Soya-granules sesame crunchy fritters

So, there is no excuse nor a reason to justify the absence! Just that I am back ..for now. I am just in a very nonchalant kinda mood.. so my ability to dramatize the trivialities has taken a backseat;) sigh..
There is a lot to feel and express though, but let’s shout out a  ‘halt’ to all that jazz for now. Shall we…

So..when summer heat hits in with occasional monsoon showers, your brains rather senses go all confused.

Nevertheless, the craving to gulp down something filling yet snacky crunchy light, helped me invent these super simple soya balls…a sure-shot hit with the kid inside you!

I fried them up while listening to the amazing soundtracks of “Once”… a beautifully made movie, about love and music and melancholy! Give it a go. To the movie, the songs and the recipe..I meant !

Soya-granules sesame crunchy fritters 

Take about a cup of Soya (Boiled as per instructions) (I like Nutrela), a cup of not-overboiled potato chunks, and run them through your processor briefly. Coarse is good!

Add a tsp of chaat masala or just salt, 2 tbsp garlic seasoning powder , 2 tbsp finely chopped green chillies/red chilly powder .

Make them into firm balls with your palms.

Now, separately crush 2 tbsp sesame seeds, 2 tbsp poppy seeds, one slice of bread in the grinder.

Coat the balls between your hands gently, with this sesame mix.

They would look lovely already.

Let them sit in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Now, in a deep bottomed pan, pour 2 cups of groudnut oil or any good for deep-frying oil, and let it get hot.

Test with a small portion of the balls. Once it swims up successfully you are ready to go.

Pop the balls in one by one.. and wait till they get crispy golden brown… Be careful not to burn them.

Place them in a kitchen towel and serve hot with ketchup or mint dip of your choice..

A quirky healthy nutty inclusion to any party or occasion..!

Equally scrumptious with chai!

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On an entirely different note.. for the Game of Thrones lovers in you here is a link to a super-cute musical video..

http://time.com/3889619/peter-dinklage-coldplay-game-thrones-musical/?iid=obnetwork

Crispy leftover lentil rice jeera (cumin) fritters

 

 

 

 

Invention is always a challenge….Or discovering something that’s experimental and stimulating to the mind and taste buds as well.. Just not with food but with anything don’t we like to wonder if its worth the effort and experimentation and the investment, Well I say sometimes let things be for the joy of it… And if it brings joy to the heart, the returns come to you naturally.. Let the process be fun…no matter what the outcome.

With leftovers sometimes you just want to reheat and have them because else by then they get boring and mundane..

And Leftovers are common. But creatively churning out something that’s worth eating the next day too.. is quite a challenge…

I had left over Dry Spicy Khichdi/ an Indian preparation made from rice and lentils (dal).

Khichdi is commonly considered to be a comfort food, and was the inspiration for the Anglo-Indian dish kedgeree. Khichri is also thought to be the inspiration for the popular Egyptian dish, kushari.

In India Khichdi is usually prepared atleast once a week (Just a guess). An absolute comfort food.
If you are new to this, you must try and have it hot with the family with some pickle of your choice.

A quick recipe of Khichdi would be:

In a pressure cooker, temper in two tsp of hot refined oil, some chopped onions, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and green chillies. Add one cup of lentil (moong/ tuar),one cup of regular rice and three cups of water. Add two pinch of turmeric powder, 1/4th tbsp of red chilly powder, two tbsp or more tomato puree or chopped tomatoes, salt and let pressure cook with two whistles or till rice and lentile are just cooked. Garnish with chopped coriander.

 

So, since I had these leftovers, I ended up whipping these fritters/ snackers that would go perfect with you cuppa tea or coffee.. Click on the link to get a ginger tea recipe done the Indian way.

You can use left over steamed rice too and play with flavours by adding more spices to the fritters dough

The ingredients used in this recipe have a lot character and Indianess ! By that I mean, they all together add to the final recipe and taste!

