Tips for Deep-Frying

Well, these are the few things that I know of deep-frying


-Dont fill oil to the brim, choose a deep pan and leave enough space in case if the oil bubbles up

-Before adding oil, make sure the pan is clean and dry. Even if one tiny drop of water is left unnoticed, the oil keeps bursting out with it.

-Make sure the ingredient that you are going to fry is also water-free.

-For savouries like Bhoondi, even for Bonda's, they come out in nice round shape only if they have enough oil to immerse.

-The oil should not be too hot for Vada/Bajji/Bonda as the outer becomes coloured soon but inner part wont get cooked well. Always use med-hot for these type of foods.

- Add a spoon of hot oil while mixing batter for Bajji/Pakoda etc..

-Adding rice flour will give crispness, but there are chances that the dish gets screwd up with using too much of rice flour. Check appropriately and use.

Onion Pakoda / Pakora

Ingredients :
Onion / Cauliflower / Cabbage
Pea nuts / Cashew nuts (Optional)
Besan flour -1 cup
Rice flour - 2 spoons
Red chilli powder / Cut Green chillies - 1 spoon
Salt - 1/2 spoon
Water
Oil

-In 1 cup of besan, add 2 spoons of rice flour, salt per taste, chopped green chillies/chilli powder, cashews,peanuts.
Add onions and mix well. Onions will give out water that will be almost enough to make the dough.)
- Add 2 spoons of hot oil, and some hot water (if necessary) just enough to make a dough. Dough should not be too loose nor too thick. Should be flowy.
-Fry them in hot oil till crisp.
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Fry them in little batches. This is the key point to get crispness. If fried in large batches, pakodas tend to lose crispness. Also check for Few useful tips for deep-frying
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Milagu Rasam / Pepper Rasam

Ingredients:-
Tamarind - 1 lemon sized
Dhaniya - 1 sp
Pepper - 1/2 sp
Tur Dal - 1 Sp
Cumin - 1/2 sp
Red Chilli - 2
Hing
Salt
Mustard
Curry Leaves - few

-Extract pulp from tamarind adding 1 to 1 1/2 cups of water.
-Add hing and boil for about 6-8 mins.
-Fry in very little oil, dhaniya,turdal,red chilli. Grind it to paste adding cumin.
-Add the ground paste to the tamarind water, salt and boil for further 8-10 mins.
-Temper mustard and curry leaves

Mango - Coconut Pachadi - Mamidikaya-Kobbari Pachadi

A very very yummy dish from Andhra..Simple healthy and Yummiest..

Ingredients:
Grated Coconut - 1 cup
Sour Mango - 1 Med sized (Make 1/2 cup chopped pieces)
Mustard - 1 sp
Methi/Fenugreek - 1 sp
Tamarind - 1 sp
Salt
Coriander Leaves (opt)- few

In little oil, temper mustard and fenugreek.
Grind it along with all other ingredients, with little water.
Goes welllllllllllll with hot rice and ghee

Thattai

A festival savory. Good for Tea time :)





Ingredients:
Rice flour - 1 small cup
Urad flour - 1 spoon
Ghee - 2 spoons
Red chilli Powder / Pepper powder
Salt
Oil
Asofotedia / Hing
Gram dal - 1 spoon (Soak in water for one hour and drain)
Thick Poha - 1 spoon

Mix the rice and urad flour. Add salt, red chilli powder/pepper powder, asofotedia and mix well. Add ghee and 1 sp hot oil and mix the flours to breadcrumb consistency.
Add soaked gram dal and poha.
Add water little by little and make it into a thick dough like consistency.
Test the dough for enough add salt/chilli. Add appropriately.
Take a small ball of dough and make patties on a oil greased plastic sheet. Roughly of 2"
Heat oil.
Gently remove the patties from the sheet and slip it in oil and deep fry both sides.

