Vegetable Fried Rice & Vegetable Manchurian

Chinese cuisine....errrrr....I am sorry, I should say 'Indo-Chinese' is my all time favorite. To be specific, it was one of my very few food cravings I had during my Pregnancy!! 'Y' is although not at all a fan of it. Basically he can't go with just  the noodles or rice & needs some sort of 'roti' preparation in his meal. But there are times when he has no option but to 'enjoy the food!!' since he cannot cook anything..hehe! 

This was the first time when I tried Vegetable Manchurian & it came out perfect. I had prepared Gobi Manchurian at home but had a very big, fresh cabbage lying in the refrigerator with some carrots & thought of using it up!!

Vegetable Fried Rice

Serves: 2-3                           Preparation Time: 20 mins                  Cooking Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Could not prevent myself from adding a snap of this fresh cabbage :)

1 1/2 cup basmati rice (Cooked in plenty of water with 1/2 tsp salt, rinsed under cold water, drained, cooled)

1 cup finely cut cabbage

1 carrot, peeled & chopped

1 small green capsicum, chopped

1/2 cup spring onion whites

4-5 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1-2 green chillies, finely chopped

1/2 tbspn black pepper pwd

1 tbspn soya sauce

1/2 tbspn vinegar

few chopped spring onion & coriander leaves for garnish

4 tbspn oil

salt as per taste

Step 1: Boil the chopped cabbage & carrots in water for 2 mts. (I added a pinch of sugar & sodium bicarbonate to this water to retain the color of the veggies. I used the same water as vegetable stock for Vegetable Manchurian)

Step 2: Heat oil in a pan. Once piping hot, add garlic followed by spring onion whites & green chillies. Saute for a min.

Step 3: Add capsicum, cabbage & carrot. Mix well. 

Step 4: Add pepper pwd, soya sauce, salt & vinegar. Mix well.

Step 5: Add cooked rice, mix well & saute on high flame for 2-3 mins.

Step 6: Garnish with chopped spring onions & coriander. Serve hot with Vegetable Manchurian.

Vegetable Manchurian

Serves: 2-3                Preparation Time: 10-15 mins                       Cooking Time: 10-15 mins

Ingredients:

Manchurian Balls:

1 cup finely grated cabbage

1/2 cup finely grated carrots (peeled before grating)

1-2 green chillies, finely chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tsp grated ginger

1 1/2 tbspn corn flour

2 tbspn all purpose flour

salt as per taste

Oil for deep frying

Manchurian Gravy:

1 small green capsicum, chopped

1/2 cup spring onion whites

4-5 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tbspn corn flour mixed with 1/2 cup water

1 tbspn kashmiri red chilly pwd

1 packet red paprika (optional, I had a pouch from Pizza Hut home delivery & used it up!!)

1/2 tbspn black pepper pwd

2 tbspn soya sauce

1/2 tsp vinegar

2 tbspn oil

2 cups water or Vegetable Stock

salt as per taste

For Serving:

Chopped Spring onions & coriander for garnish

Step 1: Mix all the ingredients for Manchurian Balls. (No additional water is needed, if required, add a few drops) Shape into balls & deep fry in the oil. Set aside.

Step 2: Prepare the gravy. Heat oil in a pan. Once hot, add garlic followed by spring onion whites. Saute for 30 secs.

Step 3: Add capsicum, red chilly pwd, pepper pwd, soya sauce, vinegar, salt & water.

Step 4: To this, slowly add the cornflour mixed with water. Let it cook for 5 mins.

Step 5: If you find the gravy to be too thick, you can adjust by adding some warm water.

Step 6: Put Manchurian balls in the gravy, garnish with chopped spring onion & coriander. Server hot with Vegetable Fried Rice.

Vegetable Pulao

A day before, I saw the Pudina Leaves lying in the rack of Reliance Fresh. I don't often use Pudina in my day to day preparations, but thought of picking them up for some rice kind of preparation as I am a 'Rice Lover'!!

I would like to add a tip here to increase the shelf life of Pudina Leaves. Pick them up & wrap in a tissue paper & store in some air tight plastic container at the door of the refrigerator. Do not store it inside the refrigerator. It will stay fresh & green for a longer time if stored at the door.

If you are good at cutting vegetables & enjoy doing it...this is the simplest recipe & also a good and satisfying one pot meal. Generally few of them hate adding pudina to pulao or biryani coz it turns black. But I can assure you about the value it adds to the dish as mentioned in Step 7. Makes the pulao simply mintyyyy!!

Vegetable Pulao

Serves: 4                  Preparation Time: 10 mins                   Cooking Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

1 bowl basmati rice (washed & drained)

2 tbspn oil+ 2 tbspn ghee

1 carrot cut into cubes

1 onion thinly sliced

few pieces of cauliflower (u can also use french beans if you have)

few Nutrela mini soya chunks (fried in a tsp oil, boiled, washed & drained)

1 bowl coconut milk (I had Maggi coconut milk powder so prepared the coconut milk using the same)+ 1 bowl water OR 2 bowls water

few corainder leaves & pudina leaves for garnishing

1 tej patta+ 2 cloves+ 2 peppercorns + 1 small piece of dalchini

1 tsp cumin seeds or shahjeera

1 tsp everest biryani pulao masala

salt as per taste

Ingredients

Step 1: Heat the oil & ghee in a pressure cooker.

Step 2: Add  cumin seeds, once they splutter add tej patta, cloves, peppercorns, dalchini & saute for 10-15 secs.

Step 3: Add onion & saute till they just turn transparent.

Step 4: Add rest of the veggies & soya chunks followed by salt & everest masala & saute for 2 mins on a medium heat. Add rice & mix well.

Step 5: Add coconut milk + water.

Step 6: Close the lid & let it cook on medium heat upto 2 whistles. Reduce the heat to minimum for 1 min & turn off heat.

Step 7: Let it cool. Once the steam escapes completely, open the lid, add coriander & mint leaves & run a spoon through the pulao & close again with another dish. This will give a wonderful mint flavour to the pulao which will be loved by all!!

Step 8: Its ready to be served!! 

Note: I have used the spices to suit my toddlers taste. You may increase the amount of Everest masala or other whole spices as per your choice.