Ragda Patties (Potato cutlets and dry peas curry)

Ingredients : (For approx. 4 servings)
For Patties:
Potatoes  – 4 (boiled)
Bread slices – 4
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Roasted cumin powder – 1 tsp
Cooking oil for shallow frying
Salt as per taste

For Ragda:
Dried whole peas – 1 cup
Onion – ½ cup finely chopped
Ginger – 1 tsp minced
Garlic – 1 tsp minced
Tamarind paste – 1 tbsp
Jaggery – 1 tbsp powdered
Cooking oil – 1 tbsp

Dry Spices for Ragda:
Jira (Cumin seeds) – 1 tsp
Hing (Asafoetida powder) – 2 pinch
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Amchur powder (dry mango)– ½ tbsp
Garam masala powder -1 tsp
Salt as per taste

Method: To make Ragda

• Soak the dried peas overnight or for at least 6 hours. Pressure cook the peas till done.
• Heat oil in a deep pan, Add cumin seeds and Asafetida powder. When it starts crackling, add onions. Sauté onions for a few minutes. Add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
• Now add all the dry spices. Sauté for 2 minutes.
• Now add boiled peas, tamarind paste and jaggery. Mix well. Add 2 cups of water and let it simmer for 15 minutes on low-medium heat. Mix well and ragda is done.

To make patties:

• Boil and peel potatoes. Grate potatoes for smooth texture. Keep aside.
• Take the brown edges off the bread slices. Now dip the bread slices in warm water, aand then squeeze out excess water.
• Add these bread slices to the potatoes. Also add red chili powder, roasted cumin powder and salt. Mix well and form a smooth dough if it.
• Make 8 equal portions of the dough. Take each portion in your palm make a tennis ball sized ball. Now flatten it to make tikki or patties. Patties can be round or oval shaped. Smooth out the edges of the patties and keep aside. [Apply little oil on your palms to avoid patties sticking on your hand].
• Heat griddle or pan, add 1 tbsp oil and shallow fry the patties golden brown on both the sides. Keep the heat medium high. Drain them on kitchen towel and keep aside.

Garnish and Serving Suggestions:
Place 2 patties on a serving plate. Pour 1-2 ladles full of ragda. Garnish it with sweet tamarind-date chutney, green chutney and spiced yogurt. Also add chopped red onion, namkeen sev and chopped cilantro.

Yummy Ragda -Patties is ready to eat.

Pongal [Southern Indian Rice Meal]

Ingredients: [For approx 4 servings]

Rice – 2 cups
Moong dal – 1 cup
Jeera – 2 tsp
Cashews(broken) – 1/2cup
Whole dry red chillies – 6
Whole peppercorns – 10-12
Curry leaves – 5-6 leaves
Garlic – 4 cloves
Chana dal – 1 tsp
Urad dal -1 tsp
Hing [Asafoetida powder] – 2 pinch
Butter – 2 tbsp
Salt as per taste

Method:

• Soak rice and moong dal  in water for an hour.
• Cook rice and dal with salt, turmeric powder and butter/ghee in a heavy bottom pot in 3 cups of water.
• In a pan, heat 2 tbsp butter. Add Jeera, chana dal, urad dal, hing powder, minced garlic, a few peppercorns and cashews. When it splatters, add curry leaves and dry red chillies.
• Add this prepared seasoning to the cooked rice mixture.

Serve hot for light lunch or dinner.

Lemon Rice [Southern Indian Style]

Lemon Rice [Southern Indian style]

Last few days, Aunt V is visiting us. She is a great cook. I learned this and few other recipes from her. Lemon rice is very flavorful and very easy to make. Lemon rice is great for picnics or as a journey meal. I would like to share this simple yet authentic recipe with you all.

Ingredients:
For Lemon rice [4 servings]

Rice (Basmati) – 4 cups [Cooked] left over is even better
Cashews – ½ cup (halved) [Optional]
Raw peanuts – ½ cup (halved) [Optional]
Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
Lemon/ Lime juice – 3 tbsp
Salt to taste 

For Tempering:

Cooking oil for tempering -1.5 tbsp
Dry red chilies [torn into halves] – 4
Mustard seeds [Rai] – 1 tsp
Chana dal – 1 tbsp
Urad dal [white]-1 tbsp
Hing [asafoetida] – ½ tsp
Curry leaves – 6
Cilantro fresh – 1 tbsp [finely chopped] for garnishing (optional)

Method:

1. Wash and cook basmati rice as usual. i.e. Cook 1.5 cup raw rice with 3 cups of water. Let the rice cool completely or let it sit in the refrigerator for couple of hours after cooking. This recipe is good for using leftover white rice too.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add peanuts or cashews. Fry for couple of minutes. Drain the nuts and keep aside. 

