Makka Ka Chi Vada

Makka ka chi Vada is a delicious and mouth-watering crispy vada made with sweet corn, boiled potatoes, and spices; deep fried until golden in colour. Excellent appetizer from the Maharashtrian cuisine!

Makka ka chi vada is simple to prepare and is also known by various names such as corn vada, mokkajonna vada or mokka jonna garelu in Telugu or Bhutte ke vade. Rainy season and the corns are full in market in India. The markets are loaded with delicious fresh sweet corn where one can make a variety of dishes with it. Fresh sweet corns are widely used in making of soups, salads, fritters etc. There are varieties of vada that we can make for example: a normal basic vada made with urad dal, masala vada, sabudana vada, dahi vada, ragi vada etc.

There are many versions of making the makka ka chi vada also. This version contains coarse sweet corn paste, boiled potatoes, fresh herbs and spices that enhance the taste of the vada. You could also adjust other spices as per your taste. Sweet corn is also known as sugar corn or pole corn and is a variety of maize with high sugar content. Sweet corn is picked when immature (milk stage) and prepared and eaten as a vegetable, rather than a grain. Sweet corn is usually eaten fresh or they are canned or frozen.

If the kernels get dried, they become tough and starchy, hence most of the times; the fresh kernels are boiled or steamed sprinkled with some salt and eaten. They are used as pizza topping or in salads. Corn on the cob is a sweet corn cob that has been boiled, steamed, or grilled whole; the kernels are then eaten directly off the cob or cut off. Creamed corn is a sweet corn served in a milk or cream sauce. Sweet corn can also be eaten as baby corn. Sweet corn soup is a very popular dish made with corns.

In India, corn is called as butta or makka or makki. Most Indians love to eat roasting the corns on the charcoal or boiled especially during rainy and winter season. Makki ki roti is very Indian flat bread made from corn flour and truly a delight to our palate. Fresh sweet corn has a nice, sweet taste, smooth texture, appealing to eye and complements with any other vegetable if added in mixed vegetable curry or soups or salads etc.

To prepare this delicious, fresh and crispy Makka chi vada, firstly heat oil in a pan and when the oil gets hot, add fennel, cumin seeds, garlic, ginger, green chillies and sauté. Reduce the flame and add the rest of the spices, corn paste, grated potatoes and mix well. Add salt to taste and pinch of sugar. Mix all the ingredients well together. Now add poha and besan atta and mix. Switch off the flame and allow this mixture to cool. Sprinkle little corn flour and mix.

Heat oil in pan for deep frying the vadas. Take small dumplings of the corn mixture and form into desired shapes and keep aside.  When the oil is hot, gently drop in the corn vadas and fry until they turn golden in colour. Remove, drain oil and serve hot with any type of sauce or chutney. Serve hot with tomato sauce, chilli sauce, anjeer sauce etc.

Sweet corn is one of the most popular vegetables. It is prized by adults and children mainly of its sweet flavour. This vegetable, although being sweet and delicious, is a great source of many vitamins and minerals. Sweet corn is very rich in vitamin B1, vitamin B5, vitamin C, phosphorus, manganese, folate and dietary fibre. Because of the vitamins contained in sweet corn, many health benefits can be associated with the consumption of this delicious vegetable. Cooked sweet corn has significant antioxidant activity and has been suggested to reduce the chance of heart disease and cancer.

Vada made with sweet corn is truly refreshing and great to taste. Do try this recipe as kids would surely love the taste.

Enjoy Cooking!

Mirchi Vada

Mirchi Vada or should we also call it Jodhpuri Mirchi Bada which is a very popular namkeen snack in the state of Rajasthan. The traditional Mirchi bada is made of the large variety of green peppers stuffed with a spicy potato mix, coated with gram flour and deep fried until slightly golden in colour.

The Mirchi vada is usually cut into pieces and sprinkled over with some chaat masala, topped with little beaten curd and tangy tomato sauce just before serving. This is one of the most cherished snacks that are eaten hot especially while inviting the monsoon showers. It is a delightful and prominent snack in Jodhpur among the Jodhpurians as well as the tourists visiting that place. The thought of Mirchi Bada makes many mouths water, when taken a bite of the mirchi bada, it is luscious, lip-smacking and is an outburst of spices and flavours bursting into your mouth that make you crave for more.

