Caulifower Manchurian

Caulifower Manchurian is made from Cauliflower florets also known as Gobhi. Its supposed to be a Chinese recipe, but with everything here that gets indianised, this recipe has also got indianised. I have never heard of the chinese making caulifower manchurian. Anyways, this recipe is a popular recipe and here are the details
Ingredients you will need for the Caulifower Manchurian:

1 medium cauliflower
1 small bunch finely chopped spring onion
2 tsp finely chopped ginger
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1/4 tsp pepper powder
2 green chillies
1 tbsp soya sauce or more if desired
1/4 cup refined flour, maida or all purpose flour
3 tbsp cornflour
3 tbsp oil
1 1/2 cups water
salt or ajinomoto
Method to make the Gobhi Manchurian:
Firstly clean and break the Cauliflower in big florettes. Boil water with salt and keep the florettes in the salted water for 15 minutes. You can also boil the cauliflower for 3-4 minutes in plenty of salted water.
Drain and dry on a clean cloth.
Make a batter out of refined flour and 2 tablespoon cornflour. Add 1/4 tsp each of ginger, garlic and pepper powder along with salt to taste.
Dip the florettes in the batter one by one and deep fry in hot oil. Keep aside.
In the remaining oil, add the remaining ginger, garlic and slit green chillies and fry for a minute.
Add the salt and spring onions.
Stir fry for a minute. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil.
Add 1 tablespoon cornflour to 1/4 cup water and dissolve well. Make sure there are no lumps.
Gradually add to the gravy and stir continuously till it resumes boiling. Keep on stirring the gravy while adding the cornflour paste.
Boil till the gravy becomes transparent. Add the fried florettes and the soya sauce.
Boil for two more minutes and remove.
Serve hot with noodles or rice.
Tips for the Caulifower Manchurian:
This recipe is for gravied manchurian. You can make dry manchurian by not adding water. Instead of water you add the fried florettes, spring onions and soya sauce. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon cornflour on the florettes and stir fry for 2 minutes. Serve hot with chilli-garlic sauce or tomato sauce. The dry caulifower manchurian can be served as a starter or a side vegetable.
Fry the caulifower florettes in oil which is neither too hot nor warm.
You can substitute dry red chillies instead of green chillies. Just crush them and use.
You could also use fine strips of capsicum in the recipe.
Ajinomoto can be completely avoided in the recipe or used sparingly.
If you like the taste of red chilli sauce or tomato sauce, you could use these sauces too.

Batata Vada

The ingredients for the Batata Vada:
For the Potato Filling you will need:

4 medium sized Potatoes
10-12 curry leaves
2 tsp skinned spilt urad dal (Black Gram)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds (optional)
1 chopped green chilly
2 inch piece ginger chopped finely
a few chopped cilantro/coriander leaves (optional)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida
oil for frying
salt
For the Besan (Gram Flour) batter you will need:
1 and 1/2 cup gram flour
salt
water
2 tbsp rice flour (optional)
Method of making the potato bondas:
1: Firstly boil the potatoes till cooked thoroughly. Then mash them well. There should be no lumps.
2: In a pan, take some oil. When the oil gets hot, add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start crackling, add the cumin seeds, the curry leaves, chopped ginger, chopped chilly, asafoetida and cilantro.
3: Fry till the spices are well cooked. Don’t burn. Add the turmeric powder. Then add the mashed potatoes and salt. Blend the potatoes with the spice mixture. Let this mixture simmer on low heat for 5-6 minutes. Don’t cover the pan. This potato mixture should be dry. Keep on stirring the pan in a minute or so, so that the filling does not stick to the pan.
4: Now take the gram-flour, add salt to it. You can also add a pinch of red chilly powder to it. I added rice flour to this batter as rice flour makes the coating crisp while frying. You can completely omit adding rice flour. With water make a slightly thick batter.
5: Make equal sized medium balls of the potato mixture. Flatten them a little as it helps to deep fry them easily.

6: Dip each ball in the besan batter. Coat the ball evenly with the gram flour batter.
7: In a hot oil in a deep fry pan, add the potato balls coated with gram flour paste. Fry them till golden brown

Masala Toast Sandwich

This recipe is for the Bombay Masala Toast Sandwich. Here the Masala is made from boiled and mashed potatoes , which are tempered with spices. Easy to make, especially if you have leftover boiled or mashed potatoes.
Ingredients to make 4 Bombay Masala Toast Sandwiches:
For the green chutney:

1 cup coriander leaves
1/ 4 cup mint leaves
1 green chili
salt
For the potato filling:
2 cup mashed potatoes
1/2 onion – chopped finely
1/2 tomato –  chopped finely
1 small green chilly –  chopped finely
1/2 sprig of curry leaves – optional
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
a few chopped coriander leaves
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
a pinch of asafoetida
1/4 tsp red chili powder (optional)
Other ingredients:
8 slices of bread – brown or white
a few thin round slices of onions, tomatoes, capsicum
Amul Butter or any other brand of Butter
Sandwich Masala or Chaat Masala

