Samosa

Ingredients:

Stuffing:

3 medium sized potatoes boiled and mashed
2 tblsp chopped pudina/mint leaves
2 tblsp chopped coriander leaves
1/2 tblsp garam masala powder
1/2 tblsp crushed coriander seeds
1/2 tblsp jeera
1/4 tblsp turmeric powder
1 tblsp grated ginger
1 chopped green chilly
1/4 tblsp black pepper powder
1/2 tblsp saunf/aniseed
4 curry leaves

1 tblsp oil
2 tblsp lemon juice or 1/2 tblsp amchur powder
 Oil for frying the samosas

Outer Cover:
1 cup all purpose flour/maida
3 tblsp oil
1 tblsp ajwain
1/4 tblsp salt
Water

Method

1) To make the cover, take maida, oil, salt and ajwain in a bowl. Mix everything well.
2) Keep adding the water to make a tough dough. Keep aside for 15 mins
3) For stuffing, Heat 1 tblsp oil in a pan. Add curry leaves, jeera, green chilles, saunf, coriander seeds, tumeric and ginger. Give a stir and add the boiled potatoes. Mix the potatoes with the masala.
4) Now add pepper powder, garam masala powder, coriander leaves, pudina, lemon and salt.
5) Turn off the gas. Mix everything well. Stuffing is ready.
6) Divide the dough into 5 equal parts and make into balls.
7)Roll each ball into 6 inch diameter circles and cut each circle into half.
8)Spread water with your finger at the edge of the circle and fold it into cone shape.
9) Fill the cone with 2 tblsp of filling and seal the edges.

10) Heat enoough oil in a pan. Keep the flame on medium heat and fry the samosas

Note: You can add boiled peas, carrots along with the potatoes.

Methi Thepla-Gujrati Style

Ingredients:

1 cup finely chopped methi/fenugreek leaves
9-10 tblsp wheat flour
3-4 tblsp crushed jaggery
1/4 tblsp chilly powder
1/4 or less tblsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tblsp white sesame seeds
4 tblsp yogurt
2 tblsp oil
1 tblsp jeera

Butter or ghee for roasting

Method

1) Heat 1 1/2 tblsp oil in a pan. Add jeera and methi leaves.
2) After 2 mins add chilly powder, jaggery, haldi and salt.
3) Once the jaggery melts, turn off the gas. Add yogurt and sesame seeds to the methi mixture.
4) Add 1 tblsp of oil and wheat flour. Knead it to a soft dough.
5) Make balls out of the dough and roll it into thin chapatis.
6) Heat the pan. Place the thepla in the pan. As it cooks, the dough will change color. Turn the thepla. You should see golden brown spots on the semi cooked side. Spread ghee/butter over it
7)Turn it and apply ghee/butter on the other side. Remove it. Dont over cook it or the thepla will become crispy.

Note: 1) You can freeze the dough and use it the next day.

Vegetable schezwan fingers

Ingredients:

1 cup finely chopped cabbage
1/2 cup grated carrots(preferably orange colored)
1/2 cup finely chopped capsicum
2 1/2 tblsp schezwan sauce(check the chutney section, on how to make schezwan sauce)
1 tblsp finely chopped ginger
2 1/2 tblsp corn flour
bread crumbs for binding the mixture
1/2 tblsp soya sauce
1/2 cup Roasted semolina 
Oil for deep frying
salt to taste

Reference:

http://sanjeevkapoor.com/sichuan-vegetable-fingers-flavours-of-the-orient.aspx

Method:

1) Mix the cabbage, carrot and capsicum in a bowl and add 1/4 tblsp of salt. Keep it aside for 15 mins.After that squeeze the excess water out, from the mixture.
2) Add corn flour, ginger, soya sauce, schezwan sauce to this mixture.
3) Keep on adding bread crumbs till you are able to make cutlets out of the mixture.
4) Check the seasoning and add salt if necessary.
5)Take roasted semolina in a plate. Make rolls of the mixture and coat it with semolina
6) Heat oil on medium temperature. Add the rolls to the oil
7) Once it turns dark brown remove it .
8) Serve it with schezwan sauce.

Note: 1) Squeeze all the excess water properly from the vegetables else the rolls will break.
2) Fry it in medium or slow heat, else the mixture will not cook from inside.

