Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Apple-Pomegranate filled Pani Poori

Pani Poori who does not like it? Each and every corner you see a pani poori seller and people around him. It is such a tempting chat that you too feel like having some. Now a days even in marriage halls during the wedding reception too you get a chance to have Pani pooris.These chats are like that. They make your mouth watering by tempting your togue.

Pani pooris are small pooris, filled with spicy water along with some vegetables.
Here I have used sweet potatoes, potatoes, pomegranate&apples. For the pani (spicy water), I have used some jeera, chilly, pudina and other ingredients.
Lets see the recipes now:

All you need is :

Boiled Sweet Potato : 1 (Big) (boiled and cut into small)
Potato : 1 (Medium size) (Boiled and cut into small)
Khara Boondi : 1 Bowl
Pomegranate : 1
Apple : 1 (Red/Green : of your choice)
Sweet and Spicy Chutney : 1 Small cup

Method :

1: Wash and remove the pods from pomegrante and keep it aside.
2. Wash and remove the outer layer of apple and cut it into small piece.

3. Prepare or buy kara boondi and put it in a bowl and keep it ready. ( I have prepared khara boondi at home)
4. Keep the pooris in a big tray. Keep cut sweet potatoes and potato pieces in a bowl.

5. Make a small whole and fill in pomegranate, cut apple.
6. Add a spoon of khara boondi on the top.
7. Fill the poori with spicy water and serve immediately.

8. You can add a spoon of thick curd on the top and serve too (Optional).


Note :

One should eat this pani poori as soon as you pour spicy water in it. You can prepare pooris at home.
You can prepare khara boondi at home easily.
Time : 15 to 20 minutes.
Serves : 4 to 5.

a) Poori preparation :
Put a cup of chiroti rava (1 cup), wheat flour (2 Tablespoons), a little salt and one tablespoon of corn flour in big bowl.
Mix it with required water and prepare chapati dough. Add a teaspoon of oil on the top and leave it for 10 minutes.
Now roll on with roller and prepare big chapatis. Cut it with a small bottle cap and remove the small pooris and arrange them on the plate.
Now keep a frying pan on the fire. Add a cup of cooking oil. Let it heat.
Fry pooris on both sides. You can fry at least three small pooris at time.
Repeat the same with remaining dough and prepare pooris.
Keep the pooris aside.
Note : 
The chapati dough should be thick. Roll it as thin sheet, so that pooris turn crispy.
I did not add much oil while kneeding the dough.
b) Khara Boondi :
Mix a cup of besan, little salt and a spoon of oil.
Mix it well and add water and prepare dough.
(Should be idli dough consistency).
Now keep a frying pan on the fire and heat. Put a cup of oil and let it be hot.
Take a boondi laddle and pour a big spoon of dough on the boondi jar.
Let the boondi drops fall in hot oil. Let the both sides be crisp.
Remove from the hot oil and put it on a kitchen tissue.
Repeat the same with remaing dough.
A bowl full of khara boondi is ready to serve.
Note :
Let the dough be thick not watery. If you use more water it might absorb more oil. Use a pinch of cooking soda helps the boondi to be crispy.

c ) Sweet and spicy Chutney
Wash a bunch of coriander leaves and a bunch of pudina (mint) leaves and cut into small.
Wash 2 green chilly.
Grind pudina, coriander leaves, half teaspoon of jeera, a marble size of tamarind, 5 to 6 dates, (remove the seeds), a lttle jaggery and required salt with minimum water. Let it grind into thin paste.
Remove to the bowl and rinse the mixi jar with littlewater. Keep this water aside.
Note :
Do not add much water while grinding. Spicy chutney and sweet chutney can be prepared separately.
Use the spicy mixture and grind it nicely and remove to a small bowl. Grind jaggery, dates and little tamarind separately and put it into a bowl. Use it according to your wish.
I used all the ingredients "Sweet and Spice" together and prepared mixed chutney.
These things can be prepared previously /or before. This chutney can be stored in the freezer for a long time.

Friday, June 3, 2016

Bottle Gourd Kootu

Bottle Gourd is well known vegetable to most of us because of its healthy content. We can have different types of curries, dry curries even payasam and halwa also can be prepared.
I have used Bottle gourd, capsicum and some spices for this particular curry and this curry goes well with almost all the main dish. It is not that spicy. A mild curry will be surely liked by you all..


Let us see some benefits of using Tamarind in our curry.
Tamarind/Hunisekai/puli/is a fruit with sweet and sour taste and it is used both in medicinal and culinary purposes. It has many nutritional properties. It contain good amount of Vitamin C , B and E. It has a good source of calcium, iron, phosphorous, potassium, manganese and dietary fiber. It has anti oxidant and anti - inflammatory properites. Tamarind helps to reduce the blood pressure and cholesterol. They helps to balance diabets. They helps to boost immune system in our body and helps in proper blood circulation. It is also good for improving nerve function. They are good remedy for joint pains and inflammation.
" Bottle Gourd Kootu " has no onions and no garlic. It can be eaten with rotis, 
Lets see the recipe now.

Ingredients 

To Cook :
Bottle Gourd : 1 (Medium size)
Moong dal : 1/2 Cup (2 handful)
To Grind 
Coconut : 2 to 3 Table spoons
Green chilly : 2
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera /cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Tamarind : A small marble size
To Season : 
Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera /Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8 leaves
Ingh/Asafoetida : A pinch
Capsicum : 1
To Add : 
Salt : As required
Coriander leaves : 2 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Wash and remove the outer layer of bottle gourd and cut into small pieces.
2. Wash and cut green chilly, corinader leaves and capsicum. Keep it aside.
3. Keep a big pan on the fire and add a cup of water. Let it boil. Add cut bottle gourd pieces.
4. Wash moong dal and add it to bottle gourd pieces. Let it cook till they turn soft.


5. Grate coconut and grind it with green chilly, jeera, mustard seeds and tamarind.
6. Use little water and grind it till paste. Remove from the mixi jar and keep it aside.

7. Add grond coconut mixture to the cooked bottle gourd and mix it well. Add required salt.
8. Add required water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.


9. Keep a small pan on the fire and heat. Add a spoon of oil. Add mustard seeds. Let it splutter.
10. Add curry leaves, ingh and cut capsicum. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes. (On the low flame).
11. Shift the bottle gourd curry to a serving bowl. Add fried capsicum and mix it well.

12. Add coriander leaves and serve " Bottel Gourd Kootu " with any main dish you have prepared.

Note :

Adding toor dal instead of moong dal is optional. Adding more chilly to make the curry spicy is optional. You can add 2 to 3 pods of pepper pods while grinding. It not only adds to the taste, is good for health. (Gas formation will be reduced by pepper). You can also add a spoon of ghee while serving.
Time : 20 minutes
Serves : 2 to 3               

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About

author
My name is Nalini Somayaji. Teaching is my profession. Cooking is my passion. Reading, travelling, visiting new places, having fun with kids are some of the hobbies I can say. My recipes are Healthy, quick, easy and simple. Grown up being a traditional family member I love and respect Indian culture and traditions. Love classical dance and music.
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