Thai Stuffed Crab-shells (Poo Cha)

Thai Stuffed Crab-shells (Poo Cha)

(Deep-fried crab shells stuffed with crab meat & a host of other minced meat that has been pre-cooked in Thai-spices.)
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PrepTime : Serves : Cook Time
30 Min 6pcs 15-20 Min

Ingredients:

Fish sauce to taste
3tbsp Lime juice
1tbsp minced garlic
1tbsp sugar
1tbsp chili-paste
6 Crabs, small OR 1/2 lb Crab-meat
1/2 lb Ground pork (optional) or beef/chicken
1/2 lb finely chopped shrimps/ prawns
1/4 cup finely chopped green-onion
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp corn-starch
1 tsp soya sauce
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili paste
1 egg
peanut oil for deep frying


Cooking Instructions:

Combine fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, sugar & chili paste & stir till sugar is dissolved. Take the fresh crabs, steam for 30 mins or until cooked. Remove crab meat from the cavity/shell being careful not to crack or break the shells. Mix this crab meat, ground pork/beef/chicken, chopped prawns/shrimps, green onions, coriander leaves, garlic, fish sauce, corn starch, soya sauce, black pepper, chili paste , salt & egg. Stuff shells with thie mixture & deepfry until golden brown. Drain excess oil out on paper towels & serve with thai chili sauce, soya-chili or garlic-chili paste.

Tip: If the shells break, then just form cakes of the cooked meat mixture & fry; Serve as above.

Brinjal-bites/ Grilled Eggplant

Brinjal-bites/ Pan-fried or grilled eggplant

(Brinjal slices dusted with a medley of spices & pan-fried, grilled or roasted)
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PrepTime : Serves : Cook Time
5 Min 3-4 10-15 Min

Ingredients:

1 large long brinjal/ eggplant
1/4 tsp turmeric pwd
1/4 tsp cumin pwd
1/4 tsp pepper pwd
1/4 tsp red-chili pwd
1/2 tsp salt
olive oil

Cooking Instructions:

Cut the eggplant into 1/2cm-thin slices & dust them with all the powders, salt & 2 tbsp olive oil - toss to cover evenly. Shallow-fry or grill on both sides for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Serve hot as a snack or a side to your Indian meal.

Alternative - You can make a batter of gram-flour, yoghurt, salt to taste & some red-chili, turmeric, cumin & pepper powders. Coat the slices in the batter & deep-fry till golden brown.
Another way to make brinjal-bites is to coat the slices with a batter of corn-flour & milk and then dust them with breadcrumbs or semolina and shallow fry on each side.

Gobi Manchurian

Gobi Manchurian

(An Indo-Chinese recipe for Cauliflower dumplings in a traditional Chinese Manchurian sauce.)
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PrepTime : Serves : Cook Time
15Min 4 30 Min


Ingredients :

1 small cauliflower clean and broken into big florettes.
1 small bunch spring onoin finely chopped
2 tsp. ginger finely chopped
1 tsp. garlic finely chopped
1/4 cup plain flour
3 tbsp. cornflour
1/4 tsp. red chilli powder
2 red chillies, dry
3 tbsp. oil
1 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp. Milk

Cooking Instructions:

Boil the florettes for 2-3mins in plenty of water, to which a tbsp. of milk has been added. Drain well and pat dry on a clean cloth. Make thin batter out of flour and 2 tbsp cornflour, adding 1/4 tsp each of ginger and garlic and red chilli powder and salt to taste. Dip the florettes in the batter one by one and deep fry in hot oil. Keep aside.

In the remaining oil, add remaining ginger, garlic and crushed red chili and fry for a minute. Add the salt and spring onions - stir fry for a minute. Add 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Dissolve 1 tbsp cornflour to 1/4 cup water & gradually add to the gravy, stirring continuously till it boils & then the gravy becomes transparent. Add florettes and soya sauce. Boil for two more minutes and remove.
Serve hot with noodles or rice.

Variations:

- Dry Gobi Manchurian

Dry manchurian can be made by omitting the gravy. Make florettes as above and instead of adding water as above, add fried florettes, spring onions and soya sauce at this stage. Sprinkle 1 tsp cornflour on the florettes and stir-fry for 2mins. Serve piping hot with toothpicks or miniforks and chilligarlic sauce or tomato sauce.

- Mixed Vegetable Manchurian

Same procedure for mixed Veg. Manchurian (with gravy or dry), but instead of using only cauliflower, use finely chopped/minced cooked vegetables like carrots & peas and bind with some cornflour or bread crumbs and make small lumps the size of a pingpong ball. Fry as above and proceed as above.

Bombay Sandwich/ Green Chutney or Pudina Chutney sandwich

Bombay Sandwich/ Pudina Chutney sandwich

(A famous street-side snack from Bombay - rainbow sandwiches with mint sauce/pudina chutney, cheese & ketchup)


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PrepTime : Serves : Cook Time
5 Min 5 5Min


Ingredients :

15 slices bread (edges cut off)
5 slices cheese singles
5 tbsp ketchup/ 1 large tomato sliced into 10 slices
slices of 1 cucumber
1 large potato
15 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp pepper

For the chutney:
1 bunch coriander leaves
1/2 bunch mint leaves
5 tbsp dessicated coconut
5 tbsp butter
1-2 green chili
5 pepper corns
5 tbsp sugar
salt to taste
1/4 tsp cumin seeds or pwd
1 pinch cardamom/cinnamon pwd

Cooking Instructions:

- Grind all chutney ingredients in a blender adding water little-by-little till you get a smooth paste (Ensure butter is room temp or slightly heat it in the microwave).
- Boil the potato water with 1/2 tsp salt & cut into medium slices (not too thin) & then dust with the pepper & set aside.
- Make sandwiches with ingredients in this order: slice - butter- cheese -potato slice - ketchup or tomato slice or both - butter - slice - chutney - cucumber slices - butter - slice. Cut diagonally into a triangle. Serve with ketchup.

