Vegetable Fried rice

 Oriental cooking comprises of dishes which are prepared in eastern Asiatic kitchens like: China,Japan, Thailand, Burma and Korea. Their recipes have a major portion of Rice, vegetables, Bamboo shoots, spring onions, sea foods and very less oil . They blend in the flavors of fresh spices and herbs like Coriander leaves, green onions, lemon grass, red and green chilies, Ginger, Black pepper ,sea salts. The Gravy of most of their  dishes are prepared with soy sauce, Vinegar, coconut ,sugar and sesame oil. For more details on ingredients and recipes refer:http://thaifood.about.com/od/thaicookingessentials/a/Lemongrass.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cymbopogon
http://world-food-and-wine.com/oriental-cooking
http://www.chinesefood-recipes.com/glossary_of_ingredients/glossary_ingredients.php
"Vegetable fried rice" is one of more famous oriental dishes which is prepared at homes and restaurants. It is a very light and easy preparation. To the usual preparation, I added my touch with garam masala, as it not only increased aroma but taste and flavor too!! So try this new touch and enjoy this preparation with Vegetable manchurian !!

Ingredients:
1.5 cups rice
3 cups water
1 medium orange carrot
1 medium green capsicum
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 cup green onions (cut into small pieces)
1 medium onion
4-5 baby corns
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder(kaali mirch)
1/2 teaspoon MSG(ajinomoto)
1 tablespoon Soy sauce
1 tablespoon white vinegar
salt according to taste
3 tablespoon vegetable oil/ olive oil
Method:


Wash and soak the rice for about 1/2 hour. Boil the rice with a teaspoon of oil, till they are cooked(takes about 15 minutes).
Cut all the vegetables into small pieces as shown above.
Heat oil in a  non stick kadahi(wok), add onion and saute it for 2 minutes till it turn transparent in colour. Add green onion and saute it for few seconds.
Now add Carrots, capsicum and cabbage and saute them too for a minute. Add the Ajinomoto,soy sauce and vinegar and mix well.
With help of a chopsticks or fork , separate the rice for avoiding any lumps and breaking of it.
Add it to the sauteed vegetables and mix well . Add the garam masala, black pepper and salt and mix them well too.
Healthy and tasty "Vegetable fried rice" is ready. Garnish with vegetables of your choice.


Optional notes:
I had used basmati rice for this recipe but small grained or brown rice can also be used for this.
One can add other vegetables of choice.
This is a very light cooking with nutritious vegetables and is thus good for People opting for low calorie food.

Egg-less brownies

"Brownies" is a baked bar which is crunchy like cookies and soft like a cake.  It is a very popular sweet item in European and Western countries like USA.  This sweet bar is eaten with either hot chocolate sauce or all time favorite Vanilla ice cream scoop which had earned a very famous name of" Iron and Ivory".....
 For more details on brownies please refer this link:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate_brownie. This recipe I had found best on master chef Sanjeev kapoor's site. A very easy preparation and the result is also great. Try it for this Romantic season of February.....!!!
Ingredients:
100 grams dark chocolate(I had used Bournville hazelnut flavor)
1.1/3 cups all purpose flour(maida)
2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup butter(1/2 +1/4 cup)
1 cup +1.1/2 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped walnut kernels
Method:
Sift the flour and baking powder. Keep it aside.

Flour and baking powder

In a microwave bowl add the butter & chocolate and melt them together at 100% power for a minute or more.If melting is done on gas , Do it on Double boiler*.

Melted chocolate and butter

Add the sugar and vanilla essence and mix well with the help of a beater or a big spoon.

Adding sugar and vanilla essence

Mixing the content

To this mixture add the flour and walnuts and mix well. Add small portions of milk to make the batter smooth.enough. You do not have to make the content fluffy only stir and mix well so that a pouring consistency is formed.

Mixture ready for the brownies

Pre-heat the oven or microwave at conviction mode at 180 degree. Grease a baking tin and pour the prepared batter into it.

batter ready to bake

Bake it on 180 degree for about 35-40 minutes.
When baked remove it and let it stand for about 5 minutes.

after baking

I had cut the brownies into heart shape , about 7-8 brownies were formed...

Crunchy and soft "Eggless Brownies are ready"!!
Optional notes:
Please be sure of the quantity of the ingredients . Follow the method as per the recipe only.

*In double boiling, water is boiled in deep pan and on top of it another pan is placed in which  soft ingredients of a recipe are melted so that they do not burn.. 
The brownies can be served with hot chocolate ,Ice creams or custards.
The texture and taste of the brownies will be slightly chewy and soft.
One can make the brownies and store them in fridge for future consumption.

Cappuccino

"Good morning every body"!! Its Cappuccino time....

