Corn Vada/Fritters

Sweet corn is a maize variety and one of the most popular vegetables that is enjoyed by all. The corn kernels are used either fresh or frozen or as creamed corn. Sweet corn is known to have several health benefits like cancer prevention, memory enhancement and vision protection. Although, sweet corn has a slightly higher sugar content than other corn varieties, it has moderate calories when compared to other vegetables. Sweet corn is a gluten-free cereal and can be used in cooking/baking accordingly. 

The other day, I was picking out some vegetables when I came across some fresh corn kernels and  I couldn't resist it as it happens to be one of my favorite veggies (not that I have many to begin with). Most of the times, I pick an ingredient and then think of a recipe to use it in... not this time!! 

I suddenly remembered the corn fritters/vada (south indian food that is prepared using a dough made from lentils and is deep fried in oil) I tried at an indian buffet couple years ago. The thought of the corn vadas brought back a faint memory of what other ingredients were in the vadas....all I could recollect was that it was plain (more like sweet corn cake) but addictive. So, I decided to give it a try and the result was crispy and tasty corn vadas/fritters that was enjoyed by everyone. Give it a try!!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels, ground coarsely
1/4 cup fresh corn kernels (optional)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 -3 green chillies, finely chopped
Few curry leaves
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Salt, to taste
1 tsp garam masala powder
2-3 tbsp rice flour
5 tbsp roasted split dalia powder (pound dalia until finely powdered)
2/3 cup Oil, for frying

Method:

Wash and rinse the fresh corn kernels and grind to a slightly coarse paste (if it is too coarse, you will not be able to form small round discs, so it should be in between coarse to medium fine consistency). The corn dough might seem a bit wet as it starts to let out the corn milk when ground...that's ok!!

In a mixing bowl, add the ground corn, fresh corn kernels (skip it if you don't like whole corn kernels in the fritters), onion, green chillies, curry leaves and cilantro leaves. Mix well.

Now, add the garam masala powder, salt,roasted split dalia powder and rice flour. Mix all the ingredients to form a soft dough.

Using the dough, form small round discs and deep fry in oil until both sides are golden brown.  Drain the excess oil on a paper towel and serve hot with some ketchup or spicy chilli sauce. 

Enjoy the corn fritters/vada with your favorite cup of hot beverage!!!

Makes 24 fritters/vadas.

Spicy Baked Plantain Chips

Plantains are a staple food in the tropical areas. Plantain fruits all year round and is considered to be a reliable all-season staple food, especially, in Africa. They are firmer than bananas and less sweeter too and are used either when green or overripe.

Back home, I have snacked on plantain chips but they were deep fried. Of course, I wasn't going to fry them and food tastes equally good when baked. The very first time I baked these chips, they were so addictive that they were gone in no time. It is essential that the plantain is still firm as the softer it gets, plantain tastes sweeter and the chips tend to burn easily. The key to crispy chips relies on how thin you cut the plantain slices. 

So, here's a spicy, crispy and an addictive snack.....

Ingredients:

3 green plantains
3 tbsp light olive oil
1 1/2 tsp paprika powder
3/4 tsp salt
Pinch of asafoetida (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Peel the skin of the plantain and cut into thin slices (the key to crispy chips) using a mandoline or the best trusted tool - your hands!!

In a bowl, add 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp paprika powder, 1/4 tsp salt and a pinch of asafoetida (proportion for each plantain) and mix well. Toss the plantain slices in the oil mix and spread them in a single layer on the cookie sheet (makes 2-3 batches depending on the size of your cookie sheet).

Bake for 20-23 mins until golden and crispy, flipping the slices halfway through. Keep watching the chips to make sure they don't turn burn quickly. Remove from the oven and snack away!!

For a variation, you can use different spices like cumin powder, chilli powder or black pepper powder.

Makes about 2-3 cups.

Paneer Rolls

Paneer (indian cottage cheese) originates from India. It is a widely used ingredient among south and north indians ranging from appetizers to main dishes and winding up with desserts. I have tasted several appetizers with paneer and some of my favorites being paneer tikka, cornflakes paneer and bharwan paneer (will save these recipes for another post). Recently, we had a small gathering, and of course, I was trying to create a good spread to satisfy vegetarians and meat eaters. So, I made paneer rolls as one of the appetizers with two different batches...one with bread crumbs coating and the other with crushed cornflakes. My personal favorite was the one with the cornflakes coating that turned out crispy and it ended up being a big hit among guests too. The best part about this dish is that you can prepare the rolls before hand and stick them in the refrigerator. The rolls are ready to be fried anytime. Enjoy your crunchy treats!!

