March 30, 2009

Batata Vada/Alu Bonda, Tomato and mixed Vegetable Avarekalu Uppittu/Upma

Batata vada, goes to Harini's "Recipes for rest of us-Starters" event which is started by Ramki.

Mixed vegetable and Tomato Uppittu, goes to Sahaja's "Single serving Recipes" event.

Thanks ladies, enjoy! :)

Who doesn't like Batata Vada or Alugedde bonda as we call it in Kannada? Here is my quick version I made just for this event. No measurement required for the dishes we send to this event and it should be so easy that even a 10yr old can cook it as per this event's rules. Well... most 10yr old kids can make these I guess, although letting them deep fry without supervision is not recommended.

Want to make Batata Vadas sophisticated enough for grand cocktail party? Make large Marble sized vadas and stick a few colorful Toothpicks on each like finger foods to serve with Ketchup or thinner chutney as dip. You can do the same with mini Chana dal round vadas too. Enjoy! :)

Batata vada or Alu bonda with coconut chutney:

To make Aloo stuffing:

1. Boil 2 large Potatoes until soft, peel and mash. Heat a bit of oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chilli flakes, chopped curry and cilantro leaves.
2. Add Potatoes, salt, lemon juice and mix well. Cool and make about 2" balls and keep aside.
To make batter:
1. Mix 1 portion of Besan/Chickpea flour, few tbsps of rice flour, pinch of bakind soda, enough salt, chilli pd and water to make a thickish batter. Rest it for 10 mins.
To make Bondas:
1. Heat oil to 375F or hot to deep fry. Dip Potato balls in the batter and deep fry until golden.
2. Serve with spicy Chutney; Grind Coconut, green chillies, tamarind or yogurt, ginger, salt with enough water to make chutney. Temper with Mustard seeds. Voila!! :D

Mixed Vegetable and Lilva/Avarekalu Uppittu:

Well... Sahaja wanted a one dish meal and here is my simple yet nutritious one dish Uppittu/Upma I make when I am in a hurry or don't have any left overs to eat. Usually I throw in a frozen mixed vegetable pack here to make veg Uppittu. I love Avarekalu/Lilva/Field beans in Uppittu but fresh beans is not always available to me, so I soak dry ones and cook them to add to dishes or use frozen Lilva. For tanginess, I add Lemon juice at the end or one fresh sliced Tomato.

To make Mixed veg Uppittu:
1. Heat 1 tsp ghee in a non-stick pan. Add 1 cup Semolina/Rava and roast until Rava is golden on a medium heat and spread it on paper to cool.
2. Add 2 tbsp oil to the same pan, add 1/2 Mustard seeds, 1 tsp Cumin seeds, few curry leaves, (Cashews are optional), 2 tsp each Chana dal and Urad dal, 1 onion, finely chopped, 2-3 green chillies and fry them until soft.
3. Add 2 1/2 cups of water, enough salt, few cilantro. Add 1 cup of pre cooked (Microwave them with little water) mixed veggies like Beans, Carrots, peas, Lilva beans, one Tomato sliced. Let it boil for 5 mins.
4. Taste for salt and turn down the heat to simmer. Slowly add Rava in a stream and stir all the while to prevent clumping. Stri well, cover and let it simmer for 4-5 mins.
5. It's ready to eat. serve with crunchy Sev, Boondi and plain yogurt.

Tomato,Peas and Carrot Uppittu:
Tomato, Peas and Carrot Uppittu is another of my favorite combo to add to make Uppittu. I chop baby Carrots in to rounds. They are very sweet, adds a sweetish flavor to spicy Uppittu and for to balance the hot and sweet, I add some Tomatoes or Tomato sauce to this. Adding 1 tsp of MTR Vangibhath powder or Rasam powder to this adds a excellent flavor as well.
Photo didn't come well for this Uppittu, bear with me. I have too many huge windows in every room, bright and sunny rooms don't help me in photographing anything properly these days.

To make Tomato Uppittu:
1. Follow the same method as above until step 2 and add 2 1/2 cups of water, 1/2 cup frozen Green peas, 1/2 cup Tomato sauce or 2-3 Tomato chopped, 2 Carrots chopped or coarsely grated, 1 tsp spice powder of your choice (optional), let it boil.
2. Follow the rest of the method like the above recipe and you will have fragrant, colorful and tasty Uppittu!

Have a great week, see you all later! :)

65 comments:

Saritha said...

Yummy batata vada asha and loved the upma as well.My m-law cooks upma with veggies where as i don't.I prefer her upma than mine.

krystyna said...

Very nice names, and difficult to say for me. "Batata Vada"/"Alu Bonda" I'm going to make today.
Thank you Asha! Great job!

My best wishes to you!

Raks said...

Upma sounds great,aloo bonda is killing me asha! Have a nice day!

Raaga said...

I have vada pav coming up sometime in April I think :) And I had upma for lunch today... with veggies :) what a coincidence.

