BROCCOLI AND ZUCCHINI FRITTERS WITH HUNG CURD DIP

 A combination of Zucchini and Broccoli is a match made in heaven. These two have been used in many dishes from Pastas, Pizzas, Salads and fritters.

The current recipe is of fritters, which are very melt in the mouth and bursting with flavours. Usually fritters have egg added to the batter, but these are eggless fritters. They need not be deep fried at all, but just grilled on the Tava, which makes them healthy too. I had some leftover rice and added it to the batter to make them chunky and give a slightly crisp exterior, whereas the insides are soft.

The hung curd dip goes extremely well with these fritters and is so simple to put together. The fritters and dip are a combination that can be served as snack or starters.

While you are here check out other snack recipes on the blog like- Easy Corn Fritters, Medu Vada, Milagu Vadai/Pepper Vadai, Patra, Easy 2 way Muffins, Mirchi Bajji, and more...

Here is the recipe of Broccoli and Zucchini fritters with Hung Curd Dip-

PREP TIME: 10 Mins                                      COOK TIME: 15 Mins

 TOTAL TIME:30 Mins                                    COURSE:  SNACK

 CUISINE:WORLD                                         SERVINGS: 12 NOS   

 AUTHOR: RAJNI RAM                                      

 

    Ingredients for Fritters:

    Broccoli 1 small head or half of big one

    Zucchini 1 medium size (grated)

    Leftover rice 1/2 cup

    Parmesan cheese grated 2 tbsp  (optional)

    Chick pea flour/besan 1/2 cup

    Green chillies 2 chopped finely

    Red chilli powder 1 tsp

    Salt as required 

    Coriander powder 1 tsp

    Fennel powder 1 tsp

    cumin powder 1 tsp

    Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

    Ingredients for Hung Curd Dip:

    Curd 2 cups

    Cucumber 1/2 of small finely chopped

    Onion 1/2 of small one

    Red bell pepper a small piece chopped finely

    Fresh coriander leaves chopped finely

    Salt as required

    Pepper powder 2 pinches

    Directions for Hung Curd Dip:

Take a clean cotton cloth/ Muslin cloth and tie up the curd in it with a vessel at the bottom to collect the water. Leave it undisturbed for an hour or so.  Alternately, put the curd in a double sieve and leave it for an hour, for the excess water to drain away. After an hour, put the thick curd into a bowl and add all the ingredients mentioned under "ingredients for curd dip", and give it a gentle mix. Put it in the fridge until ready to serve.

    Directions for the Fritters:

Put the chopped Broccoli in a bowl, pour hot water over it and keep it covered for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, drain water and cool the broccoli. Now put the Broccoli in the blender jar and give it a single pulse, such that it becomes a mince. See picture. Now take the left over rice in a bowl and mash it well. To the rice, add the minced broccoli, grated Zucchini, chopped green chilli, salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder, fennel powder, cumin powder, and mix well. Now add Parmesan cheese(optional) and the Besan/chickpea flour and mix well. For the best result, leave this mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, start shaping the mixture into tikkis/pattice and grill them on a girdle/tawa. The healthy fritters are ready to serve.

    STEPWISE RECIPE FOLLOWS:

1. Put the chopped Broccoli in a bowl, pour hot water over it and keep it covered for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, drain water and cool the broccoli. Now put the Broccoli in the blender jar and give it a single pulse, such that it becomes a mince. See picture.

2. Now take the left over rice in a bowl and mash it well. To the rice, add the minced broccoli, grated Zucchini, chopped green chilli, salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder, fennel powder, cumin powder, and mix well.

3. Now add Parmesan cheese(optional) and the Besan/chickpea flour and mix well. For the best result, leave this mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, start shaping the mixture into tikkis/pattice and grill them on a girdle/tawa. The healthy fritters are ready to serve.

    NOTES:

1. Usually fritters make use of egg. In this recipe I have swapped the egg with chickpea flour/Besan. Therefore, I recommend putting the batter into the fridge for 30 minutes, so that the fritters can be shaped easily.

2. Using Parmesan Cheese(or any cheese) is optional, but I recommend it for that extra punch.

3. The same mixture can be done with egg also. In that case, do not use the chickpea flour and use just 1 egg instead.

4. I have not tried this recipe with flax egg, so I cannot recommend it right now.

5. There is no stepwise recipe for the hung curd dip, as it is pretty simple.

If you tried this recipe and liked it please comment below. I would love to hear from you. If you have a query about the recipe email us and ill respond as soon as I can.

