Zucchini Pakoda

One of my friends, once gave me 2 biggggggg sizedddddd zucchinis. I just wondered (????) what to do with them.....So made a sidedish, baked some in the oven and broiled some.....but nothing was good to eat....All my trials went to the trash only as a waste.

One day, for a potluck dinner.....simply thought of making onion pakoda.... but BOOM !!!! my zucchini came to my mind. So just modified the onion pakoda recipe & made zucchini pakoda..... the taste was awesome & everybody loved it....more than the other items I made for that potluck dinner.

Ingredients

Zucchini - 1 (medium sized)
Big onion - 1/2 (sliced lengthwise)
Green chillies - 4 (sliced lengthwise)
Ginger - 1 inch piece (sliced lengthwise)
Curry leaves - 15 Nos. (chopped)
Coriander leaves - few (chopped)
Besan (Gram flour / kadalai Maavu) - 1 cup + (1/2 cup, if required for final adjustments)
Rice flour - 1/2 cup
Jeera (Cumin) - 1/4 sp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 sp (optional)
Garam masala powder - 1/2 sp
Salt - To taste
Oil - 1/4 cup + for frying
Water - Never add water since zucchini oozes out more water

Method

1. Grate the zucchini along with the skin, with a mandoline slicer or a grater.
2. Mix the grated zucchini, onion, green chillies, ginger, curry leaves & coriander leaves in a separate bowl.
3. Mix the besan flour, rice flour, jeera, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt and 1/4 cup oil in another bowl.
4. Now, add the zucchini -  onion mixture into the besan flour mixture and mix throughly with hand. (All ingredients need to be coated with flour)
5. Do not add water since zucchini oozes out more water & mix the ingredients.
6. Add besan flour & rice flour in the appropriate proportion, if the mixture is too watery.(whenever required)
7. Heat oil in a pan.
8. When the oil is medium hot, take small balls from the mixture and fry in oil.
9. Once they turn brown, take them out of the oil and place them on a paper towel to remove the excess oil.
10. Serve as an appetizer / side for variety rice.

Mandoline Slicer & Grater

Note

1. Since zucchini keeps oozing out water all through the preparation, besan flour & rice flour can be added in the right proportion every now and then.
2. Else, the grated zucchini can be kept for 10 min in a bowl and the excess water can be removed using a strainer, before adding to the onion mixture.

Onion Pakoda

Ingredients

Big onion - 1 (sliced lengthwise)
Green chillies - 4 (sliced lengthwise)
Ginger - 1 inch piece (sliced lengthwise)
Curry leaves - 15 Nos. (chopped)
Coriander leaves - few (chopped)
Cashews - 15 Nos. (soaked in water for 10 min.)
Besan (Gram flour / kadalai Maavu) - 1 cup + (if required for final adjustments)
Rice flour - 1/2 cup
Jeera (Cumin) - 1/4 sp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 sp (optional)
Salt - To taste
Oil - 1/4 cup + for frying
Water - only if required

Method

1. Mix the onion, green chillies, ginger, curry leaves, coriander leaves & cashews in a separate bowl.
2. Mix the besan flour, rice flour, jeera, red chilli powder, salt and 1/4 cup oil in another bowl.
3. Now, add the onion mixture into the besan flour mixture and mix throughly with hand. (All ingredients need to be coated with flour)
4. Add little water (if required), & mix the ingredients.
5. Heat oil in a pan.
6. When the oil is medium hot, take small balls from the mixture and fry in oil.
7. Once they turn brown, take them out of the oil and place them on a paper towel to remove the excess oil.
8. Serve as an appetizer / side for variety rice.

Spicy Pineapple

Ingredients

Pineapple - cut into slices / pieces
Honey
Lemon Juice
Pepper powder

Method

1. Peel the pineapple and cut into thin slices / cubes.
2. On each slice / cube, apply 3 drops of honey, 3 drops of lemon juice and spread little pepper powder.
3. Arrange these slices on a cookie tray lined with aluminium foil (else tray will be spoiled).
4. Take care not to overlap the slices.
5. Set the oven in broil mode at 500 degree F and broil for 30 min.
6. Serve warm.

Mushroom Masala

Ingredients


Mushroom - 1 pack (cut to bite - size pieces)
Ginger - 2 (1 inch piece)
Garlic - 6 pods (large)
Oil - 3 sp
Mustard + Urad dhal - 1/4 sp
Cinnamon - 1 (1 inch piece)
Cardomom - 2
Cloves - 5
Bay leaf - 1
Curry leaves - 10 nos.
Big onion - 1 (medium)
Tomato - 1
Turmeric powder - 1/4 sp
Red chilli powder - 3/4 sp
Coriander powder - 3/4 sp
Cumin powder - 1/2 sp
Salt - To taste

Method

1. Cut mushroom just before cooking (else mushroom will turn brown. )Wash mushroom well and keep aside.
2. In a blender / mixie, grind the ginger & garlic to a fine paste.
3. In a large pan, add oil.
4. Add mustard, urad dhal and whole garam masala (cinnamon, cardomom, cloves & bay leaf).
5. When they splutter, add onion, curry leaves and deep fry at a medium heat.
6. Add tomatoes and fry them till mushy and oil starts separating out.
7. Add the blend ginger garlic paste and fry for another 2 min.
8. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin (jeera) powder and salt and fry for a minute.
9. Add the chopped mushroom w/o any water. Mix throughly.
10. Mushroom oozes out lots of water which is sufficient to cook the contents.
11. Allow the contents to simmer to get a dry consistency.
12. Serve as a side.
13. Can be taken with dosa / chappati in its gravy consistency.