Nippattu | Thattai : South Indian Crispy Snack Recipe

Nippattu is a deep fried Indian snack that is perfect for the coming Deepavali festival. You can prepare this couple of days in advance too. It stays fresh for up to 10 days.

Preparation Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins

Ingredients: (Makes about 30 nippattu)
Rice flour: 1 cup
Maida | AP flour: 1/2 cup
Chickpea flour | Besan: 1/2 cup
Roasted gram | Hurigadale | Putani: 2 tbsp
Roasted peanuts: 2 tbsp
Grated dry coconut: 1/2 cup
Sesame seeds: 1 tsp
Hing | Asafoetida: a big pinch
Red chili powder: 1 tsp, more or less
Salt: As needed
Hot oil or Vegetable shortening: 1 tbsp, refer notes
Water: As needed

Other ingredients:
Oil to deep fry the nippattu

Method:
Sieve the rice flour, maida and chickpea flour separately and keep them aside.
Roughly crush the roasted peanuts and putani (roasted gram). Keep them aside.
Take a mixing bowl. To that add rice flour, maida, chickpea flour, salt, hing, chili powder and vegetable shortening.

Mix until the shortening is incorporated in the flours. The flours should be slightly crumbly.
To this, add the grated dry coconut, sesame seeds, crushed peanuts and roasted gram. Mix again.

Add little water at a time to make a soft and yet not sticky dough. Refer note # 2 below.

Grease an aluminium foil or parchment paper.
Make marble sized balls out of the dough.
Flatten the dough on the greased foil. I made about 2 inch circles. Do not make it too thin.

Heat oil in a wok. When oil is hot, drop 2-3 nippattus (depending on the oil used) at a time & deep fry it on a medium heat until they turn golden in color.

Drain the fried nippattu on a kitchen towel & allow it to cool.

Repeat the procedure of flattening and deep frying until you finish the dough.
Once cool completely, store them in air tight containers.

Notes:

1. I used Crisco Vegetable Shortening (similar to Vanaspati or Dalda). You could use hot oil instead of vegetable shortening. If using hot oil, add about 1.5 tbsp. 
2. If you are making the nippattu in big batches, divide the mixed flour into 2-3 equal parts. Add water to one portion at a time and make the dough. You should not let the dough rest for a long time. Hence, dividing the flour and making dough helps. 
3. I repeat. Do not flatten the nippattu too much. It should be the thickness of a cracker or marie biscuit.

Ribbon Pakoda | Ribbon Murukku | Indian deep fried snack: Gokulastami Recipes

Are you wondering why I am posting a Gokulastami recipe now, when the festival was over about a month ago. Hold on.., for few of us... the festival is not over yet. We are celebrating the Gokulastami (Krishna Janmastami) on the coming Monday (15th September 2014).

I noted down the ribbon pakoda recipe during my visit to India. When I searched the internet, I found many recipes for ribbon pakoda. Each of them was different. Hence, I went ahead with what I had noted down. It came out very crisp.

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: About 30 mins

Ingredients:
Rice flour | Akki hittu: 1 cup
Gram flour | Kadale hittu: 1/2 cup
Butter: 1.5 tbsp, melted or softened
Salt: As needed
Asafoetida | Hing: a pinch
Pepper powder: 1 tsp
Water: As needed

Other ingredients:
Oil: For deep frying

Method:
Add the rice flour, gram flour, salt, asafoetida, pepper powder to a mixing bowl.Add the softened butter.

Mix well. The flours should get coated with the butter.
Add water little at a time to the flour mixture and make soft, non sticky dough. The dough should be smooth but non sticky.

Heat the oil in a wok for deep frying.
Grease the murukku maker. Use the ribbon pakoda plate. Add the dough to the murukku maker.

When oil is hot, press the ribbon murukku directly on to the oil. Cook it on a medium high heat until it turns golden brown.

Flip the pakoda & cook on both sides.
Drain the ribbon pakoda on a paper towel. Repeat pressing the pakoda & frying until the dough is over.

Cool the pakoda & save it in a air tight container. Can be stored for about 10 days.

Notes:

• As soon as the murukku is dropped in oil, the oil makes a "shh" sound and you see lots of bubbles in the oil. As the murukku gets cooked, the sound reduces to zero & the oil becomes clear.
• You could use about 2 tbsp of hot oil instead of butter to make a vegan version.

Vada Pav or Wada Pav : The Indian burger

What do you crave during cool & rainy days? For me, it's deep fried street chaat. It could be a plate of hot masala puri or some bhajiyas (fritters). When we talk of street foods, who do you think can resist street foods? There is not much fun when you eat the street food or chat at the airconditioned restaurants.(Raste pe chaat khane ki maza hi kuch aur hain na!). I can see many nodding heads :D But when you are away from all those pleasures of life, there is only option left. Make them at your home & relish.

