Cabbage Vadai

Almost a generation back it was a culture to prepare some evening-snack along with coffee everyday. Nowadays with the availability of packaged snacks and nearby restaurants, that idea is slowly fading. Here is a vadai recipe my mom's sister shared with us long back. The basic batter is similar to the ulunthu vadai, with some vegetable touch. 'Adding some vegetables to the vadai batter' has always been in our tradition to stretch the quantity. May be our mom's had mastered this quick-fix techniques to cater a surprise guest. When I did this after marriage, it became my mother in law's favorite too.
Recipe source: My Gandhi chithi

Ingredients:

(For 18 medium size vadai)
Urid dhal (black gram lentil) - 1 cup
rice flour - 2 tbsp
corn Oil (for deep frying) - 200 ml
Cabbage (finely chopped) - 1 cup
green chilly - 4 (finely chopped)
ginger - 2 inch
cumin - 1 tsp
whole black pepper - 1 tbsp
curry leaf - 1 sprig

Method:

Wash the urid dhal thrice. Soak the urid dhal in cold water for 2 or 3 hours. (I suggest soaking it inside refrigerator, which makes the vadai to absorb less oil).
Grind it to a fine paste with salt and pepper. If needed add 1 or 2 tbsp water.

Take the batter in a mixing bowl. Taste and adjust the salt now.
Finely shred / chop the cabbage. Finely chop ginger, chillies too.
Mix the finely chopped cabbage, green chilly, curry leaf , cumin , rice flour with the batter.

Heat the oil in a wok. Wait till it reaches the hottest point. Reduce the flame to medium.

Wet a plastic sheet or banana leaf (small square). Take a small ball of batter , place it on the sheet, gently flatten it and make a small hole at the center.

Deep fry the vadai in medium to low heat till it gets the golden red color.

Drain the oil , take out and place on kitchen towel / multi holed basin to drain excess oil.

Cabbage vadai is ready!

Serving suggestions;

Serve with coconut chutney or tomato ketchup along with hot coffee or tea in the evening.
Also makes a good side dish with Idly, Venn pongal, sarkarai pongal etc.

Cauliflower masala fry.

Here is a cauliflower fry I usually make as side dish for chapati.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 1 (400 gm)
oil - 1/4 cup or little more
shallot onion - 4
garlic - 5 cloves
ginger - 1 inch
fennel seed(sombu)- 1 tsp
cinnamon - 1 inch
red chilly powder - 1  tsp
garam masal powder - 1 tsp
coriander powder - 1 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
salt - to taste

Direction:

Wash the cauliflower and cut it into small pieces.
Mince the onion, ginger and garlic in a chopper.
Heat oil in a thick bottom wok.
Add fennel seeds, cinnamon.
When the fennel turns red, add the minced onion, ginger, garlic and saute for a few seconds.
Then add the chopped cauliflower and stir well.

Then put all the powders mentioned above and salt.
Cook covered in low flame till the cauliflower shrinks and raw smell vanishes.
Cauliflower fry is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) before serving.
Serve as side dish with roti , chapathi , sambar rice or curd rice.

Note:

The oil and spices in the recipe may seem more, but it will make the chapati interesting.
If prepared as side dish with rice , we can reduce the spice and oil.
The left over cauliflower masala can be used as stuffing to make gobi paratha.