Chickpea Cutlets with Guacamole

Ingredients:

Chickpea(channa) - 1 cup, soaked in water for 8 hours

Potato(skin peeled) - 1

Bread  Crumbs - 1/2 cup

Coriander leaves - chopped, a handful

Salt - according to taste

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala powder - 3/4 tsp

Chili powder - 1 tsp

Method:

Pressure cook chickpea and potato together until soft and done. Set aside and let it cool. Drain the water and add spice powders, coriander leaves and salt. Add half of the bread crumbs to the chickpea mixture and spread the rest in a plate. Mash the mixture with your hand well. Form balls, flatten, coat both sides with bread crumbs.

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a flat non stick pan. Place cutlets, drizzle a few drops of oil around the corners and shallow fry on one side for about 3-4 minutes or til golden brown on low flame. Flip them around, drizzle few drops of oil and fry till golden brown for 3 minutes (on low flame).

Serve hot with tomato sauce or guacamole (recipe follows).

Guacamole

Ingredients:

Avocados - 1
Red onion - 1/4 cup, finely chopped

Garlic - 1 clove, minced(optional)

Ripe tomato - 1/4 cup, finely chopped

Lime Juice - 2 tbspns

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

Peel and mash avocados in a medium serving bowl. Stir in onion, garlic, tomato, lime juice, salt and pepper. Chill for half an hour to blend flavors.

Curry Leaves Kulambu

Ingredients:

Tamarind - 1 small lemon sized

Curry leaves - 1/2 cup, tightly packed

Sāmbar powder - 1 1/2 tbspns

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Small onion/Shallots - 5-7 nos., finely chopped

Garlic 10-12 flakes, chopped

Salt - as needed

Jaggery - a small piece

Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp

To temper:

Gingely oil/cooking oil -  2 tbspns

Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Toor dal - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - a few (optional)

Method:

Wash curry leaves and grind it with little water to a smooth paste.

Extract tamarind juice from tamarind.

Heat a kadai with oil and add the mustard seeds. As soon as they crackle add urad dal, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and then toor dal and fry till golden colour.

Add the finely chopped onions and garlic and fry till golden brown.

Add the tamarind extract, ground curry leaves paste, turmeric, salt, sambar powder.

Add enough water and boil till oil separates and floats on the top. Add jaggery and pepper powder lastly and give a boil.

Mix with rice and ghee/sesame oil and enjoy!!

Recipe Courtesy: Rak's Kitchen

Roasted Garlic and Broccoli Soup

Ingredients: (Makes about 3 cups)

Broccoli - 2 cups

Low fat milk/cream - ½ cup

Curry powder (optional) - ½ tbspn

Fresh ground pepper - ½ tbspn

Roasted garlic - 3 cloves

Salt according to taste

Method:

Cut the  garlic pod horizontally into two.

In the Oven;

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Rub olive oil on the cut side of garlic and wrap them completely in aluminum foil.

Place the foil on the lower rack of the oven for about 20 minutes.

Turn of the oven after 20 minutes and allow garlic to rest for few more minutes.

Once its cool, you can squeeze the garlic and it falls of the skin.

On the Stove Top;

Rub olive oil on the cut side of the garlic and wrap them in aluminium foil. Hold the foil directly on the flame(or you can place the foil directly on the flame if you are using induction stove), till the nice aroma of the garlic comes. Turn off the stove and allow garlic to rest and remove the skins.

Pressure cook broccoli in a cooker with salt. When broccoli is cooked, blend the broccoli into creamy consistency. Now transfer the pureed broccoli to a soup pan and add milk and the roasted garlic. Now add pepper and allow it boil for 4-5 minutes.

Remove from heat and serve hot with Croutons.

Linking it to : Cooking with SJ announcement and simplyvegetarian777 announcement for the Soups with SS event

Pori Urundai(Rice Puffs Balls)

Ingredients:

Puffed rice(Pori) - 4 & 1/2 Cups(approx)

Jaggery - 1/2 cup

Cardamom - 1 no.

Water - a little to immerse jaggery

Ghee - to grease hands

Method:

Powder the jaggery and heat it with water just to immerse it in a broad vessel.

After it completely dissolves, filter it in a cloth or metal strainer to remove impurities.

Add cardamom powder to it and heat the syrup till it reaches a consistency of rolling ball. To check for the correct consistency, take water in a bowl and drop a few drops of syrup in the bowl. If the syrup doesnt dissolve immediately and able to form a loose ball and hold its shape, then the syrup is in the correct consistency.

Keep the fire in low, when the consistency is about to reach.

When the specified consistency is reached, remove immediately and add the puffed rice slowly and mix it until all the syrup in the bottom of the vessel disappears and the mixture should not stick in the hands. If its too sticky, then add more puffed rice to it and mix again.

Grease both the hands with ghee, and roll tightly into balls of your desired size.

Tips:

Roasted sesame seeds and coconut pieces can also be added.

If the mixture hardens while making balls, heat the mixture in the stove for less than a minute and roll again.

Recipe Courtsey: Rak's Kitchen