Chilly Baby Corn

One of the ways to beat homesickness in an expat life is to have family and friends visit every once in a while. We have been having a steady stream of visitors over the last couple of months and it has been a blissful couple of weeks cooking and sight seeing.

 The kind of food available in most attractions here in Singapore is limited to sad food courts or the teeming KFC's and McD's. While it does look fancy on the first day, by the second and third day you will kill for idli smothered with podi or even die for a roti stuffed with grandsweets thokku. So invariably I had to come up with fancy food as packed lunch or for dinner when the folks crash in after a tired day. Its tricky to take packed lunch here as due to the heat and humidity most foods don't hold well unless you think puliyodharai is exotic (I am sure after day 4 some of them did think lemon rice is manna!!). One of the meals I had planned was Fried Rice and Chilly Baby Corn. The fried rice is a tested family heirloom. The Chilly Baby corn recipe was adapted from here.

Chilly Baby Corn

Ingredients

1 Cup Baby Corn - Blanched and sliced/cut in big pieces
Oil for frying

Marinade:

2 Tblsp - Maida or All purpose Flour
1Tblsp - Corn Flour
1 tsp - Red chilli Powder
1 tsp - ginger garlic and green chilly paste
1/2 tsp - Black pepper powder
Salt to taste

Sauce:

1 Tblsp - Gingelly Oil
1 Dried Red Chilly
1 large Onion, chopped into chunks
1 Capsicum (Red or green) chopped into chunks
2 Tblsp - Ginger and Garlic - finely chopped
1Tblsp - Dark Soy Sauce (I use Chings brand)
1 Tblsp - Red Chilly Sauce (I use Chings brand) or 1/2tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp - Tomato Sauce
1 Tblsp - Corn Flour
1 tsp - Lemon juice
1/2 cup spring onion - white and green parts
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Mix together all items given under marinade and add the blanched baby corn pieces. Allow it to marinate for 30 minutes.
2. Heat Oil and fry the marinated corn. Drain and set aside. You can either shallow fry or deep fry. Deep fry obviously is the tastier option.
3. Heat Gingelly oil (nallennnai) in a deep pan. Add the red chilly and allow it to release the fragrance
4. Add the ginger and garlic and fry.
5. Add the onion and capsicum and fry
6. Add all the sauces and chilli powder and mix well..
7. Taste and adjust salt.
8. Add the fried baby corn and mix well.
9. Mix the cornflour in little water and pour into the pan.
10. Squeeze the lemon juice and mix well.
11. Garnish with spring onion.
12. Serve hot with fried rice.

Notes:

1. Gingelly Oil / Nallennai gives a lovely flavor to Chinese and Thai dishes. Its different from sesame oil. If not available then you can substitute with sesame oil.

2. You can replace baby corn with mushrooms / broccoli / cauliflower / soy chunks.

3. Check out the Vegetable Fried Rice recipe here

Masala Bread Toast

Masala bread toast was a staple breakfast when I was a child. It is a vegetarian version of the French toast but with an Indian twist.

Masala Bread Toast ( Indian style vegetarian French Toast)

Ingredients:

4 Bread slices (I have used white sandwich bread)
2-3 T milk
Butter for toasting

To Grind:

1 bunch of coriander leaves
1/4 cup pottukadalai (roasted gram dal)
1 onion
1 clove of garlic (optional)
2-3 green chillies
salt to taste

Method:

1. Grind items given under "to grind" into a smooth paste
2. Add milk until it is a thick spreadable paste.
3. Heat a flat skillet and add butter. Spread the masala paste on one side of the bread and place that side on the hot skillet.
4. As it toasts spread the paste on the top side. Flip the bread slice and allow the other side to cook as well.
5. Serve hot.

Notes:

1. The toast will be a bit on the softer side. You can try toasting it on a pop up toaster. But remember to keep the paste thick as it should not drip.
2. You can substitute the green chillies with dry red chillies for a different taste. You can even omit the chillies and use pepper powder instead..

