Peanut Chaat / Peanut Salad

I made this quick and easy salad when my best friend came over for lunch. It is full of protein and very tasty too. Me and my friend had planned some physical activity that day and this power packed salad did help us to keep going! But, this definitely is not the thing if you have peanut allergies.

A perfect snack or a meal by itself for you all to enjoy! One can add other vegetables of your choice like cucumbers, bell peppers, roasted corn, cubed and boiled potatoes. You can also add some paneer and crumbled feta if you are a cheese lover.

Get Ready

• 1 cup raw peanuts
• 1/2 mango peeled & diced
• 2 carrots finely chopped
• 3 green onions chopped
• 1/4 tsp ginger grated
• 1 tomato, remove pulp and chopped
• 2 jalapeños thinly sliced ( keep seeds if you want some heat)
• 1/2 tsp chaat masala
• Salt to taste
• Lots of chopped cilantro
• Lemon/ lime wedges to serve
• Thin sev for garnishing.

Go

• Soak the peanuts in water for 1 hr and pressure cook with little salt for 3-4 whistles. Once the pressure cooker cools, drain the water from the peanuts and set aside.
• Prep all your veggies. Chop them in the same size as your peanuts .
• In a bowl, add the peanuts, chopped vegetables, salt, chaat masala and toss them well.
• Adjust salt and chaat masala as per your taste.
• Cover and refrigerate .
• Before serving, squeeze a little lime juice from a wedge and garnish with sev, mint chutney or serve just like that and enjoy!

Thayir Vada / Dahi vada

Thayir vadai is a classic dish of the south! I made them recently for a get together and the vadas were absolutely melt in your mouth type. It is very easy and quick to make. Try them and enjoy with your family!


Get Ready

• 1 cup whole urad dal, washed and soaked in water for 4 hrs
• 1 tbsp of raw rice ( soak it with the urad dal)
• Oil to deep fry
• A few sprigs of curry leaves
• A bowl warm warm 

For the thayir/ dahi

• 1-2 cups of plain yogurt ( preferably the ones that is not sour)
• 2 tbsp fresh grated coconut or frozen grated coconut
• 1 small piece of ginger
• 3/4 jalpeno chopped
• salt to taste
• Plenty of cilantro finely chopped
•  finely grated carrots 1/4 cup
• Nylon sev/ Bhoondhi ( store bought)

GO

• In a blender pulse the coconut, green chilli, and ginger.
• Add this to the yogurt with required amount of salt and whisk them well. Keep it aside.If it is too thick add a little water.
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• In a wet grinder add very little water at a time and grind the urad dal till nice and fluffy. use ice cold water while grinding the urad dal. using ice cold water is more useful if you are using a regular blender.
• Add some asafetida, few torn curry leaves and required salt to the urad dal batter. heat oul and make them into small vadas. if you are having trouble mkaing holes in the vada, add them just like round balls and deep fry them till they are golden. Fry all the vadas and set aside.
• Add the fried vadas to a bowl of water. Let them sit for a 5-6 secsonds. With the back of 2 spoons, squeeze the water from the vadas and arrange them in the bowl you are going to serve. use a wide pan.
• Once all the vadas are arranged, pour the yogurt that you have mixed on top of the vadas.
• Garnish with cilantro, carrot etc and keep refrigerated.
• Before serving add the sev/ bhoondhi.

Let me know if you try it and like it!