Onion Pakoda/Bhajiyas#SundayFunday

Onion pakodas, also called onions fritters/ onion bhajiyas are a popular snack that is eaten all over India. It is super easy to make bhajiyas are crispy and crunchy onions mixed in chickpea flour and spices. Onion Pakoda is a famous street food from Mumbai. The key to making your best crispy onion pakoda is in the slicing, make sure that all the slices are uniformly.

When I was working on the way back from work, a small South Indian restaurant use make these bhajiyas in the evening and these were so irresistible that most of day's I used to pick up these for us to have as an evening snack.

In monsoons my mother would make different types of pakodas for us to have with our evening, chai and this is the world’s best combo ever! Even today when it rains heavily, I crave for a hot plate of pakodas, since my hubby doesn't like deep fried items often, I always wish someone would make them and give me to enjoy 😋!!

Serves 2
Ingredients
3 Medium Onions - thinly sliced
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Besan / Chickpea Flour
1 Tablespoon Rice Flour
1 Tablespoon Chopped Corinader Leaves
1/8 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
¼ Teaspoon Red Chilly Powder
½ Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1 Teaspoon Heaped Hot Oil
A Pinch Baking Soda
Oil as required for Deep Frying

Method  

Slice onions and transfer them to a mixing bowl. Add ½ teaspoon salt and mix it well, keep this aside.

Heat oil in the deep frying pan/kadai on medium low flame.

Let's make the batter while the oil is heating.
In a bowl add besan/chickpea flour, rice flour, cumin seeds, chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt, mix this well.
Squeeze out the water from the onions , add this squeezed onions along with coriander leaves to the chickpea flour mix and mix it by squashing the onions as it is getting incorporated into the mix. Do not add water. Leave this aside, till the oil is really hot, and the onions will release it's moisture into the batter. To check whether the oil is ready, take a little of onion, leave it into the oil, when added it should immediately float to the surface. The oil is perfectly ready to fry the onion bhajiyas.
                            

Take a teaspoon heaped of the hot oil, add the onion mix and mix it with a spoon ( this oil will make the bhajiyas, crispy and light). When well mixed add a pinch of baking soda and immediately give it good mix with your hands. Take little of the onion mix and leave it in hot oil on medium high flame, when all of the bhajiyas have risen to the surface reduce the flame and fry them on medium low flame till they are brown and crispy. Take one and check if the it cooked. When your are removing them with a slotted spoon then again increase the flame to medium high, this will prevent the bhajiyas from absorbing a lot of oil.

These onion bhajiyas are best enjoyed hot, when they start to get cold they will loose their crispiness!
Serve them immediately with some green chutney or ketchup! If you are like me, you will gobble it up as it is, they are so crispy and irresistible.

Labels: Pakoda, Bhajiyas, Besan, Deep Fried, Street food, Snacks, Sunday Funday, Serves Two, Vegan, Gluten free

For our event called Sunday Funday, wherein we share recipes our families will love to enjoy on a Sunday. Our host for this week's event is
Renu Agrawal Dongre of Cook with Renu 

Recipes with Chickpea Flour

• Airfryer Banana Crisps by Sizzling Tastebuds
• Onion Pakoda/Bhajiyas by Sneha’s Recipe
• Spiced Chickpea Flour Gnocchi with Spinach Coconut Sauce by Food Lust People Love
• Tawa Bread Pakora by Mayuri's Jikoni
• Vegan Chickpea Tomato Omelette by Cook with Renu
• Zucchini Fritters by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Mughlai Cauliflower

In this recipe the cauliflower is fried and then used, but wanted to reduce the quantity of oil and keep this as light as possible.  Let me tell you still this gravy tasted yummy and light on the on tummy.  My family enjoyed this Mughlai Cauliflower  for lunch.  So here is the recipe.