People of Jodhpur love eating this and wait in long queues to buy this famous snack from their favourite shops in Jodhpur. It is one of the most lovable hot….spicy…..and sweet snacks. Generally the giant size of green pepper or jalapenos is not that very spicy or hot, hence can also be eaten along with the stuffing. It gives a nice texture and crunchiness around the smooth and soft stuffed potato mix. Mirchi vada or Mirchi bada tastes good with tomato sauce or can also be served with mint and tamarind chutney.

This variety of Mirchi bada is a speciality of Jodhpur and as the water in that region is good lends it a unique taste. Mirchi Vada combines well with another Jodhpur speciality, Mawa Kachori dipped in sugar syrup. Some very popular shops in Jodhpur are preparing this snack past 45 years and it is usually served with 2 pieces of white bread called as ‘Set’, as the Mirchi vada is placed in-between the bread slices and served. In southern India, Mirchi vada is known as Mirchi Bajji and differs in the stuffing. The ingredients vary among different areas of the country and among different cultures. You could also get another version of this recipe by clicking this link: http://www.vahrehvah.com/Mirchi+Vada:2927

Fresh fleshy hot chillies fried stuffed with tangy paste and fried in besan flour is the basic recipe of Mirchi vada. The different types of fillings include a sesame seeds and tamarind paste filling where about few sesame seeds (til) are slightly roasted a nice aroma is released and then ground to powder with lime size tamarind soaked in warm water and thick juice extracted and salt added to make a tasty and yummy filling. Next is a mixture of peanut, tamarind paste or amchur powder and salt mixed. Another amazing and fantastic stuffing is the mixture of potato, lime or lemon juice and salt mixed together. Once the Mirchi vadas are ready they are sprinkled either with chaat masala or jeera powder to enhance the flavor of the outer casing.

Rajasthan is well known for its rich culture, traditions and its authentic food delicacies. Jodhpur is considered to be one of the famous cities in Rajasthan which is truly known for its Royalty in food. Jodhpuri cuisine is popular for its array of delicious sweets, namkeens which has its own unique and authentic taste and flavour. A traditional Jodhpuri thali consists of rice, dal, subzi, chapatti, sweets, papad, kheer and the list goes on…J. Jodhpuri food contains lots of lal mirch powder and garam masala which doubled its taste.
Mirchi vada, Kachori, Samosa, Kofta etc are some of the popular namkeen snacks made in Jodhpur. Other commonly cooked regular homemade dishes are Gatte ki Sabzi, Papad ki Sabzi, Dal bati, Churma etc. Bajra is extensively used in Rajasthan especially in the city of Jodhpur.

Mirchi vada has an incredible and unique taste and one can’t stop the cravings and nostalgia from eating the mirchi vada. It is a very popular Hyderabadi snack too with different stuffings from different region in India but the Hyderabadi style mirchi bajji deserves more appreciation for this delicious tangy filling taste. The mirchi vada is easy to prepare at home and make an excellent way to begin almost any special meal or served as a light meal/ snack on busy days. This dish is also one of the popular snacks served as a part of the main meal during marriage function or receptions and parties. It is a very popular Indian street food snack and often served as an evening snack with a cup of tea.

To prepare this wonderful and spicy Jodhpuri Snack, firstly start preparing the stuffing. Add little oil in a hot pan, and put some cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds splutter, add chopped onions and sauté. Add pinch of hing, salt, turmeric and mix. When the onions are slightly cooked, add amchur powder, chilli powder and garam masala. Mix all ingredients well. Add some green peas and mix. Add boiled mashed potato (there should not be any moisture in the potato mash). Mix well, switch off the flame and allow this mixture to cool.

For the outer casing, combine besan atta (chickpea flour), salt and baking soda in a bowl. Add little by little water and make this mixture into a thick paste free of lumps. Slit the green chillies, remove seeds and keep aside. Stuff the green chillies with the potato mix. Dip the stuffed green chillies in the chickpea batter till they are completely covered.

Heat oil in a pan and when the oil is hot, gently drop the coated green chillies and fry on medium heat until they turn slightly golden brown in colour. Remove and place onto a plate. Cut them into small pieces and sprinkle them chaat masala on the cut mirchi. Serve hot with sweet chutney.

Tip – You can also serve hot topped with some whisked curd and sweet and spicy Imli chutney.

To enjoy the taste and flavours of Jodhpuri snacks, do try this recipe.

Enjoy Cooking!

