Schezwan Vegetables Recipe Adapted from Sailus Food

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 large onion, cubed into 1" pieces roughly
1 carrot, cut into small, thin discs
8-10 french beans, cut into 1″ pieces
8 baby corns, each cut into 6 round discs
1 green capsicum, cut into 1" pieces roughly

2 tbsps oil

2 tbsps finely chopped spring onion greens (for garnish, optional)

For The Sauce:
2 dry red chillis, halved
1/4 tsp red chilli pwd
1 tsp crushed garlic (about 6 small flakes)
1.5 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsps tomato puree (or 1 tsp tomato paste)
1 tbsp cornflour
1 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups vegetable stock or water (I used vegetable stock)

How I Made It:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add the onions. Cook until soft and transparent - about 3 mins.

2. Add the remaining vegetables with some salt and saute lightly for 3-4 mins.

3. Mix all the sauce ingredients together and add to the cooking vegetables. Let it simmer for 5 mins or until the vegetables are cooked, yet firm. If the gravy is getting too thick, add more water. Adjust salt and add pepper and spring onion greens - and its ready to serve!

paneer butter masala

What I Used:

Paneer/tofu - 1 block, approx. 2 cups of cubes

Onion - 1 medium-sized one, chopped fine

Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Dhania powder/malli podi/Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

Garam masala - 1 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Tomato paste- 1 tbsp (or 1 tomato, pureed)

Tomato sauce/ketchup - almost 1 tbsp

Kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves - 1 generous pinch

Milk - 1/2 cup

Cream - 1 cup

Oil - 3 tbsp

Salt - to taste

How I Made It:

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the paneer/tofu cubes until golden brown. Drain and set aside.

2. In the same pan, add 1 more tbsp oil and fry the onions until golden brown.

3. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute.

4. Next, add the dhania, garam masala, chilli powder and some salt. Fry for 30 seconds.

5. To this, add the tomato paste/puree, tomato sauce and kasuri methi. Mix well and add the milk.

6. Lower fire and cook covered for 5 mins.

7. Open lid, add the fried paneer/tofu and the cream. Mix well and simmer for 3-4 mins.

8. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves if you have any.

Serve warm with rotis/pulao/jeera rice.

Khandvi

Makes: 20 -25 pieces
Cooking Time: 15 -20 minutes + 15 minutes for making into rolls
Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients for the khandvi

* 1 cup besan
* 1 cup sour yogurt
* 2 cups water
* 1 teaspoon green chilli paste
* 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
* 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
* Salt to taste

Ingredients for seasoning

* 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
* 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
* 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
* 5-6 curry leaves
* 2-3 dry red chillies
* 2 tablespoons grated coconut
* 2 tablespoons chopped coriander
* 2 tablespoons oil

Preparation of work surface to make khandvi

Prepare a clean surface for spreading the gram flour mixture. If you have a black granite counter top - that would be the idea thing.
Clean the counter top thoroughly as you will be spreading the cooked gram flour mixture.
If you don't have a black granite counter top, then you can use a flat "thali" or a "cookie sheet" or "any flat plate" big enough to spread a wide spread of mixture.
if you do it on thali's, plates, or cookie sheets, you will probably have to spread the mixture in multiple rounds.
The number of these thali's you need, will depend on how thin you spread the mixture.
My estimate is about 3-4 thali's of 12 inch diameter

Method

Whisk the yogurt, water and gram flour.

Add green chiili and ginger paste, asafoetida, turmeric powder and salt. Whisk until well blended.

Transfer the mixture into a non stick pan and heat on low- medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent lump formation. Continue stirring on low heat, till the mixture thickens. After about 15 minutes of stirring, taste to see if you feel the gram flour mixture is still uncooked. If you are unable to determine, then stir continuously for another 5 minutes.

Keep the mixture covered, so it remains hot while you proceed to the steps below.

Spread the hot mixture on the prepared surface as thinly as possible, with a flat spatula. When you have finished spreading the batter, allow it to cool a little and settle down.

After about 10 minutes you will notice that you can roll the spread into a roll. Repeat this process and continue to spread the entire mixture. Again wait for about 10 minutes before you can make a roll. Once the rolls have been made, you can cut them to a desired size or 1 inc size pieces.

Place the cut rolls on a serving dish. Heat oil in a pan for seasoning; add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, allow them to crackle. The add the curry leaves and red chillies. Sprinkle the seasoning over the khandvi's (gram flour rolls) and garnish with coriander leaves and coconut.

