Garlic Babycorn & Fantastic Four Meme

This is a very tasty chinese dish. It can be served as a side dish with noodles, fried rice or pulao. Or it can also be served as a snack for parties! I have garnished it with home-grown spring onions.

Ingredients:

Babycorn -200 gm
Onion -1 chopped
Garlic -2 tbsp chopped
Egg -1 beaten
Red chilly sauce -2 tbsp
Tomato sauce -2 tbsp
Pepper powder -1\4 tsp, 1\4 tsp
Sugar -1\4 tsp, 1\4 tsp
Aginomotto -1\8 tsp, 1\8 tsp
Salt -1\4 tsp, 1\4 tsp
Corn flour -2 tbsp
Maida -2 tbsp
Spring onions -1 tbsp chopped
Oil -1 tbsp, and for frying

Method:

Slice the babycorns slantwise. In a bowl, mix egg, corn flour, maida, salt, sugar,pepper powder and aginomotto, adding a little water. Add the babycorns and mix. The batter should coat them well. Fry them in oil till golden brown. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. Fry the onions and garlic till it the onion turns light brown. Add red chilli sauce, tomato sauce, salt, sugar, pepper powder and aginomotto. Mix well and add the fried babycorns. Fry for a minute. Garnish with spring onions and serve hot!


Fantastic Four Meme...!

Remya of Spices n' Flovours has tagged me for Fantastic Four Meme. Thank you Remya for tagging me! I am happy to write about myself so that other fellow bloggers can know me better.


4 Places I've Lived

• Kochi (Ernakulam), the commercial capital of Kerala - where I did my studies till graduation (BSc Chemistry). Got married during the final year, did my Post Graduation (MA English Literature) when my son was 1 1\2 yrs old.
• Bangalore - where I am staying for the past 16 yrs.
• Vienna, Austria - stayed there as a Missionary and also worked for PRO-LIFE movement protesting against the Abortion Clinics mushrooming in and around Vienna City.
• Dubai - still an NRI shuttling between Dubai and Bangalore!

4Jobs I've Had

• Teaching English to Novices in a Convent in Bangalore.
• Director of a Company owned by us.
• Working as a Missionary. I am a member of Spiritual Revival Ministry
• The role of Super Chef I am playing for the past 25 years!

4 Favourite Places I've Holidayed

(I have visted eighteen countries so far for various reasons, not exaggerating)

• Toronto and Montreal, Canada - visited Niagra Falls, and also Biodome and Botanical Gardens in Montreal...
• Holland - a small fishing village called Monnickendam is the best place I have visited so far! Here the sea level is higher than the land.
• Switzerland - nick named Heaven on Earth!
• Thailand - Pattaya Beach and the Floating Market in Bangkok...

4 Favourite Foods

My Grandmother and my mother inspired me a lot in cooking. I like traditional Kerala food the most!

• Appam and Stew
• Bread and Fish Moly
• Mutton Biriyani
• Pazham Pori

4 Places I'd rather be...

• Home, sweet home! to be at home with my dogs - 6yr old Daschund, Daisy and 9 month old Golden Retreiver, Ginger
• With my hubby in our new apartment in Dubai...
• With my son and daughter wherever they are...
• Help the poor in 4 countries -India, South Africa, Philippines and Papua New Guinea... this is my dream! Please see the kind of work that is being done in India - New Ark Mission

4 Persons I like to tag...

• cinnamon of Cinnamon Trail
• padmaja of Spicy Andhra
• shn of Mishmash
• sirisha of Ambrosia Flavours

Veg Pizza

Most of the kids prefer pizzas, burgers, fried rice and noodles than our traditional food. Why not make a healthy pizza for them with less cheese and without burning a hole in your pocket?

