Red Bean Salad - Quick, Healthy Salad

After feasting on Malai Kofta, I thought it's best to compensate by eating something healthy, for a change ;) Searched my freezer and found different beans such as red beans, black eyed beans, white hyacinth bean(mochai in Tamil) and I picked the red ones. Here's a simple salad that I tried with easy-to-get ingredients.

What You Need -

Red Beans - 1 cup
Tomato - 1/2 big or 1 small
Onion- 1/2 medium
Red, Yellow and Orange Capsicum - 1/2 cup (chopped)
Coriander leaves/Cilantro - a few

Pav Bhaji/Chaat Masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste


For the Vinaigrette -

Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Juice from half-lemon
Honey - 1 tsp
Jeera powder -  3/4 tsp
Thousand Island dressing - 1 tbsp (optional)
Olive Oil - 1.5 tsp


How To -

• Soak Red Beans overnight for 12 hours or more. 
• I had a bad experience with a particular variety of red beans not being cooked well. I learnt that the Chinese Red beans needs to be soaked for 24-36 hours :(  
• I changed water every 12 hours and at the end of 36 hours, there was a significant difference in the size and softness of the red beans.

Just beginning to soak

After 36 hours

• Pressure-cook the soaked beans with salt.
• Chop tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and cilantro finely.

           => Dunk onions in hot water for 5 minutes to get rid of the raw smell.

• Sprinkle Pav bhaji masala or Chaat masala over them.

• Let's prepare the vinaigrette now by adding all the ingredients in that order, in a bowl. Beat them well together. Continue to whisk until it is smooth and tastes good. Add salt if required.

Before whisking

• Mix with the red beans and veggies and enjoy your healthy meal :) The Red beans make it quite filling indeed. Feel free to increase their quantity, if you like to.

Do drop a line if you tried and liked this :)

Malai Kofta (Deep fried paneer & potato dumplings in rich creamy sauce) - Step-by-Step recipe

Malai Kofta is a rich dish popular in North India, originally from Punjabi cuisine. It's very delicious, loved by everyone and best suited for lunch/dinner parties. Who wouldn't like something that has paneer, cream and potatoes in it? ;)

My hubby loves Malai Kofta :)  Sadly, the only Indian restaurant closest to our place doesn't list Malai Kofta on its menu.  Hence, I have been wanting to try and make this at home for a long long time. Inspired by Geetha chithi's mouth-watering pictures and simple recipe, I was much tempted and finally made this today for lunch.  I modified the recipe slightly and was immensely happy that it came out very well and we both enjoyed our meal. I served it with chapathis but Malai Kofta goes equally well with rice varieties.

Malai Kofta

What You Need -

For the Koftas -

Paneer - 150 g
Potatoes - 3 small/medium
Green chillies - 3 (finely chopped)
Jeera/ Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Raisins - as required

Maida/All-purpose flour - 4 tbsp (Can substitute with corn flour)
Oil - for frying

For the gravy -

Onions- 2
Tomatoes - 2
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Cashewnuts - 12  nos.
Raisins - 20 nos.

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 3/4 tsp
Salt - to taste

Cream - 4 to 5 tbsp
Cilantro - to garnish

How To -

• Boil potatoes. Peel the skin and mash them.
• Mash paneer and mix it with mashed potatoes, along with chopped green chillies, jeera, pepper and salt.

• Mix maida in some water. This makes our batter. 
• Divide the dough into small ping-pong sized balls. 
• Stud each ball with 3-4 raisins.
• Dip and roll the balls into maida batter and deep fry in hot oil.

• Make sure the oil is hot enough else the balls might disintegrate!

• A batch of 4 koftas would take about 5-7 minutes to get cooked and fried enough on all sides. You can remove and drain the koftas on kitchen tissues when you see them turning golden in color.

Golden Koftas - yummy as such :)

• These are just yummy as such and you can eat them right away with tomato-ketchup or any chutney :) But, save them if you want to eat them with the rich creamy gravy!

• To make the gravy, you need 4 kinds of pastes/juices. 

