Curd vada/ Thayir vadai recipe

                   One of beautiful memories  still I stay in mind is,when I was a kid, me and my family go to Coimbatore for clothing purchases. We don’t forget to have our food in annapoorna restaurant. I used to order one rose milk, 1 parota set and Thayir vadai to share with family. They are very creamy and thick. It melt like ice cream and very tasty. The secret behind this thick creamy curd vada/ Thayir vadai is the coconut mix they add to the curd. Let’s see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Vadai:

Urad dhal - 1 cup

Idli rice - 3 tbsp

Ginger - 2” piece

Green chili - 2

Thayir/ curd preparation:

Curd.                      - 2 cup

Water                       -1 cup

Coconut                   - 1/4 cup

Jeers/cumin seed       - 1 tsp

Green chili.                - 1

Cashew                     -   3 or 4 broken

Oil                             - 3 tbsp

Mustard seed            -1/4 tsp

Urad dhal                 - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves           - few chopped

Hing/ asafoetida    -  pinch

Decoration:

Chili powder            - a pinch

Boondi                      -  2 t so

Coriander leaves      - few finely chopped

Shredded Carrot      -  1 tbsp

Recipe

1️⃣   Wash and soak rice and urad dhal/ulundhu for 5 hour and grind it with green chili, finely chopped ginger with just 2 cup water. 

2️⃣ Grind coconut,jeera,green chili and broken cashew with 1 cup water and set aside.( cashew gives that thick creamy texture to curd)

3️⃣ In a bowl,add 2 cup thick curd,1 cup water and grounded paste. Adjust water measurement according to the thickness of curd you need. 

4️⃣ In a small kadai, heat oil add mustard,urad dhal,hing, curry leaves ( add red chili if u like that flavor). Sauté and add to curd mix.

5️⃣ Heat oil in a big pan and fry the vadas and keep it aside. ( how to get perfect vada shape is explained in my channel video)

6️⃣ To make the vada soft when we eat and also to absorb the curd which is poured on top, immerse the vada in warm water or diluted butter milk. Squeeze all liquid and keep it aside.

7️⃣ While serving, place the vada on a plate, pour prepared curd on top( we can store this curd in fridge if we like cold Thayir vada), sprinkle some chili powder, coriander leaves ,boondi and shredded carrot .

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Cauliflower popcorn

           Vegetarians favorite veggies is cauliflower (mine too). Any appetizer prepared using it is a great hit in any parties. I love to order gobi manchurian whenever I visit any restaurants. Sometimes, I feel bored to see same gobi 65,gobi chili, gobi manchurian in any parties. When I was searching for something new, I came across this recipe and it was my new appetizer which I make often in any parties or get together in home. Kids love it( thinking it as chicken nuggets,but it won’t disappoint them when they try).  To make it more flavorful, I make a special powder to sprinkle on top while serving.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 2 cup

Garlic powder - 1/2 tsp

Onion powder - 1/2 tsp

Pepper powder - 1 tsp

Salt - as per taste (1 tsp)

All purpose flour/ maida - 3 tbsp

Corn flour - 3 tbsp

Batter:

All purpose flour- 4 tbsp

Corn flour - 4 tbsp

Salt - 1 tsp

Soya sauce - 1 tsp

Water       -   1/2-3/4 cup water

Bread crumbs - 1 cup

Powder:

Onion powder                 -  1/2 tsp

Garlic powder                 -   1/2 cup

Black pepper powder     -    1 tsp

Salt                                 -     1/2 tsp

Powdered sugar              -  1 tsp

Chaat masala                 -  1 tsp

Red chili powder           -   1 tsp

Recipe:

1️⃣  Blanch the cauliflower florets in hot water till they are cooked 3/4. ( this makes the insect get killed in hot water and also removes the raw smell in cauliflower)

2️⃣ In a bowl, add the blanched cauliflower, garlic powder, onion powder( use 1 tsp ginger garlic paste instead), black pepper powder,salt, all purpose flour and corn flour. Mix well,so the flavor is mixed on top and inside the cauliflower. ( this is done to infuse flavor inside cauliflower)

3️⃣ Remove the coated cauliflower aside and in same bowl, add all purpose flour , corn flour, salt and soya sauce ( I used dark soya sauce to get that dark color). Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup water and mix the batter to medium thin batter( The batter should be thick enough to coat the cauliflower and helps bread crumbs stick to it).

