link on Alyce’s site.

 Temple Bar, Dublin

 Half Penny Bridge over river Liffey, Dublin

Bulter's Chocolate Cafe at Grafton Street, Dublin.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Friday 23 March 2012

Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer


I clearly have no idea how to begin this post and I have been staring at the screen for past few minutes for inspiration. That doesn't seem to be working and I am taking the easy way out.

In a line I can say that Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer is one of the riveting book that I have ever read. Archer has a gift for crafting stories with such intricate and complex plot, spanning over years that keeps the reader glued to it till they have turned the last page. He is a genius master story teller without a doubt.

In Kane and Abel, Archer tells your the story of two men, William Kane and Abel Rosnovski. The former is born with a silver spoon and the later is a penniless Polish immigrant. Born on the same date, in opposite sides of the world, they have only one thing in common - ambition and  when fate brings them together at crossroads of life, there is friction of enormous proportion that will do good to none of them.


The story takes the reader through the life of both men, right from the moment they were born and to the point they breathed their last, alternately, and as a reader you will feel torn between the two protagonists. The way the author has intricately woven important historical incidents and happenings in the story, reiterates the fact that only a genius can do it. The unrest in Poland and rest of Europe, the barbarity of the Hitler regime, the World War II, the Great Depression and the rise of America are a constant backdrop in the history and still not for a moment, you will feel subdued. There are so many characters, sub plots and still the story holds together as one.  

Over 60 years and three generations, through war, marriage, fortune, and disaster, Kane and Abel with unconsummated hatred for each other, battle for the success and triumph that only one man can have. It all culminates in to a spell binding saga of ambition, hatred, success, failures and love. Even though you might feel pulled toward one character or the other, the author always have justified the way they act or do things. The end comes as a masterful surprise, which you can expect from a Jeffrey Archer book, but can never guess.


Other than the two main characters, the other ones that stood out for me were Kane's wife - Kate and Florentyna, Abel's daughter. Kate is an epitome of understanding and I loved the way she stood by her husband through thick and thin. Florentyna comes to me as a person who is strong and dares to dream and follow her heart. And it comes as a no surprise to me that she is the main protagonist of the next book of the Kane and Abel series, The Prodigal Daughter (which I have already laid my hands on and can't wait to read).


In a nutshell, it was fantastic read, full of twists and turns that will keep you on the edge, great historical backdrop, well sketched characters, ingenious plot and a jolting ending. It has all elements of an Archer book and if you love his work, you can't miss it. I only wonder why it took me so long to put my hands on it. Kane and Abel was first published in 1979. 

Highly recommended

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers

Lucky Library Picks # 10

 Another Friday of Lucky Library Picks is here and I have some books to share. I have a good number of books to read and I am somewhat lagging behind in my reading plans. So, I have decided to post my Lucky Library Picks post only once a month. From next month I will post my Lucky Library Picks on the 15th of every month and hopefully the titles that have been sitting for a while on my shelf will be read soon.

This week for Lucky Library Picks I have these two books to share.

One Day by David Nicholls

This book has been on my TBR ever since the movie on this book was released. I didn't watch the movie as I wanted to read the book first. The book revolves around 2 people over a span of 20 years. It is touted as a modern classic.


The Prodigal Daughter by Jeffrey Archer

This is the 2nd book of the Kane and Abel series. I have just finished reading Kane and Abel by the author which I enjoyed very much and I can't wait to this one.


 
Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Wednesday 21 March 2012

Quick ~ Easy ~ No Cook ~ Malai Kulfi

I am a big Kulfi fan and that must be evident from the number of kulfi recipes I have posted on this blog already. And still when I spot a new recipe, I can't help trying it out myself. When I saw this super quick, no cook kulfi recipe in Miss Masala by Mallika Basu, I had to try it out. I was in a great hurry to click it and taste it so, I dipped the kulfi molds in hot water a little longer and hence you can see the liquid oozing out a bit. But, it was every bit delicious..

