Smashed potatoes with chilli flakes and herbs

Par boiled Baby potatoes are smashed and roasted with herbs and chilli flakes. Buttery and Soft on the inside with crispy caramelized edges.

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 500 Grams Baby Potatoes + 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Red Chilli Flakes ( Adjust according to your taste)
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 Teaspoon dried thyme ( If you get fresh thyme, use 2 sprigs of fresh thyme)
• 1/2 Teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4  Teaspoon dried Oregano
• 1 Tablespoon parsley / cilantro leaves

Directions

1. Cook baby potatoes with 1/2 Teaspoon salt until they are cooked through. I cooked potatoes in pressure cooker for 2 whistles
2. Peel remove skin and set aside. Then smash the potatoes gently using a potato masher. This is how I smash them... Take one baby potato and keep it in your left hand palm. Now gently smash the potato using your right hand palm. You can retain skin if you like it with skin on. My kids do not eat if the skin is on. So I removed the skin
3. In a frying pan over medium heat, add olive oil. When the olive oil is hot, add butter. When the butter melts , switch off the flame. Then Add chilli flakes, thyme , rosemary , Oregano, salt and give it a good stir. We are switching off the flame to prevent the chilli flakes from getting burnt.
5. Immediately place the baby potatoes carefully in the pan
6. Switch on the flame and keep it high. Stir Fry the potatoes for a minute on each side until they are crisped up on the top. Alternatively, you can fry them on low flame setting for 10 to 15 minutes , flipping them once.
6. Once they are nice and crispy, remove them from pan and spread them in a greased baking tray
7. Broil the potatoes for a minute or 2 or until they have a nice crispy char on them. Do not leave the potatoes in the broil mode and walk away. They might get burnt easily. Keep an eye on them while they are in the oven and remove them once they have a nice char on them
7. Finally sprinkle chopped cilantro leaves over the potatoes and serve

Coffee Flavoured Cake

This Coffee flavoured cake is soft and silky and it just melts in mouth. Packed with deep strong flavours of coffee , this cake is just perfect for all occasions and it tastes absolutely heaven even without frosting. However, if you wish you can serve it with Coffee buttercream frosting or a simple icing ( Recipe for icing and buttercream frosting included )

 

Preparation Time : 15 Minutes
Baking Time : 50 minutes
Yield : one 8 inch round cake

Recipe Source : http://mykitchentrials.wordpress.com/2013/04/05/coffee-flavored-cake-tea-time-cake/

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour / Maida
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter at Room temperature
• 1 Cup powdered Sugar
• 3 Eggs at room temperature
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 3 Teaspoon Instant Coffee Powder - Dissolve in 1 Tablespoon of hot water
• 1/3 Cup Sour Cream

For simple Icing : 

• 1 Cup Icing Sugar
• 2 Teaspoon Instant Coffee Powder + 1 tablespoon of hot water
• 20 Grams Melted Butter
• a big pinch of salt

For Coffee Buttercream Frosting :

• 1 and 1/2 Cups of Icing Sugar
• 1/2 Cup of unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon unsweetened Cocoa powder
• 1 Tablespoon Strong brewed coffee ( alternatively you can mix 2 tablespoons of instant coffee powder in 1 tablespoons of warm water)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 160 C. Grease and dust a 8 Inch Cake pan and set aside
2. In a bowl sift together all purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside
3. In a large mixing bowl add butter and powdered sugar and beat using a hand mixer for a minute until it is soft and fluffy
4. Add one egg at a time and beat them in
5. Add vanilla extract and instant coffee (dissolved in hot water) to the wet ingredients and beat it gently on medium speed for few seconds
6. Add flour mixture we prepared at step number 2 into this wet ingredients in three additions alternating with sour cream
7. Pour the cake batter in to the greased cake pan
8. Bake at 160 C for 45 to 50 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Baking time differs from oven to oven. After 40 minutes check if the cake is done
9. Once out of the oven, let the cake remain in the oven for 10 minutes
10. Invert the cake on a cooling wire rack and cool completely and serve

For a simple Icing

1. In a microwave safe mug, add butter and microwave it on high for 15 seconds and melt the butter
2. Dissolve instant coffee powder in 1 tablespoon of hot water
3. Add dissolved coffee powder to the melted butter
4. Then add icing sugar to the butter and stir everything together
5. Pour / spread this icing over the coffee cake (once the cake is cooled completely )

For Coffee buttercream Frosting

1. In a bowl, mix together icing sugar and cocoa powder
2. In a large bowl, add unsalted butter and beat it using a hand mixer until it is creamy and smooth
3. Gradually beat in the sugar mixture until everything is mixed well and the buttercream is smooth and fluffy
4. Finally stir in coffee and beat in for 30 seconds
 

Carrot and Dates Cake

A moist and rich carrot cake with dates, walnuts flavoured with orange zest , cinnamon and nutmeg. My kitchen was filled with aroma of cinnamon and fresh citrus. I served this cake with the evening tea. The cake itself is too sweet and doesn't require frosting. However, if you wish you can serve it with cream cheese frosting.

