Mirchi Bhajji

Here is the recipe of famous Hyderabadi Mirchi Bhajji. It is a common street food in Andhra Pradesh.

Green chilies are stuffed with unique stuffing, different from other regions in India.

Though it involves deep-frying, this snack can be enjoyed once in a while for its hot and tangy taste.

Ingredients:

• 12 straight green chili peppers
• Oil for frying

For Filling:

• 2 tbsp Sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp desiccated coconut powder
• 1 tsp Coriander seeds
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp Tamarind juice

For Batter:

• 1 cups besan (gram flour)
• 1 tbsp rice flour
• ¼ tsp ajwain
• ½ tsp baking powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Dry roast sesame seeds, coconut powder and coriander seeds to pale gold color. Grind them in a blender with tamarind juice and salt (without adding water). It should be like paste.
• Put the gram flour in a large mixing bowl with the ingredients required for the batter. Adding water, prepare medium thick batter (thinner than pancake batter). Keep aside.
• Wash and pat dry all the chilies. Make one slit along the length of the chilies from just under the stem to just above the end of the chili. If you are using the hot chilies, you can reduce some of the heat by removing the seeds. For this insert the knife at the tip of chili and pluck the thick white vein in the middle along with the seeds.

• Now fill the slit in the chili with the sesame filling evenly one by one and keep them aside on a plate.
• Heat the oil on medium high. One by one dip the stuffed chilies in batter and gently drop from the sides of Frying pan or Kadhai into hot oil and deep fry until golden. Remove to a paper towel covered plate.
• Serve with some lime juice sprinkled and finely sliced onions on the side.

Do You Know?

The use of chili peppers in food was initially associated with hot countries because after eating food containing chili peppers people feel cooler. This is because it induces perspiration that results in a loss of body heat. It can also suppress the appetite but not thirst. So people eat less but continue to drink water.

Tamaatar Ka Pakoda ( Stuffed Tomato Fritter)

A colorful and tasty tea time snack…..tomatoes are stuffed with potato mix and then fried like pakodas (fritters).

Ingredients:

• 6 small hard red tomatoes

• Oil for frying

For Filling:

• 1 large potato
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 1 tbsp cilantro leaves finely chopped
• 1 green chili finely chopped
• 1 tsp chat masala
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• Salt to taste

For Batter:

• 1 cup besan (gram flour)
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• Pinch of asafetida
• ½ tsp baking powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Boil and skin potato. Mash and mix in it all other ingredients required for filling.
• Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add potato mix in it and fry for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and keep aside.
• Put the gram flour in a large mixing bowl with the ingredients required for the batter. Add warm water, a little at a time; use a whisk to blend all together. The resulting batter should be like thick pancake batter. Keep aside.
• Wash the tomatoes and set dry. Cut the top of tomato like a cap. Gently scoop out the centers. Now fill the hollow tomato with the potato mix.

• Heat the oil for deep frying on a medium flame.
• When the oil is ready for frying, dip one stuffed tomato in the gram flour batter to coat well on all sides. Put it into the oil and fry till golden all over turning occasionally.
• Remove and drain on paper towels. Fry remaining tomatoes in the same way.
• Serve hot with green chutney.

Do You Know?

The USDA claims that cooking animals with a body cavity filled with stuffing can present potential food safety issues. These can occur because when the meat reaches a safe temperature, the stuffing inside can still harbor bacteria (and if the meat is cooked until the stuffing reaches a safe temperature, the meat may be overcooked).

For turkeys, for instance, the USDA recommends cooking stuffing/dressing separately from the bird and not buying pre-stuffed birds (stuffing is never recommended for turkeys to be grilled, smoked, fried, or microwaved)

Cracked Wheat Salad

It is a healthful and delicious salad prepared with parboiled cracked wheat, cilantro leaves, mint, tomatoes, onions, and lemon. It tastes great when it is chilled for an hour before serving.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup Burghul (parboiled cracked wheat)
• ¼ cup finely chopped tomato
• ¼ cup finely chopped cucumber
• ¼ cup finely chopped onion
• ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves
• 1 Finely chopped green chili
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Rinse burghul several times.
• In a large mixing bowl, pour one cup of hot water over the cracked wheat and cover, let stand for about 20 minutes until wheat is tender and water is absorbed.
• When it's ready, drain any excess water, if necessary, and squeeze dry.
• Add the chopped herbs and vegetables and toss the mix.
• Combine lemon juice, black pepper powder and salt in a separate bowl. Add to wheat mixture and mix well.
• Refrigerate it for at least an hour before serving.

Do you know?

Many wheat varieties are reddish-brown due to phenolic compounds present in the bran layer which are transformed to pigments by browning enzymes.

White wheats have a lower content of phenolics and browning enzymes, and are generally less astringent in taste than red wheats.

The yellowish color of durum wheat and semolina flour made from it is due to a carotenoid pigment called lutein, which can be oxidized to a colorless form by enzymes present in the grain.

Everyday Salad

This salad is simple to make and can be used every day with any vegetarian or non vegetarian dish.

Ingredients:

• Onion cut into slices transversely
• Small sized tomato sliced half longitudinally
• Cucumber peeled and sliced
• Cherry tomatoes
• Green chilies cut longitudinally
• Lemon slices
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Arrange onion slices, cucumber slices, Lemon slices, tomatoes and green chilies in a platter.
• Sprinkle salt just before serving.

Do You Know?

To produce good tasting, crisp onions, first slice or chop onions and place them in a bowl. Cover the onions with water and then add some ice to the water. Let the onions soak for 15 minutes to an hour and then drain before serving.

Golden Ginger Punch

It is simple and quik to make. Fresh ginger gives it a kick.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Orange Concentrate
• 1 cup Lemonade Concentrate
• ½ tsp grated ginger
• ½ tsp paani puri masala (get from Indian Grocery store)
• Pinch of salt mix
• 3-4 fresh finely chopped mint leaves

Method:

• Mix all ingredients in a punch bowl. Add ice cubes.
• Amount of Ginger depends upon one’s taste for it.

Golden Glow Punch

It is simple and quik to make. Fresh ginger juice gives it a kick.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Orange Concentrate
• 1 cup Lemonade Concentrate
• 1 tbsp fresh juice of Ginger

Method:

• Mix all ingredients in a punch bowl. Add ice cubes.
• Amount of Ginger juice depends upon one’s taste for it.

Aloo Sabudana Khichdi

Soaked sabudana is cooked with ground peanuts, and green chilies to make tasty and easily digestible khichdi during fasting days.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sabudana(pearl sago)
• 2 Green Chillies chopped finely
• ¼ cup coarsely ground peanuts
• 1 boiled, peeled and diced potato
• ¼ cup ghee or cooking oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• Sendha namak to taste
• ½ tsp black pepper powder
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro leaves

Method:

• In a bowl, soak the sago 3-4 hours in enough water to cover.
• Mix crushed peanuts,black pepper powder and sendha namak with soaked sabudana and keep aside.
• Heat the oil/ghee in a pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds crackle add green chillies and potatoes, fry for 2-3 minutes.
• Mix sabudana mixture and fry for about 8-10 minutes till sabudana becomes transparent. Sprinkle lemon juice.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Do You Know?

Research has shown that fasting on alternate days can help people lose weight, but not for long. In one study, people who followed an alternate-day fasting diet shed weight, even when they ate all they wanted on the non-fasting days. However, they could not maintain the weight loss over time.