Vengaya vadam/Onion fryums

This Rice flour and onion vatral is easy to make and tastes good. Can be used as snack as it  tastes like onion pakoda. My mother used to make "sadam vatral" with left over rice. She used to leave the cooked rice adding water overnight. Next morning after draining the water the rice will be ground adding chilli powder, salt, sesame seeds and chopped onion and dried in sun by making small balls. Grated Dosakaya/ melon cucumber can  also be added and made like flat vadam. Some people use the Aval/flat rice and do this.
We call it  "urundai vatral" because they are shaped round with fingers.
I took this recipe from my sister-in law.I am posting this vatral recipe after trying the same twice this season.
Once I tried using red chilli powder and next used green chilli paste. This simple quick vatral needs no preparation. One can make with store bought rice flour quickly.

INGREDIENTS

Rice flour	1/2 kg
Onion	3 big size
Red chilli powder	2 tsp
Salt	to taste

 

METHOD
Finely chop onion and keep.
Take rice flour in a bowl. ( 1/2 kg flour measured 3 glassful)
Add salt and red chilli powder.
Add water and dilute the flour to pouring consistency like that of dosa batter.
Measure water which was  used to dilute. ( I used 4 glassful of water)
In a big vessel or pressure coker outer heat  4 glassful water( the same measure used to dilute flour)
Bring to boil. 
Add the batter and keep stiring till it thickens like Kuzhu.
Put off flame and remove.
Now add chopped onion and mix well.
Allow to cool.
Take  a small quantity of the prepared mix in hand  at a time, and place a small lime size quantity on the sheet  using the tip of your fingers.
Repeat this till the rice mix is finished.
After it gets dried the whole day, turn and keep under sun for one more day for the other side of vatral to dry.
Deep fry in hot oil for crispy fryums.

Javvarisi vadam/sago/sabudaana/tapioca fryums

Vatral/vadam is a summer preparation and is stored for the whole year. Since  these are available in stores along with papad we don't venture at home. This year I tried this at home after a gap of 3 years. My mother used to prepare varieties of vatral and as school going children  during our final exams we used to enjoy Kuzhu prepared for kuzhuvatral or rice vatral.  Any type of vatral when fried  will serve the purpose of side dish for many rice items. Sago vatral is easy to make as it needs no particular "padam" or texture. And pouring it on sheet with karandi/spoon is easier than handling the press called Naazhi. All these sun dried preparations are worth the effort taken. It takes 2 days for the final product to be stored in shelf. Here is the recipe I followed for Sago vatral.

INGREDIENTS

Sago/sabudana	1 kg
Green chilli	100 gms
Salt	to taste
Water	5 times the measure of sago
Lime	2

The dried vatral on the first day evening

Next day when the vatral is peeled and turned the otherside

METHOD
Keep the sheet ready to sun dry the vatral.
Buy sago which is used for vatral.
Measure the sago before soaking. (1kg will be 5 cups)
Cut green chilli and grind to smooth paste adding salt.
Use water, dilute and strain the chilli paste and keep.
Wash sago and drain the water and leave for one hour before cooking.
Take a big vessel or cooker outer and measure  water 5 times the sago (when dry) and bring to boil
Add the green chili water to soaked sago and mix.(If you are using a glassful water, reduce the same measure of  water in cooker)
Add the soaked sago slowly into the boiling water and keep stiring continuously.
When done the sago will look transparent and pearls will increase in size.
Put off flame when the consistency is still liquid as it becomes thick when cool.
This can be prepared in the night and can be put for sun drying in the early morning.
Add lime juice and mix well before spreading in the sheet.
Use big spoon/karandi and pour on the sheet to the required size.
The dried vatral can be peeled in the evening and turned to the other side.
Sun dry the peeled vatral next day till it is dry.
Note:
The quantity of green chilli can be adjusted as per taste.
Salt should be less than the green chilli heat.
Try using less measure of sago when doing first time.

Dried vatral

Fried vatral

Manathakkal keerai poriyal/ Curry with leaves of black nightshade

This is a curry recipe, which is a part of everyday meal. I used Manathakkali keerai (leaves of black nightshade) combining moong dal and made dry curry instead of kootu. Some greens like ponnaganni, murungai keerai, agathi keerai and manathakkali keerai cannot be mashed after cooking in water. These can be cut and cooked along with moong dal and made as curry with simple tadka. They taste good and can be used as a side dish. Agathi keerai is normally made using tuwar dal. Moong dal when cooked direct till it is 3/4 done and combined with any green will taste good and give the curry consistency. We rarely get manathakali keerai here. I thought of following my mom's recipe and made this curry.

INGREDIENTS

Manathakkali keerai	2 bunches
Moong dal	3/4 cup
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Urad dal	1 tsp
Dry red chilli and green chilli	2 each
Asafoetida	1/2 tsp
Grated coconut	4 tblsp
Sugar	1/2 tsp
Salt	to taste
Haldi`	1/4 tsp
Oil	2 tsp

METHOD
Take only the leaves from the manathakkali bunch.
Rinse and cut the leaves.
Wash moong dal and soak using  a glass of water for 1/2 hour.
In a vessel take  moong dal along with water and add cut greens and cook till dal is 3/4 done.
If necessary the extra water can be strained after dal and greens are cooked.
Heat oil in a kadai/pan, add mustard seeds, urad dal,  red and cut green chilli, and asafoetida and fry.
Add dal and greens and saute.
Add haldi and salt and mix.
Finally add grated coconut stir well and add sugar (optional) and remove.
The bitter taste of manathakkali keerai will be reduced by adding coconut and sugar.