Kanda Bhajia

Kanda Bhajia is a popular crunchy and mouth-watering tea time snack made with kanda (onions) mixed with besan and spices to give a spicy taste. This is a wonderful Maharashtrian recipe where the bhajia give an incredible taste from the spices and broken dhania seeds. The dhania seeds give a citrus like taste and are an excellent spice herb.

Kanda Bhajia is prepared in various ways giving different variations. It is commonly known as onion fritters or onion pakoras. These hot crispy snacks are wonderful and perfect to be served during rainy days or winter days. They taste extremely well with some sweet sour tamarind chutney or eat on its own. The actual secret of making crispy Bhajia is by not adding any water. The besan flour should be mixed well with the moisture present in the onions. The trick is to add salt to the onions prior to adding besan flour and spices. This helps in releasing its moisture from the onions.

Like most bhajia or pakoras, Kanda bhajia is also deep fried until crisp. The spices and crushed coriander seeds are freshly ground and added just before frying gives an edge over its counterparts. This is an incredible comforting food and a light snack best enjoyed over a hot cup of tea.  Kanda bhajia made with chickpeas flour gives a nice nutty flavour and blends well with coriander seeds and other spices.

Coriander (Coriandrum sativumis) is also known as Cilantro. The leaves are similar to Parsley, and the herbs can be substituted for each other. Dried Coriander is used in most of the Indian dishes like dips, soup, chutneys and other foods. Coriander seeds or dhania seeds have a warm, nutty, citrus taste and the best flavour is obtained by dry roasting the seeds before using them. The roasted seeds can also be left whole to provide a tasty savoury snack. In India, coriander powder or seeds are used for flavouring various curries, dals etc. It has a thickening effect and is a key ingredient in curries and Indian cooking. It is not always convenient to grind your own Coriander seed so ready ground is useful to have in hand.

Onions is also a vital ingredient in most Indian cooking. They are used in seasoning a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian delicacies. Onions, being versatile is used in various ways – chopped, sliced, fried, cubed, grated etc. Raw onions have a pungent taste and when cooked turns sweet with an intense flavour. Onions differ in size, colour and taste depending upon the variety. You can never imagine a kitchen without the use of onions as they are one of the most extensively used in every household, valued for their distinctively pungent smell and taste of onions filling out the flavours in almost every type of cuisine.

Onions are added from making a simple salad, onion rings, onion samosa, onion sambar, onion paratha to the most delicious dishes such as Roast Yakhni – Leg of lamb with a spicy coating, hot lamb masala etc. Coated with gram flour and fried makes a fantastic and crispy Kanda bhajia! Onions pickled in vinegar are often eaten as a snack.

Preparing the Kanda Bhajia is very easy and can be made in a jiffy for unexpected guest. For preparing this delicious and spicy bhajias, firstly Finely chop onions and put them in a bowl. Add little salt and mix the onions well so that it becomes soft. In the same bowl, add crushed green chillies, cumin seeds, hing, chilli powder and pinch of garam masala, ajwain, broken coriander seeds, cooking soda and mix it well. In this add enough besan (chickpea flour) and mix well to make soft dough. Heat oil in a kadai and when the oil is hot, drop the onion bhajias in batches and deep fry on medium flame until they are crisp and turn golden in colour. Remove, drain oil and serve hot as starters or snack. Kanda bhajia can be eaten just on its own or served with sauce.

Kanda Bhajia prepared from a batter of besan atta, onions, curry leaves, green chillies and spices are deep fried till they attain a beautiful golden brown colour.  These bhajias are often made during social gatherings, family get-together, and during Holi. The tasty and crunchy snack is very easy to make. To try this recipe, click the link below and watch the making Kanda Bhajia:

http://www.vahrehvah.com/KANDA+BHAJIA:7832

Apart from adding flavours to the dishes, onions are also very good source of vitamin C and dietary fibre. They are also a good source of manganese, molybdenum, vitamin B6, and folate, potassium, phosphorous and copper.

Enjoy Cooking!

Upvaas Batata Kachori

Upvaas Batata Kachori is a wonderful healthy snack especially made during fast/ upvaas or vraths (religious poojas). This dish is made without using onions or garlic etc and is made with potatoes seasoned with fresh coconut and roasted peanuts.

In this recipe, mixture of boiled potato and maida is used to make the cover. Coconut and peanuts are used for making the stuffing. It’s a quick and easy recipe made with very few ingredients.  Upvaas batata kachori can be served during tea time or served as an appetizer or accompanied with full meals. It’s an excellent dish for all those who regularly follow fasting and upvaas.

