STUFFED-IDLI PAKORA

I have another crazy snack up my sleeve, the one I created about 8 years ago for another one of my 'after-dinner birthday surprises' I had planned for my husband. Not only did I have to hide the fact that at 10.30pm. that night our house was going to be full of friends, I also had to tell him that I was too tired to go out. And for that the wanna-be actress in me had to be woken up. I had to bring in all my acting skills to the fore. Well, I surely would have embarked on a flourishing acting career had there been a film personality at the party. Sigh!!
Well, it was quite a task stopping my husband from eating all those lovely melt-in-the-mouth Idli-Pakoras that I had made 'for a late dinner'.

Fortunately, our friends barged into the room on time and saved the rest from being devoured.

Stuffed Idli Pakora

This is a complete protein dish to which vegetables have been added giving some roughage and macro nutrients. The idlis contain rice and pulses and the batter for the outer covering is made up of powdered pulses, thereby making this dish a complete protein.

DEEP-FRYING at an optimum temperature and for an optimum duration makes oil a cooking medium rather than an ingredient. During the process of deep-frying the moisture in the food-to-be-fried gushes out in the form of steam and prevents oil from entering it, thus limiting the oil as cooking medium.

However, this oil can quickly turn into an ingredient :

.If the temperature of the oil is too high, as this dries out the moisture quickly and allows oil to enter.
 The food item will also remain undercooked.

.If the temperature of oil is not hot enough, as the resultant steam is not gushing out from the food item.

.If deep-fried for a long time, as this dries out the food item and there is no steam left to block the entry
 of oil.

.Oil absorption also seems to be affected by the surface texture. A smoother texture seems to absorb
 less oil.

 Breaded fried foods absorb more oil as the hot oil comes in contact with the dry bread crumbs which
 give out no steam. Also, the oil gets trapped in the uneven surface, between the crumbs.

Shallow frying of food makes the oil an ingredient.

So between the two choices, I would settle for a deep fried smooth textured food item.

STUFFED IDLI PAKORA

Ingredients:

makes 24

.Steamed Kidney Bean And Rice Cakes (Idli) or plain idli...........12, halved

For the stuffing:

.Peas..........................................................1/4th cup

.Carrot.......................................................1/4th cup, finely chopped

.Broccoli....................................................1/4th cup, finely chopped

.Potato.......................................................1/4th cup, finely chopped

.Green capsicum/Bell pepper......................1/4th cup, finely chopped

.Onion........................................................1/4th cup, finely chopped

.Mint chutney.............................................2 Tbsp.

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

.Garlic........................................................1/2 tsp., finely chopped

.Green chili.................................................1 tsp. finely chopped

.Coriander leaves.......................................1 Tbsp., finely chopped

.Red chili powder.......................................1 tsp.

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

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

.Lime juice.................................................1 tsp.

For the outer covering:

.Chickpea flour(besan)...............................2 cups

.Rice flour..................................................3 Tbsp.

.Green chili................................................2 tsp.,finely chopped

.Ginger......................................................1/2 tsp.,grated

.Coriander leaves.......................................3 Tbsp.,finely chopped

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

.Fennel seed powder.................................2 tsp.

.Soda-bi-carbonate...................................1/4th tsp.

.Yogurt(thick)............................................2 Tbsp.

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

making idli pockets

Method:

Preparing the Idlis for stuffing:

.Cut the round idli discs into halves.

.Using a sharp paring knife cut out pockets as shown in the picture.

.Scoop out the cut-outs and set aside.

.Repeat with remaining idli halves.



For the stuffing:

.Crumble the scooped-out idli. Set aside.

.Boil together, peas, carrot, broccoli and potato with a little salt.

.Mash roughly. Add chopped onions, bell pepper, mint chutney, garlic,
 green chili, coriander leaves, red chili  powder, fennel seed powder,
 roasted cumin seed powder, scooped-out idli crumble, salt and lime juice.
 Mix well. 

.Set aside.

