Navaratri Special - Significance & Prasadams

 Navaratri is just round the corner and it is a very special festival for Hindus.  The whole of India celebrates Navratri in different ways and it is the most awaited festival for the ladies.

Navaratri is a festival that  celebrates the victory of good over evil by Goddess Durga . The festival is spread across 9 nights and 10 days hence the name Nav Ratri (Nav is 9 and Ratri is night) .

The last day is celebrated as Dussehra or Dassera, a  day that is considered very auspicious to start anything new . 

As I already said each region in India celebrates Navaratri in different ways and the ladies thoroughly enjoy this festival .

Read the full blog to know how various regions celebrate Navratri across our country.

In Northern India , each day is dedicated to 9 forms of Maa Durga  ; Shailaputri  ,Brahmacharini ,Chandraghanta ,Kushmanda ,Skandamaata , Katyayani  ,Kaalaratri, Mahagauri,Siddhadhatri. 

Devi is worshipped  by chanting Chandi Paath/ Havan ,devi Mahatmyam etc. Most ladies fast for the 9 days and break their fast on Navami .

The Ashtami Day is  celebrated as Kanya Puja where young girls who haven't attained Puberty are called home and worshipped as an Incarnation of lord Durga ma and offered with Prasadam and small gifts like Bindi , chunri , mehendi etc. Prasad on Ashtami is Poori ,Halwa and Kala Channa .

In Gujarat , a decorated earthen pot called Garba is placed with a lamp lit inside which is kept as Akhand Diya for all 9 days ..this Garba is symbolic of the womb and the word is derived from the Sanskrit word "Garbh". There is a  belief that just as the mother protects the baby in the womb, Ambe Maa is the protector of the world and she protects us from the wordly  wrath. 

Bengal and Eastern India is known for its Durga Puja Utsav during Navratri and the massive pandals that are set up all over the city which have huge and beautiful idols of Durga Maa sculpted to perfection and on the day of Dassera after the Pooja ,the idols are immersed in water bodies .

In Tamil Nadu and Karnataka ladies set up Golu ,which is a display of dolls of various Gods and Goddesses and also other mythological characters.  Social themes are also displayed and lot of contests are conducted to applaud and recognize the hard work .  The 9 nights of Navratri are dedicated for Durga ,Lakshmi and Saraswati . The 9th Day is celebrated as Saraswati Pooja / Ayudha Pooja in Tamil Nadu ..to know more about how it is celebrated, read my post on Saraswati Pooja Special.

What is Golu / Bomma Kolu / Bombe Habba ?

GOLU is a display of Dolls arranged on steps like structure which are odd in number like 1 , 3, 5 , 7 , 9 steps etc .

Traditionally beautifully colored clay dolls of various Gods and Goddess & Mythological story related dolls would be on the display and these dolls are handed down from generations.  Carefully packed and stored for use year on year. 

 Slowly, with social awareness and creativity,  dolls with social themes also got added to the collection and people who display golu started presenting various themes to bring related to current affairs and social responsibilities. 

Each day a special prasadam is offered to Devi after pooja in the morning and evening. 

Normally in the morning, we offer some kind of sweet as prasadam and in the evening we offer sundal prasadam. Navaratri and Sundal go hand in hand .

Sundal is a simple stir fry using various beans and legumes . A very good source of protein and energy. 

This sundal prasadam is distributed along with the Haldi Kumkum Thamboolam which is given to all the ladies who visit the house for Golu . 

What is thamboolam ?

Thamboolam is an offering of betel leaves, betel nuts, coconut a fruit and haldi kumkum .

Refer to the collection of recipes below which I am linking for your easy reference 

Verkadalai Sundal / Peanut Sundal

Kondakadalai Sundal/Chickpeas Sundal

Karamani Sundal / Lobia Sundal

Karuppu Kondakadalai Sundal / Brown Chickpeas sundal

Thengai Mangai Pattani Sundal / Dried peas sundal

Rajma Sundal 

Kadalai Paruppu Sundal / Gram Dhal Sundal

Kadhamba Sundal / Mixed Sundal

Pacha payaru Sundal / Green Gram Sundal

Sundal using Sundal Podi

Traditional sweets offered as prasadam for Navaratri 

Pineapple Kesari 

Prasad ka Sheera  / Sajjige

Seeyam / Sugiyan (Saraswati Pooja Spl )

Sakkarai Pongal 

Aval Payasam / Poha kheer 

Jawwarsi Semiya Payasam / Sago Vermicelli kheer

Thengai Burfi / Coconut Burfi

Rava Payasam / Sooji Kheer

Dryfruit kheer

Theratti Paal 

Namkeen Moong Dal | Fried Moong (split green gram)- Vegan snack

 Namkeen moong dal is a very tasty and addictive tea time snack which is enjoyed by all age groups .