Dabeli

Ingredients:

3 medium sized potatoes(boiled and mashed)
2 tblsp oil
pinch of hing
3 tblsp khajur imli chutney(check the chutney section for the recipe)
2 tblsp pav bhaji masala
1/2 tblsp red chilly powder

1/2 small onion finely chopped
2 tblsp pomegranate seeds
2 tblsp chopped coriander leaves
2 tblsp masala peanuts
Butter
Pav
nylon sev

Masala peanuts
2 tblsp peanuts
1/2 tblsp oil
pinch of hing
red chilli powder
salt to taste

Method:

1) For the potato mixture, Heat oil in kadhai. Add hing, imli khajur chutney, pavbhaji masala, chilly powder, salt. Cook for a min.
2) Add the boiled potatoes followed by 1/2 cup of water. Mix everything well and cook for 2-3 mins
3) Take this mixture in a plate.
4)For masala peanuts, heat oil. Add hing and roasted peanuts. Switch of the gas and add salt and red chilly powder.
5)Garnish with coriander leaves, masala peanuts and pomegranate seeds.
6) Cut the pav and stuff it with the above mixture.
7) Heat pan and apply butter on it. Shallow fry the pav.
8) Apply sev to the sides of the pav. 

Note:Sev can also be added as Garnish

Poha

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup poha(thick)
2 tblsp oil
1/2 tblsp mustard seed
6-8 curry leaves
1 small onion finely chopped
1 tblsp sugar
1 green chilly chopped
2 pinch haldi powder
2 tblsp finely chopped coriander
1/2 tblsp lemon juice
1 tblsp roasted peanuts
nylon sev for garnishing(optional)
salt to taste

Method:

1) Wash the poha in water once and squeeze the excess water immediately, else the poha will become sticky. Once the water is dried just seperate the poha with hands.
2) Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start spluttering add the curry leaves followed by chopped chillies.
3) Add the onion and fry for 2-3 mins. Add haldi and fry for a min.
4)Drop in the peanuts. Mix everything well. Now add the soaked poha followed by salt and sugar.
5) Cook for a min, Add the lemon juice and top it with corainder leaves.
6) Garnish with nylon sev before serving.

Chocolate sponge cake

Ingredients:

3/4 cup maida/ all purpose flour
2 tblsp cocoa powder
120 gms unsalted butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 tblsp baking powder
1 tblsp vanilla essence
2 tblsp tutti frooti or chopped walnuts (optional)

Method:
1)Mix Maida, cocoa powder and baking powder in a container.
2) Melt the butter. Add powdered sugar and beaten eggs. Beat this mixture well till you get a nice creamy mixture.(You can use electric beater to do the same or use a mixer/blender)
3) Add vanilla essence to the egg mixture.
4) Mix this to the dry mixture of maida, cocoa and baking powder. You can add tooti frooti or chopped walnuts during this stage.
5) Rub some butter over the baking container and sprinkle some maida over it. Tap the container to remove the excess flour.
6) Pour the mixture in the container and bake it in electric oven or gas oven.
7) I used gas oven here. Keep the gas on slow flame and let it bake for 20 mins.
8) To check whether the cake is baked properly insert a tooth pick in the middle of the cake. It should come out clean.
9) The cake is ready.

Sabudana Vada

Ingredients:

1/2  cup sabudana(sago seeds)
1 tblspn chopped green chilies
2 tblsp roasted peanuts
2 potatoes
1 tblsp jeera
2 tblsp chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:
1)Wash the sabudana. Soak it in water for atleast 2 hours(Water should be enough to just soak the sabudana. Excess water will make the sabudana sticky)
2) Boil the potatoes(Dont boil it too much). Grate the boiled potatoes.
3) Crush the peanuts. You can use a rolling pin to do the same. Run it twice over the peanuts.
4)Sabudana and potatoes both will be of equal quantity.
5)Take the soaked sabudana in a bowl, Add the grated potatoes. Add jeera, green chillies, crushed peanuts, coriander leaves and salt.
6)The mixture will be like a sticky dough.
7) Apply some oil on your palm. Take some mixture and shape it like a flat cutlet. Do the same for the entire mixture.
8) Heat the oil on medium flame. Once the oil is hot add the cutlets to the oil. It will take around 5 mins to fry the cutlets properly.
9) Serve hot with Green chutney or Tomato Ketchup.

Papdi chaat

Ingredients:

Nylon sev or aloo bhujia
Green chutney
Red chutney
Sweet Tamarind chutney
finely chopped onions
finely chopped tomatoes
Potato, boiled and chopped
Masala chana dal
Papadis
Salt

Directions:

1) Chop the boiled potatoes and add pepper and salt to it. 
2) Place the papdis on plate.Place chopped tomatoes, onions and boiled potatoes on the papdis.
3)  Add little of green chutney, sweet chutney and red chutney on top of it. Garnish with sev and masala chana.

