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.

Gobi Manchurian | Cauliflower manchurian : With step by step pictures!

Because of the terrible weather & wind chills, we are under house arrest. Hubby was working from home & my son is enjoying his extended holiday. Hope the weather gets better soon. To keep myself going & motivated, I am having a cooking marathon. Despite our diet, I cooked many unhealthy dishes. Good thing is that I made most of them during lunch & our dinner's are very simple even now.

Back to the recipe. Gobi Manchurian is a Indo-Chinese dish & a street food of India. Gobi manchurian can be served as a appetizer(dry version) or made like a gravy to go with Fried rice or other rice varieties. This post is a dry version & is served as a appetizer.

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

Ingredients:
For the manchurian:
Gobi | Cauliflower : 1 small cauliflower (about 25-30 florets)
Corn starch: 1/4 cup
AP flour/Maida: 1/2 cup
Pepper powder: 1 tsp
Water: As needed (I used 1 cup + 2 tbsp)
Salt: As needed
Oil: For deep frying

For the manchurian sauce:
Corn starch: 1 tbsp
Water: 1/2 cup
Tomato ketchup: 2 tbsp
Red chilli sauce or sriracha: 2 tsp
Soya sauce: 2 tbsp
Vinegar: 1 tsp
Oil: 1 tbsp
Garlic: 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Finely chopped cabbage: 1/4 cup
Finely chopped onion: 1/4 cup
Bell peppers: 1/4 cup
Finely chopped green chillies: 1 tsp, more or less (I used 1/2 tsp of green chilli paste)
Salt: As needed (Be extra careful as all the sauces contain salt & in fact I do not add any extra salt)

For the garnish:
Spring onion greens: 2 tbsp, finely chopped

Method:
Wash the cauliflower florets & keep it aside.

Mix the corn starch, maida, pepper powder, salt in a medium bowl.

Add few tablespoons of water at a time & make a smooth batter. Whisk the batter well & ensure no lumps. Batter should be little thinner than the pakora batter or pancake batter. We want the batter to coat the cauliflower florets lightly.

Heat oil in a broad pan or kadai or deep fryer. When oil is hot, dip the cauliflower florets in the batter & deep fry the florets until lightly golden. Each batch takes about 3-5 mins.
Drain the deep fried cauliflower florets & place them on a paper towel.

For the Manchurian sauce:
Add the corn starch, water, tomato ketchup, red chilli sauce, soya sauce, vinegar to a small bowl & whisk well. Let the sauce mixture sit for 3-5 mins.
Heat oil in a wok. When oil is hot, add the finely chopped garlic & toss till garlic is golden brown. Follow garlic by onions & cabbage. Toss on high heat until the cabbage & onions are translucent, cooked & yet crunchy. It might take about 3-4 mins

Add the bell peppers, finely chopped green chillies & toss again.

Add the sauce mixture to the wok. Keep mixing until the sauce becomes thick.

Throw in the deep fried cauliflower florets & toss. Let the sauce coat the cauliflower florets.
Turn off the heat.

Garnish it with onion greens (I did not have them handy, so skipped adding!) & serve it immediately.

Notes:

• You should mix the sauce & the florets just before serving. The manchurian does not stay crisp if you soak it for a long time.
• If you plan to make it for a party, prepare the sauce & deep fry the florets in advance. Heat the sauce & toss in the florets just before serving.
• Other manchurian ideas. Instead of cauliflower, you could use mushroom, cabbage, baby corn or paneer (Indian cottage cheese).