Friday, November 26, 2010

The Chinese Sizzler....

Hot ginger or garlic sauce is poured over stir fried vegetables placed on a hot iron plate. The sauce sizzles, and thus the name. Noodle cutlets accompany it.
Serves 4
NOODLE CUTLETS
Potatoes boiled grated 3
Carrot cut into tiny cubes 1
Capsicum cut into tiny cubes 1
Onion chopped finely 1
Salt 1 tsp
Soya sauce 1 tsp
Red chilli powder ½ tsp
Oil 2 tbsp
Bread crumbs 6 tbsp
Noodles boiled 50gms.
Heat oil. Stir fry onion for ½ minute. Add carrot and capsicum. Stir fry for 1 minute.
Add potatoes, soya sauce, salt & chilli powder. Mix well.
Remove from fire. Add bread crumbs. Mix well and shape into oval balls. Flatten them slightly. Dip in a thin batter prepared by mixing 2 tbsp flour with 4 tbsp water.
Cover with boiled noodles. Deep fry to a golden brown colour.
GINGER SAUCE
Ginger paste 1 tbsp
Oil 2 tbsp
Dry Red chillies 2
Vinegar 1 tbsp
Soya sauce 1 tsp
Tomato ketchup 2 tbsp
Salt, pepper ½ tsp
Water 1 cup
1 ½ tbsp corn flour dissolved in ½ cup water
Grind red chillies with ginger to a paste.
Heat oil. Stir fry paste on low flame for 1 minute.
Add soya sauce, tomato ketchup, vinegar, salt & pepper. Cook for 1 minute.
Add water. Boil.
Add corn flour paste, stirring continuously. Cook till thick.
STIR FRIED VEGETABLES
¼ of small cauliflower, parboiled – cut into flowerettes
Parboiled French beans cut into 1” long pieces 5-6
Cabbage leaves – torn into big pieces 2
Carrot – parboiled, cut into leaves & flowers
Onion – cut into fours & separated 1
Salt, pepper to taste
A pinch of sugar
Oil 2 tbsp
Heat oil. Add onions. Stir fry for 1 minute.
Add cauliflower. Stir fry for 2 minutes
Add all other vegetables, salt, pepper & sugar.
Stir fry for one minute. Remove from fire.
TO SERVE
Place the noodle cutlets & stir fried vegetables on a hot iron plate.
Pour the prepared hot sauce over it.
Fried potato fingers may accompany the sizzler.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

something HOT for winters.......

VEGETABLE BROTH
Serves4
Cauliflower chopped 1 ½ cups
Turnip chopped 1 cabbage chopped ¼
Water 4 cups
Milk 1 cup
Salt & pepper to taste
Kasoori methi (dried) 1 tsp
Pepper corns coarsely powder a few
Pressure cook cauliflower, cabbage & turnip together with 4 cups water to give 3-4 whistles
When the pressure drops, remove from fire. Blend it and strain.
Add milk, kasoori methi, salt & pepper. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Serve hot, sprinkling each serving with a pinch of coarsely powdered pepper corns.

SPINACH SOUP
Serves 4
Spinach chopped 3 cups
Water 3 cups
Ginger ¼” chopped
Garlic flakes 1-2
Bay leaf 1
Milk 1 cup
Salt & pepper to taste
GARNISHING
Cottage cheese crumbled ½ cup
Lemon juice 1 tsp
Boil chopped spinach with bay leaf, garlic, ginger & 3 cups water. Cover & simmer for 7-8 minutes. Puree in a blender & sieve. Add salt & pepper to taste. Boil the spinach puree for 2-3 minutes.
Add milk, stirring continuously. Boil again. Remove from fire. Add lemon juice, stirring continuously.
To serve, boil soup. Garnish with crumbled cottage cheese & serve.

