Bajji

Bajji is my all time favorite tiffin item. This is basically an appetizer. But I usually make Bajji along with Sojji (!) - Kesari for evening tiffin. Here is the recipe for Bajji.

Ingredients:-

1. Rice flour - 1 1/2 cup
2. Besan flour (Gram flour) - 1 cup
3. Baking soda - a pinch
4. Salt to taste
5. Kesari color - a pinch
6. Chillie powder - 1 tsp (or acc to taste)
7. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
8. Oil - to fry
9. Vegetables - potato 1, Brinjal 1, cucumber- few slices, Onion - 1, Pepper - 1

First mix all the dry ingredients ( flour, salt, chillie powder, asafoetida powder, kesari color, baking soda)in a bowl, add water and prepare the bajji batter. The consistency should not be watery. Mix it with a whisk. Mix it nicely until there are no lumps in the batter. Now slice the vegetables and dip it in the batter. Fry it till golden brown in oil and serve it hot with some chutney.

Sundakkavathal Vatha Kozhambu

1. Tamarind - one small lemon sized or 2 tbsp paste
   
2. Sundakka Vathal - 3 tablespoon
   
3. Tumeric powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Sambar powder - 1 1/2 tbsp
5. salt to taste
6. Sesame oil - 4 tbsp (may need more)
7. Jaggery - 1 tbsp
8. mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
9. urid dal - 1/2 tsp
10. channa dal - 1/2 tsp
11. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
12. Red chillies - 1 or 2 (acc. to taste)
    
13. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
14. Rice flour - 1 1/2 tsp

Take a wide pan, pre heat 3 tbsp oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add urid dal, channa dal, fenugreek seeds, red chillies and asafoetida powder and fry these ingredient in low flame, to golden brown. Now add the sundakka vathal to it and fry it until it becomes crunchy. Now put the tamarind paste(if you are using tamarind, squeeze out the juice from it and pour it) and add 1 1/2 cup of water to the paste. Add turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt and let it cook for 10 mts. in medium flame. Now add the jaggery to it and again add 1/2 cup of water and let it boil for another 5 to 7 mts. In order to make the consistency thick, now mix the rice flour with a tbsp of water and pour it on top of the kozhambu and also pour the remaining oil. Let it boil for another 3 mts. Now Vatha kozhambu is ready to serve. Serve it hot with rice. Potato curry will be a good side dish for this rice.

We can replace sundakkavathal with manathakkali vathal.

Cauliflower & Onion Pakoda

This recipe I got from my cousin's blog (En Vittu Virundhu) and I tried it adding few more ingredients. Here is the ingredients I used to make this pakoda. Basically Pakoda is a appetizer we make before a full meal. Also we can use this as a side dish (if nothing is there) for rasam rice or sambar rice. I made this for today's evening tiffin.

Ingredients:-

1. Cauliflower florets - 1/2 cup (chopped into small pieces)
   
2. Onion - 1/4 cup (chopped)
3. Rice Flour - 1/2 cup
4. Besan Flour - 1 cup
5. Salt to taste
6. Red chillie powder - 1 tsp (acc to taste)
7. Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
8. Curry leaves - few (chopped)
   
9. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
10. Oil - to fry
    

First put the cauliflower florets in a microwave safe bowl and microwave it for 6 to 8 mts. till it becomes tender. Drain it fully and let it cool. Now take a bowl, add rice flour, besan flour, salt, chillie powder, fennel seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida powder, onion and drained cauliflower and mix everything well. If necessary, sprinkle a little bit of water to it and mix. The mixture should be in kind of powdery and not watery. So careful while adding water to it.

Now pre heat oil, sprinkle the cauliflower mixture and fry it till it becomes golden brown. Drain the extra oil in a paper towel and serve it hot with ketchup.

Note:- While frying, be careful with curry leaves. Also this needs to be eaten hot. It may become spongy when its cold, then preheat oven for 5 mts. and keep this pakoda inside, then it will become crunchy to eat.