How To Make Medhu Vada Batter?

1. Wash the whole skinless urad dal and then soak in enough water for at least 4 hours. 
2. Then drain all the water and take into the grinder jar. Start by adding no water , Grind into the smooth batter.  The batter consistency should be medium (not too thick, not too thin and runny)
   
   
   
3. Remove it to a large bowl. Add salt, chillie powder, Baking powder - 1/4spoon, chopped  coconut pieces, curry leaves.

How To Shape Medhu Vada And Fry?

1. Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat for frying vadas.
2. To shape the vada, keep the bowl of water handy. Dip your hand generously into the water.
   
   
   
3. Take a large spoonful of batter on the wet hand (not on palm, on your four fingers), then make a hole in the center using your thumb (make sure your thumb is wet as well, so the batter doesn’t stick).
4. And fry the vada in low flame for an four minutes or till color changes. 
   
   
   

 As a kid I always hatred about idlies, my mom used to prepare the idly frequently as it was easy to carry and healthy as I was not an immune child(frequently falling ill).

Now it's my favorite as I enjoy the delight with Vada. 

It's easy when you get the calculations done correctly.

Ingredients :

4 cups Idli rice

1 cup husked black gram/urad dal 

water ( adjust)

Baking soda - 1/4spoon

salt ( to taste, )

Method :

To grind the idli batter:

1. Wash the rice and soak in water ( approximately 6-7 glasses) for 3-4 hours.

2. Wash the urad dal and soak in a separate vessel ( approximately 2 -3 glasses of water) for 2-3 hours.

Remember : 

1. Drain the excess water from rice and grind

2. Drain the excess water from urad dal and grind to smooth paste ( can add little water) 

3. Leave it for a night for fermentation process ( doubling the size of quantity) 

4. You can add 1/4 teaspoon of methi seeds to the urad batter while soaking as it enchances the texture. 

5. Add salt in the morning (add 1/4 spoon of baking soda) 

Method: 

1. Grease the idli plates ( without perforation) with oil. 

2. Spoon the batter into the depression of the plates.

3. Steam cook till done( approximately 8 minutes, you can check once in a while).

4. Switch off and remove the plates from the steam. 

5. Once it cools a bit, then using a spoon , run it on the side of the idli plate to remove them.

Your steaming hot, white, fluffy, spongy, super soft idlis are ready to be served with chutney, Vada, Hotel sambar. 

Udina Vada recipe

Click here

Things you need :

Palak - 1cup

1 inch of ginger

Garlic shallots  - 8

Salt to taste

Green chillies around 6 to 7

Oil

Paneer - 1cup

Cinnamon 1 inch stick

Cloves - 5 

Cardomom - 2

Onion - 1

Garam masala - 1tspn

Tumeric powder - 1/4 tspn

Chillie powder - 1/4 tspn

Chopped Vegetables (Capsicum - 1, peas - fistful,  cauliflower - 100 gram or 1/4 cup ,beans -6 to 8 strands ) 

1 cup of rice soaked for 1 hour.

Sugar - 1tspn

Let's start :

Take a mixer jar or a blender,  add green chillies, garlic, ginger, garam masala,  palak, two spoons of water and make a fine paste. 

Heat a pan,  add oil followed by  cinnamon, cloves, Cardomom, onion and fry till color of onion changes to brown. Then add grinded masala paste, turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt, vegetables ,paneer and mix about a minute. Now add rice, sugar and add 2cups of water.  Bring 1 whistle in a low flame. 

1 cup of rice = 2 cups of water. 

• Hey fellas,  I tried this dal with jeera rice and turned out well.  I was glad that my family loved it.  This dal goes well with ghee rice and rotis too.

