Spicy Crrunchy Appe…. A delicious way to use leftover Idli batter!
Method:
Add finely chopped onions, tomatoes, dhania, green chillies to left over Idli batter. Pour in a chaunk of rai and chopped Kari patta. Adjust salt and cook in an appe pan using a few drops of oil. Serve hot with fresh Nariyal chutney!
Healthy Sabudana Vadas….made in the appe pan!
Method:
Mix soaked microwaved sabudana with mashed potatoes, crushed peanuts, salt, red chili pwdr, chopped green chillies and dhania. shape onto balls…and make in appe / mini pancake pan….low fat, non fried healthy!
Healthy Non-Fried Dahi ki Pakori made in the appe pan!
Method:
Soak moong daal for 2-3 hours. Grind to a fine paste along with ginger & green chillies, with very little water. Beat with a hand beater till light & fluffy! Heat appe pan and spray with a little oil. Drop spoonfuls of daal batter in each hole. Ccok till golden. Flip and cook on other side too. Now soak in hot salted water for 15-20 minutes. Squeeze and soak in dahi. Sprinkle with red chilli and bhuna jeera powder! Serve with imli ki chutney!
PS: you may add 1/2 tsp eno, to make them more light n airy!
Crunchy Onion Pakoras in Appe Pan!
Method:
Thinly slice onions. Add finely chopped dhania and green chillies. Add minimal besan, salt, red chili,pwdr and amchur and a good pinch of baking pwdr. Sprinkle a little water…just enough to bind into a cohesive mix. Heat appe pan, with a drop of oil in each cavity. Drop spoonfuls of onion mix into each cavity. Cook on medium low till golden…serve hot with spicy green chutney!
Harissa flavored Koftas……inspired by Moroccan flavors!
Method:
For the meatballs/koftas
In a bowl, lightly mix chicken mince, very finely chopped onions, celery, red bell peppers, egg, bread crumbs, Harissa paste, salt, coriander pwdr, nutmeg, coarsely pounded walnuts and finely chopped cranberries/ raisins. Form into medium size balls, and cook on a medium hot pan till golden on all sides. At this point they can be served as a cocktail appetizer! Or if you want you can use them as koftas in a curry.
For the curry
Heat oil add a bay leaf, finely chopped garlic and onions. Sauté till they acquire some color. Then add tomatoes and cook till it reduces considerably. Then add Harissa paste and salt and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add a generous slosh (or two of wine… )and simmer for a few minutes. Add a little water if needed and Lastly add the koftas, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, sprinkle with chopped parsley/cilantro and serve hot with kulcha!
For the Harissa paste:
Courtesy: Shimpa
Soak 100 gms dry red chillies in hot water for about an hour…or till soft. Drain and keep aside Roast 1 heaped tsp each of cumin seeds and coriander seeds. Now grind the above ingredients with 4-5 cloves of garlic along with a good measure of olive oil to a fine paste. Store in an airtight bottle in the refrigerator…..for up to a month!
Lauki Paneer koftas made in the appe pan!
Method:
For the Koftas:
Grate Lauki, squeeze out as much juice as possible (which can be used to make delicious jeera rice or added to atta to make a nutritious dough). Add grated paneer, minced ginger, green chillies, salt, red chili pwdr, a tbsp of cream and a little besan for binding. Shape into balls and cook on the appe pan using a few drops of oil. Slip into gravy just before serving. Heat through and serve garnished with freshly chopped dhania!
For the gravy...
Heat oil add jeera,1 tsp soaked ground khus khus and some grated ginger, sauté for a few seconds. Add pureed tomato, haldi, salt, red chilli pwdr, garammasala and sauté, add cream and sauté till masala leaves oil. Then add water to create a thin gravy. When ready to serve…. Heat gravy, add koftas and boil for 2 minutes…. Do not overcook or you might break the delicate koftas! Serve with soft rotis or jeera rice.
PS: my 6 year old son loved eating them with ketchup….calling them veggi meatballs!!
My Go to Recipe for Tomato Rasam
Courtesy: Radha Natarajan S
Ingredients
1 small berry size Tamarind
4 small Tomatoes
1 1/2 – 2 tbsp Toor dal
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste
A few leaves of Kari patta
For the rasam masala
(Dry roast & grind)
2 tsp Coriander Seeds
1 tsp ghee
2 tsp toor dal
1 tsp pepper
2 red dry chillis
½ tsp cumin seeds
Method:
Soak the tamarind in 1 and 1/2 cup warm water and extract the juice. pressure cook the toor daal in 1 and 1/2 cup water and mash to pulp. Heat the tamarind juice along with 2 tomatoes chopped and 2 tomatoes puréed, salt, haldi, hing and a few leaves of karipatta. Boil till it starts foaming and raw smell disappears. Now add the cooked daal and about 3 cups water and bring to boil again. Next add the fresh rasam masala and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Give tempering of ghee with rai and Kari patta. Garnish with chopped dhania,..done!
These Creative ideas are inspired by Kritika Shrinivas, Sanju Puri, Shimpa Rathore and Ruchi Goyal!