Rava Pakoras | Semolina Fritters

 Onset of monsoon is a pleasure in many ways . The weather becomes pleasant, the foliage looks fresh , rivers and dams start overflowing and most of all it is a good opportunity for enjoying family time over a cuppa hot tea , soothing music and some snacks . Deep fried snacks are preferred in most homes as they instantly pep up your mood . 

Last couple of days the city where I live has been experiencing wet spells on and off making it  perfect for enjoying some crispy and soft Rava Pakoras . These rava pakoras are my mom's speciality and she would dish it out for me when I would have sudden cravings for a fried item or when me and my friends came home famished and hungry after our classes .  Amma would add in finely chopped pudina , spinach/palak or even fresh methi/fenugreek leaves to the pakora batter and the taste would be fantastic. 

Rava/ Semolina is a versatile ingredient and is always present in any Indian Kitchen. We can dish out many amazing recipes ,sweets as well as savories using this magical ingredient.  Since rava cooks easily and also tastes delicious, it is the most sought after ingredient for a quick snack .

In today's recipe,  I have used kasuri methi (sun dried fenugreek leaves ) instead of fresh methi which was one of the secret ingredients along with rava given to me by Swaty for our gourmet secret challenge cooking group  .

Rava is not gluten free ,so pls exercise caution if you are allergic to Gluten or following a GF diet . 

Some traditional and classic recipes using Rava / Semolina published on my blog for you all to try and enjoy !! 

Sweets

Kesari  Baath

Sajjige / Sheera

Banana Sheera

Mango Sheera

Rava Payasam/Kheer

Savories

Rava Upma 

Rava Idli 

Rava Dosa 

Tomato Rava Dosa 

Maddur Vade 

As it is monsoon time, we all keep looking for some delicious snacks to munch on  and if you love trying some new recipes, you must look up my friends' Shobha ji and Swaty's blog without fail . These two blogs are a treasure chest of exotic and amazing recipes from world over .

I have bookmarked shobha ji's Rice and dal dhoklas to try soon while Swaty's delicious Masala Tea with a host of exotic and therapeutic ingredients is very refreshing for a chill evening. 

Preparation Time - 5 mins
Frying Time - 20 to 25 mina
Complexity - easy 
Serves - 3 to 4 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup fine rava /sooji / semolina 
2 tbsp chick peas flour /besan 
1 tbsp rice flour 
2 tbsp kasuri methi 
Handful of finely chopped corriander 
Pinch of carom seeds/ajwain/omam 
1-2 finely chopped green chillies 
1/2 tsp red chilli powder 
Salt as needed 
Pinch of turmeric 
Water as needed 
Oil for deep frying 

Method 

• In a wide mixing bowl , add all the dry ingredients including the kasuri methi and corriander except for oil and water. 
• With your fingers mix it well so that all ingredients get mixed well .
• Sprinkle water little by little and bring it together to form a dough . Donot add too much water else it will become too watery and the pakoras will absorb oil while frying . 
• If you happen to add extra water by chance, add in some rava to the mixture ,rava will absorb the extra water .
• Heat oil in a kadai , randomly pinch out small portions from the pakora dough and drop it into hot oil carefully .
• Flip it over and fry carefully until the pakoras turn crisp and golden brown. 
• Serve hot with green chutney, tamarind chuney or tomato sauce. 

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Kulche wala pizza - A fusion pizza

 I love experimenting with various flavors and cuisines in my kitchen. Some are a super hit and some don't even pass my taste test ..haha !! 

After I tried my hands on Pav Bhaji Pasta which was a hit at home ,I was pondering on how else to infuse Italian flavors in our Desi style cooking.

While the thinking cap was on , my eyes fell on a pizza menu which had paneer Tikka pizza on the cards and that is how my Kulche wala Pizza was born . I was planning to make kulchas to go with a mix veg sabji ,but then I went ahead and tried my hands on this cheesy kulche wala Pizza  which was welcome by all at home .

I have used kulcha as the base and the toppings are in Italian style . So my dear readers , do let me know how you like this recipe and donot forget to try it at your homes too.

What is the difference in Naan and Kulcha ?

• Though Naan and Kulcha fall into the category of Indian Breads, there is a slight difference in the way the dough is prepared. 
• Naan uses yeast as  raising agent while for Kulcha baking powder and baking soda are used. 
• Naan needs good amount of resting time as the yeast needs to react for the dough to raise whereas for Kulcha there is not much resting time. 
• Naan and Kulcha both can be made in the Tandoor but they come out well even on stove top as well .
• In terms of shape, Naan is generally oblong while kulchas are round like rotis .
• Kulchas are easy to make with ingredients available in the pantry and fairly simple for beginners who haven't worked with yeast .

