Dahi Vada

The name Dahivada itself is enough to bring water in mouth... In this Hot summer days, it is one of the few chaat which is served chilled.This is Absolutely lip smacking snack and as you bite into a soft, melt-in-the-mouth, delicious vada, it gives a immense pleasure to your mouth and stimulate your appetite for more. It can be served as a great starter or a cold appetizer. Dahi vadas are lentil (urad dal) based savory balls which are covered with frothy fresh curds and sprinkled with spices like chili pwd, roasted cumin pwd, chaat masala, black salt and garnished with Sweet Tamarind chutney.

Ingredients:

1 cup Urad Daal (Black lentil without skin)

2 cups Fresh Yogurt(curd) (Should be sour)

1 tblsp. red chilli powder.

1 tsp. roasted cumin powder

1 tsp. Sugar

1 tsp chaat masala powder

1 tsp black salt

salt to taste

Oil for frying

Tamarind chutney:

100 gms tamarind (remove seeds)16px
50 gms dates (pitted)
100 gms jaggery
2 cups water
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds (roasted)
1 tsp salt
Red chilli powder as per taste

Method:

1.Soak the urad daal in a bowl of water overnight. Grind it into a paste the next morning. Add 1 tsp salt and mix well.

2. Heat oil in a pan.Now take about a tablespoon of urad daal batter and give it the shape of vada (Doughnut shape or round). Drop the vadas slowly into hot oil and deep fry them in medium heat and then high flame until it becomes golden yellow. Take out the vadas in a large container having salt water and let it soaked until required.

3. Take the curd in a container and beat it well till becomes frothy. Now add red chili powder, roasted cumin powder, chaat masala powder, sugar and black salt and mix it well.

4. For making tamarind chutney, 16pxPut tamarind, dates, jaggery and water in a saucepan and cook on a medium flame till the dates and tamarind are soft. Using a food processor or hand blender t blend mixture together into a smooth paste. Put paste back into the saucepan and onto a medium flame and add fennel seed powder, cumin powder, red chili powder and black salt. Bring the sauce to a boil and turn off. Allow it to cool.

5. Take out the vadas from water and Squeeze so as to remove the excess water from it. Arrange them in a serving bowl and pour the curd mixture evenly so that all the vadas get covered completely.

6. Chill the vadas before serving. At the time of serving place 3 or 4 vadas in a small plate and garnish withe red chili powder, chaat masala powder, fresh coriander leaves and finally tamarind chutney.

"This entry goes for "Meals on Wheels" event hosted by LG of Taste of Mysore. Congrates for conducting this nice event.

Spinach cauliflower (Palak Gobi sabji)

In this season we can get lots of fresh vegetables like cauliflower, spinach, carrot which has high nutritional value. When we include a mixed veg item in our daily meal, then we can have a complete balanced diet that includes essential vitamins and minerals in our body. Spinach cauliflower sabji is mix veg which my mother used to make regularly in our child days and I still like it very much. It is cooked in bengali style using mustard oil. It is one of the healthiest dish in our regular diet as it doesn't require any spices and very less oil.

Ingredient:
1 Cauliflower (Cut in to medium size pieces)
200 gms Spinach (chopped)
2 carrot (cut into medium size pieces)
1 brinjal (cut into medium size pieces)
1 potato (cut into medium size pieces)
1 tsp. Kalaunji (kala jeera or black cumin)
2 whole red chili
2 green chili (slitted)
2 tsp. turmeric powder
Salt
Sugar
1 bunch coriander leaver (chopped)

Method:
1. Wash and cut all the vegetables. Drain water and keep aside.

2.Heat 2 tbsp. of Mustard oil in a pan. Add red chili and kalaunji. when chili turned black add all the vegetables. Saute for sometime in high flame. Now add turmeric powder, salt and slitted green chili. Stir continuously for about 5 minutes in high flame. Now reduce the flame, cover it and let it cook for about 8 to 10 minutes.

3. when the vegetable becomes soft, add 1 tsp sugar and stir again in high flame so the excess water gets evaporated . Now add chopped coriander leaves. Cover it again. turn off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves.

Egg Malai Curry

'Malai Curry' is a very common word among Bengali's. Its a  very special recipe  where coconut milk is the main ingredient. Malaicurry can be prepared with prawn, chicken as well as with egg. It can also be prepared with vegatables like cauliflower, parwal, potatoes etc. The preparation is almost same for both veg and nonveg. Here is the recipe for the most common form of malaicurry 'Egg Malaicurry' as egg is one of the most common nonveg item regarding its availability at home. It  taste so good that it always becomes the most delicious dish in all occasions.

Ingredients:

6 to 8 Egg (Or as required)

1 coconut ( Grate and squeeze out milk) Or 200ml ready made coconut milk.

1 onion 

10 gms ginger

2 green chilli

2 clove garlic.

1 tsp turmeric powder.

1 tsp. coriander powder.

1 tsp. cumin powder

1 tsp.garam masala powder

2 bay leaves

1 tsp. whole garam masala (cardamom, cinnamon, clove)

salt 

sugar

Oil

Method:

1 Boil egg fully and then peel it off. Mix turmeric powder and salt with it and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan.  Put the boiled egg  and deep fry them until becomes golden yellow.

3. Blend onion,  ginger, chili and garlicin a blender to make a fine paste.

4. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and add whole garam masala and bay leaves. when clove splutters, add the onion ginger garlic paste and fry them  for a couple of minute. Now add turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and a little bit of water. Fry the masala until the oil get separated  from it. Add coconut milk and salt. Stirr the gravy until it gets reduced . Add fried eggs, garam masala and 1/2 tsp. sugar. Stirr it and cover  the pan and let it cook for 5 to 6 minutes in low flame. turn off the heat when the gravy becomes thick oil starts coming out of the gravy.

Serve hot with plain rice.