Vegetable Vadai

Simple and easy to make vegetable Vadas's.....great for parties... loved by all.

Ingredients

• Urad dal - 2 cups
• Grated Carrot - 1/2 cup
• French Beans - 1/4 cup finely chopped
• Cabbage - 1/2 cup finely chopped
• Green Peas - 1/4 cup lightly Crushed
• Corriander Leaves - A Handful Chopped
• Onion - 2 Nicely Chopped
• Green Chilly - 3-4
• Salt -  To Taste
• Oil for frying

Method:-

• Soak the urad dal for 15-20 mins and grind it to a paste in the mixer
• Now mix all the vegetables, green chillies,and corriander Leaves
• Add salt to the dal paste.
• Meanwhile keep the oil hot and ready for frying the Vadas.
• Fry Vadas, till golden brown.
• Serve it hot with coconut chutney.

Notes:-

.If the Grinded Urad Dal paste is too watery the Vada won't come crispy.

Sambar Vadai

You’ll Need:

For Making Vadai:

Urad Dal - 1 cup
Salt - To Taste
Oil - For Deep frying

For Making Sambar:

Tur Dal - ½ cup
Yellow Pumpkin - 50 gms
Onion - 2
Tomato - 3
Tamarind - 1 small lemon size
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Asafetida - 2 pinch
Salt - To taste
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Coriander leaves - 3 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Jaggery or Sugar (Optional) - 2 tsp

For Making Powder:

Whole red Chillies - 8
Channa dal - 1 tbsp
Whole coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - ½ tsp
Fenugreek seeds - ¼ tsp

Dry roast all the above said ingredients in a kadai together to a deep brown color over low flame. This may take some time, so don’t get impatient and burn them in the process. Powder finely in mixie and keep aside.

Method:

For Making Vadai:

Soak the Urad dal for an hour and grind it to a thick batter using little water. The batter should be very thick and not watery. Heat oil in a kadai and add salt to the prepared batter. Mix well.

Shape the batter in the form of ball and flatten over a plastic sheet. Slip it slowly into the hot oil. Cook till golden brown and remove on an absorbent paper and put them directly in the sambar

For Making Sambar:

Chop the yellow pumpkin roughly and pressure cook along with tur dal with enough water for 2 or 3 whistles. Mash well. Soak the tamarind in some hot water and extract pulp.

Heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds, when they crackle add the chopped onions and cook till it becomes translucent. Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook it turns mushy.

Add the tamarind pulp and bring to a boil. Add the finely ground powder, asafetida, curry leaves and salt and simmer for 5 mins.

Now add the cooked dal and water, if needed to the consistency you want and mix well. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add coriander leaves and Jaggery or sugar, if using and take off the stove.

How to Serve:

Take a 1/4 portion of the sambar in a separate vessel. To this add 1/2 cup of hot water and salt to taste. Mix well. Put the vadais in this portion of liquefied sambar. Let it soak for 10 – 15 minutes.

Place the soaked vadais in the serving plate. Pour the remaining sambar from the 3/4 th portion of the sambar kept aside over these vadais. Sprinkle coriander leaves over them and serve hot.

Notes:

Do not add rice flour to the vada batter to make it crisp as they need to soak in the sambar.
Add jaggery of sugar to the sambar to get the authentic taste and a hotel feel.
You can also add chopped onions over the vadais while serving but I prefer not to as they it loses the typical south Indian flavor.

Uzhunnu Vada

Uzhunnu vadasssssssss..........My amma makes such yummy vadas that I go on eating Vada. its because of this my amma makes this not so frequently. Medhu Vadai / Ulundhu vadai is my ultimate comfort food and I can survive on it for days. All I need is a bowl of hot steaming sambar to go with it and I’m a happy person. No festival lunch is complete without these vadais.

Ingredients:-

Urad Dal – 1 cup
Corn flour – 2 – 3 tbsp
Onion – 1/4 cup
Green chilies – 2 tsp
Ginger – 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Salt – to taste
Oil – for deep frying

Method:

Preparation: Soak Urad dal in water for 1/2 hour. Chop the onion, green chillies and curry leaves finely. Grate the ginger and keep it aside.

How to Grind the Batter:

The inside of the grinder / food processor should be wet. Grind the urad dal using 2-3 tbsp of water alone. To grind it well, dip you hand in water and run it along the sides of the wet grinder for even grinding. Do not add more water. When you think the batter is done, sprinkle the corn flour from the sides and let the grinder run for another 1-2 min for the corn flour to get mixed well with the batter. Transfer to a bowl. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour. I usually place the bowl in the freezer for 10 min.

How to check the consistency:

When you scoop the batter in your hand and hold facing the floor it should not fall from your palm. It should be that thick. When you place about 1/2 tsp of batter in a bowl of water it should float on top and not sink. The batter should be that light.

