Masala Vada

Ingredients

1 cup yellow gram (chana) dak

1/2 cup onion finely chopped

1/2 cup coriander finely chopped

1/2 cup dill leaves finely chopped

3-4 green chillies finely chopped

1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

oil o deep fry

Method

Wash and soak dal for 3-4 hours.

Keep 2 tbsp. dal aside, grind the rest, coarsely.

Mix all other ingredients, including whole dal.

Add 2-3 tbsp. hot oil to the mixture.

Heat oil, make pattie shaped rounds with moist palm.

Let carefully into the hot oil.

Fry first one side then the other till golden brown.

Serve hot with green chutney, tamarind chutney, or ketchup

Making time: 20 minutes (excluding soaking time)

Makes: 15 vadas (approx.)

Shelflife: Best fresh

Samosa

Ingredients

For cover:

1 cup plain flour (maida)

2 tbsp. warm oil

water to knead dough

For filling:

2 potatoes large boiled, peeled, mashed

1 onion finely chopped

14

2 green chillies crushed

1/2 tsp. ginger crushed

1/2 tsp. garlic crushed

1 tbsp. coriander finely chopped

1/2 lemon juice extracted

1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

1/2 tsp. garam masala

1/2 tsp. coriander seeds cru shed

1 tsp. red chilli powder

salt to taste

oil to deep fry

Method

For dough:

Make well in the flour.

Add oil, salt and little water.Mix well till crumbly.

Add more water little by little, kneading into soft pliable dough.

Cover with moist cloth, keep aside for 15-20 minutes.

Beat dough on worksurface and knead again. Re-cover.

For filling:

Heat 3 tbsp. oil, add ginger, green chilli, garlic, coriander seeds.

Stir fry for a minute, add onion, saute till light brown.

Add coriander, lemon, turmeric, salt, red chilli, garam masala.

Stir fry for 2 minutes, add potatoes. Stir further 2 minutes.

Cool. Keep aside.

To proceed:

Make a thin 5" diam. round with some dough.

Cut into two halves. Run a moist finger along diameter.

Join and press together to make a cone.

Place a tbsp. of filling in the cone and seal third side as above.

Make five to six. Put in hot oil, deep fry on low to medium till light brown.

Do not fry on high, or the samosas will turn out oily and soggy.

Drain on rack or kitchen paper.

Serve hot with green and tamarind chutneys (refer chutneys), or tomato sauce.

Making time: 45 minutes

Makes: 20 pieces (approx.)

Shelflife: Bestfresh

Potato in Curd Gravy

Ingredients:

3 medium. potatoes boiled and peeled

1 cup curd or yogurt beaten

1 tsp. red chili powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dhania powder

1/4 tsp. turmeric powder

1/4 tsp. garam masala

2 pinches asafoetida

1 stalk curry leaves

11

1 tbsp. coriander leaves chopped

1 1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp. each ginger, garlic grated

2 green chillies slit

1 tsp. each cumin, mustard seeds

1/4 tsp. wheat flour

1 tbsp. oil

Method:

Cut potatoes into big pieces. Mash 3-4 pieces fine with hand. Keep both aside.

Mix all the dry masala in 1/4 cup water.

Heat oil. Add the seeds (cumin and mustard). When they splutter, add ginger-garlic, chilli and curry leaves.

Add the masala mixture and fry for 2 minutes.

Add beaten curd and fry for 5 minutes or till the curd loses its whiteness. Stir continuously after adding curd.

Add the remaining water and all the potato and flour. Stir well.

Boil and simmer for 10 minutes or till gravy thickens

Garnish with chopped coriander.

Serve hot with thin wheat chappaties and rice.

Making time: 30 minutes.

Makes for: 5

Shelf life: Best fresh

Poha

Ingredients

1 cup beaten rice (poha)

1/4 cup crushed groundnuts

1/4 cup grated or scraped coconut

1/4 cup coriander leaves

1 stalk curry leaves chopped

1/4 tsp sugar

Salt to taste

5-6 green chilies

1 tsp lime juice

1 1/2 tbsp oil

2 onions chopped

1 small potato chopped

1/2 tsp cumin & mustard seeds each.

Method:

Wash poha till clean. Drain water sprinkle a handful of clear water and keep aside.