Wada Pav is a famous street food of Mumbai. After pav bhaji, this is the most appreciated Mumbai street food at my home. Vada Pav does take more time, but if you plan in advance & then cook, it'll not be tiresome.

Preparation Time: 30 mins
Cooking Time: 15-20 mins
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

For the batata vada (stuffed potato fritters)
For the stuffing:
Boiled Russet potatoes: 3 nos, large (refer notes below)
Green chilli paste: 2 tsp
Grated garlic: 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder: a big pinch
Oil: 1 tbsp
Salt: As needed
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida: a big pinch
Finely chopped coriander leaves: 2 tbsp
Lemon juice: 2 tsp

For the batter:
Besan/Kadle hittu/ Gram flour: 1 cup
Rice flour: 2-3 tbsp, optional but recommended
Salt: As needed
Chilli powder: 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder: a big pinch
Baking soda: a pinch
Water: As needed

Enough oil for deep frying the batata vada (stuffed potato fritters)

For the dry coconut chutney: 
Dry coconut: 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder : 2 tsp or about 8-10 dry red chillies
Salt: As needed

For assembling the burger | vada pav:
Pav or dinner rolls or burger buns: About 9-10
Dry coconut chutney: 2 tsp on each bun
Green chutney: 1 tsp on each bun, optional
Batata vada : 1-2 nos for each bun.

Method:
For the dry coconut chutney:
Blend together the dry coconut, chilli powder & salt in a blender until it is a coarse powder. Keep it aside.

For the batata vada:
Peel the skin of the potatoes & mash them roughly.
Heat oil in a broad pan. When oil is hot, add the cumin seeds. When cumin seeds turn golden brown, throw in the chilli paste & grated garlic. When garlic gets cooked, add the turmeric powder, mashed potatoes, salt & mix well. Add in the coriander leaves & lemon juice. Turn off the heat.
Mix & mash the cooked potato again.
Make lime sized balls from the potato mixture & keep it aside.

For the batter:
In a bowl, add the gram flour, rice flour, baking soda, salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder & mix well.

Add little water at a time to the gram flour mixture and prepare a batter. The consistency of the batter should be like a pancake batter or a thick milkshake.
Heat enough oil for deep frying the batata vada. When oil is hot, dip the potato balls in the gram flour batter & slide the raw batata vada in the hot oil.

Deep fry on both the sides until the vada turns golden brown. Remove the vada using a slotted spoon & drain it on a paper towel.

Arranging the vada pav:
Slice or cut the pav or burger bun in half.

Spread about 2 tsp of dry coconut chutney on one half of the burger bun.

**If needed, spread a teaspoon of green chutney on the other half of the bun. (I don't do this as we do not want the green chutney to over power the dry coconut chutney)
Place the hot batata vada on the dry chutney powder.

Cover it with the other slice.
Dig in!!

Notes:

• Use any potatoes of your choice.
• Vada pav is supposed to be garlicky & spicy. So, ensure to make the batata vada spicy & garlicky. 
• Make the dry coconut chutney spicy too. You could serve the vada pav with a slightly roasted green chilli too. 
• Ensure to serve the batata vada hot.  

PS: I'm sending this to Pari's event 'Only' Sandwiches, Burgers & Panini hosted by myself :)

Along with this, I have two other entries too.

Here they are:
Baby corn-bell pepper grilled sandwich
Grilled tomato cheese sandwich.

Uppu cheedai | Uppu seedai Recipe : Gokulastami Recipes

During the Krishna janmastami, every household get busy deep frying savories & making ladoos. Krishna Janmastami is celebrated in the Bhadrupada maasa (month) & on the 8th day of the Krishnapaksha. We offer butter & dishes made using rice flakes (poha/avalakki) along with the deep fried savories  & sweets prepared earlier.

For the first time, I made this uppu seedai. I got to know about this from many of my blogger friends. Thanks to the blogger world. With their suggestions, I could make it successfully.

Preparation Time: 30 mins

Cooking Time: 15 mins 

Makes about 2 cups of seedai

Ingredients:

Rice flour: 1 cup, refer notes below

Skinned black gram flour/urad dal flour: 2 tbsp*

Grated coconut: 2 tbsp (I used the frozen coconut), refer notes below

Sesame seeds: 2 tsp

Salt: a big pinch

Butter: 2 tbsp, at room temperature

Water: As needed

Oil: For deep frying the seedai

* Dry roast the urad dal on medium heat. Let it cool. Once cool, make a fine powder out of it.

Method:
Sieve the rice flour & the urad dal flour.
To the flours, add sesame seeds, coconut, butter, salt & mix well.