"Cappuccino' is an Italian hot beverage which Is pronounced like "Capuchin" (meaning small cap).
This coffee is made with coffee powder and steam hot milk & foam. Now mostly available in almost every part of world , Cappuccino is liked and made in homes too..,for more details check: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cappuccino .
Here i had made my own home version of cappuccino which may also be referred as "beaten coffee".
ENJOY!!!
This preparation will make two medium size cups
Ingredients:
2 tablespoon coffee
4 tablespoon sugar(prefer powdered sugar)
1 teaspoon drinking chocolate
1 cup water
1 cup full cream milk
For garnishing:
a pinch of hot or drinking chocolate for each cup
Method:
Heat and boil the water & milk in a pan on medium flame .(the milk + water is required to be very hot)
In a ceramic coffee mug add the sugar and coffee powder. To this add 1/2 teaspoon of hot water.

Coffee and sugar crystals

With the help of a hand beater, beat this mixture well enough to form froth.(it will be light creamy brown in texture and colour)

beaten coffee and sugar mix 

For serving: take two medium size cups. Add a tablespoon(a little more) of the froth into each cup.

adding froth 

Pour over the hot milk&water mix into the cups. With the help of teaspoon mix a little so that the froth and milk mixes well enough to form foam.

Ready Cappuccino!!

Sprinkle hot or drinking chocolate on top for final finishing.!!
CAPPUCCINO is ready. Serve and have it hot & immediately...!!!
Optional notes:
One can make many variations for cappuccino like cardamom, nutmeg,chocolate and cinnamon. Add a teaspoon of each powder while beating the coffee powder.
The ratio of coffee and sugar must be 1:2(1 table spoon coffee and 2 tablespoon sugar)

Choco chip cookies

Winter season brings in the celebration of Christmas followed with the coming happy new year, So let us enjoy and welcome the new year with some delicious and tasty dishes enjoyed with our dear ones....!!!

Picture presentation taken from www.chezshuchi.com 

Chocochip cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup refined flour(maida)

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

3-4 tablespoon milk
2-3 tablespoon crushed chocolate pieces

Method:
Preheat the oven at 180 degree.
In a bowl mix the butter and sugar properly with help of a hand blender till it gets light and fluffy.
In another bowl, sieve flour, baking powder and cocoa powder. Mix this well too.

Flour, cocoa and baking powder

Add the crushed chocolate to this mixture.
Now mix all the dry and wet ingredients(butter/sugar mixture with the flour mixture) and knead a soft dough.

dough ready for cookies

Use little portions of milk if the dough is drying .
Roll out small balls out of the dough. Press each ball slightly and shape it into a cookie. Sprinkle small portions of crushed chocolate over these raw cookies.
Grease a non stick tray and place the cookies on it providing a space of 5 cm between each cookie.

cookies ready to bake

Bake the cookies in the oven for about 25-30 minutes at 180 degree.

baked cookies

Yummy and chocolaty chocochip cookies are ready!!!. Serve them at tea time with family and dear ones.
Optional notes:
In case cocoa powder is not available one can use drinking chocolate powder.
While making baked items be very sure of the measurements of the ingredients mentioned in the recipe or else the baking would not appear as expected.
One can make variations of cookies by adding dry fruits, hazelnuts, or sesame seeds.
One can prepare cookies in advance and store them in an air tight container for later servings.

Enjoy other recipes for Christmas and new year:

 Assorted chocolates  

 Bread pizza,  

                   

Baked vegetable  

Bread Pizza

"Pizza", a great dish originally from Italy. It is one of the most eaten and liked fast food all over the world. Here is a varied  version with bread. Enjoy the crispy base with  any topping of vegetables, meat chunks or cheese. Easy to make and loads of fun in eating it!!

Ingredients:
For base
6-8 bread slices(either flour or wheat)
For topping:

1 large tomato(cut into small pieces)

1 large onion(cut into small pieces)

1 cup shredded cabbage

1 large green capsicum(cut into small pieces)

1/2 cup button mushrooms( cut into very small pieces)
1/2 cup corn kernels

2 table spoon Pizza topping sauce

1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoon cheese spread(any flavour)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder(kaali mirch)
 3-4 tablespoon Tomato sauce(to spread on the base)
salt according to taste
for garnishing:
grated cheese(mozzarella or cheddar)
tomato ketchup
Method:
In a bowl mix all the vegetables with other ingredients and seasonings.

Vegetable and seasonings mixture

Preheat the oven at 200 degree
Place bread slices on high rack and preheat them too for 5 minutes.
Spread a teaspoon of tomato ketchup first and a tablespoon of topping evenly on each crisp bread slice and top it more with grated cheese.

Pizza topping and grated cheese

Place them in oven and let it bake for 15 minutes at 220 degree.
Crispy Bread pizza is ready. serve them hot with tomato ketchup.

