Spicy Paste For Vegetables

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This is a thick full bodied paste to flavour vegetables, noodles, rices, etc. Its good keeping quality helps for making bulk and storing.
Ingredients:

10 small onions, quartered
1 med. Bulb garlic, peeled,skinned
1 tbsp. fresh turmeric, peeled chopped
1tbsp. kenchur of smaller galangal
2 tbsp. laos of greater galangal
2 stalks lemon grass, peeled and cut fine
6 large red chillies chopped
6 small red chillies chopped
salt to taste
8-10 peppercorns
1 tsp. coriander seeds
2 tbsp. oil

Method:


Dry roast peppercorns, corianders seeds for a minute on hot griddle.
Pul all ingredients, except oil and salt in either an electric mixer or stone grinder.
Add roasted seeds and pepper, grind to a fine paste.
Heat oil in a heavy wok or nonstick pan.
Add paste, stirfry till golden. Add salt.
Stir and cook further 1 minute.
Cool, store in refrigerator, use as required.
Making time: 20 minutes
Makes: 1-3/4 cups paste
Shelflife: 2 weeks (refrigerated)

Tangy Cucumber

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Ingredients:
2 large cucumbers
1 tbsp. palm sugar
1 tbsp. white vinegar
2 sprigs fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
salt to taste

Method:


Peel and halve cucumber lengthwise.
Scoop out the seeds, leaving furrows in centre.
Slice all halves horizontally, into thin slices.
Combine all other ingredients to make a dressing.
Refrigerate cucumber till required.
Add dressing about half an hour before serving, toss well.
Serve chilled as a salad or accopaniment.
Making time: 10 minutes
Makes: 3 servings
Shelflife: Best fresh

Gado Gado

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Ingredients:
250 gms. potatoes
100 gms. french beans
100 gms. cauliflower
1 carrot peeled cut into juliennes(matchsticks)
1/2 cup snowpeas
1-1/2 cups beansprouts
1 small white cabbage
1 small cucumber

For dressing:
5 tbsp. peanut butter
1 tbsp. shelled, roasted, coarsly crushed peanuts
1 fresh red chilli finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed fine
2 tsp. sugar
1 lemon juice extracted
1 cup water
salt to taste

Method:


Halve or quarter potatoes, as desired.
Boil in salted water for 7-8 minutes.
Drain, put in cold water immediately.
Drain keep aside.
Chop cucumber into chunks, keep aside.
Dip carrot in chilled water, drain, keep aside.
Clean, string, break other vegetables to big chunks.
Boil in salted water for 5 minutes.
Drain, put in cold water, drain, keep aside.
Mix together all vegetables, sprouts, keep a portion of each aside, for topping.
In a large platter, pile on the mixed vegetables.
Pile mounds of each of the portions kept separate into a border.
Make a hollow in centre of vegetables.
Dressing:


Beat peanut butter to become soft, add water, mix in and beat to a smooth paste.
Add all other ingredients, mix well.
Drizzle half over salad, put other half in a small bowl.
Place bowl in centre hollow.
Serve cold.
Making time: 30 minutes
Makes: 5 servings
Shelflife: Best fresh

Nasi Goreng

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Ingredients:

2 cups rice washed, soaked.
2 tomatoes chopped
1 onion sliced into thin slivers
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup mixed vegetables, or those of individual choice
(baby corn, peas, potatoes, etc.)
1 tsp. curry powder or 1 tbsp. spice paste
1/2 tsp. dhania (coriander seed powder)
1/2 tsp. chilli powder
1/2 tsp. pepper powder
1 tbsp. soya sauce
2 tbsp. oil
1 tbsp. water
salt to taste

For garnish(optional):
1 recipe fresh khandvi strips or rolls(refer recipe in cookbook index)
fresh grated coconut

Method:


Cook rice, drain when done, but not mushy.
Keep warm, till required.
Heat oil in a wok, add onions,garlic,stir fry till tender.
Add vegetables, stirfry till vegetables are crisp and done.
Add spice powders, spice paste, sauce, salt, tomatoes, water, stir.
Add rice, toss well with fork, serve hot.
Garnish with khandvi strips or rolls, fresh grated coconut and Curry leaves.
Making time: 30 minutes
Makes: 45 minutes
Shelflife: Best fresh or kept warm in steamer for 3-4 hours.

Fragrant Banana Dessert

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Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas
1/2 cup coconut dessicated
1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
2 tbsp. oil
1/2 cup whipped sweetened, chilled cream

Method:


Make thick angular slices of peeled bananas.
Heat oil in wok, add coconut, bananas, cardamom powder.
Strifry till coconut is lightly browned.
Serve warm with chilled whipped cream.
Making time: 15 minutes
Makes: 3 servings
Shelflife: Best fresh

Spicy Pineapple

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Ingredients:
1 pineapple peeled, decored, diced into chunks
2 spring onions with greens
1 tsp. ginger grated
2 sprigs fresh mint leaves finely chopped
5 candlenuts, chopped
1 tsp. sambal ulek
2 tbsp. oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar powdered

Grind together in mortar and pestle:
1/2 tsp. cardamom seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/4 tsp. coriander seeds
2 cloves

Method:


Chop spring onions with greens finely.
Heat oil, add ginger, candlenuts, onions, strifry for a minute.
Add ground spices, stir fry for 1 more minute.
Add pineapple, water, cook for 2-3 minutes after it boils.
Add mint, sambal ulek, salt, sugar, mix well.
Cook till pineapple is soft but not mushy.
Serve hot.
Making time: 15 minutes
Makes: 3 servings
Shelflife: Best fresh

