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Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Vazhakkai kola urundai (vegetarian version of kheema balls with plantain)


I am back to my sweet home after a 5 month stay in US. Definitely missing my grandson 24/7. I need 3 or 4 separate blogs to share my experiences abroad.I was really astonished to see the interest of our guys there in cooking.
After coming home I attended few weddings and collected some rare recipes from the famous chettinad cooks being engaged for the wedding.I will slowly share them with my readers.
The first in the list is the vazhakkai kola urundai,this is a real substitute of the mutton kheema balls for the vegetarians.Those who drool over the kheema balls can have an alternate vegetarian item.
Ingredients
Vazhakkai (medium size) -1
small onion-5
garlic-5
kas kas-1 teaspoon
fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
pottukadalai -3 tablespoons ( should be increased according to the size of the vazhakkai)
cashews -8
green chilli-2
red chilli-2
grated cocunut-2 tablespoons
ginger- 1 inch piece
clove-2
cinamon-a small piece



Procedure
cut the vazhakkai into round pieces as shown and cook well. once it cools remove the skin and smash the pieces nicely using hand.
Keep the kadai in the stove. Pour 1 teaspoon oil.Add cinamon and clove first. Then add onion,garlic,chilli,red chilli,ginger and saute. Now add pottukadalai,kas kas and cashews and roast them in low fire. Once pottukadalai and cashews become pink add the grated cocunut and saute till that too become little red.allow everything to cool. Then grind them to a smooth paste in the mixi. Dont add too much water. If by any chance it turns watery add a hand full of pottukadai and grind. Transfer the grinded items into a bowl. Add the smashed vazhakkai and the salt needed and mix well. Check for the taste. If salt or hotness is missing add chilli powder or salt.
Now the dough is ready for frying. Keep a small kadai in the stove. Add the oil required for frying. Make the dough into small balls and fry in medium fire till they turn golden brown. Dont touch the balls till they get cooked . once they seem to be cooked you can turn sides else there is a chance of balls getting broken.
Your veg version of kheema balls are ready. Serve hot along with tomato sauce and get all the name and fame from your loved ones

24 comments:

Gaya said...

Glad to have you back Aachi! hope you had a fantastic time with your daughter and grandson. I truely missed your new posts. I'm pregnant expecting my second child and I have wierd cravings for vegetarian food, like avial kootu etc. I've been trying to make something new everyday. Cant wait for my mother to arrive (wait till jan...) until then I'll be trying my hands on all your new recipes. Again welcome back!.

Solai Chidambaram said...

congrats Gaya on your motherhood.Happy to note that you cook something new everyday.Take care of your health dear.

Unknown said...

Wow u r back...Aachi..Very nice idea using Vazhaikkai...I hope ur trip was pleasant..and your daughter & her kid are fine...B'cos everything will be fresh in your mind..Can u please make a seperate link for pregnancy and lactation recipies and share all your knowledge about authentic recipies...I know some have been already mentioned in the introduction of dishes eg.Elumbu kuzhambu but if you can put seperately in an order under a new heading and link all ur connected recipies and also add some new ones it will be great...bcos we have lost all the rich knowledge our grandparents had for all these pathiya kasayams and kuzhambu's, please share your information.Thanks.
warm regards,
supriya.

Solai Chidambaram said...

supriya,I intend to share some recipes good for pregnant and new moms.I did not give any pathiya kuzhambu or kashayam to my daughter.The new mom has to eat well to regain health and breast feed the baby.So any food with less masala and hotness will do all good. I will definitely share some recipes which will increase the milk supply under a separate head.

Moi. said...

Hello Aachi,

Congratulations on the new grandson, Siddarth. Please post some pics taken when you were here. Also I wanted to know if you have the recipe for Masala Vadai. My colleague`s mom used to make terrific masala vadai. Also visit mmy blog when you find time and leave your comments. I want to try this Kola Urundai and I shall let you know my comments.

Thanks
www.anubhavati.wordpress.com

kavithaskitchen said...

hello achi........i am kavitha, few months back i stopped taking non veg food, but i am a great lover of mutton kola,now really i got a wonderful substitute..........thank u very much.

Cham said...

