Steamed vegetable manchurian

 Vegetable manchurian, gobi manchurian any type of manchurian is one of my favorite Indo-Chinese dishes. I think may be just the presence of Soya sauce in it makes it "chinese" because other than that there is nothing "Chinese" about it. Anyway, did I tell you it is one of my fav dishes?

But making it was always such a challenge. If you do not put enough flour in it and make it into balls with good amount of pressure, and if the oil for deep frying was not at the right temperature, they all dissolve into the oil :(

Then I found this dish online and gooshhhh its a game changer.  The "manchurian balls" now become squares and instead of deep frying them, these delicious veggie mancgurian squares are steamed and then shallow fried (or not) and then add them to a delicious silky sauce.

Steamed Vegetable Manchurian (Steamed vegetable balls in a spicy Indo-Chinese sauce)

Steamed vegetable manchurian

Ingredients

1. 2 cups thinly sliced or grated cabbage
2. 1 medium large carrot grated
3. 2 tablespoon spoons canned black beans drained (optional)
4. 2 tablespoon grated spoons paneer (optional)
5. 1 big or 2 medium cauliflower florets grated
6. 1/2 each of teaspoon salt, chilli powder, baking soda, cumin, carom seeds
7. 1 teaspoon chat masala, lemon juice, sesame seeds
8. 1/4 cup corn starch
9. 1/2 cup all purpose flour
10. oil for applying to the baking dish
11. 2 stalks green onions (green parts only) chopped
12. handful of finely chopped coriander

Ingredients for sauce

1. 1/2 cup each of finely chopped onions, bell pepper
2. 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
3. 1 tablespoon each of chilli garlic sauce, soya sauce, white vinegar, oil
4. 1 stalk green onion + the white part from the stalk above chopped
5. 2 teaspoons corn starch +1 cup water

Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to cabbage +carrots+ cauliflower mix and set aside for 10 minutes. Squeeze as much water from the vegetables as possible.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix is gentle. Heat about 1 -2 inches water in a wide pan. In a dish which will fit in the wide pan, apply some oil and add the vegetable mix and spread it evenly. Cover and steam on medium low flame for 15 minutes.

Take the dish out and set it aside for 10 minutes to cool and cut into bite size squares.

In a pan heat 1 tablespoon oil and fry the onions for 2 minutes. Add bell pepper and fry for 3 more minutes. Add garlic and fry for 1 more minute. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and stir well and cook for 3 minutes. Add the manchurian pieces and mix well and reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Garnish with green onions and cilantro and enjoy

NOTE: the manchurian pieces and be eaten dry without the sauce also. They are super delicios

Spicy Mint Meat Vermicelli

 
Egg Vermicelli

Different kind of Lamb Vermicelli

This Semiyah or thin wheat noodles recipe can be made into a totally vegetarian recipe by just skipping the meat or it can be customized to add any kind of meat you like or scramble some eggs on the side and mix them up to make it into Anda Semiyah. But no matter what, try it...it is super delicious

And if you are wondering what Vermicelli or Semiyah is...here is a Link

Spicy Mint meat Vermicelli (Vermicelli with shaved steak and mint )

Spicy Mint Meat Semiyah

Ingredients for Vermicelli Upma:

1. 1 cup roasted semiyah
2. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin , mustard seeds, turmeric
3. 1 teaspoon urad dal
4. 0.5 table spoon oil
5. 1/4 cup onion sliced
6. Handful of mint leaves
7. light pack cup of cilantro
8. 2 green chillies or less depending on how spicy those chillies are (if using Serrano, use only 1)
9. Few curry leaves
10. 1-2 dried red chillies
11. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
12. 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste + 1/2 teaspoon 

Ingredients shaved steak

1. one medium small or half cup sliced onions
2. 1 lb shaved steak separated 
3. 1 teaspoon each of finely chopped garlic, garlic
4. 1 tablespoon oil
5. 1/2 teaspoon garam masala (optional)
6. 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
7. 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Make the meat first
In a pan heat the oil and add the onions and fry till tender. Add the ginger garlic and fry for a minutes. Now on high flame, add the separated meat and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add salt and pepper and garam masala if using, stir to combine and cook for 5 more minutes or until the meat is cooked through. Set it aside.

