RAG Demo

Tag: Easy to make

  • Dalma

    Dalma is the everyday dal-and-vegetable stew of Odisha and a fixture of the Jagannath temple's mahaprasad, where it is cooked without onion, garlic, tomato or chillies. In homes it is eaten almost daily with rice and is considered wholesome enough to be a full meal on its own. Odia restaurants now serve it as the anchor of a thali.

    Toor dal, or sometimes chana dal, is boiled with chunks of vegetables until both are soft but the vegetables still hold their shape. The dal is mildly sweet from pumpkin and raw papaya, earthy from raw banana and yam. The defining touch is a dry-roasted powder of cumin and dried red chillies sprinkled at the end, and a panch phoron tempering in ghee.

    At a glance

    RegionOdisha
    CuisineOdia
    DietVegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time50 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientstoor dal / pumpkin / raw papaya / raw banana / brinjal

    Ingredients

    For the dal

    • 3/4 cup toor dal, rinsed and soaked 30 minutes
    • 1 cup pumpkin, cut into 3 cm cubes
    • 1 cup raw papaya, cut into cubes
    • 1 raw banana, peeled and cut into cubes
    • 1 small brinjal, cubed
    • 1/2 cup elephant foot yam (optional), cubed
    • 1 inch ginger, grated
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 3 cups water
    • Salt to taste

    For the tempering and finish

    • 2 tbsp ghee
    • 1 tsp panch phoron
    • 2 dry red chillies
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 2 tbsp grated coconut
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds and 2 dry red chillies, dry-roasted and ground (bhaja masala)

    Method

    1. Pressure cook the soaked toor dal with turmeric and 2 cups water for 2 whistles on medium heat. Let the pressure release naturally.
    2. If using yam, boil it separately for 5 minutes in salted water and drain; this reduces its itchiness.
    3. Open the cooker, add the pumpkin, papaya, raw banana, brinjal, yam, ginger, salt and 1 cup water.
    4. Simmer uncovered on medium heat for 12-15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are tender and the pumpkin starts to break into the dal.
    5. In a small pan heat the ghee. Add panch phoron, dry red chillies and bay leaves and let them crackle for 15-20 seconds.
    6. Pour the tempering over the dal. Stir in the grated coconut and half the roasted cumin-chilli powder and simmer for 2 minutes.
    7. Serve hot, sprinkled with the rest of the roasted powder and a little more ghee.

    Tips

    • Do not cook the vegetables in the cooker with the dal – they turn to mush; simmering them in the open pot keeps the texture.
    • For the temple-style version, skip the red chillies in the tempering and use only ginger and ghee.
    • Dalma thickens as it stands; loosen with hot water when reheating.

    Serve with

    Steamed rice with a fry such as aloo bhaja or saga bhaja.

  • Jhal Muri

    Jhal muri is the snack of Kolkata's streets, sold from tin canisters by vendors at stations, college gates and the Maidan. 'Jhal' means spicy, and the vendor's rhythm of scooping, shaking and folding it into a paper cone is part of the experience. It is eaten at any hour, most often with evening tea or during a long train ride.

    Unlike the tamarind-sweet bhel of Mumbai, jhal muri is dry and pungent. Raw mustard oil, sometimes with a spoon of oil from a mango pickle jar, coats crisp puffed rice, and chopped onion, green chilli, cucumber, coriander, boiled potato and peanuts add texture. A spiced masala and lime finish it. It must be eaten immediately before the muri softens.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietVegan
    CourseStreet food
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time0 minutes
    Total time10 minutes
    Serves2
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientspuffed rice / mustard oil / onion / peanuts

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups muri (puffed rice), crisp
    • 1 small onion, finely chopped
    • 1 small cucumber, finely chopped
    • 1 small tomato, deseeded and chopped
    • 1 boiled potato, diced small
    • 2 green chillies, finely chopped
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • 3 tbsp roasted peanuts
    • 2 tbsp chanachur or sev
    • 1 tbsp raw mustard oil (or mango pickle oil)
    • 1/2 tsp bhaja masala (dry-roasted cumin, coriander and red chilli, ground)
    • 1/4 tsp black salt
    • 1 tsp lemon juice
    • 1 tbsp fresh coconut slivers (optional)