After 15 minutes loosen the poha gently, and break lumps with fingers. In a heavy saucepan, heat oil, add seeds and then potatoes. Stir for

2-3 minutes. Add onion, chilies and curry leaves. Stir and fry onions till tender. Take off fire.

Add poha and all other ingredients. Save some coconut and coriander leaves for garnishing. Mix very well. Adjust salt and lime as per taste.Return to low flame till hot. Stir gently every now and then. Transfer to serving dish and garnish with coriander and coconut. Serve hot with freshly brewed coffee.

Making time: 15 minutes (excluding soaking time)

Serves: 3

Shelf life: best fresh

Tomato Chutney

Ingredients

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/2 tsp hing (asoefetida)

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp methi(fenugreek) seeds

1 tablespoon coconut, shredded

3 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp dhania (coriander) powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 very small ball of tamarind, de-seeded

1 small onion, minced finely

2 clovettes of garlic, minced finely Salt to taste

3 tablespoons oil for frying

Method

Heat 1/2 the amount of oil and add the methi.

Fry for a minute and then add the tomatoes.

Fry till the tomatoes turn soft.

Blend this into a smooth paste, along with the tamarind and the coconut.

Set aside.

Heat the rest of the oil and add the chopped garlic and onion.

Fry till the onion turns translucent and the garlic browns.

Now add the spices (red chili, turmeric and dhania) and fry for half a minute.

Add the blended paste, salt and hing and heat through.

It goes very well with plain rice or chapatti.

Dahi Vada

Ingredients

For the wadas

Udad dal (Black gram dal) 1 cup

Mung dal (Green gram dal) 1/4 cup Salt to taste

Method for Wadas

Soak the two dals for 7-8 hours or overnight.

Grind it to a smooth paste.

Add salt to taste.

Heat oil for deep frying in a pan and add spoonfuls of dal and fry until the wadas are golden brown.

Drop the hot wads in a bowl of cold water and leave for about 3-4 minutes.

Take each wada out from water, squeeze the water out and set aside.

For the Dahi (yogurt)

Dahi (yogurt) 5 cups

(You can use homemade yogurt or low-fat yogurt from the market)

Green chilies, chopped 1 tsp

Ginger grated 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves 7-8

Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida pinch

Salt to taste

Sugar 4 tsps (yogurt should taste little sweet)

Method for making dahi

Blend the yogurt with little water until it is smooth.

Add sugar, salt, green chilies and ginger.

Make a tarka (seasoning) of mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves and add to yogurt.Keep the yogurt in refrigerator until it is chilled.

Serving the wadas

Arrange the squeezed wadas in a deep dish. Pour the yogurt on the wadas such that all the wads are covered well by the yogurt. Sprinkle red chili powder, roasted jeera powder and black salt

(sanchal).Serve with sweet tamarind(imli) chutney.

Aloo Palak

Ingredients:

3 cups chopped spinach

2 large onions chopped fine

2 large potatoes boiled and peeled

1 tomato

2 green chilies

1" piece ginger

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. wheat or other flour

1 tsp. red chili powder

1 tsp. cinnamon-clove powder

1/4 tsp. turmeric powder

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 pinches asafetida

1/2 tsp. garam masala

1/2 tbsp. butter

4 tbsp. ghee

salt to taste

METHOD:

Put the washed spinach in a pan; add very little water (just a sprinkle) and a pinch of salt.

Cover and boil over a high flame for 2 minutes. Cool quickly, or hold under running water in a colander.

Put in a mixer, add green chili and run for a minute. Keep slightly coarse, do not make very smooth.

Keep aside.

Cut the potatoes into big pieces. Heat ghee and fry potatoes till light brown.

Drain the potatoes, keep aside.

In the same hot ghee add the cumin seeds.

Add the ginger, onions and fry till very tender.

Add the tomato and further fry for two minutes.

Add all the dry masalas and fry till ghee separates.

Add spinach and potatoes.

When it resumes a boil sprinkle the flour and stir well. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Add lemon juice

Just before serving heat butter in a tiny saucepan and add the asafoetida.

Pour over the vegetable and mix gently.

Serve hot with naan or parathas or even rice.

Note: You may use boiled peas, boiled corn kernels or paneer chunks in the above dish, instead of atoes.

Making time: 45 minutes

Makes for: 6

Shelf life: Best fresh