Cupcakes ~ Muffins

I just realised that a year has passed since my last post!! Oh what a year it has been... checked out couple of hospital facilities, lost few people, zipped through couple of weddings, gained two brothers, said goodbye to lot of good friends and  moved to a different country. So guess I will call it a nightmare sabbatical of sorts.  So rather than get depressed with all these changes (ahem..the first couple of days were hell), I choose to look forward to the new adventures that are calling. So to cheer up to a new  beginning  and a hopefully sweet journey, I am posting a simple cupcake tutorial for all those wannabe bakers. 

As a person who does not follow exact measurements while cooking, baking is a new frontier for me. The specific measurements and the high chances of failure (without any scope for recovery) had put me off baking for a long time... not to mention that I didnt own a convection oven.

So couple of months back I took the plunge and invested in the basic materials needed - couple of baking pans, a small hand held mixer and the ingredients. The first recipe I tried was a chocolate cake (recipe coming soon) that has become a huge hit with the family. This cupcake recipe is from the blog Easy Cooking. Its my go-to blog for simple baking recipes. The instructions are clear and simple and the pictures really help novices like me.

I have adapted the recipe for the simple vanilla cupcake and tried out three different variations. The leftover strawberries and blueberries in my fridge were used up to make a berry cupcake. I also tried a nutella cupcake and a cranberry walnut cupcake using some cranberry jam and chopped walnuts.

This is a basic recipe that is an open template. You can add fresh fruits like peaches / bananas. Any jam can also be added.

Cupcakes

Ingredients

• All Purpose Flour / Maida - 2 cups
• Baking powder - 2 tsp
• Salt – ½ tsp
• Butter – ½ cup
• Sugar – 1 ¼ cup
• Milk - 1 cup
• Vanilla Essence / extract - 1 tsp
• Eggs - 2

Variations:

• 5 to 6 strawberries - chopped
• 1 TB Nutella
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts / almonds
• 7 to 8 blueberries

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180C. Line or grease the muffin pans or you can use cupcake liners.

• In one bowl sift flour,baking powder and salt together. Keep aside.

• In another bowl beat butter and sugar well until creamy.

• Add vanilla and eggs and beat well.

• Add the wet mixture + milk to the dry mixture little by little and beat well on low speed.

• If you are using any of the items mentioned in variations - you can add them now and mix well with a spoon.

• Fill each muffin pan to ¾ th depth, and bake for 20-25 minutes till done.

• Remove from muffin pan immediately and cool on racks.

Notes:

• Mix in the fresh fruits/ nuts / Jam / nutella just before filling the muffin pan.

• The texture should be moist and crumbly.

• To check if the cupcake is done, insert a toothpick and if it comes out clean then the cake is done.

Peanut Salad / Verkadalai Sundal

A very popular street food in India, this peanut salad (or sundal??)is simple, easy to make and yummy. Goes well with a good book or a nice movie!!

Ingredients:

Raw Peanuts - 1 cup (soak overnight / 4 hours and pressure cook for 2 whistles)
Onion - 1 finely chopped
Tomato - 1 finely chopped
Green Chillies - 2 finely chopped
Cucumber - 1/2 finely chopped (optional)
Carrot - 1/2 finely grated (optional)
Chilli Powder - 1t
Black Salt/Rock salt - to taste (if not available substitute with table salt)
Lemon Juice - 1 T
Coriander leaves - for garnish

Method:


Mix the peanuts, onion and tomato (cucumbers and carrot,) and green chillies if using in a large bowl.
Sprinkle the chilli powder and salt and mix well. Add lemon juice and mix again.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
You can serve it warm or cold.

Serving Suggestion: Roll a newspaper layered with tissue into a cone (You dont want newsprint ink in your food). Stuff the salad into the cone till the brim. Sit next to a window and eat while watching the world go by.

Medhu Vadai / Ulundu Vadai - A Step-Wise Tutorial

Warning: This is a super-long post. It is meant for those who want to make vadais and those who have been eating vadais all their lives without knowing the complexity of making one.

There are certain dishes in Indian cooking that are meant to showcase the skill levels of the cook who makes them. Have you seen that man in the corner chips store standing outside in front of a huge cauldron of boiling oil. He has a grater held at an angle and deftly slices the potato or banana in such a manner that it lands into the cauldron without even a drop of oil spluttering out. Next time you walk by a tea-stall, watch the man cool the tea  in a gravity defying display(i think its called tea-pulling!! I am not joking. Google it and see :-)).  It is the same with making jalebis and jangris - SKILL. Skill that I have realized that comes with practice and not by watching Masterchef. 