To make this mathri kind of fritters or snackers,

Take a quarter plate or a big cup of khichdi.
Add 1 and half cup of sieved maida/all purpose flour.
Throw in 1/4th cup of fine semolina and 1/4th cup of sieved rice flour. And one tbsp of gram flour.
Add dry ingredients like, 2 tbsp jeera/cumin seeds, one tsp ajwain/ carom seeds, one tsp turmeric powder, one tbsp red chilly powder, some dry fenugreek/kasuri methi if you have. Add a pinch of baking soda and a pinch of castor sugar.

 

Now add two big onions chopped very very finely and a tbsp of chopped garlic. These added an interesting dimension indeed since the touch of onions added a sweet and crunchy taste/texture.

 

Knead it into a pastry kind of crumble. Do not over knead. Not soft but slightly firm. Add flour as per your judgement here keeping in mind that you would need to roll them and cut into pieces later.

 

Take tiny batches of these kneaded dough and spread on flat surface with a rolling pin. Not too thick. Maintain medium thickness.

Pierce all over.

Cut into pieces of your desired shape.

 

In a deep bottomed pan, heat sufficient oil for deep frying.

Once smoky hot, add these bits and let fry till crisp. Golden brown. Place them in paper towel so excess oil gets absorbed.

 

Let them stand for about 20 minutes.

Enjoy them crisp with a cuppta tea!!

 

Good to keep in mind:

You can also make soft round  flatbreads /parathas  with them if you do not want to deep fry

Cumin seeds add great taste so add as per your whim

Since these have onions and left overs its better not to store them beyond a day. Have them fresh once slightly cooled.

 

 

Instant Basil pesto & red chilly Zucchini, Bellpeppers Veg

Watching the sunlight seep in secretly and undeclared into the kitchen can fill ones heart to brim.

Also a trip to the greens and sunsets to the town outskirts, had added a craving for something green and unique!

The idea popped up for some Sunshine and smiles and colours. And something instant.

I was a fan of basil pesto from the day I had Pasta in basil pesto with garnish of pinenuts and cherry tomatoes.

I had ordered these ready made pestos after confirming their quality just for such a Situation! 😉

Basil Pesto and red chilly dip. The ancient Romans ate a paste called moretum, which was made by crushing cheese, garlic and herbs together.Basil, the main ingredient of modern pesto, likely originated in India and was first domesticated there. (Source: wikipedia)

Red Chilly Dip ingredients!

Pesto is traditionally prepared in a marble mortar with a wooden pestle. First, garlic and pine nuts are placed in the mortar and reduced to a cream,then the washed and dried basil leaves are added with coarse salt and ground to a creamy consistency. Only then is a mix of Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino added. To help incorporate the cheese a little extra-virgin olive oil is added. In a tight jar (or simply in an air-tight plastic container), covered by a layer of extra-virgin olive oil, pesto can last in the refrigerator up to a week, and can be frozen for later use. (Source: wikipedia)

This recipe is good for a different menu in the middle of the week and a fresh change to the taste palate. NOT MUNDANE. No NO!

1) To prepare these unique yummies cut one zucchini, two yellow and red bell peppers and one small cauliflower into square half cubes.

2) Add one tbsp oil (olive/sesame or refined) into a preheated pan

3)Once smoky hot, add the zucchinis. Stir on high heat for 30 secs.

4)Now add the bellpeppers and cauliflower florets. Stir on high heat for another minute

5)Reduce heat, cover for a minute

6) Remove the lid to add two tbsp of basil pesto and two tbsp of red chilly dip with a dollop of tomato ketchup or puree

7)Stir to let it all cuddle up well with each other with sprinkle of salt and black pepper

7)Add chopped fresh parsley and cover for another minute with a squeeze of lemon on top

And that’s ready to serve !

