Aloo Vada / Vada Pav / Batata Vada

This is one of the popular & tempting snack. It is very simple, easy to make snack in winter or rainy season.

Ingredients

•   ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon chopped green chillies
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• pinch of asafoetida/ hing
• ½ cup chopped coriander leaves
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• Salt to taste

For Batter

• 1 cup gram flour/chickpea flour/besan
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• Vegetable/Sunflower Oil for deep frying
• Salt to taste

Method

• Mix all ingredients of batter to form a dip thick. Keep aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. Add asafoetida, mustard seeds, green chillies and onions. Saute for a couple of minutes till onions are soft and light golden color.
• Add ginger paste, garlic paste, turmeric and salt and sauté for a few more minutes; then add the mashed potatoes, cilantro leaves and sauté for a couple of minutes.
• Allow the potato mixture cool down and divide the mixture into 8 portions, shape into round balls and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan for deep frying
• Coat each of the potato balls in the gram flour batter and gradually let it into the oil and deep fry until golden brown in color.
• Drain on absorbent paper and serve hot.
• served with Chutneys like Green Chutney and Date and Tamarind Chutney or just plain  Tomato Ketchup. You could serve this as is, or sandwiched into a bun that is Vada Pav.

Instant Gulab Jamun

Ingredients

• 1 cup Milk Powder
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour 
• 2 tablespoons butter -melted 
• Whole milk just enough to make the dough 
• Oil for deep frying

For the Sugar Syrup 

• 2 cups Sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 Tsp Cardamon powder 

Method

• Make the dough by combining the milk powder, butter. Add just enough whole milk to make a medium-hard dough. Divide the dough into 18-20 portions. Make balls by gently rolling each portion between your palms into a smooth ball. Place the balls on a plate. Cover with a damp yet dry kitchen towel.
• Heat the oil on medium flame in a frying pan. Slip in the balls into the hot oil from the side of the pan, one by one. After about 5 mins, the balls will rise to the surface. The Gulab Jamuns should rise slowly to the top if the temperature is just right. Now they must be gently and constantly agitated to ensure even browning on all sides.
• If the temperature of the oil is too high then the gulab jamuns will tend to break. So adjust the temperature to ensure that the gulab jamuns do not break or cook too quickly.
• The balls must be fried very slowly under medium temperatures. This will ensure complete cooking from inside and even browning.

Sugar Syrup

• The syrup should be made earlier and kept warm. To make the hot sugar syrup add mix the 2 cups of sugar to 1 cup of water. Add 4-5 cardamom pods or powder. Mix with a spoon and then heat at medium heat for 5-10 minutes until sugar is all dissolved in water. 
• Transfer this hot syrup into a serving dish. Keep warm on stove. Add the fried gulab jamuns directly into the warm syrup. Leave gulab jamun balls in sugar syrup overnight for best results. They can be served warm or at room temperature.

Dudhi / Bottle gouard / Lauki Sabji

Ingredients:

• 1 Small bottle gourd / lauki peeled & chopped
• 1 Small onion finely chopped
• 2-3 Green chilies finely chopped
• 5-6 Curry leaves
• 2-3 tbsp Fresh grated coconut
• Chopped cilantro for garnishing
• Salt per taste
• 1 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds
• 1/4 tsp Hing/ Asafoetida
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan or kadai. Add mustard seeds & hing.
• As the mustard seeds splutter then add curry leaves, fenugrrek seeds & turmeric powder.
• Then add chopped onion & saute it for 3-4 min . till golden brown.
• Then add chopped bottle gourd & add 1 tbsp water. Cover the pan with lid. Cook for 5-7 min on medium heat.
•  As the water evaporates, add fresh grated coconut & cook again for 5 min. on slow heat.
• If needed add little water, till the bottle gourd is cooked.
• Add salt to taste. Then garnish with grated coconut & chopped cilantro.

Dal Tadka / Dal Fry

 Dal tadka is the most common and frequently cooked dish in every family.
Ingredients:

For dal:

• Toovar dal (split yellow pigeon peas) – 11/2 cup
• Tomato – 1 finely chopped
• Small onion- 1 finely chopped
• Green chili finely chopped - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
• Salt as per taste

For Tadka (Frying the dal) 

• Cumin seeds -1 tsp
• Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
• Asafoetida powder -1/2 tsp
• Ginger – Garlic paste - 1tbsp
• Garam masala powder – ½ tsp
• Red chili powder - 1 tsp
• Dry red chilies - 2
• Cooking oil – 1 tbsp
• Butter/Ghee -1tbsp
• Cilantro – 2 tbsp finely chopped (for garnish)

Method:

• Wash toovar dal,  soak for 30 minutes.
• Add soaked dal, turmeric powder, salt, chopped green chili, chopped tomatoes, chopped onion and 3 cups of water in the pressure cooker.
•  Cover the pressure cooker and set on the stove at a high flame. After the first 'whistle'/ pressure release, reduce the flame to simmer and cook for 2 more 'whistles'/ pressure releases. Turn off the fire and release the pressure from the cooker.
•  Now open the pressure cooker and stir the boiled lentils well to blend into a smooth soup-like consistency.
• For tadka, heat oil and butter in a frying pan. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and asafoetida. Let it crackle. Then add ginger-garlic paste and sauté it, till turns light golden. Add  2 dry red chilies.
• Add red chili powder and garam masala powder to the tadka and immediately pour it over the cooked dal. 
• Garnish with finely chopped cilantro
• Serve with plain boiled rice or with naan.