Jantikalu (Spicy Rice Flour Fritters)

My dear hubby would generally love these type of Indian snacks rather than eating outside junk.  He was asking me to prepare these for quite a long time but I was a bit lazy to stand in front of the stove for such a lengthy period. Yeah, when I prepare these, I prepare in wholesome quantity as they can be afresh for almost 15 days. 

What I used:

Rice Flour : 3 cups
Roasted gram flour (Putnalu Powder) : 1 cup
Water : 2 cups
Ginger garlic paste : 3 tbsp
Garam masala : 2 tbsp
Red chilli powder : 2 tbsp
Salt : as required
Oil : for deep frying

And of course one muruku presser.

How I did:

• Take rice flour in a large bowl and add all the ingredients except water and oil.
• With a spoon mix thoroughly until all the contents are well mixed.  
• Heat 3 tbsp of oil separately and pour into the mixture and mix.
• Add water little by little and mix into the mixture to form a dough.  Use your hands to make the dough.
• Heat oil in a deep pan on medium heat. 
• Take a ball of dough and fill the muruku presser till 3/4 level of it.
• In a circular motion, press jantikalu directly into oil taking care not to burn yourselves.
• No need to flip over the jantikalu. Fry for a few minutes till reddish brown color.  
• Transfer to a paper tissue to absorb excess.
• Serve as a snack or a timepass in front of TV.  Store in an air tight container when cooled.  

Satya, my blogger friend, has shared a beautiful award with me.  Thanks Satya for sharing with me.  She has a lovely blog with yummy recipes.

7 things about myself:

• Love to play with my kids.
• Love to watch detective movies and suspense thrillers.
• Love old and melodious songs.
• Love to roam around with my hub and kids.
• Try to experiment new recipes always. 
• Blogging has become my passion now-a-days.
• And a little lazy to wake up early in the morning.

I would like to share this award with the following 15 blogger friends.

To accept this award

• Thank the person who gave you this award
• Share 7 things " About myself"
• List 15 friends you like to pass on this award to.

And the award goes to:

• GayathriRaj
• Dipika
• Smitha Srivastava 
• Padhu
• Sailaja 
• US Masala 
• Jay
• Pan Gravy Kadai Curry  
• PranisKitchen 
• Nisha 
• Viju
• Divya
• Pavithra
• Kalva
• Kanthi

Happy Blogging...

Kuska

I ate this Kuska for the first time when I went to a Tamil restaurant.  It tasted awesome.  The cooking method is almost similar to Hyderabadi bagara rice (shall post that recipe very soon) but the only major difference is the use of coconut milk in Kuska. I used basmati rice here, but I hope you can use any kind of rice for this recipe.  

What I used:

Basmati rice : 2 cups
Coconut Milk : 1 cup
Water : 2 1/2 cups
Onion : 1/2 (sliced into thin strips)
Bay leaves : 3 to 4
Cinnamon : 1 inch stick
Cloves :6
Elaichi : 6
Star anise : 3
Shahijeera : 1 tbsp
Pepper corns : 1 tbsp
Green chillies : 6 to 8
Chopped coriander : 2 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste : 2 tbsp
Salt : as required
Clarified butter / oil : 3 tbsp

How I did:

• Wash and soak rice for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Heat 2 tbsp of clarified butter in a kadai.  Drain the excess water from the rice and add that to kadai.
• Fry for about 5 to 7 minutes until you smell the aroma of rice fried in clarified butter.
• Transfer to a plate or dish.  In the same kadai heat a tbsp of clarified butter.
• Add all the spices (Bay leaves,Cinnamon,Cloves, Elaichi, Star anise, Shahijeera and Pepper corns).
• When the spices start to crackle, add ginger garlic paste and green chillies.
• Saute for a while and add onion slices.
• Stir in between until onions turn translucent.  Pour in the water and coconut milk.
• At this stage add salt, chopped coriander and bring it to boil.  Add rice and mix once.
• Simmer the stove and cook covered for 5 to 7 minutes. Stir once or twice in between.  Do not over-stir the rice as it may break the rice into small bits.
• Switch off the stove and leave it untouched for another 15 minutes.  This completes the cooking process.
• Serve with any Kurma.

Bread Halwa

Who doesn't love the combination of ghee with sugar and nuts.  Very simple and quick dessert yet very rich in calories and carbs. One should not compromise on using ghee, if they want to relish this dessert fullfledgely.