Easy Potato Curry

It has been a hectic couple of weeks with school runs, multiple activity classes and not to mention the flu season here resulting in Little A being a bit under weather and not to mention bound to the house. I have been making a lot of flu-fighting meals - lots of soups, peppery rasams and spicy stir-fries. This is an easy potato curry that is an absolute favorite here. There is no prep required and can be done in 10-15 minutes.

Easy Potato Curry

Ingredients:

1/2 kg Potato - cut into small cubes
2 onions - finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic - finely minced
1 t Turmeric Powder
2 t Red Chilly Powder or Sambar Powder (I have used sambar powder)
Salt to taste
1/2 t Mustard seeds
1/2 t Broken Urad Dal
1 sprig of curry leaves
Coriander leaves for garnish
1 T Oil

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan. Season with mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves
2. Add the minced garlic and fry
3. Add the chopped onion and fry till they turn soft
4. Add the potatoes, turmeric, chilly powder and salt. Mix well.
5. Add 1/2 cup of water and allow the potatoes to cook on open pan.
6. Stir well and when the water is fully absorbed and potatoes are cooked, mix well and allow them to brown.
7. Remove from heat. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice.

Babycorn Pepper Fry

We were bored with usual set of vegetables that are available here and after multiple rotations in dal, sambar, curry and stir fry, we wanted to try something different. There were 3 packets of baby corn lying the fridge (what was I thinking when I picked THREE!!). As I had just ground a fresh batch of black pepper powder, I decided to make a simple baby corn pepper fry and served it with lunch. Its simple fast and quite easy too.


Baby Corn Pepper Fry

Ingredients:

12 - 15 Baby Corn, sliced
1 large onion - finely chopped
1/2" piece of Ginger - minced finely
2 cloves of garlic - minced finely
1 green chilly - minced
1 T corn flour
1 T black pepper powder
1/2 t Jeera
Curry leaves
salt to taste
1 T Oil

Method:

1. Heat Oil in a pan.
2. Add the jeera and curry leaves. Add ginger, garlic and green chilly
3. Add chopped onions and fry till soft
4. Add the sliced baby corn and fry well.
5. Add pepper and salt and mix well.
6. After a minute, when the baby corn is 3/4th cooked, sprinkle the cornflour and mix well. Keep tossing until the baby corn is nicely roasted.
7. Serve hot.

Notes:

• If the babycorn is not tender enough, blanch them first in hot water.
• You can use the same recipe for paneer and cauliflower. Cauliflower needs to be blanched first.
• Adjust the pepper quanitity according to your taste.
• Garnish with coriander leaves or spring onions.
• It goes well with rasam and sambar rice.
• For a slight change in taste, you can replace gram flour (kadalai maavu) instead of corn flour for a Chettinad style pepper fry.

Mac & Squash - A Creamy Pasta with Roasted Squash

A lot of kids here live on the traditional American Mac and Cheese. Its nothing but macroni (pasta) in a cheese sauce. Its rich and heavy and more of a junk food than an Italian entree. I have always wanted to make a healthier version of the Mac and Cheese and what better choice than the nutrient rich yellow squash. The kids cannot figure out the vegetable and would love the rich and creamy taste. Just think of it as Mac and Cheese with more character :-).

 I had some squash leftover after making "poosanikkai sambar" for the Pongal festival last week. If you are in India, then squash is nothing but yellow pumpkin ("manjal poosanikkai). This is a simple recipe made with just roasted squash. You can use any type of pasta but it goes well with macroni or penne as these shapes can hold the sauce well.

