Mushroom and tofu manchurian

   

Mushroom and tofu manchurian 

My daughter is hooked to Manchurian but I have just been postponing making Chinese food. Today for my daughter and her brother who is soon going to move to holland to join college , decided to do Chinese! Perfect for bro-sis who love and hate each other to bits! And good thing ... I used my magic appe pan to make the balls.

Ingredients 

250 gms button mushrooms

200 gms ch tofu

1 cubed onion

1 cubed bell peppers

1 tbsp +1 tsp ch ginger

1 tbsp +t tsp ch garlic 

2 tbsp oil

2 tbsp +1 tsp soya sauce

3-4 tbsp ketchup

4-5 tbsp corn flour

3 tbsp atta, bit healthy 

1 tsp schezuan sauce

1 tbsp vinegar 

Salt 

Ch spring onions

Method

In a bowl mix atta , 2 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp soya sauce , 1 tsp vinegar, 1 tsp each of ginger and garlic and a little water. To this add the mushrooms and tofu. 

Heat the appe pan, sprinkle oil and add mushrooms and tofu pieces. Cover and cook on both sides. 

Heat oil in a wok and add ch ginger and garlic. Sauté!

Add cubed vegs and sauté on high heat! 

Add the sauces and stir well.

Add the mushrooms n tofu balls and sauté.

Add a cup of water or as much gravy as you would like. Boil.

Mix rest of the cornstarch and water and mix well. Pour into the gravy and cook well. Add vinegar and cook. 

Add a tbsp of oil and top with ch spring onions. Yummy manchurian is ready to eat! 

Tofu bhurjee/ bharta

As a family we have started to like tofu as an option to paneer. I have used it for many dishes and this one seems to be an all time favorite. It's difficult to make out the difference and I use it for many things now. 

Ingredients

200 gms crushed hard tofu

1 chopped onion

3 chopped spring onion

3-4 chopped tomatoes

1/2 chopped bell peppers

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp jeera

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1 chopped chilli

1/3 tsp haldi

1 tsp dhaniya powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

Juice of half a lime

Dhaniya green to finish.

Method

Heat oil and add jeera.

Add green chilli and onions and fry till golden.

Add the rest of vegs and sauté well.

Add dry masalas and cook well.

Now put in tofu and cook till almost dry.

Zucchini and tofu lasagne - A quick recipe

        Lasagne is a wonderful dish where you get all the tastes and nutrition in one dish. This time I tried making a non fuss one pot lasagne dish which just needs baking and no cooking otherwise. It tasted really wonderful and the cherry tomatoes added that special zing when you bite into the juicy almost cooked tomatoes.
Serves : 4-6
Ingredients
lasagne sheets                         14 nos
Zucchini sliced                       500 gms
Sliced onions                         3 nos
Cherry tomatoes halved         500 gms
Grated tofu                            200 gms
Red bell peppers chopped     1 no
Chopped garlic                      2 tbsp
chopped basil                        5-6 leaves
Pasta sauce                            500 gms
White sauce                           500 gms
Olive oil                                2-3 tbsp
Grated cheese                        200 gms
Italian seasoning                    2 tsp
Pepper                                   1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method
Soak the pasta sheets in hot water for 5-10 mins.
In a baking dish, pour some olive oil in the base.
Layer up the zucchini, onions,bell peppers,cherry tomatoes and garlic.
Drizzle some olive oil on this.
Sprinkle salt, some Italian herbs and pepper.
Pour half the tomato sauce ,spread it and sprinkle half the tofu.
Put one layer of pasta sheets.
Layer up half the white sauce and some cheese.
Repeat the layers one more time.Add the basil too.
bake in a pre-heated oven at 200 deg for 45 mins or till the top is a nice golden brown.
Serve hot.

Tofu burritos

   Though I have studied hotel management, we never really cooked Mexican food and I did feel a bit left out from its tastes.Its such a lovely cuisine and I feel it is pretty similar to Indian foods, loads of spices, use of tortillas and loads of beans. The last visit to the super market had me pulling out a packet of tortillas to try make something delicious.So "burritos" it was, with a nice summer salad.My family loved it.We still have 2 more left, would make something with it tomorrow.Tofu is a great way of having quality protein in the diet.
Ingredients
Tortillas                                      6 nos
Tofu chopped                             150 gms
Boiled kidney beans                    100gms
Sliced onions                              1 no
Crushed garlic                            2 cloves
Chopped red bell peppers          1/2 no
Chopped tomatoes                     4-5 nos
Cumin powder                           1 tsp
Chilli powder                             1/2 tsp
Cayenne pepper                        1/2 tsp
Garlic powder                            1/2 tsp
oregano                                    1/2 tsp
Coriander powder                     1/2 tsp
       Or
Readymade Mexican spice mix    2 tbsp
Oil                                               1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Cheese sliced as required.
Method
Heat oil and drop in the chopped garlic.Add the onions and saute well
Now put in chopped tomatoes and cook till soft.
Add the spices and salt and mix well.
Put in the tofu, chopped peppers and kidney beans.Cook till well integrated.
Heat the torillas in microwave for 10 secs each or in the oven for 10 mins or on a skillet/tava for 2 mins.
Put in the mixture and cheese and roll up the tortillas into long rolls.
Serve hot with fresh salad.

