Vada -Pav - My Style

Vada - Pav is a popular Chat food in Maharastra and North India. It is world wide famous these days. I just thought of preparing Vada Pav one evening when it was raining heavily. The weather was chill. It is 100 % natural to crave for some fried item to munch. Anyway, there were some boiled potatoes in the pressure cooker. I felt preparing some thing using them. And some Pav (bread) which I brought the previous day. With these two main ingredients the plan of Vada - Pav started. One more thing to note I do not enjoy eating these things since most of the outlets prepare Vada - Pav using onions, garlic and also Vanaspathi or Dalda, which I am not in favour of using them. So when I crave for these Chat, it's mostly done at home.

Though the process is long you will surely enjoy the process once you start cooking. That is my opinion and that is me. Think of some thing, I would like to start doing it.. This applies to myself. I am not boasting my self. This attitude of mine is letting out my feeling. I will see that my enthu will not disappear until I finish preparing and serving them. Afterwords I sit down, relax and enjoy my food.

This Vada - Pav has no onion or garlic but the lovers of garlic and onion can add these favourites. I have seen people who enjoy eating onion and garlic feel the absence of it in their food. So be happy and try this Vada - Pav recipe and let me know your opinion/comments.

Here is a recipe of Vada -Pav . which is a very good snack or stomach filling chat and will be loved by all the age group and the whole family.

Things needed :

Potatoes : 5 to 6 (medium sized)
Capsicum : 2
Green Chilly : 2 to 3
Ginger : 1 Tea spoon (Grated)
Salt : to taste
Besan (Gram flour ) : 1 Cup
Red chilly powder : 1/2 Tea spoon
Jeera (Cumin seeds) : 1 Tea spoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea  spoon
Urid Dal : 1/2 Tea spoon
Water : Required water
Oil : 1 Cup
Pav ( any kind of buns) : 2 packs (12 ) or  according to your requirement.
Ghee : 2 Table spoons
Sweet and Spicy Chutney : 3 to 4 Table spoons.

Method :

. Potato Palya ( Dry potato curry ) : Preparation

1. Wash and pressure cook potatoes. Remove potato skin once it is cool. Smash it nicely and keep it aside.
2. Wash and cut capsicum. (Remove the seeds before cutting ). Cut it into small pieces.

3. Wash and remove the outer skin of ginger grate it, cut green chilly and coriander leaves in to small and keep it aside.
4. Now keep a pan on the fire. Heat and put 1 tea spoon of oil and put jeera, mustard seeds and urid dal. Fry for 10 seconds.

5. Add curry leaves, green chilly and cut capsicum and fry till they turn soft. Add turmeric powder ( a pinch ), salt and mix it well.

6. Add smashed potatoes to the capsicum mixture and fry for 2 minutes nicely. Stir slowly and mix it well. Add cut coriander leaves
and remove the ready palya from the pan. Keep it in a bowl.
7. Divide in to small portion and prepare in to small size ball. Keep it aside.

. Vada Preparation : Frying step.

8. Put besan in a big bowl. Add salt, jeera and red chilly powder. Mix with sufficient water and prepare dough. (Let it be bit thick).

9. Keep  a pan on the fire and add oil. Heat it on medium flame.
10. Take a potato mixture (which is a ball size) dip in besan flour dough and put it in hot oil. Fry on both sides till it is cooked. Remove from the pan and place it on kitchen tissue, so that extra oil will be absorbed by the tissue.

 11. Repeat the same and prepare Aloo bonda and keep it aside.

.Vada Pav Preparation:

12. Keep a dosa pan or nonstick pan on the fire.

13. Cut Pav in the middle and place it on the tava and roast. Roast on both sides.

14. Apply ghee to inner side of the bun.

15. Put some more chutney on the bonda.

16. Top up with other slice of a bun and press a little .

17. Now Vada -Pav is ready to serve. You can also serve a cup of curd along with this chat.
18. Repeat the same with remaining buns and Aloo Vada and prepare Vada - Pav.

Sweet and Spicy Chutney :

Things Needed :
Coriander leaves : 1 bundle  ( 2  handful)
Mint Leaves : 1 small bundle ( 1 Handful)
Green chilly : 2 to 3
Dates (Fresh ) : 5 to 6
Jeera : 1/2 Tea spoon
Salt: according to requirement.

Method : 
Wash both leaves, green chilly and grind it with green chilly , dates, jeera  and salt with little water. Remove from the Mixi Jar and put it in a small bowl.  Your Sweet and Spicy Chutney is ready to serve.

Note :

You can make use of onions and garlic  while preparing Aloo Dry curry. ( I did not use )

Using cooking soda in besan (gram flour ) is optional. ( I have not used).
Let the Aloo curry be bit thick. Do not add any water while preparing curry.
Do not over cook potatoes. If they turn very soft you will not be able to make potato balls and while frying it absorbs more oil.
You can use jaggery instead of fresh dates or use both of them .(dates and jaggery) to make the Sweet and Spicy chutney more sweet.
You can also grind  Spicy chutney separately .( Grind only mint, coriander leaves , jeera and green chilly together and add salt to it).
Sweet chutney can be ground separately by using fresh dates, little jaggery with very little water.
I added lemon to the Sweet and Spicy chutney. ( optional : use tamarind : add a small marble size of tamarind or Mango powder).