 

 

 

 

Preparation Time : 25 Minutes
Baking Time : 45 Minutes

Yield : One 8 Inch cake

Ingredients

1 Cup All Purpose Flour / Maida + 1 tablespoon for coating dates and nuts
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg Powder
1/4 Teaspoon dry Ginger powder
a big pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon Orange Zest / Lemon Zest
1 Cup powdered Sugar
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
2 Tablespoon Honey
2 Large Eggs
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Finely grated Carrots
1/2 Cup finely chopped dates ( chop it very finely, otherwise they tend to settle down at the bottom while baking)
1/2 Cup chopped  mixed Nuts ( I used walnuts and cashew nuts)

Directions :

1. Preheat oven to 170 C. Grease and dust a 8 inch cake pan and set aside
2. In a bowl, add all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder, ginger powder, salt and whisk until combined. Set aside
3. In a small bowl , add dates and nuts and toss them with 1 tablespoon of all purpose flour. This will prevent the nuts and dates from settling down at the bottom of the cake while baking
4. In a large mixing bowl, add powdered sugar and oil and beat it on low speed for a minute using a hand mixture
5. Once the sugar is well combined with the oil, add honey and beat for 30 seconds
6. Then add one egg at a time and beat them in until the wet ingredients are soft and creamy
7. Add vanilla extract and orange zest to the wet ingredients and stir
8. Now add the dry ingredients we have in the bowl ( prepared at step number 2) in to the wet ingredients in 3 additions beating the mixture on medium speed after each addition
9. Add the dates and nuts we prepared at step number 3 in the cake batter and gently fold them in using a spatula
10. Finally fold in finely grated carrots in to the cake batter
11. Pour the cake batter in the greased cake pan and bake at 170 C for 45 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. After 40 minutes of baking, check if the cake is done. Baking time differs in oven
12. Once out of the oven, let the cake remain in the pan for 5 minutes
13. Then invert the cake on a cooling wire rack and cool completely
14. Serve it simple and plain or serve it with classic cream cheese frosting

Chicken Stew

A Hearty bowl of chicken stew with tender chicken pieces. Perfect accompaniment for breads, Indian flat breads, Dosa, Appam.
                                    
               
                                      

 

 

 

Ingredients

To Marinate the Chicken - Marinate for an hour

  I used skinless , bone in Chicken pieces

• 500 Grams Chicken
• 1 Teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Garam Masala
• 1 Teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1/2 Cup Plain Natural Yogurt / Curd
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt

For the Stew

• 2 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 2 Green Chillies
• 2 Medium Sized Onions chopped finely
• 1 Tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1 Tablespoon Cashew Nuts Paste ( soak 10 Cashew nuts in 2 tablespoons of warm water for 10 minutes and grind it to fine paste)
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Cream
• 2 Tablespoon Chopped cilantro leaves

Directions

1. Clean and wash chicken pieces. Marinate the chicken along with the list of ingredients listed under 'To Marinate the chicken' at least for an hour

                                     
                                   
                                      

                                    

2. In a pan, heat oil. When the oil is hot, add bay leaf and slit green chillies and fry for few seconds

                                     


3. Add onions and fry until the onions are translucent

                                   


4. Then add ginger Garlic paste and fry until the raw smell of the paste is gone

                                  

                                   



5. Add the marinated chicken pieces and fry on high flame for 5 minutes ,  stirring intermittently

                                         


6. Add 1 cup water and salt to taste and let the chicken cook

7. When the chicken pieces are half way cooked through, add cashew nuts paste and give it a stir

                                


8. Add more water if the water has evaporated at this stage

9. When the chicken is completely cooked through, add fresh cream and chopped cilantro leaves and cook for 2 more minutes

                              


10. Switch off the flame and serve this chicken stew hot with flat breads or Dosa or Appam

Instant Tomato Rasam

Rasam is a classic South Indian Soup traditionally made with tamarind and spices. Tomato rasam is a variation to the basic rasam recipe where we blend ripe tomatoes with whole black peppercorns , garlic and cumin seeds and then mix it with tamarind extract. This soup does not require rasam powder and can be made instantly. Best served with steamed rice.

