Chinese Veg Manchurian

Ingredients

Vegetable balls

2 cups finely chopped vegetables (cabbage, carrot, beans)
1 Capsicum (chopped)
1 cup Maida
Water

Manchurian sauce

Sesame oil/vegetable oil -2 tbsp
Garlic  5-6 minced
Green chilli 1
Ginger -2 inch
Onion - 1 big finely chopped
Spring onion greens - 2-3
Soy sauce - 1 1/2 tbsp
Chilli sauce -1 tbsp
Pepper powder -1/2 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt needed
Cornflour -2 tbsp mixed with 1/4 cup of water

 

Directions - How to make

Manchurian balls

Mix the chopped vegetables with maida and water so that you get a pakora style batter. Now make small balls and deep fry them in oil and keep aside.

Manchurian gravy

Heat oil in a pan, add garlic, ginger and green chillies. Saute for a few minutes.

Then add onions and saute until onions become transparent. Add spring onion greens, soy sauce, chilli sauce, pepper powder, sugar, salt needed and saute on medium flame for a few seconds.  After adding both the sauce and pepper powder, add 1 cup water to it. Mix well. Now add the cornflour mix stirring continuously on low flame. Once the sauce thickens, add the balls. Mix well to coat and switch off the flame. Serve hot manchurian gravy with fried rice.


 

Punjabi Chole and Jeera rice

Ingredients

Chole (Chickpeas) 2 cups
Coriander powder 1 1/2 tsp
Amchur (mango powder) 1 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder 3/4 tsp
Pepper 1/2 tsp
Garam masala 1tsp
Green chillies 3 (slit)
Ginger 1 inch
Onion (chopped) 1
Tomatoes (chopped) 2
Chilli powder 1 tsp
Salt

Directions- How to make

Dry roast coriander powder, amchur, cumin powder, pepper and garam masala. Keep aside

Splutter cumin seeds in oil. Add green chillies, ginger, onion and tomatoes. Fry well. Then add chilli powder, salt and the roast powder. Mix well. Add the pressure cooked chole ( 1 tsp salt) to it. Smash slightly before adding. Add 2-3 cups of water. Boil well. Finally add coriander leaves to it.

JEERA RICE

In ghee add 1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds), 1 red chilli, curry leaves and 3-4 crushed garlic. Add 2 1/2 cups rice and 4 1/2 cups of water. Salt 1 3/4 tsp and finally coriander leaves.

Serve jeera rice with spicy chole, raita and papad.
 

Karnakizhangu/ Yam Fry

Ingredients

Yam 1/4 kg (cut into pieces)
Onion 1
Tomato 1
Garlic 6-7 crushed
Tamarind 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder 2 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Salt

Directions - How to make

Cook the yam pieces in boiling water along with turmeric powder and salt in it. Take off when the vegetable is semicooked.

Heat some oil in a wok. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Fry onion, garlic and then tomato. Add required salt, coriander powder and chilli powder to it. Make a thick paste and add tamarind water to it. When it starts to boil add the yam pieces and fry well. Serve hot with rice.

Masoor Dal

Ingredients

Moong dal- 1 cup
Onion -1 ,finely chopped
Tomato - 1
Garlic-5 pods
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves
Mustard-1 tsp
Cumin seeds-1 tsp

Garam masala- a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil 2 tsp


Directions - How to make

Pressure cook moong dhal with enough water along with tomatoes. Remove from cooker and mash the tomatoes and dhal roughly.

In a pan heat oil and add mustard and cumin seeds. Once they start spluttering, add curry leaves. Add minced garlic and onion and saute till they turn light pink. Add the dal mixture and mix along chilli powder and salt. Add a pinch of garam masala and water if it is too thick. Simmer for few minutes and remove from heat. 

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapattis and sliced onions.

Cabbage Kootu

Ingredients

1/4 chopped cabbage

1 cup channa dal/ kadala parupu

1 Onion chopped

1 Tomato chopped

Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp

Grated coconut 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves

Salt

Oil

Directions - How to make

Pressure cook the channa dal for 3 whistles. Keep it aside.

 

Heat oil in a wok. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once it starts spluttering, add onions, ginger-garlic paste and tomatoes. Saute well. Add chopped cabbage and little salt . Fry for a minute and add  water sufficient enough to cook the cabbage well. Add  turmeric powder, chilli powder and the coriander powder at this stage. Once the water evaporates, add the channa dal and later grated coconut. Garnish with coriander leaves.

