Baked Sweet Potato Fries

If you are into sweet and savory combinations, these sweet potato fries will work. Sweet potatoes are high in nutrition content and this would be a good way to get the kids to eat them too. They do not crisp up like the regular potato fries, but they do taste good.

Sweet Potatoes - 4

Oil - 1 tsp

Red Chili powder - 1 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Black pepper powder - 1 tsp

Peel and cut the potatoes into thin strips or like regular French fries.

Coat with the spices and oil. Pre-heat the oven to 400F and spread these in a single layer on a foil or a baking pan.

Bake for 25 to 30 min or until golden brown and turn them mid-way. 

Serve hot.

Sev and Ribbon Pakode

Crunchy, spicy, melt in your mouth. I don't have a sweet tooth, and love my savory stuff. I tried to make this healthier too...baking them instead of frying them. Trust me, somethings are best left to the deep fryer :) The same batter can be used for both. Also, you could make any shape in the press with the same. My mom would make these with double the besan to rice flour. I noticed that this is not the usual ratio. I like hers, so using the same ratio.

Besan - 2 cups

Rice Flour - 1 cup

Hing - 1 tsp

Carom seeds (Ajwain/Omam/Vamu) - 2 tbsp

Salt - To taste

Butter or Ghee - 2 tbsp (Melted)

Red chili powder - 2 tbsp

Oil - To fry

Water - To mix the dough

Muruku press

Method:

Mix all the ingredients except the ajwain and  oil in a bowl. Add water and mix till it forms a dough. This will be soft, yet firm.

Heat the oil. Use the sev attachment in the press, and fill it with the dough. Press into the hot oil, making a large round.

Wait till the bubbles subside and turn once. Fry till golden brown and remove onto an absorbant paper.

For the Ribbon pakoda, add the carom seeds to the rest of the batter and mix. 

Change the attachment in the muruku press and make the pakodas similar to the sev.

Cool and store in an air tight container.