Beans n Sweet Corn Fritters with some Veggies.

Last week, i posted some similar kind of americanized dish--guess wat?? its Bean Pockets. This time i came up with different kind of filling, i.e, entirely indianized. For this dish, i used 1: 1 ratio of beans n sweetcorn. Last Saturday, we invited Vishnu's frnd Jon to dinner. He like Indian food very much. So, i made this as an appetizer along with main course as lamb curry with a side of pulkas n of-course my fav Rasmalai as desert.They jus loved Rasmalai. He even took some to his home. 
Coming to recipe, to make it indianized, i added onions n spices. Instead of using entirely beans, this time i tried with a combination of beans n sweetcorn. It tasted even better than the beans pockets. Spicy on one side, little bit sweetens on other side, made this fritters fabulous. The main thing i like about this beans n corn fritters is, they wnt absorb oil-which makes a healthy dish n as we all know the imp of beans n corn in our daily life. Kids sure will love this beans n corn fritters as they are served on a bed of colorful veggies.

So here is the recipe for hearty healthy beans n corn fritters:
Ingredients:
Canned Pinto Beans: 1 
Canned Corn: 1(U can use fresh corn too, jus to make it simpler i used canned beans n corn)Tortilla's: 10(1 packet)
Onions: 1, small chopped finely
Green chili: 2-3, finely chopped
Cumin seeds: 2 tsp
Fennel seeds: 1 tsp
Chili powder: 1 tsp
Coriander powder: 1tsp
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp
salt: to taste
Oil: 1 tsp
Oil: To deep fry
Corn Flour/Maida: 1tbsp
Water: As needed


For topping: 
Cheddar cheese
Sour Cream
Lettuce: chopped 
Carrot: sliced
Cucumber: sliced


Preparation:
1) Strain the water from canned beans. Now grind the beans into a coarse paste without adding any water. Don't grind them into a paste. If you can mash them with hand, go ahead n do that. Mashing or grinding beans helps you to make pockets out of tortilla's n also easy to  eat.
2) Now heat oil in a pan. add cumin seeds n fro for 30 secs. Now add onions n green chili. cook for 3-4 mins or until onions are transparent. Stir in fennel seeds, n spices. Fry for 1min. Now add pureed beans n corn to make our filling for pockets. Cook for 10 mins or until water evaporates. The filling has to be dry, otherwise u cannot make pockets n while frying  filling will get double in size. So filling will come out of the pockets.
Making beans paste dry is very important.

3) Now warm tortilla's. This is important because, tortilla' s from packet are dry n you can't make pockets out of dry tortilla's. so jus warm them as per package instructions or jus heat them as you do for chapathi. Don't brown them. Jus heat for 1min or until they are soft enough to make pockets.
4) Make a paste out of Corn flour/ maida by adding little water n keep aside.
5) Now take a scoop of beans n corn paste n put in center of tortilla. 
6) Fold one end of tortilla to the center. Now apply Flour paste all around the edges of tortilla. 
7) Now fold the sharp edges of tortilla towards center. Apply paste as needed.
8) Now cover the center with the other end of tortilla.
All i am trying to say is, jus fold the tortilla in envelope style.
9) Repeat the same process for remaining
10) Now heat oil for deep frying at medium heat.
11) Fry one at a time for 2 mins on each side or until golden color.Repeat the process for remaining.

Serve this delicious n healthy Beans n sweet corn Fritters on the bed of lettuce served along with carrots n cucumbers topped with cheese n sour cream. If u wish u can top them with jalapeños too. 


Here you can check for another kind of filling for beans pockets

This is going to be a part of My legume love affair guest hosted by Ruchikaooks started by Susan and also to my own event Vegetable marathon-Beans

Read more...

Bean Pockets

Hello Guys,
Its been a while that i posted a recipe on my blog.. Been busy with some other stuff going on in my life,,
These Bean Pockets are my fav n been sitting in draft since 3 weeks. Sound's healthy, its very simple to make these Pockets. Instead of soaking overnight n then boiling n straining, i used canned beans n made this heart healthy n tasty pockets in minutes..
These simple bean pockets say NO to Soaking, Boiling &Straining,and also NO to Mixing Dough, Rolling Dough.
To make the process simpler use canned beans n a packet of tortilla's. Thats it u r ready to go..

Ingredients:
Canned Beans: 2-1big+1 small ( I used 1 400g Great Value Chili Kidney Beans n 1 250g Pinto beans)
Tortilla's: 10(1 packet)
Oil: To deep fry
Corn Flour/Maida: 1tbsp
Water: As needed

Preparation:
1) Strain the water from canned beans. Now grind the beans into a coarse paste without adding any water. Don't grind them into a paste. If you can mash them with hand, go ahead n do that. Mashing or grinding beans helps you to make pockets out of tortilla's n also easy to  eat.
2) Now heat a pan n add mashed beans. Cook for 10 mins or until water evaporates from beans.
Making beans paste dry is very important.
3) Now warm tortilla's. This is important because, tortilla' s form packet are dry n you can't make pockets out of dry tortilla's. so jus warm them as per package instructions or jus heat them as you do for chapathi. Don't brown them. Jus heat for 1min or until they are soft enough to make pockets.
4) Make a paste out of Corn flour/ maida by adding little water n keep aside.
5) Now take a scoop of beans paste n put in center of tortilla. 
6) Fold one end of tortilla to the center. Now apply Flour paste all around the edges of tortilla. 
7) Now fold the sharp edges of tortilla towards center. Apply paste as needed.
8) Now cover the center with the other end of tortilla.
All i am trying to say is, jus fold the tortilla in envelope style.
9) Repeat the same process for remaining
10) Now heat oil for deep frying at 400degrees.
11) Fry one at a time for 2 mins on each side or until golden color.Repeat the process for remaining.

