Raw Banana Bajji (Pakodas).

Banana Bajjis or fritters are very famous and it is nice to munch with a cup of coffee or tea. You should eat these Bajjis when they are piping hot to get the total joy. I like fried things. Though they are not good for health you tend to eat some time. People say you should drink a cup of hot water when you have fried items. So drinking tea or coffee will surely serve the purpose.
Chinese and Japanese should be remembered here because of their life style. They have a practice, that after every meal they do drink plain tea (without milk) or soup. You should note both are piping hot. It helps them to digest food they have eaten.    
I just picked some raw bananas when I went to buy some vegetable near by grocery. After seeing them I felt like eating some banana bajji and thought of preparing bajjis.
I used gram flour (besan flour), a little bit of rice flour, jeera, salt and chilly powder. I did not add cooking soda because though they give crispiness to the pakoda, they absorb oil. I had no plan to keep these pakodas. The idea of adding cooking soda is to get the crisp.
 This is simple and quick recipe and you can have these " Raw banana bajji " for  lunch as one of the munch or as snack along with cup of coffee or tea or anytime of the day simply to munch. You can crushed garlic to the batter if you are fond of garlic. ( I did not).

Ingredients :

Channa (Besan ) flour : 1 Cup
Rice flour : 2 Table spoons
Chilly Powder : 1 tea spoon
Raw Banana : 1
Cumin seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Salt : to taste
Water : required
Oil : 1 Cup

Method :

1. Wash and remove the outer layer of raw banana and cut them into thin slice and put them in water. ( otherwise they turn black).

2. Now put channa flour, rice flour, chilly powder, cumin seeds (jeera) and salt in a bowl. Mix it nicely.

3. Add required water and prepare batter. (Add water little by little to prepare batter).

4. Keep a small pan on the fire and put oil and heat.
5. Remove banana slices from water and keep them aside.
6. Now take a piece of cut banana slice and dip in channa batter and put it slowly in hot oil and fry on both sides

7. Remove from the pan and put it on the kitchen tissue, so that extra oil will be absorbed by the kitchen tissue.

8. Repeat the same with remaining slices and prepare bajjis.
9. Serve with any chutney or tomato ketchup and a cup of tea or coffee.
10. We had Raw Banana Bajji with coconut, coriander leaves chutney.

 Note :  The batter should be like idli batter. Take care while mixing with water. The batter should not be watery. Watery batter will surely absorb more oil. As I said above adding crushed garlic is optional. 
Preparation time : 10 minutes.
Frying time : 10 minutes.
Serves  3. 

Custard Powder Halva

Custard Powder Halva is a sweet dish prepared using custard powder. It is an easy task and you will like it at the end when it is completely done. The taste of the Halva invites you to have more and more pieces. It can be cut it into pieces nicely and the colour is also so rich. I have seen many people prepared this Halva and put up pics in Foodie group. The pics inspired me to prepare this halva .
As I said it is very easy to prepare and do not take much time too. Any brand of custard powder can be used. You can use milk or water. Option is yours. Using more sugar helps to thicken the halva very quickly and gives a good shape too.
Lets see the recipe :

Things Needed :

Custard Powder : 1 Cup (Any flavour)
Sugar : 2 1/2 to 3 cups
Ghee : 2 Table spoons
Water :  4 Cups.
Cashew nuts : 2 Table spoons. (cut it into small pieces).

Method :

1. Take a big bowl or pan. Put custard powder and sugar in it.

 2. Add water and mix it nicely until everything dissolve in water completely.

3. Keep the pan on the fire and stir it slowly on medium and low flame.

4. Stir it till it leaves the side of the pan.

5. Add ghee and stir for another 5 to 10 minutes.

6. Apply ghee on a plate.
7.Add cut nuts and then mix it well.
8. Put this mixture in the ghee applied plate and spread it around.

9. Cut it according to your wish when it turns cool.

Note : Adding more ghee is optional. It does not take much ghee. Adding more sugar (3 cups) helps to get the good shape. You can use any flavour of custard powder. Did not use any cardamom or any other spice here. The Halva is soft . It does not turn hard or chewy.
Time : 20 minutes
20 to 25 pieces of Halva.