Zucchini Blossoms Fritters / Bajji

Hi All! Its been a while since I updated my blog. I was just busy with my routine and too lazy these days. Today, my husband asked me in the morning, "why don't you talk about updates from your blog and your blogging friends?" I usually tell my husband about the blogs that I find interesting, nice articles, nice recipes, I also show him pics of the dishes etc.. I haven't updated myself with the blog for some time. So  I guess he missed my updates. I was really happy to see him ask me such a question because usually whenever I tell him about my blog or updates he would just say "ok" ! I always thought these things never interest him. But today when he asked that question is when I understood he actually paid attention to my updates. Anyways, I will try and be sincere to my blog which I keep telling all the time but this time, I hope to be more frequent in posting my recipes. 

Coming to this bajji, I saw long time back in Now Serving's blog about these fritters. She has also explained nicely how to distinguish the male and female flowers. I would like to add one point to hers. The male flowers are just flowers that comes from a long stalk. The fruit bearing ones (female flowers) have the fruit just below the flower which can be easy identified. We use the male flowers for this bajji.

I tried these fritters and it came out really well. My husband loved it too. The original recipe is here. I added few ingredients and omitted the ones that I din't have. So my version goes here.. 

Ingredients:

Zucchini Blossoms - about 5-6 that i had from my garden washed thoroughly 

Gram Flour / Besan Flour - 3 tbsp

Rice Flour - 1 tbsp for crispness

Salt - to taste

Asafoetida - a pinch

Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp or to taste

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Preparation:

Mix gram flour, rice flour, salt, chilli powder, asafoetida and turmeric with water and bring it to a nice thin batter ( similar to pancake /dosa batter) 

Dip the blossoms in the batter and deep fry in oil. 

Serve with hot sauce or some chutney. 

Sending this to Bookmarked Recipes hosted by Priya and started by Aipi 

See you soon! 

Spicy Pakoda

My husband was working from home and as you know we feel hungry when we stay at home. So he wanted to eat pakodas. I am used to making pakodas according to my recipe book. This time I wanted to try something different. So as I was browsing internet, I found Vah Chef's pakodas. I tried the exact same way and it came out really tasty. I always felt my pakodas were not that spicy but this one was so good. My husband doesn't eat spicy food so much but he loved this dish. Since I took the exact same recipe, I am just copying the link here . The only thing is I dint have curry leaves and cilantro according to the video. So my recipe excludes those ingredients. 

Sending this to US Masala's Bookmarked recipes hosted by Priya of Mharo Rajasthan's Recipes

Iyengar Bakery Khara Biscuits/ Savory Shortbread Cookie

This month we are supposed to amke this khara Biscuit for our ICC. As soon as I received this recipe, I was so excited. I love spicy cookie and I haven't tasted this ever. Also the pics looked so tempting and so delicious. Immediately I tried this cookie and it tasted very good. We loved it. Let me get into the ingredients and the preparation without wasting time. 

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour - 2 cups

Butter 1/3 Cup softened

Sugar - 4 Tsp

Salt- 1 tsp

Green chilli - 3 chopped

Cilantro - 3 tbsp chopped

Yogurt - 3 tbsp

Preparation:

Pre heat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. In a cookie sheet spread aluminium foil and grease it with oil.

Mix flour and salt and set aside. Now beat butter and sugar until creamy and then add 2 tbsp yogurt and continue to beat. 

Add the flour mix and bend it to a crumbly dough. Add cilantro and chilli and mix well. Add 1 tbsp of yogurt if you feel the dough is too thick. I added and worked it with my hands. 

Roll the dough into 1/4" thickness and cut into cookie shapes. 

Place them in a cookie sheet and bake it for 20 - 25 mins. Mine took close to 25 mins. Rotate the cookies halfway. When you see them light brown, take it out, let it cool and enjoy. 

It tasted great even warm. 

Fried Cauliflower with Italian touch

I have tried cauliflower fry before. This one is my new recipe with cauliflower. I bought fresh cauliflowers from the market on Saturday. Its been a while since I made cauliflower fry. So thought why not make it this time but in a different way. It tasted very good. I made cilantro mint rice the other day and this worked out as a great side dish to our lunch. Its very simple and dint require any major preparation. With ready made ingredients a nice snack/ appetizer/ side dish is ready . 

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 1 small broken into florets

Bread crumbs (Italian Style - it includes necessary spices) - 1/2 cup 

Oil for deep frying

All purpose flour - 2 tbsp

Preparation: 

Mix all purpose flour in about 6 tbsp water and make it into thin paste. 

Take the florets, dip it in the flour paste and then dip it in bread crumbs. 

Deep fry them until they turn brown. 

Serve it with hot sauce.