A basic Kachori is a spicy snack popular in various parts of India especially northern India. The kachori is often prepared in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Bengal and Orissa. Kachori is known by various names such as Kachauri or kachodi or katchuri. Kachori is believed to have originated in Uttar Pradesh or Rajasthan. In these states, the kachori is usually shaped in round flattened ball made of fine flour filled with a stuffing of baked mixture of yellow moong dal or urad, besan, black pepper, red chilli powder, salt and other spices.

A number of variations can be given in making the Kachori. Some of the variants are dry kachori, peas kachori, khasta kachori, lilva kachori etc. Mawa Kachori is a popular sweet version dipped in sugar syrup. This is another form of Kachori which is famous in Rajasthan cuisine. In Delhi region, generally the Khasta kachori or Raj Kachori is prepared. Other variant includes sweet upvaas kachori made with a mix of potato, coconut and sugar. Kachoris are usually accompanied with yummy and tangy chutney made with tamarind, mint or coriander. Fried and stuffed with pulses (especially urad and moong) kachori is often made in Kutch region in Gujarat. Kachori stuffed with peas is a delicacy in the Bengal region. Aloo kachori, a delicious deep fried snack is much liked in northern India.

Potatoes or Batata is extensively used in northern India. Although potato is not native to India and believed to be introduced during the British Raj rule, today it is one of the most sought after ingredient used in a variety of Indian dishes. India is now one of the largest producers of Potato in the world today. Potato is one of the most liked tubers among the kids and they love eating when fried. Potato chips are one of the most favourite dishes among children and crave for more.

Potatoes can be used with almost in every Indian vegetable preparation or sometimes added to chicken and meat dishes too. You can combine potatoes with cauliflower, cabbage capsicum or even brinjal. Hence you have Indian vegetable dish names such as potato curry, cauliflower potato curry, eggplant potato curry, potato fry, beans potato curry, mutton and potato curry, potato masala and so on. It goes well and adds to the taste of all vegetables cooked the Indian way. In fact many mothers have to necessarily add it to their vegetables so that young children are more agreeable to eating their daily veggies!

To prepare this scrumptious and nutritious Upvaas Batata Kachori, firstly add 1 tbsp ghee in a pan, add when the oil is hot enough add cumin seeds, crushed green chillies, ground coconut, salt and little black salt. Cook this for few minutes. Add roasted peanut powder, sugar and mix well. Keep aside and cool this mixture. Take 2 cups boiled, grated potatoes, add 1 tsp hot ghee, salt for seasoning, and cornflour. Mix of these ingredients and form into dough. Make lemon sized balls and keep aside. Take a dumpling of dough and slightly dusting some flour in your palm and finger, flatten the dough and stuff some peanut and coconut mixture and cover it well with the potato mixture evenly on all sides. Heat oil in a pan on low to medium heat and when it gets hot, drop the dumpling and fry on medium heat until golden brown.

Serve hot with coconut & peanut chutney.

The simplest way to tempt your kids in eating various foods is adding a potato. Do try this recipe and you will surely like it. It’s simple and delicious. Click on the below link to watch the making of this dish:

http://www.vahrehvah.com/UPVAS+BATATA+KACHORI:7801

Enjoy Cooking!

cheese sticks

Cheese Sticks…wow! very crispy outside; soft and creamy inside; very easy to prepare and sooo very good to eat. It’s an excellent appetizer to munch on and spend your day. Cheese sticks are easily prepared adding some grated parmesan cheese with the seasoned flour, microwaved for a minute to form dough. These are then rolled into desired shapes, nicely coated over with bread crumbs and deep fried until golden and crispy.

Dump out your regular junk food and start making these mouth-watering cheese sticks during snack time which can be wonderful starters or appetizers during play time or fun time. Cheese sticks are absolutely incredible, made from all natural ingredients, packed with flavours from tons of melted parmesan cheese and different spices.

Parmesan cheese is one of the popular kinds of Italian extra hard cheeses. It is usually used with spaghetti and other typical Italian pasta. Parmesan is a part of Italian national cuisine and is usually grated. It is very commonly used in Italian dishes. This variety of cheese is commonly seen in Caesar salads, lasagne etc. and are optionally topped with Italian cheese after cooking. In American cuisine, dry parmesan cheese is commonly used on top of pizza after it is served. They are also used in stuffing mushrooms, breadsticks, spinach dip, chicken dishes and more.