    Method

    1. If the muri is even slightly limp, dry-roast it in a kadhai on low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until it crackles. Let it cool.
    2. In a large bowl or steel container with a lid, combine onion, cucumber, tomato, potato, green chillies and coriander.
    3. Add the mustard oil, bhaja masala, black salt and lemon juice and mix well.
    4. Tip in the muri and peanuts. Cover and shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds, as the vendors do, so every grain is coated.
    5. Add the chanachur and coconut slivers and toss once more.
    6. Taste and adjust salt or lemon, and serve immediately in paper cones or bowls.

    Tips

    • Mix only what will be eaten at once – the wet vegetables soften the puffed rice within minutes.
    • Pungent kachi ghani mustard oil is essential; any neutral oil makes it taste like a different snack.
    • Make a batch of bhaja masala by dry-roasting 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander and 2 dry red chillies, then grinding fine.

    Serve with

    A cup of hot milky tea in the evening.

  • Begun Bhaja

    Begun bhaja is the simplest of Bengali fries and one of the most loved. A plate of hot rice, dal and a slice of fried brinjal is everyday comfort, and begun bhaja is also one of the five fries traditionally served at Saraswati Puja and with khichuri on rainy days.

    Large round brinjals are cut into thick discs, scored, coated in a dry rub of turmeric, chilli powder, salt and a pinch of sugar, and shallow fried in mustard oil. The outside turns brown and slightly crisp while the inside goes soft and custardy. Some families dust the slices with a little rice flour or besan for extra crunch.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietVegan
    CourseSide dish
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time15 minutes
    Total time30 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsbrinjal / mustard oil / turmeric

    Ingredients

    • 1 large round brinjal (about 400 g)
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
    • 1/2 tsp sugar
    • 3/4 tsp salt
    • 1 tbsp rice flour (optional, for crispness)
    • 5-6 tbsp mustard oil

    Method

    1. Cut the brinjal into 1.5 cm thick round slices. Lightly score both sides of each slice in a criss-cross pattern so the spices penetrate.
    2. Mix turmeric, chilli powder, sugar and salt. Rub the mixture evenly on both sides of every slice and leave for 10 minutes. The slices will release a little moisture.
    3. If using rice flour, pat a thin dusting on both sides of each slice and shake off the excess.
    4. Heat mustard oil in a flat frying pan until it smokes, then reduce the heat to medium.
    5. Place the slices in a single layer. Fry for 4-5 minutes until the underside is deep golden brown.
    6. Flip, add a little more oil around the edges if the pan looks dry, cover and cook on medium-low for 3-4 minutes until a knife slides through the centre easily.
    7. Remove onto a plate and serve immediately while the edges are still crisp.

    Tips

    • Brinjal soaks up oil quickly; resting the salted slices first draws out moisture and means they absorb less.
    • Covering the pan after flipping steams the centre so the slice is cooked through before the outside burns.
    • Choose a brinjal that is heavy and glossy with few seeds.

    Serve with

    Hot rice with masoor dal, or with khichuri on a rainy day.

  • Aloo Posto

    Aloo posto is everyday Bengali food at its most comforting. Poppy seeds, or posto, became central to the cooking of the Rarh region – Bankura, Birbhum and Burdwan – in the nineteenth century, when opium cultivation under the British left the seeds cheap and plentiful. Families there still eat some form of posto almost every day.

