Amaranth leaves (Chauli/Thotakura) are much loved in our home and take the form of stir fry, dal and stew in our daily meals. In recent past, I have used these nutritious greens along with chick pea flour (besan) to prepare fritters. They are easy to make, work great as appetizers for parties and also make for a wonderful tea time snack.

These vegan crispy green leafy balls taste best when warm. Try them the next time you bring home some amaranth greens and you’ll want to invite your friends just to serve them a perfect finger food treat.

1 In a bowl, add the chopped amaranth greens, green chilles, ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, cumin seeds, besan and salt. Add little water to make a dough such that you can make small balls. Make small balls and keep aside.
2 Heat oil in a deep frying vessel. Once its piping hot, reduce flame to medium and drop the balls gently into the oil and fry them to a golden brown color. Deep fry a batch of 8-10 balls depending on the size of the vessel.
3 Heat 2 tsps oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and allow to splutter. Add sesame seeds, red chilies, hing and curry leaves and saute for a few seconds. Add the balls to the pan and mix well. Turn off heat and sprinkle fresh grated coconut.
4 Serve warm with a cup of masala chai.

Savory snack enthusiasts will love today’s Navrati Special offering to Durga Ma. Addictively satisfying, Chitti Budagalu are adorable, tiny puffed up crisps with a hint of spice. Only 3 ingredients go into its making – urad dal aka black gram dal, rice flour and chili powder.

It does take some time to prepare but its worth the effort. Serve these crispy treats with a cup of chai and you will have your family and guests asking for seconds and thirds.

1 Soak whole black gram dal in water for 2 hours.
2 Strain the water and grind the dal to a paste sprinkling very little water. Remove from the grinder.
3 To the ground urad dal, add rice flour, salt and chili powder, mix well. Add little water to make a smooth dough.
4 Heat oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel and heat till piping hot. Reduce flame to medium.
5 Make very small balls from the dough. Grease two sheets or 2 small banana leaves. Place a small ball in between two greased sheets (place a small ball on the greased sheet and place the greased side down of the other sheet over the ball).
6Lightly flatten the ball using a flat spatula or tumbler. Remove the flattened dough and place on a plate. Prepare with rest of the dough and keep aside
7 Slowly drop the flattened rounds into the hot oil and cook them on medium flame. They will puff up on touching the hot oil. Fry the chitti budagalu on both sides to a golden brown color. Deep fry 8-10 budagalu per batch depending on the size of the vessel.
8 Remove the chitti budagalu onto a serving plate. Bring to room temperature and store in an air tight container. Stays fresh upto 3-4 days.

Guggillu aka Sundal is nothing but tempering chickpeas (kabuli chana or garbanzo beans). This recipe with chickpeas is made as an offering to Durga Ma as a Navratri special item.

Boiled chickpeas are lightly browned in a pan, but what makes it special is the toasted spices like mustard seeds and asafoetida combined with fresh curry leaves, plus a sprinkling of fresh grated coconut.

1 Pressure cook chick peas along with 3 cups of water, salt and baking soda till soft. The chickpeas should not get mushy.
2 Drizzle oil in a pan heat the oil for half a minute on medium flame. Add mustard seeds and let them pop, add the cumin and urad dal and as the dal turns lightly red, add the asafoetida, chopped green chillis and curry leaves. Saute for 10 secs. Add the cooked chick peas and Mix. Adjust salt and turn off heat.

Vadas – light and fluffy on the inside with a crisp exterior, packed with flavor, make for a perfect offering to Goddess Durga. This Navratri special Vada recipe is basically a classic South Indian breakfast fare served with sambar and chutney.

Make sure the Vadas are cooked to crispy perfection till a beautiful golden shade is achieved and always serve them warm. Its the crisp exterior that makes the Vadas unique and delightful to savor with hot sambar.

Don’t skimp on the pepper corns because there’s something irresistibly delightful about the role they play in these savory Vadas. You will love the pepper-y flavor in each bite of the crispy Vada.

