Fried Masala Idly

I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving weekend. I did relax watching lot of movies and did few recipes finally trying to post those recipes one by one. Today's recipe is Fried Masala Idly. Whenever My daughter and I used to go to Tirupathi Bhimas my kid always used to order Fried Masala Idly. It is her favorite recipe in that restaurant. Last Tuesday I had few left over idlies at home so thought of making Fried masala idly for dinner.



Very simple and delicious recipe.

Ingredients:

6 idlies cut into cubes
3 Green Chilies slit length wise
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
1tsp cumin seeds
1tsp red chili powder (Adjust as per your spice level)
1 medium sized onion
curry leaves
salt as per taste( very little since idlies are cooked with salt)
pinch of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder (Adjust as per your spice level)
1tsbsp oil
1tsp lemon juice


Preparation:

In a Pan add oil. Once oil is hot add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and urad dal. Once mustard seeds start spluttering add curry leaves, green chilies and onions. Once onions turned into golden color add chili powder, masala powder, little bit salt and turmeric powder.
Now add cubed idlies and mix well and shallow fry them for 2 more mts and remove it from heat and mix with lemon juice as per your taste.







Serve it with chutney or Raita.

Baby Shower cake for my friend (Spring theme)

Today few of our friends and myself arranged a small baby shower party to my friend "Ami". Ever since I completed wilton cake decorating classes I am waiting for the opportunity to bake cakes. What is better occasion than baby shower to practice my cake decorating techniques? So took the job of making the cake for the party.

Since Ami loves strawberries I made a strawberry cake with whip cream and Strawberry filling. Cake was a big hit. I am so glad that she loved the cake. The first thing she said was, I am keeping the cute little girl on the cake :).

I am happy that cake decorating classes from Wilton is helping me to make better cakes each time.

Here are the pics of the cake. All the items on the cake are edible(Including pregnant women, booties, baby frock, hand bag) .. Made with Fondant and Gum paste.

Medu Vada (Garelu)

As a kid I always associated festival with lot of food. I always eagerly used to wait for festival to have yummy food. During the college days started learning how to make some of the festival dishes. Diwali means lots of yummy food at home. My mom always used to make something with urad dal like Jangry(Sweet), and Medu vada for Diwali apart from other sweets like bobbatlu, laddu etc. This year for Diwali I made these yummy garelu. (Recipe learned from my mom)






Here is the recipe for the same

Ingredients:

1 cup urad dal
salt
1 medium sized onion chopped(optional)
2 green chilies cut into small pieces (Optional)
1tsp crushed black pepper
1 tsp cumin seeds
1tsp chopped curry leaves

Oil to deep fry

Procedure:

Soak urad dal for 2 to 3 hrs. Wash and grind in a food processor with little water into smooth paste. Do not use more water.
Mix the dough thoroughly with chilies, pepper, salt, cumin seeds and onions. I made half batter with onions and remaining half without onions.







Heat oil in a pan for deep frying.

Take small lemon sized dough keep it on damped plastic sheet or banana leaf or on palm. I always do it on hand. With practice you will get the shape right. Slightly damp your hand and flatten the dough slightly and make a hole in the middle. Gently transfer the shaped dough into oil and deep fry till it turns into golden brown color on both sides.







Serve hot vada with chutney or sambar.

U bet all your friends and family members will love to eat these yummy vada.

Kalakand using Ricotta Cheese- Reposting with latest images

Diwali is popularly known as Festival of Lights. Diwali is usually celebrated during the evenings with fireworks and lighting oil lamps to signify the triumph of good over evil. One more thing about Diwali is all about eating yummy food with lots and lots of sweets. Today I made Kalakand using ricotta cheese as a part of Diwali celebrations. I am reposting this recipe using the latest images.

Link to the recipe

Aloo Paratha - Flat bread filled with potato curry.

After a lot of thinking finally decided to make aloo paratha for y'days dinner. I was always skeptical to make aloo paratha since my daughter doesn't like to eat potatoes. But I am so glad that my daughter loved the parathas. First thing she said after the dinner is "even though I hate Potatoes these parathas are yummy."

Parathas are flat bread filled with curry. You can make variety of parathas for eg: Muli Paratha(Raddish filling Flat bread), Spinach Paratha, Paneer paratha .




Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

Filling:
2 Potatoes
1tbsp oil
1tbsp of chopped coriander
1tsp ginger garlic paste
3 green chilies finely chopped( you can reduce as per your spice level)
1tsp of chat masala
red chili powder as per your spice level
1small sized onion finely chopped (optional. I Didn't use it today)
salt as per taste

Rotis:

1 cup of wheat flour.
salt


Procedure:

Mix the flour with salt, 1tsp of oil and water to make it like nice soft dough and keep it aside.

Boil the potatoes and mash or grate them. In a pan add oil once oil is hot add ginger garlic paste,chopped coriander,chopped green chilies, spices(chat masala, red chili powder, turmeric). Now add mashed potatoes, salt and mix well. Remove it from stove and make small round balls.



Take the dough and divide into small balls. Roll the dough into small round shaped dusting with flour to avoid sticking onto the platform.



Place potato curry ball bring the ends to the center from 4 to 5 points. Close the ends properly so that the curry will not come
out.



Dust with flour and gently roll into flat bread approximately 5" to 6" diameter.

On a hot griddle or pan place paratha on it. Cook both sides till it turns golden color drizzling little bit of oil or ghee.



Delicious yummy paratha is ready to be served with raita or plain yogurt or any curry.