Dal Pandoli

So far in the series,

First week - Sweets
Malaadu / Hurigadale Unde
Dry Gulab Jamun
Coconut Burfi / Kobbari Mithai
Almond Halwa / Badam Halwa
Elaneer Payasam
Godhuma Sojjappalu

Second week - Snacks from Gujarat
Damni Dhokla
Doodhi Muthia / Lauki Muthia

I came across this recipe while searching for snacks in Gujarati cuisine. Black eyed peas are soaked and ground into a batter and then steamed as small sized portions. If not for this event, I would have been skeptical to even consider trying this recipe but glad that I tried and found out a healthy snack / light meal option. This is like a grain-less idli option for south Indians and also a gluten free recipe if asafoetida is omitted or gluten free asafoetida is used.

Most of the pandoli recipes I came across are made with moong dal but there was this variation where black eyed peas was used. There is basically only one basic recipe online that everyone seems to be following. I am familiar with the steaming ground moong dal concept but black eyed peas version was a novel and interesting one. I wasn't even sure whether the dal would hold without any binding agent but hold, it did. One can include spinach leaves in the recipe and grind it along with the batter. I added cilantro and peas instead and added a bit of tadka to make it more flavorful. I served them with peanut cilantro chutney.

Pandolis are made in an old fashioned way on a cloth tied to a steamer, pouring portions of a big spoonful of batter over it, spacing them apart. However idli tray would be the perfect or even a better substitute for pandoli making which would allow one to use up all the batter at once and for an easier clean up. Pandoli are shaped similar to idli and I made the first batch the traditional way and the rest in idli plates. I made only a small batch as mentioned in the recipe and the pandoli cooked to perfection. I am a person who cooks for six even when there are two people and my husband was surprised to see why I had made a small portion when they tasted good. I am not sure about the results when made in large quantities.

Ingredients: (Yield - 12 pandolis or 9 if made in idli stand)
1/2 cup black eyed peas
1 tsp. grated ginger
1 tsp. green chillie paste / 2 green chillies
Salt to taste
3 - 4 tbsp. sour yogurt 
2 tbsp. minced cilantro (optional)
2 tbsp. fresh / frozen peas (optional)
1/2 tsp. fruit salt (Eno's brand)
Ingredients for tadka:
1 tsp. oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 pinches of ground asafoetida

Directions:
1. Rinse and soak the black eyed peas in water, for about 3 - 4 hours. Drain the water completely after the soaking period.

2. Heat oil in a small pan (just hot and not to smoking point) and add mustard and cumin seeds. When mustard seeds start to pop, add asafoetida and turn off the stove.
3. Grind the soaked peas along with ginger, green chillies, salt and spinach if using, adding only as much as yogurt needed to make a thick and smooth batter. 

4. Add minced cilantro, green peas and the tadka from step 2 to the batter and mix well to combine.

5. Take a deep and wide vessel or a cooker base and fill half of it with water. (I used less and it is a hassle when the water evaporates and the water needs to be added in the middle of steaming pandolis.)

6. Tie a muslin or thin cotton cloth over the top and heat the vessel until the water to starts to boil.

7. Add the fruit salt to the batter and sprinkle a spoon of water over it. Mix it well to combine.
8. Pour spoonfuls of batter on the cloth, spacing evenly. Cover it with a dome shaped lid or even a cooker lid without the whistle. 

9. Steam them on medium heat, until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean, about 15 - 20 minutes.
10. Turn off the stove and let it sit for a few minutes, Remove the pandolis and repeat the steps 5 and 6 to make more pandoli.
Serve them warm with green chutney.

Note:
1. Moong dal can be used instead of black eyed peas for variation.
2. Pandolis can be steamed in an idli stand instead to cook more at once.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#104

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N for Nigeria ~ Akara

Event: BM #44 , Around the World (A - Z series)  
Choice of Country: The Federal Republic of Nigeria
Capital City: Abuja  
Official Language: English

Nigeria is located in West Africa and is often referred to as "The giant of Africa" because of it's large population and economy. The name "Nigeria" comes from the Niger River, that runs through the country. Nigeria is inhabited by more than 500 ethnic groups and obviously it's cuisine consists of dishes coming from them. Wikipedia mentions that the cuisine uses spices, herbs along with palm oil or ground nut oil to create rich flavored sauces and spicy soups. Their feasts are lavish and colorful. They have a variety of street foods that is often barbecued or deep fried like this akara for instance.  

Akara are deep fried black-eyed pea fritters from Nigeria. I was contemplating whether to try these or not as black-eyed fritters / alasanda vadalu are a common street food in my home state, Andhra in India. However after going through the recipe, the method sounded slightly different than the standard Indian version and decided to give it a try. The black-eyed peas are soaked overnight and then skinned before proceeding to the grinding part. I have peeled my share of avarekalu when I was young but still the process of peeling off the skins is tedious. Employ your family members for the job during TV watching session. :) Coming back to recipe, skinned beans are ground into paste adding very little / no water. Then red chilli and onion are added and pounded in a wooden mortar and pestle until smooth. Then spoonfuls of batter are dropped into hot oil and fried until golden brown through out. I didn't have any variety of fresh red chilli on hand and so used green chillies instead. I ground the beans first in the food processor and then added onion, green chillies and salt and processed just until they were combined. (Recipe source: Here)


Ingredients:
1 cup black eyed peas
3 - 4 chillies, chopped finely (the original recipe uses 2 fresh red chillies.)
1 big onion or 2 small onions; chopped fine
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

Method:
* Soak black eyed peas overnight and then peel off the skins. Grind the beans into a smooth batter, adding water just enough to facilitate grinding.

* Add the chillies and onions and grind again until they are just combined. Stir in salt just before frying.
* Meanwhile, heat oil for deep frying. Drop spoonfuls of batter into the hot oil and fry on low flame until they turn golden brown through out. Serve warm.

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An InLinkz Link-up

Black-Eyed Peas Soup

While yesterday's soup was western whimsy, this colorful soup is redolent with Indian flavors. Beans and vegetables combine to form a hearty, wholesome and spicy meal on it's own.
This is going to be my second day BM#9 entry.

Ingredients:
2 tsp oil
1 clove garlic
1 onion
1 green chili1 tomato
A pinch of turmeric powder
1/4 cup black-eyed peas (cooked or canned)
1&1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup mixed vegetables (I added carrot, beans & potato)
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp cumin powder
Cilantro minced

Method:
* Heat oil and add the minced garlic; fry until golden brown.
* Add the minced chilli and minced onion. Fry until the onion turns soft.
* Next add the tomatoes and cook until mush.
* Then add the veggies and saute for a couple of minutes.
* Add the vegetable broth and turmeric. Cook until the vegetables are tender.
* Add the cooked beans, salt and cumin powder. Adjust the seasonings if needed.
* Simmer for a few minutes for the flavors to mingle.
* Garnish with cilantro and serve.

This is going to Susan's MLLA, hosted by me this month.

This also goes to
1. "Global Food Festival" by Kalyani
2. "Soups & Salads Mela" by Srivalli.

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