Indo - Chinese Recipes

Indo Chinese recipes are very popular all through India. The fried rice is available in all street food stalls. This fried rice is also a favorite kid food. In restaurant menu, it has almost become our staple food while ordering.
                          
                                                                 Fried Rice

Cuisine: Indo Chinese                                                                         Ratio
Preparation Time: 20 minutes                                                        Rice : Water
Cooking Time: 20 minutes                                                          1 Cup : 1 1/4  Cups

Ingredients: 
Cooked Basmati Rice: 1 cup
Finely chopped Capsicum: 1 number
Finely chopped Cabbage: 2 table spoon  
Green Chili Sauce: 2 tea spoon
Finely ground pepper powder: 1/2 tea spoon
Finely chopped Carrot: 1 number
Finely chopped spring onions: 3 tea spoon
Salt to taste
Refined oil as needed
Method:  
1. Pressure cook the basmati rice for 3 whistles. When the pressure settles down, take the rice and spread it in a plate and allow it to  cool completely. 

2. Chopp all the given vegetables finely as shown.

3. Place a heavy bottomed wide pan on the stove and heat it.
4. Pour in 2 tea spoons of oil, add the green chilli sauce and fry it for a minute, add carrots, capsicum, cabbage, pepper  and toss it well on a high flame for 5 minutes. 
5. Add salt and the cooked rice, mix thoroughly without braking the rice grains.
6. Finally add spring onions and toss it for 5 minutes. 
7. Transfer it to the serving bowl and serve it hot,with any Manchurian sauce. 

 

Vada Pav

Mumbai's most popular street food is vada pav. Many Mumbaikers start their day with this snack. It is widely popular and sold in train for morning breakfast. Though the process is lengthy, i liked to make it. Once the chutneys are ready, it takes a few minutes to assemble it. You will have to make a potato bonda (as it is called in Tamilnadu). The pav bun is readily available in supermarkets.

                                                                  Vada Pav 

Cuisine: North Indian
Preparation Time: 60 minutes
Vada: 10 minute
Cooking Time: 25 minutes

For Imili Chutney
Ingredients:
Tamarind: Lemon sized ball
Dates: 50 grams
Powdered jaggery: 50 grams
Chat Masala: A lavish sprinkle
Saunth or Dry ginger powder: 1/2 tea spoon

Method:
1. Add hot water to the tamarind and extract a thick juice out of it.
2. Put dates into a mixie and make it into smooth paste, adding little water to it.
3. Add water to the jaggery powder and mix it well and filter it to remove any dirt. 
4. Mix all the three ingredients in a pan and place it on the stove over a medium flame, add dry ginger powder to it, while it s boiling. 
5. Put off the flame. Add chat masala, allow it to cool.
6. Imili chutney is now ready.

Green Chutney:

   I my previous post, i have mentioned about the recipe, skip the curd, the rest ingredients are all the same and also the same procedure.


Garlic Powder or Dry Chutney:
Ingredients: ( for coarsely ground)
Garlic: 6 pods
Green Chilies: 2 numbers

For Dry Powder:
Grated Coconut: 2 tea spoons
Sesame Seeds: 1 1/2 tea spoon
Roasted peeled ground nuts: 1 1/2 tea spoon
Byadagi chilli: 2 numbers
Asofoetida: 1/2 tea spoon
Salt to taste
Oil as needed

Method:
1. Take garlic and green chili in a mixie jar and coarsely ground it and keep it aside.
2. Place a heavy bottomed pan on the stove on a medium flame.
3. Wash the sesame seeds to remove dirt if you are using black seed, otherwise no need.
4. Add this to the pan and dry roast it till it crackles and nice aroma raises.
5. Now add the grated coconut, byagadi chili and roast for 2 minutes and roasted groundnut and put off the flame.
6. Allow it t cool completely.
7. once it is cool, pulse it in a mixie jar to a coarse powder.
8. Place a pan on the stove, add 2 tea spoon of refined oil to it, when it is hot add in green chilli, garlic paste and fry it well till the raw smell goes off.
9. Then add the sesame seed, groundnut powder and stir well till all the moisture is absorbed, it may take 10 minutes.
10. Add salt and asofoetida to it and put off the flame and allow it to cool completely and store it in a air tight container.

