Tofu Sandwich

Sandwich are my favorite food anytime of the day. If it is brown bread then I am all the more happy. When I made Tofu Burji for Vegan Cooking. I felt it was a good filling for Sandwich. So immediately headed to the bakery in my neighborhood who make brown bread in house. They are sooper soft and taste very good. And they are FRESH from the oven. 

Ingredients :

Tofu Burji - 1 cup

Wheat Bread - 2 slices

Method:

Arrange the Burji between the slices and serve with Tomato Sauce. 

You can either toast the bread or not.

Sending this to Kids Delight event hosted by Rujuta which is a brainchild of Srivalli

Tofu Burji

Day 6 of Blogging Marathon and it is Tofu Burji that I am gonna serve you people. This is one of the simplest dishes that I have ever made in my kitchen.

My interest to make food vegan has been ever increasing, from the day I mailed Srivalli about my choice of theme. I am forever thinking of making vegan dishes out of non vegan dishes. There are many other dishes which I will be trying, after this marathon. So do watch this space for more vegan dishes. A big thanks to Valli for making me think in these lines.

Ingredients:

Tofu - scrambled 1 cup
Capsicum - finely chopped 1 cup
Onion - finely chopped 1 cup
Cumin seeds to saute
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp

Method:


Heat oil in a heavy bottomed wok
When the oil is hot add the cumin seeds
As they sputter , add the chopped capsicum and onion
Saute till they are half done
The crispiness of the vegetables should be maintained
Add salt to your taste
Now add the scrambled tofu and mix well
A lot of variations can be done to this simple dish.
Veggies can be added, red chili powder can be used.
Ground pepper can be used
Your imagination can be used to the maximum to make this dish
I kept is simple, as I love capsicum in my food a lot.

Check out what my fellow marathoners are cooking here  

Aahar Restaurant Review

Aahar is new Multicuisine Restaurant opened in Mylapore diagonally opposite to Sanskrit College, on the way to Luz Signal. One cannot miss this restaurant, as it is very much on the road and has ample car parking space.

The decor of the place is simple and nice. The chairs are comfortable and the temperature is just right to suit you. They are open for morning breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The menu card looks colorful and attractive. The prices for all the items in the card is on the moderate side.

The welcome drink given to us was a refreshing orange drink. It was not very sweet but was very refreshing, that too after a hectic day at office.

We were served, two soups, Mulligatawny Soup and Tomato Soup. Mulligatawny Soup which is supposed to be very spicy, was not spicy. Arjun our host for that dinner, explained that , the customers who had this soup earlier felt that it was very spicy and hence the levels have been brought down. Tomato soup was also very good to taste with the spice and salt levels just correct.

We were served an array of Salads and starters. I liked the Baby Corn Manchurian and Noodle Salad the best.

Cucumber Salad

Noodles Salad

Crispy Fried Vegetables

Paneer Tikka

Baby Corn Manchurian

Parupu Vada

The chaats that was served to us tasted brilliant. Pav Bhaji and Dhai Paapdi chat tasted authentic

Pav Bhaji

Dhai Paapdi Chaat

Now its time for Main Course and the specialty dish of Aahar, is the Podi Dosa and Podi Masala Dosa.

Both tasted good. Bear in mind that the rates are moderate too

Nishanth having his favorite Podi Dosa

Sambhar idli is a true hit.

Podi idly was very spicy for a person like me, who loves spicy food.

It tasted good

The North Indian variety of food that was served, included Paratha,Tandoori Paratha, Butter Naan, Stuffed Kulcha, Mili Juli Subji Dal Makhni, Shahi Paneer, Dal Pancharangi and Veg Briyani

Naan with Mili Juli subji

Veg Briyani

Stuffed Kulcha

Fried Rice and Vegetable Manchurian Balls from the Chinese cuisine was also a treat to the taste palates 

Fried Rice with Veg Manchurian Balls

Desserts were truly sinful. We were served, Carrot Halwa, Badam Kheer and Gulab Jamun

Carrot Halwa and Badam Kheer

Gulab Jamun

Finishing touch for dinner at a vegetarian restuarant is always a strong filter coffee. This coffee did not disappoint us. It was strong, with the right amount of sugar and milk. Perfect finish to the wonderful dinner

Aahar is a nice place for family dinner, which will cater to the tastes of every body in the family, from the oldest to the youngest. 

Ambience - 7/10

Food - 8/10

Price - 9/10

Service - 7/10

Tofu 65

Wonder how days just fly off. Looks like we just started the Day 1 of the marathon and here we are in the 5th day. Today's recipe is an adaptation from Gobi 65 which we get in almost all the restaurants. And and and .we get different versions of the same dish. Authentic Chinese, Indo Chinese and Indian. This tofu 65 is an adaptation from many Paneer and Gobi 65 recipes that I read with minor tweaks to it.

