Onion Pakoda | Erulli Pakoda | Deep-fried Snacks |

Onion Pakoda - Erulli Pakoda

Onion/Erulli Pakoda is the most favorable snack in our family. My mom prepares this pakoda even now and it has the same lip-smacking taste, years (read decades) of practice I must say. She tries a lot of variations every now and then with the available veggies to satisfy our ever changing palate.
Recently, I prepared this dish for my husband's office potluck party. Everyone loved it and was a big hit, no doubt. My recipe for you to try and satisfy your deep-fried food craving on rainy/snowy cold winter days along with a hot java or tea, etc.

Ingredients

Onion - 1 (thinly chopped lengthwise)
Chickpea flour - 3/4 cup (also known as Besan, as required to match the correct moisture in the mixture)
Fine Semolina - 1/4 cup (also known as Chiroti Rave in Kannada)
Rice flour - 2 tbsp (also known as Akki Hittu in Kannada)
Carom seeds - 2 tsp
Green chillies - 3 (minced)
Ginger - 1 inch (grated)
Curry leaves - 20 leaves (roughly torn or chopped)
Cilantro - 2 tbsp (thinly chopped)
Mint leaves - 2 sprig (thinly chopped, optional)
Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp (freshly ground/crushed in a mortar pestle)
Cashew nuts- 1/4 cup (whole or roughly chopped, optional)
Chili powder - 1 tsp (or as per your taste)
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp (or as per your taste)
Oil - 2 tbsp (any high-heat oil of your choice, heated oil)
Oil - for frying (any high-heat oil of your choice)

Preparation

1. In a large mixing bowl add the onion and 1 tsp salt and combine well.

2. Mix in all the spices and seasonings; carom seeds, turmeric powder, coriander seeds (crushed), cashew nuts, chili powder, salt, green chilies, ginger, curry leaves, cilantro, mint leaves, into the Onion and salt mixture.

3. Heat 2 tbsp oil and add to the mixing bowl and gradually add the rice flour, fine semolina into the mixture.

4. Now add the chickpea flour or besan into the combined ingredients slowly until the onion mixture turns into a thick paste consistency.

5. Heat the oil for frying and once the oil is hot enough to fry, spoon in the pakodas into the oil. Deep fry the bite size pakodas well and untill they turn dark golden brown in color. Fry the remaining onion pakoda mixture in batches and enjoy with your favorite ketchup or sauce and a hot beverage of your choice.

Hayagreeva - Split Bengal Gram Dal Halwa

Hayagreeva Recipe - One pot meal (dessert)

Hayagreeva (Haya - Horse, Greeva - Halwa made out of Jaggery). Saint Sri Vadiraja Theertha was offering Hayagreeva to Lord Vishnu, who came to take the offering in the form of a Horse.  This is a very authentic and a famous dish made during many festivals and occasions in our Madhwa community. Mainly on occasions and celebrations like Madhwanavami, Madhwa Jayanthi, Vadiraja Theertha Aaradhane, etc.
Hayagreeva is delicious dessert which is high in protein. Children will love this dish when served with lots of ghee, fried nuts and raisins as a topping.

Ingredients

3 cups Channa dal or Split bengal gram dal
1 cup Ghee or clarified butter
1 1/2 cups Jaggery (powdered)
1/2 cup freshly grated coconut
3 tbsp poppy seeds (toasted)
1/2 cup assorted nuts
2 tbsp dried raisins

Method

1. Add 1/2 cup ghee into a pot kept on medium flame add channa dal, (throughly wash the channa dal before adding it to the pot, only if dirty) and fry for a couple of minutes until fragrant.

2. Add 3 cups of water to the pot and pressure cook the channa dal for 3 whistles.

3. Once the pressure cooker cools down, remove the excess water from the cooked channa dal and set the pot on a low to medium flame. Pour out the excess water into a bowl and use it to make south Indian style rasam or saaru.

4. Add a tablespoon of ghee and powdered jaggery into the pot and mix well. Cook until all the jaggery is melted. If the jaggery is dirty. In a separate pot add the jaggery and a tablespoon of water and melt the jaggery and then filter it through a sieve and remove the dirt.

5. Add the toasted poppy seeds into the pot and mix well.

6. In a small frying pan add the rest of the ghee and place it on a medium flame. Once the ghee is hot add the mixed nuts and fry until they turn pinkish brown and add the raisins. Fry until the raisins puff up a little. Pour this onto the Hayagreeva pot and mix well.

7. Once combined throughly, Hayagreeva is ready to serve. Serve it hot as a dessert on a festival or eat it alone as a morning breakfast or as an evening high protein snack with a dollop of ghee on top. You could also enjoy with extra fried nuts and raisins as garnish.

Akki Rotti / Akki Roti / Rice Flour Savory Flatbread / Mung Bean Akki Rotti

Akki Rotti Recipe / Rice Flour Savory Flatbread Recipe / Spicy Gluten Free Flatbread Recipe / Mung Bean Rice Flour Roti / Avarekayi Rotti

This a very common dish made is almost every household in Karnataka, South India. There are several varieties of this flatbread made with different grains, spices and vegetables. Avarekayi / Avarekalu or European Flat-beans Rotti is a very popular rotti along with regular plain akki rotti.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups white rice flour
1/2 cup green mung beans (or flat-beans, Indian name Surti Papdi Lilva)
1 cup water
1/2 cup shredded fresh coconut
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup grated cucumber
1/4 cup grated bell pepper (any color bell pepper will do)
1/2 cup coconut oil or any vegetable oil of your preference
2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1 tbsp finely chopped curry leaves, optional (found in most Indian stores)
2 tbsp finely chopped green chilies (Thai or Indian chili), optional
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp hing or asafoetida
1 1/2 tsp salt or to taste

Method

1. Wash and soak the 1/2 cup mung beans in a cup water for 4-5 hours or refrigerate overnight. The next day, drain the beans and reserve the soaking water (you could water the plants). This step is completely optional, in case you are allergic to mung beans or don't like the taste or didn't find the ingredient. 

2 In a mixing bowl, combine the rice flour, mung beans, cumin seeds, green chili, asafoetida, cilantro, curry leaves (optional, but gives a great flavor to the dish), shredded fresh coconut, shredded carrot, grated cucumber, grated bell pepper and salt. Gradually add the water, mixing well with your hands to form a soft workable dough. Use only as much water needed.

3. Shape the dough into balls about the size of a tennis ball. Set aside. 

4. Grease a cool pan/griddle with 1 tbsp (more or less depending on your calorie intake) oil and place the dough ball and start to flatten the dough with your fingers on the griddle and spread evenly, distributing the dough all around the pan/griddle into a thin flatbread. Grease your hands with oil incase the dough is sticking to your fingers. 

5. Turn on the heat and cook the rotti by covering 3/4 of the pan/ griddle and let the steam out (drizzle some oil if your rotti turns out dry on the top).

6. Flip the rotti onto the other side when the rotti turns golden brown on the bottom, takes about 3-4 minutes on a medium flame.

7. Repeat with the remaining dough, adding a tbsp of oil to the griddle for each rotti. Serve hot with a dollop of ghee or clarified butter or chutney of your choice or with pickles.

Notes - When cooking the rotti, allow the griddle to cool down slightly before cooking the next one. You can also use two skillets, alternating between the two.