Palak paneer/tofu

      Just this morning having heard 2 people mention this dish, I thought even if I am not able to upload the picture of this lovely dish, I need to put up this recipe on the blog.Hetal ,this is specially for you and I am so happy you are liking my recipes and enjoying them.
     There hardly anyone I know who does not love palak paneer.It is healthy, delicious and very nutritious.Its mum's favorite thing to make and kids too love it, but for different reasons.Mums for the greens and kids for paneer.I substitute it many times for tofu.The kids barely make out the difference.India does have lovely spinach leaves fresh out of the fields.Love the colour and the tender green ones.Here in Germany the spinach is much different, but if made well, the kids would just have it anyways.
     I would make it quick by even using the frozen spinach with cream.It cuts down my job to nearly few minutes in the kitchen.No cleaning boiling and crushing.But here I would give the recipe with both options.I love my palak paneer suited to my taste.I do not like my spinach pureed completely but like it a bit crushed roughly as it does away with that little bitterness spinach has.I just whisk it once with the handblender to get a rough texture.So here is my version.I would upload the picture shortly.
Ingredients
Paneer/tofu                               200gms
boiled spinach                          250gms
cream                                       25 ml
or frozen spinach with cream     250 gms
chopped onions                        1 no
chopped tomatoes                    3 nos
chopped garlic                          2 tbsp
chopped ginger                         1 tbsp
chopped green chillies               1/2 tsp
coriander powder                      1 tsp
chilli powder                              1tsp
haldi                                          1/2 tsp
salt to taste
cumin seeds                               1/2 tsp
hing                                            1/4 tsp
garam masala                              1/2 tsp
ghee                                            1 tbsp+1tsp
Lemon juice                                1 tsp

Method
Run the hand blender in the boiled spinach such that the spinach is just crushed.Heat 1 tbsp ghee, add hing and jeera.Let it splutter.Add chopped 1 tbsp garlic and chopped ginger.Saute well.Add chopped chopped onions and saute till they are slightly brown.Add finely chopped tomatoes and all the dry masalas and cook till ghee seems to separate.Chop the paneer/tofu into 1'' pieces.Add it to the cooking tomatoes.Pour in the spinach and cook.(If using frozen spinach with cream, defrost that and pour in now, do not add the cream in this case).Cook well.Add the cream and cook  for 10 mins.Pour in lime juice and mix well.
Heat 1 tsp ghee and add the other tbsp of garlic.Saute till golden brown add 1/4 tsp chilli powder and pour on top the curry.Serve hot with hot rotis or parathas.

Warm mixed vegetable salad

     Yesterday was really in no mood to cook after a whole evening of shopping, but the look of fresh broccoli always inspires me to do something.I ended up with a nice warm salad of all that was there in the fridge and to fill up the gaps of "just salad" ,served the family with penne with a new pesto that I picked up from the supermarket.The family happily ate up and I was glad  that I was able to feed them all the vegetables.Added the protein in the form of tofu too.Here is a quick fix salad.
Ingredients

broccoli florets               500gms
tofu                                50gms
Red bell peppers diced   1 no
penne pasta boiled          1 cup
Sliced onions                  1 no
Garlic chopped           1 Tbsp
Gherkins chopped       2 Tbsp
Olives halved               2 tbsp
pepper powder            1/2 tsp
salt to taste
crushed red chillies       1/2 tsp
oregano                        1/2 tsp
lime juice                       1 tsp
Olive oil                         1 tbsp
Method
Heat oil and add the garlic.Brown them taking care not to burn.add crushed chillies and onions. Saute till translucent.Add the broccoli,tofu cut into 1" pieces,diced bell peppers and cook on high heat so that they start to turn bright green.Add the herbs, pasta and other ingredients and some fluid from the olive bottle.Stir fry at high heat making sure that the broccoli retains its crispness and serve hot with garlic bread and a nice warm soup.

Vegetable Lasagna

My 1st memories of a good veg lasagna was way back in 1993 when I was just married and went to Germany where my husband was working.During his bachelor days, one of the fastest ways out of the kitchen apart from frozen pizza was a lasagna .I tried the veg version and was hooked.A German friend tried to replicate it when she called us for dinner and failed miserably.I don't give up so easily and so started my lasagna journey.Those days the sheets were not available and I rolled out maida sheets and made it.It tasted great but it took too much time.Now with things so easily available, its very regular on the dinner table.I use the ready made sauces here as its quick but I would be giving the recipes of the sauces to make at home.