I had posted this Cardamom Kulfi made the traditional way long time back and it is still my favorite. But given that, sometimes we do not have or want to spend so much time in stirring the milk till it is thickened, I posted this Malai Kulfi that uses condensed milk and needs just  a fraction of time and some cooking. Then I was introduced to Dulce de Leche and couldn't help trying out another variation of kulfi using it and hence Dulce de Leche Malai Kulfi came into picture, it has a slight caramel flavour which i love. It was a no cook recipe as well if you are using stored bought can of Dulce de Leche. But this time this quick malai kulfi is the simplest you can make and it is just a matter of 5 minutes. Of course the freezing time is excluded. So, if you are pressed for time and are craving for kulfi, this could be the answer. I got 6 kulfi (80ml mold size) and freezed the rest in a freezer safe container. The original recipe has crushed pistachio added, but I have omitted it as I like the Malai flavour better.


Ingredients:
400 ml can of evaporated milk
300 ml fresh/double cream
6 tbsp sugar
2 cardamom powdered

Process:

1. Add everything in a blender and whiz until the mixture doubles in volume.
2. Pour the mixture into Kulfi molds and freeze overnight.
3.  Allow the molds to remain outside the refrigerator for 5 minutes and then unmold it or run hot water over the kulfi molds to unmold it even quickly.


Linking it too Beat The Heat and I Am The Star.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Bhapa Doi ~ Misti Doi ~Sweet Steam Yogurt ~ Bengali delicacy


This space has been silent for a few days. Even though I have a number of recipes in my drafts to be shared, I could not bring myself to compose a post. Plain lazy, I have been. Today's recipe comes from Miss Masala- a Cookbook by Mallika Basu. I had reviewed it a few days back after trying a couple of recipes from it.

Bhapa Doi/Misti Doi is a popular Bengali delicacy. It is basically steam sweet yogurt and it often called the Indian cheese cake because of its texture. The traditional recipe can be quite time consuming at it involves thickening the milk by slowly cooking it, setting the yoghurt and then steaming it. Mallika however provides us with a quicker recipe. You will be amazed by the simplicity of the recipe.

Serves 4-6

2 green cardamom pounded
10-12 strands of saffron
1 tbsp whole milk
250 g low fat yogurt
200 ml sweetened condensed milk


Process:
1. Preheat the oven at 190 C
2. Soak the saffron in the milk. Powder the cardamom finely.
3. Beat the yogurt and condensed milk together until smooth and add the powdered cardamom.
4. Fill this mixture into ramekins or a baking dish. Place them in a large baking tray. Fill the tray with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins or dish. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
5. Spoon the saffron mixture over  it and bake it for another 5 minutes. If you are using a large baking dish, it may take longer. The yogurt mixture should appear set. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate. Serve chilled. Once it is chilled, it sets a little more.

Note: I had over baked it by 10 minutes then what is stated above and the result was nice and firm set yogurt. If you want it less firm, change the baking time accordingly. None the less it will taste good.

I am leaving you with links of this delicacy posted on other food blogs:


I will be up with a quick kulfi recipe I had tried from Mallika Basu's Book - Quick Indian Cooking, next. Stay tuned. Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Friday 16 March 2012

The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks

What do you do when you find yourself in a reader's block (A term coined by me akin to writer's block)? Of late, I was finding reading at a stretch difficult. I was picking a book and abandoned it after turning a few pages and I couldn't read more than a few pages at a stretch. Even though I have a good pile of interesting titles on my shelf, I was wary of picking them up. In such situation, I thought it would be best to pick up a book that I knew would keep me glued. Nicholas Sparks is one author whose books does that to me. Simple language, easy reads and heart touching stories - this combination doesn't go wrong for me. I picked up 'The Rescue' by Nicholas Sparks to get myself in reading mood and the book lived up to my expectation.

The book has all elements of  typical Sparks book - love, relationship, romance, friendship, country life, unexpected dramatic twists. Be prepared to keep a few tissue papers handy. If you have read his books, then you know what I mean.


