Uggani

This is a breakfast/snack dish that I learnt from my SIL. Her family is from the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, and this is a very typical dish from that region. Typically Uggani is served with mirchi bajji. However, both dishes can be had independently of each other too.

Ingredients:

• Borugolu or murmaralu – 250gms
• green chillies – 2
• 1 onion chopped finely
  1 finely chopped tomato (preferably naati/local tomato rather than hybrid)
• roasted peanuts
• senega pappu podi (can be replaced with desiccated coconut and putanalu pappu)
• turmeric – 1 pinch
• salt to taste
  Tadka:
• aavalu (mustard ), minapappu (urad dal), senega pappu (chana dal), curry leaves

Method:

• In a large bowl, soak the borugulu for a minute, squeeze the water out hard and set aside.
• In a wok, heat a 1 tbsp oil and add the tadka.
• once the tadka starts to sputter, add the onion and fry till it turns translucent.
• add in the tomato and chopped green chillies, and braise till the tomato has completely mingled with the tadka and onion.
• add the salt, roasted peanuts, senega pappu podi and turmeric powder, and mix well.
• Finally add the borugulu and mix well.
• let it cook for a minute and take off the flame.
• garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot.

You can serve the uggani with mirchi bajjis as a side. Or it can be had by itself as a snack.

 

 

 

Senegala Vada (Brown Bengalgram Fritters)

This is favourite snack, and is available, in various versions, across South Indian households and even restaurants.

Senegala vada with chutney

This is different from “masala vada” as the masala vada is made with split bengal gram, not the whole one.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups brown senegalu (chana, whole bengal gram) – soaked and drained.
• 6-8 green chillies
• 1″ piece of ginger
• optional – finely chopped onion
• optional – croasely ground pepper
• Chopped curry leaves
• pinch of asafetida/hing
• 1 tsp salt
• Oil for frying

The washed senegalu with chillies and ginger

Method:

• Rough-grind the soaked senegalu. You may add a bit of water to help in the grinding.
• Add the chillies and ginger and grind again so they are mixed well.
  • Ensure that the senegalu remain rough, and are not finely ground. That would take away from the texture and taste of the final vada.

coarsely ground with the chillies and ginger mixed in.

• remove from jar and add salt and mix well.
• You may add the other ingredients at this time, and set aside till the oil heats.
• Wet your fingers and take a bit of the batter and flatten.
  • Ensure that the edges are not broken as this may cause the vada to break while frying.

Flatten on your fingers

• Once the oil is heated enough, gently drop this into the oil for frying.
  • You may also use a plastic sheet for shaping the vadas. They can then be dropped from the sheet into the oil.
• Turn the vada until it is uniformly brown and then take out.

Frying into a lovely brown

• Put it on a plate lined with kitchen tissue to soak the excess oil.

Senegala vada ready!!

Serve hot with coconut chutney! 🙂

 

 

Eggless Banana-Walnut Bread

One of the biggest additions (literally) to my kitchen this past year has been my oven.

I was previously using an old oven that belonged to my parents, and handed down to me. It was extremenly useful for my initial experiments. This was one of those old-time round ovens, that is still apparently available in stores in Kerala. Haven’t seen them anywhere else though. Anyway, this particular piece was getting old, and I really wanted something new that wouldnt give up on me in the middle of an experiment! ;P So in came my brand new Sunflame.

One of the baking experiments that has held true to taste has been the Banana Walnut bread. I got the recipe from here, and have made a couple of modifications to get mine right. Not big ones, but enough to make it mine.

Fresh and moist Banana Walnut bread!

So here goes!

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat flour – 1 cup (I use freshly made atta from a nearby chakki/flour mill, rather than prepackaged ones)
• Maida/All purpose flour – 1/4 cup
• Bananas – 2 large ones (Robusta only, preferably very ripe)
• Sugar – 3/4 cup
• Yoghurt – 2 tbsp
• Milk – 1/4 cup
• Oil – 4 tbsp (vegetable oil only)
• Salt – 1/4 tsp
• Vanilla essence – 1 tsp
• Baking soda – 1/2 tsp
• Baking powder – 1 1/2 tsp
• Walnuts – 1/2 cup (optional)
  • Can replace this with any other dry fruit as desired. Also the amount of walnut is also to taste.

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven to 180 deg Celsius.
• In a mixing bowl, peel the bananas and make a paste using a blender or with your hands.
• Add in the milk, yoghurt, sugar, oil and vanilla essence and blend well using a blender/whisk.
• Sift the flours, salt and baking powder to mix well, and gently add them to the mix.
• Blend the entire mix carefully.
• Add in the walnuts and mix evenly.
• Grease a bread tin, and transfer this mix into.
• Bake the bread for 35 mins.
  • Check around 30 mins by inserting a toothpick. Depending on the oven, the time taken for the bread to get done will differ.
• Once the toothpick comes clean, you bread is ready to come out of the oven.
• Let it sit for 5 mins before transfering it to a grill to cool down.
  • Dont put it onto a plate, as the moisture will collect at the base and make it soggy.

Ready to serve!

Once it has cooled down sufficiently, cut and serve with tea/coffee as an evening snack. The whole wheat, nuts and bananas keep it nutritious, and definitely tasty!