Cauliflower Rassa

Ingredients
2 - 3 Cups Cauliflower Cut into florets
2 Medium size Potatoes cut into cubes
3 Medium size Tomatoes chopped finely
1 Teaspoon ginger grated
1/2 Cup coriander leaves
1/2  Cup grated coconut
3 Green Chillies Chopped
1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 Teaspoon Sugar
Salt to taste

For the tempering
3 Tablespoon oil
1 Teaspoon Mustard seeds
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 Spring Curry leaves
A pinch of Asafoetida

Method
Grind to a fine paste coconut, ginger , green chilies and coriander leaves ( reserve a tablespoon of coriander leaves for garnishing).

Heat oil in a pan add mustard, cumin seeds and when they crackel add the asafoetida and curry leaves.  then add the potatoes and cauliflower and fry well, add the turmeric powder, salt, tomatoes, cover and let it cook in its steam for 3 -4 minutes, then add a cup fo water.  Cover and cook tilll done, then add the ground paste and sugar  add a more water to adjust the consistency of the gravy, make it medium thick gravy.   Boil for 3 -4 minutes till oil floats on top.  Switch off  flame and serve hot.  Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.  This gravy taste very nice with plain white rice.  We had it with rice and salad.   This a very tasty gravy and I am sure you will enjoy it.

Ribbon Cucumber Stuff Salad
Ingredients
1 Large Cucumber - peeled
1 Large Tomatoe - firm and ripe
Few Pitted Green Olives
Tooth pick

For the Dressing
Ingredients
1 Teaspoon Olive oil
A pinch of chat masala
A pinch of pepper powder
A pinch of salt
1/4 Teaspoon Lemon Juice / Vinegar

Method

Slice the cucumber in thin ribbons ( I sliced them in the V Slicer).  Cut the tomatoe too in fine roundales.  Take a ribbon of cucumber, place a slice of tomatoe and a olive in the middle and roll it  into a ring.  Secure this ends with a toothpick and keep aside.  In this manner make all the rings and arrange them in  a serving plate, keep this in refrigerator till ready to serve.

In a small bottle add the ingredients for the dressing and shake well .  Just before serving pour the dressing.  The look of this salad invites you to devour it.  So go a head and enjoy it.  Happy eating!

Labels: Main course, Vegetables, Salads, Cauliflower

Eggless Chocolate Apple Upside Down Cake (Healthy & Vegan)

I have prepared an Apple Upside Down cake many times with egg.  So this time I just thought of an Eggless cake with a difference so this is the change I made by adding cocoa powder.  I just tired this out and it turned beautiful.  This recipe is a keeper.  My friends just enjoyed this cake and whatever I had taken for them was just not enough.  This is a lovely spongy and soft cake.

I would like to specifically mentioned do not use a spring form tin for this cake, because the first time I made an Apple Upside Down Cake I used this tin.  As the sugar starts to melt is seeps down and this how the oven caught fire .  Thank God I was near the oven at that time.  A fire averted in the house.  

Ingredients
For the Apple layer
2 Apples peeled, cored and sliced
1/4 cup demerara brown sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon powder
¼ tsp nutmeg powder
1.1/2 Tablespoon oil
few drops of lemon juice

For the Cake batter 
1.1/2 Cup All purpose flour

1/4 Cup Dark Cocoa powder
1 Teaspoon Baking powder

1 Teaspoon Baking soda
1 Cup Water Lightly warm ( or a tablespoon or two more)
1/2 Cup Vegetable oil
3/4 Cup Caster Sugar 

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla powder

Method
Grease a round cake tin ( Do not use a springform tin for an Upside Down Cake) .  Arrange the apple slices neatly on the base of the pan in single or double layer. Sprinkle all the ingredients mentioned for apple layer. Keep the pan aside.

Sieve all the dry ingredients.   In a bowl add the water oil and sugar mix well, then add the dry ingredients mix well so that no lumps are formed. Pour the batter in the prepared cake pan layered with the apple slices.  Bake at 180 degrees in a pre-heated oven  for about 55 minutes. 

Serve this cake with tea or coffee or as an after meal dessert with vanilla ice cream.   H had it next day with vanilla ice cream and enjoyed it.

Try this cake and give your comments.

Labels: Apple, Cakes, Chocolate, Eggless, Vegan, Healthy, Upside Down, Cake  

Tindora (Tendli / Gherkins) Fry

April 4, 2014

This vegetable has so many names tindora/ivy gourd/Tendli, Dondakayalu,Gherkins.  This Tindora fry recipe requires just a few ingredients and a flavor that you will love, even the person who says that they do not like this vegetable will eat it happily.   This makes for a good side dish with roti or rice and dal. This is so simple to make.

