Channa Dal -Carrot Vada/Vade

Channa Dal Vada /Ambode / Masala Vade is well known fried fritter, that most of us like to have with a cup of coffee /tea/juice or with lunch. It is  a good snack for the evening with a cup of Chai /Tea or Coffee.

Channa dal vada is prepared using Channa dal as main and the other ingredients like onions, coriander, curry leaves, ginger and some time add some leaves like methi, dil etc.
Here I have tried this Masla Vada with carrots and no onions are used here.
These Masala Vada can be prepared during festivals, feast since they have no onion or garlic added.
Yummy Vadas are crispy outside and soft inside, with mild spicy you can enjoy them thoroughly.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients needed :

Chana dal : 1 1/2 Cup
Carrots : 1 Big One
Jeera /Cumin seeds : 1/2 Tsp
Green chilly : 2 to 3
Ginger : An inch
Coriander leaves : 1 Handful
Curry leaves : 8 to 10
Salt : As required
Coconut : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Cooking Oil : 1 Cup

Method :

1. Soak Channa dal for an hour and remove the water completely Grind it coarsely. Use of water should be very little while grinding.

2. Wash and dry grind curry leaves, green chilly, grated ginger and coriander leaves with coconut pieces.

3. Take a bowl, add ground channa dal, ground chilly mixture and salt
Grate carrot and add it to ground mixture. Mix all the ingredients nicely.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and add oil. Let it get hot.
5. Take a small portion of the ground mixture pat slightly and put it in the hot oil and fry.

6. Let it turn golden brown. Turn the other side and cook the same way.

7. Take out the fried Masala Vada from oil and then put it on the tissue.

8. Repeat the same with remaining Mixture and prepare Masala Vada.
9. Hot Masala Vada is ready to eat or serve.

10.We had it with our lunch.

Note : 

Do not grind into paste consistency. It should be coarse consistency. Do not add so much water while grinding. Vadas might turn soft like bondas and taste might differ. Cook on medium hot oil.
Time : 30 to 40 minutes.
Serves : 20 Vadas can be prepared.

Haraka /Araka /Kodo Millet Methi Dosa

Harka/Arka /Kodo Millet is one of the millet family grain. I have tried varieties of recipes with almost all the millet grains. I have tried my favourite Menthy / Fenugrik dosa and it was fluffy, soft and yummy.

Millets have gain the stand once again and we all know the importance of these millets in our diets. It is said that even in Ancient period people used to grow and use millets and they were the source of food.
I have been using the millet since I got to know they are energetic, gluten free, fiber rich and slow in digestion. Not only these points there are so many reasons why you should use millet  in your daily diet. They help us to reduce the weight, they control our blood pressure and diabetic condition can be improved. They help in reducing the cholesterol level in our body. They help in reducing the obesity and rich in antioxidants.
Methi/Mentya/fenugrik seeds are rich in fibers, helps to control the sugar level in our body and good cholesterol maintainer.
Let us see the recipe now :
Remember : The batter should be fermented well to get soft and fluffy dosa.

 Ingredients :

Harka/Araka /Kodo Millet : 4 Cups
Methi Seeds : 1/3 Cup.
Urid dal : 1 Handful
Salt : As required

Method :

1. Clean and wash Harka and soak in water for 3 to 4 hours.
2. Wash and soak methi seeds/fenugrik seeds separately.

3. Grind it with required water and remove it from mixi jar.

4. Add salt and mix it well. Leave it for fermenting. (Overnight).Or 6 to 8 hours.

Remember the batter has to be fermented well just before preparing dosa.
5. Next morning Mix the batter nicely.

6. Keep the tava on a fire. Heat and clean it nicely. Sprinkle some oil on the tava and clean it again.
7. Add a ladle of batter and spread very little. Dosa has to be fluffy.

8. Sprinkle some oil and cook till it is done. Turn the other side and cook and remove it from the pan.

9. Dosa is ready to serve.
10 Serve with your choice of side dish.Jaggery goes well with Methi Dosa and is good for health.

Note : 

Add required water while grinding. The batter should be like dosa batter consistency. Remember the batter has to be fermented well to get good fluffy dosa.
Do not add any rice while grinding.
Time : Soaking time 3 Hours + Grinding time + 10 minutes ( Mixi ) + Fermentation 6 to 8 hours and preparing dosa : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 6 to 8 People.

Rice Flour - Moong - Urid chakkuli

Chakkuli ..chakkuli yummy yummy chakkuli. Crispy Chakkuli, Crunchy Chakkuli .

