Patishapta

This is one of the sweet delicacies of Bengali cuisine. You can check up the info about this sweet in the following sites.
1. A Homemaker's Diary
2. Bong Mom's Cookbook

I'm not in the mood to write an intro. Anyways, this is my H's colleague's wife's recipe. A lot of tips came from her typings. I made some tweaks for our finicky taste buds.

Ingredients:
Maida/APF - 1/2 cup
Rice flour - 1/3 cup
Suji -1/3 cup
Sugar - 1 tbsp.
Green cardamom powder - 2 pinches
Milk

For coconut filling:
Sweetened condensed milk
Grated coconut
Cardamom powder- 2 pinches
Nuts - chopped
Raisins - few

For Garnishing (and to enhance more taste):
Condensed milk and chopped nuts

Method:
For crêpes:
In a bowl mix maida, suji, rice flour and green cardamom powder. Pour milk to turn the mixture into a dosa batter without any lumps. Cover and keep aside for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile mix equal quantity of condensed milk and coconut in a pan.
Stir till it reaches a soft moist mass consistency. In between, add the nuts, raisins and cardamom powder. Keep aside.
In the batter, add the sugar and mix well.
In a tawa, spread a small ladleful of batter and drizzle ghee on the sides. When they turn golden colour in the base (if you want you can flip and cook for 30 seconds on other side), place the coconut stuffing in the centre in lengthwise. Fold on both sides with one side overlapping the other. Place them on the plate and pour or drizzle condensed milk with nuts.
Continue with remaining batter.
Enjoy hot or cold.

Note:
For crêpes:
Spread the batter as thin as possible.
After preparing a crêpe, sprinkle little water to reduce the heat of the tawa. Stay safe. Oil or ghee on a heating tawa will give bursts if there is moisture. Now you can spread the batter easily. Continue this process with each crêpe.

For filling:
Variations:
For khoya filling - add some milk and sugar to the khoya and simmer it on heat till it achieves a thick consistency.
For coconut filling - simmer grated coconut with sugar on heat and keep mixing it till it comes to a sticky consistency.

Sent off to "Flavours of Bengal" hosted by Priya and started by Nayna.

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Chidambaram Brinjal/Kathirikaai Gosthu

Ingredients:
Brinjal (small) - 6 (sliced)
Onions - 1 cup (chopped)
Chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt (to taste)
Curry leaves - 3 sprigs
Oil - 1/4 cup
Gosthu podi - 1/2 cup
Tamarind - a small lime size

For Gosthu podi:
Coriander seeds - 3 tbsp.
Dry red chillies - 5 to 7
Asafoetida - 2 pinches
Chana dal/Bengal gram - 2 tbsp.
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Oil - 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.

Method:
For podi:
Heat oil and fry ingredients till golden colour. Cool and powder all.

For Brinjal Gosthu:
Soak tamarind in 1 cup of water.
Heat 1 tsp. of oil and saute onions till translucent. If using shallots, peel and use them as whole.
Remove and keep aside.
In the same pan, add 1 tbsp. of oil and saute the brinjals for 2 minutes.
Pour 1 cup of water, cover and cook till mushy. Remove and mash them.
Extract the tamarind water. Combine chilli and turmeric powder, salt, onion and tamarind water in a pan.
Bring it to a boil.
To the gosthu powder, add little water and mix into a paste without any lumps.
Now add the mashed brinjal and gosthu paste to the boiling tamarind mix.
At this stage gravy thickens, if required add little water.
Pour 1/4 cup of oil and curry leaves and stir.
Cook for a minute and serve with rice, pongal or dosai.
Recipe Source: Madhu's Food Journal

Sent to "Bookmarked Recipes-Every Tuesday" event.

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Bread Pakora

Ingredients:
Wheat bread - 6 slices
Oil (for deep frying)

For Stuffing:
Potato masala:
Potatoes (small size) - 2 (boiled)
Onion (small) - 1 (finely chopped)
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp.
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1 tsp.
Roasted and powdered cumin - 1/2 tsp.
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Oil
Capsicum - 1/4  (finely chopped)
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp.

