Fried Squash Blossoms

Squash Blossoms - 4

Chickpea Flour / Besan - 2 heaped tbsp
Rice Flour - 1 tbsp
Salt
Turmeric Powder - a pinch
Red Chili Powder - a pinch
Nigella Seeds / Kalojeera - a pinch
Poppy Seeds - 1 tsp
Water to make thick batter

Make a thick batter of all the above ingredients. Dip the blossoms in the batter and deep fry in hot oil till golden brown on all sides.

Spicy Potato Masala

Yukon Gold Potatoes: 4 

Curry leaves: a few

Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds: 1/3 tsp

Asafetida/hing: a pinch

Salt

Turmeric

Oil: 1 tbsp

For the spice powder:

Coriander seeds: 1/2 tsp

Chana dal: 1/2 tsp

Arhar dal: 1/2 tsp

Whole dry chilies: 1 or 2

Wash and cook the potatoes till cooked through but not mushy. Chop in small cubes. Keep aside.

In a pan heat 1 tsp oil and roast the spices till aromatic. (on low flame it should take 4-5 minutes). Cool it and then grind to a coarse powder. Keep aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy cast iron pan and add the mustard and cumin seeds, followed by curry leaves and asafetida. Then add the chopped potatoes. Sprinkle salt and turmeric and cook on medium flame. Cook for 10 minutes or till the potatoes look somehow crusty. Sprinkle the spice powder, cook a couple of minutes more.

Adapted from : http://www.ahomemakersdiary.com/2017/08/spicy-potato-roast-south-indian-style.html

Taco Samosa

All-purpose flour / Maida - 1 cup
Sooji / Semolina - 1/4 cup

Salt
Oil - 1 1/2 Tbsp 

Lukewarm water - 1/2 cup

Potatoes - 2 big ones, boiled and chopped into small cubes
Green peas-1/2 cup, lightly steamed or boiled halfway with the potatoes 

Oil-1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Coriander Seeds - 1 tsp, lightly crushed 

Pomegranate Seeds - 1 tsp, crushed

Green Chili - 2, finely chopped

Ginger - 1 inch, grated

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Roasted Cumin Powder - 1 tspRed chili powder - 1/4 tsp
Roasted Peanuts - a handful
Salt

Oil for deep frying

Mix the flour, semolina, salt, and oil. Add water as needed to make a firm dough.
knead the dough for about 1 minutes to make the dough smooth and pliable.
Let the dough sit for at least 15 minutes.

Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds, coriander seeds, green chilies, pomegranate seeds and ginger.

Add potatoes, peas, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, peanuts and salt. 

Cook for about 2 minutes, potato filling should be moist not very dry. Keep aside.

Knead the dough for few seconds. Divide the dough into 12 to 15 equal parts, and roll them into balls.

Roll each dough ball into about 4-inch diameter. Prick each rolled up Taco with a fork in several places, this will prevent Taco from puffing and make them crisp.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. The frying pan should have about 1 inch of oil. To check if the oil is ready, put a small piece of dough in the oil. The dough should sizzle and come up slowly.

Place one rolled Taco in the frying pan and press with a skimmer, turn and fold in half. Doing this it will become taco shape. Do not press, between the fold there should be space to fill the potatoes filling. Gently do the next one same way do not over crowd the frying pan. Fry them until light golden brown on both sides. This should take about 2-3 minutes. 

Take the Taco out and place them on paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Repeat the process for remaining Taco.
You can prepare the taco shells in advance and store them in air tight container.

Fill the taco shell with warm potato filling. If desired, drizzle tamarind chutney on top and serve.

Adapted from http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/taco-samosa/

Green Peas Kachori with Chholar Dal

Frozen green peas - 1 lb
Green Chili - 2
Ginger - 1 inch, grated
Oil - 2 tsp
Hing / Asafoetida - a few pinches


Roasted ground cumin seeds - 2 tsp
Fennel Powder - 1 tsp
Salt





For the kachori:
Whole wheat flour - 2 cups or an equal mix of APF and WWF
Oil - 3 tsp
Salt
Water

Peanut Oil for deep frying







Blend the peas with green chili and ginger in a blender. Remove and keep aside.




In a pan heat oil. Add hing and the green peas paste. Then add cumin powder, fennel powder, salt and cook stirring constantly till the water dries up and the mixture changes color and becomes a little dryish. Check for seasoning. Cool the mixture.







Mix the oil and salt with the flour well and knead into a soft dough using sufficient water.



Make small balls of the dough and fill them with the peas mixture. Seal them well and roll them into puris using a little oil if needed. Deep fry the kochuries.