How is it that our grandmothers and mothers exhibit the same skill in making complicated dishes that require great sense of geometry and physics considering that they are not making it day in and day out like the chipswallah or tea master. I have watched with fascination during Diwali, Pongal and other festivals as frail hands mix and shape beautiful and delicate pieces of "kozhukkattai" with such precision that each piece is of the same dimension and contains the same amount of filling. (I made kozhukkattai once and the experience is better left unsaid. Think globs of undercooked flour! ).

One of the dishes that involves skill and practice that I have learnt  am learning is Medhu Vadais.  It is a breakfast dish in South India and is served in most restaurants along with steaming Pongal or soft idlies and a bucket of sambar and chutney. Due to the efforts involved, it is not an everyday dish in homes and is more of a festival food.

 I have been trying to make these vadais ever since I was allowed to come near a pan of hot oil. It involves bringing your hands close to boiling oil to drop the batter and therefore is not exactly a mom-and-me cookie making stuff. Making vadais is like a military operation. Coming to my experience, after exactly five attempts (done over 2 years and 5 festivals), my vadais now justify their name. It took 3 attempts for me to get that darn hole in the vadai (until then I was making medhu bonda). 

But none of the results were inedible. When I look back, it is not that difficult - especially not as difficult as kozhukkattai. (I am sure my kozhukattai would take atleast 10 trials. Look out for that post in 2016).

I made medhu vadais for the recent festival and it came out pretty decent. I agree that the shapes are no way close to precision and dont even start me on the hole. But if you ask me - how boring is it to have the same shaped vadai - I like my vadais to have character. Thats why I dont clone them. Infact I tell my family that life is like a plate of vadais. You never know which size or shape you are going to get them (hehe. Sorry Forrest Gump)

So here you go - my first post with steps - a tutorial on how to make Medhu Vadais. 

Disclaimer: This post may sound too much if you are my grandmother or a born vadai maker. I am no way close to a vadai expert (just look at that darn hole and you would know) and this post is not meant to be a Masterclass in vadai making. This is to help amateur vadai makers like me to impress their family. Do go through the extensive notes at the end of the recipe. (It is longer than the recipe itself).  If you have suggestions or advice, please feel free to leave them as comments. Will update the post with the same. 

Medhu Vadai / Ullundu Vadai / Deep-fried Indian Dumplings

Makes about 10-15 small vadais

Ingredients:

1 cup Whole Urad Dal (skinned white variety)

2 tablespoons Rice flour

1 tablespoon Ginger, finely chopped

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Seasoning

2 Onions finely chopped

3-4 Green chillies, finely chopped

1/2 cup Coriander leaves, finely chopped

1/4 cup Curry leaves , finely chopped

Method:

Making the batter:

1. Wash the urad dal two or three times and soak in sufficient water for 1 to 2 hours.

2. Drain and grind to a smooth paste in a mixie or grinder along with the ginger. (Refer notes). Please add very little water during the grinding process. Adding water would result in loose batter that cannot be shaped into vadais. Ideally if you find the batter to be dry creating a strain on the grinder, then just sprinkle some water by hand and continue grinding until you get a smooth batter. The batter will be thick.

3. Just before stopping the grinding process, add the required amount of salt.

4. Mix in rice flour and the items given under seasoning.

5. Keep the batter in the refridgerator until frying.

Shaping and Frying the vadais:

1. Heat sufficient oil. Check if the oil has reached the correct temperature by dropping a small bit of the batter into the oil. If the batter immediately rises to the top, then the oil is ready. Else remove that piece and wait some more.

2.Keep a small bowl of water on your kitchentop. Wet your fingers and take about 1 tablespoon amount of batter with the four fingers on your hand.

3. Keep the batter on the top portion of the four fingers and using the thumb of your hand pat the batter and create a round shape to the batter.

4.. Using the thumb, make a hole in the
middle of the batter.

5. Gently slide the batter into the hot oil. Keep the stove on medium flame to ensure even cooking.Repeat from Step 2 for the rest of the vadais.

6 Gently turn the vada until both sides are golden brown.

7. Use a slotted ladle / spoon (jalli karandi) and remove onto a kitchen towel

8. The vadai should be crisp, evenly browned to a golden hue and should not have any oil on it. The insides should be white and fluffy.

9. Serve hot with chutney and sambar. Or go ahead and make some sambar vadai or thayir vadai (refer notes)

Notes:

• A wet grinder is the most ideal appliance for grinding the batter. If you dont have one, then a mixie would do. Do watch out for over-heating on account of longer grinding time in a mixie.  I have used a wet grinder.

