Masala Mixture

Kara Boondi
Source: Rak's Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 cup gram flour / kadala maavu
1/2 cup rice flour
1 tiny pinch soda bicarbonate
salt as needed
2 tsp coarse pepper powder
4 flakes garlic with skin
1 sprig curry leaves
6-8 cashew nuts
2 tablespoon groundnuts (i used roasted nuts)
1 tsp ghee - i used margerine
Oil for deep frying

Method:

Mix gram flour, rice, cooking soda, salt well (sieve if possible) and add water gradually to make a batter like bajji batter. Slightly thin that that, maybe 1 tablespoon more water.

Heat oil in kadai, you will be needing two big ladles with holes.

One for making boondi and more for draining from oil.  Use another deep ladle to spoon the batter.  Pour one ladle of batter over the ladle with hole holding it just above the oil and spread it.

Wipe the ladles.  Fry with constant turning to ensure even cooking and drain once the bubbles ceases and shhh sounds reduces or until golden colour.

Drain using other big slotted ladle in kitchen towel.  Repeat the process to finish the remaining batter.

Heat another pan, add ghee, when hot, add broken cashews, peanuts is using and fry till golden.  Then add curry leaves and well crushed garlic (with skin) and fry till nice aroma rises and add half of the pepper powder, give a quick stir and switch off the flame.  Add this to the boondi, add the remaining pepper powder and little more salt and toss well to get all mixed.

Notes from Rak's Kitchen:

You can add crushed garlic or asafoetida, if you want can add a little.

If you like red chili powder version, add 1 tsp to the batter and 1/2 tsp while tossing.  Others the same.

If the batter is too thick, you will get boondis wtih tail.  So add more water and try.

If the batter is too watery then the boondis may fall flat.  So add more gram flour and try.

Cooking soda is added for crispiness.  Since i use more rice flour, use very very tiny pinch of cooking soda.

Oma podi

Source: Rak's Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 cup Gram flour/kadalai mavu  

1/2 cup rice flour

1 tablespoon butter - i used margerine

2-3 tablespoons hot oil

1/8 cup Ajwain/Omam

Salt as needed

Oil for deep frying

Method:

Dry roast omam, just till warm and powder it in the mixer.  Then add 1/4 cup water and grind again.  Filter this and keep aside.

Sieve gram flour and rice flour together and add salt, butter, hot oil and the omam extract and mix well.

Then add water as neeeded (careful needs very less) and mix well form a sticky dough.

Press though the omapodi/idiyappam press in heated oil (oil should be heated just right, i.e. if you add a pinch of dough it should raise up immediately, dont heat till oil fuming).

Form a circle in the oil and make sure you don't overlapped.

Turn carefully immediately and cook till the bubbles ceases (takes very less time, less than a minute)

Drain in paper towel and repeat the process for rest of the dough.

Notes:

If you find it difficult to press though, then sprinkle a little water to loosen the dough.

Keep in an airtight container after cooling down, tastes bet from the next day.

Kara sev

Source: Rak's Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 cup, heaped gram flour / kadala mavu

3/4 cup rice flour

1/4 teaspoon asafoetida powder

1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 teaspoon pepper, crushed coarsely

1 teaspoon jeera/cumin seeds

2 tablespoons butter,softened - i used margerine

Salt as needed

Oil for deep frying

Method:

Sieve gram flour it it has any lumps.  Take both flours in a bowl, melt butter and add it to it.

Add crushed pepper and jeera, salt, turmeric and asafoetida.  Mix well, add enough water to make a stiff dough but there should not be any cracks.  Make as a smooth dough.

Take the murukku press with the same plate we use the make murukku.  Fill the press with dough and press in hot oil large circles.  Do not make too many layers just two circles.  Fry in medium flame on both sides till the bubbles and shhh sounds ceases.

Notes from Rak's Kitchen

You can do the authentic way in which the dough is rubbed through a big ladles with holes.  But i found it difficult as i had only a small ladle and could not bear the heat, so this is the easier way.  No big difference too. Eat after a day to enjoy the pepper flavour fully. Store in air tight container.  Drain in paper towel and break roughly into pieces.