MACRONI IN A ROASTED SQUASH SAUCE

Ingredients:

1/4 kg of Squash
1 cup of uncooked pasta (macroni or penne)
3 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup Milk (I have used full cream)
1 teaspoon Red Chilly powder or paprika
1/2 teaspoon Parsley flakes for garnishing (optional)
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash and cut the squash into thick slices without the skin.
2. Heat butter in a pan and  gently roast the slices until they brown a little and turn soft.
3. Remove from heat, cool and blend into a smooth paste.
4. While the squash is cooling, cook pasta as per package instructions. (heat a pot of water until boiling. Add a teaspoon of salt and pasta along with a teaspoon of olive oil and cook till its soft but not squishy or sticky. It should be of the texture popularly known as "al dente" or to be firm but not hard).
5. In the same pan used for roasting, heat the remaining butter. Add the minced garlic and mix well.
6. Add the squash paste with a little water (you can use the water used for cooking pasta) and heat gently.
7. Add the chilly / paprika powder and salt and mix well
8. Add the milk and continue heating gently.
9. Add the cooked pasta and mix well. Heat until the pasta is well coated with salt. If you find the dish getting dry/thick, add some more water or milk.
10. Taste and adjust salt.
11. Garnish with parsley or chilli flakes.
12. Serve hot with garlic bread.

Notes:

1. Grated Cheese can be used for garnishing.
2. Adjust the milk to build the right consistency for the pasta.
3. You can substitute cream instead of the milk but that would make the dish very rich.
4.  You can carrots while roasting for a different twist.
5. For an Indianized verison, add a pinch of garam masala along with the red chilly powder.

Maggi Masala Noodles with Vegetables

If I ever had the power to award a Nobel Food Prize - my first choice would definitely be Maggi. It revolutionized an entire generation's food chain and looking at Little A's passion for instant noodles, it makes me wonder if there has been some genetic inclination to it as well. Whatever it is, for the last two decades, the answer to the following situations has been the same

• Hungry after school? 
• Tired after long day at work?
• Don't feel like cooking?
• Don't know how to cook?
• Nothing at home?

MAGGI!. All you need is just 2 glasses of water and a heat source. On the stove, in a rice cooker, in an electric kettle, inside a microwave and in cases of some people I know - straight out of the packet (no, not me. I do have a lot of food fetishes. But I don't eat raw Maggi!)

A lot of people have cautioned me about the bad effects of instant noodles. For even a die-hard Maggi fan - I am sometimes paranoid of feeding it to Little A who adores it (In fact she has designated Friday as "Noodles Day" and takes it for lunch to school and every day asks "is it Friday today)!. But I have had this stuff for almost 2 decades and if nothing has happened so far. So it can't be that bad - right?  

I never knew that each country had its own variation of flavors - so was quite surprised to see Maggi Mee Goreng, Maggie Tom Yum and Maggi Curry Ayam here in Malaysia and of course I didn't like it. I want my Masala and so each time we come back from India - there are always couple of packets in my luggage. I was happy to find a store in Kuala Lumpur that stocked the "Indian Maggi Masala" and grabbed a few. 

A lot of people cook Maggi in different ways. Some cook noodles separately, drain and mix the masala. Some like it plain. Some may eat it plain out of necessity or laziness. Even in our home, I like it with vegetables, my husband likes it with just curry leaves and Little A likes it plain. 

Today's recipe is my favorite version of the 2-minute noodles. You can substitute with any instant noodle brand. 

Maggie Masala with Vegetables

Ingredients:

1 packet Maggi Noodles (I used masala flavor. You can subsitute for any other instant noodles brand).

1/2 onion - finely chopped

1/2 carrot - finely chopped

1/2 capsicum - finely chopped

2-3 green chillies - finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder or sambar powder

a pinch of salt

1 teaspoon oil

Method:

1. Heat oil in a deep pan.

2. Add the green chillies and onion and fry well

3. Add the onions and fry. Add the carrot and capsicum and fry well.

4. Add red chilli powder and salt and fry well.

5. Add the tastemaker in the packet and mix well.

6. Add the required quantity of water as mentioned in the packet.

7. Break the noodles and add to the pan.

8. Cook until the noodles are done

9. Serve hot.

Notes:

1. Adjust green chillies and chilly powder according to taste and tolerance

2. You can add garam masala if you like for an Indianized curry taste

3. Add a drop of soy sauce while cooking vegetables for a slightly sour twist. But skip the salt as soy sauce would have salt.

