Banana Balls

Ingredients:

1/2 kg Self Raising Flour

1 Egg

3 tbsp Coarsely Grated Coconut

5 tbsp Palm Sugar (Gulam Melaka)

5 tbsp Fine Sugar

5 Large ripe Bananas

Salt to taste

1/4 cup Ghee or oil

Few tbsp boiled milk (optional)

Method:

• Smash the bananas well with a potato masher. Make sure there are no lumps.
• In a big bowl, add the mashed banana and the rest of the ingredients except ghee/oil. 
• Mix well to combine everything. Make sure the batter is not too thick or too thin. The consistency should be like idli/pancake batter.
• Few tbsp of boiled fresh milk can be added to adjust the consistency of the batter.
• Allow the batter to ferment for atleast 5-6 hours.
• To make the banana balls, heat the kuzhi paniyaram pan and drizzle few drops of ghee or oil into each whole.
• When it is hot, pour the batter into each hole and fill it to 3/4.
• Let it cook on medium low flame for 2-3 mins. Now using a tooth pick or paniyaram stick, turn the balls and cook for another 2 more minutes till it turns golden brown.
• Remove the balls from the pan. Again drizzle few drops of ghee into each hole and repeat with the rest of the batter.
• If you don't own a kuzhi panniyaram pan, not a problem, the batter can be made into small pancakes or dosas drizzled with a little ghee around it.
• Serve it hot with a good cuppa coffee.

Aloo Bonda

Ingredients:

For the filling:
2 medium Potatoes
1 Onion (Finely chopped)
1 tsp Ginger (Finely chopped)
2 Green chillies (Finely chopped)
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
Few pinches of Garam masala
Few stalks of Coriander leaves (Finely chopped)
1 tbsp oil
Salt to taste

For the batter:
1/2 cup Besan Flour

2 tbsp Rice flour

A pinch of Baking soda

A pinch of hing

1/2 tsp Chilli powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

salt to taste

water

Oil for deep frying

Method:

• Wash the potatoes, cut into big chunks and boil it in salted water till cooked. Cool and peel the skin and smash a bit. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard and cumin seeds.
• Then add onion, ginger, green chillies and turmeric powder and fry for few mins.
• Then add the onion and fry till it is well browned.
• Then add the smashed potatoes and salt. Stir fry for 2 mins.
• Sprinkle the garam masala and chopped coriander leaves.
• Stir fry for couple of mins under medium flame till the potatoes are well coated with the masala mixture. Switch off the stove.
• Cool the filling and roll into small lime size rounds. Keep aside.
• Now for the outer cover, prepare the batter.
• In a large bowl, Combine all the ingredients for the batter except oil.
• Mix well and make sure the consistency of the batter is not too thin or too thick.
• Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan over medium high heat.
• Now dip the potato balls in the batter to coat it well and drop them in the hot oil.
• Turn the bondas around the pan till they are golden brown on both sides. Drain in a kitchen towel.
• Serve the hot aloo bondas with tomato ketchup or mint chutney.

Sweet Bonda

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Plain flour
1/4 cup Wheat flour
1 Egg

1/2 cup Grated Jaggery
1/2 tsp Cardamon powder
A pinch of baking soda
A pinch of salt
Few tbps of milk

Oil for deep frying

Method:

• In a big bowl, Combine all the ingredients for the bonda except oil.
• Beat everything together with a whisk till thick batter like consistency is reached and well combined.
• Cover and keep aside for about 1/2 hour.
• Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan.
• Using a round spoon, scoop a little batter and drop it carefully into the hot oil.
• Keep the stove on medium low flame as jaggery makes the bonda turn dark very easily. Bondas are ready when they float to the oil surface. 
• Drain on a kitchen towel.
• Serve the sweet bonda with a hot cup of filter coffee.

Mysore Bonda

Ingredients:

1 cup Plain flour
1/4 cup Rice flour
2 tbsp Corn flour
1/2 cup Yogurt

2 Green chilli (Chopped)

1 Big Onions (Chopped)
1/2 tsp Ginger (Chopped)

Few strands of Curry leaves (Chopped)
1/2 tbsp Crushed Fennel seeds
1/2 tsp Bicarbonate soda

Oil for deep frying

salt to taste

Method:

• In a big bowl, Combine all the ingredients for the bonda except oil.
• Mix well and make sure the batter is of vada consistency.
• Keep aside for 1-11/2 hrs to ferment.
• Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan.
• Shape the batter into round balls and drop carefully into the hot oil.
• Keep the flame medium low and fry till bondas turn golden brown. 
• Serve bondas hot with coconut chutney.

