Medhu Vadai / Urad dal vada

Ingredients:

Urad dal/Uzhundhu - 1 cup
Rice flour - 1 tsp
Onion - 10-25(small) or 1 (big) - chopped
Green chilli - 2 or 3 - chopped
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves - few
salt - 1/2 tsp or as per need
Oil - to fry

Method:

1. Soak urad dal exactly for 20 - 30mins. Do not soak for more hours.
2. Grind urad dal/uzhundhu without adding water. You grind this in a blender/Mixi
3. If needed add 1 or 2 tsp of water. Do not add more then vadai will suck more oil and it wont be good to have.
4. Add rice flour, onion, green chilli, curry leaves, coriander leaves, and salt to the grinned urad dal and mix well. Batter shoul be very thick.
5. Heat oil in a pan, add a little amount of batter to oil and see if oil is ready.
6. Touch hand in water and take a ball of batter, flatten it and with your thumb put a hole and leave it in oil. Unable to put a hole, leave it.
7. Let it cook for few mins, approximately, when you see medium brown color you can take it out from oil.

Note:

Coconut chutney is the best combination for this. We can also make sambar vadai, Dahi vadai/Thayir vadai. Chicken/Mutton gravy will also a wonderful for this. Most popular snack in south india,especially in south india, in all tea shops we will get this vadai.

Lady'sFinger fry

Ingredients:

Lady's Finger - 1/2 kg or 1 pound - Cut it horizontally, approx 0.5 mm thickness
Onion - 1(big) - chopped
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Grated coconut - 1 tsp(optional)
Oil - 3 tsp
salt - 1/4 tsp or as per need



Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan, splutter cumin seeds, add onion and fry until golden brown.
2. Add, tumeric powder, chilli powder, salt to onion and mix well
3. Add chopped lady's finger now and fry.
4. Do not stir often, it may break. When its cooked, add coconut(optional) and spread pepper powder and mix well and let it for 1-2 mins.

Note:

Since you add pepper powder add less amount of chilli powder to this. If needed along with onion you can also add garlic(finely chopped). When i tried this dish for the first time, it smashed like anything. So do not stir this often.

VangiBhath/Brinjal rice

Ingredients:

Boiled rice - 1 cup
Brinjal - 3 nos (cut it Vertically as long pieces)
Onion - 1(big)- chopped
Lemon - 1/2 or Tamarind juice - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Urad dal/Uzhundhu - 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp or as per need
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves - few

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard and urad dal, add onion, curry leaves and fry
2. Add turmeric, chilli powder, salt to the onion and mix well.
3. Add brinjal, (tamarind juice, a pinch of sugar) and mix well with the ingredients added so that it get mixed evenly.
4. Simmer the gas and close the lid and let it cook for 5 mins.
5. After 5 mins, mix it well, check for salt and close the lid for another 5 mins.
6. When it is cooked, add lemon juice, coriander leaves and mix well.
7. Turn off the gas, add boiled rice now and mix well.

Note:

All kootu varieties suits this dish.