BIRD NEST FRIES

Fry, Fry, Fry..... You are too worthy to try..... I know the health aficionados will be after me. Then we are heading towards the weekend, I would keep my ears shut to what I preach. I am neighbour to a health freak couple friend who help me a lot with my diet. Though not always do I follow their valuable inputs, but yes, I always give a thumbs up to them for their self control. I love food so much so that it is impossible to follow a routine. Hence, I am far from my dream body, but then we cannot have the best of both the worlds. My friend tries her best to keep me in track, wants to introduce me to her personal trainer, but I am a laid back character in all aspects.

 If four days of the week is healthy eating for me, the rest of the three days are to indulgence. For my men, all of the days are indulgent days, anything from burgers to poori / paratha with meat curries.

I got the idea of bird nest from the various food groups I am part of. This was my first attempt of doing this evening snack, I could not create a perfect shape of it. I took a safer path of doing a full covered one. My main ingredient here is yogurt because I too much love and wished to have dahi kebabs which I am yet to master at home. That thin cover making process I need to correct. I had to take help of a dough to cover it... coat with vermicelli and deep fry. Let us do this yummy, vegetarian snack together and enjoy it with our evening tea the coming weekend.

INGREDIENTS : 

Plain Yogurt : 500ml
Refined Flour : 1big cup
Gram Flour : 1/4small cup
Corn Flour : 1small cup
Green Chilli : 2-3[chopped] 
Cumin Powder : 1/2tsp 
Coriander Powder : 1/2tsp
Chilli Powder : 1/2tsp
Cumin Seed : 1tsp
Baking Soda : 2pinches
Chaat Masala : 1tsp
Black Salt : As Required
Sugar : 1/2tsp
Salt : As Required
Vermicelli : 100-150 gm
Ghee [clarified butter] : 1tbsp
Oil : To deep fry

METHOD :

We will take the yogurt in a bowl and beat well; pour it onto a clean, white cloth and tie to the kitchen tap. Let it be like that for 2-3 hours. By then all of the excess water will go.

Now we will take together the refined flour, gram flour and the baking soda in a big, wide mouthed bowl and mix well.

Then we will add the chopped green chillies, cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, cumin seeds, a little of salt and ghee to the flour mix. We will rub well for 2-3 minutes, add water little by little and keep kneading to form a firm dough.

We will keep the dough covered for 1/2 an hour. We will take the vermicelli in a plate. Prepare a batter with cornflour and a little of salt.

We will take down the yogurt and transfer to a bowl; add the sugar, black salt, chaat masala and mix well.

We will prepare medium sized balls from the dough, fill with the yogurt mix, close and flatten lightly with our palm. Now we will dip each one in the batter and roll onto the vermicelli well.

We will heat enough oil in a wok so that we can deep fry. We will fry them in batches until both the sides are brown and well done.

We will transfer onto the tissue paper first and then into serving plates. We will serve them hot with our choice of chutney or sauce.