Aloo Besan squares

Besan is Chick Peas flour. It is super delicious if you know how to cook with it and make sure it is cooked through.  This is similar to Aloo Bonda  but instead of  deep frying these I made the batter like a crepe and add the potato curry to it and toasted it again. Yum yum.
And I serve this deliciousness with beet root chutney

Aloo Besan Squares (Potato curry wrapped into a chick peas flour and toasted again with mustard seeds)

Potato curry for the stuffing

Potato stuffed chickpeas squares

Ingredients

1. 3 cups chick peas flour or besan
2. 1 cup plain yogurt
3. 3/4 teaspoon each of salt, baking powder
4. 1/2 teaspoon ajwain (optional)
5. oil for frying
6. 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

Beat the yogurt along with 1/2 cup water and salt. Add the besan to it and the ajwain if using and stir to combine and make the batter a little thinner than pancake batter. Set aside.

Heat a griddle.

Take a ladle of batter and drop it into the center. With light pressure and outward motion spread the batter into a circle 6 inches wide. Drizzle some oil on the perimeter. Cook in medium flame for a min till the edges start to rise. Flip the "dosa" and fry for a inute. Flip again. Add 2 tablespoons of cooked potato curry into the center and close it into a square. Set aside and continue with making the others.

Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil to a pan and add the mustard seeds to it and cover on a medium flame. Let all the mustard seeds splutter. Add the besan squares seam side down and fry for a minute. Enjoy with Beet root chutney

Beetroot Chutney (Beet root dip for Dosa and idly)

Beet root chutney

Ingredients:

1. 1 can beetroots drained
2. 1/2 tablespoon urad dal
3. 1 tablespoon chana dal
4. 2 red chillies
5. 1 inch ginger
6. 2 garlic
7. 1 small piece of tamarind soaked in 1/4 cup water
8. 1/4 cup dried coconut flakes
9. 1 teaspoon salt
10. 1 tablespoon oil

In a pan heat the oil and fry the urad dal and chana dal and the red chillies for a couple of minutes. Add ginger and garlic and coconut and fry for a minute. Add the drained beetroot and cook for 5 minutes. Cut the heat and let it cool.

Grind all the ingredients along with the tamarind + water and salt to a smooth paste. Serve as is or temper it with 1 teaspoon oil + cumin + urad dal+ red chillies+ curry leaves and enjoy

Mysoor Bajji

When I was little there used to be a vendor who used to make these little fried flour balls and served them curry leaf powder and I loved them. It costed us 5 cents in those days in India. Mmmm nostalgia.

Anyway, here is the recipe for those yummy fried flour balls. But the difference here is, I have this dish 

This dish helps me make these yummy balls shallow fried, instead of deep frying them.

Mysoor Bajji (Savory deep fried fermented flour balls)

Mysoor Bajji

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup all-purpose flour 
2. 1/4 cup rice flour
3. 1/2  teaspoon each of salt, baking soda, cumin 
4. 1/2 cup plain yogurt 
5. 3/4 cups of water
6. 1 teaspoon each of  finely chopped ginger, fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice, finely chopped green chilis, dessicated coconut
7. 1 tablespoons  finely chopped cilantro
8. Oil for either deep frying or to apply to the above pan (if you have it)

Mix  together, all-purpose flour, rice flour, salt, baking soda,  cumin and coconut. Add yogurt and mix it well add the water to make thick batter. Add remaining ingredients and set aside for about 15-20 minutes. 
Heat the oil in a pan,  Add 1 tablespoon of batter into the oil. Fry the bajjis until golden-brown all around. This should take about 3-4 minutes.
Mysore bonda should be crispy from outside and should be soft inside.
Serve them with coconut Chutney. or with Curry leaf powder