There are some foods that need very little introduction, and more over that; very minimal time to cook and be set for dinner. Sometimes mom made her very own instant version of noodles, which was the best ever. At home  we all are a great fan of noodles.  I am sure most of us would have a very special love towards  the Indo - Chinese food that still hold a very very special place in our favorite food menu list.

We have noodle / rice noodles at least twice a month for dinner. Its kind of easy for me to make and also enjoy having it with my fav combo - noodles and tomato sauce.My husband being an Egg lover , enjoys his noodle bowl with lots of egg in it. But this certain day , i had no eggs nor chicken to be added in it , and my noodles turned to be a Veggie Noodles, nevertheless it was as tasty , but just missing out some eggiee in it.

Indo - Chinese Vegetable Noodles

Ingredients:

200 grams Noodles
1 cup Cabbage ( shredded or sliced thin )
1 Carrot julinned or sliced thin
7 -8 Green Beans julinned or sliced thin
1 stalk Celery ( sliced thin )
1 cup Bell pepper / Capsicum ( i used Green and Red Coloured Peppers )
6 -7 Mushroom ( i didn't have any )
2 Spring Onions ( green and white part separated )

1 Tomato ( sliced )
1 tsp Ginger - Garlic paste
1 Green Chili ( chopped very small , my chili was super spicy so adjust accordingly )

1 -2 tbsp Soy Sauce ( i used low sodium )
1 tsp Hosin sauce
1 tsp Vinegar ( opt )
Pepper
Salt
Oil

Method:

Boil the noodles as per package instruction or
Boil water in a pot and add 1/2 tsp oil + salt and add in the noodles let it cook until its almost 90% done, drain it and just rinse it in cold water, drain again and set aside.

Heat about 2 - 3 tbsp oil in a Kadai / Wok  on medium - high heat and add in green chili + ginger- garlic paste and tomato, saute until its gets mushy and with a good aroma.
Add in the White part of the spring Onion + Carrots + Green beans  and saute for about 2 mins,  add in the Cabbage + Bell peppers + Celery and saute for 1 min.
Add in the Noodles + Soy sauce + Vinegar + Salt + Pepper and give it a very good toss.
Keep on tossing for another 1 min or so, at last add in the spring onions and Serve hot.

You have to be pretty fast in doing this, do not let the vegetables get too soggy or too much cooked, try with any vegetable you like .

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   Steaming hot idlies right from the stove to the plate is what my husband dear always prefers, and it wasn't never enough when i used to make Idly for just the two of us. Even our little sweetheart follows her dad in this, she keeps on asking Idly every now and then, im not so sure whether she really means to have Idly all the time when she asks about it. Anyways, now i just make more and more!!!

The left over Idlies are consumed , good Old Idly with some chutney or samba; or may be transformed into something else.Its Idly Upma most of the times, this time i tried a recipe which is pretty popular now , but i never gave a try.It turned out really good, we just loved it. You can also check in my other Manchurian dishes Gobi Manchurian , Mushroom Manchurian ,

Idly Manchurian

Ingredients:
10 - 12  Leftover Idly ( preferably refrigerated )
1/2 cup All Purpose Flour / Maida
Water as needed
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

1 Onion medium ( cut in cubes )
1 Capsicum small ( cut in cubes )
2- 3 Garlic pods  ( chopped )
1/2" inch Ginger ( chopped )
2 Green chilies ( sliced )
2 tbsp Tomato Sauce
1/2 tsp Chili Sauce
1/2 tsp Soya sauce
Salt to taste
Water as needed

Method:

Cut the refrigerated leftover idlies into cubes. Mix all purpose flour + salt adding enough water into a thick batter.
Dip the idly in the prepared batter and deep fry it in oil, and keep it aside.
Heat 2 tbsp Oil in a pan and saute Garlic + Ginger + Green chilies + Onions until it jut turns translucent.
Add in the Capsicum and the sauces + 1/4cup water and mix well, and let it cook for 2 mins.
Add in the fried idlies and mix. Toss it well.
Garnish with Spring onions and serve hot.

Notes : I used sweet peppers in here, and had 3 -4 mushrooms so added in that too.

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Winter Season is something i used to love a lot; a lot means literally A LOT . I used to be all set for having Hot Tea with super hot fried snacks in the evening waiting for Dear Husband, and calling him every now and then to check on his status like at what time he would reach home. Those days most of our weekend evenings  would be spent with our very dear friends at their home if not ours, having Hot Coffee with yummy snacks chit - chatting and watching movies. Now a days priorities just changed , and Summer Season seems to be Welcomed than Winter for parents like me who have real hyper toddlers at home.

Cold , and rainy days are what we wake up to now, and for me the other day my little girl  pointing to the Cloudy sky wanted to see the Sun , and its getting hard to engage them.Well, so what i came to say was i still love winters, and try to make my meal special for those very cold winter nights. This time i made my dinner more special by making  this is a Steamed version of the Stuffed Buns, a very easy recipe, i adapted this recipe from Vanitha magazine.It was super soft and the filling was really awesome.
Also wishing you all a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING :)

Sesame topped Steamed Chicken Buns

Ingredients:
For the buns
 3 cups All Purpose Flour / Maida
1 1/2 tsp Yeast
2 tbsp Sugar
1/2 cup Warm Water
Salt as needed
Water as needed

For the stuffing
1 1/2 cup Chicken Cooked and Shredded
1 Onion medium ( chopped )
3-4 Garlic ( chopped )
2 Green Chilies ( chopped )
2 Spring Onions
1 tsp Hoisin Sauce
1 - 2 tsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Cornflour mixed in 2 tbsp water
Salt
Pepper

Method:
For the Buns
Dissolve yeast in warm water with 2 tbsp Sugar and leave aside for 10 mins.
Mix flour with salt , add in the yeast and make into a soft dough adding enough water.
Let it rest for about 20 mins in a warm place and double in volume.
Punch down the air and divide the dough into 8 equal portions.
Flatten each balls into a round and fill with 1 - 1 1/2 tbsp of the filling, close it and form back to a ball.
Repeat with the rest, brush the buns with milk and sprinkle sesame seeds.
Heat a steamer and steam the buns for about 15 mins or until done. ( I used my Rice Cooker for steaming, it will double in shape so you may want to steam it in batches. ) Serve hot.

