Idli Manchurian

Just before the euphoria of Deepawali, we were hit by hurricane Sandy, causing major devastation along the east coast. Our area was pretty badly hit too. We live a couple of blocks from the waterfront of the Hudson river, right across NYC. Once the water started rising, the streets started flooding at an alarming rate. Within a matter of minutes, the streets in front of our buildings were flooded and street parked cars were submerged. Within moments, most of the area lost power. It was disconcerting - you have to live in or across NYC to experience that sudden loss of electricity when the whole city is plunged into darkness, and all you can see in the darkness, is this monstrous rush of water! Don't get me wrong, growing up in the NCR region of India, I have seen my fair share of power cuts. But somehow, experiencing this in the city that never sleeps was something else entirely! The winds were howling like crazy and the building swayed a bit! We even saw a few swift boats from our window!

By God's grace, things quickly got back to normal,or as close to normal as can be expected under the circumstances. Finally the adults are at work and the kids are in school, the stores are stocked and the gas stations don't have lines snaking around the block!

I know, I know, you must be wondering what any of this has to do with Idli Manchurian! Believe me, if it weren't for the hurricane, I doubt I would have come across this yummy dish! We were well stocked with non-perishables and water in expectation of the storm. Just to be on the safe side, I prepared some idli batter and enough idlis to last me a couple of days, just in case we had no electricity and water. Though most of the buildings in our area suffered loss of power and water supply for days together, we were the few lucky ones to scrape through unscathed. But what that did was, I was left with so many idlis that I did not know what to do with them. I mean, there are only so many idlis you can eat with chutney/gun powder. Another option was idli upma. But after that,  I had mutiny on my hands. Even I was fed up. That's when I remembered my cousin mention that he had eaten idli manchurian at his aunt's place and had loved it. So, I decided to try out this dish. After all, anything is better than eating plain idlis for all your meals 2 days in a row! Boy am I glad I did make this dish! It was a big hit with all of us :)

I used left over mini idlis. By all means make fresh ones if you don't have left overs :). Also, if using regular idlis instead of the mini ones, just cut each one into 4-5 pieces.

Preparation & Cooking: 20 minutes (excluding idli preparation)                      Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

Mini Idlis - 12-15
All Purpose Flour/Maida - ¼ cup
Corn Flour - 2 tablespoons
Pepper - 1 teaspoon
Green Chilli Paste - 3 teaspoons
Soy Sauce - 2 teaspoons
Siracha Sauce - 3 teaspoons
Rice Vinegar - 1 teaspoon
Scallions - 1 small bunch, sliced thin
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 teaspoons
Water - to prepare batter
Sesame Oil - 2 tablespoons
Peanut/Sunflower Oil - for deep frying
Salt - to taste
Sugar - a pinch

Method:

1. Prepare a batter of slightly thick consistency using  all purpose flour, corn flour, pepper, salt, 1 teaspoon green chilli paste, 1 teaspoon siracha sauce, 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste and a little water.
2.  Dip the idlis in this batter and deep fry them till they turn golden in color, remove with slotted spoon and set aside on absorbent paper.

3. Saute the white part of the scallions along with the ginger garlic paste in the sesame oil.

4. When the onions turn golden brown, add the remaining sauces, a little water, sugar and a little bit of salt. Be careful while adding salt as soy sauce is already added to it. 

5. Once the gravy thickens, switch off the flame and add the fried idlis to it. Garnish with the green part of scallions.

Yummy idli manchurians are ready. You could eat them as an appetizer, or increase the gravy and eat it with some hakka noodles or rice.

Stuffed Bread Pakora

Today was the last working day at kiddo's school, tomorrow being the "Celebration Day"! But it was a washout day what with the non-stop raining and all. He had been looking forward to spending a long day at the park as a fun start to his vacation (apart from a class picnic that also got cancelled). So, that put a damper on our spirits.

But rainy weather always makes me yearn for two things - spicy roasted corn on the cob and hot pakoras! Well, I did not have any corn on hand, but I could definitely make pakoras. Decided to make stuffed bread pakoras.

A steaming cup of tea (chocolate milk for the little one) and bread pakoras with ketchup - just what the heart desired!

Preparation & Cooking: 15 minutes              Makes: 6

Ingredients:
Bread Slices - 6, edges sliced off
Oil - for deep frying the pakoras
For the filling:
Dried Potato Flakes - ¼ cup
Peas - 2 tablespoons
Haldi/Turmeric Powder - ¼ teaspoon
Dhania/Coriander Powder - 1 teaspoon


Jeera/Cumin Powder - ½ teaspoon
Red Chilli Powder - ½ teaspoon
Salt - to taste
For the batter:
Besan/Chickpea Flour - ¼ cup
Rice Flour - 2 heaped tablespoons
Red Chilli Powder - 1 teaspoon
Hing/Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt - to taste

Method:

• Mix all the ingredients for the filling, add ¼ cup of water and microwave this for 2 minutes.

