Sesame Noodles

Ingredients

Spaghetti noodles: 200 gm

Chopped spring onion: 1 cup

Sliced capsicum: ½ cup

Sesame seeds: ¼ cup

Soy sauce: 4-5 tsp

Sesame oil: 2-3 tsp

Canola oil: 2-3 tsp

Vinegar: 2 tsp

Red chili flakes: 2 tsp

Salt: To taste

Method

Cook spaghetti till tender according to the directions mentioned on the package. Drain, rinse in cold water, add 1 tablespoon of oil and set aside.

Dry roast sesame and keep aside. Whisk soy sauce, sesame oil, canola oil, vinegar, red chili flakes and salt.

Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan and add spring onion and capsicum, sauté for a minute and add whisked soy mixture. Add noodles and toss well. Remove from the heat and add roasted sesame. Garnish with spring onion before serving.

Baby Corn Manchurian

Ingredients

Baby corn: 2 cups

Corn flour: 1 cup

Rice flour: ½ cup

Red chilli powder: 1 tsp

Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tsp

Salt: To taste

Oil: For deep fry

For Seasoning

Chopped spring onion: 1 cup

Sliced onion: 1 cup

Crushed garlic: 1 tsp

Soy sauce: 1 tsp

Hot sauce: 1 tsp

Tomato ketchup: 1 tsp

Ajinomoto: A pinch

Vinegar: 1 tsp

Olive oil: 2-3 tsp

Salt: To taste

Method

Cut baby corn length wise and cook for 5-6 minutes in boiling water adding little salt. Drain the corn and keep aside.

Add enough water and mix corn flour, rice flour, chilli powder, ginger-garlic paste and salt and prepare a batter which is neither thin nor thick. Dip cooked baby corn in the batter and deep fry till golden brown and drain on tissue towel.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pan and add garlic, onion, spring onion and sauté till onion turns translucent. Add fried baby corn, and then add soy sauce, hot sauce, vinegar, salt, tomato ketchup and oregano one by one. Stir well and serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Veg Momos

When my hubby told me that he wants something light for tonight’s dinner, I thought of preparing some Dim Sums. They are light and easy to prepare. I first tasted veg dim sums in 2003 in Bangalore. Trust me, I had not liked them, but had loved the chilli-garlic dip that was given with it. Those dumplings were not steamed properly and the dough was too thick. Later, I had them at a different Chinese restaurant and I absolutely loved them so much so that I started preparing them at home once in a while. The reasons are, they are light, can have lots of vegetables, less oily, steamed plus they are yummy. Dim Sum, a Cantonese delicacy which means “a little bit of heart”, originated in China hundreds of years ago. Oh, let me tell you one more thing, there is no difference between dim sums and momos except for the name! I usually prepare dim sums in three ways – deep fried, pan fried and steamed – depending on my mood and time available. I use different fillings at different times. Usually, I prepare vegetarian dim sums and depending on the availability, I use broccoli, radish, cabbage, cauliflower and sometimes even pineapple. Here is the recipe for veg dim sum I prepared for tonight’s dinner.

Steamed dim sums

Veg Dim Sum 

Ingredients
For Dough

Maida: 1 cup

Salt: ¼ tsp

For Filling

Finely minced any mixed vegetables: ½ cup

Finely chopped onion: ¼ cup

Finely chopped garlic: 1 tsp

Vinegar: ¼ tsp

Pepper powder: ¼ tsp

Olive oil: 1 tsp

Salt: To taste

Method

Add enough water and salt to maida and prepare stiff dough and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add onion and garlic and sauté well. Add vegetables and fry for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the flame and add salt, vinegar and pepper powder.

Roll the dough very thin and cut four inch circles with the help of a bowl. 

Take a round, wet edges and place some vegetable filling in the centre, bring edges together to cover the filling and press to seal it and twist it lightly giving the shape of a dim sum. 

Steam for about 10 minutes and serve hot with hot sauce.

Deep fried dim sums

Deep fried dim sums in a different shape ;)

Hakka Noodles

Ingredients
Boiled hakka noodles: 2 cups

Dried red chillies: 2-3

Chopped spring onion: 1 bunch

Chopped capsicum: 1 cup

Finely chopped garlic: 2-3 tsp

Vinegar: 1 tsp

Salt: To taste

Olive oil: 2 tsp

Method
Crush red chillies and garlic coarsely. Heat oil in a pan and add crushed chilli and garlic and sauté well. Add capsicum and fry till tender. Add spring onion and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add noodles, salt and vinegar and mix well. Heat for a minute and serve with schezwan sauce or manchurian gravy.

Manchurian Sauce

I love Chinese food and once in a while I keep preparing them at home. Since most of the Chinese recipes use Manchurian Sauce or Schezwan Sauce, I prepare them fresh at home and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator. They are simple and easy to prepare. 

Ingredients

Corn flour: 6 tsp, mixed with 1 cup of water

Vinegar: 3-4 tsp

Salt: 3 tsp

Soy sauce: 3-4 tsp

Tomato puree: 1 cup

Ajinomoto: A pinch

Water: 2 cups

Method
Mix all the ingredients, bring to a boil and simmer for 5-6 minutes before transferring to a serving bowl.