Rasa Vada

I had previously posted about Parippu Vada made with Toor dal. Usually Parippu Vada is made with Channa dal. One popular snack in Kerala is to soak these vadas in hot rasam, allow the vada to soften for a few minutes and have it with a spoon in the same bowl with rasam.

Its been a long time since I had rasa vada. As far as I can remember the last time I had it might have been during my school days. I made these recently when V was working from home.


Ingredients:

For vada
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Channa dal: 1 cup
Green chilli: 2-3 cut into thin round slices
Onion: 1 medium size, chopped up finely
Curry leaves chopped finely (optional)
Ginger: cut into thin small slices- 2 teaspoons
Salt: to taste
Oil: to deep fry the vadas
Water to soak channa dal

Rasam:

Any rasam powder available in Indian grocery stores or -->Make your own: Roast 2 teaspoons of coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon each of cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds (methi) , mustard seeds, whole black pepper, hing (asafoetida), toor dal, 5 dry red chillies together on medium flame for 1 minute. Powder them in a spice grinder.

Water: Enough to soak the vadas
Salt: to taste
Mustard seeds: 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds: 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves (optional): 2-3 leaves
Dry red chillies: 2
Crushed tomato (optional): 2 tablespoons
Tamarind juice: 1 tablespoon

Method:

For making vada:

Soak the channa dal in enough water for at least 5 hours or until the channa dal can be broken into two by using your nails. Drain all the water after soaking. Grind it into a fine paste without any water (it need not be too fine, a little coarse texture doesn't matter). Mix it with the rest of the ingredients for vada, except oil. Take a small ball and shape it to form a small disc as shown in the pictures. Then deep fry in oil until bubbles reduce in the oil.

For rasam:

Heat sufficient water in a vessel for, add crushed tomato, and rasam powder, tamarind juice . Cook the tomatoes well. You may optionally add some garlic cloves to the rasam. Add salt. Switch off when tomatoes are cooked. Heat a little oil in a tampering vessel, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies and wait for mustard seeds to splutter, then add curry leaves and add this tampering to the rasam. Add the vadas to the rasam.

When the vadas are soft, break them using a spoon and have it in the same bowl with rasam.

Coffee maker - Oats kanji

This was something I experimented after watching the "Good Eats" show on Food Network channel. The host was explaining about benefits about Oats and the various ways it can be used. Towards the end of the show he showed a trick of having a nice Oats porridge using the Coffee maker.

He poured the water in the coffee maker . Added the Oats, some milk and a little cinnamon to the mug where the coffee usually dispenses. When the machine was switched on, the hot water cooked the oats and in a few seconds, delicious Oats porridge was ready !

I decided to experiment with just water and Oats and a little salt, because I was not fond of having milk with Oats. It was equally good and healthy !

Pressure cooked Rose Matta rice - Vegetable biriyani

Pressure cooker cooking is one of the fastest, efficient ways to cook a variety of dishes within minutes , whose cooking time otherwise takes a long time. I prepare Biriyani mostly in pressure cooker. The rose matta rice is nutritious than the regular white rice. It is available in most Indian grocery stores. In Kerala you can find this rice used in abundance. I did not have the white rice in stock and wanted to prepare Biriyani for a guest. I experimented with this rice and it turned out equally good.



Ingredients:

Rose Matta rice : 1 cup

Vegetables-Green peas, Corn, Carrot, Cabbage,String Beans, Cauliflower,Capsicum (all vegetables should be chopped to bite size pieces)- 1 cup each

Tomato puree: 3 tablespoons or 1 big tomato crushed

Onion: 1 big cut into thin slices

Ginger and Garlic : 1/4 cup
Green chilli: 4 nos , slit vertically

Coriander powder: 1/2 teaspoon
Garam masala (or Biriyani powder) : 1 teaspoon

Oil/Butter: To saute the vegetables
Salt : to taste
Water : To cook the biriyani in pressure cooker




Method:

Heat pressure cooker on high heat. Add oil/butter to saute the vegetables. Add ginger, garlic, green chilli and saute for a few seconds, then add onions and fry until translucent and soft. Then add the veggies together and saute until the veggies soften a little. Add the spices (coriander and garam masala) and salt and mix thoroughly. Then add tomato puree, and mix until the whole masala along with veggies is half cooked. Then add the raw rice and mix it with the masala. Add water enough to cook the biriyani. The rose matta rice takes a long time to cook in Rice cookers, but in pressure cooker it just takes 3 whistles (approx 10-15 minutes). Add water just about an inch to cover the biriyani. Cover the pressure cooker with the lid and whistle and let it cook for 3 whistles. Allow the cooker to stand until all the steam goes from the whistle. Do not try to lift the whistle to make the process faster. Serve hot along with cool onion raita. Left over can be refrigerated and heated the next day.