Chilli Mushrooms

This is a very easy method of chilly mushroom making,takes only 10-15 minutes as the chinese cooking is very fast cooking and also as we are using mushrooms, the cooking will be done very soon. A very good recipe for bachelors.;) A very good starter for vegetarians and very tempting when well garnished and presented.So best for a party as it is a very low time consuming dish as well.

Ingredients:
1. White Button Mushrooms- 10
2. Finely chopped Onion – 1/2
3. Grated Ginger – 1 tsp
4. Grated Garlic – 1 tsp
5. Finely chopped Green Chillies – 3
6. Capsicum thinly diced – 2 tbsp (optional)
7. Soy Sauce – 2 tbsp
8. Pepper Powder – 1 tsp
9. Spring Onion greens chopped-1/4 cup
10. Vegetable oil – 3 tsp
11. Green chilly Sauce- 1 1/2 tbsp
12. Celery,finely chopped-3 tbsp
13. Salt – to taste

Preparation Method:
1. In a pan, heat oil and saute onion,ginger,garlic and green chillies.
2. When onion is half done add the soy and chilly sauces,celery and half the spring onion.
3. Add the washed and cleaned whole mushrooms and saute well.
4. Close and cook for 5 minutes, till mushrooms gets soft/cooked. Do not cook the mushrooms too much, it will become very soft and its crispiness and the original taste will be lost.
5. Finally add the pepper powder and saute twice. Close the lid and switch off the flame.
6. Serve warm with tooth picks inserted into each mushrooms and a spoon for its onion masala. Garnish with some spring onions on top and a rose flower.(Purely Optional)
7. This is not a gravy version, this is served as starter with some coating onion masala. To make it into gravy, mix some(1 tsp) cornflour in some(1/4 cup) water and add into this,Simmer for 2 minutes.Stir well, while it attains a thick gravy consistency, switch off the flame and serve warm with rotis,fried rice or parotta.
This is a sure hit for parties, I had served it many times and the recipe was shared. Bachelors are happy for this recipe, very easy, healthy and filling.

Chinese dumplings/Jiaozi/Pot-stickers

This another blooger's recipe that I tried and came out successful. Thanks to Vidhya of Sugar and Spices. Thank you Vidhya, your snaps tempted me to make them soon and it came out really well, I have made small changes and tried out.

This is one of my favorite among chinese starters from my bangalore-life. I loved eating them many while going for the buffet lunch during the project parties in Silver Metro Bangalore at the Total mall. They will be kept next to soup in a casserole-like wooden round dish(I dont know its exact name) and the dumplings will be piping hot inside and the smell is really tempting. After coming here I have felt many times to try them out at home after having them many times from the buffet here also, but somehow the thought did not become practical for a long time. But last day, while I was going through my friend's blogs,I got stuck at Vidhya's blog seeing this and tempted me to cook them. Thank you Vidhya for boosting me up showing the drooling snaps of dumplings.

Jiaozi typically consist of ground meat/vegetable filling wrapped into a thinly rolled piece of dough which is then sealed by pressing the edges together. Jiaozi should not be confused with wonton: Jiaozi have a thicker, chewier skin and a flatter shape (similar in shape to ravioli), and are eaten with dipping sauce. Wontons are usually fried and served sometimes mixed with soup. There are steamed dumplings also in the chinese menu. this is a different version which is toasted and boiled and again toasted dumpling recipe.

Jiaozi are eaten all year round and can be eaten at any time of the day –breakfast,lunch or dinner. They can constitute one course, starter or side dish, Jiaozi are one of the major foods eaten during the Chinese New Year.

Ingredients:
1. Cabbage,shredded finely- 1/2 cup
2. Carrot,shredded- 1/2 cup
3. Mushrooms,finely chopped- 1/2 cup
4. Ginger-Garlic Paste- 1/4 tsp
5. Soy-sauce-1/2 tsp
6. Red-chili Paste-1/2 tsp
7. Sunflower/Vegetable Oil- 1 tsp
8. Salt and Pepper- 1/2 tsp
9. Spring roll/Wonton Pastry sheets- 8