4. Tomatoes also add a slightly sour taste. Add it if you like it.

5. I like to make my noodles slightly "soupy". So I add an extra 1/4 cup of water. If you prefer dry, the cook as per the packet instructions.

P.S - It was quite a task to take the photos without grabbing a couple of fork fulls of the stuff. Darn! I am addicted to it. It took exactly 5 minutes to reach this point.

Note: This is not a paid post.

Bruschetta - A piece of Italy

While the name sounds exotic and fancy, Bruschetta is basically lightly toasted bread slices topped with anything from chopped tomatoes and olive oil or mushrooms sauteed in butter and pepper. It can also be topped with meat or beans or cheese or just about anything else. The only constants being bread, garlic and oliveoil.

Bruschetta was the first step towards my foray into the world of Italian cuisine. I love to keep it simple with just chopped tomatoes, a bit of capsicum and finely chopped onions, green chillies, chilli flakes and garlic with a generous drizzle of olive oil. I usually make it with normal sandwich bread but if you are feeling fancy then do get a french loaf. Don't worry about dropping the tomato pieces as you bite into a delicious slice of heaven. Its totally worth it :-)

 La Dolce Vita!!

Bruschetta 

Ingredients:

Tomatoes - 2, diced into small cubes

Capsicum - 1/2, diced into small cubes

Chopped Onion - 1 T, optional

Green Chilly - 1 or Chill Flakes - 1 t 

Garlic - 1 clove chopped + 1

Olive oil - 1/4 cup (I used light olive oil)

Parsley flakes - 1t (you can replace it with finely chopped fresh coriander)
Salt to taste

Sliced Bread - French loaf or whole wheat sandwich bread.

Method

1.Slice one clove of garlic and dip it into a small spoon of olive oil and rub it on both sides of the sliced bread.

2. Lightly toast the bread in a pan

3. Mix the rest of the ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning / spices /salt. Set it aside for 10-15 minutes for the flavors to meld.

4. Spoon the mixture onto the bread. Drizzle the juices from the mixed topping.

5. Garnish with cheese (if using).

6. Serve immediately.

Notes

•  I had only cheese slices at home but if you have a bit of mozzarella, then pinch off a dollop and place it right on top before serving.

• Using French loaf would prevent the bruschetta from becoming soggy. So if its for a party, then use a french loaf. If its for your 3 pm hunger pangs - any bread would do :-).

Topping Suggestions:

• Instead of regular tomatoes you can use cherry tomatoes cut in half. A combination of red and yellow cherry tomatoes will make it photogenic too.
• Basil adds a wonderful depth to the dish. Roll couple of leaves and slice thinly and mix into the topping.
• Olives will also make an interesting addition. Slice and add to the ingredients.

• Guacamole would also make an interesting twist. Mash up some avocado with the rest of the ingredients mentioned in the recipe. Add a dash of lemon juice and some finely chopped coriander.

Urulai Roast - Pan Roasted Baby Potatoes

I was surprised to find a basket of small potatoes lying hidden at the vegetable vendor today. I picked up a small bag to make an all time favorite potato dish - spicy baby potatoes roasted to a golden hue and garnished with loads of coriander leaves. It makes for a beautiful appetizer for parties - just stick a couple of toothpicks in for visual impact or takes its place in a thali meal as well.

 Simple, fast and tasty.