Hi aunty,
How r u? Hope u re missing the little one now :) I was in India till mid aug.
I love keema urundai kuzhambu, sure this one is in try list!

Solai Chidambaram said...

Hai Cham
I am certainly missing the little one.To be true I am missing you too.I was wondering what happened to you.Nice to see you back with the comments

Unknown said...

Hi Aunty tried this recipe and it came out really well ,my hard-core non-veg hubby din't realize that it was made from vazhakkai . Thanks for sharing your recipies

Priyavigram said...

Hello Aunty
Recently i found your blog, and loved all your recepies. when my uncle came home for first time i wanted to try your mutton kuzhambu and tried , it came out perfect and got lot of good cmments.
and all thanks goes to you, and yesterday i tried Vazhakkai kola urundai came out too good, no balls were broken , and taste was too good, my hubby appritiated me for the same.
Thanks a lot for posting wonderful rcepies aunty. I love to try new things everyday.

Unknown said...

Hi aachi,

I came to know your site through one of my friend & i find its worth to try all the receipes here.. thanks for all that effort. I would like to know how to clean the mushrooms before we cook. I can buy the White button mushroom in deparment and try the receipes

Sherly.

Solai Chidambaram said...

Presi,I usually clean the mushrooms with a wet tissue one by one.If you find it too muddy wash it once in water and wipe the water off with a tissue.

Unknown said...

Hi aachi
thanks for your immidiate response.I got married 2months before only. My hubby is from devakottai & so i started trying chettinad dishes from your site.

For vazhakkai Urundai , do we need to boil the vazhakkai in cooker and then try the receipe?
can we buy the button mushroom in night & keep it in fridge & try next day?

Solai Chidambaram said...

Presi, do not cook vazhakkai in cooker.It will get smashed.Vazhakkai will get cooked very fast.
you can buy mushroom the previous day and refrigerate.

Unknown said...

ok..then i will boil vazhakkai for 5 - 10min, so that gets cooked & then i can try the rest of the receipe?

regds
Sherly

Unknown said...

Hello Achi, Wonderful yet simple recipe. Thanks for sharing this. I tried this recipe today and my husband loved it. It pulled in a lot of oil though. Any idea why this would happen?

Priyadharisini said...

Hi Achi amma....Hope you all r u doing great. I must say you are my life saver like my mom. My name is priya...i live in US....Maryland. My friend met you in flight..when u came to US.I guess..ur daughter lives is in Virgina.
Amma, i tried vazhakkai kola urundai today, i was very excited to prepare that but when i fried everything got melted in the oil...i was very upset..added all the ing according to your instruction...then i noticed the point..my plantain size is big so i need to add more podukadalai...then immediately i added some powder...for my surprise it came out really well. I always try your recipes. Few recipes are close to my mom style. My great grandparents lived in Chettinadu it seems but now my grand parents and my parents settled down close to salem...still few of our relatives are there..may be that influence my mom cooking is similar to yours.

Thanks achi amma....for your wonderful recipes. I want to upload my kola urndai pics but i couldn't put my photo here.

Solai Chidambaram said...

Priya,I am very happy to see ur comment.Very glad that my blog is useful to many.Ya,I met a newly wed couple who came to maryland in the flight.i forgot her name,but still remember her face very well.you are right,my daughter lives in sterling virginia

Priyadharisini said...

Thanks ma....We loved Kola urundai...

Revathy said...

Wow...this looks great. i ll try for this week end :)

Manju said...

Hello Aunty
It's a great recipe.I use to do only baji in vazhakkai.When ever we go to store we use to buy it my husband likes baji but when i saw your recipe really i felt want to try this, luckly i had plantian thatday tried & it came out very well we all loved it.
I love to learn our authentic food items can you post some sweet recipes aunty.

Nagu Subbu said...

Hi Aachi,

We tried this tonight It came out really well.But one concern is it was very oily.Other than that it was superb.
Thank u so much Aachi :)

Skl said...

Hello aunty,
We tried this dish as an evening snack,it came out well,got reminded of mutton balls,it was tasty,thank you,skl

Priya said...

Hi! I'm new to this blog. I tried this kola urundai recipe and it came very well. Really a simple and interesting recipe. Thank you for sharing such recipes Mam.