For the outer covering:
.Mix together all the ingredients and whisk till smooth and light. Aerating
 the mixture adds lightness to the batter.

stuffed idli pockets



How to proceed:

.Fill the stuffing gently into the idli pockets.
.Heat oil. Drop a little test batter into the oil to check the temperature.
 It has reached optimum temperature when the drop of test batter rises
 to the top immediately but does not change colour or burn.
.Dip each stuffed idli into the batter and coat evenly on all sides.

.Drop it gently into the hot oil. Add a few more and deep fry till
 golden.

.Drain well on a kitchen absorbent paper.

.Serve hot with Mint Chutney.

Note:
.You can get Idli from an Indian restaurant that serves South-Indian
 fare, to skip making them yourself. Though those will be plain ones.
.Use 12-24 hrs. old idli for this dish.
.This dish is quite pungent. Reduce the amount of chili to make it milder.

NUTTY PANEER BITES (COTTAGE CHEESE)

Many years ago I created this starter for a surprise party that I was throwing for my husband.
No it wasn't any of those landmark birthdays but just one between them. Everybody throws landmark ones but the fun is in those in-between ones, and in those 'No-Reason Parties'.
As for every party, I need to create something new, I made these Nutty Paneer Bites and rolled them inside strips of grilled red and yellow capsicum/bell peppers and tied them together with beautiful chives and grilled them in the oven till light spots appeared. Sadly, this is the one recipe I mentioned in my earlier post Cheesy Potato And Chive Scones that almost labelled me a copy-cat without being one.



nutty paneer bites with mint chutney

Adding nuts to this dish packs it with the micronutrients, macronutrients and antioxidants that we need for an healthy life.
Cashews contain a high level of oleic acid, present in olive oil and other monounsaturated fats, that is good for the cardiovascular health.
Just 1/4th cup of cashews everyday :
.Can give you approx 35 to 40% of the daily requirement of copper which helps in absorption of iron
 in the body and is known to reduce colon related illnesses, osteoporosis and has many more benefits.
.Can give approx. 25% of the daily Magnesium requirement that helps to balance the calcium and
 regulates nerve and muscle tone.
.Though, they do contain oxalates which are known to interfere with calcium absorption if the oxalates
 become concentrated in the body fluids, a good amount of chewing and relaxation can help in calcium
 absorption.

Almonds contain vitamin E and are also known for keeping the blood sugar under control.
Almond skins contain flavonoids. Both together increase the resistance of the low density lipo-proteins(LDL) to oxidation. They also contain magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, copper, vitamin B2 and many other nutrients.

Ingredients:
.Paneer(cottage cheese) slab........400g

For the marinade:
.Cashew nuts.................................3Tbsp., chopped
.Almonds.......................................3Tbsp., chopped
.Pistachio nuts...............................3Tbsp., chopped
.Green chili....................................1/2tsp., finely chopped
.Coriander leaves...........................2Tbsp., finely chopped
.Garlic............................................1/2 tsp., finely chopped
.White vinegar................................2Tbsp.
.Salt................................................1 tsp.
.Red chili powder..........................1/2 tsp.
.Garam masala powder..................1/2 tsp.
.Dry raw mango powder................2 tsp.

Method:
.Rinse a store bought slab of fresh cottage cheese.

For the marinade:
.Mix the ingredients for the marinade.
.Cover the slab with this marinade so that all the paneer slab is well coated from all sides by the nuts.
.Marinate in the refrigerator for 7 to 8 hours or overnight.

How to proceed:
.Heat a griddle or a non-stick flat pan. Add 1 tsp. of oil.
.Gently place the paneer slab on the hot griddle.
.Cook on low to medium heat till the nuts are toasted.
.Repeat on all 6 sides.
.Remove on a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
.Cut into 1x2inch pieces and serve hot with mint chutney or set aside for use in other recipes(to follow).


nutty paneer bites

Note: .These nutty paneer bites can be used in a vegetable curry preparation or added to the fried rice or
 just eaten with a dip as a starter. It can be added to sandwiches and salads too.
.Wrap them in strips of roasted red bell pepper and tie it up together with chives and grill in a hot oven
 till brown spots start to appear.