#49 : Potato Bajji ~ Potato Fritters

It is of the small joys and little pleasures that the greatest of our days are built.
~ Mary Anne Radmache

On a rainy day, there is no bigger joy than eating hot crunchy bajjis with a cup of maslsa chai.  When the mood is set for the day, Kalyan and I shamelessly give in to this joy. It make us happy. It brings a smile. Beautiful childhood memories linger. It remind us of home, India. It fills the house with memories of the first rain after a scorching summer. It brings back memories of dancing in rain. Puddles and handmade paper boats. Love and Happiness

Ingredients

• 2 Big Potatoes- Thinly sliced into circles
• 1/2 Cup Gram Flour- Chickpea Flour-Besan
•  2 tsp Rice Flour
• 1 pinch Baking soda
• 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
• 1 tsp Cumin Powder - Jeera Powder
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup water or less
• Oil for Deep Frying 
• 1 tsp Chaat Masala 

Method:

1. In a large bowl mix together gram flour, rice flour, soda, chilli powder, cumin powder, salt. Add a small sprinkling of water to help bring things together into a thick pour-able batter
2. Fill a medium pan half way with oil. Heat on medium- high until it reaches a deep frying temperature (To test drop a small amount of batter in the oil and it should sizzle up immediately)
3. Once the oil is hot enough dip the potato slices one by one in batter, coat well and drop into the hot oil for deep frying
4. Fry the bajji until golden and remove/drain the excess oil off on a kitchen paper towel
5. Serve with a sprinkling of chaat masala and a choice of chutney

#45 : Badam Milk ~ Easy Almond flavored Drink

Its been a while since I wrote something soulful. The past few months have been very busy. Work takes up most of my available time. I wake up at 7 am  and keep working until midnight taking very short breaks to eat or spend time over the internet. 

Badam Milk  reminds me of Chennai / Madras ( a city in southern India ). This city holds a very special place in my heart. I went to college there, stayed away from my parents for the first time, made some awesome friends and experienced the joys of growing up. They were the most carefree days of my life. I have numerous memories of enjoying this chilled almond drink at my college canteen during the lunch hours. Let it be a long wait at the bus stop or a quick meal replacement option before exams this drink was always my first preference. I can still vividly remember the taste of it- the chilled glass bottles filled with thick saffron flavored milk mixed up with chucks of broken almonds. Oh! what joy...

This recipe is a quick-easy version of the almond flavored drink. This is low on calories and make a light refreshing drink. I like to enjoy it in lieu of dessert after a satisfying meal.

Ingredients
( Makes about 20 servings )

• 1/2 cup Almonds
• 1/8 cup Cashews
• 1/8 cup Pistachio meats
• 1/4 tsp Saffron

Method:

1. Blend all the above ingredients to a coarse powder ( Can be saved in an air tight container for 2 months )
2. For 1 serving -  (Glass of Milk)  - Bring milk to boil and add 2 tsp of the above ground powder. Stir well and add sugar as needed. Cool in a refrigerator for an hour. Serve chilled

# 42 : Onion Pakoda ~ Deep Fried Onion Fritters

The first time I made pakodas they came out surprisingly perfect. I didn't have to refer any recipe book or call up home for it. Though I  was new to cooking, I somehow knew the art of making them. May be a product of hanging out in the kitchen whenever my grand mom made them?

I have many memories of eating crunchy pakodas as soon as they are fried. Hot to hold, hot to take a bite into but joyful and heartwarming.  And really is there a bigger joy in life than staying home on a rainy day eating pakodas and sipping a hot cup of chai ?

Ingredients

• 2 Big Onions finely sliced
• 3/4 Cup Gram Flour- Chickpea Flour-Besan
• 1/8 Cup Rice Flour
• 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
• 1 tsp Cumin Powder - Jeera Powder
• 3 Green Chillies finely chopped
• Oil for Deep Frying 
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Chaat Masala 

Method:

1. In a large bowl mix together onions, gram flour, rice flour, chilli powder, cumin powder, green chillies and salt. Add a small sprinkling of water to help bring things together into a very thick batter
2. Fill a medium pan half way with oil. Heat on medium- high until it reaches a deep frying temperature (To test drop a small amount of batter in the oil and it should sizzle up immediately)
3. Once the oil is hot enough drop spoonfuls of the pakoda batter and fry until golden 
4. Serve with a sprinkling of chaat masala and a choice of chutney

#32 : Sooji Halwa ~ Kesari ~ Semolina Pudding

Happy times are synonymous to this Halwa. It is easy to make and uses ingredients available in a standard Indian pantry. Let it be a festive celebration or an urgent quick sweet fix this halwa is a popular choice. It is a not so favorite dessert for me but Kalyan adores it :-) I usually end up making it whenever he requests for it and it surely makes him happy. He has fond memories of scooping out bowls of this halwa as a child which he called "sweet upma" 

