Gobhi Manchurian ( Cauliflower Manchurian) made healthy!

Gobhi manchurian is one of the most popular Indo-Chinese dish. Rarely would there be an Indian who is not familiar with Gobhi manchurian. It is often served as a vegetarian option in appetizers/starters and also as a side-dish. Like most tasty dishes, this one packs a lot of calories, primarily due to the fact that the cauliflower florets are fried and then again sautéed in oil!  I too love this dish, but refrain from making it often due to the high oil content. I have pondered for long on ways to make it gluten-free and healthy. I once put the florets in corn flour batter and baked it and made it but was not happy with the results. I tried a combination of corn flour and rice flour and baked it.. Didn't work either. The batter would flatten one side of the florets that stayed on the parchment paper and didn't give a nice appearance.

Recently, an idea struck me when I was making Butternut squash fries! How about I use the technique of putting the florets in a ziplock bag and adding corn flour to it and then baking it?? Well, guess what?? I tried it and the florets baked beautifully to the desired consistency. I however had blanched the florets in the microwave to reduce the cooking ( baking) time. I am happy that I have finally found a method to make the Manchurian without too much oil while maintaining the same taste.

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

Cauliflower: 1 medium head, separated into florets.
Water: 4 quarts for blanching the cauliflower.

For the cauliflower coating:
Corn flour: 2 tbsp
All purpose flour: 1 tbsp
Kashmiri red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp ( optional)
Ginger garlic paste: 1/2 tsp
Soy sauce: 1 tbsp

For the sauce:
Cooking oil: 1 tbsp
Onion: 1 medium, chopped fine
Garlic: 4-6 cloves, chopped fine
Ginger: 1 inch piece, chopped fine
Green chillies: 4-6, slit
Scallions: 2-3, chopped fine, white and green parts kept separate.
Soy sauce: 2 tbsp
Tomato sauce: 2 tbsp
Chilli sauce: 1 tsp ( optional)
Salt: to taste
Sugar: 1/4 tsp

Method:

Boil 4 quarts water with 1/4 tsp salt in a saucepan. Turn off the flame. Add the cauliflower florets to the water. Let it sit for 5mins. Remove them and dry the florets completely using paper towels.

Take the florets in a microwave-safe bowl and steam them for 4-5 mins.
Let it cool down.

Preheat the oven to 400 deg F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and keep ready.

Once the cauliflower florets have cooled down, add them to a ziplock/ plastic bag. Add cornflour, all purpose flour( maida), red chilli powder, ginger-garlic paste, soy sauce  and mix well by shaking the bag.

Arrange the florets on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake them for 20-30 minutes, turning them once half-way through.

The florets should be nice and crisp ( not burnt).

While the cauliflower is baking, prepare the sauce to go with it.

Heat a  wok/skillet/ frying pan on high flame.

Heat 1 tbsp cooking oil. Add the chopped garlic, sauté for few seconds, add chopped ginger, sauté for few seconds. Add in the chopped onions and sauté until the onions turn transparent. Add the green chillies.

 

Add in the sauces. 

Add the baked cauliflower florets and mix until well blended.

Serve hot! Can be served as a starter or as a side dish with rice/bread/roti.

Enjoy! I am bringing this to Angie's Fiesta Friday! Suzanne@apuginthekitchen and Sue@birgerbird are co-hosts this weekend.

Cooking made easy:

To get restaurant style taste to Chinese-style cooking, it is essential to use a iron wok. Don't use any other metal. Also cook on high flame. Heat the wok first. Once it is hot enough, add in the oil. If you add the oil first, then the oil will be too hot and the garlic will turn brown! Also, all cooking should be done at high heat. You do not need to cook for long while cooking on high heat. Sauté everything just for a few seconds.

Tip for healthy living:

While using oil for cooking at high heat, use oils that don't degrade upon heating at high temperatures. Examples for such oils would be coconut oil, sesame oil, mustard oil and peanut oil. These oils can sustain high temperatures and don't generate free radicals upon heating.
References:

Food for thought:

Start by doing what's necessary ; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. Francis of Assisi

a

Oatmeal made delicious; Meatless Monday.

How many of you eat oatmeal? How many of you like to eat oatmeal for breakfast? How many of you actually like oatmeal? Or do you force yourself to gulp a bowl of oatmeal because you know it is healthy and good for you and that's why you eat it? How many of you hate Oatmeal???

