Pani Poori/ Gol Gappe/ Puchka

This is the most favourite street food in India. The word "Pani" means water and "Poori" is puffed Indian bread. This popular Indian snack is also called  Gol Gappa, Puchka and is usually enjoyed at many of the street vendors in India and also in restaurants.

To make poori:
1 cup Semolina (Rava / Suji)
¼ cup All purpose Flour
4 to 5 Tbsp club soda (Carbonated water)

Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

For the pani:

1 cup  Mint Leaves  

¼ cup Coriander leaves

7 to 8 cups of Cold Water  

5 tbsp Pani poori masala powder 

1 teaspoon Black Salt 

Salt  to taste

3 tbsp Tamarind pulp

1 1/2 teaspoons of Lemon juice

For the stuffing of the pooris:

1/2 cup Boiled peas

2 medium Potatoes 

1 red onion finely chopped (optional)

Pani Poori Water 

Boil peas just tender. Also boil the potatoes and mash them and let them cool.

To make the pooris:

Mix the sooji, flour and salt together and knead into a stiff dough adding soda water little at a time till the semolina almost dissolves.

Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for atleast 15 minutes. 

Heat oil in a kadai.

Divide the dough into 1/2 inch balls. Roll out into thin tiny Pooris and deep fry in hot oil till they puff up and golden brown.

These pooris can be stored in a dry container for a longer period too.

To make the Pani:

Wash the mint and coriander leaves and grind them with all of the above ingredients in a blender with a little of the clod water. Add the rest of the cold water. Cover and chill in the refrigerator. I suggest to make this a  day ahead.

To serve:

There are different stuffings one can have with this. This is my favourite stuffing without the sweetness of tamarind chutney.

Tap the Poori  at the center lightly to make a hole in it.

Add about 1/2 teaspoon of the potatoes and 1/2 teaspoon of the boiled peas and onions.

Dip the filled Poori into the chilled pani puri water and serve.

Masala Poori

Ingredients for gravy:
2 Cups Boiled Peas

2 Boiled and Mashed Potatoes
2 Onions, Diced
4 Garlic cloves
1" Ginger
1 tbsp Chole Masala powder
1 tsp Garam Masala

1 tbsp saunf (Anis seed) powder
1 tsp Chilly powder

4 – 5 green chillies

¼ cup mint leaves

Salt to taste

2 tsp Oil
For Serving :

Flat and crisp Puri's
1 Tomato, Chopped finely
1 Onion, Chopped finely
2 Carrots grated 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, Chopped finely
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 Cup Plain Sev

Method:

Soak Peas overnight and cook them till soft. Grind tomatoes, green chillies, mint leaves, garlic and ginger to a paste. Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped onions and fry till soft.

Add the ground masala to it and fry until the moisture evaporates.
Now add the peas, chole masala, garam masala, saunf powder, chilly powder, mashed potatoes and salt to taste. Mix well and cook for about 5 min.

Add about 4 cups of water to the gravy and cook for a min or two. The consistancy should be of a milk shake.
Arrange about 6 to 8 crushed puri's in a serving plate.

Pour about a  cup of gravy over it.

Sprinkle onions, tomatoes and grated carrot .

Garnish with coriander leaves, and Sev.

Sprinkle lemon juice and serve.

Ragi Dosa (Millet flour Pancakes)

Here is one more healthy power- packed breakfast recipe with ragi flour. It is very easy and quick to make and its refreshing taste makes it a delicacy.

Ingredients:

Ragi flour -1 cup

Reice flour – ¼ cup

Yoghurt – ½ cup

Salt to taste

Chopped green chillies – 2 tbsp

Chopped onions – ½ cup

Oil as required

Chopped cilantro 2 tbsp

Preparation:

Mix the ragi flour, rice flour, yoghurt adding enough water and salt to make a smooth batter of pouring consistency.

Mix chopped green chillies, onions and cilantro leaves with the batter.

Heat a tawa, grease it with oil and pour a ladle of batter and smear it to make a round dosa. Pour oil around the edges if needed to cook the adai.

My tip is to close the dosa with a lid so that it will be cooked evenly with the steam.