One thing i love about these pockets is , they don't absorb oil. 
Serve this crispy, healthy n yummy beans with ketchup or eat as it is..


This is going to be a part of 
Sunday snacks-Healthy snacks of Dilse hosted by Divya
My legume love affair guest hosted by Ruchikaooks started by Susan and also to Sri Lekha's SWEETS AND SAVORIES FOR DIWALI last but not least to my own event Vegetable Marathon-Beans

Read more...

Upma/ Cream of Sooji

When it comes to cooking, making Upma is like a gift to that home maker. Its so easy to make n an error free dish that even a novice can make it... It is made with Semolina/Sooji. In Telugu it is called as bombaii rava(as per my knowledge). Ingredients for Upma varies from home to home. Each home has its own version. The main flavor for Upma comes from fresh Sooji, ginger n curry leaves.. They are so many varieties in Upma. By adding tomatoes n spices  u can call it as Tomato Bath. By adding cashews in large quantity, u can call it as Jeedipappu Upma/Cashew Upma. Adding lemon makes it nima Upma/lemon Upma and so on..
The only precaution you have to take care while doing Upma is -- adding SALT..

Ingredients:
Sooji: 1 cup
Water: 31/2 -4 cups

Peanuts: 1/2 cup

Onion: 1 small, roughly chopped

Green chili: 2, finely chopped

Oil: 2 tbsp
Red Chili: 2 flakes
Curry Leaves: 1
Channa Dal: 1tsp
Cumin seeds: 1tsp
Mustard Seeds: 1 tsp
Salt: to taste
Ghee: 1tsp


Preparation:
1) In a pan heat oil. Add red chili n channa dal. fry for 30 secs. Add cumin n mustard seeds. fry for another 30secs.
2) Stir in curry leaves, onions, green chili n peanuts. Fry for couple mins on medium to low flame or until peanuts leave raw smell. Dnt brown onions.
3) Add water n salt. Bring to a rolling boil on medium heat. Adjust salt by tasting water few times. If water is salty, Upma will be salty too
4) Now add Sooji to boiling water slowly by stirring constantly. Reduce heat to sim n stir Sooji, without forming any lumps.. Mix well n cover. Cook for 2mins
5) Now remove cover n top with ghee. Mix well n switch of..
Serve hot with a touch of lime or sugar..

This is going to be a part of
Jihva- Break fast  guest hosted by Veggie platter of suma started by Indira of Mahanandi, Kids Delight- Whole some Break fast event by srivalli of spice your life

Read more...

Pesarattu/Moong Dal Dosa

Pesarattu is  a typical Andhra dish..Basically it is made with moong dal n rice soaked over night. This dosa doesn't need fermenting of batter. Although there are many versions for making moon dal dosa, popular one is Pesarattu topped with onions, coriander leaves, finely chopped green chili n peanuts served along with Upma n Ginger Chutney..This type of dosa has popular name called MLA Pesarattu. I don't know exactly, why they gave this name. But it tells the importance of Pesarattu in Andhra region..place..
When i was in undergrad, while CBN is C.M. of AP,there was a project to project Pesarattu as a Andhra's identity in culinary filed..

"If Tamil Nadu can bring imageries of soft white idlis to the mind, Kerala fluffy `idiappams' and Karnataka sweet n' sour `bisi bele bath', we thought why not Andhra Pradesh have its own distinct culinary identity," says Mr. Rao. After all, "pesarattu is the Andhra contribution to the varied and stimulating Indian cuisine."

Ingredients:

Moong dal: 3 cups

Rice: 1/2 cup

Ginger: 2 inch piece

Green Chili: 5-6, If green chili is spicy one lower the number..

Salt: To taste

Cilantro: 1/2 cup chopped

Dry Roasted Peanuts: 1/4 cup,, broken pieces

Green Chili: 2, finely chopped

Preparation:

1) Wash and Soak moong dal n rice in plenty of water overnight.

2) In morning, grind it to a smooth batter by adding ginger n green chili's along with little water. Batter should be medium thick. Don't make it watery.. Keep it aside.

3) Now heat a griddle at 400 degrees F. to check whether griddle is hot or not-- sprinkle some water. if it sizzles into bubbles then tawa is ready.

4) Now pour 1 ladle of batter onto hot griddle. In a circular motion, spread the batter, making into a thin circle. The thinner-the better for dosa

5) Sprinkle some oil around 1 tsp starting from edges to center. When the edges are getting brown, with flat spatula reverse it n cook the other side( this will be back of the dosa). Frying dosa takes appx 2 mins on both sides

6)Now again reverse it top n sprinkle cilantro, peanuts n green chili. 

7) Now spread 1 scoop of Upma, on one half of dosa. By using flat spatula, cover the Upma with  the other half. Press it gently n remove on to a plate.

8) Repeat the same procedure for remaining batter.

Serve Hot MLA Pesarattu with Ginger Chutney.

Tips:

* Use cast iron or non stick Griddle

* If making Upma, make it r8 before you start making dosa's. Add 1/2 -1 cup more water than usual. add 1tsp of gee to the Upma n mix well. For 1 cup semolina use 3-4 cups of water. 

This is going to be a part of Cooking Basics Event of Mahima's Kitchen, Jihva- Break fast  guest hosted by Veggie platter of suma started by Indira of Mahanandi, MLLA 21 of Mirch Masala started by well Seasoned Cook,  Kids Delight- Whole some Break fast event by srivalli of spice your lifeand Vegetable Marathon- Beans event  hosted by me..

Read more...