    The dish is pale, creamy and nutty, with only green chillies for heat and a last drizzle of raw mustard oil for bite. Potatoes cut into cubes soak up the paste until it coats them thickly. It is eaten as part of a traditional lunch after a bitter shukto and before the dal, mixed into hot rice with a squeeze of lime.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietVegan
    CourseSide dish
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time20 minutes
    Total time35 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientspotato / poppy seeds / green chilli / mustard oil

    Ingredients

    • 4 medium potatoes (about 500 g), peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
    • 5 tbsp white poppy seeds (posto)
    • 4 green chillies (2 for paste, 2 slit)
    • 3 tbsp mustard oil
    • 1/2 tsp kalonji (nigella seeds)
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder (optional)
    • 1/2 tsp sugar
    • 1 cup water
    • Salt to taste

    Method

    1. Soak the poppy seeds in warm water for 30 minutes. Drain and grind with 2 green chillies and 2-3 tbsp water to a smooth, thick paste. Stone-ground on a sil-nora is traditional; a mixer works if you grind in bursts and scrape down often.
    2. Heat 2 tbsp mustard oil in a kadhai until it smokes, then lower the heat to medium. Add the kalonji and slit green chillies and let them sizzle for 10 seconds.
    3. Add the potato cubes and turmeric if using. Stir-fry for 4-5 minutes until the edges look lightly translucent but not browned.
    4. Add salt and 1 cup water, cover and cook on low-medium heat for 8-10 minutes until the potatoes are just tender and most of the water has been absorbed.
    5. Stir in the poppy seed paste and sugar. Cook uncovered on low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring gently, until the paste thickens and coats the potatoes. Add a splash of water if it gets too dry.
    6. Turn off the heat and drizzle the remaining 1 tbsp raw mustard oil over the top. Mix lightly and serve warm.

    Tips

    • Do not cook the posto paste for long – once it loses its moisture it turns grainy and slightly bitter.
    • Add a few pieces of jhinge (ridge gourd) or onion along with the potatoes for the popular variations jhinge aloo posto and peyaj posto.
    • Poppy seeds are restricted for import or carriage in some countries; check before travelling with them.

    Serve with

    Hot steamed rice and masoor dal, with a wedge of lime.

  • Machher Jhol

    Machher jhol is the everyday fish curry of Bengal, eaten across Kolkata and village homes alike, and the phrase maach-bhaat, fish and rice, sums up Bengali identity for many people. Jhol means a thin, light gravy, as opposed to the richer kalia or the mustard-heavy shorshe. It is typically made with rohu or katla, the freshwater carp of Bengal's ponds and rivers.

    The fish is rubbed with turmeric and salt, fried in mustard oil until golden, then simmered with potatoes and sometimes cauliflower or brinjal in a broth spiced with cumin, ginger and green chillies, tempered with kalo jeere (nigella). It is light, warming and fragrant, the sort of meal cooked for someone recovering from illness, and always eaten with steamed rice.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time50 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrohu fish / potato / mustard oil / turmeric / cumin

    Ingredients

    For the fish

    • 6 pieces rohu or katla (about 500 g), steaks with skin
    • 3/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 3/4 tsp salt
    • 4 tbsp mustard oil

    For the jhol

    • 1/2 tsp kalo jeere (nigella seeds)
    • 2 green chillies, slit
    • 2 medium potatoes, cut into long wedges
    • 1 small tomato, chopped (optional)
    • 1 tbsp ginger paste
    • 1.5 tsp cumin powder
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 1 tsp salt, or to taste
    • 1/2 tsp sugar
    • 2 cups hot water
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

    Method

    1. Rub the fish with turmeric and salt and set aside for 10 minutes.
    2. Heat the mustard oil in a kadai on high heat until it just begins to smoke, then lower the heat to medium. Fry the fish in batches for 2-3 minutes per side until golden. Do not overcook; it will cook more in the jhol. Remove.
    3. In the same oil fry the potato wedges with a pinch of turmeric and salt for 4-5 minutes until lightly golden on the edges. Remove.
    4. Add kalo jeere and green chillies to the oil and let them sizzle for 10 seconds.
    5. Mix ginger paste, cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli powder with 3 tbsp water to a paste and add to the kadai. Fry on medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes, adding a splash of water if it sticks, until oil separates. Add tomato if using and cook until soft.
    6. Return the potatoes, add salt, sugar and 2 cups hot water. Cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
    7. Slide in the fried fish and simmer gently, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes so the fish absorbs the broth. The gravy should stay thin.
    8. Finish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

    Tips

    • Heat mustard oil to smoking point first to take away its raw pungency.
    • Add hot water, not cold, so the fish stays tender.
    • In summer, many Bengali homes add sliced patol (pointed gourd) or brinjal along with the potatoes.

