Vegetable Manchuria

It’s quite easy to make Vegetable Manchuria

Ingredients

• Cabbage – 100 grams (grated)
• Carrots – 100 grams (grated)
• Capsicum – 50 grams (finely chopped)
• Coriander – 50 grams (finely chopped)
• Paneer – 100 grams grated
• Green Chili – 4-5, finely chopped
• Ginger – 1 inch – grated
• Corn Flour – 1 tbsp
• Maida Flour – 2 tbsp
• Soya Sauce – 1 tbsp
• Curry Leaves – 10 – 15, finely chopped
• Red Chili Powder – 1 tsp
• Salt to taste

Method

• For the Dumplings
• Mix Cabbage, Carrots, Capsicum, half the coriander, a little curry leaves, Paneer, Green Chili along with Salt, a little Soya Sauce, Ginger, 1/2 tbsp of Corn floor and 1 tbsp of Maida flour.
• Knead to a thick consistency by adding water little by little.
• Roll them into balls and deep fry and drain out excess oil (if any)
• For the Gravy
• Take some oil in a pan and heat.
• Add the remaining green chili, ginger and curry leaves.
• Once done add sufficient water and mix
• To this mixture add water mixed with corn flour.
• Add the remaining soya sauce and Red Chili powder & salt.
• Mix slowly on low heat until the gravy thickens.
• Drop in the dry Manchuria into the gravy and toss.

Your Vegetable Manchuria is now ready. Serve with fried rice or noodles. See the pics for the details.

Veggie Spring Rolls

Ingredients

1) Maida Flour - 200 grams
2) Carrots - 100 grams
3) Cabbage - 100 grams
4) Green Chilies - 3-4 (per taste)
5) Ginger - 1 inch long
6) Soya Sauce - 2 tbl spoons
7) Vinegar - 1 tsp
8) Salt to taste
9) Oil to deep fry

Figure 1: Sauté the veggies length-wise for best results.

Method of Preparation

1) Mix Maida with warm water and salt and slowly knead. It must be well knead for at least 15 mins. Cover it with cloth for 30 mins.

2) Cut all the veggies including chilies and Ginger length wise as shown in Figure 1.

3) Heat some oil in a pan and sauté all the veggies for about 2-3 minutes.

4) Add soya sauce and vinegar and cook for 2 more minutes.

5) Add salt to taste. Remove this from pan and allow it to cool.
This is your filling.

6) Take small balls of Maida and roll them into small chappatis. It should be at least 8-10 inches in diameter.

7) Take a little amount of the prepared filling and place it at one end of the chappati and roll them over while closing the ends.

8) Deep fry till golden brown in medium hot oil.

9) Pat out any excess oil with a kitchen towel. Cut them to shape and serve with grated Carrots, Cabbage and Tomato Ketchup.

Dahi Vada / Mosaru Vade

Ingredients for Vada (Serves 2 people)

1) Urad Dal – 1/2 cup (about 50gms)
1a) Toor Dal (or Moong Dal) – 1/2 cup (about 50 gms)
2) Black Pepper - 1 tsp
3) Green Chile - 3-4 (as per taste)
4) Jeera (Cumin) - 1 tsp
5) Hing - a pinch
6) Salt to taste
7) Finely chopped fresh coconut pieces (not grated)


Ingredients for Dahi (Mosaru)

1) Curds – 200 grams
2) Coriander leaves – 1 bunch
3) Jeera – 1 tsp
4) Green Chilies – 2 nos
5) Red Chilies powder – 1 pinch (as per taste)
6) Sugar – 1 tsp
7) Salt – to taste

Method Of Preparation

1) Soak Urad Dal & Toor (Moong) Dal overnight (or at least for 4 hours)
2) Grind the Dals into a thick paste by draining out most of the water.
3) Add finely chopped Green Chilies, Crushed Pepper and other ingredients and mix.
4) Deep Fry the Vadas by dropping them in hot Oil on medium.
5) Transfer the Vadas immediately into cold water (taken in a vessel) for about a minute and keep them aside (this will make them soft and allow them to soak the flavors)
6) Take Curds and beat it well to make it consistent (don’t add water).
7) To the curds add finely chopped coriander, chilies, salt, red chilies power and sugar and mix well. You could add some amchur and garam masala if desired.
8) Prepare Tadka with Ghee and Jeera, add it to the curds, and mix well.
9) Pour the curds over the Vadas and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. Leave it for 10-15 mins.
10) Refrigerate it for best results.

Pepper Poppy Hakka Noodles

In the pic: Pepper Poppy Hakka Noodles

Ingredients

1. Hakka Noodles - 400 grams (wheat noodles, you could use rice noodles as well)
2. Pepper Kernels - 10-15 kernels (crushed coarsely)
3. Poppy Seeds - 1 tsp
4. Green Chilly - 2-3 slit length wise
5. Capsicum - 150 grams
6. Carrot - 100 grams
7. French Beans - 100 grams
8. Capsicum - 100 grams (chopped)
9. Tomato Sauce - 3 table spoons
10. Vinegar - 1 tsp
11. Oil - 2-3 tsp

Method of Preparation

1. Take a large wok and heat about 10-12 glasses of water and bring it to boil.
2. Add about 3-4 tsp of oil and continue to boil.
3. Add Hakka Noodles and stir for about 2 minutes ensuring that its partly cooked.
4. Strain the water away and toss the Noodles with some more oil so that it does not stick to each other.
5. In a large pan take 2 tsp oil and heat.
6. Add pepper and poppy seeds and stir.
7. Add all the vegetables (cut length wise, 1/2 cm x 1 inch long) and quickly stir fry.
8. Add Salt to taste and then immediately add tomato sauce & Vinegar and continue stir fry.
9. Add the Noodles to this mixture and mix well.
10. Serve with tomato ketchup.