1 Soak whole black gram dal in water for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
2 Strain the water, and grind the dal to a paste sprinkling very little water. Use small portions of dal to grind batch wise as its easier to grind into a soft paste. Add salt, crushed cumin seeds and pepper corns and beat till fluffy.
3 Heat oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel and heat till piping hot. Reduce flame to medium.
4 Wet your hands with water, take a lemon-sized ball of batter and flatten it into a vada on a greased sheet or banana leaf. Make a hole in the centre of the vada so that it cooks evenly all over.
5 Slowly drop the vada into the hot oil and fry it on both sides on medium flame to a golden brown color. Deep fry 4-5 vadas per batch depending on the size of the vessel.
6 Remove the vadas onto a serving plate. Serve warm while the crust is still crisp and serve warm with chutney and sambar.

One of my favorite Punjabi dishes is Punjabi style Chole – a high protein classic recipe with heady flavors. I love the texture and combination of spices that go into its making. The addition of one of my favorite flavors, anardana, adds a tangy punch to the nuttiness of chickpeas. This recipe is adapted from Anita’s famous Punjabi Chole. Goes great with Bhatura, puri or rice.

I couldn’t agree more when Anita says that this recipe is sure to bring in the flavors of Delhi streets right into your home. Thanks Anita for sharing with us a simple yet out-of-the-world recipe.

1 Pressure cook the chickpeas along with 3 cups of water, large pinch baking soda, a tea bag, cinnamon and one large black cardamom (badi elaichi) till soft. The chickpeas should be soft and not be overcooked and mushy. Drain the water and keep aside for latter use and discard the tea bag.
2 Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel, add green chillis, grated ginger and bay leaf. Saute for few seconds.
3 Add the chopped onions and saute till transparent. Add red chili pwd and salt. Mix well. Add the tomatoes and cook until soft and oil separates, approx 13-15 mts.
4 Add the ground masala pwd and mix well.
5 Add the boiled channa (keep aside 2-3 tbsps of boiled channa and mash). Cook on simmer for 4 mts. Add the left over water and if necessary add another cup of water and bring to a boil. Add the mashed channa and mix. Cook for approx 18-20 mts or till you achieve a slightly thick gravy.
6 Adjust the salt and turn off heat. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
7 Serve hot as a snack garnished with chopped onions or with bhatura or rotis.

All of us at home are in a holiday mood. Our harvest festival, Sankranti is around the corner. House cleaning, shopping clothes for family and domestic help(s) and preparation of sweets/savories is in full swing. Its my favorite time of the year!

Bachala kura Pappu is a high protein, vegan, heart warming dish loaded with nutritious greens – Malabar spinach or Indian Spinach. They go by the name Bachali in Andhra, Basale in Kannada, Vaali Bhaji in Konkani, Mayalu in Marathi and Pui Shak in Bengali. These protein-rich, vibrant green, glossy leaves are thick with a spongy texture and when cut they ooze a slimy juice similar to okra. When cooked with dal, the sliminess is not evident though. We usually cook them with masoor or tur dal or with yam (kanda bachali) and as mustard powder based stew (ava pettina pulusu).

1 In a pressure cooker, place dal, bachala kura, onions, green chilies, ginger and turmeric pwd. Add 2 cups of water and pressure cook up to 2 whistles. If cooking over stove top, cook till the dal is almost cooked.
2 Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel, add mustard seeds and as they jump around, add cumin seeds, urad dal, garlic, red chilies and curry leaves and stir fry for half a minute.
3 Add this to the pressure cooked dal along with salt and combine. Add tamarind paste with 1/2 cup of water and cook on slow to medium flame for 7-10 mts without lid or till you get the consistency of your choice.
4 Serve with white rice and a stir fry dish.