Ingredients

Toor dal : 1/2 cup
Onion: 1 cup
Tomatoes : 1cup
Green chillies: around 4 to 6
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tbsp
Curry leaves
Cumin seeds: 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder : 1 tbsp
Asafoetida
Pepper seeds:1/2 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste : 1 tbsp
Garam masala: 2 tbsp
Chillie powder : 1/2 tbsp
Oil: 3 tbsp
Salt to taste
Coriander to garnish


Method

 1. Wash the Toor dal for couple of times with water then pressure it for 2 to 3 whistles by adding 1.5 cups of water and turmeric powder along the Toor dal.
2. Once the Toor dal is cooked and cooled smash it with spoon or whisk well , Keep it aside.
3. Take a pan add oil, mustard seeds , cumin seeds,pepper seeds and allow it to splutter.
4.Now add onions , fry till it turns golden brown.
Add green chillies, ginger garlic paste and spice powders that are mentioned above , stir for an minute.
5.Now add tomatoes to pan,  add smashed dal,  asafoetida, salt and 1 cup of water.  Bring it to boil , once you can see the oil floating on the top switch of the heat.  (Adjust the taste with salt and chillies if required ).
6.Garnish with coriander and ready to serve

Ingredients

Mangoes - 1 cup

Rava / semolina (roasted) - 1 cup

Sugar - 2 cups

Water - 2.5 cups

Cardamom powder - 1/4 spoon

Ghee - 1/2 cup

Cashew (fried) - 7

Method

Take the mangoes and wash them with running water . Here I have used the fresh mangoes which are grown in my granny farm ( mango breed - badam) ; scoop the pulp from the mangoes  and grind it to make a paste ,keep them aside.

Heat a pan , add mango pulp, water and wait till it water  boils.Now add rava to it and mix well such that there is no formation of lumps. Add sugar,cardamom, ghee to it .Mix till the consistency is thick and  turn the heat off . 

Now decorate with cashews.

Any dryfruits can also be used.

Ingredients

Paneer - 1 cup cube sized chopped

Onions - 1.5 cup ( divided them into two parts 1cup + 1/2 cup)

Tomato puree - 1 cup

Coriander

Salt

Capsicum - 1/2 cup

Fresh creamcream (4-5 spoons)

Oil - 5 spoons

Ginger-garlic paste - 3 spoon

Garam masala powder -3 spoon

Kastoor methi

Coriander seeds (dhaniya)

Red chillies

Method

Step-1

Dry roast 2 spoons of coriander seeds and dry chillies till you smell the aroma,turn off the heat and allow it to cool. Later grind them coarsely .

Step-2 

Take a pan add oil ,onions and saute till they turn brown ,add ginger-garlic paste, grinded masala powder, garam masala ,salt, tomato puree , add little amount of water and allow it to boil.

Simultaneously take another pan add oil ,onions(1/2cup) ,capsicum and fry for a minute.

Step-3

When gravy thickens add fresh cream and saute for a minute. Now add fried capsicum and chopped panned . Turn of the heat . Decorate with methi and coriander leaves.

Ready to serve.

Ingredients

Ghee-1/4cup

Rice-1 cup

Onions - 1 cup

Cashew

Salt

Chillies -(4-5)

Cloves

Cinnamon

Cardamom

Bay leaf

Coriander(for garnishing)

Method

Wash and soak rice for 20 to 30 minutes.

Add ghee to a frying pan ,add cashews and fry till they appear golden colour ,keep them aside. Now add onions to the same frying pan and fry using little amount of ghee.(Onions should turn golden brown colour).

Take a cooker add little more ghee to fry bay leaf, cloves, small cinnamon stick and a cardamon. Saute for a few minutes now add chopped green chilies and fry it till they splutter.

Strain the water from the soaked rice ,add strained rice to the cooker and fry for about 3 to 4 minutes.Add two cups of water and salt. Pressure the cooker for 2 whistle. 

When pressure is  down add the fried onions and cashews to the ghee rice .

Ready to eat with vegetable kurma or plain curry

Ingredients 

For batter

Ingredients

Finely chopped pineapple - 1 cup

Urad dal - 2 spoons

Dry red chilli - 4 to5

Turmeric powder - 1 spoon

Mustard seeds - 1 spoon

Curry leaves

Coconut powder -  1 cup

Jaggery - 1/4 inch

Salt

Water - 1/2 cup

Method

Take a thick bottomed kadai add water, pineapple to it and make it boil for 5-10 minutes . Strain the excess water and keep pineapple aside .