A popular snack which is sold by major snack brands, in India and abroad this certainly is a Go to snack which most of us will stock at home to just munch on for time pass .

You can also make amazing chaat with this fried moong dal by adding chopped onions ,tomatoes, fresh corriander and dress with some fresh lime juice .

To make namkeen moong dal at home ,you need to have a few pre preparations, but if you plan your work accordingly, this tasty snack can be made just in time for your tea time or the time when kids are back from school.

The key to get perfectly fried moong dal is to pat dry the soaked moong dhal on a cotton cloth until it is totally dry and moisture free . A small amount of moisture also will end in oil splutter while frying which is definitely risky and hazardous.  So take care to dry up the moong dhall before frying.

The fried moong dal is seasoned with basic spices like salt and chat masala ,but you can also add some red chilli powder if you may like. I prefer to keep it plain salted with a hint of chaat masala . 

Preparation Time - 4 hrs
Frying time - 15 mins
Complexity - easy
Serves  - 3 to 4 

Ingredients 

2 cups of moong dal / yello split gram
Oil to fry
Salt as needed 
Pinch of chat masala 

Method 

• Wash and soak the moong dal in a bowl of water for 3 to 4 hrs .
• Drain the water through a colander and spread the soaked moong dal on a soft cotton cloth for about 30 mins under shade so that all the moisture is absorbed by the cloth .
• Heat up the oil and fry the moong dal in small batches until it turns crisp and appears golden yellow. Fry in medium flame and be vigilant else it will  burn too quickly .
• To the fried moong dal add salt and chat masala and mix it well .Store it in an air tight container.  Use a dry spoon to use while serving. 
• Enjoy this addictive snack with your tea or a leisure drink with your friends and family.

Patal Poha Chivda / पातळ पोहा चिवडा - vegan snack (low fat)

 Chiwda is a traditional Maharashtrian snack made during Diwali alongwith the various other snacks. 

Patal Poha chivda is prepared using thin paper variety rice flakes and very easy to make. Hardly uses a few spoons of oil ,making it a healthy choice to indulge.  A perfect snack to compliment a hot glass of coffee or tea . You can make this anytime during the year and store it in an airtight container.  Stays good for almost 10 days. 

Patal poha chivda is made by dry roasting the poha and is seasoned with mild spices and garnished with lots of roasted groundnuts, roasted gram and even cashew nuts .

Having grown up with a lot of Maharashtrian friends around this snack was a regular feature at home and even now I make it frequently but somehow it never made it to the blog .

This time when Poonam suggested Maharashtrian cuisine for our Shhh cooking secretly group,  I planned to make this chiwda with the secret ingredients Green chilli and roasted gram given to me by Aruna and she prepared Khamang kakdi - healthy cucumber salad using the secret ingredients peanut and mustard that I gave her . Poonam's Shakkarpaare is my next in list for 4pm snack. 

Some traditional Maharashtrian snacks from my blog for you all to enjoy 

Cornflakes Chiwda 

Poha Chiwda

Sabudana Chiwda

Thikhat Shankarpaali

Kothimbir Wadi 

Sabudana Wada

Preparation Time - 10 mins
Cooking Time - 10 mins
Complexity - easy 
Serves - 3 to 4

Ingredients 

3 cups thin rice flakes /patla poha
1/2 cup groundnuts 
1/4 roasted gram (chutney dal)
2 to 3 green chillies finely chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp powdered sugar 
Handful fresh curry leaves 
2 tbsp oil 
Pinch of asafoetida
Salt as needed 

Method

• Firstly sieve the poha through a sieve.This step is optional ,you may do this if you find many small powdery  rice flakes in your packet.
• Heat a thick bottomed pan and dry roast the poha/rice flakes until they turn crispy . If you crush it with your fingers the poha must crumble easily . At this stage ,transfer the roasted poha to a plate .set aside 
• In the same pan,heat the oil and fry the ground nuts followed by roasted gram,green chillies and curry leaves one after another until they turn crisp. 
• Add the asafoetida, turmeric powder ,salt and the roasted poha . Toss it gently with a wooden ladle and mix all the ingredients well . Do this on low flame. Turn off the flame and add the powdered sugar in the end and  mix it all gently .
• Let the chivda cool down for a while ,then transfer it to an airtight container and store away from moisture .

Aloo Kabli / Alu Kabli - Kolkatta style Alu Chaat

 Alu Kabli or Aloo Kabli is a classic street side delicacy from the streets of Kolkatta . Unlike other street food which is normally loaded with lot of oil and spices ,Alu Kabli is totally oil free and healthy.  It is more like a potato salad loaded with the goodness of boiled chickpeas, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers etc .

