Masala French Fries

Masala French Fries are is an Indian version of french fries.This dish is an excellent appetizer and wonderful to serve when you have unexpected guests.

Recipe serves 2 to 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 large potatoes
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (kali mirch)
• 1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder
  
• 1/4 teaspoon jaljeera or amchoor powder
  
• Oil to fry

Method:

1. Peel the potatoes wash and cut into French fries.
2. Mix the salt with potato and let it sit for about ten minutes.
3. Drain the salt water well and lightly pat dry.
4. Mix cornstarch, salt, Jaljeera/amchoor powder, red chilli powder and black pepper powder together.
5. Sprinkle the spice mix over potatoes and mix well so all the fries are covered with spices.
6. Heat the oil in frying pan on medium high heat.
7. The frying pan should have at least 1 1/2 inch of oil. To check if the oil is ready, just put potato strip in frying pan. Potato should sizzle.
8. Fry the fries till they become gold in color all around, turn the fries a few times while frying.
9. Remove fries from oil and place on paper towel.
10. Serve hot and enjoy!

Masala Poori

A yummy snack that can be had anytime with tea,coffee or while traveling. Very quick and easy to make,these pooris are also crispy and spicy.

Ingredients:Makes about 25 medium sized pooris

• Maida/All Purpose flour : 2 cups
• Red Chilli Powder: 1 teaspoonful
• Salt :1 teaspoonful
• Oil: 2 table spoons to knead the dough
• Water to knead the dough
  
• Oil to fry

Procedure:

• Mix the Maida,red chilli powder, salt and 2 tablespoons oil to knead the dough.
• Add water little by little to make a smooth dough.Don't add a lot of water. Just add enough water to make a dough.The dough should be soft and easy to roll.
  
• Divide the dough in to small portions and roll into medium sized pooris.
• Heat oil for frying in a pan. Set the pan on medium flame to fry.
• Once oil is hot, fry the pooris till light red.
• Serve hot or store after it cools in a air tight container. These pooris can be stored for about 2 weeks.

Doodhi Chana/ Lauki Chana

Ingredients:

• One medium sized Doodhi/Lauki
• Chana Dal : half cup
• 2 tomatoes
• One large onion
• Jeera 1 tsp
• Oil 2 tbsps
• 1 tsp - Sambar powder
  
• 1/2 tsp - Dhaniya Jeera powder
  
• 1 tsp - Chana masala or Amchoor powder
• 1 tsp - Red chilli powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon Wheat flour
  

Quick Adai

This yummy recipe I learnt from my mom in law .The adais come out very delicious
Ingredients
2 cups raw rice
1/2 cup Chana dal
1/2 cup Tur dal
3 Red chillis
2 Green chillis
Corrainder or Curry leaves
Oil to roast adais

Procedure

• Soak all three in water and leave for about 3 hours.
• After 3 hours the rice and dal would have soaked a lot of water and would have swelled in volume
• Finely grind the rice and dal, green chilli, red chilli, hing with water to make a good dough
• Add finely chopped Corrainder or Curry leaves
• Make the adais on a flat hot pan.Grease sides of adai with oil
  
• Serve hot with coconut chutney or Molga Podi/Gun Powder
  

Gobi ka Paratha

Gobhi parathas (stuffed cauliflower bread) make a great Sunday breakfast. This is my favorite paratha.

Makes 6 parathas.

Ingredients:

• Dough:
  • 1 cup whole-wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup water (Use more as needed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• Filling:
  • 2 cup shredded cauliflower
  • 1/2 teaspoon ajwain
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (Jeera)
  • 1 chopped green chili
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (green coriander)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Also needed:
  • 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour for rolling
  • Oil to cook

Method

Dough

1. Mix flour, salt and water together to make a soft dough (if the dough is hard add a little more water). I like mixing the dough by hand.
2. Knead the dough for a few minutes on a lightly greased surface to make a smooth and pliable dough.
3. Set the dough aside and cover with a damp cloth. Let the dough rest for at least ten minutes.

Filling

1. Mix all filling ingredients together by hand. After mixing let the filling settle for about 5 minutes. Note: Shred the cauliflower using a shredder (electric or manual). However, do not use a food processor to blend the cauliflower, as the cauliflower will become too moist and hard to work with.
2. Squeeze the cauliflower mix in order to take out as much water as possible.

