Mushroom Manchurian

Ingredients

250g Mushrooms (I used chestnut mushrooms)
Oil for deep frying
Ingredients for the batter

150g of plain flour
6 tbsp. corn flour
3 cloves garlic, 5g knob of ginger and 1 large red chilli minced together
Salt to taste
1 tsp. of Chinese 5 spice powder
200ml water
Ingredients for the sauce

3 tbsp. soy sauce
4 tbsp. tomato ketchup (Groan. I know, but it's necessary in this recipe)
1 tbsp. caster sugar
1 ½ tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 large red pepper, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
4-5 spring onions, chopped horizontally
1 tsp. Chinese 5-spice
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
Method

1. Heat some oil, in preparation of letting the mushrooms sizzle and swim in it- and that too dressed.
2. Wash and chop the mushrooms into bite sized chunks and set aside.
3. To make the batter, combine the ingredients and whisk together, we don't want any lumps but it should be pretty thick.
4. Coat the mushrooms with the batter and drop them, individually into the oil. Don't overcrowd the pan or else they'll stick together-that's not nice. When the mushrooms have achieved a golden brown colour, drain them on to kitchen paper to remove the excess oil.
5. To make the sauce, heat 2 tbsp. oil in a pan and then add the garlic, spring onions, green chillies and red pepper and stir-fry until the peppers have softened a little; this should take 3-4 minutes. Then add the soy sauce, ketchup, 5-spice, vinegar, sugar and stir through and bring to a gentle simmer, before mixing in thoroughly the mushrooms. Serve immediately to ensure that the mushrooms stay nice and crispy.

Brussels Sprouts

Most people don't like brussels sprouts, because most people eat them overcooked. Once you try a nice steamed one, just a little bit crunchy, it should have a great nutty flavor. They go well with garlic flavors, onions, and different mustards. This article lists some different ideas for cooking brussels sprouts in ways that are simple, quick, delicious, and low calorie.

When preparing your vegetable to be steamed, you'll want to let them sit for about ten minutes in a bowl of water. This way any dirt or debris that has collected under the leaves will find it's way out and float up in the water. Once you've got them cleaned, you'll want to either steam them whole, or cut them in half. Then you simply put them in your steamer, cooking them with whatever flavors you want (or adding the flavors afterward).

A nice simple way to eat them is to steam them with sliced onion, and then add melted butter, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper. This is delicious and easy.

To compliment their great nutty flavor, toasted almond slivers to the end dish make a great addition. You can steam the brussels sprouts with some onion, and then mix it up with butter (optional, cut it out or use sparingly for a lower calorie dish) and some lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

To mix things up a bit and add some more vegetables in there, steam your sprouts with some new potatoes (quarter them and cook them on a separate tray for best cooking times). Once done, mix them up with some fresh chives, salt, and pepper.

Peppers also steam very well. Try steaming some peppers cut into strips with some brussels sprouts and then mixing them with some basil, mustard, butter, salt, and pepper. Whipping the flavors together with a fork and using them as a dip is a great way to really impress people, but still keep things really simple in the kitchen.

If you're looking for a great dressing for your vegetables, try mixing up some olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, a couple cloves of garlic, salt, and pepper. Pour this on the plate and then place your vegetables on top. This is a great, light, easy to make dressing that you can roll your sprouts in. Whatever other vegetables you decide to steam with it (peppers, asparagus, potatoes, carrots, etc) will taste great in this simple dressing.

Papad and Dana Methi

The two main ingredients namely curd and fenugreek seeds are quite nutritious for body. Curd contains calcium and minerals while fenugreek seeds are good for digestive system. The other main ingredient- Papad is readily available in the market. It is a snack eaten with meals like daal-chawal. Some people prefer to savor papad as appetizer.

I prefer to use papad made in urad daal or white lentils. Here is the procedure to make the delicious papad and dana-methi dish.

Ingredients:
Curd- 1 cup
Red chilly- 2 teaspoons
Turmeric- 1 teaspoon
Coriander- 1 teaspoon
Common salt- 2 teaspoons
Dana-methi/ Fenugreek seeds- 1 tablespoon
Ghee- 1 tablespoon
Cumin seeds- ½ teaspoon
Asafetida- a pinch

Boil a cup of water. Add fenugreek seeds. Leave it for half an hour. Strain the water and keep it aside. You can also soak the seeds in water overnight.

