Cauliflower Manchurian

 I had this posting in my draft for a couple of months, but forgot to blog it

 I was tempted to make this manchurian ever since I saw it in a website. I was so tempted to make it and see how my family will respond!

 

So here it is...

 

Cauliflower cut into florets
Oil for frying

 

For the batter:
3 tbsp. corn flour
5 tbsp. All purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Water 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp.

 

For the gravy

 

Oil – 1 Tbsp

 

 

Onion – 1/2 medium, chopped finely

 

Green Chilies – to taste, cut diagonally

 

Garlic – 3 large cloves, chopped finely

 

Tomato Ketchup 2tbsp
Chilli Sauce 2 tbsp
Soy Sauce – 4 tsp

 

White Vinegar – 2 tsp

 

Water – 4 Tbsp + as much you want for the gravy

 

Corn flour 2 tsp

 

Green Onions – 2 stalks

 

Method:

 

•  Heat Oil in a medium non-stick pan.
• Add Onions, Green Chilies and Garlic and cook until Onions are light brown.
• Add ketchup and chilli sauceand cook until Oil starts to separate from mixture.
• Add Soy Sauce and Vinegar and mix well.
• Mix 2 tsp Corn flour with 4 Tbsp Water and add it to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes until sauce starts to thicken.
• Keep sauce aside
• Boil water and dunk the cauliflower florets in them. Turn off the heat and cover with a lid. drain the water after 3 mins.
•  To make batter, add All-purpose flour, Corn Starch, Salt, Black Pepper and Water to a small bowl. Mix until there are no lumps.
•  Coat Cauliflower pieces well with batter and deep fry until Cauliflower is a medium dark brown color.
•  Finish frying all of the Cauliflower and add it to the pan with the sauce. Toss well to coat Cauliflower completely.
•  Add Green Onions and serve.

Enjoy!

Sago Upma/ Sabudana Khichdi

Why does the weekend go so fast comapred to the weekdays. We had awesome weather here. I was planning to do some garden work, but ended up taking my kids to the park and drove to Yogaville.

 

For those who don't know, Yogaville is about 45 miles SW from Charlottesville VA. They have a lotus shrine and swami sachidananda ashramam. It was very quiet and peaceful out there.

Looking at all the locals it reminded me of "Eat, pray and love"!

 

After comin home i made sago upma for a evening snack. This is a staple snack in Maharashtra and also eaten during "vradh" times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• Sago/ Tapioca 2 cups (dry ones)
• peanuts unsalted 1/2 cup
• green chilli 2
• 1/2 onion
•  curry leaves a couple
•  cilantro a few sprigs
• cashewnuts 1 tbsp
• mustard sees 1 tsp
• Urad dal 1tsp
• Asafoetida 1 pinch
• 2 tsp oil and
• salt to taste.

 

Method

 

1. Wash and soak the sago in water for 20 mins. Drain water and let it soak overnight.
2. Coarsely powder the peanuts and add it to the soaked sago.

3. slice onions, green chilies

4. Heat oil in a pan & add the mustard seeds, urad dal and cashews.
5. they will splutter and cashews turn golden.
6. add the curry leaves.
7. add onions, chillies and saute till they are golden.
8.Now add the sago peanut mixture, salt to taste and a pinch of Asafoetida
9. cover with a lid and simmer.
10. Cook till the sago looks translucent and shiny.
11. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy.

Tofu Triangles

Check out this easy peasy snack that your family will enjoy.. You could easily sneak in that Tofu your child says "eeww.. what is that? One could easily use all the goodness of paneer in this, but tofu subtracts all the fat....

Now, as how to do it..

Ingredients:

Soft Tofu 1/3 of the whole block
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1tbsp tomato ketchup
1/2 onion sliced handfull of peas, corn and any other vegetable you have
salt to tast
oil
Puff pastry sheet 1 ( i had 1 left from the 2 pack)


Squeeze all the water from the tofu by pressinbg and using a paper towe. As I had only soft tofu it kinda of crumbled. I guess firm tofu would be better if you want it to retain that shape.

Put the cumin, coriander and ketchup ina ziplock bag, Add the tofu to the bag and marinate it for about 2 hrs in therefrigerator.

Heat oil ina pan. add the onions and fry. add the vegetables, salt and pepper to taste and cook for a few minutes. add the marinated tofu to this and fry for a few minutes.

add any spice of your choice to kick the taste.

This is how it looks.

Thaw the pastry sheets 30 mins before you start. Pre heat oven to 400F.

Transfer to a working surface and geberously dust it with flour. Cut the sheets along the folds. it becomes three. now cut it lengthwise so you get 9 rectangles.

add the filling to the pastry rectangles and fold them into either rectangles or triangle.
seal the edges with a little water.

Line a baking sheet with foil and use a non stick cooking spray. Arrange your pastry on it and bake till golden brown for about 10 -15 mins.

Transfer to a wire rack so the triangles become nice and flaky all over.

Serve hot with either tomatoketchup or chilli sauce,

Yummo meter is high for this one....

Enjoy!

Snake Gourd Kootu

This is a simple kootu, but very flavorfull. My mon usually makes this kootu with out grinding coconut with just grated ones. I fould this recipie long long time ago, can't even remember where...

Anyway let us get to the game...


Ingredients

1 pack frozen bottle gourd ( thawed)
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp raw rice
1 tsp jeera/ cumin
1 red chilli
2 tbsp grated coconut

turmeric powder 1/8 tsp
salt to taste
cooked toor dal 1/2 cup or according to your taste

for tempering

Mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, a pinch of asafetida.
Oil for tempering.

I chopped the thawed snake gourd into samll pieces as the frozen ones are real big.
add a little water, salt to taste to the SG and cook till tender.

In a pan add alittle oil and roast the urad dal, cumin, rice and red chilli.

Let it cool and grind with the coconut into a fine paste. Add the cooked toor dal and the ground paste to the SG and let it come to one boil. Season to taste. Temper with the all the ingredients mentioned and serve hot with rice.

my notes: Adding 1 redchilli was spicy for my family. So you can adjust the chilli according to your taste.