Crispy Plantain Chips/ Vazhakai Chips

I found these plantains yesterday in the Indian store and I couldn't stop myself from buying these really fresh plantains. Usually I make roast out of it. But this time i decided to make chips. It came out very well. We liked it. Its so simple to make and its delicious. 

Ingredients:

Raw banana/ Plaintain/ Vazhaikai - 3

Salt - to taste

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Oil - for deep frying

Preparation

Slice the plantain into thin slices. 

Deep fry them in batches 

Fry it until golden brown and transfer it into a bowl with paper towel. Excess oil will be absorbed by the paper towel. 

Immediately transfer it to another air tight container and add salt and asafoetida and mix well when it is warm. When we mix it warm, the salt and asafoetida sticks to the chips well. 

Adding asafoetida is optional. But try it with asafoetida. Your chips will taste great with it. 


See you later!!!

Roasted Asparagus

I was browsing through blogs yesterday and I came across Divya's(DilSe) - Roasted Asparagus. Immediately I thought about the asparagus that I bought during the weekend. I took them out and made this roasted asparagus and it came out very well. I followed exactly the same instructions with just one difference. I chopped 3 pods of garlic and put them in olive oil for about 5 mins and then brushed the garlic and oil on the asparagus and sprinkled salt and pepper. Tasted great.. 

The Original recipe is here 

Sending this to US Masala's Bookmarked Tuesday

Sandwich - South Indian Bakery Style

Hi all, I am enjoying my holidays here in India. I usually do not cook or do anything when I come home. Its always my mom who pampers me and will not let me cook here. But my sister always asked me to make something for her. I have never made anything for my sister and parents after my wedding. Before my wedding, I never used to cook at home.  Now that I am here, she asked me to make this sandwich today. It is my favorite sandwich too. Every time I come home, I make sure I have this sandwich from the bakery close by. Today I made this sandwich at home and everyone loved it. Its very simple but very tasty. Requires very minimal ingredients yet very healthy. 

Ingredients:

Bread - 14
Carrot - 4 medium size grated
Onion - 3 Medium size chopped finely
Tomato - 1 chopped finely
Salt - to taste
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsps
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsps
Green chilli - 1 finely chopped
Curry leaves - 8-10 leaves
Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsps
Cilantro - 1 tbsp chopped to garnish

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When it starts to splutter, add green chilli and curry leaves.

Add onions and fry till it caramelizes. Now add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and add tomato. Fry till tomatoes become tender.

Now add carrots, salt and fry it till carrot gets cooked. Sprinkle water if needed to cook the carrots.

Garnish with cilantro and keep aside.

Toast the bread and spread this mixture and make sandwich.

I just spread it on each slice and ate it. You could make it like a sandwich too...

Sending this to Umm Mymoonah's Anyone Can Cook 

See you soon with more ...

Masala Pori / Masala Puffed Rice

As I already mentioned, I bought a bag full of puffed rice from Indian store. I want to use as much as possible and finish it because it will loose its crunch very soon and also if it gets old, a strange smell comes out of it. I am not the one who wants to just throw things away. Thats a big reason I buy in lesser quantities. But this big bad of puffed rice.. My god! So friend, there are going to be many dishes with my puffed rice ;-) Usually my husband takes as afternoon nap on weekends. So everytime when he gets up from the nap he wants something nice as a light snack. This time I made this masala pori. We loved it. Its very simple to make and its crunchy and tasty and great to have with a cup of hot tea. 

Ingredients:

Puffed rice - 3 cups
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp ( according to spice level)
Curry leaves - 6-8 leaves
Roasted Peanuts - 1/2 cup broken into half
Asafoetida - a pinch

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan. When it is hot enough add curry leaves, asafoetida, red chilli powder, turmeric. 

Add the puffed rice immediately and give it a good mix till the chilli powder and turmeric mixes well with the puffed rice. 

Add salt, and roasted peanuts and fry for about 2 mins till the puffed rice becomes crunchy.

Serve it with hot tea.

Sending this to Hearth and Soul and to Pari's Only Chaat event

For other puffed rice recipe - check out Crunchy Crispy Churmuri

Crunchy Crispy Churmuri

I bought a big packet of puffed rice from Indian store last evening. I like puffed rice in varied savory forms. I have had this churmuri in Bangalore, India. My husband is from Bangalore and he introduced me to this snack. I loved it. It was crunchy, spicy, salty, etc etc.. So it became my favorite from then. Whenever we visit India, we make sure we eat this churmuri. Only after having it atleast once, my heart will come back to US peacefully. This time when I bought this packet of puffed rice, the immediate snack from my husband and me was churmuri. So here comes my version of churmuri.