    Serve with

    Steamed rice, a wedge of gondhoraj lebu (lime) and a green chilli.

  • Tomato Pappu

    Pappu, the Telugu word for dal, appears on the table every single day in Andhra homes, and tomato pappu is probably the most common of all. Pappu annam with ghee, dal rice, is the first solid food for many Telugu children and remains a comfort meal for adults. It is simple and fast, and every home makes it a little differently.

    Toor dal is cooked with tomatoes, onion and green chillies until soft, then mashed to a thick, creamy consistency. The tomatoes give a gentle sourness, a little tamarind is added if they are mild, and the tempering of mustard, cumin, garlic and red chillies brings it alive. It is eaten with rice and ghee, with an Andhra pickle on the side.

    At a glance

    RegionAndhra Pradesh
    CuisineAndhra
    DietVegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time35 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientstoor dal / tomato / green chillies / garlic

    Ingredients

    For the dal

    • 3/4 cup toor dal, washed
    • 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
    • 1 small onion, chopped
    • 3 green chillies, slit
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 2.5 cups water
    • 1 tsp tamarind pulp (only if tomatoes are mild)

    For the tadka

    • 1 tbsp ghee
    • 1 tsp oil
    • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
    • 2 dry red chillies, broken
    • 6 garlic cloves, crushed
    • 1 sprig curry leaves
    • 1/4 tsp asafoetida
    • 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

    Method

    1. Put the dal, tomatoes, onion, green chillies, turmeric and water in a pressure cooker. Cook for 4 whistles on medium heat, until the dal is very soft.
    2. Let the pressure drop naturally. Add salt and tamarind if using, and mash the dal with a wooden pappu gutti or whisk until smooth, with the tomatoes broken down.
    3. Return the cooker to the stove and simmer for 3-4 minutes on low heat. Add hot water if it is too thick; it should be pourable but creamy.
    4. For the tadka, heat ghee and oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter, then add cumin and red chillies.
    5. Add the garlic and fry on medium heat until golden, about 1 minute. Add curry leaves and asafoetida, switch off the heat and stir in the chilli powder.
    6. Pour the tadka over the dal immediately, cover for a minute to trap the aroma, then stir in coriander and serve.

    Tips

    • Use very ripe red tomatoes for the best colour and tang.
    • Mashing well is important; pappu should be smooth and creamy, not soupy.
    • Adding chilli powder off the heat keeps it bright red without burning.

    Serve with

    Hot rice with ghee, avakaya or gongura pickle, and appadam.

  • Qubani ka Meetha

    Qubani ka meetha is a classic Hyderabadi dessert made from dried apricots, which reached the Deccan from Afghanistan and Central Asia. It is a must at Hyderabadi weddings, where it is served as the final sweet course, often next to double ka meetha. The small, hard, light-brown dried apricots with their stones are essential to the true taste.

    The apricots are soaked, stoned and cooked slowly with sugar until they break down into a thick, glossy, amber-brown compote with some pieces still whole. It tastes deep, tangy-sweet and slightly caramel. It is served warm or chilled, topped with cream, malai or custard, and the cracked kernels from the stones are sometimes used as garnish.

