Sweet Mushy Banana Coconuty Fritters

 

 

Happens to me a lot..but these fritters… I tell you they are delicious if you have the slightest of sweet tooth!

 

 

 

 

I enjoy very particular kind of sweet stuff.

And I love these. Have always done. Sweet, savoury, deep fried,  with a lingering soft taste in the mouth and something you can pop in the mouth the next day too…and the next…

Nostalgia. Family. Togetherness.  The fritters personify these things and more…

HOW  DO I MAKE IT ?

Take two almost ripe bananas to prepare this recipe. Mash them and keep aside.

3/4th cup all purpose flour / maida

Two tbsp wheat flour/ aata

One tbsp rava/sooji/semolina (For crispiness)

Two tbsp rice flour (For crispiness)

l/4th cup of ready made desiccated coconut or better still FRESHLY GRATED COCONUT..

3/4 cup of milk

1/4th cup of condensed milk

half a cup of sugar

2 tbsp jaggery

1 tsp baking powder and a punch of baking soda (Just avoid if you don’t want to use these)

 

 

 

 

Mix mashed banana, sieved all purpose flour, sieved wheat flour, sieved rava (semolina), sieved rice flour, coconut,  and sieved baking powder and soda together.

Now, preheat a deep bottomed solid pan to melt the sugar and jaggery. I usually screw up sugar caramelization process so got to be careful if you are new at this too..

Once slightly preheated add the sugar granules. Let them turn brown from the edges. Stir initially and then stop stirring to avoid them from getting crystallized. These sugary lil things can turn evil and go all sticky and hard within miliseconds.. Add the jaggery pieces after 10 secs or so . Just when the sugar granules are slightly light brown add the milk and stir till it all mixes well into a smooth consistency.

Add this beautiful liquid to the dry mixture of flour. Add slowly and keep mixing with a whisk  to avoid lumps. Add the condensed milk and let it cuddle up well too.The consistency should be slightly runny like a pancake batter but not too thin or thick. Add milk accordingly.

Now, while this liquid rests, take a deep bottomed pan in a gastop  and fill with two cups of oil for deep frying. I like to add 1/4th of clarified butter or ghee too for a beautiful flavour.  Let the oil get smoky on medium flame.

Now, take a ziplock plastic bag and fill it with the banana, flour mixture that you have already gotten ready. Or use hands!

In the hot oil deep fry by slowly adding little rounds of the mixture. See how they puff up ! 🙂 Dont worry about the shapes 😉 its okay to have uneven shapes. They add to the rustic memories…and traditions of cooking homemade recipes..

 

 

Do it in a batch of 4 to 5 fritters if you are new at this.  Keep an eye to make sure the oil doesn’t get so hot as to burn up, so keep lowering the heat as and when you feel the fritters are going too dark. Look for golden brown . Try different shapes if you want.

Some like to shallow fry it too like tiny pancakes…

Let the oil get absorbed in a paper towel every time you take they off the pan after frying.

 

 

 

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/

Hot, Sweet and sour Caramelized onions

For the onion lovers and lovers of tangy n hot flavours here is something to easy, simple and worth repeating.

Use two big onions, chop them long and fine thin….

Use a saute pan, preheat it for a 30 seconds.

Add one tbsp oil of your choice Once the oil is heated add pinch of cumin seeds.

Once the cumin seeds turn light brown and crisp, add one finely chopped green chilly and bit of crushed garlic.

Saute. Add the chopped onions.

Saute and stir well on low heat.

Don’t let the onions burn, be patient.

Once they start changing colours, add pinch of turmeric powder, half teaspoon of red chilly powder,1/4 tsp of sugar (since onions would already have its own sweetness), and one tsp chopped fine coriander leaves, bit of salt. Let the onions caramelize.  Add drops of lemon in the end. Enjoy as an accompaniment with flat breads or rice!