If you would like to receive our recipes on your mail please leave your mail id at the homepage. Every time Rajjo's Kitchen has a new post we will mail the recipe to you.

EASY CORN FRITTERS

 Corn Fritters are very simple to make, healthy and delicious and they get done in no time with no planning ahead needed. Isn't this the very reason, one should make this often? This recipe has been on my mind for a very long time and it is a contest on social media that finally got me making this. 

Other than the Corn, all other vegetables used here are customizable to one's preference. I have used every day vegetables like carrots and capsicum. Grated Potatoes(after removing starch), Purple cabbage, Zucchini are other add ins that I usually use.

While you are here check out other snack recipes here like- Semolina Cheese Balls, Medu Vada, Potato Cheddar bake, Pepper vadai, Patra, Dhaniya wale Namak Pare, Oatmeal Cookies, Samosa Pie, and more...

Here is the recipe for Corn Fritters--

PREP TIME: 10 Mins                                      COOK TIME: 15 Mins

 TOTAL TIME:30 Mins                                    COURSE:  SNACK

 CUISINE:WORLD                                         SERVINGS: 12 NOS   

 AUTHOR: RAJNI RAM                                      

 

      Ingredients:

      Sweet corn Kernels 20 gm (divided into 100 each) cooked and kept aside

      Carrot 1 small chopped finely

      Capsicum 1 small chopped finely

      Refined Flour( Maida) 1/2 cup

      Egg 1 

      Salt as per taste

      Pepper powder 1 tsp

      Red Chilli powder   1 tsp

     Oil for shallow frying the fritters

      STEPWISE RECIPE FOLLOWS:

1. Boil Corn and divided it into 2 halves. Crush 1 half in a mixie/blender to a coarse paste and keep the other half as whole kernels. To the mashed or crushed corn, add all the other vegetables like carrot, capsicum etc, add the flour and egg, followed by salt, pepper powder and red chilli powder. Add chopped coriander if you like(optional).  

                                     

                    

2. Mix well to make a thick mixture, and now add in the whole corn kernels, and mix lightly. Heat oil in a pan (2 tbsp will be enough, more can be added if required). Now drop small scoops of this corn mixture and flatten lightly with a spatula. Coo on one side and flip and cook on the other. Remove and enjoy with some sauce. I drizzled Cheese sauce over them. Alternately bake them in a pre heated oven, by spreading the mixture on a baking sheet, and bake at 200 C for 20 to 25 minutes. Since all oven work at different temperature ranges keep checking from 20 mins onward for doneness.  

        

NOTES:

1. A very simple and fool proof recipe hence no notes are needed.

2. For more quantity just double up the ingredients.

3. As for alternate to egg, Flax egg can be used, but I have not tried the version yet.

If you tried this recipe and liked it please comment below. I would love to hear from you. If you have a query about the recipe email us and ill respond as soon as I can.

If you would like to receive our recipes in your mail please leave your mail id at the homepage. Every time Rajjo's Kitchen has a new post we will mail the recipe to you.

 

PEPPER VADA/MILAGU VADAI

 Pepper Vada or Milagu Vadai as it is known, is a drier and crisper version of the regular Vada. Simple ingredients and a hack make this a foolproof recipe. Read ahead. This is similar to the Tirupathi style Milagu Vadai.

I tried this recipe the first time during Navarathri this year. It was an instant hit at home as well as my social media pages. A few of you even asked for the recipe and I could not post the recipe immediately as I had not clicked stepwise pictures. So, this time I clicked all the necessary pictures to blog it.

As I always say, some recipes don’t need a huge introduction. The recipe does all the talking. While you are here check out my other savoury recipes like Dhaniya wale Namak Pare, Ratlami Sev, Samosa pie, Masala Wheat flour Papdis, Thattai, Kothimbir Vadi, Moongdal Khastha kachori and more ...

Here is the recipe for Pepper Vada/ Milagu Vadai

PREP TIME: 15 Mins (SOAK 4 HRS)           COOK TIME: 15 Mins

 TOTAL TIME:30 Mins                                   COURSE:  SNACK

 CUISINE:SOUTH INDIAN                           SERVINGS: 25 NOS   

 AUTHOR: RAJNI RAM                                      

 

Ingredients:

    Urad Dal/ Black lentils( with skin) 1 cup soaked for 4 to 5 hours.