For green chutney:
Mint leaves - 1 cup
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
Green chillies - 2 (small)
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp.
Chaat masala - 1/2 tsp.
Black salt (to taste)
Thick curd - 1 tsp.
Oil

For batter:
Chickpea flour/besan - 2 cups
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 2 tsp.
Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp.
Baking soda - 1 pinch
Ajwain - 1 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Turmeric powder - a pinch

Method:
For potato masala:
Mash potatoes without any lumps. Heat oil and add cumin seeds. Allow it to sizzle.
Now add the onions and saute till translucent.
Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for 2 minutes.
Add capsicum pieces and again saute for 2 minutes.
Now add the mashed potatoes, powders and salt and mix well.
Add little water and stir till it becomes dry. Keep aside.

For green chutney:
Saute mint leaves in oil for 3 minutes. Remove. In the same pan, add ginger-garlic paste and saute for a minute.
Combine mint leaves, ginger- garlic paste, coriander leaves, green chilli, black salt and chaat masala and grind into a paste. Finally add the curd and give 2 to 3 pulses. Keep aside.

For batter:
Sieve the besan/chickpea flour in a bowl. Add all the ingredients given under "For batter" and mix well.
Pour water and prepare a batter in such a way that's neither thick and nor thin. Keep aside.

For Pakora:
Take 2 slices of bread. Spread required chutney on a slice and required potato masala on another.
Press both the slices of breads and cut into halves.
Heat the oil in a kadai for deep frying.
Dip the stuffed bread in batter and gently slide in the oil.
Cook on both sides till golden brown.
Continue this process with remainig slices.
Remove and serve immediately with ketchup.

Note:
Make sure there are no holes in the bread.
Toast the bread if it breaks while dipping in batter.
Feel free to use both hands while dipping in batter.
Make sure to coat the bread with batter on all sides. Work fast.
Stuff the breads and cut them before deep frying.
Don't stuff them early or else the bread will get soggy.
If you have any leftover stuffings, use them as a side dish.

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Garlic Rasam

Rasam is one of the everyday lunch or dinner item in Tamil families. I am a big fan of rasam. When I think back of my child hood, rasam was my entrée with the rice, rather than sambar. I still remember how my mom goes about making her rasam. In my mom's home, we have the "ammi". She would crush the garlic in ammi without peeling the outer layers of garlic. After they are crushed, the garlic would leave out the peels on their own. Then cumin seeds and black peppercorns are crushed separately. She would pick up red tomatoes (desi version) and crush with her hands inside a bowl. She would pick curry leaves from the tree at the backyard of our house to add in the rasam. When the rasam is being cooked, the aroma wafts through the house making us hungry. I am sure, my daughter will recall these memories similarly. :)

Ingredients:
For rasam:
Garlic - 2 bulbs (with small pods)
Tomatoes - 2 big ones and a small one :D
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Dry red chillies - 2
Curry leaves - few
Salt (to taste)
Oil
Coriander leaves - few
Rasam powder - 2 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Tamarind water - 2 tbsp.
Boiled toor dal - 1/2 cup (with water)

For rasam powder:
Peppercorn - 1/2 tsp.
Roasted and powder cumin - 1 tsp.
Arhar dal - 1 tsp.
Chana dal - 1/2 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds - 4
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp.
Asafoetida - 1/4 pinch
Dry red chillies - 2 (or as per taste)
Oil

Method:
For rasam powder:
Dry roast peppercorns, fenugreek seeds and asafoetida for 2 minutes.
Fry chana dal, arhar dal and red chillies in little oil till dals turn golden in colour.
Powder all the ingredients and keep aside.

For rasam:
Make a + cut on the top of the tomatoes and boil them.
When the tomatoes are warm, peel the skin and grind the tomatoes into paste.
In a bowl, combine boiled dal, tomato paste, tomato water (if any left), turmeric powder, salt, tamarind water and rasam powder and mix well.
Now pour required water in this mixture and keep aside.
Heat a sauce pan and add oil.
Throw in the mustard seeds and allow it to crackle.
Add the peeled garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
Break the red chillies into halves and saute.
Pour the rasam and cook in low-flame.
When foam forms on the top of the rasam, add coriander and curry leaves.
Remove and enjoy with rice or drink.

Sent off to Akila's "Dish Name Starts With G" event.

