Medhu / Uluntha vada

Ingredients:

2 cup of Urad dal
1/2 cup Rice flour
1/4 cup Ginger grated
10-15 Pepper corns
10 Shallot onions or one big onion finely chopped
5-6 Curry leaves cut into small
Salt to taste
Oil to Fry

Method:

Wash and soak Urad dal in plenty of water overnight. Drain, grind to a soft
batter,do not add water and grind..if needed sprinkle a little while blending.
Do not make the batter thin. It should be thick enough to shape vadas.
Add all ingredients and beat well with hand to incorporate air.
Heat oil,take a banana leaf or a ziplock bag apply oil and take a lemon sized lump and press and make a hole in the middle with thumb.
then gently slip into hot oil. Fry the vadas in medium hot.
we can use a medhu vada press to get a neat shape vadas.

Serve hot with coconut chuntney and its a best side for Idli and Pongal.

Paruppu Vadai

Paruppu vadai or masaal vadai is street snack.its not just a street snack..its made specially during festivals and special occasions. Its yummy :)

Ingredients:

2 cup kadalai paruppu / channa dal
1 cup Shallots or red onions finely chopped
3 Dry red chilly
2 tsp Sombu / fennel seeds
1/2 cup Cilantro finely chopped.
Salt to taste
Oli for frying.

Method:

Soak the kadalai paruppu , dried red chilly and sombu in water for 5 hours. then drain the water and grind it coarsely in a blender.add the chopped onion, green chilly, Cilantro leaves and salt.
Shape into vadas and deep fry in the oil.
serve hot with coconut chutney.

Note:do not add water while grinding.

Peas pulav

Peas pulav is one my favorite dish and a easy to cook dish.

1 cup Basmati rice
1 cup Green peas fresh/frozen
1 onion
1 tspGinger garlic paste
2 tbs Ghee
1 no Bayleaf
1 stick cinnamon
1/4 cup cashew (optional)
4-5 Green chilly
Salt to taste.

Method:

Heat 1tbs ghee in a kadai add the cinnamon and bayleaf and onion and fry it for few mins then add the green peas , green chilly , ginger garlic paste and salt and cook for 10 mins.
Mean while wash and soak the basmathi rice.
In a rice cooker add the bastmati rice and add 1 1/2 cup water and add the above cooked ingredients and cook. while serving add a rest of ghee and mix it well. serve hot with any spicy gravy.

Omapodi

This is a Crispy & Crunchy snack and I made for my Thala Diwali :)

Ingredients:

1tbs of Omum powdered
1 1/2 cup of Kadalai/Besan flour
1/2 cup of Rice flour
1 tbs of Chilly powder or to taste
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Seive the besan flour , Rice flour and omum and add the salt and chilly powder. Add water and mix it into a dough. the dough should be not too thick bcos it will be hard to press.with a help of a murruku presser, change the die to idiyappam die and press the dough into hot oil and cook it exactly for 2 mins.

Fry few curry leaves in oil and add to it for an additional flavor and taste.

Baked potato chips

My Hubby Jai craves for snacks in the evening once he comes home from office and that too he needs a healthy snack not a fried snack and it should be spicy and lot crispy..and this Saturday he craved for potato chips and also complaining that its not healthy and he will put on weight.. I was baking Blueberry muffins and just got the idea of baking some potato chips. I just want to try it out and it came out more crispy and tasty.

Ingredients:

3-4 Russet potatoes

Cooking spray

Salt & Chilly powder for seasoning.

Method:

Pre -heat the oven for 350 degree for 10 mins, meanwhile wash the potatoes and grate it into thin round slices and soak it in a cold water for 10 minutes then drain the potatoes in a papertowel and arrange it in a baking tray coated with cooking spray and sprinkle some salt.

Bake the potatoes for 10 mins in the oven and flip the potatoes after 10 mins and spray somemore oil and bake it for another 15 mins. sprinkle chilly powder according to your spicy level.

Baked potato chips are ready.

Crispyyy,.......!

Stir fried Chicken and Vegetables

I love Thai food. While watching a movie late in the night, Sometimes, I crave for some good snack or a good meal.when i'm hungry in the night and least interested in cooking something for myself.. the first thing comes to mind is a Thai restaurant near my house called "Thai Stick" and I just love the Crab fried rice & Stir fried chicken and vegetables :) and i wanted to try it on my own and got a recipe from teri and here it is.

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken tender or breast piece cut into 1/4 " thick slices

1 Onion sliced

1 Green bell pepper sliced

1 carrot sliced

2 tsp Cornstarch

3 tbsp Soy sauce

2 tbsp Oil (Sesame oil)

2 tsp Sugar

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Method:

Clean the chicken and add cornstarch, salt, pepper and sprinkle little water.the chicken will be slightly coated with the cornstarch

Heat oil in a medium size saucepan and add the chicken and saute until brown on each sides. add the carrots saute for 1 min then add the onion & bell pepper and saute for 2 mins add some salt add soysauce and stir for a min add sugar and turn of the flame.

Serve hot with Fried rice or just Appetizer.

Delicious.............!!

Cheddar Rice

This recipe is a Rice sides goes well with a barbecued or grilled Chicken , Lamb , Rib or Steak. Its simple and delicious.

1 cup long grain rice

2-3 florets of Broccoli

1/4 onion finely chopped

1/4 green bell pepper cut into cubes

10 leaves of parsley finely chopped

1 tbsp butter

1/2 cup milk

1 cup water

1/2 cup of Cheddar cheese

salt to taste.

Method:

Heat a medium size saucepan add 1 tsp of butter. then add onions , broccoli and bell pepper for 2 minutes add all the other ingredients and let the mix comes to a boil then simmer it for 10 minutes or until the rice is tender.turn of the flame and serve with a spicy barbequed or Grilled Chicken.

I love it !!