MASALA VADA

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup -  chana dal, soak in water 2 hrs, drain

1 -  large finely chopped onion
4 -  green chillis finely chopped

2″ -  ginger finely minced

2  -cloves garlic
1 -  tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
1 - tbsp finely chopped mint leaves                        
10 - curry leaves, finely chopped      
1/4  -tsp cumin pwd
pinch of garam masala pwd
salt to taste
oil for deep

METHOD:

1. Grind the soaked and drained chana dal (leave aside a fistful of soaked dal), ginger, garlic and green chillis to a coarse paste.
2.  Add the remaining chana dal, chopped onions,  mint leaves, curry leaves coriander leaves, cumin pwd, garam masala pwd and salt and mix well.

3. Take some of this mixture to form a lemon sized ball.
4.  Flatten it on your palm to make a patti shape.

5.  Prepare patties with the rest of the mixture.

6.  Heat oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel.

7. Once its hot, reduce flame to medium and place these patties in the oil and fry them to a golden brown color.

 Serve hot with tomato sauce or any chutney of your choice...............................

COCONUT CHUTNEY

INGREDIENTS:

 grated fresh coconut(or cut into 2” pieces) - 1CUP
¼ cup  - putanaala pappu
3 -  green chillis
Salt

For Tempering:
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ urad dal(minapapappu,black gram)

10 curry leaves (optional)                        
1 whole dry red chilli

METHOD:

1. Grind coconut, putnaala pappu and green chillis adding about 1/2 cup of water to a fine paste.
2 Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan.
3.  Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
4.  Add the urad dal and slightly brown it.
5.  Finally add curry leaves, remove from fire and add to the ground coconut paste.
 Serve with hot idlis or vadas..................................

ULLI GARELU

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cup -  whole urad dal/black gram dal/minappappu

1 tbsp -  raw rice
2″ -  ginger very finely chopped
2-3 -  green chillies very finely chopped
1 big -  onion finely chopped
salt to taste
oil for deep frying

METHOD:
 
1. Soak whole black gram dal and 1 tbsp raw rice for 5-6 hours.
2. Strain the water from the dal and grind to a paste sprinkling little water and salt.
3. Don’t grind all the dal at once, use small portions to grind batch wise as its easier to grind into a soft paste. 4. Add salt while grinding to a fluffy paste.
5. Then add chopped onions, finely chopped ginger and green chillies to the batter and mix well.

6. Take a heavy bottomed vessel and add enough oil for deep frying.
7.  The oil should be hot.
8. Wet your hands with water and take a lemon sized ball and flatten it into a vada on a greased sheet or banana leaf.
9. Make a hole in the centre of the vada or gare so that it cooks evenly all over.
10. Slowly drop it into the hot oil carefully and fry it on both sides on medium heat to a golden brown colour.
 

Serve hot with  sambar or coriander chutney..........................

BOORELU

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup - black gram dal/urad dal/minappappu

1 cup -  rice
1 cup -  bengal gram/channa dal/sengapappu
1 cup -   grated jaggery (adjust according to your choice)
1/4 cup -  fresh grated coconut (optional)
3/4 tsp -  cardamom powder
salt to taste
oil for deep frying


METHOD:

1. Drain water from the black gram dal and rice and grind to fine paste adding very little water.
2. It should be like a thick dosa batter.
3. Add a pinch of salt and mix well. Leave aside covered.

4.  Cook bengal gram with just enough water to cover the dal.
5. The dal should be just cooked and hold shape.
6.  Drain any left over water from the dal after its cooked.
7.  Add jaggeryto the dal and use a masher to mash them together till it blends well.
8. Take a heavy-bottomed vessel and add the ground dal paste and cook till it appears like a thick paste.
9.  stir continuously as the dal tends to stick to the vessel. Turn off heat and cool.
10.  Add grated coconut, cardamom powder and mix well.
11.  Shape small bite sized balls.
12. Heat enough oil in a wide heavy bottomed vessel for deep frying the balls.
13. Dip each ball in the batter and let it coat evenly and place in the oil and deep fry till golden brown.
14.   You can deep fry a batch of four to five balls depending on the size of the vessel.
15. Serve warm. Store in an air tight container as they last for at least two days.

ALOO PULAO

INGREDIENTS:

Rice - 2 cups

Baby Potatoes - 1cup(i soaked in curd adding salt and chilli powder for better result)

Onions - 2 medium
Tomato - 1 medium

Curds/ Yogurt - 3 tbsp

Green Chilies - 2 -3 medium
Red Chili powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch

Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp

Ghee - 2 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Water - 3 & 1/2 cups
Mint eaves - 5 -6 springs
Coriander leaves for garnish

Cumin - 1/2 tsp

Bay leaf - 2 small
Star Anise - 1
Cardomon - 2
Cloves -2
Cinnamon - 2"
Mace
METHOD:
1. Wash rice and soak for 1/2an hr.
2. Chop onions as juliennes, tomatoes very finely. Slit green chilies in middle.
3. Heat a pressure cooker with ghee and oil. Once its hot, sauté all the wholes spices for 1 min.

4. Then add the julienne onions along with green chilies, mint leaves and fry till the onions starts sweating. . 5. 5. Add in the ginger garlic paste. Fry till it turns brown.

6. Peel the potatoes while the onions are getting brown, . And add to the pan.
7. Simmer and cover with the lid for the potatoes to get little soft.
8. Add in the chopped tomatoes along with chili powder and salt.

9. Fry well till the tomatoes are well mashed. Simmer this for 2 mints.

10 . At this stage add the curds and drained rice. Sauté will so that the rice gets well coated.

11. Add water and adjust salt, combine everything well and cover with lid and pressure cook for 3 whistles.