Kojagiri day: Special menu

I had already posted about the kojagiri special Masala Milk in my last year's post (Masala Milk), so this is kind-of a repost walking down the memory lane since yesterday was Kojagiri Pournima too. As the tradition goes, we kept the milk in the balcony for sometime for the moon rays to fall on it and then consumed it.

So, my kitchen menu for dinner was some hot Batata Vadas and the masala milk. But i added a twist to both the dishes yesterday and hence wanted to write about my new additions.

My masala milk recipe was as follows:

I have purposely reduced the milk to half and added more of the dry fruits (You will know why in my next post, as i had some other plans in mind to try too ;) If the trial turns out well, i will post it in my next post!!!
So, this version turns out a bit thicker. This thick version is of drinking consistency, but if you want it more thinner, what you can do is, either add milk to the thick mixture later on (It doesn't change the taste) or else reduce the milk to only 3/4th (or more) and follow the rest of the procedure.

Ingredients:

Milk - 1 litre

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Nutmeg powder - 1 tbsp (I basically grated the nutmeg)

Almonds, cashews, pistachios - 1 1/4 cup

Saffron - few strands

Recipe:

Boil 1 litre milk and then reduce the milk to almost 1/2 of the original quantity stirring in between, scraping the cream from the sides of the vessel.

Keep the flame low throughout.

Dry roast the dry fruits. Now, grind them to a fine powder. Mix in saffron, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder.

After the milk has reduced to 1/2, add sugar and let it boil till sugar dissolves completely. Adjust sugar according to taste.

Now mix in the dry fruit mixture and turn off the heat.

You can have it warm or cold.

I also did a new version of batata vada from my last post, for the mere fact that i didn't have a few ingredients at hand. :) 

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 4 boiled

Urad daal - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Asafoetida - a pinch

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - to taste

Curry leaves - a few (I had the dried ones and not fresh. You can add any)

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp (I didn't have green chillies, so i added chilli powder. You can either add both or one of these according to taste)

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

For the batter : 

Besan (Gram flour) - 1 cup

Water - 1 cup

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - to taste

Baking soda - a pinch (I tried this for the first time, and i was happy that the vadas turned quite crispy from outside)

Recipe:

Mash the potatoes and keep aside.

In a pan, heat oil, and add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add asafoetida and cumin seeds. Then add the curry leaves and turmeric powder. Next add in the ginger garlic paste and saute for 15-20 seconds. Next, add the urad daal and saute till the daal becomes reddish.

Now add in the mashed potatoes and salt. Mix it all well and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Let the mixture cool and then make equal portions round balls.

Meanwhile, make the batter using all the ingredients mentioned. Add water little by little as the batter should not become too thin.

Dip the potato balls in the batter and deep fry in hot oil.

Crispy Batata vadas are ready :))) They were super delicious, with the addition of urad daal.

If your batter is left, after frying the vadas, don't throw it away. Add sliced onions to it, and make kanda bhajis :))

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 :)