Turn aside and cook on the other side till golden brown.

Serve hot with any chutney of your choice.

Rava Pulihora (Lemon flavoured rice semolina)

Ingredients:

Rice rava – 2 cups

Water – 4 cups

Lemon juice – ¼ cup (or as per taste)

Green chillies – 4 to 5

Coriander leaves – ½ cup

Red chillies – 4 to 5

Urid dal – 1 tbsp

Chana dal - tbsp

Ground nuts – 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds – ½ tbsp

Mustard seeds – ¼ tbsp

Cashew nuts – 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tbsp

Hing - a pinch

Salt to taste

Oil – 3 tbsp

Curry leaves – 2 springs

Preparation:

Steam the rava with water in 1:2 ratio in a pressure cooker for about 3 whistles and take out and let it cool to room temperature. Once cooled, scramble the rava so that no lumps are present and it is powdery.

Heat oil in a pan and add the following ingredients one by one in a row and fry till golden brown.

• chana  dal
• urid dal
• groundnuts
• mustard seeds
• cumin seeds
• cashew nuts
• red chillies
• curry leaves
• green chillies
• coriander leaves
• turmeric powder
• lemon juice
• and hing

After adding the lemon juice and salt , fry for about 2 min till the raw flavour of lemon is gone.

Now turn off the heat and bring the mixture to the cooked rava and mix evenly. Adjust salt per taste. Trust me..it tastes great.

Mooli paratha (Radish Flat bread)

Ingredients:

Wheat flour – 2 cups

Salt to taste

Oil – 1 tsp

Water to make the dough

For stuffing:

Grated Radish - 2 cups

Onion – 1 small finely chopped

Garlic pods – 4 finely chopped

Chilli powder - 1/2 tbsp

Dhania powder – ½ tbsp

Cumin powder – ½ tbsp

Pepper powder – ¼ tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil – 1tbsp

Ghee - as required

Preparation:

Prepare soft dough with wheat flour, adding oil, enough salt and water and keep it aside covered for about 15 - 20min.

Heat one tbsp of oil in a pan and add chopped onion, garlic and grated radish and fry till the radish leaves its water. now add all the masala powders and salt to taste and fry for one min and remove from the stove and let it cool.

Divide the dough into equal size balls. The above measurement makes about 7 – 8 parathas.

Roll the dough onto a small circular roti with hand and make sure that the edges are thinner than the center portion.

Place about 1 ½ tsp of the stuffing on the roti and close the filling to make a round shape as shown in the picture.

Now roll it as a regular roti with a rolling pin dusting with dry flour. Take care that the stuffing is not burst out.

Heat a flat tawa and place the roti on it and fry till you see brown spots on one side and turn it to other side. Smear little ghee or oil on both sides and fry till it is completely cooked on both sides.

Serve with any gravy or/and Raitha.

Methi Adai

Basically adai, a South indian healthy breakfast recipe with a combination of rice and different dals, I have added finely chopped methi leaves to make it even more healthier.

Ingredients:

Rice – 1 cup

Urid dal – ½ cup

Toor dal – ½ cup

Mung dal – ½ cup

Chana dal – ¼ cup

Green chillies – 5 to 6

Salt to taste

Oil as required

Hing – a pinch

Finely chopped methi leaves – 2 cups

Finely chopped ginger – 2 tsp

Ajwain seeds – ¼ tsp

Preparation:

Wash and soak the rice and dals together for about 4 to 5 hours and grind with green chillies and enough salt to a coarse paste. (coarse batter results in a crispy adai and also takes longer time to cook).

Add the chopped methi leaves, ginger and ajwain seeds and mix well.

Heat a tawa, grease it with oil and pour a ladle of batter and smear it to make a round dosa. Pour oil around the edges if needed to cook the adai.

My tip is to close the adai when cooking so that it will be cooked evenly with the steam.

Turn aside and cook on the other side till golden brown.

Serve hot as it is or with any chutney of your choice.

Mamidikaya (Raw Mango) Pulihora

Rice mixed with grated raw mango is a festive recipe that is specially prepared on “Ugadi” , when the raw mangoes are abundant. It is important that the mangoes are sour for this recipe. The more sour the Mango, the better is the pulihora.