Ingredients:

8 oz low fat paneer, finely grated
1 small onion, finely chopped
2-3 green chillies, finely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to taste)
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 cup cornflakes, crushed(use a rolling pan)
5 bread slices (white or wheat bread with the edges trimmed)
Oil, enough for frying
Salt, to taste

Method:

In a bowl, add the grated paneer, onion and green chillies. Mix well. Add salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and cilantro.

In another bowl, dip the bread slices one by one in water and quickly squeeze out the excess and add to the dough (adding bread slices gives a nice texture). Mix all the ingredients so that they blend well.

Make small rolls (pick any shape of your choice) and then coat with crushed cornflakes.   Refrigerate for 30-45 mins or until you want to fry them. 

In a pan, heat oil and fry the rolls until golden brown. Serve with chilli garlic sauce/ ketchup.

Makes 10-12 rolls.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Mushrooms, as most of you know, is a low-calorie food and a great source of vitamin B. It has a meaty texture and comes in several varieties with the most commonly used ones being white (button), portobello, oyster, shiitake and enoki (thin and long white) mushrooms. It is widely used in asian cooking but equally gaining significance in italian and american cuisine as well. Generally, I cook with mushrooms as an ingredient in my soup or gravies but wanted to try making stuffed mushrooms for a change. These stuffed mushrooms work great as a bite size appetizer but you can transform it to a nice dish by serving the stuffed mushrooms with 
béchamel sauce (using vegan butter and soy/almond milk) and some fresh salad.

Ingredients:

12 oz Crimini mushrooms  
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed
Mushroom stems, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 - 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
2 tsp nutritional yeast
1/2 - 1 tsp dried parsley (adjust to taste)
1 tbsp fresh parsley
Salt, to taste

Method:

Clean the mushrooms by rinsing them and patting them dry. Remove the mushroom stems and chop them finely.

In a pan, heat oil, add the minced garlic and onions and fry until onions are slightly golden brown. Now, add the spinach and mushroom stems. Cook until slightly done.

Add the crushed red pepper flakes, dried parsley, bread crumbs, nutritional yeast and salt. Cook for few minutes. 

Fill each mushroom cap with the prepared stuffing. Preheat oven to 375° F.  In a baking pan, spray some oil and place the mushrooms. Bake for 30-40 mins until the mushrooms are done. The mushrooms tend to get too brown if left for longer, so make sure you take them off appropriately.

Makes 16-18 mushrooms (depending on the package)

Chilli Paratha

Chilli Paratha (also known as Kothu Parotta/Kothu Roti) is a popular dish in Southern India. Kothu parotta is a common street food but gaining popularity in restaurants too. The ingredients are minced and mixed repeatedly until they blend well. Kothu parotta can be prepared with or without meat. Meatless kothu parotta can be made with finely chopped vegetables to give the minced texture to the dish. It is served with onion raitha.

Ingredients:

6 Parathas, cut into small pieces
5-6 green chillies, finely chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed
2 medium potatoes, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup tomato sauce
3-4 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tsp chilli powder (reduce quantity if you want it less spicy)
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
Salt, to taste
3-4 tbsp oil
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped

Method:

In a deep pan, heat oil, add onions and green chillies. Sauté onions until translucent. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add the peas, carrot, potatoes, chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder (adjust spices to suit your taste). Allow the vegetables to cook until they are almost done. Add the tomato sauce (or crushed tomatoes) and salt and cook  for few minutes until it turns out saucy but not too thick.

Add the paratha pieces to the saucy mixture and toss well to coat them. Add tomato ketchup and mix well. Fry for few minutes until all the flavors blend together and add chopped cilantro and mix with the parathas. If you find the chilli paratha to be a little dry, add more tomato sauce or ketchup. Serve hot with onion raitha.

Makes 3 servings.

Idli Manchurian

Idli Manchurian, an Indo-Chinese recipe is very similar to its counterpart Cauliflower Manchurian. Like, I mentioned earlier, not really a fan of plain old idlis. Every now and then,  my mom used to try so many different recipes disguising the left-over idlis. Inspired from one of the many recipes my mom used to make, this is a simple and easy recipe that can be prepared in no time.

Ingredients:

10-12 idlis, cut each into 4 pieces
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 green chillies, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp grated ginger
1 1/2 tsp red chilli paste
1 tbsp green chilli sauce
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch (mixed with little water to a fine paste)
4-5 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce (adjust to taste)
Pinch of ajinomoto (MSG)
2-3 tbsp oil
1/4 cup spring onions, finely chopped


Method:

Typically, the idli pieces are deep fried but I shallow fried them and they tasted just as good. If you don't want to fry them, you can also bake them at 375° F for 15-20 minutes. Set aside the shallow fried idlis.

In a pan, heat oil, add chopped onions, garlic, green chillies, and grated ginger (personally, I like the fresh garlic pieces and grated ginger but you can also add 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste instead). Sauté the onions until they are soft and translucent.