The whole preparation time : 1 Hour.
Preparation time : 20 minutes
Frying time : 15  minutes.
Vada Pav preparation : 15 minutes.
Sweet and Spice chutney preparation : 10  minutes.
The whole process : 1 Hour ( 60 Minutes).

MOUTH WATERING VADA PAV

Jack Fruit Seeds Vada

Jack Seeds are used in cooking. Many dishes can be prepared from Jack Fruit seeds. I still remember my good childhood days, We used to collect jack Fruit seeds and put it under the fire to be roasted. Just sit in front of the fire waiting to get back  the cooked seeds. It was really a fun. Whenever I see Jack fruits and Jack Fruit seeds, it reminds me of those days. Now the time has changed, Jack fruit seeds are cooked in the pressure cooker
Jack Fruits and seeds are used in our cookery and it has come a long way. So even now people will make use of the seeds. I have tried the vada in my own way and it has turned it very very tasty. I thought of sharing the recipe and here it is I am writing down the recipe for you all. Do try and enjoy all I can say.

Lets see now the benefits of using Jack Seeds.
Jack Fruit seeds have tones of health benefits. They contain high level of proteins. They have rich nutritional value.They are rich in carbohydrates, dietary fiber and vitamin A, C and B. It is also packed with minerals like calcium, zinc and phosphorous. They contain  antioxidants. Jack Fruit Seeds contain high potassium and so lower blood pressure. They are good remedy for constipation.

Here is a recipe of Jack Seeds Vada  and we can have them for snack or when ever you feel like to munch some thing. I have used Jack Seeds, rice flour, onions, coconut and green chilly. It is not so spicy, so all age group people can enjoy having them. It goes very well with a coffee or tea.

Things needed;

Jack Seeds : 1 Bowl
Rice Flour : 1 Cup
Green chilly : 2
Coconut : 1 Cup
Onions : 3 (Small size)
Jeera : 1 Tea spoon
Salt : To taste
Curry leaves : 10 to 15
Oil : To Fry (1 Cup)
Salt : To taste 
Coriander leaves : 2 Table spoons
Ginger : 1 Table spoon

Method :

1. Wash, remove the outer skin (the hard one) and pressure cook the Jack seeds.

2. Cut onions washed green chilly and grate coconut and keep it aside.

3.Now grind cooked jack seeds, Ginger, coconut and green chilly with  little water into paste.

4. Remove from the mixi jar and put it in a big bowl.
5. Add cut onions, green chilly, rice flour and jeera  to the ground jack seeds.

6.  Add salt and mix all the ingredients nicely and prepare thick dough.

7.  Now keep a pan and put oil and heat.

8. Divide the prepared dough into small ball size.

9. Take a ball size dough and pat it and flatten the dough as round shape.
10. Put the  flattened dough in hot oil and fry on medium flame on both sides

11. When it turn brown remove from the pan and put it on the kitchen tissue.

12. It absorbs the extra oil on Vada. Prepare the remaining Vadas the same way.
13. Put it on a serving tray and serve hot Jack Vadas with Ketch up.
14. You can prepare pakodas with the same dough.[

 Note :

Do not add too much water while grinding. Do not add ghee or hot oil. Do not add cooking soda. (It may absorb oil if you add cooking soda). You can add more chilly if you want it spicy. You can add more rice flour if the dough turn bit loose. The consistency should be like akki rotti dough. Vada may turn soft when it is cooled. The Vadas are filling.
Time 30 minutes.
No of Vadas : 15 to 16

Dodda Patre (Coleus aromaticus) Tambuli & Rava Vada

Dodda Patre or Sambara bally is a small herb, and used as home remedy for cold and cough, and also in the south indian cooking. Tabuli or  tampina Huli ( gravy ) means the food which helps to   keep the body cool. Gravy, which is prepared using these leaves is eaten at the begining of our lunch normally. Hot rice and tambuli is a great combination, and it helps to digest your food easily. Tambuli is one of the side dish and served first while serving. Tambuli is one of the traditional dishes of  South Kenara.

Remedy for cold using Doddapatra/Sambara Balli

Dodda Patre leaf is used for cold and cough. Take 2 to 3 leaves, heat a little and squeeze out the juice, mix this juice with salt or honey and have this dodda patre juice for 2 to 4 times a day. 

Recipe

Here is a recipe of Dodda patre tambuli and from that tambuli I have prepared Rava Vada which is a fried yemmy item.  I am sure every one will love to have the tambuli as well as the Dodda patre Rava Vada too. We can have Rava Vada as snack or even during lunch or dinner time.

