ALOO BONDA/POTATO BONDA

We have many fried snacks. LAnd all time favourite is Potato bonda.One can use only potato and onion for stuffing or can add carrot or peas according to ones taste.

INGREDIENTS:

• Potato :11/2 kg
• Onion: 2or 3
• Curry leaves: few
• Carrot: 1or 2.
• Green chillies:2or 3/Or red chilly powder accdg. to taste
• salt
• Ginger grated:1/2 tsp
• Coriander leaves finely chopped
• Oil

Method:

1. Boil or pressure cook the potatoes and peel them
2. Mashwell.
3. Heat oil in a kadai add mustard seeds when it splutters add urad dhal
4. Add finely chopped onions,curry leaves,and saute a little then add grated carrot and ginger if you are adding boiled one then can add with potato.
5. when done add mashed potato to the mixture add salt and mix well.
6. Then add chopped coriander leaves
7. Remove from fire and make it into small balls. keep aside.
8. 

For Batter:

INGREDIENTS

• Gram flour:1 cup
• Rice flour 1/4 cup
• chilli powder 1/2 tsp to 1tsp( accdg to taste)
• salt
• Asafoetida 1/4 tsp
• Baking soda a pinch
• Water 1/2 to 1/3 rd cup

Mix all the ingredients and make it as a batter.It must be flowing .

METHOD

• Heat oil in a kadai for frying.To check if the oil is hot enough to fry bondas,put a drop of batter it will raise to the surface immediately then it is ready.Now reduce the flame to medium.
• Take the potato ball dip in batter it should be coated well and then fry in oil till golden brown.Put in tissue paper for it to absorb oil.
• Serve hot with chutney or sauce

If u r ginger can less the no. of chillies, can add accdg to ones taste.If for kids can use chiili powder itself.

A very nice snack to have with tea or coffee.

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VEN PONGAL/KHARA PONGAL

Ven Pongal is a common and healthy breakfast food item. But some will have it for dinner too.It is a common neivedyam in some temples.Famous at Tirupathi Venketeswara Temple,also common in Perumal temples too.It is  easy to prepare also light one for the stomach.Some like to prepare with raw rice too.

INGREDIENTS:

• Rice :1 cup(Par boiled or raw accdg. to ones wish)
• Moong dhal:1/2 cup
• Ginger:1inch piece grated or finely chopped
• Curry leaves
• cumin:1/2 tsp
• Pepper powder:1/2 to 3/4 tsp(some use pepper corns)
• Ghee:2 to 3 tablespoon

Method:

1. Dry roast  dhal till we get the aroma.
2. Wash and cook rice and dhal with 31/2 cup of water( water accdg to the rice you use) with salt and 1/2 tbs. ghee.
3. When cook ed keep aside.If it is like puloa  then can add 1/2 cup water and cook for some more time.It must be soft in texture.
4. Heat a pan add ghee add chopped ginger, cumin seeds,curry leaves and pepper powder to it and fry. If one is using cashews add that too.Add the fried items to the ven Pongal.
5. Serve hot with sambar and chutney or brinjal gosthu.

Some add a pinch of turmeric powder to have  a yellow pongal.

CAULIFLOWER/POTATO/CAPSICUM STIR FRY

Cauliflower itself is one among the favorite vegetable for many. Same with potatoes all time children’s favorite. And imagine a combination of cauliflower,potatoes capsicum definitely a superb combination.This one is one among my family’s favorite side dish.This is a simple recipe.

INGREDIENTS;

• Cauliflower florets…..2to 3 cups
• Potatoes cut:1 cup
• Capsicum:1/4 to 1/2 cup
• Onion: 1 or 2 sliced
• Chilly powder:2 tsp
• Turmeric powder:1/2 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste :1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder :1/4 tsp(optional)
• Fennel seeds, cinnamon,cloves: combined 1/2 tsp
• Salt as needed
• Oil
• Coriander leaves chopped.
• 

Method

1.Wash, cook ,peel and cut potatoes into cubes.

2.Cut cauliflower into florets and par boil .

