Chilli Bajji Recipe / Milagai Bajji - Bajji Recipes

Chilli bajji/Molaga bajji in Tamil, Mirchi bajji in Hindi is an yummy snack recipe which most of us have tasted in exhibition and beach. Recently when i visited my in-laws place, my MIL made this bajji for us.We loved it a lot.Last week i tried the same in my kitchen.We all enjoyed this bajji with hot tea ! It tasted great for this cold weather.Do check out my onion bajji recipe if interested.Friends,I am closing this year with this hot chilli bajji, Milagai bajji post .

I will meet u all in 2014 with some interesting &easy recipes.Wish u all  a very happy new year.May this new year be filled with happiness,joy and prosperity!!!

Chilli bajji

Chilli bajji/Milagai bajji recipe-yummy evening snack !

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Snacks

Serves: Serves 4

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 10 Minutes

Total time: 20 Minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml

To make batter Gram flour - 1/2 cup Rice flour - 1/4 cup Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds/jeera - 1 tsp Cooking soda – A pinch Kesari color - 1 pinch Salt - as needed Water - 1/2 cup Bajji chilli – 5 nos Cooking oil - to deep fry

METHOD

Wash the chillies and slit it vertically.Remove the seeds and set aside. In a wide bowl, take the flours,red chilli powder,kesari color,salt ,sodaa nd jeera.Mix well.Add the required water and mix well.I used 1/2 cup of water here.Adjust the quantity by keeping this as reference. The consistency of batter should be slightly thicker.It should coat the chillies well.If it is too watery,tails will form in bajji.If it is too thick,bajji will become hard. Heat oil in a kadai and put a drop of batter.If it raises immediately,oil temperature is right. Now coat the chillies in the batter and drop in oil immediately. Deep fry both the sides till golden.Remove,drain in a tissue and serve hot.

Note

U can use 1/3 cup of rice flour too if u want bajjis to be in softer side. If the chillies are too spicy,deep fry the chillies alone after discarding the seeds and then make bajji as mentioned above.U can also soak the chillies in buttermilk to reduce the spiciness. Adding Kesari color is optional.But it gives a  nice color as we get in bajji shops. U can add little idli,dosa batter instead of cooking soda.

Serve hot with tea and tomato sauce or coconut chutney

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PIRANDAI THUVAIYAL /ADAMANT CREEPER CHUTNEY|THOGAYAL RECIPES

Pirandai thogayal/Adamant creeper chutney, sounds interesting right?.Yes, i too felt the same when my MIL told about this recipe.I have heard about this plant but i din’t know it is edible.After i browsed its health benefits, i was so happy that i got to know a very useful, healthy recipe from my MIL.Thanks a lot aunty.This thuvaiyal tasted more like thengai/coconut thogayal and i loved its taste very much.
Here is the picture of Pirandai which my MIL brought from our house backyard..

 

Pirandai thogayal

 Pirandai thogayal/Adamant creeper chutney for rice

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Thogayal

Serves: Serves 2-3

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 10 Minutes

Total time: 20 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Pirandai/Adamant creeper - 10 sticks Urad dal - 1 tbsp Red chillies – 3-4 nos Tamarind – Small gooseberry size Salt & water- as needed Oil - 1 tbsp

METHOD

Grease ur hands with gingely oil.Wash pirandai under tap water and peel the outer ridge of pirandai like we do for ridge gourd.Remove the top and bottom part.Chop them into small pieces.Soak tamarind in little water. In a kadai,heat a tsp of oil & roast the chillies,urad dal.Remove and in the same kadai,add little more oil and saute the pirandai.Saute till it shrinks and changes its color.Saute well else it will make ur tongue itchy while eating.Remove,let them cool and grind everything together adding tamarind,salt and water to make a smooth paste. Serve with plain rice topped with ghee or gingely oil.