Serve with raw onions and lemon and flat bread or rice of your choice

The zucchini, also known as a courgette, has origins which can be traced back more than 9,000 years to Mexico. Zucchini is a type of summer squash. They’re available in green and yellow varieties. Both have soft, succulent flesh. Zucchini is an excellent source of vitamin C, and provides some beta carotene and folate. Select firm zucchini with glossy skin. Store in an sealed plastic bag in the crisper for up to three days. (Source: taste.com.au)

Participated in an interactive forum Fiesta Friday hosted at http://thenovicegardener.wordpress.com/

Crunch of Mix Exotic Veggies

Sometimes variety of ingredients turn into an exotic memorable dish!

A culinary experience worth diving into and experimenting with flavours, spices and methods.

A way for learning and sharing and rejuvenating.

 

 

Below is a recipe for a extravagant experience of cooking with colourful, protein rich, and beautiful fresh  ingredients. Touch of Indian spices and exotic mix of herbs and fruits and veggies.

Good to have with flat breads/ hakka garlic noodles/ toasted white or brown bread, or lovely steamed aromatic hot rice!

 

Tender Babycorns: 250 gms. Slit long and thin into two portions

Fresh Capsicum: 100 gms. Thin long slices

Paneer/Cottage Cheese : 250 gms. Thin Long Slices. Or square little cubes.

Sweet Corns : One packet/200 gms.

Mushroom: 150 gms. Square cubes after cleaning.

Onions: One thinly slit

If you really are in the mood: Optional: Thin slices of blanched beans,broccoli and raw thin long carrots. More colours and crunch mix!

 

Put the cut babycorns, sweet corns, and ,mushroom in  boiling water. Let boil for little less than a minute. Transfer the content (be careful)to ice-cold water and let stand for five minutes. Drain with a sieve and let dry. This tip helps retain nutrition of veggies and keeps the flavour and crunchiness intact!

In a pre-heated sautepan, add two tbsp Oilve Oil.

Add Onions. Saute continuously for 30 secs on high heat with a pinch of salt, Add two tbsp grated ginger and two tbsp fresh crushed garlic with pinch of black pepper and four to five long slit green chillies. Saute for a minute. Add 1 tpsp Coriander leaves and saute for 30 secs for a beautiful aroma and flavour.

Add one bowl of fresh tomato paste and saute till the oil oozes out from the sides or till the tomatoes get completely cooked and reduced in quantity.

Meanwhile in Another saute pan: Add one and half tbsp butter with another pinch of freshly ground, crushed black pepper.  Add pinch of salt. Add mushrooms, and babycorn, Saute on medium high heat for two to three minutes. Reduce the heat and let cook for another minute. Add capsicum and sweet corns. Thrown in one tsp of golden brown roasted sesame seeds covered with one tsp of honey.

Additionally, while you throw in the babycorns you can also throw in half bowl of long thin beans and carrots and blanched brocolli for wonderful colours and flavours and special crunch. Sprinkle one tsp cornflour and sprinkle bits of water to avoid stickiness and difficulty in stirring.

Add, half tsp readymade red chilly powder or freshly crushed roasted and hydrated red chillies. Add half tsp oregano. Add salt as required.

Please keep adjusting the heat. Initially high heat and gradually lower the heat. DONT OVERCOOK!

Once slightly goldenish and not overcooked add in the cooked onion, ginger, garlic, tomato mixture to it and saute and mix well. Add half 1/4th cup of warm water and 1/4th cup of “mixed milk and curd” whipped in equal proportions. Stir till the liquid thickens with a nice thick coating of  the spices.

In a small pan add one to 2 tsp Oil. Let heat. Add one tsp sugar. Let heat. Be careful since it gets very heated. Sprinkle the same on the dish for nice sizzle and restaurant like flavour and cover with lid. Let stand for atleast five minutes.

 

Sprinkle chopped coriander, (optionally also add mixed crushed  herbs) on top.

Now for that master touch of exotica, add one tbsp of lightly roasted pineapple pieces, and some cut cherries on top with another sprinkle of grated paneer on top most layer!

 

I haven’t had the chance of cooking it recently, so no photographs clicked by me are available. However sharing some images from google for reference.

 

 

Want to learn How to make Paneer at Home

Here is a link from pinterest

 

 

 

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/464011567829590530/