These cheese sticks can be served with tomato or marinara sauce, plum sauce or barbecue sauce. You could also be creative in making sumptuous fusion flavours from the Asian or Mexican cuisine. Cheese is an excellent ingredient and can also be used in many a variety of delicious recipes like Crispy cheese rolls, Barbequed Cheese, Cheese balls, Cheese puris, Chilli Cheese toast etc. Kids would go gaga eating these exotic and yummy dishes.

Parmesan cheese or Parmegiano reggiano is distinctively salty, slightly granular in texture and a crucial ingredient in some sauce. It is a very popular cheese for snacking by its own or with crackers. It is extremely flavourful in melted dishes that include soups and sauces. Parmesan cheese is used with mashed potatoes, shephed’s pie, casseroles, au gratins etc. This cheese also makes a delightful pairing with fruits like apples, pears; served as appetizer or desserts.

I am sure by now you must be ready for preparing the cheese sticks as they must be really tempting your palates. Firstly take a bowl, add flour, corn flour, salt to taste, pinch soda, chilli powder, bread crumbs and mix with water to make a thick batter.

Now add the grated parmesan cheese and microwave for a minute and mix well. Take this mixture and make them into desired shapes like bread sticks, roundels and roll them in bread crumbs and deep fry till golden in colour. These cheese sticks can be eaten on its own or dip it in salsa, honey mustard, mayo garlic etc.

To get hold on the detailed recipe, click on the below link and view our wonderful video on making of cheese sticks:

http://www.vahrehvah.com/Cheese+sticks:7691

Enjoy Cooking!

onion rings

Onions Rings is an amazing crispy dish which can be served as a starter or an appetizer. Generally most of the men in life have very few complaints, but the common belief is, it all starts with the engagement RING then the wedding RING and the rest is all suffer-RING. Today, you shall read about a special RING that is going to give an illusion of happiness to your husband. Wow! Remember it’s just an illusion. Yippee….starting off an excellent onion RINGS recipe that would make your family (specially your husband) and guests very delighted.:)

Homemade onion rings are easy and fast to prepare. They make an excellent appetizer or side dish. These crispy onion rings goes perfectly well with burgers, steaks or just about anything. Very simple to make with hardly very few ingredients, you can fry a batch of onion rings which will certainly be a crowd-pleaser.

Onions are endlessly a versatile and essential ingredient in various countless recipes. Native to Asia, they are prized all over the world for their depth and flavour that they add to savoury dishes. Generally dry onions are fully matured with juicy flesh and dry, papery skin and have a pungent flavour that becomes wonderfully sweet upon lengthy cooking.

There are a variety of onions available that differ in size, colour and strength. Yellow onion is one of the most commonly known varieties having a pale golden skin, greenish white flesh and a strong taste. Red onions are attractive, milder alternative to yellow onion with their shiny purple skin and red tinged flesh. Shallots are sub-species of onion that are small and boast a delicate flavour integral to gourmet cooking. Spring onions are another variety, immature onions pulled before the bulb is fully formed and is often recognised by their long green leaves. Like red onions, the spring onions are fairly mild and often used raw in salads.

Onions is a wonderful ingredient which is almost used in every dish in our daily dishes that we prepare at home. It is used for frying added to vegetables, used for making delicious gravy dishes like korma, paneer do pyaza, simple onion gravy and others dishes like spring onion chicken, onion pakoda, onion samosa etc.

Onion rings are a form of fast food commonly found in United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and some parts of Asia. They are generally cut into circular shape, dipped in batter or bread crumbs and then deep fried until golden brown.

For preparing this delectable, crispy onion rings, firstly cut onions into rings shape and keep aside in a bowl. In a bowl, add all-purpose flour, corn flour, soda, salt, chilli powder, bread crumbs and mix all these ingredients with little water to make a thick batter. Now take onions rings and coat with the dry flour and dip in the flour mixture and coat with bread crumbs. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the coated onion rings till golden brown in colour and crispy.

Onion rings will surely be a great dish for kids. Click on the below link to view the making of this dish. Then why delay?  Take a look at it and enjoy cooking as vahrehvah is all about inspiring other’s to cook.

http://www.vahrehvah.com/Onion+rings:7690

Tips :

Do not overload the hot oil with too many onion rings. Fry them in batches.

There are various kinds of seasoned batter that can be prepared to dip the onion rings.

If you still have excess batter, do not throw away, you can always use it for making delicious and yummy Cheese sticks. Look out for the recipe in my website.