Here is the blurb from the book, that gives an idea about the storyline, but, let me tell you there is more.

"When confronted by raging fires or deadly accidents, volunteer fireman Taylor McAden feels compelled to take terrifying risks to save lives. But there is one leap of faith Taylor can’t bring himself to make: he can’t fall in love. For all his adult years, Taylor has sought out women who need to be rescued, women he leaves as soon as their crisis is over and the relationship starts to become truly intimate. When a raging storm hits his small Southern town, single mother Denise Holton’s car skids off the road. The young mom is with her four-year-old son Kyle, a boy with severe learning disabilities and for whom she has sacrificed everything. Taylor McAden finds her unconscious and bleeding, but does not find Kyle. When Denise wakes, the chilling truth becomes clear to both of them: Kyle is gone. During the search for Kyle, the connection between Taylor and Denise takes root. Taylor doesn’t know that this rescue will be different from all the others, demanding far more than raw physical courage. It will lead him to the possibility of his own rescue from a life lived without love and will require him to open doors to his past that were slammed shut by pain. This rescue will dare him to live life to the fullest by daring to love."

After reading a little more about the novel on the web, I was surprised to know that the character of Kyle is inspired by Sparks' second son - Ryan. Kyle in the novel has what’s called Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), which is something akin to “dyslexia of sound.” He didn’t talk because language is jumbled for some reason, though no one knows the reason. The sacrifices her mother, Denise makes for him and the way she strives to make him speak makes you wonder about motherly love. It was more surprising to know that the author and his wife has been through that phase and Denise is a character inspired by her wife in many ways. I would encourage you to read this for know about the inspiration behind this novel.

The novel is not so much about Denise or Kyle but about Taylor McAden. Although, his first entry in the novel is not a hero's but slowly the focus shifts from Denise's life to Taylor. Taylor has his own demons to face and only after a tragic and dramatic incident in his life, he gathers the courage to do so and eventually rescues himself from a life devoid of love and companionship. Apart from some description of fire rescues, which I found uninteresting to go through in detail, this book was an breezy read.

Nicholas Sparks know how to tug the chords of your heart and this book does exactly that. Recommended if you are a Sparks' fan. Read it even if you have not read any of his works.

Linking to R of A-Z challenge.You can see my A-Z Reading Challenge list here.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Baked Crispy Onion Rings

 For Blog Hop Wednesday this month, I am paired with Harini of Tamalapaku and among all the variety of dishes that are there on her blog, I chose these Baked Crispy Onion Rings. To know more about Blog Hop Wednesdays check this. To see what other blog hoppers are up with see this.

Ingredients:
1 Large Onion sliced in rings. I used the white variety.

For the coating batter
2-3 tbsp AP Flour
1 tsp corn flour
A generous pinch of salt
1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water

For coating the onion rings
Bread Crumbs, as needed (I used 2 multigrain bread slices, toasted them and churned them to crumbs)
1 tsp oil
1/4 tsp Italian dried mixed herbs

1. Preheat the oven at 200-220 C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Mix all the ingredients for making the batter and add water and whisk till there is no lump.
3. Mix the bread crumbs, seasoning and oil and rub with your fingers.
4. Dip a onion ring in the batter and then coat it with the crumbs and place them in the lined baking tray. Do the same with all the onion rings.
5. Bake them for 15 minutes, turning them once after 7-8 minutes to ensure they are uniformly crisp.
6. Serve with tomato ketchup or sweet chili sauce or enjoy with a cup of tea.

Notes:
1. I used multigrain bread crumbs as I had them at hand. But, I think using regular bread crumbs will be better for taste.
2. Instead of bread crumbs, I think coarse semolina should also work fine.
3. Do not slice the onion too think or they will burn while baking.

