Vegetable Manchurian

The Indo-Chinese dishes available in India are extremely popular and very different from authentic chinese food. Our cooks have shown creativity in molding them to suit the Indian taste and came up with tasty dishes like Chinese bhel ,manchurian, different kinds of soups which pleases the taste buds and adds desi taste to the chinese cuisine.

Manchurian

This recipe of vegetable manchurian was very popular in my house back in India. I learnt it from some cookery show and my mother was apprehensive about frying the vegetables -- raw ! But the results were amazing and soon I found myself going to my friends  and demonstrating how to make this dish!! There was no internet bak then and we relied on learning it from each other which was so much fun. This is very easy to make and though the manchurian are deep fried in oil they dont absorb too much oil and taste great with the tangy sauce.

Ingredients

• Shredded cabbage --3 cups
• Grated Carrots--1 cup
• Corn Flour--4 -5 tablespoon
• All purpose flour--1 tablespoon
• Chilli powder --1 teaspoon
• salt to taste
• For the Sauce
• Spring onions--1/2 cup (chopped finely)
• Ginger --1 teaspoonchopped finely
• Tomato ketchup--2 tablespoons
• Schezwan sauce--2 tablespoons

• Knor's chinese chilli powder--2 tablespoons (you can use any of the packets like manchurian, chinese chili, or even hot and sour soup powder )
• A paste of 1 teaspoon corn flour mixed with water --1/2 cup
• Salt and pepper to taste

Recipe

For making sauce-- Heat some oil in a sauce pan, add chopped ginger and fry before adding the chopped spring onions. Fry for very little time and add all the sauces and knorr powder and mix it together. Add the corn flour paste to thicken the sauce and add salt and pepper as per taste. 

For making manchurian balls-- Mix cabbage, carrot, salt and chilli powder till it oozes out water. Leave for 10 minutes. Mix corn flour, all purpose flour slowly as you mix the vegetable. Add a spoon of water only if necessary. Make round flat balls and keep aside. Heat oil on medium heat and deep fry the manchurian balls until brown and crispy. Fry on medium to low heat so that they get well done from inside and increase the heat before taking them out for crispy texture.

Place the manchurian balls in a bowl and pour some sauce over it . Serve hot.

Note--You can buy the shredded cabbage and carrot combo from grocery store and use it directly to save time and effort.

Chana Masala (chickpeas in tangy sauce)

Chana masala or chole is a common dish available in every Indian restaurant. It is very popular among hosts as it is easy to make and loved by one and all.

Growing up in South India I was always fascinated with the north India culture especially punjabi. Everything punjabi from dresses to cuisine is loved by the entire nation and is spread across the world. Indian food is symbolised in India restaurant with majority of punjabi dishes of paneer, tikka masala, paranthas and the list goes on.

Everyone has their own version of chana masala and I was never happy with my  version and hunted for recipes to get that perfect chana masala recipe until one my punjabi friends mom made this dish. I loved the tangy creamy gravy which complimented the bland taste of the protien rich chole. Tried it myself after getting the recipe and quite pleased with the result ! Make this dish when you have guests over and it will surely be a hit !

Ingredients

• Chickpea (chole or chane )-1 1/2 cup ( soaked overnight and cook in the same water until  soft )
• Onion- 1 -2 (chopped finely)
• Tomato-- 1-2 (chopped finely )
• Potato --1 small ( boiled and mashed )
• Organic tomato paste --2 tablespoons
• Kasoori methi--1 tablespoons 
• Chilli powder--1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder--1/2 teaspoon
• Everest chole masala (1/2 teaspoon) --optional
• Masala-- (dry roast on pan and grind it )
• Coriander seeds--1 teaspoon
• cloves--3-4
• Peppers--1/2 teaspoons
• Shahjeera- 1 teaspoon
• Jeera--1 teaspoon
• Dried red chillies--3-4
• cinnamon stick--1/2

Recipe

Take  a wide pan and add oil to it . Fry the chopped onions, turmeric powder ,jeera powder and fry  until oil seperates, add the tomatoes and kasuri methi. Fry for some time in low heat and add tomato paste along with the masala powder. Fry this for about 10-15 minutes until the mixture is cooked and oil leaves the sided of the pan. Add the chole along with the water, mashed potato and add salt. Cook for another 8-10 minutes and take it off . Add some lemon juice when cool and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Baingan Bharta ( smoked eggplant curry)

Baingan Bharta is a north Indian dish famous for its smoky flavor and delicious taste. The "dhaba" food is incomplete without it and so is a restaurant menu in any Indian restaurant. 