Ingredients:

Puffed Rice - 3 cups (Rice cooker cup measurement)
Carrot - 1/2 cup grated
Tomato - 1/2 chopped finely
Onion - 1/2 chopped finely
Cucumber - 1/2 chopped finely
Cilantro - 1 Tbsps chopped
Salt - to taste
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tbsps
Roasted peanuts - 1/4 cup broken into halves
Lime Juice - 1 tbsps
Sev - 2 tbsps for garnish

Preparation:

In a dry pan, dry roast puffed rice for about 3 mins. This will help puffed rice stay crisp for long time.

In another pan, roast groundnuts in a tsps oil until golden brown.

In a bowl, mix onion, tomato, cucumber, carrot, cilantro, salt, red chilli powder and mix well.

Add ground nuts and Lime juice and mix well.

Just before serving add puffed rice and mixx well and serve immediately with hot tea or coffee.

Crunchy crispy churmuri is ready in minutes.

Sending this to Pari's "Only" Chaat  event and to Hearth and Soul

Pav Bhaji

My dad was the first in my house who made pav bhaji for us. I can say my mom learnt it from him. My dad is a great cook too. He works in a bank and we are used to transfers. So many years he had to manage all by himself and thats how he started to cook. He is a very good cook. When I was in 2nd grade, one day I still remember, he made it for us and it tasted really good. It was a surprise to me that day to see my dad cook such great dishes. Till then I dint know about my dad's culinary skills. From him my mom learnt ;-) heheheh and of course you know how I got it...

I make this very often at home as its very simple. Just combine everything and let it cook. Its done. It healthy also because you can add all possible veggies in it. My mom used this trick to make us eat veggies.

Ok lets get to cooking now...

Ingredients:

Pan de Sal - 1 Pack ( Contains about 18 breads)
Mixed vegetables - 1 cup finely chopped
Onion - 1 medium finely chopped
Tomato - 1 big chopped
Oil - 1 tbsps
Salt - to taste
Pav Bhaji Masala - 1.5 tbps
Green Chilli - 1 slit into half
Garlic - 1 tsps finely chopped
Ginger - 1 tsps finely chopped
Turmeric - a pinch
Lime - 1 Cut into 4 pieces

Preparation

Boil all veggies, mash it and keep it aside

In a pan, heat oil add cumin seeds, green chilli, garlic and ginger. Fry for few seconds and add onion. Fry till it becomes transparent. Now add tomatoes and fry for another min.

Add turmeric, salt,  pav bhaji masala, along to mixture and mix well. Let it cook for about 2 mins.

Now add boiled and mashed veggies to the mixture and mix well. Add water according to need and let it cook till the raw smell fades.

This will take about 10 mins. Keep checking in between and add water if necessary. When all ingredients blends well, garnish with cilantro.

Serve it with warm toasted bread along with some fresh onion, lime and cilantro.

I use pan de sal breads or Hawaiian King Dinner Rolls. They are closest to our Indian Pav Bun. Its really yummy...

Sending this to Chaitrali Pathak's Combo meal event and to Vegetarian Foodie Fridays hosted by Melodie

Enjoy your Cooking!!!!

Chickpeas Sundal

This is a very familiar item to all of us. Yet I thought will post it because its healthy and its east evening snack. Very famous sundal during navarathiri .. When I was a kid, I used to go to my neighbours house with a bag to collect sundal ;-). It was fun. Even now navarathiri is fun .. Lots of colors, lots of dolls, different types of golu.. Woowww! I am actually waiting for Golu.. This sundal is good as a evening snack or even a side dish. Its very easy. No work at all.

Ingredients:

cooked chickpeas - 1 cup
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Oil - 1 tbsps
Mustard - 1 tsps
Urad dhal - 1 tsps
Curry leaves - 8- 10 leaves
Asafoetida - A pinch
Salt - to taste

Preparation:

Cook chick peas . In a pan heat oil, add mustard seeds and when it splutters add urad dhal, asafoetida, curry leaves.

When it turns golden brown, add chick peas and salt and fry for a minute until everything mixes well.

Add coconut and mix for another minute and the sundal is ready.

Sending this to Nitu's CWF- LB Chickpeas

Cauliflower Fry

Cauliflower is not a stand alone type of vegetable. You have to make a curry or add another veggie to give it better taste. But this way, everyone will love it. We can eat it with sambar rice, or any rice variety or just have it as a evening snack. Cauliflower is not a favorite in my house. we never used to eat cauliflower unless my mom cooked it with potato curry or something. So my mom used to make it this way and it became super hit in our house. This is slightly different from bajji. This is different and i like it better than bajji . It tastes crispy and it looks different.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 1 cut into individual flowers.
Besan Flour - 7 tbsps
Rice flour - 4 tbsps
Salt - to taste
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsps
Turmeric - 1/2 tsps
Red Chilli Powder - 3/4 tbps (Base it on your spice level)
Oil - to deep fry

Preparation:

Immerse cauliflower in warm water for about 2 mins so that any impurities if present will come out. Drain the water .