Bhel puri

Ingredients:

1 cup puffed rice/kurmura
Nylon sev or aloo bhujia
Green chutney
Red chutney
Sweet Tamarind chutney
finely chopped onions
finely chopped tomatoes
Potato, boiled and chopped
Masala chana dal
Papadis
Salt

Directions:

1) Chop the onion, tomatoes and boiled potato. Apply salt and pepper to the boiled potatoes and mix well.
2) Mix puffed rice, sev, chana , red chutney, green chutney, little of  red chutney. Mix well. Add the tomatoes, onion and papdi. Mix it. Add sev on top and serve.

Paapdi recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour/maida
1/4 cup semonlina/sooji
1 tblsp ajwain
2 tblsp oil
2 tblsp warm water
1 cup water
salt to taste
Oil for frying 

Directions:

1) Mix all the ingredients and knead into a firm dough adding little water at a time.

2)Cover the dough and set aside for 15 mins.

3) Divide the dough into 3 equal parts and roll it fairly thin. Prick firmly the rolled dough with a fork(this will prevent the papdis to puff while frying). cut the rolled dough into squares.

4) Heat enough oil in a kadhai in medium flame. Fry the papdis.

Note: These papdis can be used in bhel or you can make papdi chat or you can have it simply as a snack.

Sweet potato bhajia

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato sliced finely
1 cup besan(chickpea flour)
1 tblsp owa(ajwain) 
1/2 tblsp haldi powder
1/2 tblsp mirchi powder
1 cup water
salt to taste
Oil for frying 


Directions:

For the batter, Mix in the besan, salt, owa, mirchi powder and haldi. Add water, stirring the mixture continuously(This way the  bhajias will become nice and fluffy) till you get a nice thick consistency.

Cut the sweet potato into thin slices.

Heat oil in kadhai. Dip the sweet potato in besan batter and deep fry it in oil.

Sweet Potato Pakoda is ready to eat. Serve it with Tomato Ketchup.

Malpuwa

Ingredients:

1 cup wheat flour
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 pinch of salt
3/4 cup water
1 tblsp fennel seeds(saunf)
Oil or ghee for deep frying

Method:

Mix all the ingredients (except oil) into a thin batter. Batter should be of pouring consistency. Keep the batter aside for 15 mins.

Heat oil in high temperature. Take a spoonful of mixture and pour it in the center of the kadhai. Fry on both the sides till its golden brown. Make one puri at a time.

Serve hot.

Sooji/Rava Dhokla

Ingredients:

1 cup sooji(semolina flour)
1 cup yogurt
1/4 cup water as needed
1 1/2 tblsp lemon juice
pinch of turmeric
2 green chillies finely chopped
4 tblsp finely chopped coriander leaves
1 tblsp Eno fruit salt
salt to taste

For Tempering:

2 tblsp oil(olive oil can be used here..)
1/2 tblsp mustard seeds
2 green chillies slit into two
10-12 curry leaves
1/2 tblsp sugar diluted in 3 tblsp water.

Directions:

Mix sooji, yogurt, salt, lemon juice, green chillies and coriander leaves in a bowl to make a smooth batter. Add water to adjust the consistency of the batter. Mix well so no lumps are formed and rest it aside for 45 mins.

Boil  the water in a saucepan or u can use idli maker to steam the dhoklas. Grease the plate with oil properly. Add Eno fruitsalt to the batter Mix it and pour the batter to the plate. Steam it.

Tempering:

Heat oil. Once the oil is warm add mustard seeds, chillies and curry leaves. Turn off the fire and add the sugar and water mixture to the tempering. Pour this tempering over the dhoklas and let it cool down for 5 mins.

Cut into pieces and serve with coriander chutney.

Goli Baje(Manglore bhaji)

Ingredients:

1 cup maida(all purpose flour)
3/4 cup curd or yogurt
1 tblspn finely chopped ginger
1 tblspn finely chopped green chilies
8-10 curry leaves
1/2 tblspn baking soda
1 tblspn sugar
Salt
Oil

Method:

Mix all the ingredients (except oil) into a dough, dough should not be very thick or thin. Leave the dough for around 1 hour.
Make small balls of the dough and drop into hot oil. Deep fry.
Serve hot with chutney.

Falafal(Chickpea bhajia)

Falafel..A mediterranean delicacy. Just like Indian bhajia.

Ingredients:


1 cup soaked Garbanzo beans
3 garlic cloves
1 cup coriander leaves
1 tblsp jeera powder
3-4 tblsp lemon juice
2 tblsp chickpea flour
2 green chillies
Oil for frying
salt to taste

Directions:

1) Grind coarsely all the ingredients. Add chickpea flour. Make sure the mixture is not too moist.
2) Heat oil in a kadhai. Once the oil is hot turn down to medium.
3) Take a tblsp of mixture make smal balls. Gently leave it into the oil. Fry till Golden brown.(Cook in medium flame so that the falfal is cooked from inside also)
4) Remove it i a tissue paper to drain out the excess oil.

