Air fryer : Onion Pakoda

 Air fried spicy snacks is my newest passion in cooking. After I started airfrying (since 4 years or more), I started loving air-fried items better than deep fried ones. When it comes to airfrying , one has to develop a mindset to appreciate this taste too, as our tastebuds are used to deep fried items only. So the first step is to prepare some easy recipes like French fries in air fryer , sweet potato fries and we will slowly get used to this. There are a lot of airfryer recipes in the internet. I formulate my own, to suit our taste.  My hubby loves this very much, and many a days he will demand this quick snack along with tea:) . Try this and fall in love with oil-less  spicy snacks.

Ingredients:
Red onion - 2 (big) (250 gms)
besan flour - 1/2 cup
rice flour - 2 tbsp
salt - 1 tsp (to taste)
olive oil (or any cooking oil) - 1 tbsp
red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
asafetida (hing) - 1/4 tsp
garam masala (optional) - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Preheat the airfryer to 375 F.
Peel and slice the onion into long pieces. Put it in a mixing bowl.
Add all the other items and mix well. Sprinkle very little water (handful) and mix well.
The mix should not be watery.
Spread this pakora mix in the airfryer basket (not necessarily a single layer).
I do this quantity in 2 batches.
Start heating and bake for 20 minutes. Every 5 minutes take the basket out and shake well and repeat cooking again. Depending upon the airfryer , onion size and water content in the recipe, the pakora will get ready within 15-20 mins. Don’t let it char.
Take out and enjoy.

For bigger batch:
When it comes to party, I wouldn’t suggest airfried items, as this gets longer time to cook and also, deep frying is always associated with party foods.
But if you are planning for 'meal prep' kind of idea, then make this onion pakora in advance (say a day before) , put them in zip lock covers and keep refrigerated.
Before serving do the airfrying for 5 mins at 350 F or spread on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes (until crispy) at 350F in regular oven.
Serve hot.

Serving suggestions:
Serve as evening snack with tomato ketchup and hot tea.

Happy Valentine's day

Everyday is a Valentine's Day for everyone who lives in love ! Love is exciting when we are young, it grows with age everyday ....keeps the marriage totally happy always ! Love is the bond that glues the couples together and makes the house a home. Love is the salt of this earth and a gift from God to mankind. True love lives forever !
காதலோடு வாழும் தம்பதிகளுக்கு எந்நாளும் காதலர் தினமே ! அனைவருக்கும் இனிய காதலர் தின நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள் !
Wishing all a Happy Valentine's day !

Snacks made by my friend !

Recently a very sweet family has moved to our neighborhood and we feel  very glad to be their friends. We celebrated Christmas at our home. After that, during Pongal they invited us for a get-together during their son's birthday. At that time only I came to know about my friend Gayathri's passion for cooking. She had made an array of yummy snacks for Pongal festival ....A spicy Andhra style murukku, Jangiri and Kajirikai (somas in Tamil) and a ginger tea.  Everything was perfect. I love the way the Kajirikai holds the shape beautifully and the yummy  jangiri made without colors and the crispy spicy murukku.
We enjoyed this party very much and went together to the movie Jumanji the next day in East Brunswick mall and to a lunch at Cici's pizzeria, where kids can play too.

I am sharing some of the pictures I got. I will share the recipes here (same page) once I get.

Pongal snacks made by Mrs.Gayathri. I admire her dedication very much. 

Yummy snacks made by my friend Gayathri.

 And on another wintry evening Gayathri has brought us this spicy pakora - Palak mirchi pakora and that too tastes  totally YUMM! ....Thanks dear !

Palak mirchi pakora.

I think , this inspiring friendship will kindle my passion to cook (blog) again.
Thanks be to God !

Happy Pongal,

Wishing all a happy and prosperous Pongal !

Pongal greetings Photo courtesy : click here.

