Chinese Recipes : Restaurant Style Mushroom Manchurian

As every one knows Mushroom is one among very nutritious food item. This delicacy of China is the tastiest, mouth watering recipe one can make with Mushrooms.  This recipe goes very well with any fried rice or noodles or simply just as a snack or starter. Mushroom Manchurian is a great party food and every kid loves it.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 250 gm Mushrooms
• 2 medium size finely chopped onions
• 1 big capsicum cut length wise
• 1 table spoon grated ginger
• 2 table spoon chopped garlic
• 4 table spoon tamato ketchup
• 1 table spoon soya sauce
• 2 table spoon red chilli sauce
• 4 table spoon corn flour
• 2 table spoon plain flour (Maida)
• 3 cups oil
• 2-3 strands finely chopped coriander leavers to granish
• Salt as per taste

 Method:

• Cut the Mushroom in to medium pieces as shown in picture.

• Mix corn flour, maida, salt and water in a bowl and prepare a think batter for dipping the mushrooms.

• Heat 2 cups of oil in a non stick pan.
• Dip the cut Mushrooms one by one in the batter and deep fry them over medium flame till they are golden brown and crisp.

• Take out the mushroom pieces from oil, drain the excess oil using tissue paper. And keep them aside.

• Heat 2 table spoon oil a non stick pan on high flame.
• Add diced onion, ginger, garlic, diced capsicum one by one. Saute for 2-3 minutes.

• Now add soya sauce, tomato ketchup, chilli sauce and salt in it.  Add more ketch up to get a liquid gravy.

• Add fried Mushrooms and mix well.
• Cook for another 2-3 minutes so that mushroom pieces get dipped in the sauces completely.

• Garnish them with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve them hot.

 PS:  Spring onions can also be used for garnishing. In this recipes, there is no usage of green chillies. Green chillies can also be added in the beginning whilie frying onions if one wants the recipe more spicier. Instead of cutting Mushrooms in small pieces, Mushrooms as a whole can be used if they are small.

Read More

Konkani Randap : Khubbe/Tisre Vade | Clam Vada

In  south western coast of India, also known as the Konkan region, Clams are used to cook curries and side dishes, like Tisaryachi Ekshimpi (which is clams with one shell on), Clam curry in coconut, Clam vada etc. Opening the shell of the Clam and taking out the flesh is one of the toughest task while preparing dishes of Clams. But the final outcome is worth of taking the trouble of opening them. They taste great with onion and coconut combination as vada. Here is the recipe of Clam Vada.

Preparation Time:  30 minutes.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Clams
• 3/4 cup fresh/frozen coconut
• 1 tea spoon coriander seeds
• 1/2 table spoon turmeric powder
• 1/4 table spoon son tamarind extract (or 2 pieces of tamarind)
• 7-8 red chilies
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup rice rava(idli rava)
• Oil
• Salt

Method:

• Open the shell of the Clam and separate the flesh as shown in picture.

• Heat little oil and fry coriander seeds and red chillies.

• Grind coriander seeds, red chillies, coconut, tamarind, turmeric and salt without adding too much water.

• To this paste, add clams and onions.

• Mix all together and make balls.

• Roll the balls in rice rava.

• Slightly press them with hand and Shallow fry on tava as shown in picture.
• Use oil for fryng as per your use.

• Serve with rice as a side dish.

Read More

Konkani Randap : Karathya Nonche | Bittergourd Pickle

Bitter gourd is antidotal, antipyretic tonic, appetizing, stomachic, antibilious and laxative. It helps in healing constipation, piles, blood disorders, respiratory disorders and the list goes on. Because of its medicinal value, every one should try to consume this vegetable at lease once a week. Some people try to avoid bittergourd, because of its  taste. But believe me, here is recipe which you would love to eat every day. Try out this pickle with curd and rice. Its yummy.

