Regu Vada/ Ber Vada

Jujube or Ber or Regu pandlu is a seasonal fruit available in South India. In my childhood these fruits are sold by vendors near the schools. We use to eat these along with chilli powder and salt.The ripe fruits are used for making tangy and spicy vadas. Its a very simple snack that can be made at home. Here comes the recipe for these seasonal goodies...........................

1cup jujube fruits should be washed and dried in the shade. Add these fruits into rolu(stone motor ) pound them to a mushy mixture with a berry sized tamarind, 4-5 green chillies, salt to taste and 2tsp. jaggery, make small vadas out of this ground mixture and dry them in the sun for a day or two (turn in between), once dried well, these can be stored for about 3- 6months.

Gunta Ponganalu

Gunta Ponganalu/pongalalu is an age old yummy evening snack recipe of Andhra, even can be had for breakfast accompanied by Errakaram, this makes ponganalu much more consuming. These ponganalu are mostly done with leftover dosa batter. To prepare these we do need a special cooking pan called "Guntaponganala Pennam". Preparation of this snack varies from region to region.....here's my version. BTW thank you Sissy "J" for gifting me this Pennam.

Batter Recipe:

Use left over dosa batter, if not soak 1/2 cup urad dal and 1 cup raw rice for about 5-6hrs. Then grind it to fine paste adding just enough water and required salt, the consistency of the batter should be like dosa batter. Take the batter into a big vessel, cover and let it sit overnight for fermentation.
Take1 big red onion, finely chopped, 3no.green chillies - finely chopped, 2springs curry leaves - finely chopped, 1 teaspoon of cumin, add all these ingredients to the batter and mix thoroughly.

Recipe:
Place the ponganala skillet on medium heat. Add few drops of oil into each pit with a spoon, rub oil around the pit with a cut onion poked to the fork. When the skillet is hot enough, fill the pits with the batter and cover with a lid and cook in a medium flame for 5 min.Then remove the lid and gently lift the ponganalu with a spoon, turn each to the other side, cook the other side also for 5 min.in medium heat, now remove from the skillet gently and repeat the same process with the remaining batter. Cooking in medium heat is the most important thing in making these things.

Dosakaya Vadiyalu/Yellow Cucumber Fryums

In India it's not only summer season but also season for pickles and vadiyalu/fryums. I had never tried my hand in pickles or vadiyalu as I usually get them from my mom, but this year a friend of my shared this lovely, simple and tasty recipe of her Mom to me, these vadiyalu can be made on moderate temperature days also, i mean not only in hot summers. For the people living in abroad can make them on their window sills also, isn't it sounding interesting to folks out there.......................come on try your hand on these in this summer, believe me they will never go wrong and you feel like a pro after seeing the outcome..................Thank you my friend for sharing this recipe with me!!!!!!

Things Required:

• 1kg.Yellow cucumber(nearly 2lbs.)


• 1/2kg.Thick Poha/Dampudu Atukulu


• 2-3tsp.Red Chili Powder


• 1/4tsp.jeera


• Salt to taste


• 3tsp.Nuvvulu/Sesame Seeds(optional)


• 4-5spring of Curry Leaves(roughly chopped)

Method:

• Peel the cucumbers, remove the seeds, grate them and keep aside.


• wash poha/atukulu, squeeze out excess water and keep them aside.(do this step just after grating the cucumbers, if you do this step first the poha becomes too soft too handle).


• Now add salt, chili powder, jeera, sesame seeds, curry leaves, poha and mix well and keep it aside for 5min., till the poha absorbs the cucumber juice and becomes soft.(The mixture should not be soggy or runny, if so add little more poha/atukulu)


• Place a polythene cover or silver foil on the table and take little portions of the above mixture and flatten them with your fingers and put them on the foil, once you are done with them, take them and put them in a sunny place for 2 days.


• Once they are dried properly, store them in an air tight container.

