Healthy Oven-Baked "Fried Idli" With Veggies

Day4: "Fried Idli" is a popular snack/appetizer in Tamil Nadu. I called my dear friend SP to borrow the recipe of her "deep fried" version that I ate last summer.If I am remembering it from last summer, it must be really something,right? She is an instinctive cook and as I listened she ball-parked the ingredients. I told her that won't work cause I need to type a recipe with accurate/near accurate ingredient proportions. The next time I go over to her place, I will observe how she makes it and write up another post. Meanwhile I was scouring the internet for a baked alternative. I was inspired by a recipe from Mye's Recipe Corner. So I used Mye's recipe for baked Idli as a base recipe and built another recipe on top of her's by adding some veggies and masala.

#4 in my LustList: Buccelati White Gold and Diamond Bracelet (US $59, 500. 00)

This no doubt will be the perpetual object of my desire. The astronomical price tag makes it near impossible for me to even think about buying.Unless me and hubby win a lotto or something. Even if Hubby goes loco and decides to get it for me, I would never say yes. I would rather he invest it on real-estate or something. **Sigh**

Now onto the recipe-

Ingredients:

• Idli Batter,  to make 3 plates of mini-Idlis(54#s)

For the Idli Marination:

• 1 Tsp Chili Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Garam Masala
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1/2 Tsp Salt or as needed

For the Idli Fry With Veggies:

• 2 Cups Julienned Mixed Vegetable(Carrot, Red Pepper, Green Pepper, Cubanelle Pepper)
• 1 Small Red Onion, thinly sliced
• 2 Small Tomatoes, pureed
• 3-4 Green Chilies
• 1 Tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
• 1/2 Tsp Garam Masala Powder
• 1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder
• 2 Tbsp Oil
• Salt as needed
• Cilantro for Garnish

Procedure:

• Grease the Idli Molds with little oil and fill the wells with Idli batter using spoons. It is a bit time consuming but the cooked mini-idlis are super cute!

• Steam the Idlis for about 10 minutes. The cooking procedure is the same as the other Idli Recipe I posted the other day.

• Make the marinade in a wide shallow bowl. Remove the Idlis from the mold and when they are relatively warm, add to the bowl. Stir the Idlis to coat with the marinade. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes.

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange the marinated Idlis in the baking sheet in a single layer and bake in the middle rack for 20 minutes.

• After baking, it comes out crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

• In a Kadai (Preferably Cast Iron), add oil.  Soon after add the julienned vegetable and fry until the tips are slightly browned. Remove to a  plate. No need to add too much oil. If the Cast Iron pan is properly seasoned, the browning effect is achieved with less oil.

• In the same pan, add a little oil and brown the sliced onions. Remove to a plate.

• In the same Kadai, add little oil, then add ginger-garlic paste and the green chilies. Follow-up with pureed tomatoes. Add the powders and salt. 

• Once the mixture reaches a gravy consistency, add the baked Idli and the browned vegetables + onions.

• Quickly stir to combine and switch off the stove in 2 minutes.

• Transfer this yummy appetizer to a plate and eat while it is still piping hot with a cup of Chai.

Similar Idli Recipe- Masala Pan-Fried Idli Recipe with Pepper and Peas-

Paneer can be substituted instead of Idlis: Healthy Kadai Paneer

Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#15

Enjoy!

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Celery And Salmon Stuffed Sweet Mini-Peppers

Mini sweet peppers are available in abundance during Summer. But about a month ago when I tagged along with DH to go shop @ Costco, I was pleasantly surprised to find bags of these cuties. MIL was also with us and she was asking me to prepare a nice and spicy treat for snacking.

I set out to make this appetizer/snack without a clue of what I wanted to stuff these peppers with. I just built this dish up just like how one builds a resume. So whatever I had in the fridge and freezer ended up as a stuffing -- A lone celery stick, a few chopped onions, cherry peppers,a stale bread slice and a few frozen salmon fillets. How did it turn out? Yum-O, if I have to say so myself. LoL

Ingredients:

• 13-15#s Sweet Mini-Peppers
• 3 Palm-sized Salmon Fillets, cleaned and dried on paper towels
• 4 or less/more B&G Hot Cherry Peppers, roughly chopped (I always have them in stock. I am addicted to these)
• 1 Celery Stick, thinly sliced
• 4-5 Tbsp Chopped Onions
• 1 Slice Stale White-Bread, toasted and crumbed
• Cracked  Black Pepper, as needed
• Salt for taste
• Olive Oil for cooking

Procedure:

• Sprinkle cracked pepper and salt on the fillets. 

• In a thick bottomed saute pan, add little oil and sear the salmon on both sides, 2 minutes per side. Do not fully cook the salmon. They will have a chance to get fully cooked when they are stuffed into the peppers.

• Cool and crumble the salmon. Set aside.

• Clean the peppers.Keep the crown intact,slit the peppers without completely cutting them open. Remove the seeds and membranes using a spoon. 

