Something South Indian - Instant Sooji Appe

Have you seen any Indian who has never tried a south indian dish...:) ? Nah, it's not possible. I love south Indian dishes. Today I wanted to try "Appe". These are small balls made from rice and urad daal (soaking them overnight). But I learned an instant recipe from my mother and this works out very well. Appe requires a special kind of skillet. You can have a look or buy them here. I got one from India which is a US version and has a flat bottom to work on our coils. You can eat this with tomato ketchup or coconut chutney.

Ingredients: Makes ~40 Appe

3/4 cup Sooji (semolina)
1/2 cup Idli rava (optional)
1/2 cup Rice flour (This gives little crispyness to them)
3/4 cup chopped Onion
1 cup Yogurt (curd)
3 tsp Green chili paste (or as per taste)
Salt as per taste
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp chopped fresh Coriander
2 tsp crushed dry Curry leaves
3 tsp cumin seeds (optional)

Oil to make Appe

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl except for the oil. Adjust the chili and salt as per taste.

2. Heat the Appe skillet and add 1 tsp oil to each of it's groove.

3. When the oil heats up add about 2 tsp Appe batter to each of the groove.

Make sure to give Appe some space to pop out. Now lid this for about 40 seconds.

4. Remove the lid and check for edges, to see if they are turning brown and if Appe can be easily removed. If so turn the Appe upside down and let the other side cook.

5. Add oil if required. Adjust heat and let the other side cook for some time before getting them out.

Tips:

Enjoy Appe with coconut chutney or tomato ketchup.

Hyderabadi Toast

Hyderabadi toast is one of my favorite snacks. I don't know why this recipe is called Hyderabadi toast, well I never thought about that; I just enjoy making and eating it. It's simple, healthy, takes very little time, actually no cooking is at all required and adds a different taste.

Ingredients: Serves 1

2 Slices of bread

1/2 Capsicum seeded

1/2 medium size firm Tomato
1/2 medium size Onion
1 tbsp Plain yogurt (curd)

2 tsp fine Semolina (Rava)

3 tsp Cream

2 tsp Chopped Green Chili

1 tsp Salt
1-2 tsp sugar

Tomato Ketchup (Sauce)

You will also need a sandwich-maker.

Method:

1. De-seed tomato and chop capsicum, tomato, onion and add to the mixing bowl.

2.  Add yogurt, cream, semolina, chili, salt, sugar, black pepper(if you like) to the bowl and mix again. Take a slice of bread and spread this mixture over it.

3. Take other slice of bread and spread tomato ketchup on it and place this slice over the previous one from step 1

4. Now spread some butter on the outer sides of both the breads. Plug in the sandwich-maker and place this sandwich in it until the bread turns brown or becomes crispy.

Tips:

If you don't like tomato ketchup inside you can skip that step .

Isn't that an easy recipe ???? :)

Chinese Fried Rice

Ingredients: Serves: 4

1 cup Long Grain Rice

2 cups Water

2 tbsp Oil

1 tbsp minced Garlic

1/2 Carrot, cut thin at a diagonal (optional)

1/2 julienned green bell pepper

1 cup shredded Cabbage
1/2 cup frozen green peas

1 cup julienned Onion / Spring Onion cut diagonally

Brocolli florets 1 cup

1 Tbsp or as per taste Soy Sauce

1 tsp or as per taste Vinegar (or fresh lemon juice)

Chinese chili Sauce as per taste

Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Wash the rice, add water, little salt and pressure cook it.

2. Give it one whistle and let it cool.

3. Heat oil in a skillet. Add minced garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes.

4. Add onions and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add other vegetables and cook them for 2 minutes or till they are soft.

5. Meanwhile break the rice and remove the lumps if present.

6. Now add this rice to the vegetables, add soy sauce, vinegar, chili sauce and mix well. Add salt if required. Let the rice get heated and then serve hot.

Tips:

Add any vegetables are as per your liking.

Garnish with spring onion

Kacchi Dabeli

Dabeli is again a hot favorite chaat item of Indians. I never knew we can make it at home. It is very easy to make if you have dabeli masala available. Check out for this masala in any Indian store.

Dabeli potato mixture

Ingredients: Serves: 2

For potato mixture:

Chopped Onion 2 Tbsp (opt)
Chopped Tomato 2 Tbsp (opt)

2-3 medium size potatoes

Dabeli masala
Red Chili powder per taste
Salt per taste

1/4 cup chopped coriander

For Garlic-Coconut Chutney (optional):

6-7 garlic cloves

1 tbsp dried/fresh grated coconut

Salt, red chili powder as per taste

For Green Chutney:

Handful of fresh corriander
1 Tsp Cumin seeds
sale per taste
Lemon Juice per taste
or you can also look at my Vegetable Sandwich post for the recipe of Green Chutney.

For Tamarind Chutney: Click here

Pomegranate seeds (optional)

1 medium onion - chopped

Butter

Sev

2-3 tsp Oil

4 plain Buns

Salt as per taste

Method:

Dabeli potato mixture

Potato mixture:

1. Boil, peel and smash potatoes. Heat oil in a skillet, saute onion, and tomato. Add about 1 - 2 tbsp of kacchi dabeli masala, red chilli powder and salt as per taste. Add smashed potatoes to it. Mix well. And let it cook for 3-5 minutes.

2. Set this mixture in a plate, garnish it with coriander and grated fresh coconut and let it cool.

Masala Peanuts:

Take roasted peanuts. Heat some ghee/butter in a small skillet. Add peanuts to it. Saute them for 3-4 minutes. Then add salt , little dhaniya jeera powder and red chili powder to them as per taste.