Dodda patre or Sambara Balli Tambuli
Things needed :

Dodda Patre leaves : 8 to 10 

Jeera : 1 Tea spoon

Pepper pods : 4 to 6

Green chilly :1 

Ghee: 1 Tea spoon

Curd : 1 Small cup

Salt : to taste

Curry leaves : 5 to 6 leaves

Coconut 1 Table spoon

Ingh : a pinch

Method :

1. Wash and keep the dodda patre leaves aside. Grate coconut.

2. Keep a small pan on the fire. Heat and put 1/2 tea spoon of ghee. 

3. Add 1/2 tea spoon of jeera and pepper to the ghee. Let it turn little brown.

4. Add washed dodda patre leaves, green chilly and fry them for 2 to 3 minutes on low flame.

5. Put off the gas and shift the fried mixture to a plate.

6. Now add coconut, salt and ingh to the mixture.

7. Grind this mixture with very little water till paste and remove from the jar.

8.  Add curd to the ground mixture and mix it well.

9. Keep a pan on the fire. Add remaining ghee. 

10. Add jeera and curry leaves to the ghee and fry for 5 seconds.

11. Put this jeera curry leaves mixture to the Ready Tambuli.

12. Serve Tambuli with Hot rice.

Note :

Do not over fry jeera and the pepper pods. Do not add more coconut. You can add butter milk instead of curd. You can add at least 1/2 cup of water to the tumbuli. Usually Tambuli is prepared with savoury  butter milk. You can also use thick curd and mix the mixture and use it as Raitha for chapatis. 

Time : 10 minutes

Serves : 3 to 4

Rava Vada: 

Things Needed : 

Dodda patre Tambuli : 1 Cup

Rava (Samolina) : 2 Cups (Medium size)

Salt : to taste

Jeera : 1 Tea spoon

Oil : To Fry

Ground Nuts : 2 Table spoons  (optional)

Method : 

1. Take a big bowl and mix rava, tambuli, salt and jeera and roasted ground nuts.

2. Add a spoon of oil and mix it nicely. 

3. Prepare the dough. (Poori dough consistency)

4. Divide the dough in to small portions.

5. Now keep a pan on the fire and heat.

6. Add oil and heat.

7. Take a small portion of the dough and pat on your palm .

8. Put this patted vada in hot oil and fry on both sides.

9. Fry them on medium flame. 

10. At time you can fry 3 to 4 Rava Vadas

11. Repeat the same with remaining dough.

12. Serve this  hot Vadas with chutney or Ketch up.

Note:

You can also use cut onions if you wish. I did not. You can also add more oil to get them crispy. Heat 3 table spoons of oil and add it to rava, and rub rava with that oil and then add tambuli to rava. Mix it well and prepare the dough. Do not keep the dough for resting once you mix tambuli.(It absorb more oil).  You can also dry grind roasted ground nuts. I added as it is.

Time : 20 minutes
Serves : 3 to 4

Sambar Balli /Dodda Patra leaves

Crispy Madduru Vada

Madduru Vada is fried snack which is one of the favourite fritter of many. Madduru is a place in Karnataka, India. It is a small town and this Vada must have been made in this particular town. Anyways Maddur Vada is world famous now.

I have used rice flour, maida (all Purpose flour) and medium size rava. Vada should be very thin so that it turns as crispy and stays for at least 4 to 5 days.

Things needed :

Rice powder : 1 cup
Samolina ( Rava Medium size ) : 1 cup
Maida ( White flour ) : 1 cup
Salt : To taste
Green chillies : 2 to 3
Onion : 2 ( Medium size )
Curry leaves : 8 to 10 leaves
Oil : 1 Cup + 1 Tablespoon
Water : As required
Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1 Teaspoon

Method :

1. Wash and cut onions, green chilly, curry leaves and grate ginger.
2. Take a big bowl and add all the flours and mix it well.

3. Add cut onions, chilly, grated ginger and salt. Add jeera and mix the dry flour nicely.

4. Heat a tablespoon of oil and pour it on the top of flours. Let it cool.

5. Prepare a thick dough and kneed it nicely.
6. Divide the dough into small portion. Ftatten the small portion of dough on your palm.
7. Keep a pan and heat. Put a cup of oil and let it get hot.

8. Now leave the vada which you have flattened, slowly into hot oil.
9.Let it cook on low flame. Keep watching. Turn the other side of the vada and cook till golden brown.

10. Remove from the frying pan and put it on a kitchen tissue. (It absorbs the extra oil).

11. Repeat the same with remaining dough.
12. Serve Hot, Crispy Madduru Vada with a cup of coffee or tea.

Note :

The dough should be thick. Using the roller to flatten the vada is optional. Use of plastic sheet is optional. Hot oil helps the vada to be crispy. Try to flatten the vada in to thin circle. Thin Vadas stay for a long time. Adding any spice is optional. Use of little more oil helps the vada to be thin. Thin Vadas stay for a long time. Frying in low and medium flame helps the vada turn crispy.
Time : 40 Minutes
Serves : 20 to 25 Vadas can be prepared.