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!!!

Potato bun/ Aloo bun

Ingredients:
For the bread:
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
1 tsp yeast
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp milk
3/4 cup water
Oil

For the potato filling:
See potato palya

Method:
1) Warm the milk if cold, add yeast, sugar, salt and keep aside for 5 minutes.
2) Mix this with all purpose flour, wheat flour, baking soda and melted butter.
3) Add about half a cup water and knead the dough. If need be add more water as required and knead the dough. Keep it in a container. Cover it with cling wrap and keep aside for about 2 hours in a sunny spot.
4) After two hours, need the dough and divide it into 8 balls.
5) Take a ball and roll it into 4-5 inch circle. Tip: Make the edges thinner.
6) Place 2-3 Tbsp of potato filling in the centre and wrap the edges to cover the filling and seal it.
7) Place it in a baking tray and brush oil on it. Do the same for rest of the balls.
8) Pre-heat over at 180C and place baking tray in the oven. After 15 mins, quickly remove from oven and brush oil again (optional). Bake for another 5 minutes.
9) Remove from oven, allow it to cool.
DONE!!! :)
Serve with hot chai :) :)

Submitted this at yeastspotting :) :)

Maddur vada

Ingredients:
1 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup Maida or all purpose flour
1/2 cup fine semolina
1/4 cup rice flour
1/4 cup oil
10 curry leaves finely chopped
2 sprigs of coriander finely chopped
2-3 green chilli
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 Tbsp grated coconut
Oil for frying
Salt
Water

Method:
1) Grind chilli, cumin seeds and coconut into fine paste. Mix with all the ingredients listed above - except oil, water and salt
2) Heat up oil, add it to the paste above and keep it aside for 5 minutes. Mix it all up once the oil has cooled. Check for salt. Keep it aside for 15 minutes
3) If the dough is dry - add not more than 1/4 cup of water. If it becomes too soggy - it will be tough to fry it.
4) Heat oil for deep frying. Reduce it to medium heat.
5) Cut baking paper into a square - big enough for a maddur vada. Oil it. Take a fistful of dough and pat it into a circle. Dont make it too thin else it will be crispy like a nippat :)
6) Place the maddur vada carefully and deep fry it until it is golden brown on both sides
DONE!!!

Serve with corainder mint chutney

Mangalooru gole bajje

Ingredients (Serves 4):
6 Tbsp Maida
1 Tbsp besan (chickpea flour)
1 Tbsp rice flour
2 green chilli - finely diced
1/2 medium sized onion - finely chopped
2 sprigs of curry leaves - finely chopped
1 tsp ginger - finely grated
4 Tbsp yoghurt
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp baking soda
Pinch of asofoetida
1 tsp salt
Water (if required)
Oil for frying

Method:
1) Mix all the above ingredients and knead. Consistency should be like that of a dough. Add water if yoghurt is thick.
2) Heat oil in a frying pan (medium heat). Once, oil has heated up sufficiently, take a lemon-sized dough and  drop it into the pan. Fry until it turns golden brown. Do the same for the rest.
DONE!!!

Serve with chutney..

Gobi Manchurian

Ingredients (Serves 2):
For the gobi:
3 cups cauliflower florets (Soaked in hot water for 5mins)
6 Tbsp all purpose flour (maida)
3 Tbsp corn flour
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp salt
Oil for deep frying


For the gravy:
1 Tbsp oil
1 medium sized onion
3 green chilli
4-5 coriander sprigs - finely chopped
2 garlic cloves - finely diced
1 chickpea sized ginger finely diced
1 Tbsp chilli sauce
1 tsp sweet chilli sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp tomato ketchup/pizza sauce

Method:
1) Mix corn flour, maida, salt and chilli powder in a bowl. Add sufficient water to make the batter like dosa batter.
2) Heat oil in a deep bottomed frying pan (medium heat). Dip the cauliflower florets in the batter and fry until golden brown.

Gravy:
1) Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a wok. Add garlic and fry until they turn golden brown. Add ginger, onion, green chilli and fry for a minute or two.
2) Add all the sauce mentioned above - let it cook for a minute. Add the cauliflower florets and fry for a minute.
3) Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.
DONE!!
For crispier Gobi Manchurian - a pinch of soda can be added.