Chicken Manchurian - Gravy

Indian Chinese Recipe

Chicken manchurian gravy is an easy and famous dish. Chicken manchurian dry is served as appetizer. Adding just the chicken broth gives a gravy form of chicken manchurian. Its a perfect side for fried rice.

Preparation time: 5 min

Cooking time: 15 min

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1. Chicken Manchurian dry
2. Chicken stock - 1/4 cup - If you do not have chicken broth, it can be substituted with water.
3. Corn flour - if needed
4. Cilantro

Procedure:

1. For gravy, add chicken stock and bring it to boil
2. Little corn flour can be added to get a thicker gravy if needed
3. Garnish with cilantro

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Thakkali Kolambu

A perfect lunch

Easy and tasty kolambu. It is one of my favorite kolambu right from my childhood.

Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 15 min
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• Small onion - 5-7
• Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
• Chili powder - 1 pinch
• Tomato - 1 finely chopped
• Tomato paste or tomato puree - 1 medium sized
• Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Salt to taste

To grind:

• Coconut - 2 tbsp
• Small onion - 2-3
• Green chili - 1
• Kuruma Podi - 1 tbsp

To temper:

• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard - 1 pinch
• Urad dhal
• Cumin seeds

Procedure:

1.   Grind the ingredients given in section "to grind" into a smooth paste by adding water.

2.   Heat a medium sized pan, add oil. Then add onion and saute until it is becomes soft and starts turning golden brown.

3.   Add turmeric powder and chili powder.Then add tomatoes and saute for 3min. It becomes mushy. Once it become mushy, add tomato puree and coriander powder.

4.   Mix them well and add 1 cup of water and bring it boil. Add 2 tbsp of coconut paste. Keep it in low flame for 5 min or until the kolambu gets to desired consistency.

5.   Finally temper with the items given under the section “to temper”.

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Pancakes

Continental Breakfast

Pancakes are American's oothappam ;-) small round fluffy dosa. They are really yummy. Usually people have pancakes with honey and butter. You can try with your favorite sauces too. They are tasty and very simple to prepare.

As a variation, you can add fruit slices (Banana, Blueberry, Strawberry etc.) or essence (Vanilla, Strawberry etc.) to the batter to make it more delicious and healthy.

For Vegetarians, Egg-less Pancakes coming soon in my cuisine..... :-)

Preparation time : 10 min

Cooking time : 5 min

Serves : 2

Ingredients:

1. All purpose flour / maida - 1 cup
2. Egg - 2
3. Milk - 1 1/2 cup
4. Vinegar - 2tbsp
5. Butter - 1 tbsp
6. Sugar - 4 tbsp
7. Salt - 1/2 tsp
8. Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
9. Baking powder - 1 tsp

Procedure:

1. In a bowl pour milk and add vinegar. Keep it for 3-4 min. Milk will turn sour. In another mixing bowl, add all purpose flour sugar salt baking soda and baking powder. Mix them well and set aside.
   
2. Melt the butter. I kept the butter in microwave for 30 sec.
   
3. In a mixer, break and pour the raw eggs. Add melted butter to the mixer. Run the mixer for few sec.
   
4. Add sour milk to the mixer. Blend them again for 3-5 sec.
   
5. Finally add all purpose flour mix into the mixer and blend them for 5-7 sec till it becomes soft batter.
   
6. Heat dosa pan or griddle and grease it will cooking oil. Keep the stove in medium flame. Take a scoop of batter and pour them in the pan like little oothappam. When one side is cooked well, turn to the other side. These pancake tastes great when hot, with butter. You can have it with honey too.
   

Note:

• Alternatively, the mixing of all can be done manually using a whisk.
• I used mixer as it will be very easy and can be done quickly.

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Tofu Masala

Protein Rich Recipe

Tofu is made from soy milk. It is rich in proteins. I used extra firm tofu. Soft/firm tofu can also be used. Instead of tofu, paneer or soya chunks can be used to the same recipe.

 

Preparation time - 10 min
Cooking time - 20 min
Serves - 4

Ingredients:

To marinate:

·          

      Tofu - 350 gm

·         Tomato - 2 medium sized - cut into small cubes

·         Onion - 2 medium sized - cut lengthwise

·         Capsicum - ½ - cut into small cubes

·         Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

·         Chili powder - 1 tsp

·         Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

·         Cumin powder - ½ tbsp

·         Pepper powder - 1 tsp

·         Salt to taste

For gravy: 

Tomato - 1 - grind into paste  (or) tomato puree can be used

·         Heavy cream - 3 tbsp

·         Oil - 2 tbsp

Preparation:

 

Wrap tofu in a kitchen towel or tissue and keep it aside for 30 min. Water in the tofu must be completely removed before cooking.

Procedure:

 

1.   After removing water from the tofu, cut it into small cubes. Mix all the ingredients given in “to marinate” section. Mix them well and keep it aside for 20 min.

2.   Heat a medium sized kadai in the stove and when it is hot add oil. Now add the marinated tofu and allow it to cook for 12-15 min stirring occasionally. Do not stir often.

3.   When it is cooked, add tomato puree or tomato paste and salt. Allow it to cook until the raw smell leaves. Finally add heavy cream, mix well and garnish with cilantro.

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Uppu Seedai

Preparation time: 20 min

Cooking time: 30 min 

Serves: 50 balls

Ingredients:

• Rice flour - 8 tbsp
• Urad dhal flour - 1 tbsp
• Salt -  to taste
• Ajwin (ஓமம்) - 1 tsp
• Sesame seeds (எள் விதைகள்) - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds (சீரகம்) - 1 tsp
• Butter - ½ tbsp

To fry:

• Oil - as required

Procedure:

1.   Dry roast urad dhal in a pan until it starts turning golden brown and allow it to cool. Grind them into fine powder and sift through the sieve. Take 1 tbsp of this urad dhal powder.

2.   In a large mixing bowl all the ingredients, add water and make it into chappathi like dough. Make it into small balls.

3.   Heat oil in a kadai and fry them until it is cooked well.

Note: Seedai may burst while frying because of the air trapped inside. To avoid this, use a toothpick to make small holes in it and then fry them.

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Masala Pasta

Easy and spicy pasta recipe

 

 Ingredients:

• Pasta - 2 cup 
• Onion - 2 medium sized - finely chopped
• Tomato - 2 medium sized - finely chopped
• Ginger garlic paste - ½ tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
• Green chili sauce - ½ tbsp 
• Chili powder - 1 tsp
• Pepper powder - ½ tsp (optional)
• Coriander powder - 2 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste

Procedure:

1. Place a vessel with water in the stove and bring it to boil. Add pasta to the boiling water and keep in low flame for 10 min or until pasta gets cooked well. Usually it becomes doubled in size. Once its cooked, drain out the excess water, rinse with cold water and set aside.

2.  Heat a large pan in the stove and pour oil. When oil is hot, add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom powder.

3.  As nice aroma comes out, add onion and sauté them for 2 min until they start turning golden brown. To this add ginger garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell leaves. Then add turmeric powder, chili powder and chili sauce. Adjust the quantity according to the spicy level desired. 

4. Now add tomatoes and sauté them for 2 min until becomes soft and mushy. Add coriander and cumin powder. Add pepper powder if desired. 

5. Finally add the cooked pasta and mix until it gets coated uniformly. Garnish with cilantros and serve hot.

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