MoLaga Bajji (Mensinkai Bajji)

Think of the monsoon days and the first thing that comes to my mind is hot molaga bajji and tea :) These are made with hungarian peppers and are not very hot as the other varieties of chillies. 

Prep. Time: 30 mins.

Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS:

Hungarian peppers: 4-5 nos.

Gram flour (besan): 2 cups

Rice flour: 1/4 cup

Red chilli powder: 3 tsp

Corriander powder: 2 tsp

Asafoetida: 1/4 tsp

Cumin seeds: 1/4 tsp

Tamarind juice: 1/2 tsp

Baking soda: a pinch

Salt as per taste

Water

Oil to deep fry

METHOD:

Wash the peppers and make a slit in each of the peppers. Retain the stem. It would help in dipping the peppers whole.

Make a mixture of two tsps of red chilli powder, the corriander powder, salt, tamarind paste, crushed cumin seeds and asafoetida. For each of the pepper coat the insides with this mixture and keep aside.

In a bowl, add the besan, rice flour, 1 tsp red chillipowder, asafoetida, salt and baking soda. Add water and make a semi thick batter.

Heat oil. Dip each of the pepper in the batter so that it is completely covered and then deep fry till golden brown. 

Serve hot.

Ciao till next time...Have fun! Vidya.

Maddur Vade

Maddur Vade is a snack named after the town Maddur in Mandya. This is one thing which no one would want to miss when travelling from Bangalore to Mysore :)

Its named vade but is quite crisp like thattai and here goes the recipe...

INGREDIENTS:

Rice flour: 1 cup

Maida/ All purpose flour: 1/2 cup

Rava/ Semolina: 1/2 cup

Red onion: 1 medium

Green chillies: 5-6 nos. (or as per taste)

Red chilli powder: 1 tsp 

Asafoetida / hing: a few generous pinches

Curry leaves: a sprig

Cashewnuts (chopped): 1 tsp (Optional)

Salt as per taste

Water for kneeding

Oil for deep frying

METHOD:

In a bowl take the flours and rava and add the chopped onions, green chillies, curry leaves, chilli powder, hing and salt and mix well.

In a pan, heat the oil for deep frying.

Add a spoonful of warm oil to the bowl with the flour mix.

Kneed this into a dough by adding water. It should be slightly thinner and softer than the chapathi dough. 

Make small flat rounds out of the dough by patting onto a plastic / butterpaper sheet.

Deep fry till brown and crisp and serve hot with chutney. 

Tastes awesome even without any side dish.

Ciao till next time...Have fun! Vidya.

Crescent Danish Rolls

Had a can of pillsbury dough sheet which I had to finish and was bored of the regular vegetable filling for the same. I found this recipe for Danish rolls on the dough can. 

INGREDIENTS:

For the Rolls:

Pillsbury crescant rolls/ dough sheet: 1 can

Shipped cream cheese: 1 cup

Powdered sugar: 1/2 cup

Lemon: 2 tblsp

Any Jam/ Fruit preserves: 4 tspn

For the glaze:

Powdered sugar: 1/2 cup

Vanilla extracts: 1 tsp

Milk: 2-3 tspns

METHOD: 

Preheat the oven to 350 F. 

Mix the cream cheese, lemon and sugar in a bowl, whip together and keep aside.

Spread the dough sheet and cut them to 8 pieces.

On each piece, place about 2 tablespoons of the cream mixture and roll it on the longer edge and seal it completely.

Stretch the rolls a little bit and then coil them into spirals.

In the middle place about 1/2 a tspn of jam or preserve in each piece.

Bake till they are golden brown (about 25-30 mins).

In the mean time, make the glaze by mixing the sugar, vanilla and milk. 

Add sufficient milk to make a drizzling consistency. 

Once baked, use a fork to drizzle the glaze on the warm rolls.

Kids will love this and will serve as a good snack for them.

Do not glaze when hot, this would melt the sugar in the glaze (I did it when the rolls were not cooled enough and the drizzle wasnt up to the mark).

One variation for this would be to make plain rolls and spread a layer of jam and sprinkle roasted pistachios and other nuts of your choice on it.

There can be several flavours for this and imagination is the limit.

Ciao till next time...Have fun! Vidya.

Ulundu Vadai (Medu Vada)

Ulundu vadai or medu vada is one of my favourites. Its a deep fried dish made out of urad dal. Here is the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

Urad dal: 2 cups

Green Chillies: 5-6 nos

Red Onion: 1 medium sized

Ginger (grated): 1 tsp

Hing: a few pinches

Curry Leaves: a sprig

Salt as per taste

Oil for deep frying

METHOD:

Soak the urad dal for a couple of hours in water.

Grind the dal in a mixer with very less water into a smooth paste.

Add the finely chopped onions, green chillies, ginger, curry leaves, hing and salt. Mix well.

Heat oil in a kadai on a medium flame. 

Grease a plastic sheet / butter paper, add a handfull of the batter, make a small hole in the middle and deep fry till golden brown and crisp. 

Serve hot with Coconut / mint / tomato chutney and sambhar.

Hope you like it....Ciao till next time...Have fun! Vidya.