What I used:

Bread : half loaf (from the normal sized loaf and not from the oversized costco bread)
Milk : 2 cups
Sugar : 3/4 to 1 cup (depending on the taste)
Ghee : 3/4 cup
Cashews, almonds, raisins : each a few (though I didn't have cashews handy)

How I did:

• Cut the bread pieces into small cubes (almost 1 inch pieces).
• Heat ghee in a kadai, add the bread cubes and mix them till all the cubes are coated with ghee. You will have to do this real quick or else all of the ghee will be absorbed by the first added bread pieces.
• Fry them till they are light golden brown and pour in the milk.  Stir occasionally till the all the milk is absorbed by the bread cubes.
• Add the sugar and mix thoroughly.  Cook till the mixture leaves the edges.
• In a pan heat a tbsp of ghee and fry the nuts till golden brown and the raisins are puffed up.
• Transfer the halwa into serving bowl and garnish with the fried nuts.
• Serve warm and can be stored in refrigerator.

Kohlrabi with Spring Onions

Kohlrabi, I've never heard this name before.  It looks almost like a turnip with a bunch of leaves on the top. Last week when to shop groceries, I just happened to grab a bunch of Kohlrabi thinking they were turnips.  Yesterday when I took them out from the refrigerator to cook, I ended up thinking what to cook with this.  I didn't know what it tasted or how it smelled.  I didn't even know its name. I googled for almost half-hour to find out its name.  To my knowledge, these little bulb-shaped vegetables can be eaten raw or cooked,  the leaves too can be eaten, and taste a lot like broccoli stems. The word kohlrabi is German for cabbage turnip and smells like cabbage while cooking.  Check out this recipe.

What I used:

Kohlrabi : 2 nos along with leaves 
Spring Onions : 5 (chopped)
Onion : 1/2 (chopped)
Green chillies : 8 to 10 (slit lengthwise)
Ginger garlic paste : 1 tbsp 
Fresh grated coconut : 3 tbsp
Urad dal : 1 tsp
Mustard seeds : 1 tsp
Red chillies : 2 (broken into small bits) 
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp
Turmeric powder : a pinch 
Salt : as required
Oil : 1 tbsp 

What I did:

• Separate leaves of kohlrabi from the bulbs.  Just the leaves, don't use the stem. Wash them and chop into pieces.  Dice the bulbs too into cubes (That was the hardest part in cooking this recipe).
• In a pressure cooker take diced kohlrabi bulbs, add turmeric powder and just enough water to cover them and cook for 2 whistles. 
• Heat oil in a kadai on medium flame, add mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds and red chilli pieces.
• Once the seeds crackle, add green chillies and ginger garlic paste and saute for a while.
• Add chopped onions and chopped spring onions and saute till the onions turn light brown.
• Add cooked kohlrabi along with the chopped leaves, cover and simmer till all the water oozed out from spring onions is absorbed.
• Add salt and freshly grated coconut.
• Serve with plain rice or chapatis.

Tomatillo and Spinach Chutney

What I used:

Tomatillos :  4 nos.
Spinach : 3 handfuls of leaves
Tamarind : 2 marble sized (Soak in a little amount of water)
Red chillies : 4 to 5
Coriander seeds : 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds : 1 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds : 1 tsp
Salt : as required
Garlic cloves : 3 nos.
Oil : 1 tbsp

For Tadka
Asafoetida : a big pinch
Red chillies : 2 broken into small bits
Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp
Urad dal : 1/2 tsp
Oil : 2 tsp

What I did:

• Wash and drain spinach leaves.  Wash and cut tomatillos into big chunks.
• Heat a tbsp of oil in a kadai on medium high flame and add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and coriander seeds and saute for a while.
• Allow them to splutter and add green chillies and garlic cloves.  
• Stir and add tomatillo chunks and spinach leaves.
• Add salt and cook covered for about 7 to 10 minutes stirring occassionally.
• Tomatillos release water while cooking.  Cook till almost all the water is evaporated.
• Let cool and grind in a mixer grinder along with soaked tamarind.  Adjust the salt if any.  Transfer to a bowl.
• Heat oil for tadka and add all the tadka ingredients.  When the seeds crackle pour it onto the chutney.
• Serve with plain rice, roti or dosas.

Rajma Cutlets

What I used:

Rajma : 1 cup (washed and soaked overnight)
Potato : 1 large sized (boiled, peeled and mashed)
Green peas : 1/2 cup
Salt : as required
Red chilli powder : 1 tsp
Finely chopped ginger : 1 tbsp
Dhania powder : 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder :  1/4 tsp
Garam masala powder : 1/4 tsp
Oil : 2 to 3 tbsp

How I did:

• In a pressure cooker, boil rajma in the same water in which they are soaked for upto three whistles.
• When cooled, drain all the water and mash them with a potato masher.
• Add mashed potato, green peas and rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.
• Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Grease a cookie sheet with some oil.  
• Make large lemon sized balls of the mixture, press gently to form a patty and arrange them on the cookie sheet with enough gap between them.
• Brush or spray oil onto them and put the sheet into the oven for about 30 to 35 minutes.
• Turn over the cutlets onto the other side after 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven once the crust becomes crispy.
• Serve with ketchup.