3. In the same pan add all the tempering ingredients, Mustard seeds, red chilies, chana dal, urad dal, hing, and curry leaves. Fry till it all crackles. Add turmeric powder and the fried nuts, mix well.

4. Add the above tempering to the cooked rice. Add Lemon or lime juice to the rice and mix again.

Garnish:
Garnish the prepared rice with freshly chopped cilantro. Enjoy with any meal, anytime of the day.

Chakli or Murukku (Crispy savory snack)

Chakli or Murukku (Crispy savory snacks) 

Chakli is a very common Maharashtrian snack. It is also called as Murukku in Southern India. It lasts for few weeks if stored properly in air tight container, so it is a great anytime snack. 

Ingredients:
For Chakli (25 pieces approx.)

Rice flour – 2.5 cups [Roasted]
Urad dal flour – ½ cups [Roasted]
Butter – 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Asafoetida powder- 1/4 tsp
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Sesame seeds – 1 tsp
Water-1.5 cups (to make dough)
cooking oil to fry
Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Combine rice flour, urad dal flour, sesame seeds, cumin seeds, red chili powder, asafoetida powder, butter and salt.
2. Mix together well and add water very slowly to make dough. Knead well to make it like roti dough.
3. With the help of chakli press, make chaklies on a piece of wax paper, so it will be easier to transfer it to the oil. It takes some practice to make the shape.

      4. Heat cooking oil for frying the chaklis.
      5. Carefully with the help of flat spatula, transfer chaklies to the oil.
      6. Deep fry the chaklies till it is crisp and golden in color.
      7. Drain it on paper towel and let it cool down. Store it in a air tight container. 

Serving Suggestions:

Enjoy Chakli with tea/coffee anytime.

Medu Vada

I’m a big fan of South Indian snacks. Medu vada is one of those. It is easy to make you can serve it as a meal with sambhar and chutney or just anytime snack only with chutney.It’s a kid’s friendly snack.

Ingredients:

For Medu vada (4 servings)

Urad dal (white) – 1.5 cups
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Asafoetida powder- 2 pinches
Freshly grounded black pepper – 1 tsp
Green Chilies – 2
Curry leaves – 8
Cooking oil to fry
Salt as per taste

Method:

• Wash Urad dal thoroughly and soak it in water for 6-7 hours.
• Grind soaked dal with green chilies in fine paste using very little water. Add asafoetida powder, cumin seeds, black pepper and salt to the paste. Mix the batter for few minutes. It will incorporate some air to the batter and make it light.
• Heat cooking oil for frying the vadas.
• Apply some oil to your palm and take some batter on it. Shape it round and make a hole in the center with your finger. It takes some practice to make the shape.
• Deep fry the doughnut shaped vadas in oil. It should be golden and crispy.

Serving Suggestions:
Serve hot with green chutney or coconut chutney for snack and with sambhar/chutney for meal.

Simple and Healthy Recipes: Dal Makhani

Welcome to the world of cooking. Simple recipes are always fun. Easy to make and yummy to taste. I’ll be bringing you some of my favorite recipes, handed me down by my Mom (Thanks, Mummy!). Hope you like it.

Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani means “buttery lentils”. It is one of the most requested entrees on Indian menu. Originated from the northern state, Punjab in India, it traveled all over the world.

Ingredients: (Serving 6 people)

Urad whole (black lentils) – 1cup
Urad whole (white lentils) – 1/3cup
Rajma (kidney beans)-1/3 cup
Channa dal (gram lentils)-1/3 cup
Ginger, peeled – 1 tbspn
Garlic cloves – 3 
Green chillies -2
salt to taste

For tadka (tempering)
Ghee (clarified butter)- 2 tbspn
Cumin- 1 tspn
Garlic cloves- 3
Onion- 1/2 finely chopped
Asafoetida powder – 1 pinch
Fenugreek seed – 1/2 tspn
Tomato paste or puree – 1/2 cup

Garnish
Butter- 2 tbspn
Cream- 1/4 cup
Garam masala- 1/2 tspn

Method
Soak all of the lentils (urad (white and black), rajma and channa dal) in water overnight. Wash few times thoroughly. In pressure cooker, boil all of the lentils with the ginger, garlic, green chillies and salt, and simmer until lentils are well cooked. Drain off excess water and mash the lentils lightly with the back of a ladle.

Heat the ghee or oil in a heavy pan until hot, and add the cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds, and stir until they crackle. Add the onions, sauté till it turns pink and translucent. Add garlic and fry until beginning to color. Add the asafoetida powder and tomato puree and stir for a minute. Add to the cooked dal, mixing well. Bring the dal to the boil again, adding butter and cream. Simmer gently for 30 minutes.
Add the garam masala for final flavor.

Enjoy with basmati rice or Punjabi parantha.