Sweet Potato Fries in Air fryer

As every new year begins, most of us enthusiastically write up some goals. One among them would be ' getting in shape ' :) . But we all love those fries too. The modern technology has fixed that for those food lovers and now we can have our fries too using this new gadget.
To start the new year,  I thought it would be more appropriate to write about this user friendly gadget, the air fryer.  I bought this Bella air fryer online during last 'thanksgiving sale' for less than $ 50. At first I saw this in my brother's house and I loved the French fries he made for me. I gave  a lot of thinking before buying this new equipment, as I am getting more choosier on which gadgets sits in the kitchen counter after buying that kitchenaid mixer :) Anyway I love all my kitchen gadgets and somehow will find space for everything :).  I was comparing the conventional oven with this air fryer. As I am sure that our conventional oven can do everything an air fryer does. But the air fryer takes lesser time, cooks more evenly and it is easier to handle this less weight fryer basket too. It would be more convenient to use air fryer during hot weathers while we all love our oven's heating effect during winters :) Above all, the most deciding factor for me was the 'thanksgiving offer' and those ads. I didn't go for the much pricier brand as it was not on a 'sale' :) and bought this Bella brand and I adore it.
Bella Air fryer :Product details:12.28"H x 10.35"W x 13.03"D,  2.5 liter capacity, 1500 watts, Model no. 14538

I have tried many recipes using this air fryer and I am sure it will become the next favorite for all the home chefs :) Anyways we can do these sweet potato fries using a baking oven too. Click to see my earlier recipe Baked sweet potato chips / fries .  If you are trying to make this in a big batch for more people, then prepare the sweet potatoes, mariante and keep in fridge till frying. Or do the frying for half way and keep frozen, then do the air frying without defrosting whenever needed.
I made fries using 3 medium size sweet poatoes (almost 2 lb). I did the air frying in 2 batches and it turned out amazing. I have used the yellow sweet potatoes as it is more healthy. But we can use the expensive Japanese yam (Indian sweet potatoes) too. The air fried 'fries' would not be crispier like oil fried. But personally I consider these fries as more delicious as they are not greasy.
Try this and I am sure you all will love this recipe.

Sweet potato fries made in air fryer

Rinse the sweet potatoes, peel them and rinse again.

Cut it in to thick strips (thin ones may brown soon)

Sliced chips

Add salt, turmeric, chili powder, evoo, cumin powder

Put in air fryer basket in 1 lb batches

Fry in air fryer (see timings and temp below)

Enjoy a worthy snack , because we all deserve these :) 

Ingredients:
Sweet potato - 2 lb
salt - 3/4 tsp
red chilly powder - 3/4 tsp
cumin - 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Extra virgin olive oil - 2 tbsp

Method:
Soak and rinse the sweet potatoes to remove any dirt.
Scrub and peel the sweet potatoes. Rinse and wash thoroughly again.
Cut it into  thick strips (thinner ones get brown easily, as sweet potato is sweet :).
Put all the ingredients along with sweet potatoes , in a large mixing bowl, mix well.
Preheat the air fryer basket for 3 minutes at 350 F.
Take the basket out, fill it with prepared sweet potatoes upto half the height. I do 1 lb per batch in my Bella fryer (see specifications above).
Set time to 20 minutes. Fry for 10 minutes.  Take out, toss and cook  again for nearly 10 minutes.  If it starts browning unevenly, then reduce temperature  to 320 and cook for 5 more minutes. IT would be done.
Air fried 'sweet potato fry' is ready!

Serving suggestion:
Serve hot with tomato ketchup as snack or side dish.

Note:
The total process may take 20 - 30 minutes for air frying, depending on the capacity. 
Preparation time for 2 lb may take 15 minutes.
The leftovers (if any) can be frozen and air fried again for a crispy fry. But DO NOT thaw them before putting in air frier.

Happy New Year

Wishing all a beautiful, Prosperous and peaceful happy New Year ,
Love,
Viki Xavier.

Omavalli bajji

"A great person never loses a childlike spirit" - Mencius.
"It is that nostalgic foods that brings back our childlike spirit" says me :)