Urulai Roast - Pan Roasted Baby Potatoes
Recipe Source - My own

Ingredients

Potatoes - 10 - 15
Red Chilly Powder - 1 T
Turmeric = 1/2 t
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup finely chopped
Salt to taste

For Seasoning

Mustard Seed - 1t
Broken Urad Dal - 1t
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Oil - 1T

Method:

1. Pressure cook the baby potatoes for 1 whistle or boil them in water for 7 to 10 minutes. Peel and set aside. If using normal potatoes, peel and cut into big chunks.
2. In a mixing bowl, add the chilly powder, turmeric and salt and mix well.
3. Toss the boiled potatoes in the spice powder mix well. Using a form prick randomly if the potatoes are big.
4. Heat oil in a pan and add items for seasoning one by one. Toss in the potatoes along with remaining spice powder and mix well.
5. Allow the potatoes to roast well until it becomes golden brown.
6. Add the coriander leaves and mix well.
7. Remove from stove and serve hot.

Tandoori Baby Corn

For those who are not native to Chennai, no trip to my hometown is complete without the "visit to the beach". After all Chennai boasts of the second longest beach in the world. The Marina. Forget that some portions of the beach are better left to imagination. But for most parts, it reflects the culture, the food and the lifestyle of the people of the city. TLC can make an entire series with just that beach.  Even the beach has its class divide. The common man's Marina with its push cart eateries, merry-go-rounds and of course the bajji stalls and the slightly posh Elliots with cafes and bistros lined near it and of course the weekend getaways along the East Coast Road with private beaches. It is still a statement amongst teens to say you are going to Elliots even though you secretly want to fly those kites near the lighthouse at Marina.

Coming to food, its an amalgamation of cuisines at Marina. Antony Bourdain would have a field day here (and probably be clutching his entrails the next)!. You have the "akka" who deftly drops an assortment of coated veggies into huge cauldrons of boiling oil (of questionable age) to bring up super hot bajjis. Of course who cares about the carcinogens when you have a steaming plate of chilli bajjis with chutneys that can make gun powder look like salt. And the essence of Marina can be seen in the little boys who run around with stainless steel buckets thoughtfully covered with a paper containing fresh "sundal" - boiled lentils with a seasoning of coconut, mangoes, chilies and salt.

 When I was a child I used to be fascinated by the vendor who sells Corn on the cob.She has a pushcart which looks like a bunker made of corns and in the middle is the coal stove. She deftly opens up a corn from its husk but folds it down like a handle. Then places it on the stove and then the fireworks begin. Sparks jump out in a rainbow as she keeps turning the corn. Once it has the sufficient black specks and is roasted, she takes it out, dips half a lemon into a bowl of salt and chilly powder and slathers it on the corn with a slight squeeze of the lemon. then refolds the husk as a container for the roasted corn and hands it to you. Eco-Friendly!!. These were the days before the advent of the stylish cup corn with multiple toppings or the exotic baby corn.  

These days we hardly go to the Marina. Its crowded, too much traffic and parking is a big problem. I remember the days as a small child, when we went there on Saturday evenings with my parents on a scooter. After running on the beach, we used to sit in the sand and share a corn between us. I was too small to bite the corn deftly so my mom had to take out the kernels one by one and give them to me. No crowd, no traffic  to worry about, no TV programmes to miss and of course no digital cameras to capture and post. Just memories...

Today's recipe is from the exotic cousin of the corn - baby corn. Simple to make and looks delightful at a dinner party or to a hungry child from school

Tandoori Baby Corn

Ingredients

Baby Corn - 10-12
Capsicum - 1 small, cut into squares
Onion - 1, cut into squares
Thick curd - 3 T
Red Chili powder - 1T
Coriander powder - 1T
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1T
Tandoori Masala powder - 1T (Optional but recommended. I used the Everest brand)
Salt to taste
Lemon juice - 1/2 t
Oil

Method:

1. Blanch the baby corn in hot water for 3 minutes and set aside.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients except the oil into a thick marinade. Taste and adjust any of the ingredients to your liking.
3. Marinate the baby corn in this marinade for at least 2 hour in the fridge.
4. Heat a cast iron tava and spray some oil. When the oil is smoking, place couple of pieces of baby corn, capsicum and onion.
5. Turn it around in 1 minute.
6.After another minute remove from the tava . Prepare the rest of the pieces the same way.
7. Serve hot with mint chutney, lemon wedges and salad.

