Crispy Spring rolls

Ingredients:

Ready Spring roll wrappers 

2 tbsp of all-purpose flour

Salt to taste

Oil to shallow fry  

For Filling

2tbsp of Oil

1 large onion thinly sliced

4 Carrots cut into juliennes

1Green bell pepper, cut into thin strips

2 cups of Cabbage, finely shredded

1tsp of Light soy sauce

½ tsp of black pepper powder

2 Spring onions with greens, sliced thinly

 

Process to make the filling ( for 25 spring rolls)

1.     To make the filling, heat two tablespoons of oil in a wok, add onion and stir-fry for a minute.

2.     Add green bell pepper, carrots and cabbage and continue to stir-fry for one minute.

3.     Add soy sauce, pepper powder and salt.

4.     Remove from heat and cool the filling to room temperature.

Process to make the spring rolls

1.     First make a paste of all-purpose flour and water this paste will be used to seal the end of the spring rolls.

2.     Place portions of filling at one end of each wrapper and roll tightly, folding the sides in while you roll. Seal the ends with the all-purpose flour paste.

3.     Heat sufficient oil in a wok, deep-fry two spring rolls at a time turning frequently, till crisp and golden brown. Drain and place on an absorbent paper.

Serve hot with Sriracha sauce

Piping hot - Hot and sour soup

Ingredients

4 tbsp Chili Sauce

11/2 tbsp Corn Starch

1 tbsp Soya Sauce

2 tbsp Vinegar

2 tbsp Capsicum Chopped

2 tbsp Spring Onions Chopped

2 tbsp Carrots Chopped

1/4 cup Chopped Cabbage

1 tsp Black Pepper Powder

A pinch MSG (Optional)

Salt to taste

 4 cups Chicken or vegetable stock

2 eggs well beaten

4 cloves of garlic finely minced

½ inch of ginger finely minced

1 tbsp Spring onion green for garnish 

Process

1.     On high flame, heat oil in a wok and chopped ginger and garlic and fry till golden brown.

2.     Add sliced carrots, bell pepper and cabbage and toss for 2 mins.

3.     Add red chilli sauce, soy sauce, salt, black pepper and MSG (optional) and toss well.

4.      Add chicken/ vegetable stock and bring it to boil.

5.     Dissolve corn starch in 1/2 cup water and add to the soup stirring constantly till it becomes thick.

6.     Pour in the eggs slowly while stirring the soup in the same direction. The egg will spread and feather. Turn off the heat and add the green onions.

Serve piping hot 

Note: 

If you want to add chicken to the soup, chicken has to be boiled separately and added right at the end. 

For my friends in India they can use SAM’s recd chilli sauce for this soup for those in USA  they can use Sriracha sauce.

Easy to make hakka noodles

Ingredients

Hakka Noodles -150 grams/2 packet (made of durum wheat)

3 tbsp of Oil

1 medium thinly sliced onion

2 carrots cut into thin juliennes

1 cup cabbage thinly sliced

1 green bell pepper thinly sliced

¼ cup Spring onion greens finely chopped

Soya sauce -1 tbsp or as needed

Salt and pepper powder to taste

1 tsp MSG (optional)

 

Process

1.     Boil noodles in plenty of water until 3/4 cooked or al dente. (al dente-cooked just enough to retain a somewhat firm texture). Do not overcook. Drain the water and toss noodles with a tsp of oil and keep it aside. This is done to prevent the noodles from sticking together.

2.     On high flame, heat oil in a wok and add sliced onions and fry till translucent.

3.     Add sliced carrots, bell pepper and cabbage and toss for 2 mins.

4.     Add soy sauce, salt, black pepper and MSG (optional) and toss well.

5.      Add boiled noodles and toss on high flame for a few seconds.

6.      Garnish with spring onion greens, toss and serve noodles  hot. 

Note: 

If you want to add chicken to the noodles, chicken has to be boiled and added right at the end.