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Spinach Poori/Puri

Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour/atta - 2 cups
Spinach - 1.5 cups (chopped)
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp. (chopped)
Ginger-garlic paste - 1.5 tsp.
Roasted and powdered cumin - 1 tsp.
Ajwain (powdered) - 2 pinches
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp.
Green chillies - 2 (or as per taste)
Salt (to taste)
Oil (for deep frying)

Method:
Blanch the spinach. Grind spinach, coriander leaves and green chillies into a paste.
In a bowl, combine all ingredients except oil.
Sprinkle little water and prepare a smooth dough.
Divide the dough into equal-sized balls.
Flatten them into small discs.
Heat the oil and deep-fry them till they're done.
Serve and enjoy with raita and any other side dish.

For raita:
Beat the yogurt without any granules. Add roasted and powdered cumin, black salt and red chilli powder. Mix well and enjoy with puris.

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Chettinadu Aloo Muttar Mushroom Curry

Ingredients:
Potatoes (medium) - 2 (diced)
Green peas - 3/4 cup (fresh)
Mushroom - 10 (sliced)
Onions - 3 (chopped)
Tomatoes - 2 (chopped)
Garlic - 20 small pods (finely crushed)
Oil
Salt (to taste)

To grind (A):
Ginger - 3/4 inch
Small onions/sambar onions/shallots - 10
Green chillies - 2
Garlic - 10 pods (small)
Chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Kashmiri chilli powder - 1.75 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp.

To grind (B):
Coconut pieces - 1/3 cup
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Poppy seeds - 2 tsp.

To temper:
Cinnamon sticks - 2
Cloves - 2
Green cardamoms - 4
Bay leaf - 1 (big)
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp.
Curry leaves - few

Method:
Add tempering ingredients and allow them to sizzle. Add onions (saute till pink), curry leaves, garlic (till the raw smell fades off), tomatoes (saute till mushy and releasing of oil).
Meanwhile, grind the given the ingredients from (A) into a paste.
Add this paste and saute.
Now add potatoes, green peas and mushrooms and saute them till all the masalas mix well.
Pour 2 cups of water and saute and then sprinkle salt.
Cover the kadai with a lid till the potatoes are tender.
Stir in between. Grind the given ingredients from (B) into a paste.
When the gravy is thick, add the coconut paste, mix well and simmer for 5 minutes.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with chapathi or rice.
Adapted from: Solai's True Chettinad Kitchen

Sent off to CBB Series#2-Chettinad Special.

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Bhapa Doi (Bengali Cheese Cake)

Bhapa Doi is a dessert consisting mainly of yogurt/curd and condensed milk (and milk). It reminds me of Haldiram's sweets.

Ingredients:
Yogurt/Doi - 150 g
Sweetened condensed milk - 150 g
Green cardamom seeds - from 4 cardamom
Milk - 2 tbsp.
Saffron - 5 to 6 strands
Nuts and raisins - to garnish

Method (My style of preparation):
Take 400 g of yogurt and remove the whey water by using a coarse woven cheesecloth for 2-3 hours.
After the removal of whey water, beat the curd in a blender (the thick curd measurement was 150 g).
Mix the curd along with the same quantity of condensed milk.
Then add cardamom seeds and mix well.
Pour into the ramekins or any other oven-proof dish.
Garnish with nuts or raisins.
Soak the saffron in warm milk and keep aside.
Pre-heat the oven in 190C.
Place the ramekins on a baking tray.
In a baking tray, pour hot water halfway up the dish.
Carefully place them in the oven.
Bake for 10 minutes. After that, pour the saffron-coated milk in each ramekin.
Bake for another 10 minutes or until the tester comes clean.
Let the dishes cool.
Then chill the desserts overnight and consume the next day immediately.



Sent off to "Flavours of Bengal" hosted by Priya and started by Nayna.

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Shukto

I gave my best try to create a Bangla cuisine, though I haven't lived in Bengal. A traditional Bengali meal consists of six dishes (each dish of each taste bud). After researching here and there all over the cyber world and my personal treasure of Indian recipes, I confirmed that a bitter dish is eaten first and at last is sweet which is quite 'sweet' after tingling with the taste buds. What I love about Bengali cuisine is fish and sweets. The very mention of my favourites make me drool now.

Coming back to the point, Shukto is a Bengali dish which contains bittergourd and other mixed veggies. The veggies shouldn't be cooked in such a way that they're mushy. This reminds me of aviyal. It should be eaten in the afternoons with rice only, and that too during summers. The reason? Very simple. It causes indigestion if consumed at night.

Personally speaking, I recommend bitter gourd lovers all over the world to enjoy this dish. It gets your digestive enzymes rushin' and gushin' in the stomach when you're having a meal at a Bengali restaurant.