Preparation Method:
1. In a wok, add oil and toss in ginger-garlic paste.
2. Add cabbage, carrot and mushroom shred.
3. Sprinkle salt and pepper and saute for 3-4 minutes till mushroom gets cooked and cabbage becomes soft.
4. Add soy-sauce and saute well.
5. On the side of the pan, add 1/4 tsp oil and add chili-paste, saute for few seconds till the raw taste goes and finally mix them well with the rest of the ingredients.
6. Switch off te flame and keep aside.
7. Take out the pastry sheets one-by-one. If you are using wonton wraps which is round in shape and not square, just brush the round edge with water and keep the filling at the center and fold it and seal the edges together.
8. If spring-roll pastry sheets are used which is big squares, cut into two-equal round sheets using a small-round tin-cap. Keep the filling inside and fold and seal the edges.
9. In a wide pan, pour 1/2 tsp oil and spread all over, keep the dumplings(without overlapping each other) in the pan and toast both the sides for half a minute keeping the pan open.
10. Keep aside the toasted dumplings. In the same pan add half a cup of water and boil.
11. Once it boils, add the dumplings(without any dumpling overlapping each other) into it and cook each side for 2-3 minutes keeping the pan open, till all the water dries out. The dumplings must not immerse fully into the water, water level must be just to keep them and just its half.
12. Toast for half a minute again on both the sides after the water dries out to make them a bit crunchy.
13. Serve hot with any sauce as a snack or a starter for your dinner-party or lunch.

Schezwan Noodles with Healthy Whole-Wheat spaghetti

Ingredients

1. Whole Wheat Noodles :
2. Shredded Carrots,Green Beans,Cabbage : 1 cups
3. Onions thinly sliced: 1/4 cup
4. Green Capsicum sliced : 1/2
5. Soya Sauce : 1 tsp
6. Red Chilly Sauce : 1 tsp
7. Vinegar : 1 tsp
8. Chopped Cilantro- 1/4 cup
9. Ginger-Garlic Paste- 1 tsp
10. Vegetable Oil - 2 tsp
11. Salt to taste

Preparation Method:

1. Cut the noodles into half.

2. Boil 4 cups water with some salt and a drop of vegetable oil.
3. Cook it the noodles is soft and well-cooked.
4. Strain them and wash the noodles in a sieve by cold running water immediately.

5. Heat oil in a pan,add ginger-garlic paste and add onions,saute for 2 minutes.
6. When it starts changing color,add shredded vegetables and saute it well.

7. Add all the sauces and salt to taste.
8. Add cooked noodles into it and mix it thoroughly using a spatula and a fork.Do not press and mix with a spatula, it will break the noodles into pieces leaving them broken not able to twirl in a fork while eating.

9. Add vinegar and cilantro, saute for a minute.
10. Keep in high heat for a minute.
8. Serve hot when its done. Goes best with Chilli-Chicken or Chicken Manchurian.

Gobi Manchurian

Ingredients
1. Cauliflower-1, florets separated
2. Cornflour- 1 1/2tsp
3. Soysauce- 2 tbsp
4. Salt
5. Pepper-1 tsp
6. Ginger-Garlic Paste- 1tsp
7. All purpos flour/maida- 2tsp

For Sauce:
9. Onion chopped -3
10. Onion diced-1
11. Half Capsicum/Bell pepper diced
12. Green chillies minsed-6
13. Garlic minsed-7
15. Vegetable Oil/ Canola Oil/ Olive oil- 3 tbsp
16. Oil for frying chicken
17. Celery- 1/2 a cup chopped
18. Spring onion-1/4 cup chopped
19. Soysauce- 1 tbsp
20. Green-Chilly sauce- 1 tbsp
21. Sugar- 1/4 tsp
22. Cornflour- 2 tsp
23. Cilantro- a bunch, finely chopped

1. Separate the florets of the cauliflower, check for any dust or worms in between each florets.

2. In a vessel with water, add enough salt and cook the florets keeping the lid open, till the rawness of the florets go.

3. Drain off the water and keep aside.

4. Mix all the ingredients from 2-8 with the cooked florets and keep aside for half an hour and deep fry them in hot oil.

5. In a pan, pour 3 tbsp oil. Add ginger garlic paste,garlic and green chillies. Saute for some seconds.

6. Add pepper powder,saute for a minute and then add chopped onions. Saute till transparent.

7. Add chopped cilantro and fry for 3 minutes till it cook completely. Add half the celery and half the spring onion. Saute for a minute.

8. Add soysauce and chilli sauce.

9. Add sugar and two glasses of water. Keep the lid closed and let it boil.

10. Once boiled, add the diced onion, bell pepper and the fried chicken.

11. Keep the lid closed till the diced onion starts becoming transparent.

12. Now, keep the lid open and mix well the fried gobi in the sauce.

13. Any sauce or pepper powder or salt, if needed can be added to the gravy at this point.

14. Now add 2 tsp cornflour mixed in 3 tsp water into this.

15. Now the gravy will start thickening. Stir well, otherwise there are chances of cornflour forming lumps.

16. Switch off the flame when the gravy reaches the right consistency you want. If you are serving it as a starter let all the water content dry and only the gobi and the onion remain. Granish with the rest of the celery and spring onion.