(1) Soak chopped onions in hot water for 15 minutes and grind them to a paste

(2) Blend ripe tomatoes in a juicer
(3) Ginger-garlic paste (you can go with the store-bought version too)
(4) Soak cashews and raisins in hot water for 15 minutes and grind to a paste

• Take a kadai, heat 2 tsp of oil and fry the onion paste and let it cook for 5 minutes.
• Next goes the ginger-garlic paste.
• Now, add tomato puree and add salt.
• Follow with all the masala powders - turmeric, garam masala, coriander and red chilli powder. Let boil.
• Once all these are well incorporated, mix in the cashew+ raisins paste and boil for another 2-3 minutes. 
• Finally, add in cream and garnish with coriander leaves/cilantro.

To Serve : Pour the gravy over the koftas just a few minutes before eating, to prevent them going soggy. I like soaked koftas in my gravy, so I soaked just 2 koftas right from the beginning and then crumbled them in the gravy. This also gives some thickness and texture to the gravy.

Happy to send this to Sinful Delights! Very apt description, indeed for Malai Kofta :)

Brinjal Peanut Masala (Eggplant masala with toasted peanuts & sesame seeds powdered)

One of my Chinese friends offered me a bite of the traditional Chinese "Peanut Sesame Candy" and they were just amazing! I enthusiastically responded by telling her about our peanut balls (கடலை மிட்டாய் popular in South India) and the Laddoos made out sesame seeds(तिल), common in North India. Of course, all these are not really similar, as they're not sweetened using the same ingredient; the Chinese use brown sugar and we use jaggery and sugar respectively. However, I like all of them and virtually anything sweet!

Peanuts or Groundnuts are truly Mother Nature's storehouse of Vitamins as they are said to contain about 13 different vitamins and essential minerals like Calcium and Iron! Plus, when it comes to Proteins, nothing can beat peanuts! That's why it's usually a big hit among vegetarians. I add roasted peanuts in Ladies finger/Okra dry curry, which is a tip learnt from Bindu mami (aunt). I also love boiled peanuts too and it makes a very nutritious snack. 

Here, in this recipe, we add powdered peanuts and sesame seeds to brinjals (eggplants) and you'll marvel at the whole new dimension it gives to the boring tomatoes+onions masala! Trust me, even those who hate eggplants should try this recipe. My sister, who belongs to that category just loves this :) 

The source is from a TV cookery show by Mallika Badrinath.

What You Need -

Purple brinjals - 250 g

Onions - 2

Tomatoes- 3

Oil- 3 tsp

Tamarind extract - 2 tbsp

Ginger-garlic paste - 1.5 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Peanuts/Groundnuts - 1 tbsp

White sesame seeds (வெள்ளை எள்ளு) - 1 tbsp

Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp

How To -

• Slice brinjals and 1 onion length-wise and chop the tomatoes.

• Microwave all the 3 together with 2 tsp oil for about 8-10 minutes, after which, it would look something like this -

•  Take a kadai/tawa, heat 1/2 tsp oil and cube an onion and fry it for 3 minutes. Allow it cool and then grind to a paste. I've used yellow onion here. But I'm sure red onion goes well too.

• Take a small ball of tamarind and extract thick juice from it. 

• While the brinjal gets cooked in the microwave, dry roast together, peanuts, sesame seeds and coriander seeds (No oil). You can use peanuts with or without its skin.

• Powder after cooling them for about 10 minutes.

• Now get back to the tawa. Boil tamarind extract along with fried onion paste and ginger-garlic paste. Add red chilli powder and salt. To this mixture, add the microwaved brinjals +onions +tomatoes. Add some water if you feel the mixture is getting dried up.

• Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
• Finally, add our special powder (peanuts+sesame seeds +coriander seeds).

• Mix well and add 50 ml of water and let them cook for another 5 minutes. Voila! Your Brinjal Masala is ready!

