Soya Chunks Manchurian

 

 

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups Soya Chunks
2. 4 tsp Soya Sauce
3. 4 tsp Cornflour
4. 1/2 tbsp green chillies paste
5. 1 Onion chopped
6. 2 tsp ginger-garlic finely chopped
7. 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
8. 2 tbsp Chilli sauce
9. Pinch of ajinomoto(optional)
10. 2 cups water
11. Salt to taste
12. Oil
13. Spring Onion leaves for garnishing
14. Frozen peas and carrots(optional)

Method:

1. Soak Soya chunks in water for 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes,drain the water and squeeze out the water from the Soya chunks.Cut them into 2 pieces each.
3. In a bowl ,mix Soya chunks,2tsp cornflour,green chilli paste,salt and 2 tsp soya sauce.
4. Heat oil in a pan ,add Soya chunks mixture and saute for 2-3 minutes.Remove it in a bowl and keep it aside.
5. Take oil in the same pan,add ginger-garlic ,pinch of ajinomoto.Saute for 1-2 minutes.
6. Add chopped onions and saute them for 4-5 minutes.
7. Add 2 tsp soya sauce,chilli sauce and tomato ketchup and mix it properly.
8. Now add 2 cups of water and let the mixture come to a boil.
9. When the mixture starts boiling add the soya chunks and cook for more 5 minutes.
10. Dissolve remaining cornflour in 2tbsp of water and add it the soya chunks mixture.Cook till the mixture slightly thickens.
11. Add frozen peas and carrots and remove it form heat.
12. Garnish it with spring onion leaves.

Note: If soaking soya chunks is time consuming ,you can boil some water,remove it from heat and soak the soya chunks in boiling water for 3 minutes.Remove them and then squeeze out the water from the Soya chunks.

Cornflakes and puffed rice Chivda

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups Cornflakes
2. 2 cups Puffed Rice(Murmura) 
3. 1/2 cup Peanuts
4. 4-5 green chillies chopped
5. 6-7 curry leaves
6. 1/4 cup Raisins ,cashew nuts
7. Oil
8. For Tempering: 1tsp mustard seeds,1 tsp cummin seeds,1/2 tsp asafoetida,1/2 tsp turmeric powder
9. 1 tsp amchoor powder(optional)
10. 1 tsp cummin powder
11. 2 tbsp sugar
12. salt as per taste

Method:

1.  In a pan ,on medium heat,dry roast the puffed rice ,stirring continuosly for 8-9 minutes.
2. Take oil in a pan,on medium heat,add peanuts and fry them till light brown.Drain and transfer it on a tissue paper.
3. In the same oil,fry the raisins and cashew nuts,Remove them and keep them aside.
4. In the same oil,add the tempering ingredients .Then add green chillies and curry leaves .
5. Now add the puffed rice and cornflakes,mix it properly .Add the fried peanuts,raisins and cashew nuts.
6. Turn the heat low,add amchoor powder,cummin powder ,sugar and salt at this stage.
7. Mix it properly and then remove from the heat.Don't keep it for longer time on heat as the chivda will burn at the bottom.
8. Cool it and store it in airtight container.

Mutton masala-Spicy

 Ingredients:

1. Mutton 1/2 Kg
2. Onion  2
3. Tomatoes  1
4. Coconut grated (dry) 1/4 cup
5. Ginger& Garlic Paste  3 tbsp
6. Whole garam masala- 3-4 black peppercorns,2-3 cloves,1 small stick Cinnamon
7. Bay leaves  2
8. Fennel seeds  1 tbsp
9. Turmeric Powder 1tsp
10. Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder or ordinary red chilli powder 1/2 tbsp
11. Cummin powder 1tbsp
12. Coriander powder  1 tbsp
13. Oil   ,salt
14. Coriander leaves :few for the masala, few for garnishing

Method :