Now, add red chilli paste, green chilli sauce, tomato ketchup, tomato paste, ajinomoto and soy sauce (adjust the chilli sauces to suit your taste). Cook for 5 minutes until all the raw smell is gone. Add the cornstarch paste and mix well for 2-3 minutes.

Add the idli pieces and toss well with the sautéed ingredients. Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve hot.

Makes 3-4 servings.

Edamame Cutlets

Cutlets are typically prepared using meat or vegetables and interpreted differently across international cuisines. In Indian cuisine, one of the popular appetizers being vegetable cutlets is made using potatoes, peas, carrots, onions, green chillies and spices. Both sides of the cutlet is dipped in an all-purpose flour batter (mixed with sufficient water) or eggwash  and coated with breadcrumbs. It is lightly fried in hot oil. You can also shallow fry the cutlets to make it a much healthier option.

I like soy-based ingredients and use them frequently in my cooking...one such ingredient being edamame (shelled soybeans).  You can use fresh or frozen edamame for this recipe. Mostly when I make these cutlets, I use soy nut powder (grind roasted soy nuts coarsely) for the coating. You can try different variations for the coating such as ground soy nut or coarse yellow cornmeal or just stick to the good old breadcrumbs. It can be served as an appetizer or also as edamame burger with onion, tomato & cheese slices on your favorite burger buns.

Ingredients:

12 oz edamame (frozen shelled soybeans)
1 large zucchini, finely chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, de-seeded and finely chopped
1 spring/green onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Salt, to taste
1 1/2 tbsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds
1/2 tsp olive oil
Cooking spray, to shallow fry cutlets
1 cup coarse yellow cornmeal (for coating)

Method:

Cook the edamame according to the instructions on the package. Allow it to cool and grind the edamame (not too finely...its ok if you have some edamame pieces) to a coarse paste (slightly wet and sticky consistency).

In a pan, heat olive oil and add zucchini, red bell pepper and jalapeno. Sauté the vegetables until they are slightly soft.

In a bowl, add the ground edamame, sautéed vegetables, spring onion and cilantro leaves. Add paprika, garlic powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, salt and sunflower seeds and mix them to blend all ingredients.

Use the edamame mix to make medium-sized round cutlets and coat them on both sides with cornmeal. In a nonstick skillet, on medium-high heat, coat with cooking spray and place 4 cutlets at a time and cook until slightly golden brown on each side. Serve hot with tomato ketchup or chilli sauce.

Makes 12-14 cutlets.

Baked Pita Chips with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Baked Pita Chips is one of the healthiest snacks you can think of. I like pita chips but the ones you get in the stores are so salty. Moreover, you don't get whole wheat pita chips.... just the regular ones. You can try out different spices and herbs and make your own kind of pita chips. You can use regular pita, if you don't like the whole wheat pita. 

The best pairing for pita chips is hummus, without a doubt. Hummus is a dip which has garbanzo beans, tahini (sesame paste), lemon juice, garlic and salt as a base. It is a popular dish in the middle-east which is sometimes served with falafels (fried ball/patty made from ground chickpeas or fava beans).

Ingredients:

For baked pita chips:

4 large whole wheat pita chips, cut into small triangles/pieces
Olive oil, to coat the pita chips
Salt, to taste
1/2 tbsp red chili flakes (you can adjust spice according to your taste)
 3/4 tbsp garlic powder

For roasted red pepper hummus:

1 (15.5oz) can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 large roasted red pepper (1/2 cup equivalent), chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
Salt, to taste
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil

Method:

For baked pita chips:

Cut the whole wheat pita into small triangles or pieces (I usually cut one whole pita into 8 triangles and then cut each one into half and separate the front and back, but if you want it thick, you can leave them without separating it).

Now, either prepare a mix of olive oil, salt, red chili flakes and garlic powder and brush them on each piece of pita or you can just add each ingredient on the pita pieces and toss well to coat each one of them.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spread the pita pieces on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake them for 10-12 minutes depending on how crispy you want them.

For roasted red pepper hummus:

Before we even get started, you're probably wondering where is the tahini in the ingredients list. Honestly, I can never tell the difference with or without tahini. So, I make my hummus without  tahini but if you wish, you can add it.

In a blender or food processor, add the chopped garlic, garbanzo beans, cumin powder, paprika, red chili flakes, and salt. Blend to a smooth paste.

Now, add the roasted red pepper (I used store-bought but you can make your own too) and lemon juice. Blend well and slowly start adding olive oil till it starts to look creamy and smooth. Garnish with finely chopped roasted red pepper. Serve with pita chips and snack away!!

Makes 5-6 servings.