Well, I was one of them. I used to hate oatmeal!!! I used to say that I will never ever ever eat Oatmeal! Well, that was then.. This is now. Then I used to not like oatmeal because it was not made well. It was bland, dry and tasted like saw dust in my mouth. How can anyone eat that???Anything if made well can be relished! I know that I don't like my oatmeal too dry, don't like it bland. I like it well cooked, with a smooth consistency with lots of fruits and nuts! And then regular, plain oatmeal becomes irresistible oatmeal! I have found that steel-cut oats give a better texture than the old fashioned oats. I make it even healthier I add a tablespoon  of Flaxmeal and a teaspoon of chia seeds. This served with a whole banana and a cup of coffee is my breakfast most days of the week.

Servings: 1

Ingredients :

Oatmeal : 1/4 cup ( I used Trader Joe's steel-cut quick oatmeal). Any oatmeal can be used.

Water: 1 cup
Almond milk: 1/2 cup( regular milk can be used).
Chia seeds: 1 tsp

Toppings: (everything is optional)

Flaxmeal : 1 tbsp
Walnuts: 1 tbsp, chopped
Almonds:1 tbsp, sliced thin
Hazelnuts: 1 tbsp, chopped
Craisins: 1 tbsp
Raisins: 1 tbsp
Dates: 2, chopped
Strawberries: 2 small, sliced
Blueberries: 1 tbsp
Blackberries: 1 tbsp

Method:

Add oatmeal and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. As it simmers, add almond milk and continue cooking until the oatmeal had reached the desired consistency.

Add the chia seeds, mix, cover and keep for 5 mins.

Take this in a bowl. Top with Flaxmeal,

all the nuts,

Craisins, raisins, dates and berries.

Mix and enjoy!

Note: I have not added any sugar or honey. You could add if you wish. I wanted it to be healthier.

I will bet that after eating this bowl of oatmeal you will not be hungry for a long time and you would never say no to oatmeal again! I am going to bring this to Angie's Fiesta Friday as I am sure everyone would love to make oatmeal more delicious! Suzanne and Sue wouldn't mind at all!

Cooking made easy:

Using more water/milk while cooking gives it a nice creamy texture and prevents the oatmeal from being dry.

If you plan to eat the oatmeal slightly later than the time when it was cooked, then make sure it is a little more liquidy when done. The reason being the oatmeal absorbs fluid as time goes by.

You can use any fruits/ nuts of your choice as toppings. You could even drizzle honey to sweeten it a little.

Tip for healthy living:

Oatmeal is extremely healthy. It is high in fiber and has a low glycemic index. It is therefore great for diabetics due to it's low glycemic index. It is heart-healthy, helps reduce cholesterol. It has both soluble and insoluble fiber therefore making us full when we may not be.It also keeps the gut regular and prevents constipation.

Food for thought:

The more we elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate. J. B. Priestley

Quick and easy chicken curry

We all want to eat good, delicious and a variety of food, preferably freshly cooked. Well, it is very hard for working women to toil all day at work and come home and cook dinner everyday! And it is not enough if you just cook! It is the cleaning up and the doing the dishes that is even worse! Well, I did day hard.. Not impossible! You see I am one of those women I just described above. That is the exact reason and the very purpose of this blog: to share with everyone quick and easy recipes which are realistic, genuinely quick and easy to make and without too many pots and pans to scrub afterwards!

One such recipe is this super-easy chicken curry that I am going to share with you all today. This recipe was shared  with me by one of my cousins, Usha, who is an excellent cook herself! There is hardly anything that Usha does not cook! And whatever Usha cooks, comes out absolutely delicious! You see most of my cousins cook well. We get it from our grandmother, who was an amazing cook! We are fortunate to have in us that small part of her gene.We are 25 first cousins all having the same grandmother! My grandmother had eleven children.
Coming back to the easy chicken curry, you can make it in under 30 minutes which includes the minimum amount of time required for marinating the chicken. If you already have chicken marinated and sitting in the freezer( like I do), then it is even faster! I tend to chop my veggies as I am cooking in the order that it is required. This way when the onions are sweating in the pan, I have the chopped tomatoes ready! I am bringing this to Fiesty Friday # 54! My dear friend Sonal@simplyvegetarian777 & Josette@thebrookcook are co-hosting this week! I am sure they will do a great job!

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

Chicken thighs & drumsticks : 2 lbs ( 1 kg), chopped into medium pieces. ( you can leave the skin on if you wish, I take mine off).
Coconut oil: 1 tbsp
Ginger: 1 inch piece, minced
Garlic: 4-6 cloves, minced
Onion: 1 big, chopped fine
Tomato: 1 big, cut into big chunks
Potatoes: 1-2 chopped into big pieces( quarters).
Green chillies: 3-4, chopped fine( may need couple more if adding coconut milk). Adjust based on required spice level.
Jeera ( cumin seeds): 1/2 tsp
Pepper corns: 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
Coriander leaves: 1cup, chopped
Mint leaves: 1/2 cup, chopped
Garam masala powder: 1/4 tsp
Coconut milk: 1 cup ( optional).
Salt: as per taste

For marination of the chicken:
Lemon juice: 1-2 tbsp
Salt: 1 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1/2tsp
Black pepper powder: 1/2 tsp, freshly ground.