Ingredients:

Rice – 2 cups

Peeled & grated raw mango – 1 ½ cup (depends on the sourness of mangoes)

Green chillies – 4 to 5

Coriander leaves – ½ cup

Red chillies – 4 to 5

Urid dal – 1 tbsp

Chana dal - tbsp

Ground nuts – 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds – ½ tbsp

Mustard seeds – ¼ tbsp

Cashew nuts – 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tbsp

Hing - a pinch

Salt to taste

Oil – 3 tbsp

Curry leaves – 2 springs

Preparation:

Wash and cook rice with enough water and cool it to room temperature. Add 1 tbsp of oil while cooking the rice so that the rice grains separate from one another.

Grind green chillies and coriander leaves coarsely and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add the following ingredients one by one in a row and fry till golden brown.

• chana  dal
• urid dal
• groundnuts
• mustard seeds
• cumin seeds
• cashew nuts
• red chillies
• curry leaves
• ground chilli and coriander leaves
• turmeric powder
• grated mango
• and hing

After adding the grated mango add salt , fry for about 2 min till the raw flavour of mango goes.

Now turn off the heat and bring the mixture to the cooked rice and mix both evenly. Adjust salt per taste.

Set dosa (Atukulu/ Aval/ Poha/ Rice flakes dosa)

I fell in love with this set dosa, the very first day i ate it in Mayura, kadapa. I just love this fluffy thick dosa served in set of three medium sized ones. Finally I did some research for the recipe and got this wonderful one. It came out really good. One special thing about this dosa is that its crispy, golden brown texture on one side and spongy, spotless white on the other and also very little oil is required to make this dosa (I didn’t use any though). I bet you’ll surely fall in love with this recipe too once you make it.

Ingredients:

3 cups Raw Rice
1 cup tightly packed atukulu /poha/Rice flakes
1 tsp Fenugreek  seeds)
1/4 cup Urad dal
1/2 cup beaten yogurt
Salt to taste
a pinch of baking soda

Preparation:

Wash and soak rice, methi seeds, and urad dal together for 4-5 hours.
Soak rice flakes/ poha /atukulu in separate bowl with beaten yogurt for 1-2 hrs.
Grind soaked rice flakes first to a smooth paste and set aside.
Grind soaked rice mixture into very smooth paste adding water. Do not add too much water just add enough water to grind.
Mix well with hands (this aids in better fermenting of the batter) and keep in a warm place overnight or for about 8 hours.

Add salt and baking soda and mix well.

Heat griddle or tawa in medium heat, Pour a ladle full of batter. No need to spread the batter, jut a pat on it would do.

Now cover the dosa with a lid and let it steam gradually over medium heat.
Add very little oil on the edges of dosa if needed .Once the holes are formed, let it cook for 1 min till done. No need to flip it on the other side as it is completely cooked by the steam. This makes the dosa crispy on one side and spongy soft on the other.

Serve hot with coconut chutney and ginger chutney.

Adai (Dal Dosa)

Here is one more healthy breakfast recipe packed with protein. This basically is a Tamil nadu recipe with a combination of rice and different dals. Unlike the regular dosa, this doesn’t need the long process of fermentation of the batter which makes it even more simple..

Ingredients:

Rice – 1 cup

Urid dal – ½ cup

Toor dal – ½ cup

Mung dal – ½ cup

Chana dal – ¼ cup

Green chillies – 5 to 6

Salt to taste

Oil as required

Hing – a pinch

Preparation:

Wash and soak the rice and dals together for about 4 to 5 hours and grind with green chillies and enough salt to a coarse paste. (coarse batter results in a crispy adai and also takes longer time to cook)

Heat a tawa, grease it with oil and pour a ladle of batter and smear it to make a round dosa. Pour oil around the edges if needed to cook the adai.

My tip is to close the adai when cooking so that it will be cooked evenly with the steam.

Turn aside and cook on the other side till golden brown.

Serve hot with any chutney of your choice or vegetable stew.