Kothimbir wadi

A few months ago life was  great. I had a terrific group of friends. We were a group of five and would meet everyday for lunch and share whatever we had made in the morning (for the husband's lunch boxes) and end the day with a good cup of tea. Sometimes we would go to the nearby mall after lunch and window shop or buy  or return stuff. 

Then things changed. One girl, S had to go back to India (only to come back on another project in another state). Then N, went back. A little later, I visited my family back home. M ( or Amma, as we fondly call her) has relocated to another state and I have temporarily relocated to IL, where the Hubby has his current project and  am now living in a hotel. Only N, stays  in the same apartment and she too misses the pleasant afternoons and the fun.

I cannot help but fondly recollect those cold winter and spring days when we met and shared so much over food. 

At one such get together ( with partners) I made these as  starters and they were crisp and tasty and gone in no time!

You need:

1 Cup Chana Daal , washed in 3-4 changes of water and soaked in enough water for at least 5 hours

1/2 cup Fresh cilantro ( firmly packed)

~ 1 inch piece of Fresh Ginger

2-3 green Chilies

Salt to taste

Hefty pinch Soda- bi- carb

Oil to deep fry

Wash the daal in 3-4 changes of water ( till the water runs clear)  and soak it (8 hrs being ideal, if not, at least 5 hours)

Drain the water and add all the ingredients listed, except the oil and soda-bi-carb and blend to make a gritty mixture (add a couple of tbsp. of water at a time only if needed)

Remove mixture and add the soda.

The next step is to steam the mixture, you can use something like this or just the good ol' idli stand like I did 

Lightly oil the stand and steam the nuggets for as long as  it takes  to make idlis. I usually keep the cooker (minus the weight/ whistle) for 7 minutes after it starts letting the steam come out.

Cool and remove the nuggets 

In the meantime, heat oil in a wok /kadhai over medium high heat  and line a plate with paper towels

Once the oil is hot (drop a bit of the steamed nugget and if it rises easily, but not too fast to the surface) carefully slip 4-6 nuggets, depending on the size of the wok, and deep fry till they turn a nice golden brown

Drain onto a paper towel and pierce with  toothpick (optional)

Serve with ketchup or green chutney  and/or sweet chutney 

I have another version of KothimbirWadi on this blog, which my Grandmother (Aaji) taught me. Today my Aaji , who is 84, is fighting for her life and never before have I wanted God to work a miracle so desperately. Everyday I call up just to hear that she is still there, that makes my day, just to know that she is hanging in there and thinking it is  her will power, of which we have been witnesses before, that is keeping her alive. 

Hang in there Aaji, we all love you. 

*Edited to add: My Aaji passed away last week, a day after I posted here. Words cannot describe the pain of her loss. All I am left with are memories.

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Kothimbir Wadi

This is a typical Maharashtrian snack! The main ingredient being... you guessed it, Kothimbir (Cilantro). This savoury cake is available in most restaurants who serve predominantly Maharashtrian cuisine. Shivaji Park (Dadar,Mumbai), is where I had my first taste of this wonderful snack.We used to do our Diwali shopping in SP and after the shop-till -u-drop session we would head for the nearby restaurant and tuck in!

There is also a place on the Mumbai-Pune OLD highway, where one takes a turn for Mum-Goa road.. (DattaGuru Snacks) where brisk business happens and the snacks (the usual highway snacks batata wada, samosa, pakodas and Kothimbir wadi are sold). This is one of the BEST places to get kothimbir wadi.

The first time I made this was at my cousin's house. She had to meet this guy (the arranged marriage scenario) when just an hour before the guests were to arrive, my Grandma bustled in with 2 bunches of fresh cilantro and said, "let's make kothimbir wadi.... the usual kande-pohe is so boring!"

So while my cousin went to get ready, I made this snack with my Grandma's directions.

2 bunches (fairly big) of Cilantro

1 cup Besan (chickpea flour)

2 Green chillies (+/ - to taste, I used Serano, so 2 were enough)

1/4 tsp. Tamarind paste ( I use readymade concentrate)

1/2 tsp. Jaggery

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp Baking Soda

Oil

Sesame seeds to sprinkle on top

Water

2 tbsp Rice flour (Grandma's tip: to make the wadis crisp)

Steamer / pressure cooker (without the whistle/ weight)

Do the preparation... if you are using a presure cooker, do not use the whistle/weight, pour adequate water in the cooker/ steamer and get the water boiling.
Grase a pan ( I used a cake tin) with oil and set aside.

Wash and chop the cilantro. Keep aside 2 tsp. for garnish

Finely chop the green chillies

Add the besan,rice flour, salt, tamarind pulp, jaggery, soda

Add water and mix well.

The mixture must look like a thick cake batter at this point of time

Pour the mixture in the greased pan , sprinkle sesame seeds on top

Place the pan in the cooker/ steamer and steam for 20-25 mins (do the usual toothpick test, the toothpick should come out clean when inserted). This is how it looks:

Let it cool, then cut into squares. The traditional way is to deep fry them , but this time I shallow fried them (like patties/ tikkis) and they turned out great!

The steamed wadis and the fried wadis.. before and after

Garnish with the cilantro kept aside.Serve hot, with Coconut chutney, tomato ketchup.

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