As pirandai has amazing health benefits, i wanted to share it with you all ! Cissus Quadrangularis is the biological name of pirandai.It has high vitamin C and calcium. Pirandai is helpful to cure knee problems and its juice mixed with sesame oil is used in the treatment of fracture and sprain. Its is also helpful for ladies with irregular menstrual problems. Pirandai recipes are useful for people with indigestion issues,flatulence,nausea,cough and piles. Never use ur hands for washing pirandai.Just show under tap water. Always grease ur hands with sesame oil to avoid ur hands from itching. Use tamarind in all pirandai recipes else it will make your tongue itchy.

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Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits with Chives

Inspired by the success of my flaky Southern-style buttermilk biscuits, I wanted to try a version using whole wheat flour. Though these ones didn't rise as much as the other biscuits, they are perfectly flaky too and an ideal accompaniment to a bowl of steaming hot soup. Yet another biscuit to add to my repertoire.

Posting will be light for the next little while as I recharge my batteries but I'll be back in the New Year with more creations from my kitchen. Best wishes to all my family, friends, readers and fellow bloggers for 2014.

Whole Wheat Chive Biscuits

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on December 28, 2013 Simple, flaky whole wheat dinner biscuits with fresh chives Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 2/3 cup spelt, all-purpose or cake flour 1/3 cup fresh chives, finely chopped 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons coconut sugar or white sugar 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 2/3 cup buttermilk Instructions: In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, chives, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Cut the butter into the mixture using a pastry cutter until it is reduced to small pieces. Drizzle in the oil and whisk in. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk. Gently work in the buttermilk until the dough just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead a few times until it comes together, taking care not to overwork the dough. Roll out the dough into a rough rectangular shape, fold it over twice onto itself. Roll out again and repeat. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 to 60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Again, transfer the dough to a floured surface and roll out until it is about 1 inch thick. Cut into rounds using a 2 to 3 inch floured cookie / biscuit cutter and place on the baking sheet. Bake until the biscuits have risen and are golden brown, about 12to- 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for a few minutes and serve warm. Makes 8 biscuits

More biscuits you are sure to enjoy from Lisa's Kitchen:
Classic Southern-Style Buttermilk Biscuits
Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits
Cheddar Dijon Biscuits
Lemon Ricotta Blueberry Biscuits

On the top of the reading stack: Gogol

Audio Accompaniment: Marsen Jules

EASY MAA INJI URUGUAI|EASY MANGO GINGER PICKLE - MAA INJI RECIPES

 

I love maa inji a lot.Basically i love ginger based recipes like ginger pachadi,Puli inji(kerala style) very much.So this mango ginger is no exception.Actually I wanted to post maa inji thokku, but before that i thought of sharing this simple & easy maa inji pickle,my MIL’s version.I tried two different methods and shared the same.Try whichever u like.Both can be made easily with simple ingredients.Its a great accompaniment for curd rice and dal rice.

Maa inji/Mango ginger pickle

  Easy,instant maa inji pickle for curd rice

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Pickles

Serves: Serves 2

Prep time: 5 Minutes

Cook time: 3 Minutes

Total time: 8 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Version 1 Mango ginger/Maa inji - 100 gms ( 5 big finger sized pieces) Lemon juice - 1 tbsp Green chillies - 2-3 nos Hing/Asafetida - A pinch Salt - as needed Version 2 Maa inji - 100 gms Lemon juice - 1 tbsp Red chilli powder- 1 tsp Hing/Asafetida - A big pinch Dry Roasted & powdered methi seeds-1/4 tsp Salt - as needed To temper(for both versions) Gingely oil - 1 tsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Hing - A pinch

METHOD

Wash and peel the skin of mango ginger.Chop into small roundels(u can also chop it finely). To this add finely chopped green chillies,hing,salt and lemon juice.Mix n serve ! Version 2 Wash and peel the skin of mango ginger.Chop into small roundels. Add the chilli powder,salt,methi powder,lemon juice.. Finally temper for both the versions.Give a standing time of 30 minutes before serving.

Serve with curd rice and enjoy !

Note

For variations,u can chop mango ginger finely. Tempering is also optional.

