Cashew Tofu Spaghetti

Ingredients

1. Spaghetti - 200 gms
2. Red Capsicum - 200 gms
3. Tofu - 100 gms
4. Cashew - 50 gms
5. Tomato Puree - 200 ml
6. Ginger - 1 inch
7. Chili Flakes - 1 tsp
8. Pasta Spice Mix - 1 tbsp
9. Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
10. Salt to Taste

Method

1. Cut red capsicum into thin stripes
2. Cut the tofu into small 1 cm cubes
3. Put cashews and ginger in a blender and make a thick paste. Add some milk to help you grid it well if necessary.
4. Take a large pan, heat some olive oil in the pan and throw in a little pasta spice mix and chili flakes.
5. To the hot oil mixture add the tomato puree and bring it to a boil, add salt to taste
6. Add Cashew ginger paste and mix well, to this mixture add the capsicum and tofu.
7. Add chili flakes and let it simmer on low flame for about 15 mins. Continue to add water if you feel your sauce is getting too thick.
8. Your sauce is ready !
9. Now prepare your spaghetti pasta as per the instruction on the box.
10. Toss the sauce and spaghetti and give it a good mix.

Your Cashew Tofu Spagetti is now ready !

The Sunday Vegetable market at Yusufguda Hyderabad

Here in Hyderabad where I stay, there is a weekly vegetable market on Sunday. Farmers and retailers bring loads of fresh vegetables and fruits and sell it right here. I have been going to this market for years and really love the shopping experience. Some pics from this fantastic market !

Simple indiennes Cottage Cheese Burger

Well that means Simple Paneer Burger from India in French. In my previous post, I had mentioned how to make lovely patties for Indian styled burgers, I experimented some more and found out that using breadcrumbs and making a dough, which is then made into patties is cumbersome and does not necessarily up the taste factor either.

So, to save time, I made simple potato based patties (low fat) and topped it with Paneer instead of the cheese slices. The burgers were excellent this time too.

Ingredients (Serves 3)

• Burger Buns (you get good ones in Hypercity in Hyderabad)
• Potato - 250 gms
• Green Chilies – 4-5 nos
• Ginger – 1 inch/ground to a paste
• Fresh Coriander – 1/2 cup
• Garam Masala – 1 tsp
• Amchur – 2 tsp
• Jeera – 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Some oil
• Paneer Slab – cut into thin slices.
• Turmeric – a small pinch

Method

• Boil the potatoes with some salt until completely done and soft.
• Take a pan with some oil.
• Add Jeera till it splutters, to this add finely chopped Green Chilies, Ginger paste and turmeric.
• Make a mixture of it and then add potatoes.
• To this mixture, add Garam Masala, Amchur and salt; mix well in the process mashing up the ingredients into a fine paste. Add coriander and mix again.
• Make small balls of the mixture and pat it into the shape of a patty.
• Shallow fry the patties (fry with minimal oil like chappatis on a flat pan on both sides).
• Toast the paneer slices as well sprinkling salt if necessary.
• Toast the buns by cutting them in halves.
• Place the patty and paneer on the buns and your Burger is now ready !

Interesting Yellow Salad

I made an interesting salad a few weeks ago. I cant’ think of a good name for this (Yellow Salad?), but found it very tasty and colorful with an yellow theme.

Ingredients

• Yellow Capsicum -2 nos
• Baby Corn – 7-8 pieces
• Sprouts – 100 grams
• Freshly ground black pepper – 1 tsp
• Salt to taste.
• 1 lemon Juice
• Olive Oil (optional) – 1 tbsp

Method

• Cut the capsicum and baby corn to shape as shown.
• Mix everything else in a bowl.
• Your salad is now ready!

Shaka Vratha Huri-Uddina Chutney

Ingredients

• Urad Dal (Uddina Bele) – 1 cup
• Pepper Corns – 1 tsp
• Amla Power (preferred) or Amchoor Powder – 1 tbsp
• Ghee – 1 tsp
• Salt to taste.

Method

• Take a pan, add Ghee and roast Urad Dal and Pepper Corns together.
• Once roasted add Amla (or Amchoor) Power and mix the roasted Dal while hot. Allow the mixture to cool.
• Grind the mixture with a little water & salt to make it into a paste.
• Your Huri-Uddina Chutney is now ready.

Shaka Vratha Saaru (Rasam)

Ingredients

• Pepper (Black Corns) – 1 tsp
• Jeera (Cumin Seeds) – 2 tsp
• Amchoor (Dry Mango Powder) – 1 tbsp
• Toor Dal – 1 cup
• Ghee – 1 tsp
• Jaggery (Optional) – As per taste
• Salt as per taste.

Method

• Pressure-cook Toor Dal (Togari Bele) and sift it a little – keep aside.
• Take a pan, add 1tsp of Jeera and Pepper and roast them. Coarsely powder the roasted Jeera and Pepper using a pestle.
• Take a pan, add water, to this add the Jeera & Pepper powder, Salt and Amchoor powder and bring it to boil.
• Add the Toor Dal and continue to boil. Add Jaggery at this stage.
• Heat the Ghee in a ladle and add Jeera to make Vaggarane (Tadka).
• Add this to the Saaru (Rasam).
• Your Vratha Saaru is now ready. (Happy Chaturmaasa!)

How to prepare Hakka Noodles?

Folks, here is my simple recipe to prepare fantastic Hakka Noodles ! It's taken me 2.5 years to come back to this blog!

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 1 pack (400gms) of White Hakka Veg Noodles
• Cabbage - 1 cup (diced)
  
• Capsicum - 1 cup (cut length wise - about 3-4 cms to resemble noodles ;) )
  
• Carrots - 1 cup (sticks - length wise)
  
• French Beans - 1 cup cut length wise
  
• 2 Green Chillies
  
• 2 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce (without garlic/chillies)
  
• 1 tbsp White Vinegar
• Salt to taste
  
• White pepper power to taste
  
• Oil to stir fry

Method

• Take about 1200 ml of water and bring it to boil in a large pan.
  
• Add Hakka Noodles + 1 tbsp of oil to the boiling water.
  
• Just stir for about 1 min or so and remove the noodles strain and toss (important to note that Noodles should be par-boiled at this time, otherwise they will stick to each other)
  
• Now take a pan, add the required quantity of oil
• Add the Chillies first and all the Vegetables and Stir fry on high flame with a little salt.
  
• Add Soy Sauce to the veggies and continue to stir
• Add the noodles, pepper & salt at this stage and toss.
  
• Add Vinegar if needed and toss again
  
• Your Vegetarian Hakka Noodles is now ready !
  

Hakka Noodles as usual tastes best with Pure Tomato sauce but a dash of Tabasco & Green Chillies sauces does not hurt !

That's Fried Rice, Gobi Manchuria & Hakka Noodles (with the ladle)

Thanks
Aditya Rao