Black-eyed Peas and Spinach Vadai

Friday evenings are usually a gala time for us with our gang of movie buffs beginning the weekend in a glorious way watching a super-hit cinema accompanied by hot tea and mouth-watering snacks. This has become a tradition and since we usually don't make snacks any other day, the friday evening snacks are something we all look forward to. :) Come thursday we start browsing & planning what special to make.

So i had this remaining black-eyed peas after making the Thattai Payir Puli Kozhambu and was wondering what to do with it. It was a friday, and as i was browsing the usual way , came across this very easy n unique recipe of black eyed peas vadai. Of course, i had to make my own variations as the recipe in the site, didn't work out for me. The outcome was an instant hit !! :D

Preparation time : 10 mins

Cooking Time : 3-4 mins per vadai

Makes : 20-25 vadais

Ingredients

Black-eyed Peas : 1 cup ( soaked for 4-5 hrs)

Spinach- chopped, 1 cup

Besan or Kadalai maavu : 1/2 cup

Onion : 1 small , finely chopped

Ginger : 2 inch, thinly sliced

Green Chillies : 3-4 , finely chopped

Curry Leaves : 1 Sprig, chopped finely

Cilantro : chopped , 1 handful

Cumin Seeds : 1 tsp

Oil : to deep fry

Salt : to taste

Procedure

1. Grind the soaked black-eyed peas into thick paste with adding very little water.
2. Add the chopped spinach, onion, chillies, ginger, curry leaves, cilantro, cumin seeds and salt to this paste and mix well. Do this just before frying otherwise, it tends to become watery.
3. Add besan and mix it to a thick paste, do not add any water.
4. Heat oil.
5. Take small balls of the mixture n pat them in your palm , to make small rounds.
6. Deep fry these in the oil in medium heat so that the inside cooks.
7. Take it out once the vadai turns golden brown and let it be in tissue paper for a while to drain the excess oil.

Serve the delicious hot Vadai with a chutney /sauce of your choice and steaming tea. :)

Thattai Payir Puli Kozhambu

Thattai payir kozhambu is one of my favourite curries and very tasty too. Back home in India, my mother used to make it with the thattai payir or cowpea. In US , we get it as Black-eyed Peas. Techincally , both are almost same, though it is said that cowpea tastes much more better than Black-eyed Pea.

Preparation Time: 10 mins

Cooking Time: 20 mins

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

Cow Pea / Black eyed Peas : 1 cup

Shallots : 4-5 (chopped)

Tomato : 1

Red chillies : 2

Curry Leaves : 1 sprig

Tamarind : gooseberry size

Vathakozhambu powder : 1 tsp (optional)

Mustard : 1 tsp

Salt : to taste

Coconut Oil : 1 tsp

To Roast and Grind :

Shallots : 4-5

Tomato : 1

Curry Leaves : 1 sprig

Grated Coconut : 3-4 tbs

Cumin seeds : 1 tsp

Fennel Seeds : 1 tsp

Chilli Powder : 1 tsp

Coriander Powder : 1 tsp

Turmeric : a pinch

Asafoetida : a pinch

Oil : 1 tsp

Procedure:

1. Soak the peas overnight and pressure cook it for 3-4 whistles.
2. Heat 1 tsp of oil and roast the following - cumin, fennel, curry leaves, peeled shallots, tomato, coconut, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder and asafoetida.
3. Let this mixture cool and grind with little water.
4. Soak the tamarind in warm water.
5. Heat the Kadai, add the cooked cowpea, tamarind water and the ground masala. Add vathakozhambu powder to this. (optional )
6. Let this boil , till a layer forms on top and u get a nice aroma.
7. Meanwhile heat the coconut oil, add mustard, curry leaves, chopped shallots and dry red chillies.
8. Add the above seasoning to the boiled cowpea mixture and Your Tasty Kozhambu is ready to be served with rice. :)

Milagu Kuzhambu

Preparation time:10 mins
Makes 2 servings
Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Shallots- 10 (peel and don't chop)
Garlic - 4(peel and don't chop)
Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Pepper powder- 1/4 tsp
Green chilly - 1 (slit)
Tomato -1 big (finely chopped)
Tamrind water - 1/2 cup (undiluted)
Gingely oil
Curry leaves
Salt


Procedure:

1.Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and pepper. Fry for a while.
2.Now add shallots, green chilly, garlic,curry leaves and tomato. Fry for 3 minutes.
3.Add chilly powder, coriander powder and salt.Stir it well.
4.Add tamarind water and water. Cook until the raw smell goes off. Now add pepper powder.
5.When the oil seperates, its ready.

Serve with steamed rice.

Pudalangai poriyal

Preparation time: 5 mins
Makes 2 servings
Cooking time:15 mins

Ingredients:

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Onion - 1 medium sized
Snake gourd - 3 cups (chopped)
Green chilly- 5
Cocunut - 1/2 cup grated (optional)
Salt
Oil

Procedure:

1.Heat oil in a pan.
2.Add cumin seeds, onion and green chilly.
3.Fry till translucent, add snake gourd and salt.
4.Close with a lid and cook for 10 to 15 mins.
5. Open the lid, stir and let it cook for 2 mins.
6.Garnish with grated cocunut.
Serve hot.

Ghee Roast

Preparation time:0 min
Makes 6
Cooking time: 3 mins (each)

Ingredient:

Dosa batter - 2 cups
Ghee

Procedure:

1.Pour the batter over flat pan and spread like a circle.Add ghee around the edges.
2.Roast on one side till golden brown and flip to other side.
Serve hot with chutney or sambhar.