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• The important aspect is the water content to the batter. It would seem difficult to grind without water. But take note that the urad dal has been soaked and therefore has a bit of water content. I would have added only about one or two tablespoons of water throughout the grinding process.  Too much water can be a disaster. If you do end up with a loose batter, try adding more rice flour. Or make medhu bondas. 

• Rice flour helps in making crisp vadais. Too much of it will change the taste of the vadai. So keep it under 2 tablespoons.

• Adding salt too early in the grinding would result in hard vadais. You can even add the salt after removing the batter to a vessel.

• Adding ginger at the time of grinding is optional. It helps in not having to bite into ginger bits while eating. If you dont want to grind them, then add it along with the onion and chillies. Again it is optional.

• Chilling the batter for 5 to 10 minutes enhances the texture of the vadai. Not mandatory. You can skip it if you want to make the vadais quickly.

• Quantity of oil depends on the size of kadai and the size of the vadai.

• If the oil is not of the right temperature, then it will result in oily and oil soaked vadais. If its too hot and smoking, then it will result in the vadai being cooked only on the outside with the middle remaining raw. Adjust the heat while frying to ensure even temperature.

• If  you want to make bigger vadais or shaping and dropping the vadai and bringing your hands near the hot oil sounds dangerous, then do try it the traditional way with a small piece of banana leaf smeared with oil held in your left and using your right hand shape the vadai on the leaf and turn the leaf over slightly above the oil to drop the batter into the oil. Alternatively, you can use the slotted ladle that you use to fry and shape the vada on it directly and drop it into the oil. 

• If you are a first-timer, then focus on making the vadai edible for the first couple of attempts. Don't fret too much over the shape. It will come with experience. Trust me :-)

• With experience, you would be able to fry a batch of 4 or more vadais at a time.  Do not crowd too much as they may not get evenly cooked. 

• If vadais seem to look oily, then keep the batter again in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. Alternatively add some more rice flour.

• You can make the batter the previous day and store it in the refrigerator until frying. I have kept the batter in the fridge for a maximum of two days without affecting the taste and quality of the vadai. I am not sure about the maximum time it can be stored.
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Variations:

1. You can omit any or all of the seasonings given if you like plain vadais

2. You can add roasted and crushed pepper, small pieces of coconut to the batter.

3. Restaurants normally add cooking soda/baking soda to the batter just before frying for giant sized crisp vadais. This is optional when you are making at home. I did not use it.

4. Soak the leftover vadais in sambar and garnish with chopped onions and chillies for a delectable sambar vadai.

5.Soak the vadais in curd that has been seasoned with mustard seeds, urad dal and chillies. Garnish with shredded carrot and serve chilled. This is the yummy thayir vadai.

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.

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.\

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 :-)

Pavakkai Fry (Deep Fried BitterGourd)

Deep Fry is a taboo in our home - to the extent that we microwave appalam and pappad!! So it is on rare occasions that we fill the pan with oil. Last week, I found a batch of fresh bittergourds at Suriya Greens on my way from work. Since PK was not in town - I thought of indulging myself with one of my favorite dishes - Deep Fried Pavakkai (Bittergourd).

One of the fondest memories from my school days has been lunching with my Best Friend - L at her house stuffing our faces with yummy sambar rice, spicy potato fry and awesome pavakkai deep fry. We never cook bittergourd at my place and so it was a revelation to try the simple yet comforting pavakkai fry. While aunty always says that it goes well with curd rice - I normally have it like a main course with the rice becoming an accompaniment.

And after so many years - even now when I visit aunty, I know that she would not send me back without a sample of her now famous pavakkai fry.

Pavakkai Fry

Ingredients:

1/2 kg Bitter Gourd
2 tbsp Red Chilly Powder
a pinch of turmeric
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Wash and cut the bittergourd into round slices.2. Remove the seeds (giving it a "polo" like shape). 3. Soak the ringlets in a bowl of water with turmeric and salt (helps remove the excess bitterness). 4. Drain the water and allow the ringlets to dry. 5. In a bowl, mix the salt, chilly powder and turmeric well. 6. Toss in the bittergourd ringlets until it is well coated with the masala. 7. Allow it to marinate for 15 minutes. 8. Heat Oil in  a deep bottomed pan. 9. Deep fry the ringlets in batches until they turn brown. Remove and allow it to drain the excess oil on paper towels.

Some of the ringlets may turn out soft and not crisp - this is fine. Serve with curd rice.

While I am not a big fan of deep frying (infact I am paranoid about it)  this is one exception when I go around looking for comfort food. - And it never fails to remind me of the peaceful days spent during my schooling.