We invited readers to share some of their favourite recipes with us. As part of a continuing series, we publish four of these lip-smacking recipes we've received so far:
Take your pick from amongst preparations as diverse as Baby Corn Manchurian to Ghee Rice and Bitter Gourd Curd Kurma.
First up is Saritha's mum's recipe for Baby Corn Manchurian:
Cuisine: Chinese
Type: Vegetarian
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 8 pieces of baby corn
- 3 tbsps corn flour
- 1 onions
- 5 green chillies
- 1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- Coriander leaves, chopped
- 2-3 curry leaves
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup corn flakes
- Oil to fry
Method:
- Cut baby corn to thin slices diagonally and keep aside.
- In a bowl add finely chopped onions and green chillies, garlic-ginger paste, pepper (optional), salt to the corn flour and add a little water to make it of mirchi bhajji consistency.
- Now dip the baby corn pieces in the batter and gently roll the dipped pieces in the corn flakes to coat.
- Deep fry the baby corn pieces in oil.
- Remove from oil once when golden brown.
- Garnish with crispy fried curry leaves.
Health quotient: Baby corn is rich in Vitamin B1, Vitamin B5. Corn is also rich in folates, that help in generating new cells in the body; and curry leaves are rich in iron.
Ashta Latha U sends in this recipe of Nutty Vegetables with a Twist:
Cuisine: South East Asian
Type: Vegetarian
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 large potatoes peeled and cut into one-inch cubes
- 2 large carrots potatoes peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes
- 15 Beans cut into one-inch long pieces
- 3 large onions, sliced
- 2 large tomatoes, sliced
- 1/2 cup peanuts, roasted, dehusked and powdered
- 1/2 cup peas
- 1 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp chilli powder
- 1/2 tbsp turmeric
- Salt to taste
- 4 tbsps refined oil
- 1-inch ginger finely chopped
- 5 pods of garlic finely chopped
- Water
- Lemon grass
- Mint
- Basil leaves
Method:
- Boil about 2 cups of water, add in 2 tsps of salt, add the potatoes and boil for 15 minutes.
Drain the water and set aside to cool.
- Again boil 2 cups of water, add 2 tsps of salt, add in the peas, carrots and beans and boil for 15 minutes.
- Drain the water and set aside to cool.
- Heat 4 tsps of oil and add finely chopper ginger, garlic and green chillies and fry till golden brown.
- Add the onions and tomatoes and cook till the onions turn transparent.
- Remove half of the mixture and set aside to cool.
- In the other half add garam masala, chilli powder, turmeric and keep stirring for two minutes.
- Add in the boiled potatoes, peas, beans and carrot and mix well.
- Add salt to taste.
- Grind the onion and tomato mixture that has been set aside and add it to the vegetables
- Mix it in with the vegetables and cook for about 5 minutes on medium flame.
- Finally add the grounded peanut powder and transfer to a bowl. Garnish with lemon grass, mint and basil leaves.
Health quotient: It has a good mixture of portions and carbohydrates with less fat.
Anil Kumar K shares his mum's recipe for Ghee Rice:
Cuisine: South Indian
Type: Vegetarian
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 cups raw rice
- 1 medium-sized onion, sliced finely
- 3 tbsps ghee
- 1 cinammon
- 1 clove
- 1 cardammon
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp chopped cashew nuts
- 3 green chillies, minced
- 1/2 tsp ginger paste
- 1/2 tsp garlic paste
- Salt to taste
- 2 tsp chopped coriander leaves
Method:
- Heat the ghee in a pan and add the cinnamon cloves, cashew nuts, cumin and cardamom.
- Fry for 10 seconds and add the ginger-garlic paste.
- Fry for another 10 seconds and then add the green chillies and onion.
- Fry till the onions turn light brown.
- Now add the rice and salt to taste.
- Let the rice fry for about 5-6 minutes and get coated with the ghee mixture
- Now add 4 cups of water and pressure-cook or cook in the microwave till the rice is completely done. You can also cook it on the stovetop, by keeping it covered on a low flame.
- Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves.
Health quotient: As this dish contains ghee I consider it healthy
Mathew shares his mum's recipe for Bitter Gourd Curd Kurma:
Cuisine: South Indian
Type: Vegetarian
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/4 kg bitter gourd
- 1/4 kg curd
- 1/4 coconut
- 3 green chillies
- 10 curry leaves
- 2 red chillies
- Mustard
- 2 tsps oil
- Salt to taste
Method:
- Cut the bitter gourd into very small pieces after removing seeds.
- Heat oil in a fry pan and add mustard, curry leaves.
- Add red chilli and cut bitter gourd and fry on low flame till it turns medium brown.
- Grate the coconut and grind it along with green chillies.
- Mildly grind the ingredients of bitter gourd mixture for about ten seconds.
- Mix with the coconut mixture and heat it for a while.
- Turn off the flame. Add curd and stir well.
Health quotient: Good for stomach and diabetes patients.