Make the upma.

Bring about 4 cups of water to boil in a pot along with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the vermicelli when the water boils and cook for 4-5 minutes. Drain .

Grind the mint+cilantro+green chilli + salt into a smooth paste. About 1 tablespoon water if needed.

In a pan heat the oil and add the mustard seeds and cover and let them cook until they crackle. Add the onions and cook till they become dark brown. Add urad dal and cumin and broken red chillies and curry leaves and fry for 30 more seconds. Add the drained vermicelli to the pan along with the mint cilantro paste. Stir to combine. Drizzle with lemon juice and enjoy

This is your vegetarian option.

If using meat...add the cooked meat to the pan and stir well. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Stir well one more time and enjoy!!!

Mutton Marag

 Marag is one of those dishes that has a consistency somewhere between a stew and a soup. And it is super delicious on a cold night with a warm naan or on a night when you are trying to break a fast.

Mutton Marag (Bone in Lamb pieces in a yogurt and but based gravy)

Mutton Magas

Ingredients:

1. 2 lbs bone in lamb cut into about 2 inch pieces
2. 3 tablespoons oil
3. 1 medium onion sliced
4. 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
5. 1 cup plain yogurt lightly beatean
6. 15 cashews and 12 almonds soaked in 1/3 cup milk
7. 1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste) 
8. 2-3 green chillies ground to paste
9. 1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric, black pepper
10. 1 teaspoon garam masala
11. 2 cardamom ,1 inch cinnamon bark, 4 cloves

Wash the meat multiple times and set aside.

In a cooker heat the oil and add all the whole spices and fry for 30 seconds. Add the onions and fry until they start getting brown. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add the meat and fry on high flame for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups of water salt and turmeric and cook for 4-5 whistles. 
Let all the steam escape and reduce the heat and add the beaten yogurt.
Grind the nuts with the milk and add it to the pot. Add the ground green chillies and black peppers.

Simmer for 30 minutes. Add more water if you want it more soupy. Enjoy with naan

Mushroom Chickpeas curry

 I am getting sucked into the world of "shorts" lately on youtube. I know, I know...I am old enough to not get sucked up in there but sometimes when you don't want to do what you are supposed to do, and you just want to waste your time...thats the place to be...why TikTok is so popular.

This is one of the recipes I found on those shorts but with my own touches

Mushroom Chickpeas curry (Chickpeas and Mushrooms cooked in Indian spices)

Mushroom Chickpeas curry

Ingredients:

1. 1 can chickpeas drained
2. 8 oz mushrooms cleaned and sliced thick
3. 3-4 tomatoes depending on how big those are halved or quartered
4. 1 tablespoon each of coriander powder, chole masala
5. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, chilli powder, cumin powder, 
6. 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
7. 1 tablespoon oil
8. 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
9. 2 green chillies sliced, 1 teaspoon ginger slicked into thin match sticks.
10. Handful of fresh coriander

In a pan add the tomato quarters or half and 1/2 cup water and cover and cook for 5-6 minutes. Peel the skin off and mash with a potato masher. Add all the spices and ginger garlic paste and cover and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Add beaten yogurt and chickpeas and stir to combine and simmer covered for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and stor to combine and cover and cook for 5 more minutes. Garnish with sliced chillies, ginger and coriander and enjoy with Zeera rice or roti

The same recipe like a Pirate would talk...written by GPT

Ahoy, me hearties! Gather 'round for a tale of culinary plunder, a recipe fit for a scurvy dog (in a good way, of course)! We're makin' a dish so flavorful, it'll make ye swab the deck with yer tongue!

First, ye'll grab yer pan, see? Toss in them tomato quarters, or halves if they be monstrous big, and a half cup of water, mind ye. Cover that treasure chest and let it simmer for five or six minutes, until them tomatoes be soft as a cabin boy's backside.

Once they're good and mushy, peel off their skins like ye're shuckin' oysters. Then, grab yer trusty potato masher and mash 'em 'til they're smoother than a mermaid's tail.