Optional notes:
One can make variations in topping with other vegetables like olives,jalapeno or red bell pepper.
 Also one can add paneer(cottage cheese) to get varieties of toppings for the pizza.
You can make and refrigerate the topping mixture for a day, for this do not add salt otherwise vegetables will tend to loose water.

Baked Vegetables in white sauce

This is my favorite vegetable preparation. A simple but very tasty dish. The creamy and rich gravy of cheese and white sauce is the essence of this dish. Enjoy this as it is or with Garlic Bread.

Baked vegetables

Ingredients:


2 large potatoes( cut into small pieces)
1cup cauliflower florets
1/2 cup carrots(cut into small pieces)

vegetables for the dish

1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup baby corns(cut into small pieces)
1/2 cup french beans(cut into small pieces)
1 large onion(cut into small)
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon black pepper powder
salt according to taste
1 cup white sauce
2 tablespoon cheddar cheese(grated)
1 cup crushed cornflakes
1 cup grated cheese

 Method:
In a frying pan, heat butter and add onions. Saute for few minutes till they become light in color.
Add all the( nicely cut) vegetables and saute again for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper and mix well

sauteing vegetables

.Cover the lid and let the vegetables cook on low flame for 10 minutes.
Now add the white sauce and cheese, mix well and remove from heat.

after adding the white sauce

Preheat the oven at 200 degree .
 In baking container, Put the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle grated cheese and cornflakes on top of the vegetables and bake this in oven at 250degree for 15 minutes.

Tasty Baked vegetables is ready!! 

Optional notes:

One can also add corn kernels and paneer to this dish.

White sauce

white sauce

White sauce is used to give a creamy and thick texture to many baked dishes. It is also an essential ingredient for the filling in sandwiches, and sometime used as a dip with raw vegetables or snacks!!


This preparation is for 1 cup of sauce
Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 table spoon all purpose flour(maida)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder(kaali mirch)
salt according to taste

Method:

Mixing of butter and maida

In a pan, heat butter and add maida. Saute it for 2 minutes on low flame.
Slowly add milk( to prevent formation of lumps),and stir continuously till the sauce becomes thick

Adding milk

sauce thickening

Add salt and pepper,mix well. remove from flame.
White sauce is ready....

Vegetable cutlets

Kids favorite " Vegetable Cutlets". A good way of of providing the nutrition of vegetables in a snacky form !!!

This preparation is for 3 person

Ingredients:

Boiled vegetables

3 medium sized potatoes(boiled)

1/2 cup french beans(boiled)

1/2 cup carrots(boiled)

1/2 cup cauliflower florets(boiled)

1/2 cup peas(boiled)

1/4 cup chopped onion

4-5 bread slices( preferably brown bread)
1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder

salt according to taste
1/2 cup semolina(sooji) for coating
Oil for deep frying

Method:
 In a bowl mash/grate potatoes. To this add all the boiled vegetables and mash them too.
 Discard the sides of the bread slices and break them. Add these slices to the vegetable mixture and mix well .
All the ingredients mentioned above should be mixed properly so that they can bind together when shaping it into a roll.

Form 8-10 rolls out of this mixture and shape them into a cutlet.
 Cover each cutlet with semolina coating and deep fry them on medium heat till they turn golden brown from both sides. Place them on an absorbent paper to remove excess oil.
Tasty Vegetable cutlets are ready. Serve them hot with ketchup or sweet chutney
Optional notes:
If  the binding of cutlets does not set properly, one can increase the number of bread slices, as they absorb moisture and helps to bind nicely. Always deep fry cutlets on medium heat otherwise they will break and spread in the kadahi.
Try some more Dry snacks

Crunchy Munchy Burger

Hello kids its "Burgers"!!! Try and make it at home with lots of vegetables....

This preparation is for 3 burgers

Ingredients:

For burger tikkis:

2 large boiled potatoes(mashed/grated)

1/2 cup peas(boiled)

1/2 cup shredded cabbage

1/4 cup grated carrots

1/4 cup  green beans nicely cut

2 tablespoon corn kernels(boiled)

3 tablespoon cornflour

2 cups coarsely crushed cornflakes(for coating)

1 teaspoon black pepper powder(kaali mirch)

salt according to taste

oil for deep frying

For garnishing:

 2 Burger buns

1 large salad tomato(sliced)

1 large onion(sliced)

2-3 iceberg lettuce leaves

3-4 olives(black/green)

2 long skewers

egg-less mayonnaise

cheese spread

2-3 cheese slices 

Method:

For tikkis:

In a bowl mix all the mentioned ingredients and form it into round cutlet shapes. Coat each cutlet with cornflakes crumb and keep aside.  Heat oil in kadahi , when the temperature of the oil is appropriate, fry the cutlets till they turn golden in color. Place them on an absorbing paper to remove excessive oil.

Tikkis for the burger are ready.