Oh, chakli, chakkuli, muruku, is one of the fried fritters from Karnata since ages. We have read about the pregnant women wants to have chakkuli, the kid wants chakli in her snack box, when the son in law arrive, there will be loads of snack but he likes chakli very much. We want to pack chakkuli while travelling to touring, picnic or even International visit, where son or the daughter waiting to see what all snacks are sneaked and traveled so far.
I am writing all this above because Chakkuli has so much importance in our Indian culture. For Gokulastami /Shree Krishna Janmastami we prepare chakkulis, Ganesha Festivals we do prepare and How can we forget our Deepavali, festival of life has to be have chakkuli. It is easy to prepare and pack, yummy to have and it has a long shelf life.
In Olden days or the days gone, chakkuli used to prepared with using urid dal and rice flower only. Days have gone and so much experiments, different ingredients also used for making chakkuli. Rava chakkuli, Same /little millet chakkuli, palak chakkuli, potato chakkuli, cashews chakkuli, Aval/Poha chakkuli, ragi chakkuli, jolada chakkuli, so the list goes on.
For the festival I have tried here one of the yummy chakkuli recipe and I am sure you too will surely like it, prepare it and enjoy it. It is soft, crispy, crunchy and of course easy.

Just remember you do not use much of roasted chenna, only 2 tablespoons.
I have used rice flour, cooked moong, urid dal, sesame seeds, roasted chenna, little jeera and butter.
The butter also should be minimum or chakkuli might absorb more oil while frying.
No need to roast any thing. Just cook dals separately and then mix it nicely.

Here is the recipe :

Ingredients :

Fine Rice Flour :  3 1/2 to 4 Cups
Urid dal : 1/2 Cup
Moong dal : Little less than 1/2 cup. 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Roasted Chenna /Huri Kadale /Pottu Kadale : 2 Tablespoons
Butter : 2 Tablespoons
Red chilly Powder : 1 Teaspoon
Jeera : 1 Teaspoon
Sesame Seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Oil : 2 Cups (To Fry)
Salt : As Required
Chakli Mould

Method :

1. Wash and cook urid dal and moong dal separately with required water. (Pressure cook).
Let it cool.

2. Dry grind Roasted Chenna / Huri Kadale / Pottu Kadale and keep it aside.
3. Put cooked dals in a big bowl. Smash it nicely. Add salt, rice flour, jeera, sesame seeds, chilly powder and butter.

4. Add dry ground Roasted Chenna and mix all the ingredients nicely.
5. Now add required water and prepare chakli dough. (Add water little by little).

6. Divide the dough into small portions.
7. Take a handful of dough and insert it inside the chakli mould.

8. Press the chakli on the clean cloth.

9. Keep Oil on the fire and heat.

10. Fry chakli in hot oil on medium flame. Fry on both sides.
11. Remove from the hot oil and put it on a kitchen tissue.

12. Repeat the same with remaining dough and prepare the remaining chakkuli.
13. Keep it in a big bowl and let it cool.

14. Store crispy chakkuli in a airtight box or bottle.

15. Serve with a cup of coffee/tea/juice anything of your choice.

Note :

Remember the chakkuli will be so soft while preparing./pressing. Do it carefully or it might break while leaving in oil.
Moong dal adds to the taste. You can dry roast a little and then use it. I have not done it. Let the moong be lesser than urid dal. Adding roasted chenna is optional. Adding hot oil (2 to 3 tbs), instead of butter is optional. Keeping more oil for frying is optional. Adding  more red chilly is optional.
Time 40 to 60 minutes.
Serves : As per your desire

Shelf life : Nearly 2 Weeks.

Avarekai Rava Rotti

ಅವರೆಕಾಯಿ /Field beans is a pod which is available during winter and its the season you get the best Avaekai. Here I have tried Rava rotti adding Avarekai and it is the yummy rotti and I assure you to try and enjoy.

All I used is  the normal ingredients, like Avarekai, onions, ginger, coconut, green chilly and Rava/Semolina.
It is one of the simple but yummy rotti that is good for breakfast, dinner or even as snack.
Rava /Semolina is filled with minerals and vitamins. It is a coarse powder of dhurum wheat.
Rava keeps you full for a long time because it is digested slowly. It takes care of your blood sugar and blood pressure.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Rava /Semolina : Medium sized : 2 Cups
Curd : 1 Cup
Onions : 2 Medium sized
Curry leaves : Handful
Coriander leaves : Handful
Green chilly : 2
Ginger : An inch
Cooked Avarekai : 1 Bowl : 250 gr.
Coconut : 1 Cup
Salt : As required
Normal water : As required
Cooking Oil : 3 to 4 Tbs

Method :

1. Wash curry leaves, coriander leaves, green chilly and cut into small pieces.
2. Wash and cook field beans and keep it ready.