Heat required oil for deep frying, the oil should not be too hot, once the oil reaches moderate temperature drop these yadiyalu/fryums, fry them til light golden brown color, they should not be fried til deep brown color because they give burnt smell. Enjoy them as side for dal curries.

Savory Diamond Cuts/ Namak Pare

This a common house hold snack that's ruling as favorite snack for kids for ages..............me too have grown with lots and loads of memories attached to this snack. Even today it makes my best tea time snack!!!!!

Things Required

• 2cups all purpose flour


• 2tsb.oil/ghee


• 1/2tsp.jeera


• 1/4tsp.ajwain


• 2tsp.sesame seeds


• 1/2tsp.red chilli powder


• salt required


• Oil for deep frying

Method:

• Sieve the flour, add salt, red chilli powder, sesame seeds, ajwain, jeera mix well.


• Now add 2tsp.oil/ghee to the flour and rub well so that the flour is well coated with oil/ghee.


• Add required water and make the dough of roti dough consistency.


• Divide the dough to 4 equal portions/balls.


• Roll the dough ball to big and thin roties( i prefer them to be thin so they have the melt in mouth texture).


• Now run the knife and cut them into small diamond shapes.


• Meanwhile heat oil for deep frying, once the oil is hot enough, reduce the flame to medium and fry the diamond cuts in bathes, till light golden brown color. place them on the tissue paper, to remove excess oil if any. In the same way roll the remaining dough, cut and fry.


• Store them in air tight container, once they completely cool down.

Note:

• Always fry these bites on medium flame, remove them in light golden brown color because they turn out little dark after removing from the oil.


• The dough should be stiff, otherwise the bites will not be crisp.

AkuVada/Keerai Vadai

This is little variation to normal Masala Vada, a healthy version, just by incorporating greens in it. I usually use Thotakura/Amaranath leaves, these leaves make Vadas more crispy and tasty.

Things Needed: 1cup.Channadal/senaga pappu, 1/2''ginger piece, 2bunches greens(roughly chopped) 2bunches coriander leaves(roughly chopped) 2no.cloves 1''Cinnamon 4cloves garlic 1/2tsp.coriander seeds 4no.green chillies 1no.onion(chopped) 2springs curry leaves salt to taste oil for deep frying.

Procedure:

• 
  
  Soak channadal for 2hrs.


• Grind dal, all the ingredients(except chopped Amaranath leaves, coriander leaves and onions) to a coarse paste by adding very little water( 2-3tbsp), if needed.


• Now add the ground paste to chopped greens and onions and mix well.


• Adjust the salt if needed.


• Make lemon sized balls with the above mixture and slightly flatten them with palms to make vadas.


• Meanwhile heat oil in the pan, once it's hot enough make vadas and drop them in the oil, and fry them till crisp/ til you get light golden brown color.

Note:

• Do not fry them on very high flame, the upper layer gets colored quickly and the inside part remains uncooked. Heat oil, once it's hot enough, reduce the flame and fry vadas.

Simple Onion Pakoda

I prepared this long back............ but was sitting in the doc for a long time, I think today this post got moksha to come out. This is a quick fix snack and it tastes great at tea time........I enjoy this with rasam rice too........Click HERE for my another version of Onion Pakoda.

Ingredients:

• 2 Onions(sliced thin)
• 2Tbsp. Rice Flour
• 1tsp. Corn Flour
• 1tsp. Besan(if not using corn flour, can increase besan from 1tsp. to 2tsp.)
• 1tsp. red chilli powder
• Salt to taste
• Oil (for deep frying)

Method:

• In a bowl, add onion and salt, mix well and keep it aside for 5-7min., then add red chilli powder,curry leaves, mix well. In a pan heat oil, in the mean time add besan ,cornflour and rice flour to onions and mix well, do not add any water, as we add salt to onions it leaves enough water for making the mixture. Take the mixture in hand and sprinkle them in to the hot oil, fry them till they are golden brown in color......Crispy Pakodas are ready to eat.

Vada Pav

Love Street Foods of Mumbai...........

