Roma's Space

I am a great fan of Chinese cuisine. I really dont know where to stop. Right from soups & starters to noodles & wontons, everything drives me nuts. Usually at restaurants I end up ordering from a standard set of dishes which I know will be enough for a whole meal. For instance, Triple fried rice, American Chopsuey and vegetable steamed rice. Why do I try to order one-meal dishes?? Thats because Hubby dear will order North-Indian food and smile at my Chinese. So here, I am pretty much on my own

Chilly Chow is another dish thats deliciously spicy and quite filling. This is my entry to Archana’s One Dish Meal Event. Its really a great idea of have a collection of recipes where a dish is sufficient for the entire meal. Some day when you return home exhausted after a long shopping spree this set of recipes will help. Thanks Archana, for hosting this event.

Madhuram of Eggless Cooking has given me a bear hug. Thanks so much Madhu, a big hug to you too.

I would like to pass this bear hug to Lakshmi of Taste of Mysore.

Ingredients :

• 2 cups of veggies (cabbage,carrot, spring onions
  fresh corn, red/green/yellow capsicums)
• 5 soya chunks soaked in warm water
• 2 tablespoons Tomato puree
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vinegar
• 2 teaspoons soya sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon tabasco sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornflour paste
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper powder
• 2 cups of Noodles

Procedure :

1. Boil noodles with some salt and oil. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a wok. Saute vegetables on high flame starting with the bell peppers.
3. Now add soya chunks, tomato puree, salt, pepper and cook till the puree is done.
4. Add soya sauce, vinegar, tabasco sauce, some water and bring to boil.
5. Make a paste of cornflour in water and mix into the gravy to thicken it.
6. Place noodles on the serving plate. Pour vegetable gravy on top on it.
7. Garnish with Spring onions and serve hot.

Preparation time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : 10 mins
Number of people it serves : 2 gluts like me

When you call someone home for dinner and have an elaborate menu planned you dont really want to spend too much time on each dish. It helps to have some dishes that are easy to make and definitely taste great. One such dish that comes to mind is Stir fried vegetables.

Capsicums of all colors have a different taste and when combined with corn it results in a new flavor. The natural juice of vegetables used is the reason behind this dish tasting good although it doesnt really have much masala going into it.
This dish belongs to the Indo-Chinese cuisine (main course), the curry paste and paneer giving it the Indian touch. I guess abroad they must make this with Tofu.

I have made this mixed vegetable a couple of times when I have had guests home and it has always been a hit. This is my entry to the AWED – Chinese event hosted by OK’s Culinary Bazaar.

Ingredients :

• 3 colors of capsicum – red, yellow, green
• 1 cup paneer cubes
• 1 cup fresh corn
• 2 tablespoons curry paste ( a fried paste comprising of onion, ginger, garlic and tomatoes)
• 1 tablespoon Olive oil
• 5-6 Garlic pods
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper powder
• 1/2 teaspoon tabasco sauce

Procedure :

1. Heat oil. Saute garlic till golden brown. Add paneer and stir fry for a few minutes.
2. Add diced capsicum and fresh corn.
3. Sprinkle salt and stir well. Cook till veggies are soft.
4. Now add tabasco sauce, pepper powder and mix well.
5. Add curry paste and saute for a few more minutes.

Note :

1. Curry pastes are readily available in the market making this recipe easy to make. However, if you can not find a pack of curry paste you can fry onions to golden brown, followed by ginger-garlic paste and tomatoes. Fry till this paste leaves fat from the sides.
2. Most ready-made curry pastes contain salt. So when you are adding salt to your dish please add accordingly.

A month ago my dear friend and neighbour, Namita invited us over for dinner. It was the day of holi and we were tired after the day-long celebrations. We had a colored, water-filled bash in the apartment, after which we went to a couple of places to wish family members. By the end of the day I was glad I was invited for dinner as I didnt have the stamina to cook.

Namita had made an array of tradional Konkani dishes. After a discussion with her I learnt that Konkani food is fairly simple and very nutritious. They dont believe in using too much oil or spices. I noticed that the food had a flavor thats different from the other South-Indian cuisines.

Tomato Saar for instance is one such simple curry which uses the usual South-Indian ingredients like tomatoes, coconut , chillies and curry leaves yet it manages to create a never-before taste. After we returned from her place I tried this Saar out and it was an instant hit at home. Ever since we have made it almost four times and still cant seem to get enough of it.

Ingredients :

• 4 big ripe tomatoes
• 3-4 finger like pieces of coconut
• 2 green chillies
• 1/4 teaspoon methi seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon rai
• Few curry leaves

Procedure :

1. Boil the tomatoes with green chillies till they are soft. Save the boiled water.
2. In a little bit of oil roast the methi seeds to golden color.
3. Grind the boiled tomatoes, chillies with methi seeds and coconut in a mixie jar.
4. Now in the previously saved boiled water add the ground mixture and give it another boil.
5. For the tempering heat oil. Add rai, curry leaves and pour over the saar.