Mix besan flour, rice flour, salt, asafoetida, turmeric, red chilli powder in a bowl. Do not add water. It should be dry powder.

Take the cut cauliflower one at a time and dip it in this dry powder untill all parts get mixed well in that powder. The water in the vegetable will enable it to absorb the powder.

Let it dry for about an hour. So you can make it as the first thing before you start cooking. This will give sufficient time for it to dry.

Deep fry these flowers in oil and serve with sauce or you can eat it as side dish for rice. Great as appetizer too.. Happy cooking!!!!

Kai Murukku

I realised that I had been missing my kitchen so much only today. Continuing on my gas restoration celebration I made Sweet Appam and Murukku. My husband was surprised. He in fact thought that he probably missed some important date and cleverly asked me what was special today. ;-) But yeah he finally knew that we got back our connection after a week. So he was really excited too... It might sound silly, but know what, its really really hard to manage without gas for a week. Its a big story I should say. So here we go for the murukku. 

Ingredients:

Rice flour - 2 cups
Urad flour - 2 tbsps
Asafoetida - a pinch
Butter - 2 tbsps (melted)
Salt - to taste

Preparation:


Sieve rice flour and urad flour to remove impurities.

Mix rice flour, urad flour, melted butter, salt and asafoetida in a bowl. Add watter little by little and mix it well until it forms into a thick ball.

In a clean white cotton cloth, sprinkle water and take a portion of the batter and twist it into the shape of murukku. If you do not want to try with hand, you can use the murukku mould and fit the plate with star in it. Fill the mould with batter and squeeze it on the cloth in round shape.

Its fun to try it with our hand. So i did it this way. Then deep fry each one in oil at a time. 

When the murukku turns golden brown you can remove from heat. Strain it for excess oil and serve it with hot tea or coffee. Its very easy to make and it doesn't consume time.

Crunchy Quesadilla with Beans and Cheese

I learnt this recipe from my co sister. She has 2 cute sons and you know how innovative you need to get with food to make it interesting to eat and she is good at that. She has to come up with something new everyday. Regular menu???? mmmmm hmmmmm wont work!!  I have always wondered how our creativity improves from kids and their activities. In a way its good for us too. We get bored too cooking and eating the same rotis, subzi, sambhar, rice etc. This takes me back to my childhood days where my mom used to try new recipes that her friends told her and we used to enjoy it.  Hmmmm.. I miss those days!!!! Alright! Lets get back to business. This one is very easy and we can make it to our taste. Kids love it. Not only kids, everyone will like it. You can make it spicy or just non spicy. Few ingredients put together and it makes a yummy dish. Also this dish is something that you can make when you get bored of the regular lunch or dinner menu.

Ingredients:

Tomato basil or any Tortilla - 1 pack (contains 6 tortillas)
Avocado - 2
Mexican Cheese - 1 cup (grated)
Lime - 2
White or Yellow Onion - 1 big
Tomato - 2
Cilantro - 1/2 bunch
Jalapenos - 1
Re fried beans - 1 can
Black beans - 1 can
Chilli sauce (optional) - 3 tbsps
Salt - to taste
Taco Bell Sauce ( Hot/Fire/Mild) - To give a finish

Preparation:

Salsa:
Cut onions, tomatoes, 1/4 bunch cilantro and jalapeno. Squeeze a lime in it and add salt. Mix it and keep it aside.

Guacamole:

Cut avocados and scoop the pulp. Mash it with a fork. Add salt, 1/4 bunch chopped cilantro , 1 lime fully squeezed and 1/2 chopped onions. Mix everything well and keep it aside. 

And that's it.. These are the basic preparations. Now lets get to the baking part.

Pre heat oven for 375 degrees. Place tortillas and spread the re fried beans on it and sprinkle some cheese over it. Fold it and bake it in oven for about 10 mins. Now take the pan and turn the tortillas for it to become crisp on both sides. Leave it for another 7 mins.

When the quesadillas are cooked well and crispy take it out from heat and cut it in any shape of your choice. I made 4 pieces. First apply some hot sauce on it . This hot sauce is optional. You can skip this step if you don't like too spicy.

Add guacamole on top of each piece and spread it. 

Now add salsa to it. And next add the black beans on top. 

You can also buy the Taco bell (mild/hot/fire) sauce to add more taste to it. Tastes good with the taco bell sauce. It gives good taste to the dish.  This is a meal on its own. 

You can serve it for lunch, dinner or even as a snack you can have two pieces. It has all the good stuff in it. 

You can stuff some sautéed veggies too instead of beans. More veggies more nutrition!!!!

Sending this to Chitrali's Combo Meal event

 See you soon :-)