How to make Vadas for Vada Pav: Click *here*

Garlic Powder:

• 1cup dessicated coconut, 2Tbsp.chili powder, 1tsp.chopped garlic, 1/4 tsp.tamarind extract( I used 2'' piece of tamarind), Salt to taste.
  

Method:

• Dry roast coconut, tamarind till they turn slightly brown, grind them with all other ingredients, do not add water while grinding, it's a dry powder. It can be stored in air tight containers for about a month.

Sweet chutney :

• Tamarind (berry sized tamarind, soaked in warm water for about 30min.), 1/2 tsp. jaggery, Salt to taste, grind them to a fine paste. In a pan add this paste and boil until you get saucy consistency, then remove from the flame, cool it and store it in a air tight container, refrigerate it, can be preserved for 2-3months.

Making vada pav:

• Take pav (I used Sunbeam Dinner rolls, which are slightly smaller than the actual pav that we get in India). Cut open the rolls horizontally, taking care one end is still connected to pav, spread 11/2tsp. garlic powder(adjust as per spice levels), then sweet chutney and can add little onion for crunch(optional) and place vada and relish yummy Vada Pav.

Paav Bhaji

Paav Bhaji is the most popular street food of India, which need no introduction.........I was born and brought up in southern part of India, and I had no idea what's Paav Bhaji until I was married and of to Bombay.....I was introduced to this by "J", who's a big fan of Phav Bhaji and Vada Pav. So, years after also, his love for them continued and it has become one of our comfort food.......

Ingredients:

• 5 medium size potatoes(boiled and peeled), 2cups tomatoes (diced), 1cup capsicum/green pepper, 1cup gen peas (I used frozen ones), 1/2cup cauliflower, 1/2cup carrot, 2cups onions(chopped), 2cloves garlic(chopped), 1/2cup coriander leaves, 1tsp.red chilli powder, 1/2tsp. garam masala, 2tsp.paav bhaji masala, 2tsp. lemon juice, salt to taste.

Method:

• Add green pepper, carrot, green peas, cauliflower in the food processor and chop them to fine pieces. In a pan add 4tsp.butter, once it's warm enough add chopped garlic, 1 cup chopped onions(use remaining onion for garnishing) and fry till they are translucent. Now add the garam masala, chilli powder,tomatoes and cook till they are soft. Now add the paav bhaji masala of your choice and cook the tomatoes until they pulp up. Then add the vegetable mixture to it, mix it well, cover and cook till the vegetables are totally cooked, then add the boiled and mashed potato, mix well and cook till the mixture thickens, add salt and boil it until you get the desired consistency. Then add generous amount of butter, mix it well and remove from the heat.

Serving:

• Apply butter to pav, and roast pav until they turn golden brown. While serving add chopped onions, coriander leaves, required amount of lemon juice to bhaji.
  

Aloo Bonda/ Batata Vada

This is one simple snack and even can be used as Vada to make Vada Pav.........

• For making these Bondas/Vadas we need to make Potato Curry and Besan Batter. For Potato Curry click Here. Make lemon sized balls with potato curry and keep them aside.

Besan Batter:

• In a bowl add 1 cup besan, 1/4cup rice flour, 1/2tsp.red chilli powder, salt to taste, water and mix well and soft (the consistency should be little thick that of a dosa batter). In a pan heat oil, once it is hot dip the potato balls in the besan batter and drop them in the hot oil and fry them until they are light gold brown in color, drain them on paper towel .....Serve them with chutney of your choice. These can also be used as Vadas for Vada Pav.

Masala Peanuts

Ingredients:

• 1cup Peanuts, A pinch asafoetida, 2tsp.Besan, 2tsp.Rice flour, 1tsp.Chili Powder, 1/4tsp.Pepper Powder, 1/4tsp.Turmeric powder, Salt to taste, Oil for deep frying.

