Thursday, October 29, 2015

Amma magala kitchen: Khara Shankarpali

Another childhood favorite :) Not only do I enjoy these savoury crispies but love it when mom makes them as the whole house has this beautiful aroma :)
Here's mum's version of the savoury shankarpole. She does a sweet version of this as well but that's for some other time :)

Ingredients:
Plain flour / Maida: 3 cups
Whole wheat flour / Atta: 1 cup
Carum seeds / Ajwain seeds: 1/2 tbsp
Cumin seeds / Jeera: 1/2 tbsp
Dry Red chili: 5
Butter: 1 tbsp
Water
Salt
Oil

Method:
1) Take 1 tbsp of plain flour and mix with butter for 5 minutes. Mom calls this saati. Don't know its english equivalent.
2) Add 2 tbsp oil (heated) along with rest of flour and mix for 2 to 3 minutes. The flour becomes crumbly.
3) Mix this with saati and knead for 2 to 3 minutes.
4) Dry roast Ajwain seeds, cumin seeds and dry red chili. Once cool, grind it into fine powder and mix with above.
5) Add water, 1/2 tbsp salt and knead it into a dough.
6) Make balls of the dough and roll it into a circle like chapathi. The thickness should be like that of a puri.
7) Cut it into diamond shape.
8) Heat oil on medium, and deep fry the Shankarpole until it turns golden brown. Remove and place it in a container lined with tissue paper.
9) Do the same with the remaining dough
10) Once cool, transfer it into an air tight container
DONE!!!

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Amma Magala Kitchen: Onion Pakoda

Although I have been food blogging for over 4 years now, most of my recipes are inspired by friends or internet. Amma is easily my favorite cook and yet I did not know how to make her signature dishes as I hardly entered the kitchen when I was in India :) 
Now that amma is here, and I am on maternity leave, the time is ripe to learn some of her time tested delicious recipes that Nikki and I craved for. 
The next 3 to 4 months, I intend to get amma to make some of my childhood favorites and blog about it in the Amma Magala Kitchen Series :)

Onion pakoda is one of my favorite snacks. Although deep fried, it does not retain as much oil as a bonda would. Also, it stays fresh and crisp for days making it ideal for dinner parties where you are preparing a number of dishes and would like to get started a day or two earlier. 

Ingredients:
1 cup refined flour / maida
1/2 cup chickpea flour / besan
1/4 cup rice flour
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp ajwain powder
Pinch of asafoetida
1 onion: thinly sliced along length
2-3 curry leaves spring - finely chopped
1-2 tsp red chili powder
Salt
Oil 
Water

Method:
1. Mix all of the above ingredients (except oil, water and salt). Heat 2 tbsp oil and add it and mix once cool.
2, Mix ingredients to a thick paste with little water. Check for salt.
3. Heat oil for deep frying. Once hot enough, scoop out a teaspoon of batter and drop it into the oil. Depending on the size of the pan, you can drop in a few more pakodas.
4. Remove once the pakodas start to turn golden brown and place it on a paper towel. Repeat the same for remining batter
DONE!!!