Quicky Vada & Pongal

Vada
Ingredients (Serves 2 people)
1) Urad Dal – 1 large cup (about 150gms) (whole, de-skinned)
2) Black Pepper - 1 tsp
3) Green Chile - 3-4 (as per taste)
4) Jeera (Cumin) - 1 tsp
5) Hing - a pinch
6) Salt to taste

Method Of Preparation
1) Soak Urad Dal overnight (or at least for 4 hours)
2) Grind the Urad Dal into a thick paste by draining out most of the water.
3) Add finely chopped Green Chile and other ingredients and mix.
4) Deep Fry the Vadas by dropping them in hot Oil on medium with a hole (if possible). [Dip your hands in water to avoid batter sticking to your hands]
5) Serve with chutney and Sambar.



Pongal
Ingredients (Serves 2 people)
1) Moong Dal - 1 Cup (De-skinned Split Green Gram)
2) Rice – 1 cup.
3) 10-15 pepper corns
4) Jeera - 2 tsp
5) Green Chille - 3-4 (to taste)
6) Hing (Asafetedia) - pinch
7) Salt - to taste
8) Ghee
9) Curry Leaves (Karibevu) - 10-15
10) Grated fresh Ginger - 1 tsp

Method of Preparation
1) Wash Moong Dal & Rice well.
2) Take some ghee in a pan, make tadka of Jeera, Pepper Corns, Curry Leaves, Ginger & Green Chillies until a pleasent aroma emanates.
3) Add this Tadka to Moong Dal & Rice and pressure-cook with 1:3 ratio of water. (don’t add salt)
4) After 4-5 whistles and the cooker releases, take a pan of about 1/2 cup of water, bring it boil & add salt. Add the boiling salt water to the pongal. Mix well and it should have a batter like consistency.
5) Add fried/roasted Cashews if needed.
6) Pongal tastes best with a generous helping of Ghee and a well made chutney.

Rice & Ragi Idly with Red & Green Chutney

I. Normal Idly (makes 24-30 idlies) - Figure 1
1) 1.25 cups of Whole Urad Dal
2) 4 cups of Par-boiled rice

II. Ragi Idly (makes 24-30 idlies) - Figure 2
1) 1.5 cups of Whole Urad Dal
2) 2 cups of ragi millets.
3) 2 cups of par-boiled rice

Method of preparation
1) Soak all ingredients separately for at least 4 hours
2) Grind in a wet grinder for good 40 minutes
3) In case of Ragi Idly grind the ragi initially for 20 minutes before transferring it to the combined mixture. This is to make sure you take care of the more fibrous nature of ragi.
4) The mixture will ferment on its own quickly (maybe 2-3 hours in summer) and 6-7 hours in winter. Transfer the batter into a clean container and store it in the fridge.
5) Just before keeping into the idly plates, add a pinch of salt. Ensure to bring the batter to room temperature for best results.
6) To spice it up and make them as Vegetable idlies, just add chopped coriander, grated carrots, grated ginger, cut karibevu. You could also add boiled peas and some cashews to enhance the taste significantly.

Figure 1: Vegetable Idly with Allam (Ginger) Chutney & Amaranthus Sambar

Figure 2: Ragi Idly with Green Chutney

III. Red (Allam) Chutney - Figure 1
1) 2 inches of fresh Ginger.
2) 7-8 Byadige Red Chilies (gives the unique color and vary this as Byadige does not have half the heat as Guntur Chilies)
3) Half a coconut
4) Tamarind – 1 inch
5) Salt to taste.
6) 1 tsp of Jaggery.

For Tadka (Vaggarene)
7) Urad Dal – 1 tsp
8) Channa Dal – 1 tsp
9) Sasive (Mustard Seeds) – 1 tsp
10) Hing – pinch.
11) Ghee – 1 tsp
12) Curry leaves (Karibevu) – a few

Method of preparation
1) Roast the Byadige Red Chilies till it gives out a slight aroma.
2) Mix all the ingredients in a mixer grinder with sufficient water.
3) Add Vaggarene (Tadka) with a good helping of Ghee.


IV. Green (Kotambri) Chutney - Figure 2
1) Coriender – 1 big bunch (chopped)
2) Curry leaves – 10-15 leaves.
3) Green Chilies – 4-5 nos.
4) Tamarind – 1 inch
5) Salt to taste
6) Hurugalle (Roasted Bengal Gram) – 100 grams
7) Coconut – 1/2

For Tadka (Vaggarene)
8) Urad Dal – 1 tsp
9) Channa Dal – 1 tsp
10) Sasive (Mustard Seeds) – 1 tsp
11) Hing – pinch.
12) Ghee – 1 tsp
13) Curry leaves (Karibevu) – a few

Method of preparation
1) Mix all the ingredients in a mixer grinder with sufficient water.
2) Add Vaggarene (Tadka) with a good helping of Ghee.