Ingredients:
Bittergourd/uchche - 1
Beans - 8
Drum stick - 1
Green plantain - 1
Potato - 1 (medium)
Radish - 1/2
Pointed gourd/parwal - 2
Brinjals - 2
Ginger - 1 tbsp. (finely grated or paste)
Panch phoron - 1 tsp.
Bay leaves - 2 (small)
Asafoetida - 1/4 pinch
Milk - 2 tbsp.
Mustard oil
Salt (to taste)
Sugar (to taste)
Bori/wadi/sun-dried lentil dumplings - 2 (optional)
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Poppy seeds/posto - 2 tbsp.

Method:
Soak poppyseeds and mustard seeds in warm water for a few hours ( I soaked overnight). Grind them into a paste. Keep aside.
Dice all the veggies. Cut the drumstick into 1.5 inch long.
Heat the oil and fry the bittergourd and wadi (if using and I didn't use) till golden brown colour each separately.
In a pan, add mustard oil and temper with panch phoron, bay leaves and asafoetida.
Now add the hard vegetables and then the tender ones. Saute till lightly brown.
Mix ginger and mustard-poppy seeds paste with vegetables.
Now add the fried bitter gourd and mix.
Add salt and required water.
Cover and cook in low flame. Don't allow the vegetables to become mushy.
When the vegetables are cooked, add 2 tbsp. of milk and sugar. Mix well.
Add the wadis finally and mix.
Enjoy with rice for lunch.
Bon Appetit!
Sent off to "Flavours of Bengal" hosted by Priya and started by Nayna.

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Kofta Pulao/Pulav

My kids were very very bored. This weekend I planned to make Malai Kofta to cheer them up. I suddenly changed my mind. There were some fenugreek leaves left in the refigerator.  After quick thinking, I prepared this kofta pulao.

Kofta Pulao/Pulav with Paneer Makhani (You can see the paneer drowned in the gravy)

Ingredients:
For Kofta:
Potatoes - 3 (boiled)
Paneer/Cottage cheese- 1/2 cup
Fenugreek leaves -1/2 cup
Roasted and powdered cumin - 1 tsp.
Red chilli powder (Kashmiri) - 1/2 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Cornflour/cornstarch - 1 to 1.5 tbsp.

Method:
Pat dry the paneer and grate. Grate or mash the potatoes without any lumps.
Pat dry the fenugreek leaves and chop.
In a bowl mix paneer, potatoes, fenugreek leaves, red chilli powder, cumin powder, corn flour and salt.
Prepare equal-sized balls.
Preheat the oven at 180°C.
Sprinkle a little oil on each ball. Bake them till they become golden brown (Turn the koftas on all sides in between carefully).
Once they are done, remove and keep aside.

For pulav/pulao:
Ingredients:
Basmati Rice - 1.5 cups
Onions - 2 (sliced thinly)
Ginger-garlic (minced) - 1 tsp.
Cinnamon - 2 sticks
Green cardamom - 4
Cloves - 3
Roasted and powdered cumin - 1 tsp.
Red chilli powder (Kashmiri) - 1/2 tsp.
Mushrooms - 10 (sliced)
Green chillies - 2 (slit)
Curd - 2 tbsp.
Oil
Salt (to taste)

Method:
Wash rice till the water runs clear. Soak the rice in 3 cups of water. Cover and keep aside.
Heat oil and add green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, sliced onions and green chillies.
Saute onions till translucent. Add ginger-garlic and saute till the raw smell goes away.
Add mushrooms and saute.
Add the powders and curd and saute.
Add the rice along with water and salt as required. Cover with a lid and cook.
When the water is absorbed, remove the lid. Cover the pan with aluminium foil and then place the lid.
Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Remove from heat. Mix the baked koftas with pulav and serve immediately with any side dish.

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Beetroot Vadai/Vada

Ingredients:
Arhar dal/Tuvar dal - 1/2 cup
Chana dal - 1/2 cup
Beetroot (medium) - 1 (grated)
Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Red chillies - 3 (or as per taste)
Curry leaves - few (chopped)
Salt (to taste)
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp.
Oil (for deep frying)

Method:
Soak arhar dal and chana dal for 1 1/2 hours.
Discard the water and grind the dals ( sprinkling little water) along with red chillies and fennel seeds  in a food processor.
Add the remaining ingredients except oil and mix well.
Shape the batter into small patties and deep fry them in medium-hot oil till golden brown.
Place them on an absorbent paper.
Serve and enjoy!!

