Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai.....

Felt like eating Chinese food today. Looked in the refrigerator - had spring onions and beans and carrots and cauliflower. So the plan was set. I made cauliflower Manchurian and Egg fried rice. I cheated and did not make the Manchurian from scratch! (refer to the recipe to see what I am talking about).

Cauliflower manchurian and egg fried rice

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Cauliflower Manchurian

1 small cauliflower - florets separated

1/2 cup maida all purpose flour)

2 tbsp rice flour

Salt and chilli pd to taste

2 Dry red chillies

8-10 garlic cloves

2 tbsps Green chilli sauce

1 packet ready soup mix (Tada! Here is the cheat sheet! - I used Maggi hot and sour soup mix. You could use the equivalent from any other brand)

Mix the maida, rice flour, salt and chilli pd with a little water to make a thick batter. Coat the cauliflower florets in the batter and shallow fry them till they are crisp and done. Remove onto a paper towel. In a pan heat a little oil and saute the garlic and dry red chillies. Then add the water and cook the soup according to the instructions on the packet. Just make sure you add about half the quantity of water so that the gravy is a little thick (remember - you do not want to end up with a soup!) Add the green chilli sauce and let it cook for a minute. Add the fried cauliflower florets and simmer for 5 mins.

Voila! Easy cauliflower manchurian ready!!

Egg Fried Rice

1 cup finely sliced carrots

1 cup finely sliced beans

1 cup finely chopped spring onions (white and green)

2 eggs

3 green chillies - sliced at a diagonal

2 dry red chillies - sliced at a diagonal

8-10 garlic cloves chopped

2 tbsps soy sauce
3 cups cooked rice

Salt to taste

Heat a wok and add oil. Now add the garlic and dry red chillies. Saute till the garlic releases its aroma. Immediately add the spring onions and saute for 2 mins. Now add the vegetables and the green chillies and break open the eggs in to the hot wok. Continue to stir fry till the egg is cooked. Add the soy sauce and salt. Finally add the rice and mix well. That's it. Fried rice is ready to eat!

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I had brought back a big chinese wok from my visit to Chicago recently and was dying to use it. Got the perfect opportunity today. Making the fried rice was such a joy! I kept imagining that I was one of those Chinese chefs on television (I even wore my apron today!!). I remember "Yan can cook" from when I was young. I used to love the way he chopped the vegetables and stir fried them in his wok :-)
My sister and I used to pretend to host a cooking show on television when we were growing up. I would be the chef cooking up the dishes and my sis would be the compere of the show and would hold a pretend mic and ask me questions about the dishes I was making!!!
That's all for today folks! See you all tomorrow.