కార్న్ ఫ్లేక్స్ మిక్స్తుర్ / Corn Flakes Mixture

Ingredients:

1.Corn flakes-------2 cups(available in Indian stores)
2.Peanuts-----------1cup
3.Roasted Chick Peas/ Putnala pappu---1/4 cup
4.Curry leaves--------few
5.Green chillies--------5to8
6.Salt to taste
7.Chilly powder--------2 tsp
8.Oil------------------For deep fry

Method:
Heat oil in a pan.
Insert a deep slotted/holes ladle into the hot oil. (as shown in picture)
Add few cornflakes to the oil in the slotted ladle.











When the cornflakes are fully done, remove the slotted ladle from the oil, spread the fried cornflakes on a paper towel & let the oil drain (as shown in picture).

Continue to do the same until all the flakes are done.

Fry Peanuts and Curry leaves.

Cut chillies into two lengthwise and fry them.
Now, take a big bowl, place all the fried items, add salt, chilly powder and mix well.

Store this mixture in airtight container.

గారెలు: Gaarelu: Fried Black gram donuts

INGREDIENTS:

1.Black Gram Dal.................1 cup.

2.Oil........................................for deep frying.

3.Ground Ginger, chilly Paste...3 t sp

4. Salt for Taste.

5.Onion...................................1 

METHOD:

1.Soak black gram dal for three hrs.

2.Using less of this soaked water, grind dal into fine, thick paste. The batter must be able to make as balls. When ever you take the batter you have to wet hand. So that it will not touch hands and comes out easily.

3.Cut the onion into small pieces. Add this, salt and ginger, chilly paste to the batter. Mix with hand thoroughly.

4.Keep oil on the stove. heat well.

5.Keep a small bowl with normal water.

6.Wetting both hands, take a lemon size batter, make as a ball. Keep it on the left hand. Again wet the right hand, press this ball to make as a patty. Making a hole in the center is optional. Drop it in to the hot oil. If you cannot use both hands, take a plastic sheet, press on it, as it was shown in the photo of  "Aavadalu."Turn them, fry both sides  and take out in time. So that Gaarelu will not become dark in color.  

7.You can put 4 to 5 at a time as per the size of your pan.

8.These are cryspy and tasty nice hot

9.They go well with ginger chutney.

MIRAPAKAAYA BAJJILU / STUFFED CHILLY FRYS

INGREDIENTS:

1.Green chillys............................10 to 12 big and long.

2.Besan ( gram flour).................1/2 cup.

3.Oil............................................for deep frying.

4.Onion.......................................1 big.

5.Cilantro..........................

STUFFING:

1.Carom seeds (Vaamu / Ajwain)......................................1 t sp.

2.Red chilly powder...................1 t sp.

3.salt................

4.Tamarind pulp.........................1 t sp.

5.Cumin powder..........................1/2 t sp.

6.Coriander powder.....................1/2 t sp.

7.Sugar..........................................1/2 t sp.

8.Aamchur (dry mango powder)....................................1/2 t sp.

METHOD:

1.Take gram flour, put 1/2 t sp. chilly powder and salt for taste. Now add water, prepare a thick paste. Beat it with hand nicely. keep it aside.

2. Clean, wash chillys and wipe them.

3.Mix all the stuffing items nicely. keep it ready for filling.

4.Slit each chilly in length wise.

5.Open the cut and fill the chilly with masala stuffing.

6.Keep oil on the stove heat it.

7.Take each stuffed chilly, dip in the prepared besan/gram flour batter.

8.Drop one chilly after the other in to oil. fry them nicely. take them out.

9.Cut onion in to small pieces. In a plate, place the chilly with cut onion pieces.

10.Decorate them with cut cilantro.

ఆలూ బొండా: Alu bonda- Fried potato balls

INGREDIENTS:

1.Potaoes..................................2 big ones.

2.Onion......................................1

3.Carrot......................................1.

4.French Beans...........................3 or 4

5.Green Peas...............................2 tbl sp.

6.Cali Flower.............................few pieces if desired.

7.Green Chilly...............................5 or 6

8.Lemon juice................................2 tbl sp.

9.Pea Nuts /Cashew nuts(both)..2 tbl sp.

10.Cilantro.....................................

11.Salt.............................................as per taste.

12.Oil..............................................for deep frying.

13.Besan (Bengal gram flour).....less than a cup.