     Salt as required 

     Coarse Pepper powder 2 tsp ( add more if you like it spicy)

     Rice flour 2 tbsp

     Hot oil 2tbsp

     Oil for deep frying

Directions: 

Soak the Urad dal( use with skin for this colour and texture) for 4 to 5 hours. Drain water completely after it soaks and grind it to a coarse batter without adding( or by adding minimum) water. I have ground it without any water and later sprinkled a little over the coarse batter for the right consistency. Now to the coarse batter( check picture for consistency), add salt, coarse pepper powder, and rice flour and, mix well. If you feel the mixture is too dry, sprinkle a little more water. Mix using your fingers to combine well. Now heat the oil kept for deep frying, and when the oil is sizzling hot with a ladle pour 2tbsp into the batter and using a spoon or spatula mix the oil into the batter( don’t use your fingers now as the oil is too hot). Now pinch small portions from the mixture and make balls of it. Slit a zip pouch into two or use a Banana leaf to  flatten the balls. Flatten the ball using the back of a cup or you palm. Pat them quite thin to get them crisp. Make a hole in the centre for even cooking. Now gently drop them into hot oil and fry at medium high until all the bubbles in the oil subside. Repeat the process for the entire batter. These Vadas stay crisp up to a month when stored in an airtight container. They make for a good dry snack for school lunch of kids or adults as they are protein packed. 

STEPWISE RECIPE FOLLOWS:

1. Soak the Urad dal( use with skin for this colour and texture) for 4 to 5 hours. Drain water completely after it soaks and grind it to a coarse batter without adding( or by adding minimum) water. I have ground it without any water and later sprinkled a little over the coarse batter for the right consistency.

2. Now to the coarse batter( check picture for consistency), add salt, coarse pepper powder, and rice flour and, mix well. If you feel the mixture is too dry, sprinkle a little more water. Mix using your fingers to combine well.

3. Now heat the oil kept for deep frying, and when the oil is sizzling hot with a ladle pour 2 tbsp into the batter and using a spoon or spatula mix the oil into the batter( don’t use your fingers now as the oil is too hot). 

4. Now pinch small portions from the mixture and make balls of it. Slit a zip pouch into two or use a Banana leaf to  flatten the balls. Flatten the ball using the back of a cup or you palm. Pat them quite thin to get them crisp. Make a hole in the centre for even cooking.  Now gently drop them into hot oil and fry at medium high until all the bubbles in the oil subside. Repeat the process for the entire batter.

NOTES:

1. This Vada can be made with white Urad dal too ( the de skinned one) . The texture and taste remain the same. Just the colour varies.

2. If using white  Urad dal, just 1 hour of soaking will do. The black lentils take time to soak and so need to be soaked longer.

3. The batter as well as the pepper should be ground coarse for maximum taste.

4. In this Vada Curry leaves are usually not added to the batter as its for long keeping, and any moisture in the curry leaves can affect its shelf life.

If you tried this recipe and liked it please comment below. I would love to hear from you. If you have a query about the recipe email us and ill respond as soon as I can.

If you would like to receive our recipes in your mail please leave your mail id at the homepage. Every time Rajjo's Kitchen has a new post we will mail the recipe to you.

 

DHANIYA WALE NAMAK PARE( NAMAK PARE)

Namak Para's are a simple dry snack made from refined flour or whole wheat flour. They make for a good tea time snack too. Here the flour is combined with salt and spices to form a stiff dough. The dough is then rolled out and cut into diamonds and deep-fried in oil. This is an easy savory recipe to make around festivals like Diwali or Janmashtami where the tradition calls for making some flour-based snacks. One can just make it as a regular tea time snack too.

Yesterday when I entered the kitchen, the idea was to make the regular Namak Para.  As I went to the refrigerator to fetch some flour(oh yes my fridge is the storehouse of my flours), my eyes fell on a bunch of fresh coriander leaves, and the idea of adding them to my Namak Para struck me. Therefore the recipe of this Dhaniya wale Namak Pare. Which means Coriander flavoured Namak Paras.

In this recipe, I have used a mixture of Multigrain flour(storebought) and Refined flour. 

While you are here please check out my other snack recipes like Semolina Cheese balls, Thattai/Nipattu, Ratlami Sev, Masala Wheatflour Papdis, Moong Dal Kachori, and more...

