PANIYARAMS

I have posted on Paniyaram earlier. Recently I came across an easier method to make those spongy, golden brown balls to snack on when one is peckish.  These are made with leftover Idli-Dosa batter . This batter is readily available at any store in Mumbai or you can prepare it at home.

Hetal and Anuja have posted a detailed video on their site Show Me The Curry. It takes just 10 mins to prepare and 10 mins to cook.  I was fascinated and am surely going to make these Paniyarams this evening.

Please view the video here  -   Paniyaram video by ShowMeTheCurry.com

Rava (Semolina/Sooji) Kuzhi Paniyaram

I haven't been very active recently on my blog due to some medical constraints but this snack is so delicious and was something new, atleast for me ; therefore I had to share it with all of you. 

Kuzhi Paniyaram is a popular Chettinad tiffin item, where fermented rice and lentil batter (idli / dosa batter)  is mixed with seasoning and steamed in special pans which comes with little golf ball size holes (kuzhi in Tamil). These paniyarams can be made either sweet or savoury.


My kind neighbour taught me this. Its quick and easy and convenient to satisfy the hunger pangs of little children and (tongue - in - cheek) hungry adults !!! It takes about 15 - 20 minutes from start to finish.

She told me that when one doesn't have idli /dosa batter at home, one can use rava / sooji which is easily available and rustle up this quick snack. What a wonderful idea !!

So here it is. I couldn't post a photograph because it was walloped up in a few minutes. Hungry adults you see !!! But the next time, I make a batch, I will surely post a picture.

I found an image of the Paniyaram on the internet from this site. So I have posted the image below to get an idea of what this recipe will turn out into. I hope they don't mind. 

The recipe is posted below the image. The video for Unni Appam (towards the end of the post) shows how much oil to put into the paniyaram pan for frying.

The paniyarams are soft and spongy.  Quite tasty.

Rava Paniyaram

Ingredients 1

Rava / semolina/ sooji / suji - 2 medium size cups full

Curd / dahi - 3 tablespoons

Method 1

Mix this with enough water.

Ingredients 2

Tomato - 1 medium size (grated)

Ajwain /carom seeds for digestion and taste - (read all about Ajwain / Carom seeds) - 1 teaspoon (I don't like ajwain so I wouldn't add this)

Eno salt sachet - 1 sachet (for digestion)

Green chillies (optional) - chopped

Salt - to taste

Everest Chaat masala - sprinkle to taste

Coriander leaves - a handful chopped

Method

1) Mix ingredients 2 with the rava and curd mixture and keep adding water to make a thick paste.

2) Heat the Paniyaram pan on the stove

3) Add a little cooking oil (about 1/4 tsp) into each slot / individual holder / kuzhi. Lower the flame to medium.

4) Fill each holder with the prepared paste. Cover with a flat lid.

5) Check after 2 minutes. If golden brown, use a butter knife or fork or similar to turn onto the other side. Fry well till golden brown on the other side.

This can be enjoyed with mint or coriander leaves chutney or tomato ketchup.

And do let me know how it went. :)

Note : Do take the largest size for bigger Paniyarams. I bought the smallest size by mistake.

Also -
A.  Masala kuzhi Paniyaram - to use the kuzhi paniyaram pan for another recipe using dosa /idli batter, do visit the lovely blog "Edible Garden" by my friend from Singapore, Nags (www.cookingandme.com) who has posted this recipe for Masala kuzhi paniyaram using dosa / idli batter. I love the colour of those golden brown paniyarams.

B. Unni Appam - use the small holders / kuzhi to make Unni appam is a small round sweet rice cake made from rice, Jaggery, plantain, Ghee etc. It is a popular snack in Kerala and is a main offering to Lord Ganapathi.  In Malayalam, 'Unni' means small and 'Appam' means rice cake. It is a Kerala version of aebleskiver.
Paniyaram is a Tamilian word.

