Crispy rice cakes with tomato salsa – makes 12-16 pieces
Rice- 1 cup (cooked)
Whole wheat Flour- 2-3 tbsp (can use any flour, ragi, gram flour, rice flour, etc)
Red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp or to taste
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder-1/2 tsp
Green chillies-2 chopped
Small onions-1/2 cup chopped
Ginger- 1/2 inch piece chopped fine
Tomatoes- 4 chopped
Coriander leaves- a few sprigs
Oil- 2tbsp + 3 tbsp for the rice cakes
Hung curd- 1/2 C
Palm sugar -1/2 tsp
Salt- to taste
Method
- In a bowl, add the rice, flour, spice powders, salt to taste and 2 tbsp of the hung curd.
- Mix it well and mash the ingredients together. If necessary add more curd or flour for binding. Taste and check seasoning. If necessary add more salt or spice.
- Grease the palms lightly with oil and make small discs of the rice mixture. Pat it into a firm round shape and set it aside. Keep it covered while making the salsa.
- Take a medium-sized pan. Add oil. Add the ginger, green chilies and onion, add salt and saute’ well. Add the tomatoes and sugar and saute’ until pulpy.
- Set it aside to cool.
- Heat an iron tava, add a little oil.
- Fry the rice cakes on the tava. Cook it on one side until golden and firm. Then gently turn it over to crisp up on the other side. Once it is done, place it on a serving platter.
- Add a small amount of the hung curd and then top with the tomato salsa.
- Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
- Serve hot.
This recipe includes turmeric and ginger because of its immunity-boosting properties, believed to be beneficial during this time. As mentioned in the video, these rice cakes can serve as a base for a variety of toppings. Roasted and crushed peanuts, green chilli chutney, sour cream, egg salad, tuna – the options are almost unlimited. It really depends on what you have in your pantry right now.
As part of the on-going quarantine ideas, we are starting off the food episodes on ‘Couch Explorers with Papyrus’ with an easy peasy recipe with ingredients that will be available in most of our kitchens. The idea behind the initiative is to inspire our readers to cook using everyday ingredients and make something a little out of the ordinary which is a feast visually as well as for the taste buds.
The best part of this recipe is that it can be tweaked to suit individual taste preferences. You will know what we mean as you read through the recipe. We hope you enjoy reading and making it as much as we did bringing it to you.
We look forward to hearing from you. Let’s connect on this platform and be foodie couch explorers to the fullest.