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SIMPLE BIRTHDAY PARTY RECIPES MENU FOR KIDS

Recently i attended Raksha’s friend’s Birthday party. We moms are also good friends. It was like a fun filled get together for us, more than a birthday party. I loved the way my friend conducted the party. It was so fun and interesting for kids as well as parents. It was not  like a normal cake cutting party. Instead she conducted some events/Indoor games for everybody including parents with some attractive and useful prizes. Kids were so enthusiastic to participate in the events and so were us. Though the games were very simple like ball passing,placing caps etc by playing music, they were very interesting and all the kids thoroughly enjoyed it. Raksha and myself won three prizes. I have shown the picture of prizes in the below picture. In addition to these prizes, birthday caps, face masks and yoyo were given to all the kids.

We had our lunch over there and it was a simple menu but filling and attractive to kids and parents. Though the number of items were less, everything were very tasty. Usually i hesitate and scare a lot to conduct party in my home and i have never conducted any parties. Other than family members, I haven’t invited anybody for Raksha’s birthday so far. But after attending this party, I got some ideas and confidence of conducting a party in my home. Hope I‘ll do it for Raksha’s next birthday. I tried the same party menu at home last Sunday.
As I was so much attracted by that party, I wanted to blog it for my future reference and for some beginners who are looking for simple party menu ideas. Hope you’ll find it useful.

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED FOR SERVING FOOD

Disposable serving plates Small  sized cake plate Big snack and food plate Plastic Spoons & fork for cake Plastic Spoon for food Disposable paper cups for juice and water Small disposable bowls for salad Tissue paper/ Napkin paper, Big polythene bags with buckets/cartons for thrash.(this is very important,keep in all corners) For decorations Colorful ribbons , Happy  birthday banner , Balloons , Birthday knife , Candles.party foam,Chocolates inside a big balloon. For kids Party caps,chocolates,face mask,yoyo or small toys, some useful gifts like chess box set,,ludo,brain games etc based on the age.Some small storage bowls for adults and gift wrappers for packing gifts

In the recipe menu , i have mentioned the order in which the recipes were served to us. As all these recipes can be prepared in advance, u don’t need any helping hand to prepare them. U alone can do everything and take the credits. Here is how my friend conducted the party.

HOW TO CONDUCT THE PARTY

• As soon as all the friends and guests gathered, store bought aerated drinks like Pepsi, Fanta, 7up were served.
• She kept some events for kids and parents.U can plan some games like musical chair,passing a ball,placing a cap by playing a music and much more.Everything finished off in 30 minutes. After that cake cutting went on.
• After cake cutting, she conducted one more event for kids. In the mean time, her family members arranged all the recipes in a plate and kept ready for serving.
• In a disposable/Use & throw plate (like the one in the picture), they served a piece of cake, a sweet(I made gulab jamun with ready made mix), mixed veg salad, masala vada, vegetable pulao with raita and potato chips were served with a plastic spoon & fork.
• After we finished eating,they asked for second serving.Finally they served curd rice and pickle.
• Last but not the least, the lunch was finished with a small cup of ice cream.
• In the above recipes, pulao, raita, salad, masala vada and curd rice were prepared at home. Remaining were store bought.
• We parents enjoyed all the recipes but when i noticed most of the kids happily ate salad (as it had corn), cake(particularly cream), pulao, chips and of course ice cream. Some kids had curd rice instead of pulao as it was mildly spicy.

Please find the links for the recipes here

• Spicy vegetable pulao with raita
• Curd rice
• Masala vada(It was not in the actual menu.As i made keerai vada, I kept it in the plate)
• Easy vegetable salad

In addition to the above recipes,u can find

• Gulab jamun using ready made mix ( Recipe with video)
• Store bought potato chips(I forgot to keep)
• A welcome drink ( homemade or store bought juice)
• Birthday cake piece
• Ice cream

