Crispy Medhu Vada

Vada is a common term used for fried savoury snacks, in India. The medhu vada is made primarily of black lentils (urad dal) batter. Black lentils or black gram is a key ingredient in the famous Idly and Dosa. 
Black gram is very nutritious as it contains high levels of protein, potassium, calcium, iron, niacin, thiamine and riboflavin.Black gram complements the essential amino acids provided by cereals and plays an important part in the diets of the people of India and Nepal. Black gram is useful in mitigating elevated cholesterol levels. Like other pulses black gram is also recommended for diabetics. 

Preparation: 

• Soak the black gram in water for 4 hours. 
• Roast one tablespoon each of black gram and raw rice, separately. Cool. Then grind to a powder, not too fine. 
• After 4 hours drain off the water and grind the black gram little by little at a time, along with cooked rice and little salt. Since you are grinding in small portions there is no need to add water while grinding. (I divided the soaked black gram into three portions before grinding). Grind to a smooth paste. 
• Add baking soda to the ground paste, mix well and keep aside for 1 - 2 hours. 
• Chop finely the shallots, green chilly, ginger and curry leaves. 
• After 1 or 2 hours add the chopped vegetables and black pepper into the batter, stir well. Finally mix the roasted gram - rice powder into the batter. 
• Wet your hands (So the batter won't stick to your hands). Take a small lime size ball of batter in your hands, make small hole in the center, drop gently into hot oil and deep fry in medium flame. Flip and cook on both sides till golden brown. I could make 11 medhu vadas with the amount of ingredients given below. 
• Serve hot with coconut chutney or tomato sauce. 

Ingredients: 

Black gram - 1/2 cup 

Cooked rice - 3 tablespoons 

Salt to taste 

Baking soda - 1/4 teaspoon  

Black gram - 1 tablespoon 

Raw rice - 1 tablespoon  

Shallots - 6 

green chilly - 1 

ginger  - 1 very small piece 

Curry leaves - a few 

Black pepper - 6 (whole) 

Hummus - A Mediterranean Dip

I came across Hummus during my sojourn in Israel. I first had it along with Pita, Felafel and veggies. First time itself i found it very tasty. Then i got hold of the recipe. 
The word hummus is arabic for chickpeas. The dish hummus is called hummus bi tahina in arabic. The name itself is very revealing - the dish is a mixture of chickpea and tahini paste. 
Hummus is generally used as dip or appetizer, and most usually along with pita and felafel. 
The place of origin of hummus is Egypt, Levant (Mediterranean lands east of Italy).

Preparation: 

• Soak the chickpeas overnight. 
• Pressure cook the chickpeas along with salt.
• Allow to cool to room temperature. 
• Drain the chickpeas. Don't throw away the water.
• Lightly roast and grind the sesame seeds. 
• Now add all the other ingredients except the olive oil into the mixer bowl and grind to a smooth paste. Use a little of the water in which the chickpea was cooked to grind. Be careful not to add too much water. 
• When it is well ground, transfer to a serving bowl and pour the olive oil over it. 
• Serve garnished with paprika powder. (optional) 

Ingredients:

Chickpeas - 1/2 cup 

Sesame seeds - 4 tablespoons 

Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon 

Garlic (minced) - 1 teaspoon 

Lemon juice -1/2 tablespoon 

Salt to taste 

Garnish:

Olive oil - 1 Tablespoon 

Red Paprika powder - 1/4 teaspoon (optional) 

Note: If you have tahini paste with you, add it instead of sesame seeds.

Raw Banana/Plantain Fritters / Bajjhi

Raw or Green banana contains Resistant Starch which does not breakdown like regular starch, so it passes through the intestines like insoluble fiber. Resistant starch and high fiber increases satiety and thus low consumption. Increases the rate of fat burning.Good for dieters and diabetics. Resistant starch is food for the good probiotic bacteria in the intestine. So bananas can prevent diarrhea and reduce the risk of colon cancer. It helps in the absorption of nutrients, especially calcium. Raw and ripe bananas contain Vitamins B6 ,C and potassium. 

Preparation : 

• Wash the banana/Plantain, Peel it lightly. Do not remove all the skin. Set aside.
• Take the besan/Chickpea flour in a small bowl. Add salt to taste, then add the chilly powder, cumin seeds, asafeotida and baking soda. Add water little by little and make a very thick batter. Keep aside for 5 minutes.
• Cut the banana into 3 or 4 equal parts. Then slice each piece into 3 or 4 pieces. 
• Heat oil in a pan. Dip each piece in the batter and deep fry. 
• Spread out on absorbent paper to remove excess oil. 
• Serve hot with coconut chutney or tomato sauce. 

Ingredients:

Raw Plantain - 1 

Besan / Chickpea Flour - 1/2 cup 

Salt to taste 

Red chilly powder - 1/2 Teaspoon 

Cumin seeds - 1/4 teaspoon 

Asafeotida -a pinch 

Baking soda - 2 pinches 

Water