Notes:

1. You can grill it in the oven or microwave instead of the stove. The cooking time would depend on the appliance.
2. The same recipe can be used for paneer, mushroom and chicken. Do not blanch these.\

Diwali Sweets : Maa Laadu

Wishing you all a very happy Diwali. May the light fill your homes with love and warmth.

Here is a quick and easy sweet recipe. One of my childhood favorites. Does not require major preparations and requires just 30 minutes to make (and if you still haven't started on the Diwali sweets, then this is the one for you) and keeps fresh for at least 10 days.

Maa Laadu

Maa Laadu
Recipe Source: Amma
Makes 10 - 15 laddoos



Ingredients

Roasted Gram Dhal - 2 cups, powdered finely (udaitha kadalai and not kadala paruppu)
Sugar - 1 and 3/4th cup, powdered finely
Cashew - 10, broken to small bits
Ghee - 1/2 cup and 1 T
Cardomom pods/ Cardomom powder - 1/2 t

Method:

1.Sieve or mix with hand the powdered gram dhal and sugar in a big mixing bowl.
2.Add the cardomom powder and mix well.
3. Heat 1T of ghee and fry the broken cashews till golden. Add to the mixing bowl.
4. Warm the 1/2 cup of ghee on the stove or microwave.
5. Add the ghee a little at a time to the powdered dhal and roll into laddoos of desired size. Add little at a time and use pressure to bind it into a laddoo. Will take a bit of practice to get perfect rounds.
6. Keep making laddoos till all the dhal is used up. The ghee may not be utilized completly so use a separate ladle to pour.
7. If the laddoo looks a bit wet, then roll it well in the powdered dhal.
8. Store in airtight containers. Do not refrigerate.

Gobhi 65

One of the first things I noticed on landing in Malaysia is that most restaurants consider vegetarians as a minority. Walk into any Mcdonalds and ask for a vegetarian burger (after reiterating that you do not what chicken, beef or fish in your vegetarian burger), you will either get a blank look or if you are lucky then you get the burger bun with some coleslaw in it. The only other option is the ubiquitous "fries" which is definitely vegetarian even if its fried in the meat fryer. But after couple of times, the sight of fries will terrorize you.

 Reminds me of good ole Chennai where vegetarians were the market drivers. Where else in the world can you find McAloo Tikki burgers and Paneer Burgers.

True to Chennai tradition, any popular non-vegetarian dish would have its vegetarian sibling. The preferred substitute being gobhi (cauliflower) or baby corn or paneer. Most food chains are aware that you cannot survive the Chennai market without recognizing the vegetarians. Its not just fast food and no it is definitely not a recent phenomenon either.  One of the most popular starters in South Indian restaurants is the Chicken 65. Succulent pieces of chicken marinated and deep fried to a beautiful golden hue and garnished with curry leaves, this dish is so famous, it has its own wiki entry. Walk into any restaurant and you will notice that for every chicken 65 ordered, there would be equal numbers ordering Gobhi 65 or aloo 65 or babycorn 65.

Gobhi 65 is a quick dish and for those with an OCD about eating cauliflower in restaurants, its easy to make and enjoy at home. Unlike the cutlets and samosas that require wrapping and rolling, this appetizer is relatively simple - just dip and drop.