Now comes the spice rum! Sprinkle in all yer spices – the hotter the better, says I! – and a dollop of ginger-garlic paste. Cover the pan again and let it cook for five minutes, until the aromas be fillin' the air like a sea shanty.

Lower the heat, me mateys, to a gentle simmer. Add in yer beaten yogurt – none of that fancy stuff, just a good ol' dollop – and them chickpeas, the heart of this dish. Stir it all together like ye're mixin' a grog. Cover it up and let it simmer for another five minutes, until the flavors have a chance to mingle like pirates at a tavern.

Next, toss in them mushrooms, plump and juicy like treasure chests. Stir 'em in with a hearty "Yo ho ho!" and cover the pan once more. Let it cook for five more minutes, until the mushrooms be tender and soaked in all that flavor.

Finally, the grand finale! Garnish with sliced chillies, ginger, and coriander – the jewels of this culinary crown! And then, me hearties, serve it up with Zeera rice or roti, fit for a king… or a pirate captain! Enjoy yer bounty! Arrr!

Beetroot Dal

 So I have been trying to find different dal recipes because I am kind of getting bored with the "usual". If you have read my blog a few times..."getting bored" is a recurring theme with me. The food I cook tastes pretty good but sometimes (more times than not) I miss my mom's hand cooked food. My daadi ammi...my paternal grandma was also a super awesome cook. But her recipes were very traditional.

My mom was the experimenter. But everything she touched/cooked turned super delicious. Someimtes I think how she might have got the recipes for things she cooked, which now I know have nothing do do with Indian cuisine. She was just awesome in so many ways.

Anyway...this dal is just an experiment on my side and it turned out super delicious and more importantly the hubby loved it. Hope you enjoy it too 

Beetroot Dal (Split Pigeon peas cooked in Indian spices along with Beetroot)

Beet root dal

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup split pigeon peas toasted (toor dal)
2. 1 can beet root drained, chopped into small pieces (or 1-11/2 cup of fresh beet root peeled and chopped)
3. 1/2 cup finely chopped onions
4. 1 green chillies, 2 red chillies
5. 1 tablespoon each of coriander powder, chole masala (or amchur powder)
6. 1 teaspoon each of chopped garlic and chopped ginger, cumin powder, chilli powder, cumin, mustard seeds
7. 1/2 tablespoon oil
8. few curry leaves
9. handful of coriander leaves

In a pressure cooker add the toasted dal and beetroot and cook it for 4 whistles with 2 cups of water. Let the steam escape and open the cooker.

In a pan heat the oil and add the mustad seeds and let them splutter. Add cumin and curry leaves and dried chillies and fry for a minute. Add the onions and fry till they start turning brown. Add the green chillies, gralic and ginger and stir for a minute. Add the cooked dal and all the spices and 2 more cups of hot water and simmer for 6-8 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy

More Beetroot recipes

Indian beans and Beetroot fry

Simple Beetroot fry

Indian Beetroot bread
Yummy Beetroot rice

I got onto the Generative AI band wagon and asked the GPT to write the above recipe in a funny way. And here is what it wrote

Okay, here we go, get ready for some dramatic recipe reading!

"Alright, buckle up, buttercup, because we're about to embark on a culinary adventure so thrilling, so beetroot-y, it'll make your tastebuds do the tango!

First, you're gonna grab your pressure cooker – you know, that magical metal pot that can turn a humble lentil into a superhero of flavor? Toss in your toasted dal (because toasting makes everything fancier, duh!) and those ruby-red beets – the earth's little jewels. Now, add two cups of water. Don't be stingy! These guys need a good bath. Clamp that lid on tight and let 'er rip! Four whistles, people! That's the magic number. (Or is it? Maybe it's five. Just kidding! It's four. I think.)

Once the steam escapes (because we don't want any exploding pressure cookers, thank you very much!), carefully open the lid. Behold! Your dal and beets are now best friends, swimming in a crimson sea.