14.Bengal gram dal

15.Black gram dal

16.Mustard seeds

17.Cumin seeds.

18.Asefoetido..............................pinch 1/4 sp.

19.Red chilly...............................2.

Water..............................................for mixing the flour.

METHOD:

1.Sieve the flour to be clean and with out any lumps.

2. put enough water to make a semi solid batter. mix it nicely with hand. It should be smooth and fine. keep a side.

3.Boil potato and peel. cut into pieces. keep a side. cut all other vegetables into small.

4.Keep a pan, put little oil, Break the red chilly, put it in the oil. next put all the seasoning items as required. and the nuts. 

5. Stir, and do not burn them. when they flutter, add the cut veg. mix them well.

6.When the veg. are nearly cooked add  already boiled potato pieces. again stir well. do not over cook. it will be tasty if they are little crunchy. also when we put them in hot oil they will cook again any way. take out from fire. add lemon juice. mix well. lemon never should added in very hot condition when o the stove.

7.When it gets cool, add the finely cut cilantro. make into balls of your choice.

8.Keep a frying pan on stove pour oil, heat it. should be hot.

9. Now dip veg. ball in to the besan batter, drop slowly into the oil. depending on the size and the oil poured in the pan, you can put 4 or 5 at a time. fry them. they should not be dark colour.

10.Fry all in the same way.

11. The tasty Bondas are ready to eat hot, with chutney.

12. It makes 14 to 15 pieces.

ఉల్లిపాయ సమోసా: Ullipaya Samosa- Onion Samosa

Ingredients:

Maida (all purpose flour).........1 cup (rice cooker cup)
Atta (Wheat Flour)...........1 cup
oil......................................2 tsp
Water..................................enough.
Salt......................................2 pinches.
Oil .......................................for deep frying
Plain flour............................2 tsps with water to make a paste for sealing

For Stuffing:

Onions....................................1 big
Flat rice (atukulu)...................same quantity of onion pieces
Green Chillies..........................5 no.
Cilantro.....................................1/2 bunch
Chilly Powder............................1 tsp
Chat Masala................................2 tsp.
Cumin Powder...............................1 tsp

Method:

1.Add both the flours together in a bowl, with salt and oil mix with fingers. Do not use the palm now. Mix it with fingers making like crumbs. then add water little by little making it into a soft and fine dough. keep it for 1/2 an hr.
2.Cut onion into small pieces.and measure
3.Add same quantity of flat rice to onions.
4.Now add salt, chilly powder, cut green chilly and cilantro, cumin powder, chat masala.
5.mix all these together.
6. Now the filling is ready.
7. Take lemon size ball from the dough, roll it in to thin roti(like rumali roti)heat this roti on a pan, on one side only. and keep it on a plate not heated side.now roti is ready to prepare samosas.
8.Cut this pre-heated roti, into broad strips, apply the prepared plain flour paste to all sides.fold it in a triangle shape, fill it with the filling.now seal the samosa using the paste.make all the dough in the same form.
9.Keep the oil on stove and heat it.
10.Put these samosas in oil, in a medium heat.do not over heat.
11.Take them out soon, put rest of the samosas.take them out soon.
12.Now again put all the samosas in the oil fry second time till they are light brown.
13.These samosas are ready and crisp to consume.

Variation:
you can use potato curry also for filling.
It makes 25 samosas.

Pappu chekkalu/Rice patties

INGREDIENTS:



Rice flour.........1 cup
Butter.............1/4 cube (2tsps)
Green chillies.....3to4
Ginger.............!/2 inch length
Salt to taste
Moong or chna dal...1 tbsp (soaked)
Oil for deep fry
Water...............enough to make dough.

METHOD:

1.Grind chilly and ginger in to fine paste.
2.Add salt,butter,soaked dal and the paste to the flour.
3.Mix all together with fingers like crumbs.
4.Now take water and add little by little to the mixer and make dough.
5.On grease sheet, take big marble size dough flatten it with 3 fingers.
6.Heat oil in pan and put patties(chekkalu) and fry them till golden brown.
7.Cool it and store them in air tight container.
8.Approximately 12 to 15.
It is very crispy and tasty snack item to serve with tea.

