Thattai

Thattai is a popular south Indian snack. Other names are thattu vadai, thattai murukku. I just love this snack very much and will try to buy a pack whenever I see it anywhere. But hubby dear likes this snack only if I make it at home, as he thinks store bought thattai have a harder texture and unbreakable:) There are various thattai recipes but the core ingredient is rice flour. I usually make thattai using murukku flour (with thattai ingredients) also, but there is a separate recipe for the thattai that melts in mouth and here is my recipe after many permutation combinations:). I add more pottukadalai mavu (puffed channa dal flour) to get a crispy wafer like texture but we can halve it too.

Happy Krishna Jeyanthi!

thattai

pressing thattai.

thattai dough for 30 numbers.

Ingredients:
Rice flour - 2 cup
urid dal - 2 tbsp
pottu kadalai (puffed channa dal) - 3/4 cup
curry leaf - 2 sprig
shredded coconut - 2 tbsp
sesame - 2 tbsp
channa dal - 2 tbsp
red chilly powder - 2 tsp
hing (asafoetida) - 1/4 tsp
salt - to taste (3 tsp)
butter - 2 tbsp
oil - for deep frying

Method:
Soak the channa dal in water for 1 hour. Keep aside.

Dry roast the rice flour for few minutes till it looses moisture. I use store-bought rice flour and it takes 2-3 minutes per cup of flour to get that loose texture.
Dry roast the urid dal till it smells good (not red), let cool and powder it.
Powder the puffed channa dal (dalia flour).

Put the flours in a large mixing bowl. Add butter, curry leaf, soaked channa dal, sesame, red chilly powder, shredded coconut, hing. Mix salt with a cup of water and use this to knead the flour.
Knead the dough to a very soft stage (like chapati dough). Apply some oil over it.

Make small lemon size balls (approx 30 numbers).
Take a  ziplock cover and open three sides with one side closed. Or simply fold a plastic sheet and use it to press thattai.

Place one ball inside the opened ziplock cover , close and press using a flat cup(as shown in photo). Prick a few holes using a fork or toothpick (to avoid thattai puffing up). But I didn't prick all the thattais (as mine are thin only).

In the mean time start heating the oil in a frying pan. As it gets maximum heat, put the pressed thattai and reduce flame to medium. After a few seconds flip and cook till bubbles settle. Take out , drain excess oil and keep on paper towels. Just like this fry the thattai one by one. The whole process may take 45 minutes.

Store in airtight containers and enjoy!

Serving suggestion:
Serve as snack with tea or coffee.

Kadanja Kathirikkai and my kitchen garden

I prepared this side dish with homegrown eggplant and tomato. Here are some pictures of my kitchen garden. I love gardening, especially kitchen gardening is always rewarding. This year we planted 6 burpee brand eggplant plants and we are blessed with loads of harvest and I thank God for this happiness. I cooked a lot of dishes with eggplant. Also the homegrown  tomato, basil, spinach gives us immense pleasure. I shared the eggplants with few of my neighborhood friends and still waiting to harvest more:)

Kadanja kathirikkai - Mashed brinjal in tangy tamarind and tomato sauce.

Bought them on May 20, 2013 from stop and shop.

One Tomato plant for  $3.99

This 6 eggplants pack is for $ 3.99 only....eggplants always comes in deal.

Our garden space.

First harvest

I got this recipe idea from Ms. Manohari of Arusuvai.com. Thanks dear, now I have learned another yummy Indian brinjal recipe.

Ingredients:
Eggplant / brinjal - 1/2 kg
unripe tomato - 1 or 2
tamarind - small lemon size
green chilly - 5
red onion - 1
turmeric powder - a pinch
asafoetida (hing) - a pinch
garlic - 5 cloves

To Temper:
coconut oil - 1 tbsp
curry leaf - 1 sprig
dry red chilly - 2
mustard - 1/2 tsp
urad dal - 1/2 tsp
cumin - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Extract the tamarind juice. Keep aside.
In a pressure cooker vessel add 1 cup water, finely chopped onion, chopped brinjal, finely chopped tomato, slit green chillies, peeled garlic, turmeric , hing, tamarind juice .
Bring to three whistles and switch off.

Add required salt and mash this using a spatula to a coarse state.
DO NOT mash in a blender.
Keep aside.
In a tempering wok, heat oil, add mustard and as it starts cracking, add cumin, urad dal, curry leaf, dry red chilly. Pour this over the mashed eggplant.
Kadanja kathirikkai is ready!

Serving suggestion:
Serve as side dish with dal rice, curd rice,roti,  idly dosa.