Banana Stem Kachori

Have you heard or eaten Banana Stem Kachori?
Here it is. Try and enjoy this yummy snack.

Banana stem kachori is a perfect snack for the evening. It is crispy and filling.

It is purely my creation and it turned out so well and we had it plain kachoris, with curd and onion and with sweet and sour chutney.
I have seen ppl eating chat with this raw banana stem pieces. .
I have already put Banana Stem Curry in my previous post. I will surely put up the link for Banana stem curry, so that you can follow and prepare the curry.
In this way you can make children eat banana stem.

Here is a link to prepare Banana Stem Curry :

Banana Stem Curry

Let us see the recipe now :

Things needed :

To stuff :
Banana stem curry : 1 Bowl
Besan : Gram flour : Channa dal flour : 2 Tablespoons
Garam Masala : 1/2 Tsp
Jeera : 1/2 Tsp
Salt : Required
To dough :
Wheat flour : 2 Cups
Salt : Required
Jeera / Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Tsp
Garam Masala : 1/2 Tsp
Ghee : 1 Tbs
Cooking Oil : To Fry

Method :

1. Grind Banana stem curry in a mixi jar. (Do not use any water to grind).

2. Take out from the jar and put it in a bowl.

3. Add jeera, salt and garam masala and 2 tablespoons of besan to it.

4. Mix it well and keep it aside.

5. Take a big bowl and add wheat flour. Add salt and jeera.

6. Add a tbs of ghee, 1/2 tsp of garam masala and mix it nicely.

7. Add water and prepare the thick dough.

8. Kneed the dough well and divide into small portions.

9. Now roll the small portion.
10. Place  a tbs of banana stem curry mixture and pull the edges to top.

11. Join the edges from the top portion and press it at the middle. See that it does not get open.

12. Keep a frying pan on the fire and heat. Put cooking oil and heat it.

13. Now let the flame be low. Put prepard kachoris and fry on low flame.

14. Fry on both sides till it turns golden brown.

15. Repeat the same and prepare the rest of the banana kachoris.

We had Kachoris with curd and cut onions. It taste good and  curd helps to digest the food easily and reduces the heat from our body.

Note :

Use of channa flour /besam/gram flour helps to absorb the moisture from banana stem curry.
Adding any other spices like chat masala, amechooru powder etc is optional.
Use of maida instead of wheat flour is optional. I have used wheat. It is a healthy option for maida.
Time : 30 Minutes.
15 Kachoris can be prepared.

Palak Pakoda

Palak Pakoda/Spinach Fritter is a fried dish goes well with a cup of coffee/tea. It goes well with rice, Rasam or Sambar (lunch) as one more side dish as a bite.

I have used simple spices and Palak Leaves and besan/channa flour. No cooking soda or baking powder or hot oil poured in it. Just mix it well and fry them in the oil. One should eat them when they are hot to get the best taste.
Winter has started and its cold outside, some time it rains too. We crave for these fried dishes especially when it is too cold. So craving for the fried dish? It is easy, quick and yummy. Try and enjoy.
Let us see the recipe now:

Things Needed :

Palak Leaves/Spinach : 1 Small Bundle
Besan/Channa flour : 1 Cup
Red chilly Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera/Cumin Seeds Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt : To taste
Oil: To Fry : 1 Cup

Method :

1.Wash and cut palak leaves and put it in a big bowl.
2. Add red chilly powder, channa flour, jeera/cumin seeds and salt.
3. Mix it with your fingers first and then add very little water. Mix it nicely.

4. Keep a frying pan on the fire and heat.
5. Take a handful of dough and leave out small size of dough in hot oil.
6. Fry on medium flame on both sides.

7. Remove the pakodas from oil and put it on a kitchen tissue. It absorbs oil.

8. Serve Hot Palak Pakodas with a cup of coffee or tea.

Note :

Do not add more water while mixing the dough. Adding any other spice is optional. Adding onions to the dough along with palak leaves is optional. Taste differ.
Time : 15 Minutes
Serves : 2 to 3 

Chiroti Rava Chakkuli

Chakkuli is also known as chakli or Muruku. Chakkuli is a fried dish. It is crispy and crunchy that every one will surely like to munch..Previously fried things are prepared during the festivals in large scale and used it for many weeks.The time has changed. Different varieties of fried items are shining in the market. Indian fried snacks have become famous world wide.