How to proceed:

Heat a kadai with oil. You will need either a plantain leaf or a clean plastic sheet for making vadas and small bowl of water too.

Take the batter out of the fridge and add the chopped onion, green chilli, curry leaves, grated ginger, salt and mix well. Dip your hand in water and wipe the leaf or sheet which ever you are using. Place a lemon size of batter on the sheet and give it a pat. Dip your index finger in water and make a hole in the center. Again wet your hands and shape the sides evenly.

To cook, take the sheet and invert it onto your hand and slide the vada smoothly into the oil from the sides. You can cook 2-3 vadas at a time depending on the size of the kadai.

 The vadai will first sink to the bottom and will then rise to the surface. Turn them after a minute or two and let it cook over medium flame. When cooked to golden brown remove on an absorbent paper and serve hot with either coconut chutney or Sambar.

Note:-

These vadas will remain crunchy on the outside and soft and porous inside and consume very little oil. These also do not sag and become hard as they cool down and they maintain their puffed up shape.

In case you want to make these for prasadham avoid adding onions, green chillies and ginger to the batter. Just add curry leaf and freshly ground black pepper to make vadas. This one also tastes very good.

Do not use rice flour as a replacement to corn flour.
Avoid cooking the vadas over high flame. This will make them to burn on the outside and uncooked in the middle.
While making for children replace green chillies with black pepper powder.
Make the vadas immediately after adding onion and salt else the batter will become runny.
Avoid adding more corn flour to adjust the consistency than the required amount. It will harden the vadas.

Mysore Bonda

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour / Maida-1 cup
Curd- 1 cup
Green chilli-2 chopped finely
Ginger-1 tblspn minced
Cumin seeds / Jeera-1 tsp
Pepper-1 tsp
Curry leaves-1 spring
Baking powder-1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:

Heat oil for deep frying.

In a mixing bowl add flour,ginger,curry leaves,green chilli,cumin,pepper,salt and mix together.

Add curd to this and mix well till it forms a thick batter.

Add baking powder and mix well.

Add a tblspn of batter in oil and fry on all sides till golden.

Drain it in a paper towel.

Serve hot with chutney or sambar..

Kappa Samosa

Ingredients:

For Pastry / For Outer Layer:
All Purpose Flour / Flour-300 gms
Salt to taste
Oil-1 tblspn
Water as needed

For Tapioca Stuffing:

Tapioca / Marchini / Kappa-1
Potato-2
Frozen Peas- ½ cup (Optional)
Chilli powder-1 tsp
Coriander powder / Malli podi-1 tblspn
Fennel Seeds / Sombu / Peru Jeerakam-1 tblspn
Cumin seeds / Jeerakam-1 tsp
Oil-2 tblspn
Salt to taste

Method:

First make the pastry for samosa...

Take flour,salt and oil in a mixing bowl and rub well..

Slowly add in water and make into a firm dough..Knead it for 5 mins...Apply some oil on top and cover it with a bowl and let it rest for 30 mins..

Divide the dough into equal portion..Roll into a thin roti..Do this to all dough..

Heat a tawa on high heat..Put the thin roti on the tawa and cook less than 20 seconds on each side until the roti is cooked slightly..

Take it off the heat and cut in the shape of squares...

Now slice it in the middle,so that you get a rectangle (See pictures for more detail)..

Now set this aside for a moment..

Meanwhile make the filling for the samosa...Peel Tapioca and Potatoes and grate it using coarse grater...Take this in a colander and wash well so that the starch from this goes away..

Put this in a steamer and steam for 20-25 mins untill it is cooked..Remove and set aside..
Heat oil in a kadai..Add in fennel seeds and cumin seeds..

Add in peas and mix well..Now add in chilli powder, coriander powder and mix well..

Season with salt and mix well..Now add in cooked tapioca – potato mixture and mix well..Cook this for 5 mins...Remove and set aside to cool..

Make a thick paste out of flour and water for sealing

Now take one of the rectangle and apply this paste all over the sheet..

Fold it from one side and from the other so that it forms in a shape of a cone..

Now put a spoonful of filling in it and seal it on all sides(see picture).

Set this samosa aside to dry up..Now make all samosas like this..

Heat oil for deep frying and fry this samosa on medium heat for 3-5 mins until slightly cooked...Remove it and set aside.

Now increase the heat to a high and fry again till golden brown..

Serve hot with ketchup or any dip..

Cauliflower Bhajji

Ingredients:

Cauliflower-1 cut into florets
Gram Flour / Kadalai Mavu / Besan-2 cups
Ginger Garlic Paste-1 tblspn
Baking powder-1 tsp
Chilli powder-1 tsp
Turmeric powder / Manjal podi-1 tsp
Asafoetida / Hing / Kaya Podi-1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:

Bring water to boil and add in salt and turmeric to it..Now add in cauliflower florets in this and cook for 1 mins..Drain this and set aside.