Lucknowi Namoona

Namoona is a famous peas curry eaten in Lucknow. I had the opportunity of having it last week and I think its one of the tastiest curries one can have with roti.

Green peas are in abundance right now. I bought a few kilos, pealed and froze them. So now anytime I suddenly have guests over this is one vegetable I can surely prepare.

You might need a little extra time and effort as compared to other curries but its worth it when you finally get to eat something so exquisite.

Ingredients :

• Musk melon seeds, about 1 tablespoon
• Few cashew nuts or kajus
• 1 cup fresh peas
• 2 fingers of paneer
• 2 teaspoons khoya
• 2 teaspoons malai
• 1/2 teaspoon Jeera
• Pinch of Hing
• 1 Onion
• A small piece of Ginger
• 5-6 pods of Garlic
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 1/2 teaspoon Red chillie powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Haldi powder
• 1 teaspoon Dhania powder

Procedure :

1. Soak musk melon seeds and kajus. Once soft, grind them with paneer, khoya and malai.
2. Boil peas. Save a handful of them and grind the remaining.
3. Heat oil. Add jeera and hing. Add Paste of onion, ginger, garlic. Fry well.
4. Add tomato puree and continue to fry.
5. Add tablespoon of the previously prepared melon paste to the fried masala. Continue to cook till milk smell disappears.
6. Add boiled peas puree and mix well. Add previously saved boiled peas into it.
7. Heat oil. Add red chillie powder, haldi powder and dhania powder. Add this tempering to the curry.

Please NOTE :

Usually we use musk melon seeds but in case you cant find them you can use water melon seeds instead.

Paneer Fusion in Garlic Sauce

My husband is totally into North Indian cuisine and I love to order Chinese whenever we go out. One Sunday, I decided to make something that will make both of us happy. I had paneer, which everyone at home loves and I knew how to go about making koftas out of it. I wondered how those yummy paneer dumplings would taste in a spicy hot garlic sauce. Garlic, as we know takes over the taste of any dish it enters. Thats one reason we really need to think before adding it to anything.

Well, there wasn’t much to lose so I got started on my paneer koftas and chopped out a whole lot of garlic. I didnt want to make the gravy too heavy so I decided to keep cream out of it. The end result was enjoyed by both of us. So thats how Paneer Fusion in hot garlic sauce came to being. I guess in Chinese cuisine they must be making a similar dish, with Tofu probably.

For centuries people have known the medicinal properties of Garlic. In Egypt, Garlic has been found in the tombs of ancient Pharaohs dating back to 3,200 B.C. It was used by the pyramid builders who believed that garlic gave them strength. The only slave revolt in Egypt was by laborers over lack of Garlic, one year when the Nile flooded the Garlic fields. The Greeks used garlic to bring strength to their athletes at the Olympic game. So finally we all know the secret to winning an Olympic Gold!

This is my entry to JFI – Garlic for the month of March, 2008. Thanks Mathy for chosing such a wonderful ingredient which not only has flavor but also medicinal properties.

Ingredients :

• 1 cup grated Paneer
• 1/2 tablespoon Maida
• Few Spring onions
• 10-12 Garlic pods
• 1/2 tablespoon Cornflour
• 1/2 teaspoon Vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Soya Sauce
• 10 Pepper corns
• Puree of 3 Big ripe Tomatoes

Procedure :

1. Grate paneer. Add salt and maida. Mix well.
2. Make small balls out of the paneer mixture and deep fry in hot oil.
3. Heat Olive oil. Add finely chopped garlic and fry well.
4. Now add finely chopped spring onions and continue to fry.
5. Add some freshly roasted and ground pepper powder.
6. Once the onions appear done add tomato puree. Cook till tomatoes are done.
7. Dissolve cornflour powder in a cup of water and add to the paste. Now add salt (remember paneer also has salt!)
8. Once paste thickens slightly add vinegar, soya sauce, paneer balls and stir for few minutes.
9. Garnish with finely chopped green onion leaves and serve hot with roti or pasta.

Variation

1. If you are calorie conscious and don’t want to deep fry the paneer balls you can microwave them for 3-4 minutes and add them directly to the sauce.
2. You can used red chillie flakes instead of black pepper corns in this dish to give the gravy more fire and color.

Please NOTE :

1. Don’t microwave the paneer balls for more than a few minutes as they will turn hard.
2. Don’t boil the dish much after adding cornflour paste as the gravy will thicken and you will continuously need to add more water.