Gobi Manchurian

Ingredients

* 1 pcs: Cauliflower (medium, clean and broken into big florettes)
* 1/4 cup: Plain flour
* 3 tsp: Cornflour
* 1 small bunch: Spring onion (finely chopped)
* 2 tsp: Ginger (finely chopped)
* 1 tsp: Garlic (finely chopped)
* 1/4 tsp: Red chilli powder
* 2 no: Red chillies (dry)
* 1 tsp: Milk
* 3 tsp: Oil
* 1-1/2 cup: Water


Method

1. Boil the florettes for 3-4 minutes in plenty of water, to which a

tsp. of milk has been added. Drain and pat dry on a clean cloth.
2. Make thin batter out of flour and 2 tsp cornflour, adding 1/4 tsp.

each of ginger and garlic and red chilli powder and salt to taste.
3. Dip the florettes in the batter one by one and deep fry in hot

oil. Keep aside.
4. In the remaining oil, add remaining ginger, garlic and crushed red

chilli 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. Add 1 tsp.

cornflour to 1/4 cup water and dissolve well. Gradually add to the

gravy and stir continuously till it resumes boiling. Boil till the

gravy becomes transparent.
5. Add florettes and soya sauce. Boil for two more minutes and

remove.
6. Serve hot with noodles or rice.
7. Variations:
1. Dry Manchurian can be made by omitting the gravy.
2. Make florettes as above and instead of adding water as above, add

fried florettes, spring onions and soya sauce at this stage.
3. Sprinkle 1 tsp. cornflour on the florettes and stir fry for 2

minutes.
4. Serve piping hot with toothpicks or mini forks and chilli-garlic

sauce or tomato sauce.
5. Same procedure for veg. Manchurian (with gravy or dry), but

instead of using only cauliflower, use finely chopped minced

vegetables and bind with some cornflour or bread crumbs and make

small lumps the size of a ping-pong ball. Fry as above and proceed as

above.

Appam

Ingredients

* 3 cup: Rice-soak in water with daal
* 1 cup: Urad daal dhuli-soak for 4 hours
* 1 cup: Coconut-grated
* 1 tbsp: Methi dana
* Salt to taste
* An appam maker or a small, shallow kadahi- 6”-8” diameter on top

Oil to cook


Method

1. Drain the water out of the daal mixture and grind together with

the coconut and salt.
2. Leave to ferment 6-7 hours, or overnight.
3. When fermented, add enough water to make it a pouring consistency.
4. Heat a tablespoon of oil in the kadahi/appam maker, swirl it

around and pour off extra oil.
5. When hot, pour about L cup batter in the kadahi.
6. Turn the kadahi around swiftly, to let a thin layer rise up to

cover the sides of the kadahi also. The center is thicker.
7. Cover, lower the heat and cook, till the edges start lifting

(about a minute).
8. Uncover, ease out the appam thus formed and transfer on to a

serving plate.
9. Continue thus with the rest of the batter.
10. You might have to grease again only after 3-4 appams

Kesari Bhath (Dessert)

* 1 cup: Semolina (rava)
* 1 cup: Sugar
* 5 pcs: Almonds, slivered
* 5 pcs: Pistas, slivered
* 10-12 : Raisins
* 1/4 tsp: Cardamom powder
* 2 pinches: Saffron, soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk
* Few drops yellow colour (optional)
* 3 tbsp: Ghee
* 2 1/2 cups: Water

Method

1. Heat ghee in a large heavy pan, add rava.
2. Stir and roast on low for 7-8 minutes or till aroma exudes.
3. Side by side, put water to boil, add sugar, bring to a boil.
4. Add boiling water to the rava, little at a time stirring

continuously. Take care to protect hands from the spluttering.
5. When well mixed, check rava grain between fingers and taste for

sweetness.
6. Adjust sweetness, and add more boiling water if grain is hard.
7. Add the remaining ingredients, cover and simmer till ghee

separates. Save a small amount of almonds and pistas for garnishing.
8. Add colour if desired and mix well.
9. Grease a katori or steel cup. Press hot bhath inside it, and

unmould onto a plate.
10. Garnish with a few slivers of almonds and pistas, serve hot