Ingredients

• 2 Large Ripe tomatoes roughly chopped
• 1/4 Cup Tamarind Extract (optional ) / or 2 teaspoons of thick tamarind pulp
• 3 Cups of water (regular tap water)
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Whole black peppercorns
• 4 Garlic Cloves
• 1 Tablespoon Sesame Seed Oil
• 1 Sprig of curry leaves
• 1/2 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
• 1/2 Teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
• 1 dry red chilli
• 1/2  Teaspoon Red Chilli powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 2 Tablespoon finely chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 Teaspoon powdered Jaggery
• Salt to taste

Directions

1. In a food processor, add roughly chopped tomatoes, black peppercorns, cumin seeds, garlic and pulse it together to make a coarse paste. Set aside
2. In a large mixing bowl , add tamarind extract, ground paste we prepared at step number 1 , chopped cilantro leaves and mix everything together. Set aside
3. In a wok / pan, heat 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil / vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. When they splutter, add curry leaves
4. Saute until curry leaves turn crispy. Switch off the flame and then add broken dry red chilli, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and give it a stir
5. To this tempering, add the tamarind and tomato mixture we prepared at step number 2 and give it a stir
6. Add 3 cups of water and now switch on the flame and keep it at medium. Add salt to taste
7. Bring the rasam to boil and simmer for 5 minutes
8. Finally add , 1 teaspoon Jaggery give it a stir and switch off the flame
9. Serve it hot with steamed rice
 

Egg Curry

Delicious and easy to make egg curry to pair with flat breads / steamed rice. Hard boiled eggs are smothered in red onion and tomato based gravy. Good thing is that this can be made in a jiffy and it is so versatile to make. You can adjust onions, tomatoes and chilli according to your taste.

Ingredients

• 4 Large Eggs
• 2 Tablespoon Oil
• 2 Medium Sized Red onions - chop 1 and 1/2 onions roughly for grinding and chop 1/2 onions finely
• 2 ripe tomatoes - quartered
• 4 Garlic Cloves
• 1 inch Ginger piece
• 1 Green Chilli - slit in the middle
• 2 tablespoons Cilantro leaves
• 1 Teaspoon Red chilli powder / paprika powder / freshly ground black pepper ( adjust according to your taste; if you adding ground black pepper then the color of the gravy will be slightly different than how it looks on the above picture. However the curry will taste equally good with ground black pepper too)
• 1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric powder

Directions

1. Keep eggs outside refrigerator overnight and bring it to room temperature.

Soft boil eggs and carefully peel remove their outer skin. Make sure not to break the egg. Cut them in halves and set aside

2. In a pan, heat 1 teaspoon oil. When the oil is hot, add 1 and 1/2 red onions chopped roughly , 2 ripe tomatoes , garlic, ginger and green chilli and cilantro leaves

3. Fry on medium flame until the onions have a nice char and caramelized and the tomatoes are mushy

4. Let the onions and tomatoes cool completely. Then grind it to fine paste

5. In a different pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil is hot, add 1/2 finely chopped onions and fry until the onions are translucent

6. Then add the ground paste we have from step number 4

7. Fry this paste in oil on low flame for 7 to 8 minutes until the oil separates from the mixture and the raw smell of garlic and ginger would have gone at this stage

8. Now add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and 1 tablespoon water

and sauté the mixture for a minute

9. Add 1 and 1/2 cups of water to this masala and add salt to taste. Bring it to boil and simmer the gravy for 10 minutes or until it thickens to desired consistency

10. Serving : Pour the curry in the serving bowl and arrange the boiled eggs on the top of the gravy and gently dip/ submerge the eggs in the gravy. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves and serve hot with flat breads /  steamed rice

Candied Fruit Cookies

Buttery , crunchy short bread cookies loaded with candied fruit bits are perfect for tea time. You can use dry fruit or almonds instead of candied fruit.

