Kara Pudina Chutney (Mint Chutney)

Mint brings out a rich flavor to the dish it is added to. Mint chutney pairs well with rava dosa. It is also great with rice. I made this delicious chutney for dosa last week. I came across this recipe on Chef Venkatesh Bhat's You Tube channel.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 Tablespoon channa dal

1 Tablespoon urad dal

1 Cup pink pearl onion, peeled

3 pods of garlic

4 green chili, slit in half

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 Cup chopped fresh tomato

1 Cup packed fresh cilantro

1 Cup packed fresh mint

2 Tablespoons thick tamarind pulp

1/2 Cup grated coconut

salt to taste

mustard seeds, urad dal, few curry leaves, and 2 dried red chili for tempering

oil for tempering

Method:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in  a pan. Add cumin seeds, channa dal and urad dal. Saute for a minute, until golden brown.

                                                               

2. Add onion, garlic, slit green chili, and turmeric powder. Saute well for 3-4 minutes.

                                                                 

3. Add chopped tomato and cook well.

                                               

4. Add fresh cilantro and cook for 2 minutes, until wilted.

                                            

5. Add fresh mint and cook for 3-4 minutes, until wilted.

                                                

6. Add tamarind pulp and cook for couple minutes, until raw smell leaves.

                                                             

7. Turn the stove off. Add salt and grated coconut. Allow to cool.

                                                             

8. Blend to smooth chutney in a blender. Add very little water if required. The chutney should be thick. Transfer to a bowl. 

                                                          

9. Temper chutney with mustard seeds, urad dal, dried red chili, and curry leaves. Serve with dosa.

                                                 

Cauliflower Wings in Air Fryer

Chicken wings is the most popular American game night snack. I had the vegetarian version of this dish for the first time in California Pizza Kitchen a few years ago. It is made with cauliflower florets, dipped in batter and fried. I made a guilt free version in the air fryer, and tossed it in buffalo sauce and served it with blue cheese dip. It was heavenly!

Ingredients: 

1 Head of cauliflower

3/4  Cup all- purpose flour 

3/4  Cup milk or soy milk

1/4 Cup water (more if required)

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika powder

 

salt to taste

black pepper to taste

3/4 Cup panko breadcrumbs

2/3 Cup hot pepper sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot)

1/2 Cup cold butter

1 1/2 Tablespoons white vinegar

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

salt to taste 

Method:

1. Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized florets.

                                                    

2. In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, milk, water, garlic powder, paprika powder, salt, and pepper. Stir well until combined to make a thick batter.

                                            

3. Dip the florets into the batter to coat completely.

                                                          

4. Roll them in the panko breadcrumbs. 

                                                        

5. Preheat the air fryer for 2 minutes at 370. Spray the basket with oil. Place the cauliflower florets in the basket in one layer. Spray the top of the florets with oil. Cook the "wings" for 15 minutes, turning them in between.  Remove from the air fryer and place them in a large bowl. Continue process with remaining florets.

                          

6. While the cauliflower is cooking you can make the buffalo wings sauce.

7. Combine the hot sauce, butter, vinegar, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt in a saucepan and place it on medium heat. Bring it to simmer while stirring with a whisk. When the liquid begins to boil, remove from heat and set it aside for use.

                                                             

8. Just before serving, place cooked cauliflower wings to a bowl. Pour the buffalo sauce over the cauliflower wings. Evenly coat them by stirring them a few times.

                                                             

9. Place the coated hot wings on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees F. or in the air fryer ( without the parchment paper) until crisp.

10. Serve immediately with ranch sauce or blue cheese dip.

                                                        

Notes:

• Rolling the cauliflower wings in panko breadcrumbs after dipping them into the batter makes them a lot crispier.
• You can use chickpea flour (besan) instead of all-purpose flour.
• You can use soy milk or almond milk instead of regular milk.
• Serve the wings immediately after making.
• You can reheat them in the oven for 10-15 minutes to bring back the crispness.