Sikkimese steamed Veg-Momos

Sikkimese steamed Veg-Momos


(A light stater of steamed dumplings with a flavorful filling within, served with tomato chutney/sweet-n-spicy tomato chili sauce)


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PrepTime : Serves : Cook Time
15 Min 4-6 15 Min


Ingredients :

2 cups flour
water
1/2 tsp baking soda
Salt to taste

1/2 kg finely chopped veg mixture: carrots, cabbage & (any or all 3 color) capsicums
1 large onion chopped very fine
8-10 cloves of garlic chopped very fine
3 tbsps soy sauce
1 tbsp chilli sauce
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
Salt to taste
3 tbsps vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil

Cooking Instructions:

Mix the flour and salt to taste and add a little water at a time to make a stiff yet sticky dough (not TOO wet), like a pizza dough. Keep aside covered with a moist napkin. Do NOT let it dry.

Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions to pink (not brown). Add the garlic & fry well. Then, add the mix vegetables mixture & fry well. Add the soy and chilli sauces, freshly ground pepper and salt to taste and cook till the veg is done.

Make small balls of the dough & roll out each to 4" diameter rounds. Dab a lil' water on the edges & place a tablespoon of the mix in the center of each circle. Fold the edges over the meat & pinch and twist to seal or fold the Momo in half (into a semi-circular/ moon shape) and pinch the edges shut. Place these arrangements onto a moist cloth/ parchment paper or well greased surface.

Before placing them in the steamer ensure the steamer layers/ trays are well greased. Place the Momos into the steaming dish and cook for 10-15 minutes. Serve with tomato chutney or a sweet-n-spicy tomato-chili sauce.

Sikkimese Steamed Non-Veg Momos

Sikkimese steamed Non-Veg Momos


(A light stater of steamed dumplings with a flavorful filling within, served with tomato chutney/sweet-n-spicy tomato chili sauce)


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PrepTime : Serves : Cook Time
15 Min 4-6 15 Min


Ingredients :

2 cups flour
water
1/2 tsp baking soda
Salt to taste

1/2 kg chicken/beef/pork/prawn/fish/mutton mince
1 large onion chopped very fine
8-10 cloves of garlic chopped very fine
3 tbsps soy sauce
1 tbsp chilli sauce
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
Salt to taste
3 tbsps vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil

Cooking Instructions:

Mix the flour and salt to taste and add a little water at a time to make a stiff yet sticky dough (not TOO wet), like a pizza dough. Keep aside covered with a moist napkin. Do NOT let it dry.

Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions to pink (not brown). Add the garlic & fry well. Then, add the meat & stir fry till its browned evenly. Add the soy and chilli sauces, freshly ground pepper and salt to taste and cook till the meat is done.

Make small balls of the dough & roll out each to 4" diameter rounds. Dab a lil' water on the edges & place a tablespoon of the mix in the center of each circle. Fold the edges over the meat & pinch and twist to seal or fold the Momo in half (into a semi-circular/ moon shape) and pinch the edges shut. Place these arrangements onto a moist cloth/ parchment paper or well greased surface.

Before placing them in the steamer ensure the steamer layers/ trays are well greased. Place the Momos into the steaming dish and cook for 10-15 minutes. Serve with tomato chutney or a sweet-n-spicy tomato-chili sauce.

Paneer Kathi rolls

Paneer Kathi Rolls

(Paneer/ cottage cheese stir-fry rolled in a roti/ burrito bread & served with sauces/ chutneys of ur choice. )




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PrepTime : Serves : Cook Time
10 Min 3 10 min


Ingredients :

6 rotis/ burrito breads
1/2 kg paneer/ cottage cheese
1-2 green & red bell peppers - finely sliced
1 medium onion - finely chopped
1 green chili
salt & pepper to taste
finely chopped 1/2 " ginger
1/4 tsp red chili pwd
1/4 tsp jeera/cumin pwd
sauces/ chutney of your choice (mint/ tomato-chili, etc.)
1/4 cup lime juice
butter
cooking oil

Cooking Instructions :

Heat cooking oil & fry onions, then add green chili, ginger & bell peppers. Add the powder spices, salt & pepper. Then add the paneer with 2-3 tbsp water, cover & cook till soft. Roughly mash paneer & vegs and then add 3-4 tbsp lime juice & the sauces as per your taste. Cover & toss. Simmer for 2 mins & set aside to cool.

On a pan/tava, brush on some butter. Place 1-2 tbsp of the mix on each roti, fold in 3 corners & fold the roti over, forming a roll. Place it on the heated pan with the lose end touching the pan. Keep Repeat for other 5 rotis. Keep turning the rolls so they are uniformly brown on each side. Serve with sauces/ chutneys of your choice.