Omavalli / karpooravalli / cuban oregano / mother of herbs
bajji - fritters

Though we used to grow this omavalli plant in our house (while growing up), I had never tasted this bajji (we eat it raw), till I saw a platter of this in a TV serial long back.
Unlike anywhere else, house plants are almost free in India :). After that , around 2005 I got one of this omavalli in our garden, as my husband is very much fond of smelling this leaf.  Also he likes the way this grows enormously and he particularly wished me to grow this plant along with my favorites. I searched everywhere and spotted one in my neighborhood. Then while I went for a walk I asked my neighbor if she can give me a tiny piece of this. She gladly gave me a big branch and that one grew in our house to a large bush. We munch on this leaf  in the mornings. Then on a rainy and cold evening (that nice weather is not common in Chennai and we Chennaites celebrate the cold weather with spicy foods and tea), I prepared this for us and we loved it very much along with tea. Omavalli remains in Chennai and I never thought if I could see one again in USA.
After many years, I saw this in a nearby Asian grocery stores, and bought it for $ 2 in a small pack. Then it grew this big (see photo) inside our house. Then only I learned that omavalli is not only native to India, it is a favorite herb in South America too. It is a hardy and outdoor plant too (haven't tried outdoors yet).
 I love my plants very much and consider them as my kids, as I think that they give me a very good company. Growing them in cold regions needs some luck, so I keep them precious. I rarely pick leaves out of them and one fine day  just like that on a cold evening  I made this bajji along with tea and we liked it very much :)  .
Here is a platter of omavalli bajji and should I say it tastes amazing ? :)

omavalli bajji

May 2014 Omavalli plant from Asian stores.

Omavalli plant in indoors.

Ingredients :

Omavalli leaf - 10 
Besan flour (kadalai mavu) - 1/2 cup
dosa batter (or) rice flour) - 2 tbsp 
salt - to taste
red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
hing (asafoetida)- 1/8 tsp
baking soda - 1/2 tsp
oil - to deep fry (200 ml)

Method:

Pick some fresh omavalli leaf (using a sharp scissor). Rinse and wipe to dry.

In a mixing bowl , add all the ingredients except oil and leaf .  Mix well to a thick batter using little water. The batter should be like thick idly batter ,otherwise the bajjis will absorb more oil. 

Heat oil in a wok. Heat well, reduce flame to medium.

Dip the leaves in the batter and put it on the hot oil.  Do not clutter. Flip and fry both sides. Drain oil and take out.

Omavalli bajji  is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve hot as snack along with hot coffee or tea during rainy / winter season.
Tomato ketchup is my choice of side dish for all bajji. 
Tastes good without any dipping too.

Cobbler and Ice cream

This is the peach cobbler and kulfi ice cream I made for my husband's friends for their office's Deepavali celebration (Nov). I get enthusiastic whenever they say there's a party with friends, as I like the opportunities to make something different from our regular menu :) .Peach cobbler is totally an eggless dessert that is baked with milk, flour and peaches. Peach cobbler is an US dessert popular in Southern states. It tastes amazing when served warm along with a scoop of ice cream. In my view, the cobbler is one of the easiest desserts and I make it quite often for the parties I host. Indian Kulfi ice cream is a Moghul dessert and it is popular in many countries in Asia. My version is purely for my convenience and it almost tastes like the original Gulfi :)

Try these and tell me how much you like it.  Click the links for the recipes (my earlier posts).

Peach cobbler:

Peach cobbler (this large one is for our friends and that small tray is for my hd to taste first)

Indian Kulfi ice cream:

Homemade Indian Fruit and nut Kulfi ice cream

My list of  Indianized ice creams  :
1. Short cut Kulfi (from store bought ice cream)
2. Almond kulfi
3.Coconut milk ice cream
4.Pistachio Kulfi
5. Fruit and nut kulfi

6. Mango ice cream

Peach cobbler with Indian kulfi ice cream

Enjoy !

Kovaikkai varuval (கோவைக்காய் வறுவல்)

"Happiness is not a state of mind. It is an attitude" - read somewhere in Pinterest.

I have tasted this kind of spicy kovakkai fry in buffets, till then I used to make a simple poriyal only. I too started making it  at home using sambar powder and it tasted same as the Mirchi's.  Though this is a very easy and quick version, the success of the recipe depends on the way they chop the vegetable. These long slender pieces of this vegetable makes it a more yummy dish (my opinion !).
Enjoy this spicy South Indian side dish !

Kovaikkai  / Tindora / Ivy gourd ;  Varuval - pan roasting

Slice the tindora just like this.

Saute it in oil

Cook covered

After adding sambar powder

Kovaikkai varuval

Ingredients: 
Kovaikkai - 250 gm (1/2 lb)
Sesame oil / peanut oil - 3 tbsp
mustard (kadugu) - 1 tsp
urid dal - 1 tsp
red onion (small) - 1
homemade sambar powder - 2 tsp
turmeric powder -1/4 tsp
curry leaf - few
salt - to taste

Preparation: (20 minutes)
Rinse the Ivy gourd very well (thrice). Remove the top and bottom of each. No need to remove skin. Slice them into very thin long slices (see images).
Finely chop onion. Keep it along with curry leaf.
Method: (10 minutes)
Heat oil in a wok. Slide in the mustard and urid dal. Let the mustard crackle. Add the chopped onion, curry leaf. Fry till onion gets soft (1 minute approx).
Put the sliced Kovaikkai. Saute for 30 seconds. Sprinkle a handful of water and cook covered in low heat (5 mins) till kovakkai is tender crisp.
Add the required salt, turmeric powder, sambar powder and stir well. Cook covered for 2 more minutes with a tbsp of water.
Tindora fry is ready !

