Not Fried Vada Curry

Vada curry is a very popular south Indian curry made with deep fried chana dal vada  and put that in onion tomato gravy and serve it with mainly with set dosa but you can have it with poori, idli or dosa too. 

Here I have made it in paniyaram pan so its not fried and still taste the same. This dish has no typical South Indian flavor  but still taste amazing. I had it here in one restaurant and since then I wanted to make it home, but after making it I realized that this is South Indian answer to North Indian Vadi. In North , vadi is from mung dal or black eye peas , this is from Chana dal and some different masala but hey , hubby loved it so all good. Generally two things are enough, set dosa and vada curry but my kids were having dosa with masala and sambar and chutney I have it too. I have used leftover dal mixture on next day to make chana dal tikki for lunch. 

Ingredients : 

For Vada : 

1 cup Chana dal

1/2 tbsp. Fennel seeds 

1 Green chili

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp. Coriander leaves

few curry leaves

salt as per taste

Oil as needed in paniyaram , and if you are frying then oil for frying

Method : 

soak Chana dal for 3-4 hours. 

Wash and drain the water and put the dal in blender along with fennel seeds, cumin , coriander , curry leaves and salt. 

don't add any water in this. You don't need fine paste.

Now take it out and heat up the paniyaram pan. Add few drops of oil in cavities and add small amount of chana dal mixture in it and cover and cook it on low to medium flame. When its cooked on on side, turn it and cook on other side. make sure its cook from inside too that's why keep the flame on low. 

If you are deep frying make very tiny balls and drop it in the oil and fry it. 

    

                                                        

Once its cold , make small pieces of it. 

Now let's make the curry.

Ingredients for the curry : 

2 tbsp. oil

1 bay leaf

1 inch cinnamon

2 cloves

1/2 tbsp. fennel seeds

Pinch of Hing

1 finely chopped onion

1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste

1 green chili finely chopped

few curry leaves

1/2 tbsp. Turmeric powder

1/2 tbsp. Kashmiri red chili powder

1/2 tbsp. cumin coriander powder

1 tomato chopped

salt as per taste

1/2 cup coconut milk 

for garnishing chopped coriander leaves & Mint Leaves

Method : 

In a pan, add oil and add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, fennel and Hing and cook till you get nice fragrance of the masala. 

Add onion and cook for few minutes till it becomes pink. 

Add ginger garlic, chili and curry leaves. 

Sauté till the raw smell goes away. 

Then Add turmeric, chili powder, cumin coriander powder and salt. 

Stir it to mix it and add tomatoes. Cook till the tomatoes are cook and oil leaves the masala. 

Add water and coconut milk. Add more water since vada will soak up all the water while its cooking in the gravy. Add few of those chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves in the gravy.

Add now small pieces of vada and mix well. 

Cover and let it cook for 5-6 minutes till the curry thickens. 

When its done, sprinkle fresh coriander and serve it with set dosa or idli. 

Kuska Biryani

I just love rice , as it is flavorful biryani or one pot khichdi. My kids also know my love for the biryani. And at home I made myself always a small pot of varieties of biryani since no one in my family likes rice, more for me, right. So when I get this recipe, I knew I have to make it and share it with you all. This is a dish comes from south India especially from Hyderabad and Tamilnadu. Its particularly prepared in south Indian Muslim community during any festival or family gatherings. In urdu kuska means plain or simple and hence as per the name its very simple preparation of rice but so flavorful . It goes with salan or Kurma or stew.  when I have craving for biryani but don't have time or don't want to go the trouble for the making it, this comes very handy. I served it with spicy dahi on the side and rice papdam. I have added coconut milk in it but you can make it with yogurt too. 