Stuffed Bread Rolls

Ingredients:

8 Bread slices 

2 Potatoes (Boiled, peeled and mashed)

1/4 cup Cooked Green Peas

1 onion (Finely chopped)

1 tbsp Garlic Ginger paste

2 Green chillies (Deseeded and finely chopped)

1 stalk Coriander leaves (Finely chopped)

1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/4 tsp garam masala

A pinch of Hing

Oil for deep frying

Salt to taste

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan, splutter the cumin seeds. Then add the garlic ginger paste and fry till the raw smell leaves.
• Then add the chopped onions, green chillies and fry for 2 mins.
• Now add the mashed potatoes, peas, turmeric powder, salt and the hing. Fry for few mins.
• Finally, add the chopped coriander leaves and garam masala, Stir fry to mix everything and switch off the stove.
• Let the potato stuffing cool down completely before making the rolls.  
• When the stuffing is cool enough to handle, make 8 oblong shape rolls from it. Keep aside.
• Now remove the brown edges from the bread and dip it in water lightly and squeeze out the excess water by pressing it between the palm.
• Then take the stuffing and place it in the center of the bread slice and shape it around to get the oblong shape.
• Make sure all the sides are completely covered and the ends are sealed. Repeat the same with the rest of the bread slices. 
• Now heat oil in deep pan for frying. 
• When the oil is hot, carefully slide the bread rolls into the pan and fry them till they are golden brown and crisp. 
• Place them on kitchen towel to drain off the excess oil.
• Serve the hot bread rolls with tomato ketchup and Chai.

Banana Fritters

Ingredients:

1 cup Self raising flour

2 very ripe bananas (Mashed into pulp)

1/2 cup caster sugar

Oil for deep frying

A pinch of salt

Method:

• In a big bowl, Combine all the ingredients for the fritters except oil.
• Mix well and keep aside for 15-20 mins.
• Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan.
• Using a round spoon, scoop a little batter and drop it carefully into the hot oil.
• Keep the flame low medium as sugar makes the fritters turn dark very easily. Fritters are ready when they float to the oil surface. Drain on a kitchen towel.
• Serve the banana fritters with a hot cuppa.

Kondai Kadalai Sundal

Ingredients:

1 cup Kondai Kadalai/ Chana

1 small onion (chopped)

2 dry red chillies (Split)

Few strands of Curry leaves

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/4 tsp Urad dhal

1 tbsp freshly grated coconut

A pinch of hing

Oil for seasoning

salt to taste

Method:

• Soak the chana in tap water for 8 hours or overnight. In the morning, cook the chana till it is tender but not mushy. Drain and keep aside.  
• Heat oil in a wok, splutter the mustard and urad dhal then add the onion, chillies and curry leaves. Fry for few mins.
• Then add the hing and salt. Stir fry, add the cooked chana, cover and cook for few more mins.
• Then add the grated coconut and stir well to combine everything.
• Serve the Sundal with a steaming cup of coffee or tea for a healthy snack.

Milagai Bajji

Ingredients:

5 Bajji Milagai

1/2 cup Besan Flour

2 tbsp Rice flour

A pinch of Baking powder

A pinch of hing

1/2 tsp Chilli powder

salt to taste

water

Oil for deep frying

Method:

• In a large bowl, Combine all the ingredients for the bajji batter except oil and milagai.
• Mix well and make sure the consistency of the batter is not too thin or too thick. Keep aside for 15 mins.
• Meanwhile, wash the chillies and slit them into half while keeping the tips intact.
• Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan.
• Dip the milagai in the batter to coat it well and drop them in the hot oil.
• Keep the flame medium high. Bajjis are ready when they turn golden brown on both sides.
• Serve the milagai bajjis hot with tomato ketchup.

Bread Pakoda

Ingredients:

4 slices of white Bread

1 tbsp Yogurt

1 tbsp Besan flour

1 Red Onion (Finely chopped)

2 green chillies (Finely chopped)

1 strand of Curry leaves (Finely chopped)

1 coriander stalk (Finely chopped)

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

Oil for Deep frying

salt to taste

Method:

• Lightly beat the curd with a fork to smoothen and set aside.
• Cut the brown edges of the bread and tear the slices into small pieces.
• In a bowl, mix the bread pieces with yogurt and let it rest for 15 -20 mins.
• Now add rest of the ingredients to the bread mixture except oil. Mix everything together.
• Heat oil in a deep pan. When the oil is hot, shape the bread mixture using hands and drop into the hot oil.
• Fry till they are golden brown and drain the pakodas in a kitchen towel.
• Serve pakodas hot with tomato ketchup or chutney.

Onion Pakoda

Ingredients:

1 cup Self raising flour

1 Long green chilli (thinly sliced slantingly)

2 Big Onions (Finely sliced)

Few strands of Curry leaves (Chopped)

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp Fennel seeds

Oil for deep frying

salt to taste

1/4 cup water (or slightly more)

Method:

• In a big bowl, Combine all the ingredients for the pakoda except oil.
• Mix well and make sure the consistency of the batter is not too thin or too thick.
• Keep aside for 15-20 mins.
• Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan.
• Wet both hands, with the help of little oil, make pakodas and drop carefully into the hot oil.
• Keep the flame medium high. Pakodas are ready when browned on both sides.
• Serve pakodas hot with chutney or tomato ketchup.