POTATO PANCAKES

                   POTATO PANCAKES

                                                       (Yield: 7 Pancakes)

Grated potatoes mixed with green chilies, coriander leaves, ginger, garlic and lemon juice added to balance the sweetness of the potatoes and very little amount of coarse flour is added to bind grated potatoes and shallow fried on both sides until golden brown and crisp.

Potato pancakes are great for breakfast.

These pancakes make a pretty good midday snack too.

INGREDIENTS:

·      1 Large Potato, peeled and grated (slightly more than 1 cup grated potatoes) DO NOT SQUEEZE THE WATER OUT FROM THE GRATED POTATO. Flour will absorb extra moisture.

·      1-2 Green Chilies or as per taste, chopped

·      2-3 T Coriander Leaves, finely chopped

·      1 tsp. Ginger, grated, grate on the smaller hole of the grater

·      1 tsp. Garlic, pressed through the garlic press

·      1/3 tsp. Kashmiri Red Chili Powder

·      Salt as per taste

·      ½ tsp. Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

·      1 ½ T Handvo Flour (You can use Dhokla Flour or Coarse Corn Flour/Corn Meal too)

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·      2 tsp. Oil to roast pancakes

·      You will also need mini uttapam pan/tava (if you do have mini uttapam pan then use flat heavy bottom non stick pan)

LET’S COOK:

Make all prep ready then grate potato to avoid grated potato turning dark/red.

Chop green chilies and coriander leaves.

Grate ginger and press garlic through a garlic press.

Place non stick mini uttapam pan on stove on medium low heat.

Peel and grate potatoes (AVOID GRATING IT TOO THIN AND DO NOT SQUEEZE WATER FROM GRATED POTATO) and mix all ingredients in bowl and mix lightly.

Drizzle few drops of oil in pan and let it heat.

Take a small portion of potato mixture and carefully spread it on the pan.

Drizzle few drops of oil around the pancake edge.

Once bottom turns golden brown carefully flip pancakes and drizzle few drops of oil around the edge to make bottom side golden brown and crispy.

Cook until both sides are golden brown and crispy.

Place on a plate lined with paper towel to absorb extra oil.

Serve hot Potato Pancakes with Mint Raita.

It can also be served with Ketchup.

Enjoy…

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FOR FASTING:

Use Rajgara Flour or any other fasting flour like singoda flour instead of handvo flour.

SCHEZWAN/SZECHUAN/SICHUAN STYLE VEGETABLE HOT AND SOUR SOUP

            SCHEZWAN/SZECHUAN/SICHUAN  

        STYLE VEGETABLE HOT AND

                       SOUR SOUP

                                                          (Serves 3)

This is an Indo-Chinese Hot and sour soup. Nothing beats the winter chill like a steaming bowl of soup. This soup is so delicious and comforting that you’ll love the cold weather. You can add vegetables of your choice to make this Indian style Chinese Soup.

INGREDIENTS:

·      1 T Sesame Oil or 1 T Canola Oil or 1 T Butter (I used Canola Oil)

·      1 cm size Ginger, thinly sliced

·      1 medium size Garlic, finely chopped

·      1/3 cup Onions, finely chopped

·      ½ cup Carrots, thinly sliced

·      1/8 cup French Beans, finely chopped

·      ½ cup Cabbage, finely chopped

·      ¼ cup Green Bell Pepper, finely chopped

·      ¼ cup Corn fresh or frozen (I used frozen), boiled

·      2-3 sprigs of Coriander Leaves, chopped

·      2 cups Vegetable Stoke or Water (I used water)

·      1 ½ tsp. Corn Starch + 3 T Water

·      1 ½ T Schezwan Sauce

·      1 ½ T Tomato Ketchup

·      2 tsp. Duck Sauce (Duck Sauce is a sweet fruit puree, you can use any sweet fruit puree sauce)

·      1 tsp. Soy Sauce

·      1 tsp. Sugar or as per taste

·      Salt as per taste

·      2 tsp. White Vinegar or vinegar of your choice

·      1 Pinch Black Pepper Powder

·      Scallion, green part only for garnishing

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LET’S COOK:

Heat oil in a pan/wok on medium heat.

Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry for few seconds.

Ad chopped onions and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.

Add carrots and French beans and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.

Add cabbage and green bell pepper and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.

Add boiled corn and chopped coriander leaves and stir-fry until carrots turn tender. Add salt and mix.

Add 2 cups of water and cornstarch–water mixture and bring soup to boil.

Add schezwan sauce, tomato ketchup, duck sauce, soy sauce and sugar and cook for 2 minutes.

Switch off the heat and add white vinegar and black pepper powder and mix.

Transfer in a serving bowl and garnish with green part of scallions.

Soup tastes best-served hot/warm.

Enjoy…

NOTE:

You could add Fresh Button Mushrooms, Sprouts, Tofu Strip etc.Click on the link below to like my "RASOI" Page.

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CHORA FALI

                                                      CHORA FALI  

                                       (Yield: 14-15 Chora Fali Poori)

Chora Fali is a very festive snack, prepared during the Diwali. Chora Fali is a crispy savory snack; goes best with besan kadhi chutney, mint raita and even with Masala Chai/Tea.         

INGREDIENTS:

·      1 cup Besan Flour/Bengal Gram Flour

·      1/3 cup Chora Flour/Cowpeas Flour (also known as Black Eyed Peas Flour)

·      1/3 cup Urad Flour (also known as Black Matpe Beans Flour)

·      ¾ tsp. Salt or as per taste

·      ¼ tsp. + 2 pinches of Baking Soda (Traditionally Papad Khar is added in the recipe but I used Arm and Hammer Baking Soda and result was amazing)

·      1/8 tsp. Turmeric Powder (OPTIONAL) I used it.

·      ¼ tsp. Kashmiri Red Chili Powder (OPTIONAL) I used it.

·      2 T Oil

·      Luke Warm water as needed to make tough dough

·      1-teaspoon oil to rub on dough balls.

·      1-2 teaspoons urad flour to dust/coat dough balls.

·      Oil for deep frying

·      Mixture of 2 tsp. Kashmiri Red Chili Powder and 1 tsp. Black Salt (Use Chat Masala if you do not have black salt), to sprinkle on hot fried chora fali

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LET’S FRY:

In a bowl combine all three flours and mix well. Keep aside.

In a separate small bowl combine salt, baking soda, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder and oil and 3 tablespoon warm water and whisk to form emulsion type liquid.

Add oil water mixture into the flour and mix.

Add extra water as needed to make tough dough. At this point dough might be dry but after pounding it dough will turn smooth like play dough.

Now place dough in tough zip lock bag (may be double the bag if necessary) and pound dough with KITCHEN HAMMER (Do not use metal tool box hammer else you will crack floor or kitchen counter) until smooth play dough consistency dough forms.

Once dough turns smooth roll it into a big cylinder/pipe and with knife cut it into 15 equal parts.

Sprinkle some oil and roll all balls.

Sprinkle some dry urad flour and coat all balls with flour to avoid sticking with each other and keep them covered with lid in bowl for 15-20 minutes.

Rub 1 to 2 drops of oil on rolling surface and roll each dough ball into a THIN poori.

Keep it covered to avoid getting it dry. Keep plastic wrap/sheet between each poori to avoid sticking with each other while you finish rolling rest of all dough balls.

Meanwhile heat enough oil in dip pan on medium heat.

DO NOT CUT POORI COMPLETELY INTO STRIPS.

Cut poori with pizza cutter or knife into ¾” wide strips LEAVING BOTH EDGE OF THE POORI INTACT for easy flipping/frying of chora fali.

Once oil is hot place cut poori in hot oil and flip within 5-6 seconds and fry other side for 5-6 seconds only or until light golden brown in color.

Sprinkle mixture of Kashmiri red chili powder and black salt on hot fried chora fali as soon as you take it out from the fryer.

Repeat with rest of all chora fali balls.

Snap chora fali poori with both hands to separate strips of chora fali.

Store in an airtight container, it should stay good for 1 to 2 weeks.

Enjoy…

Hope you will enjoy making this snack for this Diwali.

VARIATION:

Instead of mixing 3 separate flours, use store bought chrafali flour.Click on the link below to like my "RASOI" Page.
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