Pineapple Thai Fried Rice

Ingredients

1. Basmati/Brown Rice (Uncooked) - 2 cups
2. Tofu - about 15-20 cubes
3. Potatoes - 2 nos.
4. Green Pepper - 1 no.
5. Carrot - 1 no.
6. Beans - 1/4 lbs
7. Baby Corn - 1/4 lbs
8. Green Peas - 1/2 cup
9. Pineapple - 1 small can (if you don't get fresh pineapple)
10. Basil Leaves - 6
11. Onion - 1 no.
12. Thai Green Chilli - 4 nos. (add more if you can handle the spice)
13. Garlic - 6 cloves
14. Soy Sauce - 4 tbsp (use Low Sodium)
15. Sweet & Sour sauce - 2 tbsp
16. Chilli sauce - 1 tbsp
17. Salt - To Taste
18. Oil - 4 tbsp (I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Procedure

1. Cook the rice in a cooker and refrigerate it for a couple of hours so that its not like sticky rice. Also, boil/steam all of the julienne cut vegetables to your preferred consistency.
2. Sauté the tofu in Oil for sometime so that it doesn't separate when you mix it with the rice
3. Add julienne cut onions, garlic, thai green chillis to the above tofu after your tofu turns golden brown
4. When this is all properly Sautéd, add the boiled/steamed vegetables and chopped pineapples along with the cooked & cooled rice
5. Now, add the Soy, Sweet & Sour & Chilli Sauces to the mixture. You can add more Soy sauce to enhance taste and try to use Low Sodium version of the Soy Sauce. There is absolutely no difference in taste and your fried rice will be less salty (unlike the ones you might have eaten in your Chinese take-out) & more healthier!
6. Now, add finely chopped fresh basil leaves and mix it together with the rice
7. You can be a little generous with the oil if you think the noodles is a little too dry, after all, you won't be making this every single day and you can walk an extra mile to burn off this fat (or) wash it down with hot green tea.
8. That's it! Enjoy your Pineapple Thai Fried Rice!

Pad Kee Mao

Ingredients

1. Flat Rice Noodles
2. Tofu - about 15-20 cubes
3. Potatoes - 2 nos.
4. Green Pepper - 1 no.
5. Carrot - 1 no.
6. Beans - 1/4 lbs
7. Baby Corn - 1/4 lbs
8. Green Peas - 1/2 cup
9. Basil Leaves - 6
10. Onion - 1 no.
11. Thai Green Chilli - 4 nos. (add more if you can handle the spice)
12. Garlic - 6 cloves
13. Soy Sauce - 4 tbsp (use Low Sodium)
14. Sweet & Sour sauce - 2 tbsp
15. Chilli sauce - 1 tbsp
16. Salt - To Taste
17. Oil - 4 tbsp (I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Procedure

1. Boil the flat rice noodles with salt and little bit of oil so that it doesn't stick together. Also, boil/steam all of the julienne cut vegetables to your preferred consistency.
2. Sauté the tofu in Oil for sometime so that it doesn't separate when you mix it with the noodles
3. Add julienne cut onions, garlic, thai green chillis to the above tofu after your tofu turns golden brown
4. When this is all properly Sautéd, add the boiled/steamed vegetables along with the boiled flat rice noodles
5. Now, add the Soy, Sweet & Sour & Chilli Sauces to the mixture. You can add more Soy sauce to enhance taste and try to use Low Sodium version of the Soy Sauce. There is absolutely no difference in taste and your Pad Kee Mao will be less salty (unlike the ones you might have eaten in your Chinese take-out) & more healthier!
6. Now, add finely chopped fresh basil leaves and mix it together with the flat rice noodles
7. You can be a little generous with the oil if you think the noodles is a little too dry, after all, you won't be making this every single day and you can walk an extra mile to burn off this fat (or) wash it down with hot green tea.
8. That's it! Enjoy your Pad Kee Mao!

PS: I love to add steamed Broccoli on my Pad Kee Mao, but since the Missus hates the smell of Broccoli, I resigned myself from using it. If you like it, go for it, it'll be heavenly.

Baked Spaghetti in a Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

1. Spaghetti - 1/2 lbs
2. Mixed Bell Peppers - 2 nos.
3. Red Onion - 1 No.
4. Big Roma Tomatoes - 6
5. Basil Leaves - 6
6. Green Chilli - 4 nos. (add more if you can handle the spice)
7. Garlic - 6 cloves
8. Salt - To Taste
9. Cheese - 2 tbsp
10. Oil - 2 tbsp (I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Before Baking...

After Baking...


Procedure

1. Boil the Spaghetti with some salt and oil so that it doesn't stick together. Drain the water and keep the cooked spaghetti aside
2. Now, boil the tomatoes and peal the skin. Ground them in a mixer/blender with Garlic, Basil Leaves & Green Chilli
3. Sauté the onions & bell peppers. When the onions turn golden brown, add the ground mixture and spaghetti
4. Mix it thoroughly and transfer the contents to a baking dish. Sprinkle some Cheese on the top and shove it in the oven for 30 mins (350F)
5. Enjoy it with some grated cheese and crushed red peppers.

Baked Ravioli

Ingredients

1. Cheese & Spinach Ravioli - 1/4 lbs
2. Red Onion - 1 No.
3. Big Roma Tomatoes - 6
4. Basil Leaves - 6
5. Green Chilli - 4 nos. (add more if you can handle the spice)
6. Garlic - 6 cloves
7. Salt - To Taste
8. Cheese - 2 tbsp
9. Oil - 2 tbsp (I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Procedure

1. I didn't make the ravioli from scratch, bought one from the store. There are several kinds of ravioli's and I don't like a lot of cheese, so, just went with the cheese & spinach ravioli. Just open up the cover and put the ravioli's in boiling water for a while, drain the water and keep the ravioli aside
2. Now, boil the tomatoes and peal the skin. Ground them in a mixer/blender with Garlic, Basil Leaves & Green Chilli
3. Sauté the onions and when it turns golden brown, add the ground mixture let it boil for sometime
4. Now, add the ravioli and mix it thoroughly. Transfer the contents to a baking dish. Sprinkle some Cheese on the top and shove it in the oven for 30 mins (350F)
5. You're done!

Masal Vadai

Ingredients

1. Channa/Gram Dhal - 1 cup
2. Red Onion - 1
3. Garlic - 4/5
4. Ginger - 1 tbsp
5. Green Chilli - 1
6. Crushed Red Pepper - 1/2 tsp
7. Curry Leaves - 1 branch
8. Asafoetida - One small pinch
9. Salt - To Taste
10. Oil - To deep fry

While frying...



After frying...



Procedure

1. Soak gram dal for about an hour. Finely (I mean, very finely) chop Onions, Green Chillis, Garlic, Ginger & Curry Leaves
2. In a mixie/blender, coarsely grind the soaked dal with the crushed red pepper
3. When its done, add the above finely chopped items to the ground mixture with salt and asafoetida
4. Now, take a ping-pong sized ball of this mixture and place it on a ziploc sheet (or vaazhai ilai, literally speaking) and pat to flatten it (You can sing this song though!)
5. Slowly, drop the patted vadai in boiling oil. Keep the stove in medium flame so that you'll let the vadai cook properly and turn golden brown as well.
6. Serve with Coconut/Mint Chutney and put on a lot of weight!

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...)