Mixed Platter Of Fritters

What could be better than a platter of fritters on a cold rainy day. That's just how the weather was yesterday. So I made the most common recipe associated with such weathers. Also, I made it in a very simple manner. You can add the masala's to the batter. However, I prefer to avoid making it spicy as my kiddo relishes them too.
Fritters can be made with loads of veggies depending on your choice or preferences or
as in my case, availability of veggies in the fridge.

Ingredients for Batter :
Gram flour : 1 cup
Rice Flour : 2 tbsp
Ajwain : 1 Heaped tbsp
Green Chillies : 2 Chopped
Chopped Coriander : 2-3 tbsp
Salt : To Taste
Water : As Required
Oil for Deep Frying

Veggies in my fridge :
Potatoes
Eggplant
Bottlegourd (Dudhi)
Onion



Recipe :
Take a large bowl. Mix all the ingredients of the batter except water. Now add around 3-4 tbsp of water and whisk it with your fingers. Whisk it in a circular motion following the same direction. Add some more water to form a consistency of thick cream. The batter should stick to the spoon. If you want to be absolutely sure, then take a glass of water and then put a drop of batter in it. It should settle in bottom of glass. If the batter dissolves then you have added too much water in the batter.

Heat oil for deep frying in a wok. Add a drop of batter in oil to see if its the right temperature. The batter should float. If it settles in bottom of wok, then oil isn't hot enough. If it burns instantly, then oil is too hot. You should reduce flame and try again after some time.

Dip one veggie at a time in the batter and coat it from all sides. Drop it in the wok. Drop softly or the oil will spill. Repeat the process and add more veggies till wok is filled. Fry them till its golden brown on all sides. Drain them with a strainer and remove and keep on kitchen tissue.

Repeat the whole process till all veggies are done.

Serve hot with a dip of your choice. We like it with ketchup and coriander chutney.




Sending this to the following events :

1) Healing foods - Eggplant started by Siri and hosted this month by me.



2) Veggie / Fruit a Month - Potatoes started by Priya and hosted this month by Divya.



3) Deep Fried Snacks by Radhika.

Baingan (Eggplant) Bharta

Ingredients :
Eggplant : 1 big
Onion : 1
Tomato : 1
Green Peas : 1/2 cup
Garlic : 5 Cloves
Cumin Seeds : 1 tsp
Turmeric : 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
Coriander Powder : 1 tbsp
Garam Masala : 1 tsp
Salt : To Taste
Oil : 3-4 tbsp
Coriander Leaves : For Garnishing

Recipe :
Take a whole big eggplant. Make 5-6 small slits in it. Stuff the slits with the garlic cloves.



Preheat oven at 190C. Brush the eggplant slightly with oil. Place the eggplant on grill. Bake it for 30-40 minutes. Turn it once in between. Bake it till its cooked well. Remove from oven.



Peel the eggplant.



Mash the pulp along with the garlic cloves. Keep aside.



Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin and let it splutter. Now add the onions. Saute till onions are golden brown. Add the tomatoes and mix well. Now add salt and all the masala's. Stir well and cook till oil leaves the sides.

Add the green peas and the mashed eggplant. Mix well. Lower flame and cook for 10-15 minutes. The peas should be cooked. Eggplant will ooze out the oil. Remove from flame.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.





Sending this for my event "Healing Foods - Eggplant" started by Siri and hosted this month by me.

Eggplant Fry

A quick and easy preparation. Goes perfectly well with Dal.

Ingredients :
Eggplants : 1 Big
Mustard Seeds : 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds : 1 tsp
Coriander Powder : 1 tbsp
Turmeric : 1 tsp
Salt : To Taste
Oil : 2 tbsp
Coriander Leaves : For Garnishing



Recipe :

Cut eggplant in big cubes.

Heat oil in a non stick pan. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let them Splutter. Add turmeric. Wait till it darkens in colour. Add the eggplant and salt. Mix it well. Lower flame and cover and cook till eggplant is done. Don't let it be too soft.

Remove and cover and increase flame. Fry till eggplant turns golden brown on all sides. Add coriander powder and mix well.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Sending this for the event "Healing Foods - Eggplant" started by Siri and hosted this month by me.

Fruit Salad

Just wanted to eat something sweet. Opened the fridge and came across leftover fruits and cream. Couldn't think of a better way to use it all. Also, fitted perfectly to send to a few events. Quick and easy.