For Chholar Dal :





Chana Dal - 1 cup
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Whole Garam Masala - a mix of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Chopped Coconut pieces - 2 tsp
Bay leaves - 2
Whole Dried Red Chilies - 2
Ginger - 1 inch grated
Salt
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Ghee
Water - 4 cups








Heat a mix of ghee and oil in a pressure cooker pan. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaves, whole garam masala and the red chilies. Saute for a few seconds. Then add ginger paste and the chopped coconut pieces and fry till they turn slightly brown.


Now add the washed dal, four cups of water, turmeric, salt and sugar. Cook in the pressure cooker for 10 minutes after full pressure is reached.


Cool slightly, discard the whole garam masala and bay leaf and then mash some dal with the back of the spoon to thicken it. Mix well and serve with hot kachories.

Beetroot and Quinoa Burger

Quinoa - 1/4 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Beetroot - 1, small
Carrots 1
Potato - 1, small
Black Salt
Oil - 1 tbsp
Onions -1 big, finely chopped
Ginger - 1 inch, grated
Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1 tbsp
Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs - 1/2 cup
Cornstarch / Arrowroot - 1/4 cup
Roasted Peanuts (coarsely ground) - 2 tbsp
Oil for shallow frying
 
Wash the quinoa and cook with half cup water till done. Fluff with fork and keep aside.

Steam the beetroot, carrot, potato in a steamer and let them cool, Mash the vegetables coarsely and add salt to taste.

Heat oil in a big skillet and add the chopped onions. Fry the onions till golden brown. Add grated ginger and cook for a minute more.

Now add the mashed vegetables and cooked quinoa. Add cumin powder, red chili powder, mix well and cook for a few minutes. Turn off the flame and add roasted peanuts to the above.

Once it is cool, make small balls out of this mixture. Now mix the cornstarch with some water to make a batter. Dip each of the above-made balls in the batter. Afterwards coat each ball with the bread crumbs, press to make like patties and place onto a plate.

Repeat the process for all the balls and then place them in the refrigerator for 1 hour to firm up.

Heat the oil in a skillet and shallow fry each patty on both sides till golden brown. Serve with salad and ketchup.

Mung Beans Chaat

 

Green Mung Beans - 1 cup (cooked with water till done but not too soft)
Cucumber - 1 small, chopped
Red Onion - 1/2 cup, chopped
Green Chili - 1, finely chopped
Tomato - 1 small, chopped
Boiled Potato - 1 small, chopped (optional)
Cilantro - a handful, chopped
Roasted Unsalted Peanuts - 1/2 cup
Lemon Juice - of 1 whole lemon
Rock Salt - to taste
Aamchur powder / Dry mango powder - 1 tsp (optional)
Tamarind Date Chutney - 2 tbsp.
Sev / Crispy gramflour noodles  - 2 tbsp

Mix all the above ingredients together, drizzle some more chutney on top and serve immediately.

Fish Croquette / Machher Chop

Fresh Trout or Tilapia Fillet - 1 lb (lightly steamed with a little salt and turmeric)
Yukon Gold Potato - 1 (lightly sleamed with the fish fillet), cooled and grated
Red Onion - 1, finely chopped
Garlic - 3, minced
Green Chili - 2, finely chopped
Ginger - 1 inch, grated
Oil - 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Homemade Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
Salt
Sugar - 1 tsp
Cilantro - a handful, chopped
Raisins - a handful
Roasted Peanuts - a handful
Lemon Juice - half lemon

Egg - 1
Salt- a pinch
Red Chili powder - a pinch
Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs or Coarse Corn Meal - 1/2 cup
Peanut oil for shallow frying

Heat oil in a pan. Add the minced garlic cloves. Immediately, add the chopped onion and green chilies and cook on medium low heat till the onion gets soft and starts to caramelize. For better taste, this has to be done on low heat and till the onion begins to get brown and slightly crispy. In between, when the onion is half cooked, add the grated ginger.

Now add the mashed potato, mashed steamed fish, salt, sugar, turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala powder and cook on low fire for 5 to 10 minutes till the mixture comes together as a smooth dough. Mix the chopped cilantro, lemon juice, peanuts and raisins and keep aside to cool down.

Heat a cast iron pan and add some oil for shallow frying. Beat the egg with salt and red chili powder.

Take a small ball of mixture, press it a little to form a patty. Dip it in the egg wash, roll in bread crumbs/corn meal and shallow fry till golden brown on both sides. Serve with raw onion, ketchup and mustard sauce.

