Air fryer masal vada

I shared a recipe for medhu vadai previously which required more prep ( i.e. making a batter etc.). Masal vadai can be made much more easily!When you have a hankering for this just soak the bengal gram (chana dal) and you can use it in a few hours. It is a high protein, crunchy, tasty snack.It is typically deep fried but I used this recipe for air-fryer instructions and my mom's recipe to make the batter for the vada.

Ingredients:

Channa Dal 1/2 cup ( soak in water for 2 hours)

Onion - 1/2 chopped finely

fennel- 1 tbsp

cilantro- chopped 1/4 cup

curry leaf- 4 or 5

dried red chili - 1 ground into a powder

salt to taste

oil- 1 tbsp

Instructions:

Pre-heat air fryer to 390F

1. Take the soaked dal and grind into a coarse paste in the blender. (Leave a hand full of whole dal out to mix in later to give a bit of crunch to the vada)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2.  Now add a little oil on a sauce pan on medium heat. Saute the onions until translucent and then saute fennel 
3. Now add in the onion and fennel mixture, salt, cilantro, curry leaf to the ground dal and mix well. Taste the mixture to adjust the salt. Now add in ground red chili powder to taste.
   
   
   
4. Shape the mixture into little balls and flatten them. You can apply some oil on your hands to prevent the vada from sticking to your hand.

   

5. Spritz with oil and place in the air fryer basket and cook for 4 min at 390 F. Flip it over and spritz with some oil and cook for another 4 minutes.  Healthy and tasty masal vadai is ready to serve.

Stuffed mushroom caps

I love cheese and mushroom so this is the perfect meal for me! I have used baby Bella mushrooms in this recipe but if you want this as an entree you can buy a larger portabella mushroom and that will serve as an entree. This recipe is easy to make and can serve as a vegetarian entree.

Ingredients 

1 package baby bella /white mushrooms 

Garlic minced - 4 to 5

Onion -1/2 chopped into small pieces 

Parmesan cheese shredded - 1/2 cup

Boursin cheese / cream cheese- 6 oz 

Salt 

Pepper 

Paprika - 1 tbsp

Bread crumbs ( I use panko)- 1 cup

butter- 2 tbsp

mozzarella cheese- cut into small cubes

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Wash the mushrooms well until it is clean. Then blot off the water and dry them.
   
   
3. Next remove the stems from the mushrooms and place them in a separate bowl.
   
   
   
   
4. The mushrooms without the stems are set aside for now ( they will be stuffed later)
5. Cut up the mushroom stems into small pieces
6. Place a pan on medium heat and add butter and let it melt.
7. Now add the chopped onions and sauté until translucent, then add garlic and sauté it as well, finally add the chopped mushroom stems and sauté for a few minutes.
   
   
8. Add salt, pepper and paprika to the mixture and mix well.
9. Take this mixture off the stove and place in a bowl and let it cool down for at least 15 minutes.
   
   
10. Now add the shredded parmesan cheese, boursin cheese, breadcrumbs to the mixture in the bowl and mix it in really well. This makes the filling for the mushroom caps.
    
    
    
    
    
    
11. Now take a baking sheet and place aluminum foil on it and spray with cooking spray so the mushrooms don't stick to it.
12. Stuff the mushrooms with a small spoonful of the filling.
    
    
13. Arrange the stuffed mushrooms on the baking sheet and place a small cube of mozzarella on top.
    
    
14. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
15. Mushroom caps are now ready to serve ( let it cool down before eating since the hot filling can burn your tongue!)
    
    

Guacamole

I love making fresh guacamole to eat as a side with chips , put on tostadas, burritos, tacos etc.

Ingredients 

Avocado - 2 cut in half and deseeded ( use a spoon to scoop out the avocado fruit)

White Onion small - 1 cut into small pieces ( I didn’t have a white onion so I used red) 

Garlic - 2 cloves minced 

RomaTomato- 2 small cut into small pieces 

Cilantro leaves- small handful chopped 

Salt- to taste 

Pepper - 1/2 tsp

Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp

Lime juice - 1 tbsp 

Optional - jalapeño ( 1/2 deseeded and cut into pieces )

Instructions 

In a bowl mash the avocados ( coarse with the back of a spoon)

Add all the other ingredients listed to the bowl and mix well

Make sure to taste it and add salt and lime juice per your taste 

If serving later cover the dish with plastic wrap flush onto the guacamole to prevent it from becoming brown

Tips from other sites :

I love frontera guacamole - here is their recipe

http://www.fronteracocina.com/fronterathome/simple-guacamole/

https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/cooking-tips/article/4-essential-guacamole-tips-from-rick-bayless

https://www.today.com/food/how-keep-guacamole-green-t102579