The taste of success

My first ever show of cookery outside my circle of relatives & friends......
There was this cooking competition last month held at Dadar & I was totally on for it. Super excited I was but there was a catch! My tickets were already booked for trip from Thursday till Sunday morning & the competition was on Sunday at 11am! 
The theme was 'Soya' & we had to prepare a sweet & a spicy dish. I planned my dishes such that varied forms of soya are incorporated. My spicy starter was squid packets using soya granules & dessert was a soya cheesecake using soya milk & soya biscuits. I din't wanna miss this chance at any cost but I knew the cake would take time to set. I decided to make the cake on Thursday itself....juggling packing for the trip after work & making the dessert was fun & everything seemed to have turned out well.
I returned back on sunday at 9am & I still had a spicy dish to prepare along with the plating of both before 11am! My race against time bagan...thankfully granules & squids both cook fast! I was ready with my platter by 11. The judges liked my fare & my hardwork payed off, I won!!!


Soya Strawberry Cheesecake


For the base:
Ingredients:
soya cookies - 4
butter - 2 tbsp
Method : Crumble the cookies & mix in frozen butter. Layer the granulated mixture on the cake plate after placing the cake cake ring. Set in fridge for 10min.


For the cake mix:
Ingredients:
soya milk - 200ml
cream cheese - 150gm
sugar - 5 tsp
strawberries - 5 large
cream - 2tbsp
gelatin - 1 tbsp
Method : Soak gelatin in 2 tbsp water for 5 mins. Heat it till gelatin melts, do not boil.
Blend all the ingredients together except gelatin. Add the gelatin & pour the mix over the base. Set in fridge for 2hrs.


For the glaze:
Ingredients:
strawberries juice - 1/2 cup
gelatin - 1/2 tsp
Method : Soak gelatin in 2 tbsp water for 5 mins. Heat it till gelatin melts, do not boil. mix with the juice. Add on top of the cake. Set in fridge for 10mins.


Decorate with pieces of strawberries.

Schezwan Squid Packets


Ingredients:
squids - 3
onion - 2 tbsp
tomato - 2tbsp
capsicum - 2 tbsp
soya granules - 1 cup soaked
italian herbs - 1 tsp
oil - 2 tbsp
salt to taste
schezwan sauce - 2 tbsp


Method : Fry veggies in oil add the granules, herbs, salt & sauce. Cook for 15mins till soya is cooked. Add little water if needed. Fill the squids with the filling & steam for 10mins.

Bangalore manchuri

Bangalore is synonymous with awesome sambar –rice but not many local small time eateries or road side shacks serve other foodstuffs like fast-foods, chaat items, pav bhaji, etc.  But Chinese road-side stalls are a big hit & what’s  the favourite timepass  snack –GOBI MANCHURI.

( I know its actually Manchurian but the locals sometimes call it manchuri ;) :P) 

This dish is not so popular in Mumbai or Maharashtra where I come from, but the kanadika’s seem to love it! Infact they  are hooked to it & thats the reason why in every corner  you will find  a manchuri  stall selling it for as little as rs.20!

Trust me besides south-indian fare like the idlis, dosas  & the eternal  sambar-rice, kanada cooks have learnt to cook manchuri the best!

The Cauliflower has a crispy coating and is tossed with a mouth-watering spicy sauce, picked up with a toothpick. At some places cabbage manchuri is available too! 

This recipe calls for some hard work since the preparation is a bit time consuming.

A bowl full of crispy Gobi Manchurian served with tomato chilli sauce is all I need to spend a rainy evening in Bangalore and enjoy it to the fullest!

So, I guess its time for some Gobi Manchurian this time. Let me share this mouth watering dish with you guys… Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed…

Ingredients
4 cup cauliflower - separated into small florets
2 tsp ginger - minced
2 tbsp garlic - minced
3 tbsp maida
2 tsp corn flour
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp white pepper powder
2 tsp salt
2 tsp soya sauce
1/2 tsp vinegar

For Saute
1 onion - sliced
1 green bell pepper - sliced
1 green chillies - sliced
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
3 tbsp green spring onions - finely chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp chili-garlic sauce
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
salt to taste
3 tbsp oil (for saute)

2 cups oil (for frying)

Method
Wash the cauliflower florets and semi-boil them in salt water for few minutes. Drain the water completely and pat dry with a kitchen towel.

Mix maida, corn flour, salt, red chilli powder, white pepper powder, ginger garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, and ajinomoto in a bowl. Make a thick paste and add cauliflower and toss in to coat it with the paste.

Heat some oil and deep fry the cauliflower florets and drain the excess oil with a paper towel. Keep this aside.

Now heat 3 tbsp oil in a wide saucepan on high flame. Then saute the red onions, green peppers, ginger garlic, green chilli for a few mins and once they turn slightly tender, add soy sauce, tomato ketchup, chilli garlic sauce and salt. Toss everything and mix well for few minutes. Finally add the green onions ,lower the flame &  add the fried cauliflower until the gravy becomes dry.Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. I won’t say serve coz I know it will be over in no time!

Chicken Shawarma made at home!

Chicken Shawarma is a popular Middle Eastern dish. Marinated chicken chunks are mounted on a large rotating skewer and then roasted slowly to perfection against a gas burning grill & stuffed into bread along with french fries, onion & tomatos.

Ingredients:

• 200gm thinly cut skinless boneless chicken breast
• 2 tsp  of lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of crushed/powder oregano (or thyme)
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon of ginger powder (optional)
• 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce
• 4 tablespoons of plain yogurt
• 1 tsp of white vinegar
• 4 crushed garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
•  Salt to taste

Method:

Marinate chicken with yoghurt, paprika,oregano,ketchup,vinegar & salt for 6-8 hours or overnight in the fridge. Grill the marinated chicken using a BBQ grill.You can fry/roast  the chicken on a frypan.  Once cooked, shred the chicken thinly. Make paste of garlic,oil,lemon juice. Spread on a pita bread/sandwich bread this paste ,add the shredded chicken, vinegar marignated cucumber,onion,French fries & tomatoes and enjoy!

yummy crispy goooey cheese balls

Cheese balls are yummy. Melted cheese will give you a gooey feeling and the aroma is just wonderful. As soon as the weather turns a bit chilly or humid, everyone at our home starts craving for fried food! Bhajias are a hot favorite in pretty much any Indian household during rainy cold days. But you don't really need an excuse to enjoy fried food. It is extremely comforting, and that is enough reason to indulge, at least once in a while! 

These cheese fritters are so easy to make, and they are so tasty, you'll be eating away the entire bowl in no time! The crispy exterior with the soft gooey cheesy interior make them perfect finger food, and your kids would especially like them a lot. You can jazz it up by adding chopped onions, maybe some cilantro or basil, even chopped spinach would be great with cheese. Remember to serve them hot, with Ketchup or some dipping sauce, with a hot cup of tea or coffee.

Only seven ingredients combine to make an unforgettable classic cheese ball with the distinctive flavor of cheddar cheese!

Ingredients:

1 cup grated cheese

1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup bread crumbs
oil for frying
salt to taste

Method:

Mix shredded cheese, chilly powder, pepper powder & salt. Make small round balls. Make thick paste of flour, salt & baking powder. Dip balls in paste followed by bread crumbs & deep fry till golden brown.The cheese will become nice and gooey but due to the maida paste and the bread crumbs, the Cheese Balls will still hold their shape.