    At a glance

    RegionTelangana
    CuisineHyderabadi
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time35 minutes
    Total time50 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsdried apricots / sugar / cream / almonds

    Ingredients

    • 250 g dried Hyderabadi apricots (qubani), with stones
    • 4 cups water for soaking
    • 1/2 cup sugar, adjust to taste
    • 1 tsp lemon juice
    • 1/2 cup fresh cream or thick malai
    • 10 almonds, blanched and sliced

    Method

    1. Wash the apricots well and soak them in 4 cups water overnight, or for at least 8 hours, until plump and soft.
    2. Remove the stones by squeezing each apricot gently; keep the soaking water. Crack a few stones and remove the kernels for garnish if you like.
    3. Put the apricots and the soaking water in a heavy pan and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium-low heat for 15 minutes until very soft.
    4. Mash about half the apricots with a spoon, leaving the rest in pieces.
    5. Add the sugar and cook on low heat for another 15-20 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens to a jammy consistency and turns glossy and deep amber.
    6. Stir in the lemon juice and switch off. It will thicken more as it cools.
    7. Serve warm or chilled in small bowls, topped with cream or malai and sliced almonds or the apricot kernels.

    Tips

    • Use the small Hyderabadi or Afghani dried apricots with stones; Turkish apricots give a different, brighter flavour.
    • Taste before adding all the sugar, since apricot sweetness varies.
    • Vanilla custard is a popular alternative topping at weddings.

    Serve with

    Fresh cream, malai, vanilla ice cream or custard.

  • Pesarattu

    Pesarattu is the breakfast dosa of Andhra Pradesh, especially the Godavari districts, made from pesalu, whole green gram. Because the batter needs no fermentation, it can be ground the night before or on the same morning. In Andhra tiffin centres it is often served as MLA pesarattu, with a spoon of upma folded inside, a combination said to have been popular in the canteen of the Hyderabad legislators' quarters.

    It is thin and crisp at the edges, with a pale green colour and an earthy, grassy flavour from the moong, spiked with ginger, chilli and cumin. Raw chopped onions pressed on top add sweetness and crunch. It is high in protein and filling, usually eaten with a sharp ginger chutney.

    At a glance

    RegionAndhra Pradesh
    CuisineAndhra
    DietVegan
    CourseBreakfast
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time40 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientswhole green moong / rice / ginger / green chillies / onion

    Ingredients

    For the batter

    • 1 cup whole green moong, soaked 6 hours or overnight
    • 2 tbsp raw rice, soaked with the moong
    • 1 inch ginger
    • 3 green chillies
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 3/4 tsp salt
    • about 3/4 cup water

    For topping and cooking

    • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • oil or ghee for cooking

    Method

    1. Drain the soaked moong and rice. Grind with ginger, green chillies, cumin and salt, adding water a little at a time, to a smooth batter slightly thinner than dosa batter.
    2. Mix the chopped onion, coriander and cumin in a small bowl for the topping.
    3. Heat a cast-iron tawa on medium-high heat until a sprinkle of water sizzles off. Wipe with an oiled cloth.
    4. Pour a ladle of batter in the centre and spread it quickly in circles into a thin dosa about 20 cm wide.
    5. Sprinkle a tablespoon of the onion topping and press it lightly into the batter. Drizzle 1 tsp oil or ghee around the edges.
    6. Cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the base is golden and crisp and the edges lift.
    7. Flip and cook the onion side for 30-40 seconds, then flip back, fold and serve. For MLA pesarattu, place a spoon of hot upma in the centre before folding.

    Tips

    • A little rice in the batter helps the pesarattu crisp up.
    • Do not ferment the batter; pesarattu is best made fresh.
    • If it sticks, the tawa is not hot enough or needs re-seasoning.

    Serve with

    Allam pachadi (ginger chutney), coconut chutney and rava upma.

  • Double ka Meetha

    Double ka meetha is a royal Hyderabadi dessert that is said to descend from the Mughal shahi tukda. The name comes from double roti, the old Hyderabadi term for bread, which doubles in size as the dough rises. It is served at weddings, during Ramzan and at Eid, often next to qubani ka meetha.

    Slices of bread are fried golden in ghee, soaked in a cardamom-saffron sugar syrup and then cooked with reduced milk until they soak it all up. The result is soft and moist, almost like a set pudding, but still with some texture from the crisp fried bread. It is very rich, sweet and fragrant.

