QUICK RED HOT SALSA

One afternoon, after a hectic morning and a relaxing 2 hour nap, I woke up to find my house a little too quiet. With all my six senses on the alert, I looked for my little 7 year old daughter, and found her sitting in front of the television with a large bowl of tortilla chips along with a bowl of red tomato salsa.
Quickly processing this information in my mind I asked her where she had gotten the salsa from as I didn't have any at home.
Pat came the reply, "Oh I made it myself!'
My eyes just popped out. I had forbidden her to use any knives. Reading the question in my eyes she added, "I was hungry you know and you were sleeping for so long". Well I could not say anything after that except, "I am hungry too, give me a bite".
She happily brought me one tiny little half a chip with the salsa loaded on it.
And it was the best bite I had had in a long time.
Ever since that day she has been declared the "official red salsa maker" in our household.

She has over the years, improved her version of salsa. She has now substituted tabasco sauce with red bird's eye chili.
I am sharing her recipe that she used for making salsa for our friends recently.





quick red hot salsa...my daughter's version



QUICK RED HOT SALSA

my daughter's version

Ingredients:

.Tomato................................2 medium sized, 

 chopped into 1/2 cm. cubes

.Red capsicum......................1/4th, chopped finely

.Red bird's eye chili..............1 finely chopped

.Black pepper powder...........1/2 tsp., freshly

 crushed

.Red chili flakes.....................1/4th tsp.

.Dry oregano leaves................1/4th tsp.

.Dry basil leaves.....................1/4th tsp.

.Tomato ketchup......................1 Tbsp.

.Tomato puree..........................1 Tbsp.

.Salt.........................................1/2 tsp.

.Coriander leaves...................1 tsp. chopped

 finely.

Method:

.Mix together all the ingredients, except the capsicum and coriander leaves, in  mortar and using the

 pestle crush the mixture a little, keeping parts of it chunky.

.Add the red capsicum and coriander leaves and mix well.

.This version is spicy and very quick to make.

 

My version of red hot salsa is not very different from my daughter's except that I cook it just a little bit.

My version of salsa:

Ingredients:

.Ripe tomato.................................1 or 3/4th cup

.Red capsicum..............................1/4th cup,finely chopped

.Tomato puree...............................1/2 cup

.Red onion.....................................1/2 cup, finely chopped

.Celery stick..................................1/8th cup, finely chopped

.Red bird's eye chili......................4, finely chopped or 1 1/2 tsp.

.Red chili flakes............................1/2tsp.

.Dry oregano leaves......................1/2 tsp.

.Dry basil leaves...........................1/2tsp.

.Tomato ketchup............................1 Tbsp.

.Red chili sauce.............................1/2 Tbsp.

.Coriander leaves..........................1 1/2 Tbsp finely chopped

.Salt...............................................to taste, approximately 1/2 tsp.

.Black pepper powder...................1/4th tsp.

.Sugar.............................................1/2 tsp.

.Olive  oil......................................1/2 Tbsp.

.Garlic............................................1 tsp., finely  chopped



quick red hot salsa... my version



Method:

.Heat olive oil in a pan. Add garlic and saute on low heat till fragrant, about 45 seconds.

.Add the dry oregano and basil leaves.

.Add the celery and half the onion i.e 1/4th cup finely chopped and saute for 1 minute or till the mixture

 just begins to soften.

.Add tomato puree, red chili, red chili flakes, tomato ketchup, red chili sauce, salt, sugar and black

 pepper powder. Mix well.

.Cook for 1 minute.
.Add the red capsicum and mix well.

.Bring to a boil on a low to medium heat.

.Simmer for 1 minute.

.Cool to room temperature.

.Add  the chopped coriander leaves and the remaining onions and mix well.

.Serve as a dip for tortilla chips or tempura or pakora or on your burger, or in the wraps.

DRUNKEN REFRIED-BEANS

For a long time I wondered what was meant by refried beans.
Did you have to fry them and re-fry them, if yes, then how did you do it?
I read a lot of recipes in books and on the internet and just came to the conclusion that all those recipes were not good since they didn't refry the beans. So I never really tried them out. It came as a boon when my husband announced that he was going to be visiting Mexico on an official trip.
His boss at home gave him just one, single most important job and that was to find out how to refry the beans.

He did his job well.