I loved the idea of cocktail potato bondas...

EC said...

More than having batata vada as it is, I like it as vada pav..I too love the addition of a bit of rasam powder to upma..especially mysore rasam powder adds an excellent taste to it..

FH said...

Varunavi, I like simple Upma too, sometimes when I have frozen veg pack, I add them because it's already soft! :)

Hope you try K, simple and tasty dish to make like savory Semolina pudding! :)

Hahaha! Thanks Raks. Kids don't have school today, planning to go to movies later! :)

FH said...

Raaga, Upma makes a great lunch to pack too for you, right? I love cold Uppittu as well, enjoy. Vade Pav, can't wait! :)

EC, I love spicy Vada Pav too, made it once with Garlic chutney. This is very south Indian aloo bonda, goes well with spicy chutney! :)

Gita Jaishankar said...

The vadas look so yummy with the coconut chutney, adding field beans and frozen veggies to upma is a very good idea, I will doing that with my upma soon, thanks for the idea dear :)

Ashwini said...

My daughters fav upma..Looks yumm..Love that Alu bonda..

Mamatha said...

Asha,

bonda mattu uppittu sakath hagide,
naanu ide reethi maduvudu

Mamatha

Pavani said...

My mom makes killer potato bondas, similar to yours. Thanks for reminding, will try to make these for my DH. Mixed vegetable upma is such a go-to meal for anytime of the day. Happy Monday to you Asha.

Laavanya said...

Aloo Bondas are always great for tea time and easy to whip up. The Vegetable Avarekalu looks great Asha.. interesting combination. I love upma with lots of veggies and make something similar for my daughter.

Finla said...

I love these batata vada, it is ages ago i made them. I love that you gave them with the chutney, as i tend to give them with bland ketchup. Next time will make the chutney when i make the vada.

FH said...

You are welcome Gita. Field beans Upma is my fave but here I get only frozen ones which are not that flavorful like we get in India.

Thanks Ashwini. If I add less spices, my kids love to eat these with Ketchup! :)

Mamatha, kannadigarige ishtavada Uppittu alva, specially Avarekalu Uppittu! :D

FH said...

Pavani, Field beans Upma is so tasty, wish I could get fresh beans here. Alu Bonda tastes so good with hot hot chutney, a meal itself! :)

Laavanya, mixd veg Upma is so healthy and good way to include vges for kids if you chop them up into small pieces! :)

F, my kids LOVE to eat them with Ketchup always, I make chutney just for and Arvind! :D
Kids don't have school today, we are planning to go out to lunch and to movies in about few hrs, waiting for Trisha to get up!! It's almost 11am, she just woke up and showering now! :D

Trupti said...

Batata Vada one of my fav..temp is little bit cold here so Can I have those vadas? :)

Upma looks mouthwatering easy to make

Usha said...

Yum batata vada ! Loved the idea of using field beans in upma :-)

Rajitha said...

You know i have been dreaming of batata vadas from the past few days...looking at urs intensifies the craving so much more!!

Unknown said...

batata vada looks simply superb and uppittu is my all time fav that too with avarekalu yum yum yum yummmy

Mahimaa's kitchen said...

batata vada looks perfect. would love to have it anytime :) upma looks colorful and yummy... i make it at least once or twice a week... it's very healthy too. why no other updates on what u r reading and watching?

Cham said...

Aloo bonda or batata, love the even snack with chutney! I am not upma fan but the tomato one looks yum!

Deepthi Shankar said...

Batata Vada, wow reminds me of vada pav .. I have always loved steamong hot uppittus esp Averakaalu .. looks soo delicious Asha

UjjU said...

Vadas look so invitin & yummy! Avarekalu is a dream to get here! But nything with avarekalu is welcome home! :) Did you see the Mango Pachadi I made? All thanks to you.

Vani said...

Aloo bonda looks delish! I have my mom's avarekayi uppittu in draft (she uses jeera/pepper tadka) but awaiting a better picture :) Both uppittus look great, Asha. Adding veggies nicely ups the nutrition.

Lavanya said...

all are very good..especially bonda n upma are very delicious..want to have right away :)

Meera said...

Batata vada? Ohhh - i m drooling!! Delicious!! Loved uppitu too.

AnuSriram said...

All these looks so colourful and yummy! Gr8 spread! Batata vada.. hmm... delicious!

KonkaniBlogger said...

You're rite, who doesn't love Batata vada, or for that matter, even both of these uppittu's you have here ?? All are favourites at mine. I put just about any vegs or powders available :D..

FH said...

Thanks girls, glad you liked the Bondas and Uppittu. Both are my faves too.

Just came home the movie, that's why the delay in replying to you. Kids don't have school today, so quite busy entertaining ourselves! :P

Sahaja said...

wow...Thank you thank you :D perfect for my event :D
batata vada this is first time i heard this will def try :D sounds yummy!

Unknown said...

Yummy Vada Asha.. looks really yummy.. great clicks..