Alu Kabli infact is also Vegan friendly and if all the ingredients are available handy we can put this together in less than 15 mins.

Alu Kabli can be served as a starter for any parties and will also pair well with drinks just like Peanut Masala  or classic Potato Wedges from Sujata's blog .

There is no hard and fast measurements for making this lipsmacking and refreshing chaat ..we can increase or decrease the quantity of ingredients based on our likes.  Only thing is that potato needs to be the Hero of the recipe as compared to the other ingredients.  Instead of Kabuli channa (boiled chickpeas) we can also use peanuts or cooked white peas as well.

Traditionally only tamarind sauce/chutney is used in the recipe but I have added the Tamarind Dates chutney for the extra punch and flavor .

Preparation Time - 10 min
Cooking Time - Nil 
( assuming we already have boiled potatoes and chickpeas on hand ) 

Complexity - simple
Serves - 2 to 3 

Ingredients 
2 medium sized boiled potatoes
1 cup boiled brown chick peas  or yellow peas
1 medium sized tomato finely chopped 
1 small cucumber finely chopped
1/2 onion finely chopped ( I haven't used )

2 - 3 tbsp dates tamarind chutney 
1 small green chilly finely chopped
Fresh corriander chopped 
1/2 tsp red chilli powder 
1/4 tsp kala namak
1/2 tsp chat masala
Salt as needed
Juice from 1/2 lemon

Method 

• Cut the potato into small cubes . 
• Mix the chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions (if using) along with the potatoes and chickpeas. 
• Thrown in all the spice powders along with salt,green chillies and the tamarind chutney and give it a gentle mix . Donot be harsh while mixing as the potatoes will turn mushy .
• Squeeze in the lime juice and garnish with fresh corriander and serve immediately. 
• Alternatively if you donot have boiled chickpeas you can also add roasted peanuts or even boiled peanuts.

Pin me up !!

Beach Sundal | Thenga Maanga Pattani Sundal - What is Beach Sundal? ,

 Beach Sundal or Thenga Maanga Pattani Sundal is a popular Street food sold in the Beach of Madras present day Chennai . Everyone who visits the beach definitely will enjoy either this Beach sundal or the spicy and crunchy Vazhakkai Bajjis from the shacks at the shore .

Boiled yellow peas tempered with mild spices and seasoned with lot of chopped mangoes and grated carrots makes it a perfect snack to munch on while you enjoy the cool breeze.

Madras has a natural Beach shoreline of 6kms making it the longest beach of the Country. Beach is known as Marina Beach and is always buzzling with people and various beach related activities all day long. The most common site is the vendors selling this yummy snack Thenga Manga Pattani Sundal which is very very tasty and flocks of people playing on the shore as well as enjoying the lashing waves . 

The 6 km long promenade is a walker's paradise where we can see regular set of senior citizens , walking group friends, having a nice stroll as well as catching up some good time with friends .

Bird's eye view of Marina Beach and Chennai City as seen from the Light House

When the theme for this month's Shhh secretly cooking challenge was announced as Mango ,I instantly decided that I should make this Thenga Manga pattani sundal and Preeti my partner for this month gave me oil and green chilly as the secret ingredients which fit in perfectly to make this recipe. Preeti has dished out creamy and delicious Mango Shrikand with jaggery and pista which were her secret ingredients suggested by me .

This sundal is also popular during the Navaratri season and prepared as prasad on one of the 9 days . If raw mangoes are not in season you can skip that particular ingredient and make this healthy sundal.

Soaking Time - 8 to 10 hrs
Preparation Time - 15 mins
Cooking Time -  20 to 30 min
Complexity  - simple 
Serves - 3 to 4

Ingredients 

2 cups dried yellow peas 
1 medium chilli finely chopped 
3 tbsp finely chopped mango 
1/4 cup grated coconut
1/2 carrot grated 
Salt as needed 
1/2 tsp mustard 
Few curry leaves
2 tsp oil
Asafoetida/hing as needed 
Fresh corriander chopped 

Method 

• Wash and soak the dried yellow peas overnight or for min 8 hrs .
• Throw away the soaked water, wash it once again and pressure cook with a little salt and 5 cups water for 4 or 5 whistles on medium flame.  Release the pressure naturally and check if the peas are well cooked .If you take a boiled pea and mash it between the fingers it should get mashed easily and you shouldn't be feeling the hardness . If the pea appears hard cook for 1 or 2 whistles more .
• Drain the water through a colander and let the peas cool down .
• Meanwhile,heat oil in a kadai, temper the mustard seeds followed by the curry leaves, green chillies and asafoetida. 
• Add in the chopped mangoes and saute for a few seconds and then tip in the boiled peas ,mix it properly ..adjust salt if needed . Cook covered for a min just for the mango flavor to be absorbed into the peas.
• Lastly add the grated carrots, coconut, fresh corriander and give a quick mix . Turn off the stove .
• Delicious and tasty sundal is ready .

