Braised Cottage Cheese / Tofu, Spinach and Dried Mushrooms.....

This time during my trip to Singapore, I happened to pick up different varieties of Dried Mushrooms which are very popular like shiitake, oyster, flower shiitake, portobello and needle mushrooms. Before cooking the mushrooms, you need to soak the mushrooms in hot water for several minutes, squeeze the excess water out and then used them. Mushrooms have a meaty flesh and a woody flavor. If you don't have dried mushrooms, use fresh mushrooms which are available at your place. I have added cottage cheese, but tofu can also be used. Other ingredients that I have used are spinach, onion, garlic, ginger, green chillies, bird eye chillies and seasonings. This dish can be served as a starter for vegetarians... 

Ingredients

1 bowl of mix variety of dried Mushrooms soaked in hot water for 10 minutes and then squeezed them out from the water

6 to 8 pieces of cottage cheese / tofu cut into triangle shape 

1 big Onion cut into cubes

 6 Garlic cloves sliced

 1 small piece of Ginger sliced

2 Green Chillies cut lengthwise 

4 to 6 Bird eye Chillies 

A handful of spinach leaves along with it's stem broken into half 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder

¼ cup of Oil

2 tbsp Soy sauce

1 tbsp Honey 

1 tsp Vinegar

Method 

Take a wok, add oil. Then fry the cottage cheese / tofu until brown on both sides. Keep it aside. In the same Oil sauté the garlic, ginger and chillies for a few seconds. Add the onions and saute till translucent. Add the spinach and sauté on high heat for a minute. Add the mushrooms, add the soya sauce,vinegar,honey, salt and pepper powder. Add the cottage cheese / tofu. Stir it. Cover let it simmer in it's juices for 2 minutes. Serve it hot.

Chinese Pineapple, Cottage Cheese With Cashewnuts

Chinese Pineapple, Cottage Cheese With Cashewnuts

For the sauce
Ingredients
2 tbsp Rice wine (optional)
1 tbsp Vinegar
2 tbsp Soya Sauce
2 tbsp Honey
2 tbsp Tomato Ketchup
1/4 cup Water
2 tbsp Cornflour
1⁄4 tsp  Chinese five spice powder
Salt to taste

Method
Mix all the above ingredients together.

For the Chinese Pineapple Cottage Cheese With Cashewnuts
Ingredients
250 grams Cottage cheese cubes
1/2 cup Spring onions chopped
1 Onion cut into cubes
1 Green Capsicum cut into cubes
1 cup Pineapple cut into cubes 
1 tsp Ginger finely chopped
4 Garlic cloves chopped
1 tbsp Red Chillies sliced
1/2 cup roasted Cashew nuts
3 tbsp Sesame seed Oil

Method
Fry the paneer in the oil, remove and keep it aside. Add the onion, ginger and garlic. Saute till the onions are translucent. Add the capsicum, chillies and pineapple. Stir for 3 minutes, add half of the spring onions , cottage cheese and cashew nuts, stir for 2 minutes.  Add the sauce and on high flame stir fry till the sauce thickens up. Add the remaining spring onions to garnish. Serve hot.

Forest Green served with Boiled Rice Noodles..

Forest Green served with Boiled Rice Noodles..
A medley of green vegetables with leafy vegetable cooked together and serve on the bed of Rice Noodles..... Green vegetable and leafy vegetables are cooked in Garlicky Green Sorrel Sauce.... This is an experiment from my Kitchen....

For the Garlicky Green Sorrel Sauce
Ingredients
1 Bunch Green Sorrel / Ambat Chuka chopped and blanched
1 Garlic pod cleaned and minced
2 tbsp Chilli sauce
2 tbsp Soya Sauce
1 tsp Oyster Sauce
1 tbsp Honey
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Pepper powder
1 tbsp Sesame Oil

Method
Take a wok, take sesame oil, heat it. Add garlic, saute it for 2 minutes. Add green sorrel, stir and cook it for 2 minutes. Add chilli sauce, soya sauce, oyster sauce, honey, salt and pepper powder. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

For the Forest Green
Ingredients
2 cups medium size Broccoli florets
1 Red Capsicum cut into cubes
1 Yellow Capsicum cut into cubes
1 packet of medium size Mushroom  cut into 2 halves
2 red chillies chopped
1 Onion cut into cubes
2 cups of Garlic leaves chopped
2 cups of Spring Onions chopped
Garlicky Green Sorrel Sauce
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Sesame Oil

Method
Take oil in a wok, heat oil, add chopped chillies and onion, sauté it on high flame. One by one add the vegetables, add broccoli first, stir fry for 2 minutes, add yellow and red capsicum. Stir fry for a minute, add the mushrooms, spring onions and garlic leaves. Stir fry for 2 minutes, add the garlicky green sorrel sauce. Add salt if required. Stir and cook for 5 minutes..... Serve it on the rice noodles and enjoy the goodness of the veggies...

