Category:  South Indian Recipes

Bajji Recipe:

We all know Chennai (in South India) is famous for Marina Beach and Marina Beach is famous for Bajji. Yes, bajji is the popular south Indian snack and found almost everywhere in the streets as well as in the beach sold by the roadside food vendors. You can find a different varieties namely, vazhakkai (plantain) bajji, Capsicum Bajji, Chilli (molaga) bajji, Potato Bajji, Onion bajji, etc. It is very easy to make and it is a incredibly yummy and a crispy snack in an awesome rainy evenings. It is usually prepared by dipping any sliced vegetables of your choice like onion, capsicum, plantain, potato, etc in a batter made out of gram flour and frying it. Here I am gonna tell you how to prepare an onion bajji recipe in a very simple and easy way. I really love the way my mom-n-law prepares Onion Bajji.

Onion Bajji Recipe Preparation:

• In a bowl add the above ingredients ( Gram flour, rice flour, chilli powder, baking soda, asafoetida, food color and salt) and mix it evenly.
• Add water little by little to this mixture until the batter becomes neither thick nor too thin.
• Cut the onions into thin slices.
• Heat the oil in a wide kadai or pan.
• Dip the onion slices into the batter just make sure that it is well coated on both sides.
• Drop the bajji into the oil slowly and fry them for 2 minutes gently turn them over.
• Fry the bajji on both sides till it turns into crispy golden brown.
• Remove the bajji from heat and drain the excess oil with a kitchen tissue.
• Serve it hot with coriander dip (pudina chutney).

Adai Recipe:

Adai recipe is a quick South Indian breakfast or snack just made in 15 mins. Adai recipe is a savory pancake usually made out of rice, semolina and lentils. Adai recipe is rich in nutrition and proteins. A healthy food for all ages. Adai can be made like a dosa or vada type. Here, my favorite is the Rava adai. It is very quick dish which can be made in few minutes. There are many varieties in adai but this is an instant recipe. Sometimes I used to have this as a morning breakfast in my college days.

Preparation of Adai Recipe:

1. Mix all the above ingredients (Semolina, yoghurt, finely chopped onion, tomatoes, green chilies, coriander, curry leaves and required amount of salt) evenly.
2. Make it into dough, the consistency should not be too thick or too thin and divide the portion into equal size balls.
3. Heat the pan or tawa.
4. Take one of the balls and place it on the plastic sheet, then pat the dough evenly and make a hole in the center with your finger as you do for a vada recipe and put it into the tawa.
5. Now fry the adai for about for 2-3 minutes on each side until it is golden brown in a medium flame.
6. Remove it from the heat and garnish with some mint leaves.
7. Serve the adai recipe hot with mango pickles or mayonnaise or hot sauce.

Adai Recipe Tip:

Always use a bowl of water and wet your hands before you pat the adai recipe.

Porata:

Porata, parotta or barotta is a famous south Indian food recipe especially in TamilNadu and Kerala. Porata is well known  as  a wonderful street side recipe. This Porata was introduced by the South Indians and served in religious festivals and feasts. Porata is famous because of its Flaky, crispy, fluffy, soft circular bread layers made with Maida (all purpose flour) and oil or ghee. This Indian layered bread Porata’s are relished with Mutton saalna, chicken Kurma, vegetable kurma or even paaya (mutton leg kurma). The other flavor or kinds of this Porata are the Kothu Parotta and Muttai Parotta.

Porata Preparation:

• Take a wide bowl and add the above ingredients (Maida, baking powder, salt, baking soda, 2 tbsp of ghee) and mix them all evenly.
• Add water little by little and mix it into a soft dough
• To this dough add 2 tbsp oil and mix it about 20 mins and keep aside for 2 hrs.
• Then again beat and mix the dough for a soft consistency.
• Divide the dough into 8-10 balls in the size of a big lemon.
• Take one portion of the dough and roll it with the help of a rolling pin.
• Apply 1 tsp of oil for each parotta and stretch it to paper thin size. Stretch it with a rolling pin or your hands, but note that you apply oil as it makes the work easier.
• After stretching the parota try making pleats with your hands and fold as you do to make a paper fan.
• Hold one end as a centric and roll the other end till it become a wheel-like and press it with the center of your palm.
• Repeat the whole process for each Porata
• Brush a little oil on the top of each Porata balls and keep aside. .
• After 30 mins, keep the tawa hot.
• Take a porata ball and slightly roll it lengthwise and width-wise using a rolling pin. Do not flip the other side while rolling, as it should be firm on the bottom.
• Transfer it to the tawa and let cook for few 2 minutes, now flip it on the other side and pour a tsp of oil, flip it one more time and then remove it from the tawa.
• Using both hands, try to beat it once, just like you clap, this is to separate the layers.
• Serve hot porata with mutton kurma or paaya.