For the stuffing :
Heat oil in a pan add in garlic, onions , green chilies and saute.
Add in the chicken , hoisin sauce, soy sauce, salt and pepper , and saute well.
Lastly add the corn flour water mixture and mix well turn off heat and  set aside.

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Its more than 4 years that i have stared blogging, and only very few posts, i still have no celebrations of my bloggy b'days, i know i may have umpteen reasons to get away with an excuse for not updatings things properly, but at the same time only one reason to still continue with my blog baby, i love cooking and sharing. There are  people like you all who still love and encourage me in doing my small passion.
Anyways apart from my stories, this recipe is our fav and this was in my draft for ever, i had saved it in draft for pretty long time, may be during my first year of blogging, and now i  really felt i have to at any cost post our very favourite dish, just re-did it a few days ago and took pictures ; the pictures i took then  with my point and shoot camera  weren' so good; i know im still learning and need to go a long way, but still....  Now , back to the recipe an ever famous Indo- chinese appetizer. This is a dry version that i have made, making mere changes to the quantity of the ingredients you can make it a dry or gravy to your wish.

GOBI MANCHURIAN

Ingredients:
4 cups Cauliflower florets or 1 medium Cauliflower
1 cup All Purpose flour / Maida
1 cup Cornflour
1 tbsp Red Chili Powder
Salt to taste

For the Sauce:
2 medium Onion ( cubed )
1 Green Capsicum ( cubed )
3 Green Chilies
1 tbsp Ginger - Garlic paste
4 tbsp Garlic ( chopped )
2 Spring Onions ( white and green chopped seperately )
3 tbsp Tomato Sauce
1 1/2 tbsp Soya Sauce
1 tsp Vinegar ( opt )
1 tsp Pepper ( adjust to your taste )
Salt to taste

Method:

• Prepare a thick batter mixing all purpose flour, corn flour , chili powder & salt.( do not make the batter watery or a dripping consistency)
• Mix it with Cauliflower and keep it aside for 1hr.
• Heat oil & deep fry  Cauliflower until golden brown and crisp.
• Heat oil in a kadai, add in chopped garlic, green chilies  and saute.
• Add in Onion, white of the spring onion and  ginger -  garlic paste, saute until just translucent.
• Add in the sauces, pepper and mix well.
• Mix in the fried cauliflower and add salt if needed.
• Garnish with Spring Onion and Serve

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Ingredients:
1 cup button mushroom
1 cup onion ( diced)
1/2 cup bell peppers / capsicum ( diced)
3- 4 green chillies ( chopped)
4-5 cloves of garlic ( chopped )
1 inch garlic ( chopped )
4 tbsp tomato sauce
2 tbsp chilly sauce / sweet and chilly sauce
3 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp corn flour
spring onions / coriander leaves
salt to taste

For the batter:
1/4 cup maida
3 tsp cornflour
1 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1/4 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp ginger- garlic paste
salt to taste

Method:

Mix all the ingredients for the batter into a thick consistency like dosa batter, adding water as needed, and add the diced mushrooms.
Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry the mushroom till crisp and golden colour.
Heat oil in a kadai,add chopped ginger and garlic,green chillies, onions and bell pepper, saute for couple of mins.
Add the sauces and mix well.
Mix 1 tsp corn flour with 1/4 cup of water and add it to the vegetables, also add salt if needed.
Boil it to a thick sauce consistency and add the fried mushrooms mix well until all the mushrooms are coated with the sauce.
Garnish with spring onions and serve hot. read more

A very famous indo- chinese dish which is loved by everyone. This is my version of chilly chicken. Hope you all would like it.

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken
1 big onion ( cut into cube size)
1 small capsicum/ bell pepper ( diced)
1/2 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp tomato sauce
1/2 tsp chilly powder
1/2 tsp pepper powder
2 green chillies
1/2 tbsp cornflour
5-6 garlic pods ( chopped finely )
1/4 cup water
salt to taste
oil

For the batter:
1 1/2 - 2 tbsp cornflour
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste ( opt)
1 egg
1 tsp pepper powder
a pinch of orange colour ( you can substitute with turmeric powder)
salt to taste

Method:

Wash and cut chicken into cube size pieces.
Marinate the chicken with the batter ingredients and leave for atleast 15 mins.
Deep fry the chicken pieces in oil until done.
Heat oil in a kadai add chopped garlic, green chillies and fry for a min.( don't let it get burnt)
Add diced onions fry a bit. ( it should be done but still crisp).
Now add the diced capsicum/ bell pepper and saute for a min, add the chilly pwdr, pepper pwdr, soya sauce and the tomato sauce.
Mix cornflour in 1/4 cup of water and add it to the sauce mix, add salt to taste.
Once the sauce gets hot add the chicken pieces and mix until its coated well.
Garnish with spring onions or green chilly and serve hot.

Note: The sauces do contain salt , so be careful when adding salt at the end. read more