You can try out this sweet Unni Appam recipe in your Paniyaram pan (which has smaller individual holders).
Watch the video and recipe - how to make Unni Appam.  The Appams must be dark brown.

C. Egg Paniyaram - click for the recipe.

POHA - Light and Easy

POHA

A delightful, easy to cook, nutritious breakfast item, brunch, evening snack or a quick fix, light meal when one is not feeling too well, made from flattened rice flakes. Very healthy.

Flattened rice (also called beaten rice) is a dehusked rice which is flattened into flat light dry flakes.

This is primarily a Maharashtrian dish, light and easy to prepare; at the most around 15 mins from start to finish.

What to Use ..

Jada poha - flat, beaten rice flakes - 2 coffee mugs full (wash delicately with very little water and drain well - preferably done in a sieve/colander)

Onion - 1 (large, chopped)

Tomato - 1 (medium)

Potatoes - 1 (small, cut into small strips) - OPTIONAL

Haldi (turmeric) - 1/4  teaspoon

Mustard seeds - half a tsp

Curry leaves - 5 - 6

Green chillies - 1 (small, chopped) - OPTIONAL

Roasted peanuts - 6 - 7 (or more according to taste)

Salt - sprinkle well, according to taste

Lime - to squeeze all over to flavour (OPTIONAL)

Chopped coriander leaves - to garnish

Wooden ladle - flat

How to Prepare ..

1) Heat oil in a non-stick pan or wok. Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chillies. Fry well.

2) Once the mustard seeds stop spluttering, add the chopped onions and fry well.

3) Add the peanuts and potatoes and fry well

3) Then add the tomatoes and soften. Add the haldi and fry well.

4) Drain the water completely from the "Poha". Put in in along with salt and mix well with the flat ladle so as not to break the flakes.

5) Sprinkle water all over and cover for 2 mins . Then taste and check if it is cooked and done.

6) Squeeze lime all over (OPTIONAL) and garnish with coriander leaves.

Chire Badam

CHIRE BADAM

A quick evening snack, homemade and delicious to taste.

Chire Badam is what it is called in Bengali. Chivra is what it is called in Marathi etc.

The main ingredient is Beaten / Flattened rice (called Chire in Bengali and Poha in Maharashtra). Flattened rice has a low GI carbohydrate index which is good.

courtesy - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flattened_rice

Flattened rice is a dehusked rice which is flattened into flat light dry flakes. These flakes of rice swell when added to liquid, whether hot or cold, as they absorb water, milk or any other liquids. The thicknesses of these flakes vary between almost translucently thin (the more expensive varieties) to nearly four times thicker than a normal rice grain.

This easily digestible form of raw rice is very popular across India and Bangladesh, and is normally used to prepare snacks or light and easy fast food in a variety of Indian cuisine styles, some even for long-term consumption of a week or more. It is known by a variety of names: Poha[1] or Pauwa[2] in Hindi, Pohe in Marathi, Chniré in colloquial Bengali, Phovu in Konkani, Chudaa in Oriya, Atukulu in Telugu, Bajeel or Bajil in Tulu, Chudwey in Urdu(Dakkani), Aval in Malayalam and Tamil, Avalakki in Kannada[3], Pavva in Gujarati, and Chiura (चिउरा) in Nepali and Chhattisgarhi.

Flattened rice can be eaten raw by immersing it in plain water or milk, with salt and sugar to taste, or lightly fried in oil with nuts, raisins, cardamoms, and other spices. The lightly fried variety is a standard breakfast in Malvaa region (surrounding Indore) of Madhya Pradesh. It can be reconstituted with hot water to make a porridge or paste, depending on the proportion of water added. In villages, particularly in Chhattisgarh, Poha or Chiura is also eaten raw by mixing with jaggery.

Flattened rice is also a convenience food and very similar to instant mashed potatoes in uses and spirit. For more information - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flattened_rice

Badam is the colloquial word for peanuts in Bengali.