Sent off to CBB Series#2-Chettinad Special.

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Jhal Muri

Jhal Muri is a West Bengal version of Bhel Puri.  Jhal in Bengai language means 'spicy' and muri, of course puffed rice.

Ingredients:
Puffed rice/pori/murmura - 2.5 cups
Onion (medium size) - 1 (chopped)
Tomatoes (small and deseeded) - 1 (chopped)
Cucumber (large size) - 1/4 chopped
Green chilli - 1 (chopped)
Coriander leaves - few (chopped)
Peanuts (roasted, unsalted and skinned) - 2 tbsp.
Sprouted whole kala chana (brown chickpeas) - 1/4 cup.
Pickle oil -2 tbsp (taken from a pickle containing mustard oil)
Jhal Muri masala - 2 tbsp.
Fresh coconut - to garnish (diced)

Method:
If you don't have pickles containing mustard oil, heat 2 tbsp. of mustard oil in a pan to smoking point.
Remove from heat.
Carefully add 1/2 tsp. of mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp. of fenugreek seeds and 1/4 tsp. of fennel seeds.
Then add 1/4 tsp. red chilli powder (kashmiri) and a small pinch of asafoetida powder.
Let it sit for an hour, strain and keep aside the oil.
For jhal muri masala:
Mix together 1 tbsp. of roasted  cumin powder, 1/4 tsp. of red chilli powder (Kashmiri), 1 tsp. of chaat masala,a small pinch of  white pepper powder and black salt. Keep aside.
In a large bowl, combine onions, sprouted black chana, cucumber, tomatoes, green chillies, peanuts and coriander leaves and toss.
Add the mustard oil and jhal muri masala and toss.
Finally mix the puffed rice.
Garnish with chopped coconut.
Serve and consume immediately.
Recipe Source: Sanjeev Kapoor
Sent off to "Flavours of Bengal" hosted by Priya and started by Nayna.

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Erra Kaaram Dosa

When Pratibha published this recipe a week ago, I had the burning desire to try it out. The photos also made my interest grow. I tried this recipe last weekend. Everybody in my home liked it. We had this for breakfast for two days.

Dosa:
Ingredients:
Sona Masoori Rice - 4 cups
Urad dal - 1 cup
Poha - 1 cup
Moong dal, Tuvar dal, chana dal - 1 cup (each 1/3 cup)
Fenugreek/Methi seeds - 1 tsp.
Salt (to taste)

Erra kaaram chutney (red chutney):
Ingredients:
Onions - 2 (diced)
Garlic - 2 big pods
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp (I used Kashmiri) or 3-4 red chillies
Tamarind pulp - 1.5 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Sesame oil/ghee - 1 tbsp.
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.

Chutney dal powder:
Ingredients:
Pottukadalai/chutney dal - 1/3 cup
Garlic - 1 big pod
Salt (to taste)

Method:
Wash and soak dals, rice and methi seeds for 8 hours. Soak poha before 1 hour of grinding.
Grind into a smooth batter in a wet grinder.
Mix salt and ferment overnight or for 8 hours.

For erra kaaram chutney:
Grind onions, garlic, red chilli powder, tamarind pulp and salt into a smooth paste. If you don't like the raw smell of this chutney, saute all the given ingredients for chutney in oil and grind. Temper the mustard seeds and mix with chutney.

For chutney dal powder/podi:
In a dry jar add dal, garlic & salt and powder them.

For dosa:
Take a ladleful of batter and spread on a medium-hot tawa and sprinkle oil on the sides. Cook on both sides. Place the dosa on the plate and spread the red chutney all over the dosa and sprinkle chutney dal powder, ghee (optional). Serve immediately with chutney or without chutney.
Continue this process with the remaining batter.

Sent off to "Bookmarked Recipes-Every Tuesday" event.

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Spinach Stir-Fry

Ingredients:
Spinach (medium size) - 1 (chopped with stems)
Onions (small) - 2 (chopped)
Garlic - 8 pods
Dry red chillies - 2 (broken into half)
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp.
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Urad dal - 1 tsp.
Chana dal - 2 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Oil (as required)

Method:
Heat oil and add mustard,cumin seeds and dals and temper them. Add onion, garlic and dry red chillies and saute till the onions turn translucent.
Add chopped spinach and continue to saute.
While sauting, the spinach will wilt and release its juice. Continue the process till the stems are well cooked.
Now sprinkle required salt and saute, followed by sprinkling grated coconut and till dry.
Enjoy as a side dish with rice or chapathi.

