Masala Vada

Ingredients
1 cup yellow gram (chana) dak
1/2 cup onion finely chopped
1/2 cup coriander finely chopped
1/2 cup dill leaves finely chopped
3-4 green chillies finely chopped
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
oil o deep fry
Method
Wash and soak dal for 3-4 hours.
Keep 2 tbsp. dal aside, grind the rest,coarsely.
Mix all other ingredients, including whole dal.
Add 2-3 tbsp. hot oil to the mixture.
Heat oil, make pattie shaped rounds with moist palm.
Let carefully into the hot oil.
Fry first one side then the other till golden brown.
Serve hot with green chutney, tamarind chutney, or ketchup
Making time: 20 minutes (excluding soaking time)
Makes: 15 vadas (approx.)
Shelflife: Best fresh

Spicy Sev

Ingredients
2 cups gram flour (besan)
1/2 tsp. ajwain (omam) seeds
1 1/2 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tbsp. oil
salt to taste
2-3 pinches asafoetida
water to make dough
oil to deep fry
Method
1.Mix the chilli, oil, salt and seeds into the flour.
2.Add enough water to make a dough which is quite gooey.
3.It should not be pliable but sticky.
4.Grease the inside of a Sev-press, fill with the dough.
5.Press into hot oil, and fry lightly on both sides.
6.Drain well and cool before storing.
Variation:
You may adjust the chillies as per taste.
17
You may omit chillies to make bland sev.
You may add finely crushed dried herbs (eg. mint) for add flavour.
You may add garlic paste or very fine chopped garlic to make lahsun sev.
Note: A sev press is similar to a vermicelli press, but it should be small enough to handle over hot oil.
Making time: 15-20 minutes
Makes: 250 grams approx.

Nutty chocolate clusters

Ingredients: (makes 30)

White chocolate 175 g
Plain chocolate 175 g
Digestive biscuits 100 g
Roasted chopped nuts 100 g
(Almond, walnut, peanut, cashew nut)


Method:

· Melt white chocolate on double boiler.
· Break digestive biscuits into small pieces and add to the melted chocolate with chopped nuts.
· Place teaspoons of the chocolate cluster mixture onto butter greased tray. Chill until set and then carefully remove form the tray.
· Melt the plain chocolate on double boiler and cool slightly. Dip the cluster into chocolate, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Return to the greased tray and chill until set

Coconut rum truffles

Ingredients: (makes 12)

Plain chocolate 125 g
Butter 10 g
Rum 30 ml
Shredded coconut 50 g
Cake crumbs 100 g
Icing sugar 120 g
Drinking chocolate 30 g


Method

· Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a bowl with the butter. Melt it on double boiler and stir until combine.
· Mix rum into the chocolate.
· Stir in the shredded coconut and, cake crumbs and 2/3 of the icing sugar. Stir until combined.
· Add a little extra rum if the mixture is stiff.
· Roll the mixture into small balls and place them on a sheet of baking parchment. Chill until firm.
· Sieve the remaining icing sugar and drinking chocolate into large plates, roll half of the balls in the \icing sugar and half into drinking chocolate.
· Chill in the refrigerator.