• Chop the hot cherry peppers. 

• In the saute pan, add little oil and saute the chopped onions, celery and hot cherry peppers. 

• Switch off the stove. Transfer the crumbled salmon to the pan. 

• Add the bread crumbs and mix well.Add salt and pepper if needed. This is the stuffing. 

• Stuff the peppers with this filling. Add 2-3 tbsp of oil to the pan.Brown the stuffed peppers in the pan, 3-4 minutes per side. Close the lid and cook until it starts to wrinkle. 

• Flip the peppers gently from side to side until there are brown spots. 

• When they peppers start to wrinkle and there are plenty of brown spots on the pepper it is an indication that its done.. 

• Enjoy this filling peppers as an appetizer or a snack! 

Vegetarian Alternative:

•  Cottage Cheese, Potato Stuffed Mini Peppers "Shimla Barwa Mirch"

•  Moroccan, Couscous, Spinach and Raisins Stuffed Peppers

Enjoy!

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Shades of Gray + Banana Blossoms Pakoda/Pakora

Day7of BM#10: I am very emotional today. Emotional, bleak, hopeless and utterly bereft.Color me Gray-Thundercloud Gray.. Tornado Funnel Gray.. Gloomy Day Gray. Here is why -
Today, a few minutes before noon, a half-an-hour before lunch -- I get a phone call from my buddy. I didn't pick up the first time. She gives me a buzz again. As I pick up my cell to attend her call,I was wondering why someone who is at work seemed so intent on reaching me..There was a reason.She then dropped a bomb on me -- That our closest friend's toddler is dead.  A million questions arise on my mind- What? Who? When? Why? Why god why? Hell no..NO NO NO NO..She couldn't have lost her precious son..a son for whom she almost knocked at death's door delivering him to the world. A child who was her hope for a "brighter tomorrow"..I was in a complete daze. I continued work like an automaton while my mind was wondering if I heard it right. When my brain finally unfroze a multitude of emotions assault me.. brutally!!!

First came the anger - Anger at the gods, the unfairness and the way my buddy was dealt with such a cruel cruel blow.The kind of anger that makes one shaky like a leaf caught at crosswinds... an anger that makes every nerve of a being twitch uncontrollably. Second came the hatred -- Hatred, intense yet a "fleeting" hatred at the buddy who delivered me the news-she who burst the perfect bubble of mine called "Sweet November, Post Thanksgiving"- the harbinger of melancholy that soon followed . Next came the tears, like a dam burst. I ordered my brain to control it...to keep it in check until lunch break and then lose it. Cause at work, emotions don't come to play.

Lunchtime came and I headed to the restroom. I gave in to what my heart and mind wanted.. seek comfort by shedding tears. Then I took a walk. The cold and crisp air kissing my face was a poor poor consolation. But it composed and calmed the turmoil that was running rife inside of me and I went back to work. Evening came and grief promptly descended on me with its swift wings. I was a big mess..as I drove back home, I was cursing the fate for messing with the order of things -- parents losing a child is a big NO NO. Just thinking of what my friend must be going through was enough to break my heart anew.

Lastly came acceptance -- Acceptance that the pattern in the fabric of our life is intricately woven by a much higher power and things don't always happen in a favorable way.Especially for us mere mortals who are at the receiving end.But I tell you that I do come to that conclusion with a bleeding heart. A heart that sincerely wishes for a safe deliverance of the precious and innocent little soul, snatched wayyy before it had a chance to flourish and take root, into the safe hands of the Almighty. A heart that prays to God to give strength and courage to my friend and her family to overcome this unimaginable loss. Lil S, Rest in Peace. 

Please love your family like there is no tomorrow..especially the kids, cause they are the real asset to the parents, a true apple of one's eye(s).

I wasn't in the mood to blog as it was the last thing on my mind but this was already ready in the draft and I wanted to pour my emotions somewhere that were like a bubbling cauldron inside of me -

Anyways here is what I made for BM#10:

• Day1 - Vegan Pumpkin,Applesauce and Double Chocolate Muffins
• Day2 - Baked Tandoori Chicken from scratch
• Day3 - Spicy Apple and Red Pepper Chutney
• Day4 - Paneer and Veggies Kofta Curry
• Day5 - Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread
• Day6 - Pan Fried Masala Salmon
• Day7 - Crispy Banana Blossoms Pakora/Pakoda

On a lighter note - Way7 To Maintain A Healthy Level of Insanity (and a bonus):

• When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking Lot, Yelling "Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!"
• Tell Your Children Over Dinner. "Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go."

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Split Chickpea/Bengal Gram, soaked for 3-4 hours prior to grinding
• 3/4 Cup Cleaned Banana Blossoms
• 2-3 Medium Garlic Cloves
• ¼ inch Ginger, peeled
• ½ Cup Cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp Mint, finely chopped
• 2 Stalks Curry Leaves, finely chopped
• 6-7 or less/more Green Chili, finely sliced
• 1/4 Tsp Fennel Seeds, roughly ground
• Salt for taste
• Vegtable Oil for deep frying

Learn how to clean the Banana Blossoms here.