Ghugra / Savory Green Peas Pie

Adapted from http://tongueticklers.com/2014/03/a-pinch-of-this-a-handful-of-that-ghugra-savoury-hand-pies-with-green-pea-filling-and-a-giveaway/

Flour - 2 cups
Oil - 1 tbsp.
Salt - 2 pinches
Water - 1 cup

Frozen Green Peas / Shelled Fresh Green Peas - 3 cups
Oil - 1 tbsp.
Cumin Seeds / Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Green Chili - 4, finely chopped
Asafoetida / Hing - 1/2 tsp
Ginger - 1 inch, grated
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Red chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Raw Sugar / Jaggery - 1/2 tsp
Raw mango Powder / Aamchur - 1 tsp
Grated fresh coconut - 2 tbsp. (only use fresh coconut)
Cilantro - a handful (optional)
Salt

Peanut Oil for deep frying

Makes around 25 small pies

Mix flour, salt and oil together well till the flour becomes crumbly. Add water little by little to make a stiff dough. Cover and keep aside.

Heat a large pan and add the oil. Add cumin seeds and once they begin to sizzle, add chopped green chilies, asafetida, ginger. Saute for a few seconds and then add the green peas.

Mix well and cook on medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add roasted cumin powder, red chili powder, salt, raw sugar, aamchur, coconut, cilantro. Mix well and cook till the mixture comes together. Remove from heat and using a fork, mash the green peas to crush them gently.

Heat oil in a wok / kadai for deep frying.

Take small walnut sized balls of the dough, roll into circle, stuff 1 tsp of green peas filling on one half of the ball, fold the other half and pinch the edges together to seal the pie.

Deep fry on low heat till they are light brown on both sides (if you want crispy pies, they have to be fried on low heat). Drain on kitchen towel and serve immediately with tamarind chutney.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aloo Bonda / Potato Fritters, in Ableskiver Pan

Yukon Gold Potatoes - 4, medium sized
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - 5
Hing / Asafoetida - 2 pinches
Green Chili - 4, finely chopped
Garlic - 4 cloves - finely minced
Yellow Onion - a small, finely chopped (optional)
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt
Besan / Chickpea Flour - 1 cup
Baking Soda - one pinch
Water - 1/2 cup
Oil for cooking the bondas

Boil the potatoes till they are fork tender. Mash the hot boiled potatoes coarsely and keep aside.

Heat a tbsp of oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds.

Once the seeds begin to pop, add the hing, curry leaves, green chilies and onion (if using). Saute till the onions are transparent. Add the minced garlic and saute for a few seconds more.

Now add the boiled potato, salt and turmeric. Mix well. Sprinkle a little water, if required.

Cook for a few minutes. Keep aside to cool down. Remove and discard the curry leaves. Once cooled, make small balls of the mixture.

Mix besan, baking soda and water to make a thick batter. The batter should be thicker than pancake batter and should coat the potato balls thickly.

Heat a cast iron ableskiver pan (the pan should be well heated to avoid the bondas from sticking). Add half a tsp of oil in each slot.

Dip each potato ball in the besan batter place in the slots. Drizzle a few drops of oil if required. Cook till the bottom side becomes golden brown. Flip over and add half a tsp of oil and cook till the other side becomes golden brown.

Remove and serve hot with your favourite chutney.

Green Butternut Squash Fritters

Green Butternut Squash - Use the narrow upper portion

For the batter :
Chickpea Flour / Besan - 3 tbsp
Brown Rice Flour - 2 tbsp
Nigella Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Water
Salt
Cayenne Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Baking Soda - a pinch

I got so excited when I saw this huge butternut squash in my vegetable garden that I picked it without even thinking whether it has ripened. When I cut it open, I found it was light green inside and definitely not the yellow ripe squash. I didn't want to throw it away ...... after all it was the first butternut squash I harvested from my own garden. So I thought nothing tastes bad if they are deep fried and I could use up some of it by making fritters. They turned out to be so tasty and crispy and I used up the remaining by adding it to a yellow mung bean soup.


Peel the butternut squash and cut into thin roundels. Make a thick batter by mixing chickpea flour, brown rice flour, nigella seeds, salt, cayenne pepper, baking soda and water.

Heat a cast iron skillet and add peanut oil to cover half inch depth of the skillet.

Once the oil is hot, dip each roundel into the batter and place gently on the hot oil. Add more roundels dipped in batter but do not over crowd the skillet. Cook for a few minutes till the bottom side is golden brown. Flip and cook till the other side is browned. Remove on a paper towel.

Serve immediately while it is still hot and crispy.

 

Sending this post to the following event http://www.ticklingpalates.com/2012/08/lets-cook-18-starters-appetizers.html

 

 

Falafel with fresh Fava Beans

Fresh Fava Beans - 3/4 cup (around 20 pods)
Dry chickpeas - 3/4 cup
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Roasted Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Garlic Cloves - 5, grated
Cilantro and Parsley - a handful, chopped
Red Onion 1 small, chopped
Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Baking Powder - a pinch
Arrowroot Powder - 2 heaped tsp
Salt
Peanut Oil for deep frying

Soak the chickpeas overnight. Wash and leave them in a colander to drain excess moisture.