Thaiyr Vadai (Dahi Vada)

   

 Medhu Vada is a versatile snack that can be eaten in many ways. These savory "donuts" are made with lentil batter that are fried in oil. They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. These vadas can be served with chutney and sambar. They can also soak well in sambar, rasam or yogurt. Vada soaked in creamy yogurt mixed with green chutney is called Thaiyr Vada or Dahi Vada. They are great appetizers. My mom always orders this when we go out to Indian restaurants. It is a tricky dish to make, but my sister is an expert in making Medhu Vada.  I still have to master the art of perfect vada. I have a huge container of Indian yogurt that I was going to bring to my son, that we forgot to bring when we went to see him. So, last weekend I decided to make Thaiyr Vada. They turned out to be pretty good, though not up to my sister's standard.

Ingredients for Vada:

1 Cup whole urad (black gram without husk)

1 Tablespoon toor dal

1 teaspoon rice

2 green chili

salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon 

Oil for frying

Ingredients for Yogurt:

2 Cups beaten plain yogurt

1/4 Cup milk (less if yogurt is not sour)

1/2 Cup water

2-3 green chili (adjust to taste)

1 inch ginger

1/4 Cup fresh cilantro

Method:

1. Soak both dals and rice together for 30 minutes. 

                                                            

2.Drain the water and blend them with green chili and to a slightly coarse batter, using little water. The batter should be fluffy. Add salt while blending.

             

3. Blend green chili, ginger and cilantro to a paste.

                                            

4. Take whisked yogurt in a flat rectangle dish. Stir in the cilantro paste. Add salt and mix well. Keep aside.

                              

5. Heat oil for frying. Prepare a bowl of hot water to soak the vada.

6. Dip your fingers in a small bowl of water. Wet the surface of a banana leaf or a plastic sheet. Take a small ball of the vada batter with wet fingers and pat it to a round shape on the sheet. Make a hole in the center.

                                               

7. Gently slide the vada into the hot oil. Keeping the heat on low medium, add couple more vada into the oil. Increase the heat to medium and cook the vada on both sides until light golden brown.

                                  

8. Remove the vadas from the oil and place on a paper towel to drain oil. 

                                                 

9. Gently drop the vadas into the bowl of hot water ( keep the water hot). Allow to soak for 10 minutes.

                                                                   

10. Repeat process with remaining batter. 

11. While one batch of vada is placed on the paper to drain, remove the batch of vada that has been soaking in the water, and gently put them in the pan with the prepared yogurt. Repeat process with remaining vadas.

                                     

12. Allow vadas to soak in yogurt for 30 minutes. Garnish dahi vada with boondi (optional) and sprinkle red chili powder before serving.

                                                               

Note: 

• Grind vada batter with just enough water.
• Adding rice makes vada crispy.
• Toor dal makes vada the nice golden brown color.
• Make sure the water in which vada is soaked is hot.
• I used diluted milk (hot) to soak the vadas this time.
• You can garnish dahi vada with boondi and grated carrot. I like my vada without carrot.

Mocha Cake

 

How much chocolate can one eat? We call my daughter a "chocoholic". I really have to come up with something new every time. She looked up this delicious triple layer coffee flavored cake during her visit last week, and we made it on Easter Sunday. We were all set to bake, when we found that we were out of brown sugar. The grocery store was close for Easter. Luckily I was able to borrow from my neighbor. Thank you Veena! The cake was delicious, though a little lopsided. I still have to master the art of making layered cake. 

Ingredients for the cake:

1 Cup butter, softened

3 Cups packed brown sugar

4 Large eggs, room temperature

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 Cups all-purpose flour

3/4 Cup baking cocoa

3 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 Cups brewed coffee, cooled

1 1/3 Cups sour cream

Ingredients for Frosting:

12 ounces cream cheese, softened

6 Tablespoons butter, softened

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted

6 Tablespoons brewed coffee

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 1/2 to 5 1/2 Cups confectioners' sugar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. Grease and flour 3 9- inch round baking pans. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Keep aside.

                                    

2. In the stand mixer bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes.

                                                      

3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. 

                                         

4. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternatively with coffee and sour cream, beating well after each addition.

         

5. Pour into the prepared pans. Bake in pre heated oven until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35- 40 minutes.

                                                   

6. Cool for10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

                                 

7. Melt chocolate in a saucepan.

                                     

8. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy.

                                                       

9. Beat in the chocolate, coffee and vanilla until blended.

                         

10. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar.

                                                   

11. Spread between layers and over top and sides of cake. Cover and refrigerate until serving.