Masala puri...south Indian style

Masala Puri- another traditional south Indian style snack, these wonderful little morsels of flavour will satisfy a hunger pang any time of the day or night. They can be had at breakfast with some coffee or tea, as a mid morning snack with a glass of milk shakes or in the evening and you can also pack them into the kid’s lunch boxes. my son love to have puffed puris so i take care while rolling,however some don’t, but it does not affect the taste.

Ingredients:
2 cups- Whole wheat flour
1/2 cup-Semolina
1 tsp-Cumin seeds/jeera
2tsp-Red chilly powder
2 springs- Curry leaves
1tsp- Coriander powder
1-2 tsp-Sugar,powdered
Salt -As per taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:

• Sift flour into a bowl , add semolina and  all the spices,sugar,salt and Chopped curry leaves.
• Knead the dough with warm water to form a soft but stiff dough. You can add little oil while kneading the dough to avoid from sticking to the bowl.
• Let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes.
• Now divide the dough into 15 portions and roll into thick 3-4 inch round disks.
• Heat oil in a kadai/deep pan and fry all the puris till crisp and golden brown on both the sides.
• Serve hot with Tea or coffee or you can have it plain like any other snacks.

Summer salad

We Indians eat a lot of hot and spicy dishes around here, a great way to cool the palate is with the delicious combination of yogurt and cucumber. This easy-to-make cucumber salad, also called kachumber, is a refreshing accompaniment to spicy dishes such as biryanis and other Indian food. I have used Iceberg Lettuce, carrots ,beetroot and tomatoes which is a great combination for a salad. Coriander leaves lends a very nice aroma and taste to this salad. The yoghurt and a tinge of sugar makes it a perfect dressing.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Hung curd
• 1/2 cup Fresh cream
• 1 cup Cucumber ,peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup Carrots,Finely chopped
• 1/4 cup Onions,finely chopped
• 1/4 cup Tomatoes,Finely chopped
• 2tbsp Beetroot,finely chopped
• 1 cup Grapes (green and white),
• 1 bunch iceberg lettuce
• 1tsp lemon juice
• 2 Oranges,
• 1/4 cup Pomegranate seeds
• 1tsp Pepper powder
• 2tbsp Coriander leaves,chopped
• 1/2 cup Cherry tomatoes, preferably orange coloured,cut into half
• 1tsp Sugar

Cooking Directions

For yoghurt dressing:

•  Beat hung curd,fresh cream and pepper till light and glossy.
• Add sugar and salt and give a nice beat.Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.
• Now combine all the chopped vegetables in a bowl and add lemon juice, mix it well with a spoon.Then add 1/2 of the pomegranate seeds and mix it well with the other chopped vegetable and chill it for at least 30 minutes before serving.

To serve the salad:

• Nicely arrange the iceberg lettuce on a serving tray.
• Combine curd mixture with vegetable salad and mix it lightly with a fork or spoon ,check for seasoning,then slowly put all the salad in the center over the bed of lettuce.
• Carefully arrange all the fruits as shown in the picture and serve chilled.
• Sprinkle some chat masala and some lemon juice for that extra punch!

Tips:

1. First taste the cucumbers to make sure that they are not bitter. Depending on the variety of cucumber you are using, and many other factors, you may find a cucumber that is distinctly bitter in taste. If this happens, soak the cucumber slices in salted water for half an hour, or longer, until the bitterness is reduced, then rinse and drain before using.
2. Always place in ice cold water so that it remains crisp in texture.Iceberg lettuce makes a beautifully crisp, fresh and tasty base for salads.

V

ariations: 

you can try this salad with different vegetables like boiled green peas and potatoes or with some fresh sprouts and fruits of your choice.

vegetable croquettes

Snacks are food items which everyone loves to eat specially during evening time with hot cup of tea or fresh fruit juice.There are a variety of snacks available if you poke around a food shop. Colorful, delicious and highly decorated ready-made snacks allure children and excessive consumption of them is harmful.But if you can spend a little time for preparing these home-made healthy snacks, you can at least stop your child from ordering those junk foods like pizza and burgers .Try to make something interesting with using different veggies and create some healthy snacks,in the evening when kids come back after school.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Cabbage,grated
• 1/2 cup Capsicum,finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Onions
• 1 cup Potatoes,boiled and mashed
• 1/2 cup Beetroot,boiled and grated
• 2tsp Garam masala
• 2 Green chillies,finely chopped
• 1tsp Red chilly powder
• 1/4 cup Coriander leaves,finely chopped
• 1 cup Bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup Maida
• 1tsp Jeera/cumin
• 1tsp Garlic cloves,chopped finely
• 1tsp Ginger,chopped finely
• Salt As per taste
• 1/2 cup Semolina/rava
• 2tbsp Corn flour

Cooking Directions

1. Wash and boil potatoes and beetroot in a pressure cooker till soft.
2. Grate boiled beetroot and keep aside.
3. Mash potatoes and transfer to a big bowl.
4. Heat 2tsp oil in a kadai/pan,add cumin,let it splutter.
5. Then add chopped ginger and garlic and saute for couple of seconds.Add chopped green chillies and saute again for a second.
6. Now add grated cabbage,capsicum and onions and fry for 2 minutes till crisp.
7. Add boiled and grated beetroot,chilly powder,garam masala powder and salt and mix all the ingredients well and switch off the gas.
8. Let the mixture cool down a bit.Then add this to boiled and mashed potatoes and mix it well with your hand.
9. Add maida and bread curmbs and mix till all the ingredients combines well and the mixture resembles to roti dough.
10. Divide the dough into 20 equal parts and shape the mixture into oblong croquettes and keep aside.
11. Mix semolina and cornflour and roll all the croquettes in this mixture and arrange on a plate.
12. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the cutlets until brown on all the sides.Drain on absorbent paper
13. Serve hot with tomato sauce.