Egg Hakka Noodles

INGREDIENTS:

150 gms Hakka Noodles
1 large onion, chopped
2 tsp garlic, crushed
1 carrot, julienne
1 cup cabbage, shredded
½ cup beans, julienne
1 cup mushrooms, halved
1 small capsicum, julienne
½ cup spring onion, chopped
⅓ cup celery, julienne
2 eggs
1 tbsp green chilli sauce
2 tbsp Soya sauce
1 tsp Pepper Powder
Salt
Oil

METHOD:

1. Heat enough water in a pan with salt and few drops of oil.
2. When the water comes to a boil, add the noodles.
3. Stir and allow to cook the noodles till they are just cooked.
4. Drain them in a sieve.
5. Rinse the noodles in fresh water by placing the colander or sieve under fresh tap water.
6. Drain & keep aside.
7. Heat oil in a wok. Scramble the eggs and keep aside. 
8. In the same pan, add more oil if required, add chopped onion and garlic. Saute in high flame.
9. When onion becomes translucent, add rest of the veggies, except spring onion. 
10. Add salt. Cover and cook till the veggies are done. Make sure that it retains its crunchiness.
11. Once the veggies are done, add pepper powder and the sauces. Mix well.
12. Reduce to the low flame and add scrambled eggs, spring onion and noodles. Mix well. 
13. Cook on low flame for 2 minutes. Serve hot.

NOTES:

1. You can add any veggies of your choice. 
2. You can adjust the qty of veggies as per your requirements. 
3. If you are using sauces, be careful while adding salt to the recipe.
4. Adding sauces is optional.

Baby Corn Chilli Fry

INGREDIENTS:

15 baby corn, diagonally cut
1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 inch ginger, finely chopped
4 green chilies, slit
5 garlic, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped onion/spring onions
1 tbsp soy sauce or as required
1 tbsp white vinegar (optional)
1 tbsp chopped celery
1 tbsp black pepper powder
2 tbsp water
1 tsp corn flour to be sprinkled from above
Salt as required
Sugar as required (optional)
Oil to shallow fry/deep fry the baby corn
2 tbsp oil for the sauce

For the batter:

2 tbsp all purpose flour (optional)
4 tbsp cornflour (If not using all purpose flour, then take 6 tbsp of cornflour)
water as required to make a thick paste
salt and pepper as required

METHOD:

Preparing the batter:

1. Make a smooth paste with the corn flour, all purpose flour, salt, pepper and water.
2. Rinse and paper dry the baby corn.
3. Heat oil on a frying pan.
4. Dip each baby corn piece in the batter and coat it well with the batter.
5. Deep fry the baby corn on medium flame till the edges and sides are golden brown.
6. Drain the baby corn on kitchen towels.

Preparing the sauce:

1. In pan, heat about 2 tbsp oil.
2. Once hot, add chopped onions or spring onions, ginger, garlic and slit green chilies.
3. stir fry on a high flame till the onions have become translucent. If you cannot handle high flame, do it on medium flame.
4. Add green bell pepper and stir fry till the they have partly cooked but still retain their crunch.
5. Add the soy sauce and mix well.
6. Sprinkle black pepper powder, salt and sugar (if using). 
7. Add 2 tbsp water and stir.
8. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of corn flour. 
9. Mix well and cook for  about 1-2 minutes.
10. Add white vinegar and stir again.
11. Add the deep fried baby corn with chopped celery to this mixture. Mix well.
12. check the taste and add salt, pepper or soy sauce if required.

Serve chilli baby corn as a starter or with veg fried rice.

Paneer Manchurian

There are two versions of Paneer Manchurian, wet and dry. Made with generous amount of garlic and ginger and flavored with soy sauce and vinegar, the Paneer Manchurian with gravy complements steamed rice, fried rice or noodles. The dry Paneer Manchurian is best served as an appetizer. 