3.Cut onion and capsicum into slices.

4.Keep a non-stick pan or a thick bottom kadai in stove.Pour oil.

5. when oil gets heated add raw spices fennel seeds,cinnamon and cloves and fry a little.

6.Add onions and capsicum fry a little.

7.Now add cauliflower and potatoes to it.

8.Fry a little add chilly powder, ginger garlic paste,turmeric powder if needed add coriander powder and salt.

9. Fry in low flame.

!0.Finally add chopped coriander leaves.

Excellent side dish for rice with rasam/sambar or curd.

Optional one can add vegetable masala or garam masala for a change.

AVIAL

Avial is a side dish for rice.Some also eat it with adai.This is a delicious dish famous mostly in Kerala and TamilNadu.It is  an essential ingredient in a sadya that is an elaborate meal is served during onam and weddings.For preparing this different vegetables can be used.The following are the vegetables that can be used.Carrot, drumstick,raw plaintain,potato,brinjal,snake guord,elephant yam,colacasia, ash guord and raw mangoes.One can choose the vegetables of their choice

Masala to grind.

• Grated coconut :1/2 cup
• Cumin /Jeera:1/2 tsp
• Shallots:3 to 4
• Garlic:3to 4 pods

First grind the coconut,greenchillies,cuminthen after few sec.add garlic coriander leaves few.Run for few sec. it should be coarsely grinded.Keep aside.

Ingredients:

• Cut vegetables:2 cups
• Curry leaves
• mustard seeds
• Curd:3 tbs

METHOD

1. Cut all the veggies of your choice into 2 ”  in length..Cook it with little water and a pinch of turmeric.It should not be mushy must be soft.cook it in a thick bottom pan or kadai.Do not cook in pressure cooker.Check the amount of water in between otherwise the veggies would be burnt. Cover and cook in a lowflame. The  veggies should be seperate.
2. Add the required amount of salt.
3. Now add curd to it.
4. After few seconds add the ground masala.Mix with a ladle dont mash the vegetables.
5. Now drizzle coconut oil to it leave for few seconds to blend it.Fresh coconut oil aroma fills the air.Mix it.
6. Lastly add the tempered items

If you use raw mangoes add it lastly as it cooks quickly.Also can reduce the amount of curd.

Best combination for sambar rice.

 

 

CARROT RICE

We have a number of variety rice  carrot rice is an easy one.We can say that it is lunch box special.It is kids special.

We can prepare in two ways.One is the pressure cooker method thepther one with the left  over rice.

INGREDIENTS:

• Rice: 1 cup
• Onion-1 or 2 sliced
• carrot:3/4 cup cut in small pieces
• Coriander leaves 1tbs
• Bay leaf:1
• cardomom a few
• Vegetable masala powder:1 or 2 tsp
• salt to taste
• mint leaves few
• Oil or ghee

FOR GRINDING:

• Coconut:1/4 cup
• Coriander leaves:1 tbs
• Ginger: a small piece
• Garlic 3 or 4 pods
• Green chilly:1

 

METHOD

Wash and keep rice aside

1. Keep cooker in stove.Add oil or ghee.
2. put bay leaf when it gets heated.
3. add cardomom to it.
4. Add coriander and mint leaves to it
5. Add sliced onions and saute it.
6. Now add cut carrot pieces to it
7. Then add the ground paste to it and mix well.
8. Add vegetable masala powder to it.
9. Now add the washed rice to it and fry for few seconds.
10. Now add water to it after adding salt to it.
11. Close the lid  and keep for 2 whistles

Serve with papad and raitha.

Suggestions:

1.I have used Sonam masoori rice steam which I use daily for cooking.I used 2 cups of water and kept till 2 whistles.

2.Can use basmati rice but use water accordingly

3.If it is prepared with left over rice same steps from 1 to 8 steps have to be followedcan use grated carrot or if cut pieces boil and add before adding cooked rice.

4.For a variation can add sambar powder instead of vegetable masala.

5.If for kids can  fry nuts and add to it.