This is a light snack , crispy and tasty. However, it is prepared in different ways, in different combinations, in different communities. I have listed the Bengali way (as I have grown up in Calcutta, eating this a lot). Got the recipe from my closest and best friend in Calcutta.

Ingredients :

Beaten rice - 3 handfuls should be enough for 3 people

Peanuts - roasted

Whole red chillies - 2 (broken)

Cooking oil - 2 tbsps

Salt - sprinkle

Sugar - sprinkle (optional)

Method :

1) Heat the oil in a non - stick pan, add red chillies, add the beaten rice. Roast well, turning the flakes gently.

2) Once this is well done, add salt and keep turning the flakes.

3) Add peanuts and stir a little.

4) Add sugar if required.

The following bloggers have put up their recipes on their blogs for Chivda, poha etc. I have included them here for variety with Beaten Rice .

Chivda Recipe - http://www.aayisrecipes.com/2006/10/20/chivda-phova-upkari/

Chivda Recipe - http://momrecipies.blogspot.com/2009/07/chivda.html

Video instructions for Chivda - http://www.videojug.com/webvideo/how-to-make-chivda

Poha pulao - http://saffrontrail.blogspot.com/2006/10/fortified-poha-for-wbb-6.html

Kanda (onion) poha - http://potoba.blogspot.com/2008/04/kanda-poha.html

Quick and Easy Breakfast (in Style)

Breakfast in Style

This is quick , tasty and wholesome. Makes a good wholesome breakfast, a light lunch or .. maybe a snack.

Ingredients -
Ham - 2 slices (just increase the quantities as required)
Salami - 2 slices (just increase the quantities as required)
Cocktail sausages - 3
Eggs - 1 (whipped)
Salt - a pinch to taste
Pepper - to taste
Onions - 1 large/2 medium (chopped)
Tomatoes - 2 medium (pureed)
Utensil used - frying pan
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp

Method -
1) Chop up the onions and fry well till brown.
2) Then add the tomatoes and fry well.
3) Fry the cold cuts as slices (its easier that way) separately and keep aside. Chop into tiny bits. You may chop the cocktail sausages into small rounds.
4) Add the whipped egg to the onion and tomato fried mixture.
5) Add salt and pepper and mixture well till the egg is fried and is broken into small bits.
6) Add the fried coldcuts and mix well.

Serve with warm toast or make a sandwitch. I had this with a hot plate of rice, a piping hot bowl of dal, and papad. Simple, tasty, wholesome.

Thepla Roti

THEPLA ROTI

A staple Gujarati accompaniment to any dish. It is similar to a paratha but has a unique taste of its own. Theplas are very useful to carry while travelling as they remain for atleast 2 days.

Ingredients : -

Atta (whole wheat flour) - 1 cup

Besan atta (chana dal flour) - 2 tbsp

Green chillies -2 (chopped)

Red chilli powder -1 tsp

Turmeric (haldi) - 1/2 tsp

Ginger & Garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Ajwain - 1 tsp

Asafoetida (hing) - a pinch

Methi (Fenugreek) leaves - 1/2 bunch (chopped)

Coriander (dhania) powder - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds (jeera) powder - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil as needed

Process : -

1. Mix both the flours well.

2. Add methi leaves, salt and all the ingredients and mix well. Add enough water to make a dough and knead. Then add 1 tsp oil and knead it well till it is a soft dough .

3. Cover with a moist cloth and keep aside for 20 minutes.
4. Divide the dough into equal portions and make even size small balls.

5. Dust with atta. Cover and keep aside for 10 minutes.
6. Flatten each ball and roll into a thin, round chapati (Indian flatbread) , 5 inches in diameter.
7. Heat the griddle and roast each of the rolled out theplas one by one.
8. First roast one side, turn it upside down. Then put 1/2 tsp oil on the turned side and again turn it upside down. Repeat the same with the other side.
9. When evenly roasted remove it from griddle. Repeat this for all the balls.
10. Serve them hot with butter or chutney or curd.