INGREDIENTS

200 gms cottage cheese or tofu
1 small green bell pepper - chopped or thinly sliced
1.5 cups veg stock or water
½ tsp black pepper powder
½ cup chopped spring onion
1 green chilli, finely chopped
½ inch ginger, finely chopped
5-6 garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp chopped celery
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1.5 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tsp white vinegar
Salt as required
Oil for frying the paneer

For the corn flour paste:
2 tbsp corn flour
½ cup water

For the Paneer marinade:
2 tbsp corn flour
½ tsp chopped ginger-garlic
Salt and pepper as required

METHOD:

1. Mix all the ingredients for the paneer marinade.
2. Add paneer to the marinade. 
3. Toss the mixture well, so that the paneer is well coated with the marinade.
4. Shallow fry the paneer cubes in hot oil. 
5. Drain on paper napkins and keep aside.
6. Remove the extra oil from the kadai. Make sure to have 4 tbsp in kadai.
7. When the oil becomes hot add the onions.
8. Stir fry the onions on high flame. Do not burn.
9. If you can not handle high flame, do it in medium flame.
10. Make the corn flour paste with water.
11. Saute onions till it becomes translucent. 
12. Add the ginger, garlic, green chili and celery. Stir for some seconds or a minute.
13. Add the green bell pepper. Stir fry it for 2 mins.
14. Add all the sauces, veg stock or water. Stir and simmer. 
15. Add the cornflour paste and let the sauce thicken.
16. Now add the fried paneer cubes, vinegar, pepper and salt. Stir and simmer for a minute.

Serve Paneer Manchurian hot with veg fried rice or veg noodles.

Veg Fried Rice

Fried rice is more healthy since its loaded with lots of vegetables and less sauces. This fried rice is easy to make if you have leftover rice handy. It is best to use a day old rice, as they are drier because stored in refrigerator and rice grains will stay separated after tossing them with veggies.  Fried rice is cooked on a high flame, and the trick is to cut the vegetables small, so that they do not remain raw inside.

A very mild rice variety to treat our family and friends. Kids would surely love to enjoy this dish with Manchurian.This dish is actually a lot simpler than most of us perceive it to be.

INGREDIENTS 

To cook rice:

1 cup long grained rice or basmati rice
5 cups water
½ tsp salt
2 drops of sesame oil/regular oil

¼ cup finely chopped spring onion whites/scallions

¼ cup finely chopped carrots
¼ cup finely chopped french beans
¼ cup finely chopped cabbage
¼ cup finely chopped mushrooms
¼ cup finely chopped capsicum
¼ cup finely chopped cauliflower
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 tbsp finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped celery, skip if you do not have
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp regular vinegar
½ tsp black pepper powder
1 star anise
2.5 tbsp sesame oil or any other oil
salt as required

METHOD:

To cook the rice:

1. Rinse rice very well, drain and keep aside.
2. In a pot, take 5 cups of water with salt and 2 drops of oil. Bring to a gentle boil .
3. Add the rice to the hot water.
4. On a medium flame cook the rice without the lid.
5. When the rice becomes 80% cooked, remove the pot from fire and drain the rice.
6. Cover the rice and keep aside till the rice cools completely.

To prepare the fried rice:

1. Chop the veggies finely and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan in high flame.
3. Add the star anise and fry till the oil becomes fragrant.
4. Add the garlic and saute for some seconds.
5. Add ginger and add the spring onions whites/scallions and saute for about 1 minutes.
6. Add all the finely chopped beans first as it takes time to cook. Cook it for 1 minute.
7. Then add chopped cauliflower and cabbage. Cook it for 1 minute.
8. Do not lower the flame. Add rest chopped veggies.
9. Stir fry the veggies on a high flame.
10. If you cannot handle stir frying on a high flame, then stir fry on a medium flame.
11. Toss continuously and stir while frying so that the veggies are uniformly cooked and do not get burnt.
12. Stir fry till they are just cooked and their crunchiness and crispiness should be retained.
13. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, salt and pepper.
14. Stir quickly and add the rice. Stir fry for a few minutes till the sauce has coated the fried rice well.

Serve the veg fried rice hot plain or with an indo chinese vegetable gravy.

Egg Manchurian (Dry)

Marinated boiled egg deep fried then sauteed with onions, bell peppers along with a mixture of sauces makes this wonderful appetizer or side dish. If you don't like egg yolks, you can remove it and make this Manchurian just with cooked egg whites.