Veg Schezwan Fried Rice and Soya Chunks Manchurian

Veg Schezwan Fried Rice and Soya Chunks Manchurian 

Veg Schezwan Fried Rice
Ingredients
3 cups Rice (80 % Boiled)
1 cup Vegetables cut in to small cubes ( Carrot, Beans and Capsicum)
1 Onion finely chopped
1/4 cup Spring Onion chopped
4 Garlic cloves Minced
2 Dry Red Chillies Cut into big pieces
4 tbsp Schezwan Sauce
1 tbsp Soya sauce
1/2 tbsp Vinegar
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Oil
Take a wok, add oil. Heat it till the smoking point. Add the garlic, onion, red chillies and capsicum. Sauté it for 2 minutes. Add the vegetables. Sauté it for 2 minutes more. Add vinegar, soya sauce, salt and Schezwan sauce. Stir it, add 1/4 cup water. Let it boil. Add the rice, keep on stirring for 2 to 3 minutes till the sauce and the rice had incorporated well. Serve it hot....

Shezwan sauce
Ingredients:
10-12 Red chillies
10-15 medium sized Garlic pods
3 tbsp finely chopped Garlic
1 tbsp finely chopped Ginger
1 tbsp finely chopped Celery
3tbsp Tomato Sauce
1 tsp Soya Sauce
1 tbsp Vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp Pepper powder
Salt to taste
2-3 tbsp Oil

Method:

Cut and soak the  red chillies in warm water for an hour. Grind the soaked red chillies and  garlic pods together to a fine paste. Heat the oil in a pan and add finely chopped garlic and sauté it nicely for a minute. Add finely chopped ginger and celery and saute it for some time.
Add tomato sauce, ground red chilli and garlic paste and cook it well  till the oil leaves it's   edges. Add vinegar, soya sauce, sugar, pepper powder and salt and mix nicely and let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes on a slow flame. Cool the sauce and store it in an air tight container in refrigerator. You can easily keep it for a week or 2.

Soya Chunk Manchurian
Ingredients
1 cup Soya Chunks boiled and water removed
1 Capsicum cut into big cubes
1 Onion cut into cubes
4 Green chillies slit
2 tbsp Garlic Minced 

1 tsp Ginger Minced 
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Vinegar
2 tbsp Soya sauce
2 tbsp Corn Starch
2 tbsp Oil

Method
Take a pan, add 1 tbsp oil. Heat it. Add the soya chucks and sauté till light brown in colour. Keep it aside. Add the remaining oil. Heat it. Add the Garlic and Ginger, sauté it for 2 minutes. Add the capsicum and onion. Sauté it for 2 minutes. Add the soya sauce, vinegar, salt and 1 cup water. Let it simmer for a minute. Add the soya chunks and green chillies. Cook for 2 minutes. Take a bowl, add corn starch and 2 tbsp water. Mix it. Add it to the gravy. On a full flame let it boil till the gravy thickens a bit. Serve it hot.

Vegetable Dumpling

Vegetable dumpling
Ingredients
For the fillings
1 cup mix vegetables ( carrots, capsicum, cabbage ) finely chopped
1 onion finely chopped
1/2 tsp garlic chopped
1/2 tsp green chilli chopped
4 tbsp spring onions chopped
Salt to taste
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp soya sauce

Method

Heat  oil in a pan. Saute chopped onions, chopped garlic and chillies. Add the chopped vegetables and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add salt, vinegar and soya sauce and cook it till all the liquids dry up. Add spring greens, and let the filling cool.

To make  dough:
Ingredients
1 cup flour
Salt to taste
Hot water
Take flour. Add salt and  water. Make a stiff dough. Knead the dough well and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Divide into equal parts. Using dry flour roll each part into a small disc. Use dry flour to prevent dough from sticking.

Assembling
Put the vegetable filling on each disc. Bring the sides together and pinch the dough to appear like potlis or draw string bag. Now take some spring onions and tie it around the dumplings. Steam the dumplings for 10 minutes. When done, serve immedietly with homemade schezwan sauce or soya sauce.

Hunan Style Veg Noodle and Rice

Hunan Style Veg  Noodle and Rice 

Ingredients 

1/2  pack Fried Rice Noodles ( Boiled as per the instruction given in the packet and fry it in oil)

2 cup cooked Rice

3 tbsp Soy sauce

1 tbsp Red chilli oil

2 tbsp Rice wine Vinegar

1 tbsp  Sugar

2 tbsp Water

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp Ginger chopped 

1/2 tsp Garlic chopped 

2 tbsp  Spring Onions sliced

2 tbsp Peas

4 red chillies cut into half

1 sliced  Carrot

1/3 Cup sliced Mushrooms

1/3 Cup thinly sliced Yellow / Red Bell pepper

2 tbsp Sesame seed oil

Method 

 In small bowl, combine 1tbsp sesame oil, red chilli oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, garlic, ginger and water. Keep it aside.  Take  a wok. Add 1 tbsp sesame seed oil. Add green onions, peas, carrots, mushrooms, chillies and bell pepper to the oil. Toss it for 3 to 5 minutes. Mix the vegetables, sauce , salt, rice and noodle together. Toss it  on  a medium flame for few minutes.  Serve hot.

