Parippu vada (dal fritters) During the monsoon, a Parippu Vada is given prime importance at a South Indian household. When had with a steaming cup of tea or coffee, there is nothing that a parippu vada can&rsquo;t solve &mdash; including your monsoon blues.
<a href="http://www.mid-day.com/articles/mumbai-monsoon-special-reign-in-the-rains/15397158" target="_blank">Mumbai monsoon special: Reign in the rains</a>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2014/aug/Parippu-Vada.jpg" alt="" /> Ingredients (makes 20-25 vadas) &gt;&gt;&nbsp; 2 cups chana dal (split bengal gram/kadala parippu) &gt;&gt;&nbsp; 1 big onion, finely chopped &gt;&gt;&nbsp; 2-3 finely chopped green chilli &gt;&gt;&nbsp; 1-2 tsp ginger, finely chopped &gt;&gt;&nbsp; &frac14; tsp fennel seeds (optional) &gt;&gt;&nbsp; 3-4 stems curry leaves, finely chopped &gt;&gt;&nbsp; A pinch of kayam (asafoetida) &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Salt, to taste &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Oil Method &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Soak chana dal in water for two hours. Drain all the water. Pat the dal dry with a clean towel &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Crush the soaked and drained dal, and run it in mixer for a few seconds. Make sure you dont grind it to a smooth paste. Add all ingredients except oil to the crushed dal and gently mix it together. Make small balls with the dal mix (gooseberry size) &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Heat oil in a deep frying pan on high flame. When oil is really hot, reduce the flame to low-medium. Wet your hands and flatten each ball in your palm just before adding it to the oil. If you miss this step, the vada might break &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Fry till the vadas (fritters) become golden brown. If you prefer your vadas extra crispy, fry them till you get a darker shade of brown. Drain excess oil on a tissue paper. Serve hot &gt;&gt;&nbsp; You will get around 20-25 parippu vadas of small-medium si&gt;&gt; e. Serve hot Recipe and photo courtesy: Marias Menu (www.mariasmenu.com) Aloo bhaja Monsoon is the perfect time to cosy up with a bowl of khichdi or steaming rice, spicy dal and aloo bhaja (fried potatoes). A typical Bengali side dish, this is the Indianised version of the good ol&rsquo; French fries. It&rsquo;s easy to make and tastes divine.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2014/aug/aloo-bhaja.jpg" alt="" /> Ingredients &gt;&gt;&nbsp; 2 potatoes (thinly sliced but not julienned) &gt;&gt;&nbsp; A pinch of turmeric &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Salt to taste &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Mustard oil to fry Method &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Marinate the potatoes with turmeric and salt for 15 minutes. &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Discard the excess water secreted by the potatoes &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Heat oil in a wok or a pan &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Put in the marinated potatoes once the oil is piping hot &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Reduce the flame to low and cover the potatoes with a plate &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Check after five minutes. Stir the potatoes, cover them again and let them cook &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Ensure the potatoes are evenly cooked and not burnt. Remove the aloo bhaja from the flame after five minutes Aloo tuk Aloo Tuk is every Sindhi home&rsquo;s favourite fried snack. It is best had with Sindhi curry and steamed rice, but what stops you from munching on it with your evening tea?
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2014/aug/aloo-tuk.jpg" alt="" /> Ingredients To be mixed together for the masala powder &gt;&gt;&nbsp; 1 tsp dried mango powder (amchur) &gt;&gt;&nbsp; &frac12; tsp chilli powder &gt;&gt;&nbsp; &frac14; tsp black peppercorns &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Salt to taste For the tuk &gt;&gt;&nbsp; 2 &frac12; cups baby potatoes &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Salt to taste &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Oil for deep-frying Method &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Wash the potatoes and half-boil them in salted water. Drain and keep aside &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Heat the oil in a pan on a medium flame and deep-fry the potatoes till they are cooked. Take them out of the pan and allow them to cool &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Press each potato between the palms of your hands, flatten them and deep-fry again in the same hot oil till they are golden brown evenly on both sides &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Drain on absorbent paper and then place them on a serving plate &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Sprinkle the masala powder on top and toss well Pazham pori (banana fritters) Sink your teeth into this delicious South Indian snack item from Kerala and rest assured &mdash; you are ready to take on the world.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2014/aug/Ethakappam.jpg" alt="" /> Ingredients &gt;&gt;&nbsp; 2 sliced ripe bananas For the batter &gt;&gt;&nbsp; &frac12; cup atta/plain flour &gt;&gt;&nbsp; 1 tbsp rice flour &gt;&gt;&nbsp; 1-2 tbsp sugar depending on the ripeness of banana &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Salt to taste &gt;&gt;&nbsp; &frac34; cup &ndash; 1 cup water Instructions &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Peel and slice the bananas into big or small pieces. &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Make the batter with flour, rice&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; flour, sugar, salt and water. The batter should be thicker than idli batter. Dip the sliced bananas in the batter. &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Heat oil. The oil should be really hot, but not smoking hot. &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Deep fry the bananas till golden brown. &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Drain excess oil and serve hot. Palak bhajiya We usually eat spinach as aloo palak or palak paneer. But, this monsoon, use this vegetable, to make crispy, spicy bhajiyas.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2014/aug/palak-bhajiya.jpg" alt="" /> Ingredients &gt;&gt;&nbsp; 1 bunch spinach leaves (palak) For the batter &gt;&gt;&nbsp; &frac12; cup chickpea flour (besan) &gt;&gt;&nbsp; &frac12; tsp turmeric powder &gt;&gt;&nbsp; 1 tsp red chilli powder &gt;&gt;&nbsp; &frac12; tsp coriander powder &gt;&gt;&nbsp; 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste &gt;&gt;&nbsp; &frac14; tsp baking soda &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Water &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Salt to taste &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Oil, for frying Method &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Wash the spinach leaves and pat them dry. Ensure that they are completely dry &mdash; if they have even the slightest of water, the bhajiyas will turn soggy. Keep them whole if you like large bhajiyas. If you want a smaller si&gt;&gt; e, slice the leaves in twos or threes. &gt;&gt;&nbsp; In a bowl, add all the dry ingredients for the batter. Then gradually add water to form a smooth thick paste. The paste should have such a consistency that it should coat the spinach leaves fully. Leave the marinade aside for 15 minutes &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Heat oil in a wok on a high flame &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Dip the spinach leaves in the batter and fry them in oil on low heat &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Ensure that they are evenly cooked on both sides &gt;&gt;&nbsp; Serve hot with tomato sauce

It is pouring, and you have good reason to stay in with the aroma of sizzling ghee, crackling masalas and golden-brown fried stuff, which makes the rains memorable

Five fried snacks to make the most of this monsoon

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Five fried snacks to make the most of this monsoon

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