Pin it up 

Mix Dal Vada | Mix Dal bhajiya (pakoras) - Lentil fritters

 Dal vada or dal bhajiyas are a tasty and delicious gujurati farsan or deep fried snack which is a popular Street food as well in Mumbai and Gujarat.   Originally dal vadas are made only using Moong dhall also known as Moong Bhajjiyas . 

One must not confuse the Gujarati style dal vadas with the South Indian style Paruppu Vadai as there are some minor variations in terms of seasoning the batter and shaping the vadas while frying. 

To make the dal vadas more tasty and healthy,  a combination of lentils are used to make these bhajjiyas ,even called as pakoras . Serve them with some piping hot tea on a rainy evening or serve it as starters with a lavish meal , this sure is a crowd pleaser and will vanish off in a whiff .

Dal vadas are served with fried chillies sprinkled with salt and some tongue tickling dates tamarind chutney , green chutney  or both.  The vadas are crispy from the outside and fluffy soft from within making it all more the tempting to stop with a few pieces .

Make sure you make a huge batch of batter so that you won't have to regret for having fallen short of crunchy pakoras to treat your family and friends. Trust me,this is not an overstatement as the dalvadas just fly off from the serving dishes,that very addictive .

The trick to getting fluffy and spongy pakoras or vadas is to beat the batter vigorously for 10 to 15 mins to incorporate aeration..donot miss this step, else you will end up with hard and dry bhajjiyas . 

You definitely must try the Cabbage methi pakoras ,Methi na Gota , Aloo Bajjiyas and Faraali Pattice to pair with the evening tea.

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Soaking Time - 2 to 3 hrs

Frying time - 8 to 10 mins per batch

Makes 30 to 40 vadas 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup moong dhall /split yellow lentil
1/4 cup udad dhall
1/4 cup channa dal
4 to 5 green chillies
Small piece of ginger  (skip for jain version) 
1/2 tsp carom seeds /ajwain
Freshly chopped corriander 
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp roughly powdered pepper 
1/4 tsp cooking soda 
1/2 tsp sugar 
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Method

• Wash and soak all the lentils in sufficient water for 2 to 3 hours
• After 3 hrs ,drain the water from the lentil . Take the soaked lentils,  green chillies, ginger in a blender or food processor and blend to a coarse paste with very little water .
• Transfer this batter to a mixing bowl, add salt and whisk it using a hand whisk or beater and beat it continuously in clockwise direction for 10 to 15 mins .The batter will be hard initially when you start whisking and as time proceeds the  batter will begin to feel light and fluffy . Continue whisking till you feel the batter to be very light and it would have doubled up in quantity.  This indicates the batter is aerated .
• Add the chili powder ,crushed carom seeds, sugar, pepper powder ,corriander and give the batter a good mix ..let the mix be under refrigeration until you begin frying . 
• Heat the oil in a deep kadai . Drop a small blob of batter,if it sizzles up immediately then the oil is ready for frying .
• Using a spoon , drop small blobs of batter into the hot oil . Donot crowd the kadai . Fry the vadas on medium flame until the pakoras turn crisp and golden brown . Drain it off the kadai and serve hot .

Pin up

Vegetable Bonda | Mix Veg Bonda | Tarkari Bonda - Vegan Snack

 Vegetable Bonda or mix veg bonda is a very popular tea time snack in Southern India. Just as Batata Vada is a loved snack in Maharashtra, similarly Mix veg bonda is a sought after snack just as popular as Vazhakkai Bajji in south india especially in Tamil Nadu .

As the sun begins to set and the evening starts to feel young ,the small food carts  along the streets start preparing to handle the evening rush by dishing out piping hot vegetable bondas and serve them with a slightly runny coconut chutney . People love to enjoy the hot and spicy bondas with some tea as they catch up some good time with their near and dear ones .

Not only is it a famous as a street food,but it is also served at weddings too . A typical Tambrahm wedding would definitely serve these tasty bondas along with tasty flavored Sevai (string hoppers) and some rich and royal sweet dish on the evening prior to the wedding ,while the groom's family is welcomed by the bride's family .

When served for weddings, normally onion and garlic are omitted but on other days you can add them to the vegetable mixture to make it all the more tasty and delicious. 

