Thursday, March 26, 2009

I am strong!

After a week of continuous crying and whining about USA and how I miss India in my posts (leading J to remark, "your blog is becoming cliched, all the posts have- India, wahh wahhh... and I hate USA") I have decided to pick myself up, dust myself off and begin again the work of remaking Masala Vade. For everywhere I look, there are events to participate and food to be prepared and pictures to be taken. I will take part in all (at least some ) of the events, call my two cooking guru's in India (there I go again!) and get authentic South Kanara dishes. And make it, click it and post it. I will keep making fun of Americans because its my birth right! I will provide stories about my childhood, the other half and the things we do.

All this I can do. All this I will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of my ambitions. Their memories are short, for they have forgotten what I have already done - I have turned a blog with just 1 comment to one with a minimum of 5 comments.

Thank you. God bless you. God bless my blog, Masala Vade.
(You can go here for the original speech)

Today's dish goes to Harini for her Recipes for the rest of us-Starters event
Before I give the recipe lets see if I satisfy all her conditions:

1. Please avoid exact measurements. Please use very simple measurements like a handful or a pinch. - I gave very precise measurements. -1
2. Please avoid complicated steps.If the recipe takes over 5 steps to prepare, it would not be suitable for this event. - Less than 5 steps. +1
3. Please avoid recipes demanding a good deal of manual skill. - No complicated steps. Cutting, microwaving and use of a mixer and tawa is required. +1
4. Please avoid recipes demanding fancy kitchen equipment.- tawa and mixi do not fall under fancy kitchen equipments. +1
5. In short, it should be something a ten year old kid should be able to cook up.- If my husband can make this anyone can. +2

My total is, 4/5 -pass!! Here is the recipe.

Vegetable Cutlet: Source Amma

Step 1-
Cook 1/4 c chopped beetroot, 1/4 cup peas, 1/4 c chopped onions, 1/4 c chopped beans, 1/2 c chopped carrots, 1/2 c chopped cabbage (microwave 5 mins). Cook 1 potato till soft.

Step 2-
grind 2 cloves garlic, 3/4 tsp coriander seeds, 3/4 tsp cumin seeds, 3-4 green chillies, 1 inch ginger with 3-4 tbsp water.

Step 3-
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp channa dal, 1tsp urad dal, 1/4 tsp tumeric. Once the dals turn golden add the ground paste and saute till the raw smell disappears. add the boiled vegetables and mix well. Mash the boiled and peeled potato and add to the above mixture. Add salt and mix well. Let it cool. You should be able to make balls out of this mixture. If it breaks and does not hold add another boiled potato.

Step 4-
Make small balls of the vegetable mixture and flatten them (like you do for masala vade) roll them around in bread crumbs. Heat a tawa and place the flattened vegetable mixture on the tawa and add 2 tbsp oil. Let it turn crisp on one side, then turn them over. Add another tbsp oil and remove once the other side is crisp. This is best done on a low flame.

Step 5-
Eat. Now you have two option,

You can eat it like style raja aka my other half i.e., cutlets arranged symmetrically with just a dollop of Heinz tomato ketchup and eat with a fork. Then wipe your mouth ever so gently with the edge of a napkin.

cutlet


Or put it on a steel plate, with anna-saaru and slurp it with your hands. Burp.

cutlet2

Either ways it tastes good.
Ok ok..I know I cheated a bit- I did bend some rules. Should this go to the event or no? (please say yes- I will give you guys $10)

18 comments:

  1. Yes yes it totally qualifies for the event (i can accept the 10 bucks through paypal - yes i am cheap!)

    I love cutlet with rice. back in the days when i used to eat beef, amma used to fry beef cutlets for me and send with rice and moru kachiyathu (spiced buttermilk curry, very popular in Kerala). that was the ultimate combo!

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  2. It qualifies for the event!! :) Lovely recipe..

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  3. totally qualifies :)
    beetroot in cutlet - first time i've seen that ! nice colour !!

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  4. Yes ofcourse! I luv cutlets that too with beetroot it gives a good color and healthy too!

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  5. Sounds like a simple enough recipe. Could you perhaps try making it even simpler by using a can/pack of mixed veg & a can of beets, which you can get at any store in the US as opp to using fresh vegetables. Also, instead of using a mixer to make a custom paste, could you saute bottled ginger-garlic paste(which pretty much every Indian household in the US buys), cumin, corriander and chilli powder in the tawa over a light flame to get the same flavor? If so, you could cut down on your ingredients & prep time by over 50%. :)

    Also, it's a good idea to list what ingredients are required at the top of the recipe.

    PS: I accept payments in INR. :)

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  6. First u send me $10 and then I will give my 'valuable' comments ;)

    or still better, why not make fresh batch of those drool-worthy cutlets and send me first?

    see how flexible I am ;) u from s.canara? cool... encha ullar?

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  7. nidde barallva kaane ? yen time alli ? illige bandubidu, bekiddu yella madukodtini :)
    phew..thats a lot of kannada - long time since i spoke to someone in kannada..
    i do like cooking, but these days i cook more because otherwise i will go crazy here with my next-to-nowhere social life
    keep cooking and writing and all the lonliness will go away :)

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  8. Darling!! Cutlet is perfect - I too believe if husbands can so can ten year olds:). Ha ha.... I like it your way - with rasam rice!!

    S.Kanara - Tulu? My husband is one too!

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  9. @ Nags, Divya, Arch,Sharmilee,Idling in top gear,Sia,
    I have sent you guys the cheque for 10 bucks it should arrive soon.

    @ sunshinemom,
    You called me darling...love u!

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  10. Wah, wah :) I did not even know of this event

    Ok I did :( but forgot. Sigh. I like cutlets. You are sending this? :D

    BTW am making Vangibath powder, you want?

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  11. Oooh - yes, it does qualify!!!
    I haven't seen beetroot in cutlets - I want some!!!

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  12. And how did you get such a pretty reddish tint in your pics? - goes with the whole beetroot theme:)

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  13. yeah that fits the bill i think..you have a nice place here...

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  14. more than qualifies, it exceeds all expectations! LOVELY!!! I want one in my tummy right now.

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  15. SJ - Lovely recipe(and it qualifies too).

    Went thru all your posts, you write well.

    Btw,India misses you too. She has to right, she senses your yearnings. *Hugs* to you all the way from India.

    Prerana.

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  16. @koshy, Srivalli, Shama, burpandslurp,
    Thank u!

    @Prerana,
    Awww.....that was extremely sweet of you! *hugs*

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  17. yep, it qualifies for the event, can i get my 10 bucks? lol

    cutlets look delicious.

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To avoid letting your comments go to my trash, always appreciate me and my posts! I will do the same :P