Cauliflower Curry (Chinese style)

This is a simple curry in Chinese style very easy and quick to make.
This goes well with rice or any Indian breads.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower cut into florest:s: 1 Cup

Onion chopped fine: 1/2 cup

Garlic chopped: 2 tsp

Red Chilly garlic sauce: 1 Tbsp

Tomato sauce: 1 and 1/2 Tbsp

White Pepper Powder: a pinch

Spring onions chopped along with greens: 1 Tbsp

Oil: 1 Tbsp

Method:

1. Clean the cauliflower florets well in hot water. It is better to soak them for ten minutes  in hot water to which some salt is added. This will kill any worms in them.
2. Now heat Oil in a pan fry onions till they turn pink.
3. Now add garlic and fry for few minutes.
4. Add chilly garlic sauce and tomato sauce and fry for a minute or two.
5. Add the cauliflower florets and salt. Mix well and fry.
6. Serve hot garnished with finely chopped spring onions.
7. If you want it with gravy, mix 1/2 Tbsp of corn flour in cold water and add to the curry. Let it cook for sometime time till the sauce reaches the required consistency.

 Note:

• You can add a tsp of sugar to make it a little sweet.
• Chopped ginger can also be used along with garlic.
• Be careful while adding salt as the sauces contain some amount of salt and also the florets were soaked in salt water.
• If you want the curry to be crunchy, first fry the florets in oil well, keep aside and follow the rest of the procedure. Add the florets in the last.
  

Jeera Rice

Jeera Rice is a very simple and easy dish. This is almost bland with a subtle flavor of Jeera or Cumin. One thing I want to clarify here is, there are many ways to make a dish. The method and ingredients may vary from region to region or household to household. Traditional methods are always preserved. So, as far as possible I will try to give the traditional method but also the variations. Apart from that, one should try out a dish and then experiment with it to suit  their taste. Unless one experiments, how new dishes  can be created?

Ingridients:

Rice:    500 gms

Cumin seeds:  1 -1 1/2Tbsp

Green Chillies: 5-6

Curry leaves: Fist full

Garlic Chopped: 1/2 Tbsp

Black Pepper  powder: 1 tsp

Salt: To taste

Oil: 2 Tbsps

Method:

1. Clean the rice well, with water . Add water in 1:1 ratio by measure and cook in a cooker. Remove it from the cooker on cooling, spread it on a plate and keep aside. The grains should not be sticky.

1. Now in a pan heat oil, add ginger garlic and fry for few minutes till they turn light brown.
2. Then add the green chillies slit length wise into halves. Fry for two minutes.

1. Add curry leaves and cumin seeds. fry for a minute. Cumin starts crackling.
2. Now add cooked rice and mix . Add salt, pepper powder. Fry for few minutes.
3. A dash of Garam Masala powder can also be added.
4. Serve hot with any curries with gravy, and raitha (curd mixed with vegetables).

Tips:

• Rice should be long grained, preferably Basmathi Rice( a variety) which gives off a subtle fragrance. But I have used ordinary Rice which we eat daily. Its better to use Rice that is at least six months old. New ones have moisture content and become sticky.

• Clean the rice thoroughly with water before use.
• While cooking Rice, generally water in the ratio of  1: 1  is used. In some cases 1(rice);1 1/2(water) can also be used. Please check how the rice cooks. The grains should not stick to each other.
  

• The quantities of chillies, pepper, garlic can be varied according to taste. Ginger can also be added along with garlic.
  
• Use of  garlic can be avoided all together for a different taste
• Refined oil is best but Ghee or clarified butter is traditionally used and gives a very good taste. 
• This will serve two  to three persons.
  

Spring Onion Flowers

I am back with one more Vegetable carving. These days I don't get enough time to do all these things. Just rustling up a passable dinner after a long and tiring day in itself has become difficult for me. Shame on me. Where has all the enthusiasm gone?

For the spring onion flowers,  we will require;

• Bunch of Spring Onions
• Thin Bamboo sticks or wire or dried veins of  coconut leaves 
• A sharp knife 

1. Select a bunch of fresh looking spring onions. See that the greens are healthy and not wilted. The onion bulbs should be long and not too fat or round.
2. Now separate the greens from the bulbs
3. Cut the root portion off the bulbs
4. Now place cuts on the base (root side) of the bulb, first in + shape and again X shape taking care not to separate the pieces. That is the cuts should be up to 3/4ths of the bulbs.
5. Now place the bulbs immersed completely  in cold water and keep it in the refrigerator (not in deep freeze) for half an hour or so. This will open the cut portions apart like petals of a flower. After half an hour or so the bulbs open up like a flower.
   
6. Now pass the sticks or wire through the hollow greens of the spring onion. If you use wire you can twist or bend a little to give it a required shape. At the end attach the flowers and arrange in a vase according to your taste.  I have used the dried veins of the coconut leafs cut into required lengths.
7. Here are the pictures. I think you can follow them. But if you don't let me know please.
   

The greens separated form the bulbs and the sticks.

 

Pass the sticks through the greens of the spring onion.

Attach the flowers and arrange them in a vase.

 

Or you can just garnish a dish according to your fancy and serve.

These flowers can be made a day before and stored in refrigerator if you are planning a party. But store carefully without damaging the petals.

So why don't you try and let me know.