• In another bowl, take all the ingredients for the batter and add water gradually to make a smooth paste of a slightly thick consistency. Mix thoroughly, making sure there are no lumps.

• Spread the filling on each of the bread slices and dip them into the batter, coating it well.

• Deep fry this batter coated bread and once they are brown.

• Drain them out on absorbent paper or kitchen towel.

Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Vazhakai Bhajji (Plantain Fritters)

It was raining pretty hard today. In fact the whole week has pretty much been a washout. But today, it kind of caught us by surprise, because the forecast was for very slight chance of rain, so most of us left home without umbrellas. Then out of no where, the skies opened up suddenly! It rained steadily throughout the day, but off and one there was a deluge of water! Hubby dearest came home all drenched and declared it perfect weather for bhajias!

Well, I had just finished making dinner and was in no mood to slice up different veggies and make bhajias. But I realized that I had 3 small plantains lying in the refrigerator, so just decided to make plantain fritters - they could be served as the appetizer. Plain potato fritters or capsicum ones or any other vegetable for that matter would feel a little incomplete without the other veggies. But plantain fritters can be served as a stand alone dish, so just made them. Served them with tomato ketchup as I was too lazy to make coconut chutney, which would have been the perfect accompaniment.

Preparation & Cooking: 15 minutes  approximately             Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:
Plantains - 3
Chickpea Flour/Besan - 4 tablespoons
Rice Flour - 2 tablespoons
Red Chilli Powder - 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida/Hing - a pinch
Salt - to taste
Water - to make a thick batter
Oil - for deep frying the fritters

Method:

• Peel and slice the plantains.

• In a bowl, take the chickpea flour, rice flour, red chilli powder, asafoetida and salt.

• Add water gradually to make a thick smooth batter. Make sure there are no lumps.

• Dip the plantain slices in the batter and coat them thoroughly in a thick layer, leaving no gaps.

• Deep fry these in hot oil till they turn a golden brown in color.

• Drain them out on absorbent paper or kitchen towels.

Serve hot with coconut chutney or tomato ketchup!

Crescent Rolls - Two Ways

Teacher's Appreciation Week is going on at my kid's school. In some schools just one day is observed while in some others, the whole week is celebrated. I like the concept of using a whole week to show your appreciation towards your child's teachers.

When I was a kid, I remember we used to observe 5^th September as Teacher's Day at school. All the children would get flowers, cards & gifts for the teacher and organize stage shows, quizzes & games for the teachers to participate. No studies for the whole day - just fun and frolic, and for a change, relaxed teachers!

Here, at my son's school, things are a bit different. Of course the kids took flowers etc for the teachers, but apart from the kids doing certain things, the parents have also actively participated . We decided to cook different things and take it to the teachers each day. Today was my turn and I picked snacks. I decided to make crescent rolls (since it is easy and delicious, not to mention quick to make & non fussy early in the morning!)

I have previously written a post on Cheesy Potato Rolls. But this time, I wanted to make it more cheesy & less spicy since it was for the teacher's at school. Also, I wanted to make two kinds of rolls - something sweet & something savory.

For the savory version, I have stuck to potatoes but reduced the quantity of mint coriander chutney used. I also added a different flavor of cheese. As far as the sweet version is concerned, I wanted to give it a good texture, so I used walnuts. Cinnamon cream cheese spread went well with it and nutella gave it that additional kick. But it still needed a little more sweetness. So, instead of using just sugar, I added some almond milk masala powder that I had in my pantry. It added just the right amount of sweetness along with the almond & elaichi flavors!

I used 3 tubes for crescent rolls because I needed that many. Feel free to reduce the quantity to suit your need. Also, the cream cheese and flavors used don't have to be strictly enforced - go ahead and try out your own preferred flavors...

Preparation & Cooking: 25 minutes             Makes: 12 sweet & 12 savory rolls

Ingredients:

Pillsbury Crescent Rolls - 3 tubes (I used the original one, you could use any kind)
Cooking Spray/Oil - for greasing the baking sheet
For the savory filling:
Instant Mashed Potato Flakes - ¼ cup

Mrs.Dash's Table Blend - 1 teaspoon
Creamy Swiss Laughing Cow Cheese - 2 wedges

Milk - 1 tablespoon
Sour Cream - 2 teaspoons
Mint-Coriander Chutney - 2 teaspoons
Salt - to taste
For the sweet filling:
Powdered Walnuts - 3-4 tablespoons
Chopped Walnuts - 1 tablespoon
Cinnamon Cream flavored Laughing Cow Cream Cheese Spread - 3 wedges
Sour Cream - 1 teaspoon
Cream Cheese - 1 tablespoon
Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread) - 2 tablespoons
Almond Milk Powder - 2 teaspoons

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Grease a baking sheet or cover it with some aluminum foil or parchment paper.
• For the savory filling, microwave the mashed potato flakes, Mrs.Dash's table blend, creamy Swiss cheese, milk, sour cream, mint-coriander chutney and salt for 2-3 minutes.

