Bitter gourd fry/ fritters/ pavakkai fry

   My friend's mom shared this recipe a few weeks ago. The bitter taste of karela is reduced as we deep fry the vegetable and the crispiness leaves you craving for more. This is definitely one of the easy and simple recipes. This can be a used as a snack or as a side dish for rice varieties.

Ingredients:

1 Bitter gourd
oil for deep frying
1 tsp of red chilli powder
1 tbsp of besan/ gram flour/chick pea flour
1/2 tbsp of rice flour
salt as required


Preparation:

1.Slice the bitter gourd into 1/2 inch circles.  Add besan, rice flour, red chilli powder and salt to the bitter gourd.

2. Add a tsp of oil and mix well. Preheat the oil in the heavy bottomed vessel ,add the pieces to the pan. Deep fry both the sides till it turns golden brown.

3.Transfer to the plate. Serve with tomato ketchup.

Cabbage vadai

      I made cabbage vadai for Holi party as an appetizer. My friend does not eat onion and garlic. So I have to find the substitute for onion. I was surprised that cabbage tasted so well. This can be done on the pooja days to avoid onion.

Ingredients:


1 cup of Bengal gram(channa dhal)
1/2 tbsp of rice flour
4 green chilies
1 inch grated ginger
1 small cup of cabbage 
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 sprig of curry leaves
2 tbsp of chopped coriander
salt as required
Oil for deep frying

Preparation:

1.Soak channa dhal in water for 2 hours. Filter the water and grind little coarsely. (Do not add additional water). 
2.Fine chop the cabbage,green chilies, ginger, curry leaves and coriander leaves and add them to the ground dhal. Add cumin seeds, rice flour and salt to the ground mixture. Mix well.
3.Make a small patty and put in the preheated oil. Once the patty turns golden  brown, cabbage vadai is ready.

Cabbage vadai

      I made cabbage vadai for Holi party as an appetizer. My friend does not eat onion or garlic. So I have to find the substitute for onion. I was surprised that the cabbage ended up as a great substitute for onion. This can be a good idea for pooja days when we avoid onions. 

Ingredients:


1 cup of Bengal gram(channa dhal)
1/2 tbsp of rice flour
4 green chilies
1 inch grated ginger
1 small cup of cabbage 
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 sprig of curry leaves
2 tbsp of chopped coriander
salt as required
Oil for deep frying

Preparation:

1.Soak channa dhal in water for 2 hours. Filter the water and grind little coarsely. (Do not add any additional water). 
2.Finely chop the cabbage,green chilies, ginger, curry leaves and coriander leaves and add them to the ground dhal. Add cumin seeds, rice flour and salt to the ground mixture. Mix well.
3.Make a small patty and put in the preheated oil. Once the patty turns golden  brown, cabbage vadai is ready. Serve with chutney.

Aloo tikki/ Potato patty

   Aloo tikki is a North Indian snack made of boiled potatoes and various spices. The word "tikki" means a small cutlet/ croquette. Found in almost every chaat shop in Delhi and other parts of India.

Serves up to 2 people
Preparation time:30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 medium potatoes

1 small cup of peas

2 chopped green chilies

1 tbsp of minced ginger

1 tbsp of bread crumbs

1 tbsp of besan (chickpea flour)

1 tsp of cumin powder

1 tsp of garam masala

oil for frying

salt as required

Preparation:

1. Boil the potatoes, peel the skin and mash them. Boil the peas and mash them as well.

2. Add besan, breadcrumbs, green chilies, ginger, garam masala, cumin powder and salt. Mix them well.

3. Make small patties and shallow fry the patties in the preheated oil. Cook in medium flame till it turns golden brown on the sides.

4. Aloo tikki is ready. Serve with ketchup/ coriander chutney.