Ingredients
250 grams Tendli cut into juveniles

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 Teaspoon mustard seeds
Pinch of asafoetida
2 Green  chilies slit
1/4 Teaspoon turmeric powder
salt to taste
2 Tablespoons oil

Wash the tindora and nip the tip and tail ends and cut them into juveniles.

 Heat oil in a pan add the mustard and cumin seeds and let them splutter. Then add asafoetida, green chillies, tindora, turmeric powder and salt fry till soft and done on slow flame.  The pan should not be covered.  Serve hot with steamed rice and dal.

Labels: Healthy, Main course,Vegetables, Vegan, Tendli

Mint Chutney

This mint chutney can be prepared in a matter of minutes by using fresh mint and coriander leaves. This chutney is easy and quick to make. Serve it with Indian appetizers like tikkas and kebabs or use it to prepare your favorite roadside snacks.

Ingredients
2 Cups Mint leaves
1 Cup chopped coriander
1 Medium  Onion -sliced
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
3 Green chilies
2 Tablespoon Lemon juice
1/2 Teaspoon Sugar

Salt to taste or Sandhav namak  

Method
Combine all the ingredients and grind to a smooth paste in the grinder using very little water. Refrigerate and use as required.

Labels: Chutneys & Dips, Vegan, Mint

Manchow Soup: Indo - Chinese Food

Indian-Chinese food is very popular in India, and is my favorite. I enjoying watching the street side food joint cooking noodles, fried rice,soups etc., in a wok over high flame.  In India we have adapted seasonings and cooking techniques of Chinese cuisine to our taste and style.  Here is a vegetarian version for Manchow Soup. This soup is  transparent and you can see all the vegetables. This soup thickens because of cornflour; no cream is added to it. Since soup is my dinner, I make it even more healthy by not adding fried noodles or boiled noodles to it. Its not that I do not eat noodles, love them but avoid them in my night dinner. Also, I have not add mono sodium glutamate (MSG) or ajinomoto in my soup. If you like MSG add it in your bowl of soup about 1/4 teaspoon).

Ingredients
1 Teaspoon chilli oil
1 Teaspoon Coriander chopped

1 Teaspoon Spring Onion Whites, chopped
1 Teaspoon Garlic, chopped finely
1 Teaspoon Ginger, grated
1/4 Cup Assorted Vegetables, finely chopped
2 Cups Vegetable Stock or 2 cubes of vegetable soup mixed in 2 cups water
1 Teaspoon Soy Sauce
1/4 Teaspoon Chili Sauce
Salt, Sugar, Black Pepper Powder to taste 

1 Teaspoon Cornflour
1/2 teaspoon Vinegar 

For garnishing
Spring Onion Greens, chopped
Chili Oil
Crispy Noodles
I used vegetables- 2 French beans, 1/2 a Carrot, 1Capsicum, 2 leaves of Cabbage and 3 tablespoons sweet corn kernels. I just put all the vegetables except the corn in the chopper and chopped them finely. They get cooked faster and the soup is easy to make. I even chop the white of the spring onions, ginger and garlic in the chopper.  These gadgets make our cooking a lot easier and less tiresome.

To make

Chili oil
Heat 1/4 cup  oil in a pan on high flame till smoking point, add to it 5-6 broken dry red chilies & switch off heat. Allow to cool. Strain use this ‘chili oil’ as and when required.  This oil does not turn rancid for 2 to 3 weeks.

Crispy Noodles
Boil a packet of Chinese noodles along with a tsp of oil & salt until just about 50% cooked. Let it drain completely on the strainer & spread them on dry cloth & let them dry for 15-20 mins. Then sprinkle some corn flour over them and deep fry in hot oil till just about golden-brown & crispy. Drain on absorbent paper & allow to cool. Use it to garnish soups or eat it as a snack. Can be stored in airtight container for a week. ( This I avoided to make the soup healthy). You can avoid this process totally, now in the stores fried noodles are available.

Method
Heat oil in wok on high flame, then add spring onion whites, garlic,ginger ,coriander, sauté few seconds & add the vegetables stir fry 2 minutes. Add vegetable stock, soy sauce, chili sauce, mix well, add salt, sugar and  black pepper powder to your taste let it boil.  Then add the cornflour paste ( mix cornflour in 2 tablespoon water ) and  cook, stirring continuously till it thickens. Finally add vinegar, mix & remove from heat.  Transfer to bowl, sprinkle chili oil on it, garnish with spring onion greens and crispy noodles, serve hot.  As I am writing this post, am enjoying the bowl of  Manchow Soup.  Do try this recipe and post your comments.

Labels:  Healthy, Pure Veg, Soup, Vegan, Continental Cuisine, Chinese, Manchow Soup