Plain Bhujias, Palak Bhujias ~ My Crispy Temptations!

What is it that motivates you when you feel a little low? Or what is that you do, when you have some time on hand? For me, its always been leafing through the many cookbooks collected and mostly through the files that I created with so much care and affection. When I feel a want for motivation or have a min to spare, I take out my file and lovingly go through each page. Caressing on the pages, with a strange feeling flowing through the veins, looking at those delicately created and artistically presented food, boosts me like nothing. Food, I believe is the sustenance that gets everybody going and one that is created and given with much love, makes up for everything in this world. Be it preparing and enjoying it, I have learnt from my family. Be it anything, Amma always puts in a lot of thought and effort preparing each dish, for everybody and very specially at that. And once it's on the table, we are expected to eat, no matter we prefer it or not. Dad is of the opinion that, if its fit to be cooked, its fit to be eaten. If somebody is very averse to something, we don't cook it at all, if it is, we are expected not to express our dislike to it.

I secretly take pleasure in the fact that my daughter loves going through my cookbooks and expresses so elegantly while seeing a beautiful dish presented. So this habit of mine gets more boost than required. Recently, while I was browsing through my file, I was stopped stock at a page that read "Crispy Temptations". Well, I am an ardent admirer of Oscar Wilde, and if not anything else, atleast try to yield to temptations thrown my way. And what can be more tempting, than a crispy one! Any South Indian foodie, worth their salt would vouch on the hold snacks and savories have on their life. I am no less. The many days spent longingly near the stove aside, while Amma would be busy spinning spiral loves, comes to mind. I am transported back to those days and just thinking of my eagerness and excitement on digging on those goodies, make my knees go weak. Come any festival and Amma would get ready to dish out many sweets and savories and Murukkus will always top the list. She used to make regular and star-shaped Murukkus. And my only aim in life would be then to get those big boxes empty! She had about 3 different Murukku achu to spin out these delicacies. Once I grew big enough to think about cooking than just eating, I loved spinning them out. But I never really thought about investing in one myself. But these crispy temptations were just too much.

So finally this weekend, I did just that. Got hold of a new Murukku Achu, more like the one Amma has, and Sunday afternoon, when the twins were taking a nap, this is what I did. But they got up before I could complete and were so eager to eat them. I was surprised that they loved it. All three barged in and went back with a cup full of bhujias. And each time we offered, they were eager to taste it. This continued through the evening until they went to sleep. This is the first time the twins were eating besan, but took to it as if they were eating it forever. My chinnu especially was happy to at last find something that he can dig his teeth in and not get barred by us. So he was happily munching on this, in a musical chom chom way! I tried two varieties and I am sure the other 3 will also be great. When I completed the mixing part, which was what very daunting to me from the beginning, I thought it might be fun to embark on a plan to learn something new each month, let me see how I go about it.

Now for these beauties

Plain Bhujias ~ Sev

Besan / Gram Flour - 1 cup
Turmeric a pinch
Salt to taste
Asafetida a pinch
Soda a pinch
Water as required
Hot Oil - 2 tsp
Oil for deep frying

Method to prepare

In bowl, take all the ingredients and mix well. Then add little water to get a thick batter. When you try to drop the batter, it shouldn't actually drop down easily. Place this batter inside the Murukku achu.

Heat a pan with oil. Once it's really hot to be dropped, test with a small ball. Then press down in a circle so that it doesn't stick to each other.

Once it's cooked on both sides, remove to a kitchen towel.

Palak Sev ~ Spinach Bhujias

Besan / Gram flour - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Hot Oil - 2 tsp
Asafetida a pinch
Soda - a pinch
Spinach / Palak - 1 bunch
Green Chillies - 1
Ginger - 2 "

Method to prepare:

Take Palak, green chillies and garlic and grind to a smooth paste using 1/4 cup of water. Strain the liquid.

In a bowl, take all the other ingredients and mix well. Then make a thick batter using the palak water.

Place this batter inside the murukku achu and press this into Sev once the oil is hot.

Remove to a kitchen towel and enjoy with a cup of Coffee or Tea.

Way to my Crispy Temptations!

This picture is my entry for Click: Metal.
Camera Model : Sony 3x zoom, 6 mp

This is the Murukku achu I got. It came with 10 different moulds. My next mission is to try all of them as soon as possible!

Recipe

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Plain Bhujias, Palak Bhujias ~ My Crispy Temptations!

Cuisine Andhra Pradesh, North Indian

Dish Type Deep Fried Dishes

Author Srivalli

Tried this recipe?Mention @cooking4all or tag #cooking4all!