Scrumptious potatoes stuffed flatbread/ Aloo paratha

Ingredients: 

For Dough:

Whole Wheat Flour - 1 1/2 cups

 Salt to taste

 Oil – 3 tsp

 Water – 1/2 cup

 Dry Flour in a plate – for rolling 

For Filling: 

Potatoes - 4 large, boiled and peeled

1tsp Chaat Masala

1 tsp Red Chili Powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1tsp mango powder/amchur powder

1tsp garlic powder

1tsp onion powder

1 green chili finely chopped

Salt – 1 tsp or to taste

½ cup Cilantro finely chopped

Spray Cooking Oil – for pan frying

Process

1.     Prepare dough for chapatti and keep aside.

2.     Grate boiled Potatoes.  Grating prevents lumps and prevents the prathas from tearing while rolling.

3.     In a medium sized bowl, add Potatoes with remaining filling ingredients and mix well.

4.     Keep a tava or skillet on the stove at medium to medium high.

5.     Divide dough into equal size balls (approximately 8).

6.     Divide Filling into equal size balls (approximately 8).

7.     Roll out one dough ball into a 3-4 ” disk.

8.     Place a Filling ball on the center of the disk and fold the dough around the Filling ball, completely enclosing it.  Pinch the dough ends together.

9.     Flatten the stuffed ball with your palm and dip it into the dry flour on both sides.

10.  Using a rolling pin, roll out the stuffed ball into a tortilla shaped disk.

11.  Place the rolled paratha on the heated skillet and cook until bubbles start to appear.

12.  Once bubbles appear, flip the paratha over and lightly spray it with cooking oil.

13.  Allow this side to cook for 30 seconds and flip it over once more.  Again, lightly spray with cooking oil.

14.  Keep flipping and cooking the paratha until the look of raw dough is gone and it looks completely cooked.  It should have light golden/brown spots.

Serve hot with pickle, yogurt or chutney 

Note: 

The chapatti dough should be soft this helps to roll the parathas without any effort. 

Steam the potatoes in pressure cooker or cook them in microwave this will ensure the potatoes do not have excess moisture in them which makes it easier to roll the parathas

 

Quick meal fried rice

Ingredients

2 cups Rice

3 tbsp Oil

3 egg well beaten

2 tbsp Soya Sauce

Salt & white pepper to taste

4-5 tbsp of finely chopped green onions

1tsp of MSG (optional)

 

Process

1.     Pick, wash and soak the rice in enough water for 10-15 minutes and drain.

2.     Boil water, add rice and little salt.

3.     Cook uncovered on low heat till rice is tender.

4.     Take care not to overcook the rice. Each grain of rice should be separate.

5.     When rice is done, drain and add some cold water and drain again using a large sieve and set aside.

6.      Heat oil in a wok and add the well beaten eggs and scrabble them.

7.     Add the cooked rice and mix well on a high flame. Now mix the soya sauce, salt, white pepper and MSG (optional).

8.     Toss the rice and cook the rice for 2-3 mins on high flame

9.     Add the finely chopped onion and toss the rice once again.

 

Note:

You can add veggies of your choice like beans and carrots, these need to be add in step 6 before eggs. 

If you want to add chicken to the fried rice, chicken has to be boiled and added right at the end.

Crispy and light battered fish

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour 

Salt to taste

3 tbs of corn starch

1 cup soda water

1tsp garlic powder

1tsp paprika

½ tsp pepper powder

½ tsp cayenne

Cod fish fillets or fish of your choice

 

Process

1)    Mix all the dry ingredients in a big bowl.

2)    Set aside 3 tbsp of the above dry mixture in a separate small bowl.

3)    Add the soda water to the big bowl and mix to make a batter of pan cake type consistency.

4)    Heat up oil for deep frying the fish fillets.

5)    Pat dry the fish fillets coat each fillets with the dry flour mixture and then dip them in the batter to coat them evenly. Drop the battered fish in hot oil and fry till nice golden brown.

Serve the battered fish with chips and tartar sauce . Enjoy

Tempting Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

4 ounces of Semisweet Chocolate Chips

1/3 cup of Heavy Cream

1 tsp of Butter, softened at room temperature

 

Process

1) Heat the cream in a small pan over medium heat until just below boiling point.

2) Pour cream over chocolate chips and let sit for 1 minute. Add the softened butter and whisk the whole thing together until the chocolate has fully melted. Let it sit for a few minutes before frosting or decorating any cookie or any other type of pastry.

Frost vanilla cup cakes or any cakes with this Ganache
 

Yum Yum Chicken Manchurian dry

 

Ingredients

1 Pound Boneless Chicken

2 tsp All Purpose Flour

2 tsp Corn Starch/ Flour

Salt to taste

black pepper - 1/2 tsp

1 egg

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

Oil - for Deep Frying

 

Manchuria Sauce:

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tsp chopped ginger

1 tsp chopped green chili (or to taste)

1 tbsp soy- sauce

2 tbsp chopped spring onions

 

Process

1.     Wash and pat dry the chicken, cut into medium pieces and take it in a medium bowl. add salt, pepper and mix well, add egg and ginger garlic paste coat well. Now add Flour and corn starch.