Next, grab a pan. Any pan will do, as long as it's not the one you use to bake socks in. Heat up some oil – just enough to make the mustard seeds do their happy dance. When they start popping like tiny firecrackers, toss in the cumin seeds. They're like the cool, calm cousins of the mustard seeds. Then, add the curry leaves. They're the fragrant superstars of this dish. Don't forget the dried chillies! They're the spice ninjas, adding a kick to the party. Fry this aromatic crew for a minute, until they're all mingling and smelling amazing.

Now, throw in the onions. They're the life of the party, always bringing the flavor. Cook them until they start turning a lovely shade of brown. Then, add the green chillies, garlic, and ginger. This trio is the flavor powerhouse of the dish. Stir it all together for a minute, letting the magic happen.

Pour in the cooked dal and beets. They're the stars of the show, remember? Add all the spices – because spices are like fairy dust for food. And don't forget two more cups of hot water. Hot water is like a warm hug for your dal. Let it all simmer for 6-8 minutes, or until it's reached peak deliciousness.

Finally, garnish with cilantro – the confetti of the culinary world! And then… EAT! Enjoy your beetroot dal masterpiece! You're a culinary genius! (Or at least you will be after this.)"

Hyderabadi lamb curry

 The lamb curry I made today is super delicious and would be great with paratha or Zeera Rice

Hyderabadi lamb curry (Lamb cooked in spicy nutty gravy)

Hyderabadi Lamb Curry

Marinade Ingredients :

1. 1 lb lamb cut into 1 inch cubes
2. 1 teaspoon each of ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, coriander powder, ghee (clarified butter)
3. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin powder, garam masala powder
4. 1 tablespoon lemon juice
5. 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
6. 1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt
7. 1 tablespoon each of fresh coriander leaves and mint leaves chopped

Ingredients:

1. 2 tablespoons oil

Paste Ingredients :

1. 1 tablespoon oil
2. 1 medium small onion sliced (and fried)
3. 1 tablespoon each of almonds, cashew
4. 2 tablespoon frozen or fresh grated coconut (thawed)
5. 2 garlic cloves
6. 1 inch ginger piece peeled (about an inch thick)

Wash the lamb pieces and marinate it with all the ingredients in the marinade list and set aside for 30-60 minutes.

In a pan heat 1 tablespoon oil and fry the onions till they become dark brown.

Soak the almonds and cashews in 1/2 cup water for 10 minutes.

Grind all the ingredients in the paste ingredients list and set aside

In a pressure cooker heat the oil and add the lamb and fry on high flame for 5 minutes. Stir a couple of times. Close the cooker and cook for 3 whistles. Cut the heat and let all the steam escape. Add the paste and another 1/2 cup water and cook for 10 minutes. if the gravy becomes too thick add some water and stir well.

Serve with paratha or Zeera rice

Bottle gourd shrimp curry

 I was looking for something new for dinner and I stumbled upon this Bengali recipe with some gourd and shrimp and it looked super delicious and I improvised it with bottle gourd and it turned out to be spectacular. So here you go

Bottle gourd shrimp curry (Spicy curry with bottle gourd and shrimp)

Bottle gourd shrimp curry

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium to large bottle gourd peeled, cored and cut into quarters length wise and sliced into 1/2 inch thick 1-1.5 inch ling strips (quarter circles)
2. 12-16 oz medium small shrimp peeled and deveined
3. 1 medium small onion sliced
4. 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
5. 1 tablespoon oil
6. 1 teaspoon of salt divided
7. 1 teaspoon each of chilli powder, coriander powder, onion seeds (kalonji)
8. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
9. Cilantro for garnishing

Clean the shrimp and add 1/4 teaspoon salt and turmeric, mix and set aside for 10 minutes

In a pan heat the oil and fry the drained shrimp for 1 minute. Drain and set aside. In the same pan add the onion seeds (add 1/2 tablespoon more oil if needed) and fry for a minute. Add the onions and fry till they start becoming dark brown. Add ginger garlic paste and try and fry for a minute. Add the bottle gourd pieces and add salt and cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and cover and cook for 10 more minutes. Add all the spices and cook on medium high flame for 5-7 minutes until the curry is semi dry. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy with white rice and dal