Chicken Manchurian

How about sizzling spicy appetizer in evening? Sounds like fun!!
Chicken Manchurian - a great Indo-Chinese full filling appetizer just enough to satisfy a chicken lovers appetite.  Its delicious and toothsome :-)

Ingredients

For Chicken fritters

250 gms Boneless chicken, cubed

1 cup of Corn flour

1 tsp Paprika

1/2 tsp Black pepper powder

1/2 cup of White vinegar
Salt

Oil for deep frying

For the Manchurian sauce-

5 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped

few sprigs of Curry leaves

5 Green Chilies, finely chopped

1 Red Onion, thinly sliced

1 Green bell pepper, cubed

1/4 cup of Ketchup

4 tsp of Dark soy sauce

2 tsp White vinegar

1/2 tsp of Aginomoto

Salt

4 tsp oil

Method

For Chicken fritters-

• In a mixing bowl, mix together chicken, corn flour, paprika, pepper, vinegar and season it with salt. Leave it for 15 minutes in refrigerator (if vinegar is not enough to bind all ingredients, you can add little water

                                            

• Heat oil for deep frying
• Gently drop marinated chicken in hot oil. Fry evenly until it turn deep red color. Use an absorbent paper to drain excess oil

For Manchurian-

• In a wok, heat oil. when it turns smoky; add green chilies, curry leaves, garlic, onions and bell pepper. Give it a little (do not cook vegetable. Crunchier, it tastes better)

• Add soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup and aginomoto. Mix well

• Add fried chicken and give it a toss on high heat until all the sauce is perfectly coated

• Serve hot

Baby Corn Manchurian

An Indo-chinese recipe where deep-fried baby corn is perfectly blended in a Chinese sauce. It is a delicious appetizer can be perfectly paired with fried rice or noodles.  

Today, Indo-Chinese cuisine has become an intrinsic part of modern society in India and has become immensely popular among young crowd. 

Ingredients

For the fritters-

12 Baby corn, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup of corn flour

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste

Salt

Oil for deep frying

For the Manchurian sauce-

5 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped

few sprigs of Curry leaves

5 Green Chilies, finely chopped

1 Red Onion, thinly sliced

1 Green bell pepper, cubed

1/4 cup of Ketchup

4 tsp of Dark soy sauce

2 tsp White vinegar

1/2 tsp of Aginomoto

Salt

4 tsp oil

Method

For the fritters

• In a mixing bowl, mix baby corn, corn flour, paprika, ginger- garlic paste and season it with salt. Add little water just enough to bind all the ingredients

• Heat oil for deep frying
• Gently drop baby corn in fryer. Fry until it turns deep red color. Use an absorbent paper to drain excess oil

For Manchurian

• In a wok, heat oil. When it is smoky; add garlic, curry leaves, green chilies, onions  and bell pepper. Give it a little stir ( dont cook veggies. More crunchier it tastes better!!)

• Add ketchup, soy sauce, white vinegar and aginomoto. Mix well and 

• Add baby corn. On high heat toss all the ingredients. Season with little salt if required

• Serve hot
  
   

Onion Raitha | Perugu Pachadi | Mosuru Bhajji

Raitha is a cooling concoction of yogurt made from freshly cut onions. It can be served as a  dip with parathas, or as a side dish with biryani and pulav,  or with ghee rice or even as a salad dressing. 

There are different kinds of raitha recipes which are made from  cucumber, carrots, pineapple, potatoes and boondhi. This recipe is very simple and easy to make.

Ingredients

1 cup of yogurt

1 Red/ Yellow Onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 Green chili, finely chopped

few sprigs of Cilantro, finely chopped

Salt

Method

• In a mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together. Adjust salt as per taste
• Serve chilled. It tastes best when combined with biryani, pulav or parathas

Egg Salad

Turn boiled eggs to a salad which is deliciously creamy, chunky and tangy. This salad can be used as sandwich spread ,sandwich filling and as a cracker spread which is perfect for a brunch. It is normally served as a cold salad which rich in protein and carbohydrates. 

When I was studying and working, this salad was a perfect meal because it is quick and easy to prepare.  And off-course highly economical !!

