Deep fried multi grain fritters: Bajji : Served with Turmeric root chutney

When I was in India last month, my mom prepared this mouth watering bajji for us. It was so yum... aah! . It just needs some time and your patience. but you will love it.

Here is the Ingredients you need for grains fritters :

Rice : 3/4 cup
Mung dal : 1/4 cup
Urad dal : 1/4 cup
Channa dal : 1/4 cup

Seasoning :
Cumin - 1 tsp
Coriander - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Grated Coconut - 2 Tbs
Coriander leaves or Cilantro - 1/4 cup
Green Chilly - 1/2 or per your taste (it does not catch that much spiciness, so be careful while adding the green chilly. : I just added 1/2 of it. because we are not a very spicy eater and it was just right for us)
Salt - per taste
Oil - 1 tsp + more  for frying

Method :

• Soak rice in a bowl for 2 hours
• Soak all other grains separately for 2 hours
• Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan, add cumin, coriander seeds, fry for few seconds, add mustard seeds.
• Once it starts to splatter, take it out of the heat and let it cool.
• First grind rice with less amount of water. Once it is slightly ground, add grains, coriander leaves, green chilly and the seasoning that we did in the pan.
• Grind to make a paste. Do not add much water. Make it like a thick Idli batter.
• Add salt and keep it aside for 1 hour.
• If the batter has become slightly thin or watery, you can add little bit of besan flour and keep it in the fridge for half an hour or so.
• Now heat lots of oil in the frying pan.
• Once the oil is pretty hot, just drop the spoon full of batter in the oil.
• Turn other side carefully after a minute.. fry until brown. Take it out of the oil once all the bubbles settled down. Place it on the paper towel to absorb extra oil.
• And serve.
• Enjoy the delicious hot bajji with butter or any chutney. I served this with Fresh turmeric roots chutney(below is the easy recipe for turmeric root chutney).

Turmeric Root Chutney Recipe:

Ingredients:
Turmeric roots - 2 inch, chopped roughly
Coriander Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
Sesame Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Coconut Powder - 1/2 Cup
Oil - 1/4 tsp
Salt
Red Chilly - 1 small
Jagary or Brown Sugar - 1 Tbs

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan
• Fry coriander seeds, Urad dal for few seconds, add sesame seeds, once it starts to splatter add the chopped turmeric roots and red chilly. Fry for couple of minutes.
• Grind this with coconut powder and water to make chutney.
• Now take this mixture in a pan, add salt and jagary to that.
• Bring it to boil on a medium flame heat, while whisking occasionally for couple of minutes.
• Serve this on rice or Dosa and any kind of bajji or fritters.
• You can store this chutney for 3-4 days.
• Enjoy.

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Deep fried multi grain fritters: Bajji : Served with Turmeric root chutney

Mac & Cheese , Seasoned Green beans and Fresh Salad with fresh Guacamole dip

The above title was today's lunch!. It is very healthy and delicious meal. I wanted to make Vighnesh and Arushi eat avocado somehow so I tried this guacamole and finally I am successful!.

Below are the recipes of the complete lunch plate. Enjoy and stay healthy.

1) Guacamole Dip :

Ingredients: Serving size 2 adults

Avocado - 1

Tomato - 1/2 finely chopped

Onion - 1 Tbs, finely chopped

Lime Juice of 1/2 lime

Tabasco sauce - 1/4 tbs or less ( optional)

Method:

•  Cut the avocado in to half; lengthwise.
•  Run the spoon close to the skin of avocado to remove the flesh of avocado.
• Remove the pit.
• Mash the avocado until your desired smoothness. Add the tomato and onion.
• Add the lime juice, salt and pepper and stir well.
•  Keep it aside.

Fresh Salad :

Chop all your favorite veggies to get your daily serving of vegetables.
I used : Thinly sliced carrots, couple of lettuce leaves, Thinly sliced red radishes, tomato and zucchini and some sprouted mung beans.

 

Seasoned Green Beans:

Recipe is here

And Finally Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:
Macaroni elbows pasta - 1 cup
Butter - 2 Tbs
Flour - 2 Tbs
Milk - 1 cup
Sharp cheddar cheese; shredded
Salt and pepper to taste
Yellow Mustard  - 1 tbs
Grated Zucchini - 1/2 cup
Breadcrumbs - 1/2 cup
Method :
• Cook pasta according to the package instruction.
• Meantime, heat butter in a pan, add the flour whisking continuously.
• Add milk and keep stirring to avoid lumps.
• Add the mustard, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of cheese, Mix it properly.
• Add the cooked pasta, zucchini.
• Pour this mixture into baking pan.
• Heat the oven to 350F
• Melt 1 tbs of butter and add the crumbs. mix it well until all get wet.
• Spread this over the pasta in the baking pan.
• Keep it in the lower rack and bake it for 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let it cook for 5 minutes before serving.
• You can serve this pasta with pasta sauce.

All put it together :

Our  healthy lunch plate Looked like this 

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Mac & Cheese , Seasoned Green beans and Fresh Salad with fresh Guacamole dip

Dahi Vada / Lentils balls in seasoned yogurt

Ingredients:

Mung dal   - 1 cup
Urad dal  - 1/2 cup
Salt - 3/4 tbs or to taste

Lightly beaten yogurt - 2-3 cups
Chat Masala - 2 tbs
Dates &Tamarind Chutney - 1 tbs (optional)
Green Chilly chutney - 1 tbs or to taste (optional)
Salt - 1 tbs
Roasted cumin powder - 1 tbs
Fresh coriander / Cilantro leaves - for garnishing
Water

Oil for deep frying

Method:

• Wash and Soak mung dal and urad dal for 6 hour or overnight.
• Grind them to thick paste with little or NO water. If it is difficult to grind, may be consider adding 1-2 tbs or water.
• Add salt and mix well.
• If the mixture has become little thin, add 1-2 tbs of besan or Channa flour.
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Once the oil is hot, carefully place a spoon full of batter in the oil.
• Fry until golden brown.
• Fry the entire batter in batches.
• 10 minutes before serving, place the fried balls into lightly salted water.
• Soak them for 5-7 minutes.
• Now, squeeze the balls to take out the entire water.
• Place the balls in the serving plate or bowl.
• Add salt, roasted cumin powder  and chat masala to lightly beaten yogurt or curd and mix it well.
• Pour this mixture on top of the balls. Add as much or little curd as you want.
• Garnish it with chat masala, tamarind chutney,cumin powder and green chutney.
• And finally sprinkle freshly chopped coriander or cilantro leaves.
• Enjoy the wonderful snack.

Variation:

1. You can either use mung dal or urad dal only.
2. The chutney are optional.

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Dahi Vada / Lentils balls in seasoned yogurt

Mung Sprouts

Sprouts are highly nutritious and enzymes which promotes the good health.  They are rich in digestible energy and rich in phyto chemicals, proteins and minerals.

According to Shipard (2005) - “Sprouts provide a good supply of Vitamins A, E & C plus B complex. Like enzymes, vitamins serve as bioactive catalysts to assist in the digestion and metabolism of feeds and the release of energy. They are also essential for the healing and repair of cells. However, vitamins are very perishable, and in general, the fresher the feeds eaten, the higher the vitamin content. The vitamin content of some seeds can increase by up to 20 times their original value within several days of sprouting. Mung Bean sprouts have B vitamin increases, compared to the dry seeds, of - B1 up 285%, B2 up 515%, B3 up 256%. Even soaking seeds overnight in water yields greatly increased amounts of B vitamins, as well as Vitamin C. Compared with mature plants, sprouts can yield vitamin contents 30 times higher.”

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Mung Sprouts