    At a glance

    RegionTelangana
    CuisineHyderabadi
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time40 minutes
    Total time50 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientsbread / ghee / milk / sugar / saffron

    Ingredients

    • 8 slices white bread, a day old, crusts removed, cut into triangles
    • 1/2 cup ghee for frying
    • 1 litre full-fat milk
    • 1/2 cup sugar for the syrup
    • 1/2 cup water
    • 2 tbsp sugar for the milk
    • a pinch of saffron soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk
    • 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
    • 2 tbsp khoya (optional)
    • 12 almonds, sliced
    • 10 pistachios, sliced
    • 10 cashews, halved

    Method

    1. Simmer the milk in a heavy pan on medium-low heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring often, until it reduces to about half. Add 2 tbsp sugar, the saffron milk, cardamom and khoya if using.
    2. Meanwhile, make a syrup by boiling 1/2 cup sugar with 1/2 cup water for 5 minutes until slightly sticky but not stringy. Add a pinch of cardamom.
    3. Heat ghee in a frying pan on medium-low heat and fry the bread triangles in batches for 1-2 minutes per side until crisp and evenly golden. Drain.
    4. Fry the almonds, pistachios and cashews in the remaining ghee until lightly golden and keep aside.
    5. Dip each fried bread slice quickly into the warm sugar syrup and arrange them in a single layer in a wide pan.
    6. Pour the reduced milk over the bread. Cook on low heat for 5-6 minutes until the bread absorbs most of the milk and turns soft but still holds its shape.
    7. Garnish with the fried nuts. Serve warm or chilled.

    Tips

    • Day-old bread fries crisper and absorbs less ghee.
    • Fry slowly on medium-low heat; quick-fried bread is golden outside but soggy inside.
    • For a shortcut, use a can of condensed milk mixed with 1 cup milk instead of reducing.

    Serve with

    Served after biryani at weddings and Eid dinners.

  • Goli Baje

    Goli baje is the tea-time snack of Mangalore and Udupi, sold in every hotel and canteen along the coast. Also called Mangalore bajji or Mangalore bonda, it is made from maida and sour curd fermented briefly so the batter becomes light and airy. The name refers to its round, golf-ball shape.

    The fritters are golden and slightly crisp outside, with a soft, spongy, almost bread-like interior studded with green chillies, ginger, curry leaves and coconut bits. The sourness of the curd gives a pleasant tang. They are eaten hot with coconut chutney and a cup of tea or coffee. They are best within minutes of frying, while the outside is still crisp.

    At a glance

    RegionKarnataka
    CuisineMangalorean
    DietVegetarian
    CourseSnack
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time20 minutes
    Total time35 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientsmaida / curd / green chillies / ginger / coconut

    Ingredients

    • 1.5 cups maida
    • 1 cup sour curd
    • 1 tbsp rice flour
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 3/4 tsp salt
    • 1/4 tsp baking soda
    • 2 green chillies, finely chopped
    • 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
    • 1 sprig curry leaves, chopped
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
    • 2 tbsp coconut bits or grated coconut
    • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
    • oil for deep frying

    Method

    1. Whisk the curd, sugar, salt and baking soda in a bowl until frothy. Leave for 5 minutes.
    2. Add the maida and rice flour and mix to a very thick, sticky batter. It should drop off a spoon slowly, not flow. Add a spoon of water only if absolutely needed.
    3. Beat the batter vigorously with your hand or a spoon for 3-4 minutes. This incorporates air and makes the bajji fluffy.
    4. Cover and rest for 2-3 hours at room temperature until it rises slightly.
    5. Stir in the green chillies, ginger, curry leaves, coriander, coconut and cumin.
    6. Heat oil on medium heat. Wet your fingers, take small lime-sized portions of batter and drop them into the oil.
    7. Fry on medium heat for 4-5 minutes, turning, until they puff up and turn deep golden on all sides.
    8. Drain on a rack and serve hot.

    Tips

    • Very sour curd gives the best flavour and rise.
    • The batter must be thick; a runny batter makes flat, oily bajji.
    • If the oil is too hot, the bajji brown outside and stay raw inside; test with one first.

    Serve with

    Coconut chutney and hot tea or filter coffee.