Ingredients :

Tofu - 1 cup , cubed

Capsicum - 1 cup 

Onion - 1 cup

Corn flour - 2 tbsp

Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Garlic flakes - 1 tsp

Red chili flakes - 1 tsp

Soy sauce - 1 tbsp

Oil for deep fry

Salt to taste

Method :

Drain away water from Tofu and make small cubes out of it

In a bowl add corn flour and red chili powder along with some water to make a smooth paste

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed wok

When hot , dip each tofu piece in the batter and deep fry it

When it is golden brown, remove them to a kitchen towel and set aside

In another wok, heat oil and saute the garlic and red chili flakes

Add the sauce, salt , Onion slices and capsicum slices 

Saute for a minute or so in high heat.

Now add the deep fried tofu and the left over corn flour mixture

Turn off the heat and keep stirring

Yummy Tofu 65 ready to eat.

You can garnish with spring onions to get the restaurant effect

Check out what my fellow marathoners are cooking here  

Strawberry Almond Milk Shake

Day 4 of Blogging Marathon and I am here with a ever refreshing drink that makes use of the fruit whose season is fast going away. Strawberry , who would not love to have this yummy fruit. I know people who love it all forms, milk shake, jam, puree, cake , ice cream.. and yes .. now I love strawberry donuts too. 

This milk shake is not with normal milk , but with Almond milk. Making of Almond milk on its own is a separate recipe, that calls for a post. I have two posts that needs to be done, before we finish this marathon. One is on how we can make Soy milk at home and the other about making Almond milk.

Ingredients:

Almond milk - 3 cups

Strawberry puree - 2 tbsp

Honey - as required

Method:

Take all the ingredients in a blender 

Mix well and drain with a sieve to remove the seeds

Serve chilled in tall glass 

Check out what my fellow marathoners are cooking here  

Crispy Fried Tofu with Red Chili Sauce

Day 3 of the Blogging Marathon, I am back from the Donut Fest, that happened in Donut house. I will post a separate blog about it. But in a nutshell it was a lovely experience working in the kitchen of Donut House, and making my own flavours. It was exciting though I did not win it.

Coming to the day's post, I was inspired from Chef In You's recipe for fried tofu. I have adapted the recipe from there and made some tweaks to it.

Ingredients :

Crispy fried Tofu

Tofu - 1/2 pack 

Corn flour - 2 tsp

Red Chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying 

Red Chili Sauce:

Garlic pods - 3 finely chopped

Vinegar - 1 tsp

Salt - a pinch

Cornflour - 1/2 tsp

Sugar - a pinch

Red chili - 2 nos, chopped into fine pieces

Method :

Crispy fried Tofu:

Remove the water content from Tofu by placing a heavy vessel over it 

Cut it into small cubes and pat dry them

In a bowl mix corn flour, red chili powder and salt to form a paste

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed wok

When the oil is hot, dip the tofu cubes in the corn flour and deep fry them

Remove them on kitchen towels and serve with Red Chili sauce

Red Chili Sauce:

In a bowl , mix all the ingredients and serve with the crispy fried tofu

Check out what my fellow marathoners are cooking here 

Left over Magic - Rice Balls

My yet another creation for my nieces when they were in India was Rice Balls made from left over rice and at the same time , it was super easy to make. All ingredients will be definitely available in our kitchens. This is a perfect snack you can give your child when he or she comes back from home or a day when they are behind you to make something for them , but bored with the regular items we make.

Ingredients:

Cooked Rice - 1 cup
Grated Carrot - 1 cup
Finely chopped beans - 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for deep fry
Corn flour - 2 spoons
Bread Crumbs - for coating on the balls

Method :

Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : 20 mins

Mix the rice , carrots , beans , red chili powder and salt in a bowl
Mash it well and make small balls from the mixture
In the mean while heat oil in a wide skillet
Mix a little water in the corn flour and keep it aside
When the oil is hot, dip the balls in cornflour and roll them over the bread crumbs
Drop them gently into the oil and deep fry for 30 seconds
Remove them on kitchen towels and serve with tomato sauce
Repeat the same for the rest of the balls

This is a perfect rainytime snacks and quick one to make also.

Sending this to Kids Delight event hosted by Rujuta which is a brainchild of Srivalli

Choco Banana Soy Smoothie

Smoothies are always my favorite breakfast idea. I specially like them for the fact that it is loaded with the goodness of fruits and milk. And of course, it is the easiest way for a healthy breakfast. 

So here we have one. 

Ingredients:

Soy Milk - 2 cups 

Banana - 1 

Choco powder - 1 spoon

Honey - 2 spoons

Method:

Take all the ingredients in a blender

Blend to form a nice smoothie

Serve is tall glasses

Since , I used cold soy milk I did not use ice

Check out what my fellow marathoners are cooking here

Easy Maida Chips

Maida chips as I call them are very simple to make. It requires only Maida , oil and sugar to make them. 

This chips cater to the sudden hunger pangs that not only children but adults also get. The best part is that , they get finished in less time than the time taken to make them

Ingredients :

Maida - 2 cups

Oil - for deep frying

Powdered Sugar - 2 spoons

Salt - to taste

Method:

Preparation Time : 15 mins

Cooking time : 15 mins

Make a firm dough using Maida, Water and Salt

In the mean time heat oil in thick bottomed wok

Make small balls our of the Maida dough and flatten them using the rolling pin

Cut them into small diamonds using a spoon or knife

When the oil is hot, add the small pieces of Maida

Cook till they turn golden brown and remove them on kitchen towels

Remove them into a container

Add the powdered sugar and shake well so that each Maida chip is coated with sugar powder

                                                                 Without Sugar Coating 

With Sugar Coating

This is a perfect tea time snacks and quick one to make also.

