Tag Archives: vegetarian snacks

Feb25

Bittergourd Pakoda / Pagarkai Pakoda / Pavakkai Pakoda

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Pakoda is a deep fried snack which is most popular street food all over Tamil Nadu. My hubby loves pakoda to the core, when we were abroad we use to get pakoda from VelayudhaNadar Shop, sivakasi and would hold it almost for 2 to 3 weeks. Not only in while abroad but also whenever we go to our hometown, we never miss to get this pakoda. Not only my hubby even my dad, grandpa and the whole family till my son loves to have Milk rice and pakoda for dinner. I would say that this one of the staple dinner among all sivakasi and virudhunagar people.

Taking this to Fiesta Friday #160 hosted by Angie@thenovicegarderner.

Thought of trying it the pakoda with bittergourd and something different than the usual recipe, besan/gram flour is used in pakoda and I have substituted corn meal/maize flour instead of besan/gram flour.

CLICK HERE for vegetarian recipes and CLICK HERE for snacks recipes.

Bittergourd pakoda was slightly bitter in taste, but as it was crispy and crunchy my kids (9 year and 5 year) loved it to the core. This can be served in various forms as tea-time snack, side dish for lunch, side dish for dinner along with rice. I would say try this combination – Steamed rice (mashing consistency), boiled milk with a tsp of sugar (optional) and this pakoda would taste heavenly for dinner. Give a try…

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Bittergourd Pakoda / Pagarkai Pakoda / Pavakkai Pakoda

Ingredients:

  • Bitter gourd – 2 nos
  • Onions – 1 no
  • Curry leaves – 2 strands
  • Corn meal / Maize flour – 1 cup
  • Rice flour – 1 tbsp
  • Chilli powder – 2 ½ tsp
  • Asafoetida / Perungayam / Hing – ¼ tsp
  • Salt to taste
All the flour and spice powder together
Thinly sliced bittergourd
Fine flour paste
Bittergourd in flour paste
Bittergourd getting mixed
Getting Fried
Getting fried
Almost fried
Pakoda done
Bittergourd Pakoda / Pagarkai Pakoda / Pavakkari Pakoda

Preparation:

  • Wash and thinly slice the bitter gourd to pieces. Thinly slice the onions (lengthwise), keep it aside.
  • In a bowl, add corn meal, rice flour, chilli powder, salt and sprinkle ¼ cup of water, mix it well.
  • Add the sliced bitter gourd and mix it well, so that the flour should get coated well bittergourd.
  • Let it rest for 15 to 20 mins.
  • Heat oil in a kadai, now add the thinly sliced onions and curry leaves to the bittergourd and mix it well.
  • Once the oil is hot, take a small portion of the bittergourd mixture and add it to the oil, swap and fry on the both sides until they turn brown in color or crispy.
  • Drain the oil and remove it from fire.
  • Continue the same process with all the bittergourd.

Serve hot.

Note: Bring it room temperature and store it in an air-tight container, stays fresh for almost a week.

Aug17

Maa Gujiya

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Wish you all a HAPPY RAKSHA BANDHAN

Thought of preparing something innovative for RAKSHA BANDHAN. Why not to mingle two states for a dish. As a tamilian, tamil cuisine is my favorite and next coming to the other state, recently I tried out Gujiya (Nuts Gujiya) and my family liked it to the core, so thought why not to take Gujiya for the other state.

Gujiya is a sweet dumpling made with maida and stuffed with khoya, nuts… Maa urundai (Rice flour balls) is one of the traditional and authentic Tamil dish which is shaped as lamp known as Maa Vilakku and offer to god. We lit this lamp with ghee and cotton wig, and do prayers.

As a result here comes my “MAA GUJIYA”, I stuffed this Maa urudai to the gujiya and fried it. As it was trial, I was little scared whether it will work out. But the dish was mind-blowing and heavenly, which got over in minutes. My kids wants to prepare once in a while. Let me share the recipe…

Taking it to the Fiesta Friday #133 hosted by Angie@thenovicegarderner.