Batata Vada:
Ingredients:
Potato: 1/4 kg
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tea spoon 
Green Chilies: 2 Numbers
Coriander leaves: Finely chopped
Asofoetida: A generous heaped spoon full 
Salt to taste
Refined Oil as needed for frying
Besan flour: 4 tea spoon 
Rice flour: 1 tea spoon
Baking Soda: A pinch
Food color Orange (Optional)

Method: 
1. Pressure cook the potatoes for 6 to 8 whistles.
2. Peel the skin of the potatoes and keep it aside.
3. Mash the potatoes well.
4. Place a pan on the stove, add 2 tea spoons of oil, when the oil is hot add 1/2 tea spoon of asofoetida, green chillies, turmeric powder and fry it for  a minute.
5. Now add mashed potatoes, salt and mix it thoroughly for 2 minutes, switch off and cool it down completely.
6. Make lemon sized balls out of this potato mixture and keep it aside. 
7. Now take besan flour, rice flour, baking soda, salt, asofoetida in a wide bowl and make it into a smooth batter without any lumps.
8. The batter should be like dosa batter consistency.
9. Now heat oil in a fry pan over a medium flame.
10. Take the potato ball, dip it into the batter and fry it in hot oil, fry till golden brown.
11. Drain the oil and remove it.

For assembling:
1. Cut the pav bun into halves.
2. Smear the imili chutney, green chutney and sprinkle the garlic dry chutney and place the batata vada in between the halves of the pav and close it.
3. Serve it with fried green chili.

Note:
1. Imili chutney stays well for about a week in refrigeration.
2. Green chutney stays well for 2 to 3 days in fridge.
3. Garlic chutney stays well for  week under refrigeration.
4. These chutneys can also be used for other chats as well.





 
  

Mango Milk Shake with Sabja Seeds

Mango Season is at its peak, why not try a mango milkshake with sabja seeds. This milk shake is a coolant, you may wonder how?... yes, sabja seeds are excellent coolant. Now coming to the recipe

                                         Mango Milk Shake with Sabja Seeds

Cuisine : Indian variant                                                                                       Ratio
Preparation Time: 20 minutes                                                                     Mango: Milk
                                                                                                                 1 Big : 3 Cups

                                                Sabja Seeds before soaking in water

Ingredients:
Bangenapali Mango: 1 Number
Sugar as needed
Sabja Seeds: 1 tea spoon
Milk: 3 Cups

Method:

1. Peel off the skin of the mangoes and cut it into small pieces.
2. Add the mango pieces, sugar and milk in a mixie jar and grind it into a fine smooth paste.
3. In the meantime, take 1 tea spoon of sabja seeds in a small bowl and add water till it immerses.
4. Sabja seeds will absorb water and will look like this

5. Now take a tall glass add soaked sabja seeds and add the milkshake to it.
6. Serve chilled.

Note:
1. Sabja seeds are excellent coolant.
2. It can be added to lemonade or any juice.
3. It is available in supermarkets.

Idli Milagai Podi

when i am lazy to make any chutney or sambar, this milagai podi comes handy to me for dosa, idli or for ragi dosa.

