VEG.MANCHURIAN WITH GRAVY

Ingredients

For 4 persons

• Cauliflower finely chopped  1 cup
• Carrots grated  ½ cup
• Green onion finely chopped ½ cup + for garnishing
• Red capsicum ¼ cup
• Garlic finely Chopped 2 tbsp
• Ginger finely chopped 2 tsp
• Dark soya sauce 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• MSG 1 tsp (optional)
• Sweet chilli sauce  2 tbsp
• Green chilli sauce  1 tbsp
• Green chilli  2 chopped
• All purpose flour (maida) ½ cup
• Corn starch ¼ cup + 1 tbsp
• Black pepper powder 1 tsp
• Red chilli flakes ½ tsp
• Sufficient oil for frying
• Orange vinegar 1 tbsp

For Manchurian balls

• Mix all chopped vegetables, corn flour, all purpose flour, black pepper, half portion of chopped ginger and garlic, salt and mix well, adding water as required for thick consistency.
• Heat oil in wok and make round balls with the hand and fry them in small batches on medium to high heat.

For Sauce

• Heat some oil in wok on high heat.
• Add remaining ginger and garlic and saute for a while
• Add green onion and green chilly and saute for another 8-10 seconds.
• Add 3 cups of water
• Add all the sauces and let the mixture to boil.
• Dissolve corn starch in ½ cup of water and add to mixture.
• When it thickens, lower the heat and add manchurian balls in gravy.
• Add orange vinegar. Mix well and turn off the heat.
• Garnish with green onion and serve hot with steamed or fried rice.

Kadhi Pakoda

Kadhi is a versatile dish prepared with curd or yogurt and is prepared in many ways in various regions. Punjabi kadhi pakoda which we have made here is very popular, trademark dish of Punjab region. This punjabi kadhi is made by adding fried fritters or pakodas in the kadhi. The other popular version is Gujarati kadhi which does not involve addition of fritters or anything similar and is thinner in consistency as compared to punjabi kadhi pakoda which is quite thick.

Curd is the main ingredient of the dish thus making it very appetizing. This dish is rich in calcium, minerals but low in calories especially because of absence of any starchy ingredient. Kadhi-chawal or rice kadhi is a very popular combination in northern India and is also served in restaurants and as street food.

Some people add bondi in kadhi as a replacement for fried fritters. The replacement does not affect the real essence or flavour of the dish much. The real flavour lies in the spices that are used in tempering. The dish is made in a manner that even if you are new to cooking, you can easily make it. So what are you waiting for, grab the ingredients and let's get started.

 Ingredients

For 5-6 persons 

• Gram flour 1 cup
• Yogurt 250 gms
• Red chilli powder 2 tsp
• Turmeric 1 tbsp
• Garam Masala 2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Green chillies chopped 2
• Dry whole red chillies 3-4
• Coriander powder 1 tbsp
• Asafoetida powder 1 tsp
• Black pepper corns 8-10
• Cumin seeds 1 tsp
• Coriander seeds crushed (not powdered)
• Cloves 4-5
• Black cardamom 1
• Green coriander chopped 1 tbsp
• Fenugreek seeds 1 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp

For Pakoras

• Gram flour 1 Cup
• Onion finely chopped 1
• Onion chopped in small pieces 1
• Carom seeds 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Garam masala 1 tsp
• Coriander powder 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder 1 tsp
• Fenugreek leaves 2 tsp
• Sufficient oil for frying

Method

For Pakoras

• Mix all ingredients of Pakoras and add some water and mix well till in thick consistency.
• Heat oil in wok.
• Make pakoras on medium heat with the help of spoon in small batches.
• Keep them aside.

For Kadi

• Add gram flour and dry spices in yogurt and mix well. 
• Add 2 to 2.5 litres of water and mix well
• Heat oil in another wok.
• Add crushed coriander. Saute for 10-15 seconds, then add fenugreek seeds. Saute for another 10-15 seconds.
• Then add black peppercorn, cumin, whole red chilli, cloves and saute for few seconds
• Add asafoetida.
• Add ginger garlic paste, saute for few seconds
• Add yogurt mixture carefully.
• Keep stirring occasionally on medium flame.
• It will take about an hour for kadhi to get cooked well.
• Before desired consistency reaches, add pakoras as kadhi will get thickened further when it cools off. So make sure it is not very thick when you add the pakoras.
• Let simmer for 4-5 minutes. Turn off the heat and cover for some time.
• Garnish with chopped coriander.
• Serve hot with rice or parathas.

BAINGANI PANEER

 The eggplants are said to be the king of vegetables. Whether because of the green stem which remains on top or because of its mighty and bold color, structure and texture, but it surely is one of the best vegetables grown in the Indian subcontinent region. The eggplants grow in many sizes and colors mainly voilet, green and white. There are so many dishes in various cuisines around the world made with this versatile vegetable. This can be eaten fried, roasted, cooked, boiled and sauteed form. From Baingan bhartha to litti chokha to bharwan baingan, the vegetable gets a new taste in every region it gets served. 

In this recipe, we have used the small eggplants. The cottage cheese which is used in the recipe can be homemade or store purchased. Although we used the homemade paneer, the taste will be equally good in store purchased paneer too. The combination of spiced eggplants and paneer is not only delicious but healthy too. Though we have fried the eggplants in the recipe, you can skip frying if you are calorie conscious or have any dietary restriction and cook it normally. There might be slight variation in the taste but non fried dish will also be no less in taste.

Ingredients

for 3-4 persons

• Small eggplant (baingan)    400-500 gms
• Cottage cheese (paneer) crumbled    150 gms
• Chilli powder 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder 1 tsp
• Garam Masala powder 1 tsp
• Black salt    ½ tsp
• Salt as per taste
• Coriander powder 2 tsp
• Carom seeds 1 tsp
• Tomato puree 3 tsp
• Sufficient oil for frying
• Chopped Green onion for garnishing. t tbsp
• Dried ginger powder 2 tsp

Method

• Cut baingan into four pieces.
• Heat oil in wok and fry baingan on medium to high heat till crispy
• Keep them aside.
• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan, add carom seeds and saute for few seconds.
• Add tomato puree and all powdered spices and saute well till oil separates.
• Add fried baingain, mix well.
• Cook for another 2-3 minutes on medium heat then add crumbled paneer.
• Mix well. Cook another 2 more minutes.
• Baingani Paneer is ready. Garnish with chopped green onion.
• Serve hot with chapati/paratha

Click here to watch video on YouTube