Ingredients:

Pizza base -2 (from the store)
Onion -1 chopped
Tomato -1 chopped
Green and yellow capsicums - 1\2 cup sliced
Pizza sauce - as required
Tomato sauce -as required
Mozzarella cheese -1\2 cup grated
Pepper powder -as required
Oregano -as required
Salt -as required

Method:

Heat the grill for 15 minutes. Place the pizza base on the grill rack and warm for 2 minutes. Take out and spread the pizza sauce on it. Top with half the onions, tomatoes and capsicums. Sprinkle tomato sauce, pepper powder, oregano and a pinch of salt. Finally, spread the grated cheese on top. Place it on the rack and grill for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts and starts browning. Repeat the same with the second pizza. Cut each pizza into four pieces and serve hot.

Mexican Rice

This is a very tasy dish. Mexicans use lots of chillies in their recipes. I got this recipe some 15 yrs ago, when I first bought my rice cooker. A cookery expert showed us how to make Mexican rice in the rice cooker. Ever since, I used to make it often at home. You can reduce the amount of chilly powder, if you wish to do so.

Ingredients:

Jeera samba/ Basmati rice -2 cups

Onions -2 chopped

Tomatoes -2 chopped

Red, green and yellow capsicums -1\4 cup each sliced

Garlic -3 minced

Chilly powder -2 tsp

Cumin powder -1\2 tsp

Veg/chicken stock cubes -2

Water -3 1\4 cups

Salt -as required

Oil -2 1\2 tbsp

Method:

Wash and drain the rice. Keep it aside. Heat oil (olive oil is the best) in a non stick pan, add garlic, onions and capsicums. Fry till onions turm pink. Add rice, tomatoes, chilly powder and cumin powder. Fry on medium flame for 5 minutes. Transfer it to the rice cooker. Add water, crushed veg/ chicken stock cubes and salt. Cook till done. Tasty Mexican rice is ready!

Pasta with Vegetables

My children love pasta. Here is a pasta recipe which is a wholesome meal. I have used 'Spirali', you can use pasta of your choice.

Ingredients:

Pasta (Spirali) - 250 gm

Onion -1 chopped

Garlic paste -1 tsp

Pasta sauce -3 tsp

Tomato sauce -1 tsp

Oregano -1 tsp

Pepper powder -1\4 tsp

Chilli flakes -1 tsp

Cream -2 tbsp

Salt -as required

Olive Oil -2 tbsp

Cheese strips -half slice

Carrot -1 chopped

Beans -4 chopped

Frozen green peas -1\4 cup

Tomatoes -2

Method:

Boil 2 litres of water in a pot . Make a cross on the tomatoes with a knife. Put the tomatoes into the boiling water and blanch them. Remove from water. Add salt amd pasta to the boiling water. Let it cook for 10-15 min. Check whether the pasta is cooked . Drain and pour cold water over the pasta. Keep it aside. Remove the skin of the tomatoes and chop them. Heat olive oil in a nonstick pan. Put onions and garlic paste, fry for a minute. Add carrot, beans and green peas. Fry on a low fire for 5 min. Put the tomatoes and mix well. Now add the chilli flakes, oregano,salt and pepper powder. Fry till the tomatoes are cooked. Add the pasta, pasta sauce, tomato sauce and cream, stir for two minutes. Transfer it to a plate, decorate with cheese strips. Serve it hot. Enjoy!

French Toast

This bread toast was one of my favourites during childhood. My mother used to make it often. She used to call it Bombay Toast. It still is an all time favourite breakfast of my family! Hope your little ones will love it too.

What you need:

One loaf of bread
Milk: 1 1\2 cups
Eggs: 2
Sugar: 5 tbsp
Butter or Ghee

Method:

Beat the eggs in a large pan. Add the milk and sugar and stir continuously till the sugar is fully dissolved. Heat a frying pan, smear 1\2 tsp butter or ghee on it. Dip each slice of bread in the milk mixture and keep on the pan, two pieces at a time. Fry lightly on medium flame. When one side is done, turn over and fry the other side. Repeat till the mixture is over. It tastes yummy!