Method:

Clean the chicken and marinate it with lemon juice, haldi ( turmeric powder), salt and pepper powder for 15-20 minutes.

Heat coconut oil in  a pressure pan.

Add cumin seeds ( jeera), then add chopped garlic, sauté for 10-15 seconds, add ginger, sauté for another 10-15 seconds.

Add in the chopped onions, sauté for few minutes until the onion sweats. Now add in the peppercorn, haldi powder, green chillies and tomatoes.

Sauté for 30 seconds.

Add the marinated chicken and chopped potatoes.

Let the chicken brown a little.

Add cilantro and mint leaves, salt, garam masala powder.

Add in the coconut milk and stir( optional). I do not add coconut milk as I get plenty gravy just cooking without it and I like the taste without the coconut milk.

Cover the pressure cooker, pan. Add  the weight( whistle) and cook for 1 whistle. Turn off the flame when you hear the sound of the first whistle.Do not open the pressure cooker until all the steam ( pressure) has been released.

Serve hot with steaming hot rice/ roti/bread/idlis.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

Every time you buy chicken, clean it, cut it into desired size pieces, marinate it and freeze it in portions.
The day you decide you are going to make it, in the morning put the packet in the fridge to thaw. By the time you come back from work, the chicken would have thawed and will be ready to be cooked! How easy is that!

Tip for healthy living:

On this blog, I have mentioned this several times. Whenever possible buy and use organic, free range chicken. These are chicken that have been raised in healthy living conditions with organic feed .Chicken that are not raised in this fashion have antibiotics and pesticide accumulation in them which can in turn get into our bodies.This can especially affect children due to their smaller body size. 

Food for thought:

We often repent of our first thoughts and scarce ever of our second. Horace Walpole

Cranberry Pecan Bread with fresh cranberries; Meatless Monday

Remember that bag of cranberries I have been cooking with lately?? Well that bag of fresh cranberries is not done yet! So, I decided to try and make some cranberry pecan bread!

Breads are not only easy to make, it tastes great and most importantly, my kids, colleagues everyone likes it! It is also much healthier compared to cakes. So less work and much healthier. You can eat it as a dessert or as a snack with a cup of tea or coffee.It came out absolutely delicious! Do try it if you get a chance!

Servings: makes one 9 x 5 loaf

Ingredients:

Flour: 2 cups
Butter: 2 tbsp
Sugar: 1 cup
Egg: 1, well beaten ( Mix 1 tbsp flaxmeal with 3 tbsp water for vegetarians).
Baking powder: 1 1/2 tsp
Baking soda: 1/2 tsp
Yogurt: 1 cup
Orange zest: 1 tbsp
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Fresh cranberries, chopped: 1 1/2 cups
Chopped pecans: 1/2 cup

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 deg F.

Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan and keep aside.

Cream butter and sugar, until creamy.

Add the beaten eggs, yogurt, vanilla essence, orange zest,salt, baking powder and baking soda and mix well. Do not over mix.

Now mix in the flour little at a time and mix until well blended.

Add in the chopped cranberries

and pecans and mix gently.

Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan . Place it on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 45 minutes .

At the end of 45 minutes if it is still wet in the center, cover a piece of foil on top of the bread and bake for 10 more minutes.

Take it out of the oven and let it cool in the loaf pan for 10-15 minutes before taking it out of the pan.

 After this time, take it out of the loaf pan and let it cool down completely on a cooling rack before slicing it; around 1 hour.

Eat it as a snack with some hot tea or as a healthy dessert!

I am bringing this to Angie's anniversary party for all those friends who are staying back late enjoying the festivities! I am sure Nancy and Selma , the gracious co-hosts will appreciate the extra food considering the crowd!

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

There are two way to grease baking pans and trays. One, is applying butter/oil to the pan/ tray and then sprinkling some flour on top. Overturn the pan over the sink to get rid of the excess flour. The second way to do it is to liberally spray a non-stick spray on the pan/tray!

Tip for healthy living:

Pecans are healthy and make for a great snack. They are extremely nutrient-dense and are rich in mono saturated fatty acids like oleic acid and an excellent source of phenolic antioxidants. They are also rich in minerals like manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and selenium. They are a great source of B-complex vitamins.

Food for thought:

To be prepared is half the victory. Miguel de Cervantes