Method:

• Mix all ingredients, except oil. Sprinkle 1-2 tbsp.of water and make sure the paste is well coated to the peanuts. Deep fry them in hot oil. While adding peanuts in hot oil, lightly oil the hand(it will help to loosen them with your fingers and avoid lumps). fry them in the oil til they are light golden in color, fry them in batches, do not keep mixing, otherwise the masala drops off in the oil. Take out on a paper towel and let them cool, peanut get crunchy when they are cooled.........

Gobi Manchurian/Cauliflower Manchurian

• Gobi Manchurian is a mouth watering Indochinese appetiser..........which is a fav.appetiser from children to grownup........
  
  
  Ingredients:
  1cauliflower (medium sized, cut to bite-size florets), oil – for deep frying.
• 
  Batter:
  5tbsp.maida/all-purpose flour, 3tbsp.corn starch,1/4tsp.red chilli powder, 1/4cup water mix all these ingredients and make a smooth and soft batter.
• 
  
  Frying Cauliflower florets:
  Coat the cauliflower pieces well with batter and deep fry until cauliflower turns medium dark brown in color and keep them aside.
• 
  sauce:
  1tsp.oil, 2tbsp.spring onion/green onion(only the bottom white onion), 2finely chopped and deseeded green chilies, salt to taste, 3cloves garlic(finely chopped), 3tbsp.ketchup, 2tbsp.red chili sauce, 2tbsp. soy sauce, 1/4tsp.brown sugar, 1/2tsp.white vinegar(optional), 5tbsp.water, 3tbsp.corn starch, 4tbsp.spring onions(green onions, finely cut)for garnishing.
  
• 
  Method:
  Heat oil in a pan, once it is hot add green onions(only chopped white part of the green onions), and fry for on a min., because they should not lose their crunch, then add green chillies and garlic and fry until the garlic turn light brown color. Now add ketchup, red chili sauce, salt, brown sugar and cook until oil starts to separate from mixture, then add soy sauce and vinegar(if using) and mix well. Mix 3tbsp.corn starch with 5tbsp.water and add it to the pan, cook for 2 min., until sauce starts to thicken, then add the fried cauliflower florets to the sauce and toss well to coat cauliflower completely. Mix in the green onions(green parts) and serve it immediately.....

Baked Mac&Cheese

It's Saturday night, as usual we don't have rice on the Saturday night, so I was asking J what to cook for dinner, then my 8 year old heard this and started bugging me for Mac &Cheese, I was bored of doing the store brought Packets. Actually not bored........hee..hee.., the reason is recently we had an get together with J's team, so someone got this Mac&cheese Bake, I liked it a lot....got the recipe from her....so I was eager to try this............and made it on Saturday, it's really good.........

Ingredients:

¼cup butter, ¼cup flour, 3cups milk, 1cup grated cheddar cheese, ½tsp.salt, ½tsp.dry mustard, ¼tsp.black pepper powder, 1tsp.Worcestershire sauce(I did not use it ), 2cups bite sized macaroni, 1cup grated sharp cheddar cheese, 4tsp.bread crumbs.
Method:

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Blend in flour and gradually add the milk, stirring constantly; add the seasonings. Cook until the sauce is thickened. Add one cup grated cheddar cheese and stir until melted. Cook macaroni as directed, drain, and add to cheese sauce and mix well. Turn the mixture into baking dish or pan. Sprinkle the top with 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese and breadcrumbs and bake in a 375F oven for about 15 min., remove from the oven and place under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned

Veggie Burger

Like many others, I'm also not big fan of vegetarian food.....but recently forcefully willing to have more veggies in my diet.....may be getting little health conscious.......so I'm frequently having stir fry vegetables, for a reason or the other got bored of having same kind....thought of a change and this creation came out my mind.....not only me but my daughter who is a picky veggie eater also enjoyed this..........the recipe for this master creation fallows....

Ingredients: 3cups,mixed vegetables(carrots, green peas. cabbage, green bell pepper, Lima beans)(I used stir fired vegetables), salt to taste, 2+5tbs.bread crumbs, 2tbsp.corn starch, oil for shallow frying, burger bread, lettuce, onion(sliced), tomato(sliced), cheese slice, ketchup and mayonnaise for topping.