 

 



Potato Fry 2

Ingredients

2 big potatoes (steamed, peeled and cut into small cubes)

1 onion (chopped)

1/2 tomato

Cumin seeds 1 tsp

Garlic 4 (crushed)

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder 1 tsp

Coriander powder 1 tsp

Garam masala 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves

Lemon juice (a drop)

Salt

Oil

Directions- How to make

Steam 2 potatoes for 10 minutes. Peel and cut into small cubes.

Heat oil in a wok. Add cumin seeds, garlic, curry leaves and chopped onions. Saute well. Add tomatoes. Crush and form a thick paste. Add the potatoes, salt, chilli powder, garam masala and coriander powder. Fry well. Make sure all the spices blends well with the potatoes. Finally add little lemon juice before taking off.

Spicy Potato Fry

Ingredients


2 Big potatoes (peeled and cut into small cubes)
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Ginger 1 tsp (grated)
Garlic 2-3 (peeled and crushed)
Fennel powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Pepper 3/4 tsp
2-3 green chillies slit
Coriander leaves (chopped)

Salt

Oil

Directions - How to make

Boil water in a pan and add the potato cubes along with little salt and turmeric powder. Make sure  the potatoes are not overcooked. Remove and keep aside as soon as they are semicooked.

In a wok, heat little oil. Add cumin seeds, ginger and garlic. As the ginger and garlic turns light brown, add fennel powder, coriander powder and pepper and mix well. Mix the potatoes, green chillies and salt one by one. Cook for another 10-15 minutes until the potatoes becomes crisp ( if necessary add little oil) and is coated well with the spices. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Rajma Masala

Ingredients

1 cup rajma/ kidney beans                                             
1 big onion finely chopped
3 small tomatoes chopped
4 Garlic chopped
1 inch ginger chopped
2 green chillies chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp chilli powder (adjusted according to the spice level)
Salt
Coriander leaves chopped

Directions -How to make

Soak the rajma in water overnight or for 5 hours. Pressure cook the rajma with little turmeric powder and salt for 6 whistles.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add cumin seeds, ginger, garlic and green chillies. Add the onions once the ginger garlic turns brown. Saute well.  Add little salt and then tomatoes  Crush them well to form a thick paste. Add little water to help form a paste.

Now add the rajma. Mix well.  Add garam masala, coriander powder and chilli powder. Pour the pressure cooked rajma water over it. Cover and cook for a while. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with chapattis or white rice along with sliced onions.

ChoCho Poriyal

Ingredients

ChoCho/ Chayote 1

Chopped onion 1

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Urad dal 1 tsp

Channa Dal 1 tbsp

Dry red chillies 2

Curry leaves

Asafoetida (a pinch)

Turmeric powder (a pinch)

Grated Coconut 1 tbsp

Salt

Directions - How to make

Peel the outer skin and remove the seed from the vegetable. Cut into small cubes. Pressure cook them for a whistle. Do not overcook.

Heat oil in a wok. Add the mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal, dry chillies, curry leaves and then onions. Saute well. Add salt, asafoetida and turmeric powder. Finally add the chocho and stir for a while. Sprinkle the grated coconut and take off.

Potato Fry- 1

Ingredients

2 Big potatoes
Fennel seeds 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder 1 tsp
Garam Masala 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Curry leaves 1 Sprig
Salt



Directions- How to make

Wash and cut the potatoes into small cubes. Boil the potato pieces with turmeric powder and salt dissolved in little water. Cook covered for a few minutes while stirring. As soon as the water evaporates, pour oil in the center. Add fennel seeds and curry leaves. Then add the coriander powder, chilli powder and garam masala and mix well. Keep stirring while frying. Add oil to the sides if necessary.

Note: Be careful while boiling the potatoes as adding too much water might overcook the potatoes. Potatoes should only be semicooked in water i.e. before adding oil to get a good fry. Can even add little rice powder to make the fry crispy.

Baingan Ka Bharta (Roast Brinjal)

Ingredients

Large sized Brinjal/ Eggplant 1

Green chillies 2

Onion 1

Tomato 1
Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder 1 tsp

Chilli powder 1 1/2 tsp

Salt

Directions- How to make

Roast the brinjal either on the stove on medium flame or place it on the grill. Keep turning till all the sides gets roasted and the inner flesh gets really soft. Once its roasted, cool the brinjal and peel off the outer blackened skin. Now mash the brinjal well and keep aside.