1. Heat  oil in a pan add fennel seeds,whole garam masala  sautee for few minutes.Remove it aside.
2. Now add Coconut grated (dry) to same pan and roast it till it becomes light brown.Remove it aside.
3. Add onions to same pan and sautee till it becomes soft and translucent .
4. Add tomatoes and fry them all together for about 5 minutes .
5. Remove them from heat and let it cool for few minutes.
6. Grind fennel seeds,coconut grated,whole garam masala ,onion-tomato mixture ,few coriander leaves into a smooth paste. Keep it aside.This is the grounded masala.
7. Heat  oil in a pressure cooker,  add little chopped onions, ginger & garlic paste, bay leaves.
8. After the raw smell off ginger and garlic goes off, add the mutton pieces and little water and pressure cook it for approx. 6-7 whistles.
9. Now take oil in a pan,add the grounded masala,add the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder , cummin powder, salt and sautee for few minutes till oil seperates.
10. Transfer the contents of pressure cooker in the grounded masala.
11. Boil it for a few minutes or till it comes to complete boil.
12. If the gravy is little  watery leave it in a medium heat untill it becomes a bit thick in consistency and remove from heat.
13. Garnish it with coriander leaves.

Icecream -simple and tasty

                                            Wish u all a Happy  Gudhi Padwa!

        

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 liter Milk
2. 1 tbsp China grass powder (easily available in Indian grocery shops)
3. Sugar as per taste
4. 1 tbsp cornflour
5. pinch of cardamom powder
6. Nuts to garnish

 

Method:

1. Keep the milk for boiling ,add cardamom powder and let the milk reduce.
2. Remove 1 cup of same milk.It should be warm.Add China grass powder and cornflour in warm milk and then using this mixture pour in back in the boiling milk.
3. Keep stirring the mixture continuosly so that no lumps are formed. If there are lumps, you can strain it .
4. Add sugar and keep on stirring till it thickens.This could take anywhere between 5-7 minutes so keep on checking.
5. Remove it from heat and let the mixture cool.
6. Once the mixture is cooled,beat the mixture in a mixer or u can use an electric  blender till u see froth.
7. Pour this mixture into ice cream cups or bowls or moulds and sprinkle nuts like almonds, walnuts and /or kishmish (raisins) ,charoli(chironji) etc.
8. If the icecream cups are not available ,pour the mixture in an aluminium flat base container and cover it with plastic sheet.
9. Place in the refrigerator to set and chill.

Dhokla using microwave

Ingredients:

1 cup besan/gramflour

1tsp sugar

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp citric acid

1 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

pinch of yellow food colour(optional)

Coriander leaves for garnishing 

For Tadka:

1 tsp.mustard seeds 

1 tsp cumin seeds 

oil 

pinch of asafoetida 

few curry leaves

Method:

1. Take a microwave plastic flat base container,typically rectangular in shape.Grease it with oil.
2. In a bowl,mix besan salt,sugar, colour and water.Add right amount of water till the batter is not tooo thick not too watery.
3. In 1 tbsp  water add citric acid,mix well and add it into the mixture.
4. In 1 tbsp  water add baking soda,mix well and add it into the mixture.
5. Stir the mixture vigourously till it becomes foamy.
6. Pour the batter in the plastic container.
7. Now  microwave on high power for 3 minutes.It should be uncovered.Let it stand for few minutes before taking it out.
8. Remove it on a plate and cut into rectangular pieces.
9. Prepare the tadka,keep oil to heat in a small pan,once the oil is hot add the tadka ingredients.
10. Pour this tadka on the dhokla's.
11. Garnish it with coriander leaves.

Note :I have not added the colour as the besan itself has the yellow colour.

         The mixture should be foamy which is the indication of spongy dhokla's .
           Use a good plastic flat base container.

Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

Boneless Chicken(250 gms)
1/2 tsp Black pepper powder
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1:1 proportion of maida and cornflour

2 Simla mirchi chopped into medium pieces

1 tbsp of grated green chillies+ginger+garlic
2 tbsp soya sauce
pinch of red food colour

oil

salt

Method:

1.  Cut the boneless chicken into medium size pieces.
2. Marinate the chicken with 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste,1:1 proportion of maida and cornflour,1 tbsp soya sauce ,black pepper powder,red food colour and salt.
3. Take enough oil in a pan and deep fry these chicken pieces on medium heat till they are cooked .
4. Remove these fried chicken pieces and keep them aside.
5. Now in another pan ,take some oil and add 1 tbsp of grated green chillies+ginger+garlic .
6. Add the chopped Simla mirchi and fry for some time till the simla mirch is cooked.Don't overcook it.
7. Now add the fried chicken pieces,1 tbsp soya sauce and salt.Add little salt as you have already added salt to the chicken pieces.
8. Mix well and serve hot.

