Biscuit Sandwich Pakora

Biscuit Sandwich Pakora

Ingredients :

For the filling:

• 2 medium size boiled potatoes
• 1 tspn green chili, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro/coriander leaves
• 1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
• 2 tspn raisins
• 1 tspn roasted groundnuts
• Salt to taste

For the outer crisp coating:

• 2 cups besan (chick pea flour/gram flour)
• 1 cup cornflour
• a pinch of hing
• 1/4 tspn red chili powder
• water
• salt
• vermicelli  or crushed cornflakes

And 8-10 Marie Biscuits and oil for frying.


Method :
Peel the boiled potatoes. The potatoes should be boiled really well. Mash the potatoes when they are still warm.Add the coriander leaves, green chili,ginger-garlic paste,raisins, ground nuts and salt to the mashed potatoes.Mix these with the mashed potatoes. Check the seasonings and adjust accordingly. Keep aside.

Preparing the besan batter:
In a bowl, take the besan (chick pea flour/gram flour) and cornflour.Add the red chili powder, asafoetida and salt.Add around 1/2 cup water and mix. .The batter should not be very thick nor too thin. Check the seasonings and adjust accordingly.Add a few drops of oil to the batter and mix well.Keep the ready batter aside.

Assembling and Frying the Biscuit Pakora:
Before you do the following steps, heat up some oil for deep frying the pakoras.Take 2 tbsp of the mashed potato mixture and apply it on the biscuit evenly.Cover this potato stuffed biscuit with another biscuit . I choose to keep it plain. But if you want, you can apply the same green mint coriander chutney or tomato sauce or sweet chaat chutney to this second biscuit .You have now a beautiful biscuit sandwich. Just slightly press the sandwich. Take the entire sandwich in your hand and dip it in the besan batter.Coat the stuffed biscuit sandwich evenly with the besan batter. Be gentle with the pakoras. Take care not to keep the stuffed biscuit sandwich a long time in the batter as the biscuit tends to break.Coat pakoras with vermicelli or cornflakes. By now, your oil is hot and you can easily slid the besan batter coated biscuit sandwich in the oil.Fry the biscuit pakoras on a medium flame till they are crisp and golden brown.Drain on a tissue.Serve them hot or warm with tomato sauce or with any chutney of your choice,  or even coconut chutney. .Enjoy the bread pakodas in the rains with a cup of indian ginger chai or masala chai.

 

Tomato Soup

Tomato Soup

Ingredients :

• Ripe Red Tomatoes -  4

• Carrot - 1

• Beetroot - 1 small piece

• Corriander Stems - 4

• Garlic - 3 cloves

• Ginger - 1 inch size

• Cinnamon stick - 1 inch in size

• Cloves - 2

• Pepper  - 5

• Bay Leaf  - 1

• Star Anise - 1 small

• Corn Flour - 2 spoons

• Water - 2 cups

Method :

Cut the tomatoes into 4 parts and transfer them into a vessel that could fit in your pressure cooker. add the spices bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise and pepper to the tomatoes. add ginger and garlic to. add a small bit of beetroot, one chopepd carrot, corriander stems and 2 cups of water. pressure cook all together upto 3-4 whistles. alternatively you can cook them stove top for over 5-10 mins or also microwave them at very high for about 5-6 mins.

Cool them and remove the spices(cinnamon,cloves,star anise and bay leaf) except pepper.

Meanwhile prepare the corn starch by mixing 2 spoons of corn flour with 1/4 cup of water without any lumps.

grind and filter the soup. while you filter, the nutrients of the vegetables is also filtered!! but filtering is just to remove the tomato skin. boil the soup. add the corn starch to the boiling soup and give a stir. let the soup boil in sim for about 2-3 mins. add salt to taste, bit of pepper powder and a bit of aji-na-motto(optional, acts as a taste maker). serve hot! 

 

Narali Bhat ( Sweet Coconut Rice)

Narali Bhat ( Sweet Coconut Rice)

Ingredients :

• 1 1/2 cup Basmati Rice
• 1 1/2 cup Fresh or frozen Coconut
• 1 1/2 tsp Sugar
• 6 tsp Ghee
• 1/2 tsp Saffron
• Cardamom powder to taste
• 1 inch Cinnamon stick
• 3 to 4 Green Cardamom
• 5 to 6 Cloves
• Dry Fruits pieces.

Method :

Wash and soak basmati rice for 30 mts.Boil water in a pan, add ghee, add soaked rice and cook till rice is 80% cooked.Heat 3 tsp ghee in a pan, add whole spices, add coconut, sugar, dry fruits, mix well.Add boiled rice, mix gently, add saffron water, cover and cook on low heat for 15 mts.Open cover after 10 mts, Narali Bhat is ready to serve!  Traditionally jaggery is used to prepare Narali Bhat, you may make use of jaggery instead of sugar.

Gobi Parantha..

Gobi Parantha..

Ingredients:

• 4 cups Whole Wheat Flour

• 2 cups Grated Cauliflower

• Finely chopped Coriander leaves

• 1-2 Chopped Green chillies

• 1 Teaspoon Ginger-garlic paste

• Garam Masala as per taste

• 1/2 Dhane-Jeera powder
• 1/2-1 Teaspoon Amchoor( Dried Mango) Powder
• Salt to taste

• Butter /Oil for frying

Method:
Make dough out of whole-wheat flour (atta).
Mix grated cauliflower (gobi), green chillies, ginger-garlic paste, coriander leaves, garam masala, dhane-jeera powder, amchoor powder , salt as a filling in paratha.Make two medium size roti, add the filling to the one roti and cover it with the second one. Now roll it slightly.Cook on a pre-heated Tawa and pour half tablespoon oil or butter on it.Spread it on the paratha and shallow fry over low heat.
Turn it and again pour oil or butter on the other side.Cook on a low heat till golden brown.
Serve Gobi Paratha hot with curd.

Chole Masala

Chole Masala

Ingredients :

•  1 cup chickpeas/ garbanzo bean/ chana (soaked overnight) 
•  2 Medium onions
•  2 medium tomatoes
•  1 Teaspoon garam masala
•  Red chilli powder as ( per taste)
•  2-3 tsp chole masala (any brand)
•  1 Teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
• Finely chopped coriander
• Salt to Taste 
• 1-2 tablespoon Oil/ Ghee

Method :
 Pressure cook the chickpeas/ garbanzo bean/ chana using sufficient water. Keep aside.Puree the tomatoes and the onions in a blender and keep aside. Take a heavy bottom pan, add the oil/ghee ,add the ginger-garlic paste and saute until the garlic turns light brown.Add onion puree and saute till  it turns transparent.Then add tomato puree and saute until the raw smell of tomato is gone.Then add garam masala, red chilli powder, Chole masala, Salt and mix well. Add the cooked chickpeas/ garbanzo bean/ chana along with the water and continue to cook covered. Simmer for a while until the gravy blends with the beans.Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with puri or bhatura.