Preparation Time - 30 to 40 mins
Frying time - 20 to 30 mins
Makes - 15 to 20 bondas 
Complexity - medium 

Ingredients 

For the filling 

5 medium sized potatoes 
3 small carrots finely chopped 
1/2 cup boiled green peas 
3 to 4 green chillies finely chopped 
10 to 12 cashews roughly broken

1 tsp ginger grated or finely chopped 
1/2 tsp turmeric 
Salt as needed 
Pinch of asafoetida 
Lots of chopped corriander
Handful of curry leaves chopped

1 small onion finely chopped (optional)

2 small cloves of garlic finely crushed /chopped (optional)

For the batter

1.5  cups besan /gram flour 

2 tbsp rice flour 

1 tsp red chilli powder

Pinch of asafoetida 

Salt as needed 

Oil to deep fry 

Method 

Preparing the Filling. 

• Pressure cook the potatoes until soft . Let it cool before peeling the skin.  Boil the chopped carrots in an open pan until soft and well cooked. 
• In a wide mixing bowl, mash the boiled potatoes roughly, add to it chopped green chilli, boiled carrots, peas, ginger, cashews, curry leaves,asafoetida, corriander, salt and turmeric and mix it well with your hands to form a smooth and nice filling . Adjust salt if needed . If you are using garlic or onion add them at this stage and mix it along with other ingredients. 
• Pinch out lemon sized balls from the filling and make smooth round balls and keep aside .

Preparing the Batter

• Place the oil in a deep wok / kadai for heating. 
• In another mixing bowl,add the gram flour, rice flour, salt ,red chilli powder, asafoetida and make a batter of dropping consistency by adding water gradually . 
• Incase ,you happen to add more water by mistake,add a little more gramflour to thicken the batter to get to the right consistency. 

Frying the Bondas 

• Take vegetable mixture/filling dumpling and drop them into the batter carefully .
• Coat each of the dumpling well with the gram flour batter and carefully drop it into the hot oil.
• If you have a medium sized kadai, drop only 4 to 5 bondas at a time and never over crowd the frying pan. 
• Slowly splash oil on the bondas and gently flip it over at regular intervals. 
• Fry until the oil stops sizzling and hissing and the bondas appear crisp and golden brown.
• Carefully drain it on an absorbent paper and serve hot with coconut chutney and filter coffee. 

Donot forget to pin me !!

Ammini Kozhukkattai | Steamed rice flour dumplings

Ammini Kozhukkattai,  mani Kozhukkattai is a steamed preparation using rice flour or rice batter . It is offered to lord Ganesha on Ganesh Chaturthi or on Sankashti as prasad. 

These ammani Kozhukkattais look very cute and pretty as the dough is rolled into small and tiny balls and steamed later to be tempered and sauteed in a special spice mix .

Generally ,after making the Modakam / Kozhukkattai, the balance dough is used to make the Mani Kozhukkattai without wastage . Kids love to have these ammini Kozhukkattai as it is fun to pop the small balls into the mouth one after another. 

We can prepare the ammani Kozhukkattais either using rice flour or by soaking the rice and then grinding it to batter . This batter is then cooked to form a dough which is then rolled out and steamed .

I prefer soaking the rice and then making the Kozhukkattais as I feel it turns out to be very soft and is fail proof.  

Soaking Time - 3 hrs 

Preparation Time - 45 mins

Steaming Time - 7 to 8 mins

Complexity - medium

Ingredients 

For the outer cover 

1 cup rice (regular cooking rice except basmati )

2 cups water 

Pinch of salt 

1 tsp oil 

Tempering and flavoring 

1/2 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds 

Few fresh curryleaves 

1 chilli finely chopped

Pinch of asafoetida 

1 tbsp curry powder 

2 tbsp fresh grated coconut 

Pre Preparation for the Rice flour dough

Wash and soak the rice in sufficient water for  3 to 4 hrs . I have used sona masuri which is used for day today cooking ..avoid using any variety of par boiled rice as it is never used for making prasad/offering to God .

Method 

Preparation of Rice flour Dough

• Transfer the soaked rice to a blender with 2 cups of water and grind to a very fine paste. 
• The batter will be runny and that is how it has to be.  Incase you happen  to add extra water ,donot worry ,it can be handled while cooking the dough .
• Strain this rice flour batter through a strainer to remove any rice grits that may have remained while grinding .
• To the strained batter add a pinch of salt and oil and mix well.
• Heat a heavy bottomed fry pan or vessel and transfer this batter to it . Reduce the flame to medium.
• Go on stirring the batter and you will observe the batter begins to thicken and starts forming lumps.
• Keep stirring and breaking the lumps until all the batter is well cooked and it appears lumpy. 
• To see if the batter is cooked well ,touch with your fingers and the dough must not stick on the fingers.  If it sticks continue cooking for 1 more min. 
• Turn off the stove and close the dough with a lid . The dough will further get cooked on this heat
•  Once the dough is warm enough to handle ,transfer it to a large plate ,grease your palm with some ghee or oil and knead the dough for 5 to 6 mins until you get a soft ,crack free and smooth dough . 
• Pinch out a portion of the dough and you should be able to roll into a smooth ball without cracks . This is the right consistency of the dough . If you are getting cracks while rolling ,the sprinkle a little hot water and continue to knead further till you get the desired consistency.  
• Cover this with a damp cotton cloth until use.