Ingredients 

2 small sized Cauliflower (whole) - cut into florets
6 Cups Water
1 Teaspoon Turmeric
1 Teaspoon Garam masala
1 Teaspoon Red chilli powder
2 Green chillies - slit
1 Tablespoon Ginger - Garlic paste
1 Teaspoon  Cumin seeds
2 Teaspoon Coriander seeds
1 inch piece Cinnamon
4  Green Cardamoms
8 - 10 Cashew nuts
2 Large Onions -  finely sliced
4  Tablespoon Milk
1 Cup Tomato puree

2 Tablespoon Paneer - grated
1 Cup water

2 Tablespoon Fresh Cream

1/3 Cup Oil

Method

Cut the cauliflower in small florets, wash and blanche it in 6 cups water. Drain and cool.

Fry the onions till golden  brown.

In a hot tawa dry roast the coriander, cinnamon , cardamons, cashewnuts, cumin seeds  lighlty .

Then powder them in blender,  add the fried onions and grind to paste.

In a pan heat oil add the ground paste, ginger-  garlic paste, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt and little water, fry then add the tomato puree, fry well till oil leaves the sides. Add the slit green chillies and fry well.  Add the  paneer, milk and stir till the all is blended, then add the cauliflower give a quick stir,  cover and cook for 3 minutes.  Add a cup of water or more to adjust the gravy consistency and  let it boil till the cauliflower is cooked.  Add the garam masala and give a quick stir then add fresh cream and switch off the flame.

Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with phulkas or nan. 

Lables : Cauliflower, Vegetarian, Main course, Gluten free

Bhendi Do Pyaza

Bhendi Do Pyaza - Okra Onion Stir Fry is a very popular North Indian sabzi, side dish that is served and eaten with Naan, Roti or Chapati. Bhindi is also popularly known as Okra or lady finger.

 Do pyaza denotes presence of double the quantity of onions than that found in any other style of preparation. It is a spicy Indian stir-fried okra and onion, a delectable veggie marriage. 

Ingredients
250 Grams Bhindi  - cut in juliennes
3 Large onions   - Sliced
2 Green chilies -  slit
2 Tablespoons Oil
1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
1/4 Teaspoon Tumeric powder
1/2 Teaspoon Coriander powder
1 Teaspoon  Red chilli powder
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin powder 
1/2 Teaspoon Dry Mango powder (Amchur)
1/2 Teaspoon Garam masala
2 Tablespoon Coriander leaves - finely chopped
Salt to taste

Method

Wash the bhendi , dry  wipe with a cloth.  Cut the bhendi, onions and green chilies and keep them ready.

In a pan heat 2 tbsp of oil and once hot add the cumin seeds. Once they splutter add the onions and green chilies and stir till onions turn translucent. Add the bhindi. Stir fry till its well mixed with the onions and oil for about 3 minutes on medium heat. Now add the powdered tumeric, coriander, cumin and chilly powder. ( I added Kacha Masala powder 2 Teaspoons ), amchur and garam masala, let it cook for about 5-10 mins stirring occasionally . Once cooked, add the finely chopped coriander leaves and stir. Serve hot. Enjoy !!!

Labels:  Bhendi, Healthy, Main course, Vegan, Vegetarian, Okra, Gluten free, Side Dish

Poulet Yassa -Senegalese Style Chicken

Read so many recipes on the net, but in all, one thing was common, the large amount of onions, lemon and vinegar is used. No doubt the onions gives the dish a is delicious taste and lemon,vinegar helps some of the onions to melt. 

This recipe needs an overnight marination, but, I, kept it in the chiller tray for marination two days, since, next day had to take my husband for a complete check up at the hospital, had no time to cook the chicken yassa. But it tasted so good, its so simple to make and the sauce is so deliciously good, that you will definitely make this again. For lunch I had it with rice.

For dinner I, had yassa with air fryer sweet potatoes, whoops, forgot to take a pick. It tasted delicious with this combo too.