Ingredients : 

2 tbsp. Ghee

1 bay leaf

1 inch cinnamon

2 pods cardamom

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 onion finely chopped

1 Tomato chopped

1/4 cup coconut milk or yogurt

1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste

1 green chili cut in few pieces

1 tbsp. turmeric powder

1 tbsp. kashmiri chili powder

1 tsp biryani masala

salt as per taste

2 tbsp. each finely chopped mint and coriander leaves

1 cup soaked basmati rice

2 cups of water

Method : 

In a pressure cooker, add ghee and sauté whole spices. 

Add onion and sauté till its pink, after that add ginger garlic paste and green chili and tomatoes.

Add all powder masala and mix it and add coconut milk  and cook it for two minutes. 

Add mint and coriander leaves  and mix it. 

Finally add rice and 2 cups of water and mix it and cover the pressure cook and cook it till 2 whistles on medium flame or till rice is cooked. 

Open it when the pressure is down.

Serve  this kuska biryani with mirchi ka salan or raita. 

I had it with spicy dahi and rice papad. 

Grilled Eggplant Tikka Masala

As you know I love eggplant in any ways and style. so Why not give humble eggplant the recognition which it desired. We make tikka from paneer, Tofu, chicken , vegetables then why not Eggplant. I made eggplant with other vegetables and grilled it , if you want you can do it on gas too and for the gravy its simple but delicious, don't discard the leftover marinade , just use that in gravy and you all set. 

Ingredients for Marinade :

2  round eggplants , cut in big cubes
3 tbsp. thick curd

1 tbsp. chickpea flour
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 tsp.  cumin -coriander powder
1 tsp. red chili powder
pinch of cinnamon powder
pinch of clove  powder
1 tsp. garam masala
salt to taste

If you have ready made tikka masala powder  , you can use that too.

Ingredients for Gravy:

4 tbsp. oil /butter/ ghee ( I prefer oil only)
1 tsp. Jeera / cumin seeds

2 Dry red chili
1 onion chopped
4 tbsp. tomato puree
salt to taste
1 tbsp. ginger, chili, garlic paste
1 tsp. cumin coriander powder
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. red chili powder

4 tbsp. leftover marinade
chopped fresh coriander leaves for garnish

Method : 

Cut big chunks of eggplant and keep it in water.
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients under marinade and add those eggplants in it.
Marinade for good 2 hours.

The grilled it on the grill or if you don't have grill you can cook it in pan too. 

To make the gravy

Add oil in the pan, add cumin seeds and dry chilies in it and cook till cumin seeds change the color. 

Add finely chopped onion and cook till its brown. 

Add ginger garlic paste and cook for a minute or two till its raw smell disappear. 

Add tomato puree and powder masala and cook on low flame till tomato is cooking and oil leaves the pan. 

Add the leftover marinade and mix it and add water as per your liking , to make thick or thin gravy. 

Add cooked eggplant pieces and let it cook in the gravy for 10 minutes on low flame, so it cookes with masala.

When gravy reaches the thickness of your desire, shut it off and sprinkle with chopped coriander and sliced ginger and enjoy with hot paratha, roti, rice 

I had it with roti, dal fry , lachha onion and mirchi ke tipore. 

No cook Zucchini Noodles with Bruschetta

If you like amazing food but without the stress of cooking then this is the recipe for you. Just do the zucchini noodles, and make bruschetta and diner / lunch is done. Its healthy and gluten free and less work but with amazing flavors. I didn't had fresh basil but if you have it add it in bruschetta and you will love it. 

Ingredients for Bruschetta

2 Medium ripe tomatoes diced

1/4  onion diced

3 tbsp. red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and lots of fresh black pepper

3 Zucchini

Method : 

Use a spiral cutter and make zucchini noodles. Add salt and leave it in colander to drain excess water

Mix the bruschetta ingredients together and let them marinate  for at least 15 minutes. 

After 15 minutes, drain excess water from zucchini by squishing it and put it in serving dish. 

Top it with the fresh bruschetta and serve immediately. 

You can have it as it is or as a side to any pasta dish or as an appetizer.