4️⃣ Take marinated cauliflower in a bowl, batter in another bowl and bread crumbs in another bowl( you can use crushed sweetness corn flakes along with bread crumbs or as it instead of bread crumbs). Take one piece cauliflower and dip in batter and coat the cauliflower with bread crumbs.( I used seasoned bread crumb with panko bread crumbs for flavorful textured coating, you add garlic powder and onion powder,if seasoned bread crumbs not available). Repeat same step to all cauliflower.

5️⃣ Keep coated cauliflower in fridge for 30 minutes( this helps the bread crumbs to stick to cauliflower and it become bit hard and it won’t fall off when dropped in hot oil).

6️⃣ Heat the oil and drop coated cauliflower one by one and cook till it is crispy outside . 

7️⃣ Prepare the special powder by mixing all ingredients given under powder ingredients section and keep it ready.

8️⃣While serving, sprinkle the powder on hot hot cauliflower popcorn .( This gives the flavored popcorn taste)

  I prepared this cauliflower popcorn many times in home and in home function. It is great party snack to satisfy a vegetarian and also vegans. The cauliflower can be coated and stored in fridge ahead and deep fried on any party day. Also we can store this powder and use it for any fried appetizer.

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Restaurant style paneer 65 l பன்னீர் 65

      Paneer 65 is like chicken 65 for vegetarians. It can be prepared either with sauce or without. Today I prepared paneer 65 using sauce like prepared in restaurants. The gravy or sauce which coats the paneee will be tangy and spicy. The fried paneer as is,will be yummy when fried only for 5 minute,where you will get soft paneer inside and crispy on outside which can be served with just fried curry leaves or tossed just in tadka. To make it more yummy, I tossed it in masala mixed in curd sauce,which is so yummy to have hot hot. 

Ingredients:

Paneer marination:

Paneer - 300 gms/ 0.6 lb 

Maida- 3 tbsp

Corn flour - 3 tbsp

Kashmiri red chili powder - 1 tbsp

Salt - 1 tsp/ as per taste

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Curry leaves- few chopped (for flavor)

Crushed black pepper- 1 tsp 

Paneer 65:

Oil- 1 tbsp

Ginger chopped - 2 tbsp

Garlic chopped - 2 tbsp

Big onion-1/2 

Green chili- 3 slit

Red chili- whole 5

Curry leaves- few sprigs 

Coriander powder/தனியா தூள் - 3/4 tsp

Jeera powder/சீரக தூள் - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala/ கரம் மசாலா- 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri red Chili powder/ காஸ்மீர் மிளகாய் தூள்- 1 tsp

Red chili sauce- 1 tsp

Ketchup- 1 tsp

Curd/ yogurt/தயிர் - 1/2 cup

Coriander leaves/cilantro- few chopped

Recipe:

* chopped ginger and garlic into fine pieces

* cut paneer in cubes and add in warm water to make it soft.

Step 1: Paneer marination:

        In a bowl add all the ingredients under marination section and mix first and then sprinkle water little by little. The marination should not like that for manchurian(thick outer coating) or like fritter/bajji( very thin runny coating) ,it needn’t to be fully covered,as we are again going to toss in sauce.(no need to marinate for long)

Step 2:  Paneer frying

         Heat a pan with oil(add less oil ,as the red color from Kashmiri chili powder discolor the oil) once it is warm,add marinated paneer one by one.  Fry just for 5 minutes,else the paneer lose its soft texture inside.

Step 3: Paneer 65 preparation

        In a kadai or skillet,add oil followed by chopped garlic ,ginger,onion and curry leaves. Sauté it till the onion and all cooked well.

        Add the masala powder mentioned under paneer 65 preparation,(note: flame should be low always when adding dry masala powder,else it get burnt easily and it will be infused in the dish),once the masala is mixed,add the sauces and sauté few more minutes.