Vegetarian Lasagna
Lasagna sheets                    about 15( samosa pattis too do the job)
broccolli                                500gms
red bell peppers                   1 no
tofu                                      200 gms
Zucchini                               1 no
onions                                   2 nos
garlic chopped                      1 tbsp
red chilli flakes                      1 tsp
oregano                              1 tsp
pepper powder                  1/2 tsp
salt to taste
frozen spinach with cream     200 gms
tomato pasta sauce                500 ml
white sauce                            250 ml
grated pizza cheese                200 gms
olive oil                                  2 tbsp
For tomato sauce
peeled and chopped tomatoes from  1kg
chopped onion                          1 no
chopped garlic                           1 tbsp
mixed herbs                                1 tsp
salt to taste
pepper powder                           1/2 tsp
olive oil                                       1 tbsp
sugar                                          1/2 tsp
White sauce
refined flour                              1 tbsp
butter                                        1 tbsp
milk                                          1 cup
bay leaf                                    1 no
salt and pepper to taste
clove                                        2 nos

Method
Soak the sheets in hot salted water.Add some olive oil in it and keep till they are soft.drain and keep aside.
In a pan add flour,cloves, bay leaf and butter.Saute till golden. On slow heat ,slowly add milk and keep whisking to avoid forming lumps.Add about 1/4 cup water, salt and pepper.Keep cooking till the sauce is thick and pouring consistency.Keep to cool
In another pan, heat oil and add chopped garlic, saute well and add onions.Cook till translucent.Add tomatoes and cook well.Add the rest of the ingredients and cook till the sauce is thick.
For preparing the filling,Dice all the vegetables and tofu. Heat oil and add garlic, saute, add chopped onions and saute.Add all the vegetables and cook for 5 mins.Add the seasonings, chilli flakes and oregano.Cover to cook for about 3 mins.The vegetables should be crunchy and bright green.Add the tomato sauce and spinach with cream(can use boiled and crushed spinach and 50 ml cream if frozen not available) and mix well. Now the dish has to be compiled together.
In a baking -12"x10" big dish apply a little butter at the bottom. Layer it with about 5 sheets of pasta sheets.Pour half the vegetables on it and put another layer of pasta sheets.Pour half the white sauce on it and spread well.Sprinkle half the cheese on it.pour the rest of the vegetables,pasta and then the white sauce.Top with the rest of the cheese.Pre-heat the oven to 200 deg.Put the dish in the middle rack and bake for 10 mins.Now reduce the temperature to 180 deg and bake for further 20-25 mins.The top should be golden brown, if the heat is too much reduce the temperature and if the top is browning too quickly, cover with a foil and bake till done.A very juicy, healthy and delicious dish is ready to eat.
          

Shepherd's Pie

Being a vegetarian from birth,there were lot of things we would not try eating.So we felt left out sometimes.But as I grew I  realized that I need not miss out on some foods,vegetarian food has so much to offer and slowly I started to use these to create some foods which tasted great and were good options too.Can be prepared anywhere.Here in Germany,vegetables too are limited and so after a while it can become difficult to just eat the same thing.But I looked beyond and have started to use locally available veg food in the form of frozen, canned and of course fresh and put something on the table, which my family enjoys.Some of my Indian friends here have started to ask me for recipes, which made me think of starting my 2nd blog.It keeps me occupied in this place and I have documentation of my recipes.( most times I end up adding something more and the same dish tastes different next time around)
A friend told me she had made a Shepherd's pie the last week end and she was raving about it, not to be left behind, I made this veg version and my son has asked me to make it again!So I share it here.

Ingredients
Brinjal chopped              1 no( about 500 gms)
red bell pepper chopped 1 no
tofu crumbled roughly      200 gms
onion chopped                2 nos
garlic chopped                1 1/2 tbsp
tomato paste or               3 tbsp
puree                               1 cup
Chopped tomatoes           1 no
soya sauce                        1 tbsp
chilli flakes                        1 tsp
mixed herbs                       1 tsp
salt                                   to taste
lime juice                          1 tsp
olive oil                             1 tbsp
For the topping
boiled potatoes                4-5 nos
curd                                 100 gms
cream                               3tbsp
or
milk(healthier option)       1/2 cup
mixed frozen herbs           1 tbsp
salt to taste
Butter                              1 tbsp
bread crumbs(optional)   to cover
Method      
Heat oil and saute garlic till golden.
Add in onions and saute till translucent.Add the brinjal and cook on low heat and let them cook till they are 1/2 done and are colored a bit.Add the bell peppers, tofu and cook a while.Add the tomatoes and paste and the rest of the ingredients and let them all come together a bit.Put this into a baking dish.
Mash the potatoes well and add the rest of the ingredients and mix well to form a pasty mixture.Pat it on the brinjal mixture and spread it well.Top with bread crumbs and bake it in a preheated oven at 200 deg for 10 mins and at 180 deg for further 10 mins, till it acquires a golden brown crust on the top and there is no water seeping in from the dish.Serve with herb bread or garlic bread.