Yield : 22 Cookies

Ingredients 

• 1 Cup All Purpose Flour / maida


• a pinch of salt


• 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar


• 6 Tablespoons of unsalted butter at room temperature


• 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract


• 1/3 Cup of candied fruit ( I used tutti frutti ) 

Directions  

1. In a mixing bowl add powdered sugar and unsalted butter and whisk it until the mixture is smooth and creamy

2. Add vanilla extract to the sugar butter mixture and whisk it again

3. In a separate bowl mix together all purpose flour and salt

4. Add the flour to the sugar mixture and using a spatula combine everything together until the cookie dough is smooth without lumps

5. Finally fold in candied fruit to the dough

6. Divide the dough into two equal portions. Roll each portion into 2 inch diameter log. Refrigerate the dough log for 1 hour until it is firm

                                           

7. Preheat the oven at 170C

8. Grease a cookie sheet and line it with parchment paper

9. Take one log of cookie dough and using a sharp knife slice it into 1/2 inch width cookies

                                            

10. Arrange the cookies on the cookie sheet leaving some pace around each cookie. This will allow the cookies to expand while baking

11. Repeat the step 9 and 10 for second cookie dough log

12. Bake the cookies at 170 C for 15 minutes until the edges turn light golden

13. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool down completely

14. Once cooled, store in airtight container

Basic Vanilla Cake

An easy recipe to make a basic vanilla cake. This cake is super moist and soft and has a nice crunchy caramelized crust on the top.

This post was in the draft section for quite a long time, finally did the final editing today and here I am posting this basic vanilla cake. Thank you Neeta Kumar for this wonderful recipe. I made this 2 or 3 times so far and this recipe is a keeper. It turned out moist and soft every single time I made.

Yield : One 8 inch round Cake
Recipe Source : Neeta Kumar on one of the FB Group

Ingredients

• 1 Cup All Purpose Flour / Maida
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• a pinch of salt
• 1/2 Cup powdered Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 2 Large Eggs at room temperature
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F
2. Grease a 8 inch round cake pan and dust it with flour. Set aside
3. Sift together all purpose flour, baking powder and salt for 2 times and set aside
4. In a mixing bowl, add sugar and oil and using a hand blender mix this together until sugar blends well with oil
5. Add one egg at a time and beat them until the mixture looks creamy and increases volume. Finally add vanilla extract and beat it gently
6. Now gently fold in flour mixture we prepared at step number 3 into the wet ingredients in 3 to 4 additions
7. Pour the cake batter in the prepared greased cake pan and bake at 170 C for 40 to 45 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean
8. Let the cake remain in the pan for 5 to 8 minutes and then invert the cake on a wire rack and cool completely before slicing it


 

Rice and Fried Gram Porridge - to ease an upset stomach in babies and toddlers

Rice and Fried Gram Porridge is a dish I recently learnt from my sister. This porridge is suitable for babies above 8 months old. This porridge is easy to digest and soothes upset stomach.

Please start with very small quantity/ serving of this porridge to begin with. Make sure your baby is not having allergic reactions and then increase the quantity as per baby's needs on the next meal.

 

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Cooking Time : 10 minutes

Yield : 4 Servings

 

Ingredients 

• 1 Cup Rice ( I used par boiled Rice)
• 1 Tablespoon Fried gram  / roasted Gram
• 2 Cups of water
• a pinch of salt to taste

Directions

1. In a pan over low heat, add rice and dry roast it until the rice turns crispy and light golden color , stirring intermittently. Make sure not to burn the rice. It took 10 to 12 minutes for me on low flame

2. Transfer the rice rice to a plate and let it cool completely
 

3. In the same pan, dry roast fried gram for a minute
 

4. Transfer the fried gram to the plate and let it cool completely

                               

 

5. Once cooled, grind rice and fried gram together in a food processor to super fine powder

                              

 

6. In a pot, bring 2 cups of water to boil. reduce the flame to low
 

7. In a mug/ bowl take 3 tablespoons of the rice and fried gram powder we made at step number 5. Store the remaining rice powder in a air tight container at room temperature or refrigerate the mixture up to 2 weeks.To this powder add 1/4 cup hot boiling water and whisk thoroughly until the rice powder dissolves completely in the hot water without lumps

                            

                           
 

8. Now add this mix to the boiling water in a steady stream with one hand and whisk the mixture with other hand. Whisking while you add the mixture to the hot water is important , otherwise you will end up with lumps in the porridge and the porridge will not be smooth
 

9. Add salt to taste and let the porridge simmer for 5 minutes or until it reaches the required consistency
 

10. Switch off the flame and let the porridge become warm
 

11. Feed the porridge only when the porridge is warm/ chilled  enough for the baby
 

12. Note : If you wish you can add 7 or 8 cumin seeds as cumin seeds helps in digestion. Mint leaves on the top of the porridge of the image is only for food photography. Please do not add mint leaves in your baby food

 

 

Crispy Stir fried Green Beans

Asian-style crispy stir fried green beans is loaded with flavours. Green beans are stir fried until they are crunchy, crispy and have a nice char on the skin. These are better than battered and deep fried green beans. I make this preparation of green beans for get-togethers or parties when we have vegetarian guests as well.