Chakkuli or chakli is one of the popular fried dish of every one. Especially South Indians like this dish and it can be prepared with different ingredients.Chakkuli mould is very important here to give a shape. Chakkuli the word has come from Sanskrit. ( the circular shape). The chosen flours are mixed with water and then made into thick dough. Then the dough is put into the mould and then pressed to give a round shape. Then fried in hot oil till they turn slightly golden brown and crispy. It can be kept for many days.
I remember my aunt used to prepare this chakkuli in large quantity during "Gokulastami Festival" and share with the neighbours around our home. Gokulastami festival falls  in the month of August or September. It is the biggest festival celebrated in grand manner in Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and all over India.It is believed that Shree Krishna is born on that day night. It is also a rainy season and the rains just slow down during this period and the weather is cool and nice to enjoy in South Canara.. Gokulastami is celebrated in grand way in Udupi and Shree Krishna temple is very famous temple here.
Home made things are always better and safe. You can prepare chakkuli at home and satisfy your taste bud and your people.Here Chiroti rava and rice flour are the main ingredients that I have used. Little spices like jeera and chilly powder are added to give a spicy taste. Crispy, crunchy chakkulis can be kept at least for 1 to 2 weeks in air tight bottles.

Lets see the recipe

Ingredients : 
Chirote Rava (thin variety of Semolina) : 1 Cup
Rice flour : 3 Cups
Water : 1 Cup
Butter : 1 Table spoon
Salt : to taste
Chilly powder : 1 Tea spoon
Jeera : 1 Tea spoon
Sesame seeds : 2 Table spoons
Oil : 2 Cups ( To fry)
 Method :
1. Keep a cup of water to boil on the stove. Add salt and let it boil nicely.

2. Add chiroti rava to the boiling water. Mix it well till it thickens. Put off the fire.

3. Add rice flour and a table spoon of butter, jeera and sesame seeds. 

4. Prepare the dough. Kneed the dough nicely. (Use water if necessary while preparing the dough).

5.Divide the dough in to small portion. Take a portion of it and put it in the chakkuli mould and let the mould be ready with dough.

6. Keep a frying pan on the fire and put oil. Let it become hot.
7. Now press the mould  handle by turning it.Let the chakkuli fry nicely on both side. (I pressed the dough directly to the hot oil).

8. Fry it till both sides turn crispy and crunchy.(slightly golden brown).

9. Remove the fried chakkuli and put it on the kitchen tissue. It absorbs the extra oil.

10. Prepare the chakkuli with rest of the dough.

11. Serve hot chakkuli with  a cup of hot coffee or tea or juice.
12. Put them in airtight bottle when they are cool.
Note :
You can use water if necessary while preparing the dough. Do not add more butter, chakkuli may break in to tiny piece and spread in oil. Do not use any cooking soda or baking soda. Adding more chilly powder is optional. You can mix rice flour when the dough is bit cool. You can prepare chakkuli first on a plate and then fry them. At time you can fry 3 to 4. I directly pressed chakkuli in to hot oil. You can also prepare these type of chakkuli with medium size rava.
Time : 40 minutes.
Serves : 5 to 6.

Methi Dosa Varieties

Methi Dosa Varieties

Methi or Fenugrik Seeds Dosa is very famous in Our Karnataka Side that too Southern part of Karnataka. Fenugrik Seeds are one of the healthiest Spice and it has got loads of medicine values.
Methi seeds are are known as Mentya in Kannada, Methi in Hindi and Vendyam - Tamil and Menthulu  in Telugu.
Lets See the benefits of using Fenugrik Seeds (Mentya) in our daily diet.
Methi Seeds are very popular spices for culinary and medicinal properties. They have been in use to cure digestive problems and improve breast milk secretion in the nursing mothers. Fenugrik Seeds are rich in minerals, vitamins and nutrients. The seeds are a very good source of soluble dietary fiber. They help to control blood sugar level and lower the level of cholesterol. Fenugreek seeds are one of the ingredients that recommended in the diabetic diet. Methi Seeds are excellent sources of minerals like copper, potassium, calcium. iron, zink, manganese and magnesium. They are also rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin B-6.
Lets see the recipe now. I have used Raw rice, methi seeds,  Thick Awalakki (Beaten Rice)  and very little quantity of urad dal.
These dosas are soft, pluffy, yummy and healthy and you can grow on prepare dosas with your Ideas. I am saying this because I have tried Plain Set Dosa, Veggie dosa, Cheese dosa and Guli Appa. ( Paddu or Gundu pongulu). 
Here is a recipe of Methi Set Dosa -Plain - Capsicum - Onion -  Chutney Powder &Cheese. Prepare your favourite Dosa and The whole family can enjoy having These dosas for breakfast or as evening snack. Good for Dinner also.