Grind all the vegetables in the food processor and squeeze out the additional water, add the salt and 2tbs.bread crumbs and make them in to patties and keep aside. Add little water to the corn starch and make it into a semi liquid paste and keep it aside. Dip the patties in the corn starch paste and roll them in the bread crumbs, heat the tavva, once it is hot place the patties and fry on medium heat by addling little oil until done(fry appx.10min.each side)

Now place the cheese slice, veggie Pattie in the bun along with the toppings and serve it with ketchup and mayonnaise..............

Egg Pot/ Egg Cutlet

Some of our friends were dropping by in the evening.... so I was planning to make some thing good and creative with eggs as our friends are so...fond of eggs, I have created this dish just like that and it turned out so good.....every one liked it a lot....simply it's super hit......

Ingredients:

6 eggs(boiled and peeled), 2tsp. red chilli and garlic paste or we can also use sweet and hot maggie sauce, 2tsp. coriander chutney(i used the store brought one), 2 medium sized potatoes(boiled and mashed ), salt to taste, 1/4tsp.red chilli powder, 1/4tsp. garam masala, 2tsp corn starch, 1/2cup bread crumbs, oil for deep frying.

Method:

Slit the eggs and stuff the chutnies in to the egg as shown in the picture and keep them aside. In a small bowl add cornstarch and little water and make it into a thin paste and keep it aside. Mash the boiled potatoes with no lumps and add salt, redchilli powder, garam masala and keep it aside. Now take the egg and cover it with mashed potato and dip it in the corn starch mixture and roll them in the bread crumbs and keep them aside. Now heat the oil in a pan for deep frying.....once it is hot add these eggs 2 at a time and fry on medium high heat until they are golden brown in color.........serve them with ketchup or sweet and hot sauce.

Pita Pizza

Onion Pakoda

Masala Borugulu/Puffed Rice Snack

Some foods are really bonded with good memories........this simple snack reminds me of the wonderful summer holidays that I have spent in my Pinni's (Mom's younger sissy) house, she used to make big dabba (big snack box) of this Masala Borugulu and we all kids used to complete the whole thing in a wink .........this is a guilt free snack.......

Ingredients:

4 Cups of borugulu(Puffed Rice), 1/4 cup,putnalu (roasted dalia/roasted chana dal), 1/2cup,peanuts, 2tbsp.split urad dal, 6-8 cloves of garlic(lightly crushed), 2no.dry whole red chillies, 1tsp.mustard seeds, 1/2tsp.cumin seeds, 3sprigs of curry leaves, 2tsp.turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp.chilli powder (adjust as per spice level), salt to taste, 2tsp.oil.

Take a Kadai or wide pan, heat oil , once it's hot add urad dal, peanuts, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves, when they start to splutter, add the garlic and saute for a few minutes, now add the whole red chilli and fry until the garlic is light brown and little hard, now add the putnalu/dalia, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt , fry for a min, the add the puffed rice, mix well and roast till they are crunchy. Preserve in a air tight container, they lost long fresh for 2weeks.

Borugulu or maramaralu mixture/puffed rice mixture

This is the snack that need no introduction to any andhra people...........it's mostly famous with the name Borugula Mixture.........It is seen in ,every street corner of andhra....It tastes heavenly when made by a bandi wala(Street seller)..........missing it toooooooo much, me and my sissy used to buy it atleast twice a week, while enjoying this snack, we used to share little.......girly and sissy gossips to each other..........(such a precious time)....this is the most favorite snack of my sister.................she even craves for it today......