Spicy Burnt Garlic Vegetable Stewed

Spicy Burnt Garlic Vegetable Stewed Noodles 
Ingredients
1 capsicum diced
1 carrot diced
1/2 cup of spinach leaves roughly chopped
1 onion diced
4 tbsp garlic chopped
4 green chillies slit or more as required
2 tbsp sesame seed oil
1 tbsp of soya sauce
1 tbsp of tomato sauce
1 tbsp of vinegar
Salt to taste
1 tbsp of corn starch
Water as required
1 big packet of noodles
Optional you can add mushrooms, broccoli, red and yellow capsicum etc.
Method
Boil the noodles with salt and 1 tsp of oil, drain and keep aside. While draining the noodles retain 1 cup of starch water.
Take a pan add oil and heat well. Add chopped garlic and on full flame saute the garlic to get the burnt flavour. Now lower the flame and add onions and sauté. Add all the vegetables and saute it for 5 minutes. Add all the sauce and salt. Add water about 1  cups and the starch water retained while draining the noodles. Boil it well. When the vegetables are cooked then add 2 tbsp water to the corn starch and mix it and add to the gravy.  Boil it for 5 minutes more on a full flame till the gravy thickens a little. Now take a serving dish and  spread the noodles on the base and add the vegetable gravy on the top. Serve it hot.

Cottage Cheese Vegetable Stewed fried Noodles, Soya Chunks dry Manchurian, Stirred Fried Sweet and Sour Vegetables....

Cottage Cheese Vegetable Stewed fried Noodles, Soya Chunks dry Manchurian, Stirred Fried Sweet and Sour Vegetables....
Soya manchurian
Ingredients
1 cup soya chunks
Salt to taste
2 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp chopped green chilli
5 green chillies slited
1 onion cubed
1/2 capsicum cubed
2 tbsp corn flour
Oil to fry
2tsp soya sauce
1/2 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp green chilli sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp chopped spring onion for garnishing
Method
Add 1/2 tsp salt to 3 cups of water and boil the water. Add soya chunks and boil them. Drain the water and wash the chunks again. Squeeze the chucks and remove the water out. Take oil for frying and heat it up. Mix 1 tbsp garlic, chopped chilli, 2 tbsp corn flour and Soya chunks. Mix the ingredients well. Fry the chunks in hot oil. Keep the fried chunks aside. Take 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add the remaining garlic and green chillies slited. Add onion and capsicum. Sauté it for few minutes. Add the soya sauce, chilli sauce, salt to taste and vinegar. Sauté it again and add water. Let the gravy boil. Add the soya chunks and cook it till all the gravy dried up. Garnish it with chopped spring onion.

Sweet and Sour Stirred fried Vegetables
Ingredients
1/2 cup broccoli
1/2 cup each green and red capsicum cubed
2 green chillies slited
1/2 cup onion cubed
1/2 cup carrots cubed
1/2 cup mashrooms cut into two (optional)
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp red chilli sauce
3/4 tsp vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp tomato sauce
1 tsp corn flour
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
1/2 tsp chopped spring onion for garnishing
Method
Take oil and heat it up. Add chopped garlic and sauté it for few minutes. Add all the vegetables  and stir fry them on high heat. Add salt and all the sauces, honey and vinegar. Stir fry the vegetables. Take corn flour and mix with water. Add the corn flour paste to the vegetables and mix it. Cover and cook for few minutes. Garnish with sesame seeds and spring onion...

Stewed fried Noodles
2 cups boil noodles
2 cups starched water retained from the boil noodles
Oil for frying
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1 tbsp corn flour
1/4 cup water
1 cup mix vegetables sliced ( coloured capsicum, carrots, mashrooms, broccoli )
1 onion sliced
1 tbsp garlic chopped
4 green chillies slited
1/2 cup cottage cheese cubed
1/4 cup spinach chopped
1 tbsp spring onion chopped
Method
Take a pan. Add oil for frying. Heat up the oil. Add boiled noodles and fry them. Drain the oil and keep the noodles aside. Take a vessel add 1 tbsp oil. Add chopped garlic. Sauté it for few minutes. Add the sliced vegetables, spinach leaves and cottage cheese. Sauté it for few minutes. Add the starch water. Let it boil. Take the corn flour and mix it in 2 tbsp water. Add the corn flour, salt, pepper and vinegar to the gravy. Boil the gravy till it thickens up a bit. Take a plate. Spread the fried noodles and pour the gravy on top. Garnish it with spring onion.