Khasta Gobhi /Crisp Caulflower Fritters

Crisp cauliflower fritters

Fried snacks and starters are a hot favorite during winters.As cauliflower is very easily available during this seasons so we make many recipes and starters with cauliflower.
My favorite is Aloo gobhi ki subzi and Gobhi matar ka keema  .There are so many fried snacks but I often make this easy,delicious and crispy cauliflower fritters which I make in few variations.
Today I am sharing my favorite version of making gobhi pakora ,to make this blanched cauliflower florets are dipped in gram flour,corn flour and semolina batter and then deep fried to a nice golden colour.These Gobhi pakoras are good to serve a crowd or on any special occasion,can be served with tomato ketchup or any tangy and spicy dip.

Prep time-10 min
Cooking time-8-10 min
Difficulty level-easy
Cuisine-Indian
Type-snack,starter
Serve-4

INGREDIENTS-

• Cauliflower /gobhi  - 250 gms
• Gram flour /besan - 3/4 cup
• Corn flour - 3/4 cup
• Semolina /sooji - 1/4 cup
• Red chili powder - 1tsp
• Cumin powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Cooking oil- to deep fry

PROCEDURE-

1. Make medium size florets from cauliflower.
2. Boil 2 glasses of water add 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder.
3. When it start boiling add cauliflower florets and cook for 1 minute.
4. Drain and let it cool down completely.
5. In a bowl add gram flour,corn flour,turmeric powder, semolina, salt, chili powder and cumin powder.
6. Add water in the mixture and whisk well.
7. Make a medium thick batter and rest for 10 minutes.
8. Dip the cauliflower florets in the batter and deep fry in hot oil on medium heat.
9. Fry till golden in colour.
10. Drain on a paper napkin and serve hot.

Serving suggestions-serve with tomato ketchup or any spicy dip

Tabbouleh Salad Recipe

A classic Middle Eastern salad of fresh greens and bulghur - A Lebanese speciality


Tabbouleh is a classic healthy salad from Middle east region. lots of fresh greens,tomatoes,cucumber are added with soaked bulgar/bulghur. Traditionally little quantity of bulghur is added in lots of greens but you can also add more bulghur if you wish ,but I have used more greens and less bulghur.

Bulgar is mainly used in middle eastern cuisine.wheat is parboiled,dried and coarsely ground into tiny pieces to make bulghur.if you don't have bulghur then can substitute it with couscous or boiled fine daliya (broken wheat)

Use of greens, mint, parsley and lemon gives it a very fresh flavor,addition of cucumber is optional but I have added it to give some crunch and freshness.When using tomatoes try to remove the pulp else it will become soggy soon.You can also add some finely chopped mild green chilies in it.

Traditionally Lebanese seven spice powder is also added in it but as I don't have it so just used salt,pepper and lemon juice and loved the fresh flavors

Prep time -15 min
Cuisine - Middle Eastern
Type - salad,side
Difficulty level - easy
Spice level - mild
Serve -5

INGREDIENTS-

• 1/2 cup -Bulghur (Fine cracked wheat)
• 5 cup - Parsley, chopped
• 1.5 cup - Mint leaves, chopped
• 2 - Tomato, chopped
• 3/4 cup - Cucumber,chopped
• 4 tbsp - Olive oil
• 3.5 tbsp - Lemon juice
• To taste - Salt
• 1/2 tsp - Pepper powder

PROCEDURE-

1. Take bulgar in a bowl and wash it with water .
2. Now add 1 cup of hot water in bulgar.
3. Cover the bowl with a lid and rest for about 25 minutes.
4. Chop tomato and cucumber in fine pieces.
5. Wash parsley and mint and chop finely.
6. To make the dressing-In a bowl mix olive oil,lemon juice ,salt and pepper powder 
7. Take a big bowl and add soaked bulgar, parsley, mint, tomato and cucumbers and mix.
8. Now add the prepared dressing in the salad.
9. Toss gently and serve chilled

Serving suggestions-serve as a salad, side dish,with  toasted pita bread or romain lettuce etc.

Note-

1-If bulghur is not available then can use couscous or boiled fine daliya
2-Chop vegetables and soak bulghur and then mix just before serving else the greens become soft and loose its crispness.
3-You can easily adjust the proportion of bulghur and greens according to your choice,can add more bulghur and less greens OR less bulghur and more greens.

