Tharunya's

Indian Recipes

Cauliflower Manchurian

Fried cauliflower pieces in a thick, spicy sauce. As always, there are countless methods of preparing this 'much hyped about' dish. Here's one of them.

Ingredients

For the cauliflower

1. Cauliflower florets - 1.5 cups
2. Chilly Powder - 1 tsp
3. Corn Flour - 2 tsp
4. Plain Flour - 2 tsp
5. Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Milk - 1/4 cup
7. Salt - to taste

For the sauce

1. Oil - 2 tbsp
2. Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
3. Soya Sauce - 2 tsp
4. Tomato Sauce - 1.5 tbsp
5. Vinegar - 1 tsp
6. Corn Flour - 2 tbsp
7. Green Chillies - 2
8. Spring Onions - 2 stalks
9. Water - 1.5 cups
10. Salt - to taste

Method

1. Separate the cauliflower into small bite sized florets. Mix flour, cornflour, baking powder, chilli powder, salt and milk into a thick batter. Dip the florets in this batter and deep fry. Keep this aside.
2. To prepare the sauce: Heat oil. Stir-fry garlic and green chillis for a minute or two on low flame. Add soya sauce, tomato ketchup and vinegar. Cook for half a minute. Add water and allow it to boil. Add cornflour to the boiling sauce, stirring continously. Cook till the sauce thickens.
3. Just before serving, heat sauce on low flame. Add fried cauliflower. Heat for a couple of minutes. Garnish with finely chopped spring onion and green chillies.

Notes

1. Drain fried florets on a paper towel and place in an airtight container to prevent it from getting soggy.
2. Dissolve cornflour in 1/2 cup of water before adding to the sauce. This prevents it from forming lumps.

Chicken Biryani

Basmati Rice cooked with chicken and spices. This is my mother-in-law's recipe.

Ingredients

1. Long grain rice - 2 cups
2. Chicken - 1/2 kg
3. Sliced Onions - 1 1/2 cup
4. Chopped Tomato - 1 cup
5. Butter - 2 tbsp
6. Bay leaf - 1
7. Cloves - 5-6
8. Cinnamon - 2-3 pieces
9. Cardamom - 2 pods
10. Salt - to taste
11. Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
12. Coriander leaves - a handfull
13. Mint leaves - a handfull
14. Ginger - 1" piece
15. Garlic - 5 flakes
16. Small Onions - 4-6
17. Green Chillies - 2-3
18. Chilly Powder - 1 tsp
19. Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
20. Cloves - 2
21. Cinnamon - 1 piece

Method

1. Clean and joint the chicken. Grind ingredients 14-21 into a smooth paste with very little water.
2. Fry this paste in a little butter/ghee, till the raw smell goes. Stir in the tomato and cook for a while. Add chicken, turmeric powder, salt and mix well. Add a little water and cook on a low flame.
3. When the chicken is done and the gravy is fairly thick remove from fire. Separate the chicken pieces from the gravy (if in excess) and set aside.
4. Cook rice with remaining spices, mint leaves, a pinch of turmeric, salt and a dash of lime juice. When done, fluff lightly with a fork.
5. Saute sliced onion in butter till browned.
6. In a flat pan, layer the chicken and rice alternately adding sauteed onions and chopped coriander.
7. Serve hot with onion salad and mint chutney.

Notes

1. Add a little butter when cooking rice to prevent grains from sticking to each other.
2. If theres extra chicken gravy, it can be added while cooking the rice for extra flavor, but make sure it doesnt get soggy.

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