Mini Vegetable Samosas

Mini vegetable samosas are an easy evening snack particularly for small kids because they are able to handle it better  than a .larger samosa. :) However that does not stop elders too. In fact, elders end up eating a lot more, :)) so when you are making, be sure to store some away in the freezer for a sudden hunger pang. That is what I do :P

I made use of the ready spring roll pastry sheets. There is an easier way of preparing the same kind of pastry sheets as the frozen one. Will give a separate post for that soon. Another way is to make a dough of maida with a little salt. Roll the dough into a large chapati, cut it into rectangular strips and follow the same way of folding as you would with a pastry sheet.


Preparation Time : 20 - 30 minutes
Cooking Time : 20 minutes
Makes : 20 mini samosas

Ingredients

Potato - 1 medium, boiled and peeled
Onion - 2 small, chopped finely
Beans - 1/4 cup , chopped finely
Carrot - 1/4 cup, chopped finely
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp, chopped finely
Salt - to taste
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Dhania / Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Shahjeera - 1 tsp
Lemon Juice - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Spring Roll Pastry Sheets - 7
Oil - for frying
Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure




1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a kadai, when it is hot, add the shahjeera.
2. When the jeera is nicely roasted, add the onions, beans, carrot. Cover and cook till the vegetables are cooked.
3. Add the boiled and mashed potato, all powders and mix well.
4. Finally add chopped coriander, lemon juice and allow to cool.
5. Take out the pastry sheets from the freezer and let it thaw. Keep covered with a damp cloth all the time.
6. Cut each sheet into 3 strips. Work on one strip at a time, keep the others covered.
7. Place a spoon of the vegetable on one end.
8. Fold over an edge around the vegetable to form a triangle, keep folding the strip into triangles and seal the end with maida paste. This is going to take a lot of practice and patience, so don't worry if you do not get it right the first time.
9. Keep covered under a damp cloth till you fry them.
10. When all the samosas are ready, heat oil for frying
11. When the oil is hot, drop 6 to 8 mini samosas and fry on a medium flame till golden brown.
12. Delicious hot, crispy, mini vegetable samosas are ready. Enjoy with chat chutneys / tomato sauce

Kothamalli Thogaiyal / kothamalli podi

Pudina Thogaiyal is a very fragrant, tasty and delicious thogaiyal variety. It is very easy to make and goes well with rice, dosa, idli and even rotis. Try this super tasty thogaiyal

Preparation Time : 10 minutes
Cooking Time : 10 minutes
Serves : 2

Ingredients

Coriander leaves - 1 big bunch
Tamarind - 1 small amla size ball
Red Chillies - 5 to 6
Salt - to taste
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp

To temper

Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp

Procedure

1. Separate the coriander leaves and wash them well.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add the coriander leaves, tamarind, red chillies, and roast well till the coriander leaves cook well and all the water evaporates.
3. Allow to cool and grind to a paste in a mixer with salt and asafoetida.
4. Heat oil in a tadka pan, add the mustard, when it splutters, add urad dal and add to the thogaiyal.
5. Super delicious kothamalli thogaiyal is ready. Enjoy it with hot rice / idli / dosa / chapati.

Chow Chow thogaiyal

Chow chow thogaiyal is a very easy, tasty and delicious thogaiyal variety. It is very easy to make and goes well with rice, dosa, idli and even rotis. Try this super tasty thogaiyal

Preparation Time : 10 minutes
Cooking Time : 10 minutes
Serves : 2

Ingredients

Chow chow / Bangalore Kathrikkai - 1 big
Tamarind - 1 small amla size ball
Red Chillies - 5 to 6
Salt - to taste
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Coconut - 1/4 cup grated / sliced
Oil - 1 tsp

To temper

Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp

Procedure

1. Peel and chop the chow chow into small cubes.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add the chow chow, tamarind, red chillies, coconut and cover and roast well till the chow chow is cooked well and all the water evaporates.
3. Allow to cool and grind to a paste in a mixer with salt and asafoetida.
4. Heat oil in a tadka pan, add the mustard, when it splutters, add urad dal and add to the thogaiyal.
5. Super delicious chow chow thogaiyal is ready. Enjoy it with hot rice / idli / dosa / chapati.

Pudina Thogaiyal

Pudina Thogaiyal is a very fragrant, tasty and delicious thogaiyal variety. It is very easy to make and goes well with rice, dosa, idli and even rotis. Try this super tasty thogaiyal

Preparation Time : 10 minutes
Cooking Time : 10 minutes
Serves : 2

Ingredients

Pudina / Mint leaves - 1 big bunch
Tamarind - 1 small amla size ball
Red Chillies - 5 to 6
Salt - to taste
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Coconut - 1/4 cup grated / sliced
Oil - 1 tsp

To temper

Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp

Procedure

1. Separate the mint leaves and wash them well.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add the mint leaves, tamarind, red chillies, coconut and roast well till the mint leaves cook well and all the water evaporates.
3. Allow to cool and grind to a paste in a mixer with salt and asafoetida.
4. Heat oil in a tadka pan, add the mustard, when it splutters, add urad dal and add to the thogaiyal.
5. Super delicious pudina thogaiyal is ready. Enjoy it with hot rice / idli / dosa / chapati.

