Pumpkin Fritters / Poosinika Vadai

I am a person who believes in "eat little when you are hungry every time". So I would prefer 5-6 half meals than just 3 square meals a day. I keep munching yummy stuff when ever I feel hungry. The quantity and quality of food matter when it comes to this kind of eating habit.

So here is a really interesting fried snack made out of pumpkin, for one to enjoy in the evenings. Believe me, its not oily and is absolutely lite and easy to digest snack. Adding a vegetable to a fritter makes it healthy as well. :) They are so soft and yummy.

This has been in my drafts for long and now here it is for you all. :)

Ingredients:

Par-boiled rice - 2 cups
Pumpkin diced- 1 cup
Coconut - 2 tbl sp
Tamarind paste - 1 tblsp
Jaggery - 1 tsp
Red Chillies - 7
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt - for taste
Curry leaves
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Method:

Soak the par-boiled rice in hot water for 2 hours. Now grind pumpkin pieces, coconut, red chilies, tamarind paste, asafoetida, salt and jaggery together into a thick paste in a mixie without adding water.

Now strain the rice and grind it along with the above paste using grinder into a thick and smooth batter. Do not add water at all. Once done transfer the batter to a bowl lined with a thick cloth. Now tie the cloth and keep it aside for 15 min till the cloth absorbs all the moisture from the batter.

Add a spn of oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add this to the above batter along with finely chopped curry leaves and mix well.

Now roll lemon sized balls from the batter and press in between two greased plastic sheets to make a flat round of 3mm thickness. Make a hole in the center with your finger. Gradually remove it from the sheet and deep fry it oil, roasting it on both sides. Do not over roast. The vadai should be really soft. Now place them on tissue to remove excess oil.

Serve it hot with raw onions. Yummy Pumpkin vadai is ready to eat. :)

Enjoy making. :)

And here is my first Give away that I was happy to receive from Priya Dharshini of Priya's Feast. This was a giveaway for winning her Diwali contest. :) Thanks a lot Priya, I am loving the gifts. :)

It was the most delicious Hershey's chocolates, a lovely recipe album and a cute basket :)

Written by: Nithya