Senaga Guggillu/Sundal

Sundal is made as an offering (prasadam) during Navaratri and Maha Sivaratri festivals.

Soaking time: 6 hours
Preparation time : 20 mts

Ingredients

Chickpeas/senagalu: 1 cup1Oil: 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds: 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds: 1/4 teaspoon
Urad dal: 1/4 teaspoon
Chana dal: 1/4 teaspoon
Dried red chilli: 2
Asafoetida: 1 pinch (optional)
Oinon: 1; small, finely chopped (optional)
Curry leaves: 1 twig
Coconut: 1 tablespoon; grated (optional)

1. Pressure cook chick peas along with sufficient water and salt till soft.
2. Drizzle oil in a pan. Heat the oil on medium flame. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
3. Add the cumin seeds and dals. As the dal turns lightly red, add the onion, asafoetida, chillis and curry leaves. Saute for 10 secs.
4. Add the cooked chick peas and mix gently. Adjust salt, sprinkle grated coconut. Mix well and turn off heat.

Facts about Chickpeas:  Chickpeas are a helpful source of zinc, folate and protein. They are also very high in dietary fiber and hence a healthy source of carbohydrates for persons with insulin sensitivity or diabetes. Chickpeas are low in fat and most of this is polyunsaturated. (Source of information: Wikipedia)

Neerattu

Neerattu is my favourite sweet made of maida. Very easy to prepare and consumes less time to prepare.

Ingredients

Maida flour : 1 cup
Milk : 1 cup
Water : to prepare batter
Sugar : as per taste
Salt : 1 pinch
Cardamom powder : 1 large pinch (optional)
Oil : for frying or greasing the pan

1. Mix all the ingredients except oil to prepare a batter. Make sure there are no lumps. The batter should not be too watery (should be just like dosa batter).
2. As you can see in the picture, this sweet can be prepared in 2 ways.
3. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Once oil is piping hot, reduce to medium flame, pour a laddle full of batter into the oil and let it settle. Once it's cooked, it floats on the oil. Cook until neerattu turns light brown in colour, scoop and place on an absorbent paper.
4. The second method is to prepare it just like dosa. Heat tawa, pour a laddle full of batter and spread it on tawa. Drizzle oil on all sides and on top. Allow it to cook on one side, flip and let it cook.
5. Let them cool and store in a air tight container. This sweet can be stored for 4 days in refrigerator.

Spicy Chana Dal

One of my favourite spicy snack that's very easy to prepare.

Soaking time : 4 hours
Cooking time : 15 minutes

Ingredients

Chana dal : 1 cup
Salt : to taste
Black salt : to taste (optional)
Chilli powder : to taste
Oil : for deep frying chana dal

1. Soak chana dal for 4 hours. Drain and keep aside for 10 minutes (there shouldn't be too much moisture).
2. Heat oil in a heavy bottom wok. Once oil is piping hot, reduce the flame.
3. Deep fry chana dal in batches and on medium heat till they turn golden brown.
4. Scoop the chana dal from oil onto an absorbent paper. Once all dal is deep fried, add salts(s) and chilli powder as per taste.
5. Let the dal cool and store in an air tight container. This can be stored up to 10days.

Note : You can use chat masala powder also instead of salt(s) and chilli powder. If you like garlic, roughly mash 5-6 garlic flakes, roast in a tea spoon of oil and add to the deep fried chana dal along with salt and chilli powder.

Idli Upma

Idli upma is a simple and satisfying food prepared commonly with leftover idlis.

Preparation and cooking time : 5 mins (excluding steaming of idlis if using fresh ones)

Ingredients

 Idli : 6 (Click here for recipe)
Onion : 1 small; finely chopped
Salt : as per taste
Chilli powder or green chillis : as per taste
Turmeric powder : 1 big pinch (Optional)
Mustard seeds : 1 teaspoon
Urad dal : 1/2 teaspoon
Chana dal : 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds : 1/4 teaspoon (Optional)
Curry leaves : 1 twig
Oil : 2 tablespoons

1. Mash idlis or cut into pieces of desired size.
2. Heat oil in a wok. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add curry leaves, green chillis, dals, cumin seeds and saute till dals turn brown.
3. Add chopped onion and saute till they turn translucent. Add salt, turmeric powder and saute for few seconds.
4. Add the mashed or cut idlis and mix well. Remove from heat and serve while hot.

Note : If you are using chilli powder, add it along with turmeric powder.