Preparation Time -20 mins
Resting Time - 30 mins
Makes - 3 to 4 pizzas 
Complexity - Medium 

Ingredients 

Kulcha

2 cups whole wheat flour 

1/2 cup maida / APF 

1 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp baking soda 

1/2 cup curd/yogurt

Pinch of salt 

2 tsp oil 

Toppings

Assorted bell peppers cut length wise 

1 tomato deseeded and cut length wise 

1 onion cut length wise (optional) 

Handful of boiled sweet corn 

5 - 6 tbsp pizza sauce 

Mixed herbs /pizza seasoning 

Chilli flakes

1 slab mozzarella cheese 

Method 

How to prepare the Kulcha dough ?

• In a wide mixing bowl, sift all the dry ingredients through a sieve .
• Make a well and add in the curd and mix it with the flour .Slowly add the water and knead it to a soft pliable dough . Donot add too much water 
• Stretch and knead the dough for about 5 to 10 min for the gluten to react well .Apply some oil  and cover with a damp cloth.  Let it rest for 30 mins .

How to make the kulchas for the pizza base ?

• After 30 mins punch the dough ,knead and stretch for another 5 mins.
• Divide the dough to 3 or 4 equal parts.
• Take one part,  dust rolling board and roll the dough into a  base which is neither too thick nor thin .
• Prick the kulcha with a fork ,this enables even cooking. 
• Place this kulcha on a pre heated tava and cook on both sides till it turns slightly brown and looks puffed up .
• Follow this process for the entire dough and keep the kulcha base ready. 

How to prepare the topping and assemble the pizza?

• In a pan ,add a tsp of oil and lightly toss the assorted bell peppers with some salt and set aside .
• Take one kulcha , spread the pizza sauce generously, top it with some mozzarella cheese. 
• Add the vegetable toppings of onions,tomatoes, bellpeppers and sweet corn as per your liking.  You may also use jalapeños and olives too .
• Sprinkle the mixed herbs , chilli flakes ,oregano and add some more mozzarella cheese on the top as much as you like .
• Place this assembled kulcha pizza on a pre heated tawa and cook it covered with a lid until you see the mozzarella cheese melt and cover the entire kulcha pizza .
• Take it off the pan , cut it into slices and serve hot .

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Ajwain kaadha | Carom Tea | Oma Kashayam

 Come monsoon, we all love to indulge in some spicy and fried food to pep us up . When the indulgence is limited the tummy is happy but when the spice levels go up a bit,the tummy starts sending signals and it is time to cool down and balance the acidity . That is when the magical spice herb carom/ajwain/omam/ova comes to our rescue .  

Ajwain is used a lot in Indian cooking for its therapeutic effects . It is a very handy magical spice in the pantry . If you have no time to make a concoction you can just chew a few seeds and can instantly feel a relief as you will tend to burp as soon as you begin to chew .

Ajwain has a lot of health benefits especially when it comes to keeping the digestive tract and stomach clear and healthy . This simple concoction of boiling carom seeds with a little fennel seeds (saunf) is a very effective drink when consumed early morning on an empty stomach. 

Ajwain water cools down the gut and eases out gastric and acidity woes . Oma kashayam also helps in improving body metabolism and helps in weight loss too . So all in all it is a very healthy magic potion !! Don't you agree ??  😊

Consuming about 30ml daily in the morning keeps us fit and active by balancing the acidity levels and eases out the digestion process .  

Disclaimer- this is just an age old home remedy for immediate relief .Pls consult your doctor in case of persistent problem and refrain from consuming the drink if you are allergic to any ingredient. 

Some more home made wellness tea on my blog

Tulsi Kashayam 

Herbal Tea

Jaljeera

Ginger Kashayam 

Preparation Time - Nil 
Cooking Time - 5 mins
Complexity - simple
Makes about 100 ml

Ingredients 

1 cup water (200 ml) 

1 tsp ajwain/carom /omam seeds

1/4 tsp fennel /saunf 

Method 

• Take the water in a sauce pan , once the water is lightly heated ,add the ajwain and fennel .
• Let the water start boiling and reduce to 1/2 .
• Strain it through a sieve and sip it when it is warm 

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