Re is a prefix used in Mexico(Mexican Spanish) which means well or very.
Refried actually means very well fried and not fried repeatedly as is commonly misunderstood.I like to use red kidney beans for this preparation as I enjoy the taste a lot more, though sometimes I mix white kidney beans and cannellini beans just for a change. Pinto beans are the other choice which when boiled unfortunately lose the beautiful bespeckled look.
I like mine slightly, ever so slightly drunken.

I have talked about the nutritive values of kidney beans in my previous post Steamed kidney bean and rice cakes.
You can read about the cooking method in my post Kidney beans with cottage cheese.
Learn more about the pressure cooker by reading my page Cooking by use of pressure cooker.

drunken refried-beans

DRUNKEN REFRIED BEANS

Ingredients:

.Kidney beans..................................1 cup, mashed
.Olive oil.........................................1 Tbsp.
.Butter..............................................1 Tbsp.
.Garlic.............................................1tsp.
.Red onion.......................................3/4th cup, finely chopped
.Red chili(serrano or bird's eye).....1 tsp. finely chopped
.Tomato ketchup..............................1 Tbsp.
.Tomato puree..................................2 Tbsp.
.Chili sauce......................................1 Tbsp.
.Water..............................................2 Tbsp.
.Vermouth cooking wine..................1 Tbsp.
.Tabasco sauce.................................4 to5 drops
.Salt..................................................to taste

Method:
.Soak and cook the kidney beans as shown in my earlier post Kidney beans with cottage cheese or use a
 can/tin of pre-cooked kidney beans.
.Mash roughly the beans and set aside.
.In a bowl mix together tomato ketchup, chili sauce, tomato puree and water. Set aside
.Heat olive oil and butter in a flat pan.
.Add onion and garlic and a pinch of salt and saute till onions are soft and start to change colour.
.Add the mashed kidney beans, red chili and saute for 2 to 3 minutes mixing the onions well with the
 beans.
.Leave untouched, unstirred for 2 minutes or until a crust begins to form at the bottom of the beans.
.Add 1 Tbsp. of the tomato puree mixture and mix well.
.Again leave untouched, unstirred for 2 minutes or until a crust begins to form at the bottom of the
 beans.
.Repeat this till all the tomato puree mixture has been used.
.Let it crust again and then in the final liquid addition add the vermouth.
.Mix well and cook again till the crust just begins to form. Mix well and set aside.

Note:
.For this recipe 1 can of kidney beans (432g/15.25oz.) can give 1 cup of the refried beans. If using the
 canned beans discard the liquid and rinse the beans.
.1 cup raw kidney beans give 2 cups cooked beans. Use half cup raw kidney beans for this recipe.
.If boiling it in the pressure cooker or a saucepan do not discard the cooking liquid. You can
 replace the water in the recipe by the liquid.
.Mash lightly with back of a spoon so as to just crush the beans. Leaving the skin on adds texture to the
 refried beans. It keeps the nutrients in and adds to the fiber content.
.I like a slightly dry filling for my burritos. If you need it slightly moist add a little extra water in the
 final addition. This recipe makes a filling for 6 burritos.
.A moister version can be used as a dip for nachos.

RUSTIC GUACAMOLE

On one of my visits to United States of America I had the opportunity to taste the most outstandingly, amazingly delicious, freshly made Guacamole. Lovely chunky gorgeous looking Guacamole.
At this noisy restaurant, where bringing along children seemed to be a crime, I saw this handsome young man come to my table and create the most awesome guacamole ever made. Always ready to learn, I found it very tough to keep my eyes on the guacamole.

But my penchant for learning finally held on and here's what I learnt:
Handsome men can make fabulous guacamole.
They have handsome men cooking food at open-kitchen restaurants so that you gape at them and not at the food they are cooking, so you never learn their tricks.
But I beat them to it and learnt how to make it, all the while asking unrelated questions thus keeping him at my table for as long as I could.



rustic guacamole



Avocados are rich in vitamin K, E and B vitamins, has about 485mg (10%of our daily requirement) of potassium which is 35% more than bananas. They have high levels of insoluble fiber, which is about 75% of the total fiber content.

A high energy giver, it contains about 14.66g of fat, 9.8g of which is monounsaturated. It is known to decrease the LDL and triglyceride levels and increase HDL levels.