Only disadvantage of this recipe is that, one has to be patient while making them. It is simple enough but baking the rings is time consuming. But, on the brighter side, they are really low fat and you don't have to worry about having eaten too much of them.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Wednesday 14 March 2012

Green Chutney ~ Variations~ Indian Kitchen Staples



Green Chutney/Dip is another thing that you will always find in my fridge. A must for Indian Chaats and pairs well with Indian snacks like Samosa, Paneer Tikka, Onion Bhaji, Vada Pav, Cutlets etc. The list can be endless. I had shared a recipe of this chutney in my Vada Pav post. But, I thought a separate post for this versatile chutney will be helpful for any one looking for this recipe.

You can make it in many ways and hence I have included a list of the variation right after the recipe. Let me know how you make it.

Green Chutney:

1 bunch of coriander leaves (will be about 3 cup of coriander leaves)
1 ripe tomato (optional)
2 green chillies.
1 tsp cumin seeds.
2 inch ginger piece, peeled
Salt to taste.
Lemon juice as needed.

Process:
  1. Add all the ingredients in a grinder and make a paste. Add water as little as possible.
  2. Add lemon juice to taste just before serving.
 Variations:
1. Add half measure of plucked fresh mint leaves and adjust seasoning for Coriander and Mint Chutney.
2. You can leave out tomato totally. Instead, 1/4th cup of chopped raw mango (when in season) for a tangier chutney.
3. You can can add 1/4 cup of chopped onion and 1-2 garlic cloves if you wish.
4. Another variation would be to add dried pomegranate seeds to it. 
5. You can also add a few tablespoons of tamarind paste.
6. Add a few pieces of fresh coconut flesh
It can be stored for weeks  in freezer without adding the lemon juice. I store it in my ice cube tray and use cubes of chutney whenever required. Once the chutney cubes are frozen, you can take them out and transfer them in a Ziploc back and refrigerate until needed. Generally, I defrost two cubes of chutney in microwave and then add lemon juice. It is ready to use.
Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!
 

Tuesday 13 March 2012

Tamarind and Dates Chutney ~ Sweet Chutney~Mithi Chutney~ For Indian Chaats and Snacks

There are certain things that you will always find in my fridge and one of them is this dip/chutney. This 'mithi'(sweet) chutney as it is popularly called is one of the staples when making Indian chaats and pairs well with Samosa, Dahi Vada or Paneer Tikka. There are a number of ways to make it - with or without dates and I have made some varieties of it myself, depending on the things I have at hand. It was only when I posted these Dahi Vadas, I realized I have not posted a recipe of this sweet dip on this space, even though I have mentioned serving a couple of dishes here with it. So, when I made a fresh lot of this dip recently, I clicked a few pictures to share them here.

A post for another staple dip - Green Chutney will be up next. Lets hop to the recipe of this Tamarind and Dates Chutney now.


Ingredients:

15-20 dates, pitted, soaked overnight with just enough water to soak them
1 cup tamarind pulp
1 cup brown sugar/regular sugar/grated jaggery
2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black salt
1 tsp ground ginger

Process:

1. Puree the dates along with the water they were soaked in.
2. Dry roast cumin seeds and the fennel seeds and coarsely ground them in a pestle mortar. Alternately, you can also finely grind it in a mixer.
3. In a heavy bottomed pan add the dates puree, ground cumin and fennel mixture and the rest of the ingredients and a cup of water.
4. Bring it to boil and then lower the heat and simmer the mixture for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take it off gas and let it cool completely.
5. Store it in sterilized glass jars and keep them refrigerated. Keep well for 2-3 months. Use it as needed in Indian chaats or as a dip with snacks or starters.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Saturday 10 March 2012

Random Pictures #1 ~ Dublin ~ For Saturday Snapshot

For Saturday Snapshot, I thought I would post some random pictures from Dublin this time. as I browsed through the pictures taken sometimes back, I chanced upon some pictures, taken at different times, of the canal that flows near my house.

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books. It’s easy to participate – just post a picture that was taken by you, a friend, or a family member and add your link on Alyce’s site.

