Egg Veg Noodles

How I learnt it – My daughter is a great noodles freak….. She loves noodles so much that I started experimenting on various Chinese dishes. I too love the authentic Chinese recipes. More over at home and for the Birthday parties, I prefer the recipe which kids love. It has to be less spicy and with out spring onions.



Ingredients

Hakka Noodles – 200 grms
Onion- 1 (chopped fine).
Carrot – 1(chopped fine)
French beans – 4-5 (chopped fine)
Eggs – 2
Salt as per taste
Pepper – ¼ tsp
Tomato sauce – 2 tbsp
Oil- 2-3 tbsp


Procedure

1. Take a deep pan. Pour 4-5 cups of water.
2. Let it come to boil. Add the noodles and cook it for 3-4 minutes or till it is semi cooked. Remove it from heat.
3. Add some cold water to it. It separates the noodles.
4. Drain the water away using a sieve.
5. Add a tablespoon of oil and stir it.
6. Take a wok or a shallow pan.
7. Pour 2 tbsp of oil. Heat it. Add chopped onions, let it fry add carrot, beans and salt and pepper.
8. Cook it for 3 to 4 min and then add the 2 eggs. Stir it till the eggs are cooked in scrambled form.
9. Add the noodles and tomato sauce.
10. Stir it to mix the veg and noodles well.
11. Remove from heat. Serve hot with different sauces.



Tips – 1. If you are cooking for small kids you can chop the veggies very small as kids now-a-days are apprehensive of eating green vegetables. In case for elders you can chop the veggies thin and long. It makes it more presentable.
2. You can use other veggies like baby corn, mushroom, capsicum etc too.

Fish Masala Fry.

How I learnt it – My brother-in- law came to visit us. He loves to eat fish. The coastal city, kochi, kerala gave him ample opportunity to relish different preparations of fish. Invariably, I made fish everyday. It allowed me to experiment few dishes. This is the one which he liked the most. Gyan this recipe is dedicated to you. Thanks for all the support and motivation shown by you.





Ingredients

Fish – 500 grms (sheer fish)
Lemon – 1 med size
Salt as per taste
Chilly powder – 1 tsp
Pepper powder – ½ tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Mustard powder - ¼ tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Corn flour – 2 tbsp.
Chaat masala. – a pinch
Oil – for shallow fry.




Procedure



1. Take the fish. Clean it thoroughly under water.
2. Cut into thin pieces to fry. Dry pat them with the tissue or muslin cloth.
3. Take out the lemon juice and add salt.
4. Apply the lemon salt to the fish on both sides.
5. Keep in the refrigerator for half an hour.
6. It marinates the fish, removes the smell and it tastes deep inside.
7. Add all the spices above with the corn flour and very little water.
8. Take out the fish, apply the spice mix on both sides.
9. Take a broad non stick pan.
10. Pour 4 to 5 tbsp of veg/ refined oil.
11. At medium heat fry the fish. Turn it when golden brown on one side. Fry the other side.
12. Once cooked on both sides, remove from heat.Sprinkle some chaat masala on the top.
13. Serve hot with green salad and lemon.





Tip - Don’t turn the fish too frequently. They are soft and tend to break. Let the one side cook and then turn after 2-3 minutes.

Soya Chunk Kababs

Ingredients


Soya chunks – 100 grms
Onion – 1 finely chopped
Chilli powder – ½ tsp
Coriander powder – 1tsp
Green chillies – 2 finely chopped
Chaat masala/ aamchur – 1 tsp
Jeera powder – 1tsp Chaat masala/ aamchur – 1 tsp Ginger – 1” (grated)
Ginger – 1” (grated)
Salt – as per taste
Bread slices – 3-4 (crumbs)
Veg oil for shallow frying.
2 table spoons of corn flour binds the mixture well. The bread slices also work well.