It seems to be an ideal food for athletes as a diet low in potassium can cause cramping of the muscles.

Potassium and sodium go hand in hand. More potassium in the diet increases the amount of sodium excreted from the body which is what is required to reduce hypertension.

Vice-versa is true too. More sodium in the diet will increase the excretion of potassium from the body. So beware.

Sodium is added to processed foods and Potassium is not hence it is wise to reduce their intake.

Potassium is easy to get from natural food sources such as milk, yogurt, apricots, cantaloupe, dates, honeydew melon, nectarines, prunes, raisins and of course potato, banana and avocado.

Choosing the right avocado for guacamole can be tricky for people who don't get this fruit readily. It is a fruit native to Mexico and is cultivated in tropical and Mediterranean climates though now is readily available in grocery stores in most parts of the world.

.Look for a dark green fruit that is not shiny. Bright green and shiny fruit is not ripe. The fruit should

 not have dark patches or spots.

.When pressed with fingers it should give in just a little. A hard fruit is not ripe enough and the one

 that gives in a little too much i.e. a soft and squishy fruit is too ripe or may be damaged.

.Finally, if possible get a tree-ripened fruit for best results. This is possible only if they are locally
 grown.


RUSTIC GUACAMOLE

Ingredients:
gives 2 1/2 cups

.Avocado....................................................3, gives about 2 cups of pulp
.Ripe Tomato..............................................1/2 cup, finely chopped
.Red onion...................................................1/2 cup, finely chopped
.Green chili(Serrano or bird's eye)..............2
.Lime juice...................................................1 1/2 Tbsp.
.Garlic.........................................................1 large clove (gives about 1tsp. of crushed garlic)
.Salt.............................................................to taste, approximately 3/4 tsp. or a little more
.Roasted cumin seed powder.......................1/2 tsp.
.Black pepper powder (freshly crushed).....1 tsp.
.Tabasco sauce.............................................8 drops
.Coriander leaves........................................1/4th cup, finely chopped



exotic rustic guacamole

 Method:
.Chop the tomato, onion and coriander leaves.
.In a mortar and pestle crush the garlic and salt into a fine paste.
.Add to it the green chili, onion, tomatoes and half the coriander leaves and crush lightly (just smash) to
 release the juices but take care not to make a paste.
.Cut a ripe avocado lengthwise into half. Twist and pull apart.
.Dig in the pointed edge of a knife into the round hard seed and pull to remove it.
.Using a spoon scoop out the pulp and add to the onion, tomato mixture and lightly mash into a chunky
 mash.
.Add the lime juice, black pepper powder, roasted cumin seed powder and the remaining coriander
 leaves and mix well.
.Cover with a plastic wrap till you serve.
.Serve in the mortar for a rustic look or in the avocado shell.

 Note:
.Always make the guacamole just before serving as avocado when exposed to air turns brown.
.Addition of lime juice is therefore very essential as it prevents the browning.
.I like to use the bird's eye chili for this preparation as it is easily available in the part of the world that
 I live in, though you can use any sharp chili depending on availability and your choice. Bird's eye chili
 is a tiny power-packed chili that can knock you off if you add just 1 tsp. of it chopped finely.
.The onion and tomato are just crushed to release their flavour. Just whack them once so they don't lose
  shape.
.While making a paste of garlic, onion tomatoes, coriander or any such thing using a mortar and
  pestle add a little salt as it gives the required friction and hastens the process of pasting.

SPICY BLUE POLENTA CAKE

The Blue colour of the corn is so very bewitching.

I wish the cooked version of these blue grits looked as blue too. Though the flour made of the blue corn does give a blue product, I haven't laid my hands on it yet. When I do I promise to create something new with it.
I have always wanted to cook something that was blue. Even the beautiful blueberries don't give a blue colour when mashed. This is the only colour that is not well represented in the food world.
I have been so enamoured by this that I have shocked my friends by making a blue-coloured rice, a sweet version of which I think I am going to put up on this blog soon.

Blue corn contains 20% more protein than yellow and white varieties and is a more complete protein source. It also has a lower glycemic index than the other varieties.
I have talked about the nutritional content of corn in my previous post Corny Pancakes in Yogurt Sauce.



