Vazhaipoo Masala Vadai/Plantain Flower Fritters

Ingredients:
Vazhaipoo/plantain flower - 1/2 from a medium-sized flower
Bengal gram - 1 cup
Arhar dal - 1/2 cup
Black gram (whole & skinned) - 1/4 cup
Dry red chillies - 7
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Saunf/fennel seeds - 1 tsp.
Shallots - 1 cup (peeled and chopped)
Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp.
Grated coconut - 1/2 coconut
Mint leaves - a small bunch
Salt (to taste)
Oil (to deep fry)

Method:
Soak all the dals/grams for 3 hours. Drain all the water and grind coarsely.
Clean and chop the flowers and drop them in buttermilk.
Grind the dry red chillies and grated coconut.
Chop the curry leaves.
In a bowl, mix all ingredients except oil.
Heat the oil to deep fry.
Make balls from the thick batter and flatten them into patties.
Deep fry till golden brown.

Note:
Add only chopped flowers to the batter and throw away the buttermilk.
Instead of butter milk, I used the water in which the rice was washed with turmeric added.

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Coriander Mint Vermicelli

Ingredients:
Vermicelli/Semiya - 2 cups (cooked)
Onions (small-sized) - 2 (chopped)
Garlic - 12 cloves (peeled)
Ginger - 1 inch (peeled)
Green chillies - 5 (or as per taste)
Coriander leaves - 1 1/4 cup
Mint leaves - 1 cup
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Curd - 2 tbsp.
Oil
Salt (to taste)

Method:
Grind coriander leaves, mint leaves, garlic, ginger, green chillies into a paste.
Heat the oil and add cumin seeds. When the seeds crackle, add the onions and sauté till it turns translucent.
Now add the greens paste and sauté till the raw smell fades away. Add the curd and sauté well. Add required salt to the paste (I added salt and a little oil while cooking vermicelli). Now add the cooked semiya and mix well.
Enjoy with coconut chutney.

Sent off to FAST FOOD EVENT - VERMICELLI.

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Beet root and Sprouted green gram Thoran

To the regular beet root thoran, I added sprouted green gram and let them half-cook. This thoran, while consumption, are quite crunchy.

Ingredients:
Beet root - 1 cup (heaped, peeled and chopped)
Sprouted green gram - 1 cup
Grated coconut - 1/3 cup
Shallots - 8 (very small)
Green chillies - 2 (long)
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Curry leaves - few
Oil - 1 tbsp.
Salt (to taste)
Mustard seeds - 3/4 tsp.
Urad dal/black gram - 1 tsp.

Method:
Grind shallots, green chillies, cumin seeds, coconut and turmeric powder coarsely without adding water.
Heat the oil and add mustard seeds and black gram. When they crackle, add the coarse paste and curry leaves and sauté till the raw smell fades away. Now add the beet root, sprouted green gram and salt.
Cover and cook the thoran for 10 minutes.
Sauté it every 2 minutes to avoid burning.
When the beets are half-cooked, remove from heat.
Serve as an accompaniment for rasam rice, sambar rice and roti.

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Scrambled Paneer Sandwich

Ingredients:
Paneer/Cottage cheese - 250 gm
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Oil
Onions (small-sized) - 2 (chopped)
Ginger - 1 tsp. (finely chopped)
Garlic - 1 tsp. (finely chopped)
Green chillies - 2 (deseeded and chopped)
Tomato - 1 (deseeded and chopped)
Coriander leaves - few (chopped)
Salt (to taste)

Method:
Crumble the paneer and keep aside.
Heat the oil and add cumin seeds. When the seeds sizzle, add onions, ginger, garlic, green chillies and sauté till the onions become translucent.
Add the tomato and coriander leaves and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Add the crumbled paneer and sauté till dry. Finally sprinkle some salt.
Stuff in the required paneer between two toasted breads and enjoy!!

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Pumpkin Payasam

Today I prepared this tasty payasam for saraswathi pooja. I wanted to prepare the dessert which is very simple and fast. So here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
Yellow pumpkin cubes - 1 1/2 cup (without skin)
Moong dal - 1/4 cup
Amul full cream milk - 500 ml
Jaggery - 1/2 cup (powdered) or as per taste
Ghee - 1 tsp.
Cashew nuts - 12 to 14
Raisins - 10 to 12
Green cardamom powder - 2 pinches

Method:
Pressure cook pumpkin and moong dal with milk for 3 - 4 whistles.
When the pressure releases, puree the pumpkin and dal with a hand blender.
Roast the cashewnuts and raisins.
Pour a half cup of water to the jaggery and melt. Bring it to a boil. Remove the impurities. Pour the jaggery syrup to the pureed pumpkin. Add the roasted nuts and raisins. Mix cardamom powder. The
payasam is ready.

Note:
Adjust the jaggery according to your tastes.

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Coriander Coconut Thuvaiyal

Every 2-3 days we buy fresh coriander leaves, curry leaves and amaranth or methi leaves. While growing in South, we bought those greens sold in bunches fixed at certain prices. People bargain to get those bunches with the vendor which my mom would never ever do at all. Here in North, along with vegetables, greens are sold in grams. Vendors measure the big bunch of greens in their measuring scales.

To get good quality greens, vegetables and fruits at a fairly cheaper price, winter is the best season.

Ingredients:
Coriander leaves - 2 cups (firmly packed)
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Dry red chillies - 3 (or as per taste)
Bengal gram - 1 tbsp.
Black gram whole (dehusked) - 1 tbsp.
Tamarind - gooseberry size
Salt (to taste)
Oil

Method:
Fry the Bengal gram and black gram till their colour changes to golden. Add the tamarind and sauté for few seconds.
Remove. Again in the same pan, add red chillies and fry. Cool.
Wash the coriander leaves well.
Grind all.

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