                                                        Idli Milagai Podi

Cuisine: South Indian                                                                                           Ratio
Preparation Time: 20 minutes                                                            Bengal Gram : Urad Dhal
Cooling Time: 1/2 hour                                                                                         1 : 1

Ingredients:
Urad dhal : 1/ 2 cup
Bengal gram or Channa dhal : 1/2 cup
Asofoetida: A generous heaped spoon 
Red chillies long : 10 numbers
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Place a heavy bottomed pan on the stove, over a medium flame.
2. When it is hot, dry roast urad dhal slowly for 8 minutes or till it becomes golden brown.
3. Take it off and add bengal gram and dry roast till it turns golden brown, make sure to dry roast the dhals separately.
4. Roast red chilles for minute.
5. Transfer all the roasted ingredients to a plate and allow it to cool.
6. Transfer the contents from the plate to a mixie jar, add asofoetida, salt and grind it to a fine powder.
7. Transfer it to a air tight container and store.

Note:
1. It stays well for a month.
2. Take 1 tea spoon of this podi and add 3 tea spoons of sesame oil and mix it to form like a paste.This can be had with idli, dosa or ragi dosa.

  

Cabbage Kurma

This flavourful spicy kurma can be served along with veg rice, chapati, puri, thengai paal sadhaam or even parota. There is no onion, ginger, garlic in this recipe.

                                                   Cabbage Kurma

Cuisine: South Indian
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time:20 minutes

Ingredients:
Finely chopped cabbage - 1/4 kg
Chopped Green Chilies - 2 numbers
Tomato finely chopped - 1 or medium sized
Saunf: 1/4 tea spoon
Cinnamon: 1/2 inch piece
Green Cardamom: 1 number
Bay leaves: 1 number
Chilly Powder: 1 tea spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tea spoon
Curry Leaves: A few
Finey chopped  coriander leaves for garnishing.
Oil as needed
Water as needed

For Grinding:
Grated coconut; 1/4cup
Khas Khas: 1 & 1/2 tea spooon
Fried Gram: 1 tea spoon (Optional)

Method: 
1. Grind all the ingredients given for grinding seperately in a mixie jar adding water into a fine smooth paste. Keep it aside.
2. Place a heavy bottomed pan of the stove and heat it. Add 1 & 1/2 tea spoons of oil, add in saunf, cinamom, cardamon, bay leaves and fry it for less than a minute.
3. Now add the green chillies and finely chopped cabbage and stir well. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder and salt to taste. Mix it well, now add 1 & 1/2 cups of water till the cabbage is immersed. Close with a lid and leave it for 10 minutes.
4. When the cabbage is fully cooked, add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes tilll it becomes soft.
5. Now add coconut paaste to the cabbage and add little water & mix throughly. Simmer it for 5 minutes or till the oil seperates.
6. Switch off the flame, transfer it to serving bowl and garnish with coriander leaves & curry leaves.

Note:
1. Adding fried gram is optional, as it suppreses the spicy flavours.

                                             

 

                       

Thengai Paal Sadam

This recipe involves quite lengthy process but the result, yummy rice.This recipe is served traditionally for guests in my mothers house. Follow the recipe

                                                        Thangai Paal Sadam

Cuisine: South Indian                                                           Ratio
Preparation Time: 1/2 hour                                                     Rice : Water
Cooking Time: 20 minutes                                                           1 : 1 1/2

Ingredients:  
Coconut: 1 cup to extract milk
Basmati Rice: 1 cup
Hot water: 1 1/2 cup 
Pudina Leaves: A hand full
Onion: 1 medium size
Green Chilies: 2 numbers
Cinnamon: 2 inch stick
Black Cardamom: 1 number
Green Cardamom: 1number
Saunf or Fennel seeds: 1/4 tea spoon
Shahjeera: 1/4 tea spoon
Ginger garlic paste (1/ 2 inch + 5 garlic pods): 1 tea spoon
Oil as needed
Ghee: 1/2 tea spoon (optional)