Please do try and let me know if you liked it! :)

Paladai Payasam (Rice Ada Kheer)

This is yet another recipe I learnt from Sudha mami, my aunt.  It's just so yummy and yet so simple!  This is a typical Kerala fare. Folks who like paal payasam will just loove this too :)  Before I left Madras, my mom bought some rice ada to take with me to Singapore.  I decided to give the traditional recipe a mild twist, by adding a little of cocoa powder and it was well received by my guests! ^ ^

What You Need -

Milk - 1 litre (You can use 800 ml milk and 200 ml water, unless you're going with low-fat milk)
Rice Ada - 200 g
Sugar - 100 g

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp  => for flavor
Cocoa powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Cashews - 10-15
Ghee - 1 tsp
Condensed milk - 1 tbsp (optional)

How I Made It -

• Cook Rice Ada with Milk in a pressure cooker for about 5-6 whistles. This helps to reduce the time you need to cook it on the stove later.
• If you don't have a pressure cooker, use a slow cooker or cook in a sauce pan for about 45 minutes.
• Once the pressure subsides, empty the cooked rice ada with milk into a wide-mouthed flat-bottomed vessel.
• Add sugar, cardamom powder and keep stirring. This will take about 15-20 minutes.
• Add 1/4 tsp (~2 pinches) of cocoa powder and continue stirring for another 10 minutes.
• Finally, add 1 tbsp of condensed milk and mix well for 5 minutes. The final product will be of the same consistency as paal payasam, i.e., thicker than milk but not as dense as condensed milk.
• Garnish with ghee-roasted cashewnuts :)

 Enjoy it hot or cold :) Ummm...Absolutely heavenly! :)

Bread Upma - Quick 'n' Tasty Snack

This is something I make from bread that remains, when I want to use them up before its expiry date.  This is clearly Indianized, something conceived by an Indian housewife, probably in the '60s or '70s, b'coz this is "upma" from something like bread that's of European origin!  Traditionally, upma refers to hot breakfast porridge, popular in South India and is made from rice, broken wheat or other grains, vegetables and is often spiced with green chillies.

My mom-in-law makes bread upma a lot and I picked up the habit (and recipe) from her.  It takes less than 15 minutes to prepare this and doesn't require funky ingredients!

You Need -

Bread - 5 slices
Onions - 1 medium (chopped)
Tomatoes - 2 small/medium (chopped)
Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds (கடுகு)- 1 tsp

Urad dal (உளுந்து)- 1 tsp

Channa dal (கடலை பருப்பு) - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Red chilli powder - 3/4 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Cilantro/Coriander leaves - for flavor and garnishing (optional)

Paneer (shredded) - optional (for decorative purpose;)

How To-

• Take a kadai, splutter mustard, urad dal, channa dal. These two dals give the crunchy effect amidst the soft bread and tender tomatoes n onions.

• Fry chopped onions, followed by tomatoes.

• Add salt and let them cook for 3 mins.
• Cut bread slices using kitchen scissors and add them in. You don't have to sprinkle water as the moisture from onions and tomatoes is more than sufficient. 

• Add red chilli powder and a pinch of turmeric and mix well.

• In 5 minutes, bread upma is done :)
• Garnish with cilantro and shredded paneer, if you feel like :)

Fruit salad with custard

This is a very simple, yet delicious and healthy dessert that can earn you a lot of appreciation from your guests. Cut fruits are healthy, add free-flowing custard to it and make it a delicacy :) This is one of my favorites and Sudha mami, my aunt, makes it for us every time we visit Trivandrum.

What You Need -

• Assorted Cut Fruits - mangoes, apples, bananas, grapes (all fruits that you love)
• Fresh Milk - 600 ml (3 tumblers)
• Custard powder (comes in many flavors - Kesar Elaichi, Kesar Pista, Vanilla, Strawberry - Choose your fave!) - 1.5  tbsp
• Sugar - 2.5 tbsp

How To -

• Bring 500 ml(1/2 litre) of milk to a boil.
• Microwave 100 ml of milk for a minute and dissolve custard powder well by whipping it nicely with a spoon.
• Once the milk starts boiling, add the custard mixture gradually and keep stirring in well.
• Keep the custard cooking in the saucepan and add sugar now.
• Keep the heat low and please, don't stop stirring. This helps to prevent lumps from being formed. 
• Continue stirring until it thickens and then refrigerate.
• Pour cold custard over fruits and enjoy! :)

Schezwan Fried Rice

"Schezwan" means "spicy" but I toned down the spice level by adding more tomato ketch-up. This is yet another Chinese dish that we find easily available in Indian restaurants claiming to serve Indo-Chinese cuisine. Making the Schezwan sauce is the crucial part of this recipe. I didn't want to go with the store-bought ones as I couldn't find any brand that didn't contain ajinomoto/MSG.  Do let me know if you know of any :)