Preparing the Ammini Kozhukkattai 

• Pinch out small balls from the dough and roll it until it is smooth and without cracks . 
• Place all the tiny rolled out balls in a steamer and steam for 7 to 8 mins .
• Heat oil in a thick bottom kadai and splutter the mustard seeds , fry the green chillies ,curry leaves and add asafoetida. 
• Tip in the steamed rice balls ,top it with the curry powder and give a quick toss until the curry powder coats the amminis / rice balls wel . Adjust salt if needed . Close and cook for 1 min. This will help the flavors to absorb nicely. 
• Lastly garnish with fresh coconut , mix it and offer to lord Ganesha .

Pin me up 

Chawal Ke Pakore | Chawal k tikki | Rice Fritters (Vegan snack)

 Does the leftover rice from lunch or dinner make you go crazy ?

Today ,I shall share with you a very delicious and lipsmacking chawal k pakore or chawal k tikki recipe and trust me your family won't even notice the transformation of the rice and you won't have to worry abt wasting the left over Rice .

These pakoras made from rice can be served as appetisers for parties or get together . They are a  perfect crowd pleaser and everyone would love it . You can prepare rice in the morning if you are hosting a party in the evening or night as the rice has to be little dry and grainy before you can make the tikkis or pakodas . The dryness helps in getting crisp and crunchy pakodas ..soft and moist rice will make the pakodas mushy and we don't want that. 

 I am sure we all make the left over Rice turn into lemon rice, curd rice or fried rice and over time it certainly gets monotonous and boring for us as well as our dear family.

From now on you can make these yummy and lipsmacking chawal k pakode or  chawal k tikki and serve it with some tamarind dates chutney and piping hot tea or coffee . At times, I purposely keep some extra rice so I can make these delicious pakodas in the evening for tea time .

You can also add some veggies like shredded carrots , boiled sweet corn , finely chopped methi (Fenugreek) or even palak to make it even more tasty . I had some soaked sabudana (sago pearls) which I added to the pakora mixture and it gave it a nice texture and taste to the pakoras .

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Frying Time - 20 to 25 mins

Serves - 2 to 3 

Complexity - medium 

Ingredients 

2 cups left over cooked rice 

1/2 boiled potato 

1 tbsp soaked sabudana /sago pearls (optional)

Chilli flakes as per taste 

1 green chilly finely chopped 

1/2  tsp kashmiri chilli powder

1 tsp chat masala 

2 tbsp gram flour / besan 

Finely chopped corriander 

Salt as needed 

Oil to deep fry

Method 

• Take the rice in a blender with some salt and red chilli powder and give a quick pulse . This helps the rice mash well and you don't have to spend time to mash with a masher or your fingers .
• Take this mashed rice in a big bowl and add the mashed potatoes, gram flour ,chilli flakes,  chat masala,  corriander leaves, green chillies and sabudana if using. 
• Mix all the ingredients and form a nice and smooth dough.  Adjust salt if needed while mixing the dough .Leave this dough in the fridge for about 10 mins . Refrigeration helps to shape the pakoras as tikkis/patty easily. 
• Heat the oil in a kadai while the dough is resting in the fridge. 
• Grease your palms with a little oil, pinch out small portion of the pakoda dough and shape them like a tikki or patty and slowly slip it into the oil and fry until the oil stops hissing and the tikkis turn crisp and golden brown.
• Alternatively, you can also just roughly pinch out small portions of the dough and drop them into the oil and fry them until crisp and golden brown.
• Serve with chutney or sauce of your choice and enjoy.

You must definitely pin me to enjoy 😉 

Vazhakkai (Artikaaya) Bajji | Kela Bajjiya | Raw Banana fritters - Restaurant style

Bajji is what we call in Tamizh for Bhajiya or Pakoras.  As much as we relish bajjiyas like Aloo Bajjiya , Mirchi Bajjiya ,Bread Bajjiya ,there is a very special place for Vazhakkai Bajji a.k.a Raw Banana or kela bajji. Artikaaya Bajji or Baalekaai Bajji are the names used in Telugu and Kannada for this lipsmacking and traditional tea time snack. 

Vazhakkai Bajji tastes heavenly with coconut chutney and strong filter coffee. It is very easy to prepare bajji at home if we have gram flour (besan) and rice flour handy . No extra spices except red chilli powder ,salt and asafoetida. 