Ingredients

2 Boiled eggs, finely chopped

1 Stick of Celery stalk, finely chopped

2 tsp Yogurt

1 tsp lemon Juice

Salt

Pepper

Few sprigs of Cilantro, finely chopped

Method

• Mix all the ingredients and season it with salt and pepper

• Serve it with toast or spread it on cracker. Garnish with green onions
• Can be refrigerated for future use

Note: Instead of yogurt mayonnaise can be used.  

Jalebi

Jalebi is a dessert made with fermented batter of flour, yogurt and saffron. The deep fried crispy swirls  are encapsulated in a warm sugar syrup which makes it truly an exotic sweet recipe.

This is my first attempt in making jalebis  which came out very crisp and juicy. Never knew that this  recipe was simple and easy.

Ingredients

2 cups of Maida (flour)

1 cup of Sour yogurt (yogurt stored in room temperature for 12 hours)

1/2 cup of water

1/4 tsp of Saffron, crushed

Oil or ghee for deep frying

For sugar syrup

2 cups of Sugar

1 cup of Water

Method

• In a mixing bowl, mix together maida, sour yogurt, water and saffron into a thick batter. Cover the dish and ferment in room temperature for 12 hours. When bubbles start to turn up, that's the sign batter is fermented well
• Load the batter  in a bottle having a nozzle with a single hole 
• Press the bottle releasing the batter slowly in circles working from inside and out. Fry evenly in medium flame until it turns orange
• Use an absorbent paper to drain excess oil
• In a heavy bottomed vessel, add sugar and water. Bring it boil until it attains one string consistency. Keep this syrup warm
• Now dip the hot jalebi in syrup for 2-3 minutes and store it in a air tight container
• Jalebi tastes best when it is hot, crispy and juicy

Veggie cutlet

Simple ingredients with a great blend of mixed vegetables and spices. It's a wonderful snack cum appetizer especially when there are guests at home . 

Ingredients

3-4 kinds of vegetables 1 cup each and finely chopped

3 boiled potatoes

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 onion , finely chopped

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp chat masala

1/4 tsp cumin powder

Salt

4 tsp oil

Oil for shallow fry

For dredging-

1/2 cup fine semolina (fine sooji)

1/4 cup rice flour

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp pepper powder

1 cup bread crumbs

Salt

Water as needed 

Method

• In a sauce pan heat oil, add onions and sauté until it turns transparent. Add turmeric powder, chili powder , cumin powder, chat masala and coriander powder. Add vegetables and season it with salt. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add boiled- mashed potatoes and mix well

• After the veggies has cooled, divide them into equal portions and roll them into balls about 2 inches 

• Now prepare dredging station by mixing all ingredients listed under batter except bread crumbs. Add water as needed 

• Now take little of batter and apply it on parties on both the sides. Roll it in bread crumbs 

• And gently leave it in a preheated pan for shallow frying

• Fry it evenly until it turns brown. Use absorbent paper to drain excess oil 
• Serve hot with hot sauce , ketchup or mint chutney 

Chow Chow Kootu | Stewed chayote squash

Chow Chow Kootu is a stewed chayote squash made with lentils. It is an exquisite recipe prepared in Bhramin style (no onion & no garlic). Thanks to my sister Bhavya taught me this recipe. 

This kootu (stew) can be served with rice or chapathi.

Ingredients

2 nos Chayote Squash (chow chow), cubed into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 cup Toor Dal

1/2 tsp Sambhar powder

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

2 cups of Water

For Masala paste:

4 tsp Grated coconut

2 tsp  roasted channa dal 

3 dry Red chilies

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

For seasoning:

2 tsp Oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

a sprig of Curry leaves

2 dry Red chili (optional)

pinch of Asafoetida 

Method

• Soak toor dal in water for 30 minutes
• In a pressure pan, cook toor dal and chayote squash with sambhar powder and turmeric powder with 2 cups of water for up to 2 whistles
• Next, make a fine paste of grated coconut, roasted channa dal, red chilies and cumin seeds using a blender. Add water as needed to make this paste
• Add the masala to the pressure pan. Season with salt. Simmer for 3- 5 minutes
• In a sauce pan, heat oil. When it turns smoky, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida and red chilies. When it starts to sizzle, pour the seasoning on top of kootu
• Serve hot with chapathi or  steamed rice