Sabudana Vada

This blog has been a long time in completion...started it end of 2014...got busy...decided to give it a fresh start on the first day of new year 2015...events happened...
Finally back onto it ...after going a whole week into the new year...

Ok...so though I am way too late ...let me wish all of you a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year...and that you get all that you desire in your lives...

So how did this vada post start ...well we had a visit from my dear friend's daughter...she was visiting India with her husband for the first time after their wedding....and so I decided to invite them over...a tea party was planned for on Christmas day...
Since it was Christmas ....cake had to be a part of the menu... made my favourite Date & Walnut cake...I know, I know, it should have been plum cake for the occasion...but never mind ...this is just as good ....also made some coconut ladoos, and some methi puri as snacks...but was wondering what should be the warm snack served to them...( btw they were coming along with her in-laws as they were stopping by on their way from some family lunch )...

Decided on sabudana vada ( having enjoyed some made by my sister a few day earlier...thought that would be a good snack to serve )...so got cracking on the recipe...

First of all let me say sorry...I have not got any pictures of the vadas or the process...and that is cuz I somehow did not plan or rather think of posting it...silly me :-( 

Had made it some long time ago - so refreshed my memory with the internet...checked out a few different methods...got the necessary ingredients...and voila...a quick and tasty snack...

Baked Rice Chakli 'n' An Amazing Vacation.....

Baked Rice Chakli

Rice Chakli...you know sometimes the most odd coincidences happen...for quite a while my Mom was talking about making chakli at home ( we used to do it together when we were both younger, me a teen and hence quite enthu about all new & interesting cooking )....but now doing it on my own just did not appeal and I kept putting it off...

And this is where the odd coincidence comes in...

I was on vacation in US - visiting my sister-in-law To and her husband A, had an amazing time with them ( have to thank them once again..had a lot of fun.. )...met up with most of our family there especially those on the East Coast, visited Boston...had a great time with our family who live there....attended a birthday party, awesome cake, birthday girl's current favorite...'Elsa', the princess from the Disney movie "Frozen"...

.... visited New York...shows and sightseeing...Bill Cosby show, the Radio City Rockettes...Central Park one of my favourite haunts, and also took in the new sights...the newly opened World Trade Centre...and the 9/11 memorial...

Central Park

World Trade Centre

9/11 Memorial

Atlantic City Caesars Casino

..visited New Jersey, our old home, our old haunts...with some friends who stay there...Outlet malls, Atlantic City...shopping & eating out...and visited the new Swaminarayan Temple at NJ...thanks guys A&L&kids....

Swaminarayan Temple in NJ

...met up with another old friend & her family...late night movie (Happy New Year), shopping, taking her dog to the park...Minnie...such a darling....had a great time thanks to G...& her family...

all in all an awesome month of pure relaxation & enjoyment.

Have posted some pictures of New York and some of the colors of fall...have taken so many it is difficult to decide on which to post....

Fall colors in Allentown, PA

I think the month I visited was the best season out there...I love the  fall season in the East Coast of US...the colors were fantastic...could not stop clicking...

Cucumber Spinach Pancake

Cucumber and Spinach Pancake

In the good old days we used to have Sanjeev Kapoor on TV, Khana Khazana was the program which we could watch to see live cooking recipes...used to like to watch that....but many times would miss it ....whereas now we have two channels now showing us a lot of recipes full time - Food Food channel and the erstwhile Khana K....so when we are free we can browse those channels and watch some new, old, desi(local) or international recipe....

On one of those shows I came upon this one....it reminded me of one of my own rice chilla which I have already blogged...this was a simpler version and I thought let me give it a try...

It turned out pretty good and amazingly simple & quick...so guess it is something which will be part of my repertoire in future....works good for breakfast or a snack...or even if guests drop in and you would like to have something more substantial than biscuits & chai to serve them...

So without further ado...let me get on with the actual recipe..here goes...

Ingredients:

1 medium cucumber grated
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 tsp red chili powder ( can add more if you like it spicier)
1/2 cup rice flour
2 Tblspns rava
2 Tblspns yogurt(curd)
water to make a batter
oil for frying


Method:

1) Grate a cucumber - squeeze out the water and keep aside. Chop spinach leaves and add to the cucumber along with salt and red chili powder.

2)Add the rice flour, rava, yogurt and mix - then add water to make a batter - first add the cucumber water - and if required add additional water. Do not make it too thin. Keep aside for about 10 minutes. 
The flours absorb the water and the batter becomes a little thicker.
Then add some more water if required so as to have a batter which is as thick as a dosa batter.

3) Put a few drops of oil onto a non-stick pan, then take a ladle full of batter and spread onto the pan. Cover with lid and let it cook till some brown spots appear. Flip the pancake and cook the other side too. Cook on medium heat so as to cook evenly and thoroughly.

4) Serve hot with ketchup or green chutney.

Enjoy !!!

For such a simple recipe the taste was pretty awesome...and the prep. time is so little...so ahead and try it out yourself...would love to hear from you, what you think about it...

Rice Chilla

When I first heard this name I was not sure what it was, how it looked, how was it made....then I realised that it was a modified version of  what we called a tomato omelet - we use to have it in restaurants ( Mom did not prepare it at home when we were kids ) -  do not know why they called it omelet ( it did not have eggs ) - was basically made from besan and served with a couple of triangles of bread.

While the tomato omelet is made of besan & onions, chillies, tomatoes...rice chilla as the name suggests has rice flour in it too...I was introduced to the above variation by my friend.

We were invited to lunch at my friend's place, they stay in the neighbouring state - it was a hour and half drive to their place ( but since it was mainly on the interstate - not really that bad a drive and quite scenic so the time really does tend to fly by)...
 
We always have a great time at my friend's place - she is part of my group of college friends and hence we have known each other a long time...there is something very comforting about meeting up with old friends...and having known her family too for as long....you feel totally at home with them...so we were looking forward to meeting them all again and since G ( my friend ) and her mom ( aunty) are great cooks, were anticipating a yum lunch.

When we arrived there, G and aunty were busy getting the lunch organised and then after most of the main dishes were all set, G started pouring out ladle full of the batter ( rice chilla ) onto the pan...and serving it to us piping hot in turns ...it was really delicious ( chilla and the entire meal ).....so had to get the recipe from her right away.

G gave me the info on the dish - but those days we were busy with winding up our stuff in US and the move back to India and settling down and other issues ....so for a while this dish was out of my mind.
Later remembered it ( sort of ) - tried to recreate it...made some changes...not sure how true to G's recipe I have managed to come to....but have gotten an amazing result...and thought let me share it....