Undoubtedly, my Amma and paati would make amazing bajjis at home but I have very fond memories of enjoying  these vazhakkai bajjis at a small yet very famous eatery in King circle ,Bombay.  Anand Bhavan is a very famous hotel which serves amazing South indian items on the menu. Even to this day ,the restaurant serves in steel plates and very simple and humble seating arrangement and presentation with taste par excellence . 

There used to be 3 to 4 pieces of kela bajji served on a small steel plate with tasty coconut chutney served on the side or to be precise the bajjiyas will served over a bed of coconut chutney .  Those days during my childhood eating out was a pleasure as it was  not  common as today ,also swiggy and zomato were non existent . These small things meant a lot of pleasure in my childhood. 

This month in our Facebook group of food bloggers, Aruna suggested we share recipe of restaurant style food ,but made at home . It indeed is a wonderful theme to replicate our favorite recipe from our favorite restaurant at the comfort of our home.  For a bajji loving family that we are ,I plan to try Aruna's Stuffed chilli bajji as I have some delicious Bajji Chillies in my fridge .bajji chillies are a special variety of chillies which hardly have any heat in them and is best for deep frying .

I had many recipes on my mind, but I finally zeroed down  on this yummy and crispy vazhakkai bajjis as the weather was little chilly and all at home were craving for something  deep fried and spicy. 

I was paired with Seema of Mildly Indian for the theme and she has dished out a delicious  Madras Curry / Vegan Cauliflower curry which is a famous menu in the restaurants of Australia. 

Preparation Time - 15 mins
Frying Time - 20 to 25 mins
Complexity - medium 
Serves - 3 to 4

Ingredients 

2 medium sized raw banana / Artikaya/kacha kela /vazhakkai 

1 cup gramflour/besan/kadalai maav

2tbsp rice flour 

1.5tsp red chilli powder

Pinch of asafoetida 

Salt as needed 

Oil to deep fry 

Method

• Sift the gram flour,  salt, rice flour, chilli powder into a wide mixing bowl .
• Add asafoetida and 1/2 cup water and make a thick batter of dropping consistency. Adjust salt and spice level if needed . Whisk /beat the batter to well to induce aeration.  This step makes the batter light and fluffy or you can add 1/2 tsp cooking soda . 
• Peel the skin of the raw bananas and slice them into medium thick long  slices (refer pic 1 in above image) using a knife or slicer. Soak it in cold water to prevent it from turning black. 
• Heat the oil in a deep thick bottom kadai/frying pan.
• Take 3 or 4 slices of raw banana from the water and drain excess water on a kitchen  towel .
• Dip the slices in the gram flour batter and drop it into the hot oil . 
• Turn the flame to medium and fry until the bajjiyas turn deep golden brown in color and the oil stops to sizzle .
• Drain in a colander or on kitchen  tissue and serve hot with chutney or sambar .

Tips 

• If you are unable to cut into long slices ,you can make round slices too .
• Donot overcrowd the kadai with too many bajjiyas as they won't get fried properly. 
• When you drop the bajjiyas into the oil the flame must be high,but gradually reduce it to medium else the raw banana slice and inner side of batter will remain u cooked .

Pin me , will you ?

Urulai Bajji | Aloo Bhajjiya | Aloo Pakoras(Potato Fritters)

 Bajji , Bajjiya or Pakoras have an emotional connect with us Indians.As much as we love and relish snacks from various cuisines, these gram flour based traditional bajjiyas have a special place in our lives. 

Every region across India enjoys these bajjiyas all round the there . We just need a small reason to prepare bajjiyas and enjoy with hot chaai .

There is also a very funny anecdote that " when it rains the veggies are ready to coat themselves in gramflour and dive into hot oil" ,that is how much we love these fritters /bajjiyas.

Bajjis are  prepared in most Tambrahm homes on the eve of Diwali . DIWALI morning starts with a spoon of Diwali Lehiyam followed by piping hot Idli Sambar , Bajji and Coconut Chutney . This is more like a Diwali Day ritual and no one likes to skip on this delicious fare :-) 

 

There may be minor differences in the way the fritters are prepared but the base remains the same , gramflour batter , cut vegetables and oil for deep frying .

Potatoes ,raw banana,onions and special type of chilli known as Bajji Mirchi or Bajji Molaga are the preferred and sought after vegetables used for making bajjiya.  We can also make bajji using spinach leaves , brinjal and carrots too .

Today we will relish some piping hot ,crispy and spicy Aloo Bajjiya or Urulaikizhangu Bhajji as it is called in Tamil. 

Another interesting part is bajji and sojji (bhajiya and sheera ) were mandatory snacks served alongside filter coffee by the bride's family during the bride seeing event in Tamil homes.  The bride's culinary skills were judged by these two items served as it was believed that the bride has prepared them to serve her future family . Now.,things have changed and all these just remain funny anecdotes for us to remnisice and smile . 