Gobhi 65

Ingredients

Cauliflower florets - 1 cup
Oil to fry

Batter:

3 T Corn flour
1 T Red chilli powder / paprika
a pinch of Turmeric
1 T ginger garlic paste
1/2 Eno fruit salt or Baking soda (optional but recommended)
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Soak the cauliflowers in hot water along with a tablespoon of salt. Remove in 10 minutes to retain the crunch.
2. Mix the cornflour, chilli powder, turmeric, ginger garlic paste along with water to consistency that is thinner than dosa batter.
3. Add the baking soda just before frying.
4.Heat Oil in a kadai. Dip the florets and fry in hot oil in batches.
5. Drain and serve hot with ketchup.

Notes:

• The dish has to be served hot. It will turn soggy if allowed to stay. You can make the batter in advance and fry it just before serving.
• The same batter can be used for baby corn or capsicum.
  
  
  
  
  

Kuzhi Paniyaram

For a long time, the traditional paniyaram was relegated to the kitchens of chettinad households. Invented by diligent home chefs who were keen on not wasting food especially idli/dosa batter that was painstakingly hand ground. So the batter took on various avataars - idli on day 1, dosa on day 2, uthappam on day 3 and finally it became the delectable paniyaram. Spongy and soft with just the hint of onion, chillies and spices, the humble kuzhi paniyaram has come a long way.

The traditional kuzhi paniyaram pan has 7 or 11 holes/indents. The pan itself can be of aluminium/hindolium, cast iron or non-stick. The latter required minimum conditioning while the first two need to be seasoned and conditioned well.

This dish will take a bit of oil and even if you are a serious health freak, it is hard to say no to a plate of steaming paniyarams with spicy coconut chutney.There are so many variations to the paniyaram. It can be sweet, or made with grated veggies or if you are adventurous , then with stuffings as well.


The recipe below is for the basic paniyaram made with an onion and green chilly seasoning.

It goes well with any type of chutney, but the best match is coconut chutney or peanut chutney.

KUZHI PANIYARAM
Recipe Source: My Mother in Law
Makes 21 paniyarams

Ingredients

Dosa Batter - 3 cups (refer notes)
Onions -2, finely chopped
Green Chillies - 4, finely chopped
Mustard seeds - 1t
Broken urad dal - 1t
Channa dal - 1/2t
Curry leaf - 1 sprig finely chopped
Coriander leaf - 1 sprig finely chopped
Ginger - 1 inch, minced finely
Oil - 1T + 1/2 cup
Grated carrot - 1/4 cup, optional


Method

Heat oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal, ginger and curry leaves. Add green chillies and onion and fry till onion turns pink.

Mix the seasoned onions and coriander leaves and grated carrot with the dosa batter and allow it to rest for 15 mins.

Meanwhile, heat the paniyaram pan. Add about 1/2 spoon of oil in each of the holes. (I used a nonstick paniyaram pan. Cast iron/aluminium pans would require more oil.)

Mix the batter and pour a small ladle full of batter into each of the holes. Close with the lid and wait for 3 mins. Open the lid and using a skewer or the stick that comes with the pan, turn each paniyaram gently without making any obvious damage to the paniyaram. Cook without the lid for another 3 mins. When both sides are evenly browned, remove them using the skewers. (To check if the paniyaram is done on the inside - a skewer inserted should come out clean).

Repeat the steps till you finish the batter. Any leftover batter can be stored in the fridge for 24 hours.

Serve hot with spicy coconut chutney.

NOTES

• Use sour dosa batter for the best results. I normally use batter that is atleast 5 days old.
• Batter should be in the same consistency as used for dosa.
• Grated veggies like carrots, beetroot, zucchini add color, flavor and nutrition.
• You can also use Ebelskiver or poffertjes pan if you cannot get a paniyaram pan.

Vegetable Spring Packets

Today I was planning to make Chinese Vegetable Noodles and ended up chopping more veggies than required. So decided to try a spring roll. After kneading the dough, I realized that the maida we bought from a Little India store here is totally different from the ones available in India. (Infact it is marked as "wheat flour" on the packet :-)) and the store boy said that it is actually maida but folks here call it wheat flour)!! After this revelation, it takes double the time to shop for groceries here (actually 2+ hours much to the agony of PK who has to manage Ad during those times) as I read every packet thoroughly!.