How to Make Schezwan sauce:

• Soak 10 red chillies(after removing the seeds) in hot water for 10 minutes. 
• Grind it together with 5 garlic pods, a piece of ginger and some chopped celery.
• Take 2 tsp oil in a pan, saute this paste for a minute.
• Add 1 tsp vinegar, 2 tbsp of tomato ketch-up, 1/2 tsp sugar , some salt and pepper to taste. 
• Increase heat to high and stir-fry for a minute and then switch-off.  Let stand for another minute until it thickens.
• Store the sauce and refrigerate. You can use it to make Schezwan noodles as well.

What You Need To Make Schezwan Fried Rice:

Basmati rice - 1 cup
Schezwan sauce - 1 tbsp
Kashmiri red chillies (long ones that are not spicy) - 3 
Onions - 1 medium (chopped)

Carrot, Beans, Capsicum - cut into slender long pieces  - 1 cup (You can add cabbage, peas, corn, etc. if you like)

Spring onions - plenty!
Soy sauce - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Cashewnuts - to garnish (optional)

How To:

• Cook Basmati rice such that the grains are separate and non-sticky. I tried many methods and finally found this to be working. Here's how :

Cook rice by adding 1 cup (soaked for 15 minutes) Basmati rice to 4 cups of boiling water for 10 minutes. Let them sit for another 5 minutes. Not all the water would have been absorbed, it's ok.  Just drain the excess water using a colander and spread the cooked rice on a big, slightly oiled plate and let them cool. That way, you get that fluffy, long-grained rice with each grain separate :)

• Heat 1 tsp oil in a deep pan, tear and add Kashmiri chillies (optional), then, fry onions.
• Once onions turn pinkish, add the veggies, add required salt, sprinkle some water, close the pan and cook them for 10 minutes.

• Add Schezwan sauce and  Soy sauce in high heat for a minute. 
• Simmer and mix rice. 
• Garnish with plenty of spring onions and some roasted cashews :)

Palak Paneer (Spinach and Cottage Cheese)

This is one dish which is tasty but at the same time, nutritious too :) It comes with the goodness of green leafy palak(spinach) and the heavenly paneer(cottage cheese)! This is also quick to prepare and can be served in 30 minutes! Now, do you need any more reason??

Palak Paneer

What I Used -

Palak - 1 bunch
Paneer - 15 cubes (of 1 cm)
Onions, chopped - 1
Tomatoes, pureed - 2 to 3

Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Dhania powder (Coriander seeds' powder) - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder- 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1.5 tsp

How I Made It-

• Cook Palak in an open pan (to retain green color) with just enough water to cover it. This takes about 15-20 mins on low-medium flame.
• Drain most of the water and allow it to cool.
• Thaw the paneer cubes for about 30 mins. We can do this at the beginning itself to save some time. 
• In a kadai, heat 1.5 tsp of oil, saute onions and ginger-garlic paste until you don't sense the raw smell at all.
• Add pureed tomatoes.
• Add a little salt now. Allow this to cook for 5 minutes.
• Blend the cooked and cooled palak in a food processor and add this juice.
• Add Red chilli powder, Dhania powder and Garam masala and adjust salt.
• Mix well and cook together for 5 minutes.
• Add the paneer cubes directly to the palak gravy and cook for 5 more minutes. 
• Generally, I do not like to fry the paneer cubes unless absolutely necessary. If you'd like to fry them first, then keep them immersed in hot water for 5-10 mins so that they remain soft inside.

This is a North-Indian delicacy and goes well with both roti-varieties and rice.

You can sprinkle 2 tsp of shredded Mozarella cheese on top for a kick! :P Certainly, this is not a part of the traditional recipe!

When I'm lazy to make roti (Indian bread) or cook rice, I just eat it with multi-grain bread and it tastes yummy and very filling :)

Bindi Masala (Lady's finger / Okra Masala)

Okra (Lady's finger) is a powerhouse of nutrients, nearly 50% of which is soluble fiber. Soluble fiber helps to lower cholesterol,which reduces the risk of heart disease. The superior fiber found in okra helps to stabilize blood sugar as it curbs the rate at which sugar is absorbed from the intestinal tract. To retain its nutrients, lady's finger should be cooked as little as possible in low heat or lightly steamed.

