Murrka /Chakli

Growing up murrku was mine and my sisters favourite snack and my mom used to make it for all festivals and my mom murrku is famous in our family :). All my aunts and cousin requests her to come and supervise whenever it is prepared for weddings . Here is her famous recipe.

Rice Power - 4 cups

Urad Dal - 1 cup

Fresh Coconut - 1 cup and Cumin - 1/2 tsp (optional)

White Sesame - 2 tbsp

Salt

1. Roast the rice powder in heavy bottom pan mixing well and making sure that rice does not change color.
2. Rice powder can be roasted in oven too, spread the powder on a baking tray and bake at 275 F for 30 - 45 min.
3. Pressure cook the dal with 2 1/2 cups of water till 3 whistles . Cool and mash the dal well.
4. If using coconut grind coconut and cumin well with as little water as possible.
5. Mix roasted rice ,cooked dal, salt and sesame well and make a dough and keep aside for 10 min.
6. Make small murrka or chakli with the Murrk Press .
7. Heat oil to 350 F in a deep pan .
8. Drop murrka to the oil and Fry on both sides till it becomes golden .

Khoa Gulab Jamun

These are my preparations for Diwali. Planning to post the recipes soon.This was our first Diwali outside of India and i didn't want to miss any experience of a traditional Diwali and one of the important part of any Indian festival is food. I made Gulab Jamun, Muruk, Maharastrian Chivda, Coconut Chocolate Burfi, Payasam, Vada for prasad.

Let me start with Gulab Jamun.


GULAB JAMUN

Khoa - 4 parts
Maida - 1 part
Sugar - 2 part
Water - 1 Part
Milk as required.
Ghee  for frying

1. Mix water and sugar and boil till a single thread syrup.
2. Grate Khoa and maida and mix the two together , if needed one tsp milk at a time to make a soft dough.
3. Let dough rest for 15 -20 min.
4. Make small one inch balls of dough
5. Heat oil to 300 F on medium heat.
6. Fry few balls till outer coat is chocolate brown and drop in the syrup.
7. Do the same with all the remaining balls .
8. Let the balls rest in syrup for 5-6 hrs.
9. Serve chilled or warm as per your families choice.

Tamarind Chutney

Tamarind chutney is the one of the basic element of chat preparations. It is quick and requires very few ingredients.In place of jaggery ,dates can also be used .So people use sugar too but i suggest using dates or jaggery only .

Tamarind -50 gms
Jaggery - 125 gms
Chilli Pw -1 tsp
Roasted Cumin Pw - 2 tsp
Kala Namak - 1 tsp (optinal)
Warm Water - 1/2 cup
salt to taste


Method :


1. Soak tamarind in warm water for half an hour.Then mash it with your hands and strain it.
2. Mix rest everything with the above juice and boil for 30 min on medium flame.
3. Taste it for salt and adjust the season to your taste.


This chutney can be served as dipping sauce with any chat or snacks like cutlet, somaso , kachori

Healthy Indian Sandwich

Smithfield Deli Thin Oven Roasted Turkey - 1 tub
White / Whole Wheat Bread Slices - 8 slices
Olive Oil - 3 tbsp
Mint leaves - 1/4 cup
Cliantro Leaves - 1/4 cup
Cumin seeds -1/4 tsp
Lime Juice - 1tbsp
Tomato - 2, sliced thinly
Red Onion - 1/2 sliced thinly
Jalapeno Pepper - 1 , deseeded if your family does not like hot
Salt

1. Grind mint,cilantro ,cumin,lime juice,salt,jalapeno pepper, a slice of tomato in a food processor or blender or mortal and pestal.
(this freezes very well so extra can be made)
2. Brush olive oil on one side of each bread slice and toast the oiled side in a frying pan.
3. Spread a thin layer of mint - cilantro pesto on the non toasted side of each bread slice.
4. Place few slices of roasted turkey pesto side of a slice of bread .
5. Place 2-3 tomato slice, on turkey , then few onion slices on tomato.
6. Place another slice of bread on it with pesto side down.


SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Serve with any kind of lentil or chickpea salad.

Upwaas Recipes - Aloo Ki Tikki

ALOO KI TIKKI
Serves 2 people


Boiled mashed Potato /Aloo - 1 cup
(Yukon Gold/Red)
Chopped Green Chilli - 1 tbsp
Roasted Cumin Powder -1 tbsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves -3 tbsp
Grated Raw Potato - 1/4 cup(Optional)
Curd - 1 cup
Water -1/4 cup
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt
Oil for shallow frying


Method for Pattie/Tikki Preparation


1. Mix mashed potato,green chilli,coriander leaves and salt to taste.
2. Take 2 tbsp of mixture in hand and form patties. 
3. Heat oil in a frying pan and place patties in the oil .
4. Keep the stove at medium heat and let one side be golden .
5. Turn the patties and add one tbsp oil if needed and fry till golden brown.


How to Serve


1. Fry the gratted potatoes in oil and drain on a paper towel.
2. Mix curd, sugar, salt and water.
3. Place the 4 hot patties in a plate and cover it with the curd mixture.
4. Sprikle 1/2 tsp of cumin pw, 1/4 chilli pw, corriander leaves , fried potatoes on the top of the curd and serve.