Here is what I did during Pongal:
I prepared aviyal and pongal puli kulambu on the night before Pongal , as I wanted to make sure that I give this as lunch pack along with rice for my hubby the next morning.
On Pongal morning I made Sarkarai pongal and paruppu.
Here are some pictures to enjoy !

My sarkarai pongal (in NJ, USA)  in the new pot I got as Christmas gift from my hubby and Shakthi.

Sarkarai Pongal with Aviyal

Pongal puli kulambu with aviyal and appalam

My nieces Abinaya , Narthana's Rangoli in Tuticorin (photo sent by my brother Saravanan).

A Rangoli in my chithi's house in Athoor.

My chithi's neighbor's beautiful Rangoli for Pongal and colored with the help of local kids. 

My pongal grocery haul :) Jaggery, new rice bag, banana. :) 

Vegetables I bought for Pongal :) It is traditional to include all the vegetables on that day , wow , what an excuse for me to buy all these veggies :) 

Happy New Year ,

Kulfi ice cream I made !

Chicken briyani for New Year ! 

Merry Christmas

Wishing all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,

Nativity scene, Christmas Village and Christmas tree we keep in our house

Fruit Cakes I bake for Christmas 

May Santa bring us all the gifts we wish for and fill us all with peace and happiness !

Cake for hubby's friends

In my kitchen :)

Fruit cake I made

My handmade wreath for Christmas 2019

Cake cutting for Baby Jesus

Greetings from our nephew and niece 

Birthday celebrations by my sister in law Gowri for my thambi Venkatesh !

Christmas gifts :)

Treats for Santa and reindeers ,  Christmas eve 

Gifts from Shakthi ....Love these watches 

Kesari for Christmas morning !

Christmas party I prepared for my neighborhood friends

Chicken dum briyani

Chicken dum biriyani

Christmas Party !

Cranberry hot & sweet pickle

Cranberry shows up during Thanksgiving and Christmas in most of the US houses , as it is a tradition to serve this fruit as a sweet jelly along with dinner. It is considered to be one of the healthiest fruits.
Cranberry jelly can be bought from any stores. I love the way how this is conveniently available in all seasons in cans. Just pour the jelly straight out of the can into a cute bowl and it's done , you got a side dish !

Even though I too love this convenient can of jelly, I love to buy this in the fresh form also.
I made a hot and sweet Indian pickle out of it this week and it is one of the yummiest pickles I have ever made. We love the taste very much and in my view this tastes like mango pickle. Try this and let me know ! Click to see my spicy cranberry pickle too.

Cranberry pickle with roti and broccoli usili.

mortar to powder the masalas

Hot and sweet cranberry pickle

Ingredients:
Cranberry - 2  cups (1 small pack)
salt - 2 tbsp
brown sugar - 3 tbsp
sesame oil - 3 tbsp
red chili powder - 1 tbsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Apple cider vinegar - 1 tbsp (preservative)
mustard seed - 1 tsp
hing (asafetida) - 1/4 tsp
Masala to powder:
Mustard seed - 1 tsp
fenugreek (methi seed) - 1/2 tsp
oil - 1 tsp

Method:
Rinse and clean the cranberries.  Using a clean kitchen towel remove the moisture and let dry for few hours or overnight. 
Roast the mustard seed and methi seed using a tsp of oil. Let cool and powder. Keep aside.

Heat the  sesame oil (any cooking oil) in a kadai (wok),   let it start to crackle . At the same time add hing and immediately add the cranberries and  saute till they starts cracking. Cranberry will get thick and mushy now. Add salt.
When the oil starts showing off the edges, add the red chilly powder, turmeric powder, brown sugar, powdered masala and stir well till the raw smell of red chilly powder goes.  Mix vinegar.
Switch off the flame and let the pickle get cool. Store in glass bottles.
Cranberry pickle is ready! Keep it refrigerated.


Serving suggestions:
Serve as side dish with curd rice or chapati.