BDC Chef – Mamatha Bochala

This is Mamatha Bochala, a typical software professional, born and raised in a small south Indian town.  I simply love my family more than anything in the world. And I love my small little hobbies of cooking, photography and travel. I love my life, my singleness, my crazy working schedules and I absolutely love my cooking, a meditation of my daily life. As my life is so filled with many colors, I love bringing more colors on my plate, which makes me feel happy, healthy and satisfied. All my recipes are quick, easy, kind of healthy, perfectly fit for busy work life. You are most welcome to join with this big foodie in this colorful, delicious aromatic journey…..

                              Crispy Cabbage Fritters (Cabbage Pakora):
Preparation & Cooking Time: 20 mins
No.of Servings: 2
Ingredients:
Cabbage – 1 big slice of cabbage, washed and sliced into thin, 1 inch pieces
Green chilies – 2 Medium spice, Wash and Chop into small pieces
Chickpea flour / Besan Flour – 1 cup
Rice Flour – 1 tbl spoons
Salt – as per taste
Jeera / Cumin Seeds – 1 tbl spoon (Optional)
Ginger  Garlic Paste – 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder (Optional) – ½ tsp (as per taste)
Curry Leaves – few (As per taste)
Oil – to deep Fry
Preparation Method:
Take Besan flour in a bowl, Add Rice Flour, Salt, cumin seeds, chopped green chillies, Ginger Garlic paste, Cabbage, Curry Leaves to the bowl.  Heat a spoon of oil, and add to the bowl. Mix all the ingredients well with fingers. Make sure the batter is little hard, not a smooth paste. The batter should just coat the cabbage. Add just few drops of water if required. Make sure the flour is not watery. Watery mix turns soggy or soft pakoras, not the crisp ones.
Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Once the oil turns hot, reduce it to medium flame. I prefer using fingers to make a small fritters, and drop the fritters in oil. You can use a small spoon of batter and drop the batter in oil. Deep fry till it turns golden brown color.  Once its done, remove the fritters, place on paper towel to remove the excess oil.  Enjoy the Yummy hot fritters (Pakoras) with any ketchup or Tomato Chutney with a hot coffee/ tea.  It is a dry pakora, can be stored in air tight container for 2-3 days.

                                       Black Eyed Peas Fritters Recipe:
Ingredients:
Dried Black eyed peas – 2 cups (Wash and Soak in water over the night or for 7-8 hours)
Rice – 1 tbl spoon (Optional)
Ginger – ½ inch or a small piece
Green Chilies – 2 or As per taste
Coriander Leaves – 2 tbl spoons ( Chopped into small pieces)
Onion – 1 small (Peel, and chop into small pieces)
Curry Leaves – 5 to 6 leaves (Thinly chopped into small pieces)
Salt – as per taste
Cumin Seeds – 1 tbl Spoon (Optional)
Oil – 2 Cups (Or  sufficient Oil to Fry)

Preparation Method:
Wash and Soak Black Eyed Peas and Rice in water over the night or around 8 hours. Drain the water completely.  Add green chilies, Ginger and Salt to the peas and Grind to Coarse Paste. Take two spoons of Coarse Paste aside, and grind the rest into smooth paste. Add little water only if required. The consistency of l the mixture should be like Vada Mixture. Add Chopped Onions, Coriander Leaves, Curry Leaves and Cumin Seeds to the mixture. Mix well, adjust the salt if required.
Pour Oil into a pan, let it bring to piping hot and then bring it to medium hot.  Take the mixture into small lemon size round, Press it like Vada or Patti Shape, Put a hole in the middle of Vada if you like, or press in the middle.  Place these vada s / pattis in oil,  fry till these vada s get golden brown color.  Serve Hot with Coconut Chutney or any of your fav. Chutneys.

