Potato bajji (Urulai kilangu bajji)

Bajji (Tamil) - Vegetable slices coated with spicy gram flour paste and deep fried. (Whereas in hindi , baji means a spicy curry served roti).

We can get this snack in almost all the tea shops of Tamilnadu, India. The valaikkai bajji prepared with unripe banana is more common and claimed as the standard version when served with thick coconut chutney (ketti chutney). But I have seen mom utilizing various vegetables like Potato, onion, cauliflower, unripe plantain (valaikkai), brinjal, unripe tomato, capsicum. Also bajji can be made using boiled egg, fish, bread, appalam (pappad). As it is a simple snack, that can be prepared within 10 minutes, bajji comes handy for me whenever we get surprise visitors, especially during winter evenings.

Memories :I will always remember the 'bajji treat' made by my friend Archana's mom....It was a pleasant surprise for us to see almost all the varieties of bajjis in one place, that too made in front of us , while we were enjoying her tea and waiting to roam(!) around that pool. Thank you Nalini aunty! whenever I make bajji, your treat goes as the main topic in our home :).

Urulai kilangu bajji served with tomato ketchup.

Ingredients (for 10 pieces) :

Potato (big and round) - 1
Besan flour (kadalai mavu) - 3/4 cup
dosa batter - 1/4 cup
(or) rice flour - 2 tbsp
salt - to taste
red chilly powder - 1 tbsp
hing (asafoetida)- 1/8 tsp
baking soda - 1/10 tsp
garlic - 2 pieces (finely ground)
red food color - a pinch (optional)
oil - to deep fry (200 ml)

Method:

Wash the potato, scrub and remove the skin. Slice it into thin (2mm approx) round pieces, using a knife and cutting board. Don't use a chips maker, if it has nonadjustable blades. We may need the slices to be more thick than the potato chips.

Mix all the above with 1/4 cup water to a thick batter. Add more water if needed, but keep the batter like idly batter ,otherwise the bajjis will absorb more oil.

Heat oil in a wok. As it gets smoky hot, reduce flame and keep in medium flame.

Dip the potato slices in the batter and put it on the hot oil. Flip and fry both sides. Drain oil and take out.

Potato bajji is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve hot as snack along with hot coffee or tea during rainy / winter season.
Coconut chutney or tomato ketchup are good side dishes for these fries.

Cabbage carrot poriyal

A big ball of cabbage sitting in the refrigerator is a great comfort for me when that week's grocery shopping got postponed unavoidably. Cabbage side dishes are plenty in my draft and here is one.

Recipe courtesy / memories: My sulochana aachi . I remember her telling mom to prepare this cabbage poriyal, whenever they both arrange for some family get-together.  Indian ThaLi meal (platter) may need  'n' number of side dishes.  So if we can prepare a delicious cabbage poriyal, then it will become an inexhaustible side dish resource for that day, even if you run out of a few dishes :) I like her views,  social skills, home management techniques very much. So no wonder, her favorite cabbage became my favorite too:)

Ingredients:

cabbage  - 150 gm
carrot (1) - 50 gm
channa dhal - 2 tbsp
mustard - 1/2 tsp
curry leaf - 1 sprig
onion - 1/2
salt - to taste
oil - 1 tsp
cumin- 1/2 tsp
freshly shredded coconut - 2 tbsp
green chilly - 1
ginger - 1/2 inch

Method:

Soak the channa dhal for sometime and cook it by putting in boiling water.
(or) Microwave it for 2 minutes along with 1/4 cup water.
Finely chop the onion, chilly, ginger, curry leaf and keep aside.
Finely chop the cabbage and carrot (tiny squares). Keep aside.
Heat a wok with a tsp of oil and let the mustard crackle. Then add the chopped onion, chilly, ginger, curry leaf and stir well. Let the onion wilt (1 minute).Immediately add the finely chopped cabbage, carrot and stir well. Add the cooked channa dhal along with any left over water(not much) and cook covered (3 minutes). Don't let it brown. Let all the water evaporate. Finally add required salt, cumin, shredded coconut, mix well and switch off.

Cabbage carrot poriyal is ready!

Serving suggestions:

serve as side dish with sambar rice or any rice or roti.
Serves 3 people.