Preparation Time: 40 minutes excluding the standing time.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 cup finely chopped Bitter Gourd
• 1 and ½ cup grated coconut
• 4-5 red chillies
• 2 table spoon coriander seeds
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• 3 Small pieces of tamarind
• ¼ cup jaggary
• A pinch of asafetida
• 2 table spoon oil
• Salt as per taste

 Method:

• Take finely chopped Bitter Gourd in a vessel and add 3 table spoon salt to it. Mix well and keep it aside for an hour.
• Then squeeze out the water from Bitter Gourd and keep it aside. This removes a little bitterness of the Bitter Gourd.

• Fry red chillies, coriander seeds, separately on a tawa for 5 minutes.
• Grind red chillies, coriander seeds, asafoetida, tamarind, jaggary, turmeric powder to get a coarse thick paste, with only 3 to 4 table spoon of water.

• On a non stick tawa, add oil and bitter gourd. Fry for around 10 minutes.
• Add grated coconut and fry another 10 minutes.

• Take out the tawa and let it cool for some time.
• Mix the tawa contents and the ground masala very well with hand.

• Check for salt (bitter gourd retains some salt from first step). If required, add salt.
• A spicy, tangy, tasty pickle is ready for lunch or dinner.

Read More

Konkani Randap : Valasangi Upkari | Long Beans Stir Fry Sidedish

Valasangi is very famous vegetable in konkan belt of Karnataka. And Valasangi Upkari is one delicious dish of this vegetable among Konkanis. This vegetable is known as alsande kaayi in kannada and yardlong beans in English. It is very nutritious and the recipe is very tasty.  This Upkari can be served with chapati or roti or as a side dish for white rice.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of Valasangi cut in to very small pieces
• 2 table spoon oil
• A pinch of asafoedita (hing)
• 1 table spoon mustard seeds
• 2 green chillies
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• 2 strands of curry leaves
• 4 table spoon grated coconut

Method:

• Cut the Valasangi into very small pieces as shown in picture.

• Heat oil in non stick kadai.
• Add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds splutter, add asafoetida powder, curry leaves and green chillies one by one.

• Fry for a minute and add turmeric powder and the cut Valasangi beans and sauté for a minute.
• Add sufficient amount of water (about a cup), close lid and let the beans cook for about 5 minutes.
• Now add salt and grated coconut and mix well.

• Cook a low flame for another 2-3 minutes until all the water gets absorbed in the subji.
• Serve hot with chapatti or as a side dish along with white rice.

PS:  Sugar also can be added if one likes the dish little sweet.

Read More

Konkani Randap : Bhendya Talasani | Bhindi Ki Subzi | Stir-Fried Okra

Bhindi, also known Okra or Lady's Finger, is a very tasty vegetable when cooked with onion and tomatoes. This recipe is a delicious main course vegetable dish, a perfect treat for lunch or dinner with rice or roti.  Easy to make and very healthy and tasty to eat.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 Kg Lad'y Finger (Bhindi).
• 2 medium size onions, finely chopped
• 2 table spoon red chilly powder
• ½ table spoon turmeric powder
• 1 medium size chopped tomatoes
• Salt as per taste

Method:

• Wash the Bhindi nicely and cut it circular as shown in picture. Keep it aside.

• Put oil in a non stick pan (kadhai).
• Add onions and fry till golden brown in color.

• Add red chilly powder and turmeric powder and fry till the raw smell of the powder goes off.
• Add Lad'y Finger (Bhindi) and fry for a minute.
• Don’t add water to the curry, as it makes the bhindi sticky.

• Cover the pan with a plate and add water to 1/4^th of the plate as shown in picture.

• After 5-6 minutes remove the plate and confirm the Bhindi is not cooked fully.
• Add chopped tomatoes and cook till lady's Finger (Bhindi) is done.

• Add salt and mix well.
• Serve hot with chapathi or roti.

PS:  Here I have used dried kokum(bhinda sol in Konkani) which makes the subji unsticky. 

Read More