Kachoris

Kachoris - A spicy Indian snack. There are several types of kachoris. About Jodhpuri (chana dal filling) and pyaz ki kachori (onion filling) Tarla Dalal says - "These kachoris probably originated in Jodhpur but are today popular throughout Rajasthan. Steaming hot pyaz ki kachoris or aloo pyaz ki kachoris are sold at most 'namkeen' shops in Rajasthan. Like all kachoris, they are eaten with a sweet and spicy tamarind chutney." She shares the recipe for Pyaz Ki Kachori here - http://www.tarladalal.com/recipe.asp?id=3636 .

Another version is the Khasta Kachori (predominantly found in Punjab, UP and Calcutta) which is a deep fried pastry stuffed with spicy Moong Dal (split yellow lentil). Navita Hakim shares with us the recipe for Khasta Kachori on her blog - Zaayeka where she discovered the most amazing kachoris in Gujarat . For more visit - http://cooking-up-a-storm-zaayeka.blogspot.com/2009/01/khasta-kachori.html

Green peas kachori by Sharmila of Kichu Khon blog - http://kichukhonn.blogspot.com/2009/02/koraishutir-kochuri-freash-green-peas.html

I have posted the recipe for JODHPURI KACHORI here, taken from an old issue of Women's Era and which is a part of the Rajastani thali. I haven't made this myself at home but for those who would love a photograph, check out Niya's post here - http://niyasworld.blogspot.com/2008/07/jodhpuri-kachori-spicy-indian-snack.html

Ingredients -

Maida - 2 cups

Oil - 1 tbsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Oil - for frying

For the Filling -

Split gram dal (chana dal) - 1 cup

Onions - 2 medium (chopped)

Coriander seeds - 1 tsp (crushed)

Aniseed (saunf) - 1 tsp

Asafoetida (hing) - a pinch

Ginger - 1 tbsp (grated)

Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Process -

1. Soak chana dal for 5 - 6 hours / overnight in water.

2. Add 1 tsp oil and salt to the flour. Knead into a hard dough with water.

3. Grind chana dal to a thick coarse paste.

4. Add onions and all the other masalas (spices). Mix well. Do not add salt.

5. Make small balls with the dough. Hollow them out and fill in the chana dal and spices mixture.

6. Roll out in the shape of puris (saucer size) and deep - fry in oil on a low flame till they are brown in colour. Serve hot.

Noodles with a Twist

I really can't figure out what to name the following recipe but it is something prepared by my husband when I was running errands and he was feeling peckish. It is prepared using Maggi 2 minute noodles as a basic ingredient but with a twist (as he hates it as it mentioned on the packet) !!

Noodles with a Twist

Ingredients :
Maggi 2 - minute noodles - 1 packet
Egg - 1
Shredded Fried Chicken - a handful
Onion - 1 medium (chopped)
Tomato - 1 small (chopped)
Oil - - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Method :
The noodles are par - boiled with a little salt. Once done, the water is drained out and the noodles are left in a colander to drain out any excess water.
Put a little oil in a frying pan to warm. Break the egg into the frying pan, add a little salt and scramble it (break into small pieces). When slightly done, take it off the fire and keep aside.
Add a little more oil and fry the chopped onions. After this, add the tomatoes and fry slightly.
Mix the spice (masala) from the sachet accompanying the noodle packet with a little water in a bowl. Keep adding this to the fried onion and tomato mixture , a little at a time.
Once done, add the fried chicken and egg.
Then slowly add the par boiled noodles a little at a time and keep mixing well.
Serve into your favourite bowl and eat this delightful dish hot !!!

Note: you may replace fried chicken with fried cold cuts, bacon rashers (if desired)

Verdict : My husband relished this dish. It was innovative for him and he loved it. however, I haven't been able to upload any pictures because he was too hungry to think of taking pictures of this innovative dish for my blog. So definitely next time, when I make it for him this time round.
Personally, I loved it (secret : he kept a small serving aside for me to taste)