Ingredients

• 500 Grams Green Beans ( cut into 1 inch long pieces)
• 2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1/2 Teaspoon Red Chilli powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• Salt to taste

For the tempering ( optional)

• 1/2 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
• 1/2 Teaspoon Urad dal
• 1/2 Teaspoon Channa dal
• 1 Dry red chilli

Directions

1. Wash Green beans and cut them into 1 inch long pieces
2. Add the green beans in a microwave safe bowl
3. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt to the green beans and toss them together

                                     


4. Microwave on high for 4 minutes
5. In a pan, heat olive oil. Keep the flame on Medium. When the oil is hot, add the ingredients listed under tempering one after another. And fry until mustard seeds splutter and urad dal and channa dal golden
6. Then add broken dry red chilli  to the oil and immediately add the par boiled green beans
7. Turn the flame to low and leave the green beans in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes and let the green beans get stir fried on its own. Stir intermittently

                             


8. Serve as a side with rice and curry
 

Persian Style Pilaf with Almonds and Mixed Fruit

Fluffy rice pilaf with crunchy bell peppers, roasted almonds and mixed dry fruits. Quick and flavour packed rice with nice textures. Best served with spicy chicken or lamb stew / curry. Perfect rice to make on a busy week night dinner or best way to use the left over basmati rice.

Preparation Time : 10 Minutes
Cooking time : 25 Minutes
Yield : Two Servings

Recipe Source : http://www.zeekhanakhazana.com/recipes/persian-style-pilaf-with-almonds-and-mixed-fruit.html

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Basmati Rice / Long Grained Rice + 1/2 teaspoon salt + 3 Cups of water to cook basmati rice
• 1 Tablespoon Butter / Ghee
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Green Bell Pepper
• 1 small White onion finely chopped
• 1/4 Cup Almonds
• 1 Tablespoon Raisins
• 1/4 Cup Dried Apricots
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground black pepper

Directions

1. Wash basmati rice several times and soak it in regular tap water for 15 minutes
2. Heat 1/2 cup water in microwave safe mug for 2 minutes. Add almonds to this hot water and let them remain in the hot water for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove skin and slice the almonds thinly and set aside
3. Chop Raisins and dried apricots finely and set aside
4. In a pot bring 3 cups of water to boil. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the water. Add basmati rice and cook until the rice is cooked al dente. Drain water completely and set aside
5. In a pan, heat butter. When the butter melts, add slivered almonds and fry until the almonds are golden. Then add chopped raisins and dried apricots and fry until the raisins plum up
6. Remove the nuts and fruits from butter and drain them on a kitchen towel
7. In the same pan, add olive oil. When the oil is hot , add chopped onions, green bell peppers and sauté on high flame for a minute
8. Add salt and pepper to taste
9. Add the cooked rice and give it a nice stir
10. Finally add the roasted nuts and dry fruits to the rice and toss
11. Serve hot with spicy lamb curry / chicken stew
 

Cabbage Vada / Mixed Lentil Fritters with Cabbage

Masala Vada / Vadai is a popular evening snack of South India. It is made out of lentils and spices. Cabbage vada is a variation to the basic masala vada in which we use finely chopped fresh cabbage along with ground lentils.They are crispy outside and soft inside. These fried savoury fritters are best served with coconut chutney/  Green Chutney or just plain with a cup of hot masala chai. One of my all time favourite evening snack to indulge on a rainy day. 

