Thayir Vada - Dahi Vada

Wishing Everyone a Very Happy New Year 2015

Hope Everyone had a great New Year Celebration. Guys, New Year resolution anyone?

I took a break from blogging and many activities to get four day long weekend and be with my kids and best-est buddies. The holidays were really fun filled with New Year Celebration with our small group of close knit friends here, potluck food, dance and Masti. Kids enjoyed the most, dancing on 'Thudakkam Maangalyam' song and many more. This was followed by our very close friends visit from New Jersey, catching up with them after so long was so happy and exciting :) 

Holidays are over, kids have to get back to schools and we are looking ahead for an exciting year ahead. So here I'm wishing you all a Very Happy, Prosperous and Fulfilled New Year 2015. Let the Almighty bless everyone with peace and Happiness on Earth.

Now let us get back to today's Recipe Dahi Vada or Thayir Vada. 

I made them recently as a starter on my son's birthday party. This is pretty quick and ezee option for snack/starter for parties, the only longest time taken is the four hours soaking time for Urad Dal. 

So here is how I made it. Do give it a try and let me know the results !

Thayir Vada Aka Dahi Vada is an Indian chaat made with Urad Vada doused in thick yogurt. The deep fried Vadas are immersed in water and then transferred to thick Yogurt. Vadas remain soaked in yogurt for a couple of hours before serving to make them soft and spongy. So Make them for sure and enjoy with your loved ones :-)

For Urad Vada/Medhu Vada:- 

1. Urad daal - 1 Cup 
2. Whole Pepper slightly crushed  - 1 tbsp
3. salt to taste ~ 1 tsp
4. Oil to deep Fry 

Yogurt/Dahi Mix:-

1. Yogurt - 2 Cups
2. Coriander Chutney - ½ cup(** Recipe Below)
3. Water - ¼ cup to make the yogurt Mix a little thin if it is too thick(add only if needed)
4. Salt to taste

For Garnishing:-

1. Chilly powder
2. Chaat Masala - 1 tsp
3. Coriander Chutney (** Recipe Below) -  3 tbsp
4. Finely chopped coriander leaves - 1 tbsp

Coriander chutney for garnishing: 

1. Curry leaves few(~ 5 Leaf )
2. Green chilies chopped  1-2 Numbers 
3. Salt - 1/4 tsp
4. Cumin  1 Tablespoons 
5. Finely chopped coriander leaves  1 Bunch

For Urad Vada/Medu Vada: - 

• Wash the Urad dal and soak them for four hours.
• Grind it into a thick paste, add water little by little as you grind only if and as needed. Add salt and crushed black pepper, mix well with a spoon. 
• Heat oil in a pan and drop a spoonfuls of batter. Deep fry till golden brown. Continue the procees until all the batter is done. Switch off the stove
• Put the hot vadas in cold water, few at a time, and keep for two-three minutes. Take them off the water, squeeze out any excess water and set aside. 

Coriander Chutney For Garnishing:-

• Add cumin, green chilies, coriander leaves, curry leaves and salt in a mixer and grind well. Set aside.
• Divide the chutney for Garnishing and 

For Yogurt/Dahi Mix: -

Add ½ cup of Coriander Chutney and salt to the yougurt and Mix well. Set Aside till ready to serve.

Assembling and Serving: -

In a flat dish or tray, arrange the Urad Vada and pour dahi mix over them. Garnish with coriander Chutney, chilly powder, chat powder and coriander leaves. Set aside for an hour before serving. 

Move into serving dish and serve. 

Note:-

You can serve them chilled by refrigerating it no more than 30 minutes which is how I love them, but I don't prefer doing this in the cold winter here. If you live in a zone where it is not cold go ahead and serve them cold :-)

Chicken Spring Rolls/Chinese Spring Rolls

Chicken Spring Rolls is a very popular appetizer or tea time snack. I have used chicken and mixed veggies as the stuffing. You can use only veggies or scrambled eggs and veggies as per your choice. This is a very ezee to make snack/starter if you have the spring roll pastry handy. So friends try this out and Enjoy with a cup of hot tea/coffee or as a great appetizer for parties !!!!!

Ingredients:- 

1. Spring Roll pastry sheets - I used 10 out 20 sheets
2. Chicken breast - 1
3. Carrot - 1
4. Cabbage - 1/2 cup
5. French Beans - 1 or 2
6. Bell pepper red and green - 1/2 cup
7. Spring onion - 1 
8. Garlic - 2 pods finely chopped
9. Soy Sauce - 1tbsp
10. Black pepper - 1tsp
11. Salt to taste
12. Oil - 2tbsp + oil for deep frying

Preparation Method:-

• Keep out the spring roll pastry wrappers/sheets 30-40 minutes before use.

• Finely chop the spring onions into strips and set aside. Wash and finely slice all the other veggies and set aside in another bowl.
• Wash and cut the chicken into strips, sprinkle little bit(1/2 tsp) of salt, toss well and set aside.
• Heat up a kadai/pan to smoking hot and pour 2 tbsp oil, add in garlic and chicken strips and saute till chicken is almost cooked.
• Add in all the chopped veggies except spring onion and stir fry for another three-four minutes till all the veggies become crunchy. 
• Add in pepper, soy sauce and salt(if desired) and stir well for another two more minutes or till mixture becomes dry(make sure there is no gravy in the mixture). Switch off the stove and add chopped spring onion and saute well to mix.

• Take out a pastry sheet and keep it diagonally(diamond shape-as shown in the picture). Keep a tbsp of chicken-veggie mixture on one corner, start rolling tightly and folding in the sides as you roll.

  

                                                                                                                

  

• Apply a drop of water on the open edge and seal. Repeat the process with rest of the spring roll sheets.

• Heat sufficient oil in a kadai/wok on medium heat. Slide the rolls two or three at a time and deep fry till they turn golden brown and crisp.
• Serve warm with Ketchup or any sauce of your choice

Sending this to Tea time snack event hosted by Akheela @ Torview

Spinach Pakoda

It was a rainy Sunday, my husband and kids were taking a nap after lunch and I was sitting and browsing. I knew my hubby will not sleep more than an hour and he will start asking for Tea from the bed itself. Such a rainy day 'Chai' really needs some pakodas to munch and I didn't have anything preplanned. I had some spinach in the fridge and thought of making the normal spinach pakodas that i make, but was being lazy to finely chop everything, mix and fry it. I came across this recipe of Spinach pakoda where you don't have to chop the spinach and so easy to make it and I wondered why didn't this way of making pakoda strike my mind before.

Ingredients:-

1. Spinach - 1/2 lbs
2. Besan flour - 1/2 cup
3. Corn flour - 1tbsp
4. Salt - 1 tbsp
5. Pepper pdr - 1 tsp
6. Cumin pdr- 1/2 tsp
7. Chilly pdr - 1tsp
8. Asefoetida - a pinch
9. Water- 1/2 cup
10. Oil as needed to deep fry

Preparation Method:-

• Wash and pat dry the spinach leaves well and keep aside.
• Mix besan flour and rest of the ingredients in water and make a batter, batter should be thin.
• Heat a kadai in medium heat and pour the oil. To check for the correct heat of the oil, put a drop of batter in the oil and if it comes up right away without changing color your oil is hot enough.
• Dip spinach leaf in the batter one at a time and slowly drop it in the oil.
• Fry for 2-3 mins and turn it upside down. Remove it from the oil when the spinach turns golden brown color on both sides.
• Repeat the process for the rest of the spinach leaves.

Be careful not to overheat and burn the spinach. Stove should always be in medium heat.

Recipe courtesy- Manjula's kitchen...