Poha Vada (Flattened Rice Vada)

Poha Vada (Flattened Rice Vada)  

Poha is one of the most popular breakfast dish, having a very big consumer base. Whether it is north or west, popularity of poha is pretty high. At least once or twice this is cooked in our homes and we feel delighted to relish it.

Similarly if you are from south, idli or dosa or vada would be your favourite to start your mornings. However real challenge with South Indian breakfast is that you need to ensure your material is ready one night before. So you have to keep the batter ready beforehand itself.

Here I faced a tricky situation when family desired to have Vada with Sambhar and I didn't have the batter. So I thought and came up with an innovative concept to make Vada from Poha i.e. flattened rice (also known as Chura in some places). This is easily digestible and easily available. So try this at home

Preparation Time :  30 Min

Cooking Time : 20 Min

Ingredients :  

• Poha 1 Cup
• Curd 1/2 Cup
• Rice flour 1 Tablespoon
• Bread slice 2 no.
• Onion 1 medium size chopped
• Green chillies 2 Chopped
• Ginger Chopped 1 Tea spoon
• Curry leaves 8 to 10
• Black pepper corn 8 to 10 crushed
• Pinch of Hing (asafoetida)
• Salt according to taste
• Oil for frying

Procedure :  

• In a bowl take poha wash it and transfer this into strainer. So that poha doesn't absorb too much water and became messy. Keep it a side in a strainer.

• Finish all cutting and chopping
• In a bowl take poha add chopped onion, rice flour, curry leaves, green chilly, pinch of hing, crushed pepper corn, ginger

• Soak bread in water as shown in picture. Remove excess of water. crush it and add with breast of the mixture along with curd and salt

• Now mix all ingredients nicely you will get a dough like texture

• Take a small portion of mixture and form flat tikki with whole in middle as shown in picture 
• Prepare all the vadas and keep aside

• In a pan heat oil once the oil is hot deep fry vada in this on medium flame. Till it is cook from both the side

• once it is cook take out from pan and keep it on kitchen towel so that the excess of oil is removed

• Enjoy this with a sambar, chutney and a cup of tea ..

Tip    

• If you like you can add few cashew nuts to this it will give some nutty taste
• If dough is too much sticky add some bread crumbs to this otherwise your vada will be too much oily 

Falafel with green twist

Falafel with Green Twist  

Now this time I got motivated to serve my family international cuisine. Kids are expecting too much and fulfilling their demands help me in my secret mission too. 

Falafel is a traditional middle eastern food. In our desi language it is basically a kabab made from Chick Pea.  So here comes a deep fried dish that will make you popular beyond your regular dishes. 

My secret mission is to load this dish with nutrients that otherwise I will struggle to make my family eat. I scratched my head and then loaded it with flaxseeds.

 Flaxseeds are rich in omega 3 fatty acids. In addition these are rich in magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. They help in improving digestion, in weight loss, in controlling blood pressure etc. So if we ask our family members to eat a table spoon full of flaxseeds they will resist it max. 

My another favorite ingredient is spinach. A green leafy veggie rich in fibre and loads of iron will definitely fulfill body needs of your family members. 

Then I added Sesame seeds which is rich in vitamins and minerals. It is good for digestion, gives healthy skin over all loaded with too many benefits.

So with this twist I prepared Falafel and presented it with chutney. My daughter was quick to make a sandwich of it with green and red chutney on each side. Unknowingly consumed what I wanted her to eat but failed so far.
Hope you will also mesmerize them with your international exposure. 

Preparation Time : 30 Min

Cooking Time : 20 - 25 Min

Resting Time :  Over night

Ingredients :

• Chick pea 1 cup soaked in a water overnight
• Onion 1 medium size
• Garlic cloves 4 to 5
• Spinach 1/2 cup chopped
• Flax seeds 1/2 Tablespoon
• Sesame seeds 1/2 tablespoon
• Parsley chopped 1 Tablespoon
• Green cardamom 2
• Black pepper 8 to 10
• Green chillies 2 chopped
• Coriander 1 Tablespoon chopped
• Salt according to taste
• Lemon Juice 1 Tablespoon
• Bread Crumbs 3/4 cup
• Pinch of Soda
• Oil for frying 

Procedure   

• Soak chick pea in 4 cups of water for overnight to 8 to 10 hours
• Finish all cutting and chopping
• Dry roast black pepper, green cardamom, flax seed and sesame seed for a minute or two
• In a food processor add soaked chick pea, chopped onion, garlic dry roasted black pepper, green cardamom, flex seed, sesame seed, chopped parsley, green chillies, half of the chopped spinach, coriander, lemon juice and salt.

• Grind all the ingredients together till it forms a corse paste

• take out this paste in a bowl add rest of the finely chopped spinach to this and mix it well

• Now add bread crumbs and a pinch of soda and mix well

• In a pan heat oil 
• Take a small portion of falafel mixture in your hand and give it a tikki kind of shape
• Once the oil is hot slow down the flame to medium drop a falafel tikki in this oil. cook it from both the side 

• Repeat the step with rest of the mixture

• Serve it hot with mint chatney and a hot cup of tea

Tip :

• Cook falafel on medium flame, if flame is too high then may be from outside falafel is cooked but from inside it is not properly done
• Make sure that the falafel paste is not too much watery. As it can make your falafel oily