Barbatti/Chowlai Phali/Achiyga Payar/Chinese Long Beans

This weekend we had some friends over for dinner and i usually like to cook some simple easy to cook side dish with some special vegetarian or non vegetarian curry to go with rice and chapatti /poori. And i cooked simple Potato - Payar fry and everybody liked it and one of my friend said she has always seen it here in Indian and other Asian shops and always ignored it thinking what to do with it. This incident inspired me to write about simple everyday recipes that can be cooked with this long beans and that start this blog.

In India these bean in light green colour and some times dark green with purple hues in Kerala.So let me start with some of my moms recipes.

Payar Thoran

Payar/Long Beans - 1 cup finely chopped

Water - 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

For Grinding : - Grind all the below items very coarsely with very little water

Coconut - 1/4 cup, shredded

Garlic - 1 cloves (optional ,not in original recipe)

Green Chilli - 2

Curry leaves - few leaves

Jeera/Cumin  - 1/4 tsp

Turmeric - 2 pinch

For Tempering :

Onion - 2 tbsp finely , chopped

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Dry Red Chilli - 2

Oil - 2 tsp

Curry Leaves - 4 / 5 leaves

Preparation :

1. Grind all the items for grinding and keep it ready.
2. Keep washed finely chopped beans ready.
3. Heat oil in a pan or kadai.
4. Add mustard and wait till mustard starts popping.
5. Add  whole red chilli and onion.
6. Fry  till onion is light golden in color.
7. Add curry leaves fry for a second or two.
8. Add the coconut mixture and cook for 2 min.
9. Add payar and two tbsp of water and salt to taste.
10. Cover and cook till payar is done to your taste.

PS : Garlic is optional , If you are cooking in India u can avoid hing. Hing i have seen gives veggie in US a Indian touch maybe its just my tongue :) .

Payar Mezukuvarrati/Fry

Step I 

Payar/Long Beans - 1 cup ,cut in one inch piece

Onion - 2 tbsp ,chopped 

Green Chilli - 2 slit into half
Turmeric - 1/8 tsp

Water

Salt

1. Mix all and add water till it covers 1/2 of the Payar in which ever dish you are cooking.
2. Cook the vegetable till tender and drain and keep aside.

Step II : For Tempering 

Onion /Shallots - 2 tbsp finely chopped

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Dry Red Chilli - 2

Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Curry Leaves - 4 /5 leaves

Preparation :

1. Heat oil in a pan or kadai.
2. When hot enough ,add hing and mustard.
3. When mustard start popping add red chilli and onion.
4. Fry till onion is light golden in color and add curry leaves.
5. Add cooked beans and cook for a min or so
6. Add cooked Payar and cook for some 2-3 min.

PS: I have used ground nuts but traditionally it is not used

Potato-Payar Fry

Step I :

Payar/LongBeans - 1 cup ,chopped in one inch piece

Onion - 2 tbsp chopped in one inch pieces

Green Chilli - 2 split and cut in one inch pieces

Tumeric - 2-3 big pinches

Water

Salt

1. Mix all and add water till it covers 1/3 of the Payar in which ever dish you are cooking.
2. Cook the vegetable till tender and drain and keep aside.

Step II:

Potato - 1/2 cup chopped in one inch on pieces

For Tempering :

Onion /Shallots - 2 tbsp finely chopped

Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Dry Red Chilli - 2

Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Curry Leaves - 4 /5 leaves

Preparation :

1. Heat oil in a pan or kadai
2. When hot enough and mustard.
3. When mustard start popping, add red chilli ,onion and potato.
4. When Potato is almost tender , add curry leaves ,red chilli powder .
5. Cook for a min and add the cooked beans and fry for another 3-4 min.

Peanut - Payar with Tomato and Peanut

Payar - 1 cup ,chopped in one inch piece

Onion - 1/4 cup chopped finely

Tomoato - 1/2 cup chopped finely

Green Chilli - 2 chopped finely

Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Peanut - 1 tbsp

Tumeric - 2-3 big pinches

Red Chilli Powder - 2 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Preparation :

1. Heat oil in a pan or kadai
2. When hot enough add  onion and fry just translucent .
3. Add peanut and cook for 3 -4 min .
4. Add ginger -garlic paste and cook till the raw smell vanishes.
5. Add tumeric and red chilli powder and mix well.
6. Add tomato , cover and cook till oil starts to seperate.
7. Add long beans ,cover and cook till the it is cooked .It may take some 7- 10 min.
8. Add garnish it with corrinader leaves.

Payar Kondattum

Payar - Cut into two inches long and dry in the sun.

Fry in hot oil and sprinkle with little salt.

Goes very well with Sambar and rice or Curd Rice.

This being my first post i enjoyed putting down what was in my mind on paper and i hope cooks coming to this page will enjoy too.

I would love to add visitors Payar recipe to the page if somebody like to share their recipe with me.

This was Navarathri week and my husband fasts just for eating all the north indian goodies cooked during the fast so next i'm planning to write about all dishes i learned and now prepares for him.