Mor Kuzhambu - Curd gravy

Ingredients:
Sour Curd - 1 cup
Tamarind - 1/2 sp (Opt)
Turmeric - a pinch
Salt

To soak and grind:
Tur Dal - 1/2 sp
Gram Dal (Opt)- 1/4 sp
Dhaniya - 1/2 Sp
Cumin - 1/2 sp
Red Chilli - 1
Green Chilli -1
Ginger - 1 small piece
Coconut - 1 sp

Beat curd well. Add salt and pinch of turmeric to it.
Soak for half hour and grind to paste the mentioned ingredients.
Mix the grounded mixture to curd.
Cook just a couple of minutes /till it boils up. Switch off

-- If the curd is not sour, add 1/2 sp of tamarind to it.

Veggie Pasta

Ingredients:
Boiled pasta - 2 cups (Boil pasta with more water till soft. Add pinch of salt while boiling)
Boiled Mixed vegetables - 1 cup ( carrots, beans, peas baby corn)
Grated Cheese- ½ cup
(I tried with Mexican Cheese and sometimes with Mozzarella. Mozzarella is best suited for pizza. Can substitute cheese of your liking)
Milk - ½ cup
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Salt
Chopped onions - ½ cup
Chopped garlic - 1 tbsp
Marinara /Pasta sauce /Tomato ketchup - 3-4 tbsp ( to taste)


Heat 2 tsp of Oil in Tava. Saute onion & then garlic, till brown.
Add boiled vegetables, boiled pasta, salt & pepper powder.
Add pasta sauce and grated cheese & mix well till cheese starts melting.
Add milk. Mix thoroughly.
Bake it covered in a hot oven at 350 F for 4-5 minutes. (Baking is optional but recommended for nice blending)

Beetroot Burfi

This I learnt from Chithra aunty. Could be made in carrot as well. Personally I like both Halwa and Burfi in beetroot as it tastes more good than carrot.





Ingredients:

Finely grated Beetroot - 1 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Grated coconut - ½ cup ( Substitute 1/4 cup of coconut milk and reduce some milk)
Sugar - 1½ cup (Can be less or more)
Ghee - ½ cup (can be less or more per choice)
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
Roasted Cashews / Raisins


Mix milk & sugar in a kadai. Heat till the mass thickens.
Add coconut & cook for 2 mtes.
Add Beetroot & cook.
When the milk is well absorbed in the beetroot, add ghee little by little as you stir.
Add roasted cashews/raisins and cardamom powder.
Keep stirring till the whole mass bubbles up and rise to the top.
It should come to a nice thick dough like consistency.
Empty on a greased plate & slightly mark the pieces when hot.
On cooling it becomes tight, make pieces as marked.

Corn Dosa

Ingredients:
Corn Kernels - 1 cup
Ginger - 2' piece
Green Chilli - 4
Salt
Onion

Grind the corn with ginger,chilli and salt adding water as required to make the batter.
Batter should be like dosa batter, flowy.
In hot tava, drizzle oil, pour laddle full of batter and spread it to thin circle.
Top it with finely cut onions.
Boil both sides.

Pesarattu / Moong Dal Dosa

A veryhealthy tiffin ..

Ingredients:
Split Moong / Payaru - 1 cup
Ginger - 2' piece
Green Chilli - 4
Salt
For Topping:
Cumin
Onion
Rice / Rice flour (opt) - 1 Tbsp

Wash well and Soak the Moong over night.
Grind the well soaked Moong along with green chilli,ginger and salt adding water.
If the Moong is well washed before soaking, the soaked water could be used for grinding.
The batter should be like Dosa batter.
Drizzle some oil on hot tava, take a laddle full of batter pour on hot tava, spread it into thin circle.
Sprinkle Cumin and finely chopped onions on top.
Once boiled, flip to other side and boil coupe of minutes.
Serve with chutney.

-- This dosa comes out soft, if you want it little crisp, add a tbsp of rice flour (mixed with little bit of cold water) to the batter.
If rice flour is not available, soak 1 tbsp of rice for an hour or so, and grind along with Moong.