Pho Chay

Recently we were introduced to Vietnamese cuisine.. Strangely though I had Vietnamese friends before, i had never really tried their cuisine. Finally when we did go there, we enjoyed the meal so much that I became an instant fan. My honey too liked his food so much because it was so much like our own food. I had ordered Pho chay the vegetarian noodle soup, my honey in his usual style ordered chicken curry.. We dived into the food instantaneously and i demolished an unbelievably huge bowl of Pho Chay. Pho is actually pronounced as 'Phaa' and i was actually confused about the pronunciation initially. Nevertheless. This dish is actually a 'absolute-must-try' kind of good, on top of everything, it is simple and can be put together in no time. Last night we just had bowl fulls of this soup and it was a perfect supper on a really cold day.



you will need,

Rice noodles cooked about 2 handfuls (more if serving it for the main course)
Mixed vegetables of your choice 2 cups ( I used Mushrooms, Broccoli and Chinese Cabbage)
Scallions 10-15 diced
Vegetable broth 1 can (about 2 cups)
Coriander chopped 2 tbsp
Tofu cubes 1/2 cup
Lemon 1/2

for the stock
Water 3 cups
Ginger 1/2"crushed
Garlic 2 cloves crushed
Cloves 4-5
Cinnamon 1/2"
Star Anise 1
Bay leaf 1

Method:

• Combine all the ingredients listed for the stock in a big pot and bring it to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
  
• Pour the stock through a sieve, reserve the stock and discard the spices.
  
• Combine the stock, vegetable broth and scallions. Bring everything to a boil. Combine the tofu, mushrooms and broccoli. Cook for about 8 -10 minutes till the vegetables are crisp tender.
  
• Adjust salt. Stir in the noodles. Finish with the coriander and lemon juice.
  
• Serve hot.
  

It is an excellent one pot dish. Also, it is virtually fat free.

Schezuan Fried Rice

Chinese food is something that I have always fond of.. Once a while my craving increases and I end up trying to conjure up some thing good. But then I never manage to actually replicate the taste of Chinese street-food back home. This is was pretty close! Not a bad idea to try.....



For the Schezuan vegetables

Mixed vegetables fresh 2 cups
Chilly flakes 2 pinches
Soy sauce 1 tbsp
Sesame seeds toasted 1 tsp
Salt
Vegetable oil 3 tbsp
Tomato Sauce 2 tbsp
Garlic chopped 3 cloves

Method

Heat oil in a wok to high, the highest possible. Throw in the vegetables, chilly flakes and garlic. Keep stirring for 2 minutes. Quickly throw in the remaining ingredients and stir till the vegetables are crisp tender another 4 minutes. Turn it off heat. Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds. Serve with fried rice.

Fried rice
Rice 1 cup
Water 11/2 cup
Salt
Oil 2 tbsp +
Chilly flakes
Mixed vegetables 1/2 cup chopped fine
Green onion 2 chopped
Garlic 1 clove
Soy sauce 1 tsp

Method:
Combine rice and water in a saucepan and cook covered till the rice is almost done but not soft and mushy. Once done set it aside.
Heat oil in a wok to high. Throw in the green onions, vegetables, garlic and chilly flakes.
Stir in between and cook for 2 minutes. Throw in the rice and the remaining ingredients. Stir gently to make sure the rice is coated with oil. Keep stirring for another 4 minutes till the rice smells nutty. Enjoy it right away!

Gobi Manchuri

One of the few changes in the street food senario during my growing-up years was the evolution of Gobi Manchuri. Now ubiquitous street food was early on a preserve of fancy hotels. I remember we used to go to this restaurant called "The Hut" on M.G.Road in Tumkur to get our dose of gobi manchuri!! what ever its actual name is we have called it thus and it remains so. This particular dish is supposed to have originated in the kitchens of Tangra- in calcutta where the Chinese settlers had their restaurants. I don't know its journey to south-Indian kitchens. But by late eighties and early nineties i was pretty familiar with these Chinese dishes as i knew Masala-Dose!During those years when i was still in school my tongue used to crave of Gobi manchuri and we could not go out to eat as often. So that motivated me to try making this snack in my mother's kitchen. After various disasters i came to perfect a recipe that suited my family and my palate. Last night i made it again after a long time. Here is the recipe.

Cauliflower florets banched in salted water 1/2 lb

Corn flour (corn starch) 1/4 cup

All purpose flour (Maida) 2 heaping tablespoon

Dark Soya sauce a few dashes

pepper powder

salt

chilly powder (optional)

For the sauce:

Tomato ketchup (Indian brands maggi/ kisans works better than american brands like heinz)Garlic fine chopped 1/2 tablespoon

Onion fine chopped 1/2 tablespoon

Green chillies fine chopped 1/2 table spoon

Soy sauce a few dashes

Salt

Coriander (Cilantro)

Salt

Oil

Method

Mix corn starch, maida, salt pepper and soy sauce. Make a thick batter with enough water. The batter should resemble the Bajji batter. Dip the cauliflower florets in the batter and deep fry it till golden brown. (If you desire a rich golden brown color mix in a couple of teaspoons of kashmiri chilly powder in the batter) Set aside.

To prepare the sauce, heat oil in a pan. Saute garlic onions and green chillies on very high heat till fragrant. (It should smell like Chinese food stalls!!!!) mix in the tomato ketchup, chilly sauce and the soy sauce. Adjust salt and the heat. Stir in the chopped corinader. Keep stirring constantly. Once the sauce is all combined, toss the fried cauliflower florets and make sure it is all evenly coated. remove from heat and serve hot...Enjoy

P.S: A recipes call for ajinomoto or MSG. I have used it before and found that taste does not alter significantly if it is omitted given its adverse impact on our health. It should be remembered that MSG is just a flavor enhancer and has no taste of its own. Since we cook on small scale it is better to do without it altogether.