Mirchi Bhajji - Evening Snack

Ingredients:

Gram flour : 2 cups
Rice flour : 1/4 cup
Mirchi (special mirchi bajji mirchis) : 10 to 12
Cumin seeds : 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Baking soda : A pinch
Vegetable oil : oil to deep frying

Preparation:
Make besan batter by mixing gram flour, rice flour,salt and baking powder in a bowl, add water and prepare thick batter.

Wash and cut the bottom end and make a slit length wise in the middle with a knife or a spoon and remove seeds.
Heat oil in a deep bottomed kadai, once the oil is hot, dip the mirchi in batter one by one and gently drop from the sides of kadai and fry until light golden color. Remove it. Let it cool for few seconds. Again put the mirchi bajji in the hot oil to get golden color, remove from the oil, let it cool for a minute to get the real taste.

Serve with onion slices(chopped the onion and mix with salt and lemon juice). This is a favourite evening snack during rain.

Sending this to EC's     WYF : Tea Time Snack Event Announcement

Palak Paratha

Ingredients:
* 3 cups whole-wheat flour
* 1 large bunch spinach coarsely chopped
* 1/2 tsp red chilli powder or 2-3 green chillies
* 1/2 tsp garlic paste
* 1/2 tsp ginger paste
* 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
* 1/2 tsp jeera
* Salt to taste
* Coriander
*Few Curry Leaves
*2-3 tsp spoon oil to fry
* Ghee (clarified butter) or oil to pan-fry the parathas

Preparation:
Take 2 tsp oil in a pan. Heat it.
Add jeera, curry leaves, garlic paste and ginger paste and fry it.
Now add chopped palak to it and fry it till it is done. Add turmeric powder and salt. Lastly add cariander.
Now add this mixture to wheat flour and mix all together, kneading to form a medium-soft, smooth dough. Add some water if needed.
Cover with a moist cloth and keep aside for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into equal-sized portions and roll into balls between your hands till they are smooth and without cracks.
Roll out each, spread some ghee and fold into half.
Fold again into quarter and keep aside for 5 minutes. Roll out into triangles with each side of 6" approximately.
Heat up a tawa and put the paratha over it ,turn it and spread some ghee round it. Turn Again and spread some ghee on the other side too.
Stir fry till both sides are evenly cooked.
Serve hot with yogurt or cucumber curd salad.

Upma (Upittu)

Ingredients:
Rava / Sooji (Semolina) : 1 cup
Ginger chopped : 1 inch
Onion chopped : 1
Green Chillies slit sideways : 3
Carrot chopped :1
Green Peas frozen or fresh : 1/4 cup
Salt to taste

Seasoning:
Mustard Seeds : 1 tsp
Urad Dal : 1 tsp
Chana Dal : 1 tsp
Oil : 2 tblsp
Ghee : 1 tblsp
Few curry leaves
Finely chopped coriander leaves
Lemon juice to taste

Procedure:
Heat 1tbsp. pure ghee / unsalted butter and fry cleaned rava on a moderate heat stirring constantly to light brown color and set aside.
Now heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and allow them to splatter.
Also add the chana dal, urad dal and curry leaves to it and fry them.
Now add ginger,green chilies and onion. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or till the onion turn golden brown.
Add all the vegetables and fry them for two more minutes.
Now add 3 cups of water and cover the pan and allow it simmer on low heat until the vegetables are done.
Add the fried rava to it stirring continuosly, so that no lumps are formed.
After 2 minutes turn off the heat.
Serve hot garnished with coriander and lemon juice.
Upma is ready to serve.