Restaurant Style Channa masala| Channa batura Chick peas Gravy

Hope everyone had a festive long weekend, today as I type this the weather is beautiful in Chennai!So this is the kind of food everyone of us would crave for.

Lentils Fritters/vada

Its been a while since i made any snacks for tea.Making tea itself is a challenge at times when baby is awake so this weekend i decided to make some snack.I had some urad dal left from my stuffing for the puris and some boiled channa/chick peas.So i thought let me do something :) I keep doing such things which is how the blog came up :D

I mixed both the lentils and made a semi wet course mixture and added some spices the end result was pretty much pleasing :) a good accompaniment for the evening tea!Besides being a healthy food, urad dal is really healthy for women.

Usually for all MM i really struggle to come up with even a single entry but this time i;m glad i could prepare 2 dishes.This one is for MM too the magic ingredients being urad dal and lime.

You need

Urad dal half cup soaked for 2 hours
Chana/chick peas half cup or less cooked
Chilli powder a pinch
Green chilli 2
Cilantro a small bunch
Lime juice 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
Oil to deep fry

•  Blend the lentils into a course semi wet mixture such that we should be able to make vadas out of it.
• Make a paste of the cilantro,ginger garlic paste, lime juice and green chillies.Mix this into the lentil paste.
• Make round vadas and heat oil, drop 3 4 vadas at a time and fry until golden brown.
• Serve hot with sauce/chutney and tea.

Enjoy your tea with some delicious vadas!

Sending this to MM , Dish it out - Lentils & garlic & Cook's Joy , What is with my cuppa & Nupurs page, MLLA @ Lisa's Kitchen

Lentils Fritters/vada

Its been a while since i made any snacks for tea.Making tea itself is a challenge at times when baby is awake so this weekend i decided to make some snack.I had some urad dal left from my stuffing for the puris and some boiled channa/chick peas.So i thought let me do something :) I keep doing such things which is how the blog came up :D

Pumpkin channa curry

Would it surprise any of you if i told you i have never bought a piece of pumpkin ever since i started cooking?I do use ash gourd for some south indian curries and side dishes but the yellow pumpkin - I always thought was too sweet to be used.
This month's Magic Mingle gave me the chance to buy the pumpkin and I must say I am pretty pleased with it.

 I saw quite a few breads,soups and some indian recipes too.This is something i just tried making by combining a few ideas I had in my mind.

You need
Boiled chickpeas/channa 1 cup
Cubed and peeled pumpkin 1 cup
Onion 1 large + half a small one
Ginger 1 inch piece
Green chillies 1
Tomato 1 large
Curd 2 tablespoons
Tomato sauce 1 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Chole masala 1 tsp (ready made any brand)
Oil 2 tablespoons

• Heat oil in a pan, add onions, green chillies,ginger and pumpkin cubes and fry well until the onions are caramelized and the pumpkin is softened.Allow to cool in a bowl.
• Chop tomatoes and saute them in the same pan.Allow this to cool too.
• Puree both the fried onion-pumpkin and tomato mix separately and leave it aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and let it pop, now add finely chopped small half of an onion and let it fry well.
• Next add the onion pumpkin puree and let it fry well again.
• Add the tomato puree and cook well until the raw smell goes away.
• Add chole masala and curd and let this fry well until the oil separates from the sides.Add the tomato sauce now.
• Add cooked chana and let the gravy bubble away.Cover and cook until the chick peas cook well in the gravy.
• Add salt and cover and cook.

• Serve hot with chapatis.

Sending this to MM,Lets cook - legumes and lentils

Pumpkin channa curry

Would it surprise any of you if i told you i have never bought a piece of pumpkin ever since i started cooking?I do use ash gourd for some south indian curries and side dishes but the yellow pumpkin - I always thought was too sweet to be used.
This month's Magic Mingle gave me the chance to buy the pumpkin and I must say I am pretty pleased with it.