                                                              Veggie Basket
                                    (Fully Loaded Veggies in a Bread Basket):
Total Time: 25-30 mins:
Ingredients:
Green Bell Pepper – 1 medium size, washed, remove seeds and chop into small cubes
Red Bell Pepper – 1 medium size, washed, removed seeds and chop into small cubes
Potato – 1 medium size , washed, peeled and chop into small cubes
Green Peas – 1 small cup
Onion – 1 small- Peel and chop into small pieces
Garlic – 1 small pod – peeled and chopped  (Optional)
Jeera Seeds – 1 small tbl spoon (Optional)
Mustard Seeds – 1 small tbl spoon (Optional)
Oil – 2 spoons  (to sautee the vegetables)
Salt – 1 tbl spoon (as per taste)
Crushed Pepper – 1 tbl spoon (as per taste)
White Bread – 6 slices
Butter – 1 small cube ( bring to room temperature) – (Optional, You can use any Vegetable Oil)Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese – 2 spoons – (Optional)
Preparation:
 Preheat Over at 410 °F. Spray the muffin tray with cooking spray or with grease with butter.
Stuffing Preparation: Heat Oil in the pan, add jeera seeds, mustard seeds, let it splatter. Add chopped Onion, fry for two mins till it leaves the raw smell (Or fry till turn little brown color), add chopped garlic, chopped vegetables (Bell Peppers, Potato) and peas. Add salt and pepper, sautee the vegetables for 5 mins or till vegetables leaves the raw smell.
Take the bread slices, Remove the edges. Cut Diagonal and make every slice into two pieces. Apply Butter to both sides of the slices. Place the slices in each muffin cup by pressing in bottom and sides as a cup.  Take a spoon and Fill the cup with vegetable stuffing. Sprinkle Chedder Cheese on top of the vegetables. Place the muffin tray in the pre-heated oven and let it bake for 10-15 mins.

Remove the Tray from oven and let it cool for 5 mins. Remove the baked veggie cups from tray with the help of knife or fork and serve hot.

                                                     Coconut Curry:
Total time: 25-30 mins
Ingredients:

Shrimp – 15 count, fresh/ frozen , uncooked, Peeled, De-veined 
Onion –  1 small, peel, chop into small pieces
Ginger Garlic Paste- ½ tbl spoon
Tomato – 1 small – wash, cut onto small pieces
Fresh grated Coconut – 1 small cup – (Grind and make a coarse paste)
Red Bell Pepper – Small or ¼ portion – Remove the Seeds, Cut to Long thin Slices (Optional)
Green Bell Pepper – Small or ¼ portion – Remove the seeds, Cut into Long thin Slices (Optional)
Salt – 1 tea spoon (As per taste)
Crushed Pepper – ½ tea spoon
Turmeric – a pinch
Red Chilli Powder – ½ tbl spoon (As per taste)
Coriander powder – ½ tbl spoon
Mustard Seeds – ½ tbl spoon
Jeera Seeds – ½ tbl spoon
Bay Leaves – 2  (Optional)
Basil Leaves – 2 or 3 (Optional)
Oil – 3 tbl spoons
Preparation Method:
Take shrimp in a small bowl, mix it with Salt ,  Turmeric and crushed pepper . Take a Pan, add a spoon of oil, let it get hot. Add Shrimp and cook them for few mins. Cook 2 -3 mins at one side, flip and cook the other side.  Cook them until a little pink color. Remove from the pan and keep them aside. 
Add two spoons of oil, heat the oil, add mustard seeds, jeera (Cumin)  seeds. Fry for a min, and add chopped onion. Fry the onions till turns to golden brown color, add ginger garlic paste, red bell pepper, green bell pepper pieces, salt, turmeric, Red chilli powder, Coriander Powder. Fry for 2-3 mins. Stir to make sure not to burn the spices. Add shrimp, mix well, fry for a min. Add chopped Tomato, Coconut Paste, Bay Leaves, stir well. Close the lid, let it cook for 5-10 mins, bring it to simmer. Stir in the middle if required. Add chopped Basil leaves at the end to enhance the sweet flavor. Serve hot with Rice or Roti.