Stuffed Chili Bajji

Ingredients
Baji Chilis: 10
Gram flour (besan): 1 cup
Rice flour: ¼ cup
Carom seeds (Ajwain): 1 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Salt: To taste
Oil: For deep frying

For stuffing
Peanut: 2-3 tsp
Sesame seeds: 2-3 tsp
Dry coconut powder: 2-3 tsp
Tamarind juice: 1 tsp
Coriander seeds: 1 tsp
Salt: To taste

Stuffed Chili Bajji

Method
Dry roast peanut, sesame, coconut, coriander and grind it to smooth powder adding tamarind paste. Do not add any extra water.

Wash and pat dry the chilies. Make a vertical slit with a sharp knife in the middle of the chili. Remove the thick vein with seeds if you do not want bajjis to be too spicy. Stuff the peanut paste in the chilies and keep aside.

Meanwhile, mix gram flour, rice flour, cumin, ajwain and salt and prepare medium thick batter.

Heat oil in a pan on medium high flame. Dip the bajjis in the flour batter and deep fry till golden colour. Serve hot with onion and tomato slices.

Star Fruit or Carambola Rice

Ingredients

Rice: ½ kg
Raw star fruits or Carambola: 4
Grated coconut: 1 cup
Oil: 5-6 tsp
Mustard: 3-4 tsp
Bengal gram: 2 tsp
Urad dal: 2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds: 2 tsp
Ground nut: 5-6 tsp
Red chillies: 10-12
Curry leaves: 4-5 springs
Turmeric: ½ tsp
Coriander leaves: 2-3 tsp
Asafoetida: A pinch

Salt: To taste

Method
Cook the rice and allow it to cool by spreading it out on a plate. Once it has cooled, add salt and two tablespoons of oil to the rice. Finely chop the star fruits and grind it with coconut, two tablespoons of mustard and 10 red chillies and keep the paste aside. Heat the remaining oil and add mustard, urad dal, groundnut, asafoetida, curry leaves and two red chillies. Add turmeric and sauté well. Add the grinded star fruit paste and stir fry for 2-3 minutes and add coriander leaves after removing from the flame. Add the mixture on the rice and mix it well. Dry roast fenugreek seeds and crush well before sprinkling it on top of the rice before serving.

Mango Rice

Ingredients
Rice: ½ kg

Raw mangoes: 2
Grated coconut: 1 cup
Oil: 5-6 tsp
Mustard: 3-4 tsp
Bengal gram: 2 tsp
Urad dal: 2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds: 2 tsp
Ground nut: 5-6 tsp
Red chillies: 10-12
Curry leaves: 4-5 springs
Turmeric: ½ tsp
Coriander leaves: 2-3 tsp
Asafoetida: A pinch
Salt: To taste

Method
Cook the rice and allow it to cool by spreading it out on a plate. Once it has cooled, add salt and two tablespoons of oil to the rice. Grate the mango and grind it with coconut, two tablespoons of mustard and 10 red chillies and keep the paste aside. Heat the remaining oil and add mustard, urad dal, groundnut, hing, curry leaves and two red chillies. Add turmeric and sauté well. Add the grinded mango paste and stir fry for 2-3 minutes and add coriander leaves after removing from the flame. Add the mixture on the rice and mix it well. Dry roast fenugreek seeds and crush well before sprinkling it on top of the rice before serving.

Spicy and Tangy Tomato Rice

I cannot imagine my life without tomatoes. I use them almost every day in my cooking, besides eating them raw and using them in salads. My mom prepares yummy tomato rice which is spicy and tangy. She used to serve with generous amount of ghee and it used to be mouth-watering. Here’s the recipe for it:

IngredientsRice: ½ kg
Finely chopped onion: 2
Tomatoes: 2-3, pureed
Finely chopped tomatoes: 5-6
Finely chopped green chillies: 5-6

Grated ginger: 2 tsp
Finely chopped coriander leaves: 3-4 tsp
Salt: To taste
Cinnamon: 2 inches
Cloves: 5-6
Garam masala: 1 tsp
Red chilli powder: 1-2 tsp
Turmeric powder: ½ tsp

For Seasoning
Mustard seeds: 2-3 tsp
Cumin seeds: 2-3 tsp
Bengal gram: 2-3 tsp
Urad dal: 2-3 tsp
Dry red chillies: 3-4, broken into pieces
Curry leaves: 3-4 springs
Asafoetida: ¼ tsp
Cashew nuts: 4-5 tsp
Ghee: 3-4 tsp
Oil: 3-4 tsp

Method
Cook rice and spread it on a plate to cool. Once it is cooled, add 2-3 tablespoons of ghee and separate each grain with the help of a spoon and keep aside.

Heat ghee in a pan and fry cashew nuts till golden brown, drain them and keep aside. Heat oil in the same pan and add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add Bengal gram, urad dal, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves and broken red chillies. Sauté well till the lentils turn golden brown. Add asafetida and curry leaves and sauté for a few more seconds. Add chopped onion, green chillies and ginger and sauté till onion pieces turn translucent. Then add finely chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, and red chilli powder and mix well. Cook the mixture till tomatoes release juice, on a medium flame. Add tomato puree, garam masala and salt to taste. Simmer for 5-6 minutes and add the mixture to the rice. Add finely chopped coriander leaves and fried cashews and mix well. Serve tomato rice with yogurt or any raita of your choice.

Note: Cashew nuts can be substituted with peanuts.