So the "wheat flour alias maida"dough didnt allow me to roll out bigger "chappathis" for the spring roll. Thus was born the improvised cousin of the spring roll - Spring Packets. You can use any kind of vegetables - even left over poriyals to make this tasty evening snack.

Spring Packets

Ingredients:

For the Packets:

1 cup maida / all purpose flour

1 teaspoon oil

a pinch of salt

For the Stuffing: - Cut all these veggies into thin strips

1 Carrot

1/2 Capsicum

1/4 Cabbage

1/2 Onion

1/2 teaspoon finely shredded Garlic

1 teaspoon Soya Sauce

1 teaspoon Tomato Chilly Sauce (any store brought brand like Maggi / Kissan)

a pinch of pepper

salt to taste

1 teaspoon oil (I always prefer sesame oil for chinese dishes. Any oil can be used)

2 tblspoon oil for frying the packets

Method:

For the Packet: Mix all the ingredients into a dough and roll it into a round chappath shapei. Cut the chapathi into two halfs (semi circle).

For the Stuffing:

1. Heat Oil in a pan and add the shredded garlic. Fry for a minute.

2. Add the onion and fry for a bit.

3. Add the cabbage, carrot and capsicum and fry till soft but crunchy.

4. Mix in salt, soya sauce and pepper and fry for a minute.

5, Remove from fire and cool the mixture.

For the Packets:

1. Roast the chappathi on a tava on one side only with a little oil.

2. Remove and cut into two halfs (semi circle)

3. Place a little stuffing on the cooked side and fold the packet and seal it with the raw side of hte dough.

4. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, fry the sealed packets until cooked.

Serve with hot tomato sauce.

You may also like to:

• Add cooked chicken pieces / mushroom / noodles
• This can be deep fried as well for indulgent folks



A Simple Corn Salad

It has been quite sometime since I have posted or even opened my blog. The last couple of months have been hectic with huge winds of change blowing our way. I have finally quit my job and packed my bags and we have moved "lock stock and barrel" to Penang where PK has taken up a new job. (Well actually it is lock stock and two pressure cookers to be exact!!.

A new country, a new house and lots of time on my hand. The initial bouts of homesickness have settled down a bit (I am sure it wont go away at any time :-( - and we would just get used to it). So I am back with a bang and hopefully would be able to post a lot of my cooking experiments and a little bit about the food here in Malaysia.

Sweet Corn became a rage in good old Chennai a few years back with a stall in every corner. Today's snack is one of my favorites and brings sweet memories of rainy Chennai and shopping expeditions with my sis. Here is my version of a healthy corn salad.

Simple Corn Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup Frozen or fresh corn kernels
1 teaspoon olive oil (I use butter i/o olive oil when I make this for the kids). You can also use amul lite for a tasty but healthy version.
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 green chilly or dried red chilly - finely diced
1 big pinch of oregano
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt to taste


Method:

1. Heat the oil in a pan
2. Add the garlic and chillies. Do not brown the garlic but let it fry mildly.
3. Add the corn. If you are using frozen corn, the water content would be sufficient to cook the corn. Else sprinkle a little water.
4. When the corn is cooked (and looks plump and yellow!) add the salt and fry for a bit until there is no water remaining
5. Garnish with oregano and lemon juice.

You may also :

• add capsicum / mushrooms / diced tomatoes / lettuce / Spring onions and make it into salad for a main course.
• substitute chaat masala / chilly flakes  for oregano
• also add grated ginger with or without the garlic
• garnish with little bit of grated cheese

 It is an good snack when you have surprise guests as it can be whipped up in a jiffy. Serve hot / warm or cold. In our house it does not get served - it vanishes straight from the pan :-)