Only a couple of minutes walk away from  my house, this is my favorite place for a quick walk and the Swans in the canal adds to the beauty of it.

 (Swans @ Canal)

 (On a cloudy day)

(On a bright day)

(In Black and White)

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Friday 9 March 2012

Lucky Library Picks # 9

The last couple of books I have read have not kept me glued to it. I mean, they were not bad read, but they were not absolutely riveting. That is why when I went to the library this time, I had in mind which author's titles I want to pick. And finely, I zeroed on these two books for Lucky Library Picks.


Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer and The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks

I have always enjoyed the books by these authors and at times when I need something to read that will have my undivided attention, I know I can fall back on their books. You can see reviews of books by Nicholas Sparks and Jeffrey Archer by following the link.

Do you have something to share? I will love to hear.


Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Thursday 8 March 2012

Dahi Vada Recipe | How to Make Dahi Vada | Holi Recipes

Dahi Vada is one of the must prepare dishes for Holi. Soft urad dal dumplings paired with yoghurt and garnished with tamarind chutney and dahi vada masala

Dahi Vada is one of the must prepare dishes for Holi. Soft urad dal dumplings are soaked in spiced yoghurt and are topped with tamarind chutney and a special dahi vada masala.

At the very outset wish you all a very happy, safe and colourful Holi. Today is also International Women's Day. So, to all ladies out there, have a great day, celebrate womanhood! Cheers!

I guess people in India are celebrating Holi with full fervour. We too will have our share of celebrations but not until the weekend. Till then, I can obviously gorge on the Holi special delicacies. I had made this Thandai Syrup sometimes back and have been enjoying it since then. DH has asked me to make these Samosas. I have more snacks and sweets on the menu! Food is such an integral part of our festivals that you can't simply do without them.

These Dahi Vadas are a hit in my house and holi is just an excuse to make them one more time. As both of us are 'nuts' lover, I throw a handful of chopped cashews and raisins into the vada batter. If you don't like them, you can leave them out. I always made them in excess as they keep well for 2-3 days in the fridge. Let's hop over to the recipe now.

Dahi Vada Recipe

This recipe makes 8 servings.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Urad Dal (Skinless, Split Black gram)
1/4 cup chopped cashews
1/4 cup chopped raisins.
1 tsp of minced ginger.
2 green chillies chopped finely.
Salt to taste.

Oil to Deep Fry

750gm yoghurt
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp sugar
salt to taste

To Garnish
Tamarind Chutney
Roasted crushed cumin seeds
Red chilli powder.

Dahi Vada is one of the must prepare dishes for Holi. Soft urad dal dumplings paired with yoghurt and garnished with tamarind chutney and dahi vada masala

Process:

1. Soak the dal/lentils for 3-4 hours.

2. Drain off all the water and churn it in a mixer grinder with little water to a fine paste. The consistency of the paste must be thick. Whisk it to incorporate air and fluff it up. Add the chopped cashews, raisins, chopped ginger and green chilli. Add salt as per taste.

3. Heat oil for frying. Drop spoonful of batter into hot oil, fry them till they are light golden brown. Keep the vadas on paper so that the excess oil is soaked out. Then transfer them to a bowl containing cold water.

4. Beat the yoghurt with water, sugar and salt so that it is smooth and has no lumps in it.

5. To serve to squeeze out excess water from the vada by placing it between the palms. Place the vadas in a bowl. Pour the yoghurt over it. Sprinkle the roasted cumin and red chilli powder over it. Garnish it one teaspoon of tamarind chutney.

Dahi Vada is one of the must prepare dishes for Holi. Soft urad dal dumplings paired with yoghurt and garnished with tamarind chutney and dahi vada masala.