Varsha Vipins said...

Akka..those bonda's..woah..I am missing the so much u knw..Courier me a few..lols..I am trying to stay away from potatoes,.n they keep running after me in form of bhaji's n fritters n what not..:D
I am loving those Upma's too..super healthy they are..I am waiting to see the Wed post..;) ;)
Have a great week ahead..:)

Vibaas said...

real feast for the eyes, asha. i wish i don't feel so lazy and make it too... Monday blues, u see :D

I'm still drooling over that bonda! :D

Beyond Curries said...

Yummy bondas Asha. I also got the idea of using color toothpicks for my starters and took a picture too. Is it great women think alike or fools seldom differ? I'll be posting it later this week.

Red Chillies said...

All of them are my favorites. First up is the Avarekalu uppittu. I liked your variation of uppittu. Even though I like the Alu bonda, I feel it is a tedious process and stay awy from it.

Pavithra Kodical said...

Avarekalu is my all time favorite.Upma with all veggies tastes delicious.And oh aloo bonda is making me drool :)

amna said...

never tried uppittu before. the mixture of vegetables sounds lovely!

chef and her kitchen said...

Yummy batata vada's and upma..!!! i love avarekallu in my upma and roti...!!

Divya Kudua said...

Aloo bonda is an absolute favorite.Its been quite a long time since I had it.Ahem..since you've said that any 10 year old can make it,I should definitely give it a try.Yup,I havent made it myself as yet;-)always gorge on it when amma makes it!!Great idea of making them cocktail-party friendly too;-).Avarekalu upma looks yum,I've had it once at ma-in-law's friends place and loved it!!

sra said...

Beany upma! Very interesting. Is it traditional or your own?

jayasree said...

Love Aloo bondas. Liked the variety of upmas here. Adding rasam powder is interesting. I too like upma with veggies. It makes it colorful and appetizing.

FH said...

Thanks to all of you girls! :))

sra, Avarekalu Uppittu is a classic Karnataka dish. Specially when fresh Field beans are in season, we make so many dishes and gravies with those beans! :)

Madhu, great minds girl, great minds think alike! ;D

Beyond Curries said...

Whenever I tell my uncle that great minds think alike, my uncle used to tell me fools seldom differ!

Actually mine is not bondas, but something else on toothpicks.

Chutneytales said...

I love aloo bonda..They look great..Upma looks vey rich and yummy with veggies :)

FH said...

HeHe! You have a brainy uncle, Madhu, like his comeback phrase too! ;D

Thanks Madhumathi. I think most south Indians love these, easy to make too if you have Potato masala ready! :)

Preety said...

my mom use to make aloo bonda i never tried it..will try with your recipe..

i too like to add lots of veggie in upma..i made yesterday only..look yumm..this is perfect entry to single serving event..a wholesome meal in one pot

FH said...

Preety, whenever you make aloo masala for dosa etc, you can quickly make these Bondas, I do the same! :)

Soma said...

batata Vada.. send me some Asha:-)

rasam powder sounds good too!

Sharmila said...

Such simple Aloo bondas Asha! :-)
Upma is one dish that I confess I can never make very well :-( Something always goes wrong with the consistency.
I'll try both your recipes. :-)

Priya Suresh said...

ALo bonda my favourite...Upmas makes me hungry...splly the mixed vegetable upma, send me some aloo bonda would love to have rite now!

Vishali said...

my mouths watering looking at those bondas...mmhh ;)

Avarekalu Upma with mixed veggies looks delicious...

FH said...

Soma, Sharmila, Priya and Vaishali, thanks girls. Hope you try some of these! :)

Namratha said...

Wow, the batata vada looks yummy!

Savi-Ruchi said...

avrekalu uppittu, bayalli neeru bartha ide..
for me uppittu with chutney pudi & coffee is heaven on earth :)
tempting pictures Ashakka

Purnima said...

All the dishes look great! Loved ur way of batata wada! Have a great weekend!

Dhanya said...

Looks very delicious and colorful .

Jayashree said...

I like your idea of making marble sized bondas and serving them as party snacks....

Rajee said...

Wow, so yummy dishes even upma too.
Love batata vada with yummy chutney.

Uj said...

aloo bonda nodi baayinalli neeru bartha ide... its been a long time since we have made this.. Looks yummy. Have not tried avrekalu uppittu yet but have heard a lot about it :)

FH said...

Thanks girls, hope you try Bonda this weekend if I have tempted you enough! ;D

Mangala Bhat said...

What a lovely aloo bonda ..very tempting :D.love all the recipes of ur taste :)..Thanks :)

FH said...

Hi Mangala, good to see you here, thanks! :)

Pravs said...

batata vada !! yum !! love them :) In kerala we make potato bonda, similar to batat vada. Like the idea to make small marble size for finger food.

Unknown said...

Lovely recipes. i just have this upma with sugar!

FH said...

Thanks Pravs and DV.
My mother eats the uppittu with sugar too! :D