Mysore Rasam

Mysore Rasam is my favourite rasam variety. The super spicy rasam that my mother makes, is best had with plain ulundu appalam. My husband loves it too. You can also try having this with some koottu / coconut based curry.

Preparation Time : 10 minutes
Cooking Time : 30 minutes
Serves  :4

Ingredients

Tamarind - 1 lemon sized ball
Salt - to taste
Curry Leaves - a few
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Toor Dal - 2 tbsp, cooked well

To grind

Pepper - 1 tbsp
Toor Dal - 1/2 tbsp
Dhania - 1/2 tbsp
Urad Dal - 1/2 tbsp
Red Chillies - 5
Cumin - 1/2 tbsp
Coconut - 1/2 tbsp

To temper

Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a few

Procedure

1. Soak tamarind in half a cup of water
2. Pressure cook the toor dal well
3. Roast all the ingredients except cumin under to grind section with 1/2 tsp of oil.
4. Grind it into a paste
5. Extract tamarind juice and heat it with salt, asafoetida, turmeric powder and curry leaves till the raw smell leaves.
6. Finally add the ground paste and cooked dal and give a boil
7. Heat til oil in a tadka pan, when it is hot, add mustard, when it splutters, add the curry leaves and pour over the hot rasam

Palak Patta Chat

An easy way to sneak in greens into your kids tummy. Slightly low on health quotient but sure to get lapped up instantly. It is as tasty as it looks. Try this recipe today and get your kids to finish their greens

Preparation Time : 10 minutes
Cooking Time : 20 minutes
Serves : 4

Ingredients

Palak leaves - 12 big leaves, chopped into bite size bits
Gram Flour - 1/2 cup
Rice Flour - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Water - as required
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Sweet Chat Chutney - to taste
Green Chat Chutney - to taste
Nylon Sev - as required
Curd - 1 cup
Chilli powder - 3 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Cumin Powder - 3 tbsp
Black Salt - 1 tbsp
Coriander - 1/2 cup, freshly chopped
Oil - for frying

Procedure

1. Wash and dry the palak leaves and chop them into bite size bits
2. Mix the gram flour, rice flour, salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder and water into a very thin consistency (thinner than regular bajji batter).
3. When you coat a palak leaf with the batter, it should not coat it completely, it should be a light coating. This is the right consistency
4.  Heat oil for frying, dip each palak leaf in the batter and fry in hot oil till crisp.
5. Drain on a kitchen tissue.
6. Take a few fried palak leaves and arrange them on a plate, add 2 tbsp of curd on the arranged palak leaves, add a little of the chutneys, nylon sev, chilli powder, salt, black salt and cumin powder.
7. Finally top with freshly chopped coriander leaves.
8. Serve while the palak is still crisp.

Notes: 

1. This is best served when the palak is hot and crisp.
2. Make sure to cut the palak leaves into bite size bits, else you will end up stuffing them into your mouth. :))
3. Add the curd and  remaining ingredients just before serving to maintain the crispiness of the palak

Mango Cheesecake

This is the first time I am trying a Mango Cheesecake. It had been on my to make list for a long time. I finally mustered the courage to try this and the results were pretty satisfactory. I would have liked a thicker version, but I figured out where I went wrong and hopefully the next try would make it perfect. Try this recipe this mango season.

Preparation Time : 20 minutes
Cooking Time : 6 - 8 hours (mixing + setting time)
Serves  :4 - 6

Ingredients



Mango Pulp  - 2 cups
Cream Cheese - 200gm
Whipping cream - 200ml / 1 cup
Sugar - 5 tbsp
Digestive Marie Biscuits - 15
Melted Butter - 8 tbsp
China Grass - 7 tbsp
Water - 3/4 cup

Procedure




1. Pulse the biscuits with the melted butter in a mixer well till it is soft and of dropping consistency.
2. Grease a 7" cheesecake tin / cake pan well with butter.
3. Pour the biscuit mix in the pan and press firmly with hands / a flat bottomed cup
4. Put it in the refrigerator to set for 30 minutes
5. Take a large mixing bowl, add the whipping cream and sugar and beat till stiff peaks form, add the cream cheese and give a quick mix. Finally add 1 cup of mango pulp and combine well.
6. Heat the water till warm.
7. Chop the china grass strands into small pieces and soak them in the warm water for 15 minutes
8. After fifteen minutes, cook the soaked china grass on a medium flame till it dissolves completely and turns slightly gelatinous.
9. Filter this mixture with a sieve.
10. Mix half of the china grass liquid with the mango whipped cream mixture and give a quick thorough mix.
11. Pour this mixture over the set biscuit base and set to refrigerate for 2 hours.
12. Mix the remaining one cup of mango pulp and china grass liquid together into a saucy consistency.
13. After the second layer sets, gently and carefully spread the third saucy layer over the whipped cream layer and refrigerate again for 6 hours.
14. Delicious mango cheesecake is ready to enjoy.

Notes :

1. You may also choose to use individual cups for making this cheesecake
2. You can add freshly sliced mangoes over the cheesecake before serving.
3. Once the fruits are added, you cannot keep the cheesecake for long as it will start giving out water.