Mushroom Manchurian

Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking time: 20 min
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

>      Mushroom - 150 gm

Batter:

1.       All purpose flour/maida - 1 cup

2.      Corn flour - 1/2 cup

3.      Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

4.      Chili powder - 1 tsp

5.      Pepper powder - 1 tsp

6.      Salt to taste

Manchurian - dry:

1.       Onion - 1 medium sized - finely chopped

2.      Chopped ginger  - 1 tsp

3.      Chopped garlic - 1 tsp

4.      Hot & sweet tomato sauce - 3 tbsp

5.      Chili sauce - 2 tsp

6.      Soya sauce - 1 pinch

7.      Pepper - 1 pinch

8.     Salt to taste

9.      Oil- 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1.   In a medium size mixing bowl, put all the ingredients given under "batter" section and add water to make dosa batter like consistency. It should be neither too thick nor too thin. 

2.  Clean the mushrooms in running water and dry them using paper towel. Don't put the mushrooms in water as it absorbs more water. Dip them in the batter prepared.

3.   Heat a kadai with oil. fry the mushroom dipped in batter until it turns golden brown and set aside.

4.   Heat a pan with oil. You can use the same oil used for frying by removing excess oil. Add onion and ginger garlic paste, saute them for 2 min.

5.   Then add hot chili sauce, soya sauce and pinch of salt. Saute for 1 min and add the fried mushrooms. Mix them well till it is coated well. Garnish with cilantro or spring onion and serve hot.

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Chicken Varuval (Fry)

Chicken varuval is an authentic chettinad dish. Its tastier than regular chicken 65 dry recipe. Its one of the all time favorite food among people of Madurai and South Tamilnadu.

Preparation Time: 10 min

Cooking time: 15 min

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

To marinate:

• Chicken - boneless pieces - Cleaned and cut into pieces - 300 gm
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
• Red chili powder  - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - ½ tbsp
• Pepper powder - 1 tsp
• Curd - 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

 
To fry:

• Oil - as required

 
Procedure:

1. Take the clean and cut chicken pieces in a mixing bowl. Add all the ingredients in “to marinate” section and mix them well. Let it marinate for 20 min.
   
2. Heat oil in a kadai. Fry the marinated chicken pieces and place it in the tissue to dry extra oil.
   
3. Garnish with cilantro, sprinkle lemon juice over it and serve with onion rings
   
    

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American Chopsuey

American chopsuey is a dish that i had in restaurants. I still remember the first day I had this American chopsuey. My sister bought me and i liked that very much. Today i thought of preparing this for my dinner and i never expected that it would taste so great and look very much like that i have in restaurants. I did not take the step photos but still want to post my final output and the recipe. The preparation was really easy and taste was awesome.

Preparation time: 5 min
Cooking time: 20 min
Serves : 2

Ingredients:

• Noodles - 2 pack 
• Egg (optional) - Half-boiled
• Oil - to fry

For preparing sauce:

• Onion -1 medium sized- finely chopped
• Carrot -2 or 3 - finely chopped
• Tomato paste or tomato puree - 1 medium sized
• Salt to taste
• Pepper powder - 1 pinch
• Soya sauce - 1 pinch
• hot chili sauce - 3 tbsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Noodles masala - 2 pack

Procedure:

1. Take a medium sized pan and boil water. As it boils, break the noodles into four quarters and add to the boiling water. Reduce the flame and cook for 3 min or until the noodles is completely cooked. I used maggi noodles.
2. When noodles is cooked, filter the excess water. Then wash with cold water and keep aside.
3. Heat a flat pan and add oil to fry the noodles. When the oil is hot, add cooked noodles little by little and spread them evenly so that it gets fried uniformly. Fry them until it becomes crispy and starts turning golden brown.
4. As it becomes crispy, place it on paper towel to remove excess oil. Then arrange it on a plate.
5. In meanwhile, heat a pan with little oil or you can use the same oil used for frying by removing the excess oil.
6. Add onion and carrot. Saute them for a min. then add tomato puree. If you do not have tomato puree, you can also grind one ripe tomato in a mixer to get tomato paste. Let it cook for 2 min in medium flame.
7. Then add hot tomato chili sauce, soya sauce, salt, noodles masala, pepper powder and mix them well. As this gravy gets thickened, switch off the stove.
8. Spread the gravy over the fried noodles. Place a half- boiled egg over the top and serve. Adding egg is optional. Vegetarians can eat without adding egg.