Wishing you all once again a very happy Holi! Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Dahi Vada is one of the must prepare dishes for Holi. Soft urad dal dumplings paired with yoghurt and garnished with tamarind chutney and dahi vada masala

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Event Round Up ~ Healthy & Hearty

 I am here with the round up of my first food event - 'Healthy & Hearty'.
 A big 'Thank You' to all of you who have send in these beautiful, varied and healthy entries. There are delicious entries right from soups, salad, snacks to main course dishes and a few desserts too. I have composed the round up mostly in the order I received them. However, if I have left out any entry please let me know and I will include it soon. Also, if you forgot to send me your entry through mail, please leave your link below the post and I will update it.

Without much ado, check out what is there in the round up.

Cucumber Salad by Torview
Rice Soup by Santosh Banger
Radish Salad by Ash
Spicy Puffed Rice by Kavi
Baloon Vine Dosa by Kurunji
Sorakkaya Pulusu by Sravani
Brinjal Curry by Sravani
Mixed Vegetable Thoran by Sona
Kaju Paneer by Nupur

Mug Dhokla by Pradnya
Undhiyu by Satayani
Bulgur Upma by Anamika
Hari Bhari Dal by Charu
Vermicilli Pulao by Rasi
Sprouted Green Moongdal Corn Dosa by Priya
Cabbage & Corn Soup by Priya
Bottlegourd & Moongdal Sambhar by Priya
 Spicy Cucumber & Mixed Veggies Salad by Priya

Broccoli Mushroom Stir Fry by Sireesha
Brown Rice Carrot Kheer by Nupur
Peas Poha by Charul
Choorha Matar by Nupur
Savoury and Nutty Semolina Cakes by Pinky
Peanut Sundal by Pranati
Spaghetti by Pranati
Veg Soup with Pasta by Pranati
Cilantro Tomato Chutney by Satya

Alammurabha by Hema
Banana Halwa by Hema
Chyote Squash Stir Fry by Nisha
Rava Upma by Nupur
Quinoa Lentil Veg Soup by Swetha
Kollu/Horsegram Rasam by Rasya
Indian Chickpea Salad by Mireilli
Oats and Flax seed Muthia byAyeesha
Carrot Potato Soup by Harini

Kara Adai by Harini
Aviyal by Harini
Mix Veggie Muffin by  Princy
Eggless Dates Cake by Radhika
Apricot Yogurt by Prathima
Chinese Vegetable Noodles Soup by Radhika
Tomato Dhokla by Radhika
Italian Style Tofu Bake by Denny
Mushroom Noodle Soup in Microwave by Indrani


My entries:
Kiwi and Orange Salad
Moong Sprouts and Veggie Salad
Aloo Patakha
Blueberry Fool
Savoury Semolina Cake
Crunchy Masala Peanuts 

Hope you enjoyed going through the round up. Thank you for stopping by! Cheers

Wednesday 7 March 2012

Touchy Subjects by Emma Donoghue

Touchy Subjects by Emma Donoghue is a collection of 19 short stories on matters than can be rightly labelled 'touchy'.

Quoted from the blurb:

"A man finds God and finally wants a child- only his wife is now forty three years old. A coach's son discovers his sexuality on the football field. A room mate bizarre secret liberates a repressed young woman. From the unforeseen consequences of a polite social lie to the turmoil caused by a single hair on a woman chin, Donoghue dramatizes the seemingly small acts upon which our life often turn. Many of the stories involves animals and what they mean to us or babies and whether to have them; some replay Biblical plots in modern contexts. With characters old, young, straight, gay and simply confused, Donoghue dazzles with her range and her ability to touch lightly but delve deeply into human condition."

The blurb says all about the topics of the nineteen short stories this book offers. I can't really say I loved the book as I had said about Room by the author. There were some stories that kept me glued and some that I couldn't even connect a bit and even thought to skip parts. The book is divided in to five sections named - Babies, Domesticity, Strangers, Desire and Death. The stories from 'Death' are the ones I least liked, may be because of the subject matter itself. The stories on 'Babies' and 'Domesticity' were the ones I enjoyed most. They were subtle, absorbing and had a humorous touch to it.

 If I had to rate it only on the stories  I loved, I would give it a 4/5 but overall it would manage a balanced 2.5/5.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...