Procedure



1. Put soya chunks in boiling water. Drain the water when soft.
2. Once cold squeeze out the water totally.
3. Grind them coarse into a mixture.
4. Add chopped onion, finely chopped green chilies, grated ginger, chilly powder, salt, chaat masala, jeera powder, and coriander powder and salt to taste.
5. Add bread crumbs of 3 to 4 slices. It works as binding agent.
6. Make round kababs with the mixture.
7. Shallow fry on both sides on a non-stick pan.
8. Serve hot with green chutney or sauce.

Chana Dal Vada

Ingredients

Chana Dal – 1 ½ cup(soak overnight)
Hing – a pinch
Salt to taste
Red chilly powder- ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Onion – 1 chopped
Coriander leaves – few sprigs (chopped)
Green chilies – 2 chopped fine
Curry leaves – 4-5 cut small.
Oil to fry.


Procedure

1. Soak the chana dal overnight. Remove the water. Grind it into a coarse paste.
2. Add all the above spices and chopped onion, coriander leaves, green chilies, and curry leaves to the chana dal paste. Mix well.
3. Take a sallow non stick pan. Pour refined/ veg oil.
4. Take a small potion of the mix; make a round on your palm. They should not be too big neither too small. Too thick a round does not cook inside properly.
5. Make 4-5 rounds and shallow fry them. Once one side is brown turn it to the other side.
6. Remove when fried on both sides and golden brown in color.
7. Cook in medium flame as, high flame tend to brown the surface fast but does not cook it inside.
8. Serve hot with sauce/ green chutney.

Crispy Carrot Sandwich

How I learnt it – It was the New Years celebrations that were happening at sea. A boat cruise with few friends was fun……..
This lady who was our friends friend served us the sandwiches. They were soft, creamy and tasted great!!!!
She was an entrepreneur and did catering to various institutions in Goa for different occasions. This recipe was copied and pasted in my mind at sea. Very easily made and eaten.


Ingredients

Bread Slices/ Hot Dog – 4 / 1
Carrot – 3 tbsp per sandwich
Mayonnaise/ butter – 1 tsp
Black pepper – as per taste
Salt as per taste.


Procedure

1. Cut the edges of the bread slice.
2. Wash the carrot and grate it.
3. Mix mayonnaise / butter with salt and pepper.
4. Add grated carrot to the mix.
5. Fill the bread slices with the filling.
6. Cut them into triangle shape.
7. Serve them with tomato sauce or green chutney.

Tip - you can use cabbage instead of carrot or can make club sandwiches using both the ingredients and making three layered sandwich.

Italian Pizza

How I learnt it - She is one of my friend who’s been almost together throughout my married life. Jyothsana is a great cook and has keen interests in finance, taxation, beauty products and contemporary styling. I learnt the intricacies of good pizza making while celebrating her daughter’s 1st birthday.

Ingredients

Pizza base – 3 medium

Tomato – 3-4 (chopped fine)

Sugar – 1tsp

Onion – 1 (chopped fine)

Capsicum (finely chopped) – 4-5 tbsp

Butter – 2 tbsp

Oregano powder – 1tsp

Veg/ refined oil – 1tbsp

Cheddar / parmesan Cheese – 1 cup (grated)

Salt – a pinch

Seasoning

Red chilly flakes

Mustard sauce

Tomato sauce

Procedure

1. Take a pan, pour oil. Heat it. Add finely chopped tomatoes.

2. Add sugar, a pinch of salt and oregano powder.

3. Mix well. Cook it till it leaves water and becomes a smooth paste.

4. Switch off the stove. Add chopped capsicum, onion and finely grated cheese.

5. Take the pizza base; spread little butter on the top.

6. Spread the prepared topping over it.

7. Microwave each at 600 degree centigrade on grill + cook mode for 2 minutes.

8. Remove and cut into four.

9. Serve hot with one’s preferred seasoning.

Tip

1. To make the pizza crispier, keep on the tawa for few seconds till it becomes golden brown.

2. Paneer, chicken bits, baby corn and mushroom can be used to make the toppings. They are optional depending on the availability in the market.