Procedure:

• Soak the split chick pea in little water along with garlic cloves and ginger.Grind to a coarse/gritty paste without water.

• Soak the cleaned Banana Blossoms in little Buttermilk and Water mixture. This delays the discoloration of the blossoms. Completely drain it of moisture and add it to a bowl.

• Add the drained banana blossoms, ground split chickpea, finely chopped cilantro, mint, chilies, fennel seeds and salt.

• Combine all of them together. Heat the oil in a wok/kadai/dutch oven.

• Drop small lumps of the mixture into the hot oil using hands.

• Deep fry until its light brown.

• Drain the Pakora/Pakoda on a paper-towel lined plate.

• Move it to a serving bowl and have it as a snack or appetizer.

Similar Recipes @PGKC, FYI -

Banana Blossoms Fritters:

Cabbage Pakora/Pakoda:

 

Enjoy!

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Spicy Lentil Ball Pancakes/South-Indian Aebleskiver "Kaara Paniyaram"

Day4 of BM9: So many lentil recipes in a row, right? But what can I say, I am big on Lentils, Legumes and such. I did tell you I was raised a Vegetarian till I was 17-ish.. So I am used to eating greens and lentils on a daily basis. And old habits die hard. The fact that its the holy "vegetarian food only" month(Protaasi Maatham) according to the Tamil Calendar doesn't help either. I am beginning to crave for meat and poultry but its bad manners to give-up "the fast" and give-in to temptation when my in-laws are steadfastly sticking to it. Hubby sneaked in chicken pot-pie for my son. MIL was okay with it cause Lil A is too young to start fasting and such. He constantly asks for chicken nugget and chicken pot-pie.Now to be young and care-free...I wanna be in his shoes!

Anyways, back to the main topic which is the "Spicy Spherical Pancakes".This is a very popular breakfast or snack item in rural TamilNadu. The batter is versatile and allows one to make it into a crepe if one desires it.Batches and batches of these yummy, spicy spherical darlings straight from the pan to plate to mouth is pure bliss, especially on a rainy, gloomy and windy day. These ball pancakes/paniyaram don't need a thing besides a healthy appetite.

Ingredients:

• Olive Oil for cooking 

For the Basic Batter

• 2-1/2 Cups "Ponni" Raw Rice
• 1-1/2 Cups Split Pigeon Peas "Tuvar Dhal"
• 5 Dry Red chilies or less/more
• 1 Tbsp Coriander Seeds (Whole)
• 1" Ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 8 Small cloves of Garlic
• 1/2 Tsp Fennel seeds,optional

Additions to the batter:

• 1 Cup Chopped Cilantro, packed
• 4-5 Stalks Curry Leaves, finely chopped
• 1 large Onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder

Tool:

• Aebleskiver or Paniyaram Pan or Pancake Puff Pan 

Procedure:

• Soak the Rice and Tuvar dhal for 2-3 hours. Grind it along with all other ingredients under the "The Basic Batter". The batter should not be ground into a smooth paste. It should be 90% ground and 10% gritty.

• Add the ingredients from under "the additions to a batter" and mix it with enough water. The consistency of the batter should be "runny". Comparatively speaking, it should be runnier than that of the Dosa batter.

• Stir in the salt and keep it ready. If you feel that salt is less, it can be added at any point in time.

• Heat the Aebleskiver/Paniyaram Pan and pour little oil into the well of the pan.

• Once the pan is hot and the oil is warm, ladle in the batter. Let it cook for a minute.

• Using the "wooden tool that comes with the pan" flip the little darlings and let it cook for a minute or so.The wooden tool looks like a dagger that narrows from a spatula to a sharp point!

• The ball pancakes are ready to be removed from the pan if they are evenly browned and crispy on all sides.

• Move it to a hot pack and repeat the above 3 steps for the remaining batter.Enjoy it as is. Since there is so much going for them already they can be eaten as is. Yes, yes,these darlings are a standalone snack or breakfast/brunch item.

Note:

• The pancakes lose the crunch if they cool down. So they taste best when they are hot and crispy in texture.FYI, they taste like lentils too.
• The texture of the batter is important. It has to be 90% ground and 10% gritty. If you rub the batter between your thumb and forefinger you should be able to feel the granular texture.
• The batter cannot be thick. It will have to be runny...much runnier than a dosa batter. Else when you flip the pancakes to cook on the other side, it will leave hollow spots on one side of the spheres, like in the picture. If you see a batch of these ugly hollow spheres add slightly more water to the batter and try it again.

Makes nearly 80 "Ball Pancakes"

A similar recipe, but made with entirely Rice Batter and with peanut chutney.as a side.:

Enjoy!

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