Mirapakaya Bajji with Mirapakaya Ginjala Chutney (Mirchi Bajji with Mirchi seeds Chutney)

What I used:

For the Bajji
Jalapeno Chillies with stem : 10 (really hot)
Besan 1 cup
Vaamu (ajwain) : 1 tbsp
Baking soda : a pinch
Salt : as required
Oil : for deep frying

For the Chutney
Chilli seeds : whatever is removed from the chillies
Tamarind : 1 large lemon sized (soaked a little water)
Roasted sesame seeds : 3 tbsp
Pitted dates : 7 to 8
Salt as required
Cumin seeds : 1 tbsp

How I did:

Bajji

• Wash and pat dry the chillies with tissue paper.  Slit them lengthwise just on one side of the chilli keeping both the ends intact.  There should be opening just to remove the seeds from inside. 
• With the help of a knife or the other end of a spoon, carefully remove the seeds without disturbing the ends of the chillies.
• Prepare a thick batter by adding ajwain, salt, baking soda and 1/2 cup of water to one cup of besan.
• Heat oil in kadai on medium high flame, dip each chilli into batter, cover the chilli thoroughly with batter, turning it around and carefully drop one by one into the hot oil.
• Deep fry till golden brown on all the sides turning in between.
• Transfer them on to paper towels to absorb the excess oil.

Chutney

• Take all the ingredients mentioned above for chutney in a mixer grinder and grind to a smooth paste.  Add little water if required.  The dates can be substituted with jaggery.

Dates Biscuits

What I used:

All purpose flour / Maida : 1 cup
Sugar : 1/2 cup
Butter : 1/2 cup
Baking Powder : 1 tsp
Milk : 2 to 3 tbsp
Dates : 6 to 8

How I did:

• Preheat the oven to 325 F.
• Chop the dates into very small chunks.
• Sieve maida and baking powder and combine sugar to it in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
• Add chopped dates and melted butter and knead into a soft dough.  If it doesn't form into a proper dough, add little milk.
• Divide the dough into lemon sized balls.
• Grease a baking tray with some butter and arrange the balls leaving enough space between each of them to avoid sticking to each other. 
• Gently press and flatten the balls a little with your fingers.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or till the edges turn to golden brown.
• Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes on the baking tray.
• Let cool completely before serving and storing. Store in an air tight container.

Watermelon Cone Sundaes

What I used:

Ice cream cones : 4
Watermelon : 4 scoops
Kraft Easy Cheese frosting
Vanilla ice cream : 1 /2 cup
Miniature chocolate chips : a few
Ice cream sprinkles : a few

How I did:

• Arrange ice cream cones on serving plate.
• Scoop vanilla ice cream to the bottom of the cones just to the level of the cones.
• Place an ice cream scoop of watermelon onto the cone.
• Pipe with easy cheese frosting.
• Place a small scoop of vanilla ice cream on the top.
• Sprinkle with ice cream sprinkles or miniature chocolate chips and serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Fry - Sweet and Simple

What I used:

Sweet Potato : 2 medium sized
Kasoori Methi : 2 tbsp
Salt : as required
Red Chilli Powder : 1 tsp or as required
Dhania Powder : 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala Powder : 1/4 tsp
Mustard Seeds : 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds : 1/4 tsp

How I did:

• Wash, peel and cut sweet potatoes into small cubes and put them in cold water until you transfer them to the stove.
• Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a kadai on medium high flame, add mustard and cumin seeds.
• When the seeds splutter, thoroughly drain the water from the sweet potato cubes and add them to the kadai.
• Cook uncovered for two minutes stirring occasionally.
• Add salt, kasoori methi and put the lid on.  Stir in between and cook till the sweet potatoes are cooked enough but not mushy.
•  Just before switching off the stove, add all the spice powders according to your taste.
•  Serve with plain rice.

Cabbage Kofta curry

What I used:

For the Kofta:
Grated Cabbage : 1 cup
Grated carrot : 1/2 cup
Besan (Gram flour) : 2 to 3 tbsp
Salt : as required
Red chilli powder : 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder : 1/4 tsp
Oil : for deep frying

For the Gravy:
Chopped onions : 1/2 cup
Chopped tomatoes : 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder : 1 tsp
Salt : as required
Chopped coriander : 2 tbsp
Coriander powder : 1/4 tsp
Garam masala powder : 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder : a big pinch
Ginger garlic paste : 2 tsp
Mustard seeds : 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds : 1/4 tsp
Urad dal : 1/4 tsp
Red chillies : 1 (broken into small bits)

How I did:

• In a bowl take grated cabbage, grated carrots and salt and mix together.
• Squeeze as much water as possible from the mixture and keep the water separately.  You are going to use it for the gravy.
• To the mixture, add besan, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and the required amount of salt and combine thoroughly.
• Divide the mixture equally and make small lemon sized balls.
• Heat oil in a kadai on medium high flame and deep fry the balls till golden brown color and drain them on paper towel.
• Take another kadai and do the tadka (heat a tbsp of oil and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal and red chillies.)
• When the seeds crackle add chopped onions and ginger garlic paste.
• Once the onions turn translucent, add chopped tomatoes.
• Cook covered till the tomatoes are well cooked and become mushy.  
• Add the water which has been extracted by squeezing cabbage and carrots.  If required, add some more water, salt and the all the spice powders.
• Once it is boiled and becomes a thick gravy, follow your tastebuds and adjust the spices.
• Keep aside a little of chopped coriander for garnishing and add the rest to the gravy.  Switch off and transfer to a serving dish.
• Add the koftas just before serving as they tend to become soggy very soon.
• Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with rotis or plain rice or flavored rice.

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French Toast

What I used:

Eggs : 2 nos.
Milk : 1/2 cup
Bread slices : 4
Sugar : 1 tsp
Salt : a pinch
Maple Syrup : for serving
Butter : for serving

What I did:

• Beat eggs in a bowl.  Stir in milk, sugar and salt and whisk until well blended.  Transfer to a shallow bowl or plate.
• Heat a nonstick pan on a low flame, grease some butter.
• Dip each bread slice into the mixture and allow it to soak for a few seconds.  Carefully turn to the other side, scraping any drip to the edge of the plate and soak it for few more seconds.
• Soak only the number of bread slices you want to cook at one time.
• Place the bread slices on the pan.  Fry on both the sides until golden brown, flipping in between.
• Serve with syrup and butter.

Tip:  Prepare the toasts the day before and warm them up in a toaster the next day.  That way they turn crispy and not soggy.

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Brown Rice Pilaf

What I used:

Brown Basmati Rice : 2 cups
Mixed Vegetables : 1 cup (Potatoes, carrots, corn, peas.  Wash, peel and cut potatoes and carrots into small cubes.)
Onion : 1/2 (Cut into thin slices)
Green Chillies : 6 to 8 (slit lengthwise)
Chopped Coriander : 3 tbsp
Cardamom : 6
Cloves : 6
Cinnamon : 1 inch piece
Shahijeera : 1 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste : 1 tbsp
Water : 3 1/2 cups
Oil / ghee : 2 tbsp
Salt : to taste

How I did:

• Wash rice and soak for half an hour.
• Heat ghee in a pressure cooker on medium high flame, add all the spices.
• When they start to crackle, add green chillies, onions and ginger garlic paste.  Saute till the onions turn translucent.
• Add the vegetables and saute for few minutes.  Add chopped coriander and mix.
• Add salt and rice and combine well.  Let fry for a minute and add 2 cups of water.
• Adjust the salt and cook covered with whistle for upto 3 whistles.  
• Alternatively use an electric cooker.  The entire process can be done using a vessel of an electric cooker.  Once the water is added transfer the vessel to the electric cooker and cook till done.
• Serve with raita.

Roasted Soybeans

While we were on flight from Sanjose to Portland, the crew on the Alaska Airlines gave us a snack mix which included bbq soybeans.  I loved them so much that I wanted to try them immediately after I landed in Portland.  As I was on the verge of settling down in Portland, it took some time for me to search for bbq soybeans recipe over internet but couldn't find one.  Finally I roasted them in the oven and they turned out exactly the way I tasted.  Tossed with some Indian spices, these were awesome.

What I used:

Soybeans : 1 cup
Olive Oil : 2 tbsp
Salt : as required
Red chilli powder : 1/2 tsp or as required
Dhania powder : 1/4 tsp
Garam masala powder : 1/4 tsp

How I did:

• Soak soybeans to the tooth for 8 hours or overnight in enough water.  Alternatively boil them in water for 5 minutes and leave them for 1 or 2 hours.
• Rinse and strain the soaked soybeans in a colander.  Leave for half hour so that any water left out is strained.
• Preheat oven to 400 deg F. 
• Transfer the soybeans to a bowl and mix salt and oil to them.
• Take an oven safe tray which has sides so that its easy to stir in between.  Evenly spread soybeans on to the tray
• Bake for about 30 min stirring in between after every 10 min.  Bake time varies on the amount of water left in soybeans. They are ready when they turn to golden brown.
• Let cool for 5 minutes and transfer to a serving bowl and toss in the spice powders.
• Serves as a nice snack.  Avoid spices if doing for kids.