Take a frying pan add urad dal,chillies and saute for a minute. Now along with these fried items add turmeric powder , coconut powder to it and coarsely grind it using little amount of water 

Take a pan add oil,mustard seeds,curry leaves,grinded masala and water , jaggery ,salt to it and allow it boil for half a minute . Later add the boiled pineapple to it and turn the heat off.

Tastes good with rotis or chapati . 

Ingredients

Poha - 1 cup

Jaggery- 1 sp

Tamarind-1 sp

Mustard seeds

Curry leaves

Ground nuts

Dry red chillies

Urad dal

Channa dal

Oil

Sambar powder - 3 sp

Water

Method

Take a mixi jar add poha and coarsely powder it ( like rava  texture) and keep it aside.

Take a pan add 2 cups of water ,jaggery  tamarind, salt and sambar powder of your choice and stir well till jaggery get dissolves ,turn off the heat.

Pour this spicy water into the grinded poha little by little till it mixes well( no need to use whole or full spicy water)

Close the lid and leave it to soften for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare a tadka by heating oil  add mustard seeds,urad dal , ground nuts, channa dal,curry leaves and chillies fry them well.

Now adjust the poha if you are missing a bit salt or sweetness and if you feel poha is dry add some more spicy water to it .

Pour tadka on poha and ready to eat.

Ingredients

Spaghetti
1-1/2 cups freshly grated Paneer
Cheese -  1/2 cup
Pepper- 2 or 3spoons
Olive oil


Freshly grated cheese and cracked black
pepper are the flavors of this dish

Method

Bring a heavy pot of salted water to a boil and boil the spaghetti until they get soften. (I use thin spaghetti and after it comes to a boil, I cook it for exactly 4 minutes)

Meanwhile, heat a large pan with the olive oil.  Add the cracked pepper and gently saute for a couple of minutes.

With tongs, remove the boiled pasta and place right into the pan (do not drain the  pasta water). Toss the pan to coat with the olive oil and pepper. Add the cheese and continue swirling the pasta to coat with the cheese.  Add a tablespoon or two of the hot pasta water and continue to coat the pasta.  Sprinkle the grated paneer over pasta.

Serve immediately.

Ingredients

Raw mango-  1/4 cup

Coconut powder -1 cup

Chillies - (6-7)

Coriander

Curry leaves

Urad dal - 2 spoons

Channa dal - 2 spoons

Oil

Asafetida

Ground nuts -( 3-4 )spoons

Method

Add oil to pan , when oil heats add urad dal, channa dal, curry leaves, ground nuts and fry till nuts turn golden brown.

Now add asafetida, chilies, turmeric powder , coconut powder , grated raw mango and mix well by adding salt to ones requirement. Turn off the heat and add coriander.

Mix with riceto taste mavinakayi chitranna or one can store the gojju for week .

Ingredients

Brinjal

Oil

Mustard seeds

Urad dal

Channa dal

Cashew

Curry leaves

Vangibath powder

Salt

Water
Lemon

Method

Take a pan add oil,  urad dal, channa dal,curry leaves , cashew and fry till they

turn brown and shift aside.

 Take a frying pan and add more oil, mustard seeds then followed by brinjal ,fry till they turn brown. (About 8- 10 min)

When there is change in colour of brinjal add salt and stir well.

Then add the vangibath powder( 3-4 spoons) , fried tadka and stir well.

Put off the fire and squeeze lemon. Mix this gojju with boiled rice to taste delicious vangibath.

Ingredients

Red chillies- 1 cup
Daniya seeds- 1 cup
Urad dal- 1 cup
Channa dal- 1 cup
Jeera- 1/2 cup
Cloves- 1 or 2

Roast all the items one after the other . After cooling grind all these ingredients well.    