Onion Fritters (Ulli Pakoda)

Pakoda is a perfect snack for rainy season. These onion fritters can be best enjoyed over an evening cup of tea or coffee.An easy to prepare and tasty snack that makes you crave for it at the mention of it's name. Soft or hard pakoda can be prepared from the same batter. Avoid adding rice flour in the ingredients given below to prepare soft pakoda.


Ingredients

Gram flour/Besan powder : 1 cup
Rice flour : 1/2 cup
Onion : 2 big; finely sliced
Green Chilli : as per taste; finely chopped
Garlic : 1"; finely chopped (Optional)
Salt : as per taste
Baking soda : 1 pinch
Curry leaves : 2 twigs; finely chopped
Coriander leaves : 1 handful; finely chopped
Oil : for deep frying pakoda

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottom sauce pan.
2. Mix other ingredients with water enough to prepare a hard batter. The batter should not be watery.
3. Once oil is piping hot, reduce the flame. Use fingers to drop the batter in to oil to form small fritters.
4. Deep fry till the fritters turn brown and remove them on to absorbent paper.
5. Enjoy the hot fritters with a cup of tea or coffee.

Mung Bean Fritters

Popularly known as Pesara Punukulu in Andhra Pradesh, this dish is a tasty snack and is a nice accompaniment for tea/coffee. Soak mung bean for 6 hours (or over-night if the dish is prepared for breakfast).

Ingredients

Whole mung bean (pesalu) : 1 cup
Onion : 1; big, finely chopped
Green chillis : 3; finely chopped
Cumin seeds : 1 teaspoon (optional)
Salt : to taste
Ginger : 1" piece; crush finely
Oil : for frying

1. Grind soaked mung bean (no need to add water).
2. Add chopped onion, chillis, crushed ginger, salt and cumin seeds. Mix well.
3. Heat oil for deep frying. Once oil is piping hot, drop the mixture with a spoon and fry punukulu till golden brown.
4. Serve hot with coconut chutney or ketchup.

You can also add a small bunch of finely chopped coriander leaves, a handful of finely chopped mint leaves and 4-5 twigs of curry leaves to the mung bean mixture, to further enhance the taste of fritters.

Roasted Masala Peanuts

This is yet another simple and tasty dish. The roasted masala peanuts is a perfect accompaniment for an evening cup of tea/coffee. Don't over fry the peanuts lest they become hard. Peanuts remain fresh if stored in an air-tight container.


Preparation and Cooking time : 10 mins

Ingredients

Peanuts : 1 cup, unskinned
Turmeric powder : 1 pinch (optional)
Asafoetida/hing : 1 pinch (optional)
Salt : to taste
Chilli powder : to taste
Cumin seeds : 1 teaspoon
Besan flour : 1/2 cup (adjust the measurement if needed)
Oil : for frying

1. Except oil, mix all the ingredients with sufficient amount of water such that the batter coats the peanuts evenly.
2. Heat oil in a heavy bottom sauce pan.
3. Once oil is piping hot, reduce to medium flame and add the besan flour coated peanuts. Loosen them with fingers in order to avoid lumps. Fry the peanuts until light brown.
4. Remove the roasted peanuts onto a paper towel to absorb extra oil.
5. Cool to room temperature and store in an air-tight container. Peanuts should be crispy.

Puffed Rice Upma

Preparation and cooking time : 20 mins

This is a very simple and tasty recipe which I've learned from a DD (Doordarshan) program during my school days.

Ingredients

Puffed rice (borugulu aka maramaralu) : 1/2 kg
Onion : 1, finely chopped
Green chilli : 2, chopped roughly
Dry red chilli : 2 (Optional)
Mustard seeds : 1teaspoon
Urad dal : 1teaspoon
Chana dal : 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds : 1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves : 1 twig
Salt : 1/4 teaspoon
Roasted gram : 1/2 cup, made into powder, adjust the amount according to your taste
Lime juice : as per taste
Salt : to taste
Oil : 1 1/2 tablespoons
Coriander : finely chopped, for garnishing


1. Soak puffed rice in sufficient amount of water, drain. Sprinkle roasted gram powder and mix evenly.
2. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add curry leaves and dals. Saute till dals turn brown.
3. Add cumin seeds, saute and add chopped onions and chilli. Saute till onions become transparent.
4. Add salt, turmeric and saute for 10 seconds. Add the soaked puffed rice, coated with roasted gram powder and stir well.
5. Add lime juice and combine well on low flame. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot.