Batata Vada

Ingredients:

Batter

1 cup besan(chickpea flour)

1/2 tblsp haldi powder
1 cup water

Stuffing
ginger,garlic, green chilly paste(2 inch ginger, 4-5 garlic,3-4 green chillies)
5-6 boiled and mashed potatoes 

8-10 curry leaves
1 tblsp mustard seeds
1/2 cup coriander leaves finely chopped
1/2 tblsp hing
1 tblsp oil


salt to taste
Oil for frying 


Directions:

Heat 2 tblsp oil in a vessel. Add mustard seeds,hing and curry leaves.Fry for 2 mins. Add ginger-garlic-chilli paste and  haldi powder. Cook for 3-4 mins. Mix in the mashed potatoes. Add salt and finally the coriander leaves.

Make a thick batter of besan, haldi, salt and water.

Make small balls of the potato mixture, flatten it and dip it in the besan batter. Deep fry in oil

Corn Cheese Cutlet

Ingredients:

2 potatoes boiled
6 bread slices
1 cup corn
4 cubes cheese
1 tblsp pepper powder
1 tblsp garam masala
1 tbsp chaat masala
2 green chillies finely choppes
1/2 cup semolina/rava
Oil for frying 
Salt to taste

Directions:

1)Boil the corn kernels. Mash the cheese cubes and mix the corn and pepper to it. If you like cheese you can add more Add salt accordingly.

2) Remove the sides of the bread. Dip it in water and squeeze the excess water. Mix in Boiled potatoes, garam masala, chaat masala, salt and green chilllies
3)Take a small portion of the mixture, flatten it and place the corn and cheese stuffing. Cover well to make a ball. Give it a round or heart shape. Roll it lightly with rava.
4) Heat oil. and fry the cutlets. Serve with Ketchup.

Bread Cheese Pakora

Ingredients:

1 cup besan(chickpea flour)
1 tblsp owa(ajwain) 
1/2 tblsp haldi powder 
Bread
Cheese Cubes
1 cup water
1 tblsp baking soda 
2 green chillies finely chopped
salt to taste
Oil for frying 
Bread slices

Directions:

1) Cut cheese cubes into 3 slices.
2) Cut bread into 4 squares.
3) Take besan. Mix in salt, haldi, baking soda, chllies, water and make a thin batter

4)Place the cheese slices between the two bread slices and dip it in the batter and cover it completely.
5) Deep fry in oil.
6) Bread Cheese pakora is ready to eat. Serve it with Tomato Ketchup.

Bread Sandwich Pakoda

Ingredients:

1 cup besan(chickpea flour)
1 tblsp owa(ajwain) 
1/2 tblsp haldi powder
1 cup water

Stuffing
ginger,garlic paste(1 inch ginger, 10-12 garlic)
5-6 boiled and mashed potatoes 
2-3 green chillies
6-7 curry leaves
1 tblsp mustard seeds


salt to taste
Oil for frying 
Bread slices

Directions:

Heat 2 tblsp oil in a vessel. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves.Fry for 2 mins. Add ginger-garlic paste, chopped green chilllies and  haldi powder. Cook for 3-4 mins. Mix in the mashed potatoes.

For the batter, Mix in the besan, salt, owa and haldi. Add water, stirring the mixture continuously(This way the  bhajias will become nice and fluffy) till you get a nice thick consistency.

Cut bread pieces diagonally. Stuff the potato mixture between the two bread slices.

Heat oil in kadhai. Dip the sandwich in besan batter and deep fry it in oil.

Bread Sandwich Pakoda is ready to eat. Serve it with Tomato Ketchup.

Alu Vadi/Patra

Maharashtrian dish which serves as a nice snack.

Ingredients:


6-7  Colacasia leaves
2 cup besan
1 tblsp dhania powder
1 tblsp jeera powder
1/2 cup tamarind pulp
3 tblsp jaggery
1/2 tblsp haldi powder
2 tblsp red chilly powder 
1 tblsp oil 
1 cup Water
Salt to taste

Directions:

1) Remove the stems of the leaves properly.
2) Mix besan and all the other ingredients with water to make a thick batter. Apply the batter on the leaves and roll it tightly.

4)Boil water in idli steamer and steam the rolls
5) Insert a knife and it should come out clean, that means your roll is steamed.  Cut into pieces

6) Heat oil in a pan, shallow fry the pieces(It can also be deep fried). I like it deep fried :)