Murukulu | Crispy Murukku | Chakli | How to make Murukku?

Murukulu / Chakli is a savory festival dish. This can also be a tea time snack or a time pass bite. I made these for dusshera & it took me a long time to blog about it. These chakli's are crisp & crunchy in taste. Enjoy them for Diwali.

Prep Time-10mins
Cook Time - 30mins 
Serves - 20 -25 chakli's { Depends on the size}
Ingredients
1Cup besan
1/2Cup rice flour
2Tsp red chili powder
3Tbs hot oil
1Tsp ajwain seeds
1Tsp salt {adjust as needed}
1/4Tsp hing
1/2 Cup water
Oil for deep frying
Directions

- In a bowl add in all the above ingredients & mix them well. Adjust salt if needed.
- Form a thick dough ball & divide dough into 3 equal parts.

- Wet your hands little water & place one ball of dough into muruku maker. Wetting your hands gives dough extra wetness to roll muruku smooth.
- Place the shape plate & close it.

- Lay paper on a flat surface & make muruku as shown above. You can make from jumbo size to mini size muruku.
- Heat oil for deep frying. Drop a little dough in to oil. If it floats backs immediately then oil is hot & ready for frying.
- Lift the layered muruku's on by one as needed carefully as shown above.

- Place muruku one by one as many the pan fits. Fry them on low heat to light brown color. Remove them on to a paper towel.
- Repeat the process till the dough is done.

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Chana Dal Sundal

Chana dal sundal won't need an introduction. It 's a tasty dish I made it for Navratri days. Enjoy this easy dish.
Prep Time-1hr5mins {soaking+pressure cooking}
Cook Time-30mins 
Serves-2people
Ingredients 
1/2Cup chana dal
2Tbs grated coconut 
1Tbs oil 
1/2Tsp mustard seeds 
1/2Tsp jeera 
2Red chili's cut equally
Few curry leaves
Salt to taste 

Direction
- Soak chana dal for 1hr. After pressure cook with 1Cup water to 1whistle. Cool off & strain extra water if any & keep aside. 
- Heat pan with oil. To that add mustard, jeera, red chili's & curry leaves. Fry till jeera turns to light brown & mean while mustard will start jumping. Switch off heat. 
- Add chana dal to hot pan along with salt. Mix them & leave them to cool off. 
- Add coconut & mix well. Adjust if salt is needed. 
- Sundal is ready to eat.
Note
- Adding a little of lemon juice will make it more flavorful.

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Jabeez ~ Yemen Dish | Black Eyed Peas Pancake

Jabeez is a Yemen style savory pancake. It is filled with goodness of greens, flavor of cumin & perfectly spicy. The original version of this recipe added a egg to it, which I skipped & rest was the same. 
Jabeez can be served as a appetizer, snack or can be your scrumptious healthy dinner. Myself I made it for dinner & served it along with peanut chutney made south Indian style. It was so perfect & reminded us akki roti or Koyya roti we make with rice flour.

Adapted from here.
Prep Time - 2hr20mins { Soaking + resting + chopping}
Cook Time - 20mins for all pan cakes 
Serves - 4Big pancakes or 8mini one's
Ingredients
3/4Cup black eyed peas {soaked}
1/2Cup wheat flour 
4Green onions/scallions  finely chopped 
1Small onion finely chopped
1/4Cup cilantro chopped 
2Tsp red chili powder / Black pepper powder
1Tsp roasted cumin powder 
1Cup water {As needed}
3Tbs oil
1Tbs yeast 
1/2Tsp turmeric
Pinch of salt
Directions
- Soak black eyed peas for 1hr at least.
- Grind black eyed peas to a smooth paste using little water. 
- In a bowl add the grind pea paste along with wheat flour, scallions, onions, cilantro, cumin powder, yeast, turmeric & salt. 
- Add water & mix them well. It will form into a thick smooth paste. Adjust salt if needed. Allow it to sit for 1hr with closed lid. 
- Heat pan & add few drops of oil to pan. Now add a medium size ball of batter to pan. Then press it around to make a flat shaped roti. 
- Close with lid & cook till it is crisp. Remove the lid & flip it to other side. Cook till it is crisp on the other side too. 
- Remove on to a plate & repeat the same with rest of the batter. 
- Enjoy it with your favorite chutney.
Note
- Add another cup of water to make it a smooth batter & you pour it onto a  just like the pancake batter.

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Atukula Mix | Sweet Poha Mix

Atukula Mix / Poha Mix, is not actually a dish but it is more of combing few ingredients to make a mix. On the occasion of Saraswathi Pooja on Navratri/Dussehra days I made this mix to offer the goddess. They are different types of prashad for each day of navratri & this poha mix is for Saraswathi pooja day.

While I was making this mix I had a nostalgia hit. I remembered my grand mom (maternal) making this mix & packing them in different paper packets for me to distribute in the school on my first day of school (LKG) among other kids. I didn't know why she did that but, when I realized that she was spreading the blessings of goddess & that moment I felt happy & proud of her. I went to 2 schools at the same time in 2different towns. Yes, I did. I was joined in missionary school at Guntur (where my parents live) & the other in my grand mom's town (machilipatnam). I use to spend most of my time with my grand parents, so they decided to join me in a school there too & that is where I distributed this mix among kids. 

Enjoy!!!

Ingredients 

1/2Cup atukulu/poha {thin}

1/4Cup putnala pappu / dalia {roasted bengal gram}

1/4Cup jaggery {bite size pieces}

Directions

- In a bowl mix up all the ingredients. 

- Mix is ready. 

Note

- You can replace poha with puffed rice or marmaralu.