Ingredients:

Boiled eggs (sliced lengthwise as 4 pieces) 6 nos 
2 tbsp Cornflour
1/4 tsp Ginger garlic paste
1/4 tsp Green chili paste
Salt

For dry gravy:

1 no Onion(diced)
2 nos Capsicum (julienne cut)
4 nos Garlic cloves (chopped)
2 tbsp Soy sauce
2 tbsp Tomato ketchup
1 tsp Vinegar
Salt to taste (if needed)
Oil for deep frying the eggs
Oil for sauteing


Method:

1. Combine cornflour, salt, garlic-ginger paste and the green chili paste in a large bowl, 
2. Mix well with water to get a thick batter.
3. Heat oil in a pan. Dip the sliced boiled eggs in the batter,drop gently to the hot oil and  fry in oil.
4. Remove from the oil and transfer to a paper towel lined plate..
5. In a pan, add some oil. Put high flame.
6. When it smokes add the chopped onions and capsicum and saute for few seconds.
7. Add the chopped garlic, salt and fry for a minute.
8. Add the soy sauce and vinegar,stir for a minute.
9. Add the tomato ketchup and then add fried eggs.
10. Stir continuously for a couple of minute, take it out from heat.
11. Garnish with chopped spring onions if needed.

Serve hot with noodle or fried rice or as appetizer..

Veg Manchurian with Gravy

Veg Manchurian is an indo chinese fusion recipe. Indo chinese fusion?!?!

It is nothing but a technique where chinese dishes are customized on to the indian taste.
This vegetable manchurian is one such recipe. Deep fried vegetable balls dipped in gravy/soup served with noodles or fried rice or Roti...

A healthy recipe and popular Indian-Chinese staple cooked with fresh mixed vegetables and crunchy capsicum. This dish not only pleasing to the eye but also are yummy and nutrition wise a big thumbs up to it. Vegetable ball you can take any vegetable available in your local

Ingredients:

For The Vegetable Balls
Finely chopped cabbage 3 cups 
Grated Carrot 1 1/4 cups  (I prefer to chop)
Finely chopped bell pepper ½ cup 
Finely chopped spring onion/scallion greens ¼ cup (or you can take 1/2 cup chopped onions)
Cornflour 2 tbsp 
Plain flour 5 tbsp
Finely chopped garlic 1 tbsp
Finely chopped green chillies 2 tsp 
Salt to taste
Oil for deep-frying

For The Sauce
Finely chopped garlic  1 tbsp 
Finely chopped green chillies 2 tsp 
Finely chopped ginger 2 tsp 
Onion or spring onion 2 tbsp 
Finely chopped celery (optional) 1 tbsp 
Clear vegetable stock or water 1 cup 
Soy sauce 1 tbsp 
Vinegar ½ tbsp 
Cornflour  1 tbsp (dissolved in 2 tbsp water)
Freshly crushed black pepper ½ tsp
Sugar 2 pinches (optional)
Oil 2 tbsp 
Salt to taste

Method:

For the vegetable balls

1. Combine all the ingredients (listed under vegetable ball list) in a bowl and mix well using your hands. Keep aside for 15 minutes.
2. Shape spoonfuls of the mixture into small balls.
3. Deep fry a few balls at a time in hot oil until golden brown. 
4. Drain on absorbent paper and keep aside.

For the sauce

1. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan on a high flame. 
2. Add the onions, ginger, garlic, chilies, celery and stir fry over a high flame for a few seconds. (No need to brown them)
3. Add the stock, soya sauce, crushed black pepper.
4. Add the cornflour paste to thicken the sauce.
5. Thicken the sauce to your desired consistency. (You can add water if you dont want to have thin sauce)
6. Add vinegar, salt, sugar and simmer for a few minutes.
7. Add fried veg balls and simmer for a minute

Serve veg manchurian garnished with spring onion greens.

If you want crispiness in the veg ball along with gravy, then just before serving, put the vegetable balls in the sauce and bring to a boil. Serve hot.