• Mix them until well blended and set aside.

• For the sweet filling, take all the ingredients listed under "sweet filling" in a separate bowl.

• Mix well and set aside.

• Now, roll out the crescent roll wedges and place a small amount of savory potato-cheese filling in half of them.

• Roll them up and place them on the prepared baking sheets.

• Next, place a small amount of the sweet nutella-walnut-cream cheese filling on the remaining dough wedges.

•  Roll them up and place these also on the prepared baking sheets.

• Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes. 

• Once they turn golden brown, take them out of the oven.

Quick and yummy crescent rolls, both sweet and savory, are ready to be served. These are a perfect snack to serve at tea.

Handy Tip:

If you don't have Mrs.Dash's Table Blend, you could use any mix of dried spices like pepper, oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil, parsley etc.

You could skip the mint-coriander chutney while making for kids if spice is not tolerated.

Experiment with different cream cheese flavors as well as nuts.

Vegetable Dumplings in Schezuan Sauce

When I first came to the US from India, some seven odd years ago, it took me a while to like eating out! Don't get me wrong, I have done a lot of eating out at dhabas, restaurants and fast food places all my life, but all the Italian & Chinese food I had eaten, I realize now, were Indianized to such an extent, that eating those cuisines in the US was a big jolt to my palate! And I had no idea that the "Chinese" food that I was used to, was not really Chinese at all! Instead, here it is called "Indian Chinese".

So, the first time my husband took me out to eat at a Chinese restaurant close to our place, on Valentine's Day no less, I was in for a rude shock! I absolutely hated the experience. I had not eaten anything on the menu, so I let him order for me. I hated the taste, the smell, the whole ambiance! I wasn't sure I could hold my food till I got out of there. And I vowed never to set foot into that place again!

Fast forward seven years...

A very close friend was raving about this very same restaurant and was very surprised that I had never been there in so many years. She told me I was making a mistake and that I should definitely try it.So, for our wedding anniversary, I decided to brave it out and go there again. We loved it! I have no idea what has changed, but I am guessing that constant exposure to the food here has expanded my horizons and I have now acquired a liking for the very tastes and smells that I quite abhorred during my initial months here! Which brings me to my post today.

This friend of mine had suggested I try their schezuan ravioli. We loved it so much that we make it a point to always order that whenever we go there now! My little one's eyes will be watering from the spice level, but he will not give up eating it, because his mouth also waters simultaneously! So, naturally, I just had to try out this dish. I don't think the chef would have been willing to share his recipe, so I tried out my own version. I am not quite sure I got it perfectly right, but we loved the taste, so here goes...

Preparation & Cooking: 40 minutes           Serves: 5
Ingredients:
For the dumplings:
Wonton Wrappers - 5
Sesame Oil - to shallow fry the dumplings
For the filling:
Cabbage - 1 cup, thinly shredded
Carrots - 2 medium. thinly shredded
Scallions - 2, shredded
Minced Ginger - 1 teaspoon
Minced Garlic - ½ teaspoon
Sesame Oil - 2 tablespoons
Pepper & Salt - to taste
For the Schezuan Sauce:
Red chilllies - 5 (use less if you want a mild sauce)
Sesame Seeds - 1 tablespoon
Dark Soy Sauce - 2 tablespoons
Siracha Sauce - 1 tablespoon (use less if you want a mild sauce)
Peanut Butter - 1 tablespoon
Soybean Paste (Red Type) - 2 heaped tablespoons
Schezuan Sauce - 1 tablespoon
Seasoned Rice Vinegar (Balsamic Blend) - 2 teaspoons
Sesame oil - ¼ cup
Sugar - ½ teaspoon
Minced Garlic - ½ teaspoon
Salt - to taste (go light on the salt as the soy sauce is very salty).

Method:
For the dumplings:

• Strain the shredded vegetables on a paper towel in a colander.

• Heat oil and stir fry the vegetables, adding pepper and salt to taste, till the vegetables are cooked yet crunchy (about 2-3 minutes).

• Place a small amount of this filling on each wonton wrapper and seal the edges of the dumpling using a little water. Keep the dumpling under a dam cloth/paper towel till all the dumplings are stuffed.

• Heat some sesame oil in a flat pan and shallow fry the dumplings till their bases are browned.

• Now, add enough water to cover ¼^th of the pan, cover it and steam the dumplings.

• Once all the water has evaporated and the pan begins to brown, the dumplings are cooked.

For the sauce:

• Dry roast the sesame seeds and the dry red chillies and grind them into a coarse powder.

• Add the rest of the ingredients for the sauce and microwave for approximately 2-3 minutes, adding a little water if you need to dilute the sauce a little bit.

• Stir it well and remove lumps if any. Yummy schezuan sauce is ready for dipping!

Serve the hot dumplings with the schezuan sauce.