This recipe is quite simple in that, we sauté the okra with onions, tomatoes, ginger-garlic-green chillies paste and spice it up with the best Indian spices. This is one of those "Under 30-minute" recipes.

There are different variations of bindi masala and I've once tried to stuff slit bindi with masala (spices) and then cook them in onion + tomato gravy. That's kinda time-consuming and oilier but this one is easier and healthier :)


What You Need -

Okra - about 25 of them
Onions - 2 medium
Tomatoes - 3 medium
Ginger - 1 " piece
Garlic - 3 pods
Green chillies - 3
Salt - to taste

Spices :

Garam masala - 1 tsp
Aamchur (Dry Mango powder) - 1 tsp
Amma's Home-made curry powder - 1 tsp

Tempering:

Oil - 3 tsp
Cumin seeds /Jeera - 1 tsp

How To -

• Wash and dry okra. Letting them dry is important so that their slimy tendency will be under disguise or atleast controlled :)
• Cut each into 3 or 4 pieces such that the length is around 1 inch.
• Take a kadai, heat some oil and add jeera. Allow them to splutter, then add the okra. 
• Stir fry for 5 minutes. You can add a little salt at this point.
• Keep it aside in a plate.

• In the same kadai, heat 2 tsp of oil and temper some jeera.
• Add chopped onions and fry them for a minute.
• Then, add ginger-garlic-green chillies paste.
• Fry till the raw smell goes away.

• Blend 2 tomatoes and extract juice from them. Chop the other tomato lengthwise to match with the okra. Add both of these to onions in the pan.
• Add remaining salt as required.
• The spices follow - garam masala, dry mango powder and curry powder. Cook well.

• Add the sautéd lady's finger to the onions + tomatoes mixture and toss them gently together. Cook for 5 more minutes and we're done! :)

Serve with any Indian bread. It also goes well with rice.

Carrot Kheer (Sweet Carrot Drink with Milk and ground Cashews)

Bored of making pal payasam (rice kheer) and semiya payasam (vermicelli kheer)? Try Carrot kheer for a change and wow your guests! :) It makes a delicious dessert!

Thanks to Geetha chithi (husband's chithi/aunt) for the wonderful recipe. I love carrots and I love sweets :) If you're like me, you're sure to love this!

What You Need -

Carrots - 3 medium
Milk - 750 ml
Water - 1/2 litre
Cashewnuts - 10 to 12
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Sweetened Condensed milk (Milkmaid) - 2 tbsp (optional)
Sugar - 3 tbsp (if not using Condensed milk)

How To -

• Peel the skin of carrots and cut them into big chunks.
• Pressure-cook carrots, cashewnuts, half a litre milk with half a litre water, for atleast 2 whistles.
• Alternatively, cook on a slow-cooker or in a sauce pan for about 45 minutes. 
• Once cooled, drain the milk and save it aside in a bowl. 
• Blend the cooked carrots & cashews (with very little milk) in a food processor to a smooth paste.
• Take a pan, pour the milk, add this paste and add the remaining milk and bring to a boil. Keep on low/Sim flame for 10-12 minutes and let them all come together well.
• Add cardamom powder and condensed milk for added flavor! 
• Add sugar if you need. Carrots are sorta sweet by themselves and condensed milk is sweetened too. You might need 3-4 tbsp of sugar if you choose to skip condensed milk.

The final consistency should be frothy and like that of a milkshake.


You can enjoy it at room temperature or refrigerate and drink it cold. Just tastes heavenly! :)

Bhel Puri (Indian street-side snack) ~with Chaat Chutneys' recipes

Bhel Puri is a popular street-side snack (called 'Chaat') in India. This is something that can be whipped up in minutes if you have the chutneys (sauces) ready. It also allows one to customize the dish according to your own taste. Traditionally, Bhel Puri is a mixture of puffed rice and sev (deep fried chick pea noodles) with vegetables tossed in spiced mint sauce and tangy n sweet tamarind sauce. But you can also add boiled channa or rajma, roasted peanuts and pottu kadalai (fried bengal gram skinned), fried moong dal, raw mango, cucumber, spouted green bean dal and many more...C'mon, play around with what you like and what you can find in your kitchen!