Channa dal / spilt Bengal gram dal, urad dal , moong dal are soaked for 2 to 3 hours. Soaked lentils are then grind in to coarse paste. Then we add chopped cabbage,  onion, ginger, green chilli and cilantro leaves to the batter. Batter is spread as thin discs and fried in hot oil. 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1/2  Cup Channa dal (soaked for 3 hours atleast )
• 1/4 Cup Urad Dal (soaked for 45 minutes)
• 1/4 Cup Moong Dal (soaked for 45 minutes)
• 1 Cup finely shredded or chopped cabbage ( I grated cabbage finely)
• 1 Medium onion chopped finely
• 2 Green Chillies
• 1 inch piece ginger
• 4 to 5 curry leaves (optional)
• 1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
• 1/2 Teaspoon Fennel Seeds
• a pinch of Hing / Asafoetida
• Oil for deep frying
• salt as required

Directions

1. Wash Channa dal serveral times and soak it in water for 3 hours
2. Wash urad dal and moong dal and soak them together for 45 minutes
3. Take 2 tablespoons of soaked channa dal and keep it separately. Grind remaining channa dal, urad dal, moong dal along with 2 green chillies, and ginger to coarse paste. Add minimum water while grinding. I just sprinkled 1 or 2 teaspoon of water while grinding                 
4. Add shredded cabbage , chopped onion, salt, hing, chopped cilantro leaves, curry leaves, fennel seeds and mix everything together. Now add reserved 2 tablespoon of channa dal also to the batter and mix well. Check for seasoning and add salt if required
5. Heat oil for deep frying the vada. Take about 1 tablespoon of vada batter and make a disc. Drop the discs gently in the hot oil

                                                                     

6. Fry them in medium flame for 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, flip them and fry on the other side for 2 minutes                                   

7. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel                               

8. Serve vada hot

 

Roasted Bell Pepper and Potato Croquette

These croquettes are bursting with flavours - soft and melt in mouth center and crispy outer covering. Roasted bell peppers , paneer and potato croquette , breaded and deep fried. Perfect as a starter or after school snack for kids.


                                

Ingredients 

• 3 Medim Sized Potatoes ( Boiled, peeled and mashed )
• 1 Green Bell pepper
• 1 Red Bell pepper
• 150 Grams finely grated Paneer / Indian Cottage Cheese( You can use 200 Grams of Minced Chicken instead of paneer if you eat meat )
• 1 Tablespoon finely chopped ginger
• 1 Tablespoon finely Chopped Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon Finely chopped Cilantro / Parsley
• 1 Teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Green Chilli chopped finely ( optional. Skip adding this if you do not like it spicy )
• 2 Tablespoon Corn Flour
• Salt to taste
• Oil for Deep frying 

For the Outer Coating

• 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour (Maida) + Salt + black pepper ( mix everything together)
• 3 Egg whites + Salt + Black pepper ( Substitute : You can use 4 Tablespoon Corn flour mixed in water to form thick paste)
• 1 Cup Bread Crumbs + 1/2 Teaspoon Italian seasoning or dried thyme ( Adding seasoning is optional)
   

Directions

Preparation 

1.  Boil Potatoes with two pinches of salt until they are totally cooked and you should be able to mash the potatoes without lumps. I pressure cooked potatoes for 3 whistles. Peel Potatoes and mash them completely

2. Roast the bell peppers.  Here is a useful link on roasting bell peppers. I roasted them in direct flame on stove top. After they are roasted, I peeled remove the skin and deseeded them. Then chop the bell peppers finely and set aside

 

                             

                             

                             

 

                             

 

                            

Directions for making Croquettes :

 

1. In a large mixing bowl, add mashed potatoes, grated paneer, finely chopped roasted bell peppers , corn flour and mix together

 

                          

 

 

2. Then add chopped ginger, garlic, green chillies, cilantro leaves , salt and black pepper. Mix everything together into firm dough           

 

                       

 

       

3. Divide the dough in to 18 equal sized portions

 

4. Take one portion of the mixture/ dough and roll them into cylindrical shape ( as shown in the picture). You can also roll them into balls instead of cylindrical shapes.                      

 

                          

 

4. Roll other portions of the dough also in croquette shape and set them aside

6. Coat the croquettes: Take one croquette, roll it into All purpose flour. Then dip it in egg white mixture and then coat it with bread crumbs. Again dip it in egg white, coat it with bread crumbs. Double coating gives a nice crispy outer layering to the croquettes. You can use corn flour paste instead of egg white. Take 4 tablespoon corn flour, add 2  and 1/2 Teaspoons of water and make a thick paste

 

7. Coat rest the croquettes also as specified in step number 6

 

                      

 

 

 

8. Refrigerate the coated croquettes for 45 minutes

 

9. Heat oil in kadai / wok for deep frying

 

10. Keep the flame medium. Add 3 croquettes at a time and deep fry them until they are crispy and golden. Flip sides so that they get crispy on all sides

 

11. Drain them on paper towel