2.     Heat the oil in deep pan. Once the oil is hot drop this chicken carefully and fry them until golden color. Keep these aside.

3.     Add Oil in a wok, once the oil is hot, add garlic and ginger, green chili. Fry for 1 min or till the ginger and garlic is golden brown

4.     Add fried chicken piece and add soy-sauce stir well to combine.

5.     Garnish with spring onions

Serve hot 

 

Delicious Kheema curry

 

Ingredients

2 pounds of mincemeat (lamb or beef)

2 Large onions, finely chopped

1 tbsp. of vegetable oil

6 whole cloves

6 whole black peppercorns

1 large piece of cinnamon stick

6 whole cardamom

2 bay leaves

8 tsp of ginger garlic paste

2 green chilies finely chopped or to taste

2 tbsp of tomato paste or 2 tomatoes finely chopped

2tsp of red chili powder

¼ tsp of turmeric powder

3 tsp of cumin powder

1-2 tsp of garam masala powder

1 large potato cut into 1inch cubes

½ cup of cilantro finely chopped

Salt to taste

 

Process

1.     Heat oil in a pan and add whole spices ie cloves, peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaves, cover the pan with a lid and let the oil infuse with the flavor of all the spices.

2.     Add finely chopped onions and fry till golden brown.

3.     Once the onions are golden brown add chopped green chilies and ginger garlic paste and cook till the raw taste of the paste is gone.

4.     Add finely chopped tomatoes or tomato paste (if you are using tomato paste you will need to add ½ cup of water), cover the lid and cook for 2 minutes or till the tomatoes are well cooked.

5.     Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and cumin powder and mix to combine well.

6.     In a separate bowl mix the mincemeat with a cup water and mix well to break all the lumps.

7.     Put in the mincemeat in the pot of spice blend and stir continuously till the entire meat changes color from pink to brown, this will ensure that there are no lumps in the curry.

8.     Add in the chopped cubes of potatoes ( you and add peas too at this point), add water if you want to get the desired consistency.

9.     Add salt and cook with the pot covered on medium low heat until the meat and potatoes are cook through.

10.  Add in ½ cup of cilantro and cook for 1-2 mins.

Serve with hot rotis.

 

 

Easy Home made pizza

 

Ingredients for the Dough: (this dough is enough to make two 10 inch pizza)

 3 ½ cups of All Purpose Flour

 2 tsp Salt

 1 tsp Sugar

 2 Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 1 1/3 cups of Warm Water, 110 degrees

 1 Envelope of Yeast (2 ½ tsp or 4 oz)

 

Ingredients For the White Pizza

 8 oz Fresh Mozzarella, shredded and little pepper jack cheese

½ thinly sliced onion

 Picked Jalapenos to taste

  2 Small Clove of Garlic

 2 Tbsp of Olive Oil

 1 tsp of dried Oregano

 1tsp of dried basil

 

Process to make the dough: 

 1) Add the yeast to warm water and set it aside for about 3 minutes.

 2) In the bowl or food processor mix together the flour, salt, sugar and olive oil. Stir the yeast in the water to make sure it is all dissolved and add it to the flour mixture.

 3) Mix until everything is combined, make a soft dough. Knead the dough for 10 mins or till smooth.

 4) Place ball of dough into the oiled bowls and brush the tops of the dough with a little oil to stop them from drying out. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of each bowl and place the dough into a warm place. Inside oven (oven turned off) works best.

 

Process to make the pizza  

1)    Preheat the oven to 500 degrees; line a baking tray with foil if you don’t have a pizza stone.

2)    Sprinkle some flour onto your counter, take 1 ball ( ½ the dough) of dough and dredge it in the flour on all sides. Using your hands or a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a 10 inch circle.

3)    Finely chop garlic and mix it with olive oil, Brush the garlic oil all over the top of the dough, place the onion and jalapenos evenly all over the dough.

4)    Sprinkle dried oregano and basil

5)     Shred cheese as much or as little as you like the top of the veggies.

6)     Bake for 15 minutes rotating once half way through.

You can add topping of your choice eg spinach, chicken etc

 

 Enjoy!