Garlic-Coconut chutney:

Grind garlic, coconut, salt and red chili powder together. Add water as required to it. This chutney is as watery as tamarind chutney.

Green Chutney:

Grind all ingredients to form a paste.

To make dabeli take a bun and cut it into 2 halves; top and base. Take the top bun and spread both the chutneys (garlic and green) on its lower side. Spread tamarind chutney on both the buns. Spread potato mixture, chopped onion, few masala peanuts, and few pomegranate seeds on one of the buns. Now place the top part on the lower so as to form the original bun again and spread some butter on outer sides of both the parts. Heat a pan and place dabeli on it. When the base turn little brown, invert the bun and repeat this for upper half. Put some sev on top and serve hot.

I will soon add the complete Dabeli picture.

Chocolate Cake....First Dessert recipe on my blog !!!

For so many days I missed enjoying this homemade chocolate cake. Mummy always made one for us whenever we went home. I made this and figured out that its quick, easy and now I want to make one for my mother when I visit her next time.

Ingredients:

2 cup all-purpose flour (Maida)

1 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup Plain yogurt

1 - 1 1/2 cup Sugar (Depending upon the sweetness you want)

1 cup Butter, softened, plus butter for the pan
1 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Baking Soda

Method 1 (Oven):

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease one 6-8 inch layer cake pan with some butter. Grease the baking pan with butter and dust it by sprinkling some all purpose flour over greased surface evenly.

2. Mix all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and sieve with a fine mesh sieve for 2-3 times so that all the little lumps are removed.

3. In a separate bowl mix yogurt and sugar and beat until it's well blended. Then add softened butter to it and blend again until creamy. (This will take 5-7 minutes).

4. Now add the dry mixture, mixing until smooth. Add the milk and mix slowly until well blended. Make sure all the lumps , if present , get removed while blending.

5. Turn this batter into the prepared pan, let it settle for few seconds and bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting it.

Method 2 (Pressure Cooker):

1. Heat the pressure cooker on high heat for 2 minutes.

2. Use a ring or something which will lift the baking pan and will avoid baking pan's direct contact with the cooker's base. (If it comes in direct contact it may harm the cake).

3. Prepare the batter the same way as explained in method 1 and pour it into prepared baking pan.

4. Put the baking pan inside the cooker on top of the ring.

5. Close the cooker by a Indian flat pan (or with cooker's lid; but make sure to remove the whistle). Let the high flame continue for 2 minutes.

6. Now lower the flame and let it cook for 25-30 minute. Check once in between that water is not formed on the inner surface of the lid. If it is present just wipe it with a cloth.

Let the pressure cooker cool for 5 minutes.

How to check weather cake is done

Open the lid and check with Skewer if the cake is done or not. Insert the skewer inside the cake. If no particles stick then the cake is done...:)

Sending this Cake to Taste buds Choco-delight event

Ragada(Ragda) Pattice

Ever wondered a choupati without Ragada Pattice...No way :)

Every Indian enjoys 'chaats' and without any doubts Ragada Pattice is one of the favorites of all. This one is a different recipe than what is served at Choupati centers. Ragada pattice indeed takes some preparation time but its easy to serve.

Ingredients:

For Pattice:

2 medium size potato

2 bread loafs

2 tsp ginger paste

Green chili paste, Salt as per taste

Few drops of Lemon juice

Few Coriander leaves; chopped

Little sugar

For Ragada:

2 cups fresh or frozen Green peas

1 tbsp chopped onion

1 tbsp chopped tomato

2-3 tsp Garam Masala as per

Vertical slits of 1 Green chili

1 Clove

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp Chai Masala

Salt as per taste

4-5 tsp of oil, mustard seeds,
asafoetida (hing), cumin seeds for seasoning

For Green Chutney:

1 tbsp roasted Chana Dal

1 tbsp roasted Peanuts

1 1/2 tbsp fresh grated coconut

1 tbsp Cilantro

1/4" cube ginger

1-2 Green chili

Salt and little sugar as per taste

1 tsp Jeera

For Imli ki Chutney: Click Here

Method:

Pattice:

1. Boil, peel and smash the potatoes.

2. Soak the bread slice in little water, squeeze them in between the hands and add to the potato smash.

3. Add all other ingredients and mix well the patty mixture.

4. Now make small patties of any shape you like (round, heart or leaf shape); put semolina on both sides of it and shallow fry all of them.

Ragada:

1. Boil the peas, smash them a little and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a skillet and add clove and bay leaf. When they start to sizzle add all the seasoning ingredients.

3. Immediately add chopped onion and fry till they turn trasparent. Now add chopped tomato and green chili and saute a little.

4. Add garam masala, chai masala and salt as per taste. Add boiled peas, put some water and let it cook for 5-6 minutes.

Green Chutney:

Grind all the ingredients in a mixy. Add water as required. This chutney is bit watery but not as watery as Imli ki chutney.

How to serve:

In a bowl put 2-3 patties. Put some ragada on top of it, then put green chutney, imli ki chutney and sev in sequence.
Garnish with chopped onion and coriander.

Imli Ki Chutney (Tamarind Chutney)

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh Imlis (Tamarind)
2-3 Khajoors (Dates)
Jaggery for sweetness, so add accordingly
Red chili powder, Dhaniyajeera powder, Salt, Sugar as per taste

Method:

1. Wash all the imlis and dates, add enough water and boil them.

2. After boiling let the mixture cool down a little and then grind it into a grinder.

3. Now with the help of a thin sieve of any kind; sieve this mixture so that all the tamarind and date waste gets removed.

4. Now add jaggery red chili powder, dhaniyajeera powder, salt and sugar and boil again for 2-3 minutes.

Add water if required.

Tips:

This chutney can be stored in freezers for long time.