Baked Pavakkai / Bitter Gourd Fries ~ Day 173

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Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 to 45 minutes

Serves: 4

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Ingredients:

• Pavakkai / Bitter gourd - 4
• Rice flour - 1/4 cup
• Besan / Gram flour / Kadalai maavu - 2 tbsp
• Red chili powder - 2 tsp or to taste
• Sambar powder - 1 tbsp
• Jaggery powder - 2 tbsp
• Mango / Amchur powder - 1 tsp
• Fennel powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Water - 2 tbsp
• Oil - 4 tbsp ( I used coconut oil)

Method:

1. Wash and pat dry the bitter gourds.  Slice them thinly using a mandoline or knife.  
2. Place the sliced bitter gourds in a large mixing bowl.  Add  all the ingredients (except water) and mix well to coat.  Add water little at a time and mix well.  Let it sit for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Lice a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper,
4. Spread the bitter gourd slices onto  the baking sheet in a single layer,  Bake them for 30 to 45 minutes, flipping the discs in between.  Once they are crispy, remove from the oven.
5. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Homemade Spicy Potato Chips ~ Day 155

Fresh and crispy home-made chips are always better than the store bought ones and you can taste the real potato flavor in them.  These easy to make chips can be seasoned with just salt and pepper as well.   But nothing can beat the chili pepper seasoned potato chips.

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Preparation time: 5 minutes

 Cooking time: 20 minutes

Yields: 2 cups

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Ingredients:

• Potatoes (Red or White) - 4
• Oil - for frying
• Salt - to taste
• Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
• Dried thyme - 1/2 tsp
• or any herb of your choice

Method:

1. Wash and dry the potatoes.  Combine the salt, chili powder, and dried thyme in a small bowl, set aside.
2. Heat oil in a deep skillet.  Hold a hand-held slicer above the oil and slice the potato directly into the oil.   Alternatively, you can slice one potato at a time, into a plate using a mandoline or slicer.  Then drop the slices carefully into the oil.
3. Deep fry the potatoes over medium-high heat, until golden brown.  Keep moving the potatoes while frying to prevent them from sticking to each another.  Drain on paper towel.  Immediately sprinkle some salt mixture.  Repeat the process with rest of the potatoes.  Season each batch of chips after frying.
4. Let cool completely and store in an airtight container.  

Vazhaikai Varuval / Plantain Chips

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yields: 3 cups

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Ingredients:
Vazhaikai / Green Plantain - 2
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Salt - to taste
Oil- for deep frying
Mandoline / Vegetable slicer

Method:

1. Peel the plantain skin, cut into half and place it in water until needed.
2. Heat oil in a deep skillet.
3. Remove the plantain from water and pat dry.
4. Adjust the mandoline to get thin slices.  If you don't have the slicer, cut the plantain into very thin slices.  The thinner the slice, the more quickly it will cook and crisper it will be.
5. Hold the slicer directly over hot oil and slice the plantain.  Reduce the heat to low while slicing.
6. For the pre cut slices, drop the plantain slices in hot oil.
7. Turn the heat to medium high and cook until crispy.
8. Keep stirring once in a while for even cooking.  Drain in paper towel.  Sprinkle with salt and chili pepper and toss gently to coat.  Repeat the process.
9. Let it cool completely and store in airtight container.