Hesaru Bele Chakkuli /Moong Dhal Murukku

Ingredients:

• Cooked Hesaru bele/Moong Dhal/green gram - 1 cup
• Akki Hittu/Rice Flour -2 cups
• Benne/Butter - 2 tblsp (room temperature)
• Kharadapuddi/Chili Powder - to taste
• Uppu/Salt - to taste
• Hing/Asafetida - a pinch
• Baking Soda - a pinch (Optional)
• Oil for Deep frying.

For Flavor :
Geera (Cumin) OR Ajwan OR White Thil (Sesame Seeds) - 1 tsp (Use either one of these)

 

 Method:

1. Cook moong dhal in pressure cooker for better result.
2. Mix all the ingredients to look like breadcrumbs.
3. Add water to form dough. Cover with a Wet Cloth or paper towel and keep aside for 30 minutes for flavors to blend in.
4. Heat oil on medium-high for frying.
5. Put the dough into the Murukku press ( with One-Star shaped hole) and Press the dough into a shape of Chakkuli on a wet-cloth or wet paper-towel. Always cover the raw dough with wet cloth/paper-towel.
6. Test the oil by dropping a small piece of dough to make sure the temperature is right for frying.
7. Carefully lift the edge of the wet cloth where in you have pressed the Chakkuli and let one Chakkuli drop into your other hand and let the Chakkuli slide into the hot oil from side of the fry-pan. Repeat with rest of already pressed Chakkuli
8. Flip the Chakkuli’s so that it is evenly fried.
9. Once done, remove the chakkuli's from oil onto a paper towel to drain extra oil.
10. Repeat steps 5, 7 - 9 with rest of dough.

Chattambade

Chattambade  a.k.a Dhal vada or Masal Vada is easy to make. It may be served as an appetizer, side dish along with rice, or goes well with evening tea. I truly enjoy hot Masal Vada with my evening tea on a rainy day :)

Ingredients:

• Kaddle Bhale /Bengal gram dhal /Chana dhal– 1 cup.
• Finely chopped onions – 1/4 cup.
• Green chillies – 7 ( or to taste) –finely chopped or paste. If you prefer Chilli powder may be used instead of green chillies.
• Crushed ginger – 1 tsp. (Optional)
• Chopped coriander – 2 Tbl.sp.
• Chopped curry leaves – 1 tsp.
• Salt - to taste
• Oil enough for deep frying.

Method:

1. Soak dhal in water for 2 hours ( Tip: if you are short on time, wash Chana dhal and with little water microwave for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove add some more water and let it soak for half an hour)
2. Drain water completely and grind to coarse paste. Say pulse the soaked lentils for 5 to 6 times in the blender. As you will notice in the picture some of the lentils are intact.
3. Add salt and other ingredients and mix it all together.
4. Make lemon sized balls, flatten slightly and deep fry in hot oil. 8 to 10 vadas may be deep fried at a time or till the oil holds depending on the size of the frying pan.
5. Serve hot with coconut or chickpeas chetney.

Variations:

• Grind red chillies, cumin seeds, hing(asafoetida and few small onions together. Mix with ground dhal paste. Add drumstick leaves and aniseed. Make vade as mentioned previously
• Finely chopped mint leaves (puddina) or dill leaves (sabsige soppu) or any other greens may be added.

PICTURE

Sajjige Vade

Sajjige Vade is normally made with leftover Sajjige Rotti dough.

Ingredients:

• Sajjige Rotti dough  - 2 cup
• Sujji/Rava - ½ cup
• Ginger - small piece - minced 
• Asafoetida/hing - a pinch
• Onion - cut into small pieces (optional)
• Salt - If needed

 Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients and keep aside for 5 minutes to let the fresh rava absorb the moisture and spice to form think dough.   
2. Form the dough into small 5 cm diameter sized balls and press it on a plastic sheet to flatten it into  patties.
3. In a frying pan, heat oil and when oil is ready, add each patties carefully and fry until golden brown in color
4. Remove vadas from oil and place them on strainer or paper tissue to remove excess oil.

Enjoy with hot evening tea!!