       Switch off the flame and add curd.( Adding curd/yogurt in hot pan will led to curdle ,so switch of the flame and add.Mix with masala powder and sauce ). Then switch on the flame, cook in low flame for 2 minutes and turn high, add fried paneer and toss in high flame for just 2 minutes to retain the soft paneer and the sauce are all dried and coated on paneer. Finally add chopped cilantro /coriander leaves and serve it with fried rice or serve as starter with hot soup.

Note:

* Can also be served just fried paneer and fried curry leaves or Fried paneer and normal tadka or this way.

*Vegans,can avoid yogurt.

*Can also be fried in airfryer by marinating with oil with other ingredients and fry in airfryer in fries mode.

* Always keep in mind,the longer the paneer in flame,harder they become so fry just for 5 minutes and toss fried paneer in high flame just 2 minutes.

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Mutta bonda / Egg bonda

    When i prepared this snack in home, i remember my bangalore days. When i was staying in PG,near to it is a roadside snacks shop(I cant say it as a shop,it is just a 'thallu vandi') . On the way from office, me and my friend kavitha used to go to this shop once in awhile to get hot hot vada and bonda. I like the spicy chutney they serve on top of the bonda's . My favorite is mirchi bonda and egg bonda. I like the way they serve by cutting the bonda in pieces ,top it with spicy chutney,onion,shredded carrot and coriander leaves.Yum yum.... i am drooling.

Ingredients :

Boiled egg - 5
Besan / kadala mavu - 2 cup
Chili powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Ajwain - 1/2 tsp
Baking soda - a pinch
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt - as per taste

Garnishing:

Red onion - 1 small
Shredded carrot - 1/4 cup
Coriander leaves / cilantro - 4 tbsp
Spicy coconut chutney - 1/2 cup
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp

Recipe:

*Boil egg, peel the shell and keep it in plate.
*Finely chop red onion ,shred carrot and chop cilantro.Mix all in a bowl with very little salt.

1.In a bowl,take besan,chilli powder,salt,turmeric powder,baking soda and ajwain (little bit crushed in hand), Add water little by little and mix into thick batter.
2.Heat the oil in a deep pan . Once it is warm, dip the egg in besan batter and place slowly in oil.
3.Turn the bonda every now and then .Cook it till the bonda turn slightly brown. Remove from oil and place it in tissue paper to drain excess oil.
4.We can serve the egg bonda as it is with chutney as side dish or cut the egg bonda into four pieces and place it in serving plate.(You can apply some chutney on top of egg bonda if you want) Garnish with onion,carrot,cilantro mix .Finally squeeze some lemon juice on top.Serve hot hot.

Tip:

* Instead of baking soda,we can add little Eno powder in batter to get pluffy bonda.
* We can use this batter for making aloo bonda,bajji too.

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Homemade pav

                           Next to masala pori,i love pav bhaji. I miss masala pori in US but i am satisfied that  i am getting pav bhaji in chat shops here. Intially i used to buy ready made pav in shops and will make bhaji in home. But recent days, i like to prepare pav too in home. If i make pav, i will use it for pav bajji, vada pav and misal pav. My son have it as bread and sauce or bread and jam. For his sake, nowadays i either prepare it in home or buy it and keep it in stock. The ingredients needed for this pav is very less and easy to make.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour/Maida - 3 cup
Yeast -  1 1/2 tbsp
Sugar - 3 tbsp
Salt - 1/2 tbsp
Butter - 1 1/2 tbsp
Milk - 1 1/2 cup
Warm water - 2 tbsp

Recipe:

1.Take a small bowl,add 2 tbsp water and add yeast and sugar.Mix well and leave it for 10 minutes.
2.After 10 minutes, check whether yeast is foamy.Mix one more time.
3.Take a large bowl,add all purpose flour,Salt,warm milk,proof yeast and mix well. If needed,add some warm water to it.
4.Knead the dough very softly.Don't knead like chappathi dough(hard)..
5.Transfer the kneaded dough in a glass bowl, apply melted butter on top and cover the dough with damp cloth and rest it in a warm place like conventional oven.

6.Leave it there till the quantity of dough doubles its volume.

7.Once again knead the dough and divide it into equal portion and roll it into balls.

8.Place the rolled balls on a baking pan and cover it with damp cloth and allow to rest for 1 hour.
9.After 1 hour,check whether the rolled balls double the size.