SPICY BLUE POLENTA CAKE
 scroll down for the yogurt dip

spicy blue polenta cake



Ingredients:

.Butter........................1 Tbsp.

.Blue corn grits..........1 cup

.Olive oil...................1/2 Tbsp.

.Mustard seeds...........1/2 tsp.

.Split chickpeas..........2 tsp.

.Red onion..................1/2 cup, thinly sliced

.Curry leaves..............8 to 10, chopped finely

.Bird's eye chili..........1 tsp., finely chopped

.Garlic........................1 tsp. finely chopped

.Carrot........................1/4th cup, grated

.Yellow bell pepper...1/2, thinly sliced

.Peas...........................1/2 cup

.Salt............................1 1/2 tsp or to taste

.Warm water..............2 1/2 cups

.Lime juice.................2 tsp.

for the tempering:
.Olive oil....................1 tsp.
.Split chick peas.........1/2 tsp.
.Red bird's eye chili...1 slit lengthwise

for the yogurt dip:
.Yogurt.......................1 cup
.Tomato......................1/4th cup thinly sliced
.Cucumber..................1/4th cup thinly sliced
.Salt............................to taste
.Red chili powder......1 dash

Method:
for the polenta cake:
.Heat butter in a flat pan.
.Add the blue corn grits and roast on a low heat till well coated and grains have separated, about 2 to 3
 minutes.
.Remove and set aside.
.Heat the olive oil in the same pan and add the mustard seeds.
.When the mustard seeds splutter add the onion, garlic, curry leaves, split chickpeas and salt and saute
 for 3 minutes.
.Add the grated carrots, peas, bell peppersand red bird's eye chili and saute for 6 to 7 minutes.
.Add the roasted corn grits and mix well.
.Add water and mix well.
.Check for salt and add if required.
.Add lime juice and mix well.
.Cover and cook for 5 to 7 minutes on low to medium heat or until thickened and the corn is cooked.
.If requiring some more cooking add a little water not more than 1/2 cup.
.When thick, using round shaped moulds shape into flat cakes.
.Heat a griddle and spray a little cooking oil.
.Place the polenta cakes on a griddle and cook till crisp at the bottom.
.Serve piping hot with tomato, cucumber and yogurt dip.

yogurt dip:
.Whisk together salt, red chili powder and yogurt.
.Add the sliced tomato and cucumber.

tempering the yogurt dip
.Heat oil in a small pan.
.Add the mustard seeds and split chickpeas. Add the bird's eye chili when the mustard seeds splutter.
.Remove from heat and pour over the yogurt dip.

Note:
.The corn grits available in the market have fine corn powder along with the grits which when cooked
 in water works to bind the grits together.
.Do not add chilies directly into the hot oil especially hot ones like the bird's eye chili as you and all at
 home will end up sneezing or coughing.
.Always add the chilies along with the vegetables.

STUFFED BABY EGGPLANTS

A lovely bright day outside absolutely reflects how I feel today.
My nomadic husband is back home from his travels and my occassional traveller son too is coming home tonight.


stuffed baby eggplants



Creating a colourful, spicy and somewhat tart tasting dish seemed to be the requirement of the day.

Off into the kitchen and I found these lovely baby eggplants, a favourite with both my husband and son.

Just perfect!! I could taste that tongue-clicking tartness of tamarind combined with the heat of the red chili powder and green chili padi. But then I saw that half empty bottle of crushed peanuts which have become my favourite lately. The ones I used in my Zingy Potato Upma.

And with my note-pad and pen in my daughter's beautiful hands I set about creating this simple, colourful and tasty dish.

Tamarind is a sweet and sour fleshy fruit that grows in pods. It is a commonly used fruit in many parts of the world and has many medicinal uses.

High in acid, sugar, B vitamins and calcium, this fruit when ripe is shelled and treated with salt and stored for later use. This is the version available in Asian stores and is used in many Asian curries and preparations.
But the tastiest fruit is the one whacked down from a road-side tree or a neighbour's tree when the owners are taking their nap on a hot sunny afternoon, or the one handed down by your little black-faced monkey-friend sitting on the lush tree in the cool shade of the leaves eating his fruit. I taught mine to pluck and throw it to me. He would clap everytime I caught it in my tiny hands or shake his head and beat his forehead when I didn't, learnt by imitating me, of course.