17. Serve hot with fried rice or chapathis.

Chicken Manchurian

Ingredients
1. Chicken cut into small pieces, boneless or with bone: 1/4 kg
2. Eggs beaten well-2
3. Cornflour- 1 1/2tsp
4. Soysauce- 2 tbsp
5. Salt
6. Pepper-1 tsp
7. Ginger-Garlic Paste- 1tsp
8. All purpos flour/maida- 2tsp

For Sauce:
9. Onion chopped -3
10. Onion diced-1
11. Half Capsicum/Bell pepper diced
12. Green chillies minsed-6
13. Garlic minsed-7
15. Vegetable Oil/ Canola Oil/ Olive oil- 3 tbsp
16. Oil for frying chicken
17. Celery- 1/2 a cup chopped
18. Spring onion-1/4 cup chopped
19. Soysauce- 1 tbsp
20. Green-Chilly sauce- 1 tbsp
21. Sugar- 1/4 tsp
22. Cornflour- 2 tsp
23. Cilantro- a bunch, finely chopped

1. Mix all the ingredients from 1-8 and keep aside for half an hour and deep fry them in hot oil.

2. In a pan, pour 3 tbsp oil. Add ginger garlic paste,garlic and green chillies. Saute for some seconds.

3. Add pepper powder,saute for a minute and then add chopped onions. Saute till transparent.

4. Add chopped cilantro and fry for 3 minutes till it cook completely. Add half the celery and half the spring onion. Saute for a minute.

5. Add soysauce and chilli sauce.

6. Add sugar and two glasses of water. Keep the lid closed and let it boil.

7. Once boiled, add the diced onion, bell pepper and the fried chicken.

8. Keep the lid closed till the diced onion starts becoming transparent.

9. Now, keep the lid open and mix well the chicken in the sauce.

10. Any sauce or pepper powder or salt, if needed can be added to the gravy at this point.

11. Now add 2 tsp cornflour mixed in 3 tsp water into this.

12. Now the gravy will start thickening. Stir well, otherwise there are chances of cornflour forming lumps.

13. Switch off the flame when the gravy reaches the right consistency you want. If you are serving it as a starter let all the water content dry and only the chicken and the onion remain. Granish with the rest of the celery and spring onion.

14. Serve hot with fried rice or chapathis. Serve with a tooth pick pierced into each chicken piece when served as a starter.

Mushroom Manchurian

Ingredients
1.Onion-1, thinly sliced
2. Ginger-garlic paste- 1tbsp
3. Green chillies- 3, finely chopped
4. Soya sauce- 1 1/2 tbsp
5. Chilli sauce- 1 tbsp
6. Tomato sauce- 1 tsp
7. Spring onion- 3, finely chopped
8. Celery- 2 strands, chopped
9. Capsicum - 1, cut into cubes
10. Half an onion, cut into cubes
11. Vegetable oil- 1 tbsp
12. Button/ White Mushrooms- cut into 4 equal pieces.
13. Salt, to taste
14. Pepper powder- 1/4 tsp (optional)

Preparation Method
1. Heat oil in a pan, add ginger-garlic paste and green chillies. Saute.
2. Add sliced onion and half the spring onion and saute for sometime.
3. Add all the sauces and saute for half a minute.
4. Add the diced onion, capsicum and sliced mushroom and saute fora minute.
5. Add salt and pepper powder if required and add 5 tbsps of water.
6. Cover and cook for a minute. Mix well.
7. Garnish with the rest of spring onion.
8. Serve hot with fried rice.

Paneer Chilli

Ingredients

1. Paneer cubes- 2 cups

2. Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp

3. Salt,to taste

4. Cornflour- 1 tbsp

5. Soy sauce- 1 tsp,1 tbsp

6. Egg- 1

7. Pepper powder- 1 tsp

8. Ginger-garlic paste- 2 tsp

9. Vegetable oil- 2 tbsp

10. Diced Onion- 1/2 an onion

11. Capsicum/Bell pepper- 1/2 diced

12. Celery, chopped- 3 tbsp

13. Spring Onion, finely chopped- 2 tbsp

14. Green chilles- 2, chopped

15. Chilly sauce- 1 tsp, 2 tbsp

16. Onion-2 chopped

1. Coat paneer with chilly powder, salt, cornflour,1 tsp soy sauce, egg, pepper powder and ginger-garlic paste. Keep aside for half an hour.