బజ్జీ- Bajji- Fritters

Serves: Three. Preparation time: 40 minutes


Ingredients:

1 cup Bengal gram flour (Bésan, Senagapindi)    
1/4 cup Rice flour (Chával ká átá, Beeyappindi)
1/2 Tsp Garam masala powder
1 Tsp Red Chilli powder or to taste
1 level Tsp Salt or to taste
1/2 Tsp Tsp Cumin seeds (Jheera, Jilakara)
1/2 Tsp Turmeric (Haldi, Pasupu)
2 pinches Asafoetida (Heeng, Inguva)

1 heaped cup vegetables (eg; Potato, Plantain, Ridge gourd)
1/2 cup water
Oil to fry

Method:
1. Wash, peel and thinly slice the vegetable into rounds. Set aside.  
2. Place a cauldron of oil on heat so that it is ready by the time we prepare our Bajji batter/dough.

3. In a bowl, sift together all the flours and spices, make sure that they are evenly mixed.  

4. Add a little over 1/2 cup of water to the bowl, mix well making sure to break up any lumps. You may need to add a little bit more of water to get the right consistency. It should be thinner than Idli batter but slightly thicker than Dosa batter. (This benchmark has already been explained in Idli, also refer to step 6. for further explanation on batter consistency). 
5. The oil must be hot enough to fry. Drop a grain sized amount of dough/batter into the oil to test, if it sinks to the bottom and then rises up foaming, oil is hot enough. 
6. Dip each vegetable round into the batter, the batter covers the vegetable and coats it evenly but is thick enough not to drain away completely, it slowly drips off the vegetable. Drop this coated vegetable round into the oil. Repeat this step until the surface of the oil is full of frying Bajjis. 

7. While the Bajjis are frying, line a plate with blotting paper. Stir the Bajjis to turn them around for even frying. 
8. When the Bajjis are golden brown (around 7 minutes but depends on oil temperature and also what vegetable/how thick the rounds are), pick them out with a slotted ladle and transfer onto the plate lined with blotting paper.  
Serve hot with Tomato ketchup or any chutney. Bajjis are great on their own too. 


Variations:
Bajjis can be made from a variety of vegetables. Potato, Plantain, Ridge gourd, Onions, Capsicum, Chillies (if not hot), Eggplants, Zucchini (Courgette, Summer Squash), Cauliflower.
Optional: You may add half a teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste into the batter/dough.
Professional cooks add a pinch of baking soda, it makes the bajjis come out fluffy. However, they soak up more oil and end up with a higher dose of sodium.

Culture & Health:
Called 'Pakoda' by some, 'Bajji' by others, they say a perfect rainy day activity is to sip hot tea or coffee with piping hot pakodas.
I love the taste of soggy leftover Bajjis on the day after they're made, the vegetable flavour permeates into the fried soggy batter. Others like refried Bajjis, leftover soggy Bajjis come out extra crisp when fried again on the next day.
Bhajji-pav is a favourite street-side food sold by cart-vendors in Mumbai. It consists of a potato bajji jammed between a bun, with green chutney, tamarind chutney and other spices.
I don't want to defame/slander the reputation of such a yummy preparation by starting on its health angle. Let me just say, chickpea flour is a good source of protein, while the vegetable provides vitamins & minerals ;-) :-P
On a serious note, we all know that fried foods do all the bad things possible to our system. The vegetable loses most of its vitamin load in the frying process. This preparation is not recommended for regular consumption, it is not for the health conscious, it is not for those on any kind of dietary restrictions. It is full of oil (empty calories: a no no for diabetics. all that cholesterol: a no go zone for heart patients. all that fat: stresses our dear liver, a complete no entry for those with a problem liver/kidneys) and sodium (so much salt/soda, a no no for high blood pressure candidates, gout candidates, arthritic personalities, those on dialysis... I believe most diseases are exacerbated by sodium intake, so we need to watch out!).
And Baba Ramdevji says besan is very bad for health, so don't even feel good about the protein. :-)

Trivia:
If there is one thing that I remember my mother cooking regularly, it's pakodas and bajjis!!
Warning: This food is highly addictive and difficult to resist. ;-)

మణుగుపూలు / Manugupulu/Janthikalu/ Murukulu/ Rice flour snack

Ingredients:
2cups Rice flour
1/2cup Moong dal
2tsp jeera/cumin seeds
4tsp sesame seeds (Optional)
Oil for deep frying
1tsp.Red chilli powder
Salt to taste.
3 tbsp hot oil or butter

Preparation :
1. Pressure cook moong dal.
2. In a wide bowl add rice flour,moong dal paste, chili powder, salt, sesame seeds and cumin seeds mix it well.
3. Add 3tbsp.oil(hot oil) or butter,mix it well, by adding enough water make a dough of roti dough consistency.
4. In a deep frying pan add oil for deep frying, once the oil is hot enough for frying(oil should not be too hot, this makes murukulu get burnt)
5. Now take the mould(can be bought from Indian store) keep enough dough in to it, press it in hot oil, fry them until they are light golden brown in color, fry them in batches and drain on a paper towel.
6. Store them in air tight container.