Here is the recipe of Dhaniya wale Namak Pare-

 PREP TIME: 15                                          COOK TIME: 30 MINS

 TOTAL TIME:45Mins                                  COURSE:  SNACK

 CUISINE:  INDIAN                                      SERVINGS: 4 CUPS

 AUTHOR: Rajni Ram

    Ingredients:

    Refined flour/ Maida 1 cup

    Multigrain flour or Whole wheat flour 1 cup

    Semolina/Suji(fine) 4 bsp

    Carrom seeds 1 tsp

    Salt as required

    Cumin seeds/Jeera 1 tsp

    Fresh coriander leaves 1/2 bunch (washed and chopped)

    Green chili 1 chopped

    Ghee 11/4 tbsp ghee

    Oil for deep frying

    Directions:

 In the blender jar put the chopped coriander leaves, green chilli, and cumin seeds and blend to a smooth paste using as little water as possible. Now in a mixing bowl take both the flours, semolina and add salt, carrom seeds, and ghee. Now start rubbing the ghee into the flour. Once nicely mixed, using a spoon add the coriander paste to the flours little by little and start combining. Use as much paste as required for forming a stiff dough(a puri kind of dough). In case all the paste is used up and the flour is still dry then sprinkle little water and combine to form the dough. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes. Now work the dough again for a minute and divide it into 4 parts(ball it up). Now take one ball smear it with little oil and roll it out like a chapati. Keep the thickness medium and don't roll it out too thin. Using a knife cut to form diamonds or squares. Heat oil in a Kadai for deep frying. The right temperature is when to put a tiny bit of dough, it should sizzle immediately. Drop in the diamonds/squares gently into the oil, and fry on low flame until all the bubbles subside and the Namak Para turns a golden brown. It is difficult to retain the green color of the coriander as the flour has to cook through thoroughly, but the flavour and aroma of the coriander are retained and this is a flavour max recipe. The Coriander flavoured Nmak Para is ready.

STEPWISE RECIPE FOLLOWS:

1. In the blender jar put the chopped coriander leaves, green chilli, and cumin seeds and blend to a smooth paste using as little water as possible.

2. Now in a mixing bowl take both the flours, semolina and add salt, carrom seeds, and ghee. Now start rubbing the ghee into the flour.

3. Once nicely mixed, using a spoon add the coriander paste to the flours little by little and start combining. Use as much paste as required for forming a stiff dough(a puri kind of dough). Let the dough rest for 15 mins.

4. Now work the dough again for a minute and divide it into 4 parts(ball it up). Now take one ball smear it with little oil and roll it out like a chapati.

5. Keep the thickness medium and don't roll it out too thin. Using a knife cut to form diamonds or squares. Heat oil in a Kadai for deep frying. 

6. The right temperature is when to put a tiny bit of dough, it should sizzle immediately. Drop in the diamonds/squares gently into the oil, and fry on low flame until all the bubbles subside and the Namak Para turns a golden brown.

NOTES:

1. Use as much coriander paste as required for forming a stiff dough(a puri kind of dough). In case all the paste is used up and the flour is still dry then sprinkle little water and combine to form the dough.

2. In case you wish to make the regular Namak Paras then instead of making the dough using the coriander paste, just use water to make the dough, the remaining ingredients and proportions will remain the same.

3. Using Mint/Pudina for this recipe may not work as the Pudina paste changes colour on blending to a paste and may change further on frying.

If you tried this recipe and liked it please comment below. I would love to hear from you. If you have a query about the recipe email us and ill respond as soon as I can.

If you would like to receive our recipes in your mail please leave your mail id at the homepage. Every time Rajjo's Kitchen has a new post we will mail the recipe to you.

RATLAMI SEV

Usually every Diwali I make the usual Omapodi( sev) , Tenkozhal and Ribbon Pakoda. This time I have tried something different. This is called the Ratlami Sev and though we get it at the sweet shops and some brands also market it, I have never tried making it at home. The credit to this recipe goes to @indiankhana.net , where I found this while browsing for something new.

This is a simple recipe( oh yes, I mostly pick simple, as that's what we all want). Very similar to the Kara Sev of South India, but different in taste because of the masalas used and the Ratlami Sev  does not have rice flour, while the Kara Sev does.

This savory gets its name from a place in Madhya Pradesh, India, called Ratlam,  where it is famous. As I mentioned it is a quick recipe and difficult to resist  munching.