Heat oil in a wok. Add slit green chillies and onions. Fry well. Then add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, salt chilli powder and coriander powder. Mix well. Add the mashed brinjal. Fry for a while. Serve hot with chapattis.

Vazhakkai Fry

Ingredients

Vazhakkai/ Plantain 1 Big ( Round thin slices)

Onion 1/2 (finely chopped)

Tomato 1/4 (To give a tangy taste)

Saunf 1 tsp

Asafoetida (a pinch)

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder 1 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves 1 sprig

Rice powder (Optional)

Salt

Directions- How to make

Soak the vazhakkai slices in salted warm water and keep aside or ten minutes.

Heat oil in a non-stick wok. Add saunf, curry leaves, onion, salt, asafoetida and tomato. Saute well. Add the vazhakkai slices. Add chilli powder and stir well. Cook covered for 2 minutes. Make sure that the vazhakkai does not burn at the bottom. Keep stirring, add oil if necessary. One can also add little rice powder for making the fry crispy. It goes well with sambar rice.

Egg Masala

Ingredients

3-4 boiled eggs (cut into pieces)                    
Onion 1/2
Saunf/ fennel seeds 1 tsp
Saunf powder 1 tsp
Salt 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Grated coconut 1 tbsp
Curry leaves 1 sprig


Directions- How to make

Method 1

Marinate the eggs with saunf powder, turmeric powder, salt, chilli powder and grated coconut. Let it stay for 10 minutes.

Heat oil in a wok. Add saunf, curry leaves and then finely chopped onion. Saute well. Add the marinated egg pieces. Stir for 2 minutes and turn off.

Method 2

Heat oil in a wok. Add fennel seeds, 2 crushed garlic pieces, 1 big onion (finely chopped). Saute well. Now add 1 big tomato finely chopped. Crush well to form a thick paste by adding very little water.

Add little turmeric powder ( a pinch), salt and chilli powder (1 tsp). Once the powders are fried, add 3-4 boiled eggs cut into pieces. Mix well. Cook for a minute over low flame. Turn off.

Stuffed Karela Fry

I learnt this amazingly tasty dish from Vahchef Sanjay . A big thanks to him, I learnt a lot of dishes from him. Actually this particular dish I had eaten at my cousin's friend's house in Andhra Pradesh when I was a kid. I liked it so much but I never insisted my mother to make it as she did not know and she never had the privilige of using Internet those days. Now that I can cook, I thought why not give it a try. I bet even the people who hate bittergourd/ Karela would love it.

Ingredients   Serves 4

Bittergourd/ Karela (4 small sized)

Bittergourd's seeds (finely chopped)

Mustard 1tsp

Fennel 1/2 tsp

1 big onion (finely chopped)

Asafoetida powder  (a pinch)

Turmeric powder 1 tsp

Chilli powder 1 tsp

Mango powder/ Amchoor 1 tsp

Gram Flour 1 tsp

Coriander leaves (finely chopped)

Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp

Salt 1 tsp

Oil

Directions - How to make

Peel off the karela's rough skin so that it becomes even on all sides. Cut a slit in between and remove all the seeds from inside. Cut the seeds into small pieces and keep aside.

Now heat oil in a pan. Add mustard. Wait till it splutters and then add fennel seeds, onion. Add a tsp of salt, asafoetida powder and saute the onions till it turns brown. Now add  turmeric powder and then gram flour. Fry till the gram flour releases nice aroma. Then add ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder and the chopped karela seeds. Fry well till it is roasted. Add the mango powder and stir on a low flame. Finally add the coriander leaves and little sugar to it. Mix well and take off. Wait till it cools down.

Finally add the stuffing inside the karelas and tie them with a string so that the stuffing stays intact while frying. Place the karela on the hot pan with enough oil. Cover with a lid. Cook over medium or low flame as it might happen that they are burnt from outside but not really cooked. Keep turning them in between so as to ensure the karela's are cooked evenly. Serve hot along with sambar rice or ghee rice.

Note: One can even sprinkle little salt and sugar while frying the karelas

Kathirikai Varuval

Ingredients

1 big Brinjal (cut into 1 inch cubes)

1 tsp saunf ( fennel seeds)

Curry leaves

2 tsp chilli powder

2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala
100 ml water
1 tsp salt
Oil

Directions - How to make

Boil brinjal cubes in a nin stick wok. Add salt and turmeric powder. Keep stiring. Crush the brinjals well. Once the water evaporates and brinjals are cooked, pour little oil. Add saunf and curry leaves. Further add chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Mix them well. Keep stirring while adding little oil over the brinjals. Mash well and take off once the raw smell goes and the brinjals are cooked. Serve hot with sambar rice.