Method: 
1. Add the grated coconut to a mixie jar and add little hot water, grind it for 2 minutes
2. Add the remaining hot water to the coconut mixture and using a big filter (one used to filter tea), filter the milk from the pulp. It will yield 1 & 1/2 of cups of coconut milk of neither thick nor watery consistency. Keep it aside.
3. Wash the basmati rice and soak it in the coconut milk for 10 minutes. 
4. Cut onions in to thin slices, slit green chillies, wash and keep the pudina leaves.
5. Place a small cooker ( 3 liters) on the stove and pour in  2 tea spoons of oil or ghee, when the oil is hot, add saunf, shahjeera, cinnamon,back & green cardamom fry it for a minute.
6. Add ginger garlic paste, fry till the raw small goes off, add the cut onions and green chillies. Fry till the onions become translucent.
7. Now add the soaked rice along with the coconut milk and add pudina leaves and salt  to taste.
8. Close the cooker lid, cook it on a small burner on a high flame for 3 whistle. Switch it off.
9. Once the pressure settles down. Open the cooker take the rice carefully with out braking the rice grains.Transfer it to a serving bowl. Serve it hot with onion raitha or veg kurma.

Note:
1. If you are using a 5 liter cooker, 1 whistle on high flame will do.

 
 
 

  

Set Dosa with Onion Chutney

Bored of eating plain dosa?. Try this set dosa,very soft, thick and healthy too.

                                             Set Dosa with Onion Chutney

 Set Dosa:                                                                                                 Ratio
Cuisine: South India                                                                    Idli Rice: Raw Rice: Urad Dhal
Preparation Time: 10 minutes                                                        2 Cups: 1/4 Cup: 1/4 Cup
Soaking Time: 5 hours
Grinding Time: 1/2 hour

Ingredients:
Idli Rice: 2 Cups
Raw Rice: 1/4 cup
Urad Dhal: 1/4 Cup
Methi Seeds: 1/4 tea spoon
Oil as needed
Salt as per taste
Water as needed

Method:

1. Wash the idli rice, raw rice and urad dhal. Soak all these ingredients together with methi seeds for 5 hours.
2. After 5 hours grind this in a grinder to a fine smooth paste adding enough water. Add salt and transfer this to a container.
3. Allow it to ferment for over night.
4. Mix the batter thoroughly. It should neither be watery nor thick. It should of pouring consistency.
5. Place a dosa tawa on the stove over a medium flame.
6. Smear oil if you are using iron tawa. If it is a non stick tawa, you need not smear oil.
7. Pour the batter in a circular way and sprinkle oil on the top and cover it with lid.
8. Make sure the dosa is slightly thick. Flip it to the other side and cook it, till it turns golden brown.
9. Take the dosa out. This dosa will be crispy outside and very soft inside. Serve it hot with onion chutney or vada curry.

Note:
1. Allow the batter to ferment over night, otherwise the dosa will be rubbery in texture.
2. If you are living in a cold country and the fermentation takes long time, do not worry. Pour the butter into a microwave safe bowl with lid.
3. After using the microwave oven, switch it off. While it is still warm, place this bowl with half filled batter and cover it with lid and close the oven door. Leave it overnight.
4. In the morning you will find the batter fermented.

Onion Chutney: 
Ingredients:
Onion Big: 2 numbers
Red Chilies: 2 numbers
Mustard Seeds: 1/2 tea spoon
Urad and Channa Dhal: 1/2 tea spoon
Curry Leaves: Few leaves
Tamarind: Marble size ball
Salt to taste
Oil as needed
Coconut: 1/4 cup grated (Optional)

Method:
1. Peel the onions and cut thoroughly into cubes or simply dice it.
2. Place a pan on the stove, heat it, add 1 tea spoon of oil and fry the onions till it turns translucent, add the red chilies, tamarind and salt. If you are adding coconut add in this stage.
3. Put of the flame, and allow it to cool completely.
4. Grind this in a mixie jar using little water to a fine smooth paste.
5. Now place another small pan on the stove, add 1/2 tea spoon of oil and heat it. When it is hot add mustard seeds and allow it to splatter, then add curry leaves, the dhalls and wait till it  turns golden brown. Put off the flame.
6. Add this seasoning to the chutney and mix well. Serve this chutney along with Set Dosa
7. This chutney tastes best with Ghee Pongal.