Javarisi Vadai (Sabudana/Sago Fritters)

Javarisi / Sago / Sabudana is rich in carbohydrates, with little source of proteins and minerals. This is the main ingredient taken during fasting in the form of desserts or as a whole meal, which gives instant energy. This is not the vadai prepared during fasting. Try this fritters for an evening snack.

Ingredients:
Javarisi / Sago / Sabudana - 1 cup (Medium sized, size of pepper corns)
Idli / Dosa batter - 1 cup (click here for batter recipe)
Onions - 1 big, finely chopped
Green chillies - 1 or 2 as spicy required
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Ginger - 1/4 inch piece
Coriander leaves - few
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida (Hing/Perungayam) powder - a pinch
Wheat flour - 1 - 2 tablespoons for binding
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:

Wash sago and add to batter with cumin seeds, asafoetida, salt to taste, a cup of water. Mix it well and leave it for 2 hours.

Once the sago is soft, add chopped onions, green chilies, curry leaves, coriander leaves and ginger paste. Mix it well.

If it is watery, add wheat flour and make it to a thick paste. Add little salt if required. Leave it for 15 mins. Deep fry the batter into any desired shape u like.

Turn over both sides and once it turns golden brown, keep them on kitchen towel to remove excess oil.

Serve hot with any chutney and enjoy.

Note: Add/adjust water amount if sago gets soaked and water dries out.


Preparation time : 2.5 hours (including soaking time)
Serves for 4 persons.

Karivepillai urugai / Curry leaves pickle

Curry leaves are anti-diabetic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic and hepatic-protective (capability to protect liver from damage) properties. They have the ability to control diarrhea, gastrointestinal problems such as indigestion, excessive acid secretion, peptic ulcers, dysentery, diabetes and an unhealthy cholesterol balance. Many think that it gives flavor to the food and discard them.

Source here

So to consume it completely, try this yummy pickle....

Ingredients:

Curry leaves - 40 sprigs

Black gram (Ulundu/Urad dal) - 1/2 tablespoon

Split chickpeas (Kadalai paruppu/Chana dal) - 1/2 tablepsoon

Fenugreek (Vendhayam/Methi seeds) - 1 teaspoon

Mustard - 2 teaspoons

Long Dry Red Chilies - 4 (adjust according to spice level)

Coriander seeds - 1 teaspoon

Tamarind - a small lemon size

Salt to taste

Asafoetida (Hing/Perungayam) powder - a pinch

Oil - 2 tablespoons

Method:

Wash curry leaves, remove leaves and pat them dry.

Soak tamarind in 1/4 cup of warm water.

Heat pan, add few drops of oil and fry curry leaves until they are crispy. Keep them aside and allow it to cool.

Dry roast urad dal, channa dal, dry chilies, Fenugreek, 1 teaspoon of mustard, coriander seeds, for 2-3 minutes, until they are golden brown and keep aside. 

Once it is cool,  add these to a mixer and grind to a paste(sprinkle little water if required). 

Tempering:

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds once it is hot. 

Once it splutters, add tamarind extract.

When it starts to boil, add the grind paste and salt to taste.

Keep stirring until it becomes  thick and oil oozes out.

Delicious curry leaves pickle is ready. Can be served with hot rice, idli or dosa.

Note: Can be stored in fridge for 10 days, if it lasts ;-) and consumed.

Preparation time : 20 minutes

Makes a cup of pickle

Singapore's Pepper Crab

Pepper crab is one of Singapore's delicacy. Very tasty and yummy, that I started to follow this method for cooking crabs. Below is my version of the recipe, check it out!

Ingredients:
Srilankan crabs - 2 (This type of crabs are filled with flesh and tasty to eat)
Garlic - 5-6 pods, finely chopped
Onions - 2 medium sized, sliced into pieces
Pepper - 3-4 tablespoons, crushed coarsely (Adjust according to spice level)
Oyster sauce - 3 tablespoons, (Adjust according to spice level)
Light Soya sauce - 2 tablespoons, (Adjust according to spice level)
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Coriander leaves - a small bunch
Egg - 2 (seperate yolk, only white is needed)
Butter - 1 tablespoon
Oil - 2 tablespoons
Salt to taste


Method:
De-shell the crabs and wash thoroughly. Normally, I get it cut n clean from the market itself, so easy to wash at home.

Crack the crab claws with a pestle, gently, so that it can absorb the spices, when they are cooked.

Heat oil and butter in a pressure cooker.

Once it is hot, add chopped garlic, crushed pepper, curry leaves and crabs, saute well for 5 minutes.

Crabs will start turning orange in colour.

Then add oyster sauce, soya sauce and stir well. Sauces have salt added to them, so taste it and add more salt if needed.

Add half a cup of water and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Switch off and allow the pressure to settle.

Meanwhile, beat egg whites with 2 tablespoons of water and keep it aside.

Then open the lid, heat in high flame, add onions and saute well, until they are transparent.

Simmer the flame, move the crabs aside in the pan, and add egg whites to the gravy and mix well.

Once egg starts cooking, mix well and saute with the crabs.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Note: Can keep aside some crushed pepper, and add at the end with onions.

Preparation time 30 minutes.
Serves 2-3 persons.