To prepare the Burger:

Cut the burger bun into two halves. On the lower part, spread the cheese spread and then the mayonnaise. Place a lettuce leaf and tikki over the spread. Now place  slices of cheese, onion and tomato . Place the top portion of the burger bun and club the whole thing with help of a skewer garnished with an olive.

Crunchy munchy Burger is ready. Serve it with some chips or french fries.

Optional notes:

Burgers are always for immediate use. A kept burger becomes soggy very soon and is not good in taste also.

One can prepare many varieties of tikkies according to ones choice. 

Bread Spring rolls

This preparation will make 12 spring rolls


Ingredients:


For rolls:


1 cup  All purpose flour(maida)
 4 slices of bread(discard the sides)
1 tablespoon cornflour
salt according to taste
water for sealing the rolls

For filling:
1 large onion cut  finely
1 carrot finely cut into long strands
1 capsicum cut into long strands
1 tomato(discard the pulp) cut into strands
1/2 cup finely cut cabbage
50 grams cottage cheese(paneer)cut into long strands
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 tablespoon ketchup
1/2 teaspoon ajinomoto
1 teaspoon black pepper(Kaali mirch)
salt according to taste
2 tablespoon  oil

oil for deep frying

Method:
 In a kadahi, heat 2 tablespoon oil, add onions and saute . Now add capsicum ,carrot, tomatoes and cabbage. Saute them.  Add paneer and saute it for 1 minute. Add both the sauce(soy and ketchup)and toss the vegetables. Now add vinegar and ajinomoto and toss again. Now add salt and pepper,mix well.
Filling is ready,let it cool.

In a bowl,mix maida,cornflour and salt. To this mixture add bread slices . Put small proportions of water and knead the dough. This dough is as similar as the dough for rotis. Make 3 to 4 large balls. Roll out each ball into a thin sheet, add filling and seal these sheets properly from all sides. Deep fry these rolls on medium flame till they turn golden brown in color . Cut each roll into 4 pieces(diagonally).

Bread spring rolls are ready.

Serve them with tomato ketchup or chilli sauce.
  

Stir Fry Noodles

This preparation will  serve 2


Ingredients:


200 grams Noodles
1 medium carrot  cut into strips
1 capsicum cut into strips
3/4 cup cabbage finely cut
1 large tomato cut into strips(Discard the pulp)
1 large onion finely cut
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon white chilli vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
1/4 teaspoon ajinomoto
1 teaspoon black pepper powder(kaali mirch)
2 table spoon oil

salt according to taste

Method:


Boil water in a pan, add noodles with 1 tsp of salt and oil. When noodles are ready, drain water and keep the noodles aside. In a kadahi heat oil and add onions. Saute them for 1 minute. Add capsicum & carrot and saute again . Add remaining vegetables and stir fry them. Add noodles, ajinomoto, vinegar and both the sauces (ketchup & soya) and stir fry. Finally add salt & pepper and toss the noodles with help of tongs.

Stir Fry Noodles are ready.

Serve them as it is or with  Vegetable Manchurian
Optional notes:


I  used spaghetti noodles instead of normal noodles: this gives a better texture as well as taste.

Vegetable Manchurian

This preparation will make Manchurian for 3 persons

Ingredients:


For Manchurian Dumpling


3 table spoon  grated cabbage
3 table spoon  grated carrot
1 green capsicum nicely chopped
3 to 4 button mushrooms nicely chopped
2  baby corn finely chopped
3 table spoon spring onions finely chopped
2 table spoon french beans nicely cut
1/2 cup all purpose flour(maida)
1/2 cup corn flour
salt according to taste
 1 tea spoon black pepper powder(kaali mirch powder)
 refined oil for deep frying

For Sauce:


1 onion (large) nicely cut
2 table spoon spring onions nicely chopped
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
2 table spoon soy sauce
1 table spoon white vinegar
2 table spoon Manchurian stir fry sauce
2 table spoon cornflour
1/4 teaspoon ajinomoto
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder(kaali mirch powder)
salt according to taste
3 cup water


Method:


For Dumplings:


In a bowl take all the vegetables, add salt and mix well. To this add maida, cornflour,and black pepper. Mix thoroughly. Shape them into round balls. Deep fry them on medium flame till they turn golden brown. Manchurian dumplings are ready.

For Sauce:


In a kadahi, heat oil. Add onions and saute for a minute. Add ginger garlic paste and spring onions, saute again for a minute. Add soy, vinegar, and stir fry sauce. Add water and boil the mixture. Mix cornflour in half a cup water and add into the mixture of soy, vinegar & stir fry sauce along with salt, ajinomoto and pepper. Your sauce for Manchurian is ready.

The consistency of the sauce should be slightly thick. Remove the sauce from stove and add dumplings. Garnish it with chopped spring onions.

Veg Manchurian is served with plain steamed rice or Stir fry Noodles