Gobi Manchurian aka Cauliflower Manchurian

Weekends are the hardest days to cook ... what do you think? I mean the whole week, you have a routine you follow -  make healthy, quick lunches to pack in everyone's lunch boxes. Then the weekend rolls around and everyone is at home and in the mood for something different and that is when my inner confused chef awakens. It is always a big question for me as to what new dish can I make to please everyone.

This weekend I decided to make some Indo-Chinese food. That is Chinese food with an Indian flair. No self-respecting Chinese restaurant will ever serve this , as it is not considered as 'authentic' Chinese, so do not even bother asking for it. Cauliflower fritters tossed in a tangy and spicy sauce is commonly called Gobi        ( Cauliflower ) Manchurian. You can make this dish dry ( that is, with just enough sauce to coat the fritters -  makes a wonderful cocktail snack with toothpicks stuck in it ), or you can make it with a little 'gravy' ( that is, with a little extra sauce, to serve over piping hot white rice or noodles. ). I adapted this recipe from my days training in the kitchen of a five-star hotel in Mumbai.

Along with this I also made some lo mein noodles and some vegetable spring rolls. Recipes to come.......

Subzi Pakora Chaat

Tempura-like-batter-coated fried vegetables called pakoras layered with hot, sweet, salty and sour chutneys is another popular snack food in India.

This is another great recipe from  660 Curries cookbook, I adapted it a little to my style. You can serve this as an appetizer, or a snack. Just be prepared to make this a lot as this will be the most requested dish at your home.

 This is so simple to make once you have all the chutneys in place. I put off making this dish for the longest time thinking that it would not taste that special. After all pakoras are quite common in our household. However, the other day when I was making some onion pakora, I decided to go all out and make the Sabzi Pakora Chaat. It turned out to be such a hit with both my husband and my son. My son even came for seconds !

This dish does have a couple of chutneys, which are easily available in any Indian grocery store, or you can make them at home. Once the chutneys are in place this dish comes together rather quickly and disappears twice as fast. Do not be intimidated by the number of steps in the recipe, it is fairly easy to make. So once you fry enough of the pakoras , assemble them and pour the chutneys on them and serve. These taste best when hot or warm.