Preparation Time - 20 mins 

Frying Time - 15 to 20 mins

Complexity - medium 

Serves - 2 to 3

Ingredients 

2 medium sized potatoes 
1/2 cup gram flour /besan /kadalai maav
2 tbsp rice flour 
1 tsp red chilli powder 
1/2 tsp haldi powder
Salt as needed 
Pinch of asafoetida 
Pinch of baking soda (optional)
Oil for deep frying 

Method

• Peel the potatoes ,wash and soak them in cold water for 5 mins. This helps remove the starch from the potatoes and tastes good while coating the besan and frying .
• In a wide mixing bowl sift the gram flour, rice flour ,chilli powder ,asafoetida and salt.  Add water little by little and make a batter of dropping consistency ,keep aside.  If using ,we will add soda just before we are ready to fry the bajjiyas.
• Using a slicer or knife, cut the potatoes into medium slices and keep the soaked in water for 5 mins .drain the water and spread the potato slices on a kitchen towel or thick tissue to remove excess water .
• Place a kadai with enough oil for deep frying and heat it up . At the same time add soda (if using) to the batter and mix it well . Leaving the batter for a long time after adding soda will soak up more oil while frying, so ensure you don't rest the batter long after adding soda. 
• Dip  each potato slice in the batter and drop into hot oil . Donot crowd the kadai .you can  add about 4 or 5 slices of potato depending on the size of your kadai. 
• Fry on medium flame and occassionally toss the bajjiyas using a ladle . Once the hissing or bubbling of oil stops ,you can carefully drain and remove from the oil . Repeat the same for all slices of potato .
• Serve hot with green chutney, coconut chutney or even tomato sauce and some piping hot filter coffee or masala chai .

You may also want to try out the other most famous and loved Vazhakkai Bajji / Kela Bajjiya .

Ready to pin me ??? 

Avarekaalu Mixture | Hyacinth Bean Crispies

 Avarekaalu Mixture is a speciality of Karnataka prepared by deep frying fresh hyacinth beans /avarekaalu . This tea time snack is very  very addictive and pairs well with piping hot filter coffee or Masala Tea .  

Fresh Avarekaalu is a delicacy and people's favorite in karnataka and is widely used in many recipes during the winter season.  I have tasted this yummy mixture in many occasions and from then it has been on my mind to try it at home .

Avarekaalu Akki roti , Avarekaalu Uppit are 2 of my favorites made from fresh hyacinth beans which are a must have in the season atleast couple of times .

This time around I got some really fresh and tender hyacinth beans and the weather was also just perfect to prepare and munch on.

There is no particular or hard and fast recipe to prepare this mixture, its purely eye ball measures and ingredients of your choice.  

Only one thing we need to take care is to soak the fresh avarekaalu for about 3 to 4 hrs in water and peel the outer skin before making the mixture. This is called Hithkidha Avarekaalu .

How to prepare Hithkidha Avarekaalu /Hithkidha Avarebele ? 

Soak the freshly peeled avarekaalu from the pods in a wide bowl containing water for 4 t 5 hours. Drain the water and press the beans between your fingers lightly and viola,the skin just comes off . Discard the skin and spread the peeled beans on a wide tray or on a cotton muslin cloth for the moisture to be absorbed before making the mixture. 

Preparation Time - 4 to 5 hrs

Frying time - 20 mins

Complexity - medium 

Ingredients 

1.5 cups hithkidha avarebele
1/4 cup groundnuts
3 to 4 tbsp roasted gram /hurigadle/pottu kadlai
1/2 cup thick poha /avlakki/aval 
1 cup raw corn flakes /makai poha 
Fresh curry leaves 
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp powdered sugar 
Salt as needed
Pinch of asafoetida 
Oil to deep fry

Method 

• Heat oil a deep kadai /wok .
• First add the hithikdha avarebele and fry until it turns crisp and moisture free. Initially while frying ,it will remain at the bottom of the kadai and as the frying continues the avarebele will start floating on top . Once all the avarebele start floating on top,the oil will stop hissing and sizzling.  This indicates that the avarebele are fried well ..drain the slowly onto a colander .
• Next fry the peanuts until crisp and golden brown followed by the roasted gram and curry leaves .
• Fry the makai poha till they turn crisp and fluffy. 
• Lastly fry the avlakki and drain it out .
• In a wide mixing bowl,gently toss all these fried ingredients along with turmeric, chilli powder, salt,asafoetida, powdered sugar .
• Delicious avarebele mixture is ready to be enjoyed !

Some more mixture varieties on my blog 

Cornflakes chiwda

Poha Chiwda

Sabudana Faraaali Chiwda

Diwali Spl Mixture (Madras Mixture)

Pinned me yet ?