I have liked this dish as long as I can remember and always passed it on  to my south Indian friends who had never tasted it. It has been a instant hit  and is very easy to make  with or without the grill. The whole eggplant is roasted on fire, or grilled in oven , mixed with spices and onions thus creating a tasty dish. The eggplant can also be roasted on a charcoal grill if available.

Select a purple long eggplant which is light weight for the bharta. The key is to find fewer seeds in the eggplant and more flesh.

Ingredient

• 1 Whole eggplant or 2 if smal (apply some oil)
• Onions--1 cup (finely chopped)
• Tomato--1 (finely chopped)
• Green chillies---3-4 (sliced lengthwise)
• Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing.
• Lemon juice--1 tablespoo
• Turmeric powder--1/4 ts
• Chilli powder-1/4 ts
• Cumin seeds and mustard seeds-1 ts
• Salt to tast

Recipe

If roasting on fire -- Put the greased eggplant directly on fire and roast from all sides till it turns black and the skin comes out. 

Oven-- Place the eggplant on aluminium foil and make a small cut in it , out garlic cloves inside the cut, and broil it on high for about an hour until it turns black.

Cool the eggplant and with moist fingers pull off the skin and scoop out the flesh of the eggplant. remove the seeds chunk and mash the rest of the pulp  into a thin paste.

Take a wide pan and heat some oil in it. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds,tumeric powder,chilli powder and green chillies followed by onions. Fry for a minute and add the chopped tomatoes and fry for some time. Add the mashed eggplant paste and mix well. Add salt and saute for about 5 minutes till the oil seperates. Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves and add lime juice. Serve hot with chapati or roti.

Note-You can also add 2 tablespoons of yogurt and skip and the lime juice.

Mushroom and Corn Stir-Fry

Mushroom evokes different reactions in people. Some love the  taste of it whereas few of them dont like the idea of eating it as it is technically a growing fungi. I came from that side as I did not try a mushroom for so many years before finally giving it a chance and I was glad I did ! I enjoy cooking it now as it is so easy and quick, and also  it adapts to many kinds of spices and vegetables.

Mushroom with its fleshy texture and bland taste is perfect for a quick stir fry curry with subtle hint of spices. It is low in calories and a good source of fiber. In this recipe the mushroom is stir fried with onions, tomatoes and corn to make a quick and great tasting curry.

Ingredients

• Onions--1/2 Thinly sliced
• Tomatoes--1 small ( Cut into pieces)
• Mushrooms --1 cup (Sliced)
• Corn--1/2 cup ( steamed can use fresh or frozen )
• Green chillies--2-3 ( finely chopped)
• Basil--1/4 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder--1/4 teaspoon
• Chilli powder--1/4 teaspoon
• Salt to taste
• Oil

Recipe

Take oil in a wide pan or tawa. Heat it and add green chillies, onions ,turmeric powder,chilli powder,basil  and stir it. Add tomatoes and fry for another minute and then add the mushroom and corn constantly tossing it on high flame. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes and add salt. Serve hot with chapati or rice.

Note--You can use portobello,white or any other variety of mushroom. 

Spicy corn curry (Bhutte ka kees)

Corn or bhutta reminds me of the monsoon in India..the beautiful  smell of fresh earth, carts selling corn roasted on red hot coal sprinkled with spices   .. they tasted awesome ! We got this outside our school only during the rainy season  and ate this standing with our shoes in water with no worries about germs or anything else in the world!  Now corn is available year round in India and there are so many varieties with "American Corn" topping the list ! 

Bhutte ka kees is a rajasthani recipe which I tasted during our visit there and I was in awe of  food and culture of this royal state. This is a simple and flavorful recipe made with fresh corn.

Ingredients

• Corn --4 ( Grated)
• Coriander powder--1 teaspoon
• Cumin (jeera) powder--1 teaspoon
• Chilli powder--1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder--1/4 teaspoon
• Hing (asafoetida) --1/4 teaspoon
• Lemon juice to taste
• Salt to taste

Recipe

Take oil on a pan and heat it. Add the grated corn along with all the spices above and  stir it for 2-3 minutes. Now add around 4 cups of water and cook it for around 15 minutes stiring occasionally. Cover it for another 5-6 minutes and cook it till the oil leaves the sides of the pan. Add salt and switch off the gas. Add lemon juice and serve it with fresh coriander leaves sprinkled on top. It tastes great with chapati, poori or rice.