10.Pre heat the conventional oven for 400 F for 5 minutes.Meantime, apply milk as coating on top of rolled balls. If needed, sprinkle some sesame seed on top.

11.Place the pan inside the oven and bake it for 20 minutes.Check the pav by piercing a tooth pick inside,if it comes out clean without sticking any dough,then pav is ready.
12.After 20 minutes, remove the pav and leave it for 2 minutes inside pan.

13.After 2 minutes,transfer the pav to a drying rack.Apply butter on top when it is warm.
14.Once the pav cool down, cut the partitions and remove individual pav buns.

Note:

*.Don't baked the bun so long,it will make the bun hard.
* Place the pan in middle rack in oven,so that bottom part won't get burned soon.
* Don't cut the pav immediately after removing from oven.
* Adjust sugar and salt according to taste.

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Chettinad chicken fry/ Chettinad kozhi varuval

                        Its been a myth that for non vegetarian chettiand dish used to be tasty and spicy.So i thought of trying their vegetarian dishes,but i tried non-vegetarian dish for my husband sake.  When i tried this recipe, my son who haven't ate chicken ,first time got impressed with the texture and color of the chicken dish and had three pieces.Second time when i prepared it, he liked it too. So this recipe has become one of the side dish on weekends.. Very easy to make and hope tasty too(My son like it).I got this recipe from the blog " You too can cook ".

Ingredients:

For chettinad powder:

Cumin seed - 3/4 tbsp
Coriander seed - 1 tbsp
Sombu/Fennel seed - 1/2 tbsp
Peppercorns -  1/4 tbsp
Red chili - 6

For frying :

Small onion - 8 no / Large red onion - 1/2
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Chicken - 1 lb
Green chilli - 2
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp( Garnish)

Recipe:

1.Clean the chicken ,slightly apply turmeric powder and coat the chicken.
2.Grind the onion in mixie and take it in a bowl.
3.Dry roast the content in " Chettinad powder" and powder it.
4.In a thick bottom kadai, add gingerly oil and once it is hot,add silted green chili,grind-ed onion paste and ginger garlic paste. Fry for awhile.
5.Once the raw smell fades, add the chicken pieces. Mix well.
6.After frying for 2 minutes,add powder 1 tbsp at a time. Add little bit food color at this time if needed( I add to impress my son who just started having chicken, it is purely optional).Add salt as per taste.Fry it in slow flame.
7.Fry for 2 more minutes first by closing the kadai and 5 more minutes without lid.Fry till the chicken is dry and crispy.Finally garnish with coriander leaves.

Notes:

1. Adding food color is purely optional. If you like dark brown color chicken fry,avoid food color.
2.If needed,we can add some lime juice on top while having.

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Bruschetta

                                   Recently i have been to Olive garden to try italian dishes. we tried many dishes like bruschetta, bread stick, soup, ravioli, crispy risotto bites,eggplant parmigiana. Me and my husband like bruschetta a lot. I searched for the recipe on net and thought of trying it in home. The ingredients are very simple and easy to prepare.The crunchy bread and juicy tomato topping is awesome.

Ingredients:

French baguette - 1
Roma tomatoes - 4
Garlic - 1 cloves
Basil - 1 tbsp
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Red onion(big)- 2 tbsp
Pepper - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Dry Oregano - 1 tsp
Dry thyme - 1 tsp

Recipe:

* Chop tomato into medium size pieces.

* Chop onion and garlic into very fine pieces.

* Chop basil into fine pieces.

1. Cut the french loaf into 1" or 2 inch slices.

2. Pre heat conventional oven to 350 degree .Place the sliced bread on the baking tray and spray oil on both side . Bake it for 5 minutes on both side. After baking, the bread should be crispy and crunchy in texture.Cool it and transfer it to a plate.

3.In a bowl,add chopped tomato chunks ,onion,garlic,basil,pepper,salt,oregano and thyme.Mix well and rest it for 5 minutes.

4. Serve baked bread in a plate and tomato mix in a bowl or serve the bread with tomato topping on it.

Note:

* We can use any french loaf.Plain or flavored one.

* We can also sprinkle some cheese on top.

* To make the tomato mix more tastier,we can add canned tomato and sun dried tomatoes to the mix.

* We can also use fresh oregano and thyme.

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