Now make a batter by mixing gram flour, salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder, baking powder, asafoetida, ginger garlic paste and some water..Make this batter little bit thicker..

Now heat oil for deep frying..Dip the cauliflower in this batter and fry it in oil..

Cook till it gets golden..Drain and serve with mint chutney or ketchup..

Toor Dal Bonda

This is a different type of vada preparation,Usually we make vada with channa dal.but I tried with toor dal and it came out great.Adding of baking powder make this more soft and crispy.

Ingredients:

Toor Dal-1 cup(soaked for 4 hours)
Onion-1 chopped
Green chilli-3 chopped
Garlic-6 cloves
Curry leaves-a handful
Coriander leaves-a handful
Cinnamon(pattai)-1 inch piece
Saunf(sombu)-1 tblpsn
Cumin seeds(jeera)-1 tsp
Rice flour(Arisi mavu)- ½ cup
Besan(kadalai mavu)- ½ cup
Baking powder-2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:

Heat oil for deep frying.

Make a coarse paste out of the soaked dal and tip this in a bowl.

Add all ingrediants except oil and flours in a blender and roughly crush it.Put this in the Ground dal and mix well.

Add rice flour and besan and mix well.Make small koftas out of it and fry them in medium heat oil.

Serve hot with ketchup or chutney.

Paneer Fingers

This is a perfect appetizer for any parties..You could make this dish with tofu also..In the marination of the paneer you could add some lemon juice and tomato ketchup also..The paneer in this dish is crispy outside and soft inside...

Ingredients:

Paneer-1 packet sliced lengthwise
Red chilli powder-1 tsp
Salt to taste
Cornflour-1 tblspn
All purpose flour(Maida)-2 tblspn
Pepper-1/2 tsp
Breadcrumbs-1 cup
Tomato Ketchup for serving
Oil for shallow frying

Method:

In a small bowl add paneer pieces,red chilli powder,salt and mix well.Let it sit for 10 min.

In a separate bowl mix cornflour,maida,salt,pepper with some water to make a paste.

Heat oil for shallow frying...Dip the paneer piece in batter and then in breadcrumbs and place it in a plate.Make every paneer pieces like this.

When the oil is ready fry the paneer pieces in hot oil till golden.Remove and drain it in paper towel.

Serve this with Tomato ketchup.

Gobi 65

Cauliflower is one my favorite vegetable.I like it in anyform Briyani,Korma,Curries etc….But especially this Gobi 65..”I LOVE IT”.

You can have this as a Snack or even it goes extremely well with a simple Rasam Rice.Try it and let me know how it turned out.

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower-1 cut into small florets
• Corn flour-2 tblspn
• All Purpose flour(Maida)-4 tblspn
• Kashmiri Red chilli Powder-1 tblspn
• Garam Masala powder-1 tblpsn
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying

Method:

• Heat up some water with some salt and Turmeric.After it comes to a boil,Blanch the cauliflower in the hot water for about 3-5 min.
• After it is done drain it and wash it in cold water and set aside.
• This step is to remove any dirt in Cauliflower.
• Now add all the above Ingredients except oil in the cauliflower and mix it well.
• Let it marinate for about 15 min.
• Heat oil for deep frying and fry the cauliflower till golden.
• Place it over in some Paper Towel to remove excess oil.
• Serve hot with some Lemon wedges.

Aloo Bonda

Ingredients:


For Batter:

Gram Flour / Besan / Kadalai Mavu-1 cup
Rice flour-1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Baking powder-1 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste-1 tblspn
Turmeric powder-1 tsp
Red Chilli powder-1 tsp
Water as needed

For Filling:

Potato-2 boiled and mashed
Onion-1 chopped
Green chilli-1 chopped
Ginger-1 tblspn minced
Curry leaves-1 spring
Mustard seeds / Kaduku-1 tsp
Cumin seeds / Jeera-1 tsp
Chilli powder-1 tsp
Turmeric powder / Manjal podi-1 tsp
Coriander leaves-for garnishing
Lemon juice-to taste
Oil-1 tsp+for deep frying

Method:

First make up the filling.Heat oil in a kadai.Add in mustard and cumin seeds to it and let it splatter.

Add in green chilli,ginger,curry leaves and mix well.Throw in onions and sauté for 3 min.

Add in red chilli powder,turmeric powder and mix well.Now add in the boiled mashed potatoes and mix everything together.

Garnish with coriander leaves and lemon juice and mix well.

Let this cool down..Divide this into equal portions and form smalls out of it.

Heat oil for deep frying.

Now make the batter by mixing gram flour,rice flour,ginger garlic paste,salt,baking powder,turmeric powder,chilli powder along with water and form a smooth paste out of it.

Dip the potato ball in the batter and deep fry in heated oil till golden on both sides.

Serve hot with coconut chutney.