Serving suggestion:
Makes  4 servings.
Serve as side dish with sambar rice, any rice variety, chapati , roti.

Vendaikkai puli pachadi (வெண்டைக்காய் புளி பச்சடி )

Vendaikai - okra / ladies finger ; puLi - tamarind ; pachadi - a Tamil recipe for tender crisp side dish.
Most pachadi I make are curd based. But this one is different.
I have seen this side dish more in Tirunelveli than Chennai.  It might have originated in Kerala (as many pachadi are popular there) . It was introduced to my amma by Rukmani aunty and I 'by hearted' it keenly as I thought recipes like this are complex at that time. But nowadays I am confident to say that this recipe is not a time consuming one, if we know various short cuts in the kitchen.
Try and let me know if you like this recipe !

Okra / ladies finger (what a name !) / vendaikkai

Chop it into small rounds

Fry the okra along with onion tadka

Add required masala powders and continue frying

Cook till raw smell vanishes. 

Add tamarind extract. 

Add cooked dal, salt. bring to a boil.  Switch off.

Okra pachadi is ready !

Ingredients:
Okra - 200 gm
coconut oil - 2 tbsp
mustard (kadugu) - 1 tsp
urid dal - 1 tsp
chopped red onion - 1/2 cup
green chili - 1 (slit)
curry leaf - little
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
red chili powder - 1 tsp
coriander powder - 3 tsp
cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
salt - to taste
tamarind - amla size + hot water - 1 cup ( to make tamarind extract)
cooked thuvar dal - 1/2 cup

Preparation:
Rinse the okra and pat dry using a clean kitchen towel. Let it air-dry while we gather all other ingredients. Cook the thuvar dal and keep it ready.
Extract tamarind juice by soaking the tamarind in hot water. (or use a tbsp of readymade tamarind paste).
Chop the okra and keep aside.

Method:
Heat oil in a wok. Add the mustard and as soon as it starts crackling, add urid dal and fry till popping stops. Then add chopped red onion, chili, curry leaf and cook till onion turns soft.
Then add chopped okra. Now it may seem slimy. But keep on stirring in low heat. After few minutes add the masala powders (instead of all these powders a tbsp of  sambar powder would be enough too). Keep on stirring for one more minute and this direct heat will reduce the raw smell of masalas. Then add tamarind extract. Bring to a boil. Add salt. Cook covered till okra is almost tender crisp.
Tamarind removes the sliminess of okra. Then add cooked dal. Stir well , bring to a boil and switch off.
Okra pachadi is ready !

Serving suggestion:
Makes a perfect side dish with simple dal rice or sambar rice.
Sometimes I make it as side dish with chapti too.

Note:
In this dish I have used cooked dal, which I reserve while making sambar. Cooked toor dal can stay safe in freezer for almost 2 weeks. I haven't tested beyond that. Cooked toor dal in reserve comes handy for making rasam, side dishes etc.
But never try sambar with frozen dal, as Sambar tastes good  with freshly cooked toor dal only....my experience !

Mango grape juice

Who said welcome drinks should always be a lemonade or orange juice from a grocery store ? Luckily I discover newer drinks when in need. Here is one more drink that could make all of us happy.  On that day, I had a bottle of good quality 100% grape juice (from concentrate) and a tin of mango pulp which I had bought for another recipe. I never thought I would be mixing them up like this until that moment. Voila, this concoction made all think that I was planning on this drink for days , but I only knew how easy that is :) I have two recipes for that drink, one is pretty much handy and the other one is totally homely.
I am giving one more method (the really real recipe) which we started relishing after that.
Hope you like them both !

Seedless grapes and Atulfo mango from Costco

Grapes mango juice

Totally homely recipe :
Mango - 1
grapes (seedless) - 30 numbers
water - 1 cup

Remove the skin and puree the mango.
Put the grapes in 1 cup of hot boiling water and let cool completely.
Using a juicer extract the juice from grapes (Preethi juice extractor would be much useful in this step, as it retains the seeds and skin). Or using a blender (mixie), grind the grapes and filter using a tea filter.  (In this point we can store it in fridge upto 2 days).
Mix together and if needed add crushed ice.
Mango grape juice is ready. Enjoy !

Brilliant girls' recipe :
Mango pulp - 1/2 cup
grape juice - 1 1/2 cup
water - 1/2 cup

We can prepare this gorgeous drink using store bought 100 % grape juice and mango pulp (from Indian grocery store).
Mix together equal parts of grape juice and mango pulp.
Add required water and ice.
Enjoy !

Serving suggestion:
Makes a gorgeous welcome drink.