Ingredients

Tamarind-0.25kg

Curry leaves

Ground nuts

Oil

Red dry chillies

Cashew

Puliyogare powder

Urad dal

Channa dal

Mustard seed

Jaggery - 1 inch
Til
Coconut powder(dry)

Method

Step1- Soak tamarind in water for an hour

Step2- Squeeze out the tamarind and strain excess water.

Step3- Take the strained tamarind  and let it boil about half an hour (till it appears thick) ,now add the puliyogare powder, jaggery.When you feel the consistency shift aside.

Step4- Take a pan add oil in more quantity then add mustard seeds, urdal, channa dal , curry leaves, ground nuts,red chillies, cashew and fry well.

Step5- Now add these fried tadka to the bowl containing tamarind that has been strained out, Add coconut powder and til powder.Mix well the gojju.

To prepare puliyogare rice add few spoons of gojju to boiled rice and mix well

For puliyogare powder see my link: 

Puliyogare Powder

Coconut chutney

Ingredients

Coconut powder -1cup

Red chillies-( 5-6)

Salt

Water

Ginger

Chick peas- 1 cup

Coriander

Niger seeds (uchellu)

Method

Take mixi jar add chick peas,coconut powder,red chiilies ,niger seeds,salt to one's requirement,ginger (1/4 inch,coriander then add little amount of water and grind well till you get moderate thickness(if necessary add water)

# Taste with Chapathis or Roti's even with curd rice.

Ingredients

Sambar powder

Coconut powder

Onion-1

Dry chillies

Ghee

Tomato

Potato(boiled)

Mustard seeds

Toor dal ( boiled)- 1 cup

Turmeric powder

Curry leaves

Salt
Jaggery -1 inch
Water- 2 to 3 cup
Coriander

Method of preparation

 Take a round bottomed kadai add water , boiled toordal ,boiled potato, turmeric powder let it boil

2. Take a mixi jar add coconut powder,sambar powder,onion and grind with water.

3. When the forth is seen add tomato, grinded masala,salt and jagerry 

4. Prepare a tadka by adding ghee ,mustard seeds, red chillies,curry leaves.

Garnish with coriander.

Ingredients

Vermicelli (Shavige)- 1 cup

Onion- 1.5 cup

Chillies-2

Chilli powder-  1.5 spoon
Salt
Coriander
Garam masala
Vineger
Tomato sauce

Step-1

Take a pan add vermicelli and fry it.

Step-2

Take a kadai add oil ,onions and fry it well now add chillies,chilli powder,garam masala, tomato sauce , vineger. Add vermicelli, salt  and bit of water ;mix for 2 minutes till it softens . 

Garnish witn coriander and squeeze lemon for tangy taste (optional).

Hacchu cooking corner's shavige bath

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Ingredients

Semolina-1cup ( rava)

Sugar-2 cup

Water-2.5 cup

Ghee-1.5 cup

Raisin

Cashew

Step-1

Take a pan add rava and dry fry it .

And keep aside

Step-2

Take a kadai add water, sugar and make a fine syrup(like paaka) 

Step-3

When it boils add ghee. Now add rava slowly and simultaneously stir well till you feel the consistency .

Now add dry fruits which has been fried with ghee.

Add any colour like kesari or turmeric before adding rava if required .

Upma

Ingredients

Semolina or rava (3/4 cup)

Turmeric powder

Water (2-3cups)

Ghee

Curry leaves

Coriander

Green chillies( 8-9)

Garam masala

Mustard seeds

Peas or any vegetables(boiled)

Urad dal or black gram

Toor dal

Coconut powder

Salt

Lemon juice (3-5 drops)

How to prepare

Step1:  Take rava in pan and dry fry till it gets roasted and keep aside.

Step2: Take a pan add ghee,mustard sees,urad dal,toor dal,geen chillies,curry leaves,turmeric powder,garam masala, boiled peas, and fry it.

Step3:  add fried rava to pan ,mix well then slowly pour the water & add salt,  cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Step4: add lemon juice, coconut powder,coriander and ready to serve.

Kesaribath and Upma