Cooked Bananas In Sweet Sauce

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It is Indonesian hot dessert.
Ingredients:

3-4 bananas ripe
1 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp. plain flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp. cardamom powder

Method:


Steam bananas in a bamboo or double boiler, skins intact.
Allow to steam for 4-5 minutes.
Peel, keeping bananas whole. Keep aside.
To make sweet sauce:


Warm flour, cinnamon, cardamom in a pan.
Add sugar, mix well.
Add coconut milk, stirring continuously, till mixture is smooth.
Cook further for 2-3 minutes, till sauce is thick.
Serve poured over hot bananas.
Making time: 20 minutes
Makes: 3-4 servings
Shelflife: Best fresh

Tofu Delicacy

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Ingredients:
400 gms. block of firm drained tofu.
1 red chilli fienly chopped
1/2 tsp. coriander seeds ground
1/4 tsp. cardamom seeds ground
2 cloves garlic chopped finely
1 stalk curry leaves finely chopped
1" piece kenchur, peeled, chopped finely
salt to taste
1/2 cup rice flour
oil for deep frying
2 cups steamed rice
1 tsp. sambal ulek
banana leaves for wrapping

Method:


Cut tofu into 1-1/2" long fingers
Make a batter of all ingredients and water, except rice, sambal ulek.
Heat oil in a deep frying pan.
Dip pieces of tofu in batter, let into hot oil.
Deep fry a few at a time, till golden, and crisp.
Repeat for all pieces.
To proceed:


Mix cooked rice with sambal ulek, check for salt taste.
Pile rice on a large banana leaf in centre in a mound.
Arrange fried tofu over rice.
Wrap and secure leaf over rice, with toothpicks.
Steam for 5 minutes just before serving.
Serve hot in wrapping, with a stew if desired.
Making time: 45 minutes.
Makes: 4 servings
Shelflife: Best fresh after steaming

Bean Sprouts (Bland)

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Ingredients:
1 cup bean sprouts
1 1/2 cup water
1 tbsp. cornflour
1 tsp. grated ginger
1/2 tsp. soya sauce
1 tbsp. spring onion finely chopped
1/2 tbsp. oil
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Boil the sprouts so that they are done but not soggy.
Drain and spread on a plate.
Mix the cornflour in 1/2 cup water.
Heat oil in a pan, add ginger and fry for a minute.
Add the remaining water (1 cup). Bring to a boil.
Add the cornflour mixture, and stir till it comes back to a boil.
Add the soya sauce and salt and pepper to taste.
Pour thick gravy onto the bean sprouts.
Sprinkle the chopped spring onion on top.
Serve hot with steamed rice or fried rice

Making time: 25 minutes
Makes: 2 servings
Shelflife: fresh

Hakka Noodles

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Ingredients:
2 cups boiled flat noodles (marketed also as hakka noodles)
3 dried red chillies
1 small bunch spring onion
1 small capsicum thinly sliced
2 tsp. garlic finely chopped
1/2 tsp. vinegar
salt to taste
1 1/2 tbsp. oil
tandoori colour

Method:

Chop the spring onions into 1/4" pieces cut slanting.
Pound red chillies and garlic coarsely.
Heat 1 tbsp. oil, add chilli and garlic and fry for a minute.
Add the capsicum and fry till tender.
Add the spring onion and fry again for 2-3 minutes.
Add noodles and salt and mix well.
Add tandoori colour and vinegar to taste.
Heat very well in oven or microwave before serving.
Serve with schezwan sauce or manchurian in gravy.

Making time: 45 minutes (excluding noodle cooking time)
Makes: 3 servings
Shelflife: Fresh

Chow Mien Soup

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Ingredients:
1/2 capsicum
1 leaf cabbage
1/4 tomato seeded finely chopped
1 small onion
1" piece carrot peeled
1 leaf spinach stem finely chopped
1 floret cauliflower
1 french bean

3-4 leaves mint finely chopped
3-4 leaves coriander finely chopped
1/4" ginger peeled
1 pod garlic
1/2 dried red chilli deseeded and crushed well
1/2 tsp. soya sauce
salt to taste
1 tsp. oil
1 tbsp. cornflour
3 cups water or vegetable stock
1/2 tsp. sugar


Method:

Very finely chop (either manually or in the electric chopper), the capsicum., cabbage, onion, carrot, cauliflower, bean, ginger, garlic, all together.
Heat oil in a wok or pan, add all vegetables and stir fry for 3-4 minutes.
Add 2 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, mix cornflour in the remaining water and add to the boiling soup.
Stir continuously, till boil is resumed. Cook till the clarity returns.
Add the soyasauce, salt, sugar and crushed chilli.
Stir well. Serve piping hot with green chilli in vinegar and soyasauce.

Making time: 15 minutes
Makes: 3 servings
Shelflife: Best fresh only

Chinese Fried Rice

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Ingredients:
1 cup medium grain rice
1 bunch spring onions finely chopped
1 carrot finely chopped
2-3 cabbage leaves finely chopped
6-7 french beans finely chopped
1 tbsp. oil
11/2 tsp. soya sauce
1 tsp. chilli sauce

Method:

Boil rice till each grain is separate and almost done.
Drain. Cool in a plate.
Heat oil in a wok or pan, add vegetables, except spring onions.
Stir fry till crisp, add spring onions, salt and sauces.
Mix well and pour over the rice.
Mix the rice and vegatables gently, till evenly coated.
Adjust sauces and salt as per taste.
Just before serving heat very well. Either heat in oven or microwave.
Serve hot with manchurian vegetable or sweet sour.

Note: Refer Gravy Vegetables for Gobi Manchurian

Making time: 25 minutes
Makes: 3 servings