Crispy sweet sour Alu wadi

This alu wadi is a typical snack made in Marathi homes. (Alu: Colacasia or edible Arum leaves; Patra in Gujarati). It is fried, crispy and much more tasty than the ones you find in food stores or restaurants these days.

Given below are the steps to make this delicious snack.

What you need is some alu leaves that are meant for making wadi. These you can get from the market. Wash and pat them dry.

The bowl to the left in the first picture. contains Besan ie chana daal flour, salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder. Half a teaspoon of turmeric is enough for three tablespoons of besan. The remaining ingredients are according to taste.

The second bowl contains Tamarind Sweet chutney. Jaggery is used in substantial quantity rather than sugar for the sweetness.  The Besan is mixed with this liquid chutney to form a stiff batter which will stick on as shown in the picture.

 

The above leaf bundle is pressure cooked. One whistle is usually enough. It can also be steamed. 

 The above wedges are deep fried.

 

Enjoy! 

Tangy Amla Pickle

Amla or the Indian gooseberry is a seasonal fruit and arrives in winter by the cartloads. Packed with vitamin C and other good nutrients, this juicy fruit has an immediate sour taste with the sweet and bitter notes released on chewing it. It can be turned into jam, pickles, sherbet, supari, or just eaten raw, with a little salt and chilli powder. Amla supari is especially useful to chew on in case of an uneasy tummy.  

The amla pickle combines the tangy taste of amla with the hot spiciness of chillies and the very different heat of mustard. Quick and easy to make, it is a must on your dining table, to balance the heavy sweets-packed Diwali dinner!

Here's the Amla pickle recipe. 

Ingredients:

4-6 amla fruits

1-2 green chillies

A few drops of lemon juice

1 tsp mustard seeds ground/ powdered

Salt to taste

For the dressing:

1 tbsp oil

¼ tsp Haldi (turmeric)

Pinch of Hing (asafoetida)

½ tsp mustard seeds whole

Pressure cook the amla. Let cool. Then remove stone and dice the flesh. Cut green chilli into pieces. Boil for a minute in very little water.

Mix the amla, chilli, mustard seed powder and salt. Add the lemon juice if you want an extra sour tang. Add the water in which the chilli pieces were boiled. Stir everything.

Heat oil, add mustard seeds. When they splutter add hing, haldi and remove from flame. Let the dressing cool. Pour the dressing over the pickle. Mix well. The pickle is ready to eat. Tastes better if kept for a day before eating so as to let the flavors mix well.

Note: You can change the proportions of the ingredients in the recipe to suit your taste. Ideally store in glass or ceramic containers. This pickle remains good in the refrigerator for weeks. If you're in a hurry, or do not wish to grind mustard, or for a slightly different taste, you can also use the readymade mustard chilli pickle masala.