Crispy Travel Snacks: Channa Dal Vadas (Ambode)

When it comes to food, South Indians are highly versatile. They are not just rice eaters but prepare variety of recipes that can make the rest feel awe.

Apart from spicy rice recipes, they are masters with lentils, vegetable curries and gravies. They prepare excellent sweets with fried gram and even tangy starters to enjoy with chutney.
Vadas or fried gram puffers are also popular in their delicacies.

Once when we were travelling to Mysore, we stopped at the famous Kadambam (Iyengari Restaurant) and happened to relish Channa Dal Vadas or what they refer it to as Ambodes.

The proteinitious dal vada was such a favourite that we chucked all the potato frimes and chips stuffed in our back packs.

These vadas are great travel snacks as they contain comparatively less oil. They can also be preserved fresh for 2 days.

They taste best even when soaked in yogurt or chutney. Take a look to know the procedure to make this tasty travel recipe.

Making Channa Dal Vadas 

Ingredients:
About 2 bowls of soaked channa dal (soaked for 4 - 6 hours)
3- 4 Green Chillies (chopped)
Curry leaves (chopped)
Some Mint leaves/ Dill leaves (chopped)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp ginger paste
Chopped onions (optional)
2 big spoons of Rice flour/ Corn flour / fine Semolina
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Preparation:
1. Coarsely grind the soaked channa dal without adding water.
2. To a vessel, add the ground dal, chopped leaves, cumins, onions, chillies, flour, ginger paste, salt and mix well.
3. Heat oil in a deep frying vessel
4. Make flat discs of the dal mixture and deep fry till golden brown. (fry vadas in simmer)
5. Pat the vadas with paper towels to remove excess oil.

Tasty Ambodes are ready to relish. Pack them in a zip pouch bag and enjoy while sipping a hot cup of coffee or chai.

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Masala Dosa Made Easy For Overseas Travellers

Masala Dosa is the most preferred breakfast for South Indians but it is also equally time consuming. For overseas opportunists, its hard to prepare Dosas immediately and relish. But my new combination of batter helps any working women, men and couple prepare tasty Dosas in a jiff. Take a look for more.

Although various instant Dosa mix are available, they taste fenugreek or some kind of preservative when you prepare the batter. The instant batter is also hard to spread on tava and become almost impossible to eat.
No matter how good your Aloo palya or chutney is, the Dosas simply taste bad.

Another problem that most overseas residents face is fermentation. The batter hardly tastes good and feels soft in cold countries (specially west).

Being in a foreign country for almost a year I have tried various instant foods and have also learnt some quick methods that give you the same taste and flavour of the restaurant dosa. Here is the recipe.

Masala Dosa Batter Preparation:

You Require:
Any Instant Dosa Mix (overseas travellers usually carry them)
Equivalent measurement of all purpose flour/ maida
1/2 cup rice flour
1/4 cup finest Semolina
About 21/2 cups of water
3 big spoons of thick curd
Pinch of Sugar
Salt according to taste

In a vessel, combine all and leave it aside for 15 minutes. The batter is sufficient for two.

Aloo Palya:

About 3-4 Boiled Potatoes (peeled post boil)
4 Onions (coarsely chopped)
3 green Chillies (slit half)
1/2 tsp Urad Dal & Gram Dal mixture
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp of Oil
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
Salt according to taste

To the heated pan, add oil and mustard seeds.
The moment the seeds pop, add dals, green chillies, onions and fry until onions change colour.
Turn off the stove and add boiled potatoes, sprinkle turmeric, chilli powder, salt. Mix well.

Making Masala Dosa:

Spread the dosa batter on the hot Dosa/ Pancake pan.
Add a tsp of Aloo palya on one side of the spread and fold it when golden brown (just like the photo 1).
Serve it with spicy Chutney and Ghee.

I'm proud to say that my recipe tastes just like the 3 day fermented batter Dosa.

Overseas residents, try it to believe!

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Vegetable Biriyani: Easy Making For Travel

I have been observing a lot of Vegetable Biriyani videos online and they are too difficult to prepare for a weekend picnic. All I did was a simple preparation and modification of the time consuming recipe. My recipe was thoroughly enjoyed by family, friends and our driver, that is when I thought I should share (a tried and tested preparation).

My recipe helps any amateur cook like me to prepare the best Hyderabadi dish. Take a look for more.

Previous Day Arrangement:

I make big slices of potato, carrots, cauliflower, beans, onion and paprika on the previous day and refrigerate it in a Tupperware container. 

I also purchase a pack of MDH Bombay Biriyani masala.

Other Ingredients For Vegetable Biriyani:

2 Bay leaves

1 Clove

1 Cardamom

A Piece of Cinnamon

1 tsp of Cumins

1/2 tsp turmeric

Pinch of Saffron

1 big tsp of oil

Salt to taste

Pinch of Sugar

About 1/2 cup curd and milk mixture

On the present day (about 1/2 an hour of final preparation):

Pressure cook 1 cup rice with 2 cups water for upto two whistles. Leave it aside.

In a thick bottom pan, add oil, spices and saute vegetables. Allow it to semi cook for about 3 minutes on flame. 

Add bombay biriyani masala, salt and cook for a few more minutes on simmer.

As its getting ready, add the saffron, sugar, curd and milk mixture. Mix well.

Secret Tip: While you transfer the baked vegetables mixture do collect the leftover spicy juice in a separate bowl .

Now spread a layer of boiled rice with melted ghee followed by the vegetable mixture. Mix the remaining rice with the leftover spicy curry and put it over the vegetable layer. 

Garnish it with fried onions and bread croutons (optional but adds that crispy element).

Final Re-heating:

In the same cooker, place the biriyani vessel over the water plate and leave it on sim (without pressure) until you get ready to the picnic. 