Making of paratha

1. Divide the dough and cauliflower mixture into 6 equal parts.
2. Roll the dough into 3 inch diameter circles. Put the filling in the center. Seal by pulling the edges of the rolled dough together to make a ball. Proceed to make all six balls.
3. Each ball needs to settle for two minutes before rolling. Note: If you don’t wait long enough the cauliflower mixture will seep through the edges when rolling the parathas.
4. Heat the skillet on medium high. Note: An iron skillet works best. To see if the skillet is ready, put a couple of drops of water on it. If the water sizzles right away, the skillet is ready.
5. To make it easier to roll the balls, first roll them in dry whole-wheat flour.
6. Lightly press the ball on the sealed side and keep it on the topside when rolling. Roll the ball light handed in to 6 inch circles. To reduce the stickiness on the rolling pin or rolling surface, sprinkle dry whole-wheat flour on both side of the semi-rolled paratha.
7. Place the paratha over the skillet. You will see the color change and the paratha will bubble in different places.
8. Then turn the paratha over. Paratha should have golden-brown spots. Wait a few seconds and put 1 teaspoon of oil over paratha and spread the oil on the topside. Flip the paratha and lightly press the puffed areas with a spatula.
9. Flip again and press with the spatula making sure the paratha is golden-brown on both sides.
10. Cool the Parathas on a wire rack so they don’t get soggy.
11. Parathas can be kept outside wrapped in aluminum foil or a cover container for 2 days or they can be refrigerated for 5-6 days (wrapped aluminum foil). To re-heat warm on a skillet or toaster oven.

Variations

Replace cauliflower with white radish (mooli), the method remains the same.

Kara Adai for Nombu

At the auspicious time when the Masi (Tamil) month ends and the phalguni starts, South Indian ladies observe and celebrate this nombu.The name Karadaiyan means kar(red riceadai (made with red rice).This is a snack item,can be made at any time of the year.

Salt adai:

Ingredients required for making ten adais or kozhukkatais:

• Raw rice powder; one cup
• Karamani(dried cowpeas)-Two table spoonful.
• Ginger;one small piece
• Green chillies :Two/Three
• Mustard : One teaspoon
• Urad dal:One teaspoonful
• Coconut:grated,half a cup
• Asafotita powder:one pinch Salt to taste
• Oil :One tablespoon.
• Water :For one cup rice flour one and a half cup water should be added
  

Procedure:

• Roast the cowpeas or red chori in a pan for 5 mins till it starts giving out an aroma
  
• Soak the dried cowpeas in water for four hours minimum.
• Cook the cowpeas till they are tender,strain the water and keep aside.
• In kadai take one table spoon oil,add the mustard and urad dhal,when the oil is hot,once the mustard seeds crackle and the urad dal turns red
• Add green chillies,grated ginger and keep stirring for a minute.
• Now add water in the kadai,add salt,grated coconut,asafoetida powder
• Add the cooked cowpeas(karamani) to the water.
• Let the water boil.
• Once the water starts boiling reduce the flame of the stove,add the rice flour slowly,stirring all the time.
• Keep it covered for a few minutes for the rice flour to cook,once it is cooked,remove and keep aside.
• Spread,ideally a plantain leaf or a clean plastic sheet ,smear it with oil and take the rice flour prepared and kept.
• Make the paste thus made into medium sized oblong balls,or spread the paste on the leaf or plastic sheer as small rounds
• They should look like small appalams but on the thicker side.
• Now steam these kozhukkattais (adais)for eight to ten minutes either in rice cooker or in the Idli steamer.
• Once they are done remove and store.
• When the adai is offered to God as Nivedhyam,keep small dash of white or yellow butter on top of the adai.

Rice Kheer or payasam

This is a tasty sweet dish which my husband loves. So I make it often as prasad or just dessert.
Here goes the recipe:

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Cooked Rice - 1 cup
Whole Milk - 2 cups
Sugar - 3 tbsp or to taste
Raisins - 1 tbsp
Chopped Pistachios - 1 tbsp
Chopped Almonds - 1 tbsp
Powdered Cardamom - 1/8 tsp
Saffron - a pinch

Method:

1. In a heavy bottomed pan, on medium heat, add in the the Milk and the Rice.I cook the rice in a pressure cooker.Half cup rice and 1 cup water with 2 whistles of the cooker.
2. Grind the Saffron with a little bit of Sugar and add it to the Milk.
3. Meanwhile, soak the Raisins in a little bit of water to help puff them up.
4. Keep stirring the pan and make sure it does not burn at the bottom.
5. Cook till it is of desired thickness.
6. Once it reaches the desired thickness, add in the Sugar. Mix well.
7. Add in the Dry fruits - Raisins (without the water), Pistachios and the Almonds.
8. Turn off the flame and add in the Powdered Cardamom.
9. Serve hot or cold.

Tips:
1. If you are making the rice just for the Kheer, over cook the rice just a little.
2. This is a great recipe if you don’t have a lot of time but alternatively, you can add in raw rice and cook it in the milk and it tastes great. But be very careful and and keep stirring frequently.
3. If you like a smoother texture of rice in the kheer, just mash it lightly before adding it to the Milk.