Stuffed Molagai Bajji - Peanut Chutney Stuffed Batter Fried Chilly

STUFFED MOLAGAI BAJJI
- PEANUT CHUTNEY STUFFED, BATTER FRIED CHILLY!

Bajji is an easy-to-make-dish by deep frying sliced vegetables dipped in batter. In South Indian homes Bajji and Sojji (a sweet made of semolina) are served to the boy and his people, who go to see a prospective bride. Usually the girl prepares the dishes so that the boys’ people might gauge her culinary expertise.

When our daughter took us to Haridwar on a pilgrimage, we stopped by an eatery for our breakfast. We were astonished to see an enormous platesful of assorted vegetable bajjis (they called them pakoras) they served for breakfast.

Bajjis are commonly made with potato and onion slices. Marrow slices and egg plant slices are also used. Now a days, cauliflower bajjis and capsicum bajjis are common in restaurants. Baby corn and cheese bajjis are a hit among children. The exotic among them all is the stuffed chilly bajji, which my paternal aunt prepared.

For this recipe, you need to prepare the stuffing, batter and the chillies as follows:


Ingredients for the Stuffing:
Peanuts -1 cup
Red chillies- 3
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Urad dal (Black gram dal) – ½ tsp
Asafoetida – 1 pinch
Oil – 1 tsp
Chopped coriander leaves – ½ cup
Tamarind – 1 small marble size
Salt -3/4 tsp
Method to prepare the stuffing
1. Heat oil and add asafoetida and mustard seeds.
2. When mustard sputters, add black gram dal and roast till it is golden in colour.
3. Add red chillies and roast till crisp.
4. Add peanuts and roast till they crack.
5. Allow to cool.
6. After cooling, grind coarsely with tamarind, salt, and coriander leaves.
Keep the filling aside and prepare the batter.
Ingredients for the batter
Kadali maav (Besan or Roasted Bengal gram flour) – 1 ½ cups
Rice flour – ¼ cup
Red chilly powder – ¼ tsp
Jeera (Cumin seeds) – 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Salt – ½ tsp
Curd – 2 tbsps
Oil – 1 tbsp
Method to prepare the batter
1. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Add curds and oil.
3. Add water little by little and whisk all ingredients together to make a thick batter. The consistency should be similar to that of a cake batter.
Preparing the Chillys
1. Wash about 8 bajji chillies and slit them lengthwise on one side only.
2. Take a scraper and scoop out all the seeds and fibers from the inside of the chillies and rinse them clean under running water.
3. Hold the slit open and fill it with the prepared chutney and arrange the stuffed chillies on a plate.
Frying the Bajjis
1. Heat oil in a wok. Take enough oil to completely cover the chilly when deep fried.
2. Hold the chilly by the stalk and dip the stuffed chilly into the batter, and coat it thoroughly on all sides.
3. Drop the chillies two or three at a time into the hot oil so that they do not stick to each other.
4. Reduce flame and cook till the batter is cooked intact.
5. Increase heat and fry until all the bajjis turn into a reddish golden colour
6. Take out the bajjis from the oil and drain them on tissues.

Enjoy with tomato sauce or pudina chutney while still hot and crisp.

Elephant Yam or Senai Kizhangu Curry

ELEPHANT YAM OR SENAI KIZHANGU CURRY
Curry or Porial is a vegetable prepared as a side dish. Its does not contain any gravy. A great many varieties of currys can be cooked with any vegetables under the sky! Two or four varieties of curries, are usually prepared in great luncheons. Varieties include the mildly seasoned sautéed or boiled vegetables. Fresh grated coconut may or may not be added. The second is the roasted or fried variety. Senai Kizhangu curry is a mix of both, and is first boiled and then roasted.