Ingredients :
Fresh Cream : 100 grams
Sugar : 3 tsp
Vanilla Essence : 4-5 drops
Strawberry : 6
Blueberry : 15
Cherry : 7-8



Recipe :
Take a bowl. Add cream, sugar and vanilla essence. Whisk it till cream is fluffy and light.

Cut the cherry and de-seed. Cut the strawberry. I did'nt cut the blueberry. Add all the fruits to the cream. Mix it well.

Chill it in refrigerator for 15-30 minutes. Serve Cold.

Sending it for the event "Cooking With Fruits" by Smitha of Taste Buds.

Cheese & Onion Pasty

All my blogger pals who stay in UK must have had these at Greggs. I go out to the High Street almost everyday and land up eating them also, esp in this cold weather. Hot pasty tastes just yummy and makes me warm and with cheese oozing out, its just irresistible. So today I decided to make these at home for my family to enjoy as well. My daughter eats with me on the HS but hubby dear more often than not is left out.
So here it goes.

Ingredients For Pasty Dough :
All Purpose Flour (Maida) : 1 Cup
Butter : 1/2 Cup
Salt : 1 tsp
Water : To Knead
Egg Wash

Ingredients For Filling :
Onions : 2
Cheddar Cheese : 100 grams Grated
Salt : To Taste
Freshly Grounded Black Pepper : To Taste
Oil : 2 tsp

Recipe For Pasty Dough :
We require butter to be cold for this dough. If you already keep butter in the fridge then you are ready to go. Otherwise cool the butter for atleast 30 minutes before starting. Also cool an empty bowl in the fridge in which you are going to make the dough.





Now take out the empty bowl from fridge. Add the flour, salt and the the cold butter. Mix all of it vigorously with your fingers. Do it quickly or the butter will start to melt with the touch of your fingers.

Mix till the flour takes on a breadcrumb like consistency. Its better if you do it in a food processor (If using food processor, you should be done in 15 seconds. Remove it in a cold bowl now).



Now make a well in between and pour little water in it.



Now using your hands like a whisk, knead the dough. Knead a dough till its on a soft consistency.



Spread flour on the platform and knead the dough some more.



Wrap it in cling film and refrigerate it for a minimum of 15 minutes and maximum of 30 minutes.



Recipe for Filling :
Chop the onions very finely.



Heat oil in a pan. Add onions. Saute till onions are translucent. Remove from flame. Cool it. Add grated cheese, salt and black pepper. Mix well.



Recipe For Pasty :
Preheat oven for 190C for 15 minutes.

Take the dough out from fridge. Take a ball sized dough. Roll it in round shape.



Cut a square from that round. Repeat the process and make same sized squares.




Place the fillings in between the square.



Cover with another square. Seal edges with a fork.



Give it an egg wash and place it in oven. Cook for 20-25 minutes. The pasty should be golden brown and crispy.

Serve Hot.




Sending this as my entry for the event "Winter Warmers" by Jyoti of The Veggie Hut.

Dum Aloo

Ingredients :
Baby Potatoes : 7
Onions : 2 Pureed
Ginger Paste : 1 tsp
Garlic Paste : 1 tsp
Yogurt : 5 tbsp
Cumin Seeds : 1 tsp
Cloves : 3-4
Cinnamon : 1/2 inch
Bay Leaves : 2
Turmeric : 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
Coriander Powder : 1 tbsp
Garam Masala : 1 tsp
Salt : To Taste
Kasuri Methi : 1 tsp
Oil : 6-7 tbsp



Recipe :
Peel the potatoes. Make pricks in it with a fork.

Heat oil in a pan. Add potatoes in it. Shallow fry the potatoes till they turn golden brown on all sides. Drain potatoes on a strainer and keep aside.

Take 2 tbsp oil in a pan. You can use the same pan and same oil. Add cumin seeds, bay leaves, cloves and cinnamon. Let them splutter. Add the onion puree. Saute till its light brown. Now add the ginger paste and garlic paste. Saute till onions are golden brown. Add the salt and all the spices. Stir it well. Now add the yogurt. Cook till oil leaves the sides. Add the potatoes and little water. Lover flame. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Remove from flame. Garnish with kasuri methi. Serve hot with chappati or rice.

Sending this recipe as my entry for the event "Veggie / Fruit a Month - Potatoes" by Divya & Priya.

Chicken Sandheko

The year 2011 has started off by being very hectic for me. I just don't know where the last 18 days have gone. I have missed lots of yummy posts from my pals. Will try and catch up.