Ingredients :

Raw Rice : 4 Cups
Methi Seeds : 1/3 of the same cup
Awalakki or Beaten Rice : 1 cup (Thick variety).
Salt : Required
Water : Required
Oil : 1/2 cup 

Method :

1. Wash and soak Rice and Fenugrik Seeds in water for 4 to 5 hours.
2. Wash and soak Awalakki in warm water for 4 to 5 hours.
3. Now grind all the ingredients together with sufficient water. (Do not use more water).
4. Remove the dosa dough, add salt mix it well and keep it aside for fermentation. ( over night or until it raises up).

5. Keep a dosa pan on the fire and heat up. Sprinkle or spread oil on the top.
6. Put a spoon of Methi dosa dough on the tava and cover for a minute.

7. Now put a spoon of oil on the dosa and turn it other side and cook for 20 to 30 seconds. Cook on medium flame.

8. Dosa is ready to Serve    Repeat the same to prepare rest of the dosas.
9. Serve Methi Set Dosas with Coconut Chutney  or any Kootu and Jaggery. 
10 Jaggery is a good combination for Methi Set dosas and put a spoon of fresh home made ghee while serving.

Methi Set Dosa with Seeme Badane Kootu and Jaggery.

Note :  Do not add too much  or too less  water to grind. If the dough is thick add water just before you prepare dosas. It should be a normal dosa dough consistency of it can be like idly dough too. (Not thicker than idly dough). I used my mixer to grind the ingredients. Divide the ingredients in to two portions and then grind. You can grind it nicely and dough turns smooth.Using  more or less oil is optional. You must eat these dosas when they are hot. It taste fantastic. You can keep the remaining dough in the fridge.Remember the dough has to ferment well to get the right kind of dosa or it may turn saggy.  

 Capsicum Dosa

Ingredients : 
Ground and ferment dough : 2 Cups
Capsicum : 1
Coriander Leaves : 3 Table spoons
Curry Leaves : 10 to 12
Onions : 2
Coconut : 1 Table Spoon
 Method :    Please follow the pictures :

Cut  Onions, Capsicum , Coriander leaves and  Curry leaves.

Cut Capsicum on the Dosa

Cut Onions and other ingredients

Methi Veggie Dosa is Ready to Serve

 Methi  Dosa with Chutney Powder :

1. Sprinkle Any Chutney Powder ( Ground Nut or Urid -Channa Chutney powder any one of them ) after dosa is completely done and then press it with  a spoon or the dosa remover. Turn and cook for 2 seconds to get the good taste. Do not add any oil.

Sprinkle Chutney Powder on the Dosa.

Urid - Channa Chutney Powder.

Methi - Chutney pudi Dosa is ready.

Ready to Serve Chutney Pudi Methi Dosa

Methi Cheese Dosa

Ingredients
Above said ingredients + Cheese
Method :
Follow the pictures:

Cheese and cut Capsicum and Onions and grated coconut.

Spread  Capsicum and onion mixture on the top

Grate Cheese on the top.

Cover with lid and Cook. It helps to melt cheese easily.

 Guli Appa : Just put a small spoon of the dough in hot Guli appa mould, Sprinkle oil on the top and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Then turn the other side and cook for 20 seconds. Serve Hot Methi Guli Appa with your choice of chutney or curry. Add fresh ghee on the top just before serve.

Guli Appa 

Note :  You can use your choice of vegetables for the toppings of Dosa. Edible leaves also taste good and Carrots can be added along with capsicum. It taste differ and adds little sweetness to the dosa. Adding more ghee or butter taste best.