How to Make Batata Vada , Mumbai Batata Vada Recipe

Spiced potato dumpling coated with gram flour batter and fried-very popular street food of Mumbai

Batata vada is the most popular street food of Maharashtra,It is a very popular snack of Mumbai. As it is very reasonable priced and a quite filling snack so is is also a brunch or lunch of many Mumbaikars.
Boiled potatoes are roughly mashed and then few fresh herbs and spices are added in the potato mash ,then a flavorful tempering is added in it and then shaped in round balls .Then these spicy potato dumplings are dipped in gram flour batter and deep fried to a nice golden colour and then served hot with spicy green chutney and a fried green chili.Its quite easy and quick recipe.You can easily adjust the spices according to your taste.
There are few variation of making this vada but the main ingredients and spices remains the same.

Prep time-10 min
Cooking time - 15 min
Difficulty level - medium
Spice level - medium hot
Cuisine - Indian,Maharashtra
Type - snack,street food

Batata Vada

INGREDIENTS-

• 250 gm - Potato,boiled
• 1 tbsp - Green chili,minced
• 1 tsp - Ginger,chopped
• 1/2 cup - Fresh coriander,chopped
• To taste - Salt/namak
• 1/3 tsp - Turmeric
• 1/4 tsp - Citric acid/tatri *
• 1 tsp - Mustard seeds /rai
• 1/4 tsp -white lentil /urad daal
• 1/4 tsp - Asafoetida /hing
• 8 -  Curry leaves
• 1 tbsp - Cooking oil

Batter-

• 1 cup - Gram flour /besan
• 2 tbsp - Rice flour/chawal ka atta
• 1/4 tsp - Turmeric/haldi
• 1 tsp - Chili powder
• 1 tbsp - Hot oil
• To taste  - Salt
• Pinch of  - Soda-bi-carb (optional)

Cooking Directions-

1. Peel and coarsely mash the boiled potatoes(don't make a paste of potatoes )
2. Heat oil in a pan and add urad daal and mustard seeds.
3. When seed start crackling add asafoetida,curry leaves and green chilies.
4. Stir and then add turmeric powder and boiled potatoes.
5. Add salt and citric acid and stir to mix every thing.
6. Remove from the flame and add chopped fresh coriander.
7. Mix it and let it cool down a bit.
8. Now make small balls from this potato mixture and keep aside.
9. In a bowl add gram flour, rice flour, salt,chili powder and turmeric.
10. Add water to make a batter of pouring consistency.
11. Add hot oil and mix well.
12. Heat oil in a deep and wide pan.
13. Dip the prepared potato balls in the gram flour batter.
14. Gently add in the hot oil and deep fry on medium heat.
15. Change the sides 2-3 times in between so get a nice colour from all the sides.
16. Remove from the pan when become golden and crisp.
17. Drain on a paper napkin to absorb the extra oil.
18. Slit or poke hole in few green chilies and deep fry them.
19. Drain on a paper napkin and sprinkle some chat masala or salt over them.
20. Serve hot vadas with green chutney,ketchup and fried green chilies.

NOTE-

1-To add sourness in the vada you can add either citric acid or lemon juice.

2-Don't mash the potato completely,just mash roughly,don't make a paste of potatoes.
3-You can reduce the quantity of minced green chilies and add some red chili powder in the potato mixture.
4-for variation -you can also add some boiled peas at step -3

Roasted Phool Makhana Namkeen

Crisp and low fat lotus seed snack

Makhana or phool makhana is a seed from lotus plant so commonly used during fasting days.This is very easily available in all Indian stores and is very light in weight.
There are so many recipes made with phool makhana.it is also used to make curries and the roasted makhana powder is used to thicken curries.I have posted -Makhana ki kheer and makhana paag and both are fasting recipes.
It is also good for health as it is light on stomach and have many medicinal properties. It is rich in calcium, it regulates high blood pressure,good for arthritis, detoxify body, cure insomnia and very good to have as a post natal food .
This namkeen makhana is very filling and a low fat snack.Though it is very easy to make but it takes some time to become crisp so you have to roast it on low heat else it will become crisp from outside but the inner portion remain raw and chewy.

Cooking time-15 min
Difficulty level-easy
spice level -mild
Cuisine-North Indian
Type-snack,vrat ka khana
Serve -4

Ingredients

• 50 gm - Makhana/ phool makhana /fox nut/Lotus seeds
• 2.5 tbsp - Ghee or oil
• As required - Rock salt /Sendha namak
• 1/2 tsp - Pepper powder/ Kali mirch
• 1/2 tsp - Mango powder /amchoor

Cooking Directions

1. Heat ghee or oil in a pan.
2. Add lotus seeds and roast on low heat and keep stirring.
3. Roast for about 10-12 minutes till they become crisp.
4. Press a roasted seed to check, if it is roasted well then it will break into pieces,and if it still feel soft and chewy then roast for some more times.
5. When roasted then add the spices and 1 tsp of ghee and mix well.
6. Let it cool down completely.
7. Store in air tight jar.

Serving suggestions-serve as a snack with tea,coffee or any beverage