Dahi Bhalle

Another famous lip smacking snack is Dahi Bhalle, which is very famous in Punjab.

For summer parties or Potlucks you can always have an option for Dahi bhalle.Which is Kids friendly too!

This is also called as Dahi Vada or Thayir Vadai in Tamil nadu.

Dahi bhalle made of Lentils (Urad daal) & dipped with fresh curds & Sprinkled with spices like Ground Jeera powder, Red chilly powder, black salt, Tamarind date chutney for sweet & tangy taste.



Dough Ingredients -

Urad Daal - 1 cup
Ginger grated little
Salt - acc to taste
Oil for frying.

Dahi Ingredients -

Fresh curd - 2 -3 cups
Sugar - pinch
Kala namak - 1 tsp
Salt - acc to taste
Water - 1 cup

1.Soak Urad daal for 3 hrs in the water
2.Grind Urad by adding water little by little.
3.Take the dough & add salt and mix well.
4.keep oil in the kadai & with moistened hands, drop the bhalle.
5.Fry light brown, Drain oil, keep aside.
6.Soak in hot water for ten minutes. Press out water lightly.
7.Beat Curd with adding little water & mix kala namak, sugar, salt.

Serving Suggestions -

1.Take a Serving tray, arrange the bhalle on that.
2.Pour the Beaten curd evenly to it.
3.Garnish by adding Tamarind Date chutney, Roasted Cumin powder, Red chilly powder & Cilantro.
4.Refrigerate for a while & serve cold.

Parupu Vadai

One of the Famous dish from Tamilnadu.It is also called as "Aama Vadai" or Daal Fritters etc. We usually make them during Festivals, Parties as an Appetizers.Its is easy to make & mouthwatering too. My Friends & Families usually love this dish whenever i make it for Potluck & Parties as well.

Ingredients
-----------
Channa Daal / Bengal Gram - 2 Cups
Red chillies - 5 nos
Jeera - 1 tsp
Salt - acc to taste
Asafoetida - pinch
Curry Leaves - few
Oil for Frying.



Preparation
-----------
Wash Channa Daal & Soak in the water for 2hrs.Grind the Soaked daal Coarsely along with it add Red chillies,Jeera,Asafoetida,Curry Leaves & salt.

Add very little water while grinding.Batter has to be thick enough to make the round shape like patties.

Drop the vada into the oil. Deep fry them in hot oil until they are golden brown. The whole process will take 20 minutes.

Vegetable cutlets

One of the delicious starters from india.The most flavorable snack from kids to adults.

Ingredients

Onion - 1/4
Khus khus - 20 nos
Ginger garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Potato - 4 nos
Carrot- 1 cup
Beans - 1 cup
peas - 1 cup
Beet - 1/2 cup
Red chilly powder
Dania jeera powder
Bread crumbs
Salt

pressure-cook 4 medium sized potatoes,Beans,Carrot,Peas to tender.Peel and remove the skin & mash well.

Pressure cook seperately Beet.

1.Heat oil in a wide skillet.

2.Add khus Khus

3.Saute onions finely for 5 mts, now add Ginger garlic paste on medium heat until the paste starts to carmalize.

4.Now add salt,Red chilly powder,dania jeera powder & garam masala.

5.Start adding one by one all the mashed vegetables cook for 15 more minutes.

6.Divide mashed veggies into lemon sized rounds. Press and shape each portion into a round patty, about your palm size.



7.Dip those cutlets in the bread crumbs & keep aside for some time.

8.Deep fry one by one.



Weight watchers follow this -

Place a wide, flat skillet on stovetop,When the skillet is hot, place veggie cutlet side by side.Cook each side for about 2 to 4 minutes on medium heat until a golden-brown crust forms on top.

Chakli (Mullu Murukku)

Chakli is the most famous snack of India. Its also called as Mullu Murukku.
Chakli is one of my all time favorite snack.I remember my mother used to make around festivals like Diwali & Krishna jayanthi.
Every household has their own way of making chaklis.
So this is my recipe - quick, easy and of course tasty!

Ingredients:-

3 cups Rice flour
1 cup green gram flour/ Moong flour
2 tbsps Butter
1 tsps Cumin seeds
1 tsps sesame seeds
Asfoetida
salt to taste
Oil for frying

Meathod:-

Sieve and mix together the flours, salt, soften butter,cumin seeds, asfoetida, sesame seeds.

Add water into small quantities and knead into soft dough.

Heat oil in the kadai.

Fill the dough into chakli press and press the chaklis in the kadai.


Fry both sides till golden, and then remove. It takes approximately 5 minutes to fry up one batch. Repeat till all the dough is used. Let them cool and store it in an airtight container.

Tips:-
When more Butter is added while making, chakli will break. So add flour to compensate.
If Butter is less, chakli will be harder.

Masala Dosa

One thing which i missed when i came to US is Masala dosa, my mom's speciality dish.Here is the quick recipe for preparing tasty & yum Masala dosa.

Preparing these type of dosa is simple & very easy. Some planning is reqd before you proceed.

Ingredients

For Dosa batter -

2 cups Idli Rice
3/4 cup urad daal whole
2tsp methi seeds
Salt to taste

For Potato bhaji -

1 yellow onion diced
1/3 chopped tomato
5 medium boiled mashed potatoes
1 inch ginger
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp Red chilly powder
3 green chillies slit
Curry leaves
Cilantro few

Seasoning

Oil,Mustard seeds,urad daal,curry leaves

Step 1 - Dosa batter

Wash and soak rice and dal together in 2 to 3 cups of water for at least 6 hours. Drain and grind them in a wet grinder into a smooth batter.
Add little water in-between for smooth grinding. (Pan cake batter consistency)

Pour the batter into a big vessel, cover it with a lid and keep it in a warm place for overnight fermentation.


Step - 2 Potato Bhaji

Take a kadai add oil,then add all seasoning ingredients.
once its starts spluttering add diced onions and chopped ginger and cook till onions turn translucent and add finely chopped tomatoes.
Add slit chillies, mashed potatoes, salt.
To this add turmeric powder, R chilly powder and chopped cilantro and cook for 2-3 minutes mixing well.
Remove the pan from stove and keep it aside.



Step - 3 Final prep

Pour a ladleful of batter on the non stick tawa ,Spread it around with the ladle.


Add little Olive oil,increase to high heat & cook for few more minutes.



Add 2 tbsp of Potato bhaji .



Fold the dosa and serve hot with Chutney & Sambar




This whole process of making dosa will take 3-4 mts approx.


Tips -

Spicy Lovers - You can also add Red chutney, along with the potato bhaji filling.

Serving suggestion - Cocounut chutney & Pearl onion sambaar.'

For good fermentation keep the batter inside the conventional oven

Enjoy your weekend Brunch.