Tomato Pappu mixed with a dollop of ghee and rice with Mango Avakai is a dearly loved combination and an integral part of everyday Andhra vegetarian food culture. Simple, earthy, soulful food! Tur dal aka Kandi Pappu with tomato is a winning combination and the addition of fresh coriander adds a perfect touch.

1 Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel, add mustard seeds, let them pop, add the cumin seeds, garlic, red chillis, and curry leaves and saute for few secs. Add the chopped onions, green chilies and ginger and sauté till onions turn slightly pink.
2 Add the chopped tomatoes and stir fry for 4-5 mts. Add the turmeric pwd and salt and combine.
3 Add the cooked and mashed dal to the onion-tomato mixture. Add 1 cup water and cook for another 10 mts on low-medium heat. Garnish with coriander leaves.
4 Serve with white rice or hot rotis.

Another great monsoon treat that is savory and perfectly crisp with the minty flavor shining through every bite. Ginger and mint are the key players so if you venture to prepare them on a rain filled day, do use both. Your chai experience will be memorable. My guarantee.

1 Grind the soaked and drained moong dal, green chillis, ginger and salt to a slightly coarse paste. There is no need to add water while grinding. Remove onto a dish and add the chopped onions, mint leaves, cumin seeds and mix well.
2 Heat oil in a deep frying vessel. Once its piping hot, reduce flame to medium and drop a little mixture of the batter and fry the fritters to a golden brown color. Deep fry a batch of 8-10 punukulu depending on the size of the vessel.
3 Serve hot over a cup of masala chai.

Panchratan translates to ‘five jewels’. Panchratan dal is an exotic amalgam of five lentils that are cooked in a delicately spiced onion-tomato base to a creamy consistency. A cold weather, crowd pleasing favorite, works great as a thick soup too other than serving as a comforting accompaniment to roti or rice.

1 In a pressure cooker, add 2 cups of water and all the five lentils/dals and pressure cook upto 3 whistles. If cooking over stove top, cook till the dals are almost cooked. Mash the dals lightly.
2 Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel, add green chilies and ginger and stir fry for 15-20 secs. Add the chopped onions and saute for 5 mts.
3 Add red chilli pwd and turmeric pwd and combine. Add the chopped tomato and saute for 5 mts.
4 Add the pressure cooked dal along with salt and combine. Add a cup of water and lemon juice and cook on slow to medium flame for 15 mts without lid or till you get the consistency of your choice.
5 Heat ghee in a small pan, add the cumin seeds and as they splutter, add the hing, crushed coriander seeds, red chilies and garam masala pwd and turn off heat. Pour this to the dal and combine.
6 Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with rotis or white rice.

The monsoon has set in and I am enjoying Vizag weather since the past two days. It isn’t pouring yet, just a few showers during the night and one wakes up to pleasant, cool and windy weather. The landscape outside my bedroom window is spectacular. After Nehal left for school (his first day after summer vacation) this morning, I sat outside with a cup of hot tea, reading the newspaper and enjoying the weather. I was also in a mood to bake and prepared a quick basic eggless cake for Nehal.

Such weather also calls for hearty, warming, comforting foods. This kootu recipe is so perfect for this time of the year. Lightly spiced moong dal and ridge gourd combination is a match made in heaven. Very nurturing to the body and soul. And not to mention, the weather makes it extra delicious.

1 Pressure cook moong dal, ridge gourd pieces with 2 cups of water and turmeric pwd upto two whistles. Turn off heat and cool.
2 Add the coconut paste and salt to the cooked dal-ridge gourd mix and combine well. Add a small cup of water at this stage, if required, for a thinner consistency. Cook on medium flame for another 15-20 mts. The texture should be slightly thick and not watery.
3 In a pan, add ghee or oil, add mustard seeds and let them pop, add urad dal and let it turn red. Add curry leaves and asafoetida and stir fry for a few seconds.
4 Add the tempering to the simmering dal and combine. Turn off heat, place lid and leave covered for few mts.
5 Serve with hot rice or rotis.