MUSHROOM SOUP
Serves 4
Mushrooms chopped finely 75gm
Onion chopped 1 big
Plain flour 5 tbsp
Milk 2 cups
Water 6 cups
Butter 4 tbsp
Salt 1 ½ tsp
Pepper ½ tsp to taste
Ginger ½” piece chopped
1 tbsp cornflour dissolved in ¼ cup water
GARNISHING
Green leaves of spring onions – cut into very fine round slices
Heat ½ tbsp butter. Add onions and ginger. Cook for 2 minutes on low flame, until onions turn transparent.
Add milk and water. Boil. Keep on low flame for 2 minutes. Strain. Keep aside.
Sauté mushrooms in 3 ½ tbsp butter for 2 -3 minutes on low flame.
Reduce flame. Add plain flour & stir fry for 1 minute on low flame.
Add milk water mixture. Boil. Add cornflour paste.
Add salt and pepper and cook for some time until the soup turns thick and creamy.
Serve hot, each cup garnished with 2-3 rings of spring onion tops or coriander leaf.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

...on special request

RASGULLA
• 1/2 Litre milk
• 3 tbsp Lemon juice
• 2 tsp All Purpose Flour
• 1/4 tsp Rose essence or cardamom powder
• 1 Cup Water
• 1 Cup Sugar
Take a pan and heat milk in it. Bring it to a boil.
Add lemon juice, stirring slowly and gently till cheese separates from the milk.
Now turn off the heat and strain it through a strainer.
Make sure all the water from the cheese is drained.
Now knead it to make soft dough.
Combine flour with it and knead again.
Make small rounded balls from the dough, keep aside.
The balls should not have any cracks in it.
Now combine sugar and water in a saucepan and boil it.
Add cheese balls to the syrup and cook it for about 30 minutes with lid partially covered.
Add rose essence or cardamom powder and turn the heat off.
Allow to cool and serve .

Friday, November 19, 2010

chinese combo meal

HAKA NOODLES WITH TREASURE VEGETABLE
Serves 4
Chow noodles boiled 100gms
Oil 2 tbsp
Dry whole red chilli powder-broken into bits 3
Chilli powder ½ tsp
Soya sauce 2 tsp
Salt ½ tsp
Heat 2 tbsp oil. Remove from fire, add red chillies and chilli powder.
Return to fire & mix in the boiled noodles. Add salt and soya sauce. Fry for 1 minute, till the noodles turn brown.
Keep the fried noodles aside.
Broccoli, zucchini, lotus stem, water chestnut, red & yellow capsicum, asparagus, baby corn – cut into 1” size – 1 big bowl (mix)
Asafoetida powder 1 pinch
Garlic chopped 1 tsp
Salt & black pepper to taste
Soya sauce ½ tsp
Corn flour & plain flour 1 tsp each
Oil 1 tsp
Parboil all the above vegetables.
Heat oil, add garlic, vegetables stock (left over boiled water of above vegetables), soya sauce, salt & pepper. Sauté for few minutes.
Dissolve corn flour & plain flour in water. Add in to pan.
Now put all parboiled vegetables in pan & cook for few minutes.
Serve with fried noodles or spread the noodles on a platter, pour the prepared hot vegetables over the noodles. Serve.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

fun with daily breakfast..

GRILLED FRUITS
Pineapple cut onto 1” square shape 4-4
Apple, orange and pear cut into 1” square shape
Hung curd 100gms
Chaat masala 1 tsp
Red chilli powder 1 tbsp
Lemon juice 2 tsp
Olive oil 2 tsp
Garam masala powder 1 tsp
Tomato ketchup 2 tbsp
Black pepper 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste 1tsp
Salt to taste
Mix all the above ingredients and cook in tandoor for few minutes.
Serve hot with onion tomato lemon salad.

OPEN PASTA SANDWICH
Serves 4
Bread slices – toasted & buttered
Boiled macaroni 1 cup
Tomato ketchup 2 tsp
Salt & pepper to taste
Fresh tomato puree ¾ cup
Garlic crushed 2 flakes
Grated cheese ¼ cup
Spring onion rings cut into fine rings - to garnish
Boil ½ cup macaroni to get 1 cup boiled macaroni. Drain
Thicken the tomato puree & garlic in a small wok. Remove from fire.
Add tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Mix. Add macaroni. Mix gently.
Spread the macaroni mixture on a buttered toast. Sprinkle finely grated cheese. Garnish with spring onions. Cut into two pieces and serve.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