Peanuts are not really nuts but legumes. They grow underground.
These so-called nuts are used in cuisines world-wide, roasted, boiled, salted or just eaten off the pod. Oil from peanut is used for cooking.
It's flour is gluten-free and is used as a flavour-enhancer by chefs. It's milk is given to people affected with lactose-intolerance, just like soyabean milk.

They are a rich source of Niacin, antioxidants that far exceed the amount in carrots and beets. Roasting peanuts increases the antioxidant content by as much as 22%. They are also a good source of Vitamin E, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, folate and fiber. They are naturally free of trans-fats and sodium. They contain more protein than any true nut, about 25gm., about 48gm. fat of which only 7gm. is saturated, the remaining being monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat.

These false nuts are used to combat malnutrition.

They also contain coenzyme Q10 which is essential for high energy using organs like the heart, liver and the kidneys. Other sources are oily fish, soyabean, spinach and beef.

STUFFED BABY EGGPLANTS

Ingredients:

serves 2

.Baby eggplants....................................8 pcs.

.Yellow bell pepper.............................1/2, cut into large dice

.Cherry tomatoes...................................10

.Oil.........................................................1 tsp.

.Cumin seeds..........................................1/2 tsp.

for the tamarind juice:

.Tamarind..............................................1 Tbsp.

.Water....................................................1 1/2 cup

for the stuffing:

.Coriander powder.................................2 tsp.

.Fennel seed powder..............................1 tsp.

.Turmeric powder...................................1 dash

.Red chili powder...................................1/2 tsp.

.Garam masala powder...........................1/4th tsp.

.Tava fry masala......................................1 tsp.

.Salt..........................................................3/4th tsp.

.Dry raw mango powder...........................1/2 tsp.

.Crushed peanuts.......................................3Tbsp.

.Small green chili(chili padi)....................1 tsp., finely chopped

.Dill leaves................................................ 1 spring, for garnish

Method:

To prepare the tamarind juice:

.Soak the tamarind in the water for 10 minutes.

.Using fingers rub and squeeze the pulp out. Sieve with fingers or  thick sieve if available carefully

 removing any impurities.

.Collect this juice in a bowl.

.Wash, trim and while keeping the stem intact slit the baby eggplants crosswise, taking care not to cut

 through.

.Steep in salted water for 10 minutes. Drain.

.Meanwhile, slit the cherry tomatoes along one side taking care not to cut through.

.Cut the yellow bell pepper into large dices.

.Heat oil in a wok and oil-blanche the baby eggplants. Remove and drain on a kitchen absorbent paper

 towel.



.In a bowl mix together all the ingredients for the stuffing.

.Set aside 1 Tbsp of the filling and stuff the remaining into the oil-blanched baby eggplants.

how to proceed:

.Heat oil in a flat pan and add the cumin seeds. When they crackle add the eggplants. Cook for

 8 to 10 minutes stirring occassionally.

.Add the yellow bell pepper, cherry tomatoes and the reserved stuffing mixture.

.Mix well and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring continuously.

.Add the tamarind juice and cover and cook for 10 minutes on low heat till all the juice has evaporated,

 stirring occassionally, taking care not to caramalize the juices.

.Check to see if the eggplants are well done, if not add a little water and cover and cook further till

 cooked.

.Serve hot. Garnish with some dill leaves.

Note:



stuffed baby eggplants



.Adding the tamarind juice may delay the cooking process. Hence cooking in the oil and in the pan

 before the addition of tamarind juice is essential. Add the tamarind juice when the eggplants are almost

 cooked.

.The bell pepper and cherry tomatoes do not require long to be cooked.

CRUNCHY SPICY CROONERS

This one turns my entire family into crooners. They burst into song. I have never figured out why.
Maybe its because they get their dose of fried food which they are deprived of these days.
But I am the one who has a reason to croon because unbeknown to them I fry some and bake some and mix them up before storing in my large sized jar, which they dig into as soon as they return home from work or school.



Crunchy spicy crooners(deep fried and baked)



This recipe is a healthy variation of  an Indian crunchy snack.

The spinach, mint, celery and coriander not only add to the nutritive values but also adds flavour.

Millet flour adds to the taste and also reduces the plain flour content in the recipe.

Baking it makes it more healthy though I love the deep fried version.