While you are here checkout my other Diwali Sweet and Savoury recipes like Maa Ladoo, Thattai, Gajar Halwa Barfi, Masala wheat flour Papdis, Baked Samosa pie, and more...

Here is the recipe of Ratlami Sev

 PREP TIME: 15                                          COOK TIME: 15 MINS

 TOTAL TIME:30Mins                                  COURSE:  SNACK

 CUISINE:  INDIAN                                      SERVINGS: 2 CUPS

 AUTHOR: Rajni Ram

    Ingredients:

    Besan/ chickpea flour 1 cup

    Cooking Soda 1 pinch

    Hot oil 3 tbsp

    Salt as required

    Red chilli powder 3/4 to 1 tsp depending on taste 

    Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

    Clove powder 1/4 tsp

    Fennel powder 1/4 tsp

    Pepper powder 1/4 tsp

   Ginger powder 1/4tsp

   Black salt 1/4 tsp

   Cinnamon powder 1/4 tsp

   Ajwain powder 1/4 tsp

   Roasted Cumin powder 1/2 tsp

   Asafoetida 1/2 tsp

   Dry ginger powder 1/4 tsp

   Lemon juice 2 tsp

   Oil for deep frying

Directions:

In a mixing bowl take the Besan/ Chickpea flour. To it add Salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and all the other powders like clove, fennel, cinnamon, Ajwain/ carrot seeds, black salt and asafoetida , cooking soda,and 2 tsp of lemon juice. To this add 3 tbsp of hot oil and mix nicely with a spoon( as the oil will be hot), when it turns warm mix nicely with your fingers to form a crumbly mixture. Now adding water 1 tbsp at a time make a soft but stiff dough. Heat oil in a Karahi for deep frying. Grease the Chakli/ Muruku press with oil and put in a little dough into it and squeeze into the oil when it is hot. Oil should be medium hot. Fry on medium heat, until the bubbles subside and the Sev turns a golden brown. Repeat for the whole mixture. The spicy and flavorful Ratlami Sev is ready. 

I have combined the Cinnamon Powder, pepper powder, Roasted cumin powder, dry ginger powder, fennel powder, clove powder, Ajwain powder, and black salt, in the given measures and made it as a single powder, and am calling it the Ratlami spice mix. 

Some of these powders we might not have at home readily, for which one can roast 1 tsp of all the given ingredients under Ratlami spice mix as a whole and powder them. Use 1 to 1.5 tsp of this for the recipe. 

STEPWISE RECIPE FOLLOWS:

1. In a mixing bowl take the Besan/ Chickpea flour. To it add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, and Ratlami spice mix( refer paragraph above). Also, add the asafoetida, Cooking soda, and 2 tsp lemon juice. (I forgot to add salt in the beginning and have added towards the end as you will see in one of the pictures).

2. Now heat 3 tbsp oil in a Kadai ( heat it well, but don't turn it smoky) and pour it into the Besan and spice mixture. Using a spoon combine well(do not use your hand now as the oil is hot).

3. After it turns a little warm, using your fingers nicely mix the mixture until it turns crumbly. Now adding water one tablespoon at a time start combining it to form a soft but stiff dough. We want a dough that is easy to squeeze through, but also stiff enough to retain shape. I used about 3 tbsp water to make my dough. 

4. Heat oil for deep frying on medium-high. Grease the Chakli/ Muruku press with oil and put in a little dough into it and squeeze into the oil when it is hot. Oil should be medium hot. Fry on medium heat, until the bubbles subside and the Sev turns a golden brown. Repeat for the whole mixture. The tasty and spicy Ratlami Sev is ready.

NOTES:

1. Some of these powders we might not have at home readily, for which one can roast 1 tsp of all the given ingredients under Ratlami spice mix as a whole and powder them. Use 1 to 1.5 tsp of this for the recipe. 

2. I used 3 tbsp water, one can use more as required as different qualities of Besan absorb water differently.

3. Take care not to use your fingers as soon as you pour hot oil in the mix. Let it become warm and then use your fingers to combine.

If you tried this recipe and liked it please comment below. I would love to hear from you. If you have a query about the recipe email us and ill respond as soon as I can.

If you would like to receive our recipes in your mail please leave your mail id at the homepage. Every time Rajjo's Kitchen has a new post we will mail the recipe to you.