Kothimbir Vadi

              Sunday is usually a lazy day for most people. We usually meet up with our friends on Saturday and end up sleeping really late and that, in turn, leads to late Sunday mornings. So we prefer having brunch since we have already passed the breakfast time. Today was a similar day for us and I was thinking to make something today that is quick, tasty and heavy too. I was looking online for some options and I stumbled upon Kothimbir Vadi, a Maharashtrian dish.

             Kothimbir Vadi or Steamed Cilantro-Chickpea snack, is a very popular dish from Maharashtra, a western state of India. There are plenty variants of this snack. Some prefer it deep fried, some like it stir fried, while some like it simply steamed.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups finely chopped Cilantro
• 1.5 cups chickpea flour (Besan)
• 2 Tbsp Ginger-Chili paste
• 1 tsp Red Chili powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp Soda-BiCarb (Baking Soda)
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Sesame Seeds
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin (Jeera)
• 1 Tbsp Oil

Instructions:

• In a large bowl, add the cilantro and chickpea flour.
• Then, add all the spices, salt, chili powder, turmeric, baking soda and ginger chili paste and mix them well.

• Now, slowly add some water to it to make a batter. The batter should be of thick consistency and not too watery.

• Pour the batter onto a greased pan. Then, using a pressure cooker or a steamer, steam it for 15 minutes or until it is cooked.
• The best way to know if it cooked or not is insert a knife or a toothpick and it should come out clean.
• Once they are cooked, let it cool and cut into small pieces.

• Meanwhile, heat some oil in the pan.
• Add the sesame seeds and mustard seeds, and once they start to crackle, add the cumin seeds and then the cut pieces and mix them well.
• Garnish with coconut and serve it hot.
• Enjoy with your favorite chutney/sauce or simply as is.

Chinese Bhel

                 Chinese Bhel is a fusion snack in which we combine the idea of the famous Indian snack Bhelpuri and the Indo-Chinese flavors. It is an quick recipe, just mix all the ingredients together and its ready. You can have it as a snack or even as a light dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1 packet Hakka Noodles
• 1 cup finely shredded Cabbage
• 1 cup finely sliced Onions
• 1 cup finely sliced Bell Peppers
• 1 bunch chopped Green Onions
• 1/3 cup Schezwan sauce
• 3 Tbsp Tomato Ketchup
• Salt as per taste
• Black Pepper as per taste
• Oil for frying

Instructions:

• Heat some oil in a pan for frying
• Boil the noodles in about 4 cups of water with about 1 tsp oil. The oil prevents the noodles from sticking together.
• Drain the water from the noodles, and pour some cold water on it. Again, I usually do this to prevent them from sticking.
• Fry the noodles and place it on the absorbent paper. 

• Now take a big bowl, add the cabbage, onion, bell peppers.
• Add the schezwan sauce and tomato ketchup and mix well
• Then add the noodles, salt and pepper. 
• Garnish with Green Onions and serve