You can find ready-made Bhel Mix in Indian grocery stores/supermarkets all around the world. You'll need to add tomatoes, onions and potatoes and mix in the sauces given. This makes a great travel companion, especially for vegetarians traveling to places where you wouldn't find good variety of veg food easily or you're short of time or where food is too expensive!

BHEL PURI

I dared to make my first attempt with Bhel Puri (from scratch) just 2 days after getting married. My mom-in-law was very supportive and made sure it came out well. And yes, everyone loved it :) Bhel Puri is very special to me for another reason - it was the first 'meal' we had together on our first 'date' ;)

The recipe is from my chithi from whom I also learnt recipes like Cutlet, Baingan Bartha, Stuffed Baingan.

Getting the chutneys ready is the most time-consuming part. Let's get started...

Sweet n Tangy Chutney (Meeta chutney for Chaat) :

You'll need -

Tamarind(de-seeded) - a small lemon sized ball [OR Use 1.5 tbsp of tamarind paste]
Dates(de-seeded) - 6 to 8 nos.
Jaggery - 2 to 3 tbsp
Raisins - about 10 nos.
1/4 tsp of red chilli powder 
1/4 tsp of jeera powder 
1/4 tsp of garam masala/kitchen king
A pinch of salt

Pressure-cook all the above together with just enough water to immerse. (Remove strands from around the tamarind and filter off parts of seeds, if any). Once ready to take it out of the cooker, grind them to a thick solution while it's still warm. If you find it too watery, boil the solution and let it thicken. I store mine in the freezer ; it stays good for a week to 10 days.

DATES n TAMARIND CHUTNEY

Voila! That's your meeta chutney. It would be almost chocolatey in color because of the ingredients' coming together.

 

 

Mint n coriander chutney (Spicy green chutney for Chaat and Sandwich) :

You'll need -

Pudina/Mint leaves - 10 to 12 leaves (Don't add too many, the flavor will be too over-powering!)
Coriander leaves/Cilantro - 1 small bunch (see picture)
Garlic - 3 pods
Shallots (Small onion) - 4 nos ==> Roast slightly with a drop of oil and then grind to avoid the raw smell of onion
Green chillies- 3 to 4
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
Chaat Masala - 1 tspHing/Asafoetida - a pinch
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste (roughly 1/3 tsp)

Remember to discard the stalks from mint and use only the leaves. Grind these to a fine paste by adding water, little by little. You should get a rather thick solution. Store it in the freezer as well. Add water as needed for using in Chaats on the day of using. For Sandwiches, the thick chutney can b spread as such.

GREEN CHUTNEY with CORIANDER n MINT

Assembling the Bhel Puri :

You'll need -

Puffed rice - 400 g
Puris - 10
Boiled potatoes - mashed - 1 and a half
Chopped tomatoes - 2
Chopped onion - 1
Chopped coriander leaves - to garnish
Thin Sev (Omapodi) - 200 g
Chaat masala - 1 tsp

• Take a plate/bowl and fill in some puffed rice. You may toast it for 3-4 minutes for a better texture and crispier taste.  Break n add puris to it. Puris are nothing but spiced flour paste flattened and fried. It usually comes with the Bhel mix. If you don't find this, add what you find - I have tried adding Corn puffs and Cheezels' cheese balls and they blend well too :)

• Now, add chopped onions, tomatoes, boiled & mashed potatoes. Sprinkle some chaat masala over it.

• Now add the mint-coriander chutney and the tamarind chutney in the proportion your family loves! That's the flexibility with Bhel Puri :)

• Finally, add plenty of thin sev (oma podi) and garnish with chopped coriander leaves :) Toss everything together gently and serve immediately!

Tip : Don't mix everything in advance, else the puffed rice will get soggy. 

Notes :  'Sev' can be made by mixing besan and rice flour in 4:1 ratio, making a tough dough with salt, chilli powder, hing with a little ghee and of course, some Omam (ajwain in Hindi) and pressing it in the mould over hot oil to get those deep-fried thin noodles. However, you can buy a 500 g pack at any Indian store for $3 or less :)