Nankatai

  
Ingredients:

2 cup maida(all purpose flour)
1 cup sugar(castor sugar/pithi sakhar preferable)
1 cup butter(unsalted)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
cocoa powder,vanilla essence,cardomom(optional) 



Method:

1. In a bowl,mix soft butter and sugar and beat for 10-15 minutes until light and fluffy.The more you beat the batter ,the more fluffy will be the nankatais.   
2.  In another bowl,mix maida,baking powder,baking soda and vanilla essence.
3. Now add flour mix to butter sugar mixture and knead it properly into a dough.
4. Make small balls of the dough and press each ball to make the size of a cookie.
5. Put Nankatai on a lightly greased baking tray and bake at 150 degrees celsius for about 15 minutes or until Nankatai are lightly gold brown.
6. After they are lightly golden brown remove the baking tray from the oven.  Let the Nankatais cool down for 10 minutes before taking them off the baking tray.
7. To make schoko cookies mix cocoa powder in step 2.

Bhendi masala

Ingredients:

Bhendi 750gms
2 onions chopped(divide into 2 portion)
1 tomato chopped
Whole garam masala-2-3 black peppercorns,2-3 cloves,1 small stick dalchini
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1tsp cummin seeds
1tsp mustard seeds
1/2  tsp turmeric powder 
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp cummin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
coriander leaves for garnishing
oil
salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash,dry and cut the bhendi's into half pieces.
2. In a kadhai,keep some oil for heating.Once the oil is hot,fry the bhendi's few at a time.At this time they shrink in their size.
3. Remove the fried bhendi's on a tissue paper and keep them aside.
4. Now for the masala,take some oil in a pan .Add the whole garam masala .Once it starts spluttering add 1 portion of chopped onions and cook them till golden brown.Now add chopped tomatoes and cook for 2mins.Remove from the flame and let it cool for some time.
5. Once it is cool,blend the mixture into a paste.This is the grounded masala.
6. In a pan ,take oil,add mustard seeds,cummin seeds,turmeric powder and remaining portion of chopped onions.Add the ginger-garlic paste.Fry for some time.
7. Now add the grounded masala .
8. Add garam masala,red chilli powder,cummin powder,coriander powder and salt.
9. Cook it for some time add very little water only if required.
10. Now add the fried bhendi's and cook for 5 mins.
11. Garnish it with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with chapati,roti,phulka or rice.

Spinach Rice

Ingredients;

2 cups rice -washed and soaked in water for 30mins
4 cups of water
1 bunch of Spinach(wash and boil it)
1/2 cup tomato puree
3 onions chopped long
5-6 green chillies
Whole garam masala-2 tejpatta,2-3 black peppercorns,2-3 cloves-1 stick cinnamon
2 grated garlic cloves
1tsp cummin seeds
1tsp mustard seeds
ghee or oil
salt to taste

Method:

1. Blend the mixture of boiled spinach and chillies .
2. Heat ghee/oil in a vessel ,add mustards seed,cummin seeds and then the whole garam masala.
3. Once the garam masala starts spluttering add onions,grated garlic.At this point add salt which helps in fast cooking of onions.Fry till the onions become translucent.
4. Now add the tomato puree,palak puree and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add rice and salt.Mix it properly and then add water.
6. Cover it and let it cook for 15mins on medium heat.Keep checking so that the rice does not stick to the bottom.

Serve hot with your favorite raita.

Note:You can use rice cooker also, just transfer the contents after step 5 into your rice cooker.

Palak curry

Ingredients: Spinach 1 medium bunch or frozen spinach 1 tomato chopped 1 small onion chopped 2-3 peppercorns 1 stick dalchini 2-3cloves 1tbsp garam masala salt to taste Method:

1. Wash spinach and boil it in suffient amount of water.You can also use frozen spinach. (Don't boil it then)
2. Make puree of palak and chopped tomatoes in blender.
3. In an pan,heat some oil,once the oil is hot ,add the whole garam masala(peppercorns, dalchini,cloves)
4. Then add onions and fry till they become translucent.
5. Now add the puree and some water to the right consistency.
6. Once it starts boiling add salt,and garam masala.
7. Let it boil for 5 minutes and it's then ready to serve.

Taste's good with zeera rice.