Maa Guijiya
Maa Guijiya

Ingredients:

  • Rice flour – 1 cup
  • Cardamom powder – ¼ tsp
  • Coconut Jaggery (crushed) – 1 cup
  • Ghee/Clarified butter – ¾ cup
  • Maida – 2 cups
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil for deep frying
Maa urundai rolled to fill in Gujiya
Filling getting ready
Shaping
Ready to fry
Getting fried
Maa Guijiya

Preparation:

  • Stuffing – Maa urundai
    • Crush the jaggery using mortar and pestle.
    • In a wide mouth bowl, mix rice flour, jaggery and ½ cup of ghee. Mix them well with your hands for a min.
    • Take these rice flour mixture in a blender and blend them just for a min and transfer it to a same bowl.
    • Hold them to small balls (lengthwise) and let it rest for 10 mins.
    • If you are not able them tight pour the leftover ghee and continue the process.
  • For dough:
    • Take maida, ¼ tsp of salt together in a bowl, mix them well.
    • Pour water little by little and start kneading the flour to a dough.
    • Divide small portions of dough, roll them to small balls (lemon size) and keep it aside.
  • For Maa Gujiya:
    • Flatten the maida balls with a rolling pin.
    • Place it in the gujiya press, keep the maa urundai at the center, and close the lid tightly.
    • Remove the excess dough from the press, gently remove the gujiya from the press.
    • Continue this process with leftover dough.
    • Heat oil in a kadai, once it’s hot, gently drop in the gujiya’s one by one, and cook until they turn golden brown.
    • Cook in medium flame, swap the sides and cook them.
    • Drain the oil and continue this for all the gujiya.

Serve hot by drizzling little condensed milk or colorful tutty frutty and finely chopped cherries.

Note: Stays fresh in an air tight container for a week.

Also check out my other Raksha Bandhan recipes – Jeera Poli, Milk Poli, Phirni, Maa Gujiya.

For more snacks recipes – CLICK HERE.

 

Jul19

Corn Cheese Bread Cups

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As I have started preparing #afterschoolsnacks, wonder what to prepare today for snacks. Got to see a bread packet and some leftover corn kernels and cheese cubes in the refrigerator. Thought of preparing Bread cups and later it resulted in a bread bowl too. #afterschoolsnacks

When I started preparing this dish, felt little confusion whether it would work out, think may be of having migraine. But continued the process and the outcome was fantastic which made me very happy. These corn cheese bread cups disappeared in moments, my son liked it to the core. Feeding him is being a great challenge for me, what do a mother needs than this. #backtohomesnacks

It was delicious, resembled almost pizza but the taste and crunchiness of the bread made it stand away from pizza. Very simple, easy and less consumption healthy dish for kids. Let me share the recipe…

Corn Cheese Bread Cups
Corn Cheese Bread Cups
Corn Cheese Bread Cups

Ingredients:

  • Bread Slices – 12 nos
  • Corn kernels (boiled) – ½ cup
  • Onion – 1 no
  • Tomato – 1 no
  • Capsicum – ½ no
  • Mixed Italian herbs (oregano, chives, rosemary) – 1 tbsp
  • Cheese cubes – 5 nos
  • Tomato Sauce – 3 tbsp
  • Melted Butter – 2 tbsp
  • Pepper powder – ½ tsp
  • Salt to taste
Finely chopped onion, tomato, capsicum, pepper powder, Italian seasoning and grated cheese
Rolling bread
Rolled bread
In the muffin tray
Vegetable mix
Stuffed and about to bake
Bread bowl
Stuffed
With grated cheese
Corn Cheese Bread Cups
Corn Cheese Bread Cups

Preparation:

  • Trim the sides of the bread slices and keep it aside.
  • Peel and finely chop the onions and tomato. Deseed and finely chop the capsicum.
  • Grate the cheese cubes and keep it aside.
  • In a bowl, take the finely chopped onion, tomato, capsicum, sprinkle the Italian seasoning along with pepper powder, salt and mix them all together. Keep it aside.
  • Preheat the microwave to 180 degree C.
  • Grease a muffin tray, brush the bread slices with butter, and gently press the bread to the muffin mould.
  • Sprinkle little cheese to the bread, then spoon in the vegetable mix, pour in a tsp of tomato sauce and top it with grated cheese.
  • Continue the same with all the breads and bake them at 180 degree C for 2 to 3 mins.
  • Remove them gently and serve hot.
  • For Corn cheese bread bowl – Take a slice of bread and cut it in the center. Now sprinkle little grated cheese over a bread slice and place the center chopped bread slice over it.
  • Add in the vegetable mix, pour in a tsp of tomato sauce and top it with grated cheese.
  • Bake it for 2 to 3 mins at 180 degree C and serve hot.

Serve hot with coffee, tea or milk.