Sending this to Kids Delight event hosted by Rujuta which is a brainchild of Srivalli

Tofu Butter Masala

First day of the Blogging Marathon , which is in the 14th Edition and I have chosen Vegan Dishes. As mentioned in my previous post, it is quite tough to make the Indian dishes, which are already vegan so wanted to concentrate mostly on Paneer, which can be replaced by Tofu .

So here I am with the preparation of Tofu Butter Masala.

Ingredients : 

Tofu - 1 packet
Butter  2 tbsp
Onion  1 no.
Tomato  2 nos.
Cashew nuts  1/2 cup
Ginger small quantity
Garlic  small quantity
Red chili powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder  2 tbsp
Garam Masala powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil for frying


Method: 

Squeeze out the water in tofu and cut them into small cubes. 

Shallow fry them in Butter and set aside in a kitchen towel

In the mean while soak the cashew in hot water for about 30 mins and make a paste our of it

Microwave tomato, garlic, ginger and onion for 4 mins in high

Puree the sauteed onion and tomato into a smooth paste using a blender

In a wide skillet add a spoon of butter
When the butter is hot, add the tomato onion puree
Followed by the various powders mentioned above
Add the cashew paste to it at this stage.
Let the puree , powders and cashew blend well.
Add salt to taste

When the mixture comes to a curry consistency, add the fried tofu to it

Keep stirring till you feel the Masala has taken shape.

Serve it with Hot Chapati or Rotis

Healthy Tofu Butter Masala ready to be eaten. 

I had packed it to office for lunch

Check out what my fellow marathoners are cooking here

Vegan Cooking !!

Vegan cooking, is predominantly what we do in India. There are many dishes that we can list in Indian cooking that fall in this category. Vegan ism can be described as "Vegan ism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products. Ethical vegans reject the commodity status of animals and the use of animal products for any purpose, while dietary vegans or strict vegetarians eliminate them from their diet only"

The term "vegan" was coined in England in 1944 by Donald Watson, co-founder of the British Vegan Society, to mean "non-dairy vegetarian"; the society also opposed the use of eggs as food. In 1951, the society clarified the definition of "vegan ism" to mean "the doctrine that man should live without exploiting animals," and in 1960 H. Jay Din shah started the American Vegan Society, linking veganism to the Jain concept of ahimsa, the avoidance of violence against living things.

It is a small but growing movement.Well-planned vegan diets have been found to offer protection against many degenerative conditions, including heart disease,though if poorly planned a vegan diet may be deficient in some vitamins and minerals. Vegans should therefore make sure they have adequate sources of vitamin B₁₂, iron,vitamin D, calcium, iodine, and omega-3 fatty acids.

In western countries this is like a big movement, as their predominant diet contains meat, butter , cheese , cottage cheese etc. 

Among the themes that was given for Blogging Marathon ,Vegan dishes was quite a challenging one. I found it a little hard to zero in on the dishes. The main rule was to take a no vegan dish and make it vegan. I have mainly  concentrated on Tofu and Milk substitutes.


So here I go on with my list of dishes for this marathon. 

• Tofu Butter Masala ( Paneer Butter Masala )
• Choco Banana Soy Milk Shake ( Choco Banana Milk shake )
• Tofu 65 ( Paneer 65 )
• Soy curd ( Normal Milk Curd )
• Tofu Paratha ( Paneer Paratha )
• Strawberry Almond Milk Shake ( Strawberry Milk shake )
• Tofu Burji ( Paneer Burji )

I will be updating the link as and when the post is published. Happy blogging  to everybody/

Karadaiya Nombu Special

Today is the first day of the Tamil month Panguni. This day is of significance to married Hindu ladies as they pray to go for the well being of their husbands. There is a story too related to this virath and pooja. You can read. it in my earlier post here. 

This year also, mom and me prepared the pooja room and made this adais in the early hours and offered our prayers to god at 9 32am. ( this is the exact time when the month begins)

The main prasad is Kara Adai , Vela Adai and butter, as you see in the picture above. I loved the adais as much as the pooja too. The preparation of the adais can be seen here

Home Made Rasam Powder

Its time for Blog hop Wednesdays , a monthly event hosted by Radhika of Tickling palates. This month I am paired with Neha of Much more than a homemaker, I was inspired by Neha to try one of her baking recipes, but I am not a expert did not want to venture into it. I have bookmarked many recipes from her blog which I will try as I get the confidence. 

I chose my favorite Rasam from her blog. I made the powder for one use , so that I get a taste of it. I should definitely say, It was wonderful. The aroma of rasam is so nice, its definitely a comfort food for me. I can have it any day.

You can find the recipe for rasam powder here

You can have it with plain hot rice along with potato curry or as soup