3. Already cheese has enough salt so it can be used judiciously.

Samosa

 

One of the favorite among children and elders in all the birthday parties…..

How I learnt it - My neighbors mom-in – law had come from Delhi. She happens to be the chef for Sonia Gandhi. Aunty travels with her wherever she goes for campaigning. She had done a mouth licking menu for her grand daughters Birthday. The Samosas were instant hit. Aunty promised us to teach us how to make it. I had to get up early in the morning to learn the samosas as aunty was leaving back for Delhi that day.

 

Ingredients  for Dough

Maida – ½ kg                                        salt – ½ tsp

Ajwain – 1 tsp                                       oil – 2-3 tbsp

 Ingredients for the filling

Boiled Potatoes – 1 kg                             green chilies – 3-4

boiled green peas – ½ cup (optional)   ginger – 2 inches  

salt to taste                                               turmeric – ½ tsp

Chaat masala – 1 tbsp                          coriander powder – 1 tsp

Jeera powder – 1 tsp                       red chilly powder – ½  tsp

Veg oil for sauté and frying the samosa.  

Anaardaana – 1 tsp (opt)

Procedure

To make the dough

 

1.  Take maida, add salt, veg oil, and ajwain. Rub the flour till the ingredients are evenly mixed.   

2. Take a handful of the flour press it in the palm. The flour mixture should not break.

3. If it breaks in the hand add some more oil and mix well.

4. Add little water to make the dough. It should neither be too hard nor too soft.                                                    

 

To make the filling

1. Take 3 tbps of veg/refined oil/ ghee in a kadai.

2   Put crushed ginger and green chilies into the pan. Sauté it for some time.

3 Add the mashed boiled potatoes and boiled green peas.

4. Add jeera, coriander powder, salt to taste, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, chaat masala, and anaardaana. 

5. Mix it well and cook till the kadai leaves oil on the sides.

 6. Remove from heat. Cool it.

 

To make the Samosa.

 

1. Take a lemon sized dough. Spread it evenly on a flat surface. It should be as thin as possible.

2. Cut it into two halves.

3. Take one part of the semi circle. Apply water on the diameter side and stick it one over other so as to make a cone.

4. Close the lower end by folding it.

5. Fill the dough with the filling already prepared.

6. Once all the samosa are made take a kadai and pour oil into it.

7. Keep the stove at medium heat.

8. Put samosa  in the kadai to deep fry them.

9. When golden brown remove them from the kadai.

10. Serve hot with hari chutney or tomato sauce.

 

  

Tip-  Raisins, cashews can be added so as to enhance the taste.It is optional

Khandavi

 

 

Ingredients

 

Besan/gram flour – 1 cup                               Hing – a pinch

Curd/ yogurt – 2 tps                                        Salt  - as per taste

Red chilli powder -  ½ tsp                              Water – 3 cups

 

Garnish

 

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp                                      Green chillies – 2 (chopped finely)

Sesame seeds  - 1 tsp                                       Fresh coconut – 1 tsp (grated)

Oil – 1tsp                                                        

 

Method

 

1. Take besan/ gram flour in a bowl.

2. Add hing, salt, red chilli powder, curd and water.

3.  Mix well so that there are no lumps.

4.  Heat a kadai, pour the mixture cook at medium heat.

5.  Cook the mixture till it is a semi solid consistency.

6.  Remove from heat.

7.  Take a thali, apply oil at the back. Spread the mixture on the plate evenly forming a thin layer.

8.  Cut it into half .

9.  Once cool roll it. Cut it into small pieces.

10. Take oil in a small pan and heat. Put mustard seeds, sesame seeds, finely chopped green chillies and grated fresh coconut.

11. Turn off the gas stove immediately.

12. Garnish the Khandavi and serve with  coconut/ groundnut chutney.