Variations: Instead of moong dal you can use urad dal or puttnala pappu( Dalia). If you are using putnala pappu then just grind it and mix it in the rice flour, no need to pressure cook.


Learnt this from my mom-in-law (Manjuvani):)

పచ్చి మిరపకాయ బజ్జి / Mirchi bajji / Stuffed Green Chilli Snacks

Preparation time : 30 mins
Serves (2-3)


Ingredients

10 big green chillies (can be found in Indian stores)
1 big potato
1 cup besan
1/4cup rice flour
2 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1 small onion
pinch of baking soda
salt to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric

Method:

1 Take a green chilli, make a slit lengthwise in the middle, keeping the ends intact. With a knife remove the seeds and make space for stuffing.
2 Boil the potato and peel the skin and mash it, add salt, turmeric and 2tsp.lemon juice,1/4 tsp.red chilli powder and mix them together and make the stuffing.
3 In a bowl take besan, rice flour, pinch of baking soda, salt to taste and 1/2cup water(if needed add little more water), mix them all together into thick batter (more like dosa batter).
4 Stuff the chillies with the stuffing and dip them in the batter and drop them in the hot oil and deep fry them until they get little golden color.
5 Make a slit in the bajjis and garnish them with chopped onions mixed with lemon juice and cilantro

ఉల్లిపాయి పకోడీ (Ullipaayi pakodi)- Onion Fritters

Serves: Two as a snack. Preparation time: 1 hour including preparing ingredients to the final product.

Ingredients:
1 heaped cup of fine sliced onions
1 cup Chickpea flour (Garbanzo flour, Gram flour, Besan, Senaga pindi)
1/4 cup Rice flour
Green chillies, finely sliced- to taste
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder to taste
Curry leaves- 5 big leaves chopped fine
1 shallow tsp Garam masala powder
1 pinch Cumin seeds (Jheera, Jilakara)
Asafoetida to taste (Heeng, Inguva)
1 big pinch of Turmeric (Haldi, Pasupu)
1 shallow tsp Ginger-garlic paste
Oil to fry

Method:

In a bowl, sift together the Gram flour, Rice flour, Asafoetida, Garam masala, turmeric and cumin seeds along with 2 tsps of oil. Knead well for even absorption of oil into flour mixture. Set aside.
In another bowl, mix onions, green chillies, curry leaves, ginger-garlic paste and salt. Wait for thirty seconds, salt makes water run out of the onions. Add red chilli powder. Just before you start preparing this bowl, place a kadhai/wok of oil for heating.

Then fold in the previous bowl's contents (the mixed flours) into this bowl and knead well. Add upto half a tablespoon of water if you feel the need. Our pakoda dough is done, the oil too should be medium hot by now. Drop a grain-sized amount of dough into the oil to test it, if it sinks & rises up foaming, our oil is ready.

Drop small dollops of pakoda dough into the kadhai. Stir once in a while to fry evenly. When they are almost done, remove them onto a plate lined with blotting paper. They continue to cook & brown even after they're removed from the oil, hence they'll be perfectly done after they are out.
Serve with tomato ketchup or any chutney of your choice. They are absolutely yummy even eaten without any dips.

Precautions/Warnings:

Make sure oil is heated by the time the pakoda dough is done. (Pakodas turn out soggy if the chickpea flour soaks for too long while waiting for the oil to heat.) 

Trivia:

"Ullipai phokoda" according to Tittu, my favourite snack, how I fretted when I wasn't allowed to eat it for 3 months on a jaundice diet when I was ten years old.  

I love making "Kadi Pakoda" with these pakodis, a kind of 'Majjiga pulusu' . Alas this dish lies outside our purview for now, otherwise I would have converted these pakodis into awesome delicious Kadi Pakoda!!!