This dish can be eaten as it is. You can also prepare the dish excluding either lime juice or the roasted gram powder. It tastes good either way. You can visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puffed_rice to know what puffed rice is called as in your region :)

Pav Bhaji

Pav bhaji is a fast food dish native to Maharashtrians and is popular in most metropolitan areas in India. Pav in Marathi means bread, Bhaji is a term for a curry and vegetable dish. Pav bhaji consists of the bhaji (a potato-based curry) and the pav, garnished with coriander and chopped onions. Pav is high in carbohydrates and fats (if served with butter), while bhaji, the vegetable-based curry portion, is high in carbohydrates. Such is popularity of this dish, that it is common to find it on the menu of most Indian restaurants serving fast food in Asia (especially Singapore, Hong Kong), America, UK (London), Switzerland and elsewhere. It is consumed as a light evening snack, between lunch and dinner, particularly by individuals in western India. In Maharahtra, pav bhaji is available on hand carts popularly known as Pav bhaji chi Gaadi. In recent years, it is also a party favorite.

Preparation & Cooking time: 40 Mins
For Pav
6 pavs (small squares of white bread. I used butter rolls here)
Butter: 1-2 tablespoons
For Bhaji
Potatoes: 3, medium, boiled and mashed
Tomatoes: 2, big, minced ot pureed
Bell pepper: 1, minced (I used red bell pepper)
Peas: 1/2 cup, fresh or frozen
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 teaspoon
Pav Bhaji Masala: 1 tablespoon, adjust to your taste (I used Everest pav Bhaji masala)
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tablespoon
Chilli powder: 1.5 tablespoon, adjust to your taste
Salt: To taste
Coriander: Chopped, for garnishing
Butter: 4 tablespoons, adjust to your liking

1..Heat oil in a deep saucepan and saute the pepper. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute some more.2. Add turmeric powder, chili powder to taste and salt to taste. Saute for a few seconds.
3. Add pureed/minced tomatoes, peas, mashed potatoes, pav bhaji masala and keep sauteeing and mashing it together till it is a smooth mixture.
4. Add mashes potato and water as required.
5. Simmer for 20-25 minutes to really get the flavors to meld together.
6. Adjust salt, masala and chilli powder according to your taste.
7. Now add butter and saute for the last time till it melts. Mix well.
8. For servings, take sufficient bhaji in a cup, add pats of butter (as much as you take).
9. Garnish with finely sliced onion rings, minced coriander and wedges of lemon.
10. Melt butter in the skillet, fry the bread in the butter till it turns golden brown. Eat with the garnished bhaji.


Note- Can also add carrots, cauliflower, beans etc for the preparation of bhaji.
- Another variation of pav bhaji is masala pav bhaji, where butter is melted in a skillet. Sprinkle pav bhaji masala in it, then fry the bread in this spicy butter until it turns golden brown.
- Cheese pav bhaji can be made by topping pav bhaji with some shredded cheese.

Source of information: Wikipedia and several other food blogs.

Spicy Papas Fritas

Papas Fritas is the alternate name of french fries. This dish is nothing but adding some spiciness to the bland fries.

Ingredients

Potatoes : 3, big
Dry red chillis : 5-7 (adjust according to your taste)
Garlic : 5 flakes, crushed
Urad dal : 1 tablespoon
Chana dal : 1 tablespoon
Cumin seeds : ¼ tablespoon
Mustard seeds : ½ tablespoon
Curry leaves : 1 twig
Coriander : 5 twigs, finely chopped
Lemon juice : To taste
Oil : To fry potatoes


1. Peel the skin of potatoes and chop them in the shape of french fries. Deep fry the cut potatoes. Once golden brown, drain and place on absorbent paper.
2. Dry roast Urad dal, chana dal and cumin seeds.
3. Heat around ½ tablespoon oil in a pan. Add dry red chillis and crushed garlic flakes, and sauté for a minute.
4. Mix the roasted and fried ingredients and grind into a fine powder.
5. Heat around 1 tablespoon oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add curry leaves and coriander leaves and saute for a minute. Now add the deep fried potatoes and mix well over low flame.
6. Remove from heat, sprinkle lemon juice and serve immediately with sauce.


Tip : Put the chopped potatoes in water to preserve colour.

Note : If you don’t want to waste time peeling potatoes and cutting them, you can use frozen fries. Thaw them as directed on the cover and deep fry.