Dahi Vada

Dahi Vada is another tasty snack which can be served at tea-time.
Infact I just love it at any time of the day.
Dahi Vada are fried lentil balls soaked in yoghurt and topped with spices.

To make the vadas you will need-
1 cup Urad Dal (soaked overnight)
1/4th cup Yellow Moong Dal (soaked overnight)
Oil for deep frying.

2 Green Chillies
1"piece Ginger
Salt.

For the Yoghurt sauce you will need-

2 cups plain Yoghurt
2 tbsps Sugar
Black Salt
Cumin pwdr
RedChilli Pwdr
Sweet Chutney

How to Proceed-

After the dals have been soaked overnight, grind them in a mixer, alongwith chillies, ginger and salt. Taking care not to add much water, the batter should be fairly thick and dry.
Keep it for around 2 hrs.
Then deep-fry spoonfuls of the batter in moderately hot oil.
The vadas should be golden brown.
After removing them from the oil, soak them in a bowl filled with cold water for 10 mins.
Then squeeze out the water from each one of them and keep aside.

Meanwhile make the Yogurt Sauce-
Take 2 cups yoghurt, add sugar and whisk it well.

To Assemble-
Take a bowl and arrange 4 vadas on it.
Pour the prepared yoghurt on them.
Garnish with the sweet chutney, cumin pwdr, redchilli pwdr and black salt.
You can serve it immediately or chilled.

The vadas and the yoghurt can be stored in the fridge separately and assembled whenever required.

Tongue-Tickling-Stir-Fried Green Beans

We had been to a sichuanese restuarant some days ago and apart from the other items that we liked, this simple Green beans were excellent.

So I tried to recreate them in my kitchen!

You need-

1 pound Green beans

1 tbsp Sesame seeds

1 tbsp minced Garlic

1 tsp Red chilli flakes

Salt and pepper to taste.

1 tbsp Vinegar

i tsp Soya sauce

1 tbsp Oil

Method-

Remove the stems of the beans and wash them well.

Heat oil in a pan or a wok.

Put in the sesame seeds.

Toast them until they crackle.

Then add the garlic and brown it.

Put in the green beans.

Stir well.

Add vinegar, soya sauce, salt, red chilli flakes and pepper.

Mix well.

Stir fry on high flame for 5-8 mins.

And serve hot as a side dish.

Enjoy!

Spicy Drumsticks(Saragawa)

Drumsticks are green stick like vegetables.
They are tough from outside but soft and fleshy from the inside.
The only portion that is consumed is the inner seeds and soft flesh.
While the outer stem is discarded after properly sucking the juice out of it!

The drumsticks are normally boiled before use so that they turn softer.
This drumsticks dish is a spicy side dish which is loved by my family.

Its easy to make and tastes great too!

You will need -

6-8 Drumsticks, cut into finger-length pieces
You can peel some of the outer hard skin
(you can use the frozen precut variety too)

Oil, 1 tbsp
Salt, to taste

Hing, 1/4 tsp
Red Chilli Pwdr, 1 tsp
Turmeric, 1/4 tsp
Coriander Pwdr, 2 tsps
Cumin Pwdr, 1 tsp

Garam Masala Pwdr, 1/2 tsp

Juice of 1 lime or 1/2 tsp Dry Mango Pwdr

Cilantro to garnish.

Method-

Wash, peel, cut and boil the drumsticks for around 10 mins.

Drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a pan.

Add hing and turmeric.

Add the boiled drumsticks.

Put in all the dry masalas and salt.

Mix well.

Roast for around 5 mins.

Add the lime juice.

And Garnish with Cilantro.

And its ready to serve.