HOW TO PREPARE RECIPES IN ADVANCE

• If u are preparing gulab jamun ,make it the previous day and store in an air tight box.To me this is the easiest sweet universally loved by all.U can also plan for other sweets like kaju katli,burfi or make carrot halwa and serve as a dessert along with ice cream.If u want to make the job most simple,buy some sweets from stall as my friend did in the party.
• Prepare the salad the previous day night and refrigerate by keeping in a box.On the party day,add freshly grated coconut,mix and serve.
• For veg pulao, chop the vegetables and refrigerate in a tupperware box the previous night.For about 10-12 people,u can make 4-5 cups of rice.As the number of recipes are more, adjust the quantity of rice accordingly.Prepare the rice 30 minutes before the guests arrive so that it would be warm while serving.( If u make in rice cooker,keep in warm mode)
• For curd rice,make 4 cups of rice.Prepare and refrigerate it in the early morning.As soon as u finish making the pulao,take the curd rice out and do the seasoning.Adjust the consistency and keep it ready.Do check out my curd rice post on how to make it creamy for parties.
• Prepare masala vada batter and refrigerate the previous day.Make vadas at the end and keep it open till it cools down.Make it slightly thinner to maintain its crispness. If u do not want to have masala vada in ur menu,u can try making gobi 65 or simply  stop with potato chips. 

To make a grand lunch, u can include any starter like cheese balls, Gobi 65,plain rice, rasam, papad, Roti and a paneer gravy ..

Thanks for visiting this page .Hope u find it useful !

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Turkish-Style Lentil Soup

Cooking often takes longer than I figure it ought to, but that is largely because I am easily distracted and writing up the dish that I am making both in my head and on paper. Maintaining a food blog for so many years has certainly inspired variety in the kitchen, but there are times when the whole documentation process becomes rather a chore.

That said, this soup was even better than I imagined and it really took very little time at all to simmer up. This simple recipe resembles a classic Indian dal makhani both in appearance and its wonderfully creamy texture. But instead of red kidney beans and urad dal simmered in an Indian-spiced cream-based sauce, brown and red lentils are cooked here in a seasoned coconut milk sauce with sumac, mint and dill. The result is a deliciously unique and warming combination of earthy, tangy, zesty and slightly sweet flavors with a refreshing twist from the fresh mint that will have you spooning bowlfuls with increasing pleasure as you explore the layers of tastes in your mouth.

Sumac is the dried fruit of a temperature shrub ground to a powder and used extensively in Middle Eastern and Turkish cuisine. You can easily find it in any Middle Eastern or Asian grocer.

Turkish-Style Lentil Soup

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Turkish Published on December 21, 2013 Simple and deliciously unique combination of earthy, zesty, tangy and slightly sweet flavors in a warming bowl of lentils simmered in a creamy coconut milk sauce Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/2 oz (14 g) dried mushrooms (I used porcini) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large shallot, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed 2 to 3 fresh red or green chilies, seeded and finely chopped 1 large plum tomato, finely chopped 14 oz (400 mL) can coconut milk 2 to 4 cups vegetable stock or water 1/2 cup French (Puy) lentils or brown lentils, rinsed 1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed 2 teaspoons paprika 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint 1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill 1/2 teaspoon sumac 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste fresh cracked black pepper, to taste juice from 1 lemon (3 tablespoons) Instructions: Soak the dried mushrooms in 1 cup of hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid, and chop. Set aside both the liquid and the mushrooms. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the shallot and garlic and stir for 3 to 4 minutes until the shallot starts to soften. Toss in the chilies and continue to stir for 1 minute. Now add the tomato and simmer, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken. Now pour in the coconut milk, the liquid from the soaked mushrooms along with the mushrooms, and 2 cups of vegetable stock or water. Stir in the lentils, paprika, mint, dill and sumac, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender — about 30 to 40 minutes, adding more stock or water as necessary. Stir in the salt, pepper and lemon juice, turn off the heat, and let the soup stand covered for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish each bowl with a few sprinkles of paprika and sumac if desired. Makes 4 to 6 servings

Other lentil soups you are sure to enjoy from Lisa's Kitchen:
Turkish Lentil and Spinach Soup
Persian Split Pea and Pomegranate Soup
Lentil Pomegranate Stew with Beets and Spinach
French Lentil Tomato and Harissa Stew

On the top of the reading stack: The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking: Delicious Whole Food Recipes by Jillayne Clements

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