Veggie Manchurian

Hello!

Say Hi to Veggie Manchurian! The latest victim of my cooking adventures.

This was Ki's Appy Birthday Gift :D

The making has two important steps? One is Making the manchurian balls and the next is the gravy.

Here we go

What you need:

2 medium sized Onion

A small bunch of Beans

4 Carrots

1/2 a Cabbage

and somebody to chop the veggies :P

Oil for deep frying.

For the batter:
1/4 cup Besan
1/4 cup Maida
1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon green chilli, ginger & garlic paste

A pinch of Salt
water as needed.

Split the chopped veggies into two parts, one for the gravy and the other for deep frying.

Mix all the batter ingredients together and knead.

Then separate them into small balls.

Heat the oil in the kadai and deep fry.

Keep aside

For the Gravy:

2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon of finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon of finely chopped ginger
2 tablespoons of finely chopped spring onion (optional)
1 tablespoon of finely chopped green chillies.
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons soya sauce
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornflour mixed with 1/4 cup water
1 cup vegetable stock or water
salt to taste

First sauté Ginger, garlic, chillies and the onion and the masala until they change colour.

Now add the remaining veggies in oil until they absorb the oil.

Keep them aside.

In a heavy bottomed pan, add 3 cups of water and and a tbsp of besan. Mix well, now add the vegetables and bring it to a boil.

Once it starts boiling, bring it to a lower flame, add the deep fried veggies in it.

Simmer until they absorb the sauce.

Take off the flame and serve hot.

The final product looks like this :D

Happy Eating :D

Rasam

Hello!

I've been at home for a week now, and I was dying of boredom. I've never been at home for so long with nothing to do.

So, to kill time, and do something useful, I stumbled into the kitchen yesterday morning. I've taken over as the official cook of the family for the time being. Pray for my folks :P

Now that you know the story. I will begin my culinary journey. This one is for Ki. The Lady who wants to learn to make Rasam. Here we go :D

Rasam

Ingredients:

For the Rasam:

1/2 a cup of Toor Dal.

A lemon sized ball of Tamarind.

2 Small Tomatoes.

1 tsp: Dhaniya Powder

1 tsp: Jeera Powder

1 tsp: Turmeric Powder

1 tsp: Pepper Powder

1/2 tsp of Chilli Powder

1 tsp of salt.

1 pinch of hing/ perungayam

For the Tempering:

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp jeera / jeeragam

1 tsp of oil.

How to Make Rasam:

Soak the lemon sized ball of tamarind in a small bowl of water, for 10mins. Squeeze out the juice and keep it aside.

Pressure cook the dal, in equal quanities of water. Don't throw away the water.

Now, add the tamarind water in a vessel, add turmeric powder, Jeera, chilli powder, pepper powder, dhaniya powder and Tomatoes and heat them. Wait until the raw taste fades away.

Add the cooked dal along with the water and bring to a boil.

Finally heat oil in a small kadai, add the mustard and jeera seeds. Wait until they splutter and pour over Rasam.

You can have it with Cooked Rice and Potato Curry :)

Custard

Custard has always been one of my favorite desserts. It used to be a staple at my family friend's place. The more often I ate it, the more I loved it.

The other day while shopping, I set my eyes on this Wakefield Custard powder mix. I picked it on a impulse.

This is my custard recipe. Dint really copy the recipe as it was in the carton, I gave my own little variations.

Custard by far is the easiest desserts to make. The only thing you have to be careful about is the consistency. If you heat it too much, there are chances of it getting burnt.

Ingredients:

50gms Custard Powder

4Tbsp Sugar

1/2 Milk (not boiled)

4-5 cherries for decoration

How to:

First mix the custard powder with 5tbsps of milk. Bring to a paste consistency.

Now boil the remaining milk. When the milk comes to a boil add the custard mixture little by little.

Then add sugar.

Keep stirring continuously and wait for it to thicken.

Once it thickens take if off the flame.

Let it cool for a while.

Pour into moulds of your choice and refrigerate.

Serve as you like it.

You can either eat it as it is, or use it as a topping for cakes.

I like it plain :)

Happy Experimenting!

Say Hi to Filter Kaapi!

Ah! Another blog; cookery Blog! Cooking has always been an area of interest. If you are a foodie or a southie, as in my case a deadly combination of both; food will top the list of things you can’t live without. I love food would be an understatement. Food is my comforter, my best-friend, and an indispensible part of my life. I intend to use this space to showcase my kitchen experiments. I’ve taken to cooking only in the last one year or so. I wouldn’t call myself the Best Chef. There are lots of folks around to fill the spot. I am a kitchen amateur, experimental cook in search of lab rats :D I mean, it’s not that bad. I enjoy wielding the ladle. I still can’t distinguish between various pulses. The only one which I indentify is “kadalai” lol!

Coming to the name; I wanted to give it a quirky name. Something which signifies: me. I honestly couldn’t think beyond Filter Kaapi.

Nothing beats an early morning wake up call like this! Filter Kaapi is a TamBram staple. No self respecting tambram would ever say no to a frothy cup of kaapi. It is mandatory that any visitor, who comes to your home for the first time, is offered the best Filter Kaapi. The better the kaapi; better the household. I relish mine to the last drop and wouldn’t trade it for anything in this world.

This is the Brand identity, competitive advantage of every household. Most people identity us with this very divine potion. Sample this: A couple of months back, a friend of mine had come down all the way from London. She was home after a gap of almost a decade. My mom asked her what she'd like to have; "Coffee or Tea". Her prompt reply was "I'll have Filter Kaapi". Exactly the same way its pronounced and the extra stress of kaa! This shows the paramount of important the drink holds.

It can cure anything from a bad headache, solve any big issue. Bonds are sealed over this little cup!

Lo! Behold the humble Filter Kaapi, which is undoubtedly the king of good times! I seriously doubt if anything else in the world can actually stand up to the competition and take its place.

Am still searching for that perfect blend which will make me go “Besh besh romba nanna irruke..!” Until then.. read on; try out these recipes; give me your comments.

The blog space will define my culinary journey.

Bon Appétit! J

Until I come up with something; I’ll have you gaping at this davara-tumbler of filter kaapi J