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Tofu Veggie Stir Fry ~ Xiang Cuisine, Chinese Dish

Tofu Veggie Stir Fry is a delicious bite you can snack on or combine it with white rice & call it a lunch or dinner. This Hunan Style stir fry dish is little oily, spicy & sure is very tasty. Hunan Cuisine of Xiang region is part of 8 chinese cuisines. It stands out from other cuisines because of it's spiciness, beautiful color & the aroma.
Tofu Veggie Stir Fry I'm sharing here is cooked in a fermented black bean sauce, but the recipe I followed simplified it by using tomato sauce. It was was a scrumptious snack for me on a happy friday evening. 
I was writing this post for the past two days as I was feeling very lazy & at the same time was busy with all the weekend errands. At last on sunday night I sat down to write the post while watching "Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown - Shanghai" coincidentally. Ahah moment!!! Isn't it ??? 

Prep Time - 10mins {Cutting & arranging}
Cooking Time - 20mins 
Serves - 2people
Adapted from here.
Ingredients
1/2Block tofu sliced as seen in picture {7oz}
1Onion thinly sliced
1Medium capsicum thinly sliced
1Carrot julienne
1Tbs grated ginger
2Garlic sliced
2Tbs peanut oil/vegetable oil
1/4Cup tomato sauce / Tomato paste
2Tsp sugar
1Tbs sesame oil
1/4Cup soya sauce
1Tsp chinese rice wine / Red wine vinegar
1Tsp red chili flakes
1/2Tsp salt
1Tbs sesame oil
Directions
- Remove tofu from water & let it rest on a kitchen towel or paper towel. Now slice it as shown in picture.
- Heat a wide non-stick pan with little sesame oil. Lay sliced tofu without touching each other. Crisp fry them on each side & keep aside.
- In a bowl mix red wine vinegar, chili flakes & keep aside.
- In another bowl tomato sauce, sesame oil, sugar, salt & soya sauce.
- Heat pan with oil & first add in ginger, garlic & onion. Fry them on medium heat.
- Next add in bell pepper & carrots to pan. Stir fry them. Add in vinegar chili mix & mix in.
- Next add in fried tofu to pan. Add the tomato sauce mixture to pan & mix in well.
- Fry them on medium heat for 2 mins by stirring continuously.
- Switch off heat & garnish with scallions.
- Serve warm along with rice or fried rice or as a snack.
Note
- Veggies should be crisp & not soft. So fry them just for few seconds.
- I used tomato paste in my dish & it turned out good.
- If you are using chinese hot red peppers then go with the recipe. If not make to 2tsp.
- I had red wine vinegar handy & used it.
- I used kikkoman sesame oil in the recipe.

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Ouă umplute | Deviled Eggs | Stuffed eggs | Romanian Appetizer

Ouă umplute or Stuffed Eggs are a traditional Romanian appetizer. This dish has originated from Italy & became popular in many parts of the world as Deviled Eggs. This crowd-pleasing appetizer is easy to make at home & can be served for any kind of occasion as a starter. The recipe I shared is a basic one; you can always customize it according to your needs.
Deviled Eggs are delectable little things & they vanish just like that in no time. I'm a total fan of this egg bites & was never able to stop with one.

To know what my other friends are cooking, check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 44. 

Prep Time-5mins | Cook Time-20mins | Serves-2people
Ingredients
3Hard boiled eggs
1Tbs mayonnaise
1/2Tsp honey mustard
1Tsp black pepper
2Tbs finely chopped onion
Pinch of salt
Parsley/Scallions for garnish
Directions
- Peal the outer shell of eggs & cut them horizontally into half. 
- Scoop out yellow from eggs into a bowl. 
- To the bowl add mayo, mustard, pepper, onion & salt.
- Make them to a smooth paste. Adjust the taste if needed. 
- Scoop up little in to the white half's & top them with garnish. 
- Serve as a appetizer or a snack. 
Note
- You can add little of ketchup or choice any choice of condiment to it. 
- Garnish can be any thing of your choice.

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Moutabel ~ Qatar Cuisine

Moutabel is a Middle Eastern grilled eggplant dip. This Qatari dip is a little similar to Baba ghanoush, which includes onion & tomatoes in it.
In making Moutabel I choose to grill eggplants on stove top method, as it leaves a nice flavor to the eggplant when it is burnt directly on the heat. You can even cook it in oven to avoid the mess. 
The other important ingredient in this dish is the tahini paste. Tahini is a smooth sesame paste that actually gives creamy texture to this dish. I used a store bought one but one can make this paste at home too. The other ingredients added in add a nice flavor & taste to the dish. That’s it for now & enjoy this dip.

To know what my other friends are cooking, check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 44. 

Adapted from here.
Prep Time-15mins | Cook Time-20mins | Serves-2people 
Ingredients
1Italian eggplant
2Tbs tahini paste
1Garlic clove
1Tsp lemon juice 
2Green chili's {adjust as needed}
1Tbs olive oil
Salt to taste 
Cilantro or Basil for garnish
Directions
- Roast the egg plant on stove top. Cool it before you go ahead with peeling the skin. 
- Peel skin of eggplant & keep it in a bowl. Mash it to a chunky paste 
- Now grind green chili's, garlic & tahini to smooth paste. {You can grind eggplant too if you want a smooth moutabel.}
- Mix the grind paste & olive oil with mashed eggplant. 
- Add in salt & lemon juice. Mix well & adjust taste if needed. 
- Serve it with chips, veggies , pita bread or have it as you wish. 
Note
- Moutabel is smooth in texture. So as mentioned above grind eggplant for the texture.
- Taste was perfect for me, adjust if needed.

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