Serve warm with Green Chutney

Chefs Tip: This can be made one day ahead and kept in the refrigerator and warmed up in the microwave before serving

Navaratna kurma

Ingredients:

3 cups - Boiled vegetables
(9 varieties-potatoes, carrots, green peas, french beans, cauliflower, capsicum, cabbage, bottle gourd, cluster beans)
150gms - Grated paneer
3 - Tomatoes
2 - Grated onions
1 1/2 tsp -Ginger paste
1 1/2 tsp - Garlic paste
Salt To Taste
1 tsp - Turmeric Powder
1 1/2 tsp - Red chilli powder
1 tsp - Coriander powder
2 tsp - Garam Masala Powder
2 tbsp - Cream
6 tbsp - Vegetable oil
1 tbsp - Ghee
1 cup - Milk / water
1/4 cup - Dry fruits (cashew nuts, raisins)
Coriander leaves for decoration

Method to make this recipe : navrattan korma :

 * Boil tomatoes till tender. Allow them to cool. Then peel off the tomato skin to make puree.
    Ready made tomato puree can also be used.
 * Take 1 tbsp ghee and slightly fry the dry fruits for about 1 min on medium heat.
 * Heat oil in a pan. Fry onions and ginger-garlic paste till golden brown.
 * Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and fry for 2-3 minutes.
 * Next add tomato puree and dry fruits. Stir well and cook the mixture for 4 minutes.
   Ensure that the mixture doesn't stick to bottom of pan.
 * Add milk (use water alternatively). Bring it to boil. Reduce the heat and cook until the gravy becomes thick.
 * Add paneer to the gravy and stir well.
 * Finally add all the vegetables to the above gravy and cook for 5-7 minutes.
 * Serve the navratan korma hot. Put cream and chopped coriander leaves on the navaratna korma decorate .

Chettinad veg kuruma:

Ingredients:

Carrot - 1 big, cut into small cubes
Beans - 10, cut into small pieces
Peas - a handful
Cauliflower - half cup, florets
Potato - 1 small, cut into small cubes
Capsicum (Green bell pepper) - 1/3 cup, cut into cubes
Onion - 1 medium, chopped finely
Tomato - 1 medium, chopped
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Seasoning - 1 clove, 1 small cinnamon, a pinch of sombu
Oil - 3 tsp

To Grind for Masala Paste:

Grated Coconut - about half cup (not packed)
Cashews OR Almonds - 6
Pottukadalai (Roasted gram) - 1 tbsp
Poppy seeds (Kasa Kasa) - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - 1 small piece
Clove - 1
Cardamom - 1
Fennel seeds (sombu) - 1 tsp
Green chillies - 10
Ginger - half inch piece
Garlic - 6 cloves

Method:

1) For the Masala paste - In a tsp of oil, add cinnamon, cardamom, clove & fennel seeds
then add the ginger, garlic & green chillies, pottukadalai, poppy seeds, cashew/almond
and fry for a few minutes. Finally add the coconut. Grind this to a smooth paste with some water .

2) Microwave the cut vegetables with a few tbsp of water and some salt for about 5 to 7 minutes.

3) In a big pan, heat oil and add clove, cinnamon and sombu, followed by chopped onion.
When that softens and gets cooked, then add the tomatoes and salt & the chilli powder - cook till slightly mushy.

4) Now add the microwaved vegetables and allow the mixture to boil for a few minutes.
Now add the ground masala paste and sufficient water. When it starts to boil, allow this to simmer covered for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Make sure the curry doesn't become too thick. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Peas pulav

Ingredients:

green peas(frozen)-half cup
ginger-garlic paste-1 tsp
onion-cut into lengthwise
cinnamon-1
cloves-2
cardamom-1
bayleaves-1
cilantro for garnishing
lemon-half

Method:

put some oil in a pan,add spices cloves,cinnamon,bay leaves,cardamom,once it splutters,
add onion...cook till it turns light brown.then add ginger-garlic paste,stir well until raw smells go...
then add peas,then add rice....squeeze half lemon,add salt and pressure cook it.


note: use basmathi rice for best results.add 1 1/2 cup water for 1 cup basmathi rice.soak the rice atleast half an hour.

stuffed Bhindi fry

STUFFED BHINDI:

Ingredients

1/2 kg Bhindi(a.k.a Ladies Finger, Okra) 2 tbsp besan 1 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp dhaniya powder 1 tsp jeera powder 1/2 tsp garam masala 1/4 tsp haldi 1 tsp lime juice 2 tbsp Oil salt Coriander leaves


Directions:

1. Mix dhaniya powder, jeera powder, besan, chilli powder, haldi, garam masala, lemon juice and salt.
2. Wash Bhindi properly. Dry it on kitchen towels.
3. Slit Bhindi lengthwise.
4. Fill in each of the Bhindi with the masala mixture (as prepared in step 1).
5. Grease frying pan with 1 tbsp oil.
6. Place the Bhindi in the pan in convenient batches.
7. Shallow fry all of them.
8. Remove in a serving plate. Garnish with coriander leaves.