Taikilo is a leaf which is found mostly in monsoon and sometimes in the onset of monsoon in backyards . It is a very healthy leafy veggie which has many health benefits.We in our Konkani cuisine prepare many varieties with this leaf like chutney, kadi and the most favourite being the Dangar (ambados) i.e deep fried fritters which even kids relish without making much fuss.The scientific name of this leaf is Casia Tora .If you dont find this leaf then you can substitute other leafy veg like methi( fenugreek)leaves or amaranth (bhajji) leaves in this recipe.
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ambados |
Ingredient’s:-
- 1 cup of dosa rice (or any variety you prefer)
- 1/2 cup of toor dal
- 10-12 red chillies(I use byadgi variety)
- Pinch of asafoetida(hing)
- Salt to taste
- Oil for deep frying
- Cup of casia taro /taikile leaves
- Marble size tamarind
Method:-
- Soak the rice and toor dal for 2-3 hours .
- Pulse the red chillies in the mixer jar for few seconds,then add the soaked rice and dal, tamarind ,hing and grind to not so fine paste using very little water at intervals .
- Take care that the batter should be thick and not watery or free flowing.
- Clean the leaves and wash them well.
- Finely chop the leaves and add them to the batter along with salt.
- Mix well using hands and make small balls out of them and flatten them using fingers
- Heat oil and drop them one by one and fry on medium flame till they are nicely fried and crisp.
- Drain them on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
The ambados or dangars are ready to be enjoyed with meals as side dish .
Notes:-
- In case the batter turns out to be watery or not as thick as mentioned add rice flour and adjust the consistency.
- Some people also add roasted urad dal powder to the batter to make it thick.
- The same recipe can be adopted for leaves like methi,amaranth and also cabbage .
- If using cabbage add finely chopped onion to the batter and avoid hing .
- The batter can be ground and stored in the chill tray or freezer compartment for about a week(only batter should be freezed ,dont mix any veggie)
- The chillies need not be roasted .
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