Add a tbsp of water at a time & make a stiff dough. The dough should not be sticky.

Spread a damp paper towel.
Pinch out small marble sized dough & quickly roll it to a ball.
Keep the prepared balls on the damp paper towel.

Once all the balls are done, let it rest for about 15 mins.

Heat oil in a deep pan or sauce pan. When oil is hot, slide in the rolled balls.
Bubbles are formed in the oil & the oil rises up.

As the seedai gets cooked, the bubbles cease. Also, the oil sound shh reduces.
Cook the seedai till it is golden in color. I removed the seedai as soon as it turned golden. You could cook till you get golden brown color too.

Allow it to cool completely & then store it in an air tight container.

Notes:

• It is very essential to sieve both the rice flour & the urad dal flour to avoid bursting of the seedai in oil.
• I used the Deep brand rice flour available here. 
• Some people suggested me to dry roast the sesame seeds & the grated coconut too. However, I didn't do it. 
• Do rest the rolled seedai for atleast 15 mins before frying.
• Do not roll the seedai for a long time. It doesn't matter if it is not perfect in shape. 
• If you are using salted butter (just like I did), watch out while adding salt again. 
• I microwaved the frozen coconut for about 10 secs & then used it when it was at room temperature.

Palak Cabbage Pakora | Spinach and Cabbage Fritters

I made these pakoras on a cold snowy & a lazy Sunday afternoon. They are a breeze to make & absolutely delicious!! Go ahead...It's alright to indulge in these fried beauties once a while.

Preparation Time: 10 mins

Cooking Time: 15-20 mins

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:

Shredded Spinach: 2 cups
Shredded Cabbage: 1 cup
Carom seeds/Ajwain/Om kalu: 1 tsp
Red chili powder: 1 tsp
Salt: As needed
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
Gram flour/Besan: 1 cup
Rice flour: 2 tbsp
Fine Rava/Chiroti rava/Cream of wheat: 2 tbsp
Hot oil: 1 tbsp
Water: Approximately 1 to 1.25 cups

Other ingredients:
Oil for deep frying the fritters.

Method:

Mix in the shredded spinach, cabbage, carom seeds, red chili powder, turmeric powder & salt in a large bowl.

Let the mixture sit for 5-10 mins. The mixture will ooze out water.
Next, throw in the rice flour, cream of wheat, gram flour to it.

Pour in the hot oil & mix them all together.
Now, slowly add the water & make a thick batter. The batter should be of dropping consistency.

Heat enough oil in a kadai/wok for deep frying the fritters.
When oil is hot enough, drop in a tbsp of batter at a time to the oil.
Cook the fritters on med-high heat, on all the sides until the fritters are golden brown & crisp.
Remove the fritters using a slotted spoon & let them dry on a paper towel.
Serve these fritters hot with a dip/chutney or ketchup.

Palak Pakoras | Spinach Fritters: Carom seeds flavored!

"Wishing you all a very happy & a prosperous new year"

My son asks, who loves spinach more, me or Popeye? I answer back saying, " you are the greatest lover of spinach in the whole world". He happily & proudly asks for second serving of the spinach dish. Because of the above reason, I always have spinach lying in my fridge. I try to make as many dishes as possible using spinach. Some of my spinach delicacies could be found here.

During one of the festivals last year, I made this pakora instead of the cabbage pakora. We relished this with thick rice flakes bisi bele bath.

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 10-15 mins
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

• Spinach leaves: About 2 cups finely chopped
• Gram flour/Besan: 1 cup, a little more or less.
• Rice flour: 2 tbsp
• Fine rava/Cream of wheat: 2 tbsp
• Salt: As needed
• Red chilli powder: 1 tsp, adjust according to your needs
• Carom seeds/Ajwain: 1/2 tsp (Refer here for Language Translation to Kannada)
• Hot oil: 1 tsp
• Baking soda: a small pinch
• Water: As needed

For deep frying:
Enough oil for frying the pakoras.

Method:

Wash the spinach leaves & chop them fine.
In a medium sized bowl, add all the ingredients mentioned (except the oil for deep frying!).
Mix them well.
Add few tablespoons of water at a time and make a thick batter. Consistency should be like that of a cupcake batter.
Heat oil in a wok. When oil is hot, scoop out a tablespoon of batter directly in the oil & deep fry in a medium heat.
After a couple of minutes, keep moving the fritters in the oil for even cooking. 
When the pakoras turn golden brown, remove them on a paper towel. 
Repeat the procedure with the remaining batter.
Serve the fritters, either with green chutney or with a dip of your choice!

Notes:

• For extra crispness, add thinly sliced onions along with the spinach. 
• Instead of carom seeds, these fritters could be flavored with cumin seeds or grated ginger.