In order to make gravy, I prefer to use curd paste. Remove the curd from fridge at least two hours before cooking the dish. Churn it well so that lumps are removed and a smooth paste is obtained. Add spices like chilly, turmeric, salt and coriander powder. Mix once again.

Place a kadai or frying pan on the stove. Pour ghee and heat for 2 minutes. Add cumin seeds and asafetida. Once they start to splutter, add the curd paste slowly. Keep sautéing for some time till you see the ghee afloat. Pour some hot water. After the first boil, add the boiled fenugreek seeds/ dana-methi. Stir for some time. Switch off the burner and add papad. Close the pan with lid for two minutes.

Papad is prepared with the help of lentils or pulses. The pulses like chana daal and urad daal are grinded to make flour. Dough is prepared using oil, spices and flour. It is important to maintain consistency in making dough. Sufficient oil should be put to increase the tensile strength of dough. Prepare small rolls or make small lumps. These rolls are cut into small pieces. It is important to make chapatti of the lump. It should be thin and dried in open sun. Once dried, I prefer to roast it. For the above recipe, I prefer to take two medium-sized papads. In case, it's difficult to make papad, you can buy from the grocery store too.

Papad and dana-methi dish is one of the traditional recipes of Rajasthani kitchen. It is extremely delicious when served with rotis or chapattis. The unique taste of fenugreek seed and curd is tantalizing for your taste buds. I prefer to serve when it's warm. If you opt for re-heating, it wouldn't be possible to savor the original and authentic taste.

Summer Fruit Salad

2 cup watermelon, cut into bite size pieces
2 cup cantaloupe, cut into bite size pieces
2 cup fresh pineapple chunks
2 cup strawberries, halved
2 cup fresh peaches, cut into bite size pieces
1 cup seedless grapes
1 cup kiwi, cut into bite size pieces
1/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup limeade concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 cup toasted pecans (optional)

Combine fruit in a large bowl. Combine the rest of the ingredients except for pecans in a smaller bowl. When mixed, pour dressing over fruit and toss to coat. Sprinkle pecans over the top. (I personally prefer this without the pecans.)

PANEER TIKKA

Ingredients :- 1. Paneer- cut into small pieces as per choice size.
                     2. Yogurat ( Dahi) - 1 cup
                     3. Ginger - Garlic paste - 2 tsp
                     4. Cornflour - 1 tsp
                     5. Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
                     6. Oil - 1 tsp
                     7. Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
                     8. Salt - as per taste
                     9. Kasoori Methi - 1 tbsp
                    10. Red chili - 1/2 tsp
                    11. capsicum - one

Process     :- Beat yogurt till smooth. Add all ingredients except paneer in yogurt. after some time add paneer
                    cubes to the yogurt. Marinate for some time.
                    At the serving time, grease the non stick tawa. place the paneer cubes and capsicum on it.
                    place the tawa on high rack and grill paneer for 8 minutes.
                    Turn side once in between.
                    If tikkas are not golden brown, grill for 1-2 minutes more. serve with chaat masala.

CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Ingredients :- 1. cornflour - 1 tea spoon
                     2. coco-powder - 1 tea spoon
                     3. sugar powder - 1/4 cup
                     4. Butter - 1/4 cup yellow butter
                     5. Baking Powder - 1/2 tea spoon

                     6. Refined Flour ( Maida) - 1/2 cup

                     7. Melt Chocolate - As required by choice

Receipe     :- Prepare Dough -Take one big bowl . put 1/4 cup yellow Butter in it than add 1/4 sugar 

                                                powder and mix both .  Than add one tea spoon cornflour. one tea spoon  

                                                coco-powder, half tea spoon Backing Powder and add half cup Refined  

                                                Flour (Maida) . After adding all these mix properly and make Dough.

                                               

                                               Than roll this Dough on marble or wooden platform with the help of rolling 

                                                pin After this cut small shapes from this dough. you can take shape cutter as 

                                                per your choice. Than put some melt chocolate on one cut piece and 

                                                spread it keep gap from all corners. put some water drops on corners of 

                                                this piece than put other piece on this piece and press corners . so both 

                                                piece can stick with each other and melt chocolate will not come out.

                      

                      Backing  -         keep Microwave ready in convection mode at 180 degree. keep all piece in 

                                                a tray and put in microwave for 20 minutes. 

                                               

                                                Now your cookies are ready to eat.