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Semolina
• 3 Tbs Ghee 
• 3 Cups Water
• 3/4-1 Cup Sugar
• 3 Cardamom pods ( crushed )
• 4 Tbs chopped Cashews and Raisins
• 4-5 Strands of Saffron
• A pinch Orange food color ( Optional )

Method:

1. Heat ghee in a wide pan, add chopped cashews. Once they turn golden add the raisins and fry until they plump up. Remove them from ghee and set aside
2. Add semolina to the remaining ghee and fry in medium-low heat for about 10-12 mins. The Kitchen will fill up with a beautiful aroma and the semolina will turn lightly golden. Turn off the flame/heat and let it cool down 
3. In an other wide pan bring water to a boil. Add sugar, saffron,cardamom and orange color if using
4. To the boiling water add the roasted semolina. Add cashews and raisins and cook until all the water is absorbed and the ghee begins to oozes out slightly. Turn the flame/heat to low and cover and cook for 5 mins
5. Serve warm scooped into a bowl or can be put into a mold and cut into squares 

#30 : Dosa ~ Indian Lentil Crepes

Anybody with a love for Indian Cuisine will like dosas instantly. They are light and crisp and when dipped in Chutney, they make the yummiest breakfast food possible. When I was little, I would grab a chair to climb on the kitchen counter to watch my grand mom make them. The art of spreading the batter into a thin-even-round fascinated me . And really, all it takes is one bite to fall in love with them. 

#25 : AAvadalu ~ South Indian Dahi Vada

Kalyan texted " I am coming home " and I replied " come soon , I have a surprise for you ". This was the day before his birthday . I made these yogurt dipped vadas to jump start the birthday celebrations . This was my first time making them and I was very excited. 

Let me tell you a story.I have a "thing" against anything yogurt . I grew up with my grand mom who didn't eat yogurt and I somehow developed the same aversion to it . For us South Indians , curd / yogurt is finale to every meal . Most proudly claim that a meal is never complete without eating yogurt-rice at the end . It is considered heavenly , a perfect nullifier to the spicy food we eat . I remember my parents trying very hard to make me like yogurt . They agreed on a pact that for each bite of yogurt I could get a small cube of chocolate. As much as I liked the offer, It didn't help a bit. After I met Kalyan , he tried talking me into it , but didn't work again. So, it remained a tacit understanding . Kalyan became the chef in charge for yogurt based dishes. As  time passed , I became a litter more tolerant to it . While I still cannot 'like' it, I can cook with it. 

You can now understand how a simple yogurt based dish can bring a moment of surprise and happiness to us . I am also rejoicing the fact that I am half way through this challenge . It was not easy and took a lot more effort than I had expected. Thank you to everyone who took time to read and follow me through. 

#24 : Medhu Vada ~ Savory Indain doughnuts

"Vadas" are savory Indian doughnuts. They are usually dipped with spicy chutnety / pachadi and are eaten hot and crispy. It takes a lot of practice to learn to make them right. I have been attempting to learn these for years and have failed multiple times.  I first attempted them when I was new to cooking and the out come was disastrous . The next few times were after I got married to Kalyan . As a new bride, I tried various fun cooking experiments and the Vadas were a part of it and I failed yet again. Finally , last year I succeeded in understanding the right logistics to make a perfect batter that will help aid with the vadas's shape and taste . I stood in the kitchen , took diligent notes from my mom in law and attempted them as she supervised . The most difficult part was learning how to transfer the shaped vadas from the plastic sheet / banana leaf into hot oil for frying . My mom-in-law took a special interest in teaching me a few tricks without which my desire to learn to make these Indian doughnuts would have remained a dream . Vadas also called "garelu" in telugu are a popular street food in rural southern India. You will see stalls set up on the road frying these in big Kadais. ( Indian woks )

Two chutneys that go very well with vadas are :

Red Allam Pachadi ~ Ginger Chutney

Green Allam Pachadi  ~ Ginger Chutney

#23 : Red Allam Pachadi ~ Ginger Chutney

If you are a South Indian , I am sure you have memories of savoring tiffins ( the South Indian term for breakfast ) with Ginger Pickle . The one we usually use at home is a store bought pickle that has a long shelf life . This below recipe of allam pachadi is an instant version of the same pickle . It is easy to make and has a beautiful balance of  spice and sweetness. I especially like this chutney as an accompaniment to upma , but it tastes wonderful with idli , dosa or vada as well. Goodness of ginger is not unknown. It has been used it ayurvedic and chinese medicines for years. It helps to aid digestion and benefits blood circulation. My grand dad and father-in-law drink shots of ginger juice concentrate every week . They both vouch for its goodness. It is one of my favorite spices to cook with . I have been monitoring my grocery shopping list and have found that we use at least 1/2 lb of ginger each week .