Method to make the Bombay Masala Toast Sandwiches:

■Method to make the green chutney
1.Grind the ingredients for the green chutney with little water to a smooth paste. If this chutney remains, then you can use it as a dip for pakoras, samosas, or even serve it as a side dish with pulaos or biryanis
■Method to make the potato filling

1.In a pan, heat some oil. Add mustard seeds. Let them splutter.
2.Add cumin seeds. Then add onions. Fry the onions till transparent.
3.Now add the tomatoes. Fry the tomatoes till they become soft and are cooked.
4.Add the chopped green chilli. Add the all the spice powders mentioned above. Mix them well.
5.Now add the mashed potatoes. Add salt. Mix the stuffing really well. Keep on stirring on a low flame so that the mixture does not stick to the pan.
6.Cook for 5 minutes. Let the mixture cool before you start using it for the sandwich.
■For making the sandwiches
1.Trim the edges of the bread
2.Apply amul butter evenly on the bread.
3.Now apply the green chutney on the bread.
4.Take the potato mixture and apply it on this bread. Keep  one or two onion, tomato and capsicum rings on this mixture. Sprinkle some sandwich masala or chat masala.
5.Now cover this potato laden bread with another slice of bread, to which both butter and chutney has been applied.
6.In a sandwich toaster or grill, toast or grill the sandwich till browned from both sides.
7.Remove and apply some butter on top of the sandwich. The butter melts. Ah….. melted butter on hot sandwich.
8.Its crisp from outside and spicy and soft from inside. Serve the sandwich hot with the green chutney and tomato ketchup.

Bread Halwa Recipe
Cooking Time: 30 mts
Cuisine: South Indian
Serves 6-7 persons
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Ingredients:
3/4 cup – 1 cup ghee (clarified butter)
1 loaf bread
6-8 cardamoms (elachi)
2 tbsps almonds (badam)
2 tbsps cashewnuts
1 lt milk (low fat)
1 ¼ cup sugar (increase or decrease as per your taste)
1 Tear the bread into bit sized pieces. Heat three fourth cup of ghee in a cooking vessel and add the bread pieces and fry them till they turn a golden brown.
2 Grind elachi, almonds and cashewnuts (leave a few toasted almonds and cashewnuts aside for garnish) to a fine paste.
3 Meanwhile boil the milk, add sugar and keep stirring it till it blends into the milk. Add the fried bread pieces and the remaining ghee to this mixture.
4 Let it simmer till the bread pieces turn soft and cook in the milk mixture. Combine the nuts paste. Garnish with the toasted almonds and cashewnuts.
4 Serve warm or refrigerate until chilled and serve. It tastes good both warm and cold.

Soya Chunks Vegetable Pulao Recipe
Recipe source: Own experiment
Prep & Cooking: 45 mts, soaking of rice: 15 mts
Serves 6 persons
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Ingredients:
3 cups basmati rice – washed and soaked in water for 15 mts
1 cup dried soya chunks – washed and boiled in water till soft
2-3 tbsp ghee
1 tsp shah jeera
2 bay leaves
2 big onions finely sliced
1 tbsp grated ginger
3-4 green chillies slit length wise
1 cup chopped mixed vegetables like beans, green peas, carrots or potatoes
½ tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
3-4 tbsps of fresh mint leaves (pudina)
3 cups of freshly extracted coconut milk
2 ½ cups water
2-3 tbsps lemon juice
fresh coriander leaves for garnish
3-4 bread slices (cubed and lightly fried in ghee) – optional
8-10 cashewnuts (lightly roasted in ghee till golden brown)
For Masala Powder (lightly dry roast in a pan and grind to a fine pwd)
2 green cardamoms
4 cloves
2” cinnamom stick
3-4 pepper corns
1/4 tsp fennel seeds (optional)
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1-2 dry red chillis
1 Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel. Add shah jeera and bay leaves and stir for a few seconds till the jeera splutters. Add the sliced onions, grated ginger and green chillis. Saute the onions till they turn pink.
2 Add the mixed vegetables and on medium heat, let them cook. Add salt and keep covered for 4-5 mts.
3 Add turmeric pwd, masala pwd and combine well. Stir fry for a minute.
4 Add the cooked soya chunks and keep covered for 2 mts. Add the mint leaves and combine.
5 Add the coconut milk, let it come to a boil, reduce heat and add the water. Bring to a boil again.
6 Add the drained basmati rice and mix well. Add salt, if required, at this stage. Reduce heat to medium and let it cook covered with lid.
7 Finally, once the rice and vegetables are cooked, add the lemon juice, fried bread cubes, fried cashewnuts and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
8 Serve with raita, mixed vegetable curry or chicken curry.


Note:
The above spices measurements can be categorised as medium spice. You can increase the use of green chillis, cloves, pepper and dry red chillis, if you want a spicer pulao. I have used less spice to suit my toddler’s palate. If you dont have a coconut on hand, replace the coconut milk with water, but the flavor of pulao will differ.