Cauliflower Manchuria

Ingredients

Chunks of cauliflower          1 medium size

Onions                                1 large

Cornflour flour                     3 tbspn

Rice/maida flour                   2 tbspn

Ajinomoto (MSG)                a pinch (optional)

Green chillies                        5-6

Chopped garlic                     2 tspns

Chopped ginger                    1 tspn

Soya sauce                           2 tbspn

Green chilli sauce                  1 tbspn

Tomato sauce                       ½ tbspn

Vinegar                                 1 tspn

Chopped coriander               1 handful

Lemon juice                          1 tspn

Red colour                            a pinch (optional)

Method

Separate the florets into small chunks and boil in turmeric and saltwater for 5 min

Strain the water and keep aside

Mix the cornflour and riceflour(maida), salt and red colour into a paste
Dip the florets into this paste 

Deep fry the coated cauliflower florets and keep aside

Now heat oil in a wok/kadai

Sauté finely chopped onions, green chillies, ginger and garlic until cooked

Add green chilli sauce, soya sauce, tomato sauce and vinegar

Sprinkle required amount of salt

Now add the fried cauliflower and stir

Make a watery cornflour solution and pour into the mixture to bind the fry and seasoning

Squeeze few drops of lemon and coriander and green chilli garnishing

Serve in a snack plate as a starter or snack

Raw banana Fry Paccha khazhy varuthada

Ingredients

Raw bananas               1

Onions                         1 small

Green chillies              3-4

Turmeric                      ½ tspn

Pepper powder            ½ tspn

Grated coconut           1 tbspn

Salt                              as per requirement

Seasoning

Mustard seeds             ½ tspn

Jeera(cumin)                ½ tspn

Urad dal(b.gram)        ½ tspn

Curry leaves                1stalk

Method

Peel the thin skin of raw banana (not entirely; provides fiber to diet)

Chop into small cubes and immerse in turmeric water (prevents blackening)

Heat oil in kadai/wok

Add the seasoning ingredients and add chopped onions and slit green chillies

Now add the chopped raw banana pieces, salt, turmeric and sauté

Add ½ cup of water and cook with lid covered

Once soft, sprinkle pepper and grated coconut and shift into serving bowl

Can be eaten as an accompaniment with hot rice, chappati, puri, roti etc

Beetroot Fry

Ingredients

Beet root                     2 medium size

Ginger garlic paste      1 tspn

Pepper powder            ½ tspn

Salt                              as per requirement

Seasoning

Mustard seeds             ½ tspn

Jeera(cumin)                ½ tspn

Urad dal(b.gram)        ½ tspn

Curry leaves                1stalk

Method

Chop the washed beetroot finely

Heat oil in the kadai/wok

Add seasoning ingredients

Add ginger garlic paste and sauté until raw smell evaporates

Now add the chopped beetroot and salt and stir

Cook with lid covered

May sprinkle some water if required until its soft

Cook for a while with lid uncovered to dry any excess water

Add pepper powder as per the spice required

Can be served with roti, chappatis or puris

Coconut Chutney kerala

Grated coconut 1 cup

Chopped Ginger ½ inch

Green chillies 3

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Salt  as required

Tamarind/lemon juice 1tspn

Seasoning

Mustard seeds ½ tspn

Redchilly 1

Urad dal-1 tspn

Channa dal ½ tspn

Curry leaves

1 tbspn oil

Method

Blend coconut, chopped ginger, green chillies, salt, tamarind/lemon juice with ¼  cup of water coarsely

Separate into a serving bowl

Add the seasoning ingredients into the hot oil and saute until the dals give out a roasted aroma

Allow the seasoning to cool before adding it to the coconut chutney

Garnish with chopped coriander

Can be served with Idli , Dosa , Vada , Rava Dosa

Steamed Rice cake Puttu

Preparation of rice flour

• Soak 1 cup rice for 2-3 hours, drain for 20-25 minutes and powder in a mixie/food processor
• Use a medium sieve to sieve the powdered rice
• Fry the powder in a thick bottomed vessel until steam rise up from the powder (ensure continuous frying until done)
• Allow it to cool off by spreading on a paper
• Can be stored for not more than 2 days

Puttu Maker

Puttu Preparation

Ingredients:

Rice flour -1 ½ cup

Grated coconut- 1 cup

Water 1 ½ cup

Salt as per requirement

• Take the desired amount of rice flour in a deep bowl
• Sprinkle salt water into the bowl and dampen the rice flour uniformly (use a fork to sift the flour)
• The right mixture would be when  you gather the damp four into your palm and it makes a soft lump (would hold lightly and not crumble)
• Sprinkle the bottom of the puttu container (with the perforated plate) with grated coconut
• Fill the damp rice flour into the puttu container without over stuffing
• Sprinkle some more grated coconut on top and cover with the lid
• In the mean time heat a cooker with 3-4 cups of water with the lid on (remove the whistle)
• Place the puttu container on the whistle holder in such a way that steam from the cooker passes through to steam the damp rice flour
• Is steamed when steam escapes the puttu cover within 4-5 minutes
• Can be removed and contents served onto a plate by inverting the puttu container
• Can be served with sugar and milk, bananas, coconut stew (veg or non-veg), green gram curry(cheruvaiyar khutaan) or kadala khutaan

Masala Dosa

Ingredients for Dosa Batter

Urad Dal(Black Gram) ½cup

Rice                               2 Cup

Methi(Fenugreek)          1tbspn

Cooked rice                  ½ cup

Soak above ingredients 3-4 hours

Grind to paste

Mix the batter well with the required amount of salt and leave overnight to sour

Making Dosa

Heat dosa pan

Wipe the pan with cotton  dipped in cooking oil

Sprinkle water to check th heat (makes a spluttering sound)

Scoop the batter and pour it in the center of tawa/pan

Using the batter ladle make circular movement moving from the centre outwards

When the water slightly evaporates, drizzle ghee or butter on the dosa

Use spatula to fold the dosa when it turns crisp and golden brown

One can fold in Aloo masala in the centre or red chutney before folding the dosa

Serve with chutney/ sambar

Link Aloo Masala

Aloo Masala-Dosa

Ingredients

Boiled Potatoes 2 

Sliced Onions    1 medium size

Green chillies     4-5

Ginger               1 ½ tspn

Mintleaves few leaves

Turmeric            ½ tspn

Salt for taste

Seasoning

Mustard seeds ½ tspn

Redchillies       1-2

Urad dal(Black gram)-1 tspn

Channa dal(Bengal gram) 1 tspn

Curry leaves

1 tbspn oil

Method

Heat oil in kadai and add the seasoning ingredients

Add the sliced onions, chopped ginger and green chillies and saute

Add turmeric powder and the slightly crushed potato into the kadai and mix well

Adjust the required amount of salt (since the potatoes are boiled with salt)

Garnish with chopped mint

Serve as stuffing in dosa, bonda or accompaniment to roti, poori etc