fuss free yummy noon fixes

VEGGIE NOODLE SOUP
Serves1
1 tsp oil
2 flakes garlic crushed
2-3 mushrooms, sliced
1 carrot, julienned
1 capsicum, julienned
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and halved
400ml water or vegetable stock
20g noodles a pinch of white pepper powder
Salt to taste
1 tsp vinegar
4 spinach leaves, shredded
Heat oil in wok, add the crushed garlic and stir fry briefly. Add the mushrooms, carrot and capsicum, and stir fry for two minutes. Add the red chilli and immediately stir in the stock or water.
Bring to a boil, add the noodles, reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the white pepper powder and salt. Stir in the vinegar and shredded spinach leaves. Simmer for a minute.

BAKED BEAN WRAP
Serves 1
2 whole wheat flour chapattis
2 tbsp salsa
50g baked beans, tinned
4-5 lettuce leaves shredded 1 carrot, grated
75g cheese, grated
½ tsp red chilli flakes
Heat one chapatti on a griddle.
Put some salsa over the warm chapatti and spread evenly.
Spread half the baked beans over the salsa. Top with lettuce, carrot and cheese.
Sprinkle red chilli flakes over and roll the chapatti firmly. Wrap a silver foil around it to secure. Repeat the process for the second wrap.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Packing a quick lunch for work...

FUSILLI & GRAPE SALAD
Serves 1
50g fusilli pasta, blanched
7 broccoli florets, blanched
½ red bell pepper, oven roasted and diced
5 baby tomatoes, halved
3 basil leaves, torn by hand
6 green grapes
6 black grapes
½ tbsp cottage cheese crumbled
FOR THE DRESSING
½ tbsp olive oil
½ tsp lemon juice
3 peppercorns, crushed salt to taste
3 red grapes, crushed
½ tsp red chilli flakes
A pinch of dry oregano
Take the blanched pasta in a bowl; add broccoli, red bell pepper, tomatoes, basil and grapes. Toss gently.
Whisk all the dressing ingredients together.
Gently toss the pasta and vegetables in dressing.
Arrange in a lunch box and sprinkle crumbled cheese on top.

BROWN BREAD CHEESE SANDWICH
2 brown bread slices
1 tsp butter
50 g cottage cheese, cut into 1cm strips
2 tbsp green chutney
1 onion chopped
½ capsicum, deseeded and chopped
2 springs coriander leaves, chopped
Salt to taste
¼ tsp chaat masala
2 lettuce leaves 3 mint leaves
FOR THE GREEN CHUTNEY
1 bunch coriander leaves
½ bunch mint leaves
2 green chillies chopped
1tsp cumin seeds
Salt to taste
½ tsp sugar
To prepare the green chutney, blend the ingredients in a mixer for a couple of minutes. Add water to adjust consistency.
Toast the bread slices on a griddle. Spread with the butter.
Mix the cottage cheese, the chutney, onion, capsicum and coriander leaves. Sprinkle salt and chaat masala over.
Arrange lettuce leaves on one slice. Spread the cottage cheese mixture on it, followed by the mint leaves, top with other slice.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Brunch Munch

FOCCASIA WITH CHERRY TOMATO & MUSHROOM
Serves2

olive oil 50 ml
mushrooms 50gm
cherry tomatoes 50 gm
refined flour 250 gm
yeast 15 gm
water 150 ml
sugar 15 gm
salt to taste
In a pan, on a slow flame heat 30 ml of olive oil. Saute the mushrooms and tomatoes and keep aside.
Knead the flour, yeast, remaining olive oil, water, sugar and salt into a nice smooth and soft dough. Let the dough rest for about 10 min.
Fold in half the quantity of the mushrooms and tomatoes in to the dough.
Punch the dough in to a tray applying little olive oil.
Arrange the remaining mushrooms and tomatoes on top.
Allow the dough to sit for another 30 min.
preheat the oven at 240c. Bake the foccacia for 12 min, and then another 6 min. on 190c.
Brush the foccacia with olive oil once it's done.
Serve it hot.