Ingredients 
300 Grams Chicken - I used 2 drumsticks and one breast
2 Red Jalapeno - de seeded & chopped
3 Medium Onions, roughly chopped
Juice of 2 lemons
2 Tablespoons Vinegar
1 Bay leaf
4  Big Cloves Garlic -  minced
1 Tablespoon. Dijon Mustard
1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper 

 Salt  to taste
2 - 3 Tablespoons  Groundnut Oil or Vegetable oil

Method 

Combine all of the ingredients except for the oil and bay leaf, in a large zip-close bag and  rub the the marination on the chicken well.  Keep this in the  refrigerator  overnight. When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the bag, but save the marinade. 
Heat a large  pan  heat oil ( I used groundnut oil) over medium-high heat and sauté chicken  till it changes color from pink to white and start to brown lightly.  Remove and set aside on a plate. 

Use a slotted spoon to scoop the onions out of the marinade bag, add to the same pan with a another tablespoon of oil and bay leaf,  cook for 4 - 5 minutes or until the onions start to change color. Add the remaining marinade and 1/2 cup water  bring to a  rolling boil.  Cover and let it cook on medium low flame  for ten minutes stirring after every two  minutes.  Let this cook until it becomes a saucy (about 18 - 20 minutes). Now add  the chicken  to the sauce, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through.

Serve with rice  or sweet potatoes.

Labels : Chicken, Senegalese, Curry, Eat the World, Gluten free 

!
Welcome to our April #EattheWorld project, being spearheaded by Evelyne of CulturEatz. Here's her challenge. This month she said, "This month our destination is Senegal, a nation with a rich history of traditional African culture and French influence."
Check out all the wonderful Senegalese dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us!

Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Café Touba (Senegalese Spiced Coffee) #eattheworld
Culinary Adventures with Camilla: The Kitchen Elves' Senegalese-Style Gumbo
Pandemonium Noshery: Poulet Yessa - Senegalese Chicken
CulturEatz: Senegalese Mango Chocolate Pound Cake
A Day in the Life on the Farm: Maafe
Making Miracles: Senegalese Poulet Yassa
Sneha’s Recipe: Poulet Yassa -Senegalese Style Chicken
Dinner By Dennis: Fataya (Deep Fried Senegalese Street Food)
Kitchen Frau: Mafé (Senegalese Beef & Peanut Stew)
The Schizo Chef: Senegalese Sweet Potato Shrimp Fritters

Musakhan / (Baked Chicken with Onions) / A Palestinian Cuisine

Musakhan (Arabic: مسخّن‎) is a Jordanian and Palestinian dish composed of roasted chicken baked with onions, sumac, spices and fried pine nuts served over taboon bread. It is also known as Muhammar (Arabic: محمر‎). Sakhan is the Arabic word for hot, so musakhan (mu-SA-khan) means something that has been heated.

Musakhan is a dish that is eaten with one's hands. It is usually presented with the chicken on top of the bread, and could be served with soup. It's a meal to be eaten as a special treat, it is especially cooked in villages in north Palestine.

In Mena's Cooking Club, this month we are going to discover a delicious cuisine of Palestine. This dish I, prepared for my family get together and they loved the chicken which was juicy and delicious. This is so easy to make if you marinate it the previous day and pop it in the oven an hour or two before your guest arrive.  Let's go through the ingredients... and make this together.

Ingredients
For the Marination
10 Chicken Drumsticks
1 Tablespoon Cumin powder.
2 Bay leaves
4 Whole Brown Cardamoms
2 Tablespoons Sumac powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Black pepper powder
A pinch of Freshly grated Nutmeg
1⁄2 Teaspoon Cinnamon powder
3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

Other Ingredients
2 Large Onions - finely sliced
1/2  Cup Olive oil
1 Cup Chicken stock

Method

Rinse the chicken pieces and pat dry.

Combine the spices for the marinade and mix with the lemon juice. Rub the marinade  into the chicken well.  Keep aside. 

Fry the onions in oil till light brown in color.  Note the onions should not burn but still be soft.  Add these onions also to the chicken marinade, along with the olive oil and keep in the refrigerator for a day or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Set the chicken out of the fridge and  let it come to room temperature. 

Then add the chicken stock.  Place the chicken on a baking tray, cover with foil and bake  for 30 minutes.   After 30 minutes remove the foil and turn the sides of the chicken and keep uncovered in the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes,   till the liquid is slightly evaporated and the chicken gets a nice dark brown color.  Remove from the oven and serve hot.