Ingredients:
Elephant Yam – 250gms
Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
Asafoetida – 1 pinch
Tamarind – 1 small marble size
Salt – 1 tsp
Oil – 2 tbsp
Mustard Seeds- ½ tsp
Black Gram Dal – 1 tbsp
Red Chillies – 4
Curry Leaves – A few
Method
1. Rub your palms with oil (beware, if you don’t do this, yam causes itching!) and cut the yam into small pieces, discarding the rough skin.
2. Boil the yam in adequate water with tamarind, turmeric powder and asafoetida.
3. When the yam is cooked add salt and boil it for a few more minutes and drain the water.
4. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
5. After it splutters add the black gram dal until it turn golden.
6. Add broken red chillies and fry till crisp.
7. Add curry leaves and then the cooked and drained vegetable.
8. Saute it with a spatula until it becomes dry.
9. If you want the curry to be crisp add 2 more spoons of oil. Cook this on low flame till it becomes crisp, mixing occasionally.
Enjoy as a side dish with the main course.

AVIAL – Vegetables in Coconut and Curd Gravy

AVIAL – VEGETABLES IN COCONUT-CURD GRAVY

Avial is a mixture of selected boiled vegetables cooked in coconut-curd base. A curry-like thick Avial (Variation 1) can be relished as a side dish with the main course. The gravy-like Avial (Variation 2), can be mixed with rice. This type of Avial is served with Aapams and Adais (both are variations of pancakes) in many restaurants.

Avial lends a special festive touch to even a simple meal. Poosnikai (Ash gourd), Murungakai (Drumstick) and Chena Kizhangu (Elephant yam) are the key vegetables in the preparation of Avial. In addition, you can also use one or more of these vegetables as well - brinjal, marrow, french beans, carrots, raw banana, potatoes, field beans, cucumber, and broad beans.

Care has to be taken while cutting the yam to prevent itching and irritation. A thin coating of oil on the hand, or rubbing the hands with tamarind juice will help. A friend who tried in earnest to help out in the kitchen, created a ruckus when she saw what she thought was her skin peeling off after cutting marrows. It’s just the juice of marrow that had dries into a thin film on hands, which can be virtually peeled off! Beet roots and Raw Bananas will leave a black stain on the finger tips after cutting. Guarding your hands before chopping vegetables prevents a lot of unpleasantness after good cooking. Happy cooking without stains and pains!

AVIAL - Variation 1

Ingredients
Vegetables:
Cut the following vegetables into two inch long strips.
Ash gourd -1 cup
Drumsticks - 1 cup
Elephant Yam – 1cup
Carrots -1 cup
French Beans – 1 cup
For the gravy:
Curds – 1 cup
Freshly grated coconut – 1 cup
Green chillies – 2
Salt - 1 ½ tsps
For seasoning:
Coconut oil – 2 tsps
Curry leaves – a few

Method:
1. Grind grated coconut and green chillies into a smooth and thick paste.
2. Boil the chopped vegetables with just enough water and salt, to ensure that the shape of vegetables is retained, and water is evaporated. Avoid overcooking as the vegetables to a mash!

3. Heat coconut oil in a pan and add the curry leaves.
4. Add the ground coconut paste and toss for a minute.
5. Add the cooked vegetables and salt and toss till you get a pleasant aroma.
6. Remove from flame and mix in the curd.
Enjoy this a side dish or a curry.

AVIAL - Variation 2 - with gravy

Ingredients
The ingredients for this avial are the same as above. The only additional ingredients, in this Avial are 1tsp of rice flour, and additional cups of water.

Method
1. Boil all vegetables, with salt as the recipe above, in a larger quantity of water.
2. Grind grated coconut and green chillies with a tea spoon of rice flour.
3. Mix the ground paste with curd, and an additional cup of water.
4. Remove the boiling vegetables from the flame, and mix in the coconut-curd paste.
5. Add salt to taste, if required.
6. Set this on a low flame again. Simmer up to boiling point, and immediately remove from flame. Note: Over boiling causes the curd to break.
7. Heat the coconut oil, fry the curry leaves, and season the Avial.
Enjoy with aapam, adai , steaming hot rice or puligare.