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Poori Masala / Potato Masala

The famous poori masala is everyone's favorite hotel recipe. It is a great tasty combination. Poori masala or potato masala is easy to prepare in minutes. Every sunday begins with poori and potato masala.

Preparation Time: 5 min
Cooking Time: 15 min
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• Potato - 3 
• Onion -  2 medium sized - cut lengthwise 
•  Green chili - 1

To temper:

• Oil 
•  Mustard 
• Urad dhal 
• Cumin seed 
• Split channa dhal 
• Curry Leaf

Procedure:

1.   Heat a pan with oil, add all item given in "to temper" section and fry until it turns golden brown.

2.   Add onion and green chili, saute until it becomes soft and translucent. Then add turmeric powder and salt.

3.   Cut potato into two halves and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Then peel the skin of potato and cut into cubes.

4.   Add the potatoes and one cup of water. Adjust salt. Bring it to boil and close the lid for 2 min.

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Rasgulla

Rasgulla is the most famous Indian sweet. I am very crazy for this rasgulla and everyone used to buy me Haldirams Rasgulla. So i thought of making it in my home. Wow..!! it is really super and I enjoyed eating those white balls floating in syrup.

Preparation Time: 5 min
Cooking Time: 15 min
Serves: 25 balls

Ingredients:

• Milk - 1 ltr
• Lemon juice - diluted - 100 ml

For syrup:

• Water
• Sugar

Both in equal proportion. I used a 200 ml cup to measure and took 2 cups of each to prepare the syrup.

Procedure:

1.   Heat a pan and add milk. Bring milk to boil. Here they sell as whole milk, fat free milk, 1% etc..I used whole milk that is available here. Add the diluted lemon juice and stir to mix it uniformly. Leave to rest for 2 min as it curdles.

2.   Filter it using a white cotton cloth and drain the water completely. You can also allow it to drain overnight. Once the water is drained completely, place it on the kitchen table or bowl and press it with hands as we do for making dough. Make medium sized balls.

4.   Heat the pressure cooker with water, add balls into it. Initially balls will be at the bottom and all will rise slowly to the top.

5.   Cook for 3 whistles and allow it to cool naturally. Open the lid and take out the rasgulla balls. Strain excess water from it.

6.   Prepare sugar syrup by adding equal proportions of water and sugar. Add rasgulla balls to those syrup. Allow the rasgulla balls to soak in sugar syrup for at-least 6 hours.

     These Rasgullas should absorb the sugar syrup to get the sponge like softness and taste. You can also refrigerate and serve.

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Poorna Pidi kolukattai

Ganesh Chathurthi celebration always starts with kolukattai. All types of kolukattai are tasty and looks tempting. I prepared poorna kolukattai with coconut and sugar.

Preparation time: 15 min
Cooking time: 10 min
Serves: 15 nos

Ingredients:

• Rice flour - 3 cups
• Warm Water

Poornam:

• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Cardamom - 1
• Coconut flakes - 2 cup

Procedure:

1.    Heat a pan and add ghee. When in melts add cardamom. As flavor comes out, add coconut flakes.

2.   Add sugar and saute as it turns golden brown. This is the poornam. Change to a bowl and keep aside.

3.   Take a medium sized bowl, add rice flour and make it into a dough by adding warm water.

4.   Take small balls and make it flat using fingers. keep a scoop of poornam inside and close it with fingers.

5.   Repeat this and make all kolukattai. Place in idly pan and cook for 10 min.

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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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