Millets are mainly starchy and rich in iron and phosphorus, B vitamins (niacin, B6, folic acid), calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc. They contain 11gm. of protein per 100 gm. of the dry grain.

Millets are a mild thyroid peroxidase inhibitor and hence should not be consumed in large quantities by those affected by a thyroid disease.

They do not contain gluten hence are good for people with gluten intolerance.

Millet makes up almost 40% of the cereal consumption in Western Africa.

The millet seeds can be pearl white, pale yellow, brown, grey, slate blue, purple, orange-red, deep-brown or almost black.


Click on the links to find out about them.

SPICY CROONERS

Ingredients:

For the Spinach Mint Puree`

.Spinach........................................2 cups

.Mint.............................................1 cup

.Celery stick.................................1/2 cup, peeled and finely chopped

.Green chili(chili padi)................4 to 5

.Onion..........................................1/4th cup

.Ginger.........................................1 tsp. grated

.Garlic..........................................2 cloves

.Lime juice...................................2 tsp.

.Spicy coriander dip....................2 Tbsp.

.Salt..............................................to taste

.Garam masala powder................1 tsp.

.Red chili powder........................2 tsp.

.Roasted cumin seed powder.......2 tsp.

for the dough:

.Plain flour/all purpose flour........2 cups

.Blue corn grits.............................1/2 cup*



.Semolina......................................1/4th cup

.Millet flour...................................1 cup

.Sesame seeds................................1 Tbsp.

.Carom seeds..................................2 tsp.

.Flax seed powder..........................1 Tbsp.

.Red chili powder...........................2 tsp.

.Garam masala powder...................2 tsp.

.Roasted cumin seed powder..........1/2 tsp.

.Salt.................................................to taste, approximately 1 1/2 tsp.

.Soda-bi-carbonate........................1/2 tsp

.Oil................................................1/4th cup

.Green paste...................................1 cup
.Water.............................................1Tbsp.

Spice mix:
.Roasted cumin seed powder..........1 tsp.
.Red chili powder............................1 tsp.
.Black salt.........................................1/4th tsp.
.Dry raw mango powder(amchur)......1 tsp.

.Salt....................................................to taste

.Garam masala powder(optional).......1/2 tsp.
.Dry mint leaves..................................1 tsp. crushed into powder

Method:
.Grind together all the ingredients of the spinach mint puree`.
.Mix together the ingredients for the spice mix and set aside.
.Mix together all the dry ingredients for the dough.

.Add the oil and 1 cup of the green paste, water and knead a hard dough.

.Cover with a plastic cling film and set aside for 30 minutes.

How to proceed:
Fry them
.Heat oil in a deep wok for frying.
.Knead the dough once more before rolling out.
.Divide into 6 equal portions.

.Roll out and cut into discs of 1 inch diameter of 4 mm thickness.

.Roll them out into still thinner discs and using a fruit carving knife make a number of slits on the


cutting and rolling crooners

 surface leaving 2 to 3 mm. along the
 circumference.

.Roll tightly into cigar shapes sealing the ends

 with a little water.

.Gently expose the center by prying the slits

 open, taking care not to break the delicate

 cigars.

  OR

.Simply cut the rolled out dough into diamond

 or square shapes of 1 cm. and 4 mm.
 thickness.

.Test the oil for right temperature by putting a

 small portion of the dough into the oil. If it

 slowly rises

 to the top the oil is ready. If it rises instantly

 the oil may be just a little too hot.

.Add the prepared cigars or squares or diamonds or discs into the oil and stirring constantly fry on low

 heat till crisp and  golden brown.

.Drain on a kitchen paper towel.

.Sprinkle the spice mix and toss.

.Serve hot as a munchy with tea or store in an airtight container when cool for later use.

Bake them

.Pre-heat the oven to 180 degree C.



on a baking tray



.On a lightly greased a baking tray put the cigar or squares or discs or any shape you like made of this

 spicy dough.

.Brush lightly with a little milk and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until crisp.

.Sprinkle the spice mix and toss.

.Cool and store in an air-tight container.

Note:
.The crooners are ready when they finally start to settle at the bottom and change colour to light
 greenish brown.
.Test to see if crisp. If not fry some more on low heat.
*Blue corn grits add the colour and crunch and can be substituted with yellow corn grits.
.The deep fried ones turn out darker than the baked ones.