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Singal
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Singal

Fried semolina and banana spirals

Singal (also called singhal) are sweet, spongy spirals from Kumaon, fried for Diwali, weddings and the Harela festival and offered at the temple before the family eats them. A thick batter of semolina, ripe banana, curd and sugar rests until the semolina swells, then it is piped or poured in a spiral into hot ghee or oil. The outside turns crisp and the inside stays soft like a doughnut. The common mistake is frying straight away; unrested batter spreads into flat, greasy shapes. Chef's tip: the batter is right when it falls from a spoon in a thick ribbon that holds its shape for a second.

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Poke (say 'POH-keh', meaning 'to cut into pieces') is Hawaii's everyday snack: in local markets and at the deli counters of Honolulu, raw cubed fish is tossed with soy, sesame oil, sweet Maui onion, seaweed and inamona (roasted candlenut). Tofu poke has become a standard option at those same counters, and it's how this recipe is written; the original uses raw tuna (ahi) instead of tofu. Serve it as a pūpū (snack) or over rice. Chef's tip: press the tofu well and dry it; firm, dry cubes soak up the dressing instead of watering it down.

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25 minThaiSoupsGluten freeSpicy
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Tomato pappuTomato dal

Pappu (dal) is the backbone of an Andhra meal, and tomato pappu is the one most Telugu households cook on an ordinary weekday. Toor dal is cooked with plenty of ripe tomatoes, onion, green chillies and a little tamarind, then mashed to a thick, rustic consistency and finished with a fierce garlic and red chilli popu (tempering). It's tangier and hotter than a North Indian dal, and it's mixed into hot rice with a spoon of ghee and eaten with avakaya pickle and a crisp fried vegetable. Chef's tip: mash the dal and tomatoes together with a whisk or a wooden mathu while hot; it gives the creamy, slightly rough texture that blending never does.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

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