Remove the fava beans from the pod. Then using your fingers, remove the thin cover on each beans. Alternatively the beans can be immersed in boiling water for a minute and blanched to remove the skin.

Mix garlic, cilantro, parsley, red onion together in a food processor to make a paste. Add soaked chickpeas, fava beans, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, salt, lemon juice, baking powder, arrowroot powder and pulse to get a coarse mixture. The mixture should be coarse and not very smooth.

Shape into small balls and deep fry on medium low heat until dark brown on both sides.

Crispy Potato Pakoda

Boiled Potato - 2
Cheese - 2 tbsp (grated), I used pepper jack
Besan / Chickpea Flour - 1/2 cup
Red Onion - 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Green Chili - 3, finely chopped
Cilantro - a handful, chopped
Chaat Masala - 1 tsp (optional)
Poppy Seeds - 2 tsp
Salt
Water
Peanut Oil for deep frying

Mash the potatoes coarsely with a fork along with the skin, Add grated cheese, besan, chopped red onion, green chili, cilantro, chaat masala, poppy seeds, salt and mix well. Sprinkle a little water so that the mixture is a little wet and can be formed into small balls.

Heat peanut oil over medium heat. Make small balls of the mixture and fry in batches till golden brown.

Serve hot as an appetizer with your favourite sauce.

Crispy Deep Fried Okra

Tender Okra - 20
Besan /Chickpea Flour - 4 tbsp
Brown Rice Flour - 1 tbsp
Baking Soda - a pinch
Salt
Turmeric - a pinch
Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp
Ajwain / Carom Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Water

Oil for deep frying
Chaat masala for sprinkling over fried okra (optional)

Wash the okra and dry completely. Cut both ends off each okra. Then cut each okra lengthwise into 4 thin strips.

Make a thick pancake like batter by mixing chickpea flour, rice flour, salt, baking soda, turmeric and red chili powder.

Heat oil over medium high in a wok / kadai. Dip each strip of okra in the batter and gently slide in the hot oil. Fry the okras in batches till crispy and golden brown in color.

Remove and place on paper towel to soak extra oil. Sprinkle with chaat masala and serve immediately.

Aloo Methi Tikki / Potato Fenugreek Croquette

Red Potato - 2 big, boiled
Fresh Methi / Fenugreek Leaves - 1 bunch
Salt
Aamchur / Dried Mango Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - a pinch
Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Green Chili - 3, finely chopped
Arrowroot Flour - 2 tbsp
Water - 1 tbsp
Oil for shallow frying

Coarsely mash the potatoes with a fork. Add salt, aamchur powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, green chili and mix well.

Wash the methi leaves well and dry. Pluck the leaves and discard the stems. Add the leaves to the potato mixture and mix well.

Heat a tbsp oil in a cast iron skillet. Make a thin paste by mixing the arrowroot powder with a little water.

Take a small portion of the potato mixture. Make a round ball of it. Press gently between the palms. Dip in the arrowroot mixture and place on the hot skillet.

Cook till the bottom side is brown and crispy. Flip and cook on the other side till it gets crispy. Remove on a paper towel to soak up excess oil. Serve with homemade tamarind jaggery chutney.

Crispy Zucchini Fritters

Zucchini - 1
Besan / Chickpea flour - 1 tbsp
Brown Rice Flour - 1 tbsp
Cornstarch - 1 tbsp
Water
Nigella Seeds /Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Salt
Pepper
Turmeric - a pinch
Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp
Baking Soda - a pinch (optional-makes the fritters very crispy)
Chat Masala - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Peanut Oil for deep frying

Mix besan, brown rice flour, cornstarch, cumin seeds, salt, turmeric, baking soda, red chili powder and chat masala together. Add water little by little to make a thick pancake like batter.

Cut the zucchini into long thin slices.

Dip each slice into the batter and deep fry on medium high flame till light brown on both sides. Serve hot.

Red Radish Pakoda

Red Radish - 4 small
Besan / Chickpea flour - 1 tbsp
Brown Rice Flour - 1/2 tbsp
Cornstarch - 2 tsp
Water - 3 tbsp
Nigella Seeds /Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Salt
Turmeric - a pinch
Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp
Chat Masala - 1/2 tsp
Peanut Oil for deep frying

Mix besan, brown rice flour, cornstarch, cumin seeds, salt, turmeric, red chili powder and chat masala together. Add water little by little to make a thick pancake like batter.

Cut the radish sidewise into thin roundels.

Dip each roundel into the batter and deep fry on medium high flame till light brown on both sides. Serve hot.