Paniyaram

Overview
A nutritious and healthy breakfast dish that is made with idly batter. Its a healthy dish made with rice and black lentil fermented batter. The batter is mixed with finely chopped onions, green chilly, ginger and curry leaves and poured into special mould that makes this Paniyaram into small balls. These beautiful leaf shaped dishes were presented to me by my cousin.

Paniyaram and Chutney

Paniyaram Ingredients

Ingredients
Idly batter - 2 cups
Green chilly  - 3 finely chopped
Ginger one inch piece finely chopped
Half a red onion finely chopped

Steps
1. Heat the paniharam mould. Wipe the moulds with oil.
2. Mix all the ingredients with the idly batter and mix well.
3. Add spoon full of batter into each hole of the mould. Cook on slow flame for about 5 - 6 minutes till the lower part is brown. Turn over and cook the other side.

Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Ambhazanga (Hog Plum) Chutney

Overview
Ambhazanga is very good fruit to make chutney. It tastes kind of like raw mangoes. A very simple chutney that is easy to make and goes well with any rice and Indian breads. This chutney especially goes well with biriyani or any fried rice.

Ambhazanga Chutney

Ambhazanga Chutney Ingredients

Ingredients
Ambhazanga - Peeled and cut into pieces - 1 cup
Fresh grated coco nut - 1 cup
Shallots peeled - 10
Ginger 1 inch piece
Green chilly 6 - 8
Curry leaves - 4 sprigs
Salt to taste

Steps
Mix all the ingredients in a blender with 1/4 cup hot water and grind to a smooth paste. Serve with any Fried rice or biriyani.

Shammi Kebabs

Overview
A good appetizer that can be made with any ground meat. Here I have used ground beef. Channa Dal(Split chick pea) is soaked and ground to a smooth paste that makes the binding agent for this kebab. Finely chopped mint and cilantro adds additional flavor to this Kebab. You can make this as spicy as you like just reduce the amount of green chillies added.

Beef Shammi Kebabs

Beef Shammi Kebabs Ingredients 

Ingredients
Browned ground beef - 1 1/2 cups
Channa Dal soaked - 1/2 cup
Finely chopped onions - 1 cup
Finely chopped ginger 2 teaspoon
Finely chopped garlic - 1 teaspoon
Finely chopped green chilly 3 - 4
Finely chopped fresh mint leaves - 3 tablespoons
Finely chopped fresh cilantro  leaves - 3 tablespoon
Ground black pepper  - 1/2 teaspoon
Garam masala powder 1/2 teaspoon
Salt o taste
Oil for frying Kebabs

Steps
1. Brown the ground beef and keep aside.
2. Soak the Channa Dal for 6 - 8 hours and bring to a smooth paste adding little little water at a time. This should be a thick paste.
3.  Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in pan and saute the finely chopped onions, ginger, garlic and green chilly till the onions are soft. Turn off heat and let it cool to room temperature.
4. In a big bowl mix the ground beef and the sauteed onions ginger, garlic and green chilly to this. Add the finely chopped cilantro and mint leaves. Add the ground Channa Dal and black pepper powder, garam masala powder and enough salt to this. Mix well.
5. Shape the beef mixture into desired kebab shapes and deep fry in hot oil.

Serve hot with mint chutney and simple onion salad or Ketchup.