Ingredients:

2cups, borugulu(puffed rice), 1/4cup,red onion(chopped finely), 4tsp.coriander leaves(chopped),
11/2tsp.lemon juice, 1/4tsp.red chilli powder(adjust as per spice level), 1/4tsp.coriander powder, 1/4cup,roasted peanuts, 1/4cup, putnalu/roasted gram dal, 2tsp.oil, salt to taste

Take a pan, once it is hot add the puffed rice/borugulu in the pan and toast them for a min. or so to make the puffed rice crisp.Then take a big bowl, add the puffed rice, oil, salt, chilli powder, coriander powder, the oil makes the salt, chilli powder and coriander powder to coat the puffed rice, now add onions,coriander leaves,and freshly squeezed lemon juice and toss them well, adjust the seasoning and serve it, with roasted peanuts and putnalu/fried chana dal/dalia.

Bread Rolls

This is one of the simple and easiest evening snack...............I got lot of bread lying in my pantry for a week,realised that it's use by date is nearby, got the idea of making bread rolls.........yummy....yum...

Ingredients: 10 slices of bread, 1cup,cooked vegetables(carrot, green peas), 2no.potatoes(boiled,mashed),1/4cup,onions(roughly chopped), 1tsp.Ginger(finely grated), 2tsp.coriander leaves. 2tsp.red chili powder, 1/4tsp.garam masala powder, 1/4tsp. turmeric powder, 1tsp.lime juice, salt to taste, 2tsp.+ oil for deep frying.

Heat oil in a pan, once it's hot add ginger and fry for a min.,then add all the cooked vegetables(carrot,peas and potatoes)and fry for 10 minutes. Then add red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder & salt and mix well. Add lime juice and coriander leaves and remove from fire, allow it to cool. Using a knife trim the brown corners from the bread slice. Shred the brown corners into crumbs using a grater and keep them aside(this step is optional, if you like to have very flaky rolls follow this step, other wise skip it)dip the bread slices in water one at a time, immediately take out from the water and squeeze out the excess water, put the filling inside this bread. Fold and seal the edges together with little water (and roll them in the above prepared crumbs if desired) . Prepare all the rolls in the same manner. Refrigerate the rolls at least for 2 hours. Heat oil in a pan, once it is medium hot, deep fry few rolls at a time until brown and flaky( pay attention as they turn brown very soon). Repeat this until all the rolls are fried, serve them hot with Ketchup..

Samosa

Samosas are one of the most popular snacks of India. I tried my hand in making them, but never got good samosas, but this time the taste and crispness of the Samosas are perfect.....but I could not get the perfect samosa shapes....

Ingredients for samosa shell:

1 cup,maida/flour, ½tsp.baking soda, ½tsp.baking powder, ½tsp.carom seeds/ajwain, 3tsp.oil/ghee + oil for deep frying, salt to taste, water for kneading.

Preparation:

sieve maida/flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together, mix in the carom seeds, ghee / oil and add water little by little and mix well to make a stiff dough, cover it with a damp cloth and keep it aside(for about 15min.).

Ingredients for Potato filling:

½ cup,green peas(boiled), 2tbsp.oil,1tsp.cumin seeds, 2no. green chillies (chopped fine), 1tsp.ginger(chopped fine), 2no. large potatoes,(boiled,peeled,cubed),½tsp.red chilli powder, salt to taste,½tsp.dry mango powder(amchoor) or 1/2tsp.lemon juice,1/4tsp. garam masala, 2tsp.coriander leaves(roughly chopped).

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a pan,once it is hot add the cumin seeds and let them crackle,then add green chillies, ginger and fry for a min. then add the cooked potato cubes,cooked green peas, red chilli powder, salt, dry mango powder and garam masala powder and mix well, sprinkle some water,cover and cook medium heat for about 10 min. or till gravy is mushy and thick. Mix in the coriander leaves and remove it from the flame and keep it aside.

Samosas: Divide the dough into medium sized balls, roll them into circles of 4''diameter,(just like roties by rolling them in dry flour), cut the circle into halves(semi circle) and shape them into a cone by pressing the edges together. place the potato filling into the cone and seal the edges well with water. Repeat this procedure with the rest of the balls. Deep fry them on medium flame till crisp and golden brown............serve them warm with ketchup or with green chutney........