Or

You can also carry a portable gas stove or camphor stove for the same to the picnic locale. While you play and enjoy your vegetable biriyani is getting ready to relish.

Some sliced Cucumbers and Yogurt can add to taste while you serve. This recipe serves 3.

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Carrot, Raisin & Black Olive Salad

No dish could possibly be as wholesome as a salad, and perhaps no dish could fit into all occasions like a salad. One could make it as luxurious or as modest as per one's taste. Any fruit, vegetable, nuts and herbs can be used to make a salad and it can be eaten warm or cold. Thereby, I feel a salad would make a wonderful, healthy snack or perhaps even serve as a full meal on a journey.

I am a great fan of olives, especially black olives. I found this recipe in a cook book and immediately went about trying it. It was a hit at home. Here is the recipe for a scrumptious low-calorie salad, that is very easy to make and even more easy & enjoyable to finish.

Carrot, raisin & black olive salad:

• 4-5 large carrots, grated
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 10-12 black olives
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 1 tbs honey
• 1/2 tsp peppercorns, crushed
• Salt to taste
• Mint leaves for garnish
• 2 tbs Walnuts, finely chopped (optional)
• 1 tsp oil (optional) 
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped(optional)

1. Refrigerate grated carrots till use.
2. Combine all the ingredients except carrots.
3. Just before serving, add dressing to the carrots and toss.
4. Serve fresh, with garnished mint leaves.     

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How To Make Pani Puri For Travel?

Pani Puri, off lately, is a global appetizer snack and everyone prefer to have it in any climatic conditions. Kids, specially, love Pani Puri for its tangy and spicy taste. But the problem is with the Pani Puri stalls as the water used is most of the times unsafe and hardly the sellers/ chat makers are hygienic. Children are never ready to sacrifice snacks under these conditions and pressurize parents for buying them which further may result in Diarrhea, Food Poisoning, Dengue, Viral Fever etc.

Today, I shall help all those lovely mothers who wish to take a better care of children while travelling and also with the quick travel food preparation. Take a look.

Pani Puri As Travel Food

Ingredients:

For Puri: A pack of puris are normally available in sweet stalls or bakeries but I shall also help you with homemade puri procedure

1. 2 cups finest Semolina
2. 2 tsps Maida or All Purpose Flour
3. Salt according to taste
4. 1 glass of water

Making: Prepare a soft dough of the above ingredients (2 days before your trip) and divide into 20 - 30 small balls. Roll the balls into flat discs and deep fry them in oil.

Drain all the excess oil using paper towels and pack in zip lock bag/ air tight container.

For Filling (Prepare on the travel day):

1. About 1/4 kg fresh Green Peas (boiled)
2. Finely Chopped Onions
3. Green Chilli paste (optional)
4. Salt (optional)

Add all this to a container and mix well.

For Pani (Carry as it is):

1. 1 tsp MDH chat masala powder
2. 1 tsp MDH pudina chutney
3. 1 tsp MDH jal jeera powder
4. 1 tsp MDH coriander powder
5. Pinch of salt and sugar
6. A bottle of water

Preserve the mixture of all the above in a small container (except water) and mix it whenever you prefer to have while travelling. This is the most easiest way of making Pani.

Carry spoons and a basin if required.

Make a hole in puri, add the peas filling, soak it pani and enjoy the unmatchable taste.

Do not forget to carry a few old newspapers to spread on car seats and enjoy pani puris.

This recipe is particularly for Car travellers, picnic planners, excursion planners and kitty party fans.

Our recipe serves upto 4 people.

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Most Easy Ways Of Making Bisi Bele Bath

Eversince I have been travelling with parents to Ahobilam in Andhra Pradesh, I remember amma preparing Bisi Bele Bath and Raitha as our travel food for journey. The reason use to be simple, there weren't good restaurants on the way and we had to pack food that is tasty for all ages, filling and healthy. Bisi Bele Bath or Hot Lentil Rice is indeed a favourite to everyone as it tastes good even if it is not 'Bisi'.

For all the auspicious occasions, Bisi Bele Bath/ Khara Pongal/ Vangi Bath are top 3 preferred dishes by South Indians. But the problem is that the youngsters or budding chefs find it extremely hard to prepare the dish as it most of the times over cooked or complicated. Today, I shall share the easiest secrets to prepare Bisi Bele Bath and I assure that one cannot go wrong with my recipe and its uncompromising taste. Have a look.

Easy Bisi Bele Bath Preparation:
Ingredients:
1 cup MTR Sambar Powder/ any Sambar powder you prefer
2 cups Sona Masoori Rice
11/2 cup Toor Dal
1 tsp Turmeric
3 Big Spoons Oil
1 piece of Jaggery
1 tsp Tamarind juice
1/2 cup Fresh Beans (chopped/optional)
About 6 Curry leaves
6-7 Cashews
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
Pinch Of Asafoetida
1 tsp Ghee
4 cups water
2 tsps of Salt

Method:
1. In a pressure cooker, add rice, toor dal, turmeric, a tsp oil, beans, 3 cups water and cook upto four whistles.
2. In a thick bottom vessel, add sambar powder, jaggery, tamarind juice, 1 cup water, 2 big spoons of oil, salt and stir until the mixture boils.
3. Transfer all the contents of the cooker to the vessel and stir simultaneously. Cook on low flame for about 3 minutes (with lid closed) and turn off the heat.
4. Fry mustard seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves and cashews (follow the same order) in a teaspoon of ghee and garnish spicy dish with the rich saute. Your Bisi Bele Bath is ready.

For Raitha: Add finely chopped cucumber slices, coriander, yogurt, coconut cumin seed paste, chopped green chilies and salt. Serve it with the Spicy dish.

This recipe is quite filling for 2.

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