3. Remove the outer cover of onions and wash it, Cut into small pieces.
4.Remove the outer layer of ginger and wash it again. Grate it and keep it aside.
5. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
6. Take a big bowl and put all the ingredients like coconut, cooked field beans, grated ginger, grated coconut, salt, cut onions, coriander leaves and curry leaves.
7. Add rava/semolina and curd. Mix it nicely. Add required water and prepare rotti batter.
8. Let it be bit liquid consistency. It helps in making thin rotti. Leave the batter for 10 minutes.

9. Keep a dosa pan on the fire. Let the flame be very low. Heat and put a tsp of oil. Spread the oil around.

10. Take a handful of rotti batter and spread it around the pan as a circle shape.
11. After spreading the batter increase flame to medium. Let the rotti cook for a minute.

12. Turn the other side and cook. Crispy rotti is ready to serve. Prepare the rest of the rotti.

13. Serve with the side dish you have prepared.

14. Add ghee or butter on the top just before serving.

Note :

Let the batter consistency be little thicker than idli batter. It should not be very watery. Adding more chilly or any other ingredients is optional. Use of more oil is optional. Use of cooked Avarekai is better to add since use of raw field beans do not cook fast.
Time :30 Minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3 .

Rava Set Dosa

Rava /Rave /Semolina is one of the grain which helps you to prepare some food quickly. Semolina is a wheat rava and it is healthy to use it.
I have prepared prepared set dosa with medium sized rava and urid dal. It is soft, fluffy, yummy and of course it is healthy.

Let us see some benefits of eating Rave/Rava/Sooji / Semolina
Rava / Semolina is a coarse  flour made from durum wheat. Rava is rich in protein and fiber. So rava is digested slowly and keeps you full for a long time. It has good amount of vitamins. Rava has good source of iron and magnesium. These minerals helps and support red blood cell production and blood sugar control. Rava /Semolina is good for weight loss, for good heart health.
Here steamed /cooked plain rava is added to ground urid dal. It is idli batter actually and I made use for Fluffy dosa/dose.
Let us see the recipe now :
Pressure cook Rava in a container and keep it aside to cool. ( No water to rava while cooking). You can use weight to cook Rava. It is just like you are cooking rice. But not to add water to rava. It should be dry.

Things Needed :

Urid dal : 1 Cup
Steamed Rava/Semolina : 2 Cups
Salt : As required

Method :

1. Soak urid dal for 2 to 3 hours and grind it with required water. (I have used grinder).
2. Take out the ground urid batter to a big bowl and add salt and steamed rava.
3. Mix it well and leave it for fermentation.
4. Next morning Mix the Rava dosa batter nicely. Add water if required. It should be idli batter consistency.
5. Keep tava /pan on the fire and heat.

6. Clean the pan with a clean kitchen tissue.
7. Sprinkle some oil and put a ladle of oil. Do not spread much.
8. Cover and cook on low flame.  Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of oil on the top. Turn the other side and cook.

9. Take it out from the pan and serve hot Rava Set Dosa with the side dish you have prepared.

10.We had it with Honey and pickle.

Note :

Rava should be cooked well to get good taste. No need to add any methi seeds or avalakki. We are using more Urid dal. Cook on medium and low flame. Adding ghee/ butter instead of oil to cook dosa is optional. It taste heavenly.
Time : Urid dal soaking time 3 Hours + Fermentation + Over Night + Dosa preparation 30 Minutes.
Serves : 4 to 5.
Grind a cup of Urid dal with required water and take it out to a big bowl.

How to cook/steam Plain dry rava....? 

1. Keep pressure cooker on the fire.
2. Put some water and place the cooker plate.
3. Keep a small bowl upside down.

Placing the bowl upside down.

 4. Put Rava in a clean dry bowl. Keep it on the bowl. (Which is already placed up side down). Cover with a clean plate.

Placing Rava bowl in cooker.

 5. Close the lid and Keep cooker weight after it pushes the air out of the knob.

Cook for 8 to 10 minutes.

6. Open the lid and take out cooked rava and let it cool.

8. Add little water and mix it nicely. ( Once the rava cools down completely).

Add little water once the rava cools down.

9. Add rava mixture to ground urid batter and add salt. Mix it well and let it ferment over night or 5 to 6 hours.