Now its time to catch up on my blog also. The recipe I am posting today is another of Nepali cuisine. Nepali Cuisine is catching on to me nowadays. However, I have made a few changes in the original recipe to suit the taste of my family. Also, this recipe calls for a himalayan herb called jimmu, which I have been unable to find. So I omitted it. If you can find it then do add it.

Ingredients :
Chicken : 250 grams Cut in Cubes
Cinnamon : 2 inches
Cloves : 5
Cumin Seeds : 2 tsp
Fenugreek Seeds : 1 tsp
Garlic : 12 Cloves
Ginger : 4 inch
Green Cardamom : 5
Green Chillies : 4
Sesame Seeds : 4 tsp
Jimmu : 1 tsp
Lemon Juice : 2 tsp
Mustard Oil : 4 tsp
Red Onion : 1 Sliced
Red Chillies : 4-5
Salt : To Taste
Coriander Leaves : Chopped for Garnishing



Recipe :

Boil Chicken along with cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, salt and half of ginger and garlic. Add only enough water to just about cover it. Boil till all the water dries up. Keep aside and cool.

Dry roast sesame seeds, cumin seeds and whole red chillies in a pan. Grind them together in a fine paste along with little water. Rub this paste all over the chicken and keep it for around 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the remaining ginger and garlic after slicing them. Add the Onions. Saute till they are translucent. Add the chicken pieces and salt. Fry them all together till the chicken roasts and gets light brown. Remove from flame.

Add the lemon juice to the chicken and mix it well.

For the tempering, heat oil in a pan. Oil should be smoking hot. Lower flame and then add fenugreek seeds, green chillies and jimmu. Remove from the flame and pour over the chicken.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

CWS Ajwain - Round-Up

I would like to start with, Big thanks to all of you. You have all helped me make my 1st event such a big success !!!

I have been drooling the whole month. I received such yummy and delicious recipes. I have tried my best to incorporate every recipe that I have received. However, if I have forgotten any recipes then please do drop me a line and I will add it asap.

I have categorised the recipes as per the courses.

Snacks :

1) Shobha from Food Mazaa


Beeha Tikki's

2) Revathi Madhan from Kaarasaaram.


Plaintain Fries With Coriander Chutney

3) Denny Of Oh Taste n See.


Murukku

4) Priya of Priya's Easy & Tasty Recipes.


Ajwian Samosa

5) Satyavati from My Innovative Kitchen


Ellipaya Vaampodi

6) Vicky Xavier from Viki's Kitchen


Kara Sev

7) Satyavati from My Innovative Kitchen


Ajwain Leaves Bhajji

8) Ambreen from Simply Sweet 'n Savoury


Papdi


Flat Breads :

1) Ayeesha Riaz of Taste Of Pearl City


Ragi Chappati

2) Pari Vasisht Of Foodelicious


Potato-Fenugreek Stuffed Paratha

3) Aipi Of US Masala


Ajwain Paratha

4) Priyanka Srivastava Of Asan Khana


Ajwain Paratha

5) Priya Of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes has send in 4 types of Paratha Variety.


Dal Masala Paratha


Sweet Potato Oats Paratha


Alu Palak Paratha


Alu Paratha

6) Ramya Of Hot From My Oven


Namkeen Poori and Bhajji

7) Priya Mitharwal of Mharo Rajasthan


Missi Roti

8) Suma of Veggie Platter


Besan Dosa / Puda

9) Priya Sreeram from Bon Appetit


Ajwaini Green Puri

10) Swathi Iyer from Zesty South Indian Kitchen


Poee Poli

11) Rupali from RecipeGrabBag


Tikhat Mitha chya Purya

12) Nayana from Simply.Food


Carrot Paratha

13) Santosh Bangar from Santosh's Kitchen


Paratha

14) My Entry


Ajwain Mathri


Main Course :

1) Nayna of Simply.Food


French Beans Goan Style

2) Priya Of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes has send in 3 gravy variety and 1 rice variety.


Ajwain Rasam


Tangy Ajwain Gravy


Kasuri Methi & Mixed Veggies Masala


Mushroom Ajwain Rice

3) Denny Of Oh Taste n See.


Paneer Tawa Masala

4) Sheetal from Nicks & Jits Kitchen


Arbi Ajwaini

4) Anita Patel from Eat & Stay fit


Dudhi Ajwain

5) Priya Sreeram from Bon Appetit


Vadakari (Lentils Based Spice Curry)

5) My Entry


Crispy Ajwain Okra

Drinks :
1) Revathi Madan from Kaarasaaram.


Parappu Omam Kanji