Chattambade - Bengal Gram Fritters

I don't know about you ,but I remember... ..since I was a kid and  till date whenever  I go to functions...weddings or poojas where food is served on banana leaves....I never shy away from asking the person who serves  for 2 chattambades and 2 papads.

Ingredients

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• 2 cups Channa dal (Bengal gram dal)
• 1 small onion (finely chopped)
• 2 green chillies (chopped)
• 2 tbsp Dill leaves (chopped)
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves (chopped)
• 4 to 5 curry leaves
• salt to taste
• pinch hing
• oil to deep fry

Method

1. Wash and soak channa dal in water for 2 hours.
2. After 2 hours , drain the water and keep 2 tbsps of channa dal aside and  transfer the  remaining channa dal into a mixie and using very little water or no water at all  grind for few seconds to a very coarse paste.
3. Add coriander, dill leaves,curry leaves ,onion,green chillies and salt and give one final spin (for 2 seconds)
4. Transfer to a bowl and add whole channa dal and mix well.The paste must be thick.
5. Heat oil in a deep vessel, make flat vadas and slip into hot oil, continue the same with rest of the vadas. Fry till the vadas turn golden brown.
6. Serve with chutney.

avarakkai chops

This is my favorite vegetarian dish, I am not ashamed to admit that I will definitely choose this dish over any non veg dish(me being a hardcore non vegetarian)

I have a lot of respect for Avarakkai chops, the gravy is very simple not many ingredients but I know personally how much hard work goes into making this dish. First , removing the seeds from its shell and  soaking it in water for few hours and then the tedious job of removing the thin skin of each seed one by one, imagine removing skins of each seed by squeezing it between your fingers. I know how tedious it is- but for some reason I have to do it myself, I do not let any one  help me. That's why I respect this dish a lot - you should too.

Correct me if Am wrong, I think the English name for Avarakkai is hyacinth beans

Ingredients
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• 1 kg Avarakkai 
• 4 medium onion sliced
• 1 inch ginger chopped
• 8 to 9 cloves of garlic chopped
• 4 green chillies chopped
• 2 cloves
• 1/2 inch cinnamon
• 1 tsp poppy seeds
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 tomatoes chopped
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves (chopped)

Method

1. Place a pan on medium flame , add 1 tbsp oil and add in onion, ginger, garlic, green chillies, poppy seeds, cloves, cinnamon and turmeric powder and stir for few minutes (this just to remove the raw taste).
2. Grind the above to fine paste and keep aside.
3. In the same pan add 1 tbsp oil and when the oil is hot add tomatoes and fry for 2 to 3 minutes till the tomato melts, now add the ground masala and red chilli powder and fry till the oil separates from the sides of the masala. 
4. Now add the avarakkai seeds (you can keep the thin skin the way it is but I feel avarakkai tastes better without the skin) and add 1/2 cup water (add more if you want thin consistency)
5. Add salt and mix well.
6. Add chopped coriander leaves and mix.
7. Avarakkai can be served with rice, chappatis and dosa.

Maddur vada / Semolina and rice fritters

 Maddur Vada gets its name from the place Maddur which is near Mandya district ,Karnataka.I vaguely remember going to Maddur on our way to Mysore,but don't remember eating maddur vada.

The only place I have had maddur vada is at Woody's commercial street, for some weird reason ,no matter what we ordered my dad without fail has to order Maddur vada (and it did not taste that great).So I came to a conclusion that my dad likes Maddur Vada,no matter how good or bad.Everything sweet on this blog is for dad -coz he just loooooooooooooooves anything thats sweet. This spicy vada if for him too, and I am glad he enjoyed it with his evening tea.

I have tried to recreate the picture that was in Sanjeev Kapoor's book (link given below),it looks like my Maddur Vada needs to go on a diet.

 Recipe source:Sanjeev Kapoor-Dakshin Delights

Ingredients
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• 1/2 cup Semolina/rawa(very fine)
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 1/2 cup maida (all purpose flour)
• 4 green chillies (finely chopped)
• 2 small onions (chopped finely)
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves (chopped)
• 5-6 curry leaves (chopped)
• 3 tbsp ghee(melted)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• pinch hing
• salt to taste
• oil to deep fry

Method

1. In a large bowl mix rice flour, semolina, maida, salt, onion, green chillies, coriander leaves, curry leaves, ghee and cumin seeds.Using very little water form a stiff dough.
2. Place 2 tbsp of dough in your hand and flatten the dough with other hand.
3. Heat oil to deep fry on medium flame.You will know that the oil is ready when you drop a small piece of dough and it sizzles and comes up without changing color.Drop the vadas one at a time and fry till crispy and golden brown.For crispy Maddur Vada, fry on medium flame.
4. Remove from oil and place on a kitchen paper to remove excess oil.
5. Serve with chutney.

Note:In Sanjeev Kapoors website Maida is missing in the ingredients list.

sending over to Denny's and Kirthi's blog

soppu saar -greens curry

This recipe is for Latha doddamma ,who can have soppu saar with rice 365 days of the year,

I would like to thank Ratnamma for the recipe.

This curry goes well with rice and ragi mudde

Ingredients
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• 3 bunch of greens (3 different types)
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 medium onion (roughly chopped)
• 4 -5 green chillies
• 1/2 cup tovar dal
• 3 tbsp coriander leaves
• 10 cloves garlic
• salt

for seasoning

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 red chilly (dried)
• 10-12 curry leaves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds 
• pinch hing

method

1.Put tovar dal,tomatoes,green chillies,coriander leaves,chopped greens,onion,,garlic and 1 cup water into a pressure cooker and cook for 3 whistles or until completely cooked.

2. Remove the cooker lid and mash the greens.

                  
3. keep a vessel on medium flame,add oil,when oil is hot add mustard seeds and when it splatters add rest of the seasoning ingredients,fry for few seconds then add the mashed greens and salt and bring to boil.
4.serve with rice or ragi mudde.