Okra & Tofu Manchurian

Ingredients

1. Bell (Green/Red/Orange/Yellow) Peppers - 1
2. Extra Firm Tofu - 1 pack
3. Okra - 1/4 lbs
4. Soy Sauce - 3 tbsp
5. Chilli Sauce - 2 tbsp (or based on your spicy level, you can reduce/increase it)
6. Sweet & Sour Sauce - 4 tbsp
7. Oil - 1/4 lbs.

Procedure

1. Cut the Okra's length wise and Tofu into little cubes. Deep fry them separately and have them ready
2. Cut the bell peppers into little squares and sauté them in a pan with some little oil
3. Now, add the deep fried Okra, Tofu and all of the sauces and sauté them until the sauces are well spread over the Peppers, Okra & Tofu
4. Enjoy this tasty, but unhealthy snack :)

Kadai Paneer, Manchurian Style!

Ingredients

1. Big Red Onion - 1
2. Bell (Green/Red/Orange/Yellow) Peppers - 2
3. Panneer - 1/2 cup
4. Serrano Chilli - 2
5. Garlic - 5 cloves
6. Ginger - 1 tbsp
7. Green Onions - 8 stems
8. Fresh Basil - 4 leaves
9. Salt - To Taste
10. Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
11. Oil - 2 tbsp (Olive/Vegetable/Canola)
12. Soy Sauce - 3 tbsp
13. Chilli Sauce - 2 tbsp (or based on your spicy level, you can reduce/increase it)
14. Sweet & Sour Sauce - 4 tbsp
15. Salt - To Taste
    

Procedure

1. Cut Onions, Bell Peppers & Serrano Chilli length wise and sauté them for a while in a pan with 2 tbsp of Oil
2. Add finely chopped ginger & garlic to the pan along with some turmeric powder and mix it well for a few minutes
3. Once the fresh smell of garlic is gone, add the length wise cut panneer to the pan and mix it well
4. Now, add all the sauces (Soy, Chilli, Sweet & Sour) & salt to the pan and stir the whole mixture properly
5. Add half of the chopped green onions & fresh basil leaves to the above mixture and close the pan
6. Keep your stove in medium flame, open and stir the contents every 2-3 minutes. You have to leave this in the pan for nearly 10-15 minutes so that the panneer gets marinated well with the sauces and juices from onions & peppers
7. Now, garnish the kadai panneer with the rest of the chopped green onions & fresh basil leaves. Turn off the flame and keep the pan closed for atleast 1 hour. Basically, this dish will taste better when its marinated well for a long time. Just before you serve, heat it in medium flame for a few minutes
8. That's it! Enjoy with your Roti's and/or Rice!

Note (சூது வாது...)

• If you don't have fresh basil leaves, use dry basil leaves (duh!)
• If you're so diet conscious (or) a vegan (or) lactose intolerant, replace panneer with Extra-Firm Tofu
• To marinate well and keep it warm, once you've made the kadai panneer, preheat the oven to 300-400F and turn it off. Now, transfer the kadai panneer to a baking dish and shove it in the oven and leave it for an hour or so. This way, you don't even have to heat it just before you serve (சித்தப்பு, நாங்கல்லாம் யாரு...)
  

Ras Malai

Stay tuned for the recipe...

 

Gulab Jamun

Stay tuned for the recipe...

Baked Peppers in Coconut Milk

Ingredients

1. Mixed Bell Peppers - 2 nos.
2. Basil Leaves - 6
3. Thai Green Chilli - 4 nos. (add more if you can handle the spice)
4. Garlic - 6 cloves
5. Coconut Milk - 1 can
6. Salt - To Taste
7. Oil - 2 tbsp (I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
   

Procedure

1. Cut the bell peppers into little squares and mix it with little bit of oil & salt. Put them on a baking dish and shove it in the oven for 30 mins (350F)
2. While the bell peppers are getting baked, finely ground the garlic, Thai Green Chillis & Basil Leaves in a mixer/blender and keep them aside.
3. Now, take a pan and add the ground mixture with a can of coconut milk and keep it on medium flame.
4. When the bell peppers are baked, add them to the pan and let it simmer for another 10-15 mins.
5. You're done. Most easiest & quickest thing to make. Enjoy it with some steamed rice or Rotis.

Aval (Poha) Upma

Ingredients

1. Thick Poha - 2 cups
2. Mixed Vegetables - 1 cup
3. Tomatoes - 2 Nos.
4. Coriander Leaves - 1/2 bunch
5. Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp
6. Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
7. Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
8. Salt - To Taste
9. Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure

1. Soak the thick poha in water for 5 mins and squeeze the water out and let it dry for a few minutes
2. Add the cut vegetables onto a pan with some oil keep sautéing it for a few minutes.
3. Now, add all the powders and then add the poha and keep stirring it until the powders are cooked properly
4. Finally, add finely chopped tomatoes and garnish it with coriande leaves. We add the tomatoes at last as it doesn't make the Poha Upma watery
5. Enjoy it with some thick Yogurt and chips, it'll be heavenly.

Baked Farfalle in an Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients

1. Farfalle - 2 cups
2. Red Onion - 1
3. Bell (Green/Red/Orange/Yellow) Peppers - 1
4. Garlic - 4/5
5. Ginger - 1 tbsp
6. Serrano Chilli - 2
7. Potato - 1
8. Carrot - 1
9. Beans - 1 cup
10. Peas - 4 tbsp
11. Kernel Corn - 4 tbsp
12. Salt - To Taste
13. Crushed Black Pepper - To Taste
14. Oil - 4 tbsp (Olive/Vegetable/Canola)
15. All Purpose Flour / Maida Flour - 2 tbsp
16. Butter - 2 tbsp
17. Milk - 16 oz
18. Mozzarella Cheese - 1/4 cup

Alfredo sauce...



Boiled Farfalle with Vegetables in the pan...



Farfalle, before baking...



Farfalle, after baking...

Procedure

1. Boil Farfalle with salt. When its done, filter the water and add 1 tbsp of oil to the farfalle and mix it well so that it doesn't get sticky
2. For the alfredo sauce, put the butter in a pot and while its melting, add all purpose flour with salt and pepper. Mix it real well with the butter so that these don't remain as lumps.
3. Add milk to this butter-flour mixture and keep stirring it. You'll see that the sauce will be become more viscous as you keep stirring it. Just get it to a tomato ketchup consistency and turn off the stove
4. Microwave the cut carrots, potatoes, beans, peas & corn for like 4 to 5 minutes
5. Add oil to the pan and saute onions, peppers chilli, garlic & ginger. Add the vegetables from microwave to this and keep frying it for a while
6. Add the boiled faralle to this veggie mixture and stir real well. Add salt and pepper as necessary
7. Now, transfer this to a baking dish and mix the alfredo sauce with it
8. Garnish it with cheese and shove it in the oven, which I presume is preheated to 400F and ready!
9. Done

Note: The "real" alfredo sauce needs cheese and parsley, so if you want to make it so authentic, your wish!