Malai Kofta

Ingredients

1 Cup grated bottleguard (lauki in Hindi and sorakkai in Tamil)

1/2 cup Gram flour (besan)

Rice Flour or Cornflour 1 tbsp

Grated cheese 2 tbsp

1- 2 Chopped Onions

1 big Tomato

Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp

Chopped Green chillies

Cumin seeds 1 tsp

1/2 cup fresh cream

Chilli powder 1 tsp

Coriander powder 1 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala 1 tsp

Cumin powder 1 tsp
Ground cashews
Salt
Chopped Corainder leaves

Directions - How to make

To make the kofta: Squeeze out the water completely from the grated lauki. Add salt, ginger garlic paste, grated cheese, gram flour, rice flour,salt, coriander powder, chopped green chillies and little chilli powder. Mix them well. Make small balls and deep fry them in oil till they are golden brown. Keep them aside.

To make the gravy: Heat the oil in a wok. Add  chopped onions, ginger garlic paste, salt, tomatoes. Fry till the tomatoes gets mashed well and forms a paste. Add coriander powder, cumin powder and chilli powder. If it becomes too dry, add little water and take off. Grind this mixture in a mixie to form a paste.

Heat the oil in a wok again. Add cumin seeds, then the ground paste. Add water if required. Once it starts to boil, add the cashew powder ( just crush them lightly with a rolling pin) to the paste. Finally add the cream to it. Add the deep fried koftas, sprinkle some garam masala and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with chapattis or jeera rice.

Pepper Chicken

Ingredients

Boneless Chicken 500-750 gms 
Onion 2 (finely chopped)
Tomato 2

Capsicum 1
Spring Onions 2 (chopped) (Optional)

Green chillies 2 (finely chopped)

Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp

Chilli powder - 2 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Pepper - 1 - 1 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp (According to taste)

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Cumin seeds 1 tsp

Curry leaves 2 sprig

Oil

Directions - How to make

Wash the chicken well, cut into small pieces and keep aside. In a wok, heat oil. Add the mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add the cumin seeds. Next add the onions. Fry well till it changes colour. Add salt and turmeric powder. Then add the green chillies, ginger garlic paste, curry leaves and then tomatoes. Make a thick paste until it absorbs all the oil.  Now add chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and cumin powder. Once it forms a thick paste, add the chicken to it.Mix them well with the curry. Add little water and cook it covered. After 10 - 15 minutes, take off the lid. Keep stirring till its cooked well. Finally add the capsicum pieces and spring onions to it. Cook for a while. Add  pepper and mix well. Take off and serve hot with chapattis or rice.

Spicy Mushroom Curry

Ingredients

10-12 Mushrooms                                                                 

1 big Onion

1 Tomato

1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste (8 garlic and 1 inch ginger)

1 tsp saunf

Pinch of turmeric powder

Pinch of garam masala

1 tsp chilli powder

1 1/2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp salt

Directions - How to make

Heat 2 spoon oil in a kadhai. Add saunf, onions, ginger garlic paste, tomatoes. Fry well. Add salt, garam masala, turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder. Now, add the sliced mushrooms. Fry them well. Finally add a tumbler of water. Cook over sim flame till it forms a thick gravy. Take off. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with chapattis.

Eral Thokku / Prawn Curry

Ingredients

Prawns 150 gms

Oil 2 tbsp

1 big Onion (finely chopped)

1 Tomato (finely chopped)

Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp

Green chillies – 3 (slit in between)

Pure Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala – 1//2 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Salt according to taste

Pepper 1 tsp

Directions - How to make

Wash and clean the prawns well. Marinate it with little salt and turmeric powder and keep aside.

Heat the oil in wok. Add green chillies and onion. Fry them well. Now add the ginger garlic paste. Put very little tomato at this stage. When it’s fried well, add the marinated prawns, chilli powder,coriander powder, garam masala and half cup water. Taste the water and add salt accordingly as salt was already added while marinating. Cover with lid for 10 minutes till its cooked well. Keep a check as the prawn gets overcooked sometimes. It may become hard. Add the remaining finely chopped tomatoes and fry them for a couple of minutes. Once the oil separates and the prawn is cooked, add pepper if you want to make it spicy and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve it with rice or chapati.