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VICTORY YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE WON!!!!!!!!!!!!! INDIA WON THE ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP 2011 AFTER 28 YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here are the pictures which I captured from TV. Indian team bagging The World Cup. We are proud of you Guys!

 Captain Dhoni getting ready to hit a six for VICTORY!

Note:
Again, All photos are taken from television with my camera.

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Egg Fried Rice & Gobhi/Cauliflower Manchurian

I had some capsicums left in the refrigerator and I just wanted to get rid of them by throwing them in some dish. I also remembered that my kids asked me to make a manchurian dish for a long time. Then I raided the fridge to find out if there were required ingredients. Fortunately there were some and I was too lazy to make vegetable stock for gobhi manchurian and instead I used water. As a surprise, I made these two dishes and served them as today's lunch.

Egg fried rice
Ingredients:
Rice - 1 1/2 cups
Eggs - 3
Spring onions (big white bulbs) - 2 (chopped)
Carrot - 1/3 cup (finely chopped)
Beans - 1/3 cup (very finely chopped)
Cabbage - 1/3 cup (shredded)
Capsicum (tri-color) - 1/3 cup (finely chopped)
Ginger - 1/4 inch (grated)
Garlic - 1 big pod (grated)
White pepper powder - 1/4 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Sesame oil - as required
Tomato ketchup - 1 tsp.
Sweet red chilli sauce - 2 tbsp.
Soy sauce - 2 1/2  tbsp.
Spring onions (green part) - chopped (to garnish)

Method:
Cook rice till 75% and keep aside. Grains should be separate.
Beat the egg and warm a tawa. Pour the beaten eggs into a thin omelette. Chop them into pieces and keep aside.
Heat the oil in a wide pan or wok and add white bulb, ginger and garlic in high flame. Saute till the raw smell fades away.
Now add the veggies and saute for a few minutes.
Add the chopped eggs and saute. Now add the sauces, ketchup and mix.
Add the cooked rice, white pepper powder, required salt and toss or mix.
Garnish with spring onion and enjoy hot.

Note:
Instead of making omelette, you use scrambled eggs and continue the process.
I have used uzhakku for measuring rice.
Spoons & cups are US measurements except for rice.


Gobhi/Cauliflower Manchurian

Ingredients:
Cauliflower florets (medium size) - 3 cups
All purpose flour - 1/2 cup
Cornflour/cornstarch  - 1/3 cup
Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp.
(Kashmiri) Red chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Oil (for deep frying)

Method:
Drop the florets in hot water and let it sit for 10 minutes. Strain and keep aside.
Mix all the ingredients into a smooth paste/batter except cauliflower and oil.
Dip the florets in batter and drop in the hot oil.
Deep fry till golden brown.
Place them on an absorbent paper and keep aside.

For sauce:
Ingredients:
Spring onions (big white bulbs) - 4 (chopped)
Bell pepper/capsicum (red and green) - few (cubed)
Green chillies - 2 (chopped)
Garlic-ginger paste - 2 tsp.
Vinegar - 2 tsp.
Soy sauce - 4 tbsp.
Water - 2 1/2 cups.
Salt (as per taste)
Cornflour/cornstarch - 1/4 cup
Sweet red chilli sauce - 1 tsp.
Tomato ketchup or sauce - 1/4 tsp.
Spring onions (chopped) - to garnish
Sesame oil

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and add onions, green chillies, bell peppers, ginger-garlic paste. Saute till the raw smell fades completely.
Add the sauces and salt to taste and mix
Add 1.5 cups of water and bring it to a boil.
Mix 1/4 cup of cornflour with 1 cup of water without any lumps.
Add the cornflour water to the boiling mixture.
When the sauce starts to thicken, immediately drop all the fried cauliflower, vinegar and mix fast.
Garnish with spring onions.
Enjoy hot with fried rice.

Note:
Sauces already contain salt, so add the salt according to taste.
If dark soy sauce is used adjust the quantity.
Spoons and cups used are US measurements.
No added MSG (Aji-no-moto).

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