I served this with couscous  salad ( look out for the recipe) and bread .  This was  delicious.    You too try it .... Bon Appétit.

An InLinkz Link-up

Labels : Chicken, Palestine, Baked, Sumac, Mena Cooking Club, Continental Cuisine

Vegetarian Omurice /Japanese Fried Rice Omelette#EattheWorld

Omurice, it's a Japanese invention that combines an omelette with fried rice. You'll often hear it referred to as omuraisu, omumeshi or omuretsu" and "raisu," the Japanese pronunciations of "omelette" and "rice" Some versions have the rice rolled up in the omelette
I'm also sharing here, a traditional Capsicum Ketchup, since it's easy and tasty, while the recipe calls for Okonomiyaki Sauce.

Japanese Omurice is made with chicken, but Koreans commonly use beef, pork or ham as well. Shrimp is another good option.

I have used vegetables, like carrot, onion, and scallion. You can also add  celery, zucchini, or mushrooms. 

I used 2 eggs per serving for this recipe, but you can use 3 if you want a thick omelette covering your rice. You can also add a little bit of heavy cream or milk for a softer omelette, but I didn’t include it in this recipe. This is an easy fried rice flavored with sweet, tangy ketchup and wrapped in an egg omelette.

Serves 2
Ingredients
1 Medium Onion - finely chopped
1 Scallion - finely chopped
1 Small Carrot - finely chopped
½ Teaspoon Black pepper powder
1 Tablespoon Soy sauce
3 Tablespoons Capsicum Ketchup - recipe below
½ Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Oil or as required for pan frying
2 Cups Heaped Cooked Cold Rice -
4 Eggs
To Make the Kewpie Mayonnaise
1 Cup Mayonnaise
¼ Teaspoon Garlic powder
2 Teaspoons Tomato Ketchup

Method
Prepare the fried rice ingredients by finely chopping all the veggies.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat f oil. Add the onion, scallion, carrot and stir fry until the onion turns soft. Stir in soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the rice, and stir well until the clumped up rice is broken up and all the ingredients are well combined. Add capsicum ketchup (adjust to taste), salt and pepper to taste, continue to stir until the ketchup is evenly incorporated into the fried rice. Keep this aside.  

Heat a lightly oiled small non-stick pan over medium low heat.

Crack and beat 2 eggs in a bowl with a spoon or a fork. Stir in a pinch of salt. Add the egg mixture to the pan and swirl it around to cover the pan.

When the bottom is set but the top is still runny, turn off the heat and add one serving of the fried rice in the middle of the egg omelette.  Using a spatula, fold both sides of the omelette over the rice. Push the whole Omurice to the side of the pan.

Flip it onto a plate. Top it off with a squeeze of ketchup or Kewpie mayo. It's ready to enjoy.

Capsicum Ketchup

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion - finely chopped
1 Large Red Capsicum - roasted
200Ml Tomato Puree
4 Ripe Tomatoes - chopped
¼ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Stalk Celery - chopped
1" Piece Ginger - chopped
4 Cloves Garlic - chopped
¼ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
2 Teaspoons Honey
1 Teaspoon Salt
½ Teaspoon Coriander powder
¼ Teaspoon Nutmeg Powder
¼ Teaspoon White Pepper

Method

Roast the capsicum in a preheated oven at 180°C for 15 minutes or until the skin start to blacken or on the gas flame. Wrap the capsicum, in aluminum foil, fold over the edges to seal and trapped steam which will help loosen the skin from the capsicum. Once cooled, peel the skin off, de seed it and roughly chop them.

Add the olive oil to a pan and sauté the onions, celery, ginger, and garlic until they are just starting to turn brown around the edges. Add the capsicum, dark brown sugar. Cook, stirring until the sugar has melted. Add the chopped tomato, vinegar, tomato puree and salt, Gently simmer over low heat, stirring regularly. Once the softens and the sauce starts to thicken, switch off the flame. Allow the mixture to cool. 

Add the cooled mixture to a food processor or blender and process until smooth. 

