Tamatar Ki Kadhi

Phatte Huye Tamatar ki Kadhi : This was a joke that i had to mention on my blog !!! On being a part of a food forum, i have made some great virtual friends there where we keep posting "what's cookin in our kitchen" ," where we go to dine", "what we eat" etc...On one such post where a lady asked about making punjabi style aloo parathas, my friend Ritika Khullar mentioned the process and said that she fills the stuffing so much, that the parathas actually Phatte ( gets torn - here meaning, pops out of the covering)!!!! I loved that word and a series of conversations followed, with renaming my blog as "Cookin in Phatte huye pajamas"..Hahaha... So, lets dedicate this Phatte Huye Tamatar ki Kadhi to Ritika :)

I usually have this habit of watching the channel "Food Food", one of the most popular food channels in India, during my lunch time. Maybe it increases my apetite or it just makes the food more tasty!!! Whatever the reason, i love watching food while eating...One such weekday, i had Sanjeev Kapoor showing the recipe of Tomato Kadhi. The name sounded interesting, and i decided to make it the same evening. It tasted heavenly with rice !!! So, if you are bored to cook one such day, this kadhi and rice ( with accompaniments of papad and some achaar ) combination would surely be a go-go!!!

Ingredients :

Besan ( Gram flour ) - 4 tsp

Tomatoes - 5 big ( Pureed )

Red chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Dry red chillies - 3-4

Sugar - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Fresh corriander leaves - a few ( chopped )

Pepper - to taste

Recipe :

In a bowl, take besan. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt ( according to taste ). Mix it well. Now add the Tomato puree. Add about 2 cups of water and mix it well again. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a kadhai and add cumin seeds and mustard seeds.( No Oil added ). When they crackle, add the asafoetida and dry red chillies. Now pour the tomato mixture into this and let it come to a boil. Reduce the flame and let it simmer for about 8-10 minutes ( or till it thickens )

If you feel the tomatoes are sour, add about 1 tsp sugar. Or else you can adjust according to taste. Now garnish with corriander leaves and pepper and serve hot with Steamed rice :)))

Happy Cooking :)

Moong daal vada

Moong daal vada or pakoras are very common in Northern part of India, especially during winters but they have become quite popular in other parts as well. Having these vadas in monsoons or winters with a piping hot cup of chai or coffee is unbeatable. And what more? These vadas are not at all time consuming. They are best for party-time snacks, as they taste good even after they become cold. So no need to reheat them again and again and guests would really enjoy these "crispy from outside - soft from inside" vadas. I made them for one such party hosted at our home. It was the first time my husband's friends ( around 15-20 of them!!!) were coming home and i was nervous what to make for snacks ! So a phone call to "the all-time problem solver" ( MOM), and i was ready to rock the get-together ! Just to save me from the last minute embarassment ( if they dont turn out well!!! as i had never made these before), i tried it in a small quantity beforehand. It also helped me calculate the quantity and time i would need to make snacks for so many people at once.

Usually vadas are made from urad daal ( split or skinned ). These moong daal vadas can also be made from split or skinned moong daal or a mix of urad and moong daal. I made it with only skinned moong daal. You can even save the batter in air tight box in fridge and fry vadas as and when required. It usually lasts upto 5-6 days. You can be as innovative and do additions to the batter according to your choice. Add onions, green chillies, red chilli powder, corriander powder, corriander leaves, cumin seeds or powder, sesame seeds, aniseeds...It tastes great with anything ! And yes, dont forget to add "pepper" powder..:) 

So lets make some delicious spicy crunchy vadas ( they are also called "badas" in some parts)

Ingredients :

Moong daal - 1 cup ( soaked in water for minimum 4-5 hours. You can even soak it overnight). If you are using split moong daal ( chilke wali ), then wash the daal in water well, and remove the skins floating on top.

Green chillies - 5 chopped finely or according to taste

Corriander leaves - a handful chopped finely

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp ( you can even cut fresh ginger - around 1/2 inch piece and garlic - 4-5 and add them to moon daal while grinding in mixer)

Salt - to taste ( i added rock salt, tastes better :)

Oil - to fry

Recipe :

Grind the daal in mixer, after removing all the water that the daal is soaked in. Don't grind it too smooth. A little coarse is better.

Add all the other ingredients to the batter and mix well. Batter is ready !

Heat oil in a kadhai and put small teaspoonfull of batter in oil. Alternatively, you can even make small round balls with hand and put in oil. Fry till brown and remove it on a kitchen tissue, so it soaks all the extra oil.

Garnish with chaat masala or pepper sprinkled on top.

Happy cooking :)