2. Heat oil in a pan. Add ginger-garlic paste,chilly powder,onion chopped and celery. Saute well.

3. In another pan, heat oil to deep fry paneer. Fry paneer till the coated cover gets cooked and crispy.

4. Add the fried paneer into the sauting pan and mix well, add the sauces, diced onin, bell peppers and mix well.

5. Add 1/2 cup water and boil. When the water starts reducing, add the cornflour mixed with 2 tsp water and stir continuously.

5. When it thickens well, switch off the flame and sprinkle spring onion. Serve hot with fried rice or parotta.

Chili Chicken

A dish which kids as well as grown-ups love to eat. This can be served as a starter item as well as a side dish with the main courses like Fried rice, Chapathi, Parotta, Naan or just steamed rice. This is made in three steps which includes frying the chicken and then making the sauce and finally coating the chicken well with the gravy.

Ingredients
1. Chicken cut into small pieces, boneless or with bone: 1/4 kg
2. Eggs beaten well-2
3. Cornflour- 1 1/2tsp
4. Soysauce- 2 tbsp
5. Salt
6. Pepper-1 tsp
7. Ginger-Garlic Paste- 1tsp
8. All purpos flour/maida- 2tsp

For Sauce:
9. Onion chopped -3
10. Onion diced-1
11. Half Capsicum/Bell pepper diced
12. Green chillies minsed-6
13. Garlic minsed-7
14. Chilly powder-1 tsp
15. Vegetable Oil/ Canola Oil/ Olive oil- 3 tbsp
16. Oil for frying chicken
17. Celery- 1/2 a cup chopped
18. Spring onion-1/4 cup chopped
19. Soysauce- 1 tbsp
20. Chilly sauce- 3 tbsp
21. Sugar- 1/4 tsp
22. Cornflour- 2 tsp

1. Mix all the ingredients from 1-8 and keep aside for half an hour and deep fry them in hot oil.

2. In a pan, pour 3 tbsp oil. Add ginger garlic paste,garlic and green chillies. Saute for some seconds.

3. Add chilly powder and pepper powder,saute for a minute and then add chopped onions. Saute till transparent.

4. Add half the celery and half the spring onion. Saute for a minute.

5. Add soysauce and chilli sauce.

6. Add sugar and two glasses of water. Keep the lid closed and let it boil.

7. Once boiled, add the diced onion, bell pepper and the fried chicken.

8. Keep the lid closed till the diced onion starts becoming transparent.

9. Now, keep the lid open and mix well the chicken in the sauce.

10. Any sauce or pepper powder or salt, if needed can be added to the gravy at this point.

11. Now add 2 tsp cornflour mixed in 3 tsp water into this.

12. Now the gravy will start thickening. Stir well, otherwise there are chances of cornflour forming lumps.

13. Switch off the flame when the gravy reaches the right consistency you want. If you are serving it as a starter let all the water content dry and only the chicken and the onion remain. Granish with the rest of the celery and spring onion.

14. Serve hot with fried rice or chapathis. Serve with a tooth pick pierced into each chicken piece when served as a starter.

Courtsey: webindia123.com

Chicken/Vegetable Fried Rice

1. Soy Sauce
2. Red Chili Sauce
3. Green Chili Sauce
4. Steamed Rice
5. Green Chillies
6. Ginger-Garlic Paste
7. Onion chopped
8. Carrot
9. Green Beans
10. Celery
11. Spring Onion
12. Chicken
13. Egg


1. Cook rice with 3 tbp soyasauce, salt and 1 tsp oil (Soyasauce also contains saltness, so adjust salt accordingly. When the water is tasted if its salty enough, then the rice will also be the same when cooked).

2. Heat oil ina wok/pan. Add ginger-garlic paste and green chillies.

3. Add onion, saute till translucent. Add celery,saute for 5 mnts.

4. Add the chicken to a side of the pan keeping the other ingredients onto another side. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on to the chicken.Keep this along with other ingredients.

5. Pour little oil and add the egg beaten with salt. Scramble properly and sprinkle some pepper powder on the cooked egg.

6. Add the vegetables; Carrot and Green peas. Saute for 5 mnts.

7. Add the sauces; soyasauce and chilly sauce. Now the mix is ready to mix up with the rice.

8. Add the cooked rice and toss well. Sprinkle salt little by little by one hand,mixing rice with the other hand.

9. Sprinkle spring onion on top and give a mix.

10. (Optional) In 2 tsps of oil add the crushed chillies/chilli powder and keep aside for 15-20 mnts. Add this on the rice and serve hot. The best combination for this are chinese dishes or Thai dishes.

The egg and chicken part can be avoided by veggies and chicken can be avoided for those who need egg fried rice.

Courtesy: webindia123.com