I wanted the ketchup smooth, so passed the blended mixture through a fine sieve and discarded the solids. Now add the sauce back into the pan, add in the honey, coriander, nutmeg and white pepper powder. Give this a good mix and bring this to a boil, reduce the flame and it simmer till it form a thick sauce consistency, switch off the flame, cool. 

Capsicum Ketchup is ready.

You can freeze the remaining in an airtight container for 2 - 3 months.

My Notes

If the rice is a bit too hard after being in the fridge, heat it up in the microwave to soften it a little.
You can also shape the Omurice by hand using aluminum foil or a paper towel. Drizzle some ketchup on top. Repeat the last 3 steps for another serving.
Labels: Omurice, Japanese, Asian Cuisine, Vegetarian, Egg, Kwepie, Mayonnaise, Capsicum, Ketchup, Homemade, Eat the World

                   
Each month a group of us join Evelyne of CulturEatz as she travels to different countries to Eat the World. This month it's secret Santa wherein we can choose any dish by the blog assigned to us.  

Check out all the wonderful Japanese dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us! 

 Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Yoshinoya Beef Bowl (Gyudon) 

A Day in the Life on the Farm: Japanese Rice 

Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Kuri Kinton (Candied Chestnuts and Sweet Potatoes) 

Cultureatz: Ramen Burger with Honey Teriyaki Sauce 

Kitchen Frau: Chawanmushi (Steamed Savoury Egg Custard) 

Sugarlovespices: Dorayaki with Chocolate Hazelnut Spread 

Sneha’s Recipe: Vegetarian Omurice /Japanese Fried Rice Omelette 

Pandemonium Noshery: Ginger Pork Stir Fry 

Palatable Pastime: Edamame with Sakura Dipping Sauce

Moroccan Rghaif#BreadBakers

Rghaif is a squared flatbread usually eaten in Morocco for breakfast or tea time. You can have them plain or stuffed, sweet or savory, their texture is very soft. It’s richer, but also crispy and super comforting. I have made a vegan version of this bread. This is also made with a meat, caramelized onions filling and there’s many ways to prepare this bread. Traditionally they are individually pan-fried but we can also bake them.

Ingredients

For The Dough
1 Cup Heaped All Purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons Semolina
¼ Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Oil 
For The Stuffing
2 Tablespoons Oil
1 Cup Sliced Onions
Salt to taste
2 Chopped Olives
2 Chopped Jalapenos

Method 
Prepare The Dough

Mix the flour and semolina together. Add oil and mix well, then keep adding little water at a time and knead to a stiff dough. Keep aside covered for at least 15 minutes.
In the meantime let's make the stuffing

In a pan heat oil, add the onions with add a pinch of salt and sauté until light golden brown/caramelized. 
Transfer the onions in bowl add olives, jalapenos and mix well.

Divide the dough into 4 parts and roll each into a round circle about ¼ inch thick. 

Place the filling in the center and now fold it like an envelope to make a square. Lightly roll it to make it slightly thin and to even out the stuffing.

Fold it into a square parcel.

Roll this square rghaif to flatten it a little.

Heat a skillet with oil and fry these on low flame until golden on both sides. 

Serve hot with pickle.

Labels: Moroccan, Middle Eastern, Stuffed Flatbreads, Caramelized Onions, Breads, Bread Bakers, Vegan, Pan Fried

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. http://www.pinterest.com/flpl/bread-bakers/ Links are also updated after each event on the BreadBakers home page. https://www.foodlustpeoplelove.com/p/breadbakers.html 

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. 

• French Onion Soup Rolls from Food Lust People Love
• Garlic Cloverleaf Rolls from Passion Kneaded
• Garlic Confit Focaccia from What Smells So Good?
• Gluten-Free Millet Chives Flatbread (Bajra chives Paratha) from Cook with Renu
• Moroccan Rghaif from Sneha’s Recipe
• Onion and Bay Loaf from A Messy Kitchen
• Onion Garlic Loaf from Ambrosia
• Onion Lover Rolls from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Scallion and Sesame Rolls from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Whole Wheat Onion Kulcha from Magical Ingredients